Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 10:1-20 (Locusts)

Last time we saw the heavens themselves turned against Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, as God sent thunder and hail to destroy the crops that were in the field. We saw how Yahweh was still merciful, even at this moment of judgment, and gave warning in advance so that anyone who listened to the warning could keep their people and their livestock under shelter, and how not all the crops were destroyed at once, leaving some food for the people of Egypt. We also saw Pharaoh bargain once more for mercy, and promise to let the people go if God brought an end to the hail, and once again we saw him turn to treachery and refuse to let them go once the hail stopped. This time, we will see the Lord explain His purpose in more detail to Moses as He sends him once more to warn Pharaoh that the 8th plague is coming.

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them, 2 and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I have made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them—so that you may know that I am the Lord.”

3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 For if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.

5 They shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. They shall devour the last remnant left you after the hail, and they shall devour every tree of yours that grows in the field. 6 They shall fill your houses, and the houses of all your officials and of all the Egyptians—something that neither your parents nor your grandparents have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7 Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long shall this fellow be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God; do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, worship the Lord your God! But which ones are to go?” 9 Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old; we will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, because we have the Lord’s festival to celebrate.”

10 He said to them, “The Lord indeed will be with you, if ever I let your little ones go with you! Plainly, you have some evil purpose in mind. 11 No, never! Your men may go and worship the Lord, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may come upon it and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night; when morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 The locusts came upon all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever shall be again. 15 They covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was black; and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left; nothing green was left, no tree, no plant in the field, in all the land of Egypt.

16 Pharaoh hurriedly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. 17 Do forgive my sin just this once, and pray to the Lord your God that at the least he remove this deadly thing from me.” 18 So he went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 19 The Lord changed the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

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 at least one way in which God is hardening Pharaoh’s heart is by requiring not just compliance, but humility from him. Pharaoh might be willing to let the people go, or to bargain for some better settlement, in which he could keep his pride or his standing. Indeed, Yahweh offered just such a thing earlier on, but we will remember that earlier on, Pharaoh wasn’t willing even to recognize Yahweh as a real being, much less as one worthy of dealing with “the mighty Pharaoh.” Now, Yahweh is requiring that Pharaoh humble himself and acknowledge his weakness; and this is the one thing Pharaoh is most unwilling to do, even though it is the only way he can be saved. Therefore the judgment that Yahweh sends upon him here is both terrifying, since it brings the famine that the hail did not, in Yahweh’s mercy, bring, and also humiliating, since he is being shown helpless before mere insects, and the power of his gods, which had claimed to have power to keep locusts away, is shown to be utterly vain as well.)

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)

Saint Theophan the Recluse – The Path of Prayer – Sermon 1 – A Personal Rule of Prayer

Last time we started to read a sermon about how one should approach a personal rule of prayer (the prayers that an Orthodox Christian says in private, in the home), from St. Theophan the Recluse, who was a pious and saintly bishop in Russian in the 1800’s. St. Theophan began by talking about how it is important not just to SAY prayers, but to bring the meaning of the prayer into our minds and hearts and to begin to unite our feelings to the words, and move our hearts toward God. He will continue today by explaining where these prayers that we say at home come from, and how they can help us to learn to pray.

A Personal Rule of Prayer – 2

Our prayerbooks (St. Theophan, of course, refers to the prayer books used by the Orthodox Church in his time, and still in use today), contain the prayers of the holy fathers; Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Saint Macarius of Egypt, Saint Basil the Great, Saint John ‘Golden Mouth’ Chrysostom, and the other great masters of prayer. As they were themselves filled with the spirit of prayer, they put words to what the spirit revealed to them, and then they passed it on to us.

Thus a great power of prayer moves in their every prayer. By the law of reciprocal action, those who enter energetically and attentively into these prayers will taste the power of the original prayer to such an extent that their spirit will come close to the spirit they contain.

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 Theophan is basically saying that the written prayers of the Church ate like a template for our hearts, a model or mold for us to form our own thoughts and emotions, and our heart itself, around as we pray, and that this works because the prayers we use are not just composed by smart and clever people, but by men and women who LIVED a reality of prayer and communion with the Lord, and who are sharing that reality with us in the words they used to pray.)

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 9:1-13

Last time we saw Jesus ask His disciples who they said that He was, and Peter confess that He was the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One of God. Jesus then began to explain to His disciples about His approaching suffering, death, and resurrection, but Peter tried to rebuke Him, telling Him that this was not how it was supposed to be. At this point Jesus takes the opportunity to explain that the way of salvation, God’s approach to the problems of human brokenness, are not to fight it with power and violence, but rather to endure it, submit to it, to “take up the cross.” This is where we see Him say that whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for His sake, and for the Gospel, would in fact save his life. This brought us to the end of chapter 8, but as we continue into chapter 9, He begins to encourage them, assuring them that some of them will indeed see His glory.

9:1 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

The Transfiguration

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

The Coming of Elijah

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. 11 Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He said to them, “Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.”

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 Jesus, by revealing His Divinity to these three disciples, is fulfilling what He had just said, that some of those standing there with Him would not die before they saw that the Kingdom of God had come with power. Nonetheless, He does not then use that power to dominate or to destroy, but submits Himself to suffering and to death, as He continues to explain to them. This is especially important, because as He goes to the Cross, it is vital that they, and we, understand that He did so freely, not because He was weak and unable to escape, but because He came to bear our burdens Himself, to give His life in order to save ours. He comes to save us, not primarily from poverty or political oppression or even from suffering, but from sin and from death. More importantly, the means by which we are saved from sin and death is very often through earthly suffering, along with Christ, even as “Elijah,” which refers here to John the Baptist, did as well.)

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)

Exodus 9:13-35 (Thunder & Hail)

Last time, we saw the 5th and the 6th plagues, the death of the livestock and the boils on the skin of the Egyptians. These plagues show the vanity of the gods of Egypt, which claim as sacred the various kinds of animals, but are unable to protect them, and then strike the Egyptians, even Pharaoh himself, in their own bodies. At this point, Pharaoh’s magicians are entirely helpless in the face of the power of Yahweh, but Pharaoh refuses even to pretend to relent. And so we come to the seventh plague, as the skies themselves are turned against the Egyptians.

The Seventh Plague: Thunder and Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues upon you yourself, and upon your officials, and upon your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people, and will not let them go.

18 Tomorrow at this time I will cause the heaviest hail to fall that has ever fallen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Send, therefore, and have your livestock and everything that you have in the open field brought to a secure place; every human or animal that is in the open field and is not brought under shelter will die when the hail comes down upon them.’” 20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried their slaves and livestock off to a secure place. 21 Those who did not regard the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the open field.

22 The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven so that hail may fall on the whole land of Egypt, on humans and animals and all the plants of the field in the land of Egypt.” 23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire came down on the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 there was hail with fire flashing continually in the midst of it, such heavy hail as had never fallen in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the open field throughout all the land of Egypt, both human and animal; the hail also struck down all the plants of the field, and shattered every tree in the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, there was no hail.

27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the Lord! Enough of God’s thunder and hail! I will let you go; you need stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 30 But as for you and your officials, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.”

31 (Now the flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they are late in coming up.) 33 So Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and stretched out his hands to the Lord; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned once more and hardened his heart, he and his officials. 35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

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 Yahweh here gives a clear warning to Pharaoh and to his people, specifically to give them the opportunity to preserve the lives of everything living out in the fields. It is also worth noting that not all the crops were destroyed; with the hail, Yahweh is striking at the luxury and the economy of Egypt, its pleasure and its power, but is not bringing about a famine that would leave Egypt destitute. This is a warning, escalated from the previous warnings.)

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)

Saint Theophan the Recluse – The Path of Prayer – Sermon 1

St. Theophan was a Russian bishop and saint in the 1800’s, and he wrote a great many letters on the subject of prayer. He lived in a time that is not far distant from our own, but lived a life of prayer and dedication to the Lord, and his writings and sermons on the subject of prayer cut right to the heart of the matter. As we prepare for and begin the Lenten Fast this year, we will read one of his short sermons on how we should approach a rule of prayer.

A Personal Rule of Prayer – 1

When we pray, all our care should be focused on filling our souls with such emotion that when the tongue speaks in prayer, and the ear hears that prayer, and the body prostrates itself, the heart will not be found empty – but will be moved towards God by its emotion.

When such feelings are present, our prayer is prayer. When they are absent, it is not yet prayer.

It would seem that nothing could be more simple and natural for us than prayer in which the heart is turned towards God. Yet this is not always present in prayer, nor in everyone. It must be awakened, then strengthened; one must be educated even to achieve a spirit of prayer. The first step in this direction is to say prayers and to listen to prayers. If you say your prayers as you should, then you will inevitably awaken in yourself a rising up of the heart toward God – and this is the way to enter into the spirit of prayer.

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 the distinction between saying prayers and actually praying, and urge a discussion on this matter. St. Theophan articulates this very clearly and simply, and yet it is a difficult point to really grasp, because we use the same word “prayer” for both the words that we can say without feeling or intent, and the reality of being and relationship that is present in true prayer. It is very important that we understand this distinction, and begin to learn how to use the disciplines of prayer to work toward the reality of true 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 8:22-38

Last time we saw Jesus feed a large crowd for the second time with just a few loaves, and then proceed to warn His disciples against the foolishness of the Pharisees and the other authorities. Their opposition to Him is becoming firm, despite, or perhaps because of, the miracles that He is doing; they are feeling their own place and power threatened, and are trying to make the Lord follow their playbook and their rules. Matters are building swiftly toward the Lord’s journey to Jerusalem and His Passion, death, and Resurrection.

Jesus Cures a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?” 24 And the man looked up (regained his sight) and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Then he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.”

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

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 the contrast between Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah here and the rebuke that he receives from the Lord immediately after. Peter is expecting Jesus to be a warlord Messiah, to be victorious over the Romans and every other enemy, but he isn’t understanding that Jesus’s victory will be over death and sin, and not merely the Romans. This is why Jesus tells him that he is thinking of human things, and not the things of God. He then tells them all the essential principle of the Christian life, that victory comes through the Cross, through losing one’s life for the sake of the Gospel, and not by strength and violence. This is certainly the means by which the Lord defeats sin and death, and it is the only way to follow Him.)

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)

Exodus 9:1-12 (Livestock/Boils)

Last time, we saw Pharaoh continue to resist Yahweh’s command to release the people of Israel, and God sent two more plagues, the gnats and the flies, upon Pharaoh and his people. This time, Pharaoh’s magicians were unable to duplicate the miracle, and they confessed that it was the hand of God that was against them. Despite this, Pharaoh persisted, and brought further evils upon himself and his people. With these plagues, and those that come after, we will see God make a distinction between the people of Egypt and the children of Israel, and the land where the Israelites live is kept safe from the plagues. This week’s reading will be shorter, because these two plagues lead up to another and greater plague next time, and the reading next week will be longer.

The Fifth Plague: Livestock Diseased

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3 the hand of the Lord will strike with a deadly pestilence your livestock in the field: the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing shall die of all that belongs to the Israelites.’”

5 The Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6 And on the next day the Lord did so; all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the Israelites not one died. 7 Pharaoh inquired and found that not one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw it in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 It shall become fine dust all over the land of Egypt, and shall cause festering boils on humans and animals throughout the whole land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it in the air, and it caused festering boils on humans and animals.

11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils afflicted the magicians as well as all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

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 the plagues are getting worse, and are striking the gods of Egypt and the people themselves, even in their own bodies. AS far as the gods of Egypt, the note from the Net Bible (netbible.org) provides the connection between the livestock and the gods: “This plague demonstrates that Yahweh has power over the livestock of Egypt. He is able to strike the animals with disease and death, thus delivering a blow to the economic as well as the religious life of the land. By the former plagues many of the Egyptian religious ceremonies would have been interrupted and objects of veneration defiled or destroyed. Now some of the important deities will be attacked. In Goshen, where the cattle are merely cattle, no disease hits, but in the rest of Egypt it is a different matter. Osiris, the savior, cannot even save the brute in which his own soul is supposed to reside. Apis and Mnevis, the ram of Ammon, the sheep of Sais, and the goat of Mendes, perish together. Hence, Moses reminds Israel afterward, “On their gods also Yahweh executed judgments” (Num 33:4). When Jethro heard of all these events, he said, “Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods” (Exod 18:11).” As for the boils, it is worth noting that at this point, it is not just the land that is festering with death, but even the flesh of the Egyptians themselves is diseased.)

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)

Preparation for Holy Communion

When we are approaching the Lord, it is very important that we do what we can to prepare ourselves, to confess that we are unworthy, but to seek the mercy and grace and presence of the Lord anyway. The Church gives us many prayers that we can use to prepare to receive Holy Communion; in some prayer books, you can even find an entire Canon with hymns and prayers of preparation. However, there are seven prayers in particular that the clergy say before they receive Communion in the Liturgy, and the people can and should use these prayers as well. We read the first three prayers last year in week 21; we will read the remaining four today. These are especially appropriate since we have just read the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee in Church this past Sunday, and have seen the importance of repentance and humility in approaching God. We might say that these prayers are an expansion upon the prayer of the Publican: “Oh God, be gracious on me, the sinner, and have mercy on me!”

Prayers before Communion

You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with Your Divine love, You have changed me; but burn away with spiritual fire my sins, and make me worthy to be filled with the joy of You; that rejoicing in Your goodness, I may magnify Your two Presences.

How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare to enter into the bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse my soul and save me.

Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the pledge of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation.

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your adversaries. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom. Master, remember me in Your kingdom. Holy One, remember me in Your kingdom.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (For these prayers, I suggest that the Leader urge the group to identify and to sum up the point of each of these prayers, and how they express our true relationship to the Lord as we approach Him in the Eucharist. The Leader may wish to note that the Greek word that is translated as “yearning” in the first of these prayers is a word that means fervent and burning desire; we are saying that we know that we should and therefore that we are committed to seeking the Lord above every other thing that we might desire or crave, because we cannot find any lasting peace or joy in any created thing, but only in Him. As St. Augustine says: “My heart is restless until it rests in You.”

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 8:1-21 (Feeding the 4000, Leaven of the Pharisees)

Last week, we saw the Lord go to Tyre and heal the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman when she came to Him in humility and persistence, and then He healed a deaf man on His way back to Galilee. He has been urging those that He heals to keep quiet and not spread the word, in order, as it seems, to not invite another confrontation with the Pharisees, but this week, both the crowds and the Pharisees will catch up with Him. Let’s see what happens.

Feeding the Four Thousand

8 In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, 2 “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.” 4 His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”

6 Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. 7 They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. 8 They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The Demand for a Sign

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

14 Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” 16 They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.”

17 And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

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 this is the second time Jesus feeds a crowd with a small amount of food. The last time was just a few weeks ago, when He fed 5000 at the end of Mark 6. The point here seems to be that Jesus has shown Who He is and what He has come to do very clearly to both His disciples and to the Pharisees, and yet both groups seem to be entirely missing the point. The Pharisees are challenging Him and demanding a miracle IMMEDIATELY after He has done one that should leave no question in their minds; and even His disciples, when He warns them about the leaven of the Pharisees, are convinced that He is criticizing them for forgetting to bring bread. What He is warning them against is this obsession on earthly things that blinds the Pharisees to the truth that is plain for them to see, that makes them unable to see or receive God Himself in their midst.)

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)

Exodus 8:16-30 (Gnats/Flies)

Last time, we saw the second of the plagues that God sent upon Pharaoh and the land of Egypt when the he (Pharaoh) refused to free the children of Israel from slavery. When the frogs had come out of the water and were everywhere in the land, Pharaoh acknowledged the reality of Yahweh’s existence and power for the first time, and promised to let the people go if the Lord would take the frogs away. But when God caused all the frogs to die, so that they could be removed from the land, Pharaoh refused to let the people go. This time, we will God’s response to this treachery.

The Third Plague: Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.’” 17 And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came on humans and animals alike; all the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.

18 The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals. 19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 21 For if you will not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, and your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies; so also the land where they live.

22 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I the Lord am in this land. 23 Thus I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign shall appear tomorrow.’” 24 The Lord did so, and great swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh and into his officials’ houses; in all of Egypt the land was ruined because of the flies.

25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so; for the sacrifices that we offer to the Lord our God are offensive to the Egyptians. If we offer in the sight of the Egyptians sacrifices that are offensive to them, will they not stone us? 27 We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he commands us.”

28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, provided you do not go very far away. Pray for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people; only do not let Pharaoh again deal falsely by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 31 And the Lord did as Moses asked: he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and would not let the people go.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (There are a number of things the Leader should point out. First of all, this is the first time that Pharaoh’s magicians have been unable to imitate the plagues, through whatever trickery or alliance with demons they had been using up to this point. Even they are acknowledging the power of God in what is happening. Second, with both the gnats and the flies, we are seeing the land of Egypt, whose people had killed uncounted numbers of the male babies of the Israelites, shown forth as the place of death and horror that it had become in truth by this crime, with gnats and flies settling on everything in the land. Third, we see God show His protection in keeping the land of Goshen, where the Israelites actually lived, free of these plagues. Fourth, we see Pharaoh starting to bargain, suggesting that the people of Israel can worship Yahweh while still remaining subject to him in Egypt. Moses makes clear that this is unacceptable. It is not possible to honor Pharaoh or the gods of Egypt in any way, as they would have to do if they remained in Egypt, and to be faithful to God. They have to leave, to become entirely free of Pharaoh, in order to worship the one true God.)

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)

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

This is a saying from St. Paisios, who was a much beloved elder in the mid-to-late 20th century. He fell asleep in the Lord in 1994, and was canonized as a saint in 2015. This will not be a long reading, but it cuts right to the heart of many of our experiences in this life. We know that it is true, but it is a very difficult point for us to accept.

St. Paisios On Rights, Humility, and the Spiritual Life

As a person becomes more spiritual, so much fewer rights does he have in this life. [As a person becomes close to God], it is obligatory to be patient, to accept injustice, to accept evil words from others. A perverted person who is distant from God has many rights: to strike and shout and act unrighteously. But God keeps OUR rights for the other life.

Out of ignorance, however, we often seek our rights here [in this life]. [We do not want to suffer any injustice at all.] If people say anything [unjust] to us, immediately we give them the right [i.e. we fight back]. And later we think we trust in God. That is a big joke. Human justice doesn’t mean anything to a spiritual person. But it is a great concern for the perverted person.

—From the book: Epistles by St. Paisios (Souroti, 2002)

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should re-state and emphasize and explain what St. Paisios is saying, that we don’t need to worry about our rights in this world if we are living in communion with God. It is when we are far away from God that we NEED to stand on our privileges, because we don’t have anything else to depend on. But when we lay aside the cares and the desires of this world and entrust ourselves completely to God, then we find that we are able to “count it all joy” (James 1:2) when we are mistreated, because we have the Lord always with us, and His love and grace are enough. (2 Corinthians 12:9))

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 7:24-37 (Syrophoenician Woman, Deaf Man)

Last week, we saw the scribes and Pharisees come to Jesus and criticize Him because His disciples didn’t wash themselves before eating, nor did they observe some of the other rules that the Pharisees were enforcing on the people. Jesus responded by condemning them as false guides and foolish teachers, misleading the people to think that they could be made unclean by things that they ate. He explained that it was the things that come OUT of a person, the evil intentions that are born in our heart which we entertain and feed, which corrupt us and make us unclean. This week, we will see Him go away from the region of Israel and into the pagan region of Tyre, a place surely full of uncleanness by either measure. Let’s see what He finds there.

The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Jesus Cures a Deaf Man

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.

34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

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 Jesus, in speaking with the Gentile woman as He does, gives her the opportunity to demonstrate what true faithfulness looks like. It is not a matter of washing your hands or following strict and special rules, it is a matter of trust and of faithfulness, of obedience and dependence upon the mercy and love of the Lord. She is persistent, but not as one with a right to claim, but as one who is asking for mercy from the One Who is merciful. She is also being used here by St. Mark as an intentional counterpoint, I think, to the Pharisees in the previous passage. The Leader should also point out that, when Jesus goes back toward Galilee, He continues to do the things that only God can do, even as He urges them to keep this specific miracle a secret. It is often this way; the good things that God brings to us are given in secret, while the “good” things of the world are blared from loudspeakers…because they are not actually good, and the advertisers have to convince us to buy them.)

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?