Day 1 (Monday)

Hebrews 2:1-18 (Reading from 9th Hour of Christmas Royal Hours)

In this week between Christmas and the New Year, as our regular catechetical ministries are on a short break, we will take one more week to reflect on the wonder of the Lord’s Incarnation, before continuing next week with a reading from Proverbs, and the following week with the next step in the story of Abraham and his family. This week, we will read the second chapter of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews, in which the Apostle continues to develop his point about the Son of God, and the distinction between the Gospel and the message received from the angels. The latter portion of this chapter, from verse 11 on, is the Epistle reading for the 9th Hour of the Royal Hours of Christmas.

Warning to Pay Attention

2 Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 2 For if the message declared through angels was valid, and every transgression or disobedience received a just penalty, 3 how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was declared at first through the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, 4 while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will.

Exaltation through Abasement

5 Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6 But someone has testified somewhere,

“What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them?
7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honor,
8 subjecting all things under their feet.” (From Psalm 8)

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, 9 but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” (From Psalm 22)

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.” (A continuation from Psalm 22)

And again,

“Here am I and the children whom God has given me.” (From Isaiah 8:17-18)

14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

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 connection of this text with what St. Matthew said in last week’s Day 3 reading, in which the people glorified God for the authority He had given to human beings, because of what Jesus had said, in forgiving the paralytic’s sins, and what He did, in healing him. We see the same sort of association here, as St. Paul interprets Psalm 8, as it speaks of humanity being made a little lower than the angels, as in fact referring to our Lord Jesus Christ, being made for a time lower than the angels, but now being glorified, revealed even in His humanity, risen from the dead, as eternal God, and in this elevating human nature itself, making us brothers and sisters with Him.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Hymns from the Feast of the Lord’s Circumcision

Every year, on January 1st, the 8th day after the Nativity of the Lord, we celebrate the Circumcision in the Flesh of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In this feast, we see our Creator and God, human and present in our midst, submitting Himself to the Law that He Himself had given, accepting circumcision, precisely as did Abraham and all His descendants. The point, of course, is that our Lord is Himself the long-awaited Child of Promise, in anticipation of Whom all the coming generations from Abraham had been dedicated to God as His own people. In keeping with the commandments of God, it was also on this 8th Day that He received the name the Angel had commanded for Him, and was called Jesus.

Hymns from the Feast of the Circumcision

1st Hymn of the Vespers Kekragaria

When the Saviour condescended for the sake of mankind, He accepted to be wrapped in swaddling bands. And He that was eight days old from His Mother, and beginningless from His Father, did not disdain to be circumcised in the flesh. O you faithful, let us cry unto Him: You are our God; have mercy on us.

Dismissal Hymn of the Feast

Our human form have you taken on Yourself without change, * O greatly-compassionate Master, though being God by nature; * fulfilling the Law, You willingly * receive circumcision in the flesh, * that You might end the shadow and roll away * the veil of our sinful passions. * Glory be to Your goodness unto us. * Glory be to Your compassion. * Glory, O Word, to Your inexpressible condescension.

Troparia from the 1st Ode of the Canon of the Feast

The eighth day, which bears the figure of the age to come, is made to shine and is sanctified by Your voluntary poverty, O Christ; for on this day, according to the Law, You were circumcised in the flesh.

Christ accepts circumcision on the eighth day after His birth; and on this same day, making the light of the new Grace to rise up, He makes the shadow to withdraw.

Troparia from the 9th Ode of the Canon of the Feast

Transcending the bounds of man's whole nature, Christ is supernaturally born of a Virgin; and as the letter of the Law commands, He is circumcised in the flesh, and is shown to be a fulfiller of the Law.

Come, let us celebrate in holiness the glorious naming of Christ the Master; for in a manner worthy of God, Jesus is given His name today. Together with this, we also magnify the memorial of the hierarch.

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 here how the 8th Day, the day of the Lord’s Circumcision and naming, is recognized and celebrated by the hymns here as a sign of the New Creation, as initiating the Age to Come. By fulfilling the Law, the Lord does not end it, but completes it in Himself, being Himself the one which the Law of Circumcision prophesied, and ushers in for all of us who are called by His Name and incorporated into His Body, the Church, the fullness of communion with God.)

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

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

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

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

Day 3 (Friday)

Matthew 9:14-17 (Question about Fasting)

Last week, we saw the Lord heal a leper and call Matthew (the evangelist who is writing this Gospel) to follow Him, although he had been a tax collector before. Matthew hosted a dinner for Him and his disciples, and the Pharisees criticized Him for spending time with sinful people, at which point He told them that it was precisely the sinful people who needed to be saved, and therefore He had come to them. It seems that this passage continues at the same dinner, with the disciples of John coming to Him there as well.

The Question about Fasting

14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

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 Jesus is making is that both the disciples of John, and the Pharisees, are operating in a different reality than His own disciples; that is to say, the Pharisees are operating according to the assumption that they need to be super perfect in regards to the Law in order to invoke or enable the return of God’s presence to His people, while the disciples of John are operating according to the assumption that they need to live in active repentance in order to prepare for the Messiah that John foretold to come. But His own disciples are present with the one that both the Pharisees and John’s disciples are waiting for; it doesn’t make sense for them to be trying to prepare for His coming when He is already with them. He does note, however, that the time when He is present with them in this way will pass, and that then they will fast, not in preparation for His coming, of course, but in order to help them, which is to say, us, live in communion with the Lord, Who is indeed always present with us, even to the end of the age, even if He is not walking and talking with us as He did with His disciples.)

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)

Baruch 3:9-4:4 (In Praise of Wisdom)

As we approach Christmas, the Church sets forth several readings from the Old Testament for us that prophesy the coming of the Lord. This week, we will read from the book of Baruch, part of the larger prophetic corpus of Jeremiah. The latter portion of this reading (from 3:35 on) is the Prophetic reading for the 3rd Hour in the Christmas Royal Hours. This passage is worth attending to because it begins by speaking about wisdom in what seems like a generalized, metaphorical sense, and ends speaking clearly of Wisdom as a Person – and we in the Church know Who this Person is.

In Praise of Wisdom

9 Hear the commandments of life, O Israel;
give ear, and learn wisdom!
10 Why is it, O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies,
that you are growing old in a foreign country,
that you are defiled with the dead,
11 that you are counted among those in Hades?
12 You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
13 If you had walked in the way of God,
you would be living in peace forever.

14 Learn where there is wisdom,
where there is strength,
where there is understanding,
so that you may at the same time discern
where there is length of days, and life,
where there is light for the eyes, and peace.

15 Who has found her place?
And who has entered her storehouses?
16 Where are the rulers of the nations,
and those who lorded it over the animals on earth;
17 those who made sport of the birds of the air,
and who hoarded up silver and gold
in which people trust,
and there is no end to their getting;
18 those who schemed to get silver, and were anxious,
but there is no trace of their works?

19 They have vanished and gone down to Hades,
and others have arisen in their place.
20 Later generations have seen the light of day,
and have lived upon the earth;
but they have not learned the way to knowledge,
nor understood her paths,
nor laid hold of her.
21 Their descendants have strayed far from her way.

22 She has not been heard of in Canaan,
or seen in Teman;
23 the descendants of Hagar, who seek for understanding on the earth,
the merchants of Merran and Teman,
the story-tellers and the seekers for understanding,
have not learned the way to wisdom,
or given thought to her paths.

24 O Israel, how great is the house of God,
how vast the territory that he possesses!
25 It is great and has no bounds;
it is high and immeasurable.
26 The giants were born there, who were famous of old,
great in stature, expert in war.
27 God did not choose them,
or give them the way to knowledge;
28 so they perished because they had no wisdom,
they perished through their folly.

29 Who has gone up into heaven, and taken her,
and brought her down from the clouds?
30 Who has gone over the sea, and found her,
and will buy her for pure gold?
31 No one knows the way to her,
or is concerned about the path to her.

32 But the one who knows all things knows her,
he found her by his understanding.
The one who prepared the earth for all time
filled it with four-footed creatures;
33 the one who sends forth the light, and it goes;
he called it, and it obeyed him, trembling;
34 the stars shone in their watches, and were glad;
he called them, and they said, “Here we are!”
They shone with gladness for him who made them.

35 This is our God;
no other can be compared to him.
36 He found the whole way to knowledge,
and gave her to his servant Jacob
and to Israel, whom he loved.
37 Afterward she appeared on earth
and lived with humankind.

4 She is the book of the commandments of God,
the law that endures forever.
All who hold her fast will live,
and those who forsake her will die.
2 Turn, O Jacob, and take her;
walk toward the shining of her light.
3 Do not give your glory to another,
or your advantages to an alien people.
4 Happy are we, O Israel,
for we know what is pleasing to God.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that the many feminine pronouns here are a little bit misleading; the word for “wisdom” in Hebrew is chokmah, and in Greek “sophia,” both of which words are grammatically feminine. Thus, the “she” and the “her” that we see throughout are referring consistently to “wisdom,” not to some unknown or unnamed female person. What is striking about this text, and the reason that it is read in the Church in preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s Birth, is verse 37 of chapter 3, in which suddenly we see this Wisdom “appear on earth and live with humankind.” This has been clearly understood by the Church to refer to the Lord’s birth, and He Himself is recognized as the personified Wisdom throughout the Old Testament.)

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. Porphyrios – Don’t Be Afraid

St. Porphyrios is a saint of the 20th century, who was tonsured as a monk on Mount Athos at age 14, but left the Holy Mountain due to poor health, and eventually he ended up serving as a hospital chaplain in Athens. He was renowned for his gentleness, piety, and wisdom, and was spiritual father to many, until he fell asleep in the Lord on December 2nd, 1991. He was canonized as a saint by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2013, and is commemorated on the day of his falling asleep, December 2nd. The reading for today is from a conversation with him, on the subject of fear, and on the reality that our Lord Jesus Christ sustains and protects us from all evils and temptations.

Don’t Be Afraid

“I remember once I told Saint Porphyrios: "I'm afraid of what is to come, the ugly times."

He looked at me puzzled and giving me a swift slap on the hand he said: "Who can do you harm, my child, if you have Christ inside your heart. Turn your eyes towards Christ. You don't become saints by chasing away the evil. Forget about the evil. You should actually turn your eyes towards Christ and He will save you.

Instead of standing at the door and shooing away the enemy, despise him. When you see evil approaching from one direction, you softly give your attention to something else. So, when the evil is coming to offend you, give your interior strength to good, to Christ.

Plead: "Our Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me." He knows how to give you His mercy and in whatever way that is best for you. And after you are full of good, then you no longer turn your attention towards the evil. With the grace of God, you become good. And then the evil is unable to find a place to stand, and disappears."”

From https://www.orthodoxpath.org/saints-and-elders-counsels/dont-be-afraid/

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that what St. Porphyrios is describing is precisely the same thing as what is being said about Wisdom in the Day 1 reading, that when we direct our attention and love to the Lord, rather than to the temptations and the evils of the world, He will always be with us, and will comfort and preserve us, and deliver us from evil. What is helpful is that St. Porphyrios gives more specific and practical guidance about HOW to do this, how to achieve what the reading from Baruch assures us of what the result will be, when we give our attention to Wisdom, to the Logos and Son of God.)

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

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

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

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

Day 3 (Friday)

Matthew 9:1-17 (Jesus Heals a Paralytic, Call of Matthew)

We have been reading through the Gospel of Matthew, and last time we saw Him cross the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, and cast out demons from the two demoniacs in that region. We saw the demons address Him as the Son of God and ask Him to leave them alone, and then ask to be sent into the herd of pigs, rather than into the abyss. Once the Lord had cleansed the demoniacs, the people living in that region asked Him to leave, so this time, we will see Him return to Capernaum.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

1 And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. 2 And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” 7 And he stood up and went to his home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

The Call of Matthew

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

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, among all the notable elements of this reading, the reason that Matthew gives for the people glorifying God when Jesus healed the paralytic was that “He had given such authority to human beings.” The point of the miracle, according to Jesus Himself, is that the healing itself shows that He has the authority to forgive sins as well. He says that first, and then heals the paralytic as a sign to show His authority to forgive sins; and obviously, only God Himself has the authority to forgive sins. Thus, what the people are rejoicing at, whether they understand this fully or not, is precisely that God has become a human being Himself, and that human beings have been reconciled with Him, and that human nature is restored and raised up to communion with God. Thus, although it is not obvious, this is the perfect text for the week before Christmas. And then also, of course, in this passage, we see Matthew tell the story of his own calling to follow the Lord and to be a disciple, even though he was a sinner. And this, too, is good news at Christmas 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 1 (Monday)

Hebrews 1:1-12 (Reading from 1st Hour of Christmas Royal Hours)

As we approach Christmas, we read in the Church several of the prophecies of the coming of the Lord from the Old Testament. However, this week, we will instead read from the beginning of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews, which instead contains several quotations from the Old Testament, pointing out the unique role and authority of the Son of God. This is read in the Church during the Royal Hours of Christmas, and is specifically the Epistle Reading of the First Hour.

God Has Spoken by His Son

1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days He has spoken to us by a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and He sustains all things by His powerful word. When He had made purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the Name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

The Son Is Superior to Angels

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;
today I have begotten you”? (From Psalm 2)

Or again,

“I will be His Father,
and He will be my Son”? (From 2 Samuel 7:14)

6 And again, when He brings the Firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.” (From Deuteronomy 32:43 & Psalm 97:7)

7 Of the angels He says,

“He makes his angels winds,
and His servants flames of fire.” (From Psalm 104:4)

8 But of the Son He says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
and the righteous scepter is the scepter of Your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed You
with the oil of gladness beyond Your companions.” (From Psalm 45:6-7)

10 And,

“In the beginning, Lord, You founded the earth,
and the heavens are the work of Your hands;
11 they will perish, but You remain;
they will all wear out like clothing;
12 like a cloak You will roll them up,
and like clothing they will be changed.
But You are the same,
and Your years will never end.” (From Psalm 102:25-27)

13 But to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? (From Psalm 110:1)

14 Are not all angels spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Psalm 110

Assurance of Victory for God’s Priest-King
Of David. A Psalm.

1 The Lord says to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”

2 The Lord sends out from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your foes.
3 Your people will offer themselves willingly
on the day you lead your forces
on the holy mountains.
From the womb of the morning,
like dew, your youth will come to you.

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.

6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter heads
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the stream by the path;
therefore he will lift up his head.

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. Paul, having begun with this assertion that God has spoken to us now clearly through His Son, affirms the very close identity of the Son with the Father, and then quotes several passages from the Old Testament which illustrate the distinction between the Son and the angels, those who are called sons of God in the Old Testament. This should be helpful for us in understanding the various figures we have just seen meeting with Abraham, both God Himself, and angels as well; there is a clear distinction between them, and it is this that St. Paul is emphasizing. It is worth noting, as well, that the book of Hebrews can be seen as a sermon expanding on and explaining Psalm 110, which is why we include its text here as well.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Hymns from Christmas

Every year, on December 25th, we celebrate the Nativity, or Birth, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In this feast, we see our Creator and God become human, born of the Virgin Mary, present in our midst for our salvation. The themes of this celebration are nothing less than the wonder and awe of encountering in the manger Emmanuel, God With Us. Many of the hymns reflect on the child born in Bethlehem as the Eternal God from before the ages, active and present in the world with the righteous of the Old Testament, and finally revealed to us as perfect God and perfect Man, in keeping with what we have been discussing about Abraham and his encounters with the Lord.
It is worth noting here that the feast-day celebrations span two days, and normally begin with the Royal Hours the morning of Christmas Eve, continuing with the Vesperal Liturgy that evening, and finishing with the Orthros and Liturgy on Christmas Day itself. This year, that schedule is altered somewhat, because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. Instead, we will celebrate an Orthros and Liturgy on the morning of Christmas Eve, then the Vespers of Christmas that evening, and then the Orthros and Liturgy of Christmas Day Sunday morning. The Royal Hours are shifted a day earlier, and are to be done (if they are done) the morning of Friday, the 23rd.

Theotokion of the Royal Hours

What shall we call you, O Lady full of grace? Heaven? For you gave rise to the Sun of righteousness. Paradise? For you blossomed the flower of incorruption. Virgin? For you remained incorrupt. Pure Mother? For you held in your holy embrace a Son who is the God of all. Entreat Him to save our souls.

Idiomelon 1 of the 1st Hour

Prepare, O Bethlehem. Let the manger make ready and the grotto anticipate. The truth has come and the shadow has passed away. Born of a Virgin, God has appeared to men, taking our form and deifying that which He assumed. Therefore Adam and Eve are renewed, and they cry out, "The good-pleasure of God has appeared on earth for the salvation of the human race."

Doxastikon of the 9th Hour

Today, He who holds the whole world in His hand is born from a Virgin. (3) He who is impalpable in essence is wrapped in swaddling clothes as a mortal. God, who in the beginning established the heavens of old, is lying in a manger as a newborn babe. He who rained down manna for the people in the wilderness is nursed by His mother. He who is the Bridegroom of the Church is summoning the Magi. And He is accepting their gifts, now as the Son of the Virgin. "We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. Also show us Your divine Epiphany."

Idiomelon 1 of the Vespers Kekragaria

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, as we tell about this mystery. The middle wall of separation has been broken down; the fiery sword has turned back, the Cherubim permits access to the tree of life; and I partake of the delight of Paradise, from which I was cast out because of disobedience. For the exact Image of the Father, the express Image of his eternity, takes the form of a servant, coming forth from a virgin Mother; and He undergoes no change. He remained what He was, true God; and He took up what he was not, becoming human in His love for humanity. Let us cry out to Him: "You who were born from a Virgin, O God, have mercy on us."

Idiomelon 2 of the Liti

Heaven and earth are united today, for Christ is born! ⁄ Today God has come upon earth, and mankind gone up to heaven. ⁄ Today, for the sake of mankind, ⁄ the invisible one is seen in the flesh. ⁄ Therefore let us glorify Him and cry aloud: ⁄ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace ⁄⁄ bestowed by Your coming, Savior: Glory to You!

Idiomelon 2 of the Aposticha

Today the Virgin gives birth to the Maker of the universe. Eden offers a cave, and a star announces Christ, the Sun to those in darkness. Magi were illumined by faith and came and worshiped Him with gifts. Shepherds saw the wonder, as Angels were singing: "Glory in the highest to God!"

Kathisma 3 of the Orthros

He whom nothing can contain has been contained in a womb. * He is in the Father's bosom and His Mother's embrace. * How can this be, but as He knows and willed and was well pleased. * Fleshless as He was, He willingly took flesh. * And He Who Is became what He was not, for us. * And while departing not from His own nature, * He shared in our nature's substance. * So Christ was born with dual natures, * wishing to replenish the world on high.

Both Now of Ode 3 of Canon 2 of the Feast

In His compassion, the One who rules the heights of heaven ⁄ has become as we are, born of a Maiden who has not known man. ⁄ The Word who before was wholly outside matter, ⁄ in these last times has assumed the material substance of the flesh ⁄⁄ so that He might draw to Himself fallen Adam, the first-formed man.

Eirmos of Ode 5 of Canon 1 of the Feast

God of peace and Father of mercies, Your Son * You have sent unto us as Your messenger, * the Angel of great counsel who is granting peace. * Therefore having been guided to the light of godly knowledge, * waking from the night to dawn, we sing Your glory, O Lover of man.

Troparion of Ode 6 of Canon 1 of the Feast

He is come made flesh * Christ our God, whom from the womb before the morning star does God the Father beget. * He who rides upon the immaculate host of the heavenly minds * now is laid in a manger of irrationals. * He is wrapped in tattered swaddling clothes, * but He looses transgressions' entangling bonds.

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 much of the language that St. Paul is reflecting on in Hebrews 1, which we read on Day 1, is repeated time and again in these hymns. Much of our worship at Christmas is a meditation on the mystery of how this Child in the manger is Infinite God, known and encountered by humanity throughout the Old Testament, now present with us; each of these hymns is an invitation to enter more deeply into this mystery.)

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 8:18-34 (Following Jesus, Jesus Calms the Storm, Delivers Gadarene Demoniac)

Last time, we saw Jesus coming down from the mountain where He preached the Sermon on the Mount, and encountering three different people seeking healing from Him, ending in Capernaum, in the home of Simon Peter (whose mother-in-law was the third person healed). This week, we will have a change of venue, as the Lord decides to leave Capernaum and cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

Would-Be Followers of Jesus

18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Stills the Storm

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals the Gadarene Demoniacs

28 When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. 31 The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” 32 And he said to them, “Go!”

So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. 33 The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.

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 three of these events reveal the Lord’s Divinity; when He tells those who want to follow Him of what it costs to follow Him, He is assuring them that He is no common teacher, but that He is God Himself, and all other responsibilities are secondary to Him. In calming the storm, He shows Himself to have power and authority even over the wind and the waves, such as only God could have, and the same is demonstrated by the cleansing of the demoniacs, in the authority that He has over the unclean spirits.)

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 21:1-7 (Birth of Isaac)

Last time, we saw the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, and how Lot and his family were saved from the judgment that God brought down upon the evil of those cities, even though they were reluctant to leave. Immediately before, God had come to Abraham and Sarah and had promised them that the long-promised son would be born within a year. This time, we will finally see this promise come to pass.

The Birth of Isaac

21 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Now Sarah said, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” 7 And she said, “Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

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 name Isaac means “laughter,” which refers both to Sarah’s own laughter in amazement that God had promised something so impossible as that, and also the strange reality that she, in her old age, had the joy and laughter of being a new mother. We may say, as well, that this reflects more broadly the truth that God is giving joy and laughter to those who labor and are heavily laden with sorrows in this fallen world, and is bringing restoration and healing through this birth of Isaac, and through the great plan of salvation that He is beginning with Isaac’s birth. It should go without saying that Isaac’s birth very much foreshadows the still more miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the Virgin Mary, which we are of course preparing to celebrate at this 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)

St. John Chrysostom on the Birth of Isaac

We have read a fair bit from St. John Chrysostom, and generally he is very down to earth and to the point. When speaking about this story, however, he provides a different perspective, and it is worth hearing this idea and reflecting on what it means.

St. John Chrysostom on the Birth of Isaac

Do you wish to learn the symbolic meaning of Sarah’s sterility? The church was to bring forth the multitude of believers. In order, therefore, that you may not find incredible how one who was childless, fruitless and barren could have given birth, she who by nature was barren went ahead, paving the way for chosen sterility, and Sarah became a type of the church. For just as she gave birth in her old age when she was barren, so too the church, though barren, has given birth for these, the final times.”

Mark Sheridan, ed., Genesis 12–50, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 90.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should communicate that this passage comes from a sermon entitled “Do Not Despair,” in which the saint is urging those who are conscious of their sins to repent in confidence that the Lord will raise them up. Thus he speaks of the Church as being barren, and yet giving life again, because he is preaching TO a church fill of people who recognize themselves to be barren of the virtues, and is assuring them that Sarah provides them with an example of God’s mercy and power, to bring life even out of such barrenness. Thus they should not despair of their sins, but rather repent, and be born anew into life, in a metaphorical way, out of the apparent barrenness of the Church to which St. John was preaching, being full of sinful and broken people. The entire sermon is available online at the following link, and is worth reading for those who have time to benefit from the entirety of St. John exhortation. As a side note, the website that we are linking here has many helpful resources, but also many that can be misleading and over-legalistic, so caution is strongly recommended: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/homily_stjohnchrysostom1.aspx)

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 8:1-17 (Jesus Cleanses a Leper, Heals Many)

Last week, we finished the Sermon on the Mount, as Jesus taught His disciples an entirely different way of seeing the world and living their lives. The basic theme of the sermon was that we are created and called to be citizens of the kingdom of God, not of the kingdoms of this world, and that we must therefore seek first the kingdom of God, if we seek to find fulfillment, peace, and everlasting joy. This week, we will see the Lord descend from the mountain, and continue His ministry.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; 2 and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” 3 He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.”

10 When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour.

Jesus Heals Many at Peter’s House

14 When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; 15 he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note that the leper and the centurion exemplify for us what it looks like to entrust ourselves to the Lord, seeking Him first, above all other things. The leper is more what we would expect of someone transformed by the Lord, as he is poor and sick, an exile from his family and city, and therefore it is easy for him to cast himself at the Lord’s mercy. The centurion is more surprising, as he possesses wealth and power, and yet he comes to the Lord asking for His help, rather than going elsewhere. We see in him a beautiful example of how we should approach the Lord; the centurion does not believe he deserves the Lord’s help, but he asks for it anyway, and entrusts himself to the Lord’s will. And therefore he both receives what he asks, and is praised as an example 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?