Day 1 (Monday)
Hebrews 1:1-12 (Reading from 1st Hour of Christmas Royal Hours)
As we approach Christmas, we read in the Church several of the prophecies of the coming of the Lord from the Old Testament. However, this week, we will instead read from the beginning of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews, which instead contains several quotations from the Old Testament, pointing out the unique role and authority of the Son of God. This is read in the Church during the Royal Hours of Christmas, and is specifically the Epistle Reading of the First Hour.
God Has Spoken by His Son
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days He has spoken to us by a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and He sustains all things by His powerful word. When He had made purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the Name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
The Son Is Superior to Angels
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son;
today I have begotten you”? (From Psalm 2)
Or again,
“I will be His Father,
and He will be my Son”? (From 2 Samuel 7:14)
6 And again, when He brings the Firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.” (From Deuteronomy 32:43 & Psalm 97:7)
7 Of the angels He says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and His servants flames of fire.” (From Psalm 104:4)
8 But of the Son He says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
and the righteous scepter is the scepter of Your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed You
with the oil of gladness beyond Your companions.” (From Psalm 45:6-7)
10 And,
“In the beginning, Lord, You founded the earth,
and the heavens are the work of Your hands;
11 they will perish, but You remain;
they will all wear out like clothing;
12 like a cloak You will roll them up,
and like clothing they will be changed.
But You are the same,
and Your years will never end.” (From Psalm 102:25-27)
13 But to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? (From Psalm 110:1)
14 Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Psalm 110
Assurance of Victory for God’s Priest-King
Of David. A Psalm.
1 The Lord says to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord sends out from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your foes.
3 Your people will offer themselves willingly
on the day you lead your forces
on the holy mountains.
From the womb of the morning,
like dew, your youth will come to you.
4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter heads
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the stream by the path;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that St. Paul, having begun with this assertion that God has spoken to us now clearly through His Son, affirms the very close identity of the Son with the Father, and then quotes several passages from the Old Testament which illustrate the distinction between the Son and the angels, those who are called sons of God in the Old Testament. This should be helpful for us in understanding the various figures we have just seen meeting with Abraham, both God Himself, and angels as well; there is a clear distinction between them, and it is this that St. Paul is emphasizing. It is worth noting, as well, that the book of Hebrews can be seen as a sermon expanding on and explaining Psalm 110, which is why we include its text here as well.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Hymns from Christmas
Every year, on December 25th, we celebrate the Nativity, or Birth, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In this feast, we see our Creator and God become human, born of the Virgin Mary, present in our midst for our salvation. The themes of this celebration are nothing less than the wonder and awe of encountering in the manger Emmanuel, God With Us. Many of the hymns reflect on the child born in Bethlehem as the Eternal God from before the ages, active and present in the world with the righteous of the Old Testament, and finally revealed to us as perfect God and perfect Man, in keeping with what we have been discussing about Abraham and his encounters with the Lord.
It is worth noting here that the feast-day celebrations span two days, and normally begin with the Royal Hours the morning of Christmas Eve, continuing with the Vesperal Liturgy that evening, and finishing with the Orthros and Liturgy on Christmas Day itself. This year, that schedule is altered somewhat, because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. Instead, we will celebrate an Orthros and Liturgy on the morning of Christmas Eve, then the Vespers of Christmas that evening, and then the Orthros and Liturgy of Christmas Day Sunday morning. The Royal Hours are shifted a day earlier, and are to be done (if they are done) the morning of Friday, the 23rd.
Theotokion of the Royal Hours
What shall we call you, O Lady full of grace? Heaven? For you gave rise to the Sun of righteousness. Paradise? For you blossomed the flower of incorruption. Virgin? For you remained incorrupt. Pure Mother? For you held in your holy embrace a Son who is the God of all. Entreat Him to save our souls.
Idiomelon 1 of the 1st Hour
Prepare, O Bethlehem. Let the manger make ready and the grotto anticipate. The truth has come and the shadow has passed away. Born of a Virgin, God has appeared to men, taking our form and deifying that which He assumed. Therefore Adam and Eve are renewed, and they cry out, "The good-pleasure of God has appeared on earth for the salvation of the human race."
Doxastikon of the 9th Hour
Today, He who holds the whole world in His hand is born from a Virgin. (3) He who is impalpable in essence is wrapped in swaddling clothes as a mortal. God, who in the beginning established the heavens of old, is lying in a manger as a newborn babe. He who rained down manna for the people in the wilderness is nursed by His mother. He who is the Bridegroom of the Church is summoning the Magi. And He is accepting their gifts, now as the Son of the Virgin. "We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. Also show us Your divine Epiphany."
Idiomelon 1 of the Vespers Kekragaria
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, as we tell about this mystery. The middle wall of separation has been broken down; the fiery sword has turned back, the Cherubim permits access to the tree of life; and I partake of the delight of Paradise, from which I was cast out because of disobedience. For the exact Image of the Father, the express Image of his eternity, takes the form of a servant, coming forth from a virgin Mother; and He undergoes no change. He remained what He was, true God; and He took up what he was not, becoming human in His love for humanity. Let us cry out to Him: "You who were born from a Virgin, O God, have mercy on us."
Idiomelon 2 of the Liti
Heaven and earth are united today, for Christ is born! ⁄ Today God has come upon earth, and mankind gone up to heaven. ⁄ Today, for the sake of mankind, ⁄ the invisible one is seen in the flesh. ⁄ Therefore let us glorify Him and cry aloud: ⁄ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace ⁄⁄ bestowed by Your coming, Savior: Glory to You!
Idiomelon 2 of the Aposticha
Today the Virgin gives birth to the Maker of the universe. Eden offers a cave, and a star announces Christ, the Sun to those in darkness. Magi were illumined by faith and came and worshiped Him with gifts. Shepherds saw the wonder, as Angels were singing: "Glory in the highest to God!"
Kathisma 3 of the Orthros
He whom nothing can contain has been contained in a womb. * He is in the Father's bosom and His Mother's embrace. * How can this be, but as He knows and willed and was well pleased. * Fleshless as He was, He willingly took flesh. * And He Who Is became what He was not, for us. * And while departing not from His own nature, * He shared in our nature's substance. * So Christ was born with dual natures, * wishing to replenish the world on high.
Both Now of Ode 3 of Canon 2 of the Feast
In His compassion, the One who rules the heights of heaven ⁄ has become as we are, born of a Maiden who has not known man. ⁄ The Word who before was wholly outside matter, ⁄ in these last times has assumed the material substance of the flesh ⁄⁄ so that He might draw to Himself fallen Adam, the first-formed man.
Eirmos of Ode 5 of Canon 1 of the Feast
God of peace and Father of mercies, Your Son * You have sent unto us as Your messenger, * the Angel of great counsel who is granting peace. * Therefore having been guided to the light of godly knowledge, * waking from the night to dawn, we sing Your glory, O Lover of man.
Troparion of Ode 6 of Canon 1 of the Feast
He is come made flesh * Christ our God, whom from the womb before the morning star does God the Father beget. * He who rides upon the immaculate host of the heavenly minds * now is laid in a manger of irrationals. * He is wrapped in tattered swaddling clothes, * but He looses transgressions' entangling bonds.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that much of the language that St. Paul is reflecting on in Hebrews 1, which we read on Day 1, is repeated time and again in these hymns. Much of our worship at Christmas is a meditation on the mystery of how this Child in the manger is Infinite God, known and encountered by humanity throughout the Old Testament, now present with us; each of these hymns is an invitation to enter more deeply into this mystery.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 3 (Friday)
Matthew 8:18-34 (Following Jesus, Jesus Calms the Storm, Delivers Gadarene Demoniac)
Last time, we saw Jesus coming down from the mountain where He preached the Sermon on the Mount, and encountering three different people seeking healing from Him, ending in Capernaum, in the home of Simon Peter (whose mother-in-law was the third person healed). This week, we will have a change of venue, as the Lord decides to leave Capernaum and cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
Would-Be Followers of Jesus
18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Jesus Stills the Storm
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”
Jesus Heals the Gadarene Demoniacs
28 When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. 31 The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” 32 And he said to them, “Go!”
So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. 33 The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that all three of these events reveal the Lord’s Divinity; when He tells those who want to follow Him of what it costs to follow Him, He is assuring them that He is no common teacher, but that He is God Himself, and all other responsibilities are secondary to Him. In calming the storm, He shows Himself to have power and authority even over the wind and the waves, such as only God could have, and the same is demonstrated by the cleansing of the demoniacs, in the authority that He has over the unclean spirits.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?