Saturday Evening THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ZECHARIAH

THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ZECHARIAH
First Sunday of Announcement
Ramsho
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
Lord God,
by our hymns we implore you to make us pure and holy this day
as we celebrate the conception of your glorious Forerunner.
May we join him in your kingdom and in the joy of eternal
blessing
that we may give you praise and thanksgiving,
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.
Most holy Word of God,
you willed to become flesh for our salvation,
and sent the Archangel Gabriel into the sanctuary
to announce to the priest Zechariah the birth of
your Forerunner.
We ask you to draw from your treasurers
and pour upon us the knowledge and understanding
of your marvelous deeds
that we may be strengthened in our faith in you,
your Father and Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.
PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon:
In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David, I will
place a lamp for my anointed.
Psalm 132
Remember, O Lord, for David all his anxious care:

How he swore to the Lord, vowed to the Mighty One
of Jacob:

“I will not enter the house I live in, nor lie on the couch
where I sleep;

I will give my eyes no sleep, my eyelids no rest,

Till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the
Mighty One of Jacob.”

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in
the fields of Jaar.

Let us enter into his dwelling, let us worship at
his footstool.

Advance, O Lord, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your majesty.

May your priests be clothed with justice;
let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.

For the sake of David your servant, reject not the
plea of your anointed.

The Lord swore to David a firm promise from which
he will not withdraw:

“Your own offspring I will set upon your throne;

If your sons keep my covenant and the decrees which
I shall teach them,

Their sons, too, forever shall sit upon your throne.”

For the Lord has chosen Zion; he prefers her for his
dwelling.

“Zion is my resting place forever; in her will I dwell,
for I prefer her.

I will bless her with abundant provision,
her poor I will fill with bread.

Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her
faithful ones shall shout merrily for joy.

In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;
I will place a lamp for my anointed.

His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon him my crown shall shine.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon:
In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David, I will
place a lamp for my anointed.

SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
you are the Word who sent a voice to announce your coming.
Help us to recognize you in truth
and fill us with your riches.
We shall adore you, praise you
and glorify you in the memory of the announcement
of the birth of your Forerunner,
with your Father and Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.

EVENING PSALMS
Psalm 141:1-4
O Lord, to you I call; hasten to me;
harken to my voice when I call upon you.
Let my prayer come like incense before you;
the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, set a watch before my mouth,
a guard at the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to the evil
of engaging in deeds of wickedness
With men who are evildoers;
and let me not partake of their dainties.
Psalm 142
With aloud voice I cry out to the Lord;
with a loud voice I beseech the Lord.
My complaint I pour out before him;
before him I lay bare my distress.
When my spirit is faint within me,
you know my path.
In the way along which I walk
they have hid a trap for me.
I look to the right to see,
but there is no one who pays me heed.
I have lost all means of escape;
there is no one who cares for my life.
I cry out to you, O Lord:
I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land
of the living.”
Attend to my cry,
for I am brought low indeed.

Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
Lead me forth from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
The just shall gather around me
when you have been good to me.
Psalm 119:105-112
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
I resolve and swear
to keep your just ordinances.
I am very much afflicted;
O Lord, give me life according to your word.
Accept, O Lord, the free homage of my mouth,
and teach me your decrees.
Though constantly I take my life in my hands,
yet I forget not your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but from your precepts I have not strayed.
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
I intend in my heart to fulfill you statutes
always to the letter.
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.

[HYMN]
ˇ
The Hymn, “The Resurrection of Christ” (page 165) may
be sung following the Evening Psalms.
HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the Most High
who sent his messenger into the sanctuary,
to announce to the priest Zechariah the conception
of the Forerunner.
to the Good One is due glory and honor this evening,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever
Amen.
SEDRO
Glory to you, O Christ,
the hidden and unknowable,
Light coming into the world and enlightening all your people.
By you the world was made
and to save it, you became flesh.
Since the world was not able to gaze upon the Sun of Justice,
you sent John, your Forerunner, as a lamp to prepare the world for the coming of God.
When it came time for the priest Zechariah to offer incense,
you sent Gabriel, who appeared on the right of the altar
of incense.
Since the priest doubted the announcement which was
made to him,
God struck him mute that his heart might be opened
to the signs of God.
We celebrate today the memory of the announcement of John
and we beseech you, O Lord,
accept our prayer and grant us pardon of faults,
the return of those who are far away,
the protection of those who are near and rest for the dead.
With them we shall give glory to you,
your Father, and you Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.

QOLO
Lord, accept the incense (prayer) which we offer you as you
accepted the incense offered by Zechariah in the sanctuary;
May it be for the forgiveness of sins and the pardon of faults.
Zechariah entered the sanctuary to offer incense and the Lord
sent him his angel to announce the blessed conception.
The angel said: “Peace to you, O priest, your prayer has been
granted and I have been sent to announce to you that your wife will conceive.”
The priest heard this joyous and marvelous news which was so
unexpected that he doubted and objected: “I am an old man
and my wife is barren. How will this be done?”
Blessed is the one who humbled himself and saved mankind!
ETRO
O High Priest of heaven,
you sent the angel Gabriel to the altar of incense.
He announced to the priest Zechariah the conception of
your Forerunner,
saying to him that his prayer had been granted,
his offering accepted and his suffering ended.
In a like manner, accept our offering and hear our prayer,
High Priest and Savior of souls.
We offer glory to you, to your Father,
and to your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen.
READINGS
MAZMOORO
The angel announced to Zechariah in the holy of holies: “You
will have a son in your old age and you will call him John.”
Zechariah was distressed by the message of the angel and doubted the conception of his wife.
Glory to the One who chose the son so a barren woman as his
messenger, who would prepare the way of his coming and
who would bring a wandering people to the truth.

SYNAXARION
The Season of Announcement is a commemoration of those events surrounding and culminating with the incarnation of Jesus. The season opens with the announcement to Zechariah that John, the Forerunner of Jesus, was to be born.
Mention of the archangel Gabriel, whose name means “God is strong,” is found in the Old Testament. The archangel appeared to the prophet Daniel and spoke of the end of time when God will come to judge his people (Daniel 8: 16-26; 8: 21-27). In the New Testament, the appearance of Gabriel to Zechariah is an indication that Gabriel is completing his mission and that the final days have begun. Although almost two millennia have intervened since the birth of John the Forerunner, it must always be recalled that we are living in the “end times” — the fulfillment of all that has been promised.
Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, a descendant of Aaron, a member of the priestly caste. This appearance took place while Zechariah was fulfilling one of the priestly functions, the offering of incense at the Temple altar.
The prophecy of a birth of a son was not only good news for Israel, b ut also good news for the aged Zechariah and Elizabeth. For years they had been living under the curse of having no children. Gabriel now told them that Elizabeth, in her old age, was to give birth to a son. The news given to Zechariah and Elizabeth recalls the promise given to Abraham and Sarah: they too were childless, but were promised descendants.
Although he knew that nothing is impossible for God, Zechariah doubted the message. In order to bring him to belief, Gabriel gave him a sign: Zechariah was to be mute until the birth of his son. This sign given to Zechariah is intended for all of us. John the Forerunner is the link between the Old and New Covenants. With the coming of the Savior, the Old will be silenced and the New Covenant proclaimed. Filled with the spirit, we cry out with Zechariah, “Blessed are you, O God!”
The early Fathers provide us with an interesting epilogue to this account. They taught that Zechariah was martyred because he refused to disclose John’s hiding place to Herod’s soldiers (Matthew 23:35).

SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Book of Genesis
Genesis 17: 15-
22
God further said to Abraham: “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai; her name shall be Sarah. I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations, and rulers of peoples shall issue from him.” Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?” Then Abraham said to God, “Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!”
God replied: “Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son, and you shall call him Isaac. I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact, to be his God and the God of his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him. I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve chieftains, and I will make of him a great nation. But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham.
A Reading from the Book of Judges
Judges 13: 2-14
There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son. Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines.” The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will be with child and will bear a son. So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb, until the day of his death.’ ” Manoah then prayed to the LORD. “O LORD, I beseech you,” he said, “may the man of God whom you sent, return to us to teach us what to do for the boy who will be born.” God heard the prayer of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field. Since her husband Manoah was not with her, the woman ran in haste and told her husband. “The man who came to me the other day has appeared to me,”
she said to him; so Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he reached the man, he said to him, “Are you the one who spoke to my wife?” “Yes,” he answered. Then Manoah asked,
“Now, when that which you say

comes true, what are we expected to do for the boy?” The angel of the LORD answered Manoah, “Your wife is to abstain from all the things of which I spoke to her. She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor take wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. Let her observe all that I have commanded her.”
SUPPLICATION
O Son, by your resurrection you saved your Church from error;
hear our supplications and have mercy on us.
You reconciled heaven and earth, grant peace to your Church and keep her children in the light of the cross.
While Zechariah was in the temple fulfilling the priestly duties according to the law, the Archangel Gabriel came to
announce the joyful news to him. In the holy of holies, the
angel of light said to Zechariah: “Your prayer has been
heard by God. Behold, Elizabeth, your wife, will give birth
to a son in her old age.”
Blessed are you, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.
God has sent his angel and from him you will hear the
announcement. That which is impossible for a man is
possible for God.
How awesome is the place where the angel of light manifested
himself, where he appeared to the priest in his vestments,
adorned in virtue. Zechariah gives praise and his wife
thanks the One who has visited them with his mercy and
consoled them in their suffering.
Glory to the Lord who generously gave them his grace.
Glory to the Father, who sent this great announcement to Zechariah; adoration to the Son, who sent John before him as a
voice in the desert; thanksgiving to the Spirit, who sanctified him when he was in the womb. Through the prayers
of the chosen ones may God always be merciful to us.
Let us remember the prophets, apostles and martyrs, all those
who labored and suffered in the vineyard of the Lord:
Saint James, Saint Maron and his companions, and Saint
Ephrem, the harp of the Holy Spirit.

O God, through their prayers strengthen the weak, comfort the
sick, grant pardon to the deceased, and forgive the faults of us poor sinners.
Exalt, O Lord, the memory of your Mother and your saints,
through their prayers grant pardon to us and to our
deceased.
Through the prayers of your Mother, the prophets, apostles
and martyrs, watch over the living, and in your mercy,
forgive those who have died.
HOOTOMO
Let us confess, adore and praise the holy and glorious Trinity; Father, Son, ✛ and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
TRISAGION
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Holy are you, O God;
Holy are you, O Strong One;
Holy are you, O Immortal One;
have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us.
Lord, hear us and have mercy on us.
Lord, accept our worship and our prayers.
Lord, come to our assistance and have mercy on us.
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who are in heaven;
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.

O Lord, the night and the day are yours;
you uphold the light and the sun.
Through your power you direct the sequence of the seasons.
O Lord,
you have brought the day to its close and called forth the night; be for us that great Day that never ends.
In the evening let your light shine in our hearts,
and in the darkness of the night
enlighten us with the knowledge of your truth.
And so, through all the days of our lives,
we shall praise you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
To you be glory and may your mercy rest upon us,
now and for ever.
Amen.
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Let us thank God for all the graces he has bestowed on us
this day which has passed in calm and peace.
Let us recall our failings against the commandments of God
and the Church in thought, word, deed and omission
We ask for God’s pardon as we pray:
“Forgive us, Jesus!”
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
God,
Father in heaven,
by your living and holy name,
keep us from evil an lead us not into temptation;
for we call upon you, O Lord, our God, our constant hope,
glory to you for ever.
O Lord, our Lord,
may our humble worship be pleasing to you;
may our prayers come before you and our actions give
you honor.

Let you mercy, kindness, help, graces and divine love
be poured abundantly upon us poor sinners,
both in heaven and on the earth
which you have created in your goodness.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.
DISMISSAL
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
O God,
through the prayers of your Mother and the saints who have
believed in you;
through the prayers of the prophets, apostles, martyrs and
confessors;
through the prayers of the just, the priests, the holy fathers, pastors and teachers of the truth faith;
and through the prayers of N., Pope of Rome, N., our Patriarch, and N., our Bishop,
forgive your people and have mercy on your flock.
May God bless, forgive, sanctify, purify, and keep each of the faithful united with us in this spiritual office.
May mercy and compassion be upon us and all the faithful who
dwell here.
May peaceful rest be granted to those who have died in the faith.
May the faithful who live here experience the protection of
Christ’s victorious cross.
May we and all his servants, who adore him with bowed heads,
receive the mercy of the holy and glorious Trinity
Father, Son, ✛ Holy Spirit, to whom be glory now and for ever.
Amen.
May God forgive your sins,
pardon your failings,
and deliver you from the power of the enemy.
May he grant you the remission of your offenses.
Go in peace, and pray to Christ for me.