The Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the Commemoration of Saint Basil in Jerusalem

Early at dawn on Thursday, 1/14 January 2021, the Patriarchate celebrated the Feast of the circumcision of the Lord in the flesh and the commemoration of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, with Matins and the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and a Procession as ‘Parresia’, according to the Status Quo.

The festivities were officiated by H.H.B. with Matins in the Catholicon of the Church of the Resurrection, and the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Sepulchre, with co-celebrants their Eminences; Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, and the Archbishops; Theophanes of Gerassa, Aristarchos of Constantina, Philoumenos of Pella and Aristovoulos of Madaba, Hagiotaphite Hieromonks with first in rank the Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nectarios, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Eulogios. The chanting was delivered by Hierodeacon Simeon and Mr Vasilios Gotsopoulos. The Vigil was attended by the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Evangelos Vlioras and only a few faithful, due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

After the Divine Liturgy, a procession with the relics of the right hand of Saint Basil was held, three times around the Sacred Edicule and around the Shrines.

At the end of the Vigil, the New Year Cake was cut at the Office of Geronda Sacristan.

In the morning, His Beatitude cut the New Year Cake for the Hagiotaphite Fathers at the Epitropikon, after the Divine Liturgy that was celebrated in the Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen. Then He went to the H. Monastery of Saint Basil for veneration, while the Divine Liturgy in honour of the Saint was still in progress.

Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem