Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 15:22-27

Last time we saw the Lord Yahweh Himself lead the people of Israel out of Egypt toward the Red Sea, veiled in the pillar of fire and cloud of smoke. We read the rest of the crossing of the Red Sea in year 1, so we will conclude our time in Exodus this Holy Week with the account of the Lord’s provision of water to the people after the crossing of the Red Sea. We will find that this is surprisingly relevant to this week.

Bitter Water Made Sweet

22 Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 He cried out to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test. 26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the water.

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 there is an easy connection to draw between this story of the bitter waters of Marah and the death to which humankind is subject; and the Lord has sweetened even the “water” of death by means of the wood of the Cross. As we receive the Lord Risen from the grave this Pascha, then, we also receive this same statute and ordinance, that if we listen to the Lord and follow Him, He will deliver us from all diseases, for He is indeed the One Who heals us.)

2) What do we learn about God in this reading?

3) What do we learn about human beings in this reading?

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 St. Theophan gave instructions for what to do if our heart and mind become attached to a particular word or thought in our prayers, and how we should not destroy such a beautiful thing as a heart determined to dwell in a moment of prayer. This time he will tell us how we should conclude our rule of prayer each morning and evening.

A Personal Rule of Prayer – 9

Finally, once you have finished saying your prayers, do not immediately go on to do something else. Stand for a while, and consider what it is to which all this commits you. Try to hold in your heart what has been given you to feel during prayer.

Nobody who has fulfilled his rule of prayer with care will immediately want to return to his ordinary interests. This is the quality of true prayer! As our forefathers said, on their return from Constantinople: “He who tastes sweetness does not then wish to taste something bitter.” This happens to everyone who has prayed conscientiously during his time for saying prayers. Indeed, you must realize that to taste this sweetness of prayer is the true aim of saying prayers, so if praying educates us and gives us a prayerful spirit, this happens precisely because of this tasting.

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 this advice makes sense not only in the context of our daily prayers, but also of our experience of Holy Week. It is always a difficult thing to leave behind the intensity of services after Pascha; so Bright Week, we may conclude, is a good time to spend a little bit more time and attention in our daily prayer at home, as the daily services in the Church come to an end. Even five minutes more will be a balm for our souls, something of an off ramp from the intensity of Holy Week.)

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 16:1-8

We have been reading the latter chapters of the Gospel of Mark, leading up to the Lord’s Passion and Death, and then skipping back to Palm Sunday last week. This week, we will read the Paschal reading of the Empty Tomb, as we read it outside the Church after the distribution of the Light, and before we sing Christ is Risen.

The Resurrection of Jesus

16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.

5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

The Shorter Ending of Mark

[[And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]

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, in the oldest manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark, this was where the Gospel ended, with the revelation that the Tomb could not hold the Lord. As with much else in Mark’s Gospel, he doesn’t spend so much time telling us Who Jesus is as he does showing us; in this case, having shown the Lord to have full knowledge of what was coming, and giving full assurance and explanation to the Disciples that He would not only be betrayed and killed, but would also rise from the dead, all Mark needs to do is show the Empty Tomb; for death could not hold the Lord.)

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 13:17-22 (Pillars of Cloud & Fire)

Last time we saw how, in addition to observing the Passover itself, with the eating of the Passover Lamb, the eating of Unleavened Bread for a week, and the commemoration of the Lord’s deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery, God commanded the people that they were to dedicate every firstborn to the Lord, showing that Israel was, as He had said in the beginning, His own Firstborn Son, His particular people called by His Name. This time, we will see the people actually leave Egypt, and how God led them Himself, in Person, out toward the Red Sea, out from death into life.

The Pillars of Cloud and Fire

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle.

19 And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, “God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.” 20 They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

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 text says clearly that Yahweh HIMSELF led the people out, veiled in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and that He was always with them. It is also important to note that, as they go toward the Red Sea, they carry with them the bones of Joseph, who had been buried in Egypt 400 years before, but who had trusted that Yahweh would fulfill His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would bring them back out of Egypt. So, trusting, albeit in a veiled way, in the Resurrection, they carry even the dead out of slavery to freedom, out of death into life.)

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 St. Theophan gave some guidance for how to manage the distraction that inevitably comes in prayer, by repeating the part of the prayer during which attention had wandered until we have kept the attention fully present in our prayer. This time he will address the opposite situation, in which we are so fully present in a portion of our prayer that we do not want to leave that portion behind.

A Personal Rule of Prayer – 8

But it can also happen that some word will so strongly affect the soul that you will not wish to continue speaking the prayers. The tongue may continue to recite, but the mind will run back to the passage which affected it so powerfully.

In this situation:

Stop. Do not continue repeating prayers but stand with your attention on those words which moved you, feeling them. Feed the soul on them, or on the thoughts that arise from them. Do not hurry on from this state, even if you have no time left; it is better to leave your rule of prayer unfinished than to destroy this state of mind. This will sanctify you, and then perhaps it will last all day long, like the presence of the Guardian Angel. When you are saying prayers, this kind of action of grace means that the spirit of prayer itself is beginning to penetrate into you … and it follows that keeping such a state is the most hopeful way to encourage and strengthen the spirit of prayer within us.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should emphasize what St. Theophan says here, that the point of prayer is not, in fact, to finish saying a particular set of words and sentences, but rather to come before the Lord with our full attention, mind, soul, heart, and body. When we find ourselves actually engaged in such a spirit of prayer, we must not destroy that reality merely for the sake of “finishing our prayers.” It is far better to be “in prayer” than to “finish our prayers.”)

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 11:1-33

Last week we read Mark’s account of the Lord’s Crucifixion and Death, concluding the narrative leading up to this that we have been moving through for the past three weeks. This week, however, we will go back in time to Chapter 11, and see Jesus enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, as we prepare to celebrate Palm Sunday ourselves.

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

11 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”

4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; 16 and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?
But you have made it a den of robbers.”

18 And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 19 And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

20 In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. 24 So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

Jesus’ Authority Is Questioned

27 Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him 28 and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” 31 They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

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 first of all that the words with which the crowds greet Jesus are explicitly Messianic. Referring to the kingdom of David as they do is stating that Jesus is the long-awaited Davidic King prophesied throughout the Scripture, the Christ/Messiah/Anointed One, not just any king, but THE king who will make everything right. It is also worth noting that Jesus first inspects the Temple on the first day, and then drives out the money-changers on the second day, and then begins to have conflicts with the religious authorities. The encounters with the fig tree that accompany this conflict in the narrative provide a metaphor for us to understand what is happening: the religious authorities themselves are being found fruitless, and are being cut off by the Lord because of their unbelief and faithlessness.)

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 13:1-16 (Unleavened Bread, Consecration of Firstborn)

Last time we saw the death of the Firstborn, and the departure of the Israelites from where they had lived in Egypt, and the instructions for the killing and eating of the Passover. This time, we will see God give a new instruction to Moses about the firstborn of the Israelites, and then Moses will sum up to the people the commandment about the celebration of the Passover for coming generations, and then pass on God’s commandment about the firstborn.

Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord said to Moses: 2 Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread

3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, because the Lord brought you out from there by strength of hand; no leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this observance in this month.

6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a festival to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen in your possession, and no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory. 8 You shall tell your child on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 It shall serve for you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the teaching of the Lord may be on your lips; for with a strong hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall keep this ordinance at its proper time from year to year.

The Consecration of the Firstborn

11 “When the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your ancestors, and has given it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your livestock that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13 But every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a sheep; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. Every firstborn male among your children you shall redeem.

14 When in the future your child asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall answer, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborn to the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord every male that first opens the womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall serve as a sign on your hand and as an emblem on your forehead that by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

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 is making clear to the children of Israel that they are His own firstborn, and does so by claiming every firstborn for Himself, and requiring them to redeem them with a sacrifice. The point of this is not to threaten them with death, as the Egyptians experienced, but rather to remind them of WHY this came upon the Egyptians, because Egypt had enslaved and mistreated His own Firstborn Son, the people of Israel, and He had redeemed all Israel from slavery. It is worth noting that “firstborn” signifies a certain legal status; the firstborn was the heir of the father and administered the inheritance to all other children. There is, of course, a prefigurement here of the Lord, the unique Son of God, the Firstborn of all creation (not that He is intrinsically part of the Creation, as He is rather co-eternal with the Father, but rather that He is Himself the one with the authority of the Firstborn, and administers the grace of the Father to all of us who are children by adoption.))

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 St. Theophan provided some examples for how to pray with attention and feeling. This time, he will give some additional suggestions for how to be successful in this effort.

A Personal Rule of Prayer – 7
****
To perform this work even more successfully, act in the following way:

1) Have your own rule of prayer, asking the blessing of your spiritual father for this. It should not be a lengthy rule, but one that you can perform without haste in the circumstances of your everyday life.

2 Before you pray, at a time when you have nothing else to do, read the prayers you will use. Make sure you understand and feel every word…so that you know beforehand what should be in your heart at each and every word. It is even better to learn all the prayers by heart. If you work in this way when you are saying your prayers, it will be easier for you to understand and to feel them. One difficulty will still remain: your mind will keep wandering off to attend to other things. What should be done in such a case?

3. It is necessary to make the effort to concentrate the attention, even though you know in advance that the thoughts will wander. When the mind does in fact wander during prayer, recall it again – and do so over and over again. Whenever you have said a prayer while your mind was wandering – and so have said it without feeling or comprehension – never forget to recite again everything that you said in this way.

If the mind wanters many times at the same place, repeat that section again and again. Do this until it is said entirely with feeling and understanding. Once you have overcome this difficulty, it may never repeat itself. If it does, it may not do so to the same extent – so this is the action to take when thoughts wander and you are distracted.

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 effectively telling us that we need to study and prepare to pray, and treat it as a skill or task that requires practice and effort. If we can approach prayer with this sort of serious attention, as we would give to any trade or art, we will find that things make much more sense.)

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 15:21-41

Last time we saw Jesus betrayed and brought to trial by the high priests and the elders of the people, and we saw Peter deny the Lord while he was waiting to see what would happen. Having gotten Jesus to “admit” that He claimed to be the Son of God, the high priest will now bring Him to Pilate, seeking the death penalty for Him.

Jesus before Pilate

15 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” 3 Then the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified

6 Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. 7 Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. 8 So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. 9 Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over.

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

16 Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 18 And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20 After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

21 They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22 Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by derided[f] him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the s

ame way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

The Death of Jesus

33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land[h] until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” 36 And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 45 When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

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, when Jesus cries out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” it is essential that we understand that He is quoting Psalm 22 (21 in the Septuagint), which is a prayer for deliverance in the darkest of hours, and a meditation on the salvation of the Lord that comes to us. As with other occasions when the Scripture shows Jesus quoting just the beginning of a text, we should understand that the Lord is referencing not just the first verse, but the entire passage. This Psalm begins by expressing the feeling of David, the Psalmist, that God has forsaken him, but proceeds to reflect on the Lord’s faithfulness to His people across the centuries, and to prophesy precisely the Lord’s Passion and His salvation of the house of Israel, of the poor, and even of the Gentiles. It is highly recommended that families/groups should take the time to read this Psalm as well, in order to understand what Jesus was communicating to anyone paying attention as His death approached. This understanding is profoundly important, because it emphasizes that Jesus was NOT, in fact, forsaken by the Father, but that He come to us in our state of being estranged from God, and united Himself with our brokenness, and is healing us from within.)

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?