From antiochan.org, rongolini.com, biblegateway.com and dynamispublications.org:
Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: the Feast of the Nativity (4th Day)
Scriptural Readings:
Baruch 3:35-4:4 (12/28-1/10) Fifth Reading at the Vigil of the Nativity of Christ our God
The Incomparable God: Baruch 3:35-4:4 SAAS, especially vs. 35: “This is our God; no other shall be compared to Him.” Saint Basil the Great describes God as “Master of all, Lord of heaven and earth, and of all creation both visible and invisible; Who sittest upon the throne of glory, and beholdest the depths; Who art unoriginate, invisible, incomprehensible, uncircumscript, immutable, the Father of our Lord: the great God and Savior Jesus Christ, our Hope, Who is the image of Thy goodness, the Seal of equal type, in Himself showing forth Thee, the Father the Living Word, the true God, the Wisdom before all ages, the Life, Sanctification, Might, the true Light, through Whom the Holy Spirit was manifested; the Spirit of Truth, the Gift of Adoption, the Pledge of the inheritance to come, the First-fruits of eternal good things, the life-giving Power, the Fountain of sanctification; by Whom enabled every rational and intelligent creature doth serve Thee and ascribe to Thee perpetual praises, for all things are Thy servants.”
At this moment, we are in the presence of this great ‘Lord of heaven and earth.’ There is no hiding from Him, not in the depths of the earth, not in any secret place on this planet, nor even at the outermost edge of the universe, incalculable light years from this haven in space and from this moment. We are before Him, as are our thoughts, knowledge, fears, dreams, hopes, and every movement of every cell and fiber of our being. Nothing escapes His notice.
These verities are always the truth of our existence and of this present celebration of Christmas - that is, the Nativity of “...our Lord: the great God and Savior Jesus Christ - our Hope, Who is the image of God’s goodness.” He is the significant Truth of our lives, because, as the Prophet Baruch shows, He is the source of all knowledge; and having shown Himself upon this earth, living among men as the Way, the Truth and the Life, He has given us a firm promise that all who keep His way shall come, not just to knowledge, but to Life eternal!
Think closely about the Prophet’s declaration that God “...found the whole way of knowledge...” (vs. 3:37). Is this a lame suggestion that God passed through some super-course of learning until He found out every approach to knowledge, until He exhausted the entire process of learning itself, not only learning everything but discovering every existing means of acquiring knowledge? Not at all! He is eternally the end-point of knowledge. What is there to learn that He does not know or has not known always? The significance of the statement is that no matter what avenue to learning that you and I may take, we shall find the ‘Master of all’ present there. Pile up your university degrees, your professional seminars, and all possible opportunities for learning, and God is there ahead of you, far ahead of every one of us.
How dare we say this? We say so because God gave this knowledge “...to Jacob His servant and to Israel His beloved”(vs. 3:37) - to us! Those who are united to Him know that He knows all things, including all the ways we learn and all that we discover. We set about learning with confidence and faith, assured that He is there before us. He is all that we need to fear in learning. Therefore, let us not learn anything that would offend Him and separate us from Him!
How may we avoid false learning? Here is the Christmas present! Christ our God “...was seen upon the earth and lived among men” (vs. 3:37). We have the record of His Self-revelation, and the living experience of Him in His Holy Church. Christ is born! If we will glorify Him, we shall learn the Way to knowledge and discover Him, the fullness of Truth that under girds all that is worth knowing, for we shall know Life Himself (vs. 4:4).
Be mindful, O Lord our God, of all Thy people, and upon them all of us pour out Thy rich mercy, granting to all their petitions which are unto salvation, O Thou Who knowest each one.
James 3:1-10
James 3:1-10 (King James Version)
James 3
1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Mark 11:11-23
Mark 11:11-23 (King James Version)
11And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
15And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
16And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
18And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
19And when even was come, he went out of the city.
20And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
The Synaxarion:
December 28
Fourth Day of the Feast of the Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ
Memory of the Holy Martyrs Burned in Nicomedia under Diocletian (303)
In the nineteenth year of the reign of Diocletian, in the month of March, 303, imperial edicts were posted everywhere ordering the churches to be destroyed, the Scriptures to be burned, and proclaiming those who were in public office forfeited of their duties if they remained in the profession of Christianity. Shortly afterwards, under the instigation of Maximian Galerius and Diocletian, new decrees were promulgated ordering all the heads of the Church imprisoned in whatever country they be, and that they be compelled, by all means, to sacrifice. In Nicomedia, the great church was destroyed, and Anthimos, who then presided over this church, was beheaded because of the witness he rendered to Christ. A crowd of martyrs followed him. A fire, hypocritically ordered by Maximian, broke out in the imperial palace of Nicomedia at that time. On a lying suspicion, the rumor spread that it had been set on fire by the Christians. Also, on an imperial order, they were put to death without distinction; some were slaughtered by the sword, others were burned, and it is told that carried away by a divine and indescribable zeal, some men and women leaped onto the funeral-pyress. The executioners bound a crowd of others on ships and threw them to the bottom of the sea.
Fifth Class Feast.
Antiphons and Isodikon of the Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Troparia: of the Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ; of the Holy Martyrs burned in Nicomedia; and of the Church Patron. Kondakion of the Nativity according to the Flesh of Our, Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Epistle and Gospel of the period. Ordinary Hirmos. Kinonikon of the weekday.
In occurrence with a Saturday, the same order is followed, but the Epistle and Gospel are from the Saturday after the Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.
In occurrence with a Sunday: Typika and Beatitudes. Isodikon of the Sunday. Troparia: of the Resurrection; of the Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ; of Saint Joseph; and of the Church Patron. Kondakion of the Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Epistle and Gospel of the Sunday after the Nativity according to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Ordinary Hirmos. Kinonikon of the Sunday.
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