The doxastiko of the 9th Hour at the Great Hours on the Lord’s feast of the Theophany, in plagal tone one. This doxastiko is an excellent example of our Church’s poetic and musical tradition. It’s for two choirs, that is, it’s divided into parts and sung by each choir alternately. It was composed by Iakovos Protopsaltis. The masterful rendition of the piece is by the Archon Hymnist of the Great Church of Christ, Georgios Hatzichronoglou.

Raise, Baptist, on our behalf, your hand which touched the undefiled head of the Lord, the hand with whose finger you pointed Him out to us. You have great boldness, since it was testified by Him that you are the greatest of the prophets. Raise also to Him, Baptist, your eyes, which beheld the All-Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove, ensuring mercy for us. Come and stand with us, confirming our hymn as the chief celebrant of the feast.

Image and video editing by Leonidas Tsoukalas, teacher of Byzantine Music at the Ecclesiastical Institute of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens.

Source: pemptousia.com


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Pemptousia Partnership

Pemptousia and OCN have entered a strategic partnership to bring Orthodoxy Worldwide. Greek philosophers from Ionia considered held that there were four elements or essences (ousies) in nature: earth, water, fire and air. Aristotle added ether to this foursome, which would make it the fifth (pempto) essence, pemptousia, or quintessence. The incarnation of God the Word found fertile ground in man’s proclivity to beauty, to goodness, to truth and to the eternal. Orthodoxy has not functioned as some religion or sect. It was not the movement of the human spirit towards God but the revelation of the true God, Jesus Christ, to man. A basic precept of Orthodoxy is that of the person ­– the personhood of God and of man. Orthodoxy is not a religious philosophy or way of thinking but revelation and life standing on the foundations of divine experience; it is the transcendence of the created and the intimacy of the Uncreated. Orthodox theology is drawn to genuine beauty; it is the theology of the One “fairer than the sons of men”. So in "Pemptousia", we just want to declare this "fifth essence", the divine beaut in our life. Please note, not all Pemptousia articles have bylines. If the author is known, he or she is listed in the article above.

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