The Holy Forefathers & Foremothers, Prophets & Prophetesses of Christ

The two Sundays before the Nativity of Christ we Commemorate all the Saints and Righteous people who lived prior to His Incarnation.

Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Christ (Sunday between 11th-17th of December) – Christ’s Forefathers according to the flesh – including those who came before and lived during Christ’s life.

Sunday before the Nativity (Sunday between 18th – 24th of December) – All those who from ages past have been well-pleasing to God, beginning from Adam to Righteous Joseph. We also Commemorate the Prophets and Prophetesses.

Prayers

Apolytikion: You justified the Forefathers by faith, and through them Betrothed Yourself, aforetime, to the Church taken from out of the Gentiles. The Saints boast in Glory, for from their seed, there exists a Noble crop, who is she who without seed has given You Birth. By their intercessions, O Christ our God, save our Souls.

Holy Prophets in Icons of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God

Adam and Eve

Creation

Descent of Our Lord into Hades

Righteous Abel

Prophet Noah

Tower of Babel

Righteous Melchizedek King of Salem

Genesis 14:18-20

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Patriarch Abraham and Righteous Sarah

Patriarch Isaac and Righteous Rebecca – Isaac is the son of Abraham and Sarah

Patriarch Jacob – son of Isaac and Rebecca, husband of Rachel and then Leah

Patriarch Joseph – son of Jacob and Rachel

Lot – nephew of Abraham

Holy Cross of Christ

Righteous Miriam – elder sister of Aaron and Moses

Aaron – younger brother of Miriam and elder brother of Moses

Prophet Moses – younger brother of Aaron.

Prophet Joshua

Prophet Gideon

God gave a Prophetic sign of the Virginal Conception of Christ, the True Dew from Heaven Who came down into the womb of the Mother of God as onto the fleece, thereby overcoming all the laws of nature. This is seen in the verse from the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos: “Rejoice, O Virgin, fleece cover with dew which Gideon foresaw.”

Righteous Naomi is the mother-in-law of Ruth by her first marriage. Righteous Ruth then married Boaz and they had a son Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse and grandfather of David the King.