Verse: My heart has poured out a good word, I will speak my deeds to the King.

Verse: You blossom in beauty among the sons of men. Ps 44:2a, 3a

The Gospel of Luke, conceived 9

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate ruled Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother was tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, under the high priest Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. And he went through all the Jordan region, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight: every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be lowered, and the crooked path will be straight, and the rough paths will be smooth roads, and all flesh will see the salvation of God." So he said to the people who came out to be baptized by him: "Spawn of serpents! Who told you to flee from future anger? Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say within yourselves, "Our father is Abraham," for I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham out of these stones. Already the axe lies at the root of the trees: therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do? And he answered and said to them, He who has two shirts, let him share it with him who has not, and he who has food, let him do likewise. And the publicans also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" The soldiers also asked him, saying: "And what shall we do?" and he said to them: "Do not offend anyone, do not extort anyone, and be content with your salary." And when the people were waiting, and all were pondering in their hearts about John, "Is it not the Christ himself?" answered John, saying to all: "I baptize you with water; but the One who is stronger than me is coming, from Whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of His shoe. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His shovel is in His hand, and He will cleanse His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His garner, and the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." And he preached many other things to the people with exhortation.

Luke 3:1–18

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. Ps 148:1

Alleluia. (3)

After the prayer before the ambo, we all go out through the Royal Doors to the holy font or to the spring. The abbot or the senior priest comes out, carrying the Holy Cross on his head, and in front go the candle-bearers and deacons with censers. And he places the Holy Cross on a decorated table, where a chalice with water and candles is prepared. Candles are distributed to the brethren, and the rector, accompanied by a deacon with a candle, censes around the table and the entire church, while the clergy sings troparia.

Troparia at the Blessing of the Water, tone 8

The voice of the Lord cries out on the waters, saying: / "Come, receive all / the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, / the Spirit of the fear of God, / the Christ who has appeared!" (3)

On this day the waters are sanctified, / and the Jordan is divided, / and holds back the flow of its streams, / seeing the Lord washed. (2)