Liturgy Intentions:

January 1, 2012

The parishioners of Saint Joseph

Parish

The Deceased members of the

Shehedi and Barron Families

E-Mail: scrantonmelkite@yahoo.com Web: http://melkitescranton.org Webmaster: Sal Zaydon

January 1, 2012

Tone 4 and Orthros Gospel Circumcision of the Lord – St. Basil the Great

Liturgy Schedule: Saturday Vespers 4pm Compline Weds 8:30PM

Sunday Orthros 8:55 am Sunday Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church 130 North Saint Francis Cabrini Avenue

Scranton, PA 18504

Rev. Protodeacon Michael Jolly Administrator pro tempore 570-213-9344 Reader Michael Simon

Parish Office 570-343-6092

Parish Notes:

Today—Saint Joseph Day Potluck

after Divine Liturgy—All are Welcome!

Thanks to the Bolus family for their generous

donation of $2000 to our parish

Thanks to Betsy Zaydon and the folks who

decorated our sanctuary for the feast. Nice Job!

2012 Calendars and envelops are available in the

narthex of the church.

Parish Council meets after Divine Liturgy Next

Sunday

Qurban today was baked by Dn Michael

Today’s Icon: Saint Basil the Great

Feast of the Theophany -

Vespers

Thursday Evening 7PM

Divine Liturgy

Friday Evening 7PM

The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great

Antiphons: First Antiphon

Through the prayers of the Mother of God Tone 2 O God, Father above time, Who in Your wisdom have created all things

and in Your Almighty Word keep them into being, bless in Your

goodness the crown of the year. Safeguard Your Church in peace.

Unify all the Christians in faith and love. Grant the world Your great

mercy through the intercession of our all-holy Lady the Theotokos and

all Your Saints.

For You are All-good and the Lover of mankind and we render glory to

You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Second Antiphon

1- Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad.

O Son of God, Who were circumcised in the flesh, save us who sing

to You: Alleluia!

2- Sing to God, chant praises to His name, extol Him Who rides upon

the clouds.

3- From Sion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

Glory be to the Father… now and always… Only-begotten Son and

word of God… Hymn of incarnation Tone 4 Third Antiphon Tone 4 Entrance O Son of God, Who were circumcised in the flesh, save us who sing to You: Alleluia!

Hymns:

Resurrectional Troparion Tone 4

Troparion of the Circumcision Tone 1

O Merciful Lord who, being God assumed our human nature without undergoing

change, You fulfilled the Law by accepting to be circumcised in the flesh, so as to

put an end to prefigurations and remove the veil of our passions, Glory to Your

goodness, O Word! Glory to Your compassion! Glory to Your ineffable

condescension!

Troparion of Saint Basil the Great Tone 1

Your voice has sounded over all the earth, that accepted your preaching. You gave a

divine explanation of doctrine, and made clear the nature of creatures, and set a rule

of life for men. Holy father, kingly priest, intercede with Christ God to grant us His

great mercy.

Troparion of Saint Joseph Tone 1

Kontakion for the Circumcision of Our Lord Tone 3

Today the Lord of all endures circumcision, circumcising the sins of men, for He is

good and merciful. And He grants salvation to the whole world while Basil, the high

priest of the Creator, Christ’s mystic and shining star, rejoices now in heaven.

Prokiemenon (Tone 1) Ps. 48:4,2 My mouth shall speak wisdom, prudence shall be the utterance of my heart.

Stichon: Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all who dwell in the world.

Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians 2:8-12 BRETHREN, see to it that no one deceives you by philosophy and vain deceit, according to human

traditions, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all

the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him Who is the head of every Principality and Power you

have received of that fullness. In Him, too, you have been circumcised with a circumcision not

wrought by hand, but through putting off the body of the flesh, a circumcision which is of Christ. For

you were buried with Him in baptism, and in Him also rose again through faith in the working of God

Who raised Him from the dead.

Alleluia (Tone 8) Ps. 79:2; 36:30

Listen, O Shepherd of Israel, O Guide of Joseph’s flock!

Stichon: The mouth of the just tells of wisdom, and his tongue says what is right.

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 2:20-21 & 40-52 At that time the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, even

as it was spoken to them. And when eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the child, He

was called Jesus, the name given Him by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And the

child grew and became strong in spirit. He was full of wisdom and the grace of God was upon Him.

And His parents were accustomed to go every year to Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover. And

when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. And

after they had fulfilled the days, when they were returning, the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and

Joseph and His mother did not know it. But thinking He was in the caravan, they had come a day’s

journey before it occurred to them to look for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. And not

finding Him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of Him. And it came to pass after three days, that

they found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking

them questions. And all who were listening to Him were amazed at His understanding and His

answers. And when they saw Him, they were astonished. And His mother said to Him, “Son, why

have You done so to us? Behold, Your father and I have been seeking You sorrowing.” And He said

to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know I must be about My Father’s business?”

And they did not understand the word He spoke to them. And He went down with them and came to

Nazareth, and was subject to them; and His mother kept all these things carefully in her heart. And

Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace before God and men.

Hirmos:

In you O full of grace, all creation rejoices, the orders of angels and the human race as well. O

sanctified temple, spiritual paradise and glory of virgins fro whom Our God, Who exists before all

eternity, took flesh and became a little child. He has taken your womb as His throne., making it more

spacious than the heavens. Wherefore O full of Grace, all creation rejoices, glory to you.

Post-Communion Hymn Troparion of the Circumcision

Theophany

(from Greek theophania, meaning "appearance of

God") is one of the Great Feasts of the Melkite

Church, celebrated on January 6. It is the feast

which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world

through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark

1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22).

Baptism of Christ

This observance commemorates Christ's baptism by

John the Forerunner in the River Jordan, and the

beginning of Christ's earthly ministry. The Feast of

Theophany is the culmination of the Christmas

Season, which starts on December 25 and ends on

January 6. In mystic commemoration of this event,

the Great Blessing of Water is performed on this

day, and the holy water so blessed is used by the

local priest to bless the homes of the faithful.

The feast is called Theophany because at the

baptism of Christ the Holy Trinity appeared clearly

to mankind for the first time -- the Father's voice is

heard from Heaven, the Son of God is incarnate and

standing physically in the Jordan, and the Holy

Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove.

Epiphany

This feast is also sometimes referred to as Epiphany

by English-speaking Orthodox Christians, but that

name more properly refers to the Western Christian

feast falling on that same day and commemorating

the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus. The term

"Epiphany" does appear in the services for this

feast, however.

Originally, there was just one Christian feast of the

shining forth of God to the world in the human

form of Jesus of Nazareth. It included the

celebration of Christ's birth, the adoration of the

Wisemen, and all of the childhood events of Christ

such as his circumcision and presentation to the

temple as well as his baptism by John in the Jordan.

There seems to be little doubt that this feast, like

Easter and Pentecost, was understood as the

fulfillment of a previous Jewish festival, in this case

the Feast of Lights.

Celebration of the feast

The services of Theophany are set up exactly as

those of the Nativity. Historically the Christmas

services were established later.

The Royal Hours are read and the Divine Liturgy of

St. Basil the Great is served with Vespers on the

eve of the feast. The Vigil is made up of Great

Compline and Matins

The Liturgy of the feast begins with psalms of

glorification and praise instead of the three normal

Antiphons. And the baptismal line from Galatians

3:27 once again replaces the Thrice-Holy.

All of you who have been baptized into Christ,

have put on Christ Alleluia

The gospel readings of all the services tell of the

Lord's baptism by John in the Jordan River. The

epistle reading of the Divine Liturgy tells of the

consequences of the Lord's appearing which is the

divine epiphany.

Since the main feature of the feast is the blessing of

water. It is prescribed to follow both the Divine

Liturgy of the eve of the feast and the Divine

Liturgy of the day itself. But most local parishes do

it only once when most of the parishioners can be

present. The blessing verifies that mankind, and all

of creation, were created to be filled with the

sanctifying presence of God.

OUR CELEBRATION OF CHRIST’S NATIVITY draws to a close today with the Feast of His

Circumcision. Many primitive cultures have traditions of

marking the body in some way to distinguish the recipient

as a member of the tribe, a warrior, or a member of the

ruling class. In the Middle East circumcision has been

practiced as a sign of belonging at least since the time of

Abraham. To this day it is a defining rite among both

Jews and Muslims.

In the book of Genesis we read God’s requirement: “This

is my covenant with you and your descendants after you

that you must keep: every male among you shall be

circumcised. Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and

that shall be the mark of the covenant between you and

me. Throughout the ages, every male among you, when he

is eight days old, shall be circumcised, including house-

born slaves and those acquired with money from any

foreigner who is not of your blood. Yes, both the house-

born slaves and those acquired with money must be

circumcised. Thus my covenant shall be in your flesh as

an everlasting pact. If a male is uncircumcised, that is, if

the flesh of his foreskin has not been cut away, such a one

shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my

covenant…” (Gen 17:10-14)

In accordance with this law the Lord Jesus was

circumcised eight days after His birth. It was also the time

that He was formally given the name Jesus. At first

glance we see that in this Jesus’ family was simply doing

what was customary among Jews. They were making the

infant a part of God’s People, the people of the Covenant.

By His incarnation the Word of God became a human

being, one of us by nature. By His circumcision He

became a member of a specific people, a Jew. He would

observe the Sabbath, study Torah and observe the festival

pilgrimages to Jerusalem (see Lk 2:41-52). He would

observe the traditions of Israel because it was through

Israel that the world would be saved. As we sing at

vespers on this feast: “The most merciful God did not

disdain circumcision in the flesh. He offered Himself

instead as a symbol and example of salvation to all. He

made the Law, and yet submitted Himself to its commands

and to what the prophets had foretold of Him. O our

God, who hold all things in Your hands, and yet

were wrapped in swaddling clothes: O Lord, glory to

You!

The Church, reflecting on His circumcision, looked at it

from other vantages as well. St. Cyril of Alexandria, for

example, in his third homily on the Gospel of St. Luke,

noted: “It seems to me that circumcision achieved three

distinct ends. In the first place, it separated the

descendants of Abraham by a sort of sign and seal and

distinguished them from all other nations.

“Second, it prefigured in itself the grace and efficacy of

divine baptism. Formerly a male who was circumcised

was included among the people of God by virtue of that

seal; nowadays a person who is baptized and has formed

in himself Christ the seal becomes a member of God’s

adopted family.

“Third, circumcision is the symbol of the faithful when

they are established in grace, as they cut away and

mortify the tumultuous rising of carnal pleasures and

passions by the sharp surgery of faith and by ascetic

labors. They do this, not by cutting the body but by

purifying the heart. They do this by being circumcised in

the spirit and not in the letter.”

Our Spiritual Circumcision

A circumcision is a cutting of the flesh; circumcision

according to the letter, as St Cyril describes it, is also a

cutting, but of the heart. It is the removal of something,

often painful, so that we can be fitting members of Christ

by “the sharp surgery of faith and by ascetic labors.”

The sharp knife of faith removes from our hearts its

reliance on whatever we trust for our security other than

the true God. In the Roman Empire Jews trusted in the

Law of Moses and pagans trusted in the gods and

goddesses of the state. In our day it may be our family,

our job, our culture or our political and economic systems

that we feel will take care of us. People continually find

that any of these can fail them drastically if they put the

confidence in them that is due to God alone.

The surgery of ascetic labors is the way we deal with our

pride, our greed, our lust and the like: often particularly

painful as it is a surgery we face daily. St. Paul described

this dynamic as “…the circumcision made without hands,

by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh” (Col

2:11). Elsewhere he catalogued these sins as “…your

members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness,

passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is

idolatry” (Col 3:5). Lest we feel too confident in our

“sinlessness,” he continues the list with “anger, wrath,

malice, blasphemy, filthy language” and lying (Col 3:8-

9). Of these we continually need to be circumcised.

What Is “The Flesh”?

When speaking of “the sins of the flesh” St Paul uses a

Greek word, sarx. This is not the Greek word for body –

soma – which shows that the Apostle is not equating the

body with sin. As the fourth-century Egyptian ascetic

Poemen said, “We were taught, not to kill the body, but to

kill the passions.” Sarx has been described as “the

complex of sin, death and futility into which humanity has

imprisoned itself…” (John S. Custer, The Apostolic

Writings, p. 78). The term “flesh,” then, includes anything

including mental attitudes and even religious practices

which are opposed to the kingdom of God.

Circumcising the flesh, in fact, involves dealing more with

our motivations, our imaginations and the whole range of

our conscious and subconscious thoughts. It is a refocusing

of all our attitudes as well as our actions on God and the

godly way of life. Asceticism, then, is the means by which

we restore the natural hierarchy of body and spirit. The

body is meant to serve the spirit; not the other way around,

as is the case in the fallen world. Human nature in its

fallen, sinful condition finds the spirit enslaved to the

flesh, and to the need to gratify the appetites of the flesh.

Insofar as the spirit remains in this state of bondage, it is

rendered incapable of communing with God.

Spiritual circumcision, then, is an indispensable part of our

progress toward union with God. It is an aspect of what we

are urged to do continually in our liturgical services: “Let

us commend ourselves, one another and our whole life to

Christ God.”

Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord

Circumcising

the Sins

of Men

Hymns of the Feast

The most merciful God did not disdain cir-

cumcision in the flesh. He offered Himself

instead as a symbol and example of salva-

tion to all. He made the Law, and yet sub-

mitted Himself to its commands and to

what the prophets had foretold of Him. O

our God who hold all things in Your hands,

and yet were wrapped in swaddling clothes:

O Lord, glory to You! (Vespers sticheron)

O Merciful Lord who, being God, assumed

our human nature without undergoing

change, You fulfilled the Law by accepting

to be circumcised in the flesh, so as to put

an end to prefigurations and remove the veil

of our passions. Glory to Your goodness, O

Word! Glory to Your compassion! Glory

to Your ineffable condescension!

(Troparion)

The Epistle reading from Titus on the Feast of the

Theophany says: “...not by works of righteousness

which we have done but according to His mercy He

saves us, through the washing of regeneration and

renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). So we are

saved by baptism; but yet salvation is broader than a

one-time event.

Scripture References to Salvation:

There are three aspects to salvation referred to as

follows:

We have been saved: Besides the reference in Titus

above, many other places refer to salvation as having

occurred at the time of our belief and baptism. For

example, Ephesians 2:4-9 speaks how we have been

saved by Grace through faith and made to sit in the

heavenly places with Christ in the Church. 2 Timothy

1:9 refers to how we are saved and called with a holy

calling according to His purpose and Grace which was

given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

We will be saved: The Lord spoke on several

occasions about: “He who endures to the end will be

saved”. He said this to the Twelve as He sent them out

two by two (Matthew 10:22) and again as He spoke of

the times leading up to His coming in Glory (Matthew

24:13, Mark 13:13). Paul even took measures

concerning a reprobate believer in an effort to secure

his salvation on Judgment Day in spite of his current

immoral behavior (1 Corinthians 5:5).

We are being saved: Paul spoke concerning the Word

of the Cross (compare Mark 8:34-38) and how it “is

foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who

are being saved it is the Power of God” (1 Corinthians

1:18). This is the action of the Cross in our lives. (For

more on this, see The Word of the Cross Parts I and II).

Hebrews also refers to our High Priest according to the

order of Melchizedek (that is, the Lord Jesus) who

makes intercession for us and who is able to save to the

complete end those who come to God through Him

(Hebrews 7:25).

The Grace of God that Brings Salvation: The Epistle

reading begins with “For the Grace of God that brings

salvation has appeared (literally made His Epiphany) to

all men” (Titus 2:11, 3:4). John Chrysostom points out:

“Do not think that Grace stops at the pardon of former

sins; it secures us against them in the future; for this is

also of Grace. And this is of Grace, to deliver us from

worldly things, and to lead us to heaven. He (Paul)

speaks here of two appearings (i.e. Epiphanies); the

first of grace, the second of retribution and

justice” (Homily V on Titus 2).

The second aspect of Grace, Paul says, teaches us:

to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (2:12)

to live soberly, righteously and godly in the

present age (2:12)

to look for the blessed hope and glorious Epiphany

of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ (2:13)

that the Lord is purifying for Himself, a people of

His own possession, zealous for good works (2:14)

to be subject to rulers and authorities (3:1)

to obey and to be ready for every good work (3:1)

to speak evil of no one (3:2)

to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all

men (3:2)

The first aspect of Grace had already taught us:

that the Holy Spirit has been poured out

abundantly on us (3:6)

that we are justified by His Grace (3:7)

17. that we have become heirs according to the

hope of eternal life (3:7)

The first aspect of Grace came with baptism when

we were saved. The second aspect of Grace

comes (1) as we take up our crosses in being saved

in this age and (2) as we approach the

Judgment Seat where we will be saved in the age

to come.

Burial in Baptism is Part of Salvation: (6th Hour,

Romans 6:1-11) Romans 6:1-21 is another

of the Epiphany readings (at the 6th Hour) and gives

additional details on the saving effects of

baptism. As many as were baptized into Christ Jesus

were baptized into His death (v.3). This

means that:

we were buried with Him through baptism into

death (v.4)

Devotions and Readings for this week

Mon 1/2

Sylvester Pope of Rome Heb 8:7-13 Jn 3:1-15

Tues 1/3

Holy Prophet Malachy and the Holy Martyr Gordios

Heb 9:8-23 Jn 5:24-30

Weds 1/4

Synaxis of the 70 Apostles Holy Father Theoctistos

Heb 10:1-18 Jn 1:18-28

Thurs 1/5

The Holy Martrys Theopemptos and Theonas Venerable Mother Syncletica

1 Cor 9:19-27 Lk 3:1-18

Fri 1/6

Theophany of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7 Mt 3:13-17

Sat 1/7

Synaxis of John the Baptist Acts 19:1-8 Jn 1:29-34

we are united together in the likeness of His death

(v.5)

our old man was crucified with Him (v.6, Ephesians

4:22, Colossians 3:9, Galatians 2:20,5:24, 6:14)

he who has died has been freed from sin (v.7)

the body of sin has been done away with, that we

should no longer be slaves of sin (v.6, 2 Peter 2:19,

John 8:34)

we are also united together in the likeness of His

resurrection (v.5, Philippians 3:10) if we have been

united to His death

having been raised from the dead, Christ dies no

more. Death no longer has dominion over Him (v.9)

or us

as Christ was raised, so we should walk in newness

of life (v.4).

John Chrysostom comments on this as follows: “Baptism

is the Cross. What the Cross and Burial is to Christ,

baptism has been to us, even if not in the same respects.

For He died Himself and was buried in the flesh, but we

have done both to sin... For if you have shared in death

and burial, much more will you share in the resurrection

and life.”

“After the resurrection to come had been set before us,

He demands of us something additional, which is

brought about in the present life by a change in

habits” (Homily X on Romans 5).

The Tonsuring of Gabriel Joseph Fitzpatrick

Among Todays Saints

One of the four greatest Eastern Doctors of the Church, Saint

Basil was a man of learning, talent, and holiness-all to an

incredibly advanced degree. He came from the same brilliant

family that produced Saint Gregory of Nyssa and Saint Peter

of Sebaste (his brothers), and was born at Caesarea in

Cappadocia in 329. His education began in Caesarea and

continued at Constantinople and Athens. His classmates in the

latter city included his friend Saint Gregory Nazianzen

(another Cappadocian) and Julian the Apostate, the future

Roman emperor. School days were anything but frivolous in

Athens; according to Gregory, he and Basil knew only two

streets in the city: those leading to the church and to the

school.

Faithful as Basil may have been to those streets, when he

returned to Caesarea about 356, both his brother Gregory and

his sister Macrina (who is also honored as a saint) noticed

pronounced tendencies to worldliness in him. Easily the most

learned person in Caesarea by this time, Basil had established

himself as a teacher of rhetoric and seemed to be enjoying,

very complacently, the prestige the position was bringing him.

He was shaken out of this self-satisfied attitude by Macrina,

who, through her appeals to Basil's good sense and spiritual

awareness, made him see the cramping limitations of a life

taken up entirely by worldly activity. Mainly through her

influence, Basil left on a tour, in 357, to the monastic centers

in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Mesopotamia. When he

returned to Caesarea the next year, he knew what he had to do;

breaking all his former ties, he traveled northward to Pontus,

near the Black Sea, and there, on the banks of the river Iris,

established his own monastery.

Basil was to be involved in other kinds of activity later in life,

but this monastic foundation was probably his most important

work and the one he loved the most. With a profound

understanding of the role played by monasticism in

Christianity and of how that way of life should be carried out,

Basil wrote a set of rules-later called the Basilian Code -that

became the inspiration of all later Eastern monasticism. Even

today Orthodox monks and most Eastern Catholic monks

follow the Basilian Code; first of all, and in particular, the

Basilian Monks of the Grottaferrata Abbey.

The pressure of the times, however, soon interrupted Basil's

life in Pontus. With the support of the emperor Valens,

Arianism was threatening the Church in Cappadocia, and

strong leadership was needed to meet the attack. Basil was

persuaded to come to Caesarea first to assist its bishop, and

then, succeeding the bishop after his death in 370. One of his

first acts in his new position was to show open defiance to

Valens, who was trying to secure a profession of Arian faith

from all the Cappadocian clergy; Basil refused and, by the

weight of his influence and personality, made the emperor

cease his demands. Active as he was in the fight against

heresy, Basil was closely attentive to the other needs of his

diocese. Just outside Caesarea, he built a travelers’ hospice

(the first of its kind) with a hospital attached for the poor.

Other projects included a revision of the liturgy for his diocese

(this is the older of the two liturgies of the Byzantine Rite) and

a careful weeding out of heretical priests from his clergy. A

brilliant orator and writer, Basil also poured out a steady

stream of sermons and theological works, most of them aimed

at strengthening his people against Arianism. Heresy was the

ever-present danger and was accompanied by such minor

misfortunes as a quarrel with his old friend Gregory of

Nazianzen and misrepresentations of his orthodoxy to the

pope by his enemies.

Basil surmounted all the difficulties, however, and during his

short tenure as bishop (less than nine years) he became the

leading force in Caesarea. When he died on January 1, 379,

the Jews and pagans there, as well as the Catholics, were

willing to admit that the city had lost its best friend. Years

after his death, Basil was described by a Church council as

“the Great Basil, the minister of grace who has expounded the

truth to the whole world”: a just verdict, and one that has

stood the test of time.

in the Eastern Church right up through the fourth century.

The Canon of the Feast was written by St Stephen of the

St Sava Monastery (October 28 and July 13).

In addition to circumcision, which the Lord accepted as a

sign of God's Covenant with mankind, He also received

the Name Jesus (Savior) on the eighth day after His

Nativity as an indication of His service, the work of the

salvation of the world (Mt.1:21; Mark 9:38-39, 16:17;

Luke 10:17; Acts 3:6, 16; Phil 2:9-10). These two events,

the Lord's Circumcision and Naming, remind Christians

that they have entered into a New Covenant with God and

"are circumcised with a circumcision made without

hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by

the circumcision of Christ" (Col. 2:11). The very name

"Christian" is a sign of mankind's entrance into a New

Covenant with God.

The Gospel tells us about the circumcision of Jesus

Christ:

And when eight days were completed for the

circumcision of the Child, His name was called

Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was

conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)

Some Things to Do

Listen to a CD or tape of Handel’s Messiah as a family

during dinner one evening before the Nativity, and pay

special attention to the names given to the coming Messiah.

Discuss why the names are proclaimed so joyfully, and

what they mean.

Hold a family “scavenger hunt” to see who can find and

list the most names revealed for God — the Father, Son

and Holy Spirit. Use your Bible and the troparia and kontakia for the eight tones (from the appendix of your

Divine Liturgy book) as the “hunting ground.”

As a family, discuss how you and your spouse chose names

for your children, and how you all decided on names for

your pets.

Research the meaning of your own name(s), both in a

“baby name” book (from the library or the grocery check-

out line) and a compilation of the lives of the saints, Do

you “fit” your name?

Attend the Divine Liturgy served for the Feast of the

Circumcision, if your parish offers it. It’s a wonderful way

to start out the secular New Year — partaking of the Body

and Blood of Christ, and praising His name!

You Shall Call His Name Jesus

Long before the Christ Child was born in the flesh in a humble

cave outside Bethlehem, His Father had named him for us

through His angels and prophets:

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the

government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will

be called, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting

Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, RSV — other

translations of the Bible are not as lyrical)

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you

have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive

in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call his name

Jesus [that is, “God saves”]. He will be great, and will be

called Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him

the throne of His father David.” (Luke 1:30-32)

…behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream,

saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you

Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy

Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His

name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all

this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the

Lord through the prophet [Isaiah], saying, “Behold, the virgin

shall be with Child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name

Emmanuel,” which is translated “God with us.” (Matthew 1:21-

23, citing Isaiah 7:14)

The Circumcision

On the eighth day after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ was

circumcised in accordance with the Old Testament Law. All male

infants underwent circumcision as a sign of God's Covenant with

the holy Forefather Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 17:10-

14, Lev. 12:3).

After this ritual the Divine Infant was given the name Jesus, as

the Archangel Gabriel declared on the day of the Annunciation to

the Most Holy Theotokos (Luke 1:31-33, 2:21). The Fathers of

the Church explain that the Lord, the Creator of the Law,

underwent circumcision in order to give people an example of

how faithfully the divine ordinances ought to be fulfilled. The

Lord was circumcised so that later no one would doubt that He

had truly assumed human flesh, and that His Incarnation was not

merely an illusion, as certain heretics (Docetists) taught.

In the New Testament, the ritual of circumcision gave way to the

Mystery of Baptism, which it prefigured (Col. 2:11-12).

Accounts of the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord continue

Parish Calendar

January

1 Byzantine Celebration of Saint

Joseph—Potluck after Divine Liturgy

5 Vespers for the Feast of the

Theophany 7PM

6 Divine Liturgy for the Feast of

Theophany 7PM

8 Parish Council Meeting After Divine

Liturgy

Prayer

Requests

The Weekly Quiz

Who asked God to bless him and enlarge his territory?

Job

Jabez

Jeremiah

Isaiah

Last Week’s Answer

Q. How did the shepherds who visited Baby

Jesus know where to find Him? A. An angel of the Lord told them.

Rev. Father Philip Azoon

Rev. Deacon John Karam

Rev. Seraphim Michalenko

Rev. Basil Samra

Rev. Peter Boutros

Rev. Deacon Bryan McNiel

Rev. Deacon Irenaeus Dionne

Rev. Father David White

Marie Abda Margaret Dillenburg

Marie Abda Mark Dillman

Marie Barron Karen Haddad

Joseph Barron Karen Kane

Mary Sue Betress Niko Mayashairo

Chris Carey Mary McNeilly

Nikki Boudreaux Marie Patchoski

Dr. Frances Colie Joanna Simon

John Colie William Simon

Ann Coury Dr. Thomas Zaydon

All those Serving in our Armed Forces

The Christian Community in the Middle East

Sacrificial Giving

12/25/2011

Candles $ 4.00

Weekly $ 455.00

Holyday $ 2975.00

Monthly $ 80.00

Flowers $ 30.00