Melkite Readings of the Day

Melkite Readings of the Day Sunday, 5 February 2012.

05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1000

Sunday, 5 February 2012. Sunday of the Prodigal Son.

Class of Feast: 5
Tone of Week: 1

Eothinon Gospel -- 2012-02-05.

05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1000

Eothinon Gospel 1 : Matthew 28:16-20
At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ Amen. (NRSV)

Epistle of the Divine Liturgy -- 2012-02-05.

05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1000

Psalms 33:22,1 (Tone 1)
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Stichon: Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright. (NRSV)

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (of the season: Prodigal Son)
Brothers and sisters, ‘All things are lawful for me’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me’, but I will not be dominated by anything. ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’, and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, ‘The two shall be one flesh.’ But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. (NRSV)

Psalms 18:47,49 (Tone 1)
O God, you gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me and you delivered me from my enemies.
Stichon: For this I will extol you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. (NRSV)

Gospel of the Divine Liturgy -- 2012-02-05.

05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1000

Luke 15:11-32 (of the season: Prodigal Son)
Jesus told this parable: ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate. ‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” ’ (NRSV)

Variable Parts of the Divine Liturgy -- 2012-02-05.

05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1000

Antiphons
Antiphon Prayer
O God of mercy and pity, you do not wish the death of a sinner, but rather that he repent and live. We ask you to let the light of your face shine on us, and to bring us back to you. We who have been deceived by the Enemy and laid bare by your grace. Return us to our initial state. Open to us the wide doors of your mercy, that we may enter your courts with the Chosen Ones. For we praise your glory forever.
For you sent your only Son for the forgiveness of all Creation, and through him we send you, O Eternal Father glory, thanksgiving, and worship, and to your holy, good, and life-giving Spirit. Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Entrance hymn
The Lord has made his Salvation known in the sight of all the nations.
O Son of God, who were carried in the arms of Simeon the Just, save us who sing to you: Alleluia!

Hymns of the Feasts
Resurrectional troparion (tone 1)
While the stone was sealed by the Jews and the soldiers were watching your sacred body, you rose, O Saviour, on the third day, giving life to the world.
Wherefore O Giver of life, the powers of heaven cried out: glory to your kingdom, glory to your plan of redemption, O You who alone are the lover of mankind!

<Chant the troparion of the titular of the church/monastery here.>

Final Kontakion (tone 1)
O Christ our God who through your birth have sanctified the virginal womb and have blessed the arms of Simeon, today You have come to save us. O Lord, when wars prevail, keep your people in peace and strengthen our public authorities in every good deed, for You alone are the Lover of Mankind.

Hirmos of the 9th Ode of Orthros
On the day of the feast, throughout the period of its service, and on its leave-taking, we chant one of the following two hirmoi, alternately.
Hirmos of the Ninth Ode (tone 3)
O Mother of God, hope and strength of all Christians,
watch over those who place their hope in you, O Most Pure One.
Let us, O Faithful, glorify the First-Born, the eternal Word of God, born of the Virgin all-pure; for we have seen beyond the shadow and the letter of the Law a sign of Christ in these words, "Every male opening the womb shall be called Holy to the Lord!"

Koinonikon
Koinonikon (Psalms 148:1)
Praise the Lord from the highest. Alleluia!

Verses to be included in the Great Dismissal (Apolysis)
who is risen from the dead
who accepted being carried in the arms of Simeon the Just for the sake of our salvation