January 1, 2011 • 29th Sunday after PentecostTHE CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia (379).St Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus (374), father of St Gregory the Theologian. St Emilia (375), mother of

Sts Macrina, Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, Peter of Sebaste, and Theosevia

Announcements We welcome our Visitors and hope you can join us for coffee hour following Divine Liturgy. Yesterday the Auvils and Champions received the Mystery of Holy Baptism. We pray God

guides them to Many Years in the Orthodox faith. Note the schedule below for this week’s services.

The icon on the front is of St. Basil the Great.

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, 1/2 Tues, 1/3 Wed, 1/4 Thurs, 1/5 Fri, 1/6 saT, 1/7 sun, 1/8

Theophany Eve ThEophany

No Service No Service No claSS royal Hours8 a.m.

Divine liturgy8 a.m.

Great vespers4 p.m.

Divine liturgy10 a.m.

Matins 4 p.m.

Hebrews 8:7-13

Hebrews 9:8-10,15-23

Hebrews 10:1-18

1 corinthians 9:19-27

Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7

acts 19:1-8(Forerunner)

ephes. 4:7-13(Sun. aftr. Theophany)

luke 20:27-44 luke 21:12-19 luke 21:5-7,10-11,20-24

luke 3:1-18 Matthew 3:13-17

John 1:29-34(Forerunner)

Matt. 4:12-17(Sun. aftr. Theophany)

Gal. 5:22-6:2(Saint)

ephes. 6:10-17(Sat. aftr Theophany)

luke 6:17-23(Saint)

Matt. 4:1-11(Sat. aftr Theophany)

St. Seraphim of Sarov

Prophet Malachi

Synaxis of the 70 apostles

Prophet Micah Theophany of our lord

St. John the Forerunner

St. George the chozebite

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 4)Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess Thy name!

We glorify Thy Resurrection on the third day, O Christ God, by always honoring Thy life-creating Cross; by it Thou hast renewed the corrupted nature of man, O Al-mighty One. By it, Thou hast renewed our entrance to heaven, for Thou art good and the Lover of man.

The righteous await me, till Thou shalt reward me.Thou didst loose the Tree’s verdict of disobedience, O Savior, by being voluntarily nailed to the tree of the Cross. By descending to hell, O Almighty God, Thou didst break the bonds of death. Therefore, we adore Thy Resurrection from the dead, singing in joy: “Glory to Thee, O all powerful One!”

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

Thou didst smash the gates of hell, O Lord, and by Thy death, Thou didst demolish the kingdom of death. Thou didst deliver the race of men from corruption, granting to the world life, incorruption and great mercy.

CIrCumCISIon of Christ (Tone 8)Let Thine ears give heed to the voice of my prayer!

The Savior was willing to be wrapped in swaddling clothes for the sake of mankind. He was eight days old on His mother’s side but eternal on the side of His Father. He did not disdain the circumcision of His flesh. O you faithful, let us cry to Him: “You are our God; have mer-cy on us!”

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

The Savior was willing to be wrapped…

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 God of all goodness did not disdain to be circum-cised. He offered Himself as a saving sign and example for us all. He made the Law, and He obeyed His own commands. He fulfilled the words of the Prophets con-cerning Himself. He holds the world in His hands, yet is bound in swaddling clothes. Let us glorify Him!

St. BaSIL the Great (Tone 4)From the morning watch even to the night, let Israel hope in the Lord!Your very name means “the royal one.” You led Christ’s royal people in wisdom and knowledge. The King of kings and the Lord of all, the Son, of one essence with the Father, adorned you with the crown of His Kingdom. Pray to Him, Father Basil, to enlighten and save our souls!

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

Your very name means “the royal one.”…O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people!

Robed in the vestments of a bishop, you preached the Gospel of the Kingdom with gladness. You poured out streams of true teaching for the Church, illumined by your words, we have learned how to glorify one Godhead: Father Almighty, Divine Word, and Holy Spirit, three Persons undivided. Pray to Him, O Father Basil, to enlighten and save our souls!For His mercy hath been confirmed upon us and the truth of

the Lord remaineth forever.You dwell with the hosts of heaven; you imitated their way of life on earth. You lived with mankind as an earth-ly angel. Now pray for us, who delight in your theology! May Christ our God save us from the darkness of unbe-lief! May He enlighten and save our souls!

St. BaSIL the Great (Tone 8)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

You became a Lover of wisdom, righteous father! You pre-ferred life with God above all earthly delights. Contem-plating death, you abandoned all your wealth. You stripped away fleshy desires through rigorous abstinence. You stud-ied God’s Law and subjected your flesh to the Spirit. You were rich in virtues, a conqueror of passions. You cast the world, the flesh and the devil away. Now you stand before the throne of Christ. Entreat Him to grant us great mercy!

dogmatIkon (Tone 4)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Prophet David was a Father of the Lord through thee, O Virgin. He foretold in songs the One Who worked won-ders in thee. “At Thy right hand stood the Queen,” Thy Mother, the Mediatrix of life, since God was freely born of her without a father. He wanted to renew His fallen image, made corrupt in passion, so He took the lost sheep upon His shoulder and brought it to His Father, joining it to the heavenly powers. Christ who hast great and rich mercy hast saved the world, O Theotokos.

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old testament readingsCIrCumCISIon of Christ

The 1st book of Moses called GenesisThe Lord appeared to Abram and said to him: I am your God. Be well pleasing before me and be blameless. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly; and you will be the father of a multitude of nations. And your name will not be called Abram, but you will be Abraham, because I have estab-lished you as father of many nations. And I will increase you greatly, and I will establish you for nations, and kings will come forth from you. And I will set my cove-nant between me and you, and between your seed after you for their generations for an eternal covenant, and I will be their God. And Abraham fell upon his face and worshipped the Lord. And God said to Abraham: You are to keep my covenant and your seed after you to their generations. And this is the covenant which you are to keep between me and between your seed after you to their generations. Every male among you shall be cir-cumcised; and you shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between me and you all. And every male child among you shall be cir-cumcised at eight days for your generations. And an un-circumcised male, that is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be de-stroyed from its race; because it has rejected my cove-nant.

The Proverbs of SolomonThe Lord created me the beginning of his ways for his works. Before the age he founded me, in the beginning before he made the earth. And before he made the deeps and before the springs of waters came forth. Before the mountains were established and before all the hills he begets me. The Lord made countries and uninhabited places and the high inhabited parts of the earth. When he was preparing the heaven I was present with him, and when he marked out his throne upon the winds. When he strengthened the clouds above and secured the springs of the earth under heaven; when he gave his command-ment to the sea, and the waters will not transgress his order; and when he was making the foundations of the earth, I was by him arranging all things. I was that in which he delighted; and daily I rejoiced in his presence at every moment.

The Wisdom of SolomonThe mouth of a just man distils wisdom; the lips of men know graces. The mouth of the wise meditates wisdom; justice delivers them from death. When a just man dies hope is not lost; for a just son is born for life, and among his good things he will pluck the fruit of justice. There is light at all times for the just, and they will find grace and glory from the Lord. The tongue of the ise knows what is good, and wisdom will take its rest in their hearts. The Lord loves holy hearts; while all who are blameless in the way are acceptable to him. The wisdom of the Lord will enlighten the face of the understanding; for she antici-pates those who desire her before they know it, and is easily contemplated by those who love her. One who rises for her at dawn will not toil, and one who keeps vigil because of her will be without care. For she goes about seeking those who are worthy of her, and shows itself fa-vourably to those in the ways. Wickedness will never pre-vail against wisdom. Because of this I too became a lover of her beauty and became her friend, and I sought her out from my youth, and I sought to take her as my bride; because the Master of all things loved her. For she is an initiate of the knowledge of God one who chooses his works. Her toils are virtues; she teaches sobriety and pru-dence; justice and courage, than which nothing is more useful in human life. If anyone longs for much experi-ence, she knows how to compare things of old and things that are to come. She knows the twists of words and the explanations of riddles; she foresees signs and wonders and the outcomes of seasons and times. And to all she is a good counsellor. Because immortality is in her, and fame in the fellowship of her words. Therefore I appealed to the Lord and besought him and said from my whole heart: God of my Fathers and Lord of mercy, who made all things by your word, and established humanity by your wisdom to be master over the creatures that had come into being by you, and to order the world in holi-ness and justice; give me Wisdom who sits by your throne, and do not reject me from among your children, for I am your servant and the son of your maid servant. Send her out from your holy dwelling and from the throne of your glory, that she may be present and teach me what is pleasing before you. And let her guide me with knowledge and guard me with her glory. For all the thoughts of mortals are wretched and their ideas are un-stable.

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apostichaSunday (Tone 4)

By ascending the Cross, O Lord, Thou hast annulled our ancestral curse! By descending to hell, Thou hast freed the eternal prisoners, granting incorruption to the hu-man race! Therefore in songs we glorify Thy life-creating and saving Resurrection.

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

By hanging upon the tree, O only powerful Lord, Thou didst shake all of creation! By being laid in the tomb, Thou hast raised those who dwelt in the tombs, granting life and incorruption to the human race! Therefore in songs we glorify Thy rising on the third day.

For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved.Thy lawless people, O Christ, handed Thee over to Pilate, condemned to be crucified, by proving themselves ungrate-ful before their Benefactor! But voluntarily, Thou didst en-dure burial, rising by Thine own power on the third day as God, granting us life everlasting and great mercy.

Holiness belongeth to Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days!With tears the women reached Thy tomb, searching for Thee, but not finding Thee. They wept with wailing and lamented: “Woe to us! Our Savior, King of all, how wast Thou stolen? What place can hold Thy life-bearing body?” An Angel replied to them: “Do not weep but go and proclaim that the Lord is risen, granting us joy as the Only Compassionate One!”

St. BaSIL the great (tone 6)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

O most blessed Basil, you were filled with heavenly grace. Your theology exposes the errors of false teachers. You are the pride of pastors, the cornerstone of bishops, the ex-ample of fathers. You possess favor with Christ. Pray that He may save our souls!

CIrCumCISIon of Christ (tone 8)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The God of all goodness did not disdain to be circum-cised. He offered Himself as a saving sign and example for us all. He made the Law, and He obeyed His own commands. He fulfilled the words of the Prophets con-cerning Himself. He holds the world in His hands, yet is bound in swaddling clothes. Let us glorify Him!

tropariaSunday (tone 4)

When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel the joyous message of Thy Resurrection, they cast away the ancestral curse and elatedly told the Apostles: Death is overthrown; Christ God is risen, granting the world great mercy!

St. BaSIL the great (tone 1)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

Thy proclamation has gone out into all the earth, which was divinely taught by hearing thy voice. Thou didst ex-pound the nature of creatures and ennobled the manners of men. Venerable Father of royal priesthood, entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved!

CIrCumCISIon of Christ (tone 1)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Enthroned on high with the Eternal Father and Thy Di-vine Spirit, O Jesus, Thou didst will to be born on earth of the unwedded handmaid, Thy Mother. Therefore Thou wast circumcised as an eight-day-old Child. Glory to Thy most gracious counsel; glory to Thy dispensation; glory to Thy condescension, O only Lover of mankind!

the Circumcision of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christn the eighth day after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ was circumcised in accordance with the Old Testament Law. All male infants underwent circumci-

sion as a sign of God’s Covenant with the holy Forefather Abraham and his descen-dants (Gen. 17:10-14, Lev. 12:3). ➡ Continued on page 8

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Divine Liturgy of St Basil the GreatBeatitude Verses

St. BaSIL the Great

Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.When you had become filled with all learning, no only that which is below and well-worn, but even more that which better, you were revealed, Basil, as a light for the world.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.Grounded in the fear of the Lord; for this is the begin-ning of wisdom; you were given wings by the love of the better wisdom, O Basil.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.Basil you wisely you took the path of practice and showed practice to the path to more divine contempla-tion, and you were clearly initiated into the knowledge of things that are.

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

Your commemoration, Father, coincided and shone out together with the Christ’s nativity; the ineffable mystery of which you made manifest by your teachings.

CIrCumCISIon of Christ

Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

The Word, who is beyond being, became incarnate and was circumcised to bring the Law to an end; but he has given us the first fruits of divine grace and unsullied life.

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

Fulfiller of the Law, as being not hostile to God, Christ was revealed as incarnate, and vouchsafed willingly to be circumcised on the eighth day.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…The Law has come to an end since Christ became an in-fant, and revealed as the fulfiller of the Law he accepted circumcision and abolished the curse of the Law.

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.Sabbaths and Circumcision, the proud boast of the He-brews, have ceased now that Christ has been made man-ifest, and the spring of grace has shone.

tropariaSunday (Tone 4)

When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel the joyous message of Thy Resurrection, they cast away the ancestral curse and elatedly told the Apostles: Death is overthrown; Christ God is risen, granting the world great mercy!

CIrCumCISIon of Christ (Tone 1)Enthroned on high with the Eternal Father and Thy Di-vine Spirit, O Jesus, Thou didst will to be born on earth of the unwedded handmaid, Thy Mother. Therefore Thou wast circumcised as an eight-day-old Child. Glory to Thy most gracious counsel; glory to Thy dispensation; glory to Thy condescension, O only Lover of mankind!

St. BaSIL the Great (Tone 1)Thy proclamation has gone out into all the earth, which was divinely taught by hearing thy voice. Thou didst ex-pound the nature of creatures and ennobled the manners of men. Venerable Father of royal priesthood, entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved!

kontakiaSunday (Tone 4)

My Savior and Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and delivered the earth-born from their chains. He has shat-tered the gates of hell, and as Master, He has risen on the third day!

St. BaSIL the Great (Tone 4)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

Thou wast revealed as the sure foundation of the Church, granting all mankind a lordship which cannot be taken away, sealing it with thy precepts, O venerable Basil, re-vealer of heaven.

CIrCumCISIon of Christ (Tone 3)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Lord of all accepts to be circumcised, thus, as He is good, He excises the sins of mortal men. Today He grants the world salvation, while light-bearing Basil, high priest of our Creator, rejoices in heaven as a divine initiate of Christ.

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ProkeimenonSunday before theophany (tone 6)

Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance.

Vs: To thee, O Lord, will I cry; O my God, keep thou not silent toward me.

St. BaSIL the great (tone 1)Vs: My mouth shall speak wisdom, the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.

Epistle readingSunday before theophany

The 2nd Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Timothy (4:5-8)My son Timothy, watch thou in all things, endure afflic-tions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

CIrCumCISIon of Christ

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians (2:8-12)Brethren, beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudi-ments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwell-eth all the fulness fo the Godhead bodily. And we are com-plete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: in who also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh

by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

alleluia VersesSunday before theophany (tone 8)

Vs: O God, be bountiful to us and bless us, show the light of Thy countenance upon us, and have mercy on us!

Vs: That we may know Thy way upon the earth, and Thy salvation amongst all nations.

gospel readingSunday before theophany

The Gospel according to St. Mark (1:1-8)The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: pre-pare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is might-ier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with wa-ter; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

CIrCumCISIon of Christ

The Gospel according to St. Luke (2:20-21,40-52)At that time the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” And he said to them,

“How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.  

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After this ritual the Divine Infant was given the name Jesus, as the Archangel Ga-briel declared on the day of the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos (Luke 1:31-33, 2:21). The Fa-thers of the Church explain that the Lord, the Creator of the Law, underwent circumcision in order to give people an example of how faithfully the divine ordi-nances ought to be fulfilled. The Lord was circumcised so that later no one would doubt that He had truly as-sumed human flesh, and that His Incarnation was not merely an illusion, as certain heretics (Docetists) taught.

In the New Testament, the ritual of circumcision gave way to the Mystery of Baptism, which it prefigured (Col. 2:11-12). Accounts of the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord continue in the Eastern Church right up through the

fourth century. The Canon of the Feast was written by St Stephen of the St Sava Monastery (October 28 and July 13).

In addition to circumcision, which the Lord accepted as a sign of God’s Covenant with mankind, He also received the Name Jesus (Savior) on the eighth day af-ter His Nativity as an indication of His service, the work of the salvation of the world (Mt.1:21; Mark 9:38-39, 16:17; Luke 10:17; Acts 3:6, 16; Phil 2:9-10). These two events, the Lord’s Circumcision and Naming, re-mind Christians that they have entered into a New Covenant with God and “are circumcised with a cir-cumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ” (Col. 2:11). The very name “Christian” is a sign of man-kind’s entrance into a New Covenant with God.

St. Basil the great, abp. of Cæsarea in Cappadociaur father among the saints Basil the Great (ca. 330 - January 1, 379), was bishop of Caesarea, a leading churchman in the 4th century. The Church considers him a

saint and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, together with Saints Gregory the Theologian (Gregory Nazianzus) and John Chrysostom. Basil, Gregory the Theologian, and Basil’s brother Saint Gregory of Nyssa are called the Cappadocian Fathers. The Roman Catholic Church also considers him a saint and calls him a Doctor of the Church.Basil was born about 330 at Caesarea in Cappadocia. He came from a wealthy and pious family which gave a number of saints, including his mother Saint Emily (also styled Emilia or Emmelia), grandmother Saint Macrina the Elder, sister Saint Macrina the Younger and brothers Saints Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste. It is also a widely held tradition that Saint Theosebia was his young-est sister, who is also a saint in the Church.

While still a child, the family moved to Pontus; but he soon returned to Cappadocia to live with his mother’s relations, and seems to have been brought up by his grandmother Macrina. Eager to learn, he went to Constantinople and spent four or five years there and at Athens, where he had the fu-ture emperor Julian for a fellow student and became friends with Gregory the Theologian. Both Basil and Gregory were deeply influ-enced by Origen and compiled an an-thology of uncondemned writings of

Origen known as the Philokalia (not to be confused with the later compilation of the same name).

It was at Athens that he seriously began to think of re-ligion, and resolved to seek out the most famous

hermit saints in Syria and Arabia, in order to learn from them how to attain enthusiastic piety and how to keep his body under sub-mission by asceticism.

After this we find him at the head of a con-vent near Arnesi in Pontus, in which his mother Emily, now a widow, his sister Macrina and several other ladies, gave themselves to a pious life of prayer and charitable works. Basil sided with those who overcame the aversion to the homoousios in common opposi-tion to Arianism, thus drawing near-er to Saint Athanasius the Great.

He was ordained presbyter of the

Continued from page 5

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Church at Caesarea in 365, and his ordination was probably the result of the entreaties of his ecclesiastical superiors, who wished to use his talents against the Ari-ans, who were numerous in that part of the country and were favoured by the Arian emperor, Valens, who then reigned in Constantinople.

In 370 Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, died, and Basil was chosen to succeed him. It was then that his great powers were called into action. Caesarea was an impor-tant diocese, and its bishop was, ex officio, exarch of the great diocese of Pontus. Hot-blooded and somewhat imperious, Basil was also generous and sympathetic. His zeal for orthodoxy did not blind him to what was good in an opponent; and for the sake of peace and charity he was content to waive the use of orthodox ter-minology when it could be surrendered without a sacri-fice of truth.

With all his might he resisted the emperor Valens, who strove to introduce Arianism into his diocese, and im-pressed the emperor so strongly that, although inclined to banish the intractable bishop, he left him unmolest-ed. To an imperial prefect, astonished at Saint Basil’s temerity, he said, “Perhaps you have never before dealt with a proper bishop.”

To save the Church from Arianism, Basil entered into connections with the West, and with the help of Athana-sius, he tried to overcome its distrustful attitude toward the Homoousians. The difficulties had been enhanced by bringing in the question as to the essence of the Holy Spir-it. Although Basil advocated objectively the consubstanti-ality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son, he belonged to those, who, faithful to Eastern tradition, would not allow the predicate homoousios to the former; for this he was reproached as early as 371 by the Orthodox zealots among the monks, and Athanasius defended him.

His relations also with Eustathius were maintained in spite of dogmatic differences and caused suspicion. On the other hand, Basil was grievously offended by the extreme adherents of Homoousianism, who seemed to him to be reviving the Sabellian heresy.

He did not live to see the end of the unhappy factional disturbances and the complete success of his continued exertions in behalf of Rome and the East. He suffered from liver illness and his excessive asceticism seems to have hastened him to an early death. A lasting monu-ment of his episcopal care for the poor was the great institute before the gates of Caesarea, which was used as poorhouse, hospital, and hospice.

WRITINGSThe principal theological writings of Basil are his Treatise on the Holy Spirit (Lat. De Spiritu Sancto), a lucid and edifying appeal to Scripture and early Christian tradition to prove the divinity of the Holy Spirit, and his Refutation of the Apology of the Impious Eunomius, written in 363 or 364, three books against Eunomius of Cyzicus, the chief expo-nent of Anomoian Arianism. The first three books of the Refutation are his work; the fourth and fifth books that are usually included to do not belong to Basil, or to Apollinaris of Laodicea, but probably to Didymus The Blind.

He was a famous preacher, and many of his homilies, in-cluding a series of Lenten lectures on The Six Days of Cre-ation (Gr. Hexaëmeron), and an exposition of the psalter, have been preserved. Some, like that against usury and that on the famine in 368, are valuable for the history of morals; others illustrate the honor paid to martyrs and rel-ics; the address to young men on the study of classical lit-erature shows that Basil was lastingly influenced by his own education, which taught him to appreciate the impor-tance of the classics as preparatory instruction.

His ascetic tendencies are exhibited in the Moralia and Regulae, ethical manuals for use in the world and the cloister respectively. Of the monastic rules traced to Ba-sil, the shorter is the one most probably his work.

It is in the ethical manuals and moral sermons that the practical aspects of his theoretical theology are illustrat-ed. So, for example, it is in his Sermon to the Lazicans that we find Basil explaining how it is our common na-ture that obliges us to treat our neighbor’s natural needs (e.g., hunger, thirst) as our own, even though he is a sepa-rate individual. Later theologians explicitly explain this as an example of how the saints become an image of the one common nature of the persons of the Trinity.

His three hundred letters reveal a rich and observant nature, which, despite the troubles of ill-health and ec-clesiastical unrest, remained optimistic, tender and even playful. His principal efforts as a reformer were directed towards the improvement of the liturgy, and the reformation of the monastic orders of the East.

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Feasts of the Circumcision of Our Lord and Saint Basil the Great, and the New Year, 2012

Archpastoral Message of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah

To the Very Reverend and Reverend Clergy, Venerable Monastics, and God-fearing Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America:

The new year arrives at the great meeting point of the Old and New Covenants. Throughout December, the Church bade us remember the righteous and prophets of the Old Covenant, beginning with Nahum, Habbakuk, and Zephaniah, continuing with Haggai, Daniel, and the Three Youths, and culminating with the two Sundays before the Nativity, the memory of that long and great ancestry of our Savior according to the flesh.

That for which the prophets kept vigil was experienced and proclaimed by the fathers and monks celebrated throughout January: beginning today with St. Basil, throughout this month we remember a throng of holy theologians and monastics: Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, Athanasius and Cyril, Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor, Mark of Ephesus, and Ephrem the Syrian, as well as Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, Theophan the Recluse, Paul of Thebes, Theodosius and Euthymius, Anthony and Macarius, and Isaac the Syrian.

Thus, December brought us the Prophets as an icon of mankind awaiting redemption, while January presents to us the holy Fathers and venerable Monastics as an icon of mankind responding to the redemption wrought through the Flesh of the eternal Word of God.

Christ has come in the flesh! This requires of us also a categorical response. The saints show us what this response must look like.

The prophets who awaited His coming are our models of watchfulness: they were ready at any time for the visitation of the grace of God. The fathers who expressed this mystery in carefully chosen words give us an example of intellectual honesty: nothing could induce them to waver from the truth that God revealed to them. The monastics who abandoned everything in pursuit of Christ show us an image of detachment: no one but the Lord could occupy the throne of their heart.

But none of these virtues can grow unless they are

planted in the soil of obedience and humility. The prophets obeyed the voice of the Lord in their hearts; the fathers obeyed the Tradition they received from the Apostles; and the monks obeyed their spiritual fathers and abbots. We too must learn obedience in whatever context God has placed us in, and our model for this virtue is none other than the Lord Himself.

Today, on the eighth day after his birth, our Savior showed us the path of obedience by submitting to the Old Covenant through circumcision. And in a few days, we will behold the Lord at Jordan as a full-grown man, modelling the path of humility for us when, though sinless, He submits to a public rite of repentance for guilty sinners.

Christ, so the Scriptures say, learned obedience through what He suffered (Heb. 5:8). What is true of the Master must also be true of us His disciples. There can be no genuine deepening of spiritual life without fulfilling the basic Gospel commandments in our deeds and conforming our weak understanding to the doctrinal and moral tradition of the Church. It is not only bishops who must uphold and defend the Church’s teaching; it is not only monks and nuns who must give themselves over to the pursuit of godliness. Through Baptism, we have all entered into the New Covenant in Christ’s blood, and we must all live, speak, and think in a manner worthy of the abudant grace of which we have become stewards.

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

This is my New Year prayer for you: that you be renewed in repentance, in love of truth and godliness, in zeal for watchfulness and prayer, and in detachment from those things which become idols in place of God.

Christ has come in the flesh! In the next twelve months the number 2012 will be a constant reminder of the boundless and universal magnitude of the Incarnation. Let us offer this year to God, making it truly “anno Domini”—the acceptable year of the Lord.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

+JONAH Archbishop of Washington Metropolitan of All America and Canada

~11~

Greek New Year TraditionsJanuary 1st is an important date in Greece because it is not only the first day of the New Year but it is also St. Basil’s Day. St Basil was one the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church. He is remembered for his kindness and generosity to the poor. He is thought to have died on this date so this is how they honor him.New Year is perhaps even more festive and important then Christmas as it is the main day for gift-giving and for sto-ries of St Basil’s kindness to children and the stories of how he would come in the night and leave gifts for the children in their shoes.

Greeks have a Christian name that is the name of a reli-gious figure or a saint. On the religious calendar each day has a different feast and people celebrate their name-day accordingly. January 1 is St Basil’s Day which is the day for those named Vassilios and Vassiliki. On name-days and St Basil’s day people visit their friends and relatives and exchange gifts, not just for those whose name-day it was but also for those whose name day it isn’t. On these visits they have a big feast of food, drinks and music.

There are many special dishes that are prepared at New Year but the most important dish is Vassilopitta or St Ba-sil’s cake, inside the cake is placed a silver or gold coin.

The cake is distributed in accordance to a strict order. First piece is for St Basil, the second for the house, the next for the most senior member of the household down to the youngest member and also including absent members. There may also be a piece of cake for the cattle and a large piece for the poor. Whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake will be lucky for the next year.

As well as the St Basil’s cake there is usually an abun-dance of food on the table including Kourabie-des Shortbread and thiples, there is always honey on the table and olive-branches, nuts, fresh fruit and other symbols of happiness and wealth.

On New Yearís Eve the children sing carols and also on New Years Day. The first person across the threshold of the house on New Year’s Day is said to bring the family good luck throughout the coming year. The father, son or a lucky child was meant to be the first person across the threshold. A lucky child was

someone who has both parents still alive.

Greek New Year’s Day too many is still September 1 for it is this date that they start of the Greek sowing season, a time of hope and promise.

To start the New Year off right farmers’ families take plates of seeds to church for the priest to bless.

In Kos people make first-of-the-year wreaths of pome-granates, grapes, quinces, garlic bulbs, and plane-tree leaves. Just before dawn on September 1 the children carry their households’ wreaths down to the shore, the old year’s wreaths and the new ones, and they throw the old ones out to sea and immerse the New Year wreaths for good luck. Then they carry seawater and pebbles home in a jar, to serve with the wreaths as protective devices. Tradi-tion calls for exactly 40 pebbles and water collected from the tops of exactly 40 waves.

In Rhodes the first-of-the-year wreaths are made of wal-nuts, onions, garlic, grapes, tufts of cotton, and cloth bags full of grain from the fields. The year’s sowing, it is said, can begin only after the wreath has been hung up.

Girls in Greece once ate something salty before going to bed. They did this because they believed it would help them to dream about their future husband.

The New Year Cake came from the story about Saint Ba-sil who it is said told how he helped the poor

people to pay their taxes. The story goes that he took some jewelry from each person and gave it to the Governor. The Gov-ernor was sorry for the poor people and

so he gave the jewelry back, they only problem was Basil did not know who owned each piece of jewelry. This is

when it is told the miracle occurred. He baked each piece inside a loaf and

when the loaves were given out, everyone had their own jewelery in the piece of loaf.

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

A compositie of several images from different Serbian monasteries to illustrate ringing in the New Year.Photo by Slobodan Simic