December 25, 2016 Specials

Divine Liturgy Specials on Sunday, December 25, 2016 (27^th Su after Pentecost)

The Nativity in the Flesh of our Lord, God and Savior JC

                  The Worship by the Magi; The Shepherds who Saw the Lord

Ἀντίφωνον α´ – Ἦχος β´ 1  Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι Κύριε ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου, διηγήσομαι πάντα τὰ θαυμάσιά σου. 2  Ἐν βουλῇ εὐθέων καὶ συναγωγῇ, μεγάλα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου. 3  Ἐξεζητημένα εἰς πάντα τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ. Ἐξομολόγησις καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος.      Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ, σῶσον ἡμᾶς. Ἀντίφωνον β´ – Ἦχος ὁ αὐτός 1 Μακάριος ἀνήρ, ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον, ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ θελήσει σφόδρα. 2 Δυνατὸν ἐν τῇ γῇ ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ.  Δόξα καὶ πλοῦτος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. 3  Ἐξανέτειλεν ἐν σκότει φῶς τοῖς εὐθέσιν.        Σῶσον ἡμᾶς Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἐκ Παρθένου τεχθείς, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα. Δόξα... Καὶ νῦν... Ὁ Μονογενὴς Υἱός...  Ἀντίφωνον γ´ –  Ἦχος δ' 1 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου. 2 Ῥάβδον δυνάμεως ἐξαποστελεῖ σοι Κύριος ἐκ Σιών. 3 Μετὰ σοῦ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς δυνάμεώς σου, ἐν ταῖς λαμπρότησι τῶν Ἁγίων σου. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος δ' Ἡ γέννησίς σου Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἀνέτειλε τῷ κόσμῳ, τὸ φῶς τὸ τῆς γνώσεως· ἐν αὐτῇ γὰρ οἱ τοῖς  ἄστροις λατρεύοντες, ὑπὸ ἀστέρος ἐδιδάσκοντο, σὲ προσκυνεῖν, τὸν Ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ σὲ γινώσκειν ἐξ ὕψους ἀνατολήν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Εἰσοδικόν – Ἦχος β´ Ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ Ἑωσφόρου ἐγέννησά σε· ὤμοσε Κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται. Σὺ Ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ.  Σῶσον ἡμᾶς, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἐκ Παρθένου τεχθείς, ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἀπολυτίκιον –  Ἦχος δ' Ἡ γέννησίς σου Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἀνέτειλε τῷ κόσμῳ, τὸ φῶς τὸ τῆς γνώσεως· ἐν αὐτῇ γὰρ οἱ τοῖς  ἄστροις λατρεύοντες, ὑπὸ ἀστέρος ἐδιδάσκοντο, σὲ προσκυνεῖν, τὸν Ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ σὲ γινώσκειν ἐξ ὕψους ἀνατολήν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Κοντάκιον – Ἦχος γ' Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον, τὸν ὑπερούσιον τίκτει, καὶ ἡ γῆ τὸ Σπήλαιον, τῷ ἀπροσίτῳ προσάγει. Ἄγγελοι μετὰ Ποιμένων δοξολογοῦσι. Μάγοι δὲ μετὰ ἀστέρος ὁδοιποροῦσι· δι' ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἐγεννήθη, Παιδίον νέον, ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων Θεός. Ἀντὶ τοῦ Τρισαγίου: Ὅσοι εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε· ᾽Αλληλούϊα. Λειτουργία τοῦ Μεγάλου Βασιλείου Εἰς τό ᾽Εξαιρέτως: Ἀντὶ τοῦ «῎Αξιόν ἐστιν...», ᾽Επi σoὶ χαίρει, Κεχαριτωμένη, πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις. Ἀγγέλων τὸ σύστημα καὶ ἀνθρώπων τὸ γένος, ἡγιασμένε ναὲ καὶ παράδεισε λογικέ, παρθενικὸν καύχημα, ἐξ ἧς Θεός ἐσαρκώθη καὶ παιδίον γέγονεν, ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων ὑπάρχων Θεὸς ἡμῶν· τὴν  γὰρ σὴν μήτραν θρόνον ἐποίησε, καὶ τὴν σὴν γαστέρα πλατυτέραν οὐρανῶν ἀπειργάσατο. Ἐπὶ σοὶ χαίρει, Κεχαριτωμένη, πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις δόξα σοι. Κοινωνικόν: Ἀντὶ τοῦ «Αἰνεῖτε...», Λύτρωσιν ἀπέστειλε Κύριος τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ. Ἀλληλούϊα.  Ἀντὶ τοῦ «Εἴδομεν τό φῶς... », Ἡ γέννησίς σου Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν… Εἴη τό ὄνομα Κυρίου… Ἀπόλυσις· Ὁ ἐν σπηλαίῳ γεννηθεὶς καὶ ἐν φάτνῃ ἀνακληθεὶς διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν, Χριστὸς...	Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 16:  ANTIPHON I – Tone 2 1 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart: I will speak of all Your marvelous works. [Psalm 110:1] 2 In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation, the works of the Lord are great. [Psalm 110:2] 3 His purposes are treasured in every way.  His work is honorable and majestic, and His righteousness endures unto the ages of ages. [Psalm 110:3]     Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us. Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 18:  ANTIPHON II – Same tone 1 Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.  [Psalm 111:1] 2 His seed shall be mighty upon the earth.  Glory and riches shall be in his house, and his righteousness endures unto the ages of ages.  [Psalm 111:2] 3 A light has dawned in the darkness, upon the upright. [Psalm 111:3]     Save us, O Son of God, Who of the Virgin is born; who sing to You.  Alleluia. Glory… Both now… O, only begotten Son… Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 24:  ANTIPHON III – Tone 3 1 The Lord said unto my Lord: sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies the footstool at Your feet.  [Psalm 109:1] 2 The Lord shall send You a rod of strength out of Zion.  [Psalm 109:2] 3 With You is dominion in the day of Your power, in the beauties of Your saints.  [Psalm 109:3] APOLYTIKION of Christ’s Nativity (Christmas) – Tone 4 Your Nativity, Christ our God, has made the light of knowledge dawn on the world, for by it those who adored the stars were taught by a star to worship you, the Sun of justice, and to know you the Dayspring from on high. Lord, glory to you!                                                                           (FEL) EISODIKON –Tone 2 From the womb before the Morning Star I have begotten you.  The Lord has sworn and He will not waver.  You shall be a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.  [Psalm 109:4]  Save us, O Son of God, Who of the Virgin is born; who sing to You. Alleluia. APOLYTIKION of Christ’s Nativity (Christmas) – Tone 4 Your Nativity, Christ our God, has made the light of knowledge dawn on the world, for by it those who adored the stars were taught by a star to worship you, the Sun of justice, and to know you the Dayspring from on high. Lord, glory to you!                                                                           (FEL) KONTAKION of Christ’s Nativity (Christmas)  – Tone 3 Lo, the Virgin now gives birth to the Transcendent in essence, to the unapproachable, the earth is giving the cavern. Angels sing and with the shepherds do glorify him. Following a star the Magi are on their way; He was born to us a new child, yet He is eternally God. Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 26:  Instead of TRISAGION, As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.  Alleluia. Liturgy of St. Basil the Great DLH, p. 54: AT THE Especially…, instead of It is truly meet…, In you, O lady full of grace, all creation rejoices, the orders of angels and the race of mankind.  O hallow’d temple and spiritual paradise, glory of virgin souls.  From you our God was incarnate and became a child, He who is God from all ages.  By making your womb His throne, He made you more spacious than all the heavens.  In you, O Lady full of grace, all creation rejoices.  Glory to you.                           (KL) DLH, p. 66: KOINONIKON: instead of “Praise the Lord…” Redemption the Lord has sent to his people.  Alleluia. [Psalm 110:9] DLH, p. 70: After Communion, instead of “We have seen…” Your Nativity, Christ our God… DLH, p. 74: Blessed be the Name of the Lord… Divine Liturgy Hymnal, p. 78:  THE DISMISSAL: May He Who was born in a cave and lay in a manger for our salvation, Christ...
The common form of the Nativity Icon, with few variations, dates from around the 15th century, though it draws upon sources much older: the Old Testament Prophecies, the New Testament Gospel accounts, and ancient narratives on the life of the Virgin Mary. The child-Christ and His mother are shown in a cave, surrounded by impossibly sharp, inhospitable, rocks which reflect the cruel world into which Jesus was born. The Gospels record that Joseph and Mary could not find a room at any inn when they came to take part in the census at Bethlehem, and so Jesus was laid in a manger, an animal’s feeding trough. Common to the time, animals were not sheltered in wooden barns, but in caves and recesses in the hills, and so this “stable” is shown in the Icon. High in the skies is a star which sends down a single shaft towards the baby Jesus. This star is being followed by the Magi, the wise Persians from the East, who are bearing gifts to the Christ. But they are shown in the distance, still on their journey. They are not there. Thronged in the skies are a host of angels bringing the glad tidings of the birth of the world’s Savior. On the right, the shepherds – people not regarded by anyone else – are the first to be given the Good News of	Jesus’ birth. But they are also shown outside of the cave, still by their flocks. They too are not at Christ’s side yet. Besides His mother, the only company Jesus Christ has in the first few hours of His earthly life are a lowly ox and donkey. This is the humility of God’s incarnation on earth. The humbleness of Christ’s origins should not surprise us, as the manner of His birth was prophesied many hundreds of years prior to the event. The presence of the Ox and the Donkey in the Nativity icon fulfills one of many prophecies in the Old Testament book of Isaiah: “The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib” (Isaiah 1:3) . Here the animals are also shown providing warmth to Jesus by their breath. Also found somewhere in most icons of the Nativity is a “Jesse Tree.” Named after an Old Testament patriarch, the tree’s presence is to remind us of another fulfilled prophecy from Isaiah: “A shoot shall sprout from the stump (tree) of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him” (Isaiah 11:1-2). In the flesh, Jesus can trace his ancestry through both His mother and adoptive father Joseph, all the way back to Jesse. This lineage is also sometimes shown in Icons of the Jesse Tree.         https://iconreader.wordpress.com/2010/12/24/the-nativity-icon/
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 – 1/26/17! 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.