Below are some hymns taken from the Service of the Great Hours which is chanted early in the morning on the 24th of December.
He is our God, there is no other to compare with Him.
Born of a Virgin, He comes to live with mankind.
The only begotten Son appears as a mortal Man.
He rests in a lowly manger.
The Lord of glory is wrapped in swaddling clothes.
A star leads the wise men to worship Him,
and with them we sing:
Holy Trinity, save our souls!
Listen, heaven! Give ear, O earth!
Let the foundations of the earth be shaken!
Let trembling seize the regions beneath the earth,
for our God and Creator has clothed Himself in created flesh;
He fashioned all creation, yet reveals Himself in the womb of her that He formed.
O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How incomprehensible are His judgments;
and how unsearchable His ways!
Today He who holds the whole world in His hand is born from a Virgin.
He who in essence is impalpable is swaddled in rags as a mortal.
God who established the heavens of old in the beginning is lying in a manger.
He who rained down manna for the people in the wilderness is breastfed with milk.
He who is the Bridegroom of the Church is summoning Magi.
And He, that Son of the Virgin, is accepting their gifts.
We adore Your Nativity, O Christ.
Show us also Your divine Epiphany.
The Following hymn is from the Vespers of Christmas, chanted immediately after the Service of the Great Hours:
What shall we offer you, O Christ,
because you have appeared on earth as a man for our sakes?
For each of the creatures made by you offers you its thanks:
the Angels, their hymn;
the heavens, the Star;
the Shepherds, their wonder;
the Magi, their gifts;
the earth, the Cave;
the desert, the Manger;
and we, a Virgin Mother.
God before the ages, have mercy on us.
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