THIS WEEK’S FASTSSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Announcements We will celebrate the Feast of the !eophany (or Baptism) of Our Lord on !ursday. Fol-

lowing the Divine Liturgy will be the service of the Great Blessing of Holy Water. Please speak to Father Basil to arrange the blessing of your home. Please note there will be no Vespers on Tuesday but we will have Vespers on Wednesday for !eophany.

!e cover photo is of a Statue portraying Saint Seraphim praying on the rock (Korennaya monastery, Kursk Oblast).

THIS WEEK’S SERVICE SCHEDULE & SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday, 1/3 NOSERVICE

2 Timothy2:20-26

Luke19:37-44

Tuesday, 1/4 Matins8 a.m.

2 Timothy3:16-4:4

Luke 19: 45-48

Wednesday, 1/5 Vespers4 p.m.

1 Cor.9:19-27

Luke3:1-18

Thursday, 1/6Theophany of Our Lord

Liturgy9 a.m.

Titus 2:11-14; 3:407

Matt.3:13-17

Friday, 1/7St. John the Baptist

Matins8 a.m.

Acts9:1-8

John1:29-34

Titus1:15-2:10

Luke20:19-26

Saturday, 1/8Saturday after Theophany

Vespers4 p.m.

Ephesians1:16-23

Luke 12:32-40

Ephes.6:10-17

Matt.4:1-11

Priest

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“Lord, I Call”SUNDAY (Tone 7)

Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess !y name!Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, Who destroyed the dominion of death! Let us sing to Him with the bodiless hosts, for He enlightened the race of Man! O our Maker and Savior, glory to !ee!

!e righteous await me, till !ou shalt reward me.!ou didst endure the Cross and burial for our sake! By !y death, !ou didst slay death as God! We fall down before !y Resurrection on the third day, O Savior, glory to !ee!

Out of the depths have I cried unto !ee, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice!

When the Apostles beheld the Resurrection of the Maker, they were amazed and sang the angelic praise! !is is the glory of the Church! !is is the richness of the Kingdom! O Lord, cruci"ed for our sake, glory to !ee!

FOREFEAST of Theophany (Tone 4)Let !ine ears give heed to the voice of my prayer!

O faithful, let us celebrate the Forefeast of Christ’s !eophany! Let us sing hymns to honor the noble Bap-tism of our God, for He wills to approach the Forerun-ner in the #esh! As a Man, He asks for the Baptism of salvation: the regeneration of all those who accept Him in faith and become partakers of the Spirit.

If !ou observest transgression, Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For with !ee is propitiation.

Christ is made manifest. God is revealed, as David clearly foretold of old. He comes to His servant, seek-ing Baptism. Be "lled with joy, O river Jordan! Dance, earth and seas; hills and mountains! Exult, O hearts of men, for a great light is coming upon you!For !y name’s sake have I waited upon !ee, O Lord; my soul

hath waited upon !y word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.!ou art the River of Peace and Valley of Paradise, O All-powerful Lord. How canst a river receive !ee naked, in its course, the One Who mantled the heavens with clouds? !ou shalt strip the evil Ene-my naked, clothing mankind with immortality!

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Tone 1)From the morning watch even to the night, let Israel hope in

the Lord!O most glorious wonder! An athlete in piety appears at Sarov; he has become a fervent intercessor with God for us. Rejoice, monks of Sarov, who possess the relics of the holy monk! Rejoice, Orthodox faithful! You possess the most holy Seraphim as your defender in a$iction. Cry out to him: “Rejoice, light of the Russian land! You quenched the darkness of the enemy. Entreat the Lord to grant our souls peace and great mercy!”

For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.O most glorious wonder! Behold, in the monastery of Sarov a "rm pillar of goodness; the blessed Sera-phim appears in truth to us. !erefore the assem-blies of those who are wise in God cry out, exulting in Spirit: “O Saint, and Father Seraphim, entreat the Lord to grant our souls peace and great mercy!”

O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people!Great are !y mysteries, O Christ our God! !ou hast given us the holy monk Seraphim to be a light for us, a strong defender against the enemy, interces-sor before God for monastics and all the Orthodox faithful, his own monastery’s strength and boast. For now he intercedes with !ee, O Lord, asking for our souls peace and great mercy.For His mercy hath been con"rmed upon us and the truth of

the Lord remaineth forever.When thou didst enter the Sarov wilderness, O ven-erable Seraphim, then, completely stripping o% thine own will, thou didst show thyself steadfast in every obedience. !ou didst endure insults and dis-honor, rejoicing; thou didst love the blows and wounds from evil men, for whom thou didst also pray, O holy monk. And as we glorify thy most hon-orable memory, we pray thee, O venerable father: “Entreat the Lord to grant peace to the world, and great mercy to our souls!”

!"#$%&'#()#"(

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ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Tone 8)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

Come, O assemblies of the faithful, let us glorify our mo& wondrous Father with songs of praise, and let us cry out to him: “O venerable Father Seraphim, thou ha& truly been granted life divine, and ha& received a crown of unfading glory from God. !erefore the Mona&ery of Sarov praises thee, and the people, be-holding the precious shrine of thy relics and the mir-acles that have taken place, glorify the Lord Who has glori"ed thee. Entreat Him now, O venerable Father, to grant peace and great mercy to our souls!”

DOGMATIKON (Tone 7)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

No tongue can speak of thy wonderful childbearing, for the order of nature was overruled by God. !ou wa& revealed to be a Mother above nature, for thou did& remain a Virgin beyond reason and under-&anding. !y conception was mo& glorious, O !e-otokos! !e manner of thy giving birth was ine%a-ble, O Virgin! Knowing thee to be the Mother of God, devoutly we pray to thee: “Beseech Him to save our souls!”Old Testament Readings

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov

(Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9)!e souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their de-parture was thought to be an a$i'ion, and their going from us to be their de&ru'ion; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God te&ed them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacri"cial burnt o%ering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the &ubble. !ey will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. !ose who tru& in him will under&and truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his ele', and he watches over his holy ones.

(Wisdom of Solomon 5:15-6:3)!e righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Mo& High takes care of them. !ere-fore they will receive a glorious crown and a beauti-ful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them. !e Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies; he will put on righteousness as a brea&-plate, and wear impartial ju&ice as a helmet; he will take holiness as an invincible shield, and sharpen &ern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to "ght again& the madmen. Shafts of light-ning will #y with true aim, and will leap to the tar-get as from a well-drawn bow of clouds, and hail-&ones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult; the water of the sea will rage again& them, and riv-ers will relentlessly overwhelm them; a mighty wind will rise again& them , and like a tempe& it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay wa&e the whole earth, and evil-doing will overturn the thrones of rulers.Li&en therefore, O kings, and under∧ learn, O judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, you that rule over multitudes, and boa& of many nations. For your dominion was given you from the Lord, and your sovereignty from the Mo& High, who will search out your works and inquire into your plans.

(Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-15)For even if they put forth boughs for a while, &and-ing insecurely they will be shaken by the wind, and by the violence of the winds they will be uprooted. !e branches will be broken o% before they come to maturity, and their fruit will be useless, not ripe enough to eat, and good for nothing. For children born of unlawful unions are witnesses of evil again& their parents when God examines them. But the righteous man, though he die early, will be at re&. For old age is not honored for length of time, nor measured by number of years; but under&anding is gray hair for men, and a blameless life is ripe old age. !ere was one who pleased God and was loved by him, and while living among sinners he was taken up. He was caught up le& evil change his under-

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&anding or guile deceive his soul. For the fascina-tion of wickedness obscures what is good, and rov-ing desire perverts the innocent mind. Being perfe'ed in a short time, he ful"lled long years; for his soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore he took him quickly from the mid& of wickedness. Yet the peoples saw and did not under&and, nor take such a thing to heart, that God’s grace and mercy are with his ele', and he watches over his holy ones.Aposticha

SUNDAY (Tone 7)As the Savior of the world !ou didst arise from the tomb. As God, !ou didst resurrect the race of men with !y #esh. O Lord, glory to !ee!

Come, let us worship the One Who rose from the dead, and enlightened all creation! By His death, He has saved us from the torments of hell. By His Res-urrection He has granted us eternal life and great mercy.

Into hell didst !ou descend, capturing death, O Christ. In three days, didst !ou arise again, resur-recting us who glorify !y Resurrection, O Lord and Lover of Man!

When !ou wast placed in the tomb as one asleep, the sight was great and awesome. But when !ou didst rise on the third day as almighty God, !ou didst resurrect Adam with !yself. Glory to !y Resurrection, O only Lover of Man!

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Tone 6)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

Holy Father Seraphim, who can worthily praise thy wondrous life? What tongue can tell of thy &ruggles in the wilderness: the vigils, the fa&ing, the isola-tion and silence, the ceaseless prayer? Truly thou art the pride of ascetics, a powerful intercessor before God. Rejoice, example of monks! Rejoice, haven for those in torment! Pray to the Lord that our souls may be saved!

FOREFEAST of Theophany (Tone 3)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Come, all you faithful! Let us leave the land of Ju-dea! In&ead, let us go to the wilderness of Jordan! Let us behold the Baptism of our incarnate Enlight-ener! !e Bapti& hesitates, crying out with fear: “I dare not place my hand on !y head, O Savior! If the sea #ed and the Jordan turned back, how shall I touch the Fire before which the Seraphim tremble? !e Jordan was parted when Elisha &ruck it with Elijah’s mantle; shall not the waters return to their primal chaos when they behold !ee naked in their courses? How shall I not be burned by the all-con-suming Fire? !e Jordan itself will forbid me, crying out: ‘Bapti&, how will you baptize my Lord?’” But the Lord commanded him, saying: “Hinder not the cleansing of all! I shall san'ify all creation with liv-ing water; for this I am made manife&!”Troparia

SUNDAY (Tone 7)By !y Cross, !ou didst destroy death. To the thief !ou didst open Paradise. For the Myrrhbearers !ou didst change their lamentation into joy. And !ou didst command !ine Apostles, O Christ God, to proclaim that !ou art risen granting unto the world great mercy.

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Tone 4)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

You loved Chri& from your youth, O blessed one, and, longing to work for Him alone, you &ruggled in the wilderness in con&ant prayer and labor. With penitent heart and great love for Chri& you were favored by the Mother of God. !erefore we cry to you: “Save us by your prayers, venerable Seraphim, our father!”Resurrectional Dismissal Theotokion (Tone 4)

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.Prepare, O Zebulon, and adorn yourself, O Naph-tali! River Jordan, cease #owing, and receive with joy the Ma&er coming to be baptized! Adam, rejoice with our Fir& Mother, and do not hide yourself as you did of old in Paradise; for having seen you na-ked, He has appeared to clothe you with the "r& garment. Chri& has appeared to renew all creation.

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*+,+-#&.+%/"01&23&4%&526-&76"1(2(%28Beatitude Verses

SUNDAYBlessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

"air to look upon and good for food was the fruit that killed me# while $hrist is the tree of life% &ating there'of( ) die not but cry aloud with the thief# *emember me( + ,ord( in -hy kingdom%

,ifted upon the cross( -hou .ho art compassionate( hast blotted out the handwriting of /dam0s sin in days of old( and -hou hast saved from error all the whole line of mortal men% -herefore we sing -hy praises( + benefa1or and ,ord%Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.-hou hast nailed our sins upon the cross( + $hrist .ho art compassionate( and by -hy death hast -hou put death to death( raising the dead from the dead% -herefore we venerate -hy holy *esurre1ion%

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

-he serpent once emptied his poison into the ears of &ve# while $hrist on the wood of the cross poured the sweetness of life into the world% *emember me( + ,ord( in -hy kingdom%

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you,

and shall say all manner of evil again# you falsely for my sake./dmist the towering trees( where stillness reigned with a sovereign sway( thy pure unwearying prayer ascend'ed as incense with thy voiceless unceasing cries2 34oly( 4oly( 4oly( + /lmighty ,ord of 5abaoth%0

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

-hou art a light unto monks( an intercessor for all the world( a kind prote1or of little children( a shepherd unto nuns( teaching all to cry2 34oly( 4oly( 4oly( 6od the man'befriending -rinity%0

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…/ mortal wearing our 7esh( thou brakest through fallen nature0s bonds( and thou in trembling and joy didst stand with thy namesakes at 6od0s throne( crying mystically2 34oly( 4oly( 4oly is the "ather( .ord and $omforter%0

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.-hrough thy love for the 8irgin( + ven0rable 5eraphim( thou wast given 9re out of 4eaven( kindling thy soul0s estate to yet more ardent love for thine incarnate $re'ator and for her from 4e took 7esh to recover us%

TropariaSUNDAY (Tone 7)

By !y Cross, !ou did& de&roy death. To the thief !ou did& open Paradise. For the Myrrhbearers !ou did& change their lamentation into joy. And !ou did& command !ine Apo&les, O Chri& God, to proclaim that !ou art risen granting unto the world great mercy.

FOREFEAST of Theophany (Tone 4)Prepare, O Zebulon, and adorn yourself, O Naph-tali! River Jordan, cease #owing, and receive with joy the Ma&er coming to be baptized! Adam, rejoice with our Fir& Mother, and do not hide yourself as you did of old in Paradise; for having seen you naked, He has appeared to clothe you with the "r& garment. Chri& has appeared to renew all creation.

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Tone 6)You loved Chri& from your youth, O blessed one, and, longing to work for Him alone, you &ruggled in the wilderness in con&ant prayer and labor. With peni-tent heart and great love for Chri& you were favored by the Mother of God. !erefore we cry to you: “Save us by your prayers, venerable Seraphim, our father!”Kontakia

SUNDAY (Tone 7)No longer can the might of death hold mankind, for Chri& hath come down de&roying and loosing its powers. Hell is bound, and the prophets with one voice rejoice, saying, the Savior hath appeared to those with faith. Go forth, ye faithful unto the resurre'ion.

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ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Tone 2)

Forsaking the beauty as well as the corruption of this world, you settled in the mona&ery of Sarov, O Saint. !ere you lived an angelic life, becoming for many the way to salvation. !erefore, Chri& has glori"ed you, Father Seraphim, enriching you with abundant healing and miracles. So we cry to you: “Save us by your prayers, venerable Seraphim, our father!”

FOREFEAST of Theophany (Tone 4)

Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John: “Do not be afraid to baptize Me. For I have come to save Adam, the "r&-formed man.”Prokeimenon

SUNDAY before Theophany (Tone 6)5ave( + ,ord( -hy people( and bless -hine inheritance%

-o thee( + ,ord( will ) cry# + my 6od( keep thou not silent toward me%

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Tone 7)Honorable before the Lord is the death of His saints.

Epistle ReadingSUNDAY before Theophany (2 Timothy 4:5-8)

"y son #imothy, watch thou in all things( endure af'7i1ions( do the work of an evangelist( make full proof of thy ministry% "or ) am now ready to be o:ered( and the time of my departure is at hand% ) have fought a good 9ght( ) have 9nished my course( ) have kept the faith2 4enceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness( which the ,ord( the righteous judge( shall give me at that day2 and not to me only( but unto all them also that love his appearing%

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Galatians 5:22-6:2)$rethren, the fruit of the 5pirit is love( joy( peace( long'su:ering( gentleness( goodness( faith( meekness( tem'perance2 against such there is no law% /nd they that are $hrist0s have cruci9ed the 7esh with the a:e1ions and lusts% )f we live in the 5pirit( let us also walk in the 5pirit% ,et us not be desirous of vain glory( provoking one another( envying one another%

;rethren( if a man be overtaken in a fault( ye which are

spiritual( restore such an one in the spirit of meekness# considering thyself( lest thou also be tempered% ;ear ye one another0s burdens( and so ful9l the law of $hrist%

Alleluia VersesSUNDAY before Theophany (Tone 8)

O God, be bountiful to us and bless us, show the light of !y countenance upon us, and have mercy on us!

!at we may know !y way upon the earth, and !y salvation amongst all nations.

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Tone 6)Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly

delights in His commandments.

Gospel ReadingSUNDAY before Theophany (Mark 1:1-8)

ST. SERAPHIM of Sarov (Luke 6:17-23)At that time,

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Please note Holy Communion is reserved for Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves beforehand through confession and fasting. All are welcome to receive the blessed bread and Father’s blessing after services.

S

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liturgy

-he liturgy of the +ld -estament people was the o<cial worship in the temple of =erusalem according to the >o'saic ,aw( as well as the annual feasts and fasts and the pri'vate prayers and services held by the )sraelites at home or in the synagogues% by de9nition are houses of gathering# they are not temples since according to the ,aw there was just the one in =erusalem where the priestly worship was condu1ed% )n the synagogues the )sraelites gathered for prayer and scriptural study( preach'ing( and contemplation of the .ord of 6od%

)n the ?ew -estament $hurch the liturgy is centered in the person of $hrist and is primarily a @christeningA of the +ld -estament liturgical life% -he $hristian $hurch retains the liturgical life of the +ld -estament in a new and eternal perspe1ive% -hus( the prayers of the +ld -estament( the scriptures and the psalms( are read and sung in the light of $hrist% -he sacri9ce of the ;ody and ;lood of $hrist replaces the +ld -estament sacri9ces in the temple% /nd the ,ord0s Bay( 5unday( replaces the old =ewish sabbath which is 5aturday%

-he =ewish feasts also take on new meaning in the $hris'tian $hurch with the central feast of Cassover( for example( becoming the celebration of $hrist0s death and resurrec'tion# and the feast of Centecost becoming the celebration of the coming of the 4oly 5pirit which ful9lls the +ld -estamental ,aw% -he $hristian liturgical year is also pat'terned after the +ld -estamental prototype%

"rom the basic foundation of the +ld -estament litur'gy the $hurch developed its own sacramental life with baptism in the name of the 4oly -rinity( chrismation( holy communion( marriage( repentance( healing and the $hurchly ministry and priesthood taking on speci9cally

$hristian forms and meaning% )n addition( a great wealth of speci9cally $hristian prayers( hymns and blessings were developed( together with speci9cally $hristian feasts and celebrations in remembrance of ?ew -estamental events and saints%

-he living experience of the $hristian sacramental and liturgical life is a primary source of $hristian do1rine% )n the liturgy of the $hurch( the ;ible and the 4oly -ra'dition come alive and are given to the living experience of the $hristian people% -hus( through prayer and sac'ramental worship men are @taught by 6odA as it was pre'di1ed for the messianic age D=n E2FGH%

)n addition to the living experience of the liturgy( the texts of the services and sacraments provide a written source of do1rine in that they may be studied and contemplated by one who desires an understanding of $hristian teach'ings% /ccording to the common opinion of the +rthodox $hurch( the sacramental and liturgical texts '' the hymns( blessings( prayers( symbols( and rituals '' contain no for'mal errors or deformations of the $hristian faith and can be trusted absolutely to reveal the genuine do1rine of the +rthodox $hurch% )t may well be that some of the histori'cal information contained in church feasts is inaccurate or merely symbolical( but there is no question in the $hurch that the do1rinal and spiritual meaning of all of the feasts is genuine and authentic and provides true experience and knowledge of 6od%

!he series !he "rthodox #aith is intended to provide ba-sic, comprehensive information on the faith and the life of the "rthodox $hur% for the average reader. !he author is #r. !homas &opko, 'ean (meritus of )t. *ladimir’s )eminary, $re+wood, NY.

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St. Luke Orthodox Christian Church1415 Woodstock Ave.Anniston, AL 36207

Romanian children singing Christmas carols