READINGS MARY MOTHER OF GOD, 1 JANUARY

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 24

Psalm 87

Psalm 99

καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο - Ἁλληλουϊά — καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν - Ἁλληλουϊά.

Even & Odd Years: Hebrews 2:9-17                         τὸν δὲ βραχύ τι παρ' ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον                         βλέπομεν Ἰησοῦν διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον,                         ὅπως χάριτι θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γεύσηται θανάτου.                         ἔπρεπεν γὰρ αὐτῷ, δι' ὃν τὰ πάντα καὶ δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα,                         πολλοὺς υἱοὺς εἰς δόξαν ἀγαγόντα                         τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν διὰ παθημάτων τελειῶσαι.                   ὁ τε γὰρ ἁγιάζων καὶ οἱ ἁγιαζόμενοι ἐξ ἑνὸς πάντες:                   δι' ἣν αἰτίαν οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοὺς καλεῖν, λέγων,                   ἀπαγγελῶ τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου, ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε:                   καὶ πάλιν, ἐγὼ ἔσομαι πεποιθὼς ἐπ' αὐτῷ:                   καὶ πάλιν, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός.                   ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκός,                   καὶ αὐτὸς παραπλησίως μετέσχεν τῶν αὐτῶν,                   ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου,                   τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸν διάβολον,                   καὶ ἀπαλλάξῃ τούτους,                   ὅσοι φόβῳ θανάτου διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας. οὐ γὰρ δήπου ἀγγέλων ἐπιλαμβάνεται, ἀλλὰ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται. ὅθεν ὤφειλεν κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι, ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καὶ πιστὸς ἀρχιερεὺς τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ:

Even Years: Augustine of Hippo, Letter 140, 6,11 (CSEL 44; 158-159. 162-163) Cum autem venit plenitudo temporis, ut gratia quae occultabatur in Veteri Testamento, iam revelaretur in Novo, misit Deus Filium suum, factum ex muliere; quo nomine, proprietate hebraicae linguae, omnis femina nuncupatur, sive viro intacta, sive iam mixta. Quem autem Filium miserit, fierique ex muliere voluerit, quantus ille Deus sit qui hanc humilitatem pro salute fidelium suscipere dignatus fuerit, ut agnoscas, nunc attende Evangelium: In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum: hoc erat in principio apud Deum. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso factum est nihil. Quod factum est in ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum, et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt. Hic ergo Deus, Verbum Dei per quod facta sunt omnia, Filius Dei est, incommutabiliter manens, ubique praesens, nullo clausus loco, nec partiliter per cuncta diffusus, tamquam minorem partem habeat in minori loco, et in maiori maiorem, sed ubique totus, atque ita non absens etiam mentibus impiorum, quamvis eum non videant, sicut nec ista lux videtur oculis praesentata caecorum. Lucet ergo et in tenebris talibus, quales Apostolus significat ubi dicit: Fuistis aliquando tenebrae, nunc autem lux in Domino... Misit itaque Deus Filium suum factum ex muliere, factum sub Lege. Nam Legis sacramenta percepit, ut eos qui sub lege erant, redimeret, id est quos Lex reos tenebat occidente littera, dum praeceptum non impleretur, antequam vivificaret spiritus; quia caritas Dei quae praeceptum implet, diffunditur in cordibus nostris per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis. Proinde cum dixisset: Ut eos qui sub Lege erant redimeret, continuo subiunxit: Ut adoptionem filiorum reciperemus; ut videlicet huius gratiam beneficii discerneret ab illa Filii natura, qui missus est Filius, non per adoptionem factus, sed semper genitus Filius, ut participata natura filiorum hominum, ad participandam etiam suam naturam adoptaret filios hominum. Quapropter etiam cum dixisset: Dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, modumque adiunxisset, ne carnalis intellegeretur nativitas, quod scilicet eis id praestiterit, qui credunt in nomine eius, et per gratiam renascuntur spiritalem, non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate viri, neque ex voluntate carnis, sed ex Deo; mox commendavit quasi huius vicissitudinis sacramentum. Tamquam enim mirati tantum bonum non auderemus optare, statim subiunxit: Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis (quod unum est ex quinque illis, quae tibi exponi voluisti); tamquam diceret: O homines! nolite desperare vos fieri posse filios Dei; quia et ipse Filius Dei, hoc est, Verbum Dei, caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis. Reddite vicem; efficimini spiritus, et habitate in illo qui caro factus est, et habitavit in vobis. Neque enim iam desperandum est participatione Verbi fieri posse homines filios Dei, quando Filius Dei participatione carnis factus est filius hominis.

Odd Years: St. Athanasius, Letter to Epicetus Σπέρματος γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος·  ὅθεν ὤφειλε κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι, καὶ λαβεῖν ὅμοιον ἡμιν σῶμα.  Διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὑπόκειται ἀληθῶς ἡ Μαρία, ἱν ἐξ αὐτῆς τοῦτο λἀβῃ, καὶ ὡς ἴδιου ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτὸ προσενέγκῃ Διὸ καὶ τοῦ τίκτειν μνημονεύει ἡ Γραφή, καὶ φησιν· Ἐσπαργάνωσε· καὶ ἐμακαρίζοντο μαστοὶ, οὕς ἐθήλασε, καὶ προσενέχθη θυσία, ὡς διανοίξαντος τοῦ τεχθέντος τὴν μήτραν Καὶ ὁ Γαβριὴλ δὲ ἀσφαλῶς εὐηγγελίζετο αὐτῇ, λἐγων οὐχ ἁπλῶς, τὸ γεννώμενον ἐν σοὶ, ἱνα μὴ ἔξωθεν ἐπεισαγόμενον αὐτῇ, σῶμα νομισθῇ· ἀλλ ἐκ σοῦ, ἵν ἐξ αὐτῆς φύσει τὸ γεννώμενον εἶναι πιστευθῇ The Word took to himself descent from Abraham, as the Apostle says, and therefore it was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers, and take a body similar to ours. That is why Mary is really part of his plan, so that he may take this body from her and offer it up for us as something that is his own. Accordingly, Scripture mentions his birth, and says: She wrapped up in swaddling clothes; the breasts that suckled him were called blessed; sacrifice was offered because he was the first-born. Gabriel announced the good news to Mary with all clarity: he did not say simply: 'what is born in you', in case it might be thought that the body had been introduced into her from outside; he said: what is born of you, so that it would be accepted that what she gave birth to, came from her in the natural way. Καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως, ἵνα, τὰ ἡμῶν αὐτὸς δεχόμενος, καὶ προσενεγκὼν εἰς θυσίαν, ἐξαφανίσῇ, καὶ λοιπὸν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ περιβαλὼν ἡμᾶς, ποιήσῇ τὸν Ἀπόστολον εἰπεῖν· Δεῖ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀθανασίαν. The Word took this course of action so that he could take on himself what was ours, offer it in sacrifice, and do away with it altogether, and then clothe us in what was his, as he inspired the Apostle to say: This perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. Οὐ θέσει δὲ ταῦτα ἐγίνετο, μὴ γένοιτο! ὥς τινες πάλιν ὑπέλαβον· ἀλλ ὄντως ἀληθείᾳ ἀνθρώπον γενομένου τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ὅλου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου σωτηρία ἐγίνετο Ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐ φαντασία ἡ σωτηρία ἡμῶν, οὐδὲ σώματος μόνου, ἀλλ ὅλου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος ἀληθῶς, ἡ σωτηρία γέγονεν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ Λόγω. This was no mere fiction, as some have thought. For our Saviour really did become man, and this brought about the salvation of the whole man. Our salvation is no illusion, nor is it salvation of the body only: the salvation of the whole man, body and soul, was really brought about in the Word himself. Ἀνθρώπινον ἄρα φύσει τὸ ἐκ τῆς Μαρίας κατὰ τὰς θείας Γραφὰς, καὶ ἀληθινὸν ἦν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου· ἀληθινὸν δὲ ἦν, ἐπεὶ ταυτὸν ἦν τῷ ἡμετέρῷ· ἀδελφὴ γὰρ ἡμῶν ἡ Μαρία, ἐπεὶ καὶ πάντες ἐκ τοῦ Ἀδάμ ἐσμεν What was born of Mary, according to Scripture, was by nature human; the Lord's body was a real one—real, because it was the same as ours. This was so because Mary was our sister, since we are all descended from Adam. Τὸ γὰρ παρὰ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ λεγόμενον· ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ταύτην ἔχει τὴν διάνοιαν, καθὼς καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ὁμοίου τοῦτο δυνατὸν εὑρεῖν· γέγραπται γὰρ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ· Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γέγονε κατάρα μᾶλλον γὰρ αὐτῷ τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ σώματι προσθήκη μεγάλη γέγονεν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Λόγου πρὸς αὐτὸ κοινωνίας τε καὶ ἑνώσεως· ἀπὸ γὰρ θνητοῦ γέγονεν ἀθάνατον· καὶ ψυχινὸν ὄν, γέγονε πνευματικὸν, καὶ ἐκ γῆς γενόμενον, τὰς οὐρανίους διέβη πύλας. This is the meaning of John's words: The Word became flesh, as can be seen from a similar passage in Paul: Christ became a curse for us. The human body has been greatly enhanced through the fellowship and the union of the Word with it. From being mortal, it has become immortal; though physical, it has become spiritual; though made from the earth, it has passed through the gates of heaven. Ἡ μέντοι Τριάς, καὶ λαβόντος ἐκ Μαρίας σῶμα τοῦ Λόγου, Τριάς ἐστιν, οὐ δεχομένη προσθήκην, οὐδὲ ἀφαίρεσιν· ἀλλ ἀεὶ τελεία ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐν Τριάδι μία θεότης γινώσκεται, καὶ οὕτως ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ εἷς θεὸς κηρύσσεται, ὁ τοῦ Λόγου Πατήρ. Though the Word took a body from Mary, the Trinity remains a Trinity, and admits neither addition nor diminution. It is always perfect. In the Trinity one Godhead is acknowledged, and so in the Church one God proclaimed, the Father of the Word.

GOSPEL FOR ALL THREE CYCLES Te Deum [English]

Prayer