GREAT FEAST, PRESENTATION OF THE THEOTOKOS

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 4) 

Today is the preview of the good will of God,

Of the preaching of the salvation of mankind.

The Virgin appears in the temple of God,

In anticipation proclaiming Christ to all.

Let us rejoice and sing to her: Rejoice,

0 Divine Fulfillment of the Creator's dispensation.

Kontakion (Tone 4)

The most pure Temple of the Savior;

The precious Chamber and Virgin;

The sacred Treasure of the glory of God,

Is presented today to the house of the Lord.

She brings with her the grace of the Spirit,

Therefore, the angels of God praise her:

"Truly this woman is the abode of heaven."

Forefeast hymn

Troparion (Tone 4)

Today Anna bequeaths joy to all instead of sorrow by bringing forth her fruit, the only ever-Virgin.

In fulfillment of her vow,

Today with joy she brings to the temple of the Lord

the true temple and pure Mother of God the Word.

Kontakion (Tone 4)

Today the universe is filled with joy

At the glorious feast of the Mother of God, and cries out:

"She is the heavenly tabernacle."

"According to Tradition, the Virgin Mary was taken —presented—by her parents Joachim and Anna into the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem as a young girl, where she lived and served as a Temple virgin until her betrothal to St. Joseph.  One of the earliest sources of this tradition is the non-canonical Protoevangelion of James, also called the Infancy Gospel of James.

Mary was solemnly received by the temple community which was headed by the priest Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. She was led to the holy place to become herself the "holy of holies" of God, the living sanctuary and temple of the Divine child who was to be born in her. The Church also sees this feast as a feast which marks the end of the physical temple in Jerusalem as the dwelling place of God.

On the eve of the feast, Vespers is served and contains Old Testament readings that are interpreted as symbols of the Mother of God, for she becomes the living temple of God. In each reading we hear, "for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord God Almighty." (Exodus40:1-5, 9-10, 16, 34-35; I Kings 7:51, 8:1, 3-4, 6-7, 9-11; and Ezekiel 43:27-44)

Sometimes Matins is served on the morning of the feast. The Gospel reading is from Luke 1:39-49, 56. It is read on all feasts of the Theotokos and includes the Theotokos' saying: "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed."

Divine Liturgy is served on the day on the feast. The epistle reading is from Hebrews 9:1-7, and speaks of the tabernacle of the old covenant. The gospel reading is taken from Luke 10:38-42 and 11:27-28 together; this reading is also read on all feasts of the Theotokos. In it, the Lord says, "blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  (Excerpt, from the Information given at the Orthowiki article about this Great Feast)

Please click just here in this link, and another one here, both coming from Orthodox source on this Solemn Occasion which is going to observed by our brethrens in the Eastern Rite, both Catholics and Orthodox alike today.

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GREAT FEAST, NATIVITY OF THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN AND HOLY THEOTOKOS MARY: More honorable than the cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word: true Theotokos, we magnify you.

The famous Icon known to all Filipinos, the Our Lady of Perpetual Help is the most Venerated Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is also Enshrined to a Church in Baclaran, Pasay under the care of Redemptorist Order, a Religious Congregation in the Catholic Church known for producing most of their Hierarchs and Clergies coming from the Byzantine Rite. Many case of Miracles have been reported because of Intercession to the Lady and the plea of the Faithful.

Today we commemorate the Birth of the Most Blessed Virgin and Theotokos Mary, the Mother of God and ever Virgin. The Eastern Rite Churches, both Orthodox and Catholic, held that Mary is Immaculate, pure and Spotless, for she is free from actual Sin. She is regarded as the new Eve, for her Obedience to God is the exact opposite of Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden

Akathist Hymn to the Nativity of the Theotokos

Troparion

    Your Nativity, O Virgin,
    Has proclaimed joy to the whole universe!
    The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,
    Has shone from You, O Theotokos!
    By annulling the curse,
    He bestowed a blessing.
    By destroying death, He has granted us eternal Life.

Kontakion

    By Your Nativity, O Most Pure Virgin,
    Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness;
    Adam and Eve, from the corruption of death.
    And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you:
    The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our life!

For the Chanting of the Akathist Hymn in honour of the Birth of the Most Blessed Virgin Theotokos, below is a Video clip in honour of this Great Feast today

Богородице дѣво, радѹйсѧ,
Благодатнаѧ Марїе,
Господь съ тобою:
благословена Ты въ женахъ,
и благословенъ плодъ чрева Твоегω;
якω Спаса родила еси дѹшъ нашихъ

Bogoroditse Djevo, raduisya,
Blagodatnaya Marie,
Gospod s' toboyu:
Blagoslovyena tyh v' zhenakh,
Y blagosloslovyen plod chreva Tvoyego,
yako Spasa rodila yesi dush nashikh.

Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos
Mary full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.

This prayer is the Eastern Variant of Hail Mary in Church Slavonic. for another Hymn of the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos, please click on this link about Agni Parthene, Rejoice, translated to O Bride Unwedded , in honour of the ever Virgin Mother of God Mary.

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AKATHIST Hymn to the Dormition of the Theotokos

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 1)

In giving birth you preserved your virginity,

In falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos.

You were translated to life, O Mother of Life,

And by your prayers, you deliver our souls from death.

Kontakion (Tone 2)

Neither the tomb, nor death could hold the Theotokos,

Who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions.

For being the Mother of Life,

She was translated to life by the One who dwelt in her virginal womb.

Forefeast Hymns

Troparion (Tone 4)

Dance with joy, O peoples!

Clap your hands with gladness!

Gather today with fervor and jubilation;

Sing with exultation.

The Mother of God is about to rise in glory,

Ascending from earth to heaven.

We ceaselessly praise her in song as truly Theotokos.

Kontakion (Tone 4)

Today the universe dances with joy at your glorious memorial,

And cries out to you, O Mother of God:

"Rejoice, O Virgin, pride of Christians!"

Today we celebrate this Great Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the East, of which we Commemorate the "Falling Asleep" of the Blessed Virgin Mary Most Holy Theotokos (God Bearer). Still there are some who arguing the difference between this 2 beliefs, though it concludes that both West and East agree that the Blessed Virgin Mary is taken both Body and Soul into Heaven. Even the Papal Bull "Munificentissimus Deus" of Pope Pius XII  leaves open this question surrounding this matter, both the Dormition and Assumption.

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