Hymns and Readings for Sunday

23 DECEMBER 2007

SUNDAY OF THE GENEALOGY
(SUNDAY BEFORE THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD)
Commemorating the Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete

Tone Five — Eothinon Eight

TROPARIA AND KONTAKION
(THEME HYMNS OF THE DAY AND CONCLUDING SEASONAL HYMN)

TROPARION OF THE RESURRECTION IN TONE FIVE

Let us, O faithful, praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation, for He was pleased to be lifted in the flesh upon the cross, and to endure death, and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.

TROPARION OF THE FOREFATHERS IN TONE TWO

Faith can accomplish great things. Through it, the Three Holy Children rejoice in the flames as if they had been in refreshing water, and Daniel, in the midst of lions is like a shepherd among his sheep. 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 forever.

For Thou art just in all that Thou has done to us,
and all Thy works are true and Thy ways right,and all Thy judgments are truth.

THE READING FROM THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS

BRETHREN: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets -- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated -- of whom the world was not worthy -- wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

ALLELUIA

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us,
what deeds thou didst perform in their days, in the days of old

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 MATTHEW

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Bo'az by Rahab, and Bo'az the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abidjan the father of Asa, and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzzi'ah, and Uzzi'ah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of She-al'ti-el, and She-al'ti-el the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eli'ud, and Eli'ud the father of Elea'zar, and Elea'zar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.

HIRMOS IN TONE FIVE
(Or “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 and are truly Theotokos: we magnify you.

COMMUNION HYMN

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens,
Praise him in the heights!