January 5, 2014 Specials

Divine Liturgy Specials on Sunday, January 5, 2014

Tone 3 / Eothinon 6, Sunday Pre-Theophany (Voice in Wilderness)

Theopemptos and Theonas, Martyrs (†303); Ven. Syngletike (†350) ; Ven. Gregory

MAY GOD BLESS AND GUIDE OUR COUNTRY, OUR CHURCH, AND EACH ONE OF US IN THE NEW YEAR!
Ἀντίφωνον α´ – Ἦχος β´ 1 Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐντός μου τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ. 2 Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον, καὶ μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου πάσας τὰς ἀνταποδόσεις αὐτοῦ. 3 Κύριος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἡτοίμασε τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ πάντων δεσπόζει.     Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ, σῶσον ἡμᾶς.   Ἀντίφωνον β´ – Ἦχος ὁ αὐτός 1 Αἴνει ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν Κύριον, αἰνέσω Κύριον ἐν τῇ ζωῇ μου, ψαλῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου ἕως ὑπάρχω. 2 Μακάριος οὗ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ βοηθὸς αὐτοῦ, ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῦ. 3 Βασιλεύσει Κύριος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὁ Θεός σου, Σιών, εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν.     Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα.   Δόξα... Καὶ νῦν... Ὁ Μονογενὴς Υἱός...   Ἀντίφωνον γ´ – Ἦχος γ' 1 Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος, ἀγαλλιασώμεθα, καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ. 2 Αἰνεσάτωσαν αὐτὸν οἱ οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ, θάλασσα καὶ πάντα τὰ ἕρποντα ἐν αὐτῇ. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος γ' Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας Ἅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.   Εἰσοδικόν – Ἦχος β´ Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν Χριστῷ. Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα.   Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος γ' Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας Ἅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Ἀπολυτίκιον – Ἦχος δʹ   Κατεπλάγη Ἰωσήφ Ἀπεστρέφετό ποτε, ὁ Ἰορδάνης ποταμός, τῇ μηλωτῇ Ἐλισαιέ, ἀναληφθέντος Ἠλιού, καὶ διῃρεῖτο τὰ ὕδατα ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν, καὶ γέγονεν αὐτῷ, ξηρὰ ὁδὸς ἡ ὑγρά, εἰς τύπον ἀληθῶς τοῦ Βαπτίσματος, δι᾿ οὗ ἡμεῖς τὴν ῥέουσαν, τοῦ βίου διαπερῶμεν διάβασιν, Χριστὸς ἐφάνη, ἐν Ἰορδάνῃ, ἁγιάσαι τὰ ὕδατα.   Ἀπολυτίκιον – Ἦχος πλ. δ' Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ πανσόφους τοὺς ἁλιεῖς ἀναδείξας, καταπέμψας αὐτοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην σαγηνεύσας, φιλάνθρωπε, δόξα σοι.   Ἀπολυτίκιον – Ἦχος δ' Κανόνα πίστεως καὶ εἰκόνα πραότητος, ἐγκρατείας Διδάσκαλον, ἀνέδειξέ σε τῇ ποίμνῃ σου, ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀλήθεια· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκτήσω τῇ ταπεινώσει τὰ ὑψηλά, τῇ πτωχείᾳ τὰ πλούσια, Πάτερ Ἱεράρχα Νικόλαε· πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.   Κοντάκιον – Ἦχος δ' Ἐν τοῖς ῥείθροις σήμερον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, γεγονὼς ὁ Κύριος, τῷ Ἰωάννῃ ἐκβοᾷ· Μὴ δειλιάσῃς βαπτίσαι με· σῶσαι γὰρ ἥκω, Ἀδὰμ τὸν πρωτοπλαστον.   Λειτουργία Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου. Τρισάγιον. Εἰς τό ᾽Εξαιρέτως:  ῎Αξιόν ἐστιν.... Κοινωνικόν: Αἰνεῖτε.... Εἴδομεν τό φῶς... Εἴη τό ὄνομα Κυρίου...  καὶ ψάλλονται τά Ἰδιόμελα· «Φωνή Κυρίου...» καί τελεῖται ὁ Μέγας Ἁγιασμός. Ἀπόλυσις· Ὁ ἐν Ἰορδάνῃ ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου βαπτισθῆναι καταδεξάμενος διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν καὶ ἀναστάς ἐκ νεκρῶν... Κατάλυσις οἴνου καὶ ἐλαίου.	Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 16:  ANTIPHON I – Tone 2 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me bless His holy name.  [Psalm 102:1] 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.  [Psalm 102:2] 3 The Lord has prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom rules over all.   [Psalm 102:19]     Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us. Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 18:  ANTIPHON II – Same tone 1 Praise the Lord, O my soul, I shall praise the Lord all my life, I shall sing to my Lord as long as I exist.  [Psalm 145:1-2] 2 Happy is he whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is upon the Lord his God.  [Psalm 145:5] 3 The Lord will reign unto the age, your God, O Zion, unto generation and generation.  [Psalm 145:10]     Save us, O Son of God, Who is risen from the dead; who sing to You.  Alleluia. Glory… Both now… O, only begotten Son…   Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 24:  ANTIPHON III – Tone 3 1 This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad therein.  [Psalm 117:24] 2 Let the heavens and the earth praise Him, the sea and every creature crawling in it.  [Psalm 68:35] APOLYTIKION resurrectional of the Tone of the day, Tone 3 Let all things above in heav’n rejoice, and let all things below on earth be glad.  With all the might and strength of His arm, and eternal deed the Lord did perform, beneath His feet He has trampled down death by death, and first born of the dead has He become.  From the womb of Hades has He delivered us and to all the world has granted His great redeeming mercy.               (DLH, p. 83) EISODIKON –Tone 2 Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, Who are risen from the dead; who sing to You. Alleluia. APOLYTIKION resurrectional of the Tone of the day, Tone 3 Let all things above in heav’n rejoice, and let all things below on earth be glad.  With all the might and strength of His arm, and eternal deed the Lord did perform, beneath His feet He has trampled down death by death, and first born of the dead has He become.  From the womb of Hades has He delivered us and to all the world has granted His great redeeming mercy.               (DLH, p. 83) APOLYTIKION of Pre-feast of Theophany – Tone 4 Jordan River once turned back when Elisha struck its stream with his mantle in the wake of Elias's ascent; and the water was parted to the one side and to the other.  And thus the fluid stream became a dry way for him, a symbol and truly a type of Baptism, by which we now pass over the streaming passage of the present life. And Christ appeared at the Jordan River to sanctify the waters.       (FSD) APOLYTIKION of our Church (Holy Trinity) – Tone 8 O Blessed are you, O Christ our God, who by sending down the Holy Spirit upon them, made the fishermen wise and through them illumined the world.  And unto you, the universe was ever drawn, all glory to you, O God. (DLH, p. 115)                                                                                                         APOLYTIKION of our Church (St. Nicholas) – Tone 4(DLH, p. 110) As a yardstick of faith and an icon of gentleness; as a teacher of temperance, your actual deeds have declared you as being among your flock.  In this manner you gained by humility, things most sublime, and through poverty earned true wealth.  Father and our hierarch St. Nicholas intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.                                                                                                      KONTAKION of Pre-feast of Theophany – Tone 4 To the flowing streams today of River Jordan comes the Lord and cries aloud to John the Baptist, and He says, "Be not afraid to baptize me now; for I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."                                             (FSD) Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 26:  TRISAGION. DLH, p. 54: AT THE Especially…,  It is truly meet… DLH, p. 66: KOINONIKON:  Praise the Lord… DLH, p. 70: After Communion, We have seen the true light… DLH, p. 74: Blessed be the Name of the Lord… and the Idiomela are chanted: “The voice of the Lord…” and the Great Blessing of the Waters is celebrated.                 THE DISMISSAL: May He Who deigned to be baptized by John in the Jordan for our salvation and Who is risen from the dead …. Oil and wine are permitted.
The Great Blessing of Water is perhaps the most memorable part of the Theophany services. Water, as a symbol of purification and cleansing, was at one time blessed as often as often as once a month; this Small Blessing of Water is still held at any time of the year there is a need. But the Great Blessing of Water, connected explicitly with the blessing of the Jordan River, which occurred at the baptism of the Lord, is done each year on Theophany, January 6. According to the Typikon, this blessing is actually done twice: (a) Once on the eve of the feast, when water is blessed in a container in the church, for use in church and in the homes of the faithful; (b) Again on the morning of	the feast itself, when a nearby source of "living water" (a lake, river, stream, or spring) is blessed. In practice, most parishes hold the Great Blessing of Water in church after the Divine Liturgy, both on the eve and on the day of the feast, after the Ambon Prayer. Three times, the priest makes the sign of the cross in the water with a three-branched candle (signifying the Holy Trinity), saying: “Great are you, O Lord, and wonderful are your works; no word suffices to give praise to your wonders.” Breathing upon the water three times in the form of a cross, he says: “O Loving King, come now and through the descent of the Holy Spirit sanctify this water.” http://www.metropolitancantorinstitute.org/liturgy/Theophany_7.html
This insert is a gift from our Byzantine School.  We invite you to join us on the last Wednesday of each month at 6 pm, as we explore the selection of liturgy “specials” for each week, and other issues related to the liturgical services of our Church.  Next mtg – 01/29/14.  Please consult the Sunday Bulletin for our regular announcements, or contact Tasos Ioannides, ioanniam@uc.edu or (513) 556-3137.  Translation Sources: DLH= Divine Liturgy Hymnal; FSD=Fr Seraphim Dedes; KL=Kevin Lawrence; FEH=Fr Edward Hughes; FEL=Fr Ephraim Lash.