Parousia

Very Rev. Robert Anderson

On November 15 the Church begins the season of the Parousia.* It is a time of expectation, looking forward to the coming of Christ.

This season is also called the fast of Saint Philip or Pylypivka, since the day just before the beginning of the fast is the feast of Saint Philip the Apostle  (November 14).

This particular fast, which ends with the celebration of the birth of Christ, lasts 40 days. Then from the birth of Christ to His meeting with Simeon--when Jesus was presented in the Temple--there are another 40 days, bringing us to this feast of the Encounter on February 2.

During the time of the fast of Saint Philip, strict tradition would indicate abstaining from all meat and dairy products (warm-blooded animals and their products), although, in fact, these stricter customs are often mitigated. The vigil of the Birth of Christ is a strict fast and we never serve meat or dairy products at the meal on Svjat Vechir. This same strict fast is in force on January 5, the vigil of the Theophany (Shchedriy Vechir). As the time of the fast of Saint Philip is considered forbidden time, major celebrations which entail dancing and the like are not considered appropriate.

The major festive season begins with the Birth of Christ on December 25 and continues until the day before the vigil of the Theophany on January 4. The period from December 25 to January 4 is festive and all fasting is suspended. This includes suspension of the usual weekly fasts on Wednesday and Friday.

Although the time of Parousia is a period of fasting and preparation, there are many commemorations at this time:

During November:

16 – St. Matthew
21 - The Presentation of the Mother of God in the Temple
24 – The Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria
25 -  St. Clement, pope of Rome
30 -  St. Andrew, the first-called apostle

During December:  

4 – The Great Martyr Barbara
6 -  St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, archbishop of Myra in Lycia
9 -  The Conception of Saint Anne
20 – St. Ignatius of Antioch, the Godbearer

After the feast of the Birth of Christ, we celebrate the Synaxis of the Mother of God on December 26 and the feast of the protomartyr Stephen on December 27.

On December 31, we celebrate the feast of St. Melanie the Roman. As her feast falls on the vigil of the civil new year, the celebration on this evening is called a Melanka.

January 1 is the feast of St. Basil the Great, as well as being the brith or circumcision of Christ (and the civil new year).

As we look forward to the coming of Christ during the time of Parousia, during this season we remember those who foretold this coming i.e. the prophets.

On November 19 we remember the prophet Obadiah.

During December, we remember the following:

1 – Prophet Nahum
2 -  Prophet Habakkuk
3 – Prophet Zephaniah
16 – Prophet Haggai
Second Sunday before the Birth of Christ – Prophet Daniel

During this sacred season of the Parousia and the fast of Saint Philip, let us remember that we are preparing to celebrate a major feast – the Birth of Christ, and that the celebration may not begin until the first star is seen on the evening between December 24 and 25. We do not celebrate the Birth of Christ until it happens, nor do we begin singing the carols until Boh Predvichniy** is first sung in Church (or at home) after the star is seen.

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* Parousia – Greek word referring to the coming of Christ at the time of His incarnation as well as at His second coming.

** Boh Predvichniy – Ukrainian for God Eternal, title of the first Christmas carol traditionally sung.