Sunday before the Nativity of Christ, Sts. father.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 2

The birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: after the betrothal of His mother Mary to Joseph, before they were united, it turned out that She was with child of the Holy Spirit. But Joseph, her husband, being righteous and not wishing to make her public, wanted to secretly let her go. But when he thought this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, "Joseph, son of David! do not be afraid to receive Mary your wife, for that which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit; and he shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And all these things came to pass, that it might be fulfilled which the Lord said through the prophet, who said, Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which means, God with us. And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took his wife, and did not know her, until at last she gave birth to her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18–25

On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, at the 1st hour.

The Nativity of Christ, at Matins.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 3

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, the Magi came to Jerusalem from the east and said, "Where is the King of the Jews who has been born?" for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him. And when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And having gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them, Where is Christ to be born? And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written through the prophet, And thou, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are in no way less than the governors of Judah: for from thee shall come forth a Leader, who shall shepherd my people Israel. Then Herod, secretly summoning the Magi, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star, and sending them to Bethlehem, said, "Go, search carefully about the Child, and when you find it, inform me, so that I also may go and worship Him." And when they had heard the king, they went. And behold, the star which they had seen in the east was going before them, when at last it came and stood over the place where the Child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy, and when they entered into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His Mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. and having opened their treasures, they brought him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received a revelation in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed by another way to their own country.

Matthew 2:1–12

On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, at the 6th hour.

The Nativity of Christ, at the Liturgy.

The Gospel of Matthew, conceived 4

When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I tell you, for Herod wants to seek the child to destroy him." And he arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and went into Egypt, and there he was until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which the Lord had spoken through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I have called my Son. Then Herod, seeing himself ridiculed by the Magi, was very angry, and sent to slay all the infants in Bethlehem and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had learned from the Magi. Then was fulfilled what was said through the prophet Jeremiah, who said: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and weeping, and a great cry; Rachel weeps for her children and does not want to be comforted, for they are gone. And after the death of Herod, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt in a dream and said, "Arise, take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the soul of the child are dead." He arose, took the Child and His Mother, and came to the land of Israel. And when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in the place of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither; but having received a revelation in a dream, he went to the borders of Galilee, and when he came, he dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled that it was said through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:13–23