READING 10
Sunday, December 29th/16th, 2002 - Shabbat Tevet 23rd, 5763
27th Week after Pentecost. Tone 2
CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX READINGS
Feast of the Saint Forefathers of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Holy Prophet Haggai, Saint Martyre Marina, Blessed Queen Theophania
Matins: The Epistle to the Hebrews Chapter 5
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 24:12-35
Divine Liturgy: The Epistle to the Colossians 3:4-11 [Week 29]
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 14:16-24 [Week 28]
Monday, December 30/17:
Holy Prophet Daniel and the three Youths in the furnace:
Ananias, Azarias and Misael [also called Shadrach, Meshach and Abdenego (600 B.C.)]
Considering the different traditions and calendars used throughout the world, Christian believers will celebrate New Year 2003 on January 1st according to the new calendar. The Eastern traditional Churches, and in particular the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, will have this Feast on the Day of the Commemoration of the Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Feast of Saint Basil the Great with a wonderful procession inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, or Anastasis, on the night between January 13th/14th, i.e. December 31st/January 1st on the old calendar - New Year's Day for most of the Orthodox Churches, especially in the Middle East.
Therefore we shall extend our greetings over a long period, which starts this week and will end with the Theophany of the Lord at the Jordan River on January 19th/6th. Since we also include the Week of Christian Unity, which begins precisely on that day and finishes on January 25th/12th, this concerns a long-term period of prayer considering all the wonders that God provided us. He took flesh and gave us His only begotton Son so that no one should perish, but have eternal life [John 3:15; 6:40].
Referring to the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians 4:4 ["Jesus was born a subject under the Law"], we should also take into consideration the fact that all the Churches, although not aware of this reality, schedule the Lord's Feasts according to the Jewish Calendar. This is clear for Easter, which, after the definition of the First Council of Nicea, declared that the Resurrection of the Lord should be celebrated at least one week after the 14th of Nisan. As concerns the Nativity of the Lord, we shall have the opportunity in the coming weeks to explain the different links to the first economy of salvation still pertaining in the Jewish Community.
Tuesday, December 31st/18:
Great-martyr Sebastian and His companions [ca. 287]
Wednesday, January 1st/December 19th:
Holy Martyr Boniface [290]
Thursday, January 2nd/December 20th:
Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ, Saint Ignatius the Godbearer, Archbishop of Antioch
[From this day until the end of the Nativity Fast fish is not permitted]
Friday, January 3rd/December 21st:
Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ;
Saint Juliana of Nicomedia; Repose of Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Kiev
Saturday, January 4th/December 22nd:
Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ; Great-martyr Anastasia, Releaser from bonds
THE JEWISH READINGS
Shabbat SH'MOT [The Names - Beginning of the Reading of the Second Book of Moses, Exodus, according to the Septuagint Version]
Portion of the Torah/Parshat Torah: Sh'mot/Exodus 1:1-6:1
Prophetic Portion/Haftarah: [Ashkenazim] Prophet Isaiah 27:6-20:22-23
[Sephardim] Prophet Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
[Yemenite] Prophet Ezekiel 16:1-16, [14]
THE ORTHODOX READINGS
The pericope of the Gospel is a parable which Jesus recounts to His disciples. A certain man made a great supper and he invited a lot of people. Then he said to his servant to tell the guests that everything was ready and that they should come to the supper or banquet.
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