+
Sunday, December 31st 2006 +
Sunday before the Theophany of Christ
& The Leave-Taking of the Nativity of
Christ
Tone:
4 + Eothinion: 7
*******************************************************************************************************
+ In the
Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
“Make ready, O River Jordan! Christ our
God draws near to be baptized by John, that He may crush with His divinity the
power of Satan. A voice in the wilderness cries out: “Prepare the way of the
Lord! Make His path straight!” Rejoice, O wilderness of Jordan; dance with
gladness, O mountains: eternal Life has come to renew our nature! Sing to the
Lord, O people, and say: O Christ, who was incarnate of a Virgin and comes to
be baptized in the Jordan, glory to Thee. Amen”
+ The
Epistle +
Verse: O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine
inheritance.
To Thee, O Lord, have
I cried, O my God.
The Reading is from
the 2nd Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to Timothy.
(Chapter
4:5-8)
Timothy, my son, always be watchful in all
things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time
of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that
Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
+ The
Holy Gospel +
The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
(Chapter 1:1-8)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My
messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice
of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths
straight.’” John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those
from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan
River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a
leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he
preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose
sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you
with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Meditation: “A New Beginning”
Everything has a beginning and an end – this
past year, the journey of each person’s life, the history of a nation, even the
slow evolution of the universe. Everything changes. Everything is in process.
Everything is mortal. Everything – except the Eternal Christ, who is the
beginning and end of all things: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord
God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). As the
year ends we celebrate, whether on the last days of December or the early days
of January, the Sunday before Theophany in anticipation of the celebration of
the baptism of Christ (Theophany or Epiphany, January 6th). The
Gospel lesson for this Sunday is Mark 1:1-8, a passage with the theme of
preparation for a new beginning. St. Mark relates the adult life of Jesus,
beginning with His baptism, as a Gospel or good news – the good news of
salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The role of preparation, the
main theme of the Sunday before Theophany, is fulfilled by St. John the Baptist
who announces the public appearance of Christ and seeks to prepare the people
to accept Him. The preaching of St. John the Baptist is already the beginning
of the good news of Christ by anticipation. St. John thunders to us as he did
to his contemporaries: “Get the road ready for the Lord; make a straight path for
Him to travel!…The man who will come after Me is much greater than I am. (St.
Mark 1:3, 7). What a message! What a spiritual challenge! The words of St. John
the Baptist are especially relevant for us as we end one year and begin
another. Can we begin the new calendar year by setting down as foundation for
it the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Can we during this New Year “prepare the way of
the Lord” by focusing on the life of Christ as God’s eternal good news for us?
Can we “make His paths straight” by believing in Him more fervently and by
following His teachings more closely? What a glorious hope – a spiritual goal
worthy of the love of Jesus Christ!
Meditation
“The Feast of Lights”
Our life on earth is especially dependent upon
water and light. Water covers most of the earth and interacts with the entire
cycle of nature to help things grow. In a comparable way light is essential to
photosynthesis, the miracle behind everything that is green. It causes creative
changes in the atmosphere and on the surface of the earth. Light allows us to
appreciate nature’s rich colors. And these two elements – water and light – are
the chief symbols for the Holy Theophany of our Lord, or the Feast of Lights,
which we celebrate on January 6th. Theophany is one of the most important
feast days in the Orthodox Church along with Pascha, Pentecost and Holy
Nativity. Theophany commemorates the event of Jesus’ baptism. According to the
Gospels, when Jesus came to be baptized heaven opened, the Holy Spirit
descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove and God the Father by His heavenly
voice gave witness that Jesus was His beloved Son. Jesus’ baptism signified not
only His own divine identity as Son of God but also disclosed the glory of the
Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Thus, along
with the themes of the sanctification of the waters, purification from sin and
renewal, Theophany also celebrates the revelation of God to the world.
“Theophany” means divine manifestation – the manifestation of God to the world
as Trinity, the three great Lights of Father, Son and Spirit, one in essence
and glory.
* Announcements
& Activities *
“It is good to be Zealous in a Good Thing
Always…” (Galatians 4:18)
Ø
Every Saturday at 6:00 p.m. - Great Vespers
Ø
Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ &
Feast of St. Basil the Great on Monday, January 1st,2007; Matins at
9:45 a.m. & Divine Liturgy of St. Basil at 11:00 a.m.
Ø
Feast of Holy Theophany
- Friday, January 5th, 2007;
Paramon (or Royal Hours: 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th)
at 9:00 a.m., followed by Vespers and concluding with the Divine Liturgy
of St. Basil the Great. (Strict Fast Day)
- Saturday, January 6th, 2007;
Matins at 8:45 a.m. & Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m., followed
immediately by the Blessing of the Water. Have a Blessed Feast Day!
ü
Thank You!
Thank you to all parishioners who sent us
Christmas cards and greetings. Once again, may you all have a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year.
From: Fr. Ghattas, Fr. Mark, Fr. Daniel &
Families.
ü
December is the Month
of the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch
Throughout December, members of the Order are
asked to volunteer as much as possible with collecting the donation trays,
reading the Epistles, serving at the Coffee Hours, etc. God bless you all!
ü
2007 Church Calendar
We have received the 2007 Church Calendar with
two selections of beautiful Icons for your homes and offices, please take a
copy from the Vestibule today, we are asking for a generous $5.00 donation. God bless you!
ü New Year’s
Eve Gala
Those who has tickets and have not confirmed
or paid yet, please see Khouriyee Helene today immediately following the Divine
Liturgy in the Cathedral Hall downstairs.
ü
Fellowship of St. John
the Divine
Weekly Meeting every Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. SHARP!
Please be on time. A Bible Study/Religious Discussion will take place in
the Church School Building (1st Floor). Please give us your email
address if you are not receiving our weekly online newsletter & calendar.
ü
Teen SOYO
Weekly Meeting every Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m SHARP!
Please be on time. All members of the Teen SOYO are asked to
attend the weekly Teen Night Meetings in the Cathedral Hall downstairs no
matter what the topic or activities are! We have a mix of activities:
Sports, Games, Discussions, Bible Studies, etc. Please give us your email
address if you are not receiving our weekly online newsletter & calendar.
+ St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral +
(2975 Riverside Drive – Ottawa)
Cathedral Office: 700 Ridgewood Ave
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1V 6N1
Telephone: (613) 738-2222, Fax: (613) 737-4392
Email: info@steliascathedral.com, Website:
www.steliascathedral.com
The Rt. Rev. Bishop ALEXANDER
Bishop of Ottawa, Eastern
Canada and Upstate New York
The Very Rev. Father Ghattas Hajal – Dean
Rev. Father Mark Arsenios Wyatt – Assistant Priest
The Very
Rev. Father Daniel Matheson – Emeritus
|
2006 Nativity Message from: His Beatitude Patriarch IGNATIUS IV
of Antioch & all the East
The Nativity of our Savior Jesus Christ dawns upon us each
year to remind us of God's infinite mercy and love for His entire Creation,
and to call us to reflect again on the sublime Mystery of the Divine
Incarnation, without which our salvation would not be possible. |
