WEEK 2
Saturday, 21st [8th] of September, 2002
Feast of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos [Mother of God] and Ever-Virgin Mary
Readings: Matins: Saint Luke 1:30 - 49:56
Divine Liturgy: First Reading: Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Philippians 2:5-11
Holy Gospel: Saint Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
Dismissal Hymn, Fourth Tone:
"Your Nativity, O Theotokos, has proclaimed joy to the whole world;
for from You has dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God,
annulling the curse, and bestowing the blessing,
abolishing death and granting us life everlasting"
Kontakion, Fourth Tone:
"Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness,
and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death, O Immaculate One,
by Your holy nativity, which Your people redeemed from the guilt of offences,
celebrate by crying to You: The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos,
the Nourisher of our life."
Sunday, 22nd [9th] of September, 2002
Afterfeast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Lady and Mother of God and Synaxis of the Saint Parents of God, Joachim and Anna
Readings: Matins: Saint Mark 16:1-8
Divine Liturgy: First Reading: First Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Galatians 6:11-18
Holy Gospel: Saint John 3:13-17
Sunday before the Exaltation of The Precious and Life-giving Cross:
Readings: First Reading: First Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Corinthians 16:13-24
Holy Gospel: Saint Matthew 21:33-42
The Saint Parents of Our Lord and God Jesus Christ:
Readings: First Reading: Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Galatians 4:22-31
Holy Gospel: Saint Luke 8:16-21
Shabbat 15 Tishri 5763
SHABBAT SUKKOT [The Feast of Tabernacles, Booths]
Sabbath begins Friday, 14 Tishri at 6:04 p,m. [Jerusalem]
Readings: Parashat Sukkot [Pericope of Sukkot]: Book of Leviticus [Vayikra] 22:26 - 23:44
The Book of Kohelet [Ecclesiastes]
INTRODUCTION
We just celebrated the liturgical New Year of the Eastern Orthodox Church on September 14/1 according to the old Calendar in use in the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem. In our commentary for Week 1, we pointed out the connection of this celebration with the Jewish Feasts of Rosh HaShanah [New Year] and Yom HaKippurim, Commonly called "Kippur" [Day of Atonement]. The Christian Orthodox calendar is deeply enrooted in Jewish time computing. We mentioned that the Hebrew autumnal renewal is also present in the Church evaluation of a new-year time that continues in this Week 2. Six days before the Feast [Matthew 17:1] which is recounted in the Gospel as the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, i.e. the explicit mention of the Feast of Tabernacles, Peter wants to make three tabernacles for Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Thus, the Feast of Tabernacles or Hag HaSukkot, is the final and eschatological celebration of all things and acts of salvation that did happen throughout History, from the time of the creation of the world until the ingathering of all the living and dead in front of the Throne of God and His Splendor.
The Orthodox Church also recalls, at this particularly acceptable period, the Nativity, the birth of the Mother of Jesus Christ according to the Flesh and the next day of her parents, Saints Joachim and Anna. This year, this commemoration corresponds with the Feast of Tabernacles. Next Saturday-Sunday [Week 3], the Orthodox Church will be celebrating the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-giving Cross as the Jewush Community will reach the holiest days of Hoshanna Rabba [Save Us, Lord] and the rather recent Feast of Simhat Torah [The Joy of the Torah, Law given to Moses].
THE ORTHODOX READINGS
We don't know much about the life of Our Most Holy Lady Mary and Mother of God, Jesus Christ. But interestingly, the Church recalls Her birth and Her death or Dormition [celebrated on August 28/15] although nothing is mentioned in the four official Books of the New Testament. The Gospel of Saint James and other deutero-canonical or apocryphal texts duly recognized by the Orthodox Church as well as other Christian denominations, do describe at length the life of the young Virgin of Nazareth. The Genealogy ["Toldot" in Hebrew = history of birth-giving] of Jesus Christ is included in two Gospels: Saint Matthew [1:1-17] and Saint Luke [3:23-38]. Saint Matthew, whose Gospel is rather Semitic by its structure and accounts opens the history of Salvation by the generations of Jesus Christ, beginning with the fashioning of Adam, the first man. Saint Luke, the Evangelist of Gentile origin and a former Jewish proselyte, points out the link between the generation of Jesus Christ as Saviour and His Baptism in the Jordan River. As a matter of fact, Baptism is considered as the Faithfuls' normal "birthday" and "Name Day", especially in the Slavic Byzantine Churches. But Saint Luke reverses the order of the generations: he mentions first Jesus Christ and traces back to Adam. Jesus the Messiah comes in order to save the whole creation and all human beings, which concerns Adam to begin with.
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