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Theophany 2024

Σήμερον ὁ ἄδυτος ἥλιος ἀνέτειλε, καὶ ὁ κόσμος τῷ φωτὶ Κυρίου καταυγάζεται.

Today the Sun, which knows no setting, has arisen, and the world is illuminated with the light of the Lord.

All the lamps were lit over the reliquary of Saint Catherine.

A polycandelon holding many oil lamps.

A candelabra towards the back of the nave.

A special fountain in the narthex is used for the Great Blessing of Holy Water on the feast of Theophany. It is adorned with palm fronds, olive branches, and small citrus fruits.

The fountain is surmounted by an oil lamp resting on a silver dove. From the beak of the dove behind, drops of water fall into the first basin.

There are a series of basins, each one larger than the one above, and the water drips from one basin to another.

The water drips from the beaks of silver doves.

An inscription above the last basin gives the date 1783.

Philippians

Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians begins on folio 122 verso of Greek New Finds M120.

Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος δοῦλοι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Φιλίπποις σὺν ἐπισκόποις καὶ διακόνοις χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

The epistle is set off by a simple border of alternating stems and lobes.

Second Corinthians

Saint Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians begins on folio 93 recto of Sinai Greek New Finds M120.

Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφός τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ σὺν τοῖς ἁγίοις πᾶσιν τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Ἀχαΐᾳ· χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

All of the original text has been overwritten in a carbon ink.

The Nativity of Christ

Detail of an icon dated to circa 850-900 depicting the Nativity of Christ, the Presentation, the Ascension, and Pentecost. In the depiction of the Nativity of Christ, note that the manger is also a Holy Table.

Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος γ’. Αὐτόμελον.


Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον, τὸν ὑπερούσιον τίκτει, καὶ ἡ γῆ τὸ Σπήλαιον, τῷ ἀπροσίτῳ προσάγει. Ἄγγελοι μετὰ Ποιμένων δοξολογοῦσι· Μάγοι δὲ, μετὰ ἀστέρος ὁδοιποροῦσι· δι᾽ ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἐγεννήθη, Παιδίον νέον, ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων Θεός.

The Virgin, to-day, bringeth forth the Super-substantial One, and the earth offereth the cave to the Unapproachable. Angels with shepherds glorify him; and the Magi journey with the star: for for us he is born a little Child, the God that is before the ages.

Translated by J N W B Robertson, 1894

First Corinthians

The Apostle Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians begins on folio 74 verso.

Παῦλος κλητὸς ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ καὶ Σωσθένης ὁ ἀδελφός τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ ἡγιασμένοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ κλητοῖς ἁγίοις σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ αὐτῶν τε καὶ ἡμῶν· χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Parts of the original text, written in an iron gall ink that had become indistinct, were later overwritten in a carbon ink.

First Timothy

The Apostle Paul’s First Epistle to Timothy begins on folio 143 recto.

Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κατ’ ἐπιταγὴν θεοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καὶ Κυριόυ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν, Τιμοθέῳ γνησίῳ τέκνῳ ἐν πίστει χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

The intertwined ribbons form crosses at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the border.

Epistle to the Ephesians

Folio 114 verso of Sinai Greek New Finds M120 contains the beginning of the Epistle to the Ephesians.

Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Ἐφέσῳ καὶ πιστοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.

The intricate border is formed from interlocking knots and leaves.

Greek New Finds M120

Sinai Greek New Finds M120 is an incomplete manuscript of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of Saint Paul. It is written on parchment, and contains 186 folia. The manuscript has been dated to the fourteenth century.

Folio 54 verso contains a decorative border and the beginning of Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

Παῦλος δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ κλητὸς ἀπόστολος ἀφωρισμένος εἰς εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.

It must have taken great skill and experience to create an opening initial with the decorative elements as if they were intertwined.

Feast of Saint Catherine 2023

This year, as well, hundreds of pilgrims came to celebrate the feast of Saint Catherine, from Greece, Serbia, Russia, and Egypt.

The Holy Table and the reliquary of Saint Catherine in the first light of day.

The shrine of Saint Catherine is adorned with rich embroideries for the feast, and all the multi-coloured lamps are lit.

Bishop Prodromos of Toliara and South Madagascar was the guest hierarch this year.

The silver candelabra is lit, and the menologion icon for November gleams in the light.

Bishop Prodromos at the commencement of the Divine Liturgy.

Age-old Kellia

Kellia in the monastery that have been there for centuries.