Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 1:1-19

The first book of the Bible is called Genesis, which is a Greek word that means creation or becoming. It is called this because it tells the story of God creating the universe. It divides this story up into seven days; on the first first four days, which we will read today, God made light, and space, and earth, and plants, and heavenly bodies. On the fifth and sixth days, He made sea creatures and land creatures, and finished by creating human beings last of all. On the seventh day God rested. We read about days five & six last year, so this year we will read about the first four days of Creation.

Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

6 And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that there are a lot of different ideas about how the universe came to be. Scripture doesn’t really tell us what method or mechanism God used to make it, but it tells us clearly that God brought it into being. The universe didn’t just randomly blink into existence one day; God called it into existence, and having created it, He continues to sustain it. Whether He created it over a period of 14 billion years, or six days, is ultimately unimportant; what matters is that He is the one that created it.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here? (Christ is present here, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, creating all things. It is important that God creates by speaking here; it is indeed by the Word of God that all things have come into being.)

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. More advanced ages may want to get into a discussion of what the Bible says and what they are learning in school. It is worth pointing out that there is no contradiction; the Bible provides a poetic description of the making of all things by God, which is perfectly consistent with what modern science is indicating. One point that bears this out in particular is how light is created on the first day, but the heavenly bodies which ancient peoples knew as the source of light are only created on the fourth day. This fits very well with what we know about how the universe came into being; first light and energy, all of which eventually coalesced into the various elements, and the stars, and the planets. If any of the students want to discuss this more, encourage them to think about what the firmament could be referring to, or why seeds might be created before the sun and the moon.)

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Prayer at the First Antiphon

When we begin the Divine Liturgy Sunday morning (at 10 am or so), we start with the Great Litany (with all the Lord, have mercy’s), and then we sing either two Psalms and the Beatitudes, or selected verses from the Psalms, together with a refrain. These are called Antiphons, because they are sung back and forth by two choirs. While they are being sung, the Priest prays a series of three prayers on behalf of all the people, for the beginning of the Liturgy. We will read the first of these today.

Prayer at the First Antiphon

Lord, our God, Your power is beyond compare, and Your glory is beyond understanding. Your mercy is boundless, and Your love for us is ineffable (beyond words). Look upon us and upon this holy house in Your compassion, and grant to us and to those who pray with us Your abundant mercy. For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out how we pray; first we confess Who God is and what He has promised to us, and then we ask Him to fulfill those promises. It would be good to read a second time to have the kids catch what are the things we confess about God, especially what we confess about how He relates to us, and what we ask him for in this prayer.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Mark 1:1-15

As we start Sunday School, we will begin to read the Gospel according to St. Mark. This is one of four books Gospel books that we find in the New Testament, and read through each year in the Church. You may notice that we are not calling it “Mark’s Gospel,” but rather, the Gospel according to Mark. This is on purpose, and is quite important; although it is true that we have four books that are called Gospels, we need to remember that there are not, in fact, four Gospels, four different stories, about Jesus. Rather, there is a single Gospel, to which four different voices bear witness. This is why we call it the Gospel according to Mark, or John, or Luke, or Matthew…to emphasize the unity of the Gospel.
The Gospel is, put simply, the victory proclamation of Who Jesus Christ is, and of what He has done, and what He calls us to do in response.The word for Gospel (εὐαγγέλιον) literally means “good news,” and is often translated this way, because the proclamation of Jesus Christ truly is good news. However, it’s not just good news, but the victory proclamation of the King of Kings, of what He has done, and what it means for us. So let’s begin!

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

1 The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
3 the voice of one crying out:
’In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”

4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The leader should point out that St. Mark is telling us Who Jesus is from the very beginning. He says that there was a prophecy from Isaiah about how the Lord, God Himself, was going to come to His people, but first there would be a messenger to prepare the way. Then he tells us who that messenger was, St. John the Baptist. Then he tells us about how Jesus came to John the Baptist, and how He was shown to be God Himself by the voice from heaven, and how He immediately went out into the wilderness to be tempted, and then began to preach that the time had come, and the kingdom of God was close. So the way he talks about the prophecies of the Lord’s coming shows us that Jesus is God, and the way he talks about Jesus being tempted shows us that Jesus is also Human.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Ecclesiastes 11:7-10; 12:1-14

Last week we read the first chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes, in which Solomon considers the vanity of all his efforts and labors. He goes on to consider how the pursuit of pleasure, and wealth, and power, are all vanity as well, of how it is impossible to be safe or secure in any way, of how “time and chance” always seem to confuse what seems to be a sure thing. This week we will read his conclusion, about how one should live, knowing the things that he has come to know.

Youth and Old Age

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun. 8 For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 Remove vexation from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

12 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain; 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along and desire fails; because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets; 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

Epilogue

9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find pleasing words, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. 11 The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings which are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out two things: the Teacher, who is Solomon, and is old at this point, is saying that everything he did in his life seems vain and pointless, as he is approaching the time of his death. Everything in Chapter 12 from verse 1 through verse 8 is a poetic reflection on aging and death. Second, the final verses, from 13-14, are where Solomon says what is actually important, what we should actually concern ourselves with. Everything is vain…except for honoring God and keeping His commandments.).

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

A Prayer for 9:00 A.M.

Our Day 1 reading presents us with the question of how we should live our lives; if we can recognize the truth of what Solomon says, that all “normal” human action and priorities come to vanity, then the task that falls to us is to learn how to fulfill our daily tasks, whatever they may be, in a way that is not vain. In order to do so, we should always begin with prayer.

Prayer, in the Orthodox Church, fulfills two functions. 1) At the most essential level, to pray in the morning is to open the door of our hearts and lives to the Lord, to invite Him to be present and active in our lives that day. Therefore prayer is how we ask God to act in us. 2) On a secondary level, in the written prayers of the Church, as we use them to ask the Lord to be present with us, we also find guidance in how we ourselves should approach the day, what challenges and temptations we should watch for, and where we should focus our attention, with the help of the Lord. We will see both of these functions present in the prayer we will read today.

This prayer is taken from the service of the 3rd Hour, which would be prayed at about 9 in the morning; it was written by St. Basil the Great.

Prayer at the 3rd Hour
O Lord our God, You gave Your peace to men and sent down the gift of Your All-holy Spirit upon Your disciples and apostles, and by Your power You opened their lips with tongues of fire. Open also my lips and teach me, sinner though I am, how and for what I should pray.

Guide my life, O calm Haven of the storm-tossed, and reveal the way in which I should walk. Renew a right spirit within me, and with Your Sovereign Spirit steady my mind, that, guided and guarded each day by Your good Spirit, I may be able to practice Your commandments, always remembering Your glorious presence that looks upon the deeds of men.

Let me not be deceived by the corrupting delights of this world, but rather strengthen in me the desire to attain the treasures of the world to come. For blessed and praised are You in all Your saints forever and ever. Amen.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note what we ask God to do in our lives, on the one hand, and what we ask God to help us do. It may be worth reading the prayer a second time, with these questions in mind, and pausing as we find answers to each item.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

1 Peter 2:1-10

Last time, we saw St. Peter talk about how the Faithful to whom he is writing have been delivered from futility and death into new life in Jesus Christ, in whom they were promised that they would live forever. He urged them to then leave behind the desires and fears of this vain world and to become holy. Here he will continue to develop this theme, and get specific about the sins they need to leave behind.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

2 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture:

“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,”

8 and

“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

Live as Servants of God

11 Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. 12 Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that St. Peter is telling the Christians that, even though they are being rejected by their neighbors, they have been made the people of God, which is far better. He is also urging them to live as Christ commanded them, so that their neighbors, and even their enemies, will see how they live and give glory to God. For advanced conversations, you can urge a reflection on what it means to “live as free people, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but live as servants of God” (verse 16).

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Ecclesiastes 1:1-18

Sunday School registration is happening now, and we will introduce the classes to their teachers on September 26th, with classes beginning on October 3rd. For the weeks between now and then, when we will start the narrative of the Lord’s creation and salvation of all of us once again, we will read from some other texts of Scripture. For today, we will look at the beginning of the book of Ecclesiastes, a book of wisdom written by David’s son Solomon toward the end of his life. He is reflecting on his life, and the lives of those around him, and considering the value of the many things that human beings are concerned about, and what they all amount to in the end.

Reflections of a Royal Philosopher

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains for ever.

5 The sun rises and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south,
and goes round to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.

8 All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done;
and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already,
in the ages before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to happen
among those who come after.

The Futility of Seeking Wisdom

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be numbered.

16 I said to myself, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18 For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that Solomon isn’t telling us what DOES matter, here; he is simply reflecting on all the things that he has seen people, including himself, chase after, and how pointless it all has proven to be. This book suggests that perhaps we need to come to understand that everything we think is so important will come to nothing, in the end; this helps us ultimately to understand that what Christ is calling us to…this is truly life in the face of death, hope in the face of vanity, as we will see on Day 2.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Hymns from the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross

Today for our selection from Church Tradition, we’ll be looking at some of the hymns from the great Feast of the Church that we celebrate on September 14th, the Elevation of the Precious and Holy Cross. This feast commemorates both the finding of the Cross by St. Helen, and its recovery and return to Jerusalem in 627, after its seizure by the Persians a decade before. The feast of the Cross is a Strict Fast, and functions almost like mini celebration of the themes of Holy Week, all distilled into a single feast day, in the fall.

1st Hymn of the Kekragaria

The Cross is exalted now * and it invites all creation * to praise the immaculate * Passion of the Lord who was lifted up on it. * For when He slew thereon * him who had murdered us, * He gave life again to us the dead, * and made us beautiful, * and He granted us to be citizens * of heaven, as Compassionate, * due to His exceeding benevolence. * Therefore let us greatly * rejoice as we exalt His holy name, * and let us magnify His divine * extreme condescension to us.

2nd Hymn of the Liti

The Tree of true life was planted in the place of the skull ⁄ and upon it, eternal King, You have worked salvation in the midst of the earth! ⁄ Exalted today, it sanctifies the ends of the world, ⁄ angels in heaven greatly rejoice ⁄ and men upon earth make glad, ⁄ crying aloud with David and saying: ⁄ Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, ⁄⁄ for He is holy and grants the world great mercy!

3rd Hymn of the Aposticha

Rejoice, you are the guide for the blind, * and the physician of the sick, O most precious Cross, * and also the resurrection * of all who died, lifting up * all of us who had succumbed to corruption. * Corruption has been destroyed, and incorruptibility * through you has blossomed, and we mortals were deified, * and the Slanderer has been utterly stricken down. * Seeing you lifted up today * in the hands of the Hierarchs, * we in turn now exalt Him who was exalted by means of you, * and bowing before you * we adore you, and great mercy we draw abundantly.

Mid-Ode Kathisma

Of old the tree in the garden stripped us naked, * and by its taste did the enemy bring in death. * Now the tree of the Cross, which for all mankind is bearing * the garment of life, was planted upon the earth, * and therefore is all the world filled with every joy. * As we see it exalted now, let us, O peoples, cry aloud * together unto God in faith: * Full of glory is Your house, O Lord.

From Ode 9 of the Canon

Eating the tree's forbidden fruit once * in Paradise brought death to the human race. * But through the Cross, today death has no effect, * because the curse that fell on the entire human race through mother Eve * was undone by the Offspring of the all pure Mother of God, who now is by all the hosts of heaven magnified.

2nd Hymn of the Praises (Ainoi)

What a paradoxal miracle! * The Cross that held the Most High * like a grape cluster full of life * is observed by all to be * exalted from the earth today: * the Cross, through which we have all been drawn to God, * and by which death was completely swallowed up. * O immaculate Tree, * whereby we again enjoy the deathless food * that was in Eden of old, * and Christ we glorify.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out how the Cross is the tool by which the Lord has healed the vanity and brokenness that Solomon is lamenting in our Day 1 reading. Our nature is healed, the world is being restored, and we have a way to live that is not vain, but is filled with the joy and glory of the Lord. It still lies in not being consumed by the cares and pleasures of this world, but we can now see what it is that we hope for, where for Solomon, this was clearly a vague and uncertain thing.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

1 Peter 1:13-25

Last time we began the general Epistle of St. Peter to the Churches in Asia Minor (the ancient heartland of the Church that was in what is now modern Turkey). He was talking to them about how the promise they have been given, which they receive even in the face of persecution, is the fulfillment of what the prophets had foretold, the precious thing that all the righteous of the Old Testament had longed for, in order to encourage them to remain faithful when they were suffering for the Lord.

A Call to Holy Living

13 Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15 Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.

22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For

“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

That word is the good news that was announced to you.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that last time St. Peter gave a reminder of what a precious thing they had received; this time, with the word “therefore,” he urges them to action, to set aside the things of the world, the “futile ways of their ancestors,” and to hold fast to the Lord and to each other, in faith and hope and love. We should point out that St. Peter is saying precisely that they, being Christians, have been delivered from the vanity and futility that Solomon was lamenting in our Day 1 reading, and is simply urging them to remember that, and to hold fast the word of the Lord, and to lay aside the things of this world.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Proverbs 2:1-22

This reading and reflection marks the beginning of the second year of the Religious Education Initiative at St. George. Each week, we will provide three readings for the parish. Everyone is urged to participate; families should participate together, reading the selections Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (or three other days/times, if they work better). Anyone can take the lead, but we recommend that the father and mother in each household do so, and, since fathers often get left out of religious matters in the home, because of their other responsibilities and obligations outside of the home, we strongly recommend that each household take this opportunity to make  it a priority to do these readings and reflections as an entire and whole family, all together. Wherever possible, it is best if the father takes the lead, either reading the selection and guiding the discussion himself, or delegating the reading to someone else.

As we begin the new Church year, and our second year of the Religious Education Initiative, we will start with another selection from the book of Proverbs. In this passage, the writer of Proverbs urges his son (and by extension all of us) to receive wisdom, and to treasure it and to seek it with dedication and zeal, promising that all those who seek the Lord faithfully will be saved and preserved from sin, and find all good things from God.

The Value of Wisdom

2 My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you cry out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures;
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and preserving the way of his saints.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you;
understanding will guard you;
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil;
15 men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.

16 You will be saved from the loose woman,
from the adventuress with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the shades;
19 none who go to her come back
nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 So you will walk in the way of good men
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and men of integrity will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note both what is being warned against, what is being advised, and what is being promised: what we should avoid, what we should do, and what we will receive if we do these things.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos

Last week, as we finished the Church year, we read a selection of the hymns that were sung during the celebration of the Feast of the Koimisis of the Theotokos on August 15th, celebrating the end of her life and her resurrection and elevation to the Divine Council. This week, as we begin the new Church year, we will read a selection of the hymns that are sung for the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Thus, we begin the Church year with her birth, and end the Church year with her death. In celebrating her birth, we thus begin with a meditation on the beginning of the Lord’s work of salvation in the world.

6th Hymn of the Kekragaria

Today, Anne the barren one gives birth to the Maiden of God, who had been chosen from all the human generations to become the dwelling-place of the Creator, Christ our God and King of all. In her He fulfilled His divine plan, through which our human nature was renewed, and by which we were to be transferred from corruption to eternal life.

Doxastikon of the Liti

On this solemn day of our feast, let us proclaim, with a spiritual lyre, that from the seed of David, the mother of Life, who dispelled the darkness, is born today. She is the recreation of Adam and restoration of Eve, the spring of incorruption and the deliverance from corruption. Through her we have been deified and have been freed from death. Let us, the faithful, cry out to her with Gabriel: "Rejoice, O Lady full of grace, the Lord is with you, and through you He grants us the great mercy."

Apolytikion of the Feast

Your Nativity, O Theotokos, imparted joy to the entire earth, for out of you has risen the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God. He nullified the curse and instead gave His blessing; and causing death to be neutralized, He granted us eternal life.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that the Virgin Mary is spoken of as the fulfillment of many expectations and plans. She is the vessel of God’s plan to save humankind, she is the dwelling place of God on earth, she is the descendant of David, she is the recreation of Adam and restoration of Eve, she is the renewal of human nature, and the source of the blessing of God upon us, through her Son, Jesus Christ. In praising her, we confess that she is an active agent, that her will and intent was involved, and not only hers, but that of her parents as well. This is a reminder to all of us both of how salvation has come to us, and of what our life in Christ must go: we need to be active agents as well, submitting our lives to the Lord, so that He can be at work in us as well for the salvation and blessing of all the world.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

1 Peter 1:1-12

In Year 2 of the REI, we will read the Gospel according to Mark. This Gospel is much shorter than the Gospel of Luke, so we’ll be able to complete the entire Gospel in about 35 weeks, leaving some time here at the beginning of the Church year, and at the end, to read some other materials. The Gospel according to Mark is generally understood to represent the St. Peter’s account of the Lord’s ministry, since Mark was known to be a disciple of Peter’s in Rome, and to have written the Gospel in Alexandria prior to his own martyrdom. Therefore, for these first few weeks, between the beginning of September and the beginning of Sunday School in October, we’ll read from the first general Epistle of St. Peter, to get a sense of what he thought was most important about the Christian Faith.

Salutation

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood: May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

A Living Hope

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11 inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look!

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note first the audience of this letter: all the places named in the introduction are in what we now call Asia Minor, mostly within the modern state of Turkey, but comprising the heartland of the Greek-speaking world at the time. Second, we should note that St. Peter is emphasizing to them that they have an inheritance that cannot be taken away from them, in which they should rejoice, even as they are suffering persecutions in this life. He is encouraging them by reminding them that they are citizens of the Kingdom of God, and that it is only to be expected that the kingdoms of this world will hate them and reject them. Even when hated and rejected, they need not be afraid, for the Lord is with them, and will be with them always.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?