One of Lebanon’s most beloved Orthodox Christian saints had been largely forgotten since his martyrdom on October 13, 1450. But over the centuries, faithful clergy and laity who flocked to his Monastery of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos of Hamatoura, Kousba, Lebanon would feel presence of this priest-monk and see visions of him there. These affirmed and authenticated the sainthood of the Holy Hieromartyr Jacob of Hamatoura. “In recent times, a forensic team determined one of the skeletal remains buried under the altar at Hamatoura Monastery to be that of St. Jacob.” (Synaxarion at Orthros)
On Sunday, October 13, 2019, churches of the Antiochian Archdiocese will celebrate the memory of this beloved saint in Arabic – the original language of the service to St. Jacob – and in English with a recently completed translation provided by the Department of Liturgics. The Department of Sacred Music composed matching hymnography in English. This day happens to coincide with the commemoration of the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council; hymnography is available for that, along with the Sunday hymns to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.
All of this can be accessed by visiting the Online Liturgical Guide and clicking on the calendar for October 12 and 13 for the “Daily Liturgical Text.” May St. Jacob of Hamatoura intercede before Almighty God for us!
- Source: antiochian.org