Luke 2:1–20

Instead of "Worthy"

In Thee, O Blessed One, all creation rejoices: / The angelic host and the human race. / Thou art the sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, / the glory of virginity, from Whom God was incarnate and became a Child / our God who existed before all ages. / For He hath made Thy bowels enthroned, / And hath made Thy womb more extensive than the heavens. / In Thee, O Blessed One, all creation rejoices, / Glory to Thee!

Involved

Praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest. Alleluia. (3) Ps 148:1

After the dismissal of the Liturgy, the paraecclesiarch lights a portable candle and places it in the middle of the church, while the clergy and both choirs together sing the troparion of the feast, Glory, and now: the kontakion, and many years.

The All-Night Vigil begins with Great Compline, with the singing of "God is with us," and instead of the usual troparion "Enlighten my eyes," the troparion of the feast. Instead of: "Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us:" the kontakion of the feast. After the Great Doxology, a litiya is performed.

Stichera on the Litiya Self-Voiced, Tone 1

St. John of Damascus

On this day, according to prophecy, let heaven and earth rejoice. / Angels and people! Let us triumph spiritually, / for God in the flesh appeared / to those who sat in darkness and in shadow, born of a virgin; / the cave and the manger contained Him. / The shepherds announce the miracle; / the Magi from the east bring gifts to Bethlehem; / but we with unworthy lips / like angels will bring His praise: / "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, / for He who is awaited by the nations has come, / He has come and saved us from slavery to the enemy!"

Heaven and earth were united on this day / at the birth of Christ. / On this day God came to earth, / and man ascended to heaven. / Today, for man's sake, / in the flesh we see Him Who is invisible by nature. / Therefore we, too, praising Him, will exclaim to Him: / "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace: / Thy coming has given it to us; / Our Saviour, glory to Thee!"

"Glory to God in the highest," / – in Bethlehem I hear from the bodiless on this day, / – "Who was pleased that peace should be established on earth!" / Now the Virgin is more extensive than the heavens, / for the light has shone for the darkened / and has exalted the humble, singing like angels: / "Glory to God in the highest!"

In His own image and likeness, / seeing Him lost because of transgression, / Jesus descended, bowing down to the heavens, / and dwelt, without undergoing change, into the virgin womb, / in order to renew in it the corrupt Adam, crying out: / "Glory to Thy appearing, O my Deliverer and God!"

Glory, tone 5, of St. John of Damascus