Day 1 (Monday)

Leviticus 17:1-16; 18:1-6, 19-30 (Holiness Code 1: Sacrifice, Blood, and Sexual Purity)

We have been jumping around the book of Leviticus for the past several weeks, and for the last two weeks have seen the outline of the great pilgrimage festivals of the Hebrew year. Before that, however, we had seen the specific instructions for the Day of Atonement, which is to say, the purification of the Tabernacle and all the people once a year, and prior to that we had seen the guidelines for purification following the death of Aaron’s sons after their ordination. After all of this, we reach what is often called the Holiness Code. What we should listen to, besides the actual guidelines themselves, is who they are addressed to. There are at least three options here; God will tell Moses to either speak to Aaron and his sons or to the people of Israel, but the guidelines will be for: 1) the priests, 2) all the people of Israel, or 3) the aliens who live among the people of Israel. That final point is very relevant to us, non-Israelites who are Christians and therefore take part in the salvation that God has accomplished through His people Israel.

The Slaughtering of Animals

17 The Lord spoke to Moses:

2 Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them: This is what the Lord has commanded. 3 If anyone of the house of Israel slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or slaughters it outside the camp, 4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, to present it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, he shall be held guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood, and he shall be cut off from the people. 5 This is in order that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they offer in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and offer them as sacrifices of well-being to the Lord.

6 The priest shall dash the blood against the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and turn the fat into smoke as a pleasing odor to the Lord, 7 so that they may no longer offer their sacrifices for goat-demons, to whom they prostitute themselves. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.

8 And say to them further: Anyone of the house of Israel or of the aliens who reside among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, to sacrifice it to the Lord, shall be cut off from the people.

Eating Blood Prohibited

10 If anyone of the house of Israel or of the aliens who reside among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood, and will cut that person off from the people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar; for, as life, it is the blood that makes atonement. 12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel: No person among you shall eat blood, nor shall any alien who resides among you eat blood. 13 And anyone of the people of Israel, or of the aliens who reside among them, who hunts down an animal or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth.

14 For the life of every creature—its blood is its life; therefore I have said to the people of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off. 15 All persons, citizens or aliens, who eat what dies of itself or what has been torn by wild animals, shall wash their clothes, and bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening; then they shall be clean. 16 But if they do not wash themselves or bathe their body, they shall bear their guilt.

Sexual Relations

18 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: I am the Lord your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. 4 My ordinances you shall observe and my statutes you shall keep, following them: I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances; by doing so one shall live: I am the Lord.

6 None of you shall approach anyone near of kin to uncover nakedness: I am the Lord.
(Then every possible relative is outlined in detail, forbidding any sexual relationship with any relatives, whether they are related by blood or by marriage.)

19 You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. 20 You shall not lie with your kinsman’s wife, and defile yourself with her. 21 You shall not give any of your offspring to sacrifice them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. 23 You shall not lie with any animal and defile yourself with it, nor shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.

24 Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for by all these practices the nations I am casting out before you have defiled themselves. 25 Thus the land became defiled; and I punished it for its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you shall keep my statutes and my ordinances and commit none of these abominations, either the citizen or the alien who resides among you 27 (for the inhabitants of the land, who were before you, committed all of these abominations, and the land became defiled); 28 otherwise the land will vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29 For whoever commits any of these abominations shall be cut off from their people. 30 So keep my charge not to commit any of these abominations that were done before you, and not to defile yourselves by them: I am the Lord your God.

Reading 8 – Holiness Code 1
933 words

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 summary of what we have read here is that God’s people are not to sacrifice to any other gods, that they are not to eat blood, and that they are not to engage in sexual immorality. The reason for all of these things is twofold. First, that there is something good and right and holy that is forsaken when one engages in these things; God’s people are to worship Him, the blood is the life that works reconciliation in the offerings that God has given to His people, and sexual intimacy is to be engaged in only within marriage, not with violence or coercion, but in self-sacrificial love. Second, that the abandonment of these good things that God has given is not just against an arbitrary rule, but is destructive and harmful, toxic and poisonous and demonic, in a literal sense, shattering the life-giving relationship with God to which God’s people are called. To commit these forbidden things is obviously and clearly evil, as in all of these things, another life, another human being, is being objectified and abused, overtly to the human being who commits these acts, but ultimately both the abuser and the abused are being subjected to the will and intent of the demon gods who have rebelled against their Creator and seek to destroy us, the ones who bear the image and likeness of God. Thus these commandments are not only for the people of Israel, but for all of humankind – and especially they are for the Church.)

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)

On Saint Polycarp and his Martyrdom

On February 23rd, we celebrate the feastday of St. Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna in the 2nd century, a contemporary of St. Ignatius of Antioch, and a hieromartyr for the Faith. The account of his martyrdom, portions of which we will read today, is exemplary of the very many martyrs who bore witness to the love and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ in the early days of the Church, and across the centuries. St. Polycarp, it should be noted, was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist, and by some accounts was consecrated as bishop by him. He is therefore one of the first generation of leaders of the Church after the death of the Apostles. His martyrdom is contained in a letter from the Church of Smyrna, which he had served as bishop.

https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2016/02/the-letter-of-church-of-smyrna.html

Martyrdom of Polycarp (selection)

Greeting

The Church of God which sojourns at Smyrna, to the Church of God sojourning in Philomelium, and to all the congregations of the Holy and Catholic Church in every place: Mercy, peace, and love from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, be multiplied.

We will skip the prelude, and begin when he is found and arrested.

Chapter 7. Polycarp is found by his pursuers

His pursuers then…went forth at supper-time on the day of the preparation with their usual weapons, as if going out against a robber (Matt. 26:55). And having come about evening [to the place where he was], they found him lying down in the upper room of a certain little house, from which he might have escaped into another place; but he refused, saying, "The will of God be done" (Matt. 6:10; Acts 21:14). So when he heard that they had come, he went down and spoke with them. And as those that were present marvelled at his age and constancy, some of them said, "Was so much effort made to capture such a venerable man?" Immediately then, in that very hour, he ordered that something to eat and drink should be set before them, as much indeed as they cared for, while he besought them to allow him an hour to pray without disturbance. And on their giving him leave, he stood and prayed, being full of the grace of God, so that he could not cease for two full hours, to the astonishment of those who heard him, insomuch that many began to repent that they had come forth against so godly and venerable an old man.

Chapter 8. Polycarp is brought into the city

Now, as soon as he had ceased praying, having made mention of all that had at any time come in contact with him, both small and great, illustrious and obscure, as well as the whole Catholic Church throughout the world, the time of his departure having arrived, they set him upon an ass, and conducted him into the city, the day being that of the great Sabbath. And the Irenarch Herod, accompanied by his father Nicetes (both riding in a chariot), met him, and taking him up into the chariot, they seated themselves beside him, and endeavored to persuade him, saying, "What harm is there in saying, Lord Caesar, and in sacrificing, with the other ceremonies observed on such occasions, and so make sure of safety?" But he at first gave them no answer; and when they continued to urge him, he said, "I shall not do as you advise me." So they, having no hope of persuading him, began to speak bitter words unto him, and cast him with violence out of the chariot, insomuch that, in getting down from the carriage, he dislocated his leg [by the fall]. But without being disturbed, and as if suffering nothing, he went eagerly forward with all haste, and was conducted to the stadium, where the tumult was so great, that there was no possibility of being heard.

Chapter 9. Polycarp refuses to revile Christ

Now, as Polycarp was entering into the stadium, there came to him a voice from heaven, saying, "Be strong, and show yourself a man, O Polycarp!" No one saw who it was that spoke to him; but those of our brethren who were present heard the voice. And as he was brought forward, the tumult became great when they heard that Polycarp was taken. And when he came near, the proconsul asked him whether he was Polycarp. On his confessing that he was, [the proconsul] sought to persuade him to deny [Christ], saying, "Have respect to your old age," and other similar things, according to their custom, [such as], "Swear by the fortune of Caesar; repent, and say, Away with the Atheists." But Polycarp, gazing with a stern countenance on all the multitude of the wicked heathen then in the stadium, and waving his hand towards them, while with groans he looked up to heaven, said, "Away with the Atheists." Then, the proconsul urging him, and saying, "Swear, and I will set you at liberty, reproach Christ;" Polycarp declared, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?"

Chapter 10. Polycarp confesses himself a Christian

And when the proconsul yet again pressed him, and said, Swear by the fortune of Caesar, he answered,

"Since you are vainly urgent that, as you say, I should swear by the fortune of Caesar, and pretend not to know who and what I am, hear me declare with boldness, I am a Christian. And if you wish to learn what the doctrines of Christianity are, appoint me a day, and you shall hear them."

The proconsul replied, Persuade the people. But Polycarp said,

"To you I have thought it right to offer an account [of my faith]; for we are taught to give all due honor (which entails no injury upon ourselves) to the powers and authorities which are ordained of God. Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1 But as for these, I do not deem them worthy of receiving any account from me."

Chapter 11. No threats have any effect on Polycarp

The proconsul then said to him, "I have wild beasts at hand; to these will I cast you, unless you repent."

But he answered, "Call them then, for we are not accustomed to repent of what is good in order to adopt that which is evil; and it is well for me to be changed from what is evil to what is righteous."

But again the proconsul said to him, "I will cause you to be consumed by fire, seeing you despise the wild beasts, if you will not repent."

But Polycarp said, "You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, but are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why do you tarry? Bring forth what you will."

Chapter 12. Polycarp is sentenced to be burned

While he spoke these and many other like things, he was filled with confidence and joy, and his countenance was full of grace, so that not merely did it not fall as if troubled by the things said to him, but, on the contrary, the proconsul was astonished, and sent his herald to proclaim in the midst of the stadium thrice, "Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian."

Then the people called for him to be killed, and they sentenced him to be burned alive, and immediately prepared the wood for him to be burned.

Chapter 13 (end)

But when they were about also to fix him with nails, he said, Leave me as I am; for He that gives me strength to endure the fire, will also enable me, without your securing me by nails, to remain without moving in the pile.

Chapter 14. The prayer of Polycarp

They did not nail him then, but simply bound him. And he, placing his hands behind him, and being bound like a distinguished ram [taken] out of a great flock for sacrifice, and prepared to be an acceptable burnt-offering unto God, looked up to heaven, and said,

"O Lord God Almighty, the Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of You, the God of angels and powers, and of every creature, and of the whole race of the righteous who live before you, I give You thanks that You have counted me, worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of Your martyrs, in the cup of your Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption [imparted] by the Holy Ghost. Among whom may I be accepted this day before You as a fat and acceptable sacrifice, according as You, the ever-truthful God, have foreordained, have revealed beforehand to me, and now have fulfilled. Wherefore also I praise You for all things, I bless You, I glorify You, along with the everlasting and heavenly Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, with whom, to You, and the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and to all coming ages. Amen."

Chapter 15. Polycarp is not injured by the fire

When he had pronounced this amen, and so finished his prayer, those who were appointed for the purpose kindled the fire. And as the flame blazed forth in great fury, we, to whom it was given to witness it, beheld a great miracle, and have been preserved that we might report to others what then took place. For the fire, shaping itself into the form of an arch, like the sail of a ship when filled with the wind, encompassed as by a circle the body of the martyr. And he appeared within not like flesh which is burnt, but as bread that is baked, or as gold and silver glowing in a furnace. Moreover, we perceived such a sweet odor [coming from the pile], as if frankincense or some such precious spices had been smoking there.

Chapter 16. Polycarp is pierced by a dagger

At length, when those wicked men perceived that his body could not be consumed by the fire, they commanded an executioner to go near and pierce him through with a dagger. And on his doing this, there came forth a dove, and a great quantity of blood, so that the fire was extinguished; and all the people wondered that there should be such a difference between the unbelievers and the elect, of whom this most admirable Polycarp was one, having in our own times been an apostolic and prophetic teacher, and bishop of the Catholic Church which is in Smyrna. For every word that went out of his mouth either has been or shall yet be accomplished.

Chapter 17. The Christians are refused Polycarp's body

But when the adversary of the race of the righteous, the envious, malicious, and wicked one, perceived the impressive nature of his martyrdom, and [considered] the blameless life he had led from the beginning, and how he was now crowned with the wreath of immortality, having beyond dispute received his reward, he did his utmost that not the least memorial of him should be taken away by us, although many desired to do this, and to become possessors of his holy flesh. For this end he suggested it to Nicetes, the father of Herod and brother of Alce, to go and entreat the governor not to give up his body to be buried, lest, said he, forsaking Him that was crucified, they begin to worship this one. This he said at the suggestion and urgent persuasion of the Jews, who also watched us, as we sought to take him out of the fire, being ignorant of this, that it is neither possible for us ever to forsake Christ, who suffered for the salvation of such as shall be saved throughout the whole world (the blameless one for sinners ), nor to worship any other. For Him indeed, as being the Son of God, we adore; but the martyrs, as disciples and followers of the Lord, we worthily love on account of their extraordinary affection towards their own King and Master, of whom may we also be made companions and fellow disciples!

Chapter 18. The body of Polycarp is burned

The centurion then, seeing the strife excited by the Jews, placed the body in the midst of the fire, and consumed it. Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, as being more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, whither, being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (With such a long reading, the Leader should simply point out the prayer of St. Polycarp, the real relationship that he had with the Lord that made the temptation to renounce Him to save his own life no temptation at all, and the veneration of his relics after his death by the Christians. It may be valuable to discuss the question of relics at more length, if there is interest.)

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)

Acts 14:8-28 (Paul & Barnabas in Lystra & Derbe, Return to Antioch)

Last time we saw Paul and Barnabas rejected by the majority of the people in Antioch of Pisidia and in Iconium, so that they left those places and went to Lystra. This time, we will see what they do there, and how they make their way back to Antioch.

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe

8 In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And the man sprang up and began to walk. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice.

14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; 17 yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

19 But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

21 After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch. 22 There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, “It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.” 23 And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.

24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. 27 When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there with the disciples for some time.

Reading 26 – 513 words

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 there is an old myth from the region of Phrygia, recorded in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, about how once Zeus and Hermes visited the region, but found no hospitality from anyone except for an elderly couple, so they destroyed all the people except that couple, and then, when they were old, instead of death, the two were transformed into two trees, which supposedly remained until the time of Paul and Barnabas. This is the reason that the people of Lystra, which is nearby to Phrygia, effectively freaked out when Paul did his miracle…and then were able to be turned against Paul and Barnabas once they assured them that they were not in fact gods. The other thing that we should note here is that, when they return, they don’t take the direct route by sea back to Antioch, but rather re-trace their steps, visiting the places from which they had been driven out and ministering to the Faithful living in each place.)

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)

Leviticus 23:23-44; 24:1-9 (Day of Atonement, Festival of Booths, The Lamp and Bread for the Tabernacle)

Last time, we saw God command the first two holy days for the children of Israel, days of complete rest and of offerings in the Tabernacle, and therefore days on which they were to make pilgrimage to the place where His glory dwelt, which is to say, eventually, to Jerusalem. The first of these was Passover in the middle of the first month of the Hebrew year, and the second was Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks, held on the fiftieth day after the great day of rest during the Passover week. This time, we will see the festivals in the autumn, around the middle/end of the month of September.

The Festival of Trumpets

23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 24 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of complete rest, a holy convocation commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall present the Lord’s offering by fire.

The Day of Atonement

26 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 27 Now, the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you: you shall deny yourselves and present the Lord’s offering by fire; 28 and you shall do no work during that entire day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God. 29 For anyone who does not practice self-denial during that entire day shall be cut off from the people.

30 And anyone who does any work during that entire day, such a one I will destroy from the midst of the people. 31 You shall do no work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your settlements. 32 It shall be to you a sabbath of complete rest, and you shall deny yourselves; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening you shall keep your sabbath.

The Festival of Booths

33 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 34 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, and lasting seven days, there shall be the festival of booths to the Lord. 35 The first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. 36 Seven days you shall present the Lord’s offerings by fire; on the eighth day you shall observe a holy convocation and present the Lord’s offerings by fire; it is a solemn assembly; you shall not work at your occupations.

37 These are the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you shall celebrate as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord offerings by fire—burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day— 38 apart from the sabbaths of the Lord, and apart from your gifts, and apart from all your votive offerings, and apart from all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.

39 Now, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the festival of the Lord, lasting seven days; a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day. 40 On the first day you shall take the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

41 You shall keep it as a festival to the Lord seven days in the year; you shall keep it in the seventh month as a statute forever throughout your generations. 42 You shall live in booths for seven days; all that are citizens in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

44 Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed festivals of the Lord.

The Lamp

24 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. 3 Aaron shall set it up in the tent of meeting, outside the curtain of the covenant, to burn from evening to morning before the Lord regularly; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall set up the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.

The Bread for the Tabernacle

5 You shall take choice flour, and bake twelve loaves of it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. 6 You shall place them in two rows, six in a row, on the table of pure gold. 7 You shall put pure frankincense with each row, to be a token offering for the bread, as an offering by fire to the Lord. 8 Every sabbath day Aaron shall set them in order before the Lord regularly as a commitment of the people of Israel, as a covenant forever. 9 They shall be for Aaron and his descendants, who shall eat them in a holy place, for they are most holy portions for him from the offerings by fire to the Lord, a perpetual due.

Reading 12
806 words

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, by a strange coincidence, last year at this same time in February we read from 1 Kingdoms about David eating the bread that is set aside for the priests when he came to the Tabernacle fleeing from Saul. This is the point that the Lord refers to in the Gospels when refuting the attacks against His disciples chewing on grain that they picked as they walked through the field on the Sabbath Day (as in Mark 2:23-28. Apart from that, it is worth noting that these festivals all commemorate, and indeed participate, in the Lord’s deliverance of His people from Egypt. By celebrating the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Booths, the people of God would confess and proclaim for themselves and their children that God was the One Who delivered them from bondage, made them His own particular people, and cared for them when they were wanderers in the wilderness, living in tents. And thus they were to participate in that same shared life for all generations, gathered together around the Temple, freed and chosen and cared for by God Who dwelt in their midst. It is therefore not an accident that, even to the present day in the Church, the traditional greeting for one Christian to another is “Christ is in our midst” and the response is “He was, and is, and shall be!”)

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)

Anaphora Prayers of St. Basil the Great – 2

Last time, we read the second part of the Anaphora Prayer of St. Basil the Great, in which he summed up all the good things that God has done for us through the ages, from our Creation to His patient work on our behalf after our self-imposed exile from Him, until He sent to us His Son, Who accomplished all things on our behalf, uniting Himself with us in death and destroying it by His own death, and leading us out of bondage into newness of life. Having spoken of all that the Lord did for us, St. Basil concludes the Anaphora prayer this week with the remembrance of the Lord’s institution of the Eucharist, which immediately precedes the Consecration, all of which we will read this week.

St. Basil’s Anaphora (Offering Prayer) – Part 3

Priest: As memorials of His saving passion, He has left us these gifts which we have set forth before You according to His commands. For when He was about to go forth to His voluntary, ever memorable, and life-giving death, on the night on which He was delivered up for the life of the world, He took bread in His holy and pure hands, and presenting it to You, God and Father, and offering thanks, blessing, sanctifying, and breaking it:

He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles saying: Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you and for the forgiveness of sins.
Likewise, He took the cup of the fruit of vine, and having mingled it, offering thanks, blessing, and sanctifying it.
He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles saying: Drink of this all of you. This is my blood of the new Covenant, shed for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you proclaim my death, and you confess my resurrection.

Therefore, Master, we also, remembering His saving passion and life giving cross, His three; day burial and resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and enthronement at Your right hand, God and Father, and His glorious and awesome second coming.
We offer to You these gifts from Your own gifts in all and for all.

Consecration of the Gifts

Priest: Therefore, most holy Master, we also, Your sinful and unworthy servants, whom You have made worthy to serve at Your holy altar, not because of our own righteousness (for we have not done anything good upon the earth), but because of Your mercy and compassion, which You have so richly poured upon us, we dare to approach Your holy altar, and bring forth the symbols of the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ.

We pray to You and call upon You, O Holy of Holies, that by the favor of Your goodness, Your Holy Spirit may come upon us and upon the gifts here presented, to bless, sanctify, and make this bread to be the precious Body of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ.
And this cup to be the precious Blood of Your Christ.
Shed for the life and the salvation of the world.

And unite us all to one another who become partakers of the one Bread and the Cup in the communion of the one Holy Spirit. Grant that none of us may partake of the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ to judgment or condemnation; but, that we may find mercy and grace with all the saints who through the ages have pleased You: forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, teachers, and every righteous spirit made perfect in faith.

Especially for our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary.

People: All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace: the assembly of angels and the human race. You are a sanctified temple and a spiritual paradise, the glory from whom God was incarnate and became a child; our God, existing before all ages. He made your womb a throne, and your body more spacious than the heavens. All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace. Glory to you.

Part 3 – 566 words

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 two things. First of all, that all of this, the celebration, offering, consecration, and receiving of the Eucharist, is not simply about the Bread and the Wine, but about US, the ones who offer the fruits of our labors in this world to the Lord in Thanksgiving, as we ask Him to send the Holy Spirit not just upon the Gifts, but upon us, the ones who offer and who receive those Gifts. Second, he should point out that the purpose of this offering and receiving is that we become holy, that we are united in communion with God, so that we, and all creation with us, may rejoice forever.)

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)

Acts 13:44-52; 14:1-7 (Aftermath of Paul’s Sermon, Paul & Barnabas in Iconium)

Last time we saw St. Paul preach in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, summing up the entire history of the people of Israel, and proclaiming Jesus Christ as the long-promised Messiah, the son of David Who saw no corruption in death, but was raised up and brought forgiveness of sins to all. We saw that many of the people who heard him were interested, and asked him to speak again the following week. This time, we will see how that second sermon plays out.

Aftermath of Paul’s Sermon

44 The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. 46 Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles,
so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. 49 Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

14 The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them.

4 But the residents of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 5 And when an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 the apostles learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country; 7 and there they continued proclaiming the good news.

Reading 25 – 374 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out what Paul and Barnabas say, that it is necessary that the people of Israel be granted the opportunity to hear the good news of the Lord’s coming first, as the promise is indeed to them and to their children. But once they have heard it, whether they receive it or reject it, the Gospel is to be preached to all the nations. This is not done in condemnation of the people of Israel, but as a fulfillment of their purpose from the beginning, that from them, light will dawn upon all the nations. Thus we see many of Israel, and many of the nations, receiving the word of the Lord from Paul and Barnabas with great joy, and beginning a new life together in the Church, even as the unbelieving Jews drive them out of the synagogue. This is the cause of the independent existence of the Church, separate from the synagogue in every place: because they were rejected and cast out when they proclaimed Christ to be the Messiah. From this event, and the many times that it is duplicated throughout the subsequent century, we eventually see the “apparent” birth of two separate religions: Judaism and Christianity. But they were not separate at the beginning.)

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)

Leviticus 23:1-22 (Festivals: Sabbath, Feasts of Passover, First Fruits, Weeks)

You may notice that we have skipped ahead somewhat, from chapter 16 last time to chapter 23 this time. The reason for this is that Chapters 17-22 comprise what is sometimes referred to as the Holiness Code, the guidelines that are given to the children of Israel, on the one hand, and to non-Israelites living among them, on the other hand. These are relevant to a specific event in the book of Acts, so we are waiting to read them until March. For now, what we will see are the certain occasions on which the children of Israel were commanded to celebrate a great festival, making offerings at the place the Lord will appoint in the Promised Land, and observing these commemorations in a particular way. It is notable, too, that in chapter 16 we saw the particular details of the celebration of the Day of Atonement, but this week and next week, we will see the feasts of Passover, First Fruits, and Weeks/Pentecost, then the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, set out as the central celebrations of the festal year.

Appointed Festivals

23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: These are the appointed festivals of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations, my appointed festivals.

The Sabbath, Passover, and Unleavened Bread

3 Six days shall work be done; but the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no work: it is a sabbath to the Lord throughout your settlements.

4 These are the appointed festivals of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall celebrate at the time appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, there shall be a passover offering to the Lord, 6 and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. 8 For seven days you shall present the Lord’s offerings by fire; on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation: you shall not work at your occupations.

The Offering of First Fruits

9 The Lord spoke to Moses: 10 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall raise the sheaf before the Lord, that you may find acceptance; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall raise it. 12 On the day when you raise the sheaf, you shall offer a lamb a year old, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord.

13 And the grain offering with it shall be two-tenths of an ephah of choice flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. 14 You shall eat no bread or parched grain or fresh ears until that very day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your settlements.

The Festival of Weeks

15 And from the day after the sabbath, from the day on which you bring the sheaf of the elevation offering, you shall count off seven weeks; they shall be complete. 16 You shall count until the day after the seventh sabbath, fifty days; then you shall present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 You shall bring from your settlements two loaves of bread as an elevation offering, each made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of choice flour, baked with leaven, as first fruits to the Lord. 18 You shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, one young bull, and two rams; they shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, along with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord. 19 You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of well-being.

20 The priest shall raise them with the bread of the first fruits as an elevation offering before the Lord, together with the two lambs; they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 On that same day you shall make proclamation; you shall hold a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. This is a statute forever in all your settlements throughout your generations.

22 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the Lord your God.

Reading 11
663 words

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, while it isn’t entirely clear in our text in translation, the rite of the First Fruits is connected with the Feast of Passover; the raising of the sheaf would happen during the seven days of Passover, on the second day of the feast, as recorded by Josephus. So what we see here is basically a description of the feasts of Passover, on the one hand, and the feast of Weeks, celebrated seven weeks after Passover, which is to say, 50 days after, which is Pentecost. We should note, too, that this passage does not tell us WHAT is significant about these dates, but that they are important, two dates upon which the people of God are commanded to gather together to worship Him and to remember the glorious things that He did for them. Passover, of course, celebrated their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, and the manner of its celebration is provided in detail in Exodus. Pentecost celebrates the covenant established between God and Israel at Mt. Sinai, also described in Exodus.)

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)

Anaphora Prayers of St. Basil the Great – 2

Last time, we began reading the Anaphora Prayers from the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil. That first portion reflects on the glory of God in Trinity, praised unceasingly by the angelic powers, whose hymn, the Thrice-Holy hymn “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna in the highest; blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” we participate in as we celebrate the Divine Liturgy. From that point, we continue with a recounting of all the great and glorious things that God has done for His creation, and especially for humankind, as we join the Angels in praising and worshipping God.

St. Basil’s Anaphora (Offering Prayer) – Part 2

Priest: Together with these blessed powers, loving Master, we sinners also cry out and say: Truly You are holy and most holy, and there are no bounds to the majesty of Your holiness. You are holy in all Your works, for with righteousness and true judgment You have ordered all things for us. For having made man by taking dust from the earth, and having honored him with Your own image, O God, You placed him in a garden of delight, promising him eternal life and the enjoyment of everlasting blessings in the observance of Your commandments.

But when he disobeyed You, the true God who had created him, and was led astray by the deception of the serpent becoming subject to death through his own transgressions, You, O God, in Your righteous judgment, expelled him from paradise into this world, returning him to the earth from which he was taken, yet providing for him the salvation of regeneration in Your Christ.

For You did not forever reject Your creature whom You made, O Good One, nor did You forget the work of Your hands, but because of Your tender compassion, You visited him in various ways: You sent forth prophets; You performed mighty works by Your saints who in every generation have pleased You. You spoke to us by the mouth of Your servants the prophets, announcing to us the salvation which was to come; You gave us the law to help us; You appointed angels as guardians.

And when the fullness of time had come, You spoke to us through Your Son Himself, through whom You created the ages. He, being the splendor of Your glory and the image of Your being, upholding all things by the word of His power, thought it not robbery to be equal with You, God and Father. But, being God before all ages, He appeared on earth and lived with humankind. Becoming incarnate from a holy Virgin, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, conforming to the body of our lowliness, that He might change us in the likeness of the image of His glory.

For, since through man sin came into the world and through sin death, it pleased Your only begotten Son, who is in Your bosom, God and Father, born of a woman, the holy Theotokos and ever virgin Mary; born under the law, to condemn sin in His flesh, so that those who died in Adam may be brought to life in Him, Your Christ. He lived in this world, and gave us precepts of salvation. Releasing us from the delusions of idolatry, He guided us to the sure knowledge of You, the true God and Father. He acquired us for Himself, as His chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.

Having cleansed us by water and sanctified us with the Holy Spirit, He gave Himself as ransom to death in which we were held captive, sold under sin. Descending into Hades through the cross, that He might fill all things with Himself, He loosed the bonds of death. He rose on the third day, having opened a path for all flesh to the resurrection from the dead, since it was not possible that the Author of life would be dominated by corruption. So He became the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep, the first born of the dead, that He might be Himself the first in all things. Ascending into heaven, He sat at the right hand of Your majesty on high and He will come to render to each according to His works.

Part 2 – 602 words

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 end this week just before the phrase “as memorials of His saving passion He has given to us these gifts” as a prelude to the offering of the Bread and Wine. But this week’s portion of the prayer shows how St. Basil, and the Orthodox Church at large, approach the great problem of human existence, the reality of sin, not as a crime that we have committed against God, but as an enemy to whom we have become enslaved, and from which God comes to deliver us from sin and death and restore us to life in Him. The essential message of this prayer, and of the Church’s understanding of our life with God, is that everything that has come to us has been permitted or accomplished for our salvation. This includes even the struggles and challenges (not that God does the things that are evil TO us, but that He allows them as part of the reality of free will, and transforms them to work for our healing and wholeness if we submit ourselves to Him in faithfulness and obedience) that come to us in this life; if we can follow the Lord, we will come to recognize in the entire Creation the Lord’s gentle and steady work to heal and restore all things to Himself.)

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

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

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

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

Day 3 (Friday)

Acts 13:16b-43 (Paul’s Sermon at Antioch of Pisidia)

Last week, we saw Paul and Barnabas leave Antioch, sail to Cyprus, preach throughout the island, and then take ship again north to Asia Minor, where they preached in one of the coastal cities and then went further inland, to the north, to Antioch of Pisidia, where they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and were invited to speak. This time, we will see what Paul says there.

Paul Preaches in the Synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia

“You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 For about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance 20 for about four hundred fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. 21 Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.

22 When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’ 23 Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised; 24 before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.’

26 “My brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27 Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him. 28 Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed.

29 When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead; 31 and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm,

‘You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.’

34 As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

‘I will give you the holy promises made to David.’

35 Therefore he has also said in another psalm,

‘You will not let your Holy One experience corruption.’

36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died, was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption; 37 but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; 39 by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you:

41 ‘Look, you scoffers!
Be amazed and perish,
for in your days I am doing a work,
a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you.’”

42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next sabbath. 43 When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

Reading 24 – 649 words

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 way in which St. Paul makes the argument from the Torah and the Prophets that Jesus is the Messiah. He speaks first of the kingship in Israel, and presents Jesus as the descendant of David, which is to say, the Jewish Messiah, the promised anointed king. He then speaks of how Jesus came to the descendants of Abraham, but the leaders in Jerusalem rejected Him and crucified Him, and moves from that into the proclamation of the Resurrection, which he demonstrates as part of the prophetic expectation with the quotes from Scripture. And finally he calls them to receive the good word that has come to them, and not to reject their deliverance when it comes to them, again quoting Scripture foretelling that many will indeed scoff at their own salvation. This is a beautiful and concise summary of the Gospel that St. Paul and the other apostles were preaching in the synagogues, by which a great many of the Jews came to follow the Way of Christ Jesus.)

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)

Leviticus 16:1-34 (Day of Atonement)

Last time, we read about the ritual uncleanness that came from bodily fluids, and the means that God gave His people to be cleansed of that impurity and restored to full participation in the worship at the Tabernacle and the life of the community of the people of God assembled around Him. This time we will continue and see the guidance that God gives to His people for the annual purification of the people and of the camp, at the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur in Hebrew).

The Day of Atonement

16 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died. 2 The Lord said to Moses:

Tell your brother Aaron not to come just at any time into the sanctuary inside the curtain before the mercy seat that is upon the ark, or he will die; for I appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and shall have the linen undergarments next to his body, fasten the linen sash, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy vestments. He shall bathe his body in water, and then put them on. 5 He shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

6 Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 He shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting; 8 and Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. 9 Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord, and offer it as a sin offering; 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

11 Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house; he shall slaughter the bull as a sin offering for himself. 12 He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of crushed sweet incense, and he shall bring it inside the curtain 13 and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the covenant, or he will die. 14 He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times.

15 He shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the curtain, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 16 Thus he shall make atonement for the sanctuary, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel, and because of their transgressions, all their sins; and so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which remains with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17 No one shall be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the sanctuary until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement on its behalf, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on each of the horns of the altar. 19 He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.

20 When he has finished atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and sending it away into the wilderness by means of someone designated for the task. 22 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a barren region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness.

23 Then Aaron shall enter the tent of meeting, and shall take off the linen vestments that he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there. 24 He shall bathe his body in water in a holy place, and put on his vestments; then he shall come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, making atonement for himself and for the people. 25 The fat of the sin offering he shall turn into smoke on the altar. 26 The one who sets the goat free for Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward may come into the camp. 27 The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside the camp; their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be consumed in fire. 28 The one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward may come into the camp.

29 This shall be a statute to you forever: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall deny yourselves, and shall do no work, neither the citizen nor the alien who resides among you. 30 For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord. 31 It is a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall deny yourselves; it is a statute forever. 32 The priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the linen vestments, the holy vestments. 33 He shall make atonement for the sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the people of Israel once in the year for all their sins. And Moses did as the Lord had commanded him.

Reading 7
1119 words

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 a couple things. First of all, the word “atonement,” which we have seen several times through the book of Leviticus, is one that is often misunderstood. It is often thought to refer to the supposed need for the penalty of death to be imposed on some living thing because of the sins of the people, and for that reason, the various animals are killed. But this is wrong; the only reason that these animals are killed is so that first, their blood may be offered (in most cases) as a symbol of the offering of the (alive) life of the offerer to God, and then of the shared life of the offerer with God, and second, so that their meat could provide a shared meal for the offerer, the priests, and God. When we see the word “atonement,” we need to see it as the invented word that it is: “at one ment,” which is to say, that which restores communion with God. So that is what is happening here. Second, in this Feast, then, we see the two goats; one of them is used for a sin offering for all the people, together with the bull that is the sin offering for the high priest, and it is their blood that is sprinkled throughout the tabernacle for purification. But the other goat is NOT killed, but is sent outside the camp carrying the sins of all the people BACK to the demon of the desert, Azazel, whose temptation and influence and example were understood to be the source of these acts of faithlessness, rebellion, and weakness. In this way, the space of the Tabernacle is purified, and the sins of the people are taken away. What is worth noting is that, in His Incarnation and Passion, our Lord Jesus Christ fulfills both roles, purifying the Temple of this Creation with His own life in our midst, and also carrying the sins of the people outside of the camp, removing them from 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)

Anaphora Prayers of St. Basil the Great – 1

The Orthodox Church celebrates two Liturgies in normal usage throughout the course of the year. On most Sundays and weekdays, we celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, but on the eve of major feastdays (Christmas, Theophany, and Pascha) as well as Holy Thursday, January 1st, and the Sundays of Great Lent, we celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. The vast majority of the text of these two services is identical, but what varies between them is the Anaphora, the offering prayers that precede the Consecration of the Gifts, and these prayers are attributed respectively to St. John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople in the 390’s, and to St. Basil the Great, the Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia earlier in the same century. Chrysostom’s prayers are briefer, while Basil’s are longer, but in both of them, we sum up why we are making this offering to God, and recounting what God has done for us. Basil’s prayer is one of the most beautiful summaries of the Orthodox understanding of human life and sin and of God’s love for us and salvation and restoration of us and the entire creation. Because it is so long, we will begin to read it this week, and will continue for the next two weeks as well. We begin at the point in the Liturgy immediately after the Faithful have completed confessing the Creed.

The Holy Anaphora begins with a dialogue between the Priest and the People:

Priest: Let us stand well. Let us stand in awe. Let us be attentive, that we may present the holy offering in peace.
People: A mercy of peace; a sacrifice of praise.
Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
People: And with your spirit
Priest: Let us lift up our hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord
Priest: Let us give thanks (let us accomplish the Eucharist) to the Lord
People: It is proper and right.

St. Basil’s Anaphora (Offering Prayer)

Priest: Master, Lord, God, worshipful Father almighty, it is truly just and right to the majesty of Your holiness to praise You, to hymn You, to bless You, to worship You, to give thanks to You, to glorify You, the only true God, and to offer to You this our spiritual worship with a contrite heart and a humble spirit. For You have given us to know Your truth. Who is worthy to praise Your mighty acts? Or to make known all Your praises? Or tell of all Your wonderful deeds at all times?

Master of all things, Lord of heaven and earth, and of every creature visible and invisible, You are seated upon the throne of glory and behold the depths. You are without beginning, invisible, incomprehensible, beyond words, unchangeable. You are the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great God and Savior of our hope, the image of Your goodness, the true seal of revealing in Himself You, the Father.

He is the living Word, the true God, eternal wisdom, life, sanctification, power, and the true light. Through Him the Holy Spirit was manifested, the spirit of truth the gift of Sonship, the pledge of our future inheritance, the first fruits of eternal blessings, the life giving power, the source of sanctification through whom every rational and spiritual creature is made capable of worshiping You and giving You eternal glorification, for all things are subject to You.

For You are praised by the angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities, powers, and the many eyed Cherubim. Round about You stand the Seraphim, one with six wings and the other with six wings; with two they cover their faces; with two they cover their feet; with two they fly, crying out to one another with unceasing voices and ever-resounding praises:
Singing the victory hymn, proclaiming, crying out, and saying:

People: Holy, holy, holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna to God in the highest.

Part 1 – 457 words

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 two things here. First, how we begin the Anaphora, after the Creed, with the Priest first blessing the Faithful in the name of the Holy Trinity, and then calling all present to “lift up our hearts to the Lord.” As the people respond in the affirmative, the Priest then turns from facing them back towards the Holy Table, saying, “Let us give thanks to the Lord,” which in Greek is basically “Let’s do the Eucharist!” It sounds a little blunt, but it is that blunt in the Greek. We must never forget that the Eucharist is an offering of thanksgiving…and we must never forget that the quintessential offering of thanksgiving is the Eucharist. Second, this portion of the Offering Prayer effectively sums up the Church’s confession of the Holy Trinity, giving glory and thanksgiving to God the Father, eternal and almighty and glorious, beyond our knowledge or comprehension, the Father of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has revealed the Father to us, as the express image of His Person, and through Whom the Holy Spirit has been manifested to us. In this summary the actions, or the energies of the Three Persons of the Godhead on our behalf are outlined, and we conclude with the proclamation that all things are subject to God, and that all the angelic powers worship without ceasing. This portion of the prayer concludes with this image of heavenly worship, in which the Seraphim fly around the Cherubic Throne of God singing the Thrice-Holy Hymn…which the People then sing, joining the angelic powers in their eternal worship 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)

Acts 13:1-16a (Barnabas and Saul Commissioned, Sent to Cyprus and Pisidia)

Last week, we saw Peter saved from Herod's prison by an angel sent by the Lord, and then we heard about the final end of King Herod, and how he died when he claimed the power and glory of a god. We also saw the text tell us that Barnabas and Saul returned "to" Jerusalem, as it said, "after they had completed their mission." There is actually a textual variant in this case, where the text says that Barnabas and Saul returned not "to", but "from" Jerusalem, going back to Antioch. What this means is that what happened last time in Jerusalem was one strand of the story, up to the point when Barnabas and Saul, having come to Jerusalem, left and went back to Antioch. This time, we are going back in time to see what had been happening in Antioch, and how Barnabas and Saul (and John Mark) came to leave Antioch and go to several cities in the eastern Mediterranean, preaching the glory and gospel of the Lord.

Barnabas and Saul Commissioned

13 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

The Apostles Preach in Cyprus

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia

13 Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem; 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.” 16 So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:

Reading 23 – 422 words

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 Holy Spirit directs the Church at Antioch to send out Saul and Barnabas to preach elsewhere, and how the Holy Spirit directs them in where they go. We should note, too, how John Mark goes with them at first, but leaves them in verse 13; this will be significant in the future, as it will be the cause of Saul and Barnabas going their separate ways. Third, we should note how the narrative switches from calling the Apostle from Tarsus Saul to calling him Paul, in verse 9. It is really at this point that St. Paul becomes the primary focus of the book of Acts. Finally, we should note that when they go to preach, they go first to the synagogue; this reflects the reality that the Church was not setting up a "new" religion, but rather proclaiming the Gospel of the Messiah Jesus to His people, the Jews, in the places where they gathered to read the Scriptures. It is only after the authorities in those synagogues rejected this word and expelled the Christians, after several years, that the Church begins to function entirely separately from the synagogues. This begins to happen over the course of the book of Acts, but we MUST remember that it has not yet happened yet as we read.)

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?