• συνοδικός • January 8 / December 26 •

συνοδικός

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January 8 / December 26
2018/2017（7526）
Second Day of the Feast of the Nativity
Sviatki. Fast-free

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• The SYNAXIS of the Most Holy Theotokos
Σύναξις Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου
The Holy Virgin Mary is called the Theotokos (Mother of God), and she really is, for she begot the Divine Word according to the flesh. Yesterday's feast celebrated an historic fact. That of today is a notion of a feast, the feast of the divine maternity of the Virgin. Our Lord Jesus is true God and true man, and in His Unique Person have been united the Divine Nature without change, and the human nature created in its perfect state and marvelously begotten by the action of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. This why Mary is the Mother of Jesus, by the same right that other mothers are for their children, and yet more perfectly. Moreover, Jesus is truly the Word of God, God Himself; Mary is truly the Theotokos. It is a dogma defined solemnly by the Council of Ephesus in 431, but which Elizabeth had already uttered on the day of the Visitation: "How is it given to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43).
• The Commemoration of the FLIGHT INTO EGYPT (1)
Ἡ Φυγὴ Στὴν Αἴγυπτο τῆς Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου
When Herod issued a decree to have all the children of Bethlehem killed, an Angel of the Lord appeared in Joseph's dream saying: "Rise up and take the child and His Mother, and flee to Egypt." Therefore the Theotokos fled to Egypt with the Infant for two reasons, to fulfill the words spoken by the Prophet Hosea: "Out of Egypt I called My Son" (11:1), and also to silence the mouths of all heretics. For if the Lord did not flee, He would be captured by Herod and killed, preventing the salvation of men. Or else if not killed in order to complete the economy, He would appear to many that He did not wear human nature in actuality and truthfully, but only as an apparition or fantasy. For if He truly wore flesh, of course He would be cut with the sword. Thus the miserable heretics have dared to say this, that the Lord was born according to fantasy, as is said by the God-slayer Mani and his Manichean followers. How much they would want to say this if they had a reason? Therefore the Lord fled to Egypt for these two reasons. And also to destroy the idols found in Egypt.
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• "VILNO-OSTRABRAMA" (1431) Icon of the Mother of God called "Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn"
• Icon of the Mother of God of "THREE JOYS" (1758)
• "MERCIFUL" Eleousa Icon of the Mother of God, received its name "Kykkiotisa" from Mount Kykkos, on the Island of Cyprus (980)
• "THE BLESSED WOMB" of Barlov (1392) Hodigitria Icon of the Mother of God
• "BAIBUZSK" (1852) Icon of the Mother of God
• Panagia ALEXIOTISSA in Patras, Greece
The name "Alexiotissa" stems from the old verb "alexo" which has origins from the root "alex" which means "to avert". People place their hopes in the Theotokos to avert all evils and destructions that may come their way.
• The sacred wonderworking BETHLEHEM Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos known as Panagia Bethlehemitissa, in the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem
Παναγίας της Βηθλεεμίτισσας
The Virgin Mary, the Lady of the Holy Land, is the tender mother who obeyed God’s command and brought our Savior and Redeemer into the world; and at the same time she is the mother of us all and an intercessor before her Son in all our appeals. She is our guardian angel. In our moments of difficulty, we turn spontaneously to face her icon and her grace, always invoking her as Our Fervent Protector And Helper. Her Son will come again and He will gather up all those who are close to Him.
Let us not dare to distance ourselves from Him, so that we can taste His salvation. Amen.
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• Righteous JOSEPH the Betrothed (20), Holy Righteous DAVID the King (965 B.C.), and JAMES the Brother of the Lord (63) a son of the first marriage of Saint Joseph the Betrothed, who accompanied his father Joseph and the Mother of God and the Divine Infant Jesus on the Flight into Egypt // movable holiday on the Sunday after the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ //
We know that St Joseph lived at least until Christ's twelfth year (see Luke 2:41-52); the Fathers say that he reposed just before the Lord began his earthly ministry, and that his final words were these: The pains and the fears of death encompass me; but my soul has become calm again since I have heard Thy voice, Jesus my Defended, Jesus my Savior, Jesus my refuge, Jesus whose Name is sweet to my mouth and to the heart of all who love Thee.
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NEW MARTYRS AND CONFESSORS in the 20th century
• Hosiosmartyr 伊撒克 ISAAC II (Ivan Bobrakov) the Younger, archmandite of Optina (1865-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted after prison in Belev and Tula, graved in common grave on 162nd kilometer Simferopol highway
• New Hieromartyr ALEXANDER Volkov, presbiter, priest (1873-1919) day of martyrdom, shoted near Narva of St Peterburg of Russia
• New Hieromartyr DMITRIJ Chistoserdov, presbiter, archpriest (1861-1919) day of martyrdom, shoted in Narva of St Peterburg of Russia
• New Hieromartyr NICHOLAS Tarbejev, presbiter, archpriest (1875-1931) day of martyrdom, shoted
• New Hieromartyr archpriest MICHAEL Chel’tsov (1870-1931) shoted in St Peterburg of Russia
• New Hieromartyr NICHOLAS Zalesskij, presbiter, priest 1877-1931) day of death
• New Hieromartyr MICHAEL Smirnov, deacon (1880-1931) day of death
• New Hieromartyr bishop LEONID (Lavrentij Antoshchenko) (1872-1938) shoted after prison in Joshkar-Ola, Marijsk ASSR
• New Hieromartyr ALEXANDER Krylov, presbiter, archpriest (1892-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted in Solovki KZ of special assignments, of Archangelsk
• Hosiosmartyr hieromonk BASIL Mazurenko (1882-1938) day of death
• Hosiosmartyress ANFISA (Alexandra Sysojeva), nun (1868-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted after prison in Tula, graved in common grave on 162nd kilometer Simferopol highway
• Hosiosmartyress MAKARIA (Praskovja Saprykina), nun (1867-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted after prison in Tula, graved in common grave on 162nd kilometer Simferopol highway
• New Hieromartyr GREGORY Serbarinov, presbiter, archpriest (1881-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted in Leningrad
• Hosiosmartyress AVGUSTA (Lidija Zashchuk), schemanun, founder and manager of the museum "Optina Pustyn" (1871-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted after prison in Belev of Tula, graved in common grave on 162nd kilometer Simferopol highway
• Hosiosmartyress MARY Laktionova, novice (1884-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted after prison in Tula, graved in common grave on 162nd kilometer Simferopol highway
• Martyress AGRIPPINA Lesina, novice (1897-1938) day of martyrdom, shoted probably in Tula, graved in common grave on 162nd kilometer Simferopol highway
• New Hieromartyr ANDREW Bishop of Ufa, and NM VALENTINA (1937)
• Repose of Elder SERAPHEIM Savvaitis, Hegumen of the Holy Lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified (2003)
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• AMAETHLU (Maethlu) of Anglesey (6th cent.)
Llanfaethlu, a church founded by him in Anglesey in Wales, is named after him.
• ARCHELAUS 阿尔赫拉 bishop of Kaskhara in Mesopotamia (3rd c.)
• Repose of Abbot BARLAAM of Valaam and Optina Monasteries (1849)
• Venerable CONSTANTINE 君士坦丁 of Synnada (889)
Ὁ Ὅσιος Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ ἐξ Ἰουδαίων
Constantine was a Jew who converted to Christianity. He was baptised with the name Constantine and took monastic tonsure. When they brought him the holy cross, he kissed it with love and placed it to his head. The image of the holy cross impressed itself upon him throughout all his life.
• New Hieromartyr CONSTANTIUS 君士坦提 the Russian, at Constantinople (1743) of Lavra on Mt Athos
Ὁ Ἅγιος Κωνστάντιος ὁ Νέος Ἱερομάρτυρας ὁ Ρῶσος
By his intercessions, may we also be granted those everlasting good things. Amen.
• DIONYSIUS (268) a priest chosen as Pope of Rome in 259, he restored the Roman Church after the persecution of Valerian, opposed Sabellius and condemned Paul of Samosata
• Venerable EVARESTUS 埃瓦里斯特 of the Studion Monastery (825)
Ὁ Ὅσιος Εὐάρεστος
• EUTHYMIUS Bishop of Madytus, confessor
• Hieromartyr EUTHYMIUS 艾弗提弥 the Confessor, Bishop of Sardis (840) // DEC 26 // MAR 8 //
Ὁ Ἅγιος Εὐθύμιος ὁ Ὁμολογητής
• Repose of Archimandrite IRENARCHUS Rosetti, of Mt Tabor (1859)
• Irish nobility JARLATH of Tuam (445-540) 1st Bishop of Tuam in Ireland, a Connaughtman, of the family of Cormac // DEC 26 // JUN 6 TR REL //
• Martyr MARINUS (283) the son of a senator in Rome, he was martyred by beheading under Numerian
• NICODEMUS the Serbian
• Venerable NICODEMUS 尼科迪默 of Tismana, Romania (1406)
• STEPHEN the First Martyr
• TATHAI (Tathan, Tathaeus, Athaeus) of Wales (6th c.) a hermit who settled in Glamorgan in Wales where he founded a monastery called St Athan's
• THEODORE the Sacrist (6th c.) a holy man and contemporary of St Gregory the Great in Rome
• ZENON 兹农 bishop of Maiuma (the port of Gaza) in Palestine (4th c.)
• ZOSIMUS (418) a Greek Pope of Rome
• Nephew of St Sampson of Dol, Brittany

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In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
愿上帝怜恤我罪人
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
for the sake of the prayers
of Thy most pure Mother,
our holy and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us.
Amen.
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Blessed be God.