2015 September Sacred Lessons

8/20/2019 2015 September Sacred Lessons

1/32T H E B E G I N N I N G O F T H E L I T U R G I C A L Y E A R – T H E I N D I C T I O N – 1 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 1.

G r e e k O r t h o d o x P a t r i a r c h a t e o f A l e x a n d r i a & A l l A f r i c aA r c h d i o c e s e o f G o o d H o p e

All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now andForever, and unto the Ages of Ages. AmenRemembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Mary, Theotokos yetEver Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.

1 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 5

Beginning of the Liturgical Year (7524) The Indict ion Also the Feast of St Ammoun the Deacon & the 40 Ascetic Virgin Martyrs of Heraclea,

Thrace – St Joshua Son of Nun – St Callista, St Evodos & St Hermogenes, Sibling Martyrs

of Nicomedia – St Symeon the Studite & St Martha of Cilicia – St Meletios the New of

Cappadocia - St Evanthia – St Aithalas, Deacon, of Persia

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N O F T H E I N D I C T I O N – T O N E 2

O pasis Dimiourgos tis Ktiseos, O kerous ke hronous en tiidia exousia themenos, Evlogison ton Stefanon, toueniaftou tis Hristotitos Sou, Kyrie, filatton en Irini tousVasilis ke tin Polin Sou, Presvies tis Theotokou, MoneFilanthrope.

O Creator of all the Universe, who have placed times andseasons under Thine own Authority; Bless, O Lord,the Crown of this year of Thy Kindness, keeping inPeace Thy Kings and Thy City; by the Intercessions ofthe Theotokos, O Only True Friend of mankind.

F E S T A L O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S

H ere Keharitomeni Theotoke Parthene. Ek Sou garanetilen O Ilios tis Dikeosinis, Hristos O Theos imon,Fotizon tous en skoti. Evfrenou ke si Presvita Dikee,dexamenos en agkales ton elevtherotin ton psihonimon, harizomenon imin ke tin Anastasin

Hail, O Theotokos Virgin Full of Grace: for from Thee hasshone forth the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,giving Light to those in darkness. Be glad also, ThouRighteous Elder, for Thou hast received in Thine armsthe Deliverer of our souls, Who bestows upon usResurrection.

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N O F S T S Y M E O N T H E S T Y L I T E - T O N E 1

I pomonis Stilos gegonas, zilosas tou propatoras Osie, tonIob en tis pathesi ton Iosif en tis pirasmis ke tin tonAsomaton Politian iparhon en somatic. Symeon Patirimon Osie, Presveve Hristo to Theo, sothine tas Psihasimon.

Thou became a Pillar of Patience, and the Ancient FathersThou equalled and rivalled; Thou rivalled Job inSufferings, Joseph in Temptations, and the Lifestyle ofthe Incorporeals while in the flesh. Therefore, O ourRighteous Father, Symeon, Intercede with Christ God toSave our souls!

F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N O F T H E I N D I C T O S

- T O N E 4

O ton Eonon Piitis ke Despotis - Thee ton olon iperousieontos, tin eniafsion Evlogison periodon, Sozon to EleiSou, to apiro Iktirmon, pantas tous latrevontas, Si tomono Despoti, ke ekvoontas Fovo Litrota: EVFORON PASITO ETOS HORIGISON .

O Eternal Creator and Master - O God of all, transcendingall that exists: we earnestly entreat, that in ThineInfinite Mercy, Thou will Bless the year, and Save allwho worship Thee Who art our Only Master, and we cryout in Fear: O Redeemer: GRANT US A HEALTHY,PROSPEROUS YEAR .

P R O K E I M E N O N – P S A L M 1 4 6 & 1 3 4 - T O N E 4

G reat is our God, and Great is His Strength.P raise the Lord, for He is Good.

T H E F I R S T E P I S T L E O F S T P A U L T O S T T I M O T H Y 2 : 1 – 7 F A I T H F U L N E S S I N P R A Y E R

My Son, Timothy: I exhort first of all that Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, and Thanksgiving be made for all men, for

Kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and Peaceful Life in all Goodness and Reverence.This is good and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour, Who desires all men to be Saved and to come to the Knowledge

of the Truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men - the Man-Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself aRansom for all, to be Testified in due time, for which I was appointed a Preacher and an Apostle – I am speaking theTruth in Christ and not lying – a Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and Truth.

Intercessory Prayers are to be offered for everyone– without exception. However, SPECIAL PRAYERSSHOULD BE OFFERED FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY OVER US.

Thus - as Orthodox Christians - WE REPEATEDLY PRAYFOR “ ALL CIVIL AUTHORITIES ...” during our FerventPrayers of the Holy Services.

The religions of the ancient Greek or Hellenised world

were pluralistic and elite.

In contrast, St Paul taught that THERE IS ONE S AVIOUR , ONE

GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR – ONE A LMIGHTY GOD – W HO

OFFERS S ALV ATION EQU ALLY TO ALL HUMANITY BECAUSE HE

CREATED US HUMAN BEINGS TO SHARE IN HIS DIVINEGOODNESS.

GOD BECAME M AN IN ORDER TO GRANT US S ALVATION.

HE “EMPTIED” HIMSELF OF HIS INFINITE, UNCONTAINABLE,

UNRESTRICTED DIVINITY AND M AJES TY IN OR DER TO

TAKE ON OUR WEAK AND VULNERABLE AND LIMITED

HUMAN FLESH AND NATURE – i.e. THE CREATOR BECAME A

CREATURE, IN ORDER TO TEACH AND GUIDE US PERSONALLY

AND THEN TO OFFER HIMSELF AS THE FINAL AND ULTIMATE

BLOOD S ACRIFICE FOR THE SAK E O F OUR ETERNAL LIFE AND

S ALVATION .

Some who are opposed to the established Holy Church of

Christ have used this particular verse to erroneously

claim that all we need is our Lord Jesus - not His Holy

Church, Her Clergy nor Her Divine Mysteries

(Sacraments.)

However: THE SON OF GOD BECAME OUR ONE AND ONLY

DIVINE MEDIATOR BY BECOMING M AN THROUG H THE

INCARNATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE E VER BLESSED

V IRGIN THEOTOKOS – I .E. THROUGH GOD AND MANKIND.

GOD TOOK HIS HUMAN N ATURE not from Himself alone butFROM also from a human being – THE A LL HOLY E VER

V IRGIN THEOTOKOS.

Likewise, AS OUR DIVINE MEDIATOR, Christ said: “I will build

My Church….” and HE ESTABLISHED HER LEADERS WHO

GUIDE US AND HER W ORSHIP SO THAT WE, WHO ARE


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SPIRITUALLY INEXPERIENCED, MAY BE ABLE TO APPROACH

GOD CORRECTLY, OBEDIENTLY AND WITH THE GREATEST

RESPECT.

As the Blessed Theotokos gave us Christ in His Humanity,

so HIS HOLY CHURCH INTRODUCES US TO HIM, W HO ALONE

IS OUR DIVINE MEDIATOR .In the context of ancient slavery a Ransom was paid :

Not so much to purchase a slave, but TO FREE HIM OR

HER FROM BONDAGE

So that he may EXPERIENCE LIBERTY – FREEDOM FROM THE

BONDAGE OF SLAVERY [SPIRITUAL & PHYSICAL]

In other words: WE ARE FREED FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN BY

THE DIVINE S ALV ATION OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD .ST P AUL EMPHASISED THE TRUTH OF GOD, which he taught

and which he practised, HAVING RECEIVED HIS TRUTH

DIRECTLY FROM GOD HIMSELF.

ST P AUL HAD BEEN C ALLED BY CHRIST HIMSELF AND

THEREFORE HE WAS INDEED AN A POSTLE OF CHRIST.

He had been ENLIGHTENED AND INSPIRED BY GOD HIMSELF.

DIVINE KNOWLEDGE AND ILLUMINATION WAS BESTOWED BY

CHRIST UPON ST P AUL AT HIS CONVERSION along the

road to Damascus.

A S A TRUE A POSTLE OF CHRIST, HE PERFORMED ALL HIS

MISSIONARY DUTIES WITH A BSOLUTE TRUTH – IN HUMBLE

OBEDIENCE TO GOD and not according to his own ideas

or imagination!

ST P AUL TAUGHT NOT ONLY THE JEWS BUT ALSO THE GENTILES

the Holy Gospel of Christ our Lord and therefore he

was also known as THE A POSTLE TO THE GENTILES – the

non-Jews and pagans.

DIVINE INSPIRATION DRIVES F AIT HFU L SERVANTS OF GOD TOSEEK HIS TRUTH AND TO PRACTISE HIS W AYS EVERY DAY OF

THEIR LIVES, INSPIRING AND TEACHING OTHERS BY THEIR

GOOD EXAMPLES.

T H E H O L Y G O S P E L O F S T L U K E 4 : 1 6 – 2 2U N B E L I E F I N N A Z A R E T H

At that time, Jesus went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went on the Sabbath Dayinto the Synagogue, and stood up to read. And He was handed the Book of Isaiah the Prophet. And when He hadopened the Book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has sent Me to Healthe broken-hearted, to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at Liberty those who areoppressed, to Proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord.”

And He closed the Book and gave it back to the Attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the Synagoguewere fixed upon Him. He began by saying to them: “...Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all borewitness to Him, and marvelled at the Gracious Words that proceeded out of His Mouth.

O UR LORD HAD RETURNED TO N AZARETH where He had spent

most of His Life and where almost everyone would

have known Him and His earthly Family.

I T WAS THE USUAL PRACTICE FOR OUR LORD TO GO INTO THE

S YNAGOGUE TO READ THE H OLY S CRIPTURES ESPECIALLY ON

THE S ABBATH . The Book of Isaiah (the Holy Prophet of

God) was the Sacred Lesson for the day and

whether our Lord Himself chose the passage to

read aloud or whether it was prescribed, the fact is WHA T HE READ IN THE ANCIENT TEXT WAS ALREADY

FULFILLED BY HIM BY THAT DAY AS HE SO CLEARLY

INFORMED THEM:

ST ISAIAH SPOKE OF THE A NOINTING OF CHRIST BY THE

HOLY SPIRIT and the Holy Spirit had indeed

Descended upon Him at His Baptism.

A LL THE LONG AWAITED BLESSINGS OF THE JEWISH N ATION WER E F ULFILL ED BY CHRIST OUR LORD .

GOD THE F ATH ER HAD SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to

live among His creatures.

A LL HUMANITY HAS BEEN TAUGHT DIRECTLY BY CHRIST –

GOD HIMSELF!

DIVINE S ALVATION IS GRANTED TO ALL HUMANI TY FOR

ALL TIM E BEC AUS E OF THE GREAT EST S ACR IFI CE OF

CHRIST.

CHRIST HEALS THE SICK AND SUFFERING – BOTH

SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL ILLNESSES .

CHRIST PROCLAIMS THE DIVINE LIBERTY OFFERED TO

HUMANITY THAT SETS US FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF

SIN AND DEATH.

CHRIST REVEALS HIS TRUTH CONCERNING THE PURPOSE

OF THIS EXISTENCE AS A PREPARATION FOR WHAT IS

TO FOLLOW : ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL DEATH.

The people “marvelled ” at Christ’s Words, but THEY

REFUSED TO BELIEVE - NOR WOULD THEY ACCEPT THE

DIVINE TRUTH OF GOD - THAT JESUS CHRIST, A FELLOW VILLAGER , COULD TRULY BE THE LONG- AWAITED

MESSIAH.

1 S E P T E M B E R – T H E I N D I C T I O N – B E G I N N I N G O F T H E L I T U R G I C A L Y E A R

We are accustomed to thinking of 1 January as the beginning of the year. But the tradition of starting aNew Year with Autumn was always common to theMiddle Eastern Countries including those around theMediterranean, for the Summer Harvest was completed,the crops were stored, and the people were prepared fora new agricultural cycle - an appropriate time to begin aNew Year.

Many of the hymns for the first day of the Church yearstate that the coming year is God’s to grant and God’sto Bless — A YEAR OF THE LORD ! These Hymns taketheir theme from Psalm 64/65 - a Psalm of Praise to ourCreator Who is Awesome as our Holy Lord God Who sorichly sustains the Earth with His Abundant Goodness:“Bless, O Lord, the crown (the beginning) of the yearwith Thy Goodness!”

The Goodness of our Lord is His Love, Mercy and Grace –and we pray that the coming year will be “a Year ofGrace ” - Blessed by God.

Our Prayers and Hymns of not only recite the wonderfulWorks of God in Creation and history for our Salvation

but also frequently offer Guidance concerning how tomake each year a Year of Grace - a Year of the Lord.The very first hymn of the New Liturgical Year, chantedat Vespers in the joyful First Tone, reminds us thatPRAYERFUL DAILY DEPENDENCE ON G OD IS THE BASIC

ATTITUDE OF OUR L IFE IN C HRIST and it refers to anotherkey passage in Holy Scripture that addresses all of us asOrthodox Faithful: “O Faithful, having learnt TruePrayer from the very Words and Divine Teachings ofChrist, let us cry out to the Creator each day:Our Father, Who art in Heaven, give us always dailybread, and forgive us our transgressions...” - areference to our Lord’s Prayer.

This Vespers Hymn and our Lord’s Prayer emphasise threegreat principles necessary for making the New Year aYear of the Lord and a Year of Grace, for Christ’sTeachings are the Source of Divine Truth which weapply to our daily life, and our Heavenly Father is anintimate, personal God Who provides us with all ourmaterial and spiritual needs, while our constant Prayersprovide us with a close communication and a vitalRelationship with God, sanctifying every moment of ourday.

The beginning of Christ’s Ministry and the beginning of theChurch Year converge, for according to LiturgicalTradition, our Lord Jesus went to Nazareth to preachthe Good News of His Mission on 1 September, which isSpiritually Significant for in Her worship, His HolyChurch has linked the first day of the Liturgical Yearwith the first day of our Saviour’s Public Preaching.

Thus our Lord Jesus Christ addresses us today just as Hedid to His contemporaries in the Synagogue ofNazareth. Will we reject Him or accept Him? Will werebel against His Word actively, will we ignore it, or willwe respond to it positively?

Christ’s Good News requires our honest response of mind,heart, strength and soul, for the Unconditional Love ofGod, shown by the most Precious Gift of His Son Whoshed His Blood for our Salvation, requires a sincere

reaction from us.Consequently, let us consider the utter devotion of His HolyMartyrs who are Commemorated today – and every day

- and may we all be granted that same Strength,Courage and Faith even to the point of death.

HTTP ://WWW .PRAVMIR .COM /BEGINNING - CHURCH - YEAR - INDICTION


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All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the HolySpirit, now and Forever, and unto the Ages of Ages. AmenRemembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady,Mary, Theotokos yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commitourselves and one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.

Tone (5) Plagal 1 6 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 5

14 th Sunday After Pentecost14 th Sunday of St Matthew

The Great Banquet

Also the Feast of the Miracle of St Michael the Archangel of God at

Colossae – St Eudoxios, St Zeno, St Makarios & their Fellow Martyrs of

Melitene – St Archippos of Herapolis – St Romulos & his Fellow Martyrs

– St Cyril of Gortyna – St Kyriakos, St Faustos the Presbyter, St Abibas the Deacon & 11 Fellow Martyrs of Alexandria –

St David of Hermopolis, Egypt – St Maxim Sandovic, Hieromartyr – St Kalodotos

R E S U R R E C T I O N A P O L Y T I K I O N – T O N E ( 5 ) P L A G A L 1

T on sinanarhon Logon Patri ke Pnevmati, ton ekParthenou Tehthenta is Sotirian imon, animnisomen,

Pisti, ke Proskinisomen. Oti ivdokise sarki anelthin en toStavro ke Thanaton ipomine ke egire tous tethneotas enti Evdoxo Anastasi Aftou.

The Word, Who with the Father and the Spirit has no beginning, and Who, for our Salvation, was born of a

Virgin, let us faithful believers hymn and adore. For itwas His Good Pleasure to ascend the Cross in theFlesh, and to Suffer Death, and through His ownGlorious Resurrection to raise the dead.

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N O F A R C H A N G E L G A B R I E L : T O N E 4 ;

T on Ouranion Stration Arhistratigi, diopoumen imis ianaxii, ina tes imon deisesi tihisite imas, Skepi tonPterigon, tis ailou imon Doxis, frourountes imasprospiptontas, ektenos ke noontas: Ek ton kindinonlitrosasthe imas, os Taxiarhe, ton ano Dinameon.

O Great Leaders of the Heavenly Armies, we imploreThee, although being unworthy, with Thine earnestPrayers to fortify us, with the Shelter of the Wings ofThy Spiritual Glory, guarding us as we fall before Thee,and fervently cry: Redeem from dangers all of us, asthe Commanders of the Heavenly Powers.

S E A S O N A L K O N T A K I O N - N A T I V I T Y O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S

I oakim ke Anna onidismou ateknias, ke Adam ke Eva ek tisfthoras tou Thanatou ileftherothisan Ahrante, en ti Agia

Gennisi Sou. Aftin eortazi ke O laos Sou, enohis tonptesmaton, Litrothis en to Krazin Si: i stira tikti tinTheotokon, ke Trofon tis Zois imon.

By Thy Holy Nativity, O Most Undefiled One, Joachim andAnna were freed from the scorn of childlessness, and

Adam and Eve from Death’s corruption. This is theFeast now observed by Thy people, who from the guiltof their errors, were delivered as they cry out to Thee:the Barren One bear the Theotokos, and our Life’sSustainer!

R E S U R R E C T I O N G O S P E L 3 – M A R K 1 6 : 9 – 2 0O U R R E S U R R E C T E D LO R D A P P E A R S T O H I S A P O S T L E S & D I S C I P L E S B E F O R E H I S A S C E N S I O N

P R O K E I M E N O N – P S A L M 1 1 / 1 2 – T O N E ( 5 ) P L A G A L 1 Thou shalt Guard us, O Lord; Thou shalt preserve us from this generation forever.

S ave me, O Lord, for the Holy Man has ceased; the Truthful are diminished from among the sons of mankind.

T H E S E C O N D E P I S T L E O F S T P A U L T O T H E C O R I N T H I A N S 1 : 2 1 – 2 : 4

Brethren: it is God Who establishes us with you in Christ, and has Commissioned us; He has put His Seal upon us and as aGuarantee, given us His Spirit in our heart.

I call God to Witness against me – for it was to spare you that I refrained from coming to Corinth. Not that we lord it overyour Faith, but we work with you for your Joy, for you stand firm in your Faith. I made up my mind not to pay youanother painful visit. If I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the One Whom I have pained?

And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me Rejoice, for I feltsure of all of you, that my Joy would be the Joy of you all. For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heartand with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant Love I have for you.

T HE N EW C OVENANT ROOTS OF O RTHODOX S ACRAMENTAL LIFE AREESTABLISHED IN OUR LORD AND S AVIOUR , J ESUS C HRIST ,beginning with our Holy Baptism when WE ARE

A NOINTED and our Holy Chrismation when WE ARES EALED WITH THE S EAL OF THE G IFT OF THE H OLY S PIRIT .

T HE REAL REASON FOR S T P AUL CHANGING HIS ITINERARY WAS Graciousness, for it was in order TO SPARE THEC ORINTHIANS - AND HIMSELF - FROM A PAINFULCONFRONTATION .

The Purpose of Discipline in the Holy Church of Christ isnever for the Priest or Bishop – or anyone else – toexercise dominion over others, nor does it concern

harsh authority, nor the humiliation orembarrassment of those concerned.

S PIRITUAL D ISCIPLINE IS A CALL TO R EPENTANCE – it is a HolyR ECONCILIATION WITH C HRIST AND H IS H OLY C HURCH andOUR S PIRITUAL R ENEWAL IN THE P EACE , LOVE AND J OY OF G ODTHE H OLY S PIRIT by Whose Power and Energy we areenabled to fulfil all Divine Commandments andTeachings.

T RUE P ASTORAL C ORRECTION CAUSES AGONY FOR THE O VERSEER –the Priest, the Bishop or the Spiritual Father or Teacher- who suffer “affliction...anguish of hurt... and manytears.”

However, FOR THE R EPENTANT SINNER IT BRINGS ABUNDANT LOVE , J OY AND P EACE .

S T T I K H O N O F Z A D O N S K

“Prayer does not consist merely of standing and bowing your body or in reading written Prayers….it is possible to pray

at all times, in all places, with mind and spirit. You can lift up your mind and heart to God while walking, sitting,

working, in a crowd and in solitude. His Door is always open, unlike man’s. We can always say to Him in our heart:

“Lord, have Mercy !”


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T H E H O L Y G O S P E L A C C O R D I N G T O S T M A T T H E W 2 2 : 2 - 1 4T H E G R E A T H E A V E N L Y B A N Q U E T

Our Lord narrated this Parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a King Who gave a Marriage Feast for HisSon, and sent His servants to Call those who were invited to the Marriage Feast, and they would not come.

“Again He sent other servants, saying: ‘Tell those who are invited: “Behold: I have made ready My Banquet – My oxenand My fatted calves are killed, and everything is ready. Come to the Marriage Feast!”’

“But they made light of it and went off – one to his farm, another to his business. The rest seized His servants, treatedthem shamefully, and killed them.

“The King was angry, and He sent His Soldiers to destroy those murderers and burn their city. He said to His servants:‘The Wedding Feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy! G o, therefore, to the thoroughfares, andinvite as many as you find to the Marriage Feast.’

“And His servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. And the Banquet

Hall was filled with guests. And when the King came in to look at the guests, He saw there a man who had noWedding Garment. And He said to him: ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a Wedding Garment?’ And he wasspeechless.

“And the King said to the Attendants: ‘Bind him hand and food, and cast him into the Outer Darkness. There will beweeping and gnashing of teeth!’

“Many are Called, but few are Chosen.”

Like the preceding Parables, this Parable also

proclaims THE TRANSFER OF THE K INGDOM OF G OD FROM

THE FAITHLESS H EBREWS TO THE G ENTILES .

The setting is a Joyful Wedding Banquet, which is A

REFERENCE TO C HRIST AS BEING THE BRIDEGROOM AND H IS

H OLY C HURCH , H IS BRIDE .

St Paul also used the analogy of the Kingdom of God

being like a Marriage, in his Epistle to the

Ephesians (Ephesians 5: 21-33)

The repeated sending our of God’s Servants,

emphasises OUR H EAVENLY F ATHER ’ S GREAT DESIRE TOHAVE ALL H IS C HOSEN P EOPLE WITH H IM IN H IS K INGDOM .

The first group of invited guests is a reference to S T

M OSES , THE ANCIENT P ATRIARCH AND D IVINE L AW

R ECEIVER , AND THOSE WHO WERE CALLED BY HIM , while

the second group refers to THE H OLY P ROPHETS OF G OD

AND THOSE WHOM THEY CALLED AND GUIDED ACCORDING TO

D IVINE W ILL – and these were ALTOGETHER THE F IRST

I SRAEL – THE F IRST C HOSEN P EOPLE OF A LMIGHTY G OD .

The third group refers to THE H OLY A POSTLES OF C HRIST

WHO FIRST CALLED THE “LOST S HEEP OF THE H OUSE OF

I SRAEL,” AND THEN THE G ENTILES – those who were not

initially invited but who are now Called – Divinely

Invited to partake of all the Good Things of God’s

Heavenly Kingdom.

“T HE O XEN ” REPRESENT THE O LD C OVENANT BLOOD SACRIFICES for the sins of the High Priest and all the Hebrew

Nation, which had to be repeated on only one day

of the year.

“T HE F ATTED C ALVES ” REPRESENT THE BLOODLESS SACRIFICE OF

THE E UCHARISTIC O FFERINGS OF THE N EW C OVENANT ,

which are constantly repeated in gratitude for the

Forgiveness of our Repented sins and thus for our

Eternal Salvation. (The fatted calves had been

wheat-fed or literally translated: “formed from

wheat .”

Consequently, BOTH THE O LD AND THE N EW C OVENANTS ARE

FULFILLED AT THE M ARRIAGE OF OUR LORD J ESUS C HRIST ,

THE D IVINE BRIDEGROOM , AND H IS H OLY C HURCH , H IS

BRIDE .

“BURN THEIR CITY ” according to St John Chrysostom, IS

C HRIST ’ S P ROPHESY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF J ERUSALEM BYTHE R OMANS , WHICH OCCURRED IN THE YEAR 70, thereby

attributing that destruction to the Will of God rather

than simply due to the will of mankind.

T HE G REAT M ERCY AND P ATIENCE OF A LMIGHTY G OD ISEVIDENT DUE TO THE 40 YEAR PERIOD from the time of

Christ, WHICH GAVE AN ENTIRE H EBREW GENERATION TIME

TO R EPENT AND RETURN TO THE W ILL AND S ERVICE OF G OD . T HE “W EDDING G ARMENT ” IS PROVIDED TO ALL INVITED GUESTS

BY THE H EAVENLY K ING .

T HE MAN HAD NO EXCUSE for not wearing his Wedding

Garment, which left him speechless.

H IS REFUSAL TO WEAR THE W EDDING G ARMENT THAT WAS

PROVIDED FOR HIM BY THE K ING ILLUSTRATES THOSE WHO

REFUSE G OD ’ S G REAT LOVE , M ERCY AND H OSPITALITY – i.e.

those who expect to enter His Divine Kingdom on

their own terms!

Specifically, THE W EDDING G ARMENT REFERS TO OUR

B APTISMAL R OBE , AND BY EXTENSION , OUR LIFE IN C HRIST –

our Faith, Humility, Obedience, Love, ceaseless

Repentance and all the other Virtues that are

essential to our Relationship with God and with

each other.

I F WE ARE NOT VESTED WITH OUR “W EDDING G ARMENT ,’ DUE TO

OUR OWN EGOCENTRIC , SELFISH AND ARROGANT

DISOBEDIENCE TO G OD AND H IS H OLY C HURCH , WE WILL

ULTIMATELY BE BOUND HAND AND FOOT AND CAST INTO

O UTER D ARKNESS , which is rife with infinite, bitter“...weeping and gnashing of teeth!”

“The Outer Darkness” describes the insurmountable

distance from God of those who will be Eternally

Alienated and Exiled from God – forever banished

from His Divine Light and all His Divine Goodness.

The incessant weeping will be from those who realise -

too late - that they will not longer enjoy the Great

Mercy and Blessings of our Loving, Heavenly

Father, which they always took for granted.

They will also be very aware of all the Good Things

they have lost due to their own wilful negligence,

laziness and uncaring, ignorant attitude

concerning their precious lifespan of preparation

for Eternity.

They will suffer terrible pangs of irreparable regretand pain when they are shown the consequences

of their every word, thought and deed!

The gnashing of teeth will be due to the unchanging

state of pain and sorrow, or the unsatisfied vices

that enslave them, which can never be resolved.

The gnashing of teeth might also be due to the demons

who will bite and claw at them, mocking and

accusing them without relief or mercy!

Our Creator never lies to us about anything and the

fact that He mentions “the Outer Darkness ” and the

“gnashing of teeth” is a terrifying Revelation that

we should always keep in mind when tempted by

our own selfish desires and vices that drag us away

from God and His Divine Light of Truth and Love.

“...many are Called, but few are Chosen!” O UR

BENEVOLENT AND LOVING G OD DESIRES TO HAVE ALL H ISINTELLECTUAL BEINGS WITH H IM – BOTH THE A NGELIC

H OSTS AS WELL AS ALL MANKIND .

However, H E WANTS US TO BE WITH H IM THROUGH OUR OWN

EFFORTS AND DESIRE – never because He has forced

us, for Love – Agape – cannot be forced on anyone.

We are not enslaved by God – WE ARE SET FREE BY G OD !

H E CREATED US WITH FREE WILL TO CHOSE FOR OURSELVES .Consequently, UNLESS WE ARE E NLIGHTENED AND FILLED WITH

LOVE FOR G OD AND EACH OTHER , WE CANNOT EXPECT TO

BECOME H IS C HOSEN , SINCE H IS K INGDOM IS A P ERMANENT

S TATE OF A GAPE – Unconditional, Divine Love that

supersedes any human concept of “Love .”

Therefore, although all mankind has been Called byGod, V E RY FE W A RE A C T UA LLY C H O S E N !

T H E T Y P E O F M A R R I A G E T H A T B R I N G S B L E S S I N G S

If a man and a woman marry to satisfy their sexual appetites, or to further the material aims of themselves or their

families, then the Union is unlikely to bring Blessings. But if a man and a woman marry in order to be Companions

on the Journey through Earth to Heaven, then their Union will bring Great Joy to themselves and to others.FROM “ON LIVING SIMPLY” - ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM,


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1 4 T H S U N D A Y A F T E R P E N T E C O S T – 1 4 T H S U N D A Y O F S T M A T T H E W – T H E G R E A T H E A V E N L Y B A N Q U E T

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the HolySpirit!

Today’s Sacred Lesson concerns the Parable of the GreatBanquet or Wedding Feast, which was narrated by ourLord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It refers to the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven, which iscompared to the Wedding Feast, which our HeavenlyFather prepared for His Son, the Bridegroom, and HisHoly Church, the Bride.

The Holy Church of Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven onEarth, while the Divine Liturgy is its Divine Power.

During our Holy Services, we stand in the Divine Presenceof our Lord God and King - Christ our Saviour.We attend this Great Feast at every Divine Liturgy, yet each

of us has our own particular attitude and idea of It.All mankind is invited to attend God’s Great Banquet for

our Lord Calls to His Kingdom of Heaven not only uswho are Baptised, Chrismated Orthodox Christians, butalso the whole world - through the Word of God.

The Holy Mystery of Matrimony is the joining of two human beings - body and soul – by Almighty God, which is thereason that Holy Scripture states clearly that a husbandand wife “are one,” just as the Holy Trinity – God theFather, the Son and the Holy Spirit are One.

The same joining of our body and soul to Christ takesplace at this Wedding Feast – at Holy Eucharist – for weare joined not only into one Spirit, but also into one

Body, because the Body of Christ becomes part of ourown body and His Precious Blood becomes part of our

blood.What more abundant Divine Grace could we imagine?!What can be more desirable than such Holy Fellowship

with Christ our Lord and Saviour?What could be more Joyful or more abundant?If we really Love our Lord Jesus Christ, we strive constantly

and make every effort to nurture, to nourish, toincrease and to maintain our personal Relationship withour Saviour - here and now!

The Source of our constant Purification is the Holy Mysteryof Eucharist – the Communion Cup.

If we removed the Holy Mystery of Eucharist – HolyCommunion - from the Church, it would no longer bethe Holy Church of Christ – the Holy Bride of Christ -

because the very centre – the very Heart - of ourSpiritual Life is the Divine Liturgy – the Holy Eucharist,Communion and Thanksgiving!

Although many people try to justify themselves by sayingthat despite the fact that they seldom attend the HolyServices at Church, they do pray at home.

We can and must pray at home and anywhere possible forit is essential to our Holy Relationship with God.

However, it is even more essential to Worship together –communally - in Church – in God’s Holy Temple - wherewe are able to receive Holy Communion from the Priestand to join together, body and soul - to offer ourCommunal Thanksgiving Prayers and Hymns of Praiseto Almighty God.

The Holy Mystery of Eucharist is the most SpirituallyProfitable form of Fellowship with our Lord.

Without Communal Worship, we have no True Life inChrist!

Without Communal Worship we have only an illusion of aLife devoted to Almighty God.

From the time we are Baptised and Chrismated, our focusmust be fixed on our Lord Jesus Christ, His Teachingsand His Commandments, which definitely includeCommunal Worship and the regular, proper partakingof the Holy Mysteries, especially those of Repentance-Confession, followed by Holy Eucharist.

Holy Communion is the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, andas we receive Holy Communion, we enter Eternity andmystically ascend into Heaven and stand before God’sThrone.

Sadly, many of us mindlessly and unprepared receive Holy

Communion.Only when we have prepared ourselves correctly by quietlyand thoroughly examining our hearts and souls inprivate, the night before, rooting out and confessing oursins before God, (or even better by Confessing our sinsto our Spiritual Father in the Holy Mystery ofRepentance-Confession) reciting the Prayers ofRepentance and Psalm 50/51, as well as reading thePrayers Before Holy Communion, we will reap all thewonderful Spiritual Benefits and Blessings of HolyEucharist.

If we simply partake of Holy Eucharist without consciousthought or effort, we become Spiritually Dead, for whenwe lose consciousness, we are also insensitive!

If we continue to partake of Holy Eucharist in this manner,we will eventually be Eternally Condemned!

Therefore, we must prepare ourselves consciously andproperly.

Only by constant self-awareness and self-examination canwe begin to truly Live in Christ as He created us to do,having put on Christ at our Holy Baptism.

We must Repent sincerely and learn to restrain ouremotions, by disciplining – denying - ourselves so thatour immortal soul dominates the selfishness andweakness of our flesh – the demands of ourundisciplined body.

Ceaseless Repentance-Confession is the means ofmaintaining and wearing our “Wedding Garments ,”thereby showing that we are indeed welcome in God’sHeavenly Kingdom and may worthily partake of HisGreat Divine Banquet.

Our Spiritual Life – our Life in Christ - must follow two

directions.First, we must always strive and prepare ourselves properly

before partaking of Christ’s Cup of Salvation.Then we must never forget that although we are so

unworthy, by the Grace and Mercy of God and by meansof making every effort possible, we can Purify ourselvesthrough unwavering Watchfulness, Repentance-Confession and struggling every moment to fulfil andobey, with all Humility and Obedience, the Teachingsand Commandments of our Lord, thereby receivingHeavenly Riches and avoiding the EternalCondemnation reserved for those who unworthilypartake of the Holy Mysteries – and who, by theirexample, encourage or lead others into sin and SpiritualDeath!

Amen.

BY REVEREND GEORGE SERGEEV

HTTP : / /WWW.ORTHODOX-CANADA.COM/ THE -FOURTEENTH -

SUNDAY-AF TER -PENTECOST - THE -PARABLE -ABOUT -A -

WEDD IN G- FEA S T /

S T I G N A T I O S B R I A N C H A N I N O V – O N T H E C H A L I C E O F C H R I S T ( P A R T 2 )P RAY TO THE L ORD FOR THOSE WHO HEAPED INSULTS AND

OFFENCES UPON YOU MAY BE GIVEN IN RETURN TEMPORALAND E TERNAL R EWARDS , so that WHATEVER WAS DONE TOYOU MAY BE IMPUTED (ATTRIBUTED) TO THOSE WHO DID IT AS

V IRTUE IN THE J UDGMENT OF C HRIST .Although your heart may not wish to act in this way, force

it to do so; for ONLY THOSE WHO COMPEL THEIR HEART TOCARRY OUT THE C OMMANDMENTS OF THE H OLY G OSPEL CANINHERIT H EAVEN . (MATTHEW 11:12)

If you do not wish to do that, you do not wish to be aFollower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

C AREFULLY LOOK INTO YOURSELF and see whether you cannotfind another teacher – perhaps you have capitulated tohim? The teacher of hatred is the devil.

T O OFFEND , TO WRONG , TO PERSECUTE ONE ’ S NEIGHBOURS IS ATERRIBLE CRIME .

A STILL MORE TERRIBLE CRIME IS MURDER .

But THOSE WHO HATE THEIR PERSECUTOR , SLANDERER , BETRAYER OR MURDERER AND WHO RELISH RESENTMENT

AGAINST THEM AND HAVE THEIR REVENGE ON THEM , THEIRSIN IS VERY NEAR TO THAT OF THEIR ENEMY .

It is futile then for them to pretend - to themselves or toothers - , that they are Righteous.

E VERYONE WHO HATES HIS B ROTHER IS A MURDERER ,proclaimed Christ’s Beloved Disciple. (1 JOHN 3: 15)

A LIVING F AITH IN C HRIST leads us to accept Christ’s Chalice,which FILLS OUR HEART as we partake of It with Hope inChrist – which, in turn, GRANTS US S TRENGTH ANDC ONSOLATION .

What torture! What hellish torture - to complain, tomurmur against the predetermined Chalice assigned usfrom Above!


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S U N D A Y A F T E R P E N T E C O S T – 1 4 T H O F S T M A T T H E W – T H E G R E A T B A N Q U E T – 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

How sinful in God’s Sight are the vices of murmuring,impatience, cowardice, and especially despair – themonstrous offspring of criminal unbelief!

I T IS SINFUL TO MURMUR AGAINST OUR NEIGHBOURS WHEN THEYARE THE INSTRUMENTAL CAUSE OF OUR SUFFERINGS .

H OW MUCH MORE SINFUL IS IT TO MURMUR WHEN THE C HALICECOMES DOWN TO US STRAIGHT FROM H EAVEN , DIRECT FROMTHE H AND OF G OD !

T HOSE WHO T HANK G OD AND B LESS THEIR NEIGHBOURS as theypartake of the Holy Chalice HAVE ATTAINED H OLY R ESTAND THE P EACE OF C HRIST .

Henceforth THEY ENJOY THE S PIRITUAL P ARADISE OF G OD .

T EMPORAL SUFFERINGS in themselves ARE OF NO WEIGHT .W E GIVE THEM WEIGHT BY OUR ATTACHMENT TO E ARTH AND TOEVERYTHING PERISHABLE , BY OUR COLDNESS TO C HRIST ANDE TERNITY .

We bear the bitterness and disgusting taste of medicines.We bear the painful amputation and cauterization ofour limbs. We bear long fatigue and hunger, or beingshut in a room for a long time.

W E BEAR ALL THAT IN ORDER TO RESTORE LOST HEALTH TO OURBODY WHICH , WHEN HEALED , WILL AGAIN INEVITABLY GET ILL , WILL INEVITABLY DIE AND DECAY .

S O , TOO , MUST WE EVEN MORE WILLINGLY BEAR THE BITTERNESSOF C HRIST ’ S C HALICE , WHICH WILL PROCURE H EALING ANDE TERNAL B EATITUDE FOR OUR IMMORTAL SOUL .

I F THE C HALICE SEEMS TO YOU ‘ DEADLY POISON ’ AND‘ UNBEARABLE ,’ it thereby exposes and convicts, for

ALTHOUGH YOU ARE CALLED C HRIST ’ S , YOU ARE NOTC HRIST ’ S ! (GALATIANS 5:24)

T O C HRIST ’ S T RUE D ISCIPLES , C HRIST ’ S C HALICE IS A C UP OF J OY !

Thus THE H OLY A POSTLES - after being publicly flogged before a gathering of the Jewish Elders - left thepresence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they WERECOUNTED WORTHY TO SUFFER DISHONOUR FOR THE N AME OFOUR L ORD J ESUS . (ACTS 5: 41)

Righteous St Job heard the bitter news. Blow after blowstruck his firm heart. The last news was the hardest

blow - the loss of all his sons and daughters by asudden, cruel and violent death.

I N BITTER ANGUISH R IGHTEOUS S T J OB tore his clothes,sprinkled ashes on his head and, MOVED BY HISSUBMISSIVE F AITH , HE FELL ON THE GROUND ANDWORSHIPPED THE L ORD , saying: “ Naked I came from mymother’s womb, and naked I shall depart hence. TheLord gave and the Lord has taken away. As it pleasedthe Lord, so it has come to pass. Blessed be the Nameof the Lord! ” (JOB 1:21)

Entrust yourself in simplicity of heart to Him with Whomeven the hairs of your head are numbered.

He knows in what measure the Healing Chalice must begiven you.

Look often at our Lord Jesus: Before His murderers He waslike a Lamb that is dumb in the hands of its shearers.

He was delivered to Death like senseless Sheep to theslaughter.

D O NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF H IM — AND YOUR SUFFERINGS WILLDISSOLVE INTO H EAVENLY , S PIRITUAL S WEETNESS .

By the Wounds of our Lord Jesus the wounds of your heartwill be Healed. (1 PETER 2:24)

“Stop !” cried our Lord to those who wanted to defend Himin the Garden of Gethsemane.Not only that, He Healed the amputated ear of one who had

come to bind Him.And to the man who tried to avert the Chalice from Him by

means of arms, He said: “Do you think that I cannotpray to My Father, and He will at once send Me morethan twelve Legions of Angels?” (MATTHEW 26:53)

I N TIME OF TEMPTATION DO NOT SEEK HUMAN HELP .Do not waste precious time! Do not squander your

Spiritual Strength on a search for that powerlesssupport.

E XPECT H ELP FROM G OD .At a nod from Him people will come and help you at the

right time.O UR L ORD J ESUS C HRIST WAS SILENT before Pontius Pilate and

Herod - He did not utter a single word in self-defence.I MITATE THAT W ISE AND H OLY S ILENCE WHEN YOU SEE THAT

YOUR ENEMIES ARE JUDGING YOU .If they judge you with a view of condemning you then

inevitably they are only doing so in order to cover theirmalice with a mask of justice.

Whether the Chalice is preceded by gradually gatheringClouds that give warning of its approach, or whetherthe Chalice appears before you suddenly as if borne onthe wings of a furious cyclone, say of It to God: “ThyWill be done!”

W E ARE D ISCIPLES - FOLLOWERS AND SERVANTS - OF OUR L ORD J ESUS .

He said: “ If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me: andwhere I Am, there shall My servant be also.” (JOHN12:26).

( . . . T O B E C O N T I N U E D . . . )https://theinnerkingdom.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/the-chalice-

of-christ-by-st-ignatius-brianchaninov

W H A T C A U S E S C O L D N E S S I N P R A Y E R ?

Many blame their Prayer or their Rule of Prayer when theyexperience coldness in Prayer.

St Theophan said: "If Prayer is going poorly, it is not thefault of the Prayer but the fault of the one who ispraying." He points out that it is our haphazardness inour approach to Prayer that is the most commonproblem.

For me, this occurs when I am in a hurry. I want to rushthrough my Prayers so I can get on with a busy day.

When this happens my Prayer become routine and my heartis cold in relation to the words of the Prayer and it is nolonger Prayer. It becomes simply another task for theday.

What do we do when we experience this coldness in Prayer?Saint Theophan advises: "...reprimand yourself and threaten

yourself with Divine Judgement."When we are in a hurry we are making God secondary in

our life.Most of us spend very little time in Prayer in relationship to

all the other activities of our life.We really do not have any excuse for trying to rush through

our Daily Prayers. We need to shame ourselves for this.No one else can do this for us.

Our haste only leads to a compete waste of time, becausePrayer without feeling is not Prayer.

St Theophan suggested certain examples: “...Some people set aside a quarter of an hour for Prayer, or half anhour - whatever is more convenient for them - andthus adjust their Prayer time so that when the clockstrikes, whether on the half hour or hour, they willknow when it is time to end.

“ While they are at Prayer , they do not worry about

reading a certain number of Prayers, but only that theyrise up to the Lord in a worthy manner for the entireset time .

“Others establish a Prayer time for themselves and they findout how many times they can go around the PrayerRope during that period...

“There are others who get so accustomed to praying thatthe times they spend at Prayer are moments ofDelight for them. It rarely happens that they stand at

Prayer for a set time only. Instead, they double andtriple it.

“ Select whichever method pleases you best .“ Maintain it without fail... “

A large part of my daily Rule of Prayer consists of recitingthe ‘Jesus Prayer.’ For a while I would set a set numberof Prayers to accomplish my Rule. I found myselfrushing to complete them in a shorter and shorter time.I even came up with innovative ways to say them faster.I FINALLY REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT PRAYING WHEN I DID

THIS .P RAYER IS not about numbers or time but about a warm

feeling in the heart - in AN I NTIMATE R ELATIONSHIP WITHG OD .

So I changed my practice to one based on a set time.

Now I concentrate only on the words of the Prayer, my Lordand Creator, and not on how many times I am repeatingthe Prayer.This allows for a varied pace depending on yourcurrent state and allows for some spontaneity in yourPrayers as well. (DEACON CHARLES JOINER)

HTTP://ORTHODOXWAYOFLIFE.BLOGSPOT.COM/2011/09/WHAT-

CAUSES-COLDNESS-IN-PRAYER.HTML


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All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and Forever, andunto the Ages of Ages. AmenRemembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Mary, Theotokos yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole Life toChrist our God. Amen.

8 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 5

T h e Na t i v i t y o f o u r L a d y T h e o t o k o s

F I R S T F E S T A L A N T I P H O N - N A T I V I T Y - T H E O T O K O S – T O N E 2

STIHOS M nisthiti Kyrie tou David ke pasis tis praotitosaftou...

T es Presvies tis Theotokou, Soter, Soson imas .

STIHOS 2 I dou ikousamen aftin en Efratha evromen aftin en tispediis tou drimou.

STIHOS 3 D edoxasmena elalithi peri Sou i Polis tou TheouSTIHOS 4 O Theos en Meso Aftis ke ou salefthisete

T es Presvies tis Theotokou, Soter, Soson imas .

D oxa Patri ke Io ke Agio Pnevmati, ke nin ke ai ke istous Eonas ton eonon.

A minT es Presvies tis Theotokou, Soter, Soson imas .

VERSE Lord, remember David and all his meekness...

T hrough the Intercessions of the Theotokos, OSaviour, Save us .

VERSE Behold, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in thefields of the wood

VERSE 3 Glorious Things are spoken of Thee, O City of God VERSE 4 God in the midst of Her; She shall not be moved:

God shall help Her and that right early

T hrough the Intercessions of the Theotokos, OSaviour, Save us .

G lory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the HolySpirit, now and forever, and to the Ages of ages.

A men T hrough the Intercessions of the Theotokos, O

Saviour, Save us .

S E C O N D F E S T A L A N T I P H O N - N A T I V I T Y O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S – T O N E 2

STIHOS 1 O mose Kyrios to David Alithian ke ou mi athetisiaftin.S oson imas Iie Theou, O EN AGIIS THAVMASTOS

psallontas Si: Allilouia!

STIHOS 2 E k Karpou tis Kilias Sou thisome epi tou ThronouSou.

STIHOS 3 E ki exanatelo Keras to David, itimasa lihnon to HristoMou.

STIHOS 4 O ti exelexato Kyrios tin Zion, iretisato aftin is katiian eafto.

S oson imas Iie Theou, O EN AGIIS THAVMASTOSpsallontas Si: Allilouia!

D oxa Patri ke Io ke Agio Pnevmati, ke nin ke ai ke istous Eonas ton eonon.

A min

VERSE 1 The Lord swore in Truth to David; and He will notturn from it.O Son of God, WHO ART EXTOLLED BY THY SAINTS,

Save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia

VERSE 2 O the Fruit of Thy Body will I set upon Thy Throne

VERSE 3 There will I make the Horn of David Bud: I haveOrdained a Lamp for Mine Anointed

VERSE 4 For the Lord has chosen Zion: He has desired it forHis Habitation.

O Son of God, WHO ART EXTOLLED BY THY SAINTS,Save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia

G lory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the HolySpirit, now and forever, and to the Ages of ages.

A menF E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N – N A T I V I T Y O F T H E O T O K O S – T O N E 4

I Gennisis Sou, Theotoke, Hara eminise pasi ti ikoumeni.Ek Sou gar anetilen O Ilios tis Dikeosinis, Hristos OTheos imon. Ke lisas tin kataran, edoke tin Evlogian. Kekatargisas ton Thanaton, edorisato imin Zoin tinEonion.

Thy Nativity, O Theotokos, has brought Joy toeverything: from Thee has shone forth the Sun ofRighteousness, Christ our Lord. And having loosenedthe Curse, He granted His Blessing. And He abolishedDeath, bestowing upon us, Life Eternal.

F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N – N A T I V I T Y O F T H E O T O K O S – T O N E 4

I oakim ke Anna onidismou ateknias, ke Adam ke Eva, ek tisfthoras tou Thanatou, ileftherothisan, Ahrante, en tiAgia Gennisi Sou, aftin eortazi ke O Laos Sou, enohiston ptesmaton, Litrothis en to krazin Si, i stira tikti tinTheotokon ke T ROFON TIS Z OIS IMON

Joachim & Anna were Delivered from the reproach ofchildlessness, and Adam and Eve from the corruptionof Death, in thy Holy Nativity, O All Pure One. This dothy people celebrate, being Redeemed from the guilt oftransgressions, when they cry unto thee: the BarrenOne gives birth to the Birth-giver of God and THEN OURISHER OF OUR L IFE !

F E S T A L G O S P E L L U K E 1 : 3 9 - 4 9 & 5 6

P R O K E I M E N O N – O D E O F T H E T H E O T O K O S ( L U K E 1 ) – T O N E 3

M y soul Magnifies the Lord, and my spirit Rejoices in God my Saviour!F or He has regarded the lowly estate of His Handmaiden.


8/328. T H E N A T I V I T Y O F O U R E V E R B L E S S E D , A L L H O L Y & P U R E L A D Y T H E O T O K O S 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

T H E E P I S T L E O F S T P A U L T O T H E P H I L I P P I A N S 2 : 5 – 1 1Brethren: let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the Form of God, did not consider it robbery

to be Equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likenessof mankind, He humbled Himself and became Obedient to the point of death – even the death of the Cross.

Therefore, God also has Highly Exalted Him and given Him the Name that is above every name – that at the Name of Jesusevery knee should bow – of those in Heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the Earth – and that everytongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.

This section of St Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians

consisted of a Hymn that was already in use in the

early Holy Church of Christ, which St Paul quoted inorder to remind us and call us to contemplate the

Absolute Humility of Christ our Lord – a Divine Truth

that is necessary for all suffering Christians tounderstand and which we must apply to ourselves

- to our daily words, thoughts and deeds as Faithful

Disciples of Christ.These words have been incorporated into many of our

Orthodox Christian Hymns.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is He Who “...being in the Form of

God...” is also in the “...form of a Bondservant...” - a

reference to the two complete, unmingled,

unconfused Natures of Christ – completely Divineand completely human Natures.

In His human Nature, Christ voluntarily accepted the

terrible, unjust punishment of public humiliation,

scourging (that would have killed anyone else!) ,

crucifixion and death – at the exact hour that He

Himself chose!Only in His human Nature could Christ be killed and

enter Hades with all the other human souls who

had already died before Him throughout the

preceding years – right back to the time of Adam

and Eve.Having suffered such indescribable torture and

execution, Christ our Lord is Exalted by God the

Father and - being Supremely Worthy - is given

the Divine Name “Lord Jesus ,” which is so Sacred

that all Creation bows down before Him in honour,

worship and devotion.

The Divine Title “Lord” clearly shows us that our Lord

Jesus Christ – the Incarnate Son of God – shares His

Eternal Divinity with God the Father.

The “Form” (“Morphe ”) of God – a concept parallel with

the “Image ” (“Eikon”) of God – refers to God the Son’ssharing in the full Divine Nature – He is Eternally

Divine like God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

“Robbery ” (“harpagmon”) literally means “loot " “ill

gotten gains ” or “plunder ” - referring to something

that is illegally, shamefully or dishonourably stolen.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has Eternal Divine Equality with

Almighty God – not by false or illegal seizure but –

by His own Eternal Divine Nature.

Our Lord’s Absolute Humility is revealed by His

voluntary “Emptying Himself ” of all His Divine

Majesty and Power – not by laying aside His Divine

Nature, but by freely taking on our weak, powerless

human nature.

To all human beings, God the Son Incarnate – our Lord

Jesus Christ - looks exactly like us, for being Truly

Incarnate, He is completely human by Nature.

Due to His Incarnation, God the Son can be seen by us human

beings – and is depicted in Holy Icons in His visible, human

Form, which He Himself has left us imprinted on His Facecloth

– the Mandylion - and the Shroud. (“Not Made By Hands.”)

However, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit, Who have

never manifested in material form - except at the Oaks of

Mamre when They Visited St Abraham - are co-equally

Eternal with Christ.

Being Eternally Spiritual and thus invisible, They cannot be

depicted except as three identical Angelic Beings or as

coloured shapes surrounding Christ in His various Holy Icons

such as that of His Transfiguration and His Resurrection.

It is incorrect to depict God the Father as an Old Man or the Holy

Spirit as a White Dove! This is a Western, heretical concept

and should be avoided by Faithful Disciples of Christ for as

our Lord clearly informed us those who have seen Him, have

also seen God the Father – i.e. all Three Persons of the Holy

Trinity are identical in Appearance. mp

Our Lord Jesus took on our weak human nature

because He was willing to share our human

condition except for the ability to sin!

In His human Nature, Christ our Lord shows the

Fullness of Humility by His Obedience even toDeath that had enslaved all humanity.

To suffer the humiliation and degradation of

crucifixion – a most hideous and severe form of

slow execution that was reserved for the worst type

of criminals according to Roman Law – wasrepulsive and horrific to the Romans as well as the

Hebrews and all the other Nations.

The Hebrews considered hanging and crucifixion as

the worst type of curse possible on Earth.

However, the Death of our Saviour on the Cross,

brought Eternal Life to all who are freely andfaithfully United to God through Holy Baptism,

Chrismation and Life in Christ.

Therefore: because of Christ’s Sacrifice for our Eternal

Salvation, we must take hold of what God offers us

and thereby accept His Divine Grace by constantly

Striving towards becoming Spiritually Mature inChrist.

In other words: we must Struggle every moment of the day to

improve ourselves and to regain our lost Divine Likeness by

humbly and eagerly obeying all God’s Commandments and

Christ’s Teachings – applying them to every aspect of our Life.

mp

T H E H O L Y G O S P E L A C C O R D I N G T O S T L U K E 1 0 : 3 8 – 4 2 & 1 1 : 2 7 – 2 8O NE TH I N G I S R E Q U I R E D O F U S – T H E D I F F E R E N C E B E T W E E N S T M A R Y A N D S T M A R T H A

At that time, as they went, Jesus entered a certain village. A certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at Jesus’ Feet and heard His Word. But Martha was distracted with muchserving. Approaching Him she said: “Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister has left me alone to serve? Therefore, tellher to help me.”

Jesus answered and said to her: “Martha, Martha! Thou art worried and troubled about many things. One Thing isneeded. Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her .”

...While He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him: “Blessed is the Womb thatbore Thee, and the breasts that nursed Thee!”

He said: “More than that: Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep It!”

S T M ARTHA AND S T M ARY OF BETHANY WERE THE SISTERS OF S T

L AZAROS whom our Lord Jesus Christ had raised from

the dead.

S T M ARTHA WAS PREOCCUPIED AND WORRIED ABOUT ALL HER

HOUSEHOLD DUTIES while providing hospitality to our Lord

Jesus and his entourage of Disciples and Apostles.Her temporary, worldly cares concerned her more than

anything else at the time so, resenting her sister who

sat at the Feet of our Lord to hear His Teachings, she

appealed to Him to make her get up and help her.

However - instead of supporting her immediate needs -

OUR LORD J ESUS POINTED OUT THAT WHILE SHE WAS SO

CONCERNED ABOUT ALL HER CURRENT DUTIES , HER SISTER HAD

PREFERRED TO SPEND THE PRECIOUS TIME LISTENING TO C HRIST ’ S

T EACHINGS .

T HE “O NE T HING ... NEEDED ” WAS FOR HER TO PAY ATTENTION TO

H IS D IVINE T EACHING – to really listen to what He

said. It was a serious priority that certainly did notexclude serving Him.

Later, when a woman called out to our Lord Jesus from the

crowd, our Lord pointed out to her that G OD ’ S BLESSINGS

FALL UPON ALL THOSE WHO HEAR THE W ORD OF G OD AND O BEY

H IM .


9/32T H E N A T I V I T Y O F O U R E V E R B L E S S E D , A L L H O L Y & P U R E L A D Y T H E O T O K O S 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 9

F AMILY OR SOCIAL CONNECTIONS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH

OUR O BEDIENCE TO G OD and the Ever Blessed

Theotokos was especially complimented by Her Son

because She not only paid careful attention to the

Word of God but She also Faithfully Obeyed all His

Commandments and lived Her entire life

accordingly.

It is THAT PROFOUND V IRTUE OF HUMBLE AND ATTENTIVE

O BEDIENCE TO G OD OF THE E VER BLESSED T HEOTOKOS

ALONE – even more than having borne the

Incarnate God – THAT MAKES H ER OUR MOST S HINING

E XAMPLE OF T RUE S AINTHOOD AND T HEOSIS – S PIRITUAL

P ERFECTION .

S T A N D R E W O F C R E T E – O N T H E N A T I V I T Y O F O U R L A D Y , T H E O T O K O S

T ODAY ’ S G REAT F EAST IS THE BEGINNING OF ALL OUR F EASTS . Serving as BOUNDARY TO THE L AW AND TO P ROTOTYPES , at the

same time it serves as A D OORWAY TO G RACE AND T RUTH ,“...for Christ is the end of the Law ...” having freed us

from the letter (of the Law), raises us to Spirit. (ROMANS10:4),

Here is the end (of the Law) in that THE L AWGIVER , HAVINGMADE EVERYTHING , HAS CHANGED THE LETTER IN S PIRIT ANDGATHERS EVERYTHING IN H IMSELF , ENLIVENING THE L AWWITH G RACE . (EPHESIANS 1:10)

D IVINE G RACE HAS TAKEN THE L AW UNDER I TS DOMINION , andthe Law has become subjected to Grace, so that theproperties of the Law not suffer reciprocalCommingling, but only so that BY D IVINE P OWER , THESERVILE AND SUBSERVIENT ( IN THE L AW ) ARE T RANSFORMEDINTO THE L IGHT AND F REE ( IN G RACE ), so that we are not“...in bondage to the elements of the world...” and not ina condition under the slavish yoke of the letter of theLaw. (GALATIANS 4:3)

Here is THE SUMMIT OF C HRIST ’ S B ENEFICENCE towards us!Here are THE M YSTERIES OF R EVELATION ! Here is theT HEOSIS [D IVINIZATION ] ASSUMED UPON HUMANKIND , theF RUITION WORKED OUT BY THE G OD -M AN .

The Radiant and Bright Descent of God for us ought to haveA J OYOUS B ASIS , OPENING TO US THE G REAT G IFT OFS ALVATION .

Such also is the present Feast Day, having as its basis THEN ATIVITY OF THE T HEOTOKOS , and as ITS P URPOSE ANDE ND , THE U NITING OF THE W ORD WITH FLESH - this M OSTG LORIOUS OF ALL M IRACLES , unceasingly proclaimed -immeasurable and incomprehensible.

The less comprehensible It is, the more It is revealed; andthe more it is revealed, the less comprehensible it is.

Therefore this God-Graced day - the first of our Feast Days -showing forth THE L IGHT OF V IRGINITY AND THE C ROWN

WOVEN FROM THE U NFADING B LOSSOMS OF THE S PIRITUALG ARDEN of Scripture, offers us creatures A C OMMON J OY .Be of good cheer! it says. Behold! T HIS IS THE F EAST OF THE

N ATIVITY OF THE V IRGIN AND OF THE R ENEWAL OF THEHUMAN RACE !

The Virgin is born, She grows and is raised up and PREPARESH ERSELF to be the Mother of the All-Sovereign God ofthe Ages.

All this, with the assistance of King David the InspiredPsalmist, makes It for us an object of SpiritualContemplation.

T HE T HEOTOKOS MANIFESTS TO US H ER G OD - BESTOWED B IRTH , AND THE P SALMIST POINTS TO THE B LESSEDNESS OF THEHUMAN RACE AND WONDROUS K INSHIP OF G OD WITHMANKIND .

And so, truly we ought to celebrate the Great Mystery today

and to offer to the All Pure Mother of God a word byway of gift: since nothing is so pleasing to Her as aword and praise by word.

It is from here also that we receive a twofold Benefit: first,WE ENTER INTO THE REGION OF T RUTH , and second, WEEMERGE FROM THE CAPTIVITY AND SLAVERY OF THE WRITTEN

L AW .How so? Obviously, when Darkness vanishes, then Light

appears; so also here: AFTER THE L AW FOLLOWS THEF REEDOM OF G RACE .

The present day solemnity is a line of demarcation,separating the Truth from its prefigurative symbol, andushering in the new in place of the old.

St Paul - that Divine Trumpet of the Spirit - exclaimed: “Ifanyone is in Christ, he is a New Creature ; old thingspass away and behold, all things have become New ...

...for the Law made nothing Perfect, but the bringing inof a better Hope did, by which we draw near to God ” (2CORINTHIANS 5:17 & HEBREWS 7 : 19)

The Truth of Grace has shown forth brightly.Let there now be ONE COMMON F ESTAL C ELEBRATION IN BOTH

H EAVEN AND ON E ARTH .Let everything celebrate - that which is in the world and

that beyond the world.

Now is made the Created Temple for the Creator of all; andC REATION IS READIED INTO A NEW D IVINE H ABITATION FORTHE C REATOR .

Now OUR NATURE having been banished from the land of

Blessedness RECEIVES THE P RINCIPLE OF T HEOSIS ANDSTRIVES TO RISE UP TO THE H IGHEST G LORY .

Now Adam offers from us and for us Elements unto God,THE M OST W ORTHY F RUIT OF MANKIND : THE E VER B LESSEDV IRGIN M ARY , IN W HOM THE NEW A DAM IS RENDERED B READFOR THE R ESTORATION OF THE HUMAN RACE .

Now is opened the Great Bosom of Virginity, and theChurch, in the Matrimonial manner, places upon It aPure, Truly Spotless Pearl.

Now HUMAN WORTHINESS ACCEPTS THE G IFT OF THE F IRSTC REATION AND RETURNS TO ITS FORMER CONDITION - theMajesty darkened by formless sin, through theconjoining by His Mother by Birth “...of Him Beauteousby Goodness...” man receives Beauty in a Most Excellentand God-Seemly Visage.

And THIS CREATING IS DONE TRULY BY THE C REATION , ANDR ECREATION BY T HEOSIS , AND T HEOSIS BY A R ETURN TO THEO RIGINAL P ERFECTION !

Now a barren one has become a Mother beyondexpectation, and the Theotokos has given Birth WITHOUTKNOWING MAN , and S HE S ANCTIFIES NATURAL BIRTH .

Now the Majestic Colour of the Divine Purple is readied andimpoverished human nature is clothed in RoyalWorthiness.

Now, ACCORDING TO P ROPHECY , sprouts forth THE O FFSHOOTOF D AVID , Who, having Eternally become THE GREEN - SPROUTING S TAFF OF A ARON , has Blossomed forth for uswith THE S TAFF OF P OWER : C HRIST .

Now FROM J UDAH AND D AVID IS DESCENDED A V IRGIN M AIDEN ,RENDERING OF H ERSELF THE R OYAL AND P RIESTLYWORTHINESS OF H IM W HO HAS TAKEN ON THE PRIESTHOOD

OF A ARON ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF M ELCHIZEDEK . (HEBREWS 7:15). Now THE R ENEWAL OF OUR NATURE is begun, and the world

responding, ASSUMING A G OD -S EEMLY F ORM , RECEIVES THEP RINCIPLE OF A S ECOND D IVINE C REATION .

T HE F IRST C REATION OF MANKIND OCCURRED FROM THE PUREAND UNSULLIED E ARTH .

H OWEVER , THEIR NATURE DARKENED ITS INNATE WORTHINESS , AND THEY WERE DEPRIVED OF D IVINE G RACE THROUGH THESIN OF D ISOBEDIENCE !

Consequently, WE WERE CAST OUT OF THE L AND OF L IFE AND , IN PLACE OF THE D ELIGHTS OF P ARADISE , WE RECEIVEDTEMPORAL LIFE as our inheritance by birth, AND WITH ITTHE D EATH AND C ORRUPTION OF OUR RACE .

All started to prefer Earth to Heaven, so that thereremained no Hope for Salvation, beyond the Utmost

Help.Neither the natural nor the Written Law, nor the fiery

Reconciliative Sayings of the Prophets had power toHeal the sickness.

No one knew how to rectify human nature and by whatmeans it would be most suitable to raise it up to itsformer Worthiness, so long as God - the Author of all -did not deign to reveal to us ANOTHER ARRANGED ANDNEWLY - CONSTITUTED WORLD , where the pervasive form ofthe old poison of sin is annihilated, and granting us AW ONDROUS , F REE AND P ERFECTLY D ISPASSIONATE L IFE , THROUGH OUR R E - CREATION IN THE B APTISM OF D IVINEB IRTH .

But how would this Great and Most Glorious Blessing beimparted to us, so in Accord with the DivineCommands, if God were not to be manifest to us in the

Flesh, not subject to the laws of nature, nor deign todwell with us in a Manner known to Him?

And how could all this be accomplished, if first there didnot serve the Mystery a Pure and Inviolate Virgin, Whocontained the Uncontainable, in accord with the Law,yet beyond the laws of nature?


10/3210. T H E N A T I V I T Y O F O U R E V E R B L E S S E D , A L L H O L Y & P U R E L A D Y T H E O T O K O S 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

And could some other Virgin have done this besides Shealone, Who was chosen before all others by the Creatorof nature?

This Virgin is the Theotokos – the Ever Blessed Virgin Mary- the Most Glorious of God, from Whose Womb the MostDivine came forth in the Flesh, and by Whom HeHimself arranged a Wondrous Temple for Himself.

S HE CONCEIVED WITHOUT SEED AND GAVE B IRTH WITHOUTCORRUPTION , SINCE H ER S ON WAS G OD , ALTHOUGH ALSO H EWAS B ORN IN THE F LESH , WITHOUT MINGLING AND WITHOUTTRAVAIL .

This Mother, Truly, AVOIDED THAT WHICH IS INNATE TO

MOTHERS , AND MIRACULOUSLY FED H ER S ON - B EGOTTENWITHOUT A MAN - WITH MILK .

T HE V IRGIN , HAVING GIVEN B IRTH to the One SeedlesslyConceived, REMAINED A P URE V IRGIN , HAVING PRESERVEDINCORRUPT THE MARKS OF VIRGINITY .

And so IN T RUTH S HE IS NAMED ‘ THE M OTHER OF G OD .’Her Virginity is esteemed and Her Birth-giving is Glorified.God, having joined with mankind and become manifest in

the Flesh, has granted Her a Unique Glory.W OMAN ’ S NATURE SUDDENLY IS FREED FROM THE F IRST C URSE ,

and just as the first brought sin, so also does the firstINITIATE S ALVATION also.

The Redeemer of our human race willed A N EW B IRTH ANDRE -C REATION OF MANKIND .

J UST AS AT THE F IRST C REATION , H E TOOK SOIL FROM THEVIRGINAL AND PURE E ARTH , AND FORMED THE F IRST A DAM ,

LIKEWISE NOW , having arranged His Incarnation onEarth, in place of soil, H E CHOSE OUT OF ALL C REATIONTHIS P URE AND I MMACULATE V IRGIN and, having Re-created mankind in His Chosen One from amongmankind, THE C REATOR OF A DAM BECOMES THE N EWA DAM , in order to save the old Adam. (To Renew andRestore our Fallen Nature, which was caused by Ancestral Sin.)

Who indeed was this Ever Blessed Virgin and from whatsort of parents did She come?

Our Lady, Mary, the Glory of all, was born of the Tribe ofKing David, and was descended from Eve. She was fromthe seed of St Joachim and was the daughter of St Anna.

S T J OACHIM WAS A GENTLE MAN – PIOUS AND RAISED IN G OD ’ SL AW . L IVING PRUDENTLY AND WALKING BEFORE G OD , HEGREW OLD without child: the years of his prime providedNO CONTINUATION OF HIS LINEAGE .

S T A NNA WAS LIKEWISE G OD -L OVING , PRUDENT , BUT BARREN .S HE LIVED IN HARMONY WITH HER HUSBAND , EVEN THOUGHTHEY REMAINED CHILDLESS .

A S MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT HER INFERTILITY AS SHE WASABOUT THE OBSERVANCE OF THE L AW OF THE L ORD , SHE WASDAILY STUNG BY THE GRIEF OF CHILDLESSNESS AND SUFFERED that which is the usual lot of the childless—SHE GRIEVED , SHE SORROWED , SHE WAS DISTRESSED , AND IMPATIENT at

being childless.St Joachim and St Anna lamented their lack of a successor

to continue their line; yet THE SPARK OF H OPE WAS NOTEXTINGUISHED IN THEM COMPLETELY : BOTH INTENSIFIEDTHEIR P RAYERS concerning a child to continue their line.

In imitation of the Prayer of St Hannah, without leaving theTemple, both fervently beseeched God to undo her

sterility and make her fruitful. (1 KINGS 1: 10)T HEY NEVER LESSENED THEIR S PIRITUAL E FFORTS and theBestower of Gifts neither condemned nor denied theGift of their Hope.

U NCEASING P OWER EVENTUALLY DID RESPOND TO THEIRF ERVENT P RAYERS BESEECHING G OD , AND ENABLED THEM TOPRODUCE AND BEAR A CHILD - and from sterile, barrenparents, as though from a well-irrigated Orchard, was

born a Most Glorious Fruition—the All-Pure Virgin Mary.T HE CONSTRAINTS OF INFERTILITY WERE DESTROYED — CEASELESS

P RAYERS AND A R IGHTEOUS L IFE FINALLY RENDERED THEMF RUITFUL !

The childless couple begat a Child, and the childlessWoman became a happy, fulfilled Mother.

T HE I MMACULATE F RUITION ISSUED FORTH FROM THE WOMB OFAN OLD , INFERTILE M OTHER – AND AS SOON AS THE C HILD

WAS WEANED , THE GRATEFUL PARENTS PRESENTED ANDDEDICATED H ER TO G OD AT THE T EMPLE IN J ERUSALEM .

T HE C ELEBRANT P RIEST , performing the Order of Services, beheld the faces of the little Girl and those in front ofand behind Her, and he WAS EXTREMELY J OYFUL ,

BEHOLDING THE ACTUAL F ULFILMENT OF THE D IVINEP ROMISE .

H E C ONSECRATED H ER TO G OD , AS A R EVERENTIAL G IFT ANDP ROPITIOUS S ACRIFICE — AND , AS A G REAT T REASURY OFS ALVATION , HE LED H ER WITHIN THE VERY INNERMOSTPARTS OF THE T EMPLE , where S HE WALKED IN THER IGHTEOUSNESS OF THE L ORD , as in Bridal Chambers,PARTAKING OF H EAVENLY F OOD UNTIL THE TIME OFB ETROTHAL , which was Preordained before all ages byHim Who, by His Inscrutable Mercy, was Born from Her,and by Him Who - before all Creation and time andexpanse - Divinely Begat Him, together with His

Consubstantial, Co-reigning and Co-worshipped Spiritas One Divine Godhead, with One Essence and Kingdom- Inseparable and Immutable, in which is nothingdiverse, except the Personal Qualities.

In solemnity and in song we offer the Mother of the Wordthe Festal Gift, since H E W HO WAS B ORN OF H ER HASTAUGHT US TO BELIEVE IN THE H OLY T RINITY - THE S ON ANDW ORD W ITHOUT -B EGINNING HAS MADE IN H ER H ISI NCARNATION AND THE F ATHER , B EGETTING H IM , HASB LESSED THIS - AND THE H OLY S PIRIT HAS S IGNED ANDS ANCTIFIED THE W OMB , WHICH INCOMPREHENSIBLYC ONCEIVED .

In what did Almighty God forswear St David, RoyalPsalmist? Speak, O Psalmist and Prophet! “He has swornfrom the Fruit of my loin to sit upon my Throne!” (PSALM131/132:11).

In this He is Foresworn and will not break His Oath! H E HASF ORESWORN AND H IS W ORD IS S EALED WITH A D EED !

“Once I forswear by My Holiness, that I lie not to David; HISSEED WILL PREVAIL FOREVER , AND HIS T HRONE , like the sunbefore Me and like the moon coursing the ages: aFaithful Witness also in Heaven” (PSALM 88/89:35-38).

G OD HAS FULFILLED THIS O ATH , SINCE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FORG OD TO LIE ! (HEBREWS 6:18).

Consider this: C HRIST IN THE F LESH IS NAMED ‘M Y S ON ’ and“...all Nations will worship My Lord and Son...” seeingHim sit upon a Virginal Throne! (MATTHEW 22:42 &PSALM71/72:11)

Here also is THE V IRGIN FROM W HOSE W OMB THE P RE -E TERNALO NE ISSUED FORTH , I NCARNATED AT THE END OF THE A GESAND R ENEWING THE A GES , likewise sprung forth from myloins! All this is so!

People of God, Holy Nation, Sacred Gathering! Let us revereour Paternal Memory! Let us E XTOL THE P OWER OF THEM YSTERY !

Each of us - in the Measure granted by Divine Grace - offera Worthy Gift for the present Feast: Fathers—aProsperous Lineage; Mothers—fine children; theInfertile—not bearing any sin; Virgins—a twofoldPrudence, of soul and body; Betrothed—PraiseworthyAbstinence and Chastity.

Those who are F ATHERS , let them IMITATE THE R IGHTEOUSF ATHER OF THE E VER B LESSED V IRGIN ; and those who arewithout children — let them HARVEST F RUITFUL P RAYER , CULTIVATING A L IFE PLEASING TO G OD .

Those who are Mothers nurturing their children, let themR EJOICE WITH S T A NNA , raising her Child, granted to herin infertility through ceaseless, Fervent Prayer.

Those who are barren, lacking the Blessing of a child, letthem APPROACH WITH F AITH THE G OD - GIVEN O FFSHOOT OFS T A NNA and present their infertility to Her.

Those who are Virgin and who live blamelessly, let them BEM OTHERS BY DISCOURSE - ADORNING BY W ORD THEELEGANCE OF SOUL .

Those who are Betrothed—let them OFFER M ENTAL S ACRIFICEFROM THE F RUITS OF P RAYER .

Let all those who are rich or poor, lads or maidens, old oryoung, Priests or Levites KEEP THIS G REAT H OLY F EAST INHONOUR OF THE E VER B LESSED , A LL H OLY V IRGIN – O URL ADY – THE A LL P URE T HEOTOKOS AND P ROPHETESS - forFROM H ER HAS ISSUED FORTH THE G REATEST H OLY P ROPHETOF G OD W HO WAS F ORETOLD BY M OSES – OUR L ORD ANDS AVIOUR , J ESUS C HRIST - OUR G OD AND D IVINE T RUTH .(PSALM 48:2 & 148:12; DEUTERONOMY 18:15).

Amen.

HTTP://WWW.STJOHNAZ.ORG/INDEX.CFM/RESOURCES/FEASTS-OF-

THE-CHURCH


11/32S Y N A X I S - R I G H T E O U S P R O G E N I T O R S & P A R E N T S O F O U R L A D Y T H E O T O K O S – 9 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 11.


All Glory, Honour and Worship to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,now and Forever, and unto the Ages of Ages. AmenRemembering also our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed and Glorious Lady, Mary,Theotokos yet Ever Virgin, together with all the Saints. And let us commit ourselvesand one another and our whole Life to Christ our God. Amen.

After Feast of the Nativity 9 Se pt embe r 20 15

Synaxis of St Joachim & St AnnaRighteous Progenitors &Parents of our Ever Blessed Lady Theotokos

Also the Feast of St Severianos of Sebaste – The Holy Church Fathers of the

3rd Ecumenical Council in 431 - St Joseph of Volokolamsk, Volotsk – St

Theodosios of Chernigov, Uncovering – St Theophanes the Confessor &Faster of Mount Diabenos – St Chariton & St Staton – St Nicetas the Hidden

of Constantinople – St Ciaran (Kieran) of Clomacnois, Ireland

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N - S Y N A X I S O F S T J O A C H I M & S T A N N A : T O N E 2

T on Dikeon Theopatoron Sou Kyrie, tin MniminEortazontes, di afton Se disopoumen. Soson tas

psihas imon.

As we celebrate the Memory of Thy Righteous Ancestors, OLord, through them we beseech Thee to Save our soul.

F E S T A L A P O L Y T I K I O N O F T H E N A T I V I T Y O F T H E E V E R B L E S S E D T H E O T O K O S : T O N E 4 :

I Gennisis Sou Theotoke hara eminise pasi ti ikoumeni,ek Sou gar en etilen O ilios tis Dikeosinis, Hristos OTheos imon; ke lisas tin kataran, Edoke tin Evlogian;ke katargisas ton Thanato, edorisatos imin, Zoin tinEonion.

Thy Nativity, O Theotokos, has brought Joy to all earthlyhabitations; because from Thee has shone forth the Sun ofRighteousness, Christ Jesus our Lord. And havingloosened the Curse from us, He granted the Blessing; andHe abolished the power of Death, and bestowed upon us,Life Eternal.

F E S T A L K O N T A K I O N - S Y N A X I S – S T J O A C H I M & S T A N N A - T O N E 2

E ufrenete nin, i Anna tis stiroseos, lithisa desmon, ke trefitin panahranton, sigkalousa apantas animnise tondorisamenon, ek nidios aftis tiis vrotis, tin Monin Miterake Apirandron.

Now Anna is glad, for from the bonds of barrenness hasshe been released; and nourishing the All Pure One,she summons all together that they might Praise HimWho from her womb has bestowed upon mankind theOnly Pure Mother who has known no man.

P R O K E I M E N O N – P S A L M 6 7 – T O N E 4

G od is Wonderful in His Saints!I n the Congregations Bless God!

T H E E P I S T L E O F S T P A U L T O T H E G A L A T I A N S 4 : 2 2 - 2 7C O N C E R N I N G S L A V E R Y & S O N S H I P

Brethren: Abraham had two sons - one by a bondservant, one by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, while he who was born of the free woman was born through a Promise.

These things are symbolic. These are the two Covenants – one from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage, beingHagar. For Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which is now - in bondage with her children.The Jerusalem Above is Free – being the Mother of us all.

It is written: ‘Rejoice, you barren who do not bear! Break forth and cry you who do not travail! For the desolate has manymore children than she who has a husband!’

By saying that Abraham has two sons and related events

are ‘symbolic’ (allegoreo ) St Paul did not imply that

they are not historical facts and events.Rather, he asserted that Old Covenant history is

announcing something far greater than merely itself.

Hagar and Mount Sinai symbolise the earthly Jerusalem

and the Hebrews (Jews) who remain under the Old

Covenant Law.

Sarah, on the contrary, being a free woman, symbolises

the Heavenly Jerusalem – the Eternal, Holy Church of

Christ and the Christians – the Struggling Disciples of

Christ (Church Militant) and all the Saints and Holy

Martyrs (the Church Triumphant) who follow Christ

and God’s New Covenant.

The ‘desolate’ are those who are in the New Covenant

Church – especially the Gentiles (pagans or non-

Jews).

‘She who has no husband’ is Israel.Furthermore, Sarah was a type of Theotokos – similar to

the Ever Blessed Mother of God Incarnate – for her

son, Isaac, was also born through the Divine Promise

of Almighty God as a significant part of His Eternal,

Divine Plan.

St John Chrysostom explained that Isaac “... was the issueof bodies that were dead, and of a womb that wasdead. His conception was not by the flesh, nor his

birth by the seed, for the womb was dead - both

through age and barrenness. But the Word of God

fashioned him... He who was not according to the

flesh was more honourable than he who was born

after the flesh. Therefore let it not disturb you that you

were not born after the flesh. For, from the very

reason that you are not so born, are you most of all

Abraham’s kindred.”

St John Chrysostom thus explained to all Christians that

we are members of St Abraham’s Holy Family through

our Holy Baptism – our Divine Adoption as co-Heirs

with Christ of God’s Eternal Kingdom.

This particular passage is also read on 23 September, theFeast of the Conception of St John the Baptist as well

as 9 December, the Feast of the Conception of the Ever

Blessed Virgin Mary – our Lady Theotokos.


12/3212. S Y N A X I S - R I G H T E O U S P R O G E N I T O R S & P A R E N T S O F O U R L A D Y T H E O T O K O S – 9 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4

T H E H O L Y G O S P E L A C C O R D I N G T O S T M A R K 6 : 7 – 1 3D E P E N D O N D I V I N E P R O V I D E N C E

At that time, our Lord Jesus called His Twelve disciples and began to send them out two by two, and gave them Authorityover unclean spirits. And He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no moneyin their belts - but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, staythere until you leave the place. And if any place will not receive you, refusing to listen to you, when you leave, shake offthe dust that is on your feet as a Testimony against them. Truly, I say to you: it would be more tolerable for Sodom andGomorrah in the Day of Judgement than for that city!”

And they went out and preached Repentance. And many demons were cast out, and many who were sick were Anointedwith Oil and Healed.

The terms ‘Disciples’ and ‘ Apostles’ are often used

interchangeably for ‘the Twelve’ Chosen by our Lord

Jesus Christ. A D ISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO IS LEARNING – who is under the

discipline of a Teacher, Spiritual Father or Holy

Father.

W E ARE ALL D ISCIPLES OF C HRIST because throughout this

short life-span – until our final breath - we will be

learning how to achieve Agape – i.e. how to become

worthy Citizens of God’s Eternal Heavenly Kingdom

who Love God and one another unconditionally and

completely.

A N A POSTLE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN “ SENT OUT ,” BY G OD OR

OUR LORD J ESUS C HRIST , TO FULFIL H IS S ACRED M ISSION ON

E ARTH AMONGST OUR FELLOW MANKIND .

T HE A POSTLES OF C HRIST RECEIVED H IS D IVINE A UTHORITY AND

P OWER TO PERFORM M IRACLES AND TO FULFIL THEIR S ACRED

T ASKS .

T HE A POSTLES WERE NOT LIMITED TO H IS C HOSEN T WELVE OR 70

BUT ALSO INCLUDED OTHERS who fulfilled the same Sacred

Mission by the Divine Authority and Power of our Lord

Jesus Christ.

O UR S ACRED M ISSION AND T ASKS ARE FULFILLED ACCORDING TO

THE D IVINE W ILL OF G OD THE F ATHER , THROUGH H IS O NLY

BEGOTTEN W ORD AND S ON , OUR LORD J ESUS C HRIST , BY THE

P OWER AND E NERGY OF G OD THE H OLY S PIRIT .

O UR LORD J ESUS C HRIST PERFORMED ALL H IS M IRACLES BY MEANS

OF H IS OWN NATURAL P OWER AND E NERGY , being One of the

Three Persons of the Holy Trinity.

T HE LISTS OF THE NAMES OF C HRIST ’ S H OLY A POSTLES MAY SEEM TO

VARY but that is BECAUSE MANY OF THEM WERE KNOWN BY

MORE THAN ONE NAME .

The names of the Twelve are given in pairs, indicating

how they set out on their First Missionary Journey.T HE D ISCIPLES ’ H OLY M ISSION IS THE SAME AS THAT OF OUR LORD

J ESUS C HRIST – TO P REACH AND TO H EAL.

I NITIALLY , OUR LORD J ESUS SENT H IS A POSTLES ONLY TO THE “LOST

S HEEP ” OF I SRAEL and not to the Gentiles, who would

later become the New Israel, including those Hebrews

who accepted the Divine Truth that our Lord Jesus is

indeed the long-awaited Messiah – our Eternal, Divine

Saviour.

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly Ministry was focused on

the Judeans, the Hebrews or “the Lost Sheep of Israel.”

This was in order to prevent His Apostles and Disciples

being blamed afterwards for going to “uncircumcised

men.” (ACTS 11:3)

O UR LORD J ESUS PREPARED H IS A POSTLES TO BE SINGLE - MINDED IN

THEIR H OLY M ISSION of Preaching and Healing by

reminding them: H IS D IVINE P OWER IS FREE – It is a Divine Gift from God.

T HEY WERE NOT TO CARRY MONEY , NOR ANY EXTRA CLOTHING

OR PROVISIONS so that they could not be accused of

greed, and so that they would learn to trust in

Divine Providence.

G OD GRANTS US EVERYTHING WE NEED - and often in

abundance so that we may share it with others as

well.

Our Lord also instructed His Apostles to stay in one house

at each place they went to – they were to ACCEPT

WHATEVER TYPE OF HOSPITALITY WAS OFFERED TO THEM , FOR IT

WOULD BE BY THE G RACE OF G OD .

However, C HRIST KNEW THE STUBBORNNESS OF THE “LOST S HEEP

OF I SRAEL,” so He instructed His Apostles accordingly,

telling them not only to LEAVE THEM TO THEIR OWN CHOSE

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2015 September Sacred Lessons

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