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Sunday After Nativity
Reading
On
the Sunday that falls on or immediately after the twenty-sixth of this
month, we make commemoration of Saints Joseph, the Betrothed of the
Virgin; David, the Prophet and King; and James, the Brother of God. When
there is no Sunday within this period, we celebrate this commemoration on
the 26th.
Saint
Joseph (whose name means "one who increases") was the son of
Jacob, and the son-in-law - and hence, as it were, the son - of Eli (who
was also called Eliakim or Joachim), who was the father of Mary the
Virgin (Matt. 1:16; Luke 3:23). He was of the tribe of Judah, of the
family of David, an inhabitant of Nazareth, a carpenter by Trade, and
advanced in age when, by God's good will, he was betrothed to the Virgin,
that he might minister to the great mystery of God's dispensation in the
flesh by protecting her, providing for her, and being known as her
husband so that she, being a virgin, would not suffer reproach when she
was found to be with child. Joseph had been married before his betrothal
to our Lady; they who are called Jesus' "brethren and sisters"
(Matt. 13:55-56) are the children of Joseph by his first marriage. From
Scripture, we know that Saint Joseph lived at least until the Twelfth
year after the birth of Christ (Luke 2:41-52); according to the tradition
of the Fathers, he reposed before the beginning of the public ministry of
Christ.
The child of God and
ancestor of God, David, the great Prophet after Moses, sprang from the
tribe of Judah. He was the son of Jesse, and was born in Bethlehem
(whence it is called the City of David), in the year 1085 before Christ.
While yet a youth, at the command of God he was anointed secretly by the
Prophet Samuel to be the second King of the Israelites, while Saul - who
had already been deprived of divine grace - was yet living. In the
thirtieth year of his life, when Saul had been slain in battle, David was
raised to the dignity of King, first, by his own tribe, and then by all
the Israelite people, and he reigned for forty years. Having lived
seventy years, he reposed in 1015 before Christ, having proclaimed
beforehand that his son Solomon was to be the successor to the throne.
The sacred history
has recorded not only the grace of the Spirit that dwelt in him from his
youth, his heroic exploits in war, and his great piety towards God, but
also his transgressions and failings as a man. Yet his repentance was
greater than his transgresssions, and his love
for God fervent and exemplary; so highly did God honour this man, that
when his son Solomon sinned, the Lord told him that He would not rend the
kingdom in his lifetime "for David thy father's sake" (III
Kings 12:12). Of The Kings of Israel, Jesus the
Son of Sirach testifies, "All, except David and Hezekias
and Josias, were defective" (Ecclus.
49:4). The name David means "beloved."
His
melodious Psalter is the foundation of all the services of the Church;
there is not one service that is not filled with Psalms and psalmic verses. It was the means whereby old Israel
praised God, and was used by the Apostles and the Lord Himself. It is so
imbued with the spirit of prayer that the monastic fathers of all ages
have used it as their trainer and teacher for their inner life of
converse with God. Besides eloquently portraying every state and emotion
of the soul before her Maker, the Psalter is filled with prophecies of
the coming of Christ. It foretells His Incarnation, "He bowed the
heavens and came down" (Psalm 17:9), His Baptism in the Jordan,
"The waters saw Thee, O God, The waters saw Thee and were
afraid" (76:15), His Crucifixion in its details, "They have
pierced My hands and My feet .... They have parted My garments amongst
themselves, and for My vesture have they cast lots" (21:16, 18).
"For My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink" (68:26), His
descent into Hades, "For Thou wilt not abandon My soul in Hades, nor
wilt Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption" (15:10) and
Resurrection, "Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered"
(67:1). His Ascension, "God is gone up in jubilation" (46:5),
and so forth.
Apolytikion of Sun. after Nativity
Second
Tone
O
Joseph, proclaim the wonders to David, the ancestor of God. Thou hast
seen a Virgin great with child; thou hast given glory with the shepherds;
thou hast worshipped with the Magi; and thou hast been instructed through
an Angel. Entreat Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion of Sun. after Nativity
Third
Tone
Godly
David on this day is filled with gladness of spirit; Joseph also joineth James in off'ring
glory and praises. They rejoice, for as Christ's kinsmen, they have
received crowns: and they praise the One ineffably born upon the earth as
they cry out with a great voice: O Lord of mercy, save them that honour
Thy Name.
Circumcision of Our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ
Reading
Since
the Mosaic Law commands that if a woman give birth to a male child, he
should be circumcised in the foreskin of his flesh on the eighth day
(Lev. 12:2-3), on this, the eighth day from His Nativity, our Saviour
accepted the circumcision commanded by the Law. According to the command
of the Angel, He received the Name which is above every name: JESUS,
which means "Saviour" (Matt. 1:21; Luke 1:31 and 2:21).
Apolytikion of Circumcision of Jesus
Christ
First
Tone
Our
human form hast Thou taken on Thyself without change, O
greatly-compassionate Master, though being God by nature; fulfilling the
Law, Thou willingly receivest
circumcision in the flesh, that Thou mightest
end the shadow and roll away the veil of our sinful passions. Glory be to
Thy goodness unto us. Glory be to Thy compassion. Glory, O Word, to Thine
inexpressible condescension.
Kontakion of Circumcision of Jesus Christ
Third
Tone
Now
the Lord of all that is doth undergo circumcision, in His goodness
cutting off the sins and failings of mortals. He this day doth give
salvation unto the whole world; and the hierarch and bright daystar of
the Creator now rejoiceth in the highest, Basil
the wise and divine initiate of Christ.
Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea
in Cappadocia
Reading
Saint
Basil the Great was born about the end of the year 329 in Caesarea of
Cappadocia, to a family renowned for their learning and holiness. His
parents' names were Basil and Emily. His mother Emily (commemorated July
19) and his grandmother Macrina (Jan. 14) are
Saints of the Church, together with all his brothers and sisters: Macrina, his elder sister (July 19), Gregory of Nyssa
(Jan. to), Peter of Sebastia (Jan. 9), and Naucratius. Basil studied in Constantnople
under the sophist Libanius, then in Athens,
where also he formed a friendship with the young Gregory, a fellow
Cappadocian, later called "the Theologian." Through the good
influence of his sister Macrina (see July 19),
he chose to embrace the ascetical life, abandoning his worldly career. He
visited the monks in Egypt, in Palestine, in Syria, and in Mesopotamia,
and upon returning to Caesarea, he departed to a hermitage on the Iris
River in Pontus, not far from Annesi, where his
mother and his sister Macrina were already
treading the path of the ascetical life; here he also wrote his ascetical
homilies.
About
the year 370, when the bishop of his country reposed, he was elected to
succeed to his throne and was entrusted with the Church of Christ, which
he tended for eight years, living in voluntary poverty and strict
asceticism, having no other care than to defend holy Orthodoxy as a
worthy successor of the Apostles. The Emperor Valens, and Modestus, the
Eparch of the East, who were of one mind with the Arians, tried with
threats of exile and of torments to bend the Saint to their own
confession, because he was the bastion of Orthodoxy in all Cappadocia,
and preserved it from heresy when Arianism was at its strongest. But he
set all their malice at nought, and in his
willingness to give himself up to every suffering for the sake of the
Faith, showed himself to be a martyr by volition. Modestus, amazed at
Basil's fearlessness in his presence, said that no one had ever so spoken
to him. "Perhaps," answered the Saint, "you have never met
a bishop before." The Emperor Valens himself was almost won over by
Basil's dignity and wisdom. When Valens' son fell gravely sick, he asked
Saint Basil to pray for him. The Saint promised that his son would be
restated if Valens agreed to have him baptized by the Orthodox; Valens agreed,
Basil prayed, and the son was restored. But afterwards the Emperor had him baptized by Arians, and
the child died soon after. Later, Valens, persuaded by his counsellors,
decided to send the Saint into exile because he would not accept the
Arians into communion; but his pen broke when he was signing the edict of
banishment. He tried a second time and a third, but the same thing
happened, so that the Emperor was filled with dread, and tore up the
document, and Basil was not banished. The truly great Basil, spent with
extreme ascetical practices and continual labours,
at the helm of the church, departed to the Lord on the 1st of January, in
379. at the age of forty-nine.
His
writings are replete with wisdom and erudition, and rich are these gifts
he set forth the doctrines concerning the mysteries both of the creation
(see his Hexaemeron) and of the Holy Trinity
(see On the Holy Spirit). Because of the majesty and keenness of his
eloquence, he is honoured as "the revealer
of heavenly things" and "the Great."
Saint
Basil is also celebrated on January 30th with Saint Gregory the
Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom.
Rest
from labour.
Apolytikion of Basil the Great
First
Tone
Your
voice resounded throughout the world that received your word by which, in
godly manner, you taught dogma, clarified the nature of beings, and set
in order the character of people. Venerable father, Royal Priesthood,
intercede to Christ God to grant us great mercy.
Kontakion of Basil the Great
Fourth
Tone
For
the Church art thou in truth a firm foundation, granting an inviolate
lordship unto all mortal men and sealing it with what thou hast taught, O
righteous Basil, revealer of heavenly things.
Special Announcement:
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