Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 19:12-29 (Sodom Destroyed, Lot Saved)

Last week we read about the two angels visiting Lot, and how he was the only one in the city of Sodom who was watching at the gate for visitors to the city so that he might show them hospitality. We saw how all the men of the city came in the night to do violence to the men, and how Lot tried to convince them that what they were doing was evil, without success, so that the angels had to intervene, blinding all those attacking the house. Having revealed themselves as more than mere human visitors, we will see them move quickly to save these few righteous people from the destruction about to come upon Sodom.

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city—bring them out of the place. 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up, get out of this place; for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and left him outside the city. 17 When they had brought them outside, they said, “Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, or else you will be consumed.”

18 And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords; 19 your servant has found favor with you, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, for fear the disaster will overtake me and I die. 20 Look, that city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” 21 He said to him, “Very well, I grant you this favor too, and will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” Therefore the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven; 25 and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

27 Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord; 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the Plain and saw the smoke of the land going up like the smoke of a furnace.

29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had settled.

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 how strongly attached Lot has become to Sodom, this place which he chose to dwell, in which he remained even when he saw how wicked the people of the place were. It is perhaps strange for us to see him, being a righteous man, as he is clearly shown to be by his hospitality, at the very least, and yet so attached to a place and people who have given themselves over so entirely to evil. But perhaps, if we consider our own selves, and the wrongs that we shrug at because they are simply a part of normal, daily life, and how we remain attached to the places and the people that expose us to these things, it may begin to seem less strange. It is good for us to consider this, and to recognize that what we can think of as normal can indeed be an evil that has us on the brink of destruction, even if we don’t take active part in it ourselves. The Lord calls us to righteousness and holiness and communion with Him; and He also assures us that this is very much contrary to the way of the world. It is therefore right that we should seek our opportunities to “come out from among them, and separate yourselves” (2 Corinthians 6:17).)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle (November 30)

On November 30th, the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast-day of St. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, who was the first Apostle that our Lord called to follow Him. We see his icon often, and know in general who he is from Scripture, but there are a number of elements from his life that are common parts of the Church’s tradition (such as the shape of St. Andrew’s Cross, and why it is called by his name), and it is good for us to see a little bit more of what the Church remembers of St. Andrew.

On the thirtieth day of November, we commemorate the Holy glorious and all-praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called

Verses

Andrew bears crucifixion inverted,
Appearing truly and not as a shadow with feet upwards.
On the thirtieth Andrew the First-Called endured the cross.

Andrew was from the city of Bethsaida, the son of Jonah, and brother of Peter the Apostle. He was the first disciple of John the great Forerunner and Baptist. Later, when he heard his Teacher say, while pointing to Jesus Christ, "Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world," he left the Forerunner and followed Christ. And to his brother the Pre-eminent Peter he said, "We have found the Messiah." With these words he drew Peter towards spiritual eros for Christ. And there are many other things that are found in the divinely-inspired Scriptures regarding this Apostle.

With the other Apostles, he was chosen by lot to go to other places of the inhabited world. After the Ascension of the Lord the First-Called was chosen to go to Bithynia, the Black Sea and the places of the Propontis: namely from the Sea of Marmara till the Black Sea. He was also chosen for Chalcedon and Byzantium: namely Constantinople. He also went to Thrace and Macedonia all the way to the River Danube. With these were included Thessaly and Greece all the way till Achaia: namely the area of the Morea, which is between Vasilika and Gastouni. Also Amisus, which is also called Samsun and Emid, and Trebizond, and Heraclea, and Amastris, which was first known as Sisamus.

The Apostle did not pass through these cities and regions quickly, as well as his words. No! but in every city the blessed one was tried by many setbacks. And he responded to many difficult situations. But everywhere he found God's help and strength, and with this he conquered all, and was above all hindrance. Of the cities mentioned above, I only want to remember one here, and leave the rest.

When this divine Apostle went to the city of Sinope, and preached there the word of the gospel, he underwent much torment and suffering by the residents there. For these wild people cast him down to the ground, and taking him by his hands and feet they pulled at him, and with claws they tore at him. They beat him with clubs and struck him with stones and cast him out of the city, and with the claws they cut off one of his fingers. After all this the divine Apostle was found again to be healthy and whole through Christ his Teacher.

From Sinope he passed through many cities, such as Neocaesarea, Samosata, commonly known as Sempsat, to the Alani and Abasgians, who are in Crimea, the Circassians, the Bosporites, namely those who lived in the Cimmerian Bosporus, and the Chersonites. Then he returned again to Byzantium, where he ordained Stachys as Bishop. Passing through many lands he entered the notorious Peloponnese: namely Morea. And being hosted by a man named Sosion in Old Patras, he healed there many who were sick. Immediately after the entire city of Patras believed in Christ, together with the wise Stratocles and the brother of the proconsul. And many others who suffered from various illnesses became healthy with the laying on of hands of the Apostle.

When the proconsul Aegeates learned of all this, he became enraged. Capturing the Apostle of the Lord, he had him crucified upside down. For this reason the unjust one received justice according to God's vengeance, having fallen to the earth from a high place, and being crushed the wicked one died wickedly. The relic of the Apostle was later brought to Constantinople by order of Emperor Constantius, the son of Constantine the Great, which was transferred by Artemios the grand duke and Martyr, who is celebrated on October 20th. And it was placed with the relics of the Evangelist Luke and the Apostle Timothy, in the famous Temple of the Holy Apostles. The placing of his relics is celebrated on July 20th.

(Synaxarion reading sourced from John Sanidopoulos at https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2015/11/synaxarion-of-holy-apostle-andrew-first.html)

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 Andrew is known to have been a disciple of John the Baptist before he followed Christ, and that it was not least to him that John the Baptist was speaking when he pointed the Lord out to them, saying: “Behold, the Lamb of God.” It can be strange to realize that the Church holds more in her memory about the Apostles and their time with the Lord than what is recorded in Scripture; many of these stories function like family stories, passed on from generation to generation, as the color and detail that helps fill out our understanding of these ancient days. As we share these stories, part of the intent is that we become part of this chain of transmission, and partake as well in the intimacy of these ancient memories of the household of Faith.)

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)

Matthew 7:15-29 (Tree and Fruit, Hearers & Doers)

Last time we began chapter 7 of St. Matthew’s Gospel, the third chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, and saw the Lord warn us against the dangers of judgment of others, and assure us that if we seek Him, we will surely find Him, for God is our Father, and loves us perfectly. He also warned last time that the way to salvation is narrow, and not easy to find. This sets the stage for this week’s reading, in which he warns us against deception.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will know them by their fruits.

Concerning Self-Deception

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’

Hearers and Doers

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”

28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

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, having warned us against straying from the narrow and hard road of salvation, the Lord here helps us to recognize when others are trying to lead us astray, giving us a basic test to apply to them. It would be good for the Leader to see if everyone noticed what that test is…it is, of course, that we can know them by their fruits. It should also be pointed out that the Lord warns us against deceiving ourselves as well, and explains to us how we can ensure that we are actually walking His path…we need to not only hear His words, but act on them. For if we do so, then we will be secure, like a house built on a rock.)

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)

Genesis 19:1-11 (The Evil of Sodom)

Because this is the week of Thanksgiving, there is no Sunday School at the Church this coming Sunday, nor will there be a Bible Study this week. This is somewhat convenient, as the reading that we have reached in Genesis is a troubling one for young families, with its discussion of the sins of Sodom. We recommend that each family use their best judgment regarding this matter, and will provide recommended omissions in italics, and more vague language for what the men of Sodom wanted to do to the visiting angels in bold italics.

The Depravity of Sodom

19 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 He said, “Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you can rise early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the square.” 3 But he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; 5 and they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us,” [so that we may know them.]” (The italicized portion can be omitted, and replaced with the parenthetical statement – for the men of the city wanted to rob and harm the visitors.) 6 Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly… (this italicized portion can be omitted as well) 8 Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only … do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”

9 But they replied, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near the door to break it down. 10 But the men inside reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they were unable to find the door.

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 evil of Sodom is clearly on exhibit here. This is not only because the men of the city intend sexual violence against the visitors, although that is certainly a significant element of their sin; the greater issue, of which their intended violence is only a part, is their complete failure to show hospitality to visitors. When the two angels arrive at the gate of the city, only Lot is doing what righteous men were supposed to be doing, watching at the gate for visitors to welcome and host and care for and protect; that failure of the city is the first and great sign of its depravity; that they themselves are the dangers against whom a righteous man needs to protect visitors is still worse, and the particular sort of violence that they intend is just the icing on the cake. This gives us a good opportunity to emphasize the importance of hospitality, of caring for strangers and travelers and visitors, and of protecting those who are vulnerable and innocent. This is a good thing for us to reflect on and remember as we celebrate Thanksgiving.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

St. Katherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria

On November 25th, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Katherine. This Thanksgiving week, we will take the opportunity to read her life and reflect on her witness to the Faith. It is worth noting that St. Katherine’s existence is sometimes called into question, as she is not spoken of by name in any written sources for several centuries after the time at which she was martyred. However, Eusebius does note that the emperor Maximinus was indeed known for his seizure and mistreatment even of high-born women in Alexandria during this time, and mentions one in particular, notable for her wealth, family, and education, who refused him and suffered greatly on account of her Faith in Christ. He does not provide her name, but the essential pieces of Eusebius’ story match what has been generally been known about St. Katherine.

St. Katherine the Holy Great-Martyr and Most-Wise, and her companions: the fifty Orators, the Wife of the emperor, the commander Porphyrios and the two hundred Soldiers
 
Katherine was the daughter of Cestus, a wealthy patrician of Alexandria, the capital of Egypt and metropolis of the arts and sciences. She was widely admired not only for her noble birth but also for the exceeding beauty and intelligence that God had given her. Taught by the best masters and most illustrious philosophers, she learnt while still a girl to follow complex lines of argument and obtained a perfect understanding of the philosophical systems of Plato, Aristotle and their followers. She also excelled in the literary sphere, was familiar with the works of all the great poets from Homer to Virgil and was capable of discussing every subject, in a variety of languages learnt from scholars and foreign visitors to the great city. In her quest for knowledge, she had made herself acquainted with all the physical sciences, especially medicine, and there was no area of human wisdom beyond the range of her penetrating intellect. By the time she was eighteen, even the most learned scholars were in awe of her intellectual accomplishments. All this, combined with noble birth, beauty and wealth, made her an enviable match and there were suitors in plenty for her hand.

But having a presentiment of the excellence of virginity, Katherine refused them all and made it a condition with her parents that she would accept none but a youth who equaled her in nobility, riches, beauty and wisdom. Her mother, in despair of finding such a one, sent her to seek the advice of a holy Christian ascetic who lived not far from the city. He told Katherine that he did indeed know a man such as she was looking for, and possessed of that surpassing wisdom which is the very source and spring of all things visible and invisible – wisdom neither gained nor appropriated, but his eternal possession. He is noble also above all that we can think of, for He has authority over the whole universe and has made the world by his own power. Master of the worlds, principle of all wisdom and of all knowledge, He is also, the elder told her the most beautiful of the children of men  (Ps. 44:3), for He is God incarnate: Son and eternal Word of the Father, Who became man for our salvation and who desires to espouse every virginal soul. As he bade her farewell, the ascetic gave her an icon of the Mother of God carrying the divine Child in her arms.

That night the Mother of God appeared to Katherine, but Christ turned away and would not look at her, saying that she was ugly and unclean because still subject to sin and death. Grief-stricken, she went back to the ascetic who instructed her in the mysteries of the faith and gave her new birth unto eternal life in the waters of Baptism. Then the Holy Virgin appeared to Katherine again with Christ in her arms, who said to His Mother with joy, ‘Now I will accept her as my most pure bride, for she has become radiant and fair, rich and truly wise!’ In token and pledge of this heavenly betrothal, the Mother of God put a ring upon the finger of the maiden and caused her to promise to take no other spouse upon earth.

Now in those days the Emperor Maximin (305-11), like Diocletian before him, tried to make all his subjects show their submission to his power by offering idolatrous sacrifices under pain of torture and death. When these impious rites were taking place in Alexandria, Katherine appeared before him in the temple and declared her allegiance, but severely reproved the idolatrous ceremonies. Struck by her beauty as much as by her boldness, the emperor listened as she developed her argument and he was overcome by her wisdom.

Accepting her offer to engage the foremost scholars and orators of the Empire in public disputation, Maximin sent heralds all over the Roman world to bring together scholars, philosophers, orators, and logicians. There arrived at Alexandria fifty in all, who presented themselves before the Emperor and the crowd that gathered in the amphitheater, to confront the slender young girl. Alone, but radiant with the grace of the Holy Spirit, she was in no fear of them, having been assured by the Archangel Michael in a vision that the Lord would speak through her mouth, and cause her to overcome the wisdom of the world by the Wisdom that comes from on high. In that strength, Katherine showed up the errors and contradictions of oracles, poets and philosophers. She showed how they have recognized for themselves that the so-called gods of the pagans are demons and the expression of human passions. She even referred in support of her arguments to certain oracles of the Sibyl and of Apollo, which dimly tell of the divine Incarnation and life-giving Passion of the Son of God. Overthrowing their myths and fables, she proclaimed the creation of the world out of nothing by the one only, true, eternal God, and the deliverance of man from death by the Incarnation of the only Son of the Father.

Having run out of arguments, the fifty orators were reduced to silence. Recognizing their error, they asked the Saint for Baptism, to the fury of the Emperor, who condemned them to be burnt alive on November 17. Finding Katherine immune to flattery, Maximin had her tortured and thrown into prison, while a dreadful instrument of torture was constructed of four spiked wheels connected by an axle. Katherine was attached to this machine as soon as it was ready, but an Angel came to free her and the death-dealing chariot hurtled down the slope killing many pagans on its way.

Seeing the feats of the Holy Martyr, Maximin’s own wife was converted and visited Katherine in prison, escorted by the commander Porphyrios, a close friend of the Emperor, and by 200 soldiers, all of whom became disciples of Christ. Katherine received them with joy and foretold that they would soon bear away the crown of valiant athletes of the Faith. The Emperor was enraged at such defiance within his household. Forgetful of all human feeling, he had his wife cruelly tortured and beheaded on November 23. On the following day Porphyrios and his company were put to death. On November 25, Katherine was brought forth from her dungeon to appear at the tribunal, fairer and more radiant with heavenly joy than when she had entered it, for she saw that the day of her union with Christ had come at last. She was taken outside the city and, after a last prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord Who had revealed to her the inexhaustible treasures of true wisdom, she was beheaded in her turn.

Her body was then conveyed by two Angels from Alexandria to Mount Sinai. There it was discovered in the eighth century by an ascetic who lived in the vicinity. The precious relic was later translated to the Monastery that the Emperor Justinian had founded in the sixth century. It is there to this day, giving forth a heavenly scent and working countless miracles.

From: “The Synaxarion,” Sebastian Press, Volume 2, pg. 235-239.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note the essential elements of this story: that St. Katherine pledged herself to the Lord, rather than to any earthly love or power; that she expressed her allegiance to the emperor, but despised the gods that he chose to worship; that she convinced and converted the wise of the world by the wisdom of Christ; that even those closest to the emperor were converted through her witness; that she endured suffering in faithfulness to the Lord, choosing even to the point of death to be counted as a daughter of the Kingdom of God, rather than a princess or queen of this present world. In all of these things, she gathers to herself the common witness of all the martyrs and the saints, and it is perhaps because all of these elements are seen in her life and death that she is so greatly beloved of Christian people.)

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)

Matthew 7:1-13 (Judging, Pearls Before Swine, Ask/Seek/Knock, Golden Rule, Narrow Gate)

We continue our way through the Sermon on the Mount this week, and begin the last of the three chapters that contain this sermon. Last time, we saw the Lord teach His disciples to turn away from earthly treasures, and even to esteem food and clothing and such “necessities” of life less than the Kingdom of Heaven, assuring them and us that, if they would seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all that we need will be given to us as well. This time, we will see Him continue to teach, proceeding to what seem to be “miscellaneous” lessons about life in this world as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Judging Others

7 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2 For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

Profaning the Holy

6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.

Ask, Search, Knock

7 “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10 Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

12 “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

The Narrow Gate

13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find 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 what a difficult task it is to not judge one another, and how the Lord makes clear that the problem with our judging isn’t necessarily that we are wrong, although we may well be, but that in judging others, we invite judgment upon ourselves, as we all are troubled by some sin or weakness. Rather, we are to turn toward the Lord in humility, repentance, and supplication, and ask, seek, and knock, attending to the Lord’s mercy, rather than to giving judgment against others. We may make bold to say that in so doing, we begin the path along the narrow way that leads to 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 1 (Monday)

Genesis 18:16-33 (Judgment on Sodom, Abraham Bargains with God)

Last time we saw God come to Abraham and Sarah and promised that the long-promised son would be born within a year’s time. He came, however, together with two angels, and as they left they went toward Sodom. The Lord, however, remains behind, and speaks with Abraham, and tells him what is going to happen there…and then He is very patient with Abraham, as we will see.

Judgment Pronounced on Sodom

16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; so that the Lord may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! 21 I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.”

22 So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.”

30 Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note first of all that the text again makes explicit that it is God Himself Who is present talking with Abraham here, and that Abraham knows to Whom He is speaking. It is also good to note that, when the text shows God “talking to Himself,” this is simply the way in which it is explaining to us, the reader, and to Abraham Himself, what God’s purpose is in speaking about this to Abraham: namely, so that Abraham and his descendants know the cost of evil. This passage also shows us that God does not abandon the righteous; rather, He withholds or delays judgment for the sake of the righteous, and even when the time comes for judgment, He saves the righteous, as we will see next time.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Hymns from the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (November 21)

Every year on November 21st, we celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. This feast is coming up on Monday of next week, so we will talk about it this week. The story of this feast is that when the Virgin Mary was three years old, her parents dedicated her to serve in the Temple. When she was brought to the Temple, the Priest Zacharias (the father of St. John the Baptist) greeted her, but she walked straight into the Temple by herself, and went straight into the Holy Place, and beyond the curtain into the Holy of Holies, which is where the Ark of the Covenant had used to be, until it was lost. The Holy of Holies had therefore been empty for hundreds of years, since the Temple was rebuilt, and along with its absence, the people of God understood that God’s Presence had never returned to the Temple. With the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, the Fathers of the Church understand a transition, from the Temple of the Old Covenant, in which God had been pleased to dwell with His people, to the Temple of the New Covenant, as the Lord dwells in the Faithful, and first of all, of course, in His All-holy Mother. The following hymns reflect on this.

Doxastikon of the Liti

A joyous day has dawned, a most venerable feast day. For today, she who would be a virgin before childbirth, and who would remain a virgin after childbirth, is brought to the Temple. Zacharias the elder, the father of the Forerunner, rejoices and in ecstasy announces: "She has arrived, she who is anticipated by an afflicted people! She comes, as one holy, to the holy Temple, to be dedicated as the dwelling place of the King of all!" Let Joachim the forefather be glad, and let Anna be exultant, for they offered to God the blameless Maiden, like a three-year old heifer. Μothers, rejoice with them, and virgins, leap for joy, and barren women, join in dance; for the kingdom of heaven has been opened to us, by the girl who was fore-ordained to be the Queen of all. O people everywhere, rejoice and be glad!

Apolytikion of the Feast

Today is the prelude of God's good pleasure, and the proclamation of humanity's salvation. In the temple of God, the Virgin is presented openly, and in herself she announces Christ to all. Let us, then, with a great voice cry aloud to her: "Rejoice, you are the fulfillment of the Creator's dispensation."

1st Kathisma Hymn for the Feast

The feeder of our Life, now an infant in body, * the offspring of the just Joachim and Anna, * is offered to God today in the holy Sanctuary. * She was blessed therein by the priest Zacharias. * Therefore let us all, with faith, proclaim she is blessed,* for she is the Mother of the Lord.

Oikos of the Feast

Seeing the grace of God's ineffable and divine mysteries evident and manifestly fulfilled in the Virgin, I rejoice; and I am at a loss to understand the ineffable and strange manner in which the immaculate Maid alone proved to be chosen above all creation visible and invisible. Therefore, wishing to extol her, I am greatly perplexed in mind and speech. Nevertheless I dare to do it, and I proclaim and magnify: A heavenly tabernacle is she.

Hymn from Ode 2 of Canon 1 of the Feast

Today the Temple has become a wedding hall; ⁄ a fair chamber for the Virgin. ⁄ It receives the living Bridal Chamber of God, ⁄ the pure and spotless One Who shines more brightly than all creation.

Hymn from Ode 2 of Canon 1 of the Feast

David leaps in gladness, leading the dance, ⁄ and rejoicing with us, he calls you the Queen, ⁄ clad in raiment of many-colored needlework, ⁄ undefiled and all-pure Virgin, ⁄ standing in the Temple before the King and God.

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 all the promises that God has been making to Abraham in the Day 1 readings these past several weeks, about how all the nations of the world would be blessed by his descendants, are fulfilled precisely in the Virgin Mary, for as the 1st Kathisma Hymn says here, she is the one who feeds Jesus Christ, Who is our life, and the life of the entire world. It is a marvelous and amazing thing, that all the stories of the Old Testament, all the promises and mistakes, all the hopes and the doubts, arrive at their end point here, with this little girl walking into the Temple, to become herself the Temple of the Most High God, the vessel of His Presence in the world, the Mother of God-with-us, Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel. We should also note that this feastday is a perfect and fitting beginning to our Advent season, as we begin fasting this week, in preparation for the Feast of the Lord’s Nativity, which is to say, in preparation for Christmas.)

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)

Matthew 6:19-34 (Treasure in Heaven, Light and Darkness, Seek First the Kingdom of God)

Last time we saw Jesus talk to His disciples about the three essential disciplines of the Christian life (almsgiving, prayer, and fasting), and both teach them (and us) how to go about these efforts, but especially how important it is that we NOT do these things to impress or please other people, but should instead do these things in secret, so that only our Father in heaven knows what we are doing. This time, the Lord will extend the lesson, reminding us that what is important in life does not come from the people or from the world around us, but rather from above, from our Father in heaven.

Concerning Treasures

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Sound Eye

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Serving Two Masters

24 “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?

28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

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 how the Lord talked last time about religious actions, such as almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, and then moves on to talk about how the Christian should approach the “non-religious” matters of daily life, such as wealth, food, and clothing. The point in all of these things is the same, however: we need to remember that our life comes from God, not from the things of this world, and in the same way as we should not do “religious actions” for the sake of the good opinion of the people around us, so too we should not set the first priority on gaining the other good things of this world, such as treasure, food, and clothing. In all things, we need to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and entrust ourselves to God that He will be faithful and provide for us what we need in this life if we are indeed faithful to Him. This doesn’t mean that we don’t work, or that we don’t buy food or clothing, just as what the Lord said about the right way to fast, pray, and give alms doesn’t mean that we simply abandon fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. But in all that we do, we must put God first.)

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)

Genesis 18:1-15 (God Appears to Abraham, Sarah Laughs at God)

In the last two weeks, we saw Abram at the age of 99, when God finally came to him to seal the promise from 25 years before. God gave a new name to both Abram and Sarai, calling them Abraham and Sarah, and promised that Sarah would bear a son to Abraham the very next year. This time, we will see the Lord come in person to Abraham in His tent, and confirm the promise face to face, over a meal.

A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, “My Lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.”

So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

9 They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10 Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have conception?”

13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”

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 here, as well as in the previous chapters we have read, when it says “The Lord” appeared to Abraham, once again “The Lord” is rendering the Hebrew name Yahweh. This means a few things; it means that this story is being told after the fact, as God does not reveal His name Yahweh until He gives it to Moses on Mt. Sinai several hundred years after the events described here. So the narrator here is telling the story of God’s appearance to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre, and making very clear to us that this is not just some angel, but is God Himself, Yahweh the God of Israel. The icon shown above makes this very clear by including both the Greek letters Ο  ΩΝ (ὁ ὤν) above the head of the center “angel,” but by also including the normal iconic abbreviations of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, “ΙΣ ΧΣ,” above His head. In this scene, then, the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity comes literally, visibly, and in person, together with two angels, and eats a meal with Abraham, receiving His hospitality as He guarantees His long promise with His own presence. We may note, as well, the miraculous strangeness and intimacy of the scene, as Sarah laughs at the promise, and the Lord calls her on her laughter, His knowledge of her inner heart and mind itself a sign of His divinity and a proof that the promise is sure.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

St. John of Damascus on the Holy Trinity (and the traditional icon depicting the Holy Trinity)

For our Church Tradition reading this week, we will look at something that may seem unrelated to our other readings, but is in fact directly connected to our Day 1 reading. We will see what St. John of Damascus says about the Holy Trinity, One God in Three Persons. This is relevant to what we saw on Day 1 because the Church has always understood God’s coming to Abraham and Sarah at the Oak of Mamre to be a Theophany, a revelation of God to them, with the three angels speaking and acting in perfect unity providing an image to them of the Holy Trinity. This scene has therefore become the theme of the only normal and appropriate icon of the Holy Trinity. So we will see what St. John of Damascus has to say about the Holy Trinity, and then we will look at several different examples of this icon from the history of the Church.

From “An Exact Exposition on the Orthodox Faith” by St. John of Damascus, Book 1, Chapter 12

And so, God is called ‘Mind,’ and ‘Reason,’ and Spirit,’ and ‘Wisdom,’ because He is the cause of these, and because He is immaterial, and because He is all-working and all-powerful. And these names, both those given by negation and those given by affirmation, are applied jointly to the whole Godhead. They also apply in the same way, identically, and without exception, to each one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, Thus, when I think of one of the Persons, I know that He is perfect God, a perfect substance/hypostasis, but when I put them together and combine them, I know one perfect God. For the Godhead is not compounded, but is one perfect, indivisible, and uncompounded being in three perfect beings….

…Consequently, whatsoever pertains to the Father as cause, well-spring, and begetter must be attributed to the Father alone. Whatsoever pertains to the Son as caused, begotten son, word, primordial force, will, and wisdom must be attributed to the Son alone. And whatsoever pertains to the caused, proceeding, revealing, and perfecting power must be attributed to the Holy Ghost.

The Father is well-spring and cause of Son and Holy Ghost—He is Father of the only Son and Emitter of the Holy Ghost. The Son is son, word, wisdom, power, image, radiance, and type of the Father, and He is from the Father. And the Holy Ghost is not a son of the Father, but He is the Spirit of the Father as proceeding from the Father. For, without the Spirit, there is no impulsion. And He is the Spirit of the Son, not as being from Him, but as proceeding through Him from the Father—for the Father alone is Cause.

John Damascene, Writings, ed. Hermigild Dressler, trans. Frederic H. Chase Jr., vol. 37, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1958), 195–196.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out how St. John talks about both the unity of the Three Persons of the Trinity, and also their distinctions. They should then show the icons, and point out the figures of Abraham and Sarah (or their absence) and the three angels seated. Sometimes the central angel is identified as the Son and Logos of God with the cross-shape and letters about His head, while other times the identity between that angel and the Son is conveyed by the color of His clothing. In Rublev’s icon, and one other, the central and right-hand figures are inclining their heads toward the left-hand figure, as a sign of the primacy of the Father, and there as well, the angel on the right is clothed in green, the traditional color for feasts of the Holy Spirit.

In general, the intent and understanding of the Church as confessed by this icon is that it is Christ Himself Who is present with Abraham, along with two angels, who by their threeness and unity with Him reveal the Trinity, while as they proceed on to Sodom they are shown to be “only” angels, while He is Himself God, as Abraham addresses Him, and as the text of Scripture identifies Him.

It should be noted that this icon of the Hospitality of Abraham, showing the Theophany to Abraham at Mamre, is the appropriate icon for celebrating and proclaiming the Holy Trinity.

For a further discussion of this scene, and the icons that have depicted it over the centuries, and the way in which the Fathers of the Church have interpreted this passage across the centuries, we include links to two different websites which provide a fairly thorough presentation.

https://iconreader.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/icon-of-the-holy-trinity/

https://parochianus.blog/category/the-hospitality-of-abraham/)

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)

Matthew 6:1-18 (Almsgiving, Prayer & Fasting)

Last time we finished Chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, the first of the three chapters of the Sermon on the Mount, in which the Lord talked about a different way of living in the world, and commanded His followers to love even their enemies. This time we will see Him continue with more specific instructions for how they should conduct themselves in the spiritual disciplines of Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting.

Concerning Almsgiving

6 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Concerning Prayer

5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Concerning Fasting

16 “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that these three disciplines are addressed together by the Lord, even as they are considered together with participation in the worship life of the Church as the three essential pillars of the spiritual life. What the Lord insists in all three cases is that these actions should be genuine, not merely external, but offerings from the heart, not for the sake of gaining the praise of others, but for the sake of true communion with God. In all three cases, we are commanded to keep our actions secret, so that we do not fall into the temptation of pride or vanity, but keep our attention on the Lord Himself.)

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?