Byzantine Rite: First and Second Findings of the Head of St. John the Forerunner.
This feast celebrates the finding and rediscovery of the head of St. John the Baptist, the rediscovery occurring in the mid-Fifth Century.
Kontakion of the Feast
O Prophet of God and Forerunner of Grace, within the earth we have discovered thy head, a rose of great holiness whence healing always comes to us. As thou didst of old, do thou now also preach repentance to the world.
March 25
Byzantine and Maronite Rites:
Feast of the Annunciation
This feast is a very ancient one, celebrated by all churches of East and West. It originated in the East in the Fifth Century and spread to the West in the Seventh Century. It was originally called The Conception of Christ, as this is what it actually celebrates. The Eastern Churches place more emphasis spiritually on the Annunciation, seeing it as the moment when Christ inseperably united Himself to the human race and the time when our salvation began. I'm sure that it goes without saying that this was the day that the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Most Holy Theotokos that she would conceive the Saviour of the World. The feast is exactly nine months before Christmas.
Antiphons at Vespers:
The Mother of God heard expressions that she did not understand when the Archangel said to her the words of the Annunciation. She accepted the greeting with faith and conceived Thee, O God, who exist before eternity. Wherefore we sing to Thee with joy: "O God, who were incarnate of her and yet suffered no change, bestow peace and Thy great mercy upon the world."
Behold our recall is made manifest, for God is ineffably joined to mankind, and error has vanished at the voice of the Archangel. The Virgin has accepted the joyful news, the earth has become heaven, and the world has been relieved of the ancient curse. Let the whole creation rejoice and sing a hymn of praise: "O Lord, our Maker and Redeemer, glory to Thee."
March 26
Byzantine and Maronite Rites:
Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel
As the Eastern Churches usually do, on the day after a major feast, one of the major participants of the previous day's feast is honored, in this case the Archangel Gabriel. The Traditional Latin Rite celebrates St. Gabriel's feast on the day before the Annunciation, March 24.
March 30
St. John Climacus
The Byzantine Rite today celebrates the author of 'the Ladder of Divine Ascent'-a spiritual classic that teaches souls to ascend to union with God in stages. He lived on Mount Sion and died around 649.
March 31
Byzantine Rite
St, Hypatius the Wonderworker
Hypatius was Bishop of Gangra and attended the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in 325. He was martyred by Novatian heretics.
April 1
Byzantine and Maronite Rites
Venerable Mary of Egypt
Having lived a dissolute life in her youth, and sometimes comared to Mary Magdalen, Mary of Egypt reformed her life and entered the monastic life-she became a cantor at the Church of the Holy Resurrection in Jerusalem. To do penance for her past life, she retired into the desert and lived for eighteen years. She died at the beginning of the Sixth Century.
St. Nicetas suffered for his defense of the sacred images under the Iconoclastic Emperor Leo the Armenian. He was abbot of a monastery in Medikia at the foot of Mt. Olympus. He died near Constantinople in 824.
April 4
Byzantine Rite
Sts. Joseph and George
Two other foes of the Iconoclasts were Joseph and George. St. Joseph the Hymnographer was a writer of liturgical hymns and opposed the Iconoclasts during the reign of Emperor Theophilus. He died in 883.
St. George of Maleum was a hermit of Mt. Olympus and suffered persecution for his defense of the sacred images under Emperor Leo the Isaurian. He died around the year 730.
Maronite and Byzantine Rites
April 23
The Feast of St. George
St. George is an extremely popular saint in the Eastern Churches-many, many Eastern Rite churches are named after him, and many Eastern Christian men are as well. The details of his life are sketchy-it is almost certain that he suffered martyrdom in Lydda, Palestine, and was a soldier in the imperial army who died for his faith before the reign of Constantine. He probably died around the year 303. He is depicted in art riding a horse and slaying a dragon-a very common icon in Eastern Christendom.
Antiphons at Vespers
O George, since thou art a brave fighter among the martyrs, we gather today to extol thee. Thou didst harvest sheaves of virtue for thyself, sowing in tears and reaping in joy. Thou didst receive from God the crown of victory for having run thy course and kept the faith. Wherefore, implore Christ our God that He may deliver from sadness and tribulation those who faithfully celebrate thy ever-solemn memory.
O George the soldier, thou hast lived according to the meaning of thy name: by carrying on thy shoulder the Cross of Christ, thou didst plow the earth that had been made barren by Satan's errors. Uprooting the thorns of pagan worship, thou didst plant the vine of Orthodox faith, wherefore thou didst give forth healing for the faithful throughout the world. Since thou hast become a trustworthy husbandman of the Trinity, we beseech thee to intercede for the safety of the world, and the salvation of our souls.
May 1
Byzantine and Maronite Rites
Jeremiah the Prophet
Jeremiah is one of the four major prophets. He was born in the seventh century before Christ-he prohesied from 626-586 B.C.. In 587 B.C., during the Babylonian Exile, he fled to Egypt with his disciple and secretary Baruch. He was stoned to death there by his own people.
May 2
Byzantine and Maronite Rites
Translation of the Relics of St. Atahnasius the Great
This feast, which is also celebrated by the Latin Church, celebrates the translation of the relics of the great defender of the Catholic Faith against the rampant heresy of Arianism, that denied the divinity of Christ, which had corrupted many in the Church. Persecuted by many Church authorities for refusing to reconcile with this heresy, he spent a total of 17 1/2 years in exile. The holy Archbishop of Alexandria died on May 2, 373.
Re: Eastern Rite Saints of the Day May 7
Byzantine Rite
Commemoration of the Appearance of the Sign of the Cross
During the episcopate of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, the sign of the cross appeared in the sky, with rays emanating form Golgotha to Mount Olivet. The event occurred on May 7, 351.
Kontakion
The pure and vivifying Cross which opened paradise appeared in splendor over the earth and extended its dazzling rays to the heavens. Today we the faithful accept its radiance as our guide to the Eternal Light, we bear it in our struggles as an assurance of victory and triumph.
Maronite Rite
Our Lady of Lebanon
The title under which the Lebanese Christians venerate the Mother of God-a famous shrine is dedicated to Her in Beirut, built at the turn of the last century with the help of the French. Many newly married Christian couples visit this shrine to ask the Mother of God's intercession for their marriage.
May 8
Byzantine and Maronite Rites
St. John the Theologian
St. John, the author of the fourth Gospel, Catholic Epistles and the Apocalypse, the only Apostle to not die a martyr, is commemorated today by the Eastern Churches.
Kontakion
Apostle beloved of Christ our God, hasten to save a people who has no other recourse: for He who didst allow thee to repose upon His breast, will accept also thy intercession in our favor. O John the Theologian, beseech Him to dispel the cloud of paganism that is darkening us, and beg Him to grant us peace and mercy.
May 9
Byzantine and Maronite Rites
The Prophet Isaiah
The first of the major prophets, whose prophecies concerning Christ were extremely important. He was a descendant of royalty and son of the prophet Amos. He was sawed in half by order of the Judean King Manasses in the beginning of the Seventh Century BC.
St. Christopher
A Roman soldier who converted to Christianity, he was martyred in AD 250 for refusing to give up his faith. The Traditional Latin Rite celebrates his feast on July 25.
May 10
Byzantine and Maronite Rites
St. Simon the Zealot
St. Simon was surnamed the Chanaean. Tradition says that he was the groom at the wedding in Cana of Galilee where Jesus turned water into wine.
May 11
Byzantine Rite
Sts. Cyril and Methodius
Cyril and Methodius were the "Apostles to the Slavs", the missionaries responsible more than anyone for bringing Christianity to large sections of Eastern Europe. They developed a writing system for the peoples of the region to use, still in use today, and translations of the Sacred Scriptures. They died in the late Ninth Century.
Troparion
O Cyril and Methodius, inspired by God, you became equal to the Apostles in their lives. Since you were teachers of the Slavs, intercede with the Master of All that He may strengthen all the Slavic peoples in the True Faith, and that He may grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls.
