Day 1 (Monday)

Burning Busy 2 – Prophecy of the Plagues and the Exodus

Last time, Moses saw the Burning Bush, and went to see why it wasn’t burning up. He encountered the Angel of the Lord, the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, there, and when he asked what His name was, God told him that His name was Yahweh, He Who Is, Ὁ Ὤν, and told him to tell the children of Israel in Egypt that He Who Is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had sent him, Moses, to lead them out of slavery. Let’s see what happens next!

Prophecy of the Plagues and the Exodus

18 And they will hearken to your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, we pray you, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.[d] 20 So I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters; thus you shall despoil the Egyptians.”

Moses’ Miraculous Power

4 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” 3 And he said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand, and take it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand into your bosom.” And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back into your bosom.” So he put his hand back into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or heed the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or heed your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it upon the dry ground; and the water which you shall take from the Nile will become blood upon the dry ground.”

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either heretofore or since thou hast spoken to thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person.”

14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well; and behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart. 15 And you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people; and he shall be a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. 17 And you shall take in your hand this rod, with which you shall do the signs.”

Reading 4
673 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 Moses does all but refuse the call of the Lord; and yet we know that, by the end of his life, Moses had walked in the presence of the Lord for many years, and stands as one of two people in the tradition of the Church who have, to the best of our knowledge, already been resurrected and taken up into heaven after death (the other one being the Mother of God). This should be, for all of us, an encouragement and a reminder of the actual path to which the Lord calls us: not perfection, but repentance and faithfulness. It would also be good to attend to the other discussion questions below, from the last time we read this passage.)

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?

Additional discussion questions:

1) What was Moses worried about? What signs did God give him to do? (He was worried that the children of Israel wouldn’t believe that God had sent him, so God gave him three miracles for proof. He was first to cast his staff onto the ground, and it would become a snake, then he was to put his hand inside his robe, and it would be leprous when he took it out, and would become whole again after he put it back inside his robe, and finally he was to pour some water on the ground, and it would become blood.)

2) What was Moses’ next excuse? (He said that he wasn’t any good at talking).

3) What did God say to that? (He reminded Moses that He was the one who gave speech to human beings, and promised that He would teach Moses what to say. When Moses still complained, God told him to bring his brother Aaron with him, and Aaron would speak for him.

4) When Moses went back to Pharaoh, what did God tell him to say to him? (He told him to tell Pharaoh that Israel was God’s firstborn son, and that if Pharaoh didn’t release the children of Israel, God would kill Pharaoh’s firstborn son.

5) What do you think of all the excuses that Moses made? Why do you think he didn’t want to do what God told him to do? (This is an open question – good for conversation).

Day 2 (Wednesday)

A Brief Life of St. Demetrios the Myrrh-streamer

On October 26th, the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast-day of St. Demetrios the Great-Martyr and Myrrh-streamer. We therefore take the occasion of the week following his feast-day to reflect on his life, and on the hymns with which the Church celebrates him and asks for his intercessions.

Life of St. Demetrios

“This glorious and wonderworking saint was born in Thessalonica of noble and devout parents. Implored of God by childless parents, Demetrius was their only son, and so was raised and educated with great care. Demetrius’s father was a commander in Thessalonica.

When his father died, Emperor Maximian appointed Demetrius as commander in his place. As he appointed him, Maximian, an opponent of Christ, particularly recommended that he persecute and exterminate the Christians in Thessalonica. Demetrius not only disobeyed the emperor but openly confessed and preached the Lord Jesus Christ in the city of Thessalonica. When the emperor heard of this he became furious with Demetrius. Then, when he was returning from battle against the Sarmatians, Maximian stopped at Thessalonica to investigate the matter.

The emperor summoned Demetrius and questioned him about his faith. Demetrius openly acknowledged his Christian Faith to the emperor and also denounced the emperor’s idolatry. Maximian cast Demetrius into prison. Knowing what was awaiting him, Demetrius gave all his goods to his faithful servant Louppos to distribute to the poor, and joyfully awaited his imminent suffering for Christ the Lord.

An angel of God appeared to him in prison, saying: “Peace be to you, O sufferer of Christ; be brave and be strong!” After several days, the emperor sent soldiers to the prison to kill Demetrius. The soldiers found the saint of God at prayer and ran him through with lances. Christians secretly took his body and honorably buried it. Healing myrrh flowed from the body of the martyr of Christ, curing many of the sick. Soon, a small church was built over his relics.
An Illyrian nobleman, Leontius, was afflicted with an incurable illness. He hastened, with prayer to the relics of St. Demetrius and was completely healed. In thanksgiving, Leontius erected a much larger church on the site of the old church. The saint appeared to him on two occasions.

When Emperor Justinian wanted to translate the relics of the saint from Thessalonica to Constantinople, flaming sparks sprang from the tomb and a voice was heard: “Stop, and do not touch!” And thus, the relics of St. Demetrius have remained for all time in Thessalonica.

As the protector of Thessalonica, St. Demetrius has appeared many times, and on many occasions has saved Thessalonica from great calamity. His miracles are without number.

This is a brief life of St. Demetrios from https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/10/holy-great-martyr-demetrios-of.html

Apolytikion of St. Demetrios

All the world has you, its mighty champion, * fortifying us in times of danger, * and defeating our foes, O Victorious One. * So, as you humbled Lyaios’s arrogance * by giving courage to Nestor in the stadium, * thus, O holy Great-martyr Demetrios, * to Christ our God pray fervently, * beseeching Him to grant us His great mercy.

Doxastikon of the Orthros

Let us honor the man who by lances inherited the grace from the Savior’s side that was pierced by the lance, and from which the Savior pours out for us streams of life and incorruption; Demetrios, who was most wise in his teachings, and with the Martyrs wears a wreath of victory. He finished the course of his contest through blood, and through miracles he became illustrious throughout the world. He was zealous for the Master, and a compassionate lover of the poor; many a time the defender of the people of Thessalonika in many a dread danger. As we celebrate his yearly memorial, we glorify Christ God, who through him works healings for all.

(From dcs.goarch.org)

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 the Church understands the role of the saints, as reflected in the final hymn we read. The saints participate in the Lord’s suffering, and participate too in His glorious resurrection, becoming instruments of His mercy, vessels of His grace, and even fellow-laborers in the Lord’s great work of salvation. Nothing in their proper veneration should ever take us away from true worship of the Lord, for it is the Lord Who is active and powerful in them to accomplish all things for the salvation of all. It is also worthwhile to reflect on the answers to the other discussion questions below.)

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?

Discussion questions:

1) Were Demetrios’ parents Christians? How can you tell? (It says they were devout, and that they “implored God” for him)

2) What job did Demetrios’ father have? (He was a commander, we can assume in the army)

3) How did Demetrios become the commander? (The emperor appointed him commander when his father died)

4) What job did the emperor tell him to do as commander? (He told him to find and to kill the Christians in Thessalonica)

5) What did Demetrios do? (He confessed and preached Christ, which means he said in public that he trusted in Jesus Christ, and told the people about him)

6) What did the emperor do then? (He came back, and questioned Demetrios, and when Demetrios refused to renounce Christ, and instead condemned the emperor and his worship of idols, the emperor threw him in prison).

7) What happened after the emperor had Demetrios killed? (The Christians came and took his body and buried it with honor; after some time a Church was built over his relics. Myrrh from God flowed from his body, and many people were healed, both then, and over the centuries until now. The myrrh is still flowing, and has a sweet and heavenly fragrance, and God still works miracles through the prayers of St. Demetrios).

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 4:31-44 (Jesus in Capernaum)

Last week we saw Jesus go to Nazareth, where He proclaimed Himself in the synagogue by reading the great Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 61, but was rejected by the people of the village, who could not see Him as other than the child they had seen grow up. When He persisted in His self-proclamation, they grew angry and tried to kill Him, and at that point He departed from them. This time we will see where He goes next; we should note that, as of yet, we have not yet seen Him call any disciples, so He is alone when He arrives in Capernaum.

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

31 And he went down to Caper′na-um, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath; 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And reports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Healings at Simon’s House

38 And he arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they besought him for her. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues

42 And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them; 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Reading 9
368 words

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 some of the observations from the discussion questions last round as he guides the conversation.)

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?

Additional Discussion Questions

1) Where did Jesus go when He left Nazareth? (He went to Capernaum, which was a city nearby. It was Peter and Andrew’s home town)

2) What did He do there? (He preached in the synagogue there)

3) Was He able to preach without being interrupted? (No – a man possessed by a demon interrupted Him and started yelling at Him.)

4) What did Jesus do? (He commanded the demon to be quiet and to leave the man)

5) What did the people who saw this happen think about it? (They were impressed – they saw that Jesus had authority over the evil spirits).

6) What else did Jesus do in Capernaum? (He healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and a lot of other people, and then he left to go to other cities to preach)

7) What else did you notice? (This is an open question – they may ask about demon-possession. If they do, it is worth reminding them that God protects Christian people from demons when we remain in relationship with Him. This is one reason it is important to pray, to repent when we sin, to receive Holy Communion, and to remember the Lord throughout our daily lives. They might also ask why Jesus didn’t let the demons tell everyone that He was the Son of God. I would suggest that you ask them what they think about this. Afterward, you can mention that Jesus might be waiting to proclaim Himself publicly, or He might simply be unwilling to have the evil spirits be the heralds of His divinity. They will proclaim it as bad news, but in truth His coming is good news for everyone except for them)

Day 1 (Monday)

God Calls Moses at the Burning Bush

Last time, we saw Moses born, raised in the house of Pharaoh, and then at age 40 or so, he went out to see his fellow Hebrews. When he saw an Egyptian mistreating one of them, he killed the Egyptian and hid the body, but the next day, when he tried to intervene between two quarreling Hebrews, one of them accused him of killing the Egyptian, and realizing that what he had done was known, he fled to Midian, where he took refuge with Reuel/Jethro and married one of his daughters. This time, we will see what happened some 40 years later, as Moses is herding sheep near a mountain in the wilderness.

Moses at the Burning Bush

3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid′ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”

4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here am I.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per′izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb′usites.

9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.”

The Divine Name Revealed

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am the One Who Is.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘He Who Is has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord He-Who-Is, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: this is my name for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord He-Who-Is, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt; 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per′izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb′usites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

Reading 3
604 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note elements of the questions/answers below in the discussion, but especially the following point, that we have adjusted the RSV here, to reflect and explain for the first time a trend that will continue through the Bible. While God gives His Name in verse 14 as “I Am Who I Am,” He is speaking in the first person: “I Am.” What He tells Moses to say to the Israelites in verse 15 is in the 3rd person, “He Is.” So, more literally translated, what He says in verse 15 is “He Who Is, the God of your ancestors, has sent me to you.” In Hebrew, “He Who Is” is Yahweh, and in Greek, it is “Ὁ Ὤν”. Throughout the Old Testament, however, most English translations render the Hebrew “Yahweh,” as “The LORD,” because the Hebrew people at the time of Christ did the same, replacing “Yahweh” with “Adonai” (which means Lord) when they read the Scripture. So any time we see God referred to as “The LORD,” it is likely that this is actually the Name of God, Yahweh, Ὁ Ὤν, He Who Is.)

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?

Additional Discussion questions:

1) What was strange about the Burning Bush that made Moses turn aside to go see it? (It was burning, but it wasn’t burning up).

2) Who does it say appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush? (The text says that it was the Angel of the Lord.)

3) Who spoke to Moses, then? (The text says that it was God, the Lord).

4) What did God tell Moses to do? How did He identify Himself (He told Moses to take off his sandals, because it was holy ground, and He told him that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the god of his ancestors).

5) Did God tell Moses what job He was going to give him? (He told him that he, Moses, was going to bring the Israelites out of slavery and into the Promised Land.)

6) What did Moses ask God? (He asked God to tell him His Name).

7) What does God say that His Name is? (He doesn’t – He tells Moses that He Is Who He Is, or perhaps that He is The One Who Is, Who Exists, and Who Brings All Things Into Existence. That’s not so much a name as a theological statement)

8) Do any of you know where in the Church we show this Name of God? Hint: It’s in the icons, and in the services too. (It’s in the icons of Christ, in the letters around His Head and it’s all over the place in the services, both when we address God as LORD, and every time we talk about Him as the God Who Exists, and brought everything that is into being.).

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Epitaph of St. Averkios

This Thursday, October 22nd, the Church celebrates the feast-day of St. Averkios, who was the bishop of Hieropolis in Asia Minor during the middle of the 2nd century. He fell asleep in the Lord in A.D. 167. During his life, he preached the Gospel in his own city, but also travelled west to Rome, and then east to Syria, and then back to his own city. When he got back, before he died, he wrote the story of his life on a monument, and many years later, that monument was found. What he says is written in a sort of code, so only Christians will know what he’s talking about. It is one of the earliest surviving artifacts of the life of the Christian Church in the 2nd century.

Epitaph of Averkios

It reads as follows:

“I am a citizen of a special city, and I made this monument while I was still alive, so that when I died there would be a resting place for my body.

My name is Averkios, and I am a disciple of a holy shepherd, who feeds flocks of sheep on both mountains and plains. He has great eyes that see everywhere, and this shepherd taught me that the book of life can be trusted.

He sent me to Rome to see majesty, and there I saw a queen with golden robe and golden sandals, and a people who bore a bright sign.

Then I saw the land of Syria, and all its cities; I saw Nisibis when I passed over the Euphrates River. And everywhere I went, I had fellowship with those that had been called together by Paul. Faith led me forward everywhere, and everywhere I went, Faith gave me the same food, a perfect fish of great size, which a holy virgin drew with her hands from a fountain. It is this fish that Faith gives her friends to eat, together with a wine of great virtue, which Faith gives to her friends, mingled with bread.

I was a witness of these things, and I had them written here, when I was in the middle of my 72nd year of life. I ask everyone who understands these things, who is in one accord with me, to pray for me, for Averkios.”

Explanation of the Text

Now – what this Averkios is saying, in more plain language, is this. He is a disciple of Jesus Christ, Who is the Good Shepherd, and Jesus taught Him to trust in the Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The Lord sent him to visit Rome, where he spent time with the Christian community there, holy and glorious like a queen, sealed with the Holy Spirit after baptism.

After that, he traveled east to Syria, and in all the cities there he found Christians, brothers and sisters among the Gentiles, such as those Paul preached to, and while he was with them, he was nourished with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior (ΙΧΘΥΣ), Who came into the world through the Virgin Mary, and this nourishment came in the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist.

Finally, he asks anyone who understands what he is talking about and shares in the same Communion of the Church, to pray for him.”

This shows that there were a fair number of Christians more or less hiding in plain sight in Roman society in the late 2nd century, and that they used certain symbols to recognize one another. One of these was the fish symbol, since the Greek word for fish (ἰχθῦς) is an acronym for the name of Jesus. Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱος, Σωτήρ, which means Jesus Christ, of God the Son, the Savior. We can, of course, still see the Fish symbol on the bumper of cars these days…but a long time ago, the Christians used it as a symbol to recognize one another.

The other things this passage shows is that the Church was united, even though it was scattered through the whole world, and that a Christian who traveled could find brothers and sisters everywhere. Finally, it shows that was Christians did was the same everywhere: they celebrated the Eucharist, and they believed then, as we do now, that the Eucharist, the Bread and Wine, are the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Besides that, they honored the Virgin Mary, and they showed their love for those who had died by praying for them. We can see all of these things are still what we do in the Church, every Sunday.

Here we can see a cast of the reconstructed monument, and here as well is a link to the Wikipedia article providing more information and background on the fish as a Christian symbol.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys

Discussion questions:

1) Who was Averkios? (He was a bishop in the 2nd century, born before AD 100)

2) What did he do before he died? (He had a monument made and wrote down the story of his life).

3) Did he write the story so anyone could understand it? (No – he wrote it so only other Christians could understand what he was talking about)

4) What were some of the Christian things he talked about in code? (Jesus as the good shepherd, the seal of Chrismation/Baptism, visiting other Christians, the Fish symbol for Jesus, Holy Communion, the Virgin Mary, and the Church’s prayer for the dead)

5) Which of those things he talks about do we still do in the Church? (All of them – but it might be good to ask the kids which ones they have seen)

6) What do you think Averkios was doing when he traveled to Syria? (This is a bonus question – he was preaching and baptizing people. He brought so many people into the Church that he is called an Equal-to-the-Apostles).

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 4:14-30

Last time, we saw John’s continued preaching, and his assurance to his listeners and disciples that he himself was not the Christ, but that the Messiah was the one coming after him…and then we saw John baptized Jesus, and the voice of the Father and the descent of the Spirit confirm the word of the Forerunner. Then the Lord went into the wilderness for 40 days, where He was tempted by the devil, but answered nothing but the words of Scripture. This time, we will see Him begin His ministry; it is striking where Luke sets this beginning.

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
[He has sent Me to [a]heal the brokenhearted,]
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The Rest of Isaiah 61

[And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

6 But you shall be named the priests of the Lord,
They shall call you the servants of our God.
You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth,
And will make with them an everlasting covenant.
9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,
And their offspring among the people.
All who see them shall acknowledge them,
That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.]

Jesus’s Sermon, the Synagogue’s Response

20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Caper′na-um, do here also in your own country.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli′jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Eli′jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar′ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli′sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na′aman the Syrian.”

28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away.

Reading 8
728 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note elements of the questions/answers below in the discussion, but especially the following point, that what Jesus reads is simply the beginning of Isaiah 61. It’s possible, and perhaps even probable, that He read more than St. Luke quotes, as the beginning of a passage functioned much like the “address” does for us today, as a shorthand reference for what was quoted. Regardless, the remainder of the chapter would have been in the minds of all who heard Him, and it is good that we should see and reflect on what was prophesied of this Anointed One, as Jesus proclaims Himself to be in this passage.)

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?

Additional Discussion Questions

1) Where did Jesus go when He went back to Nazareth? (He went to the synagogue, the place where the people assembled on the Sabbath Day to read the Scripture)

2) What did He do there? (He read aloud from the prophecy of Isaiah, the prophecy of the Messiah, the Anointed One, God’s Chosen Christ – it is important to remind everyone that Messiah and Christ both mean “Anointed One.” One is the Hebrew word, the other is the Greek word, but both of them are talking about anointing, having oil poured on your head as a sign that God has chosen you to do an important job for him, like be a priest or a king or a savior.)

3) What did that prophecy say the Messiah was going to do? (To bring good news to the poor, to give sight to the blind, to give freedom to those who were enslaved or oppressed, and to announce the time of God’s favor on His people).

4) What did Jesus say when He had finished reading? (He told them that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy He had just read).

5) What did the people Jesus had grown up with say when they heard this? (First they said that He spoke very well, but then they started wondering what gave Him the right to say things like that, since He was just the son of the local carpenter, and a lot of them had known Him when He was just a child.)

6) What did Jesus say about this? (He quoted an old saying about how a prophet is never welcome in his own country, and then mentioned two stories from the Old Testament in which God’s blessings were given to strangers and foreigners, instead of to the Hebrew people. The point here, you might point out, is that Jesus is telling them that, as they question Him and try to put Him back in the box where they thought He fit, they are cutting themselves off from the blessings that He comes to give, and that those blessings will be given instead to foreigners and strangers).

7) What did the hometown crowd think of this? What did they do? (They were very angry, and tried to kill Him by throwing Him off a cliff).

8) How did Jesus escape? (He just walked through the crowd and left. We are to understand that this was a miracle, that He showed His power as God, that they were not able to hurt Him or even hold on to Him. This reminds us, as well, that Jesus could have escaped the Crucifixion at any time, had He decided to do so. That He did not escape then, as He does now, lets us see that He was there by choice, doing what He had come to do, in order to save us).

Day 1 (Monday)

Birth and Youth of Moses, Moses Flees to Midian

Last time, we saw the children of Israel (that is, the descendants of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham) come to be enslaved in Egypt, and learned that the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had commanded that every male child born to the Hebrews (another name for the descendants of Jacob) was to be killed at birth, or before. This time, we will see a male child born, and how his parents strive to save him from death.

Birth and Youth of Moses

2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3 And when she could hide him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds at the river’s brink.

4 And his sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked beside the river; she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it. 6 When she opened it she saw the child; and lo, the babe was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son; and she named him Moses, for she said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

Moses Flees to Midian

11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together; and he said to the man that did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.

But Moses fled from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Mid′ian; and he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Mid′ian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18 When they came to their father Reu′el, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daugher Zippo′rah. 22 She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

23 In the course of those many days the king of Egypt died. And the people of Israel groaned under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry under bondage came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God saw the people of Israel, and God knew their condition.

Reading 2
650 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 similarities between the story of Moses and the birth of Christ; both are threatened with death in their infancy, and both are saved (strangely) in Egypt. Second, it would be worthwhile to discuss with the group whether Moses did the right thing in killing the Egyptian. There are a variety of views on the subject; St. John Chrysostom observes of the response of the Hebrew to Moses the next day is exactly wrong, as Moses is indeed the one to whom God will give authority to be a judge over Israel. St. Paul also observes about Moses and his early life the following: “23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” It is somewhat strange to say that Moses did not fear the anger of the king, especially when the text says that he was indeed afraid, but St. Paul certainly new the text, so is likely saying something important. St. John Chrysostom observes that Moses’ lack of fear and trust in the Invisible One is revealed when he returns to Egypt at God’s command later on.)

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?

Additional questions/answers

1) Do you remember who Levi was? (He was one of Jacob/Israel’s sons, so he was a great-grandson of Abraham. Moses’ father and mother were from the tribe of Levi.)

2) How long did Moses’ mother hide him? (For three months – it doesn’t say exactly why he couldn’t be hidden any longer after that. I am guessing that it had to do with him growing bigger and louder, but maybe she had to go back to work at that point. She would have been known to have been pregnant, so maybe she claimed that the baby died, and she needed time to recover from the pregnancy before she went back to work…but all that is just speculation. It is a good opportunity, though, to think about what things must have been like for her, and to try to understand what might be going unspoken here because it’s assumed everyone knows what is going on already)

3) What did Moses’ mother do when she couldn’t hide him anymore? (She got a basket, and coated it in pitch to make it waterproof, and she put the baby into it in the river water among the reeds along the shore).

4) Do you think she was just leaving Moses there during the day while she worked, or was she placing him in God’s hands once she realized she couldn’t keep him? (This isn’t clear…the text doesn’t say anything about the family getting Moses and bringing him home at night, so it seems as though the second option is more likely. She did everything she could to let him live, but ultimately entrusted his life to God. If that’s the case, then what happens at the end of the story is extra beautiful).

5) What happened to Moses after he was left among the reeds? (Pharaoh’s daughter found him and decided to adopt him, even though she knew he was a Hebrew baby.)

6) Who nursed the baby after Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him? (That’s the special part. Moses’ sister volunteered to go find a Hebrew woman to nurse him for the princess, and then of course she brought her own mother, and Moses was sent home with her under the protection of the princess, and was able to live there until he was weaned).

7) What does all that tell us about how Faith and Trust in God? (Moses’ mother did her very best, and when that wasn’t enough, she entrusted her son’s life to God. God’s response to that was to give her son back to her, and, as we will see, to do wonderful things through Moses. This is the same thing as the Lord tells us will happen when He tells us that “whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for the Lord and the Gospel will save it”).

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Troparia of Repentance & Sayings from St. Paisios

As we leave behind the book of Genesis and meet Moses, through whose ministry God revealed His Name and called His people to be His own, and through whom both the Law and many prophecies of the Lord’s coming were given, today we’ll talk about Repentance, which is what we need to do to abide in that relationship with God and live as His people. We will specifically read three prayers/hymns of Repentance, which are used quite often in the life of the Church. The Priest prays these prayers every time he goes into the Church to do the Divine Liturgy, and we see them used in several other services of the Daily Cycle, and also in Paraklesis services and in the Sacrament of Confession. We will also read some sayings of St. Paisios on the subject of repentance and prayer.

Troparia of Repentance

“Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us: for at a loss for any plea, we sinners offer to You as Master this supplication: have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
O Lord have mercy on us; for in You have we trusted: be not very angry with us, neither remember our iniquities. But as the Compassionate One, look down upon us even now, and deliver us from our enemies, for You are our God, and we are Your people, all being the works of Your hands, and we call upon Your name.

Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Open to us the doors of your lovingkindness, O blessed Theotokos, so that hoping in you we may not perish, but through you may be delivered from adversities; for you are the salvation of Christian people.”

There are a number of musical settings for these hymns – one beautiful version is linked below, as it is available on Youtube.

Sayings of St. Paisios

St. Paisios was a much beloved elder, that is to say, a trusted monastic spiritual father, in the mid-to-late 20th century. He fell asleep in the Lord in 1994, and was canonized as a saint in 2015. His insights on prayer, repentance, and life in Christ are of deep value to us all as we walk the path of salvation.

Sayings of St. Paisios

“Geronda, when I do not have much time and I rush through my prayers, am I perhaps stealing the time that I should give to Christ?
– Christ has plenty; no matter how much you steal from Him, He is never in need; you, however, are not helped. Christ has no need for our prayer, but we are in need of His help. We pray because it is how we communicate with God, Who created us. If we do not pray, we will fall into the hands of the devil, and then, woe to us! Have you seen what Saint Isaac says? ‘God will not ask us why we did not pray, but why we did not communicate with Him, and thereby, had given the devil the right to torment us.’”
St. Paisios Spiritual Counsels, Volume 6, page 27-28.

“Geronda, St. John Climacus says that prayer is ‘the judgment…before the judgment to come.’”
– Precisely. When a person is truly praying, then prayer is ‘the judgment before the judgment to come.’ When one who is spiritually healthy is about to pray and senses that his heart has hardened, he will examine why that is so, in order to correct it. He will ask himself, ‘Why do I feel like that? Have I perhaps wounded someone with my behavior? Have I perhaps judged someone, or has a judgmental thought crossed my mind without my having noticed it? Have i perhaps had some prideful thoughts, or is there some willfulness within me that does not allow me to communicate with God?’
– And what if he cannot find any wrongdoing, Geronda?
– It cannot be; something must have happened. If one makes a thorough search of the archives, that is, if he examines his own self, he will find the right file and recognize where he went wrong.
– Geronda, should he examine his own self or confess to God?
– What can he confess if he is not aware of what he has done? He must first examine his own self. If he cannot find anything, then he must do two or three prostrations, fall on his knees and say, ‘O my God, surely I am to blame for something. Enlighten me so that I can understand what I have done.’ As soon as he humbly says that, the fog of temptation will immediately clear, and he will find the reason for the hardness of his heart. That is, God, seeing his humility, sends His Grace, and enlightens him to recall his wrongdoing exactly so that he can put his own self in order.”
-St. Paisios Spiritual Counsels, Volume 6, page 50-51

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note regarding the Troparia that we confess some vital things here. First, that we need mercy, because we have no excuse or explanation to give God for our sins. Second, that we can trust God, because He is compassionate and because we are His…that is to say, because He loves us. Third, that we ask God NOT to be angry with us, which implies two things: that God has every “right” to be angry with us; the second is that, when we ask Him for mercy, He will treat us with love, and not with anger. Fourth, as we ask for the prayers of the Mother of God in the third troparion, we note that sin is not just between us and God; when we sin, we turn away from relationship with others and are selfish, acting as though we don’t need anyone else, and caring only for ourselves…and thus art of repentance is learning to ask for help, not only from God, but from other people, and especially from the Saints, who pray for us and by those prayers help us and support us. We especially ask the Virgin Mary for her prayers, because it was through her that salvation came into the world, in her Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and God. It is because of Him that she is the “salvation of the Christian people.”
As for the sayings from St. Paisios, they are fairly self-explanatory, but worth reflecting on.)

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)

Luke 3:10-38; 4:1-13 (John’s Preaching, Baptism of Jesus, Temptation in Wilderness)

Last time, we saw St. John the Baptist begin to preach, as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about the voice crying out to prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness. When the people came to him there, he urged them to repentance, warning them that the day of the Lord was at hand, and that those who were not bearing fruit would soon be pruned. This time we will see his preaching continue, and see Jesus come to him for baptism.

Preaching of John the Baptist

10 And the multitudes asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than is appointed you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

15 As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Hero′di-as, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he shut up John in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”

The Ancestors of Jesus

23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, … (Then we skip 14 generations) … the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerub′babel, the son of She-al′ti-el, … (then we skip 19 generations) … the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, … (then we skip 12 generations) … the son of Abraham, the son of Terah… (then we skip 8 generations) … the son of Shem, the son of Noah… (Then we skip 7 generations)…, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

The Temptation of Jesus

4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit 2 for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5 And the devil took him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”

9 And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it is written,

‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’

11 and

‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Reading 7
938 words -> shortened to -> 685 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note how St. John’s guidance in practical terms is not grievous, but simply a matter of integrity and compassion for each group of people that approached him. We should also note John’s humility, in affirming clearly that he is NOT the Messiah, and persistently pointing them toward the one following him. It is notable that we don’t see much about Jesus’ baptism, but we do see the revelation of the Holy Trinity afterwards. And finally, we must note how Jesus meets each temptation with Scripture, but nothing more; in this, He shows US how to face temptation.)

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)

God’s Covenant with Abram, then skip to Israel in Egypt

Last time, we saw the story of Cain and Abel, and after Abel’s murder, we followed the line of Cain’s descendants as things went from bad to worse. Meanwhile, Adam and Eve died, and before long, of all their descendants, only Noah and his family remained righteous, so God sent a great flood to cleanse the earth and start again, saving Noah in the Ark. After the Flood, Noah’s descendants rejected God once again, so He called a man named Abram to leave his home city of Ur (at the northern end of the Persian Gulf) and to go to the Promised Land. God told him that he would be the father of many nations. A lot happened to Abram, and he was far from perfect, but he always repented, and continued to trust God and His promises. We find him here after he won a great victory against his enemies, but he still had no children, and he is starting to wonder how God will make him a father of many nations without any children of his own.

Genesis 15:1-20

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

7 Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years; 14 but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for yourself, you shall go to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

Reading 5 – 473 words

So that is God’s promise to Abram, when he asked for reassurance – and as God said, Abraham’s grandson Jacob and his family went to Egypt. We will now read the beginning of the book of Exodus and see the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Exodus 1:1-22

“1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 The total number of people born to Jacob was seventy. Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and that whole generation. 7 But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13 The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”

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 these readings are effectively advancing us in the plot, showing us that we are in the same story. Adam and Eve’s hope from the Fall that the seed of the woman would undo the curse was disappointed in her son Cain, who instead brought murder into the world, and through his line brought such evil upon the world that the Lord undid the creation in the Flood. When afterward humanity turns once again to evil, however, God calls a childless descendant of Noah, Abram, to leave the world and to entrust himself and his hope of progeny to God’s promise, and in this reading God makes that promise firm, by means of the contractual ritual of the time, by passing between the divided halves of the animals. He also tells him what would have seemed impossible to Abram, that not only would he have descendants, but that there would be enough of them for them to be enslaved in Egypt…and that God would deliver them from there. And then, of course, we skip forward to the beginning of the book of Exodus and see how this promise of great progeny has been fulfilled, and see these two midwives themselves exhibiting the same faith as Abraham. In the next several weeks, we will see more of the descendants of Abraham in Egypt, as God comes to them and delivers them.)

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)

Initial Prayers of the Liturgy (Antiphons, Entrance & Trisagion)

These five prayers accompany the Great Litany, the Small Litanies, the Entrance, and the singing of the Trisagion Hymn, which together comprise the introductory portion of the Divine Liturgy, the period in which the Faithful enter the Temple of God and begin our worship. It is worth reflecting on how these prayers address the Lord, as they provide for us a template of how we ought to enter into His presence.

PRAYER OF THE FIRST ANTIPHON
Lord, our God, whose power is beyond compare, and glory is beyond understanding; whose mercy is boundless, and love for us is ineffable: look upon us and upon this holy house in Your compassion. Grant to us and to those who pray with us Your abundant mercy. 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.

PRAYER OF THE SECOND ANTIPHON
Lord our God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance; protect the whole body of Your Church; sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house; glorify them in return by Your divine power; and do not forsake us who hope in You. For Yours is the dominion, the kingdom, the power, and the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE THIRD ANTIPHON
Lord, You have given us grace to offer these common prayers with one heart. You have promised to grant the requests of two or three gathered in Your name. Fulfill now the petitions of Your servants for our benefit, giving us the knowledge of Your truth in this world, and granting us eternal life in the world to come. For You are a good and loving God, and to You we give glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE ENTRANCE OF THE HOLY 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.

PRAYER OF THE TRISAGION HYMN
Holy God, You dwell among Your saints. You are praised by the Seraphim with the thrice holy hymn and glorified by the Cherubim and worshiped by all the heavenly powers. You have brought all things out of nothing into being. You have created man and woman in Your image and likeness and adorned them with all the gifts of Your grace. You give wisdom and understanding to the supplicant and do not overlook the sinner but have established repentance as the way of salvation. You have enabled us, Your lowly and unworthy servants, to stand at this hour before the glory of Your holy altar and to offer to You due worship and praise. Master, accept the thrice holy hymn also from the lips of us sinners and visit us in Your goodness. Forgive our voluntary and involuntary transgressions, sanctify our souls and bodies, and grant that we may worship and serve You in holiness all the days of our lives, by the intercessions of the holy Theotokos and of all the saints who have pleased You throughout the ages.
For You are holy, our God, and to You we give glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages.

It can be helpful to re-state this prayer in your own words, to make sure we understand what we are saying to God. Here is my re-stated, simpler version of this prayer:

“God, You are with Your people, and are praised by all the angels with the thrice holy hymn. You made everything out of nothing, and created human beings in your image and likeness, and gave them good gifts. You give wisdom to those who ask you for it, and you listen to sinners, and gave them a way to be saved, through repentance. We are low and sinful people, but you allow us to stand before you now and worship You at this Altar. We sing this hymn to glorify you; accept it from us, and visit us in Your goodness. Forgive all our sins, make us holy in body and soul, and as all the saints pray to You for us, enable us to serve you all our lives, because You are holy, and we send up glory to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, from now until eternity.”

Please feel free to try this yourselves. Then see if you can answer these questions. Try paying attention to some of the other prayers of the Church, and see whether they follow the same pattern.

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 these prayers, and especially the Prayer at the Trisagion Hymn, provide us with a template for how to pray. First we confess Who God is – in this prayer, we remember that He is holy and that He made everything, including us. Then we confess who we are – we are people that God has made, who are here to worship Him and ask Him for mercy and strength and everything that is truly good. Then we actually ask him for these good things, to accept us and to be with us, to forgive us, to make us holy, and to allow us to be with Him and worship Him always. Finally, we confess once more Who God is, and giving Him glory. It can be valuable to study the prayers of the Church and even to re-state their meaning in our own words, as an aid to praying these prayers with understanding and purpose. In general, these prayers show us that, when we pray to the Lord, we need to look toward God, we need to be ourselves, and in that place of honesty and true confession, we ask God to be with us, even though we aren’t worthy to be with Him, and we give Him glory and worship, because that is the only thing that it makes sense to do when we see God for Who He is, and ourselves for who we are).

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)

The Boy Jesus in the Temple; John’s Ministry Begins

Last time we saw the Scriptural account of the two feasts of the infancy of our Lord Jesus Christ, following upon His birth. These, of course, were His Circumcision, celebrated January 1st, and His Meeting with Symeon and Anna in the Temple at His presentation according to the Law of Moses, celebrated February 2nd. This time, we will moe forward in time and see the Lord at the age of 12, as Mary and Joseph the Betrothed travel to Jerusalem for the Passover and bring Jesus with them.

The Boy Jesus in the Temple

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; 43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; 47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” 49 And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tibe′ri-us Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae′a and Trachoni′tis, and Lysa′ni-as tetrarch of Abile′ne, 2 in the high-priesthood of Annas and Ca′iaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechari′ah in the wilderness; 3 and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be brought low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

7 He said therefore to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits that befit repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Reading 6
512 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, that when Jesus is teaching in the Temple, He points to the Father and begins the revelation of the Trinity to those who are hearing Him. This is important not least because it is often suggested that Jesus didn’t know who He was, that somehow He was learning His identity as He grew. It is therefore important that we note that the Orthodox Church affirms that the Lord was always the co-eternal Son of God, and that He always knew exactly Who He is, even from the moment of His conception. This is the great mystery of the Incarnation. Second, we should note that this story, once again, is conveyed to St. Luke by the Mother of God herself, as is indicated to us by the statement that “she kept all these things in her heart,” which St. Luke could not know unless she had told him so. Additionally, we should note that, as St. John begins to preach, he is explicit that he is preparing the of the Lord, warning that the opportunity for repentance and faithfulness for God’s people is present, and that judgment for those who do not bear fruit is coming. God is giving notice by His prophet that time is running out for those who are faithless in this time; they are being warned and called to repentance.)

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?