When you saw the God so longed-for walking the earth, O First-called beholder of God, you called out to your brother: “Simon! We have found the One we have longed for!” To the Savior you cried out like David: “As the hart longs for fountains of water, so my soul longs for you, O Christ God:”(Vespers of the Feast of St. Andrew, fourth hymn of the Lity)
ON THE FEAST OF ST. ANDREW (November 30) we begin to sing the pre-Christmas Idiomela: (1)
Dance, Isaiah! Receive the word of God! Prophesy to the Maiden Mary that the bush shall burn with the Light of the Godhead, yet shall not be consumed. Prepare, O Bethlehem! Open your gates, O Eden! Come, O Magi, make your journey to behold salvation wrapped and laid in a manger, whom the Star above the cave reveals as the Lord, the giver of life, who saves our race. (Vespers of the Feast of St. Andrew, Theotokion of the Stichera)
Joseph, tell us: How is it that you are bringing the Virgin you received from the Holy of Holies to Bethlehem great with child? [He says:] “Having searched the Prophets and been told by an angel, I am assured that Mary will give birth to God in a manner beyond explanation, and magi will come from the East to worship Him, adoring Him with precious gifts:” Lord, who was incarnate for us, glory to You! (Vespers of the Feast of St. Andrew, Theotokion of the Aposticha)
Bethlehem, welcome the Mother City of God’ for she has come to give birth in you to the light that never sets. You angels, marvel in heaven! People, give glory on earth! Magi from Persia bring your three glorious gifts! Shepherds abiding in the fields, sing the thrice-holy hymn! Let everything that has breath praise the Maker of all! (Matins of the Feast of St. Andrew, Theotokion of the Praises)
Andrew is known in the Orthodox Church as the “First-called.” Along with Philip, he was a disciple of St. John, the Baptist and Forerunner of Christ. After hearing John’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), Andrew and Philip (feast day: November 14) followed Jesus. Convinced that Jesus was indeed the promised Christ, Andrew told his brother Simon Peter that he had found the Messiah (John 1:40-42). Philip told his friend Nathaniel the same. (John 1:45-46), and both Simon Peter and Nathaniel were invited to meet Jesus.
The fact that the feast day of St. Philip falls on November 14 (the day before Advent) may be coincidental, but the chanting of the pre-Christmas hymns on the feast of St. Andrew is not. The Church singles out Andrew as the “First-called Apostle,” and he exhorts the Church to “come and see” the Messiah in Jesus Christ:
We have found Him whom the prophets proclaimed in the Spirit! Come to His beauty that we may be rescued in soul and in thought, and that, led by the light of His radiance, we may drive away the night of deception and the darkness of unbelief blessing Christ, who bestows upon the world great mercy. (Vespers of the Feast of St. Andrew, second hymn of the Aposticha)
The Church invites us during this season of Advent to identify ourselves with St. Andrew since he was the first of the people of Israel to follow “Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote” (John 1:45)—and to share in the joy of his discovery. The Gospel reading for the day (John 1:35-52) reminds us of the longing of the people of Israel for the Messiah and of the fulfillment of the Old Testament in Jesus Christ, which are the causes for Andrew’s anticipation and joy.
Like Andrew, we are called to rejoice in Jesus as the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament, and with him, we are invited to call others to “come and see” this great mystery of God on earth. Not only is “God with us” (see Is. 7:14; 8:10), He is one of us! He has become a man to deify humanity from within, to refashion us in His own image and likeness (Gen. 1:26).
~Vassilios Papavassiliou, Meditations for Advent: Preparing for Christ’s Birth
1 Idiomelon means “own/unique melody.” The idiomela are therefore hymns that do not follow the pattern and melody of other hymns, but have their own unique melody.
