Forefeast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin

AUGUST 14/27

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FOREFEAST OF THE DORMITION OF THE ALL-HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
HOLY PROPHET MICAH

Troparion of the Forefeast Tone 4
O you people leap for joy and clap your hands,/ and lovingly cry out with radiant gladness./ For the Ever-Virgin Mary/ is about to rise gloriously from earth to heaven./ Let us ever glorify her as the Mother of God.

Troparion of the Prophet Micah Tone 4
In the Spirit thou didst foresee the Church of Christ/ as a lofty mountain, O inspired Prophet Micah./ As thou hast foretold, those who have found salvation therein/ are walking in the paths of the Lord,/ ever praising thy glorious memory.

Kontakion of the Forefeast Tone 4
In thy memory the world is spiritually adorned with the immaterial Spirit/ and is gladly shouting to thee:/ Rejoice, O Virgin, boast of Christians.

Kontakion of the Prophet Micah Tone 4
Illumined by the light of the Holy Spirit,/ thou didst foretell Christ's condescension/ whereby we who honour thee/ are redeemed from corruption,/ O God-inspired Prophet Micah.

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THE HOLY PROPHET MICAH

Micah was of the tribe of Judah and from the village of Morasth for which he is called the "Morasthite." He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Amos, Hosea and the Jewish kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Micah rebuked the vices of his people and rebuked the false prophets who prophesied "of wine and of strong drink" (Micah 2:11). He foretold the destruction of Samaria. He also foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, which will come because their leaders accept bribes, the priests teach for lucre and its prophets tell fortunes for money. "Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become as heaps" (Micah 3:12). But, of all his prophecies, the most important prophecy is that of the Messiah, especially the place of His birth. He mentioned Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah, "Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). It is not known exactly whether this prophet was slain by the Jews or whether he died a peaceful death. "Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and spoke to all the people of Judah saying, Thus said the Lord of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? Did he not fear the Lord and besought the Lord and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls" (Jeremiah 26:18-19). However, it is known that he was buried in his village and his relics were found, together with the relics of the Prophet Habakkuk, during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great according to a mysterious revelation, which Bishop Zevin of Eleutheropolis received.

Saint Nikolai Velimirovic, Bishop of ZichaThe Prologue of Ochrid

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( FROM THE )
Akathist to the Theotokos in Honor of Her Dormition

Kontakion 1

O Chosen One of all generations, Mother of God and Queen, Who went up from earth to Heaven,

reverent hymns upon thy most honorable Dormition do we Thy servants offer to Thee, O

Theotokos. Do thou, having victory over death, free us from every mortal danger that we may cry

to Thee: Rejoice, O Joyful One, Who in Thy Dormition hast not forsaken us!

Ekos 1

An angelic messenger was sent to announce to the Theotokos Her ascent above and the coming unto

Her of Her Son and God; standing in radiance because of Her, he cried out:

Rejoice, O Most joyful Mother of the King!
Rejoice, Heavenly Queen, Mother of the God and Lord of Heaven and earth!
Rejoice, Thou Who art honored by the most exalted descent unto Thee of Thy Son and God!
Rejoice, Thou Who art magnified by the message of Thy departure unto Thy Son!
Rejoice, O chosen by God of all generations!
Rejoice, holy vessel of God the Word!
Rejoice, fulfillment of prophetic foretelling!
Rejoice, most honorable crown of the disciples!
Rejoice, embellishment and authority of kings!
Rejoice, adornment of hierarchs and goodness of priests!
Rejoice, O elevation of divinely wise monastics to the Kingdom on high!
Rejoice, Thou Who didst open the gates of Paradise to the Christian race who ever blesseth Thee!
Rejoice, O Joyful One, Who in Thy Dormition hast not forsaken us!