1. All the hosts of the heavens say, "Blessed art thou, O thou second heaven upon the earth, Door of the sunrise (or, the East), Mary the Virgin, thou pure Bride-chamber of the Holy Bridegroom. The Father looked down from heaven, and found none like unto thee; He sent His only One, and He became incarnate of thee. All generations shall ascribe blessings unto thee, thou who alone art our Lady, the Bearer of God.”

Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!

2. Great and wonderful things have [the Prophets] prophesied concerning thee, O City of God, for thou art the abode of all those who rejoice. All the kings of the earth walk in thy light and [all] the nations in thy splendour. O Mary, all generations shall ascribe blessings unto thee, and shall worship Him Who was brought forth by thee, and shall magnify Him.

Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!

3. Thou art in very truth the Cloud, and thou hast shown us the water of the rain, the sign of the Only- begotten. The Father established thee, the Holy Ghost took up His abode on thee, and the power of the Most High overshadowed thee, O Mary, and verily thou didst bring forth the Word, the Son of God, Who endureth for ever. He came and hath delivered us from sin. Great was the honour that was bestowed upon thee, O Gabriel, the Angel of the Annunciation with the joyful face. Thou didst proclaim unto us the birth of the Lord, Who hath come to us, and thou didst announce Him to Mary, the spotless Virgin, and didst say unto her, "Rejoice thou, O thou who art full of grace, God is with thee".

Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!

4. Thou didst find grace, the Holy Spirit dwelt upon thee, and the power of the Most High overshadowed thee, O Mary. Verily thou didst bring forth the Holy Saviour for all the world. He came and He hath delivered us.

Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!

5. Our tongue this day praiseth the work of the Virgin. We praise Mary, the God-bearer, because our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ was born of her in the city of David. Come, O all ye nations, and let us ascribe blessing unto Mary, for she is at once mother and virgin. Rejoice, O pure Virgin, in whom there is no blemish, to whom came the Word of the Father, Who was incarnate of her. Rejoice, O Vessel unblemished, perfect, and spotless Woman. Rejoice thou, O Garden endowed with reason, thou Abode of Christ, Who became the Second Adam because of the First Adam, the man. Rejoice thou, O woman who borest the Only-begotten, Who, having gone forth from the bosom of His Father, suffered no change. Rejoice, O thou pure Bride-chamber, who art adorned with all the beauty of praise, He came and was not consumed by the fire of the Godhead. Rejoice thou, O Mother and Maid, Virgin, thou second heaven, who didst carry in thy body Him Who is borne aloft by the Cherubim and Seraphim. And because of this we rejoice, and we sing with the holy angels with joy and gladness, and we say, "Glory to God in the heavens, and peace upon earth, His good will to men". For He unto Whom belong glory and praise forever and ever is well-pleased with thee. Amen.

Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!

6. The glory of Mary is greater than that of all the saints, for she was worthy to receive the Word of the Father. Him Who maketh the angels to be afraid, Him Whom the Watching Angels in heaven praise, did Mary the Virgin carry in her womb. She is greater than the Cherubim, and superior to the Seraphim, for she was the Ark (or, Tabernacle) of One of the Holy Trinity. She is Jeruselum, the city of the Prophets, and she is the habitation of the joy of all the saints. On the people who sat in darkness and the shadow of death hath a great Light risen. God Who resteth in His holiness became incarnate of a virgin for our salvation. Come ye and look upon this marvelous thing, and sing ye His song because of the mystery that hath been revealed unto us. For He Who was became a man, the Word mingled with our nature, He Who had no beginning assumed a beginning for Himself, and He Who had no days reckoned to Himself days, and He Who could not be known became revealed, and He Who was invisible showed Himself; the Son of the Living God became a man indeed, Jesus Christ, yesterday, to-day, and forever, One Nature, Him do we worship and praise.

Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!

7. Ezekiel the Prophet testified concerning her and said, "I see a sealed door in the East, sealed with a great and wonderful seal, and no one save the God of the mighty ones hath gone in through it. He went in and He came out".

Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!

8. This door is the Virgin who brought forth for us the Redeemer. She brought Him forth, and she remained in her virginity after she had brought Him forth. Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, O God- bearer, Who came and delivered us out of the hand of the Enemy who was merciless, Complete art thou and blessed; thou hast found grace with the King of Glory, the God in truth. Majesty and glory belong to thee more than to all those who dwell upon the earth. The Word of the Father came and was incarnate of thee, and walked about with men, for He is compassionate and a Lover of men. He delivered our souls by His holy coming.

Pray to Him for us, O Holy One!