The Nativity of the Lord
Continued from page one

Gradually, most of the Apostolic Churches "unpacked" this nucleus into its component celebrations, spreading throughout the winter calendar. For example:

• I.The Roman Church currently has the following feasts: Nativity (Dec 25); Magi (1st Sunday of January) ; Baptism (2nd Sunday of January);    Presentation (Feb 2).

• II. The Armenian Church retains most of these Feasts, including the Nativity of Christ, on Jan 6.

• III. In the Byzantine Churches, as seen below, these feasts have been incorporated into a larger framework which is becoming more and more similar to Pascha. Nativity Services at our Byzantine Catholic Parish

[It should be carefully noted that the celebration of Christmas on the Civil (Gregorian) Calendar's 7 January by "old calendar Churches" is actually the celebration of December 25. The Julian Calendar Dec 25 currently falls on the Gregorian Calendar's 7 January.]

The Byzantine Winter Pascha
• The Christmas Fast [15 Nov - 24 December]:
The Byzantine six-week Christmas-Fast period is still in a period of   development. The 1st, 2nd 3rd & 4th Sundays have Lucan Gospels with themes touching on social justice / God's love for the poor. E.G.: in 1998:  Lk 10: 25-37 (The Good Samaritan); Lk 12:16-21 (The Foolish Grain owner); Lk 13:10-17 (The Crippled Woman); Lk 17: 12-19 (The 10 Lepers).     
    2nd Sunday before Christmas    The Forerunners of Christ
    Sunday before Christmas        The Genealogy of Christ
               
• The Season of the Epiphanies [25 Dec - 2 Feb]
    25 December               The Nativity & Adoration by Magi & Shepherds
    25 Dec - 4 Jan              Fast Free period
    26 December               Synaxis of the Theotokos
    27 December               St. Stephen Protomartyr
    Sunday after Christmas    The Righteous Ones: David the King, Joseph the
                                             Betrothed, and James, the Brother of the Lord
    1 January                     The Circumcision
    6 January                 Theophany (Baptism of Christ)
    2 February                Encounter in Temple (end of the Season of
                                     Epiphanies)
         
    As of the present, the Sundays after Christmas have not yet developed a fully set character as have the post-Paschal Sundays. The only fixed observances:

    Sunday after Christmas    Incarnation themes
    Sunday before Theophany   Baptismal / Revelation themes
    Sunday after Theophany    Baptismal / Revelation themes
    Fourth Sunday of January  Commemoration of all the New-
                                               Martyrs & Confessors of the
                                               Communist Yoke (OCA)

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