WORD ON THE DAY OF MEMORY OF THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST LUKE The Holy Apostle Paul bequeathed to all of us: “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ.” And if we need to imitate him, then, of course, we need to imitate all the apostles, for they all walked the same path of Christ. And I have the happiness of bearing the name of the great

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Holidays January 14th are the second most important winter holidays after the Nativity of Christ. According to ancient customs, these days are spent in ritual dens with seeders and schedrovkas. Ukrainian customs on January 14 embrace the most beautiful features of mentality and cultural traditions. Therefore, we decided to separately consider all the holidays on this amazing day, January 14, 2019, as well as what not to do.

Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord

Many people who are not entirely involved in religious knowledge, seeing the holiday of the Circumcision of the Lord 2019 on the calendar, ask on the I WANT forum what the Circumcision of the Lord means. It is reported that since the 4th century, Christians have been celebrating the event described in the Gospel of Luke - the day of the Circumcision of the Lord, which took place on the eighth day after the birth of Jesus Christ. And now the celebration of this event takes place on the eighth day after the Feast of the Nativity of Christ - that is, January 14 according to the new style. It is no secret that circumcision for the ancient Jews determined belonging to God’s Chosen People, so this event is revered to this day. The Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord is considered a great holiday of the Orthodox Church.

Old New Year 2019

Old New Year is considered an unofficial holiday celebrated in countries where Christmas is celebrated according to the Julian calendar on January 7th. That is, the date of the Old New Year corresponds to the New Year according to the Julian calendar. The emergence of the holiday is due to the fact that Christmas, according to calendar tradition, must precede the New Year, and also due to the fact that in the Orthodox Church, the Gregorian New Year marks the Nativity Fast, which excludes lavish feasts and entertainment. In our tradition, the Old New Year is celebrated on a grand scale: rich kutya and pork dishes are again prepared, a lot of generosity is given and sowed, and some people even tell fortunes on this magical night. Overall, this has been a favorite holiday for many years.

St. Basil's Day 2019

The Feast of Vasily is also celebrated on January 14th. Saint Basil the Great, along with Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, has enjoyed special veneration among the Slavs since ancient times. A particle of the relics of St. Basil still remains in the Pochaev Lavra. He is known for performing miracles of healing and also saving many sinners with his prayers. Saint Basil the Great is venerated by the Slavs on January 14th. On St. Basil's Day there is a roll call with Christmas carols, so young people, as usual, go from house to house, generous and collecting goodies. By the way, Vasilyev’s day was very important for girls; it was believed that fortune telling on Vasilyev’s day always comes true.

What not to do on Old New Year

Traditionally, there are some restrictions on the day of celebration of a religious date. Read about what not to do on Old New Year.

In the Old New Year you cannot lend.

Also, don't take out the trash.

It is considered a bad omen to count small money or resolve important financial issues.

People call this day “Old New Year”. The holidays continue, there is no fasting.

Today is the great feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (IV century).

We also commemorate: St. Emilia, mother of St. Basil the Great and martyr. Vasily of Ankyra, who also lived in the 4th century.

Saints of the 20th century: sschmchch. Platon (Kulbush), Bishop of Revel, and with him Mikhail Bleive and Nikolai Bezhanitsky, presbyters. Sschmchch. Alexander (Trapitsyn), Archbishop of Samara, and with him John Smirnov, Alexander Ivanov, John Suldin, Alexander Organov, Vyacheslav Infantov, Vasily Vitevsky and Jacob Alferov, presbyters. Prmch. monk Jeremiah (Leonov).

We congratulate the birthday people on Angel's Day.

Brothers and sisters, of course, today we will devote all our attention to the memory of the great saint, because even the liturgical regulations instruct us to celebrate the Liturgy of St. Basil today. Basil, the future Great, was born around 330 in Caesarea. It is worth immediately noting that in the family of St. Basil, mother Emilia, sister Macrina, and brother St. Gregory of Nyssa, whose memory is celebrated on January 23 in the new style, are canonized. The saint's father was a lawyer, under his leadership Basil received his initial education, then he studied with the best teachers of Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he met Saint Gregory the Theologian, and later moved to the schools of Constantinople. To complete his studies, Saint Basil went to Athens, the center of classical education.

In Athens, the future saint acquired all available knowledge. According to the description of St. Gregory the Theologian, “it was a ship as loaded with learning as it was spacious for human nature" A philosopher and physician, lawyer and natural scientist, with deep knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, Basil the Great “studied everything in such a way that another does not study one subject, he studied every science to such perfection, as if he had not studied anything else.” The breadth of his knowledge amazed his contemporaries. Saint Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, a contemporary of Basil the Great, said about him: “Having fully studied all worldly wisdom and all human sciences, he laid all this at the feet of the disciples of Jesus.”

In Athens, a very close friendship was established between Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, which lasted all their lives. Around 357, Saint Basil returned to Caesarea, where he soon embarked on the path of ascetic life. Basil only now accepted Baptism from Bishop Diania of Caesarea and was made a reader. Wanting to find a spiritual leader, he visited Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. Imitating his mentors, he returned to Caesarea and settled on the banks of the Iris River. The monks gathered around him. Vasily also brought his friend Gregory the Theologian here. They labored in strict abstinence; during heavy physical labor they studied the works of ancient interpreters Holy Scripture.

During the reign of Constantius the Second from 337 to 361, the false teaching of Arius spread. The Church called Saints Basil and Gregory to ministry. Basil returned to Caesarea, where in 362 he was ordained to the rank of deacon, and then in 364 to the rank of presbyter. Under Emperor Valens, who ruled almost immediately after Constantius, also a supporter of the Arians, management of church affairs passed to Basil. It was a difficult time for Orthodoxy, but also productive in a creative sense for the saint. He reforms the rite of the liturgy, writes “Conversations on the Sixth Day,” as well as books against the Arians and many others. In 370, Saint Basil was elevated to the throne of Caesarea as bishop. He became famous for his holiness, deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, great learning, and works for the good of church peace and unity. Amid constant dangers, Saint Basil supported the Orthodox, affirming their faith and calling for courage and patience. All this made the Arians hate him. He used all his personal funds for the benefit of the poor: he created almshouses, hospices, hospitals, and built two monasteries - male and female.

The Arians followed him everywhere. Saint Basil was threatened with ruin, exile, torture and death. He said: “And death for me is a blessing: it will rather send me to God, for whom I live and act, for whom I have mostly already died and to whom I have long been striving.” Illnesses from his youth, labors of study, feats of abstinence, cares and sorrows of pastoral service exhausted the strength of the saint, and on January 1, 379, he reposed in the Lord, being 49 years old. The church immediately began to celebrate his memory.

Brothers and sisters, I would also like to separately note the role of St. Basil in the polemic against the Arian heresy and a number of other heresies. Saint Basil, one might say, struck the root of discord: he raised the question of terms. Instead of conducting meaningless disputes with words, the meaning of which everyone understood in their own way, the wise saint focused on the fact that the concepts must first be clearly defined. And now centuries pass, and we step on the same rake of the first Christians. We begin a dialogue with the world and enter into confrontation. We say: “God is love,” the world says: “That’s right, that means He is for same-sex marriage" We say: “Humility is the highest virtue,” the world says: “Therefore, Christianity is the religion of the weak.” We have been talking to the world for a long time now different languages, but it would be necessary to already define the concepts. Marriage cannot be same-sex, as this contradicts the very meaning of the word. And humility is a sign of strength, an ideal of self-control and the ability to bring peace. And so on. May Saint Basil the Great help us in this work.

Holy Hierarch Father Basil, pray to God for us.

Deacon Mikhail Kudryavtsev

January 14 is a triple holiday in Ukraine. Christians of the Eastern rite celebrate St. Basil the Great, the Circumcision of the Lord and the first day of the new year according to the old style.

About the history of the holiday and traditions on this day– read on.

January 14 – Vasily

Basil the Great - Archbishop of Caesarea Capadocia, ecumenical teacher of the church (IV century AD). On January 14, his memory is honored. Church sources characterize Basil the Great as an ascetic, theologian and scientist, author of the code monastic life. It was he who came up with the saying: “The more you take away from the body, the more you add to the strength of the soul.”

Also, Basil the Great was considered the patron saint of agriculture, and that is why the main ritual on this day was grain. The first sower on New Year's Day usually brings happiness to the house. It is believed that girls do not bring happiness, so it is not suitable for them to sow.

The peculiarity of the service on this day is that the liturgy is performed, written by the saint himself. She is the first of ten divine liturgies, the service of which is established on certain days of the year. The order, content and rite of the liturgy of Basil the Great differ from the liturgy of John Chrysostom in that it is more voluminous prayers and the extended melody of the chants.

Circumcision of the Lord

On January 14, according to the new style, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Circumcision of Jesus Christ. On the eighth day after the birth of Jesus, according to Jewish custom, the rite of circumcision of Christ took place, after which the child was given a name, which was predicted by the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the transmission of the good news to the Virgin Mary - Jesus.

First day of the new year

On this day, a prayer service is held for the New Year. According to the old calendar, January 14th was the first day of the new year. The fact is that Orthodox Church lives according to the Julian calendar, because the life and deeds of our Lord Jesus Christ took place at the time when he acted precisely Julian calendar. It is based on the so-called “liturgical” year. Its divergence from the new, Gregorian calendar is 13 days, which is why Orthodox Christians celebrate the New Year not from December 31 to January 1, but from January 13 to 14.

Many people do not consider the Old New Year a holiday and do not attach much importance to it, although still most of Ukrainians do not miss the opportunity to once again raise their glasses at midnight and make their cherished wishes.

It must be said that the Old New Year is not simple fun, but, according to church calendar, day of Saint Melania - patroness hearth and home, pregnant women and women in labor. The evening of this day is popularly called Generous. Traditionally, on January 13, during a family dinner, dishes generously seasoned with animal fat and meat dishes are served on the table - as a sign of the end of strict fasting and the great joy of the birth of the Son of God, when Orthodox Christians eat kutya with uzvar, sing ritual songs and glorify the Infant God.

Just like on Christmas Eve and the holiday of the Nativity of Christ itself, so on Generous Evening the whole family gathers at the table, everyone asks each other for forgiveness, talks about the achievements of everyone present, and sums up the results of the outgoing year. Nowadays, the Generous Evening usually smoothly transitions into the Old New Year, and then continues with a trip to visit closest neighbors and friends who live nearby. At the same time, everyone dresses up in costumes and gives generously - they sing songs that contain wishes for peace and joy to the visited house and its inhabitants, there are calls to love one’s neighbor and the Lord, and, of course, in a comic form, the generous ones ask for rewards for themselves for such chants and goodwill. Usually, people who are still able to come up with a festive image for themselves dress up as a Goat, Gypsy or Malanka, as required by tradition. If suitable colorful or funny clothes are not available or there is no strength to change clothes, companies get out of the situation thanks to a sharp word and their resourcefulness.

The long-standing traditions of this evening include - it was on January 13 that grooms have long sent matchmakers to their beloved ones and asked the brides' parents to give permission and blessing for the marriage. And although these days this event is no longer as bright and noisy as it was before, young people try not to change traditions in terms of determining the date of matchmaking.

And after all the delicious dinners, generous parties and get-togethers, the girls get together in company and - it is during the Christmas holidays that all predictions of future fate are considered the most truthful. Therefore, on the night of January 13-14, do not forget to put a comb under your pillow with the words “Betrothed-Mummer, comb my braid in a dream” or eat a spoonful of salt, saying “Betrothed-Mummer, let me drink water,” and take a close look at your hero dreams.

January 14 is the day of St. Basil the Great. Our ancestors believed that Vasily symbolized the Sun, and Melanka symbolized the Moon, and on the night from the 13th to the 14th they met and got married. The tradition of sowing is still alive - in the morning on the first day of the New Year, according to the old style, boys go to the houses of neighbors and acquaintances, recite ritual poems, sow wheat or oats in the house, thus driving away old year, proclaim the new master and wish the family prosperity. On this day, people pray to Saint Basil the Great for the successful start of any business, good farming and well-being.

Prayer to Saint Melania for the well-being of pregnancy and childbirth

Oh, glorious mother Melania, our speedy helper and intercessor and vigilant prayer book for us! Standing before your most pure image and you, as I live, we pray to you with vision and prostration: accept our petition and bring it to the Throne of the Merciful Heavenly Father, as I have boldness towards Him; ask those who flow to you and everyone Orthodox Christian eternal salvation and temporary prosperity, a generous blessing for all our good deeds and undertakings, quick deliverance from all troubles and sorrows. She, our child-loving mother, you, who stand before the Throne of God, know our spiritual and worldly needs, look at her with your mother’s eye, and with your prayers turn away from us the fluctuation of every wind of teaching, the increase of evil and ungodly customs; Establish in all the faith consonant knowledge, mutual love and like-mindedness, so that to all, in words and writings and deeds, the All-Holy Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the One God, worshiped in the Trinity, to Him be honor and glory, forever and ever. . Amen.

Troparion, tone 8

In you, mother, it is known that you were saved in the image: having accepted the cross, you followed Christ, and in action you taught to despise the flesh, for it passes away, but to adhere to the souls, things that are immortal; In the same way, your spirit will rejoice with the Angels, O Venerable Melania.

Kontakion, tone 3

Having loved the virginity of purity and admonished the betrothed to good things, squander the abundance of wealth in the stay of the monastic, O Blessed One, and erected monasteries. Also, dwell in the Heavenly monastery, remember us, all-honorable Melania.

Prayer to Saint Basil

O great and most holy saint, Father Basil! Look down upon us from the heights of heaven, servant of God (names), and pray to the Lord, whose faithful servant you were on earth, grant us firm and unchangeable preservation of the right faith, obedience to the Church of the Saints, correction of our lives in all needs, sorrows and temptations quick help, patience and strengthening. Give us yours holy blessing May we be blessed by this all days, pleasing to God, in peace and repentance, and in the Kingdom of Heaven we will be honored together with you and with all the saints Life-giving Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, sing and glorify forever and ever.

Meanwhile, the Internet is actively discussing the news that.