In response to several requests, I have decided to offer the upcoming Sunday hymns and readings for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, according to the Melkite Greek Catholic Typicon. Please forgive (and let me know) if you spot any mistakes!
For this week only, a few notes about the season, the commemoration, etc., are included in red.
For this week only, a few notes about the season, the commemoration, etc., are included in red.
Your rambling Byzantine Copyist.
PS, Sorry for the odd font size, every now and then I seem to have trouble with this element of the new Blogger.com template.
23 September 2007
First Sunday of the Season of the Holy Cross
(Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost)
Commemorating the Conception of St John the Baptist
In the Melkite Tradition, the Sundays after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (14 September) are referred to as Sundays of the Cross. They are numbered beginning after the Sunday after the Cross, which has its own set Liturgical Reading. Other than designation as "Sunday of/after", the Lectionary readings are the same as those generally appointed in the Byzantine Tradition following the Feast of Pentecost.
Two excellent resources are Fr Peter Boutros's CyperTypicon, and Fr Alam Alam's monthly downloadable Typcon (look on the panel of options on the left). (By the bye, both men are holy men and exemplary priests!)
Look here for my discussion on this topic.
(Theme hymns of the day and concluding seasonal hymn, respectively)
Troparion of the Resurrection in Tone Eight
You descended from on high, O Compassionate One; and consented to burial for three days, that You might free us from suffering: O Lord, our life and our resurrection, glory to You.
Joy to you, O barren one unable to give birth! Behold, you conceive today the one who is really a Torch of the Sun, who will enlighten the whole world that suffered from blindness. Rejoice, O Zacharias, and cry out in all confidence: The one who will be born is a Prophet of the Most High!
O never-failing Protectress of Christians, and their ever-present Intercessor before the Creator, despise not the petitions of us sinners, but in your goodness extend your help to us who call upon you with confidence. Hasten, O Mother of God, to intercede for us, for you have always protected those who honor you.
This Kontakion is used throughout much of the year. Henceforth, if no Kontakion is listed please assume this one is used. A further note: In many Melkite churches, other Kontakia are some times also chanted, these being related to the particular celebration of the day.
Prokimenon
Responsory from the Psalter. The first verse is usually chanted by the Psalti and repeated by the choir or people. The Psalti chants the second verse, followed by the choir/people chanting the first verse again. Finally, the Psalti chants the first part of the first verse, the choir/people chanting the second part.
Give the Lord, you sons of God, give the Lord glory and power.
The Reading from the Epistle of St Paul to the Galatians
Brethren: It is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married."
The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the LORD,
they flourish in the courts of our God.
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke
At that time: While the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
(also called the “Megalynarion” — Hymn to the Virgin sung after the Consecration)
It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, who are ever-blessed and all-blameless and the Mother of our God; more honored than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim: you who without stain did bear God the Word, you are truly Theotokos: we magnify you.
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens,
Praise Him in the heights! Alleluia.
*Like the Kontakion, these are standard hymns in the Liturgy. When the Liturgy of St Basil is celebrated, and on a few other occasions, a different Megalynarion is used. Similarly, on occasion different Communion Hymns (Kinonika) may be used, in addition to other hymns as needed.
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