Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church 8306 NC HWY 751 Durham NC 27713 919-484-1600 fatherstavroforos2012@gmail.com www.stbarbarachurchnc.org News & Announcements September 2, 2018 13th Sunday of Matthew - John the Abstainer, Patriarch of Constantinople 9/2/2018 Mammas the Martyr 9/2/2018 Ammon & Aeithalas the Martyrs of Thrace 9/2/2018 Cosmas the Hermit 9/2/2018 Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople 9/2/2018 NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME SUNDAY SCHOOL REGISTRATION DAY Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. To Our Visitors and Guests We welcome you to worship with us today, whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us. Although Holy Communion and other Sacraments are offered only to baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The Antidoron is not a sacrament, but it is reminiscent of the agape feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. After the Divine Liturgy this morning please join us in the Church Hall for fellowship and refreshments. Please complete a Visitor s Card before you leave today and drop it in the offering tray, or give it to one of the parishioners after the service, or mail it to the Church Office. 1
The Sunday Epistle Reading You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us. Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed. The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians (1:21-24; 2:1-4) Brethren, it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; he has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. But I call God to witness against me - it was to spare you that I refrained from coming to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. For I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Σὺ Κύριε, φυλάξαις ἡμᾶς καὶ διατηρήσαις ἡμᾶς. Στίχ. Σῶσον με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος. Πρὸς Κορινθίους β' τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα (είναι απο 1:21-24, 2:1-4) Ἀδελφοί, ὁ βεβαιῶν ἡμᾶς σὺν ὑμῖν εἰς Χριστόν, καὶ χρίσας ἡμᾶς, θεός, ὁ καὶ σφραγισάμενος ἡμᾶς, καὶ δοὺς τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν. Ἐγὼ δὲ μάρτυρα τὸν θεὸν ἐπικαλοῦμαι ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχήν, ὅτι φειδόμενος ὑμῶν οὐκέτι ἦλθον εἰς Κόρινθον. Οὐχ ὅτι κυριεύομεν ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως, ἀλλὰ συνεργοί ἐσμεν τῆς χαρᾶς ὑμῶν τῇ γὰρ πίστει ἑστήκατε. Ἔκρινα δὲ ἐμαυτῷ τοῦτο, τὸ μὴ πάλιν ἐν λύπῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλθεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ λυπῶ ὑμᾶς, καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ εὐφραίνων με, εἰ μὴ ὁ λυπούμενος ἐξ ἐμοῦ; Καὶ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν τοῦτο αὐτό, ἵνα μὴ ἐλθὼν λύπην ἔχω ἀφʼ ὧν ἔδει με χαίρειν, πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ πάντας ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ἡ ἐμὴ χαρὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐστίν. Ἐκ γὰρ πολλῆς θλίψεως καὶ συνοχῆς καρδίας ἔγραψα ὑμῖν διὰ πολλῶν δακρύων, οὐχ ἵνα λυπηθῆτε, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀγάπην ἵνα γνῶτε ἣν ἔχω περισσοτέρως εἰς ὑμᾶς. 2
The Sunday Gospel Reading The Gospel According to Matthew (22:2-14) The Lord said this parable, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen." Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα 22:2-14 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ἐποίησε γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἀπέστειλε τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν. Πάλιν ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους λέγων Εἴπατε τοῖς κεκλημένοις ἰδοὺ τὸ ἄριστόν μου ἡτοίμασα, οἱ ταῦροί μου καὶ τὰ σιτιστὰ τεθυμένα, καὶ πάντα ἕτοιμα δεῦτε εἰς τοὺς γάμους. οἱ δὲ ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον, ὃς μὲν εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρόν, ὃς δὲ εἰς τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦ οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ ὕβρισαν καὶ ἀπέκτειναν. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκεῖνος ὠργίσθη, καὶ πέμψας τὰ στρατεύματα αὐτοῦ ἀπώλεσε τοὺς φονεῖς ἐκείνους καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν ἐνέπρησε. Τότε λέγει τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ Ο μὲν γάμος ἕτοιμός ἐστιν, οἱ δὲ κεκλημένοι οὐκ ἦσαν ἄξιοι πορεύεσθε οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν, καὶ ὅσους ἐὰν εὕρητε καλέσατε εἰς τοὺς γάμους. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ δοῦλοι ἐκεῖνοι εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς συνήγαγον πάντας ὅσους εὗρον, πονηρούς τε καὶ ἀγαθούς καὶ ἐπλήσθη ὁ γάμος ἀνακειμένων. Εἰσελθὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς θεάσασθαι τοὺς ἀνακειμένους εἶδεν ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐνδεδυμένον ἔνδυμα γάμου, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Ἐταῖρε, πῶς εἰσῆλθες ὧδε μὴ ἔχων ἔνδυμα γάμου; Ο δὲ ἐφιμώθη. Τότε εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς διακόνοις Δήσαντες αὐτοῦ πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ἄρατε αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκβάλετε εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. Πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσι κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. 3
Welcome Back Home +Fr. Chrysostom & Presbytera Alexis Mitchell Fr. Chrysostom was born in Washington, D.C. to his parents, the late James, and Angela Mitchell. He spent most of childhood and young adulthood in Virginia Beach, VA. He is a 1989 graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration- Accounting. Immediately after graduation, he worked as an Auditor for First Virginia Banks. After working a few years, he decided to open a mortgage brokering business serving the Virginia real estate market and was the youngest person to achieve state licensing at that time. In 1997, he was approached by his uncle to join his growing company s sales force for specialty engineered pinch valves for slurry and corrosive process applications in municipal and industrial markets. This would set him on a trajectory of working in the stormwater industry until 2010. Fr. Chrysostom did take the year 2000-2001 to work through OCMC in their mission in Calcutta, India. He assisted in their various social programs, such as medical and dental clinics, a girls orphanage, housing and well construction, and food and clothing distribution. He also assisted in teaching and training the native catechists who were spreading the word of Orthodoxy throughout the region and small villages. As his career in the stormwater industry came to a close, it became increasingly apparent that the next road would lead to the seminary. Fr. Chrysostom studied at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and graduated with his Master of Divinity degree in 2017. He was ordained to the Holy Deaconate and the Holy Priesthood by His Eminence Alexios, Metropolitan of Atlanta in December 2017. Fr. Chrysostom is serving as the Efemerios at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbia, SC. He and Presbytera Alexis have been married for 14 years. 4
Today s Trisagion 1 year Mary Papalcure Mother of Eve Kantner Today s Coffee Hour Given to Welcome Back one of Saint Barabara s Long Time Parishioners and Fr. Stavroforos s Spiritual Children Fr. Chrysostom and Presbytera Alexis. We thank them for dedicating their lives to serve the church. Fr. Chrysostom responded to the call to the Priesthood thus dedicating himself to the Church. Alexis his wife who agreed to dedicate her husband for the priesthood which ultimately meant her dedication to the duties and responsibilities of being a Presbytera. We love you and we are happy to have you with us this weekend. Having you serve at the altar of Saint Barbara is a miracle come true for all of us. Her prayers and intercessions have brought you to this moment in your lives and for that we are truly grateful. A BIG "THANK YOU" to all of you! Stewardship (the "time and talents" portion) came through at St. Barbara Gyro Feast. Again, God Bless all of you for your hard work and devotion to our beloved church. Hope to see all of you at church! Here are the preliminary totals: cash and checks: $4303 credit sales: $4087 Gross: $8390 That's up about $1,000 from last year's June Gyro feast, Once we have gotten all the expenses a more detailed statement will be made available. 5
Beginning at 11:00 AM, this rare and joyous occasion will take the form of a procession with the icon of the Theotokos into our new Panagia Chapel, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta, along with the Monks of Vatopaidi, the clergy of the Metropolis of Atlanta, and a parade group created especially for the event! Together, we will all have the opportunity to venerate the miraculous icon of our Lady, offer glory to our God and Creator, thanking those who made this day possible, and enjoying the fellowship of our Metropolis of Atlanta family. His Eminence hopes to see as many parishioners there as possible, and to that end, asks that you please RSVP with this link. You will not want to miss out on what will surely be a momentous and spiritually joyous event! For questions and additional information, please call Ethel Gjerde, 404-634-9345. 6
ATTENTION SUNDAY SCHOOL PARENTS Greetings Parents of Sunday School age children, I hope that everyone has had a blessed summer! It s about that time for Sunday School to start for our 2018-2019 school year! We will have the registration forms available for completion in the reception hall during the coffee hour, so please make every effort to attend. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday, August 26th. First day of classes NEXT SUNDAY September 9, 2018. Joyfully in Christ, Michelle Claypoole 7
St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church 2018-2019 Sunday Church School and Youth Activities Registration Form 1. Please complete one form per child. Name of Child: Date of Birth: Baptismal Name/day celebrated on: Grade for 2018-2019: School: Name of Parents/Caregivers: Address Street City Zip Code Phone (Home) (Mobile) Preferred E-mail for Sunday Church School Communications: 2. My child is interested in (please check all that apply): Sunday Church School (Preschoolers 3 years - 12th Grade) Youth Choir Altar Server (Boys, ages 8-18) GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth of America; 7th 12th Grade) JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth; 3rd 6th Grades) HOPE (Hellenic Orthodox Primary Education; Kindergarten 2nd Grade) Greek Dance Troupe (Kindergarten 12th Grade) Greek Language classes (Saturday or weekday afternoon) 3. Parent Volunteer Opportunities (please check all that apply): GOYA JOY HOPE Greek Dance Troupe Sunday School Teacher/Substitute/Helper Christmas/Easter Programs Easter Egg Hunt Arts and Crafts Coordinator Field Trips 4. Many activities will include refreshments. Does your child have any food allergies? No Yes, explain 5. Does your child have any special needs of which the teachers/advisors should be aware? No Yes, explain Please return this form to the Sunday School mailbox in the conference room or e-mail the information to mclaypoole19@aol.com or cleopatrazp@aol.com. You may also mail to: St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 8306 NC Highway 751, Durham, NC 27713 C/O Youth Activities Registration 8
Join us for upcoming events at St. Barbara Church! For details visit www.stbarbarachurchnc.org or the church Facebook page NEW CHURCH DIRECTORY PHOTO TAKING DAYS Thursday, September 13 th 2:00 to 9:00 pm Friday, September 14 th 2:00 to 9:00 pm Saturday, September 15 th 10 am to 5:00 pm GREEK CHICKEN DINNERS Sat., October 6, 2018 11am 7 pm dine in/take out HOLIDAY GREEK PASTRY SALE & ATHENIAN GRILL Fri, & Sat., November 16 & 17, 2018 11am 7 pm Fabulous pastries & dine in/take out gyros, spanakopita & Salad September of 2018 2 14 th Sunday of Matthew - 9 am 8 Saturday - Nativity of the Theotokos 9 am 9 - Sunday before Holy Cross - 9 am 14 Friday - Elevation of the Holy Cross - 9 am 16 - Sunday after Holy Cross - 9 am 23 1 st Sunday of Luke - 9 am 30 2 nd Sunday of Luke 9 am 9
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NEW CHURCH DIRECTORY PHOTO TAKING DAYS Thursday, September 13 th 2:00 to 9:00 pm Friday, September 14 th 2:00 to 9:00 pm Saturday, September 15 th 10 am to 5:00 pm GO TO THE SIGN UP TABLE IN THE HALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPPOINTMRENT TIME! 11
Got great photos of life in our church? We want to share with the St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church community and beyond! Send your favorites to Wes Platt, parish council secretary, via email to jointhesaga@gmail.com. Like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stbarbaradurham. Follow on Twitter at @stbarbaradurham. Parish Financial Summary July Year to Date 2018 Budget Income Expenses Income Expenses Revenue Operations Fund $11,960.00 $23,508.00 $113,478.00 $143,538.00 $204,000.00 Building Fund $ 7,299.00 $12,717.00 $108,848.00 $ 97,852.00 $174,369.00 Note: The Operations Fund income above is the total of Sunday offering and Stewardship; it excludes the Greek Festival. The Operations Fund pays all Church expenses except for the mortgage payment. The Building Fund includes all Building Fund donations and fundraisers (e.g., Taste of Greece, Gyro Feast). The Building Fund pays our mortgage which is $12,713.36/month. September Philoptochos Calendar Sunday September 9: Holy Cross/ Helenic College Collection Saturday September 15: Coffeee Fellowship @ Root Cellar 10 am Sunday September 16: Fanouropita Sale Tuesday September 18: Board Meeting 6:30 Saturday September 22: Pastry Sale Baking 9:30 am Sunday September 23: General Membership Meeting after Church Saturday September29: Pastry Sale Baking 9:30am 12
2018 Stewards through August 26, 2018 Our 2018 Stewardship Drive continues. At this point we have 134 Stewards or 84% of the goal. Thank you to all who have pledged and contributed. Are you included as a Steward? Please give thoughtful and prayerful consideration to completing and returning your Stewardship Fund form as soon as possible. Also can you please increase your contribution. Stewardship is the primary funding source of our operating obligations and Church s Ministries. Your Church needs your support. THANK YOU. John & Elly Akerly Dean Costas & Meg Poe Dr. Chris & Demetra Kontos Daniel & Lori Przybyl Susan Alexander Sharan Dababnah Helen D. Koutouzakis Olgha Qaqish Alec & Francis Alexiades Anna & Phillip D'alessandro Andrew Kuyper Angelia Quint Matthew and Vickie Amos John & Ana Dates Lee & Pauline Kuyper Keith & Alexia Rheinhardt Alexander & Laurel Arapoglou Gus & Vanessa Demetriades Thalia Lyras Peter Saloupas Marina Arvanitis Anne Dennos Father Stavroforos Mamaies Monica & Sergey Samoilenko William Athas George & Patricia Dennos Daniel & Hrisavgi Mangum Matt & Marika Stavrakakis Basile & Mary Bakis Dobrinka Dimitrova Johnny & Catherine Mariakakis Epiphany Stephens George & Marie Bakis Betty Bouchlas Dorton Dr. Peter & Joan Marinos Hon. Ron & Vicky Stephens Nicholas & Eugenia Balafas Brian & Maria Easton Vasilios Maroulas Andrea Stoney Effie Barbee Elena A. Dufault Panagiotis & Dimitra Mavridis William & Jennifer Sullivan Lance & Maria Barton Nataliya Federovska John F. & MaryJon McWhirter Marian Sunas Thalia Becak Laurice Ferris Rod & Katharine Meadows Senait K Tesfatsion Tamar Beridze Fitzherbert Family John & Dawn Mehalek Rebecca Theophanous John Biggs & Diana Dobrica Daniel Florean Nicholas A. Mermigas Tony Thompson Agape Blackley Crist & Maria Frangakis Hind Muallem Olga Thuer Barbara Bonfiglio Peter Gerondelis David & Courtney Napier Donna Trohanis Marilyn Boska Socratis & Aliki Gerondelis Larry & Hope Odzak Suzanne & Naki Tryphonos Nick Bourbous George and Amy Glekas Richard Oladipo Dr. Dimitrios Varelas Connie Bush Jim & Evy Glekas Cindy Paliouras Georgina Varelas Katherine M Callahan Christopher Goodwin Jim & Helen Paliouras John Varelas Manuel & Carole Capsalis Leonard & Elaine Goodwin John & Dena Paliouras Demetra Vlachos Andrew & Cheryl Christakos James B. Harr, III Nicholas Paliouras Helen Vurnakes Dr. Arthur Christakos Chris Hermanson Peter & Evelyn Panos James & Frances Vurnakes Eleni Christakos Paul Kacoyanis Yuri & Elena Panov Alexa Waters Lia Christakos Ed and Eve Kantner Jr. Kleanthis & Angelika Papanikas Preston &Catherine Wilson George & Deborah Christie Antonios & Claire Karamalegos Matina Papazoglou Diane Winans Dr. Bessie Chronaki Wendy Katsigianis Katherine Pappas Robert & Roberta Wippich Chris & Michele Claypoole Andrew R. Kaufman Dr. Ted & Theky Pappas Grace Witham & Nick Brantley Erie Cocolas Burt & Glenna Keener Kendal Parker Jonathan & Maria Wood Catherine Constantinou & Wes Platt Dr. Kenneth & Karen Korach George Pashales Betsy Xenakis Costa Constatinou Christi Kleoudis John & Leticia Petropoulos Dino & Kerri Zaferatos Lou Constantinou Andrew & Summer Kinard Joseph Podgurski Christina Zehia Anthony & Evelyn Zehia 13
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After years of dedicated service, Helen Paliouras is retiring as our Social Hall/Coffee Hour coordinator. We need volunteers for a social hall/coffee hour committee to be responsible for setting up and cleaning up for coffee hour, assisting their fellow parishioners who host coffee hour and managing rental of the social hall. Everyone enjoys the wonderful fellowship and tasty treats that bring us together every Sunday socially after the Divine Liturgy. Please help if you can; we need a coordinator and assistants so that we continue to enjoy a cup of coffee and each other s company every Sunday. Helen will teach you everything you need to know! Please contact Father Stavroforos or Helen Paliouras if you are able to help. Nativity of the Theotokos, Saturday November 8 th Matins and Divine Liturgy 9:00 15
In addition to the celebration of the Annunciation, there are three major feasts in the Church honoring Mary, the Theotokos. The first of these is the feast of her nativity, which is kept on the eighth of September. The record of the birth of Mary is not found in the Bible. The traditional account of the event is taken from the apocryphal writings which are not part of the New Testament scriptures. The traditional teaching which is celebrated in the hymns and verses of the festal liturgy, is that Joachim and Anna were a pious Jewish couple who were among the small and faithful remnant the poor and the needy who were awaiting the promised messiah. The couple was old and childless. They prayed earnestly to the Lord for a child, since among the Jews barrenness was a sign of God s disfavor. In answer to their prayers, and as the reward of their unwavering fidelity to God, the elderly couple was blessed with the child who was destined, because of her own personal goodness and holiness, to become the Mother of the Messiah-Christ. Your nativity, O Virgin, has proclaimed joy to the whole universe. The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, has shone from you, O Theotokos. By annulling the curse he bestowed a blessing. By destroying death he has granted us eternal life (Troparion). By your nativity, O most pure virgin, Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness; Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you: The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the Nourisher of our Life (Kontakion). The fact that there is no Biblical verification of the facts of Mary s birth is incidental to the meaning of the feast. Even if the actual background of the event as celebrated in the Church is questionable from an historical point of view, the divine meaning of it for us men and for our salvation is obvious. There had to be one born of human flesh and blood who would be spiritually capable of being the Mother of Christ, and she herself had to be born into the world of persons who were spiritually capable of being her parents. The feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, therefore, is a glorification of Mary s birth, of Mary herself and of her righteous parents. It is a celebration as well of the very first preparation of the salvation of the world. For the Vessel of Light, the Book of the Word of Life, the Door to the Orient, the Throne of Wisdom is being prepared on earth by God Himself in the birth of the holy girl-child Mary. The verses of the feast are filled with titles for Mary such as those in the quotations above. They are inspired by the message of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. The specific Biblical readings of the feast give indications of this. At Vespers the three Old Testamental readings are mariological in their New Testamental interpretation. Thus, Jacob s Ladder which unites heaven and earth and the place which is named the house of God and the gate of heaven (Gen 28.10 17) are taken, to indicate the union of God with men which is realized most fully and perfectly both spiritually and physically in Mary the Theotokos, Bearer of God. So also the vision of the temple with the door to the East perpetually closed and filled with the glory of the Lord symbolizes Mary, called in the hymns of the feast the living temple of God filled with the divine Glory (Ezek 43.27 44.4). Mary is also identified with the house which the Divine Wisdom has built for himself according to the reading from Proverbs 9.1 11. 16
The Gospel reading of Matins is the one read at all feasts of the Theotokos, the famous Magnificat from Saint Luke in which Mary says: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed (Lk 1.47). The epistle reading of the Divine Liturgy is the famous passage about the coming of the Son of God in the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man (Phil 2.5 11) and the gospel reading is that which is always read for feasts of the Theotokos the woman in the crowd glorifies the Mother of Jesus, and the Lord himself responds that the same blessedness which his mother receives is for all who hear the word of God and keep it (Lk 11.27 28). Thus, on the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, as on all liturgical celebrations of Christ s Mother, we proclaim and celebrate that through God s graciousness to mankind every Christian receives what the Theotokos receives, the great mercy which is given to human persons because of Christ s birth from the Virgin. 17