2025-12-21 Greek Orthodox Matins & Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom: Sunday before Nativity

LIVE high-definition (HD) broadcast of the Greek Orthodox Matins/Orthros/Morning Prayers, and the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom commemorating the Sunday before Nativity, with Live Chat. Readings: Matins Gospel Reading: Luke 24:36-53 Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:9-10; 32-40 Gospel Reading: Matthew 1:1-25 Today, we commemorate: Sunday before Nativity Forefeast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ Juliana of Nicomedia & her 630 Companion Martyrs Themistocles the Martyr of Myra The Greek Orthodox Church commemorates the Sunday before the Nativity (the Sunday between to honor the ancestors of Christ "according to the flesh." Known as the Sunday of the Holy Genealogy, it focuses on the human lineage of Jesus from Adam through Abraham, King David, and ultimately to Joseph the Betrothed. By reciting the extensive list of names found in the Gospel of Matthew, the Church emphasizes the historical reality of the Incarnation. This liturgical act affirms that Jesus was not a phantom or a mythological figure, but a real man who entered human history through a specific family tree, sharing in our physical heritage, including both the righteous and the "checkered" pasts of his ancestors. Beyond documenting lineage, this Sunday serves as the final spiritual threshold before Christmas, connecting the Old Testament promises to their New Testament fulfillment. It celebrates the "Holy Fathers", the patriarchs, prophets, and righteous men and women, who lived in hope and anticipation of the Messiah. Specifically, the services often highlight the Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Youths in the furnace, whose miraculous preservation from fire is seen as a "prefigurement" of the Virgin Birth. By honoring these ancestors, the Church reminds the faithful that the birth of Christ is the climax of a divine plan spanning thousands of years, inviting us to join this "great cloud of witnesses" in welcoming the Savior into the world. Our Eastern Orthodox service is conducted primarily in English and Greek and streamed live from Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, Florida. Subscribers to    / saintmark   are invited to join our online live chat during the service. We invite you to introduce yourself by sharing your name and the city, state, or country where you worship with us. Please "Light a Candle & Say a Prayer" at https://saintmarkboca.net/give You can follow the text of the Matins (Morning Prayers)/Orthros at: https://dcs.goarch.org/goa/dcs/p/s/20... You can follow the text of the Divine Liturgy at: https://dcs.goarch.org/goa/dcs/p/s/20... #Orthodox, #GreekOrthodox, #DivineLiturgy, #SundayBeforeNativity, #NativityOfChrist, #HolyAncestors, #OrthodoxChristian, #ByzantineChant, #Advent, #ChristianTradition, #ChurchOfConstantinople, #LiveStream, #Orthodoxy, #saintmarkboca, #BocaRaton