Blessing of the Fruits - Transfiguration Day

 

The blessing of grapes, as well as other fruits and vegetables on Transfiguration day is an ancient Christian custom. It signifies the ultimate flowering and fruitfulness of all creation in the paradise of God’s unending Kingdom of Life where all will be transformed by the glory of the Lord.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐒

𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑆𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑟, 𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦-𝐵𝑒𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑜𝑛, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑖𝑚 ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦: 𝑑𝑜 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑢𝑠, 𝑇ℎ𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑡, 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑛𝑒.
𝐾𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑛 𝑢𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦: 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒
𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡-𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑘𝑜𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟-𝑉𝑖𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑇ℎ𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑒. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑎 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑒, 𝐹𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦-𝐵𝑒𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛
𝑆𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇ℎ𝑦 𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑡-ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡, 𝑑𝑜 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑒 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑦, 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠. 𝐴𝑚𝑒𝑛

One of the most solemn and brightest of the twelve great feasts is approaching - the Transfiguration of the Lord - August 19. On this day, the Church remembers how Christ was miraculously transfigured before His disciples on the mountain (according to tradition, it was Mount Tabor), and "His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light" (Matthew 17:2).

 

On the tradition of decorating the church with greenery on the feast of the Holy Trinity.

In Russia, Holy Pentecost was celebrated not in the first years after the baptism of Rus, but almost 300 years later, in the 14th century, with St. Sergei of Radonezh.
Holy Trinity is a very beautiful feast. Orthodox Christians on this day decorate houses and temples with green branches and flowers. This custom goes back to the Old Testament, when houses and synagogues were decorated with greens at Pentecost in memory of how, under the Sinai Mountains, everything bloomed and green on the day when Moses received the tablets of the law. The upper chamber, where the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles, at that time, according to common custom, was also decorated with branches of trees and flowers. On the feast of the Trinity, the phenomenon of Abraham the Trinity is remembered in the Mamvrii oak, so the church decorated with greenery reminds us of that oak forest. And the flowering branches remind us that under the influence of God's grace human souls blossom with the fruits of virtues.
Houses and temples are decorated with branches, grass, flowers. Greenery, flowers symbolize life. So people express joy and gratitude to God for having restored them through baptism into a new life. Touching and beautiful is the Divine service on the feast of the Holy Pentecost. The church is decorated, the priests are dressed in green garments, the grass smells of fresh greenery, the choir "solemnly and lightly sounds": "renew in our hearts, the Almighty, the true, right Spirit", the special prayers of St. Basil the Great are knelt. And in the courtyard of an early summer - a reminder of the beautiful and deep "summer of the Lord", which Jesus Christ promised the righteous.
The color of the Trinity feast is emerald green. The emerald cloud shines the temples from the inside - hundreds of birch twigs are carried by parishioners, the floor in the church is densely covered with grass, the smell of June is intensified by the rays of the sun from church windows, mixed with subtle notes of incense and wax candles. In the Orthodox world it is customary for the Trinity to decorate churches and dwellings with branches of young plants, often birch trees, which indicates the renewal of all things by the power of the Descended Holy Spirit, to the flowering of all vital forces.
Historically, birch branches have been used to decorate churches and houses. This tree is considered blessed in Russia. There are many verses and songs devoted to it. The Trinity feast without birch is the same as Christmas without a Christmas tree. But Russia is a big country, with different climatic conditions, apparently, this fact can be explained by the fact that in some places the trees were oak, maple, mountain ash.
Consecrated Trinity grass can be used for sachet - small pillows with aromatic herbs, which are placed with linens in cabinets, and can also be placed at the head of the bed. Also the Trinity grass can also be used to make a pillow "for death" - every Christian should be ready for the hour of death. Also, the Trinity grass is used for the manger in the Nativity cave.
Korinfsky A.A. The Trinity is the Green Christmas Tree.

Dormition of the Theotokos

The last years of her life, the Mother of God often retired for prayer, and most of all on the Mount of Olives. She contemplated her death and her eternal union with the Divine Son. She was preparing herself for death!
This is an indication to us. It must be remembered that the Kingdom of Heaven, where only love, purity and holiness reign, is entered only by those whoearthly life washed his dirty conscience with tears, who approaches the inevitable boundary with the spiritual wealth of prayers and good deeds, with the fire of faith in the Lord, with ardent love for Him.
And if we don’t have all this, then what a stranger our soul will feel in this new world for it!
From the sermon of Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). Sermon on the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos

December 19: The Orthodox Church commemorates one of the most beloved saint - St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, the Wonderworker (c. 345)

 

NOVEMBER 22 - Commemorating the Icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hear.

 

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Quick To Hear" is one of the most ancient icons of the Mother of God. The prototype of the icon is located in the Dochariou monastery Mount Athos. The history of this icon goes back over a thousand years. According to legend, it was written in the 10th century with the blessing of the founder of the Dochariou monastery, Monk Neophyte.

The icon Quick to Hear itself is not painted on the wall. This is a fresco painted in the niche of the outer wall in front of the entrance to the refectory. It is believed that the icon is a copy of the revered image of the Mother of God, located in the city of Alexandria. But there is also a miraculous copy of it, which is taken out for the procession. The icon received its name, now known to the entire Orthodox world, later - in the 17th century, when a miracle occurred from it, which is narrated in the monastery legend.

In 1664, the monk Nile, passing at night into the refectory with a lit torch, heard from the image of the Virgin, hanging over the door, a voice urging him not to go here again and not to smoke the icon. The monk thought that this was a joke of some brother, ignored the sign and continued to go to the refectory with a smoking torch. Suddenly he is blinded. In bitter repentance, Nil prayed before the icon of the Mother of God, begging for forgiveness. And again he heard a wonderful voice, announcing forgiveness and the return of sight and ordering to announce to all the brethren: "From now on, this icon will be called Quick to Hear, because I will soon show mercy and the fulfillment of petitions to all who flow to her." The Most Holy Theotokos has fulfilled and is now fulfilling Her promise - she shows first aid and consolation to all who flow to Her with faith.

In front of the icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hear" they pray for spiritual insight, when a person is at a loss and does not know what to do, in all cases when especially quick and effective help is needed in Her prayer to the Son. Also, the Mother of God, through her icon "Quick to Hear", grants help in curing various diseases, before her they offer a prayer for children and for help in childbirth - for the birth of a healthy child.

Prayer before the "Quick to Hear" Icon

O Holy Virgin, Mother of the Most High God, quick to intercede for all who come to You in faith. Look up from the heights of your heavenly majesty upon me, despised one, who struggles before your icon, hear soon my humble and sinful prayer and offer it to your Son: beseech Him, that He would illumine my troubled soul with the light of His divine grace and purify my mind from vain thoughts; that He would calm my suffering heart and heal its wounds, may it instruct me in good deeds and strengthen me to work with fear, may it forgive all the evil I have done, that He would free me from eternal torment and not deprive me of His heavenly kingdom. O Most Blessed Theotokos: You have deigned to be called in Your image, the Quick Hearing One, commanding everyone to come to You in faith: do not look down on me mournful and do not let me perish in the abyss of my sins.

In Thee is my whole hope and hope of salvation, and to Thy protection and intercession I commit myself for ever. Amen.

Commemorating Nov. 21/8 the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the other Bodiless Powers: the Archangels Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salaphiel, Jegudiel, Barachiel, and Jeremiel.

 

Prayer to Holy Archangel Michael:

O holy Archangel Michael, bright and formidable leader of the Heavenly King! Before the Last Judgment, deliver me from my sins to repentance, and from the net of those who trap my soul, and bring it to the God who created it, seated on the Cherubim, and pray for it fervently, that through your intercession it may be sent to a resting place. O formidable Soldier of the Heavenly Powers, the Advocate of all at the Throne of the Lord Christ, the steadfast and wise armor-bearer for all men, the mighty Soldier of the Heavenly King! Have mercy on me, a sinner, who requires your intercession; keep me safe from all visible and invisible enemies; moreover, strengthen me from the terror of mortality and from the confusion of the devil; and enable me to stand unashamedly before our Creator at the hour of His terrible and just judgment. O holy, great Archangel Michael! Do not despise me, a sinner, who pray to you for your help and intercession, in this and in the future, but grant me the ability to praise the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit together with you there for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to Holy Archangel Gabriel

O holy, great Archangel Gabriel, standing before the throne of God and illuminated by the divine light, enlightened by the knowledge of the incomprehensible mysteries of the eternal wisdom of Him! I beseech thee most earnestly to guide me to repentance from evil deeds, and to strengthen me in my faith; to strengthen and keep me from temptation to deceit, and to beseech the remission of my sins from my Maker. O holy, great Gabriel the Archangel! Do not despise me, a sinner, praying to you for your help and protection in this age and the future, but ever a helper, appear to me, that I may continually praise the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit of God, and your intercession, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to Holy Archangel Raphael

O holy, great Archangel Raphael, stand before the throne of God. By the grace given to you by the Almighty Physician of our souls and bodies, you healed the righteous man Tobit from bodily blindness, and you preserved his son Tobiah, who was traveling with him, from an evil spirit. I beseech Thee wholeheartedly, be to me a guide in my life, preserve me from all visible and invisible enemies, heal my bodily and spiritual illnesses, and guide my life toward repentance in sins and good works. O holy, great Raphael the Archangel. Hear me, a sinner, praying to you, and grant me, in this life and the life to come, to give thanks and praise to our common Creator, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to Holy Archangel Uriel

O great Archangel of God, Archangel Uriel, you who illumine with divine fire all who believe, enlighten me also, dark with sins, sanctify my mind and heart and my will, and excite me to glorify the Holy Trinity: The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and implore the Goodness of God for my sinful soul, and the Lord will deliver me from all enemies, visible and invisible, and all troubles, sorrows and all dissension, schism and heresy, through your prayers, Archangel Uriel, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Archangel Salafiel

O great Archangel of God Archangel Salafiel, you bring the prayers of the saints before the face of God, implore His Mercy for my sinful soul, may the Lord create a pure heart and renew the right spirit in my womb; and by the Holy Spirit he will confirm me to repentance and prayer, so that I may always be with God now, and until the last hour of my life, and forever and ever. Amen.

O holy Archangel of God, Salafiel. Prayerkeeper with all the Heavenly Powers and pure intercessor for the departed, pray to God for us and for our daughters who are in their sleep.

Prayer to the Holy Archangel Jehudiel

O great Archangel of God, Archangel Jehudiel, you are a zealous defender of the glory of God, you excite the glorification of the Holy Trinity: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, excite me, the lazy one, to repentance and prayer to the Lord God, and the Lord will give me a contrite spirit and a humble heart , and a source of tears, and a true confession of my sins, and the Lord will deliver me from eternal torment and from evil enemies always: now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen

Prayer to the Holy Archangel Barahiel

O great Archangel of God Archangel Varahiel, standing before the throne of God, and from there you bring the blessing of God to the homes of God's servants; ask the Lord for mercy and blessings on our houses, on our livestock, on our fields, may the Lord God bless us from Zion and from His Holy Mountain, give our cattle an abundance and an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and give us health, and salvation, and help , and will vouchsafe the Kingdom of Heaven with all the Saints, the prayers of the Most Pure Lady and all the saints of the Heavenly Powers, always: now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Blessed Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul July 12/June 29

 

Prayer to Sts. Peter and Paul

O most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul, who laid

down your lives for Christ and beautified His pasture with

your blood! Hearken unto the prayers and sighs of your

children which are now offered up with contrite heart. For, lo,

we have darkened ourselves with iniquities, and for this cause

have we been covered with misfortunes as with showers; and

we have become exceeding poor in the oil of a good life, and

we cannot fend off the ravening wolves which boldly strive

to lay hands on the inheritance of God. O you mighty ones!

bear our infirmities and separate yourselves not from us in

spirit, that we not depart utterly from the love of God; but

with your mighty assistance defend us, that the Lord have

mercy on us all for the sake of your prayers, that He rend

asunder the handwriting of our countless sins, and that He

vouchsafe us with all the saints the blessed kingdom and the

wedding feast of His Lamb, to Whom be honor and glory,

thanksgiving and worship, unto the ages of ages.

Second Prayer

O holy apostles Peter and Paul, do not depart in spirit from us, ye sinful servants of God (Names), lest we be at any end separated from the love of God; but by your strong intercession protect us, that the Lord may have mercy on us all by your prayers, May the Lord have mercy on all of us by your prayers, that he may obliterate the writings of our immeasurable sins, and grant unto us with all his saints the blessed kingdom and the marriage of his Lamb, to whom be honor and glory, and thanksgiving and worship for ever and ever.

Today we celebrate Mid-Pentecost

 

The Fathers teach us that the feast of Mid-Pentecost stands in the middle of the fifty-day period from Pascha to Pentecost as a mighty flowing river of divine grace which have these two great feasts as its source. Pascha and Pentecost are united in Mid-Pentecost. Without Pascha there is no Pentecost and without Pentecost there is no purpose to Pascha.

From the Great Horologion we read: "After the Savior had miraculously healed the paralytic, the Jews, especially the Pharisees and Scribes, were moved to envy and persecuted Him, and sought to slay Him, using the excuse that He did not keep the Sabbath, since He worked miracles on that day. Jesus then departed to Galilee. About the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles, He went up again to the Temple and taught. The Jews, marveling at the wisdom of His words, said, 'how knoweth this man letters, having never learned?' But Christ first reproached their unbelief and lawlessness, then proved to them by the Law that they sought to slay Him unjustly, supposedly as a despiser of the Law, since He had healed the paralytic on the Sabbath.

Therefore, since the things spoken of by Christ in the middle of the Feast of the Tabernacles are related to the Sunday of the Paralytic that is just passed, and since we have already reached the midpoint of the fifty days between Pascha and Pentecost, the Church has appointed this present feast as a bond between the two great Feasts, thereby uniting, as it were, the two into one, and partaking of the grace of them both. Therefore today’s feast is called Mid‐Pentecost, and the Gospel Reading, 'At Mid‐feast'—though it refers to the Feast of the Tabernacles—is used.

The Feast of Mid-Pentecost is celebrated for an entire week until the following Wednesday, making it an eight day feast. During this entire time the hymns of Mid-Pentecost are joined with that of Pascha. Because of the theme of water, traditionally the Church celebrates the Lesser Blessing of the Waters on this day, preferably with a procession with the Holy Cross to a water spring.

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Troparion, tone 8:

Having come to the middle of the Feast, refresh my thirsty soul with the streams of piety; for Thou, O Savior, didst cry to all: Let him who thirsts come to Me and drink. O Christ our God, Source of Life, glory to Thee.

Kontakion, tone 4:

When the Feast of the law was half over, O Lord and Creator of all, Thou didst say to the bystanders, O Christ our God: Come and draw the water of immortality. Therefore we fall down before Thee and cry with faith: Grant us Thy bounties, for Thou art the Source of our Life.

Antipascha: St. Thomas Sunday

Commemorated on May 1st

Some icons depicting this event are inscribed “The Doubting Thomas.” This is incorrect. In Greek, the inscription reads, “The Touching of Thomas.” The Slavonic inscription is, “The Belief of Thomas.” When Saint Thomas touched the Life-giving side of the Lord, he no longer had any doubts.

This day is also known as “Antipascha.” This does not mean “opposed to Pascha,” but “in place of Pascha.” Beginning with this first Sunday after Pascha, the Church dedicates every Sunday of the year to the Lord’s Resurrection. Sunday is called “Resurrection” in Russian, and “the Lord’s Day” in Greek.

Highlights of Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday

- At the Divine Liturgy of Lazarus Saturday, the baptismal verse (As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27) replaces the Trisagion, indicating the resurrectional character of the celebration, and the fact that Lazarus Saturday was once among the few great baptismal days in the Orthodox Church Year.

- branches of the palm trees symbolize Christ's victory over the devil and death. The word Hosanna means "Save, I pray," or "Save, now." The foal of an ass, and Jesus' sitting thereon, and the fact that this animal was untamed and considered unclean according to the Law, signified the former uncleanness and wildness of the nations, and their subjection thereafter to the holy Law of the Gospel.

- Orthodox people who live in areas without palms, including the Russian Orthodox, use pussy willow branches rather than palms in the celebration of this event. Therefore in Russian Church this feast and is called Вербное (Pussy Willow) Воскресенье (Sunday)

- Usually Feasts of the Lord are several days long. The feast of the Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem only lasts one day because Holy week, begins the next day.

- The Saturday of Lazarus and Palm Sunday both have the same troparion. These two historical events occurred within less than a week of each other. The troparion shows the link between the two events.

- On Lazarus Saturday caviar is allowed on Palm Sunday fish is allowed.

Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary

 

The Feast of the Annunciation is the first flower of Easter, which Gabriel holds in his hand. "Rejoice, O Blessed One, the Lord is with you!" And at Easter, when everything will blossom already with the new life of God, for which man was created, we will hear: "The angel cried to the Blessed One: Pure virgin, rejoice. And again I will say, Rejoice!

This is the joy of God becoming man. There has never been anything like it in the world before. This mystery is the highest and humblest, the greatest good news from God that ever was. Nothing in heaven or on earth can compare with this mystery. There is nothing more precious in all the history of the world, nor will there ever be anything more precious...

Now the doors of heaven are opening. The fiery cherub does not block the entrance, but invites everyone to enter, where the only way through are the words: "Be it unto me according to thy word".

Rev. Alexander Shargunov

January 14 Feast of Circumcision of the Lord

 

Circumcision as a rite of dedication to the Godhead existed among many peoples, including the Egyptians. In the Jewish understanding blood is sacred because "blood is the soul," blood flowing from the life-giving organ signifies a dedication of life accepted as a gift to God. With the Israelites, this rite came to signify the union of Abraham and his chosen people with God and was meant to remind the people of the obligations that flowed from it.

The Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Circumcision on January 14. Festive services will be held in all churches on this day.

Gospel legend says that on the eighth day after Jesus Christ's birth, according to Old Testament law, he underwent circumcision. The rite was established for all male infants as a sign of God's covenant with the forefather Abraham and his descendants.

In performing this rite, the Divine Child was given the name Jesus (Savior), spoken by the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary.

According to the Church fathers' interpretation, God the Son accepted circumcision to show people an example of strict observance of the Divine rules and that nobody afterwards could doubt that He was a true Man, but not a carrier of phantom flesh, as some heretics taught.

In the New Testament, the rite of circumcision gave way to the sacrament of Baptism, of which it was the prototype.

Evidence for the celebration of circumcision in the Eastern Church dates back to the 4th century.

The Feast of the circumcision of Our Lord lasts one day and is combined with the celebration of the memory of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia, why it is known among the people as Saint Basil's Day.

Dormition Fast

The Dormition fast from August 14/1 - August 27/14 was established as preceding the great feasts of the Transfiguration of the Lord and of the Dormition of the Mother of God - one which gives us light, and the other which is merciful to us and intercedes for us.”
St. Symeon of Thessalonica writes that, “The Dormition fast was established in honor of the Mother of God the Word; Who, foreknowing Her repose, ascetically labored and fasted for us as always, although She was holy and immaculate, and had no need for fasting. Thus, She especially prayed for us in preparation for being transported from this life to the future life, when Her blessed soul would be united through the Divine spirit with Her Son. Therefore, we also should fast and praise Her, emulating Her life, urging Her thereby to pray for us.
The spiritual fast is closely united with the bodily, just as our soul is united with the body, penetrates it, enlivens it, and makes one united whole with it, as the soul and body make one living human being. Therefore, in fasting bodily we must at the same time fast spiritually.
The main thing In fasting bodily is restraint from abundant, tasty and sweet foods; the main thing in fasting spiritually is restraint from passionate, sinful movements that indulge our sensual inclinations and vices. The former is renunciation of the more nourishing foods for fasting food, which is less nourishing; the latter is the renunciation of our favorite sins for exercise in the virtues which oppose them.
The essence of the fast is expressed in the following Church hymn: “If you fast from food, my soul, but are not purified of the passions, in vain do we comfort ourselves by not eating. For if the fast does not bring correction, then it will be hateful to God as false, and you will be like unto the evil demons, who never eat.”

Rejoice, Thou who dost guard us from the deadly plague in which all perish.

 

Conception of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John (Oct. 6/Sept. 23)

Commemorating the Conception of the Glorious Prophet, Forunner and Baptist John (Oct. 6/Sept. 23)

The Synaxarion:
Today in the Holy Orthodox Church we commemorate the conception of the honorable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John. On this day the mercy, miracles and wisdom of God are celebrated: His mercy toward the devout and righteous parents of St. John, the aged Zacharias and Elizabeth, who all their lives had wished for and begged a child from God; His miracle, that of John’s conception in the aged womb of Elizabeth; and His wisdom, in the dispensation of man’s salvation. God had an especially great intention for John: namely, that he be the Prophet and Forerunner of Christ the Lord, the Savior of the world. Through His angels, God announced the births of Isaac to the childless Sarah, Samson to the childless wife of Manoah, and John the Forerunner to the childless Zacharias and Elizabeth. All of these were those for whom He had special intentions, and He foretold their birth through His angels.

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You came forth, O Baptist, as an Angel from a barren womb.
You dwelt in the desert from your very swaddling clothes;
you were shown forth as the seal of all the Prophets,
for you were made worthy to baptize in the Jordan
the One Whom they saw in various ways and foretold in figures.
You heard the voice of the Father come from heaven
bearing witness to Christ’s Sonship;
you saw the Spirit in the form of a dove
draw down the voice upon the One baptized.
Since you are greater than all the Prophets,
do not cease to intercede for us who celebrate your memory in faith! (from Menaion)

September 27/14 we commemorate the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of Christ

September 27/14 we commemorate the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of Christ, one of the 12 great feasts of the Orthodox church.

This feast was established by the Church in commemoration of the finding of the cross of the Lord. On this day, we hymn:

"𝑩𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒚 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔, 𝒘𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑, 𝑶 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒚."

with prostrations (one or two Sundays a year we do)

Place of the Glorious Nativity of the Mother of God

 

Under the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Maryof the Jerusalem Patriarchate in Jerusalem, there are two caves, which are believed to have been the dwellings of Righteous Joachim and Anna. In the Byzantine crypt under the church, there is an upper room, where a mosaic Greek cross on the ancient Byzantine floor marks the place of the glorious nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Mother of God is a the great prayer book...

The Mother of God is the great prayer book and the spiritual Mother of every believer!

September 21 (old calendar) is the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Blessed Virgin Mary! On this joyful Feast, we pray to the Mother of God for family well-being, the gift of children, health, for deliverance from suffering and troubles, for the healing of the sick.

The Placing of the Cincture (Sash) of the Most Holy Theotokos

On Sept. 13/Aug. 31 the Placing of the Cincture (Sash) of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated.

Besides the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her honorable Sash was kept among Christians who, according to one story, was entrusted by Her to the Apostle Thomas after Her Dormiton, and then by right of succession transmitted by believers to one another. This feast was established in commemoration of a miracle by the honorable Sash held over the sick Greek Empress Zoë. In the tenth century the Empress Zoë, wife of Leo the Wise, suffering from continuous illness, received healing by putting the honorable Sash of the Mother of God on her. Then the honorable Sash was solemnly placed in a new shrine, and the feast was established in memory of the miracle. Parts of the honorable Sash are in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, in Trier monastery, and in Georgia.Today many miracles occurr with the honorable Sash.