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Announcement of Easter and the Feasts of the Church, 2020 AD
Given in the Divine Service for the Epiphany of Our Lord
January 6, 2020 AD
Traditionally connected with Epiphany was the publication on January 6 of the annual letter of the bishop of Alexandria announcing the date of Easter for the current year. The scholars of Alexandria were considered most competent to make the difficult computations and observations necessary to determine this date, and thus the whole East followed their findings, which were sent to all churches by the bishop. In the sixth century, the same procedure was adopted in the West. During the Middle Ages the dates of other movable feasts observed in the Church were added to the date of Easter and all of them announced to the people on Epiphany. Traditionally, this was chanted following the Gospel.
Dearly beloved brethren, know that as we have rejoiced in the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, so there is announced to you by the mercy of God the joyous observance of the Resurrection of the same our Savior:
In this year of Our Lord TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY, which commenced on Wednesday the First day of January, being the Feast of the Circumcision and Name of Our Lord, there will be four Sundays after the Epiphany, until Septuagesima Sunday which will occur on the Ninth of February.
The Twenty-sixth of February is Ash Wednesday, and begins the sacred forty days of Lent.
On the Twelfth of April we shall celebrate with great rejoicing the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.
The Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven will be recalled forty days thereafter, on the Twenty-first of May.
The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost will be celebrated on the Thirty-First of May.
The Feast of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity will be observed on the Seventh of June.
There will be twenty-three Sundays after Trinity, until on the Twenty-ninth of November, being the first Sunday in the Advent of Our Lord, a new Year of Grace will begin.
To our Lord Jesus Christ be honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
