Day 1 (Monday)

Joshua 4

Last time we saw Israel cross the Jordan on dry land, even as they had crossed the Red Sea, as the Ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, went before them, and the Lord held back the waters until everyone had crossed over. We saw that this was a new “baptism” of Israel as they completed the Exodus and entered the Promised Land, as the ordained and chosen priestly people of God, led by Yahweh and faithful to Him. This time we will see them not hurry on from the place, but instead set up a sign and remembrance of the miracle, and of the Lord’s deliverance of them out of bondage and into the Promised Land.

Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal

4 When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: 2 “Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, 3 and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight.’” 4 Then Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe.

5 Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.”

8 The Israelites did as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord told Joshua, carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. 9 (Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.)

10 The priests who bore the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people crossed over in haste. 11 As soon as all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of the Lord, and the priests, crossed over in front of the people. 12 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the Israelites, as Moses had ordered them. 13 About forty thousand armed for war crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for battle.

14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

15 The Lord said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, to come up out of the Jordan.” 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18 When the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 Those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal, 21 saying to the Israelites, “When your children ask their parents in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we crossed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

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 twelve stones represent the twelve tribes of Israel, the entire people, and should describe the shape of the altar built with them, with three layers of four stones each, and should also emphasize that these stones were not to be shaped by human hand or skill, but were to be as they were found, as an additional reminder that the work and the glory of the salvation of the people belongs to God, and not to their own strength or skill. The Leader should also point out that these instructions, for the people to explain to their children what the Lord had done for them, are an exact mirror of the instructions that God had given about the Passover, and how the questions of the children were to be an occasion for the parents to teach them about the glorious works of the Lord.)

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)

First Apology of Justin Martyr – 2: 9-10

Last time, we saw St. Justin begin to explain what the Christians actually believe, starting from the accusations of wrongdoing, and explaining that Christians are actually devoted to righteousness and holiness, in love for God, and in the confidence that wrongdoers will truly receive a punishment from God. This time, we will see him continue with a further explanation of why the Christians do not worship the idols of the nations, and what they know to be true instead, and Who we worship, and how we worship Him.

Chapter 9

We do not worship with many sacrifices and floral offerings the things men have made, set in temples, and called gods. We know that they are inanimate and lifeless and have not the form of God (for we do not think that God has that form which some say they reproduce in order to give honor to Him) but have the names and shapes of those evil demons who have appeared [to men]. Why should we tell you, who already know, into what different shapes the workmen fashion their material, by carving, cutting, molding, and hammering? From vessels destined for vile purposes, by merely changing their shape and by skillfully giving them a new form, they often make what they call gods.

Thus, His name is applied to corruptible things that need constant care. This, we think, is not only stupid but also disrespectful to God, who is of ineffable glory and form. You are well aware of the fact that their skilled artisans are licentious men and, not to enter into details, are experienced in every known vice; they even defile the girls who work with them. What stupidity, that lustful men should carve and reshape gods for your veneration, and that such men should be appointed the guards of the temples wherein the gods are set up, not realizing that it is forbidden to declare or even think that men are the keepers of the gods.

Chapter 10

But we have learned from tradition that God has no need of the material gifts of men, since we see that He is the Giver of all things. We have been taught, are convinced, and do believe that He approves of only those who imitate His inherent virtues, namely, temperance, justice, love of man, and any other virtue proper to God who is called by no given name. We have also been instructed that God, in the beginning, created in His goodness everything out of shapeless matter for the sake of men.

And if men by their actions prove themselves worthy of His plan, they shall, we are told, be found worthy to make their abode with Him and to reign with Him, free from all corruption and pain. Just as in the beginning He created us when we were not, so also, we believe, He will consider all those who choose to please Him, because of their choice, to be worthy of eternal life in His presence. Our creation was not in our own power. But this—to engage in those things that please Him and which we choose by means of the intellectual faculties He has bestowed on us—this makes our conviction and leads us to faith.

Indeed, we think it is for the good of all men that they are not prevented from learning these things, but are even urged to consider them. For, what human laws were unable to effect, the Divine Word would have accomplished, had not the evil demons enlisted the aid of the various utterly evil inclinations, which are in every man by nature, and scattered many false and ungodly accusations—none of which, however, applies to us.

Thomas B. Falls with Justin Martyr, The First Apology, The Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho, Exhortation to the Greeks, Discourse to the Greeks, The Monarchy or The Rule of God, vol. 6, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1948), 39–43.

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. Justin’s explanation of how true worshippers of God should worship Him can basically be summed up as “being in communion with God and becoming like Him, that the true God has created us to be like Him and to live with Him as children with our Father in Heaven. It is worth noting how much better a destiny and purpose this is than the fear and worship of dead gods, or the pursuit of passing pleasures, wealth, or power.)

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 10: 41-52 (It Is Not So Among You; Blind Bartimaeus)

Last time we saw Jesus foretell His passion, death, and resurrection to His disciples for the third time, and how they did not understand yet again, to the point that two of them asked Him to be the top men in His kingdom. He corrected them, and told them, effectively, that those jobs were already filled, and we understood Him to be speaking of the Theotokos and St. John the Baptist, who are always shown to the right and the left hand of the Lord in the icons. This time, He will continue by making explicit how upside-down the Kingdom of God is when compared with the way of the world.

The Other Disciples Get Angry

41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Discussion Questions

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out first how radical the Lord’s commandment that the first among His disciples will be the slave of all truly is; this is something that bears conversation and discussion. Then, in the story of Blind Bartimaeus, the Leader should point out that this is the last healing Mark shows us before the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and note that the blind man, by calling Jesus the Son of David, is proclaiming Him to be the Messiah, the Davidic King, the promised Anointed One, the Christ. Some have seen in this blind man’s cry the Scriptural source of the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” since “son of David” is just a different way of calling Jesus the Christ.)

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

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

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

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

Day 1 (Monday)

Joshua 3 (Israel Crosses the Jordan)

Last time, we saw Joshua send two spies to Jericho, where they were sheltered by a woman named Rahab, who protected them from the soldiers of the king of the city who were hunting for them, and asked them to protect her and her family when they took the city. She confessed that Yahweh, the God of Israel, was the true God of heaven and earth, and renounced her former loyalty to the false demon gods she had previously served, and pledged herself to the Lord alone. The two spies returned to Joshua after evading the hunting soldiers, and informed him of what they had learned. Joshua confessed that the Lord had already delivered the land into their hands, and prepared for the crossing of the Jordan. Today, we will see Israel finally cross into the Promised Land, 40 years after they left Egypt.

Israel Crosses the Jordan

3 Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. 2 At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it, 4 so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before.

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come any nearer to it.” 5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” 6 To the priests Joshua said, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass on in front of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went in front of the people.

7 The Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. 8 You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” 9 Joshua then said to the Israelites, “Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God.”

10 Joshua said, “By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: 11 the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. 12 So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.”

14 When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. 15 Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, 16 the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off.

Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.

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 Ark of the Covenant, in the Tabernacle, is the footstool of the Lord, a sign and assurance of Yahweh’s presence with His people. So it is the Yahweh, the God of Israel, Himself, Who leads the people into the Jordan River, and makes it stop in its flow so that the people can pass through on dry ground. This recalls not just the crossing of the Red Sea, but also anticipates and foreshadows the Lord’s Baptism in the Jordan, by which He leads us into everlasting life.)

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)

First Apology of Justin Martyr – 2: 7-8

Last time, St. Justin examined the common accusation against the Christians, that they were “atheists,” and noted on the one hand that, so far as denying the worthiness or divinity of the pagan gods of the Greeks and Romans, the Christians were hardly alone in so doing, since the philosophers and poets of the same Greeks and Romans often did the same, and were admired for so doing, but further emphasized that they were so much the more NOT atheists, because they worshipped in truth and devotion the One True God Who has created all things. This time, St. Justin will consider in more depth the question of the just punishment of wrongdoers.

Chapter 7

Someone will object that some Christians have already been arrested and convicted as criminals. Indeed, you often condemn many persons after an individual investigation into the lives of the accused, but you do not condemn them because of other persons previously convicted. On the whole, we admit one thing: among the Greeks those who announce their own particular theories are all addressed by the one name of ‘philosophers,’ even though they hold contrary opinions; so, among the non-Hellenic peoples, those who are and those who seem to be wise all have the one common name—they are all named Christians.

Hence, we ask that the actions of all those denounced to you be judged, so that whoever is convicted may be punished as an offender, not as a Christian. If it is apparent that a man is innocent, let him be dismissed as a Christian who has committed no crime. We will not ask you to punish the accusers, for they are sufficiently punished by their present iniquity and ignorance of fine and noble things.

Chapter 8

You can be sure that we have spoken these things for your benefit, since we, when on trial, can always deny [that we are Christians]. But we do not desire to live by lying. We are desirous of an eternal and good life; we strive for the abode of God, the Father and Creator of all; we make haste to profess our faith; we believe with firm conviction that they can attain these things who have shown God by their works that they follow Him and love to make their home with Him where there is no sin to cause disorder. In brief, this is what we look for and what we have learned from Christ and in turn teach to others.

Plato also stated that Rhadamanthus and Minos would punish the wicked who came before them. We declare that the very same thing will take place, but that it will be Christ who will assign the punishment to sinners. And in their very bodies, reunited to their souls, they will endure the pangs of torment eternally, and not only for a period of one thousand years as Plato said. If anyone shall say that this is incredible or impossible, this ‘error’ still is ours and of no concern to anybody else, as long as we are not convicted of having committed any wicked deed.

Thomas B. Falls with Justin Martyr, The First Apology, The Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho, Exhortation to the Greeks, Discourse to the Greeks, The Monarchy or The Rule of God, vol. 6, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1948), 39–43.

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 Justin is careful to admit that it is possible that some who call themselves Christians may indeed be genuine evildoers; he asks the emperors simply to investigate the real actions of anyone who is accused of being a Christian, and not simply to condemn them for being a Christian. He makes clear, however, that he is asking this not for the saving of his own life, but rather for the good of the emperors; he, and all Christians, are not afraid of death as an unjust penalty for faithfulness to the one true judge of all things, but the emperors, who are judging unjustly, are in genuine peril, for they have set themselves against the Creator and ruler of all.)

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 10:32-45

Last time we saw the Rich Man approach Jesus and ask what he needed to do to be saved. When Jesus told him to obey the law, he replied that he had always done so, and Jesus replied that all he lacked was to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and come and follow Jesus. The rich man left very sad, unwilling to leave his possessions behind, and Jesus preached to His disciples about how hard it is for the wealthy to be saved, because they are themselves enslaved to their own possessions, but encouraged them that even their deliverance was possible with God, that even the rich could be freed from that slavery to wealth. This time, we will see Jesus tell His disciples for a third time what is about to happen in Jerusalem, and how they completely misunderstand once more.

A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34 they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.”

The Request of James and John

35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

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 James and John have clearly not understood what Jesus is saying, since they ask for this honor immediately after He has told them once more about His passion. The question of for whom it is prepared to sit at the right and left hand of the Lord is an interesting question. In the icons, we always see the Mother of God and John the Baptist to the Lord’s right and left hand, and it is probably this that the Lord is referring to. But, especially in this context, it may also refer to the two thieves who are crucified to His right and left hand, and since He asks them if they are able to drink the cup that He drinks, it is possible that He is thinking of this as well. Both James and John will suffer greatly in their faithful service and obedience to Him, and James will indeed be martyred. But neither of them are going to be crucified with Him; and they would not ask to be if they understood that this is what it would mean for them to have what they ask for.)

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)

Joshua 2

Last time we read the instructions that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave to them through Moses, concerning how they should go about making war. He reminded them that they would be victorious not because of their own strength, but because He would give them victory, to the point that He commanded them to send anyone who didn’t want to be at the battle home before beginning the fighting. He commanded them to offer terms of peace to most people against whom they fought, leaving those peoples a way to become part of the Covenant He had made with Israel. But He also commanded them that the evil nations who inhabited the Promised Land, who had made common cause with the fallen angels, were to be completely destroyed, so that none of their evil would remain to corrupt His chosen, priestly people.

The next book in the Bible after Deuteronomy is Joshua, which is named for Moses’ successor as the leader of Yahweh’s people. In the first chapter, Yahweh commands Joshua to cross the Jordan, and promises to give to the children of Israel the land that He had promised to them. We will continue with the second chapter, and see how Joshua goes about obeying this command.

Spies Sent to Jericho

2 Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and spent the night there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to search out the land.” 3 Then the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come only to search out the whole land.”

4 But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from. 5 And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them.” 6 She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof. 7 So the men pursued them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

8 Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.

12 Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith 13 that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 The men said to her, “Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the Lord gives us the land.”

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the outer side of the city wall and she resided within the wall itself. 16 She said to them, “Go toward the hill country, so that the pursuers may not come upon you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way.”

17 The men said to her, “We will be released from this oath that you have made us swear to you 18 if we invade the land and you do not tie this crimson cord in the window through which you let us down, and you do not gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family. 19 If any of you go out of the doors of your house into the street, they shall be responsible for their own death, and we shall be innocent; but if a hand is laid upon any who are with you in the house, we shall bear the responsibility for their death. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be released from this oath that you made us swear to you.” 21 She said, “According to your words, so be it.” She sent them away and they departed. Then she tied the crimson cord in the window.

22 They departed and went into the hill country and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had searched all along the way and found nothing. 23 Then the two men came down again from the hill country. They crossed over, came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us.”

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 people in Jericho have heard about what Yahweh has done for the Israelites, and are afraid. More than that, they know what it means; as Rahab says, “Yahweh your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.” Rahab knows this, and desires to change sides; she renounces Satan, and all his worship, and all his angels, and all his pomp, as does everyone who comes for baptism, and submits herself to the Lord. What this means is important; Yahweh’s warfare is not against cities or ethnic groups, but against those who have made themselves His enemies, and know themselves to have done so. If they repent…if WE repent…then they and we can be saved.)

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)

First Apology of Justin Martyr – 2: 4-6

We began last time to read the First Apology of St. Justin Martyr, and saw the saint begin by urging the emperors to fulfil their reputation and their very names, as men called pious and devoted to the truth, and to examine justly and fairly the reality of who the Christians were and what sort of life they led, and if they found them to be upright and virtuous people, to cease the persecutions against them. This time, he will address the first accusation against the Christians, that they were atheists, because they did not worship the “normal” gods of the Greeks and the Romans.

Chapter 4

Nothing good or evil is included in the mere use of a name, apart from the actions which are associated with that name. We, if you judge from the name we are accused of, are most excellent persons. Now, we do not think it right to ask for acquittal because of a name, if we be convicted as criminals. Likewise, if we be found to have done no wrong, either as regards the use of our name or our conduct as citizens, you must be careful lest, by unjustly punishing the unconvicted, you justly incur punishment yourselves.

Indeed, neither praise nor punishment can rightly arise from a name, unless some good or bad action can be proved. For, you do not punish those of your own people who are accused, before they are proved guilty, yet with us you accept the name alone as proof against us. But so far as a name is concerned, you ought rather to punish our accusers. We are accused of being Christians, yet to hate what is good is not just. Then, too, if any of the accused should deny verbally to be what the name implies, you acquit him, as though having no proof that he did wrong. But, if anyone confesses to be [a Christian], because of that confession you punish him.

You ought rather to investigate the life of both the one who makes the admission and of the one who denies, so that the character of each might become known from his actions. Some, who learned from Christ the Master not to deny Him, when they are questioned, give encouragement to others thereby; they who lead evil lives equally encourage all those who rashly accuse all Christians of impiety and injustice. This, too, is not just.

Some persons, too, assume the name and attire of philosophers and do nothing worthy of their profession. You know that those of the ancients who held and taught opposing opinions are all called by the one name of philosophers; some of them taught that there are no gods. Even your poets denounce the licentiousness of Jupiter with his children. But those who follow these teachings are not checked by you; on the contrary, you bestow rewards and honors on them for insulting your gods with sweet-sounding words.

Chapter 5

What, then, can all this mean? Although, in our case, we promise to do no evil, and to hold no such atheistic opinions, you do not investigate the charges made against us. Instead, led by unreasonable passion and at the instigation of wicked demons, you punish us inconsiderately without trial. But the truth shall be told, for the wicked demons from ancient times appeared and defiled women, corrupted boys, and presented such terrifying sights to men that those who were not guided by reason in judging these [diabolical] acts were panic-stricken. Seized with fear and unaware that these were evil demons, they called them gods and greeted each by the name which each demon had bestowed upon himself.

But, when Socrates attempted to make these things known and to draw men away from the demons by true reason and judgment, then these very demons brought it about, through men delighting in evil, that he be put to death as an atheist and impious person, because, they claimed, he introduced new divinities. And now they endeavor to do the very same thing to us. And not only among the Greeks were these things through Socrates condemned by reason [logos], but also among the non-Hellenic peoples by the Logos Himself, who assumed a human form and became man, and was called Jesus Christ. Through our belief in Him we not only deny that they who did these things are good deities, but claim that they are evil and ungodly demons, whose actions should not be compared with those of virtue-seeking men.

Chapter 6

Thus are we even called atheists. We do proclaim ourselves atheists as regards those whom you call gods, but not with respect to the Most True God, who is alien to all evil and is the Father of justice, temperance, and the other virtues. We revere and worship Him and the Son who came forth from Him and taught us these things, and also the legion of good angels who attend Him and reflect His virtues, and the Prophetic Spirit, and we pay homage to them in reason and truth, and pass His doctrine on intact to everyone who wishes to learn it.

Thomas B. Falls with Justin Martyr, The First Apology, The Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho, Exhortation to the Greeks, Discourse to the Greeks, The Monarchy or The Rule of God, vol. 6, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1948), 36–39.

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 accusation “atheist” at this time did not mean “one who denies the existence of god” but rather “one who opposes the gods.” Justin is saying, effectively, that the Christians are indeed opposed to the demon gods of the nations, to Jupiter and his type, but that they are opposed to them because they know and worship the one true God. He makes the point, too, that other wise men among the Greeks and Romans have made the same point, that the demon gods are immoral and unworthy of honor, so that this insight of the Christians should be no surprise to them. We should note especially that Justin does NOT say that the gods of the nations don’t exist…he says rather that they are demons, and are unworthy of worship. They are real…but are our enemies and God’s.)

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 10:16-31

Last time we saw Jesus teach His disciples that the world was, or should be, different from how everyone assumed. He showed them that marriage was not just for the benefit of one spouse or the other, but a sacred reality established by God that could not be dissolved for reasons of convenience or desire; the result of this simple point is the new reality of Christian marriage as a life of salvation and mutual self-sacrifice, in obedience to God. He showed them as well that children (and along with them, all the small and weak and unimportant in the world) were precious to God, and must be honored, and indeed imitated, as models of how all of us must approach the Lord. He continues this week on his way to Jerusalem, and continues to teach those He encounters along the way that everything they think they know about how life works is wrong.

The Rich Man

17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

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 basic point of this passage is that, if we are going to follow Christ, we cannot also hold onto the things of this world at the same time. We may “have” those things, as we follow Him, but we cannot “hold” onto them. The point that He makes to the rich man here is to show him that He isn’t as righteous as he thinks, and to call him to actually choose Christ. For all of us, the temptation is to think that we can hold onto both the world and to the Lord. It may not come right away, or with the intensity of this challenge to the rich man, but it will surely come to all of us, the necessity of choosing to lose the world in order to hold fast to 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)

Deuteronomy 20

We have been reading the book of Exodus since the beginning of the new year, and have just seen the children of Israel reach the Red Sea. We know that the Lord, Yahweh our God, brought them safely through the sea, delivering them from slavery and from death, and leading them out into the wilderness to become His particular priestly people, His instrument to call all the nations back to Himself. We know that He had promised to grant their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the land of Canaan in which they had lived as strangers and wanderers, but had sent their descendants, the Israelites, into Egypt to wait, because, as He said to Abram in Genesis 15 “the iniquity of the Amorites [the inhabitants of Canaan] was not yet complete.” As we leave Pascha behind, we are going to continue the story skipped forward 40 years, to the point at which the Israelites go and take possession of their promised inheritance, as described in the book of Joshua. Before we do that, we will see what God says to them about how they are to make war, in the previous book, Deuteronomy.

Rules of Warfare

20 When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. 2 Before you engage in battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the troops, 3 and shall say to them: “Hear, O Israel! Today you are drawing near to do battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart, or be afraid, or panic, or be in dread of them; 4 for it is the Lord your God who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory.”

5 Then the officials shall address the troops, saying, “Has anyone built a new house but not dedicated it? He should go back to his house, or he might die in the battle and another dedicate it. 6 Has anyone planted a vineyard but not yet enjoyed its fruit? He should go back to his house, or he might die in the battle and another be first to enjoy its fruit. 7 Has anyone become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? He should go back to his house, or he might die in the battle and another marry her.” 8 The officials shall continue to address the troops, saying, “Is anyone afraid or disheartened? He should go back to his house, or he might cause the heart of his comrades to melt like his own.” 9 When the officials have finished addressing the troops, then the commanders shall take charge of them.

10 When you draw near to a town to fight against it, offer it terms of peace. 11 If it accepts your terms of peace and surrenders to you, then all the people in it shall serve you at forced labor. 12 If it does not submit to you peacefully, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it; 13 and when the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword. 14 You may, however, take as your booty the women, the children, livestock, and everything else in the town, all its spoil. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the Lord your God has given you. 15 Thus you shall treat all the towns that are very far from you, which are not towns of the nations here.

16 But as for the towns of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not let anything that breathes remain alive. 17 You shall annihilate them—the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—just as the Lord your God has commanded, 18 so that they may not teach you to do all the abhorrent things that they do for their gods, and you thus sin against the Lord your God.

19 If you besiege a town for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them. Although you may take food from them, you must not cut them down. Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you? 20 You may destroy only the trees that you know do not produce food; you may cut them down for use in building siegeworks against the town that makes war with you, until it falls.

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 point of the first section, in which it sets out all the different people who are NOT to go to war, is to make sure the children of Israel understand that they are going to be victorious not because of their own strength or any numerical advantage, but because the Lord is granting them victory. It is a matter of trust and faithfulness. As for the rules about war; it is very important that we see that they are not simply permitted to make war against or to destroy completely any nation or people. They are sent to completely destroy only specific nations, whose iniquity and evil has become unendurable, and to inherit their land. We should also note that it is not impossible for even people from these nations to repent; we are going to see a number of instances in which they DO precisely that, and come to be counted among the nation of Israel.)

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)

First Apology of Justin Martyr – Chapters 1-3

We have finished reading the first sermon of St. Theophan the Recluse on the path of prayer. For the summer, we will spend our time with a very different text, the first apology of St. Justin the Philosopher and Martyr to the Emperors Antoninus Pius & Marcus Aurelius.

St. Justin was born in Palestine about the year 100, and grew up a pagan, dedicated to the philosophical schools of the Greeks. At a certain point, however, he became a Christian, and spent the rest of his life preaching and teaching the Gospel. Around the year 150, as the Christians were being persecuted by the Roman Empire, he wrote an “apology” for the Christian Faith to the emperors, urging them to cease the persecutions. This was, to be clear, not the “saying sorry” sort of apology, but rather a defence of what the Christians believed and did, and an argument that it was, in fact, a fulfillment of everything that the best and most enlightened of the philosophers of Greece and Rome had been teaching.

This is a very different sort of text than we have read before. For one thing, it is VERY old, almost 1900 years old, and reflects a very different world. But for all that, it shows us what a Christian of the second generation of the Church had to say about His Faith, and is not nearly as far removed from our own experience as we might expect.

Chapter 1

TO THE EMPEROR Titus Aelius Adrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Caesar; to his son Verissimus the philosopher; to Lucius the philosopher, by birth son of Caesar and by adoption son of Pius, an admirer of learning; to the sacred Senate and to the whole Roman people; in behalf of those men of every race who are unjustly hated and mistreated: I, one of them, Justin, the son of Priscus and grandson of Bacchius, of the city of Flavia Neapolis in Syria-Palestine, do present this address and petition.

Chapter 2

Common sense dictates that they who are truly pious men and philosophers should honor and cherish only what is true, and refuse to follow the beliefs of their forefathers, if these beliefs be worthless. For, sound reason not only demands that we do not heed those who did or taught anything wrong, but it requires that the lover of truth must choose, in every way possible, to do and say what is right, even when threatened with death, rather than save his own life. You hear yourselves everywhere called pious men and philosophers, guardians of justice and lovers of learning: whether you really deserve this reputation will now become evident.

Indeed, we have come not to flatter you with our writings or to curry your favor with this discourse, but to ask that, after an accurate and thorough examination, you hand down a decision that will not be influenced by prejudice or by the desire to please superstitious men; a decision that will not be the result of an irrational impulse or of an evil rumor long persistent, lest it become a judgment against yourselves. As far as we [Christians] are concerned, we believe that no evil can befall us unless we be convicted as criminals or be proved to be sinful persons. You, indeed, may be able to kill us, but you cannot harm us.

Chapter 3

Lest anyone consider this an absurd and rash statement, we demand that the accusations against them [the Christians] be probed, and, if these be shown to be true, they be punished, as any guilty persons should be. If, however, no one has any way of proving these accusations, sane reason does not allow that you, because of a mischievous rumor, do an injustice to innocent men; [in this case] you rather do an injustice to yourselves when you choose to impose punishment not by fair judgment but by passion.

Every reasonable person will agree that the only proper and just proposition is this: let the subjects render a blameless account of their life and doctrine; likewise, let the rulers pass judgment, not through force and tyranny, but in accordance with piety and philosophy. In this way both rulers and subjects would fare well. In fact, one of the ancients has somewhere stated: ‘Unless the rulers and their subjects become philosophers, it is impossible for states to become happy.’ It is our duty, therefore, to give everyone a chance of investigating our life and doctrines, lest we should pay the penalty for what they commit in their blindness, they who persist in being ignorant of our ways. As for you, sound reason makes it your duty to prove yourselves good judges after you hear [our defense]. Hereafter, you will be without excuse before God, if you know the truth, yet do not act in accordance with justice.

Thomas B. Falls with Justin Martyr, The First Apology, The Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho, Exhortation to the Greeks, Discourse to the Greeks, The Monarchy or The Rule of God, vol. 6, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1948), 33–35.

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 fearlessness of St. Justin. He is demanding that the emperors be just, and arguing with every tool in his toolbox that they should stop persecuting the Christians. But he also insists that ultimately, it is not the Christians who are harmed by the persecutions, but the emperors themselves, if they persist in being unjust and opposing the truth. But as for the Christians, as he says: “You can kill us, but you cannot harm us.”)

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 10:1-16

Before we began our final preparation for Holy Week, we had just finished reading Mark 9, in which Jesus was Transfigured, and was on His way toward Jerusalem, teaching His disciples and preparing them for His betrayal, passion, death, and resurrection as they went. During the final weeks of Great Lent, we skipped ahead, and read St. Mark’s account of the Lord’s Passion. For the next few weeks, we will complete the Gospel of Mark, going back to read the chapters we skipped, starting with Mark chapter 10.

Teaching about Divorce

10 He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them.

2 Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10 Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

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 teaching as He does about divorce and about children, is doing two things simultaneously. On the surface level, He is upending the society, in requiring His disciples to respect and value women and children as highly as themselves, the men of the society. At a deeper level, He is teaching them how He Himself cares for His Bride, the nation of Israel, Who had gone so far astray, and yet He had not abandoned her, but had come Himself to save her and fulfil her purpose, even though He would be fully within His “rights” to divorce her. In the Church, we see the restoration of Israel, purified and sanctified. And at the same time, He has made us, who are children, foolish and wayward, His favored ones, and calls us to do the same.)

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)

Psalm 22 – My God, my God, Why Have You Forsaken Me

In our Old Testament readings up to this point, we have been reading about the Lord’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt, and we have seen how this first Pascha/Passover is a precursor and foreshadowing of the Great and Holy Pascha that we celebrate as Christians, in the Lord’s deliverance of all of us from slavery to sin and to death, through His own death and resurrection. As we conclude our reflection on this, we will skip forward in the Old Testament to the book of Psalms, and specifically to the Psalm that our Lord quoted while He was on the Cross. This is Psalm 22 in most western Bibles, but in the Greek Old Testament, it is counted as Psalm 21.

Psalm 22 (21) – To the Leader…A Psalm of David

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm, and not human;
scorned by others, and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock at me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8 “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
They pierced my hands and feet;
17 I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,
but heard when I cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.

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 Lord is quoting from this Psalm when He is on the Cross. The Psalm itself serves as combination of prayer, prophecy, and an argument with one’s self. The Psalmist begins expressing how he feels, that God has forsaken him, but then corrects himself, noting that God saved His people before. He then tries again, suggesting that the problem is with himself, that he is “a worm.” But he corrects himself once more, noting that God has protected him thus far. Finally, in the fifth stanza, he begins to pray well, asking for help and describing his difficult situation. At this point, moving into the 6th and 7th stanza, he moves into prophecy, speaking not only of his own suffering, but of the suffering that the Lord endures when He unites Himself with us in our brokenness. And then, in stanzas 8 through 11, he continues in prophecy, foretelling what comes after the Lord’s uniting of Himself with us in death, that in the great assembly of the righteous, even in death, even in Hades, he would proclaim the name of the Lord, Who delivers His people even from death, and draws all the nations in all time to Himself. Thus the Lord, in praying this Psalm, at the very moment that He fulfills what the Psalmist prophesies, both prays it truly, as He is bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows, and prays it as a password, as a counter sign, as an assurance that the prayer has been heard, and He Himself, at that very moment, is the answer to the prayer that is prophesied within the Psalm itself.)

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 instructed us in how to leave prayer behind, by not immediately returning to what we had been doing before, but to take some time in silent reflection to meditate on what we have said in prayer, and what sort of life, what way of being, these prayers ask for ourselves and commit ourselves to. This time he will conclude this sermon with some final assurances and encouragements.

A Personal Rule of Prayer – 10

If you will be obedient to these few rules, you will soon see the fruits of this effort. Whoever fulfills these rules, even if they have not been given this instruction, will also taste this fruit.

Every repetition of prayer done in this way will leave a mark of prayer on the soul. Uninterrupted practice in the order described will make it take root in the soul, and patience in this practice will establish a prayerful spirit. May the Lord grant you this by the prayers of His most pure mother!

****
Here I have given to you the first elementary method of training the spirit in prayer in accordance with the aims of spoken prayer said at home in the morning and the evening – and in church.

But this is not all. Tomorrow I will tell you of another method.

Amen.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should take this opportunity to guide the group in a recap of the method of prayer that St. Theophany has provided these last several weeks: to prepare ourselves for prayer, to be attentive in prayer, and to not hurry to leave prayer behind. The Leader should emphasize that this is an approach that should only be followed strictly in our morning & evening rule of prayer, and yet note that insights and habits from this rule of prayer will inform and permeate all other prayer, whether throughout the course of the day or in the services of the Church. It is also good to note that there are three other sermons in the book from which this one was taken; we will not read them at this point, but anyone who is interested can seek out the book and read them. Fr. Anthony can provide assistance in finding the book.)

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 16:9-20

Last time we read the account of the women who came to the Empty Tomb and found that Jesus was not there. This is also the reading that we hear immediately after receiving the Light at midnight on Pascha, and immediately before we begin to sing “Christ is Risen.” What follows is the end of the Gospel of Mark.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

9 [[Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Jesus Commissions the Disciples

14 Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The Ascension of Jesus

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.]

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 summary of what happened after the Lord’s Resurrection continues to emphasize that the disciples did not understand what was happening; it is perhaps worth highlighting this, as we work to adjust our lives back to “normalcy” after the intensity of Great Lent and Holy Week. We have walked with the Lord and His disciples through His Passion and Resurrection, and have understood much…but yet we still struggle to walk always in the light and the love of the Risen Lord. It should be encouraging to us that the Lord does not reject His disciples when they struggle to understand and fail to believe; may He be patient with us also, and guide us into the way of salvation.)

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?