Circumcision of Our Lord

CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD
Safro
INTRODUCTION
DOXOLOGY
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
O perfect One,
in whom nothing is lacking,
you humbled yourself under the law of circumcision.
We thank you for giving us baptism in which we are born anew.
Increase within us the divine virtues you have given
in this mystery,
that we may bring forth the fruits of faith, hope and charity
during this new year,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.
GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.
PRAISE OF THE ANGELS
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.
Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples,
for steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O God,
grant that we may celebrate the feast of
your circumcision with joy of spirit
and peace of soul.
This morning may we contemplate your love and concern for us,
and we give you glory and praise,
now and for ever. Amen.
PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon:
The Lord has sworn and he will not repent: “You are a
priest for ever.”
Psalm 110: 1-5
The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool.”
The scepter of your power the Lord will stretch forth from Zion:
“Rule in the midst of your enemies.
Yours is the princely power in the day of
your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I
have begotten you.”
The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:
“You are a priest forever, according
to the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord is at your right hand:
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

[HYMN]
The Hymn , “The Church” (page 168) may be sung after
the Psalm of the Day.
SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Light of lights,
help us to confess your birth,
believe in your divinity and thank you for your
incarnation.
May we celebrate your feast and hope in your grace
and we shall give you glory and praise,
now and for ever. Amen.
NUHRO (HYMN OF LIGHT)
The Light of the just and joy of the upright in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
Begotten of the Father, he manifested Himself to us.
He came to rescue us from darkness and to fill us with the
radiance of his light.
Day is dawning upon us; the power of darkness is fading away.
From the true Light there arises from us the light which illumines our darkened eyes.
His glory shines upon the world and enlightens the very depths of the abyss.
Death is annihilated, night has vanished, and the gates of Sheol are broken.
Creatures lying in darkness from ancient times are clothed in
light.
The dead arise from the dust and sing because they have a Savior.
He brings salvation and grants us life.
He ascends to his Father on high.
He will return in glorious splendor and shed his light on those gazing upon him.
Our King comes in majestic glory,
Let us light our lamps and go forth to meet him.

Let us find our joy in him, for he has found joy in us.
He will indeed rejoice us with his marvelous light.
Let us glorify the majesty of the Son and give thanks to
the almighty Father, who,
in an outpouring of love, sent him to us, to fill us with
hope and salvation.
When he manifests himself, the saints awaiting him in
weariness and sorrow,
will go forth to meet him with lighted lamps.
The angels and guardians of heaven will rejoice in the
glory of the just and upright people of the earth;
together, crowned with victory, they will sing hymns and psalms.
Stand up then and be ready!
Give thanks to our King and Savior, who will come in great
glory to gladden us with his marvelous light in his kingdom.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
[HYMN]
Either the Hymn, “The Return of Christ” (page 169) or the
Hymn, “Christ the Light” (page 169) may be sung after the
Nuhro.
THIRD PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O God,
on the memorial of your holy circumcision,
give us hearts circumcised of all sinful passions,
that we may be pure temples in which all the deeds
of our lives are offered.
At the beginning of this new year,
now we join with all creations in offering you praise,
now and for ever. Amen.

MORNING PSALMS
Psalm 148
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created;
He established them forever and ever;
he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all depths;
Fire and hail, snow and mist,
storm winds that fulfill his word;
You mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars;
You wild beasts and all tame animals,
you creeping things and you winged fowl.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,
Praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven,
and he has lifted up the horn of his people.

Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
Psalm 149:1-6
Alleluia.
Sing to the Lord a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
Alleluia.
Psalm 150
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.

Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord!
Alleluia.
Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
[CANTICLE]
The “Canticle of the Three Children” (page 168) may
follow the Morning Psalms.
HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the true Light who shone in the world and enlightened the universe,
the Creator of time who fills us with the marvels of his power and love.
To the Good One, who sanctifies Saints Basil and Gregory,
is due glory and honor this morning,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.

SEDRO
On this glorious day,
the holy Church celebrates the circumcision of the Lord Jesus, the source and fulfillment of the mosaic law,
and recalls the memory of Basil the Great, glorious teacher
of Cappadocia,
and Gregory, the teacher and pure pastor who preserved
the word of truth.
We rejoice on these blessed feasts
and implore the Lord through the intercession
of those whom we remember this day,
to grant blessing and good things for the world
in this new year,
pardon of faults,
cure of the sick,
consolation of the afflicted,
hope for those who suffer
and peace to nations.
And we will glorify the holy Trinity,
now and for ever. Amen.
QOLO
Today, O Ancient days, you willed to submit to the ancient
law of circumcision.
The Church recalls this humility with gratitude and asks you for the remission of faults and the pardon of sins.
ETRO
Lord,
accept our incense and the prayers of the holy
Church on this blessed day.
In this new year give us holy feasts,
grant your peace to the world, which alone
is the true peace,
through the intercession of Basil, Gregory and
all the saints,
and we will glorify you,
now and for ever. Amen.

READINGS
MAZMOORO
Moses instituted the law of circumcision and our Savior himself submitted to it.
Praise the Lord, all you peoples, because the Lord carried out the law; glorify him, all nations, because he fulfills the
prophecies.
Blessed be Christ who gave baptism to the Church, life and
salvation instead of the ancient law.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy
Deut. 10: 12-21
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD which I enjoin on you today for your own good? Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the LORD, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it. Yet in his love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants, in preference to all other peoples, as indeed he has now done. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked. For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to him and swear by his name. He is your glory, he, your God, who has done for you those great and terrible things which your own eyes have seen.

A Reading from the Letter to the Galatians
Galatians 5: 13-26
For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.
HOOTOMO

GREAT DOXOLOGY
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and joy-filled hope to all.
We praise you, we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord and Creator, King of heaven, God the Father almighty,
Lord God, only Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son and Word of the Father,
you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sin of the world, hear us and receive
our prayer.
You are seated in glory at the right hand of your Father,
for give us and have mercy on us;
For you alone are holy,
you alone are the Lord, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
At all times, and all the days of our lives, we worship
you and praise your holy and blessed name,
which is and has been from age to age.
Blessed are you, Lord almighty, God of our fathers.
May your name be glorified, praised and exalted for ever.
To you be glory, praise and exaltation, God of all,
Father of truth, with the only Son and the living and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
you are before all ages and exist from age to age;
you are resplendent and glorified in unsearchable light;
through your word, you bring forth light and give us a new
day.
O radiant Day and source of light,
we glorify you, adore you and offer you praise night and day;
accept our praise and answer our prayer.
Send us your abundant blessings, through the mercy of your
Christ.
To him, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be glory, honor and power,
now and forever. Amen.