The Third Sunday Antiphon
Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us acclaim God, our Savior.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
For God is the great Lord and the great king over all the earth.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
*******************************Entrance****************************
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.
Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to You: Alleluia.
Liturgical Resources for Sunday, December 22nd, 2024
Gospel: (Matthew 1:1-25)
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
The First Sunday Antiphon
Shout to the Lord, all the earth: sing now to His name, give glory to His praise.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior, save us.
Say unto God, “How awesome are your works! Because of the greatness of Your strength Your enemies will flatter You.”
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior, save us.
Let all the earth worship You and sing to You, let it sing to Your name, O Most High.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior, save us.
Apostolos (Hebrews 11: 9-10 & 32-40)
Prokimenon: Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers,* and your name is worthy of praise and glorious forever.
Stichon: For you are just in all you have done to us,* and all your works are true and your ways right.
Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews:
Brethren, by faith, Abraham lived in the Land of the Promise as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for the city with fixed foundations, of which city the architect and builder is God. And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained the fulfillment of promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, routed foreign armies.
Women had their dead restored to them through resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to yield for their release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others again suffered mockery and blows, even chains and jailings. They were stoned, cut to pieces, put to the question, killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, distressed, afflicted (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves and holes in the ground.
And none of these, despite the positive witnessing of faith, received what was promised, for God had something better in store for us, so that they were not to reach their final perfection without us.
By faith, Abraham, when he was put to the test, offered Isaac, and he who had received the promise- to whom it had been said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called"- was about to offer up his only-begotten son, reasoning that God has power even to raise up from the dead: and for this, he received him back as a type.
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. By faith, Jacob, at the point of death, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and bowed in worship toward the top of his staff. By faith, Joseph, near the end of his life, made mention of the departure of the sons of Israel and gave orders concerning his bones.
By faith, Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they did not fear the king’s edict.
Alleluia: O God, our ears have heard,* our fathers have declared to us the deeds you did in their days, in the days of old.
Stichon: The just cried out, and the Lord heard them,* and he delivered them from all their trials.
Instead of: "It is truly right…"
No change. We sing "It is truly right…"
Kinonikon
Praise the Lord from the heavens;* praise Him in the highest.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones.* Praise from the upright is fitting.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Tropars
Angelic powers were upon Your tomb and the guards became like dead men;* Mary stood before Your tomb seeking Your most pure body.* You captured Hades without being overcome by it.* You met the Virgin and granted life.* O Lord, risen from the dead,* glory be to You!
Great are the deeds accomplished in faith!* Three holy children rejoiced in the fiery furnace as though they were in calm waters.* And the prophet Daniel faced lions as though they were sheep.* Through their prayers, O Christ God, save our souls.
Bethlehem, get prepared!* Eden, open up your gates for all!* Ephrata, bring out your decorations!* For the Tree of life is blossoming forth in a cave from a virgin.* Her womb has become the mystical garden of paradise wherein we find that fruit divine.* If we eat of it, we shall live and not die like Adam.* Christ is being born to restore the image that fell in the beginning.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
O Blessed children three!* You refused to worship an idol.* Protected by the Infinite Being you gloriously endured an ordeal by fire.* Standing in the midst of unbearable flames, you called upon God:* Hasten, O gracious Lord, and swiftly come to our aid as a merciful God,* for you are able to do whatever you will.
Now and for ever and ever. Amen.
Though he holds the whole world in the palm of his hand,* we behold him wrapped in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem.* in preparing for the feast we sing to the virgin who is bringing him into the world.* For like every mother, she is filled with joy,* carrying the Son of God in her womb!