Hymns and Readings for Sunday

16 DECEMBER 2007

SUNDAY OF THE FOREFATHERS OF CHRIST
TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY OF PENTECOST)
Commemorating the holy Prophet Haggai

Tone Four — Eothinon Seven

TROPARIA AND KONTAKION
(theme hymns of the day and concluding seasonal hymn)

TROPARION OF THE RESURRECTION IN TONE FOUR

The women disciples of the Lord having heard from the angel the joyful announcement of the Resurrection, and having rejected the ancestral sentence, proudly told the Apostles: Death is despoiled, Christ God is risen, bestowing to the world great mercy.

TROPARION OF THE FOREFATHERS IN TONE TWO

Through faith, You have justified your ancestors, O Christ our God, and through them You have espoused in advance the Church set apart from the gentiles. The saints rejoice in glory because from the seed of these ancestors has come forth the glorious fruit who gave You birth without seed. Through their intercession, O Christ God, save our souls!

KONTAKION OF PREPARATION FOR THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST IN TONE THREE

Today the Virgin is on her way to the cave where she will give birth to the Eternal Word of God in an ineffable manner. Rejoice therefore, O Universe, when you hear this news, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds Him who shall appear as new Child being God from all eternity.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

PROKIMENON
(RESPONSORY FROM THE PSALTER)

Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers, and worthy of praise;
and thy name is glorified for ever.

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

THE READING FROM THE EPISTLE OF ST PAUL TO THE COLOSIANS

BRETHREN: When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the New Nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the Image of its Creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scyth'ian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

ALLELUIA

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears,
and delivers them out of all their troubles.

THE READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST LUKE

THE LORD SPOKE THIS PARABLE: A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’

HIRMOS IN TONE SIX
(a “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.

COMMUNION HYMN

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens,
Praise Him in the heights! Alleluia.