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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Five More Days of Winter Pascha!


The celebration of Christ's Nativity was amazingly beautiful this year -- everything seemed to come together for us to do the services fully, with extra singers even showing up to fill out the choir -- and the weather cooperated with snow for a white Christmas!  At the end of this blog we post the schedule for the final days of our celebration: New Year's Day and St. Basil's feast on January 1st through January 6th, the Lord's Theophany.  If you are in the area, you are welcome to join us for any of these services!

Some history: The celebration of the Nativity of our Lord was split from Theophany in the early centuries of Christian worship, yet they remain integrally linked.  The famed Twelve Days of Christmas are not the post feast of the Nativity and certainly not twelve shopping days before Christmas, but rather one great explosion of light coming at the darkest time of the year, proclaiming the coming of true Light, Life, Love and Truth into the world, bookended by the Church with these two twenty four hour periods of intense liturgical worship in thanksgiving and praise of God’s great mercy towards us and all creation.  Theophany is the amazing climax of this longest feast  -- a full twelve-days -- of the Church year.  

Christ is Born!  Glorify Him!

Services for the Theophany of Christ 2013
Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery, Otego, New York
                          
Tuesday, January 1
5:00                 Vespers of the Prefeast
7:00                 Compline with Canon of the Prefeast
                   
Wednesday - Thursday, January 2 - 3
6:00 A.M.       Matins of the Prefeast
9:00                 Third Hour
12 NOON   Sixth Hour
3:00 p.m.        Ninth Hour
5:00                 Vespers of the Prefeast
7:00                 Compline with Canon of the Prefeast

Friday, January 4
6:00 A.M.       Matins of the Prefeast
9:00                 First & Third Royal Hours
12 NOON   Sixth & Ninth Royal Hours
5:00                 Vespers of the Prefeast
7:00                 Compline with Canon of the Prefeast

            Saturday, January 5 Vigil of Theophany
9:00 A.M.       Third Hour
12 NOON      Sixth Hour
5:00                 Supper
          6:00 p.m.          Vigil: Vespers with Old Testament Readings &
Matins

Sunday, January 6Theophany
            10:00 A.M.     Divine Liturgy with the Great Blessing of Water

            5:00 p.m.        Vespers of the Feast

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Nativity 2012

December 2012:  UPDATES AT LAST!  After a long hiatus, and with a lot of help from our friends, we are again updating our website.  Please check out our "Events" page for coverage of our wonderful 35th Anniversary celebrations this summer!

Here is the schedule of Christmas services in our chapel, open to all.  To stay for longer visits, please phone ahead -- (607) 432-3179 -- to make arrangements.

Father David Poling, pastor of St. Innocent's Mission, will be here to serve the Liturgies:

Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery Chapel
St. Innocent’s Mission
Otego, New York
Schedule of Christmas Services 2012
                                                             

Sunday, December 16: The Holy Ancestors of Christ
          10:00 A.M.   Divine Liturgy
Wednesday December 19: (Beginning of the Prefeast)
5:00            Vespers of the Prefeast 
          7:00                      Compline with Canon of the Prefeast
Thursday & Friday, December 20 - 21
          6:00 A.M.             Matins of the Prefeast
          9:00            Third Hour
          12:00 Noon Sixth Hour
          3:00 p.m.              Ninth Hour
          5:00            Vespers of the Prefeast 
          7:00                      Compline with Canon of the Prefeast
Saturday, December 22
          6:00 A.M.             Matins of the Prefeast
          9:00            Third Hour
          12:00 Noon Sixth Hour
          6:00            Vigil of the Resurrection and the Prefeast           

Sunday, December 23: The Holy Ancestors of Christ
          10:00 A.M.   Divine Liturgy
          5:00            Vespers of the Prefeast 
          7:00                      Compline with Canon of the Prefeast


Monday, December 24 – Eve of the Nativity of Christ
9:00 A.M.   First & Third Royal Hours
          12:00 Noon          Sixth & Ninth Royal Hours
3:00 p.m.              Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
          Followed by the Holy Christmas Eve Supper
          7:00            Vigil of Compline and Matins
          11:30 pm    Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom for
Christmas Day begins, followed by Agape!  Bring
your Christmas goodies to share to break the Lenten fast!
         
Tuesday, December 25 - the Nativity of Christ
5:00 p.m.              Vespers of Christmas Day