Feb. 15 – THE MEETING OF OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

СТРІТЕННЯ ГОСПОДА БОГА І СПАСА НАШОГО ІСУСА ХРИСТА.
Meatfare Sunday, of the Last Judgment. Tone 3

1 Cor. 8:8–9:2 ; Mt. 25:31-46;
Heb. 7:7-17 ; Lk. 2:22-40;

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Entrance Hymn

The Lord has made known His salvation. He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of nations.

Tropar Resurrectional, Tone 3

Let the heavens rejoice. Let the earth be glad. For the Lord has shown strength with His Arm. He has trampled Death by death. He has become the First-born of the Dead. He has delivered us from the depths of Hades and has granted the world great mercy.

Tropar of the Feast, Tone 1

Rejoice, Virgin Birth-Giver of God, Full of Grace; from you shone the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, enlightening those who sat in darkness. Rejoice and you, Righteous Elder, who accepted in your arms the Redeemer of our souls, Who grants us Resurrection.

Glory …
Kondak from Triodion, Tone 1

When You come to the earth in Glory, O God, all creation will tremble The river of fire will flow before Your Judgment Seat. The books will be opened and all secrets disclosed. Deliver me then from the unquenchable fire and count me worthy to stand at Your Right Hand, Most Righteous Judge.

Now and ever ...
Kondak of the Feast, Tone 1

By Your Birth, Christ our God, You sanctified the Virgin's womb and blessed Simeon's hands – and now You have come and saved us. Grant peace in the midst of aggression to Your community and strengthen the people embraced by Your Love, Only Lover of all Mankind.

Prokimens

Priest: Let us be attentive! Peace be with you all!

Reader: And with your spirit!

Deacon: Wisdom!

Reader: The Prokimen in Tone 3: Great is our Lord and great is His power. His understanding is beyond measure.

Choir: (repeats the prokimen)

Reader: V. Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good thing; let praise be sweet to our God.

Choir: (repeats the prokimen)

Reader: The Second Prokimen in Tone 3: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

Choir: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

Epistles

Deacon: Wisdom!

Reader: The reading is from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.

Deacon: Let us be attentive.

Reader: Brethren, food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

Deacon: Wisdom!

Reader: The reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews.

Deacon: Let us be attentive.

Reader: Brethren, now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek ."

Priest: Peace be with you.

Reader: And with your spirit. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Verse: Come, let us greatly rejoice in the Lord; let us shout aloud to God our Savior.

Verse: Let us come before His face with thanksgiving, and let us shout aloud to Him with psalms.

Verse: Master, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word.

Instead of "It is right in truth"

Virgin Birth-Giver of God, Hope of all Christians; Protect, preserve and save all who hope in you.

Irmos, Tone 3: In the shadow and letter of the law, let us, the faithful, discern a prototype: Every male child who opens the womb shall be sanctified to God. Therefore, the First-Born Word and Son of the Father without beginning and the First-Born Child of an Unwedded Mother, we magnify.

Communion Hymns

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Апостол

1 Кор. 8:8–9:2

Браття, Їжа не наближає нас до Бога: бо, чи їмо ми, нічого не здобуваємо; чи не їмо, нічого не втрачаємо. Однак бережіться, щоб ця свобода ваша не стала спокусою для немічних. Бо коли хто небудь побачить, що ти, маючи знання, сидиш за столом у капищі, то совість його, як немічного, чи не наверне і його їсти ідоложертовне?  І від твого знання загине немічний брат, за якого помер Христос. А согрішаючи таким чином проти братів і вражаючи немічну совість їхню, ви согрішаєте проти Христа. І тому, якщо їжа спокушає брата мого, не буду їсти м'яса повік, щоб не спокусити брата мого. Чи не Апостол я? Чи не вільний я? Чи не бачив я Ісуса Христа, Господа нашого? Хіба не моє діло ви у Господі? Якщо для інших я не Апостол, то для вас Апостол; бо печать мого апостольства – ви у Господі.

Євр. 7:7-17

Браття, без усякого ж заперечення менший благословляється більшим. І тут десятини беруть люди смертні, а там – той, хто має про себе свідчення, що він живе. І, так би мовити, сам Левій, котрий приймає десятини, в особі Авраама дав десятину: бо він ще був у чреслах батька, коли Мелхіседек зустрів його. Отже, якби досконалість досягалась через левітське священство,– бо з ним сполучений закон народу,– то яка б ще була потреба поставати іншому священникові за чином Мелхіседека, а не іменуватися за чином Аарона? Адже із переміною священства необхідно бути переміні і закону, бо Той, про Кого говориться це, належав до іншого коліна, з якого ніхто не приступав до жертовника. Бо відомо, що Господь наш засяяв з коліна Іуди, про яке Мойсей нічого не сказав відносно священства. І це ще ясніше видно з того, що за подобою Мелхіседека постає Священник інший, Котрий такий не за законом заповіді плотської, а за силою життя нескінченного. Бо засвідчено: Ти священник повік за чином Мелхіседека.

Євангеліє - Gospel Reading

Від Матвія 25:31-46

Сказав Господь: Коли ж прийде Син Людський у славі Своїй і всі святі Ангели з Ним, тоді сяде на престолі слави Своєї,  і зберуться перед Ним усі народи; і відділить одних від інших, як пастир відділяє овець від козлів; і поставить овець праворуч Себе, а козлів – ліворуч.  Тоді скаже Цар тим, які праворуч Нього: прийдіть, благословенні Отця Мого, наслідуйте Царство, уготоване вам від створення світу: бо голодний був Я, і ви дали Мені їсти; спраглий був, і ви напоїли Мене; був подорожнім, і ви прийняли Мене; був нагим, і ви одягнули Мене; був недужим, і ви відвідали Мене; у в'язниці був, і ви прийшли до Мене. Тоді праведники скажуть Йому у відповідь: Господи! коли ми бачили Тебе голодним і нагодували? або спраглим, і напоїли? коли ми бачили Тебе подорожнім, і прийняли? або нагим, і одягли? коли ми бачили Тебе недужим або у в'язниці, і прийшли до Тебе? І Цар скаже їм у відповідь: істинно кажу вам: оскільки ви зробили це одному з цих братів Моїх менших, то зробили Мені. Тоді скаже й тим, які ліворуч Нього: ідіть від Мене, прокляті, у вогонь вічний, уготований дияволу і ангелам його: бо голодний був Я, і ви не дали Мені їсти; спраглий був, і ви не напоїли Мене; був подорожнім, і не прийняли Мене; був нагим, і не одягли Мене; недужим і у в'язниці, і не відвідали Мене. Тоді і вони скажуть Йому у відповідь: Господи! коли ми бачили Тебе голодним або спраглим, або подорожнім, або нагим, або недужим, або у в'язниці, і не послужили Тобі? Тоді скаже їм у відповідь: істинно кажу вам: так як ви не зробили цього одному з менших цих, то не зробили Мені. І підуть ці на вічні муки, а праведники в життя вічне.

Luke 2:22-40

Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who 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 turtledoves or two young pigeons." And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting 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 would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. So he came by the Spirit 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: "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel." And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against "(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.