Sunday of the Holy Forefathers

Icon was likely painted in the village of Palekh, one of only a few major centers of icon-painting in nineteenth-century Russia, near the city of Vladimir. It depicts the Resurrection of Christ and the Twelve Church feasts.

Sunday of the Holy Forefathers or Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Jesus Christ(Κυριακή των Προπατόρων) is a Christian holiday that is always celebrated on a Sunday and always on the second Sunday before Christmas in the Eastern Orthodox Church and in the Eastern Catholic Churches using the Byzantine Rite. The beginning of the celebration is December 11.[1] If December 11 is a weekday, then the holiday is postponed until the following Sunday. This can be perceived in the year 2024: December 11 was a Wednesday, therefore, the holiday was celebrated four days later on Sunday, December 15.

The Sunday that falls between December 11 to 17 is known as the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers. It honors the ancestors of the Old Testament, Those who lived before and under the Law, and those of the flesh, namely the Patriarch Abraham whom the Lord said unto "In thy seed shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3; 22:18).[1]

Main verses

Two main verses called Apolytikion and Kontakion are known.

Apolytikion in the Second Tone

The song as the name suggests is sung in the second tone(Phrygian mode) according to the Octoechos system in Byzantine music.The hymn is as follows:

"You justified the Forefathers by faith, and through them betrothed yourself, aforetime, to the Church taken from out of the Gentiles. The saints boast in glory, for from their seed, there exists a noble crop, who is she who without seed has given You birth. By their intercessions, O Christ our God, save our souls."[2]

Kontakion in Plagal of the Second Tone

The hymn as the name suggests is sung in the plagal of the second tone(Hypophrygian mode), the 6th tone according to the Octoechos system in Byzantine music.The hymn is as follows:

"You did not worship the graven image, O thrice-blessed ones, but armed with the immaterial Essence of God, you were glorified in a trial by fire. From the midst of unbearable flames you called on God, crying: Hasten, O compassionate One! Speedily come to our aid, for You are merciful and able to do as You will."[2]

Honored people

The Great Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Old Testament, including the Patriarchs Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are honored with their own separate hymns. The feast also commemorates the Holy Prophets such as Daniel, Ezekiel, and Elijah, judges, kings, and all who lived of the flesh and under the Law.

Hymn of the Ancestors

Other Saints of Ancestors Sunday

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Orthodox Church in America. "Lives of the Saints: Sunday of the Forefathers". www.oca.org.
  2. ^ a b "Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Christ". Retrieved 2024-12-10.
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