From The Greek Orthodox Arch-Diocese of America:
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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Sunday, December 26, 2010
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Readings for today:
John 20:19-31
St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19
Matthew 2:13-23
Feasts and Saints celebrated today:
Sunday after Nativity
Synaxis of the Holy Theotokos
Euthemios the Confessor, Bishop of Sardis
The Holy Righteous Ones, Joseph the Betrothed, David the King, and James the Brother of the Lord
Holy New Hieromartyr Constantine of Russia, Who Struggled in Constantinople (1743)
Constantius the Holy Martyr
Barlaam the Righteous of Valaam
Afterfeast of the Nativity
Orthros Gospel Reading
The reading is from John 20:19-31
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors
being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood among them and said to them: "Peace be with you." When He
had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the
disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again,
"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them:
"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them
when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him: "We have seen the
Lord." But he said to them: "Unless I see in His hands the print of the
nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand
in His side, I will not believe."
Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was
with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them,
and said: "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Put your
finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my
side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered Him, "My
Lord and my God!" Jesus said to Him: "Have you believed because you
have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples,
which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you
may have life in His name.
(C) 2010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Epistle Reading
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19
BRETHREN, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is
not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught
it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have
heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God
violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of
my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the
traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was
born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his
Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did
not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to
those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and
again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to
Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw
none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother.
(C) 2010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Gospel Reading
The reading is from Matthew 2:13-23
When the wise men departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to
Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and
flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to
search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child
and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there
until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken
by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was
in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in
Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according
to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was
fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in
Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they were no more." But when
Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph
in Egypt, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to
the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."
And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land
of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaos reigned over Judea in
place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned
in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and
dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets
might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
(C) 2010 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Sunday after Nativity
Reading from the Synaxarion:
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.
As for James, the Brother of God, see October 23.
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal of the Second Tone
When the angelic powers appeared at Your grave, the soldiers guarding
it feared and became as dead. And standing by the sepulcher was Mary
who was seeking Your immaculate body. You devastated Hades, not
afflicted by it. You went to meet the virgin, and granted eternal life. You
resurrected from the dead. O Lord, glory to You.
Resurrectional Kontakion in the Plagal of the Second Tone
When the Life-bestower Christ God had resurrected * with His vivifying
hand, from the dismal caverns, * all the dead from eternity, He freely
bestowed * resurrection on the substance of our mortal humanity. * For He
is the Savior of all, resurrection and life, and the God of all
things.
Seasonal Kontakion in the Third Tone
Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents
the cave to Him who is beyond reach. Angels, along with shepherds
glorify Him. The Magi make their way to Him by a star. For a new child
has been born for us, the God before all ages.
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion courtesy of St. Gregory Palamas Monastery
Kontakion courtesy of St. Gregory Palamas Monastery
Kontakion courtesy of Narthex Press
Synaxis of the Holy Theotokos
Reading from the Synaxarion:
This Synaxis - which is to say, our coming together to glorify the
Theotokos - is celebrated especially in her honour because she gave birth
supernaturally to the Son and Word Of God, and thus became the instrument of the
salvation of mankind.
Kontakion in the Plagal of the Second Tone
He, who was begotten of the Father before the morning star, without a
mother, becomes incarnate of you today, without a father. Wherefore, a
star announces the good news to the Magi. Angels with shepherds praise
your immaculate birth-giving, O Full of Grace.
Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Kontakion courtesy of Narthex Press
Afterfeast of the Nativity
Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shined the light of knowledge
upon the world; for thereby they that worshipped the stars were
instructed by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know
Thee, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery
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