First Eothinon, Two Sermons

The First Eothinon

Two Sermons

SERVICE   By St. John Chrysostom (c. 349 – 407): Homily 90 on the Gospel of Matthew http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200190.htm This seems to me to be Jesus’ last appearance in Galilee, when He sent forth the Apostles to baptize. And if "some doubted," herein again admire their truthfulness, how they conceal not even their shortcomings up to the last day. Nevertheless, even these are assured by their sight. Again He speaks to them more after the manner of man, for they had not yet received the spirit, which was able to raise them on high, giving them one charge with a view to doctrine, the other concerning commandments. And of the Jews He makes no mention, neither brings forward what had been done, nor upbraids Peter with his denial, nor any one of the others with their flight, but having put into their hands a summary of the doctrine, expressed in the form of baptism, commands them to pour forth over the whole world. After that, because he had enjoined on them great things, to raise their courage, He says, "Lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" [Mt 28:20]. And not with those men only did He promise to be, but also with all that believe after them. He speaks to the believers as to one body. This He said to the prophets also in the Old Testament continually, as well to Jeremiah objecting his youth, as to Moses and Ezekiel shrinking from the office. And He reminds them also of the consummation, that He may draw them on more, and that they may look not at the present dangers only, but also at the good things to come that are without end. Thus having invigorated and roused their minds, by the remembrance of that day, He sent them forth. What instruments had these apostles, who effected such things? Did they not go about with one vestment and unshod? And they got the better of all. For what is difficult of the injunctions? Have no enemy. Hate no man. Speak ill of no man. Nay, the opposites of these things are the greater hardships. But He said, you reply, Throw away your money. Is this then the grievous thing? In the first place, He did not command, but advised it. Yet even if it were a command, what is it grievous not to carry about burdens and unseasonable cares? But oh covetousness! All things have become money; for this cause all things are turned upside down. If anyone declares another happy, he mentions this; should he pronounce him wretched, hence is derived the description of wretchedness. And all reckonings are made on this account, how such an one gets rich, how such an one gets poor. Should it be military service, should it be marriage, should it be a trade, should it be what you will that any man takes in hand, he does not apply to what is proposed, until he see these riches are coming in rapidly upon him. After this shall we not meet together and consult how we shall drive away this pest? Shall we not regard with shame the good deeds of our fathers? Of the three thousand, of the five thousand, who had all things common? What is the profit of this present life, when we do not use it for our future gain? How long do ye not enslave the mammon that has enslaved you? How long are you slaves of money? How long have ye no love for liberty, and do not rend in pieces the bargains of covetousness? But while, if you should have become slaves of men, you do all things, if any one should promise you liberty; yet being captives of covetousness, you do not so much as consider how ye may be delivered from this bitter bondage. And yet the one were nothing terrible, the other is the most bitter tyranny. Consider how great a price Christ paid for us. He shed His own blood; He gave up Himself. But you, even after all this, are grown supine; and the most grievous thing of all is, that you even take delight in the slavery, you luxuriate in the dishonor, and that, from which you ought to flee, has become an object of desire to you. But since it is right not only to lament and to blame, but also to correct, let us see from what cause this passion and this evil have become an object of desire to you. Whence then, whence has this come to be an object of desire? Because, you say, it makes me to be in honor and in security. In what kind of security, I pray you? In the confidence, not to suffer hunger, nor cold, not to be harmed, not to be despised. Will you then, if we promise you this security, refrain from being rich? For if it is for this that riches are an object of desire, if it be in your power to have security without these, what need have you of these any more? "And how is it possible," you say, "for one who is not rich to attain to this?" Nay, how is it possible (for I say the opposite thing) if one is rich? For it is necessary to flatter many, both rulers and subjects, and to entreat countless numbers, and to be a base slave, and to be in fear and trembling, and to regard with suspicion the eyes of the envious, and to fear the tongues of false accusers, and the desires of other covetous men. But poverty is not like this, but altogether the contrary. It is a place of refuge and security, a calm harbor, a wrestling ground, and school of exercise to learn self-command, an imitation of the life of angels. Hear these things, as many as are poor; or rather also, as many as desire to be rich. It is not poverty that is the thing to be feared, but the not being willing to be poor. Account poverty to be nothing to fear, and it will not be to you a matter for fear. For neither is this fear in the nature of the thing, but in the judgment of feeble-minded men. Or

EVANGELIZATION   By Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews (2010) http://stgeorgegoc.org/pastors-corner/fr-ricks-sermons/1st-eothinon-the-great-commission Besides the Eothinon that occurs once every eleven weeks, this passage is read liturgically only at the Mystery (=Sacrament) of Holy Baptism. The reason for this is obvious. This reading contains the Great Commission, in which Christ commands the eleven (interesting connection; meaningful or coincidental?) disciples to evangelize all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Trinity. In addition, several other important messages and themes are presented us. Allow me to highlight some of them.  The first is ‘when they saw Him, the worshipped Him’ [v.17]. When we see the risen Christ in an icon or in the Holy Eucharist, do we worship Him? Worship in this verse is translated from the Greek ‘proskyno’ which means ‘to bow down or kneel before.’ One of my greatest concerns is the way we approach the Eucharist. Have we humbled and prepared ourselves properly or do we casually, carelessly receive the precious Body and Blood of our Savior? The opposite extreme is problematic as well. Some of us rarely approach and receive Holy Communion, denying ourselves the most important food for eternal life. In the February 2010 Glad Tidings, the monthly newsletter of our parish, my article touches on several themes. One is the importance of helping the least of our brethren. In the Last Judgment passage, which we will read next Sunday (Meatfare or Apokreos), Jesus identifies with the lowly of society. Thus, when we see or meet someone who is hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick or in prison, do we worship them? I mean this in the sense of humbling ourselves before them to help them. The second important message is ‘make disciples of all nations’ [v.19]. Missionary Nathan Hoppe pointed this out to us a couple weeks ago (1/17/10) in his presentation before the liturgy. We must be outward focused, not parochial, not sectarian, in sharing our Orthodox Christian Faith. Unfortunately, our history as victims of persecution and subjugation has conditioned us to avoid and forget our evangelical heritage. We must actively engage missionary efforts simultaneously on a personal, local, national and international level. Our upcoming Friday Lenten Lectures will be focusing on this theme. If we hold on to and conceal our faith, either for me personally or for our parish, then we are doomed to fade away. The only way to grow in Faith in Christ is to share it. The third important message is ‘teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you’ [v.20]. We teach our youth in Sunday School. We recently started this adult education class on Sundays. We’ve had for years our catechism and bible study classes, not to mention the Lenten lectures, retreats and seminars. As I also said in the newsletter, to be good teachers, we must be good students. We cannot be good students if we’re not studying or going to class. One of my other great concerns is the teaching of our Faith in the home. I wonder if families are having regular, daily prayer and conversation, trying to learn and teach Orthodoxy. Or do we expect this to happen automatically because of our participation in the sacraments? Do we expect the Sunday School teacher and the priest to do all the teaching to our young people? The Faith in Christ is primarily taught in the home. It is reinforced and guided in the Church but the real nuts and bolts of learning occur as kids watch and listen to their parents and the other close adult relatives and friends they know. Finally, the challenge of worshipping Christ, ministering to need people, sharing and teaching the Faith may seem great, perhaps too great for some. However, Christ’s promise that closes today’s morning gospel gives us great hope. He says to the eleven disciples, He says to us, ‘I am with you always’ [v.20]. Christ is with us always. We can do anything and everything with Him. We can do nothing without Him. He is with us always. We must ask ourselves, ‘Are we with Him.’ Amen! rather, I am even ashamed that I have occasion to say so much concerning poverty, to show that it is nothing to be feared. For if you practise self-restraint, it is even a fountain to you of countless blessings. And if any one were to offer you sovereignty, and political power, and wealth, and luxury, and then having set against them poverty, were to give you your choice to take which thou wouldest, you would straightway seize upon poverty, if indeed you knew the beauty thereof. And I know that many laugh, when these things are said; but we are not troubled. Bring not forward, I pray you, them that accuse poverty, but them that have shone thereby. Nurtured in this, Elias was caught up in that blessed assumption. With this Eliseus shone; with this John; with this all the apostles; but with the other, Ahab, Jezebel, Gehazi, Judas, Nero, Caiaphas, were condemned. This I entreat: to spend at least a part on the needy, and to seek for yourself nothing more than is necessary. For thus shall we both live our life here without trouble, and in security, and enjoy eternal life; unto which God grant we all may attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and always, and world without end. Amen.

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 – 11/17/16! Please consult the Sunday Bulletin for our regular announcements, or contact Tasos, ioanniam@yahoo.com or (937)232-9665.

Dear Eugenia and Polychronius,

To add further to the discussion on St. Kassiana, I am contributing the
following translation and personal thoughts.

Here is an excerpt translated from *A Historical Survey of the Hymnographers
& Hymnography of the Greek Church*, by the renowned hagiologist and church
historian Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky) of Chernigov (St. Petersburg:
Tuzov Press, 1902), pp. 272-275:

Kassia, Kassiana, Eikasia. In manner of life a pious nun; by education, a
learned woman; by birth, a noble virgin. She lived at the beginning of the
9th century, during the reign of Emperor Theophilus and his successor.
Kodinus, describing the antiquities of Constantinople, mentions the
monastery of Eikasia, which was founded by this virgin nun. ³The Monastery
of Eikasia,² he writes, ³was built by the virgin Eikasia, a pious nun,
beautiful of face and of mind.² Zonaras describes the circumstances which
led to Cassia¹s forsaking the world and building the monastery.
³Theophilus,² he writes, ³intending to choose a consort for himself,
summoned eleven beautiful virgins, among whom was the virgin Kassia, who
surpassed the others in beauty, and was as learned as she was nobly born.
Theophilus examined them, holding in his hand a golden apple which he would
give to the one who pleased him most. When he came to Eikasia he said,
marveling at her beauty: ŒAll that is evil hath come from a woman.¹
Eikasia, meekly, her cheeks blushing red with chastity, replied: ŒBut from a
woman all that is more sublime hath come.¹ Defeated by the words of the
virgin, Theophilus walked away and gave the golden apple to Theodora, a
native of Paphlagonia. Not having gained a royal marriage, Eikasia
established the monastery which bears her name, in which she lived for
herself and for the Lord. Excelling in her education, she wrote letters in
which there is no trace of pedantry or pleasantry. Thus did she reach the
end of her life, having betrothed herself to the heavenly King instead of an
earthly king, and having inherited the heavenly kingdom instead of an
earthly kingdom.² Leo Grammaticus records the same incident in his history
of Theophilus.
Kodinus says that during the reigns of Theophilus and his son, Michael,
Kassia composed many canons, stichera and other works, which are quite
marvelous. The same is said by the early 11th century anonymous author who
describes events of the past.
In the services of the Church we no longer see canons ascribed to Kassia,
except for one canon only, that of Great Saturday, which, however, was
reworked by Mark, Bishop of Otranto. This is what Theodore Prodromos writes
of the latter circumstance in his explanation of the canon of Great
Saturday: ³Through Ode V, this canon is the work of Mark, Bishop of Otranto;
but Odes VI through IX are by the great hymnographer Cosmas [of Maiuma];
furthermore, as we know from unwritten tradition, long before [Mark of
Otranto] a certain wise and chaste virgin, Kassia, was the composer of these
hymns, i.e. Odes I through V, i.e. she completed the canon. Later men who
edited the canons, considering it improper to attach to the hymns of a woman
odes of that ascetic Cosmas, commissioned Mark to compose troparia, while
retaining the former irmoi. This tradition is quite plausible. For Mark
did not incorporate the initial letters of the irmoi in his acrostic,
although to do so would have been to his advantage. For the initial letter
Œkappa¹ of the irmos Œkymati thalasses¹ [ŒVolnoyu morskoyu¹] and the letter
Œsigma¹ of the next irmos, ŒSe ton epi ydatOn¹ [ŒTebe na vodakh¹] are taken
from the acrostic; but he, setting the irmoi aside as the work of another
and not of himself, wrote the troparia from Œkappa¹ ŒKyrie Thee mou¹
[ŒGospodi Bozhe moi¹], and from Œsigma¹ ŒSymbola tes taphes sou¹ [ŒThe
tokens of Thy burial¹].² It is hence evident that the canon (i.e, through
Ode V) and the irmoi are not the work of Mark. Moreover, one can see this
from the fact that the words ³but we like the maidens² are included in the
irmos of Ode I. That the subject of this verse is a maiden clearly
indicates that the ode belongs not to a man, but to a woman. Since there
were two choirs during the exodus of the Israelites who originally sang this
ode--one consisting of men, the other of women--she, leaving aside the choir
of men, since she is a woman, said, ³we sing like the maidens². Yea, and
the very acrostic of the canon is dual, and, so to say, like twin-peaked
Parnassus. For the canon of Great Saturday was once a tetradion [a four-ode
hymnic composition]: its acrostic was comprised of only part of an iamb,
i.e., ³prosabbaton the, sabbaton melpO mega²--²The pre-Saturday. I hymn the
Great Saturday.² Half of its iamb applies to Great Friday, i.e. the
pre-Saturday, and the rest applies to Saturday, i.e. I hymn the Great
Saturday. But when the canon was continued and a full canon was made out of
the tetradion, the acrostic was also extended, and instead of the incomplete
iamb a complete one was made, i.e. ³kai simeron de sabbaton melpO mega². In
the Slavonic Triodion, one reads in the superscription of the canon: ³The
canon of Great Saturday, from Ode I to Ode VI, is the work of Mark, Bishop
of Hydrous. The irmoi are the work of a certain woman named Cassia. The
Odes from VI to the end are the work of kyr Cosmas.² Thus, in our present
canon of the work of Cassia only the irmoi remain.
As regards other canons, following Prodromos we must admit that it is
probable that certain portions of them, as is the case with the canon of
Great Saturday, are retained in our present canons, undetected by later
readers.
Among the stichera of Cassia, we find the following in the divine services:
1) for the Nativity of Christ, ³When Augustus reigned alone upon the
earth...²; 2) on Great and Holy Wednesday, ³O Lord, the woman who had fallen
into many sins...²; 3) feast of the martyrs Gurius, Salmonas & Habib,
November 15th (not attributed in the Slavonic Menaion, but attributed in the
Greek) ³Edessa rejoiceth...²; feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner, June
24th (³Today is fulfilled the saying of Isaiah...²; and for the feast of the
martyrs Eustratius & companions, December 13th (Let us hymn and piously
praise the God-bearing martyrs...²).
Having said that Kassia composed many stichera, Kodinus adds: ³such are
those of the harlot and the ointment, for all of these belong to her.² The
words of Kodinus indicate that he knew of many stichera written by Kassia
for the penitent woman, and not merely the one which has come down to us.
As regards the worth of the stichera reliably attributed to Kassia, one
must admit that the first two [above] truly deserve our admiration: as much
as the former is solemn and triumphal, so much is the latter full of a
profound sense of contrition. In the latter, Kassia has quite faithfully
expressed the feelings which filled the soul of the penitent sinful woman
who washed the Savior¹s feet with tears; to express such feelings of one who
greatly loved the Lord, Who was rejected by others, Kassia had to sense in
her own soul the fullness of bitter contrition over the corruption of our
soul, she herself had to be filled with that trusting love for the Savior of
sinners, for which men condemned both the sinful woman and the Savior of
sinners. ³Accept my fountains of tears. O Thou Who pourest forth the
waters from the clouds of the sea, bend Thine ear to the sighs of my heart;
O Thou who bowed down the heavens in Thine ineffable abasement, permit me to
kiss and wipe with the hairs of my head Thine all-pure feet, the noise
whereof Eve heard at noonday, and hid herself in fear. My sins are
many...but who can fathom the depths of Thy judgments? O Savior of souls,
my Savior, Who hast infinite mercy, reject me not, thy handmaid.² One must
say that there are not many who are capable of such profound contrition.

The entry on Kassia in *The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium* also includes
the information that Kassiane is identical to Kassia and Eikasia: ³KASSIA,
also Kassiane, Eikasia, and other forms of the name, poet....² The entry
cites an article by E. Catafygiotu Topping, which appeared in the "Greek
Orthodox Theological Review", Vol. 26 (1981), pp. 201-209, which someone may
have easy access to, and may contain more information of interest to our
group.

The only Greek-language Church calendar of the saints I have in my library,
the *Agioreitikos Epitrapezios Imerodeiktis, Etous 1977*, by the Monk
Dorotheos of the Skete of Xenophontos (published for Mount Athos in
Thessalonica), confirms the date of commemoration for St. Kassiane as 7
September (O.S.): ³Kassianes tes poietrias,...osia.² (The commemoration of
Kassiana the poetess,...monastic saint.)

Some years ago, I was able to consult St. Justin (Popovich¹s) Lives of the
Saints (in Serbian) concerning this saint. When I am able, I will do so
again. If memory serves, he also confirms the sanctity of St. Kassiana and
the date of her commemoration.

As to the variable forms of the name, it is my opinion the Kassia (a name
quite possibly derived from a plant mentioned in the Old Testament--Ex. 30:
24; Ps. 44: 8; Eze. 27: 19) was the saint¹s lay name, under which she earned
her reputation for erudition and as a poetess. Since it is a common
practice in convents to give nuns male names with female endings (e.g., the
abbess of our Mount of Olives Convent is named Moisea), it may well have
been that at her tonsure Cassia was given a female form of Cassian (i.e.,
Cassiana), after St. John Cassian.

I hope to contribute more on this topic as time and access to sources
permit.

Sincerely,

Isaac Lambertsen. Dear Eugenia and Polychronius,

To add further to the discussion on St. Kassiana, I am contributing the
following translation and personal thoughts.

Here is an excerpt translated from *A Historical Survey of the Hymnographers
& Hymnography of the Greek Church*, by the renowned hagiologist and church
historian Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky) of Chernigov (St. Petersburg:
Tuzov Press, 1902), pp. 272-275:

Kassia, Kassiana, Eikasia. In manner of life a pious nun; by education, a
learned woman; by birth, a noble virgin. She lived at the beginning of the
9th century, during the reign of Emperor Theophilus and his successor.
Kodinus, describing the antiquities of Constantinople, mentions the
monastery of Eikasia, which was founded by this virgin nun. ³The Monastery
of Eikasia,² he writes, ³was built by the virgin Eikasia, a pious nun,
beautiful of face and of mind.² Zonaras describes the circumstances which
led to Cassia¹s forsaking the world and building the monastery.
³Theophilus,² he writes, ³intending to choose a consort for himself,
summoned eleven beautiful virgins, among whom was the virgin Kassia, who
surpassed the others in beauty, and was as learned as she was nobly born.
Theophilus examined them, holding in his hand a golden apple which he would
give to the one who pleased him most. When he came to Eikasia he said,
marveling at her beauty: ŒAll that is evil hath come from a woman.¹
Eikasia, meekly, her cheeks blushing red with chastity, replied: ŒBut from a
woman all that is more sublime hath come.¹ Defeated by the words of the
virgin, Theophilus walked away and gave the golden apple to Theodora, a
native of Paphlagonia. Not having gained a royal marriage, Eikasia
established the monastery which bears her name, in which she lived for
herself and for the Lord. Excelling in her education, she wrote letters in
which there is no trace of pedantry or pleasantry. Thus did she reach the
end of her life, having betrothed herself to the heavenly King instead of an
earthly king, and having inherited the heavenly kingdom instead of an
earthly kingdom.² Leo Grammaticus records the same incident in his history
of Theophilus.
Kodinus says that during the reigns of Theophilus and his son, Michael,
Kassia composed many canons, stichera and other works, which are quite
marvelous. The same is said by the early 11th century anonymous author who
describes events of the past.
In the services of the Church we no longer see canons ascribed to Kassia,
except for one canon only, that of Great Saturday, which, however, was
reworked by Mark, Bishop of Otranto. This is what Theodore Prodromos writes
of the latter circumstance in his explanation of the canon of Great
Saturday: ³Through Ode V, this canon is the work of Mark, Bishop of Otranto;
but Odes VI through IX are by the great hymnographer Cosmas [of Maiuma];
furthermore, as we know from unwritten tradition, long before [Mark of
Otranto] a certain wise and chaste virgin, Kassia, was the composer of these
hymns, i.e. Odes I through V, i.e. she completed the canon. Later men who
edited the canons, considering it improper to attach to the hymns of a woman
odes of that ascetic Cosmas, commissioned Mark to compose troparia, while
retaining the former irmoi. This tradition is quite plausible. For Mark
did not incorporate the initial letters of the irmoi in his acrostic,
although to do so would have been to his advantage. For the initial letter
Œkappa¹ of the irmos Œkymati thalasses¹ [ŒVolnoyu morskoyu¹] and the letter
Œsigma¹ of the next irmos, ŒSe ton epi ydatOn¹ [ŒTebe na vodakh¹] are taken
from the acrostic; but he, setting the irmoi aside as the work of another
and not of himself, wrote the troparia from Œkappa¹ ŒKyrie Thee mou¹
[ŒGospodi Bozhe moi¹], and from Œsigma¹ ŒSymbola tes taphes sou¹ [ŒThe
tokens of Thy burial¹].² It is hence evident that the canon (i.e, through
Ode V) and the irmoi are not the work of Mark. Moreover, one can see this
from the fact that the words ³but we like the maidens² are included in the
irmos of Ode I. That the subject of this verse is a maiden clearly
indicates that the ode belongs not to a man, but to a woman. Since there
were two choirs during the exodus of the Israelites who originally sang this
ode--one consisting of men, the other of women--she, leaving aside the choir
of men, since she is a woman, said, ³we sing like the maidens². Yea, and
the very acrostic of the canon is dual, and, so to say, like twin-peaked
Parnassus. For the canon of Great Saturday was once a tetradion [a four-ode
hymnic composition]: its acrostic was comprised of only part of an iamb,
i.e., ³prosabbaton the, sabbaton melpO mega²--²The pre-Saturday. I hymn the
Great Saturday.² Half of its iamb applies to Great Friday, i.e. the
pre-Saturday, and the rest applies to Saturday, i.e. I hymn the Great
Saturday. But when the canon was continued and a full canon was made out of
the tetradion, the acrostic was also extended, and instead of the incomplete
iamb a complete one was made, i.e. ³kai simeron de sabbaton melpO mega². In
the Slavonic Triodion, one reads in the superscription of the canon: ³The
canon of Great Saturday, from Ode I to Ode VI, is the work of Mark, Bishop
of Hydrous. The irmoi are the work of a certain woman named Cassia. The
Odes from VI to the end are the work of kyr Cosmas.² Thus, in our present
canon of the work of Cassia only the irmoi remain.
As regards other canons, following Prodromos we must admit that it is
probable that certain portions of them, as is the case with the canon of
Great Saturday, are retained in our present canons, undetected by later
readers.
Among the stichera of Cassia, we find the following in the divine services:
1) for the Nativity of Christ, ³When Augustus reigned alone upon the
earth...²; 2) on Great and Holy Wednesday, ³O Lord, the woman who had fallen
into many sins...²; 3) feast of the martyrs Gurius, Salmonas & Habib,
November 15th (not attributed in the Slavonic Menaion, but attributed in the
Greek) ³Edessa rejoiceth...²; feast of the Nativity of the Forerunner, June
24th (³Today is fulfilled the saying of Isaiah...²; and for the feast of the
martyrs Eustratius & companions, December 13th (Let us hymn and piously
praise the God-bearing martyrs...²).
Having said that Kassia composed many stichera, Kodinus adds: ³such are
those of the harlot and the ointment, for all of these belong to her.² The
words of Kodinus indicate that he knew of many stichera written by Kassia
for the penitent woman, and not merely the one which has come down to us.
As regards the worth of the stichera reliably attributed to Kassia, one
must admit that the first two [above] truly deserve our admiration: as much
as the former is solemn and triumphal, so much is the latter full of a
profound sense of contrition. In the latter, Kassia has quite faithfully
expressed the feelings which filled the soul of the penitent sinful woman
who washed the Savior¹s feet with tears; to express such feelings of one who
greatly loved the Lord, Who was rejected by others, Kassia had to sense in
her own soul the fullness of bitter contrition over the corruption of our
soul, she herself had to be filled with that trusting love for the Savior of
sinners, for which men condemned both the sinful woman and the Savior of
sinners. ³Accept my fountains of tears. O Thou Who pourest forth the
waters from the clouds of the sea, bend Thine ear to the sighs of my heart;
O Thou who bowed down the heavens in Thine ineffable abasement, permit me to
kiss and wipe with the hairs of my head Thine all-pure feet, the noise
whereof Eve heard at noonday, and hid herself in fear. My sins are
many...but who can fathom the depths of Thy judgments? O Savior of souls,
my Savior, Who hast infinite mercy, reject me not, thy handmaid.² One must
say that there are not many who are capable of such profound contrition.

The entry on Kassia in *The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium* also includes
the information that Kassiane is identical to Kassia and Eikasia: ³KASSIA,
also Kassiane, Eikasia, and other forms of the name, poet....² The entry
cites an article by E. Catafygiotu Topping, which appeared in the "Greek
Orthodox Theological Review", Vol. 26 (1981), pp. 201-209, which someone may
have easy access to, and may contain more information of interest to our
group.

The only Greek-language Church calendar of the saints I have in my library,
the *Agioreitikos Epitrapezios Imerodeiktis, Etous 1977*, by the Monk
Dorotheos of the Skete of Xenophontos (published for Mount Athos in
Thessalonica), confirms the date of commemoration for St. Kassiane as 7
September (O.S.): ³Kassianes tes poietrias,...osia.² (The commemoration of
Kassiana the poetess,...monastic saint.)

Some years ago, I was able to consult St. Justin (Popovich¹s) Lives of the
Saints (in Serbian) concerning this saint. When I am able, I will do so
again. If memory serves, he also confirms the sanctity of St. Kassiana and
the date of her commemoration.

As to the variable forms of the name, it is my opinion the Kassia (a name
quite possibly derived from a plant mentioned in the Old Testament--Ex. 30:
24; Ps. 44: 8; Eze. 27: 19) was the saint¹s lay name, under which she earned
her reputation for erudition and as a poetess. Since it is a common
practice in convents to give nuns male names with female endings (e.g., the
abbess of our Mount of Olives Convent is named Moisea), it may well have
been that at her tonsure Cassia was given a female form of Cassian (i.e.,
Cassiana), after St. John Cassian.

I hope to contribute more on this topic as time and access to sources
permit.

Sincerely,

Isaac Lambertsen.

Sequence of Lukan Sundays

THE SEQUENCE OF LUKAN SUNDAYS
By Anastasios (Tasos) M. Ioannides
December 3, 2013
If you ever wondered how the sequence of the Lukan Sundays is derived each year, here are the rules:
SUMMARY OF RULES
Before Xmas (does not depend on Pascha)
1. The 4th Sunday of Luke must fall on 10/11 thru 10/17, inclusive (The Sower).
2. The 5th Sunday of Luke must fall on 10/30 thru 11/5, inclusive (Lazarus and the Rich Man).
3. The last Sunday in November is 13th Sunday of Luke (Foolish Rich Man). [This is only my conjecture; there is no rule for this].
4. If there are three Sundays in December before PreXmas, the first is 14th Sunday of Luke (Blind Man of Jericho) [This happens when 12/22, 23 or 24 are Sundays].
5. The two Sundays before PreXmas are the 10th, 11th Sundays of Luke (Bent-Over on Saturday; Great Banquet).
Note: I have found these rules stated as follows on a number of websites:
Oct 11 and 17 the 4th Gospel of St Luke
Oct 30 and Nov 5 the 5th Gospel of St Luke
Nov 24 and 30 the 13th Gospel of St Luke
Dec 1 and 3 the 14th Gospel of St Luke
Dec 4 and 10 the 10th Gospel of St Luke
Dec 11 and 17 the 11th Gospel of St Luke.
(e.g., http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/133271/Lukan%20Jump)
After Xmas (depends on upcoming Pascha)
Available weeks from PostTheophany to Publican and Pharisee
1: 15th Lk
2: 12th Lk 15th Lk
3: 12th Lk 15th Lk 17th Mt
4: 12th Lk 14th Lk 15th Lk 17th Mt
OR 12th Lk 15th Lk 16th Mt 17th Mt (if Lk 14th has been read before Xmas)
5 or 6: 12th Lk {14th Lk} 15th Lk 15thMt 16th Mt 17th Mt (Emendations because of corrected Julian calendar)
Note: I have found these rules stated as follows on a number of websites:
The Gospel series may have no or up to five Sundays between Theophany and the Triodion as follows:
none Sunday after Theophany on January 7th
one Sunday after Theophany
two Sunday after Theophany, 15th of Luke
three Sunday after Theophany, 12th of Luke, 15th of Luke
four Sunday after Theophany, 12th of Luke, 15th of Luke, 17th of Matthew
five Sunday after Theophany, 12th of Luke, 14th of Luke, 15th of Luke, 17th of Matthew
(e.g., http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/133271/Lukan%20Jump;
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ustav/conversations/topics/2871 : this site adds, “the above is summarized from the helpful chart and explanations in ‘The Epistles, Gospels and Tones of the Byzantine Liturgical Year’, De Vries.” The complete citation is: The Epistles, Gospels and Tones of the
Byzantine Liturgical Year. By Irmgard M. de Vries. Obl. O.S.B., London, 1954. Pp. 37. Reprint from Vol. X, Issue 3 (1953) of Eastern Churches Quarterly.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
These rules explain how the sequence is derived, but not why the choices are made the way they are. The book containing the rules, the Evangelistarion, attributed to Emmanuel Glyzonios (1530-1596: mathematician, medical doctor, and philologist from Chios, living in Venice; see attached in my English translation), does not explain the why. Here’s my best guess (to date).
Before Christmas, the calendar is exclusively a fixed one (September 14 through December 25th), without any dependence on the moveable feast of Pascha. October is treated as the month of sowing; November, as the month of harvesting. In our less agrarian society, October marks the beginning of the spiritual sowing, i.e., the beginning of the new catechetical (Sunday School) year, and in Greece this has been done on the Sunday of the Sower. November, on the other hand, is the month of Thanksgiving, of reflection on our relationship with our possessions, on our stewardship of God-given wealth (most parishes start their stewardship campaigns in this month). December is, of course, the month of Christmas, the beginning of the Great Banquet of the Bridegroom who has come to be with us; our healing by faith, not by the works of the Law (e.g., by heartless adherence to the Sabbath of rest); the opening of our spiritual eyes.
Now, after Christmas, or more precisely following the Post-Theophany Sunday, the Lukan cycle has to take into consideration how many weeks remain before the beginning of the Triodion, i.e., before the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, thereby becoming dependent on the moveable date of Pascha. Under our “revised Julian calendar” there can be 1 to 6 weeks available after Post-Theophany, and these are filled as indicated above. Clearly, there is a hierarchy (surprise!) among the periscopes, as well as collaboration (please note!) of Luke and Matthew. The latter only steps in to fill in any vacant Sundays, but never pre-empts Luke (this is Luke’s season; Matthew’s is after Pentecost. Never mind that Matthew is unceremoniously displaced come 9/14, or more precisely 9/23, due to the so-called Lukan Jump). If need be, Matthew contributes his last few Sundays, starting from the 17th, and working backwards. Among Luke’s periscopes, the one about Zacchaeus (15th Sunday) is accorded first rank, possibly because of its penitential message, and Jesus’ inclusiveness. Second in rank is the one about the 10 Lepers (12th Sunday), possibly because of its message of thankfulness. Among Luke’s pericopes, the one for the 14th Sunday seems more expendable, not because its message of light-for-the-blind is less important, but probably because in many years, it is already read before Christmas. The availability of 5 or 6 Sundays for Luke after Post-Theophany is a feature only of our “revised Julian calendar”, and the extra weeks are filled in a manner consistent with the older practice under the Julian calendar, i.e., by the insertion of the 15th Sunday of Matthew. Under the Julian calendar, it had been possible to have 0 weeks (!) available, in which case the Sunday of Post-Theophany was omitted, and its Gospel was read on January 7 (pre-empting that for the Forerunner, which is similar, anyway). The first two Sundays of Triodion are always the 16th and 17th Sundays of Luke (Publican and Pharisee, Prodigal Son, respectively). If I said relatively little about the why even in this explanation, this does not just reflect my ignorance: Orthodox folks are rarely interested in the mechanics of the faith.
Perhaps the attached spreadsheet will elucidate this information further.

November 27, 2016 Specials

Divine Liturgy Specials Sunday, November 27, 2016 (23^rd Sunday after Pentecost)

Tone 6 / Eothinon 1, 13th Sunday of Luke (Eye of the Needle)

      James of Persia, Great Martyr (†421); Ven. Palladius of Thessalonica (†7^th c.)

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 πλ. β' 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 πλ. β' Ἀγγελικαὶ δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα σου, καὶ οἱ φυλάσσοντες ἀπενεκρώθησαν, καὶ ἵστατο Μαρία ἐν τῷ τάφῳ, ζητοῦσα τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα. Ἐσκύλευσας τὸν Ἅδην, μὴ πειρασθεὶς ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ὑπήντησας τῇ Παρθένῳ, δωρούμενος τὴν ζωήν, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Εἰσοδικόν – Ἦχος β´ Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν Χριστῷ. Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος πλ. β' Ἀγγελικαὶ δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα σου, καὶ οἱ φυλάσσοντες ἀπενεκρώθησαν, καὶ ἵστατο Μαρία ἐν τῷ τάφῳ, ζητοῦσα τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα. Ἐσκύλευσας τὸν Ἅδην, μὴ πειρασθεὶς ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ὑπήντησας τῇ Παρθένῳ, δωρούμενος τὴν ζωήν, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος δ'  Ταχὺ προκατάλαβε Ὁ Μάρτυς σου, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ ἀθλήσει αὐτοῦ, τὸ στεφος ἐκομίσατο τῆς ἀφθαρσίας, ἐκ σοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν· ἔχων γὰρ τὴν ἰσχύν σου, τοὺς τυράννους καθεῖλεν, ἔθραυσε καὶ δαιμόνων, τὰ ἀνίσχυρα θράση. Αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἱκεσίαις, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, σῶσον τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν. 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 γ' Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον, τὸν προαιώνιον Λόγον, ἐν Σπηλαίῳ ἔρχεται, ἀποτεκεῖν ἀπορρήτως. Χόρευε ἡ οἰκουμένη ἀκουτισθεῖσα, δόξασον μετὰ Ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν Ποιμένων, βουληθέντα ἐποφθῆναι, παιδίον νέον, τὸν πρὸ αἰώνων Θεόν. Τρισάγιον. Εἰς τό ᾽Εξαιρέτως:  ῎Αξιόν ἐστιν.... Κοινωνικόν: Αἰνεῖτε.... Εἴδομεν τό φῶς... Εἴη τό ὄνομα Κυρίου… Ἀπόλυσις· Ὁ ἀναστάς ἐκ νεκρῶν....	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 6 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 6 When the angelic powers appeared at Your tomb, the soldiers guarding You became as still as dead.  But standing at Your sepulcher was Mary seeking Your pure immaculate body.  And You did vanquish Hades and uncorrupted by its sting You came up to Your Virgin mother bestowing the gift of life.  To You who rose from the dead, our Lord we give glory to You.               (DLH, p. 86) 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 6 When the angelic powers appeared at Your tomb, the soldiers guarding You became as still as dead.  But standing at Your sepulcher was Mary seeking Your pure immaculate body.  And You did vanquish Hades and uncorrupted by its sting You came up to Your Virgin mother bestowing the gift of life.  To You who rose from the dead, our Lord we give glory to You.               (DLH, p. 86) APOLYTIKION of St. James, Great Martyr – Tone 4 Your Holy Martyr, O Lord, while contending for You, has earned for himself the crown of incorruption from You, our God most benevolent; armed with Your Might, he defeated the tyrants, and crushed all the demons and their powerless presumption. Through his intercessions, O Christ our God, we pray You save our souls! 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 Advent Season – Tone 3 Lo, the Virgin on this day arrives unto a cave, to give birth ineffably to the Word primeval.  Sing and dance, all of creation, at these good tidings.  Glorify, with angelic hosts and the shepherds, the One who condescended, seen as a new-born babe, yet who is eternally God. 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 is risen from the dead, Christ...
In order that the greatness of the benefits bestowed on you may not raise you too high, observe how he brings you down: "By grace you have been saved," says he, "through faith." On the other hand, lest our free-will be impaired, he adds also our part in the work, and yet again cancels it, and adds, "And neither is faith of ourselves." Because had He not come, had He not called us, how had we been able to believe? Thus, the work of faith itself is not our own. "It is the gift," said he, "of God," it is "not of works." Was faith then, you will say, enough to save us? No; but God, says Paul, has required this, lest He should save us, barren and without work at all. His expression that faith saves, means that it is because God so wills, that faith saves. Since, how, tell me, does faith save, without works? Faith itself is the gift of God. No one, he says, is justified by works, in order that the grace and loving-kindness of God may be shown; so that no man henceforth may have whereof to boast.	Now, lest when you hear that the whole work is accomplished by faith, you should become idle, observe how he continues: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." Here Paul alludes to the regeneration, which is in reality a second creation. As to what we were before, that is, the old man, we are dead. What we are now become, before, we were not. Truly then is this work a creation, yea, and more noble than the first; for from that one, we have our being; but from this last, we have, over and above, our well-being. "For good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them." Not merely that we should begin; we need a virtue which shall be extended on to our dying day. If we had to travel a road leading to a royal city, and when we approached it we sat down, the city would be of no use to us. This is the hope of our calling: "for good works." Otherwise it would profit us nothing.                                ST JOHN CHRYSOSOSTOM (†407)
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 – 12/15/16. Please consult the Sunday Bulletin for our regular announcements, or contact Tasos, ioanniam@yahoo.com or (937)232-9665.  Translation Sources: DLH= Divine Liturgy Hymnal; FSD=Fr Seraphim Dedes; KL=Kevin Lawrence; FEH =Fr Edward Hughes; FEL=Fr Ephraim Lash.