Troparia and kontakia for December 31

Commemoration of the Holy Righteous David the King, Joseph the Betrothed, and James the Brother of the Lord

Troparion — Tone 2

O Joseph, proclaim the wonders to David, the ancestor of God: / you have seen a Virgin great with child; you gave glory with the shepherds; / you worshipped with the Magi; / you received an answer from the Angel.1 / Beseech Christ God to save our souls.


1 Matthew 1: 20-21.

Kontakion — Tone 3

(Podoben: “Today the Virgin..”)
Today the godly David is filled with gladness / and Joseph offers praise with James. / Having received the crown of their kinship with Christ, they rejoice, / praising in song Him Who is inexpressibly born on earth, / crying out: “O Compassionate One, save those who honor You!”

Holy Righteous Joseph the Betrothed

Troparion — Tone 2

O Joseph, proclaim the wonders to David, the ancestor of God: / you have seen a Virgin great with child; you gave glory with the shepherds; / you worshipped with the Magi; / you received an answer from the Angel.1 / Beseech Christ God to save our souls.


1 Matthew 1: 20-21.

Kontakion — Tone 3

(Podoben: “Today the Virgin..”)
Today the godly David is filled with gladness / and Joseph offers praise with James. / Having received the crown of their kinship with Christ, they rejoice, / praising in song Him Who is inexpressibly born on earth, / crying out: “O Compassionate One, save those who honor You!”

Holy Righteous David the King

Troparion — Tone 2

O Joseph, proclaim the wonders to David, the ancestor of God: / you have seen a Virgin great with child; you gave glory with the shepherds; / you worshipped with the Magi; / you received an answer from the Angel.1 / Beseech Christ God to save our souls.


1 Matthew 1: 20-21.

Kontakion — Tone 3

(Podoben: “Today the Virgin..”)
Today the godly David is filled with gladness / and Joseph offers praise with James. / Having received the crown of their kinship with Christ, they rejoice, / praising in song Him Who is inexpressibly born on earth, / crying out: “O Compassionate One, save those who honor You!”

Righteous James the Brother of the Lord

Troparion — Tone 2

O Joseph, proclaim the wonders to David, the ancestor of God: / you have seen a Virgin great with child; you gave glory with the shepherds; / you worshipped with the Magi; / you received an answer from the Angel.1 / Beseech Christ God to save our souls.


1 Matthew 1: 20-21.

Kontakion — Tone 3

(Podoben: “Today the Virgin..”)
Today the godly David is filled with gladness / and Joseph offers praise with James. / Having received the crown of their kinship with Christ, they rejoice, / praising in song Him Who is inexpressibly born on earth, / crying out: “O Compassionate One, save those who honor You!”

Leavetaking of the Nativity of our Lord

Troparion — Tone 4

Your Nativity, O Christ our God, / has shone to the world the Light of knowledge; / for by it, those who worshipped the stars / were taught by a star to adore You, / the Sun of Righteousness,1 / and to know You, the Dayspring2 from on High. / O Lord, glory to You!

Kontakion — Tone 3

(Original Melody)
Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One, / and the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One! / Angels with shepherds glorify Him. / The wise men journey with a star, / since for our sake the Pre-Eternal God was born as a young Child.3


1 Malachi 4:2.
2 The beginning of day, dawn.
3 Literally: Since for our sake, God before the ages was born as a young Child.

Venerable Melania the Younger of Rome

Troparion — Tone 8

The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother, / for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. / By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away; / but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal. / Therefore your spirit, O holy Mother Melania, rejoices with the angels.

Kontakion — Tone 3

As a two-fold lamp you illumine the Church of Christ / with truly mystical radiance. / You brought forth a hundred-fold fruit through your contest, O Anysia; / and you shone forth in asceticism, O Melania. / You were both found worthy of the incorruptible life of the righteous.

Venerable Cyriacus of Bisericani, Romania

Troparion — Tone 8

By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile, / and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance. / By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe! / O our holy father Cyriacus, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!

Venerable Cyriacus of Tazlau, Romania

Troparion — Tone 1

Inflamed with the love of Christ, / you spent your life as a hesychast in the cave of Magura Tazlăului,1 glorifying God and defeating the demons. / Therefore, we cry out to you: / "Rejoice, Kyriakos, our Father."

Kontakion — Tone 1

Forsaking the world in your youth, / you left your parental home with their blessing and entered Tazlău2 Monastery to serve in the house of the Lord, / where you made yourself an accomplished monk and then went to the hermitage, / making yourself a chosen vessel of the Spirit. / Therefore, we cry out to you: / "Rejoice, Holy Father Kyriakos, adornment of Moldova and boast of hesychasts."


1 Tahz-LAZLAHL-wee.
2 Tahz-LAH-oo.

Saint Theophylactus of Ochrid

Troparion — Tone 4

In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith, / an image of humility and a teacher of abstinence; / your humility exalted you; / your poverty enriched you. / Hierarch Father Theophylactus, / entreat Christ our God / that our souls may be saved.

Venerable Sabiana, Abbess of the Samtskhe Monastery

Troparion — Tone 8

By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile, / and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance. / By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe! / O our holy mother Sabiana, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!

Saint Dositheus the Confessor, Bishop of Serbia

Troparion — Tone 8

O champion of Orthodoxy, teacher of purity and of true worship, / enlightener of the universe and adornment of hierarchs. / All-wise father Dositheus, you have enlightened all by your teachings. / Interceed with Christ God to save our souls.