Afterfeast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
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.
20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia
Troparion — Tone 2
Blessed is the earth that received your blood, passion-bearers of the Lord, / and holy is the dwelling place which received your spirits. / You triumphed over the enemy in the stadium / and you preached Christ with boldness. / Since He is good, we pray that you beseech Him to save our souls.
Kontakion — Tone 1
Their souls strengthened by faith, the twenty thousand martyrs accepted their suffering by fire, / and cried out to You, the One born of the Virgin: / “Like gold, myrrh, and frankincense, the gifts of the Persian kings, / receive our whole burnt offering, O Eternal God.”
Venerable Ignatius of Loma and Yaroslav
Troparion — Tone 8
(Podoben: “Come, let us worship the Word...”)
With the streams of your tears, you cultivated the barrenness of the desert, / and by your sighings from the depths, your labors bore fruit a hundredfold, / and you became a luminary of the world, radiant with miracles, O Ignatius our Father. / Intercede with Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
Kontakion — Tone 2
(Podoben: “You sought the heights...”)
Having divinely armed yourself with purity of soul / and firmly grasping unceasing prayer as a spear, you have slain the armies of the demons. / Therefore, we beseech you, O Father Ignatius: / “Always intercede for those who honor you.”
Apostle Nicanor the Deacon of the Seventy
Troparion — Tone 3
Holy Apostle Nicanor, / entreat the merciful God, / to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.
Venerable Simon the Myrrh-gusher of Mount Athos
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 Simon, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!
Hieromartyr Νikόdēmos, Bishop of Belgorod
Troparion — Tone 4
By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their throne. / Through the practice of virtue, / you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; / by teaching the word of truth without error, / you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood. / Hieromartyr Νikόdēmos, entreat Christ God to save our souls.