2025 |
On Sunday | February 2 |
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The Readings for the Commemoration |
2025 |
February 2 |
The Meeting of our Lord |
The Readings from Vespers the Previous Evening |
From Menaion - - - |
Ex 12:51; 13:1 – 2a, 3a, 10a, 11 – 12a, 14 – 16a; 22:28b; Leviticus 12:2b, 3, 4a, 4c, 6c, 8a, 8c; Numbers 8:16a, 16c, 17b-c |
On that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt with their army, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Sanctify to Me all the firstborn, the first-begotten, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel. Then Moses said to the people: Remember this day, in which you went out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place. You shall therefore keep this law. Then it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every male. So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘With a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thus it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of cattle. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall be as a sign on your hand and immoveable before your eyes, because thus says the Lord the Almighty: The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. If a woman conceived and bore a male child, then on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. For thirty-three days she is not to come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are fulfilled. When the days of her purification are fulfilled, she is to bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a whole burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of testimony. But if she is unable to afford a lamb, she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. So the priest shall make atonement for her. For they are Mine as a restitution offering from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of the firstborn from all the children of Israel, from man to cattle; on the day I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them to Myself. [SAAS] |
Is 6:1 – 12 |
In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. The house was full of His glory. Around Him stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” The lintel was lifted up by the voice of those who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said, “Woe is me, because I am pierced to the heart, for being a man and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips; for I saw the King, the Lord of hosts, with my eyes!” Then one of the seraphim was sent to me. He had a live coal in his hand, which he took with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth, and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips. Your lawlessness is taken away, and your sin is cleansed.” I also heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people?” Then I said, “Behold, here am I, send me.” So He said, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You shall hear indeed, but not understand; and you shall see indeed, but not perceive.’ For the heart of this people has become insensitive, and their ears hear with difficulty. They have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return, and I should heal them.” Then I said, “Lord, how long?” So He answered, “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without people, and the land shall be left desolate. After this God will remove the people far away, and those left in the land shall multiply.” [SAAS] |
Is 19:1, 3a, 4a, 4c, 5, 12, 16, 19 – 21 |
The vision of Egypt: Behold, the Lord sits on a swift cloud and shall come to Egypt, and the things made by hands in Egypt shall be shaken by His presence, and their heart shall be overcome within them. “The spirit of the Egyptians will be troubled within them, and I will reject their counsel, and I will deliver Egypt into the hands of harsh lords,” thus says the Lord of hosts. And the Egyptians will drink water from the sea, for the river will run dry and have no water. Thus says the Lord, “Where are your wise men now? Let them now tell you, and let them say what the Lord of hosts planned against Egypt.” In that day, the Egyptians shall be like women in fear and trembling because of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He shall lay upon them. In that day, there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the country of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign forever to the Lord in the country of Egypt, for they will cry to the Lord because of their oppressors, and the Lord will send them a Man who will save them. He will judge and save them. Then the Lord will be known to the Egyptians, and in that day the Egyptians will know the Lord and offer sacrifices. Yes, they will make vows to the Lord and pay them. [SAAS] |
The Epistle |
For the Feast. |
The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews. |
Heb. 7:7 – 17 |
Brethren, it is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. Here tithes are received by mortal men; there, by one whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” [RSV] |
The Gospel |
For the Feast. |
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke. |
Lk. 2:22 – 40 |
At that time, the parents brought the child Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And in the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. [RSV] |
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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion. |
Synaxarion |
From the Menaion. |
On February 2 we celebrate the Feast of the Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ, when the righteous Symeon received Him in his embraces. |
On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyr Agathodoros. |
To God be the glory and the dominion to the ages. Amen. |
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Fasting Rule |
Fast Free: All foods allowed. |