Bulletin- Sunday After the Nativity- December 27th, 2020

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S t . B a s i l t h e G r e a t A nt i o c h i a n O r t h o d o x C hu r c h


S t . B a s i l t h e G r e a t A nt i o c h i a n O r t h o d o x C hu r c h His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America.

His Grace Bishop THOMAS, Auxiliary Bishop of The Diocese of Oakland, Charleston, and the Mid-Atlantic.

REV. FATHER JAMES PURDIE, PASTOR 1520 Todds Lane Hampton, VA 23666 Phone: Office (757) 223-4159, Cell: (412) 327-4099 Email: OrthodoxHampton@gmail.com Web Site: www.OrthodoxHampton.com

Welcome visitors! If you are visiting with us for the first time, we greet you in the Holy Name of Christ, our Saviour, and hope you will join us in fellowship after worship. We are genuinely pleased to have you with us today. We must remind you that while the Orthodox Church prays for the unity of all, we do not practice “open Communion.� Only those Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves with prayer, fasting, and regular confession should approach the chalice.

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For questions, please contact Fr. James Purdie. Blessings.


Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen The Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen was the eldest of the seven deacons, appointed by the Apostles themselves, and therefore he is called “archdeacon.” He was the first Christian martyr, and he suffered for Christ when he was about thirty. In the words of Asterias, he was “the starting point of the martyrs, the instructor of suffering for Christ, the foundation of righteous confession, since Stephen was the first to shed his blood for the Gospel.” Filled with the Holy Spirit, Saint Stephen preached Christianity and defeated Jewish teachers of the Law in debate. The Jews maligned Saint Stephen, saying that he had uttered blasphemy against God and against Moses. Saint Stephen came before the Sanhedrin and the High Priest to answer these charges. He gave a fiery speech, in which he recounted the history of the Jewish nation, and denounced the Jews for persecuting the prophets, and also for executing the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ (Acts ch. 7). During his speech, Saint Stephen suddenly saw the heavens opened and Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God. The Jews shouted and covered their ears, and rushed at him. They dragged him out of the city and stoned him, but the holy martyr prayed for his murderers. Far off on the heights stood the Mother of God with the holy Apostle John the Theologian, and She prayed fervently for the martyr. Before his death Saint Stephen said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” Then he joyfully gave up his pure soul to Christ. The body of the holy Protomartyr Stephen, left to be eaten by beasts, was secretly taken up by the Jewish teacher Gamaliel and his son Habib, who buried Stephen on his estate. They both believed in Christ, and later received holy Baptism. + OCA


ANTIPHON tHE

THE FIRST ANTIPHON

abideth unto ages of ages.

I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders. In the council of the upright, and in the congregation, great are the works of the Lord.

There hath risen up in darkness a light for the upright; he is merciful and compassionate and righteous.

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.

The Lord said unto my Lord: sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. The Lord shall send Thee a rod of strength out of Zion. With Thee is dominion in the day of Thy power, in the beauties of Thy saints.

They are sought out in all the things that He hath willed. Confession and majesty are His work, and His righteousness abideth unto ages of ages. THE SECOND ANTIPHON Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; in His commandments shall he greatly delight. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth. The generation of the upright shall be blessed. Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who wast born of a Virgin; who sing to Thee. Alleluia. Glory and riches shall be in his house, and His righteousness 4

THE THIRD ANTIPHON

RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE FOUR Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation. And proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying: Death hath been spoiled; ; Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy. APOLYTIKION OF THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST IN TONE FOUR


ANTIPHON tHE

Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath given rise to the light of knowledge in the world; for they that worshipped the stars did learn therefrom to worship Thee, O Sun of Justice, and to know that from the east of the Highest Thou didst come. O Lord, glory to Thee.

Jews’ madness, thou sawest * Christ thy Savior standing at the right hand of the Father. * O Stephen, ever pray Him for us, that He would save our souls.

APOLYTIKION OF SUNDAY AFTER THE NATIVITY IN TONE TWO

In all the earth that received thy sayings, thy melody did resound, O righteous father, through which thou didst go about and proclaim, as worthy of God, the nature of creatures, cultivating the character of mankind, O thou of kingly Priesthood, Basil. Wherefore, plead thou with Christ God to save our souls.

TROPARION OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT IN TONE ONE

Proclaim, O Joseph, to David, the grandparent of God, the amazing wonders; for thou hast seen a Virgin great with child; for with the shepherds thou didst give glory, with the Magi thou didst worship, and by the angel it was revealed to thee. Wherefore, plead KONTAKION OF THE NATIVITY OF thou with Christ God to save our CHRIST IN TONE THREE souls. APOLYTIKION OF ST. STEPHEN IN TONE FOUR The crown of the Kingdom hath adorned the brow of thy head * because of the contests that thou hast endured for Christ God, thou first of the martyred Saints; * for when thou hadst censured the

On this day the Virgin beareth the Transcendent in Essence; * to the Unapproachable, * the earth doth offer a small cave; * Angels join in choir with shepherds * in giving glory; * with a star the Magi travel upon their journey; * for our sakes 5 is born a young Child, * He Who existed * before the ages as God.


EPISTLE tHE

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God His voice has gone out into all the earth. The heavens declare the glory of God. The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. (6:8-7:5, 47-60) In those days, Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated men, who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the 6

people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. The high priest said, “Is this so?” And Stephen said: “Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.’ Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans, and lived in Haran.


EPISTLE tHE

And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living; yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth My footstool. What house will you build for Me’, says the Lord, ‘or what is the place of My rest? Did not My hand make all these things?’ You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, Whom you have now betrayed and

murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they grinded their teeth against him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 7


GOSPEL THE

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (2:1323)

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When the wise men had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him.” And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called My Son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region, who were two years old or under, according to the time which he

had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.” But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”


tHE

KOINONIKON ( COMMUNION HYMN)

Praise the Lord from the Heavens; Praise Him in the highest; Alleluia.

Post Communion Prayer of St. Basil the Great (pray silently after receiving the Holy Gifts) O Master, Christ our God, King of all ages and Maker of all things, I thank Thee for all the good things which Thou hast given me and of partaking of Thine immaculate and life-giving Mysteries. Wherefore, I pray Thee, who art good and loves mankind, keep me under Thy protection and in the shadow of Thy wings, and grant me a pure conscience, even unto my last breath to partake of Thy Holy Gifts for unto Thee we ascribe glory and thanksgiving, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

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OFFERINGS + Prayers of Health and Safety are offered for +

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Nicole, Edens family, Brown family, Miller family, Nolan and family, Howell family, Josiah, Magnus family, Fr. Elia and family, Fr. Earl and family, Fr. Alexis and family, Fr. Adam and family, Fr. Isaac and family, Fr. Antonio and family, Dn. Christopher and family, Dn. John and family, Dn. Kirk and family, Dn. Steve and family, Saur family, Davis family, Lunsford family, Zambonini family, McAddis family,Freedman family, Leary family, Hovarter family, Holden family,Klein family, Thieme family, Riske family, Crawford family, Joiner family, Cooper family, Hovan family, Fields family, Nixon family, Jake and family, Adam and family, Tilahun and family, Susan and family, Fr. Joseph and family, Fr. Joseph and family, Charlie, Anastasia, John, Oxana, Nathan, Camron, Erik, Esra, Lee, Aaron, Lisa, Emily, Bob, Elena, Larisa, Tomashevskiy family,

Catherine, Maria, Anna, Robert, Anne, Daria and child, Christopher, Christopher, Daniel, Sophia, George, Nun Thecla, Ekaterina, Roman, Angelina, Igor, Alexander, Mark, Alexander, Caroline, Planinka, Maria, David, Archimandrite Ilya, Fr. James and family, Daniel, Irina, Maria, Ana, Vasilii, Irina, Arthur and family, Hylarion, Fr. John, Irene, Mariann, Nathaniel, George and family, Maria, Maia and family, Mirela, Simerick family, Sharon, Kathy, Alix, Seraphim, Michael, Brigid, Robert, Margaret, Ethan, Scott, Grant, David, David, John, Archpriest Emil, Diana, Aiden, Sophia, Jared, Basil, Jared, Karl, Ben, Emily, Matthew, Stephanie, Nasi family, Diego, Kieren, Lauren, Tim, Christina, Louanna, Melissa, Ben, David, Amanda, Logan, Rachel, Dn. Christopher and family, Ross family, Thespina, Maksimenko family, Wenker family, Mariya, Fritts family, Daneel


OFFERINGS +++ Prayers of Loving Memory are offered for +++

Malcom, Kelly, Bill, Mariya, Ivan, Alexsandra, Vladimir, Klaudiya, Vladimir, Agrapena, Pavel, Pelagea, Vladimir, Alexsander, Evgenia, Iakov, Nina, Lydia, Victor, Tatyana, Alexander, Evdokia, Ephimia, Archbishop Pimen, Almira, Fr. Michael, Fr. Joseph, Fr. Michael, Subdeacon Nicholas, Paul, Metropolitan Theodosius, Gerhard, Mary, Roger

Ephim, Michael, Alexey, Alexander, Alexandra, Yuri, Boris, Valentin, Valentina, Vladimir, Seraphima, Elena, Evdokia, Fr. Neil, Priscilla, Dan, Lazar, Tatiana, Sergei, Ion, Maria, Agrepina, Ion, Maria, Nadejda, Gabby, Patricia, Kh. Anastasia, Elder Ephraim, Bp. Milutin, Fr. Isaac, Fr. John, Ralph, Patriach Irinej, Archbishop David, Fr. Ernesto, Marcie, Lena

Holy Bread is offered by Planinka Whelan for the health, safety, and memory of her loved ones. 11


Joseph the Betrothed: A Model of Obedience

Today we remember a crucial, and often overlooked, figure in the real life drama of Christmas: Joseph the Betrothed, an elderly relative of the Virgin Mary who reluctantly became her guardian when she had to leave the Temple where she had grown up. One of the verses chanted at vespers last night states that “a strange betrothal fell unto his lot,” and that is surely an understatement. Betrothal was an arrangement in which a man became the guardian of a woman; it did not imply the intimate relations of marriage. As an 80 year-old widower, Joseph did not want to take on this responsibility for the teenaged Virgin Mary, but he obeyed God’s command nonetheless. That is how he came to play a key role in the salvation of our world of corruption. The example of Joseph reminds us that God uses our cooperation to accomplish His gracious purposes in the world. Let us celebrate Christmas by growing in our cooperation with God’s good purposes for us in the broken world we inhabit. That means rejecting the lie that we are isolated individuals who will find fulfillment in getting what we want on our own terms in any area of life. It means learning to see and serve Christ in neighbors, family members, and coworkers, in the lonely, sick, and suffering, and especially in anyone we are inclined to view as an enemy. It means turning off nonstop media and disregarding intrusive thoughts as we open our hearts to God in the stillness of the Jesus Prayer. It means undergoing a change of mind such that fulfilling our role in the salvation of the world becomes what is most important to us, even when that is difficult and we would rather be doing something else. The next time that you feel that way, remember Joseph the Betrothed, the old man who put aside his preferences in order to become a refugee with his unlikely family. Knowing how God used his faithfulness, how can we set any limits on what He will do with ours? All that we have to do is to listen and cooperate. The rest is in God’s hands. + Fr. Philip LeMasters


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