WEEK 3
Thursday, 26st [13th] of September, 2002
Memorial Day of the Consecration of the Holy Church of the Resurrection of Jesus in Jerusaelm in 335 A.D.
Readings: First Reading: Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Hebrews 3:1-4
Holy Gospel: Saint Matthew 16:13-18
Friday, 27th [14th] of September, 2002
Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-giving Cross
Readings: Matins: Holy Gospel: Saint John 12:28-36
Divine Liturgy: First Reading: First Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Corinthians 1:18-24
Holy Gospel: Saint John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35
FULL FASTING DAY
Dismissal Hymn, First Tone:
Save, O Lord, Your people, and bless Your inheritance;
grant You unto the faithful victory over adversaries.
And by the power of Your Cross do You preserve Your commonwealth.
Kontakion, Fourth Tone:
O You Who was lifted up willingly on the Cross,
bestow Your mercies upon the new Nation called after You, Christ God:
gladden with Your power our faithful hierarchs,
granting them victory over all heresy.
May they have as Your help in war the Weapon of peace, the invincible Trophy.
Saturday, 28th [15th] of September, 2002
Saturday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Life-giving Cross
Readings: [Feast] First Reading: First Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Corinthians 1:26-29
Holy Gospel: Saint John 8:21-30
[Ordinary] First Reading: First Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Corinthians 4:1-5
Holy Gospel: Saint Matthew 23:1-12
Sunday, 29th [16th] of September, 2002
14th Week after Pentecost, after the Exaltation of the Life-giving Cross, Tone 5
Readings: Matins: First Reading: Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Hebrews 3
Holy Gospel: Saint Mark 16:9-20
['Week after the Exaltation of the Life-giving Cross]:
Divine Liturgy: First reading: Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Galatians 2:16-20
Holy Gospel: Saint Mark 8:34-9:1
[Ordinary]: First reading: Second Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Corinthians 1:21-2:4
Holy Gospel: Saint Matthew 22:1-14
Friday [Yom Vav] 21 Tishri 5763
HOSHANA RABBA [High Supplication for Salvation], Seventh Day of the Feast of SUKKOT [Yom Zayin]
Readings: [Parashah, pericope, Portion of the Torah]: Book of Numbers [BeMidbar] 29:32-34
[Qabbalat Shabbat, Reception of the Shabbat]:
Shabbat begins Friday, 21 Tishri at 5:53 p.m. [Jerusalem], 6:13 p.m. [Tel Aviv], 6:04 p.m. [Haifa]
[Motzaei Shabbat, Outgoing of the Shabbat]:
Shabbat ends Saturday, 22 Tishri at 7:07 p.m. [Jerusalem], 7:09 p.m. [Tel Aviv], 7:10 p.m.[Haifa]
Saturday, Shabbat 22 Tishri 5763
HAG SH'MINI ATZERET veSIMCHAT TORAH [Feast of the Eight and conclusive Festive Day of Gathering, and Joy of the Torah]
Readings:
a] SH'MINI ATZERET [Eighth Day of Festive Gathering]: Book of Deuteronomy [Devarim] 14:22-16:17
b] SIMHAT TORAH [Joy of the Torah]:
In the evening: VeZot HaBrakhah [This is the Blessing]: Book of Deuteronomy [Devarim] 33:1-17
In the daytime: VeZot HaBrakhah [This is the Blessing]: Book of Deuteronomy [Devarim] 33:1-34:12
Parasha [Portion of the Torah]: Bereshit [In the Beginning]: Book of Genesis [Bereshit] 1:1-2:3
Mussaf [Additional final Portion[: Book of Numbers [BeMidbar] 29:35-3-:1
Hazkarat Neshamot [Memorial Serv ice for the Departed], Tefillat HaGeshem [Prayer for Rain]
INTRODUCTION
The Eastern Orthodox Church of Jerusalem reaches this week the end of the month of September and, at the same time, the Jewish Communities leave the festive Days of the New Year, Atonement and Tabernacle Festivals. The Church of Jerusalem is of course not the only one to celebrate the Exaltation, the Discovery of the Life-giving Cross by the Queen Saint Helena and her son, Emperor Constantine on the site of the present "Anastasis" [the hill located outside the walls of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus Christ], the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or of the Holy Tomb. But since all the history of Salvation did occur in this tiny piece of land, it has a special meaning, which spread over the centuries all over the world.
The Jewish Community celebrates the end of the Days of HEHAG, the Feast of Sukkot, Tabernacles [cf. Week 2], but a final ascent on foot to the Western Wall [Kotel HaMaaravi], the most venerated place of the Second Temple presence although a fierce quarrel is now dividing religious groups and some Israeli archaeologist about the reality of this remnant from the Second Temple and its authenticity. As a rule, Holiness is always a matter of doubt and research and new viewpoints or opinions, whether founded or not, are scarcely accepted. This also concerns the site of the Anastasis. Whatever faith is concerned, doubting seems to be a leading rule challenging stories, fairy accounts or simple facts and realities that have to be upgraded with more precision.
In the year 335, Saints Constantine and Helena, Equal-to-the-Apostles, were in Jerusalem accompanying the usual faithful who faithfully attended the prayers at Golgotha and the Tomb where the Lord had been buried and from which He rose from the dead. Saint Helena conducted excavations in order to prove that this is the real site where Our Lord Jesus Christ was impaled on the Cross, died and was resurrected. This also demonstrates that at that time the political and theological balance was rather determined allowing the Emperor to settle problems and confirm his faith after a terrible period of two centuries of Eastern/Western theological disputes and contests about the Saviour and His Personality.
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