From: The Greek Orthodox Arch-Diocese of America:
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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Sunday, December 19, 2010
Fast Day (Wine and Oil Allowed)
Readings for today:
John 20:11-18
St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40
Matthew 1:1-25
Feasts and Saints celebrated today:
Sunday before Nativity
Boniface the Merciful of Tarsus, Eutychios the Martyr of Thessaloniki
Our Righteous Father Gregentius, Bishop of Ethiopia
Aglaia the Righteous of Rome
Orthros Gospel Reading
The reading is from John 20:11-18
At that time, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept
she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white,
sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the
feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to
them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where
they have laid Him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus
standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her,
"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing Him to be the
gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me
where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her,
"Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means
Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended
to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending
to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary
Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she
told them that He had said these things to her.
(C) 2010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Epistle Reading
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40
BRETHREN, by faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a
foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the
same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundation,
whose builder and maker is God.
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon,
Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets - who
through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises,
stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of
the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put
foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection.
Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise
again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and
even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in
two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went
about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated -
of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and
mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive
what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us,that
apart from us they should not be made perfect.
(C) 2010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Gospel Reading
The reading is from Matthew 1:1-25
The book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son
of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob
the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez
and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the
father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father
of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father
of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the
father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon
the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah
the father of Asa, and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat
the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the
father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of
Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of
Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah
and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of
Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father
of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of
Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and
Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar
the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the
father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is
called Christ.
So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen
generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen
generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen
generations.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother
Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was
found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph,
being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce
her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to
take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he
will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall
conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel"(which
means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of
the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she
had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
(C) 2010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Sunday before Nativity
Reading from the Synaxarion:
On the Sunday that occurs on or immediately after the eighteenth of
this month, we celebrate all those who from ages past have been
well-pleasing to God, beginning from Adam even unto Joseph the Betrothed of the
Most Holy Theotokos, according to genealogy, as the Evangelist Luke
hath recorded historically (Luke 3:23-38); we also commemorate the
Prophets and Prophetesses, and especially the Prophet Daniel and the Holy
Three Children.
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone
Let us worship the Word who is unoriginate * with the Father and the
Spirit, and from a Virgin was born * for our salvation, O believers, and
let us sing His praise. * For in His goodness He was pleased * to
ascend the Cross in the flesh, and to undergo death, * and to raise up
those who had died, * by His glorious Resurrection.
Resurrectional Kontakion in the Plagal of the First Tone
You descended to Hades, my Savior, and shattered its gates, as the
Almighty. As Creator, You raised the dead with yourself, and smashed the
sting of death, O Christ. You freed Adam from the curse, O Lover of
humanity. Therefore we all cry out to You, Save us, O Lord.
Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Tone
On this day the Virgin cometh to the cave to give birth to * God the
Word ineffably, * Who was before all the ages. * Dance for joy, O
earth, on hearing * the gladsome tidings; * with the Angels and the
shepherds now glorify Him * Who is willing to be gazed on * as a young
Child Who * before the ages is God.
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion courtesy of St. Gregory Palamas Monastery
Kontakion courtesy of St. Gregory Palamas Monastery
Boniface the Merciful of Tarsus, Eutychios the Martyr of Thessaloniki
Reading from the Synaxarion:
This Saint, who lived during the reign of Diocletian, was the servant
of a certain Roman woman of senatorial rank named Aglais. Mistress
and servant lived together in an unlawful union, and Boniface was
moreover given to drunkenness and riotous living. Nevertheless, he was
generous to the poor, hospitable to strangers, and compassionate to those
in misfortune. At last, Aglais, moved at hearing the accounts of the
Martyrs, and believing in the power of their intercessions to obtain the
mercy of God, sent Boniface to Tarsus to obtain relics of holy Martyrs.
Before he departed, he asked her in jest, "And what if they bring back
my body as holy relics?" He then set out with some of his fellow
slaves for Cilicia, where the Saints were contesting in martyrdom. As he
went among the Martyrs and encouraged them in their pains he was
arrested by the ruler and confessed Christ with boldness, and suffered
death as a martyr in the year 290. Thus what he had said in jest to his
mistress was fulfilled when he himself was brought back to her as sacred
relics by his fellow servants. Saint Aglais devoted the remainder, of
her life to prayer and works of virtue, and reposed in sanctity.
Saint Boniface is especially invoked for help against the passion of
drinking.
Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the
prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal
God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants
and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ
God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.
Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
Thou didst offer up thyself of thine own choosing as a spotless
sacrifice to Him that for thy sake, O Saint, shall soon be born of a Virgin
Maid, O all-renowned and wise crown-bearer Boniface.
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
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