January 8, 2011 • 30th Sunday after PentecostAfterfeast and Sunday after the Theophany. Ven. George the Chozebite, Abbot (6th c.). Ven. Domnica of

Constantinople (474). St. Emilian the Confessor, Bishop of Cyzicus (9th c.). Ven. Gregory, Wonderworker of the Kiev Caves (Near Caves—1093). Ven. Gregory the Recluse, of the Kiev Caves (Far Caves—13th-14th c.).

Hieromartyr Isidore and 72 others at Yuriev (Estonia—1472). St. Paisius of Uglich (1504). Hieromartyr Carterius of Cæsarea in Cappadocia (304). Martyrs Theophilus the Deacon, and Helladius, in Libya (4th c.). Martyrs Julian and his wife, Basilissa, and with them Marcionilla, her son Celsus, Anthony, Anastasius, 7 children and 20 soldiers, at Antinoë in Egypt (313). Ven. Elias the Hermit, of Egypt (4th c.). Martyr Abo the Perfumer, of Tiflis (Georgia—790).

Announcements We welcome our Visitors and hope you can join us for coffee hour following Divine Liturgy. Speak with Father Basil soon about scheduling a time to have your home blessed. Tuesday is Ed Smith’s Namesday and Wednesday is Nicholas Beal’s birthday. May God

grant them Many Years.The icon on the front is of the Theophany of Christ by iconographer Tatiana Grant (http://spiritualpaintings.com)

St. Luke Orthodox Christian ChurchDiocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America

The Rev. Father Basil Henry, Priest1415 Woodstock Ave. • Anniston, Alabama • www.stlukeanniston.org/

This Week’s Fasting, Service and Scripture ScheduleMon, 1/9 Tues, 1/10 Wed, 1/11 Thurs, 1/12 Fri, 1/13 saT, 1/14 sun, 1/15

Matins8 a.m.

Matins8 a.m.

Bible Study5 p.m.

No Service Matins8 a.m.

Great vespers4 p.m.

Divine Liturgy10 a.m.

Heb. 11:17- 23, 27-31

Heb. 12:25-26,13:22-25

James 1:1-18 James 1:19-27 James 2:1-13 col. 1:3-6 1 Tim. 1:15-17

Mark 8:11-21 Mark 8:22-26 Mark 8:30-34 Mark 9:10-16 Mark 9:33-41 Luke 14:1-11 Luke 18:18-27

2 cor. 4:6-15(Saint)

Matt. 11:27-30(Saint)

St. Philip, Met. of Moscow

St. Gregory of Nyssa

ven. Theodo-sius the Great

Martyr Tatiana of rome

St. Hilary of Poitiers

St. Nina of Georgia

St. ita of Kileedy

Service times are subject to change. Please check with Fr. Basil if in any doubt.

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Great Vespers“Lord, I Call”

Sunday (Tone 5)Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess Thy name!

By Thy precious Cross, O Christ, Thou hast put the devil to shame. By Thy Resurrection, Thou hast blunted the sting of sin and saved us from the gates of death! We glorify Thee, O Only begotten One.

The righteous await me, till Thou shalt reward me.Christ was led as a sheep to the slaughter in order to grant Resurrection to the human race! The princes of hell were frightened by this, for the gates of sorrow were lifted. Christ the King of glory had entered, saying to those in chains: “Go forth!” And to those in darkness: “Come to the light!”

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

O, great wonder! The Creator of the invisible suffered in the flesh in His love for man and rose again immortal! Come, O sons of nations, let us worship Him! Delivered from error by His compassion, we have learned to sing of one God in three Persons!

Theophany of our Lord (Tone 2)Let Thine ears give heed to the voice of my prayer!

The Forerunner beheld our Enlightenment, who has brought light to all mankind, draw near to be baptized and he rejoiced in soul while his hand trembled. He showed Him to the people saying: “Behold, the Redeem-er of Israel, Who sets us free from corruption.” O Sinless Christ our God, Glory to Thee!

If Thou observest transgression, Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For with Thee is propitiation.

The hosts of angels were filled with fear, as they saw our Deliverer baptized by a servant and receiving witness through the coming of the Spirit, and the Father’s voice was heard from on high: “He upon Whom the Forerun-ner lays his hand, the same is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” O Christ our God, Glory to Thee!

For Thy name’s sake have I waited upon Thee, O Lord; my soul hath waited upon Thy word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.

The streams of the Jordan received Thee who are the fountain, and the comforter descended in the form of a dove. He Who bowed the heaven’s bowed His head and the clay cried aloud to Him that formed Him “Why does Thou command of me what lies beyond my power? For I have need to be baptized of Thee.” O Sinless Christ our God, Glory to Thee!

ST. GeorGe the Chozebite (Tone 4)From the morning watch even to the night, let Israel hope in the Lord!The attacks of thoughts did not shake the citadel of thy soul, O blessed Father, for putting forth thy firm ascetic discipline as a wall of defense, thou didst keep thyself completely unharmed and safe from the wicked enemy; and thou didst take thy place in the presence of the Mas-ter of all, as thou didst receive the crown of victory.

For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Neither the length of the road nor the difficulty of the places could disengage thee from the fiery character of thy journey to God. For having come with joy to the places where the feet of our God had walked, thou wast not careless, O venerable George, lest thou not arrive, through ascetic deeds and labors, at the heavenly Zion.

Ven domnICa of Constantinople (Tone 4)O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people!

From the regions of the west thou didst rise up, O most blessed one, shining to the East like a dazzling star, with the rays of thy virtuous actions, O venerable mother, and thou didst enlighten the minds of the faithful by the splendor of thy miracles; therefore we bless thee and honor thy memo-ry, magnifying Christ Who glorified thee in holiness.For His mercy hath been confirmed upon us and the truth of

the Lord remaineth forever.Wounded by the desire for Christ’s love, O all-praisewor-thy Domnica, thou didst follow after Him, having de-nied thyself temporal glory, and the pleasures of the flesh, and every other enjoyment of life; therefore thou didst come to dwell in the most radiant bridal chamber of Jesus, the Lover of man, and the Savior of our souls.

Theophany of our Lord (Tone 2)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

Thou has bowed Thine head before the Forerunner and has crushed the heads of the dragons. Thou has descended into the waters and has given light to all things that they might glorify Thee, O Savior, the Enlightenment of our souls.

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doGmaTIkon (Tone 5)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

In the Red Sea of old, a type of the Virgin Bride was pre-figured. There Moses divided the waters. Here Gabriel as-sisted in the miracle. There Israel crossed the sea without getting wet. Here the Virgin gave birth to Christ without seed. After Israel’s passage, the sea remained impassable. After Emmanuel’s birth, the Virgin remained a Virgin. O ever-existing God, Who appeared as Man, O Lord, have mercy on us!

apostichaSunday (Tone 5)

We magnify Thee in songs of praise, O Incarnate Christ and Savior. By accepting the Cross and death for our sake, as the Lord and Lover of man, Thou didst over-throw the gates of hell, and didst arise on the third day, saving our souls.

The Lord hath become King; with beauty hath He clothed Himself.

By being pierced in the side, O Lover of man, Thou hast poured out drops of life and salvation for all. By accept-ing death in the flesh, Thou hast granted us immortality. Thou hast freed us by being placed in the tomb, and hast resurrected us with Thyself in glory, as God! Glory to Thee, O Lord and Lover of man!

For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved.Thy crucifixion and descent into hell are awesome, O Lover of man! Thou hast captured it, releasing the an-cient prisoners. Thou hast opened Paradise and given it to us! Grant us purification of sins, who glorify Thy Res-urrection on the third day! Make us worthy of Paradise and save us, O Lover of man!

Holiness belongeth to Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days!For our sake, Thou didst accept death in the flesh, to rise from the dead on the third day! Heal us from our earthly passions, and restore us from our evil transgressions; and save us, O Lover of man!

Theophany of our Lord (Tone 2)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.Seeing Thee, O Christ our God, draw near to him in the river Jordan. John said: “Why are Thou, Who has no de-filement, come to Thy servant, O Lord? In Whose name shall I baptize Thee? Of the Father? But Thou does bear Him in Thyself. Of the Son? But Thou are Thyself this Son made flesh. Of the Holy Spirit? But Thou did know that through Thine own mouth Thou does give Him to the faithful. O God Who has appeared have mercy upon us.

TropariaSunday (Tone 5)

Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born for our salva-tion from the Virgin; for He willed to be lifted up on the Cross in the flesh, to endure death, and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection!

Theophany of our Lord (Tone 1)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan, the wor-ship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee His Beloved Son; and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truthful-ness of His word. O Christ our God, Thou hast revealed Thyself, and have enlightened the world, glory to Thee!

The Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christheophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). God the Father spoke

from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by the St John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a dove. From ancient times this Feast was called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights, since God is Light and has ap-peared to illumine “those who sat in darkness,” and “in the region of the shadow of death” (Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen race of mankind by grace. ➡ Continued on page 6

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Divine Liturgy of St John ChrysostomBeatitude Verses

SundayBlessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

Through a tree, Adam was deprived of his home in Para-dise; while through the wood of the Cross, the thief went there to dwell. For the one by tasting set aside the com-mandment of the Maker, while the other, crucified with Him, confessed the hidden God crying aloud: ‘Remem-ber me in Thy kingdom.’

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.Lifted upon the Cross, Thou, O Lord, as God, hath both destroyed the power of death and blotted out the hand-writing against us. Do Thou Who alone lovest mankind, grant us the repentance of the thief as we serve Thee with faith, O Christ our God, and cry to Thee: ‘Remem-ber us also in Thy kingdom.’

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.Crucified and rising from the tomb in power on the third day, with Thyself hast Thou, only Immortal, raised Adam, the first-formed man. Make me also worthy, O Lord, to turn to repentance with my whole heart and with warm faith ever to cry to Thee: ‘Remember me, O Savior, in Thy kingdom.’

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

Thou hast torn to pieces on the Cross, the handwriting against us and counted among the dead, Thou hast bound yonder tyrant, delivering all from the bonds of hell by Thy resurrection. Through it we have been en-lightened and cry aloud to Thee, Lord who lovest man-kind: ‘Remember us also in Thy kingdom.’

Theophany of our Lord

Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.O Church of Chrlst, who of old wast barren and griev-ously childless, be glad today; for by water and the Spirit children have been born unto thee, who cry out with faith: ‘There is none as holy as our God!’

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

In the wilderness the forerunner crieth out with a loud voice: “Prepare ye the ways of Christ and make straight the paths of our God, crying out with faith: There is none as holy as our God!”

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…Christ, Who was begotten incorruptibly of God the Fa-ther, is incarnate of the Virgin without defilement. The forerunner teacheth that it is not possible to loose the sandals, the bond between the Word and us, of Him Who delivereth mortals from deception.

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.Christ shall baptize His enemies, who do not acknowl-edge Him as God, with the uttermost fire; but He shall restore with the water of grace those who accept His di-vinity, delivering them from their transgressions.

TropariaSunday (Tone 5)

Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born for our salva-tion from the Virgin; for He willed to be lifted up on the Cross in the flesh, to endure death, and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection!

Theophany of our Lord (Tone 1)When Thou, O Lord, wast baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, calling Thee His Be-loved Son; and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truthfulness of His word. O Christ our God, Thou hast revealed Thyself, and have enlightened the world, glory to Thee!

kontakiaSunday (Tone 5)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…Thou didst descend into hell, O my Savior, shattering its gates as Almighty, resurrecting the dead as Creator, and destroying the sting of death. Thou hast delivered Adam from the curse, O Lover of Man, and we cry to Thee: O Lord, save us!

Theophany of our Lord (Tone 4)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Today Thou hast shone forth to the world, O Lord, and the light of Thy countenance has been marked on us. Knowing Thee, we sing Thy praises: “Thou hast come and revealed Thyself, O unapproachable Light.”

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prokeimenonSunday after Theophany (Tone 1)

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us as we have set our hope on Thee!

Vs: Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the just!

epistle readingSunday after Theophany

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians (4:7-13)Brethren, unto everyone of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

alleluia VersesSunday after Theophany (Tone 5)

Vs: I will sing of Thy mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Thy truth from generation to generation.

Vs: For Thou hast said: “Mercy will be established for-ever; My truth will be prepared in the heavens.”

Gospel readingSunday after Theophany

The Gospel according to St. Matthew (4:12-17)At that time Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth He went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the terri-tory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Ze-bulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.”  From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

TheotokionTheophany of our Lord

Magnify, O my soul, the most-pure Virgin Theotokos, more honorable than the heavenly hosts!

No tongue knows how to praise thee worthily, O The-otokos; even Angels are overcome with awe praising thee. But since thou art good, accept our faith; for thou knowest our love inspired by God! Thou art the defender of Christians, and we magnify thee.

In the ancient Church it was the custom to baptize catechumens at the Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism also is revealed as the spiritual illumination of mankind.

The origin of the Feast of Theophany goes back to Ap-ostolic times, and it is mentioned in The Apostolic Constitutions (Book V:13). From the second century we have the testimony of St Clement of Alexandria con-cerning the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and the night vigil before this Feast.

The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and Byzan-tios composed much liturgical music for this Feast, which is sung at Orthodox services even today. St John of Damascus said that the Lord was baptized, not be-cause He Himself had need for cleansing, but “to bury

human sin by water,” to fulfill the Law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and finally, to sanctify

“the nature of water” and to offer us the form and ex-ample of Baptism.

On the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church proclaims our faith in the most sublime mys-tery, incomprehensible to human intellect, of one God in three Persons. It teaches us to confess and glorify the Holy Trinity, one in Essence and Indivisible. It exposes and overthrows the errors of ancient teachings which attempted to explain the Creator of the world by rea-son, and in human terms.

The Church shows the necessity of Baptism for believers in Christ, and it inspires us with a sense of deep gratitude for the illumination and purification of our sinful nature.

Continued from page 4

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The Church teaches that our salvation and cleansing from sin is possible only by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit, therefore it is necessary to preserve worthily

these gifts of the grace of holy Baptism, keeping clean this priceless garb, for “As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ” (Gal 3:27).

St Gregory the Bishop of nyssaaint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, was a younger brother of St Basil the Great (Janu-ary 1). His birth and upbringing came at a time when the Arian disputes were at

their height. Having received an excellent education, he was at one time a teacher of rhetoric. In the year 372, he was consecrated by St Basil the Great as bishop of the city of Nyssa in Cappadocia.St Gregory was an ardent advocate for Orthodoxy, and he fought against the Arian heresy with his brother St Basil. Gregory was persecuted by the Arians, by whom he was falsely accused of improper use of church prop-erty, and thereby deprived of his See and sent to Ancyra.

In the following year St Gregory was again deposed in absentia by a council of Arian bishops, but he contin-ued to encourage his flock in Orthodoxy, wandering about from place to place. After the death of the em-peror Valens (378), St Gregory was restored to his ca-thedra and was joyously received by his flock. His brother St Basil the Great died in 379.

Only with difficulty did St Gregory survive the loss of his brother and guide. He delivered a funeral oration for him, and completed St Basil’s study of the six days of Creation, the Hexaemeron. That same year St Greg-ory participated in the Council of Antioch against her-etics who refused to recognize the perpetual virginity of the Mother of God. Others at the opposite extreme, who worshipped the Mother of God as being God Her-self, were also denounced by the Council. He visited the churches of Arabia and Palestine, which were in-fected with the Arian heresy, to assert the Orthodox teaching about the Most Holy Theotokos. On his re-turn journey St Gregory visited Jerusalem and the Holy Places.

In the year 381 St Gregory was one of the chief figures of the Second Ecumenical Council, convened at Con-stantinople against the heresy of Macedonius, who in-correctly taught about the Holy Spirit. At this Council, on the initiative of St Gregory, the Nicean Symbol of Faith (the Creed) was completed.

Together with the other bishops St Gregory affirmed St Gregory the Theologian as Archpastor of Constanti-nople.

In the year 383, St Gregory of Nyssa participated in a Council at Constantinople, where he preached a ser-mon on the divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. In 386, he was again at Constantinople, and he was asked to speak the funeral oration in memory of the empress Placilla. Again in 394 St Gregory was present in Con-stantinople at a local Council, convened to resolve church matters in Arabia.

St Gregory of Nyssa was a fiery defender of Orthodox dogmas and a zealous teacher of his flock, a kind and compassionate father to his spiritual children, and their intercessor before the courts. He was distinguished by his magnanimity, patience and love of peace.

Having reached old age, St Gregory of Nyssa died soon after the Council of Constantinople. Together with his great contemporaries, Sts Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, St Gregory of Nyssa had a significant influence on the Church life of his time. His sister, St Macrina, wrote to him: “You are renowned both in the cities, and gatherings of people, and throughout entire districts. Churches ask you for help.” St Gregory is known in history as one of the most profound Chris-tian thinkers of the fourth century. Endowed with philosophical talent, he saw philosophy as a means for a deeper penetration into the authentic meaning of di-vine revelation.

St Gregory left behind many remarkable works of dog-matic character, as well as sermons and discourses. He has been called “the Father of Fathers.”

St. Luke orthodox Christian Church1415 Woodstock ave.anniston, aL 36207

A child holds the cross as believers sing and dance at the river Tundzha, as they celebrate Epiphany in the town of Kalofer, Friday, Jan. 6, 2012.

Traditionally, an Eastern Orthodox priest throws a cross in the river and it is believed that the one who retrieves it will be healthy through

the year . (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)