+HOLY THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
About the beginning of our Lord's thirtieth year, John the Forerunner, who was some six months older than Our Saviour according to the flesh, and had lived in the wilderness since his childhood, received a command from God and came into the parts of the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins. Then our Saviour also came from Galilee to the Jordan, and sought and received baptism though He was the Master and John was but a servant. Whereupon, there came to pass those marvellous deeds, great and beyond nature: the Heavens were opened, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove upon Him that was being baptized and the voice was heard from the Heavens hearing witness that this was the beloved Son of God, now baptized as a man (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:1-22). From these events the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and the great mystery of the Trinity were demonstrated. It is also from this that the present feast is called "Theophany," that is, the divine manifestation, God's appearance among men. On this venerable day the sacred mystery of Christian baptism was inaugurated; henceforth also began the saving preaching of the Kingdom of the Heavens. Commemorated on January 6
Epistle Reading for the Day
The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy 4:5-8
TIMOTHY, my son, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.
For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Gospel Reading for the Day
The Gospel According to Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophets, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' John was baptizing in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Απόστολος της Ημέρας
Πρὸς Τιμόθεον β' 4:5-8 τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα
Τέκνον Τιμόθεε, νῆφε ἐν πᾶσιν, κακοπάθησον, ἔργον ποίησον εὐαγγελιστοῦ, τὴν διακονίαν σου πληροφόρησον.
Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναλύσεως ἐφέστηκεν. Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα· λοιπόν, ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ κύριος ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ δίκαιος κριτής· οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοί, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσιν τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσιν τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ.
Ευαγγέλιον της Ήμέρας
Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 1:1-8 Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα
᾿Αρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. ῾Ως γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου· φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ, ἐγένετο ᾿Ιωάννης βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσα ἡ ᾿Ιουδαία χώρα καὶ οἱ ῾Ιεροσολυμῖται, καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο πάντες ἐν τῷ ᾿Ιορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν. Ἦν δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐσθίων ἀκρίδας καὶ μέλι ἄγριον. Καὶ ἐκήρυσσε λέγων· ἔρχεται ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου ὀπίσω μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς κύψας λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ· ἐγὼ μὲν ἐβάπτισα ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι, αὐτὸς δὲ βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς ἐν Πνεύματι ῾Αγίῳ.
ΜΙΚΡΟΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ
Τα άγια Θεοφάνεια - «Επεφάνη η χάρις του Θεού η σωτήριος..» είναι γραμμένο στις επιστολές του Αποστόλου Παύλου. Καί πάλι « η χάρις και η αλήθεια δια Ιησού Χριστού εγένετο», είναι γραμμένο στο Ευαγγέλιο του Ιωάννου. Το νέο λοιπόν που κομίζει ο Ιησούς Χριστός στον κόσμο είναι η χάρις. Το χαροποιό Μύνημα του Ευαγγελίου, η ουσία και το βάθος του Χριστιανισμού είναι η χάρις. Το ξεχωριστό γνώρισμα της Εκκλησίας και η διαφορά της από τη Συναγωγή είναι η χάρις. Ότι έχει η «καινή κτίσις», που δεν υπάρχει στον παλαιό κόσμο, είναι η χάρις. Βασίλειο της χάριτος είναι η «βασιλεία των ουρανών».Και η μεγάλη εορτή Θεοφάνεια ή Επιφάνεια, είναι η ημέρα, όπου επίσημα και πανηγυρικά με τη «φανέρωση της Αγίας Τριάδος, έκαμε την είσοδο της στον κόσμο η θεία χάρις: «Επεφάνεις σήμεροντη οικουμένη και το φώς, σου Κύριε, εσημειώθη εφ’ ημάς» ψάλλει η Εκκλησία.
Ο ΄Αγιος Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος Τίς εορτές του Δωδεκαημέρου τις επισφραγίζει η εορτή του Αγίου Ιωάννου, «την σύναξιν επιτελούμεν του αγίου και τιμίου Προδρόμου εξ αρχής και άνωθεν παραδιδομένην, ως τω μυστηρίω του Θείου Βαπτίσματος υπουργήσαντος». Ο Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος,αναδείχθηκε όντως ο «σεβασμιώτερος» από όλους τους Προφήτας, όχι μόνον για την αγιότητα του βίου του και το μαρτυρικό του τέλος, όχι μόνον γιατί είδε τον«κηρυττόμενον», μά και γιατί αξιώθηκε να τον βαπτίση. Μέσα σε όλες τις προνομίες, με τις οποίες ο Θεός ετίμησε τον Ιωάννη, εκείνος έμεινε πάντα με την βαθειά συναίσθηση, πώς ήτανο λύχνος απέναντι στο φώς, ο υπηρέτης εμπρός στο Δεσπότη, ο άνθρωπος ενώπιον του Θεού.
΄Ας μην το ξεχνούμε εμείς οι απλοί και αμαρτωλοί, που αξιωθήκαμε να υπηρετούμε στο έργο της σωτηρίας των ανθρώπων. Ο Ιωάννης έλεγε: «Εκείνον δεί αυξάνειν, εμέ δέ ελαττούσθαι».
Synaxis of St. John the Holy Glorious Prophet, Baptist, & Forerunner - January 7
St. John is commemorated several times during the year, but his greatest feast is on this day, January 7th. Among the Gospel-figures surrounding the Saviour, the person of John the Baptist holds a very special place, by the manner of his birth in this world and of his earthly life, by his role of baptizer of men to repentance and his baptism of the Messiah, and, lastly, by the tragic manner of his departure from this world. He was of such moral purity that he indeed deserved the name 'angel'*, as he was named in the Scriptures, rather than being thought of as just a mortal man. John differs from all the other prophets in that he had the joy of showing forth to the world the One Whom he had foretold.
About the hand of St. John: it is related that each year, on his feast-day, the archbishop would bring it out before the people. Sometimes the hand appeared open, and sometimes clenched. In the first case it indicated that it would be a fertile year, and in the second that it would be a year of famine.
Meditation:
Christ is illumined, let us shine forth with Him. Christ is baptized, let us descend with Him that we may also ascend with Him. Jesus is baptized; but we must attentively consider not only this but also some other points. Who is He, and by whom is He baptized, and at what time? He the All-pure; and He is baptized by John; and the time is the beginning of His miracles. What are we to learn and to be taught by this? To purify ourselves first; to be lowly minded; and to preach only in maturity both of spiritual and bodily stature. +St. Gregory Nazianzen, Oration on the Holy Light
COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST - PRAYERS FOR: Julia, Helen, Peter, Sophia, Alexandra, Marina, Christos, Reem, Athanasia, Terry, Becky, Salem, Mantia, Georgia, Vicki, Maria, Vasilios, Nektaria, John, Violet, Cynthis, Fr. Jon-Stephen Hedges, Evangelos, William, Momcilo, Jill, Panagiotis, Vasiliki, Elizabeth, Panagiota, Betty, Dimitri, Alexander, Vasiliki, Eleni, Panagiotis, George, Thomas, Nicholas, Sophia, Susan, Mary Lou, Mehmet.
O Lord our God, Who by word alone did heal all diseases, Who cured the mother in law of Peter, You Who chastise with pity and heal according to Your goodness; grant aid to these Your servants (Names) and heal them of every sickness of which they are grieved; lift them up from their pain, and send down upon them Your great mercy. For to you we send up Glory: to Father, and to Son, and to Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayers for the living will be retained on the list for 40 days. Contact Church Office to add names at office@assumptionchicago.org or call Panagia office at 773.626.3114
