Σύλληψις Τιμίου Προδρόμου

Η πρώην ου τίκτουσα,
στείρα ευφράνθητι '
ιδού γαρ συνέλαβες,
Ηλίου λύχνον σαφώς,
φωτίζειν τον μέλλοντα,
πάσαν την οικουμένη,
αβλεψίαν νοσούσαν '
χόρευε Ζαχαρία,
εκβοών παρρησία.
Προφήτης του Υψίστου εστίν,
ο μέλλων τίκτεσθαι.

The Conception of St. John the Baptist

Reading from the Synaxarion:

This came to pass fifteen months before the birth of Christ,
after the vision of the Angel that Zacharias, the father of the
Forerunner, saw in the Temple while he executed the priest's office in the
order of his course during the feast of the Tabernacles, as tradition
bears witness. In this vision, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to
Zacharias and said to him, "Thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John" (Luke 1:13).
Knowing that Elizabeth was barren, and that both he and she were elderly,
Zacharias did not believe what the Angel told him, although he had before
him the example of Abraham and Sarah, of Hannah, mother of the
Prophet Samuel, and of other barren women in Israel who gave birth by the
power of God. Hence, he was condemned by the Archangel to remain
speechless until the fulfilment of these words in their season, which also
came to pass (Luke 1:7-24).

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Rejoice, O thou barren one who hadst not borne until now; for lo, in all
truth thou hast conceived the lamp of the Sun, and he shall send forth
his light over all the earth, which is afflicted with blindness.
Dance, O Zacharias, and cry out with great boldness: The one to be born
is the blest Prophet of God Most High.

Kontakion in the First Tone
Great Zacharias now doth rejoice with resplendence; Elizabeth his
glorious yoke-mate exulteth; for she hath conceived divine John the
Forerunner worthily, whom the great Archangel had announced with rejoicing,
whom, as it is meet, we men revere as a sacred initiate of grace
divine.

Gospel Reading

The reading is from Luke 1:5-25

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named
Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of
Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before
God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both
were advanced in years.

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was
on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him
by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the
whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of
incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the
right side of the altar of incense.

And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your
prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you
shall call his name John.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his
birth; for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine
nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even
from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to
the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power
of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and
the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord
a people prepared." And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I
know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And
the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of
God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that
these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which
will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for
Zacharias, and they wondered at his delay in the temple. And when he came
out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a
vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb. And
when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she
hid herself, saying, "Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when
he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."