Sunday of The Holy Forefathers

Scripture readings

• Epistle: The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 3:4-11


• Gospel: The Reading is from Luke 14:16-24 and Matthew 22:14
  

Saints Commemorated Today

• Holy Martyrs and Callinicus of Asia Minor
• Athenodoros the Martyr of Mesopotamia
  
• Appollonius, Philemon, and Arrian of Alexandria.
  
• St.Fingar & St. Phiala the Martyrs
  

The living we are praying for

• Patriarch Pavle of Serbia
• the Hieromonk Ambrose in Wellington
• Olga (Soroka)
• Luba
• Kathleen
• June
• The Archpriest Ilyan
• Anita
• Alison
  

The Departed we Commemorated today

• Jacob

^{Christmas Services at St Micheal's Orthodox church 2008}

24th December (NS)	Christmas vigil from 8 pm
7th of January (NS) 25th December (OS)	Divine Liturgy of St John Chyrstostom at 10 am

Sunday of The Holy Forefathers

Today is the second Sunday before the Nativity and we remember the forefathers of Christ according to the flesh, from Adam through to the Theotokos, all of whom came before the Law but some of whom lived to see the giving of the Law.

In particular we take note of the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 and " And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." and again in Genesis 22:18, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice". A promise

We also remember Joachim and Anna, the father and mother of the Theotokos.