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Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary (One of the Twelve Great Feasts, class 2)

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25 March - Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary commemorates the conception in human form of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The "Incarnation" is the conception in human form of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Incarnation is the act in which the Word of God became man.
The Holy Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be The Theotokos (Mother of God). Mary said yes to that announcement. This is when Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ was concieved in a human form. Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ took flesh by the power of the Holy God the Holy Spirit with the cooperation of The Theotokos, an Ever-Lasting Virgin. Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Holy God the Father.

One person who possesses two separate and distinct natures: the divine nature and the human nature

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ is one person who possesses two separate and distinct natures: the divine nature and the human nature.

Human because Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ was conceived as a human being by the power of the Holy God the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of The Theotokos.
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as the only-begotten son of the Father. And from His fullness have we all received grace upon grace." John, 1:14-18

Divine because Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Holy God the Father.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made throuogh Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." John, 1:1-3

The Beginning of our Salvation

We especially venerate The Theotokos on this day because her agreement with the will of God set in action the events that led to our Salvation through the Son of Holy God's becoming a man. The celebration of this feast has the Liturgy of Our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom, with the special Antiphon verses, Troparion, Kontakion, and Hirmos of this Feast.
The Troparion of the Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary says, "the beginning of our salvation and the revelation of the mystery that was planned from all eternity."

Importance of this Feast

The Great Feast of the Annunciation is the greatest feast of the The Theotokos.

When Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary falls on a Sunday in Great Lent, this feast supersedes the Great Lenten theme because of its importance in God's Plan of Salvation.
When Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary falls on a day in the beginning of Great and Holy Week, this feast supersedes the Great Week theme because of its importance in God's Plan of Salvation.

Feast Day

Because this feast is so important, the regulations for feasting on the Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary supersedes the regulations for fasting during Great Lent. This Great Feast Day is a day of feasting.

Great Feast of the Nativity According to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ

The Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) of The Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is 25 March. The Great Feast of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) is exactly 9 months before the Great Feast of the Nativity According to the Flesh of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ because God is perfect. The Great Feast of Nativity is 25 December.

Champions

Holy Father Athanasios the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria

Holy Father Athanasios the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria was the greatest champion of the Incarnation.
Holy Father Athanasios the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria refuted Arius at the First Ecumenical Council.

Our Holy Father Kyrollos, Archbishop of Alexandria

Our Holy Father Kyrollos, Archbishop of Alexandria, was the brilliant and heroic defender of the divinity of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our Holy Father Kyrollos, Archbishop of Alexandria, refuted Nestorius at the Third Ecumenical Council.

St. Meletios, Archbishop of Antioch or Patriarch / Batriyark of Antioch

St. Meletios, Archbishop of Antioch or Patriarch / Batriyark of Antioch, defended of the substantial unity of the Holy Trinity.
St. Meletios, Archbishop of Antioch or Patriarch / Batriyark of Antioch, refuted Arius at the Second Ecumenical Council.

Kontakion, Troparion, Exapostilarion, and Vespers Sticheron

TROPARION (TONE 4)
Today is the beginning of our salvation and the revelation of the Mystery that has been planned from all eternity: the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announces this grace. Let us join him in crying out to the Mother of God "Hail, O full of grace, the Lord is with you!"

Apostolos

The Epistle reading for this feast (Heb. 2:11-18), explains that since Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ and we human beings all have the one same Father, (Holy God the Father), we are all the brothers and sisters of Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. It also tells us that the Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity had to take on human flesh and blood in order to share our human experience fully and thus with full knowledge and experience save us by his sacrificial death.

Gospel

Luke, Chapter 1, verse 26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" 35 And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God." 38 Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word." Then, the angel departed from her.

Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38. The Gospel reading tells the story of Archangel Gabriel's coming to Mary to announce that she would give birth to the Christ, the Holy Son of Holy God. Since Mary was a virgin, she was puzzled and asked how she could give birth. When Archangel Gabriel explained that Mary would become pregnant through the power of the Holy God the Holy Spirit, Mary accepted the will of Holy God, saying that she was the servant of the Lord. The Theotokos' cooperation with the will of Holy God is a model for all of us, showing informed and considered consent to Holy God's will.

Antiphon

Palsm 71
O Son of God, who were incarnate of the Virgin, save us who sing to You. Alleluia.
Khallisna YabnAllah, ya man tajassada min al Batul, nahnul muranneemeena Laka. Haleloueya.

Meditations

The Icon of the Annunciation, A Meditation by Mary Grace Ritchey, Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton

More Information

The Annunciation Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on Feasts of Our Lady the Theotokos

Ikon

The Annunciation Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on Feasts of Our Lady the Theotokos

All The Theotokos's Great Feasts are Class 2.

Liturgical Cycle

Liturgical Cycle

Great Feast Days

Great Feast Days

Feasts Days - Specific

Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ
The Theotokos
The Holy Prophet and Glorious Forerunner John the Baptist

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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Last Updated: Wednesday, June 03, 2020, 16:44:37, CDT
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