Happy New Year!
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 01 September 2005 03:49:14
Ecclesiastical New Year that is.
 Icon from OCA | O Creator of the Universe, You appointed times by Your own power, Bless the crown of this year with Your goodness, O Lord. Preserve in safety Your rulers and Your cities: And through the Intercessions of the Theotokos, save us! Troparion O Creator and Master of time and the ages, |
While the Roman Catholic Church (and, following it, the Anglicans, Lutherans, Uniting...) celebrates the beginning of the Church's year in Advent, the Church Year begins on September 1 in Orthodoxy. As that link states, September 1 is, according to Holy Tradition, the date Christ entered the synagogue to announce His mission to mankind (Luke 4:16-22). Tradition also says that the Hebrews entered the Promised Land in September. This page, from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia's web site, has more information on the beginning of the Church Year, and includes some wonderful hymns from the services today as well as information on the importance of us making the coming year "a year of the Lord, a year of grace".
In Oz the season of Spring begins on September 1. At least for those of us below the tropics: those in the tropics have two distinct seasons. It's a beautiful, sunny day in Sydney today: a nice start to spring, but we need rain. All of Australia does. Please pray for us.