Day 1 (Monday)
Numbers 13:1 – 14:10a (Spies to Promised Land)
Last time we read in Numbers 9 & 10 about the people of God leaving Mount Sinai, and celebrating the Passover for the first time a year after the Exodus, as they conclude the implementation of everything that God had commanded to them, with all the sacrifices and the priesthood and the commandments to purity. Then God led them from Sinai to the border of the Promised Land; a number of things happened along the way, but we will pick up the story when they arrive at the borders of Canaan, as God commands them to send spies into the land to see what the Lord had prepared for them, and what their task was to be as they entered in. We will pick up the story there, in Numbers chapter 13.
Spies Sent into Canaan
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites; from each of their ancestral tribes you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them leading men among the Israelites. 4 These were their names: … … One man from each of the tribes, including: … … 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; .. … and 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; … … 16 These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses changed the name of Hoshea son of Nun to Joshua.
17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up there into the Negeb, and go up into the hill country, 18 and see what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the towns that they live in are unwalled or fortified, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be bold, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now it was the season of the first ripe grapes.
21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. 22 They went up into the Negeb, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the Anakites, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came to the Wadi Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them. They also brought some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Wadi Eshcol,[a] because of the cluster that the Israelites cut down from there.
The Report of the Spies
25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us; it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Yet the people who live in the land are strong, and the towns are fortified and very large; and besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the land of the Negeb; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 So they brought to the Israelites an unfavorable report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land that we have gone through as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are of great size. 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
The People Rebel
14 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become booty; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us choose a captain, and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the Israelites. 6 And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the Israelites, “The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only, do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 But the whole congregation threatened to stone them.
881 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that God told them to send spies into the land, and of course part of what they looked for was how strong the people living there were. Part of that seems to be a test; God has promised them that He is with them and will give them victory; He is letting them see that they can’t expect to win without His help, that He isn’t sending them against weak nations, but strong ones. Sadly, they don’t pass the test; they do NOT trust God to bring them in, except for Joshua & Caleb. Note, as well, the appearance of the giants, the Nephilim; these are clans of demonized human beings who have given themselves over to unspeakable things, making unholy alliance with evil spirits, and gaining great strength from that alliance. Dealing with them is Israel’s particular task, given to them by 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?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) – 3
Before Holy Week, we read what the Didache says about life in the Church, and how important it is to remain in communion with the community of the Faithful, with a reminder of the importance of giving generously, of not thinking that what God has given us to belongs to us. This time we will talk more about how we live in our family life, and what our life in the Church should look like; from there we will continue with what was promised at the beginning, when the text began speaking of two ways, the way of life and the way of death. Having concluded with what the way of life looks like, how we are to live in obedience to God, loving our neighbor, giving freely to those in need, and devoting our entire lives to God, we proceed to see what the Didache has to say about the way of death, what it is that we must avoid if we are to follow the Lord.
Family Life & Church Life
You shall not withhold your hand from your son or your daughter, but from their youth you shall teach them the fear of God. You shall not give orders to your male slave or female servant (who hope in the same God as you) when you are angry, lest they cease to fear the God who is over you both. For he comes to call not with regard to reputation but those whom the Spirit has prepared. And you slaves shall be submissive to your masters in respect and fear, as to a symbol of God.
You shall hate all hypocrisy and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord. You must not forsake the Lord’s commandments but must guard what you have received, neither adding nor subtracting anything. In church you shall confess your transgressions, and you shall not approach your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life.
The Way of Death
But the way of death is this: first of all, it is evil and completely cursed; murders, adulteries, lusts, sexual immoralities, thefts, idolatries, magic arts, sorceries, robberies, false testimonies, hypocrisies, duplicity, deceit, pride, malice, stubbornness, greed, abusive language, jealousy, audacity, arrogance, boastfulness.
It is the way of persecutors of good people, of those who hate truth, love a lie, do not know the reward of righteousness, do not adhere to what is good or to righteous judgment, who are vigilant not for what is good but for what is evil, from whom gentleness and patience are far removed, who love worthless things, pursue a reward, have no mercy for the poor, do not work on behalf of the oppressed, do not know the one who made them, are murderers of children, corrupters of God’s creation, who turn away from someone in need, who oppress the afflicted, are advocates of the wealthy, lawless judges of the poor, utterly sinful. May you be delivered, children from all these things.
The Right Choice
See that no one leads you astray from this way of the teachings, for such a person teaches you without regard for God. For if you are able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect. But if you are not able, then do what you can.
Concerning Food
Now concerning food, bear what you are able, but in any case keep strictly away from meat sacrificed to idols, for it involves the worship of dead gods.
412 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note these references to the discipline of children and the treatment of slaves. There are two important points here – the reference to “withholding your hand” should not be thought to refer to a physical striking of the children, but a teaching and and moral discipline of children. We might gloss it in the modern day as: “do not let your children run riot, but teach them to fear and honor the Lord in the same way as you do yourself, in obedience to all that we have said before.” As for the treatment of slaves, this should not be taken as a Christian “approval” of slavery as an institution, but rather as instructions for how Christians should approach a normal reality of life in the 1st/2nd centuries. In telling masters to treat their slaves with a consciousness that they are fellow Christians, servants of the same God, the seeds of the ultimate abolition of slavery are laid. This is the normal Christian approach to brokenness in the world; like Christ going to the Cross, evil is not opposed with violence or political action, but with a bearing of the burden one’s self, and a transformation of the brokenness from within.)
As for the “way of death,” the Leader should note how it can be summed up as sins against God and sins against our neighbor. We could add as well a sin against ourselves, but in truth every sin, whether against God or against our neighbor, also harms us, working toward destruction in our souls and our bodies. It can be good to think about all of the sins listed and to consider who they hurt, and connect the dots, how whether a sin hurts others or hurts us ourselves, it works against what God has created us for, and is a sin against Him. It is not by accident, either, that strictly avoiding food sacrificed to idols is mentioned at this point, since all sin is demonic, whether it is initiated through the direct temptation of the demons or not. For all sin is a participation in the rebellion of the angels, an invitation to them to come and be active in our lives. So setting ourselves apart in how we eat is an essential first step in setting ourselves apart in how we live, giving ourselves in service and obedience to God. This is a good thing to remember as we leave the fast-free period of Bright Week behind and resume our normal Wednesday & Friday fast.)
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 story? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this story make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Day 3 (Friday)
Luke 24:36-53 (Jesus Appears to His Disciples, The Ascension)
We will continue to jump around the Gospel of Luke this week. On Thursday of this week we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, so we will read that passage today, along with the Lord’s appearance to His disciples before He ascended into heaven. This is the final passage of the Gospel of Luke, and comes immediately after the episode where Jesus revealed Himself to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and disappeared from their sight after blessing and breaking the bread, at which point they hurried back to Jerusalem and told the other disciples, who told them that He had appeared Simon Peter as well. As they were all talking, then, Jesus appeared to all of them together. Luke continues with a brief summary of the Ascension to conclude his account of the Gospel; a fuller account of the Ascension can be found at the beginning of the book of Acts (also written by St. Luke).
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
36 As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension of Jesus
50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.
Reading 52
328 words
Discussion Questions
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that it is very important that Jesus eats in the presence of His disciples. St. Luke includes this to make very clear that the Lord really and truly rose from the dead. He wasn’t a ghost, He wasn’t an apparition, He wasn’t some sort of projection or a mass hallucination. He was really risen from the dead, in the flesh, and that He could eat food showed this more completely than any words can explain. Having established that Jesus was truly risen in the flesh, then St. Luke depicts Him ascending into heaven in their sight, showing them that He, being God and Man, risen from the dead, remains fully God and fully Man as He ascends into heaven. In Christ, then, human nature is fully united with divine nature, and remains so forever, so that we, if we remain in communion with the Lord, can also be partakers of divine nature in Him.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Year 1a – Week 33 (April 12 – April 18, 2026)
Day 1 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 15:1-58 – The Resurrection of Christ
So far, we have been reading only from the Old Testament on Day 1. This will remain the case, generally, but on some occasions, such as this one, and perhaps during the summer, we will read relevant passages from the Epistles in the New Testament. This week, we will read St. Paul explaining the centrality and importance of the Lord’s Resurrection to the Church in Corinth. It is a long passage, and some families may choose to read only selections. If you choose to do so, I urge you to skip the italicized sections, but make sure to read the end of the selection. I promise you that you won’t regret it.
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.
3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?
30 And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? 31 I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters, as my boasting of you—a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised,
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”
33 Do not be deceived:
“Bad company ruins good morals.”
34 Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory.
42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1285 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that St. Paul is dealing with people who are questioning and doubting whether the Lord truly rose from the dead. He begins with evidence, the evidence not only of the other Apostles, such as we will read about on Day 3, but his own direct experience with the Risen Lord. He saw Jesus risen from the dead himself, with his own eyes, and is telling them so. The second major point he makes is that everything meaningful about the Christian Faith is founded on the truth of the Resurrection. He is basically asking them, if there is no resurrection, why are any of them bothering, and making the point that he himself is risking and suffering a great deal, and not getting anything out of being a Christian except for that suffering…so indirectly, he’s pointing out to them that it doesn’t make any sense for them to doubt his testimony. All of this is connected with his larger point to them, which is that they need to stop sinning and serve God faithfully, and the rest of the chapter, in which he describes the Resurrection that all of them anticipate, makes the point that they cannot receive the resurrection and communion with God to which they are called if they remain in slavery to the sins of the world. This is the point of the last italicized section: “flesh and blood” and “perishable” refer above all to the sins of this world. If they give their bodies over to such sins, then they will remain forever bound to what is perishable, but God calls them to rather receive the imperishability and immortality that Christ gives in the Resurrection, and to turn away from sin now.)
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?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos – For the Newly Illumined
During this Bright Week, we offer the following saying from Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, of Nafpaktos, regarding the state of spiritual growth, especially relevant to the recently illumined.
“From Orthodox teaching, we know that there are three spiritual stages related to God’s grace. The first is the advent of uncreated grace within man’s heart. The second is the withdrawal of grace, for reasons known to God. Finally, the third is the return of grace into the heart. All people, at a certain moment, feel the advent of divine grace within the heart. They all lose it, because God wants their personal freedom to be activated; hence the spiritual struggle starts: pain and ascetic practice. Naturally, only a few people who manage to acquire divine grace gain and have it remain in their hearts permanently. Very discreet and wise guidance is needed during the withdrawal of divine grace.
This happens, mainly, to those who are catechised and baptized. If a traditional Catechism has taken place beforehand, then they feel the divine grace within themselves during the baptism. The prayer of the heart and nous grows within them and they have all the results of this condition, i.e. tears of repentance and joy, prayer, love for the whole world, zeal and inebriation for God and so on. The clergy must be aware of this course of divine grace, so that when the time comes, a few months or a few years later, and the newly baptized lose this divine grace, they will not be disappointed. Indeed, the clergy should guide them telling them that this is a natural condition, and in this way, their freedom is activated all the more. God withdraws the grace out of love; so that we can both learn of His love for man, and go on to make our own personal effort.
If the Catechumen does not learn about this delicate spiritual task, he may well become disappointed, give up, and wither, falling into immediate spiritual danger. Experience has shown that this is the greatest temptation that the newly baptized undergo. Following the Baptism they feel like they are ‘Drunk’; they are existentially glad, everything is pleasing and joyful. However, in the period of the withdrawal of divine grace they find themselves in a tragic condition. It is then possible for them to believe that their former condition was simply enthusiasm, a psychological feeling of well-being, or they may think that their current condition is proof that they have become psychologically ill. Sensible guidance and paternal care will help them understand that this is the road towards sanctification. All the saints passed through this stage in their spiritual lives. In this way, God’s gifts will become their permanent spiritual condition.”
Pages 197-199.
Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos. Entering the Orthodox Church: the Catechism and Baptism of Adults. Birth of Theotokos Monastery, Levadia, Greece. 2004, 2006, 2010.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note how this applies to our experience of the spiritual life, not only when we are first beginning our life in Christ, but as we progress. It is important to be patient, and to entrust ourselves to the Lord with humility, repentance, and dedicated diligence.)
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?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Day 3 (Friday)
Luke 24:1-35 (Resurrection, Road to Emmaus)
Last time we read Luke’s account of the crucifixion, death, and burial of the Lord. This week we will see the Resurrection announced to the Myrrh-bearing women by angels, and will see the Lord appear to two of his followers as they are walking to another town near Jerusalem.
The Resurrection of Jesus
24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; 5 and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.”
8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Mag′dalene and Jo-an′na and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.
The Walk to Emmaus
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma′us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.
18 Then one of them, named Cle′opas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”
“Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.”
25 And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, 29 but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Reading 51
740 words
Discussion Questions
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that St. Luke tells the story of the walk to Emmaus in a very liturgical way. He shows Jesus first talking about the Scriptures with the two disciples, and then explaining the Scriptures to them, and finally blessing and breaking and giving bread to them. They begin to understand as Jesus talks to them about the Scriptures…but they do not actually recognize Him until He gives them the blessed and broken bread. This is, I think, why Luke emphasizes that “he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread;” he is emphasizing that we come near to the Lord not just with our minds and our comprehension, but we ultimately have to actually receive Him in the Eucharist, in the Bread and Wine that are His Body and Blood, in Holy Communion, if we actually desire to know Him.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
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Year 1a – Week 32 (April 5 – April 11, 2026)
Day 1 (Monday)
Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-12 (The Suffering Servant)
We have been reading about the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, and last time we saw them celebrate the first Passover after their arrival at Mt. Sinai, as they prepared to depart from the mountain and head toward the Promised Land. When they arrived, however, they refused to enter, being afraid of the powerful inhabitants of the land, and thus that generation was judged to wander for 40 years in the wilderness. When their children finally entered the land, all seemed well, but soon they and their descendants fell into sin once more, and God sent them many prophets to call them to repent, and also to tell them of how He was going to save them in the future, even if they failed to repent then. One of these prophets, named Isaiah, prophesied in remarkable detail what would happen to the Lord when He came, and how He would save us through His suffering.
The Suffering Servant
13 Behold, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be exalted and lifted up,
and shall be very high.
14 As many were astonished at him—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the sons of men—
15 so shall he startle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which has not been told them they shall see,
and that which they have not heard they shall understand.
53:1 Who has believed what we have heard?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by others;
a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;
and as one from whom others hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him of no account.
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way,
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away.
Who could have imagined his future?
For he was cut off from the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people.
9 They made his grave with the wicked
and his tomb with the rich,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.
When you make his life an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;
through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.
11 Out of his anguish he shall see light;
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he poured out himself to death,
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note some of the specific portions of this that clearly connect with the Lord’s Passion, especially verse 3, verses 5-6, verses 7-9, & verses 11-12. The Leader can also mention that verses 7 and 8 are read at every Liturgy when the Priest cuts out the Amnos, the Lamb, from the Prosfora bread. A link to this can be found here, starting at about the 10 minute mark: https://youtu.be/EvWpnPDkIEw?t=600.)
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?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Day 2 (Wednesday)
St. Iakovos of Evia – A Saying for Married People
During this Holy Week, we offer the following saying from St. Iakovos.
There was once a pious couple with nine children. The husband was very pious and a little overly-zealous as regards spiritual things.
By letter he said that he wanted to do everything like a monk. His wife complained to St. Iakovos of Evia that she was exhausted and that she wanted help. When they came to the Monastery of St. David, at night, while the children were crying and screaming, the wife also was crying because she was so tired…
The husband went to a chapel at the Monastery of the Holy Unmercenaries and was doing prostrations, praying the prayer rope and serving vigil.
The wife complained to St. Iakovos and she was right.
The next day, the Saint, as soon as he saw them in the courtyard of the Monastery, understood what was going on and that they were starting to fight amongst themselves.
The Saint spoke with sweet words and with discernment in order to comfort the pained and exhausted mother, and with discernment and a smile he said to the father: “I was proud of you last night. You chanted all night and prayed. Good job! But you would have had an even greater blessing and reward if you sat a half hour instead of three, near your wife helping her to feed the children and put them to bed, because for married people, your prayer ropes and prostrations are your children. When they grow up you will have time to do them, but “a brother is helped by a brother”. Let everything be done by mutual consent.”
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that this saying may be a helpful guide to families who are working to find the right balance during Holy Week. May the Lord grant us all wisdom, discernment and peace as we walk this path to the Lord’s Pascha.
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?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Day 3 (Friday)
Luke 23:39-56 (Penitent Thief, Death & Burial of Jesus)
Last time, we saw the Lord sentenced to death and crucified, as we concluded the final week of Great Lent. This week, during Holy Week, we will behold Him upon the Cross on Great and Holy Friday, and will read this selection both Holy Thursday evening and Holy Friday morning, as we complete our journey with the Lord to His Passion, and prepare for the celebration of His glorious Resurrection.
The Penitent Thief
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power.”[g] 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land[h] until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed;[i] and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the multitudes who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50 Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathe′a. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.[j] 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid; 56 then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.
On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Reading 50
376 words
Discussion Questions
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that Jesus is crucified on the day of the preparation for the Sabbath, on Friday, so that He is dead, with His body resting in the tomb, on Saturday, the Sabbath day, the great day of rest. In this way, He fulfills the commandment about honoring the Sabbath Day, but more than that, He shows the purpose for that commandment, as a prophecy of how God rests from His work in this world on the seventh day, once He has completed all that He came to do, and united Himself with us even in the depths of our brokenness. Other points to note include the Lord’s prayer of forgiveness for those crucifying Him in verse 34, the repentant thief in verses 39-43, and the tearing of the veil in the Temple, which as we have discussed previously, separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy 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?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
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