August 9, 2015 Specials

Divine Liturgy Specials on Sunday, August 9, 2015

Tone 1 / Eothinon 10, 10^th Sunday of Matthew (Epileptic Son)

 Post Transfiguration; Apostle Matthias (†c.63); Constantinos, Abp Cple (†677)

Ἀντίφωνον α´ – Ἦχος β´ 1 Μέγας Κύριος, καὶ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα, ἐν πόλει τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν. 2 ῾Ετοιμάζων ὄρη ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ.  Ὁ ἀναβαλλόμενος φῶς ὡς ἱμάτιον. 3 Τὰ ὄρη ἀγαλλιάσονται ἀπὸ προσώπου Κυρίου.     Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ, σῶσον ἡμᾶς. Ἀντίφωνον β´ – Ἦχος ὁ αὐτός 1 Οἱ θεμέλιοι αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι τοῖς ἁγίοις. 2 ᾽Αγαπᾷ Κύριος τὰς πύλας Σιών, ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ σκηνώματα ᾽Ιακώβ.  Δεδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ Θεοῦ. 3 Μήτηρ Σιών, ἐρεῖ ἄνθρωπος· καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἐγεννήθη ἐν αὐτῇ.     Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, , ὁ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Θαβὼρ μεταμορφωθείς, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα. Δόξα... Καὶ νῦν... Ὁ Μονογενὴς Υἱός... Ἀντίφωνον γ´ – Ἦχος βαρύς 1 Τὰ ἐλέη σου, Κύριε, εἰς τόν αἰῶνα ᾄσομαι. 2 ᾽Εξομολογήσονται οἱ οὐρανοί τὰ θαυμάσιά σου, Κύριε. Μακάριος ὁ λαός ὁ γινώσκων ἀλαλαγμόν. 3 Κύριε, ἐν τῷ φωτὶ τοῦ προσώπου σου πορεύσονται, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἀγαλλιάσονται ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος βαρὺς Μετεμορφώθης ἐν τῷ ὄρει Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, δείξας τοῖς Μαθηταῖς σου τὴν δόξαν σου, καθὼς ἠδύναντο. Λάμψον καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς, τὸ φῶς σου τὸ ἀΐδιον, πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, φωτοδότα δόξα σοι. Εἰσοδικόν – Ἦχος β´ Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν Χριστῷ. Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος α' Τοῦ λίθου σφραγισθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ στρατιωτῶν φυλασσόντων τὸ ἄχραντόν σου Σῶμα, ἀνέστης τριήμερος Σωτήρ, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ζωήν, διὰ τοῦτο αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐβόων σοι ζωοδότα. Δόξα τῇ Ἀναστάσει σου Χριστέ, δόξα τῇ βασιλεία σου, δόξα τῇ οἰκονομία σου, μόνε φιλάνθρωπε. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος βαρὺς Μετεμορφώθης ἐν τῷ ὄρει Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, δείξας τοῖς Μαθηταῖς σου τὴν δόξαν σου, καθὼς ἠδύναντο. Λάμψον καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς, τὸ φῶς σου τὸ ἀΐδιον, πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, φωτοδότα δόξα σοι. 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 βαρὺς  Αὐτόμελον Ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους μετεμορφώθης, καὶ ὡς ἐχώρουν οἱ Μαθηταί σου τὴν δόξαν σου, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἐθεάσαντο, ἵνα ὅταν σε ἴδωσι σταυρούμενον, τὸ μὲν πάθος νοήσωσιν ἑκούσιον, τῷ δὲ κόσμῳ κηρύξωσιν, ὅτι σὺ ὑπάρχεις ἀληθῶς, τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ ἀπαύγασμα. Τρισάγιον. Εἰς τό ᾽Εξαιρέτως:  ῎Αξιόν ἐστιν.... Κοινωνικόν: Αἰνεῖτε.... Εἴδομεν τό φῶς... Εἴη τό ὄνομα Κυρίου… Ἀπόλυσις· Ὁ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Θαβώρ μεταμορφωθείς ἐν δόξῃ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν καί Ἀποστόλων, καί ἀναστάς ἐκ νεκρῶν, Χριστός....	DLH, p. 16:  ANTIPHON I of the Transfiguration – Tone 2 1 The Lord is great, and exceedingly to be praised, in the city of our God.  [Psalm 47:2] 2 He fashions the mountains in his own power.  He is clothed in light as in a garment.  [Psalm 64:7; 103:2] 3 The mountains shall exult beholding the countenance of the Lord.   [Psalm 97:8]     Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us. DLH, p. 18:  ANTIPHON II of the Transfiguration – Same tone 1 His foundations are to be found in the sacred mountains.  [Psalm 86:1] 2 The Lord loves the gates of Sion above all of Jacob’s tabernacles.  Glorious things have been declared about you, O City of God.  [Psalm 86:2-3] 3 Everyone shall call Sion ‘Mother,’ for she has given birth to all mankind.  [Psalm 86:5]     Save us, O Son of God, Who on Mount Tabor was transfigured; who sing to You.  Alleluia. Glory… Both now… O, only begotten Son… DL, p. 24:  ANTIPHON III of the Transfiguration – Tone 7 1 Your mercies, O Lord, I shall praise unto the age.  [Ps 88:2] 2 The heavens shall sing hymns to your wonders, O Lord.  Blessed is the nation that has known shouts of joyous doxologies.  [Psalm 88:6; 16] 3  Lord, in the light of your countenance they shall go forth, and in your name they shall exult all the day.  [Psalm 88:16-17] APOLYTIKION of the Transfiguration – Tone 7 You were transfigured on Mount Tabor O Christ our God, revealing to your disciples your glory divine as much they could bear. Shine upon us, sinners though we be, your unchanging radiance, at the intercessions of the Theotokos. Light giver glory be to you. 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 tone of the day – Tone 1 (DLH, p. 80) The stone that had been sealed before your tomb by the Jews, and the soldiers guarding did watch o’er Your pure and sacred body, O Savior the third day You arose and unto the world did You give life.  Whereby all the heavenly powers did proclaim that You are the giver of life.  Glory unto our resurrected Christ.  Glory unto Your Kingdom.  Glory to Your dispensation O You alone who loves all.                                                                           APOLYTIKION of the Transfiguration – Tone 7 You were transfigured on Mount Tabor O Christ our God, revealing to your disciples your glory divine as much they could bear. Shine upon us, sinners though we be, your unchanging radiance, at the intercessions of the Theotokos. Light giver glory be to you. 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 the Transfiguration – Tone 7 Upon Mount Tabor you were transfigured, and the disciples beheld your glory Christ our God as any mortal can bear.  So that when they saw you being crucified, they would recognize your suffering as voluntary, and they would preach to the entire world that you truly were manifest to us as the Father’s divine radiance. 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… Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 78:  THE DISMISSAL: May He Who was transfigured in glory upon Mount Tabor in the presence of his holy disciples and Apostles, and is risen from the dead, Christ...
In today’s gospel reading, which interestingly occurs right after the event of the Transfiguration, Jesus speaks of a mountain in much different terms. He implies that a mountain can be an obstacle of sorts. Some of the patristic commentators on this passage picked-up this point. Origen (†254) says that “mountains are the hostile powers that have their being in a flood of great wickedness that have settled in some souls of various people.” Hilarion (†371) intimates that the mountains are the “burden of sins and the heavy mass of their unbelief.” So, while we often think of a mountain as an external barrier or obstacle, we should also understand that often it can be internal to us such as a personality trait, a habit of character or a passion (“an inclination towards sinful thoughts, words and behaviors"). St. Augustine (†430) furthers the point when he comments:	“If one can pray so that one may cast out another demon, how much more should one pray that one’s own demons be cast out.” If we have done some serious reflection on the spiritual life, our experience will tell us that it’s virtually impossible to change other people and it’s even very difficult to change ourselves. Nonetheless, any change in the world around us must always begin with a change in ourselves first. A patristic quotation from St. John Cassian (†435) builds on this point: “If you want to correct your brother when he is doing wrong, you must keep yourself calm; otherwise you yourself may catch the sickness you are seeking to cure and you may find that the words of the Gospel now apply to you.” Once our own life is in order, then we can help others change, through prayer and fasting.                      Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Greek OAA (2009)
This insert is a gift from our Byzantine School.  We invite you to join us on the last Thursday 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 – 08/27/15. 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.