The unsetting Sun hastens to emerge from virgin loins to enlighten everything under heaven. Let us hurry to meet him with clear eyes and pure actions; and let us now be prepared to receive in spirit the one who comes to his own by a strange birth, as he was well pleased; that, as he is compassionate, by being brought to birth in Bethlehem, he may bring us back who have been estranged from the life in Eden.

God the Word, who rides on the backs of the Cherubim, united hypostatically to flesh, has dwelt in an unblemished womb, become a mortal and is coming to the land of Juda to be brought to birth. Holy Cave, be made ready as a majestic palace for the universal King; and you, Manger, as a throne formed of fire, on which the Virgin Mary lays as a babe the Infinite for the restoration of what he fashioned.

The Virgin lays you in a manger of dumb beasts, O Word of God without beginning, who beyond understanding have accepted a beginning; for you are coming to dispel my unreason, to which I submitted by the envy of the serpent; while you will be wrapped in swaddling bands that you may tear apart the bands and cords of my offences, O alone Good and lover of humankind; therefore I glorify you, I praise and worship with great joy your coming in the flesh, through which I have been freed.

Mountains and hills, valleys and plains, rivers and all creation now magnify the Creator who is brought to birth.

Bethlehem prepare; Eden is opened for all. Make ready Ephratha, because the tree of life has flowered in the Cave from the Virgin. For her womb has been revealed as the spiritual Paradise in which is the plant of life; eating from it we shall live; we shall not die as Adam. Christ is born to raise up his image which had fallen.

‘You have established me on a rock of faith; you have broadened my mouth against my foes; may spirit has been made glad by singing: None is holy as our God, and none is just but you, O Lord’.

To no purpose and with murderous intent is Herod’s Sanhedrin gathered to slay the Lord who comes to birth; to whom we all sing: You are our God, and none is just but you, O Lord.

‘When a tyrant’s word prevailed, the furnace once was heated sevenfold; in which the Youths, trampling on the King’s decree, were not consumed, but cried: All you works of the Lord, praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages’.

Emptying out our tears like myrrh for Christ, who is brought to birth for us in flesh, let us purify the stains of the flesh, as in purity we approach the Immaculate and cry: All you works of the Lord, praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages’.

With tears of pitiable sorrow may we escape the tears of the dread punishment to come, as we grasp the feet of Christ, who is placed as a babe in swaddling clothes, and cry: All you works of the Lord, praise the Lord, and highly exalt him to all the ages.

‘With pure souls, and unpolluted lips, come, let us magnify the undefiled and most holy Mother of Emmanuel, through her offering our prayer to the One born of her: Spare our souls, Christ God, and save us’.

Let none be ungrateful, none full of evil jealousy of those who now bring gifts acceptable to God instead of myrrh, gold and incense, the myrrh of virtues, as they sing to Christ who is brought to birth: Spare our souls, Christ God, and save us.

Cunning Herod, hard of heart, says to the wise Magi: Go, seek the King who has now been born, and having found him, tell me, as he meditated murder in his murderous heart. Spare our souls, Christ God, and save us.

Inspired by God let creation to-day be glad; for Christ the Lord, the Son of our God, is born of a pure Maiden, so making the whole human race immortal and abolishing the curse of the foremother Eve; and so as to our benefactor let bring a song.

Joseph the just, as he hymned the Virgin who bore the pre-eternal Word, cried out: I see you, who have become the Temple of the Lord, bearing the One who has come to save all mortals, and who shows those who praise him to be temples through pity of the divine.

‘With a cutting hand the Red Sea is cut, while the deep, nurse of waves, is dried up; the same becomes at once a path for the unarmed and for the fully armed a tomb; a song, pleasing to God, was raised: Christ our God has been greatly glorified’.

The infinite Wisdom of God, cause of all things and origin of life, has built his own house from a pure Mother who has not known man. For putting on a bodily temple Christ our God has been greatly glorified.

God’s Wisdom summons the Magi, guiding them to the mystery as first fruits of the Nations, to nourish spiritually those who before were unreasoning at a manger of unreasoning beasts, where a mystical table is spread, to which they hasten as they make their way with gifts, while the star shining before them.

‘God, who is Lord and Creator of all things, the One who is beyond passion has made himself a pauper and united the created to himself. And carried as a babe in the flesh, he is worshipped in a paltry manger, as he cries, ‘Eat my body, and you will be made firm by faith’.’

Herod makes bold to slay before his time Christ who now comes to pour out his own saving blood for the world. He rages madly before the mad rage of Pilate and so with scarlet savagery he slaughtered multitudes of infants.

‘The Prophet, foreseeing your ineffable mystery, O Christ, cried out to you, ‘Compassionate Father, you have made strong love mighty, for you, O Good One, have sent the Only-begotten Son into the world as atonement.’

Falling like rain up the fleece and like a drop upon the earth who gave you birth, Lord, you come with compassion to be brought to birth and to live among mortals, for the Father has sent you the Only-begotten into the world as atonement.

‘Bound together with the bond of love as lovers of the brethren, let us give glory to the Master of all things, who loved the world so much and gave as ransom the beloved Son and bestows peace on all.’

God’s Wisdom, who holds fast the ungovernable water high in the lofty upper air, reins in the deeps and holds back the seas, descending like rain upon a fleece, dwelt in a Virgin’s womb.

‘A final abyss of sins has surrounded me, and no longer able to endure the tempest, like Jonas I cry to you, Master, ‘Bring me up from corruption!’’

Knowing you to be the Lord, the heavens declare your glory, Saviour, though a star, now calling Magi with gifts to knowledge of you and to divine worship.

‘The Youths in Babylon did not quail before the furnace flame, but cast into the midst of the flame, refreshed with dew, they sang, ‘Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Fathers!’’

Shaking his head, foreseeing evils, Herod looked an opportunity for he sought to put to death the One, who has authority over life and death, Christ the God of our Fathers.

As many of you as are friends of Christ, flee with him as he flees into Egypt, and there worship him with awe, invoking him in a manner fitting God and glorify him with one accord.

‘The most blessed Youths in Babylon, braving dangers for their ancestral laws, utterly despised the ruler’s irrational command. And united in the fire by which they not smelted, they raised the hymn worthy of the Mighty One. ‘You his works, praise the Lord, and highly exalt to all the ages!’’

Guests wise in God, as we advance in mind to Bethlehem, let us with Angels and with Shepherds contemplate the wonder, raising a song of glory to God in the highest, who grants mortals the prize of good will and peace.

Keeping hold of the law of love, let us take up the aim of brotherly love, being at peace with one another and of one mind, for Christ, the prince of peace, is drawing near, to bring peace to the universe and to save those who cry, ‘Praise the Lord his works, and highly exalt him to all the ages’.

‘Come, believers, let us enjoy with uplifted minds the Master’s hospitality and an immortal table in a meagre Cave, having learned that the Word has ineffably become incarnate. Him we magnify.’

‘Go’, said Herod to the princes of the Magi, ‘seek out the child, and when you find him, quickly bring me word’, devising deceit in his heart. But the deceiver was foiled, acting lawlessly to no effect.

The Creator, begotten from the Father before the ages, is born from the Virgin, being Wisdom, Word of God and Power. Knowing the Lord, God and Man, in two natures, we magnify him.

At Lauds, we insert six stichera, and sing the following 4 Prosomia.

Now all the ancient images are being discharged, for the Virgin is with child, the stone has been cut from the mountain, Jesse’s rod has blossomed and Gideon’s dew has now been poured out on earth. Peoples, let us cry out, ‘The King of Israel, Christ, is at hand!’

Strange happenings of a strange birth-giving are seen! How is the One enthroned with the Father being laid in a manger of irrational beasts? How is the One who cannot be touched in swaddling clothes? How is the One who is everywhere in the Cave? Peoples, let us cry out, ‘The King of Israel, Christ, is at hand!’

The One who worked wonders and smote Egypt, rained Manna on the ungrateful people, becomes incarnate and suckles at the breast. Seen as a little child, he flees from Herod, borne on the Virgin Mother as on a light cloud, as Isaias, the most visionary of prophets foresaw.

The pre-existent Child, King of the ages, is willingly brought to birth and is given to us as a son. Listen, you Nations, Israel, give ear! Understand and be discomfited, for he is with us, the One grind down and wipe out from the earth every kingdom and rule that does not obey him.

Glory.

Jew, you will be shepherded with a rod of iron, as you did not believe and resisted the Prophets; for to the Son when he is born the Father gives Nations as his lot and the whole earth as his possession, while you he will thrust aside, foul murderer, for you cannot be persuaded to cry, ‘The King of Israel, Christ, is at hand!’

Both Now.

Bethlehem, rejoice! The One who shepherds Israel, the Saviour, is upon you. Judea, you are no longer least among the rulers.

Today a day of the forefeast of the incarnation of Christ God has shone out with the feast of the all-praised Martyr Anastasia. See, the Virgin is approaching Bethlehem to lay, wrapped in swaddling clothes, in a manger of irrational beasts, the Babe who has freed us from the ancient curse and saves our souls.