Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 26:34-35; 27:1-40 (Esau’s Hittite Wives, Isaac Blesses Jacob)

Last time we saw God renew the Promise to Isaac, commanding him not to go into Egypt, but to remain as an alien in the land. We saw Isaac obey God, and exist in constant insecurity and movement as the residents of what eventually became Philistia drove him from well to well, until he finally came to a place where he could remain at peace with them. Having trusted and waited upon the Lord, he was finally granted a space of peace from outside. Now we will see more of what his family life is like…

Esau’s Hittite Wives

34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite; 35 and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Isaac Blesses Jacob

27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called his elder son Esau and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “See, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me. 4 Then prepare for me savory food, such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die.”

5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game, and prepare for me savory food to eat, that I may bless you before the Lord before I die.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I command you. 9 Go to the flock, and get me two choice kids, so that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he likes; 10 and you shall take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”

11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a man of smooth skin. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him, and bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my word, and go, get them for me.” 14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother; and his mother prepared savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob; 16 and she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she handed the savory food, and the bread that she had prepared, to her son Jacob.

18 So he went in to his father, and said, “My father”; and he said, “Here I am; who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may bless me.” 20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.”

22 So Jacob went up to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 25 Then he said, “Bring it to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said,

“Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you of the dew of heaven,
and of the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and wine.
29 Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

Esau’s Lost Blessing

30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of his father Isaac, his brother Esau came in from his hunting. 31 He also prepared savory food, and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father sit up and eat of his son’s game, so that you may bless me.” 32 His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him?—yes, and blessed he shall be!”

34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, me also, father!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright; and look, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have already made him your lord, and I have given him all his brothers as servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, father? Bless me, me also, father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

39 Then his father Isaac answered him:

“See, away from the fatness of the earth shall your home be,
and away from the dew of heaven on high.
40 By your sword you shall live,
and you shall serve your brother;
but when you break loose,
you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that this passage is one of the most discussed passages in the Scripture. The apparent tension between Isaac and Rebecca regarding their respective favorites, the deception accomplished by Jacob and Rebecca, and the particular nature of the blessing given by Isaac to Jacob, when he thinks Jacob is Esau, are all remarkable and troubling. There are no clear and easy “good guys” in the passage; we see rather all the hallmarks of real and broken human beings in conflict with one another. One thought that may be worth considering is that, at this point, the blessing that both Esau and Jacob are seeking is wealth and power; it is notable that this is the blessing that Isaac gives to Esau, or rather to Jacob pretending to be Esau. It may be, as well, that this is why Isaac is so troubled when he realizes the deceit; Jacob has taken a blessing that is second-best, the one fit for Esau’s troubled character, beloved though he is to his father, but not fit for the bearer of God’s Promise of the coming Messiah. We will consider this more in the weeks to come.)

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)

Prayers at the End of the Prothesis & at the Small Entrance

Most of us are accustomed to the normal flow of the Sunday Divine Liturgy, but many of the prayers of the service are said silently by the Priest, either in preparation for the service, or as the clergy portion which is prayed while the Faithful are singing or praying their set parts. This “division of labor” is a normal part of our liturgical worship, but it is good to examine these silent prayers, in order to understand more clearly what is happening in the Liturgy, and how we should approach our worship ourselves.

Prior to the service, the Priest has already prepared the Bread and Wine that will be offered as our Eucharist, our Offering of Thanksgiving to God. At the conclusion of that preparation, he says four prayers, which we will read today. Then, after the service has begun, at the point of the Small Entrance, when the clergy carry the Gospel onto the Solea and then sing: “Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ…,” there is another prayer that reflects the history of the Small Entrance as the formal moment of entering the Church in the ancient Liturgy. What these five prayers have to say are helpful for us, expressing what we are doing when we take part in the Divine Liturgy, so we will read them today.

Prayers at the Conclusion of the Prothesis (Preparation of the Gifts)

Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. Your Cross do we worship, O Christ, and Your holy Resurrection do we hymn and glorify. For You are our God, we know no other but You, we call upon Your name. Come all the faithful, let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ; for behold through the Cross, joy has come in all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we extol His Resurrection. For enduring the Cross for us, He destroyed death by death.

Then these three Troparia:

With Your body You were in the grave, with Your soul in Hades as God; and in Paradise with the thief, and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit, O Christ, the Uncircumscribed One, filling all things.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

Your tomb, O Christ, has been manifested as the source of life, more beautiful than Paradise, and truly, as the font of our resurrection it is more brilliant than a royal bridal chamber.

Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O sanctified divine temple of the Most High; for through you, Theotokos, joy has been given to those who cry out: “Blessed are you among women, all-blameless Lady.”

And then, much later, after the Liturgy has begun and the Antiphons have been sung:

Prayer at the Entrance of the Gospel

Master and Lord our God, You have established in heaven the orders and hosts of angels and archangels to minister to Your glory. Grant that the holy angels may enter with us that together we may serve and glorify Your goodness. For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

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 the initial prayer “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ…” sums up what the Lord has done for us, and what our response is to His Cross and Resurrection. The other prayers affirm several essential points: first, that the Lord is not limited or containable, even in the moment of His death, but remains present everywhere, remains fully Divine, even as He immerses Himself in death and descends into Hades. Second, that by His death and resurrection, the tomb itself becomes a fountain of blessings, and third, that the Theotokos is also the wellspring of joy for us. Finally, the prayer of the Entrance reflects on how our worship here on earth is united with the ongoing worship of the angels before the Throne of God on high. So the summary of all this is that the Lord has united Himself with us in His Passion and Resurrection, and thus calls us to be united with Him, and it is this call that we answer every time we celebrate the Eucharist.)

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)

John 2:1-25 (Wedding at Cana, Jesus Cleanses the Temple)

Last time, we saw the Lord call his first disciples, beginning with the two that St. John the Baptist sent to follow Him, and continuing with their brothers, James and Peter, and then with Philip and Nathanael of Bethsaida. Having called these disciples, and told them that they will see the heavens open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man, we will now see Him begin His ministry and miracles.

The Wedding at Cana

2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”

17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

23 When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader can point out a few things. First, it is significant that the Lord begins His ministry at a wedding, blessing the union, and blessing the celebration of that union, with a transformation of water into something more than water. This passage is read at the Orthodox wedding service, and among other things, the water being changed into wine is an image of what God does to a man and woman when they come for marriage, changing and calling them to something more than what they naturally are themselves. Second, it is striking that St. John shows the Lord’s next action being to go to the Temple and to cleanse it, claiming it as His Father’s house. This is before He does anything else except for blessing the marriage; so John is making absolutely explicit that the Lord is, and claims to be from the very beginning, the eternal Word 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 1 (Monday)

Genesis 26:1-33 (Isaac and Abimelech)

Last time, we saw the death of Abraham, and the birth of Esau and Jacob to Rebecca, the wife of Isaac. We saw that there was conflict between the two of them, and that will continue to play out in future readings. For now, however, we have a chance to see a little bit of Isaac’s life in the land of Canaan.

Isaac and Abimelech

26 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; settle in the land that I shall show you. 3 Reside in this land as an alien, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and will give to your offspring all these lands; and all the nations of the earth shall gain blessing for themselves through your offspring, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “My wife,” thinking, “or else the men of the place might kill me for the sake of Rebekah, because she is attractive in appearance.” 8 When Isaac had been there a long time, King Abimelech of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw him flirting with his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelech called for Isaac, and said, “So she is your wife! Why then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought I might die because of her.” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death.”

12 Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in the same year reaped a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich; he prospered more and more until he became very wealthy. 14 He had possessions of flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 (Now the Philistines had stopped up and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham.) 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”

17 So Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar and settled there. 18 Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham; for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the names that his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, 20 the herders of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herders, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also; so he called it Sitnah. 22 He moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he called it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

23 From there he went up to Beer-sheba. 24 And that very night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you and make your offspring numerous for my servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he built an altar there, called on the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army. 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” 28 They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you; so we say, let there be an oath between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you 29 so that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.”

30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths; and Isaac set them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. 32 That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water!” 33 He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day.

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 God tells Isaac not to go to Egypt, and promises to care for him, renewing the promises He made to Abraham. Things do not immediately go smoothly; there is tension with the king of the region, and especially with the herdsmen of the Philistines. He finds himself despised and envied by the people of the land, and has to move several times, living truly as an alien and wanderer in the land; but the Lord protects him, and ultimately grants him rest. This is a cycle that we often experience in our own lives. We do not immediately find peace and safety the moment that we undertake to follow the Lord; rather, we often find ourselves tested and troubled, unable to be at peace in outward matters. The Lord often permits this for us, so that we can learn to trust Him truly, when it is hard, and not only when it is easy. Eventually, however, as with Isaac, the Lord brings peace to us, resolving the conflict and assuring us of His care and faithfulness to us.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

St. Kassiani the Hymnographer

The Church celebrates the feast of St. Kassiani the Hymnographer on September 7th. This saint was devoted to the veneration of the icons during the second resurgence of iconoclasm, but is remembered most of all for her hymnography. Several of her hymns are still used in celebration of the great feasts of the Church, but the most famous is the “Hymn of Kassiani,” which is sung Holy Tuesday evening, reflecting on the sins and the repentance of the woman who washed the feet of the Lord with her tears.

St. Kassiani the Hymnographer

Our holy Mother Kassiani (also rendered Cassiane, Ikasia or Cassia) was born in Constantinople some time before 805. Her father, an aristocrat, held a high position at the imperial court. She received an excellent education, both secular and sacred. Though exquisitely beautiful from the time of her youth, she desired to dedicate her entire life to Christ and the Church, and thus considered becoming a nun.

With the death of Emperor Michael II of Amorion, his son Theophilos succeeded him (829-842). Theophilos' step-mother, Euphrosne, desired to find a suitable match for him and arranged a “bride show” where the loveliest maidens were gathered. The contestants were narrowed down to six semi-finalists by Theophilos, of which Kassiani was one. To make his final choice, Euphrosyne wanted Theophilos to use an ancient custom, where a golden apple was given to the future Empress. With the maidens lined up, Theophilos was impressed most with Kassiani's beauty.

Theophilos therefore went up to Kassiani, and said: "From woman came corruption" (literally, the worse things, referring to Eve, who initiated the fall – in Greek, "Εκ γυναικός τα χείρω.”) Then the most wise Kassiani responded. "And from woman came the most excellent" (literally, the better things, referring to the Theotokos who gave birth to God in the flesh – in Greek, "Kαι εκ γυναικός τα κρείττω.”) Astounded by her wisdom and boldness, Theophilos withdrew from her, and approached the more modest Theodora and offered her the apple.

Kassiani had no desire to be Empress, therefore she gladly acknowledged divine Providence in the election of Theodora, and this liberated her to pursue the monastic life and become a bride of the King of kings. Renouncing the world, Kassiani built a convent on Xerolophos, which was the seventh hill of Constantinople. Tonsured a nun, she "led an ascetical and philosophical life, pleasing to God.

Now Theophilos was fierce iconoclast, forbidding the veneration of icons, and though he chose Theodora to be his wife, he was unaware that she was even more a devotee of icons, managing to hide her love for icons for many years, and even raised her five daughters and one son to revere them. Unlike Theodora, Kassiani was very vocal in her convictions as an iconodule. Publicly defying imperial policy, Kassiani was subject to persecution and was even once scourged with the lash.

Undaunted, she resisted the folly of the iconoclasts. With letters, gifts and visitations she often supported the monastics who were imprisoned for their devotion to icons. Her courageous defense of holy icons has earned her a place in icons depicting the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

While the Church was embattled with the iconoclastic controversy, Kassiani was inspired to pursue her diverse literary and musical interests. Even when she was a young girl, Theodore the Studite (Nov. 11) was impressed with her learning and literary style, which was rare for a woman so young. In time, therefore, Kassiani established herself as a hymnographer; in fact she is Orthodoxy's only female hymnographer of distinction. There are at least twenty-three hymns ascribed to her in the service books that cover the Orthodox liturgical cycle, among other canons such as that for Memorial Services and Holy and Great Saturday. Her most famous hymn bears her name and is chanted on Great and Holy Wednesday, often considered the most beautiful of all hymns.

Besides her hymnography, Kassiani was known to be a sharp observer of human frailties, and expressed her opinion of people sharply in Iambic Verses. One in particular she certainly lived by was: "I hate silence, when it is time to speak." Kassiani is so respected as a female writer, that she is only one of two females whom we know of by name that authored influential writings in the Eastern Roman Empire (the other is Anna Comnena). In the first known list of Orthodox liturgical poets, drawn up by Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos (+ 1335), Kassiani the Nun is mentioned last on a list of the eleven most distinguished melodists.

One biographer (George the Sinner) comments: "She (Kassiani) lived only for God, to the end of her life." Thus, after a life dedicated to Christ and the Church, and having been crowned as a confessor, ascetic and hymnographer, our holy Mother Kassiani reposed in the Lord.

Saint’s Life is from https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2015/09/saint-kassiani-hymnographer.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 aristocratic life ion Constantinople at this time was very much given over to political betrayal and violence; Kassiani, in avoiding the role of empress, clearly and manifestly found herself the better path in life. The insights that she shows in her hymns indicate a balanced understanding of the brokenness of the world, and the remedy to be found in the Gospel; as a monastic, she has forsaken the vain pursuits of the world, even of the Christian Roman Empire, and chosen rather the kingdom of God. As a side note, there have been some recent recordings of her hymns, and some sample clips can be found here: https://cappellarecords.com/recording/hymns-of-kassiani/)

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)

John 1:35-51 (First Disciples of Jesus, Jesus Calls Philip & Nathanael)

Last time, we saw Jesus come to John, who proclaimed Him to be “the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world…the Son of God.” This time, we will see Jesus begin to call disciples to follow Him, starting with two that had been following John, who the Forerunner sends to follow Jesus instead.

The First Disciples of Jesus

35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.”

They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

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 we don’t know what Jesus is referring to when He speaks about seeing Nathanael under the fig tree. It doesn’t matter whether we know, however; Nathanael knew, and was amazed that Jesus knew something that He could not have known unless He were the Son of God, and the King of Israel. Some have suggested that Nathanael had offered some fervent prayer to God under a fig tree, and this sort of thing seems likely to be on the right track; Jesus, in referring to this incident, is speaking directly to something for which Nathanael had yearned. The other point we should note is that, while two of John’s disciples are mentioned, only one of them, Andrew, is named. The other is generally thought to be John himself, the author of this book, and thus this story is his own personal recollection, being one of the first-called disciples of the Lord, and having seen what happened as the Lord called the others to follow Him.)

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

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

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

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

Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 25:1-11; 19-34 (Abraham’s 2nd Wife, Death of Abraham, Birth of Esau & Jacob, Esau Sells his Birthright)

As we begin this third year of the Religious Education Initiative, we are picking up the story of Abraham as he comes to the end of his life, after the death of Sarah, as the story moves on from Abraham to his son Isaac. Before we do so, it is good that we sum up the story in Scripture so far; God created humankind in innocence, and placed them in the Garden of Eden, where they dwelt in His presence until they disobeyed His commandment and chose their own way. Through that sin, and the many more sins of their descendants, the world fell into corruption, until God purified it, destroying and refashioning the world in the great Flood. He saved the righteous in the Ark, and from them the world was restored, but once again, Noah's descendants fell into evil and corruption, making common cause with evil gods, fallen angels who sought to lead all of humanity astray and destroy us in their rebellion against the Most-High God. When they built the Tower of Babel, God divided the nations, separating their languages and scattering them throughout the world, and removing Himself far from them so as not to destroy them again. He did not abandon humankind, however, but called Abram to leave his father's house and home country, and to follow God's call into a distant country, with the promise that he would make him into a great nation, and that all the nations of the world would be blessed (and therefore reconciled with God) through him. Abram and his wife Sarah had no children at that time, and as they obeyed God, entrusting themselves to Him, they waited for many years without having any children, until Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90. At that time, God visited them, and brought forth from the two of them Isaac, the child of promise, although they were long past the time when they had the natural ability to bring forth children. So Isaac is a miracle child, the gift of God to Abraham and Sarah, and the vessel of His promises to them, and to all humankind. The last thing we read was how Isaac gained his wife Rebecca, and married her just before the death of his mother Sarah. As we continue the story, then, we will say goodbye to Abraham, and will see what Isaac and his family are like.

Abraham Marries Keturah

25 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

The Death of Abraham

7 This is the length of Abraham’s life, one hundred seventy-five years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with his wife Sarah. 11 After the death of Abraham God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

Ishmael’s Descendants

25:12-18 (We are omitting the list of Ishmael's descendants. We should note here, though, that, although Ishmael was born of what seems to have been Abram's mistake, thinking that he must need to take matters into his own hands when he and Sarah did not have a child of their own for so long, he is not forsaken by God, and indeed remains at peace with Isaac and his descendants. In the list of his descendants is a certain Jobab, who the Fathers of the Church consider to be the Job about whom the book of Job is written.)

The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob

19 These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the elder shall serve the younger.”

24 When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out two things. First, we hardly see Isaac do anything, either in this passage, or later on. He is the child of promise, and he simply lives a peaceful life, in faithful obedience to the Lord. Second, just because he is faithful and peaceful himself does not mean that his children are guaranteed the same blessings; they have to choose to be faithful, to follow the example of their parents. The conflict that we see between Esau and Jacob in these first stories about them indicate what will follow; their path toward faithfulness and peace with God and with one another will be longer and more complicated. The other point that should be noted is that Abraham marries again after Sarah dies, and has several other children; these children, especially Midian, will be seen again, or rather, the descendants of Midian, among whom Moses finds shelter when he flees from Egypt, and learns the worship of the Lord, finds a wife, and fathers sons, and is renewed to the covenant by circumcision. So these other descendants of Abraham hold fast to the covenant, and continue to dwell in the region, even after the descendants of Jacob go down to Egypt.)

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 Elevation of the Holy Cross

Today for our selection from Church Tradition, we’ll be looking at some of the hymns from the great Feast of the Church that we celebrate on September 14th, the Elevation of the Precious and Holy Cross. This feast commemorates both the finding of the Cross by St. Helen, and its recovery and return to Jerusalem in 627, after its seizure by the Persians a decade before. The feast of the Cross is a Strict Fast, and functions almost like mini celebration of the themes of Holy Week, all distilled into a single feast day, here in the fall, at the beginning of the new Church Year.

Doxastikon of the Kekragaria

Come, all you nations, let us reverence the blessed tree, through which has come the eternal vindication. For he who deceived our forefather Adam by means of a tree is himself ensnared by the Cross. And he falls headlong tumbling down, who formerly held the royal masterwork in tyranny. By the blood of God, the venom of the serpent is washed away, and the curse is lifted of the just sentence by the unjust sentence on the Righteous One who was condemned. For it was necessary to remedy tree by tree, and to put an end to the passions suffered by the condemned at the tree by the Passion of the Passionless One. And therefore, glory, O Christ the King, glory to the awesome plan for our salvation, by which You saved everyone, since You are good and You love humanity.

1st Hymn of the Aposticha

Rejoice, life-bearing Cross of the Lord, * of true religion the invincible monument, * the door to the blessed Garden, * support for those who believe, * and the Church's wall of defense all around. * Corruption has vanished and is abolished because of you. * Through you the power that was death's has been swallowed up, * and from earth have we been exalted to the heavens' heights; * panoply unassailable, * opponent of demons all, * the Martyrs' glory that truly adorns devoutest ascetic saints; * the port of salvation, * O all-precious Cross, bestowing great mercy on the world.

2nd Hymn of the Orthros Kathismata

The wood of Your Cross was merely planted, O Christ, and the foundations of death were shaken, O Lord. Hades had swallowed You eagerly, but with trembling it disgorged You. You have shown us Your salvation, O Holy One, and we glorify You, Son of God. Have mercy on us.

Ode 5, selections

Tree of the Cross, you are thrice-blessed, * for Jesus Christ, who is King and Lord, was crucified on you. * Through you fallen is the one who by a tree deceived us, * for he was lured by God who in the flesh indeed * was hung and nailed to you, * and who grants to our souls His peace.

Our adversaries, the powers from beneath the earth, ⁄ tremble when they see the sign of the Cross ⁄ displayed in the air where they dwell; ⁄ and the ranks of those who dwell in heaven ⁄ together with those born on earth ⁄ bow the knee before Christ Who grants peace to our souls.

Ode 9, Hymn 5

We were continually plunged in our forefather's darkness, O Lord our God; * but through the Cross, today You have raised us up. * Even as all of human nature was swept down by error uncontrollably, * so the light of Your Cross lifted the entire human race. * And therefore we the believers magnify the Cross.

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 Cross is talked about as a weapon, by which the Lord has destroyed our enemies and raised us up to glory. This is precisely accurate, of course; the Cross was what the Lord used, in humility and weakness, together with us, to submit Himself to death, and to unite Himself to the lowest and most broken depths of our nature. In so doing, of course, He has conquered death by death, brokenness by brokenness, exile by exile, suffering by suffering, and injustice by injustice. To speak of the Cross as the Lord’s weapon, however, is also to affirm for ourselves that the same principle applies for us in our lives; the only ultimate remedy to the problems of the world is the Cross of the Lord, which we allow to be present in our lives when we take up our own cross and follow Christ.)

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)

John 1:19-34 (Testimony of John the Baptist, the Lamb of God)

Last time we began the Gospel of John, and saw the Apostle draw a clear line connecting the figure of the Word of God from the Old Testament, the figure who spoke to many of the Prophets, as fully God, and as the One Who “became flesh, and dwelt among us.” He also talked about John the Baptist, a “man sent from God” to bear witness to the Word, the Light of the world. This time, we enter upon the narrative, as we see John being questioned by the religious authorities to see who he is.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as the prophet Isaiah said.

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

The Lamb of God

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that, when they ask John who he is, they are referencing several prophecies. In asking if he is the Messiah, they refer to the most important expectation of the Anointed One, the son of David, who will come to save his people. For the others, the reference to the Prophet, they are talking about Moses’ prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15, that the Lord will raise up a prophet like Moses, and the people are to listen to Him, and about the expectation from Malachi 3:23, that the Lord “will send you the Prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord.” To all of these, John answers no, because he is not, in fact, the Messiah, and all three of these texts are, or may be, understood as referring to the Messiah in one sense of another. John rather emphasizes his role as a servant and herald of one whose coming can hardly be imagined, in a quote from Isaiah 40:3, from which we will quote a little bit more to show the point that John is making…that the Messiah is God Himself:

3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand for ever.
9 Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd,
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.”

With that quote in mind, what John says when he actually sees the Lord is made still more clear; this is the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, the Uncreated Creator of all, now present within His own creation, just as was discussed in more theological terms in last week’s reading.)

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)

Proverbs 19:1-29; 20:1-30

This reading and reflection marks the beginning of the fourth year of the Religious Education Initiative. Each week, we will provide three readings for the parish. Everyone is urged to participate; families should participate together, reading the selections Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (or three other days/times, whatever works best for the family). Anyone can take the lead, but we recommend that the father and mother in each household do so to start with, but whoever leads, we strongly recommend that each household take this opportunity to make it a priority to do these readings and reflections as an entire and whole family, all together. Also, since fathers often get left out of religious matters in the home, because of their other responsibilities and obligations outside of the home, wherever possible it is best if the father takes the lead in these readings, either reading the selection and guiding the discussion himself, or delegating the reading to someone else.

As we begin the new Church year, and our fourth year of the Religious Education Initiative, we will start with another selection from the book of Proverbs. At this point in the book of Proverbs, we are simply reading through a collection of wise sayings of Solomon. In all of these, the general theme is the contrast between what the Church has often referred to as the way of death, versus the way of life. We pray that these reminders will remind us all of the sacred responsibilities placed in our hands, and that we will run with patience and faithfulness the race that is set before us, not just this year, but over our entire lives.

Note: this is a longer selection, as may be appropriate for families with older children, etc. Families with younger children may certain consider reading only a portion of the following, as seems appropriate to the parents. If you read the entire selection, it should take a little over four minutes, so feel to adjust accordingly.

Wise Sayings (Proverbs) of Solomon

Chapter 19

1 Better the poor walking in integrity
than one perverse of speech who is a fool.
2 Desire without knowledge is not good,
and one who moves too hurriedly misses the way.
3 One’s own folly leads to ruin,
yet the heart rages against the Lord.

4 Wealth brings many friends,
but the poor are left friendless.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and a liar will not escape.
6 Many seek the favor of the generous,
and everyone is a friend to a giver of gifts.

7 If the poor are hated even by their kin,
how much more are they shunned by their friends!
When they call after them, they are not there.
8 To get wisdom is to love oneself;
to keep understanding is to prosper.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and the liar will perish.

10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11 Those with good sense are slow to anger,
and it is their glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king’s anger is like the growling of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A stupid child is ruin to a father,
and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
14 House and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep;
an idle person will suffer hunger.

16 Those who keep the commandment will live;
those who are heedless of their ways will die.
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and will be repaid in full.
18 Discipline your children while there is hope;
do not set your heart on their destruction.

19 A violent tempered person will pay the penalty;
if you effect a rescue, you will only have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom for the future.
21 The human mind may devise many plans,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.

22 What is desirable in a person is loyalty,
and it is better to be poor than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord is life indeed;
filled with it one rests secure
and suffers no harm.
24 The lazy person buries a hand in the dish,
and will not even bring it back to the mouth.

25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
reprove the intelligent, and they will gain knowledge.
26 Those who do violence to their father and chase away their mother
are children who cause shame and bring reproach.

27 Cease straying, my child, from the words of knowledge,
in order that you may hear instruction.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
and flogging for the backs of fools.

Chapter 20

1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
2 The dread anger of a king is like the growling of a lion;
anyone who provokes him to anger forfeits life itself.
3 It is honorable to refrain from strife,
but every fool is quick to quarrel.

4 The lazy person does not plow in season;
harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found.
5 The purposes in the human mind are like deep water,
but the intelligent will draw them out.
6 Many proclaim themselves loyal,
but who can find one worthy of trust?

7 The righteous walk in integrity—
happy are the children who follow them!
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean;
I am pure from my sin”?

10 Diverse weights and diverse measures
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
11 Even children make themselves known by their acts,
by whether what they do is pure and right.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye—
the Lord has made them both.

13 Do not love sleep, or else you will come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
then goes away and boasts.
15 There is gold, and abundance of costly stones;
but the lips informed by knowledge are a precious jewel.

16 Take the garment of one who has given surety for a stranger;
seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners.
17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet,
but afterward the mouth will be full of gravel.
18 Plans are established by taking advice;
wage war by following wise guidance.

19 A gossip reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with a babbler.
20 If you curse father or mother,
your lamp will go out in utter darkness.
21 An estate quickly acquired in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.

22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
wait for the Lord, and he will help you.
23 Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and false scales are not good.
24 All our steps are ordered by the Lord;
how then can we understand our own ways?

25 It is a snare for one to say rashly, “It is holy,”
and begin to reflect only after making a vow.
26 A wise king winnows the wicked,
and drives the wheel over them.
27 The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord,
searching every inmost part.

28 Loyalty and faithfulness preserve the king,
and his throne is upheld by righteousness.
29 The glory of youths is their strength,
but the beauty of the aged is their gray hair.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
beatings make clean the innermost parts.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that any of these verses will bear closer consideration and reflection; they purposely are seeking to provide deeper insight to common experiences. We can take the first few verses as an example.

“Better the poor walking in integrity than one perverse of speech who is a fool.”

This is fairly clear; better to be poor, but upright, than to speak foolishly and perversely, regardless of how much money you have.

“Desire without knowledge is not good, and one who moves too hurriedly misses the way.”

This one digs perhaps a little bit deeper, connecting desire without knowledge and excessive haste; it urges us to consider what causes us to hurry, and to consider what we desire more carefully. One might set this proverb against the Nike motto: “Just do it!” or the Sprite motto: “Obey your thirst!!

“One’s own folly leads to ruin, yet the heart rages against the Lord.”

This one strikes perhaps closest to home, and reflects on how, when we bring bad consequences upon ourselves by our own foolish actions, our frequent response is to blame God for what happens to us.

At any rate, any of these proverbs bear careful consideration, and it is worth listening to hear what strikes your attention, and to go back and reflect on it throughout the day.)

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)

Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos

As we begin the new Church Year, we always make a start with the celebration of the feast of the Birth of the Theotokos, the Mother of God. Her birth marks the formal beginning of the Lord’s work of His Incarnation, so it is fitting that we start the Church Year with this commemoration. This feast emphasizes the long waiting and hoping of the people of God for deliverance and salvation, looking to the birth of the Mother of God as the moment when these hopes begin to see their fulfillment. It is a fitting thing for us not just to celebrate this fulfillment, and as we celebrate this great feast, we will take the occasion, then, to read together some of the significant hymns of the Feast.

3rd Hymn of the Kekragaria

Although by God's will other barren women ⁄ have brought forth famous offspring, ⁄ Yet among those children ⁄ Mary shines brightest with divine glory. ⁄ Born wondrously herself of a barren mother, ⁄ she bore in the flesh the God of all, ⁄ in a manner surpassing nature, ⁄ from a womb without seed. ⁄ She is the single gateway of the only-begotten Son of God, ⁄ Who passed through this gate yet kept it sealed. ⁄ And having ordered all things in His own wisdom ⁄⁄ has wrought salvation for all mankind!

1st Hymn of the Liti

Today, people, the first fruit of our salvation is here! ⁄ For behold, she who was foreordained from generations of old ⁄ as Mother and Virgin and receiver of God, ⁄ comes forth in birth from a barren woman: ⁄ A flower has blossomed from Jesse, ⁄ and from his root a branch has sprung. ⁄ Let Adam our forefather be glad ⁄ and let Eve rejoice with exultation! ⁄ For behold, she who was made from the rib of Adam ⁄ plainly declares her daughter and descendant blessed. ⁄ For, she says, deliverance is born to me, ⁄ through which I shall be set free from the bonds of hell. ⁄ Let David rejoice, striking upon the harp, ⁄ and let him bless God: ⁄ For behold, the Virgin comes forth from a barren rock, ⁄⁄ for the salvation of our souls!

1st Kathisma Hymn of the Orthros

Shout, O David, and declare, * what oath did God swear to you? * And he answers, "What He swore, behold, He also has fulfilled, * for He has given the Virgin as the fruit of my loins. * From her has Christ the new Adam and Fashioner * been born, as it is written, to be King on my throne. * And He whose reign is unshakable is reigning today and forevermore. * The barren woman bears the Theotokos, * the nourisher of our Life."

Hymn from Ode 1 of the Canon of the Feast

Today the Bridge of Life is born. ⁄ Through her, mortals who have fallen into hell ⁄ find their way back up again ⁄ and with song, they glorify Christ, the Giver of life.

Hymn from Ode 6 of the Canon of the Feast

In you, undefiled One, ⁄ the mystery of the Trinity is praised and glorified: ⁄ for the Father was well-pleased with you, ⁄ and in you the Word made His dwelling among us, ⁄ and the Holy Spirit overshadowed 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, as we celebrate the fulfillment of the many promises and hopes of the Old Testament, rejoicing in the birth of the Virgin Mary, we should also reflect on our own hopes and struggles, and recognize that the Lord is faithful with us, even as He was faithful with the saints of the Old Testament. As we learn to wait upon Him, we will see Him faithful to us; but at the same time, we should note that He often comes to us, as He came to the parents of the Virgin, when hope is gone, when we are past our own efforts, when we are, and feel ourselves to be, barren. This is where our faithfulness to God is most difficult and most fruitful; this is where He comes to bring life and hope in the face of death and despair.)

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)

John 1:1-18 (The Word Became Flesh)

In Year 3 of the REI, we will read the Gospel according to John. This Gospel proceeds in a very different direction from the other three; while they all roughly follow the same trajectory, and many times tell the same stories, John tells many different stories, which do not appear in the others, and emphasizes the Lord’s words more than anyone else, and provides more depth of theology as well. Thus he begins with a brief theological reflection, connecting the Lord’s Incarnation explicitly with the action and person of the Word of God in the Old Testament.

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that this is the Gospel reading that we read in the Church during the Paschal Divine Liturgy on Easter itself. As we stand in the glory and joy of the Lord’s Resurrection, we confess Who He is, and what it is that He has done for us, giving us “the power to become children of God,” so that from His fullness, we all receive grace upon grace. The essential point here, however, is that the Word of God has been with the creation from the beginning, that He is, as we say in the Creed, the one “through Whom all things were made,” and that now, He has become flesh, and dwelt among us, so that we can see Him, Who has been with us from the beginning, and is Himself our God. In this, the full divinity of the Lord is upheld and emphasized clearly. It may be suggested that St. John, writing later than the other evangelists, takes the opportunity to make explicit what is sometimes left more implicit by the “Synoptic” evangelists.)

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?