Orthodox Feasts of Jesus Christ & the Virgin Mary: Liturgical Texts With Commentary

Christian faith in Jesus Christ as both divine and human was formulated as doctrine by the ecumenical councils of the Church in the fourth and fifth centuries. That doctrine was given liturgical expression in the feasts of Christmas and other festivals celebrating events in the life of Christ and Mary. These honor the Christian belief that, in Jesus, the Son of God became human so that human beings might share in the life of God. This book presents selected Orthodox liturgical texts for these feasts of the incarnation. Freshly translated into modern English, each day's material is introduced by a short account of its thematic sources, and accompanied by a brief spiritual and theological commentary. An opening section gives a concise account of the development of the liturgical calendar and the origins of these feasts in the Orthodox Church. Orthodox Feasts of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary introduces Western Christians to the doctrinal richness of Orthodox liturgical celebrations of the Word become flesh. A companion volume to Orthodox Lent, Holy Week and Easter, by the same author (SVS Press, 1997), it provides Christians of all traditions with material for meditation and personal prayer.