Day 1 (Monday)

Proverbs 1:7-19

As we prepare to begin the New Year of 2021, we take a pause from the rest of the Old Testament and look at the beginning of the Book of Proverbs, to remind us of the importance of learning God’s teachings, of respecting our parents, and of avoiding the sins in which those around us encourage us to take part.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
and do not reject your mother’s teaching;
9 for they are a fair garland for your head,
and pendants for your neck.
10 My child, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us wantonly ambush the innocent;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive
and whole, like those who go down to the Pit.
13 We shall find all kinds of costly things;
we shall fill our houses with booty.
14 Throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
15 my child, do not walk in their way,
keep your foot from their paths;
16 for their feet run to evil,
and they hurry to shed blood.
17 For in vain is the net baited
while the bird is looking on;
18 yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves!
and set an ambush—for their own lives!
19 Such is the end[a] of all who are greedy for gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.

Discussion Questions

1) What does text say is the beginning of knowledge? What do you think this means? (It says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. This may mean many things, but chief among them is the idea that if we think we know how the world works, but don’t understand the glory and power and majesty of God, and how nothing can exist at all without Him, then we truly don’t know anything at all).

2) What does the text say is a crown for our heads and an adornment around our necks? (The teaching of our fathers and mothers; the idea is that obedience and respect to our parents is one of the first and most important virtues that we can and should cultivate in ourselves).

3) What does the text warn us against? (It warns us that sinners will tempt us to join them in their evil, and that we must not join them.)

4) Does the text say why? (It points out that sinful people always end badly, that all their evil ultimately comes back to destroy them.)

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Saint Basil the Great

The life of St. Basil is quite long, but it gives an unusually full picture of the life of the Church in the 4th century, at its best and at its worst. For this reason we will read his entire life – it will probably take between 10 and 15 minutes to read.

St. Basil truly stands as a beautiful example of what a Christian Bishop is. As one of his fellow bishops said after his death: “He belongs not to the Church of Caesarea alone, nor merely to his own time, nor was he of benefit only to his own kinsmen, but rather to all lands and cities worldwide, and to all people he brought and still brings benefit, and for Christians he always was and will be a most salvific teacher."

St Basil was born in the year 330 at Caesarea, the administrative center of Cappadocia. He was of illustrious lineage, famed for its eminence and wealth, and zealous for the Christian Faith. The saint's grandfather and grandmother on his father's side had to hide in the forests of Pontus for seven years during the persecution under Diocletian.

St Basil's mother St Emilia was the daughter of a martyr. On the Greek calendar, she is commemorated on May 30. St Basil's father was also named Basil. He was a lawyer and renowned rhetorician, and lived at Caesarea.

Ten children were born to the elder Basil and Emilia: five sons and five daughters. Five of them were later numbered among the saints; besides Basil, Macrina (a nun), Gregory of Nyssa, Peter of Sebaste (both bishops), and Theosebia (a deaconess).
St Basil spent the first years of his life on an estate belonging to his parents at the River Iris, where he was raised under the supervision of his mother Emilia and grandmother Macrina. They were women of great refinement, who remembered an earlier bishop of Cappadocia, St Gregory the Wonderworker (November 17). Basil received his initial education under the supervision of his father, and then he studied under the finest teachers in Caesarea of Cappadocia, and it was here that he made the acquaintance of St Gregory the Theologian (January 25 and January 30). Later, Basil transferred to a school at Constantinople, where he listened to eminent orators and philosophers. To complete his education St Basil went to Athens, the center of classical enlightenment.

After a four or five year stay at Athens, Basil had mastered all the available disciplines. "He studied everything thoroughly, more than others are wont to study a single subject. He studied each science in its very totality, as though he would study nothing else." Philosopher, philologist, orator, jurist, naturalist, possessing profound knowledge in astronomy, mathematics and medicine, "he was a ship fully laden with learning, to the extent permitted by human nature."

At Athens a close friendship developed between Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, which continued throughout their life. In fact, they regarded themselves as one soul in two bodies. Later on, in his eulogy for Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian speaks with delight about this period: "Various hopes guided us, and indeed inevitably, in learning… Two paths opened up before us: the one to our sacred temples and the teachers therein; the other towards preceptors of disciplines beyond."

About the year 357, St Basil returned to Caesarea, where for a while he devoted himself to rhetoric. But soon, refusing offers from Caesarea's citizens who wanted to entrust him with the education of their offspring, St Basil entered upon the path of ascetic life.

After the death of her husband, Basil's mother, her eldest daughter Macrina, and several female servants withdrew to the family estate at Iris and there began to lead an ascetic life. Around the same time, Basil was baptized by Dianios, the Bishop of Caesarea, and was tonsured a Reader. He first read the Holy Scriptures to the people, then explained them.

Later on, "wishing to acquire a guide to the knowledge of truth", the saint undertook a journey into Egypt, Syria and Palestine, to meet the great Christian ascetics dwelling there. On returning to Cappadocia, he decided to do as they did. He distributed his wealth to the needy, then settled on the opposite side of the river not far from his mother Emilia and sister Macrina, gathering around him monks living a cenobitic life.

By his letters, Basil drew his good friend Gregory the Theologian to the monastery. Sts Basil and Gregory labored in strict abstinence in their dwelling place, which had no roof or fireplace, and the food was very humble. They themselves cleared away the stones, planted and watered the trees, and carried heavy loads. Their hands were constantly calloused from the hard work. For clothing Basil had only a tunic and monastic mantle.

In their solitude, Sts Basil and Gregory occupied themselves in an intense study of Holy Scripture. They were guided by the writings of the Fathers and commentators of the past. From all these works they compiled an anthology called Philokalia. Also at this time, at the request of the monks, St Basil wrote down a collection of rules for virtuous life. By his preaching and by his example St Basil assisted in the spiritual perfection of Christians in Cappadocia and Pontus; and many indeed turned to him. Monasteries were organized for men and for women, in which places Basil sought to combine the cenobitic (koine bios, or common) lifestyle with that of the solitary hermit.

During the reign of Constantius (337-361) the heretical teachings of Arius were spreading, and the Church summoned both its saints into service. St Basil returned to Caesarea. In the year 362 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Meletius of Antioch. In 364 he was ordained to the holy priesthood by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea. "But seeing," as Gregory the Theologian relates, "that everyone exceedingly praised and honored Basil for his wisdom and reverence, Eusebius, through human weakness, succumbed to jealousy of him, and began to show dislike for him." The monks rose up in defense of St Basil. To avoid causing Church discord, Basil withdrew to his own monastery and concerned himself with the organization of monasteries.

With the coming to power of the emperor Valens (364-378), who was a resolute adherent of Arianism, a time of troubles began for Orthodoxy, the onset of a great struggle. St Basil hastily returned to Caesarea at the request of Bishop Eusebius. In the words of Gregory the Theologian, he was for Bishop Eusebius "a good advisor, a righteous representative, an expounder of the Word of God, a staff for the aged, a faithful support in internal matters, and an activist in external matters."

From this time church governance passed over to Basil, though he was subordinate to the hierarch. He preached daily, and often twice, in the morning and in the evening. During this time St Basil composed his Liturgy. He wrote a work "On the Six Days of Creation" and others on the Prophet Isaiah, and on the Psalms, as well as a second compilation of monastic rules.

St Gregory the Theologian, speaking about the activity of Basil the Great during this period, points to "the caring for the destitute and the taking in of strangers, the supervision of virgins, written and unwritten monastic rules for monks, the arrangement of prayers [Liturgy], the felicitous arrangement of altars and other things." Upon the death of Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea, St Basil was chosen to succeed him in the year 370. St Athanasius the Great, with joy and with thanks to God welcomed the appointment to Cappadocia of such a bishop as Basil, famed for his reverence, deep knowledge of Holy Scripture, great learning, and his efforts for the welfare of Church peace and unity.
St Basil's had many difficulties as he became the bishop of Caesarea, schisms and political controversies both inside the Church and outside it. Amidst the constant perils St Basil gave encouragement to the Orthodox, confirmed them in the Faith, summoning them to bravery and endurance. The holy bishop wrote numerous letters to the churches, to bishops, to clergy and to individuals. Overcoming the heretics "by the weapon of his mouth, and by the arrows of his letters," as an untiring champion of Orthodoxy, St Basil challenged the hostility and intrigues of the Arian heretics all his life. He has been compared to a bee, stinging the Church's enemies, yet nourishing his flock with the sweet honey of his teaching.

The emperor Valens, mercilessly sending into exile any bishop who displeased him, and having implanted Arianism into other Asia Minor provinces, suddenly appeared in Cappadocia for this same purpose. He sent the prefect Modestus to St Basil. He began to threaten the saint with the confiscation of his property, banishment, beatings, and even death.

St Basil said, "If you take away my possessions, you will not enrich yourself, nor will you make me a pauper. You have no need of my old worn-out clothing, nor of my few books, of which the entirety of my wealth is comprised. Exile means nothing to me, since I am bound to no particular place. This place in which I now dwell is not mine, and any place you send me shall be mine. Better to say: every place is God's. Where would I be neither a stranger and sojourner (Ps. 38/39:13)? Who can torture me? I am so weak, that the very first blow would render me insensible. Death would be a kindness to me, for it will bring me all the sooner to God, for Whom I live and labor, and to Whom I hasten."

The official was stunned by his answer. "No one has ever spoken so audaciously to me," he said.

"Perhaps," the saint remarked, " that is because you've never spoken to a bishop before. In all else we are meek, the most humble of all. But when it concerns God, and people rise up against Him, then we, counting everything else as naught, look to Him alone. Then fire, sword, wild beasts and iron rods that rend the body, serve to fill us with joy, rather than fear."

Reporting to Valens that St Basil was not to be intimidated, Modestus said, "Emperor, we stand defeated by a leader of the Church." Basil the Great again showed firmness before the emperor and his retinue and made such a strong impression on Valens that the emperor dared not give in to the Arians demanding Basil's exile. "On the day of Theophany, amidst an innumerable multitude of the people, Valens entered the church and mixed in with the throng, in order to give the appearance of being in unity with the Church. When the singing of Psalms began in the church, it was like thunder to his hearing. The emperor beheld a sea of people, and in the altar and all around was splendor; in front of all was Basil, who acknowledged neither by gesture nor by glance, that anything else was going on in church." Everything was focused only on God and the altar-table, and the clergy serving there in awe and reverence.

St Basil celebrated the church services almost every day. He was particularly concerned about the strict fulfilling of the Canons of the Church, and took care that only worthy individuals should enter into the clergy. He incessantly made the rounds of his own church, lest anywhere there be an infraction of Church discipline, and setting aright any unseemliness. At Caesarea, St Basil built two monasteries, a men's and a women's, with a church in honor of the Forty Martyrs (March 9) whose relics were buried there. Following the example of monks, the saint's clergy, even deacons and priests, lived in remarkable poverty, to toil and lead chaste and virtuous lives. For his clergy St Basil obtained an exemption from taxation. He used all his personal wealth and the income from his church for the benefit of the destitute; in every center of his diocese he built a poor-house; and at Caesarea, a home for wanderers and the homeless.

He had always been sickly since his youth, and the toil of teaching, his life of abstinence, and the concerns and sorrows of pastoral service took their toll on him. St Basil died on January 1, 379 at age 49. Shortly before his death, the saint blessed St Gregory the Theologian to accept the See of Constantinople.

Upon the repose of St Basil, the Church immediately began to celebrate his memory. St Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium (November 23), in his eulogy to St Basil the Great, said: "It is neither without a reason nor by chance that holy Basil has taken leave from the body and had repose from the world unto God on the day of the Circumcision of Jesus, celebrated between the day of the Nativity and the day of the Baptism of Christ. Therefore, this most blessed one, preaching and praising the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, extolling spiritual circumcision, himself forsaking the flesh, now ascends to Christ on the sacred day of remembrance of the Circumcision of Christ. Therefore, let it also be established on this present day annually to honor the memory of Basil the Great festively and with solemnity."

St Basil is also called "the revealer of heavenly mysteries" (Ouranophantor), a "renowned and bright star," and "the glory and beauty of the Church." His honorable head is in the Great Lavra on Mount Athos.

In some countries it is customary to sing special carols today in honor of St Basil. He is believed to visit the homes of the faithful, and a place is set for him at the table. People visit the homes of friends and relatives, and the mistress of the house gives a small gift to the children. A special bread (Vasilopita) is blessed and distributed after the Liturgy. A silver coin is baked into the bread, and whoever receives the slice with the coin is said to receive the blessing of St Basil for the coming year.

Discussion questions:

1) This was an especially long reading, so we won’t lengthen today’s session with many questions. It would be good, though, to have everyone present mention one thing that they had noticed in particular about the life of St. Basil.

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 7:18-35

We are quickly approach the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan – and fortunately, we have just reached the point in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus talks about John the Baptist. The things that John’s disciples reported to him were the miracles that we talked about before Christmas, the healing of the centurion’s servant and the raising of the son of the widow of Nain.

18 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 20 When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’” 21 Jesus[d] had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. 22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers[e] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. 23 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

24 When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus[f] began to speak to the crowds about John:[g] “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 What then did you go out to see? Someone[h] dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. 26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
28 I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 (And all the people who heard this, including the tax collectors, acknowledged the justice of God,[i] because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. 30 But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.)

31 “To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.’
33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon’; 34 the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Discussion Questions

1) When John heard about what Jesus was doing, what did he send his disciples to ask? (He told them to ask Jesus if He was the one they were waiting for, that is to say, if He was the Messiah, the Christ.)

2) What did Jesus say in response? (He told them to tell John what they saw and heard, people being healed and restored, and the poor receiving good news. The idea is that His deeds answered more clearly even than a simple “yes” would have done that yes, He was the Messiah.)

3) What did Jesus say about John? (He praised John, and said that he was the greatest of those born of women, but that the least in the kingdom of God was greater than he. This is worth reflecting on…the idea may be that John was the greatest saint to ever have lived, but that he had only foretold the coming of the Lord and His Kingdom, so those who live in the Kingdom in communion with the Lord are greater than him, because they have received in full what John longed to see.)

4) What did Jesus point out about those who criticized both John and Himself? (He pointed out that they had criticized John for fasting strictly, and had criticized Himself for NOT fasting, and that it showed that their criticism had nothing to do with either Him or with John, but with their foolish determination to find fault with the wisdom of God.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Micah 5:2-5

This week of Christmas, we will read one of the prophecies of His birth, the one that is referenced in the gospel of Matthew, and that the scholars in Jerusalem referenced when the Magi came there asking where the Messiah was supposed to be born.

2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.

Discussion questions:

1) What does this reading have to do with Jesus and Christmas? (This is the prophecy that tells where the Messiah, the Christ, will be born. Bethlehem means “house of bread,” because it was a town in the farming area of Judaea, and Ephrathah refers to the man who founded the town. Bethlehem was the home town of King David, who was the ancestor of the Virgin Mary, and therefore the ancestor of Jesus, according to the flesh. This is why Joseph & Mary had to go back to Bethlehem to be registered. It was their ancestral home town.)

2) What sort of town is Bethlehem, according to the prophet Micah? Is it important or not? (Micah says it is not important, that it is “one of the little clans of Judah).

3) What does Micah say about the One Who is going to be born in Bethlehem? (He says that He will rule in Israel, and that His origin is from old, from ancient days).

4) What do you think it means, that Micah says someone will be born later, whose origin is from ancient days? (This is how the prophet talks about the fact that Jesus is God Himself, now born as a human being. He didn’t just come into existence, but has always been, and made all things, and will now become a human being, even though He is the One Who made human beings).

5) What else does this prophecy say about Jesus? (It says that when He comes, people who had wandered will come back, and that He will feed His flock, and will be great to the ends of the earth, and will bring peace).

6) Do you have any questions about this? (This is an open question, of course – it’s important for all of us to get comfortable with the way the Prophets talk. It’s often not obvious what it is talking about, and often we can’t immediately find answers to the questions that we ask. Sitting and reflecting on those questions, though, as we pray and worship and celebrate the Liturgy, often results in us finding answers after some time. It is a rare month that I don’t find an answer in the Liturgy or the Bible or my prayers to questions that I have been pondering for a long time. We can’t ever find answers if we aren’t comfortable asking questions for which we can’t find immediate, easy answers. The best answers are the ones that we have to work for and wait for.).

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Prayer of the Hours

This prayer is found throughout the daily prayers of the Church. It is used in each of the four services of the Hours, in Compline, and is usually used also in the private evening prayers for Orthodox Christians in the home. Because of its use in the Hours Services, we hear it four times in the service of the Royal Hours as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Lord. It talks about how God is worshipped all the time, and how our prayer and worship are a participation in that worship.

O Christ our God, who at all times and at every hour, both in heaven and on earth, are worshipped and glorified, long suffering and plenteous in mercy and compassion; who love the just and show mercy to the sinners; who call all men to salvation through the promise of the blessings to come: Do you, the same Lord, receive also our supplications at this present time, and direct our lives according to your commandments. Sanctify our souls; purify our bodies; set our minds right; clear up our thoughts, and deliver us from every sorrow, evil and distress. Surround us with your holy Angels so that being guarded and guided by their presence, we may arrive at the unity of the faith and the knowledge of your ineffable glory; for blessed are you unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Discussion questions:

1) Which Person of the Holy Trinity do we address in this prayer? (We are talking specifically to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity).

2) What do we say about God in this prayer? (We say that He is worshiped all the time both in heaven and earth, that He loves people who do well and is merciful to those who don’t, and that He calls everyone to salvation.)

3) What do we ask God to do in this prayer? (We ask Him to accept our requests and to guide us according to His instructions).

4) What parts of ourselves do we ask the Lord to help? (Our souls, bodies, minds, & thoughts).

5) Who do we ask the Lord to send to help us? (The Angels – we ask the Lord to surround us with the Angels, so that their protection and guidance can help us reach the unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the glory of God.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 2:1-21

We set this reading aside when we began the Gospel of Luke, so that we could read it this week, as we celebrate the Feast of the Lord’s birth. We are blessed that this year, Day 3, Friday, falls on Christmas Day, so that we are able to read the fullest account of the Lord’s birth on the actual day of His birth.

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her son, the Firstborn, and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[a] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[b] praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”[c]

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Discussion Questions

1) Why did Joseph go to Bethlehem when Jesus was about to be born? (He was required to go because of the registration that the Emperor Augustus did, where he told everyone to go to their home town to be counted there)

2) What do you think it means that it says Mary gave birth to her son, the Firstborn? (It could just mean that she hadn’t had any children before, but the way it is phrased in Greek is “ἔτεκεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον”, so the word “Firstborn” may refer to how Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God, the first-born of all Creation, the one, as we say in the Creed “through Whom all things were made.”)

3) Who were the first people to see Jesus after He was born? How did they find out about it? (The shepherds were the first. An angel of the Lord – and we should note that it says AN angel of the Lord, not THE angel of the Lord, since it is THE angel of the Lord Who has just been born in Bethlehem – told them that the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, the LORD, Yahweh Himself, had been born.)

4) What proof did the angel give to the shepherds that this child was God Himself? (He told them that they could believe his announcement to them, because when they found the baby, they would find him wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger, which were clearly not the normal things to do with a baby.)

5) What happened to Jesus on the eighth day? (He was circumcised, according to the Law of Moses, and He was given the name Jesus, which the angel Gabriel had told Mary to give Him at the Annunciation, which we read about back in Week 4).

6) Do you know what the name Jesus means? (The name Jesus, Ἰησοῦς in Greek, comes from a Hebrew name which has a particular meaning. The Hebrew name is Yah-hoshua, which means Yah (short for Yahweh) saves. So even His name says Who He is, and what He comes to do.)

7) You have all heard this story many times – is there anything that you noticed about it this time that you hadn’t noticed before? (Open question – have fun!)

Day 1 (Monday)

Revelation 12:1-17

As we approach Christmas, we skip ahead for this week to the last book of the Bible, where we see a dramatic vision of what we are about to celebrate. St. John’s vision shows us the cosmic significance of the Lord’s birth.

 12 A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. 3 Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule[a] all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days.

7 And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,

“Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God
    and the authority of his Messiah,[b]
for the accuser of our comrades[c] has been thrown down,
    who accuses them day and night before our God.
11 
But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony,
for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.
12 
Rejoice then, you heavens
    and those who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
    for the devil has come down to you
with great wrath,
    because he knows that his time is short!”

13 So when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued[d] the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to her place where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent poured water like a river after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.

Discussion questions:

1) Who or what do you think the woman here represents? What do you notice about her that makes you think you are right? (There could be a lot of answers here. The fact that the woman bears a son who is to rule the world, and the plots against His life from even before He was born, makes it sound like we are talking about the Virgin Mary. The sun and the moon and the twelve stars makes it sound like we are talking about the Children of Israel. And the cosmic scope of the story, and the reference to all her children throughout the world, and the fact that the woman gave birth with great pain, which we know wasn’t the case when the Virgin Mary bore Christ, makes it sound like we are talking about the Church, since all of us bear Christ with great labor and suffering).

2) Who do you think the dragon represents? (At first it seems like it represents the Roman Empire, with the seven heads and seven crowns, which usually refer to the seven hills that Rome is built on. But it could also refer to the devil himself, since it talks about him sweeping the stars out of the sky, which looks like a reference to the rebellion of the angels. Or it might represent the power of this world in rebellion against God more generally, across space and time.)

3) Do you think this vision is talking about only one event in history? Or is it describing the whole scope of the history of the world in relationship with God all at once, with a single image? (Revelation is complicated, and it’s easy to find a lot of interpretations for what it says. I think, though, that it is talking about the whole history of the universe in rebellion against God, and God’s restoration of the creation and reconciliation with us. So in a sense, the image can refer to multiple events at the same time).

4) What part of this image is your favorite? Or, if you don’t have a favorite, which makes you think of Christmas? (This is an open question – just see what they have to say, and let the conversation flow for a bit).

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Life of St. Eleutherios (December 15th Feastday)

St. Eleutherios is one of the most often remembered hieromartyrs in the Orthodox Church. A hieromartyr is a priest-martyr, a martyr who was an ordained deacon, priest, or bishop). He is commemorated with his mother Anthia on December 15. Orthodox believers have long considered Saints Eleutherios and Anthia to be the patrons of expectant mothers and of childbirth. Their fame as wonderworkers, the fact that they were mother and son and the implications of their names contributed to this. "Eleutherios" is a variant of "freedom" in Greek, thus, mothers pray that they might safely be free of their pregnancies by giving birth to healthy children. "Anthia" resembles "anthos" meaning flower.

St Eleutherios is held to be the protector of the oppressed, prisoners and all those undergoing any kind of trial, and together with his mother is a fervent intercessor and protector against all demonic influences. Orthodox Christians living in the Ottoman Empire thought of St. Eleutherios as their helper in the movement for independence. In Albania where the previous Communist regime had banned the Orthodox faith and all religion, the Saints became a focus for Orthodox Christian resistance -particularly amongst the Greek Epirote minority in the south.

From a good tree comes good fruit. This wonderful Saint had noble and greatly eminent parents. Eleutherios was born in Rome, where his father was an imperial proconsul. His mother Anthia heard the Gospel from the great Apostle Paul and was baptized by him. Having been left a widow early, she entrusted her only son for study and service to the Bishop of Rome.

Seeing how Eleutherios was gifted by God and illumined by the grace of God, the bishop ordained him a deacon at the age of fifteen, a priest at the age of eighteen, and a bishop at the age of twenty. Eleutherios's God-given wisdom made up for what he lacked in years, and this chosen one of God was appointed Bishop of Illyria, in what is now Albania, in the city of Valona (modern Vlorë). The good shepherd guarded his flock well and increased their number day by day. Emperor Hadrian, a persecutor of Christians, sent the commander Felix with soldiers to seize Eleutherios and bring him to Rome. When the raging Felix arrived in Valona and entered the church, he saw and heard the holy hierarch of God; suddenly his heart changed, and he became a Christian. Eleutherios baptized Felix and departed for Rome with him, returning joyfully as if he were going to a feast and not to trial and torture.

The emperor subjected the noble Eleutherios to harsh torture: flogging, roasting on an iron bed, boiling in pitch, and burning in a fiery furnace. But Eleutherios was delivered from all these deadly tortures by God's power. Seeing all this, Caribus the Roman eparch declared that he also was a Christian. Caribus was tortured and then beheaded, and so was Blessed Felix. Finally, the imperial executioners cut off the honorable head of St. Eleutherios. When his mother, the holy Anthia, came and stood over the dead body of her son, she also was beheaded. Their bodies were translated to Valona, where even today St. Eleutherios glorifies the name of Christ by his many miracles. He suffered during the reign of Hadrian in the year 120.
(From The Prologue)

Discussion questions:

1) Who was Eleutherios? When did he live? (He was a bishop in the 2nd century in Albania; his mother was converted by the Apostle Paul)

2) What did he do before he died? (It says he took good care of his flock, of the Faithful entrusted to his care by the Lord, and that more and more people became Christians through his preaching and pastoral care).

3) What happened when the emperor Hadrian sent Felix to arrest Eleutherios and bring him to Rome? (Instead of arresting him, Felix was moved to repentance when he heard Eleutherios preach, and he became a follower of Christ.)

4) Did Eleutherios then go into hiding once Felix told him the emperor wanted to kill him? (No – he baptized Felix, and then went with him back to Rome, where he confessed Christ to the emperor.)

5) What happened when the Emperor tried to torture and kill Eleutherios? (The Lord sustained him through all the tortures, and another official of the Emperor became a Christian. Finally, the Emperor had them all beheaded).

6) What are St. Eleutherios and his mother St. Anthia known for? Who do they pray for and help in particular? (St. Eleutherios and St. Anthia are the patron saints of expectant mothers and their children, and of those who are oppressed or imprisoned. They especially help those who are under the assault of demonic powers.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 7:1-17

Last time we finished the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus talked about how we should treat one another, and how we should deal with ourselves. Once Jesus finished this sermon, he went into a nearby town. Let’s see what happened there!

After Jesus[a] had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5 for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” 6 And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

11 Soon afterwards[b] he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12 As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus[c] gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” 17 This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

Discussion Questions

1) What were the two miracles in this reading? (Jesus healed the servant of the centurion, and he raised the son of the widow from the dead)

2) What was unusual about the healing of the centurion’s servant? (There are two things that were unusual. First, the centurion wasn’t a Jew, but Jesus still talked with him and helped him. Second, He didn’t go in person to heal the servant, but healed him from a distance).

3) Why did Jesus not go to heal the centurion’s servant in person? Was He not willing to go? (He was willing to go, but the centurion told Him that he knew that he was unworthy to have Jesus come into his house, and that he knew Jesus had authority and power to heal his servant, and had no need to be present in person.)

4) Jesus said that the centurion showed more faith than anyone else – what do you think showed the right sort of faith in the centurion’s words and actions? (This is a question to encourage thought and conversation. I can see five things that are important about the centurion here. a) He knows himself, and recognizes that he is unworthy, that he doesn’t deserve Jesus’ help, that he doesn’t have a right to it. b) He recognizes Jesus as God, and confesses His divine power and authority; so he knows Who Jesus is. c) He puts points 1 and 2 into action, and operates in humility as the supplicant, accepting his role in the relationship between God and an unworthy human being asking for help. d) In asking for help although he doesn’t have a right to it, he puts that relationship into action, entrusting himself and his servant to the care and mercy of the Lord. e) Although he receives the outcome that he wanted, he accepted from the outset that there was no guarantee that he would. He accepted the will of God for himself and his servant, even if the answer was no. All of these together show faith, or trust, this relationship between helpless humanity and our good and loving God.)

5) What does the raising of the young man in the second miracle here show us about Jesus? (This is also an open question, but there are two main points that I see. a) He is compassionate to those who are grieving and bereaved by death. b) He has authority over death itself, power to raise the dead and restore them to life.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 4:1-23, 27-31

Last time, Moses saw the Burning Bush, and went to see why it wasn’t burning up. He encountered the Angel of the Lord, the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, there, and when he asked what His name was, God told him that His name was Yahweh, He Who Is, Ὁ Ὤν, and told him to tell the children of Israel in Egypt that He Who Is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had sent him, Moses, to lead them out of slavery. Let’s see what happens next!

Then Moses answered, “But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw the staff on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses drew back from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand, and seize it by the tail”—so he reached out his hand and grasped it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand into his cloak; and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back into your cloak”—so he put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored like the rest of his body— 8 “If they will not believe you or heed the first sign, they may believe the second sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or heed you, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.” 13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “What of your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16 He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him. 17 Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
18 Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to my kindred in Egypt and see whether they are still living.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt; for all those who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt; and Moses carried the staff of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: Israel is my firstborn son. 23 I said to you, “Let my son go that he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; now I will kill your firstborn son.’”
27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went; and he met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had charged him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and performed the signs in the sight of the people. 31 The people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had given heed to the Israelites and that he had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Discussion questions:

1) What was Moses worried about? What signs did God give him to do? (He was worried that the children of Israel wouldn’t believe that God had sent him, so God gave him three miracles for proof. He was first to cast his staff onto the ground, and it would become a snake, then he was to put his hand inside his robe, and it would be leprous when he took it out, and would become whole again after he put it back inside his robe, and finally he was to pour some water on the ground, and it would become blood.)

2) What was Moses’ next excuse? (He said that he wasn’t any good at talking).

3) What did God say to that? (He reminded Moses that He was the one who gave speech to human beings, and promised that He would teach Moses what to say. When Moses still complained, God told him to bring his brother Aaron with him, and Aaron would speak for him.

4) When Moses went back to Pharaoh, what did God tell him to say to him? (He told him to tell Pharaoh that Israel was God’s firstborn son, and that if Pharaoh didn’t release the children of Israel, God would kill Pharaoh’s firstborn son.

5) What do you think of all the excuses that Moses made? Why do you think he didn’t want to do what God told him to do? (This is an open question – good for conversation).

Day 2 (Wednesday)

First Prayer of Chrysostom’s Anaphora

We looked last week at how we confess that Jesus Christ is the Angel of the Lord from the Old Testament, the 2nd Person of the Trinity, Yahweh Himself, Who spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, and how we affirm this point explicitly in the Dismissal prayers of every Vespers and Orthros. Similar confessions and reflections are present throughout the prayers of the Church. We can see St. John Chrysostom unpacking what it means that God is the One Who Is, Yahweh, in the first prayer of the Anaphora in the Divine Liturgy. This prayer comes right after the Creed.

It is proper and right to sing to You, bless You, praise You, thank You and worship You in all places of Your dominion; for You are God ineffable, beyond comprehension, invisible, beyond understanding, existing forever and always the same (ἀεὶ ὤν, ὡσαύτως ὤν); You and Your only begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. You brought us into being out of nothing, and when we fell, You raised us up again. You did not cease doing everything until You led us to heaven and granted us Your kingdom to come. For all these things we thank You and Your only begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit; for all things that we know and do not know, for blessings seen and unseen that have been bestowed upon us. We also thank You for this liturgy which You are pleased to accept from our hands, even though You are surrounded by thousands of Archangels and tens of thousands of Angels, by the Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, soaring with their wings,
Singing the victory hymn, proclaiming, crying out, and saying:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna to God in the highest.

Discussion questions:

1) Why does the prayer say it is good and right for us to praise and worship God? (Because He is great and high and awesome, above and beyond existence and time and understanding.)

2) What specifically does it say about the Name of God, Yahweh,  Ὁ Ὤν (in the section in bold)? (It uses the same word in Greek, and adds that God, being the One Who Is, is the One Who “always is/exists forever” and Who “Is always the same.” So it says that God’s Being, His essence, is eternal and unchanging).

3) So do we praise and thank and worship God just because He is eternal and unchanging? Or is because of something else? (The prayer goes on to talk about how God, the One Who Is, brought us into being out of nothing, and when we fell, He raised us up again, and does not stop acting and working to save us until He brings us safely into the Kingdom to come. So we thank Him and praise Him and worship Him because, although He is perfect and eternal and infinite, and needs nothing at all from us…nonetheless He loves us.)

4) Who worships God together with us? (The prayer talks about how all the angels are worshipping God, and thanks God for accepting our prayer along with the prayer and worship of the angelic powers. And then we even sing the hymn of the angels along with them, as it is recorded in the book of Revelation.)

5) Do you noticed that we call God “The Lord of Sabaoth” here? Do you think this “Lord” is Yahweh? Or does it just mean Lord? (The name “Yahweh-Sabaoth” appears throughout the Hebrew Old Testament, and means that God is God of gods, He-Who-Is among all the heavenly hosts. We can think, as well, of how the Bible talks about The Angel of the Lord, as we see the Son of God at the Burning Bush, or the Captain of the Heavenly Hosts that Joshua meets before Israel crosses the Jordan River.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 6:37-49

Last time we saw Jesus begin the Sermon on the Mount. He talked about how we should treat other people, and what it really means to be blessed. He continues in that way this week.

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s[f] eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbor,[g] ‘Friend,[h] let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s[i] eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

The Two Foundations

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.[j] 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.”

Discussion Questions

1) What is the basic point of what Jesus says in the first paragraph here? (He says that we will be treated in the way that we have treated other people; he warns against judging and condemning others, and urges us to forgive and to be generous).

2) What do you think Jesus is saying when he talks about the log and the speck in the eye, and the blind leading the blind? (This is a good chance for a conversation – but the basic point is that we shouldn’t try to fix other people…we should address our own failings and sins before we try to tell other people what’s wrong with them. These are good words to live by…almost everything that Christians do wrong in dealing with those around them comes back somehow to a failure to follow this instruction.)

3) Why does Jesus compare us to trees? (He is saying that, if you want to know whether a tree is good or not, you should look at its fruit, and in the same way, if we want to know whether we are doing well or not, we should look at the fruit of our lives. We can’t say that we’re doing just fine if the fruit of our lives is anger, gossip, and trouble.)

4) What do you think the parable of the house in the flood means? (This is again an opportunity for conversation. The basic point is that listening to God isn’t enough – we have to act on what He says to us.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 3:1-22

Welcome to Week 13. I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving! Last time we saw Moses leave Egypt and find a home in exile in Midian, with his wife Zipporah and his son Gershom. But we know that he won’t live out his life there; so let’s see what happens next.

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”

The Divine Name Revealed

13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD (He Who Is), the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:

This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.

16 Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, The LORD (He Who Is), the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 18 They will listen to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; let us now go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 I know, however, that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.[c] 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will perform in it; after that he will let you go. 21 I will bring this people into such favor with the Egyptians that, when you go, you will not go empty-handed; 22 each woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman living in the neighbor’s house for jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters; and so you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Discussion questions:

1) What was strange about the Burning Bush that made Moses turn aside to go see it? (It was burning, but it wasn’t burning up).

2) Who does it say appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush? (The text says that it was the Angel of the Lord.)

3) Who spoke to Moses, then? (The text says that it was God, the Lord).

4) What did God tell Moses to do? How did He identify Himself (He told Moses to take off his sandals, because it was holy ground, and He told him that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the god of his ancestors).

5) Did God tell Moses what job He was going to give him? (He told him that he, Moses, was going to bring the Israelites out of slavery and into the Promised Land.)

6) What did Moses ask God? (He asked God to tell him His Name).

7) What does God say that His Name is? (He doesn’t – He tells Moses that He Is Who He Is, or perhaps that He is The One Who Is, Who Exists, and Who Brings All Things Into Existence. That’s not so much a name as a theological statement)

8) Do any of you know where in the Church we show this Name of God? Hint: It’s in the icons, and in the services too. (It’s in the icons of Christ, in the letters around His Head and it’s all over the place in the services, both when we address God as LORD, and every time we talk about Him as the God Who Exists, and brought everything that is into being.).

Note: We see here for the first time a trend that will continue through the Bible. While God gives His Name in verse 14 as “I Am Who I Am,” He is speaking in the first person: “I Am.” What He tells Moses to say to the Israelites in verse 15 is in the 3rd person, "He Is." So, more literally translated, what He says in verse 15 is “He Who Is, the God of your ancestors, has sent me to you.” In Hebrew, “He Who Is” is Yahweh, and in Greek, it is “Ὁ Ὤν”. Throughout the Old Testament, however, most English translations render the Hebrew “Yahweh,” as “The LORD,” because the Hebrew people at the time of Christ did the same, replacing “Yahweh” with “Adonai” (which means Lord) when they read the Scripture. So any time we see God referred to as “The LORD,” it is likely that this is actually the Name of God, Yahweh, Ὁ Ὤν, He Who Is.

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Dismissal Prayers of Vespers & Orthros

At the end of the services of Vespers and Orthros (the services of sunset and sunrise) the service concludes in the same way.

The Priest begins by turning and facing the people, and saying:

“Ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς Χριστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, πάντοτε· νῦν καὶ ἁεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.

Blessed is Christ our God, He Who Is, Ο ΩΝ, always; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.”

Then the Chanter says: “Amen. May the Lord God strengthen the holy and pure faith of devout and orthodox Christians, with his holy Church and this city, unto the ages of ages.

Then the Priest says:

“Most Holy Theotokos, save us.”

And the People say in response: “More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, we magnify you, the true Theotokos.”

And then the Priest says the final Dismissal:

“Glory to You, O God, our hope, glory to You.

Christ our true God – through the intercessions of His most pure and holy Mother; by the power of the precious and life giving Cross; through the protection of the honorable, Bodiless Powers of heaven; through the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy Apostles; of the holy, glorious and triumphant Martyrs; of the holy & glorious Great-martyr George the Trophybearer; of our righteous and God-bearing Fathers; of our Father among the Saints John, Archbishop of Constantinople, the Golden-mouthed; of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, (of the Saint of the day) and of all the Saints – may He have mercy on us and save us, as a good and merciful God Who loves mankind.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

Discussion questions:

1) At the very beginning, how does the Priest speak about Jesus Christ? (He says that He is, or should be, blessed, and calls Him “He Who Is,” or, in Greek, ὁ ὤν)

2) What do you think it means for God to be blessed? (It doesn’t mean the same thing that it means for a human being to be blessed, right? What we are saying here is that it is right for human beings to speak well of God, to bless Him, to thank Him, to glorify Him. Literally the word that we translated as “blessed” means “well-spoken-of”).

3) Why do you think we call Jesus ὁ ὤν, He Who Is? (This is, in Greek and in English, the way that the Name that God gives to Moses is translated. In Hebrew, the Name is Yahweh, and means “The One Who Exists and Causes All That Exists to Exist,” and it is therefore unique. Only one god can claim this name: the God Who brought all things into being out of nothing, and Who alone exists Himself absolutely, without any qualification or dependence.)

4) Why do you think we talk so much about the Saints in the Dismissal? (This is an open question – one good answer is that we are drawing a picture of the reality of the world. Jesus Christ, The Lord, Yahweh, the Creator of all things, is at the center of all – we look to Him and call Him blessed. And surrounding Him are all those who have lived lives of obedience and repentance from all the ages, and they, and we, all look to Him for mercy, salvation, and love. So the picture we are painting is of the entire creation gathered around the Lord in worship and in thanksgiving for His wonderful deeds for the children of men.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 6:17-36

Last time Jesus argued with the Pharisees about the Sabbath, and then He selected the Twelve Apostles. This time, we see Him preaching to the people, and what sort of things He was saying to them. Let’s listen in!

17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you[d] on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.[e] Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Discussion Questions

1) What do you notice about the people that Jesus calls blessed here. (Hopefully everyone will notice that the people that Jesus calls blessed aren’t usually the ones we would think of as being blessed)

2) Why does Jesus call them blessed? (He gives a reason for each group He calls blessed – mostly it is because God intends good for those who suffer for His sake)

3) What do you notice about the people that Jesus says “woe” to? (He pretty much says that whatever good they have received is the only good they will ever get. Woe comes to them because they chose the wrong good)

4) What does Jesus say we should do when people mistreat us? (He tells us to love them, to pray for them, to serve them, and to treat them as we would like them to treat us)

5) What is the last reason that Jesus gives for treating people well when they treat us badly? (Because that is how God is Himself – he is kind and merciful to those who have rebelled against Him…which is to say, to all of us! So we should be like Him in how we treat other people)