Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The Annunciation

The Annunciation Of The Holy Mother Of God
And Ever-Virgin Mary.

Today is the beginning of our salvation, the revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin as Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with You!

O Victorious Leader of Triumphant Hosts! We, your servants, delivered from evil, sing our grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos! As you possess invincible might, set us free from every calamity so that we may sing: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!

4 comments:

Odysseus said...

Orthodoxy question for you, Lucian (I know you never tire of them.)

This year we have to wait until March 31st for the Feast of the Annunciation, because it (March 25)fell during Easter Week. What do you all do when this happens? Do you move the feast (like we do), or celebrate it anyway?

Anonymous said...

It doesn't. Easter cannot fall prior to 21 March Old Style, i.e., 3 April, which is the date of the Ecclesial Equinox. When St. George (23 April) falls during Lent, it is postponed until after Easter (being celebrated on EasterMonday, I think). I imagine that a similar thing must probably happen for Annunciation as well, in the case of those Orthodox Churches that still follow the Old Calendar.

Anonymous said...

When Annunciation falls during Lent, the Fast is usually a bit sweetened (but not completely uplifted, of course). The Feast is celebrated by untieing to cheese and/or eggs, being marked as such in the Calendar.

Odysseus said...

-the Fast is usually a bit sweetened-

Woohoo!