Third Sunday After the Epiphany of the Lord








♰الْمَجْدُ للهِ! ♰Praise be to God always!♰ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܳܐ ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ! ♰



Entrance Hymn

Zechariah’s Son Looked Out

Syriac: msheeho natareh l’eedtokh

or msheeho natareh l’eedtokh (Abdallah)

Zechariah’s son looked out
at the crowds who came to him.
Longing to be sanctified,
they approached to be baptized.
And when Jesus came, John cried:
“Behold the Lamb, Jesus Son of God!”
He, who takes away all sins,
humbly stood to be baptized.
The Father proclaimed: “This is my beloved Son!”
And the Holy Spirit came from heaven’s heights,
resting on the head of Christ.
Christ, the Light who truly shines
from his Father’s radiant heart,
glowed within the Virgin’s womb
and upon the river banks.
The Church cursed all idols and bowed down to him,
drawn by his great love.
Then in faith the Church proclaimed:
“Lord, the nations praise your name.
You came as the Light who enlightened all the world
and brought back the people who were lost in sin.
You revealed the Trinity.”

Opening Prayers

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Jesus Christ our Lord, at your divine baptism in the Jordan River, you revealed that you are consubstantial with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Enlighten our minds and our hearts on this day of your great Epiphany. Make us holy by the indwelling of your Spirit, and make us worthy to celebrate this Feast of Lights, so that we may glorify and thank you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Prayer of Forgiveness (Husoyo)

Proemion

Let us raise glory, honor, and praise to the one Father, whose voice came from heaven testifying to his beloved Son; and to the only-begotten Son, who is worshipped, whose light radiated upon the river, and who accepted baptism from John, his forerunner; and to the one Holy Spirit, who descended and appeared above the head of the Son. To the Good One be glory and honor, on this feast, and all the days of our lives, and forever. Amen.

Sedro

The earth rejoices in your Epiphany, O Son of God, and the peoples and nations shout for joy on this day of your baptism. You have dawned from the Father and have sanctified baptism for us.
O Church of the nations, proclaim the glory of the Son of God, who became man and was baptized for your sake in the Jordan River, and cry out to him:
Blessed are you, O Christ, Word of God! You willingly emptied yourself and took the form of man. You gave us a pledge of life in the waters of baptism, making us holy and heirs of your kingdom.
Now, O Christ, we ask you, with the fragrance of this incense, to sanctify us through this great Epiphany. Create a new heart in us, make us newborn children of your Father, and pour out forgiveness upon your flock, that we may worship you, glorify your Father, and give thanks to your Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

Hymn (Qolo)

The King’s Son Willed to Be Baptized

Syriac: bo‘ooto dmor ya‘qoob (Epiphany)

The King’s Son willed to be baptized and went to John.
While yet afar, the waters surged to meet their Lord.
The river rose and spoke of him without a word.
Christ came to bless the waters there to give new life.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
The Spirit flowed and hovered there, above the waves.
His burning flame made waters boil and burn within.
His flame then spread and overflowed at his descent.
The river burst with flames of fire that burned so bright.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
All praise to God the Father, who revealed his Son.
All praise to God the Son, baptized by John’s own hand.
All praise to God the Spirit, who appeared on Christ
and testified: “This truly is God’s Son, most loved.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Etro

O Christ, Word of the Heavenly Father, you became man for our sake and were baptized in the Jordan River. You became the way and the door that leads us to the Father. Grant us your grace and mercy, and accept the fragrance of our incense, that we may raise glory and thanks to you, to your Father, and to your Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

Qadishat Aloho (Trisagion)

ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܚܰܝܶܠܬܳܢܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܠܳܐ ܡܳܝܽܘܬܳܐ.
ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܥܡܶܕ ܡܶܢ ܝܽܘܚܰܢܳܢ. ܐܶܬܪܰܚܰܡ ܥܠܰܝܢ.
Qadishat Aloho. Qadishat Hayeltono. Qadishat lo moyuto. EtraHam 3alayn.
MsheeHo det'amed men YuHanon, etraHam 3alayn.
You are holy, O God. You are holy, O Strong One. You are holy, O Imortal One.
O Christ, baptized by John, have mercy on us.
قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا الله، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا قَوِي، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا مَنْ لا يَموتْ، إِرْحَمْنا
يا مَسِيح الَّذِي اعْتَمَدَ مِنْ يُوحَنَّا، إِرْحَمْنا.

Holy and immortal Lord, sanctify our minds and purify our consciences, that we may praise you with purity and listen to your Holy Scriptures. To you be glory forever. Amen.

Psalm of the Readings

Syriac: ramremain

On this day Christ was baptized;
waters have been truly blessed,
so the children of Adam
may be washed of all their sins.
Hear, O peoples and nations:
waters have been truly blessed!
All on earth, be attentive:
waters have been sanctified!
Lord our God, you accepted
what the just had offered you;
now accept, in your mercy,
our pure sacrifice and prayers.

Epistle

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians. Your blessing, Father.

Glory to the Lord of Paul and the apostles! May the mercy of God descend upon the reader and the listeners and upon this parish and her children forever. Amen.

Brothers and Sisters:
Before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
(Galatians 3:23-29)

Praise be to God always!

Gospel

Alleluia! Alleluia!
No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
(John 3:5)
Alleluia!

Before the proclamation of the Gospel of our Savior, announcing life for our souls, we offer this incense and ask for your mercy, O Lord.

Peace be with you.

And with your spirit.

From the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John, who proclaimed life to the world.
Let us listen to the proclalation of life and salvation for our souls.

Remain silent, O listeners, for the Holy Gospel is about to be proclaimed to you.
Listen and give glory and thanks to the Word of the living God.

The Apostle wrote:
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
(John 3:1-16)

This is the truth! Peace be with you!

Praise and blessings to Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, for giving us his words of life.