Day 1 (Monday)

Tobit 11:1-19; 12:1-22 (Tobias Returns, Tobit’s Sight Restored, Raphael Reveals Himself)

Last time we saw Tobias and Sarah get married, and through obedience to the instructions of the Archangel Gabriel, trust in and faithfulness to God, and a veiled expectation of the Lord’s Incarnation, they were both preserved in the bridal chamber. Afterward, Raguel prepared a 14 day feast in celebration of the marriage. In chapters 9 & 10, which we will sum up here, rather than read in full, Tobias asks his companion Azarias (actually the Archangel Raphael) to complete the journey to Rages and claim the silver from Gabael, in order to both honor his new father-in-law’s celebration, but to not delay his return, lest his father and mother begin to fear that he had died. Raphael does so, and returns within a few days to Ecbatana. Meanwhile, back in Nineveh, Tobias does not arrive home by the time that Tobit and Edna had expected, and we see them begin to be afraid for him. In Ecbetana, as soon as the 14 day feast is completed, Tobias and Sarah prepare to leave. Raguel fulfills his promise, and gives them half of his property, and sends them on their way. We thus find Tobias, together with Raphael and Sarah and those accompanying them, approaching the end of the journey, as we begin chapter 11.

Homeward Journey

1 He traveled until they approached Nineveh. Here Raphael said to Tobias, 2 “My brother, are you not aware of how you left your father? 3 Let us run ahead of your wife and prepare the house. 4 Take the gall of the fish in your hand.” So they proceeded, and the dog followed behind them. 5 Meanwhile Anna sat gazing upon the road for her boy. 6 She perceived that he was coming and said to the father, “Behold, your son is coming, and the man traveling with him!”

Tobit’s Sight Restored

7 Raphael said, “I know that the eyes of your father will open. 8 Rub the gall on his eyes. When the eyes sting, he will rub them and cause the white film to fall away. He will then see you.” 9 Then Anna ran up to her son and fell upon his neck and said to him, “I have seen you, my child. From this day, I am now ready to die!” So they both wept. 10 Then Tobit came out of the door. He stumbled, but his son ran up to him.

11 He took hold of his father and dabbed the gall on the eyes of his father, saying, “Father, take courage!” 12 Then as his eyes stung, he rubbed them, and the white films peeled off from the corners of his eyes. 13 When he saw his son, he fell upon his neck, weeping, and said, 14 “Blessed are You, O God, and blessed is Your name unto the ages. Blessed are all Your holy angels, for You scourged me but had mercy on me. Behold, I see Tobias my son.” 15 His son went in rejoicing and told his father the great things that had happened to him in Media.

16 Then Tobit rejoiced and blessed God as he went to meet his daughter-in-law at the gate of Nineveh. But those who saw him as he walked along were amazed that he could see. Tobit gave thanks before them, because God had mercy on him. 17 Then as Tobit drew near to meet Sarah, his daughter-in-law, he blessed her, saying, “May you be in good health, my daughter! Blessed is God who brought you to us, and blessed are your father and your mother.” 18 So there was rejoicing among all his brethren in Nineveh. 19 Even Ahikar and his nephew Nadab came, for the wedding feast for Tobias was kept with gladness for seven days.

Raphael Reveals His Identity

1 Tobit summoned his son Tobias and said to him, “My son, see to the wages of the man who went with you, and we must add to them.” 2 He replied to him, “My father, it is no harm for me to give him half of what I brought. 3 For he brought me safely to you, healed my wife, and brought me the silver. Likewise he healed you.” 4 The elderly man replied, “He more than earned it.” 5 So he called the angel and said to him, “Take half of everything you brought.”

6 Then Raphael secretly called the two of them, and said to them, “Bless God and give Him thanks. Ascribe greatness to Him and give thanks in the presence of all the living for what He has done for you. It is good to bless God and to exalt His name. Make known the words of God’s works honorably and do not delay to give thanks to Him. 7 It is noble to keep hidden the secret of a king, but glorious to unveil the works of God. Do good, and evil will not find you. 8 Prayer is good with fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness. A few prayers with righteousness are better than many with wrongdoing. It is better to do almsgiving than to lay up gold. 9 For almsgiving rescues one from death, and it will wash away every sin. Those who do almsgiving and are righteous will be full of life. 10 But those who sin are enemies of their own life.

11 “I will not hide anything from you. Indeed, I did say that it is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to reveal gloriously the works of God. 12 Now when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought the remembrance of your prayer before the Holy One. When you also buried the dead, I was likewise present with you. 13 Then too, when you did not hesitate to stand up and leave your dinner so as to depart and care for the dead, your doing what is good did not escape me; but I was with you. 14 Now God sent me to heal you and Sarah your daughter-in-law. 15 I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who report the prayers of the saints and who enter before the glory of the Holy One.”

16 The two of them were troubled and fell upon their faces, for they were afraid. 17 But he said to them, “Do not be afraid, for peace shall be with you. But bless God forever. 18 For I did not come of my own good will, but rather by the will of our God. Therefore bless Him forever. 19 All these days I appeared to you I did not eat or drink; but you were seeing a vision. 20 Now give thanks to God, because I am ascending to Him who sent me. Write in a book everything that was accomplished.” 21 Then they stood up, but no longer saw him. 22 They acknowledged the great and wondrous works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared to them.

953 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 the fish’s gall is used as an instrument of God’s healing here, and once again is an early shadow of the coming Incarnation of the Messiah, the Christ, Who brings sight to the blind. Apart from this, we see a great deal of the role of the angels in what Raphael says when he reveals himself to Tobit and Tobias. We see him teach them, offering guidance in how they should live. We see him talk about how he was with Tobit when he was caring for the poor and burying the dead, and we see him talk about how he carried his prayers and Sarah’s to the throne of God, and was then sent as God’s messenger to answer those prayers. We see him affirm that thanks is not due to him, but to God, Who has worked through him, and in this he refuses worship or honor for himself, but directs them to worship God alone. We see him affirm that he is indeed bodiless, as he tells them that he never actually ate anything, but that they saw a vision that made it look like he was. And finally we see him tell them to write everything that happened down in a book, which explains why we have this book that we have been reading.)

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

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

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

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

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. Proclus On the Holy Virgin Theotokos – 1

As we prepare to enter the month of August, dedicated to the Theotokos, we will reach back in time several centuries, to the 4th century, a period of profound theological upheaval, in which the unity of the Church was disrupted by the question of what it means that our Lord Jesus Christ, being God from before the ages, has become Man and dwelt among us. For the next four weeks, we will read a sermon by St. Proclus, who was the Archbishop of Constantinople from 434 to 446, but previously, during the episcopacy of Nestorius in Constantinople from 428 to 431, he preached a sermon that directly contradicted the heresy which Nestorius was propagating in criticizing the veneration of the Mother of God. This sermon gives us a good picture of the articulation of the Faith which would eventually resolve the controversy at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The text is taken from the following website (https://www.pappaspatristicinstitute.com/post/proclus-of-constantinople-and-his-homily-on-the-theotokos-delivered-in-the-presence-of-nestorius) For those who are interested, the introduction that is provided to the text will be included at the end of this first selection, but it can be found at the link above as well, along with an icon of St. Proclus.

Proclus of Constantinople
Homily 1: On the Holy Virgin Theotokos, Delivered while Nestorius was seated in the Great Church of Constantinople

I
The Virgin’s festival, my brethren, summons us today to words of praise, and the present feast has benefits to bestow on those who assemble to keep it. And surely this is right, for its subject is chastity. What we celebrate is the pride of women and the glory of the female, thanks to the one who was at once both mother and virgin. Lovely is the gathering! See how both the earth and the sea serve as the Virgin’s escorts: the one spreading forth her waves calmly beneath the ships, the other conducting the steps of travelers on their way unhindered.

Let nature leap for joy, and let women be honored! Let all humanity dance, and let virgins be glorified! For “where sin increased, grace abounded yet more” (Rom 5.20). She who called us here today is the Holy Mary; the untarnished vessel of virginity; the spiritual paradise of the second Adam (cf. Rom. 5.14; 1 Cor. 15.21–22, 45–49); the workshop for the union of natures; the market-place of the contract of salvation; the bridal chamber in which the Word took the flesh in marriage; the living bush of human nature, which the fire of a divine birth-pang did not consume (Ex. 3.2); the veritable swift cloud (Is. 19.1) who carried in her body the one who rides upon the cherubim; the purest fleece (Jg. 6.37–38) drenched with the rain which came down from heaven, whereby the shepherd clothed himself with the sheep (cf. Jn. 10.11); handmaid and mother (cf. Lk. 1.38, 43), virgin and heaven, the only bridge for God to mankind; the awesome loom of the divine economy upon which the robe (Jn. 19.23) of union was ineffably woven.

The loom-worker was the Holy Spirit; the wool-worker the overshadowing power from on high (Lk. 1.35). The wool was the ancient fleece of Adam; the interlocking thread the spotless flesh of the Virgin. The weaver’s shuttle was propelled by the immeasurable grace of him who wore the robe; the artisan was the Word who entered in through her sense of hearing.

II
Who ever saw, who ever heard, of God dwelling without restriction in a woman’s womb? Heaven itself cannot contain him, and yet a womb did not constrict him. He was born from a woman, God but not solely God, and man but not merely man, and by his birth what was once the door of sin was made the gate of salvation. Through ears that disobeyed, the serpent poured in his poison; through ears that obeyed, the Word entered in order to build a living temple. From the place where Cain, the first disciple of sin, emerged, from there also did Christ, the redeemer of the race, sprout unsown into life.

The loving God was not ashamed of the birth pangs of a woman, for the business at hand was life. He was not defiled by dwelling in places which he himself had created without dishonor. If the mother had not remained a virgin, then the child born would have been a mere man and the birth no miracle. But if she remained a virgin even after birth, then indeed he was wondrously born who also entered unhindered “when the doors were sealed (Jn. 20.19, 26),” whose union of natures was proclaimed by Thomas who said, “My Lord and my God! (Jn. 20.28).”

Reading 1
581 words

https://www.pappaspatristicinstitute.com/post/proclus-of-constantinople-and-his-homily-on-the-theotokos-delivered-in-the-presence-of-nestorius

The Pappas Patristic Institute is pleased to provide a biographical note on the fifth-century Proclus of Constantinople, along with an English translation, by Fr Maximos Constas, of the saint’s famous Homily on the Mother of God. This sermon was most likely delivered on the day after Christmas, when the Orthodox Church celebrates the synaxis of the Theotokos, and is fitting reading for the season of Advent.

 

Proclus of Constantinople

Proclus of Constantinople was born ca. 385 and died in 446. He was an early archbishop of Constantinople (from 434 to 446) and a popular preacher in the rhetorical style of Gregory Nazianzus (who died in 390, during the lifetime of Proclus himself). An ally of Cyril of Alexandria in the fifth-century Christological controversy, Proclus was the principal architect of early Byzantine devotion to the Theotokos. Nothing is known of his early life, and later sources make him the student of John Chrysostom (archbishop of Constantinople from 397 to 404). Chrysostom died in 407, and Proclus returned his relics to Constantinople in 438. However, contemporary sources place Proclus in the service not of Chrysostom, but of Atticus of Constantinople (archbishop from 406 to 425), who ordained him to the diaconate and priesthood, and whom Proclus served as secretary and ghostwriter. After the death of Atticus, Proclus was a candidate for the archiepiscopal throne, but lost the election to Sisinnius (archbishop from 426 to 427), who subsequently ordained Proclus to the see of Cyzikus. The people of Cyzikus, however, resisting the interference of Constantinople in the affairs of their church, rejected Proclus, who remained in the capital, where he became a popular preacher. After the death of Sisinnius, Proclus was again put forward as a candidate for the throne of Constantinople, but was blocked by the emperor, Theodosius II (who reigned from 408 to 450), who offered the position to an Antiochene presbyter named Nestorius (archbishop from 428 to 431). The emperor’s choice was unfortunate, for Nestorius embroiled himself in a theological controversy after he brashly criticized local devotion to the Virgin Mary. The controversy quickly spread beyond the confines of the imperial city and culminated in the deposition of Nestorius by the Council of Ephesus (431). Nestorius was replaced by Maximian (431-434), and it was only after the latter’s death that Proclus became archbishop of Constantinople (434-446), making him in all likelihood the first archbishop of Constantinople to have been born in that city.

As archbishop, Proclus continued to promote the cult of the Virgin, primarily through his homilies, which are masterpieces of Greek Christian rhetoric. The relatively small core of his genuine homilies is surrounded by a large penumbra of the spurious and the doubtful, while many other works are misattributed to Chrysostom and other writers. Proclus’s first homily on the Theotokos (featured below) is considered the most famous sermon on the Mother of God in all of ancient Christian literature. Delivered in 430, the homily was a direct attack on Nestorius, who had condemned the propriety of calling the Virgin Mary the “Theotokos” (i.e., “She who gave birth to God”). Nestorius, who was present when the homily was delivered, responded by claiming that the controversial Marian epithet was essentially pagan, and that a God born of a woman and subject to suffering and death was alien to the Christian faith. Proclus disagreed and insisted that it was precisely the weaving together of divine power and human frailty that was essential to the Christian experience of salvation.

In one of his signature metaphors, Proclus compares the Virgin’s womb to a “workshop” containing a “textile loom” on which a garment of flesh was woven for the incarnate God. Proclus returns to this image in another homily, in which the domestic metaphor of weaving becomes a public imperial adventus. Here the garment of the divine body is compared to a “consular toga,” and the maternal lap of the Virgin to a “consular throne.” Proclus’s weaving metaphors may owe something to the symbolic attributes of ancient goddesses, notably the weaver Athena (whose thirty-foot bronze statue was brought from Athens to Constantinople during Proclus’s lifetime). A more direct influence may have been exerted by his ally in the fight against Nestorius, the empress Pulcheria, who is known to have occupied herself with weaving and embroidery and had dedicated one of her imperial robes as a covering for an altar table in Hagia Sophia.

Proclus, in another signature metaphor, advanced the idea that the Virgin conceived “through her sense of hearing” (δι᾽ ἀκοῆς), a motif which had a long afterlife in medieval art and theology. If the Virgin had conceived the “Word” of God, it was only natural that this occurred through the mode of “hearing.” This was largely encouraged by the typological connections between Mary and Eve, so that the damage caused by Eve’s reception of the serpent’s words was reversed by Mary’s reception of the divine Word (cf. Gen. 2:2-7; Lk. 1:26).

Proclus’s tenure as archbishop was absorbed by the political and theological repercussions of the Theotokos controversy. His immediate concern was with a group of recalcitrant Syrian bishops who were threatening the tenuous union reached at the Council of Ephesus. Yet Proclus realized that the roots of the problem ran deep, and in his efforts to arrest the growth of Nestorianism he ventured to condemn Nestorius’s deceased teachers (Diodore of Tarsus and Theodore of Mopsuestia), who were highly revered in the Church of Antioch. The problem came to a head when the writings of these teachers were translated into Armenian, a region whose loyalties were divided between Antioch and Constantinople. When representatives of the Armenian Church brought the translations to Proclus’s attention (in 435), he responded with his Tome to the Armenians. While Diodore and Theodore were never mentioned by name, Proclus appended a series of extracts from their writings that left no doubt about his larger purpose. The Tome led the Armenian Church to reject the theology of Antioch, but Proclus found little support in his efforts to condemn those who had died in the communion of the Church.

Throughout this period, Proclus emphasized that the word “Theotokos” was a corollary of the orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation, safeguarding the union of humanity and divinity in the person of Christ. Positioning himself between the theological extremes of Antioch and Alexandria, Proclus championed a duality of natures (human and divine) inseparably united in the one person (hypostasis) of Christ. Proclus’s formula marked a significant advance on the ambiguous language of Cyril of Alexandria (archbishop from 412 to 444), who at times verbally elided “person” with “nature,” and was successfully conveyed by his successors to the Council of Chalcedon (451).

For the Greek texts of Proclus’s works, see PG 65:680-888; ACO I, I, I, 103-107 (= Homily 1); ACO IV,2, 187-95 (= Tome to the Armenians); F. J. Leroy, L’Homilétique de Proclus de Constantinople: Tradition manuscrite, inédits, études connexes (Studi et Testi 247) (Rome: Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, 1967), 174-256 = Homilies 26-34; Nicholas [Maximos] Constas, Proclus of Constantinople and the Cult of the Virgin in Late Antiquity (Leiden: Brill, 2003), 128-72 = Homilies 1-5 (texts and translations with notes and commentary). For a complete list of Proclus’s works, see CPG 5800-915 (with the CPG Supplementum 5800-916); and Constas, Proclus of Constantinople, ibid., 388-91. For English translations of Proclus’s homilies, see: J. H. Barkhuisen, Proclus of Constantinople: Homilies on the Life of Christ (Queensland: University of Pretoria, 2001).

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note a couple things. First of all, how much effort St. Proclus makes to affirm that there is no shame to the Lord in being born of a woman; his words affirm a honor and dignity for womanhood which were controversial in his time, and in many times throughout human history, but which are undeniable in the pages of Scripture and the life of the Church. Second, it is worth noting how He says the Lord entered into the Virgin Mary; through her listening and obedient ears. This, we must note, is also one of the two ways in which we encounter and receive the Lord; in this, as in so many other things, the Mother of God is an example to us all.)

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 16:1-18 (Parable of Dishonest Manager, the Law and the Kingdom)

These several chapters show Jesus as He is on the way to Jerusalem for His Passion, speaking with many people in the towns and on the roads along the way. Last time we read the parable of the Prodigal Son, and saw the love of the Lord both for those who flee from His love and place themselves in exile from Him, and for those who remain always with Him, as He urges both those who have wandered and have returned, and those who have always remained with Him, to place their trust and hope and love in our loving Father, and to lay aside anger and resentment and pride. This time we will see the Lord return to speaking about those who are in authority, and the high standard to which they will be held.

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ 3 And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.’

5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence; for the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.

10 “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The Law and the Kingdom of God

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him. 15 But he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

16 “The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and every one enters it violently. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one dot of the law to become void.

18 “Every one who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Reading 35
488 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 there are effectively two distinct parables here. The first, the story of the dishonest manager, is a very weird story. It’s unusual that the “hero” of the parable is not a good person at all. He is an example only in that he knows how to use money to make friends; so Jesus is telling his disciples that they, who are not evil or dishonest, should still understand the right way to use money. In the case of the dishonest manager, and in the case of any disciples of the Lord who have money, the money belongs, in fact, to the Lord. If even a dishonest manager can figure out, when caught, that he should give that money to the poor, even if only to save his own skin, then certainly those who follow the Lord ought to be able to figure out what is the right thing to do with money.

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.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Tobit 7:1-17; 8:1-21 (Tobias Gets Married)

Last time we saw Tobias catch a fish, and then Raphael told him about Sarah, and urged him to go and marry her. When Tobias expressed concern about being dead husband #8, Raphael told him how to chase the demon away…so this time, we’ll see what a wedding looked like for faithful Jews in exile, and how Tobias and Sarah manage their wedding night.

At the House of Raguel

7:1 Then they went to Ecbatana and came to the house of Raguel. Sarah went ahead to meet them, and after they greeted one another, she escorted them into the house. 2 Raguel said to Edna his wife, “How the young man resembles my cousin Tobit!” 3 Then Raguel asked them, “Where are you from, brothers?” They answered, “We are from the sons of Naphtali who are captives in Nineveh.” 4 Then he said to them, “Do you know Tobit our brother?” They responded, “We know him.” 5 Then he asked, “Is he in good health?” They answered, “He is alive and in good health.” Tobias then added, “He is my father.”

6 Raguel jumped up and kissed him and wept. He blessed him and said to him, “You are the son of a good and noble man!” But when he heard that Tobit had lost his eyesight, he was grieved and wept. 7 Edna his wife and Sarah his daughter also wept, and they received them eagerly. 8 And they killed a ram from the sheep and set many dishes before them.

9 Then Tobias said to Raphael, “Brother Azarias, speak about what you said on the way, and let the matter be completed.” 10 So he told Raguel what he said, and Raguel said to Tobias, “Eat, drink, and be glad, for it is fitting for you to marry my child. However, I must tell you the truth. 11 I gave my daughter to seven men, and when they went in to her, they died during the night. But for now, be glad!” 12 But Tobias said, “I will not eat anything until after you establish an agreement with me.” So Raguel said, “Receive her according to the decree, for you are her relative and she is yours. The merciful God will prosper you in what is good.”

Tobias and Sarah Are Wed

13 So he called Sarah his daughter, and taking her by the hand, he gave her to be a wife for Tobias. Then he said, “Behold, receive her according to the decree of Moses, and bring her before your father.” He then blessed them 14 and summoned his wife Edna. She took a scroll and wrote out the agreement. They sealed it, and then they began to eat.

15 After this, Raguel called his wife Edna and said to her, “Sister, prepare the other room and lead her into it.” 16 She did as he said and led her there. Then Sarah wept, but Edna understood the tears of her daughter and said to her, 17 “Be courageous, my child. May the Lord of heaven and earth give you grace instead of this sorrow of yours. Be courageous, my daughter.”

8:1 When they finished dining, they led Tobias to her. 2 As he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and put the heart and the liver of the fish upon the embers of the incense and made smoke. 3 When the demon smelled the fragrant scent, he fled to the upper parts of Egypt, and there the angel bound him. 4 While both were enclosed in the room, Tobias rose up from the bed and said, “Arise, sister, and let us pray that the Lord will have mercy upon us.” 5 So Tobias began to pray, saying:

“Blessed are You, O God of our fathers, and blessed is Your holy and glorious name unto the ages. The heavens and all Your creatures bless You.

6 You made Adam and gave him Eve as a helper, his wife as a support. From them the seed of mankind came to be. You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. Let Us make a helper for him like himself.’

7 O Lord, I now take this my sister as my wife, not on account of fornication, but in truth. Command that she and I may have mercy, and in this grow old together.”

8 And with him she said, “Amen.” 9 Then both fell asleep for the night.

10 But Raguel rose up and went outside and dug a grave, saying, “He, too, may have died.” 11 Raguel then went back into his house 12 and said to his wife Edna, “Send one of the maids and let her see if indeed Tobias is alive. If he is not, let us bury him that no one may know.” 13 So the maid went to the door, and when she opened it she found both of them sleeping. 14 She came out and told the two of them that he was alive.

15 Then Raguel blessed God, saying: “Blessed are You, the God, with every pure and holy blessing. Your holy ones and all Your creatures bless You. All Your angels and Your chosen ones bless You unto all the ages. 16 Blessed are You, for You have made me glad, and it did not turn out for me as I suspected. Rather, You did with us according to Your abundant mercy. 17 Blessed are You, for You had mercy on our two only children. O Lord, show them mercy, and complete their life in health and with gladness and mercy.”
18 Then he ordered his household servants to fill in the grave.

19 After this he provided a wedding feast for them lasting fourteen days. 20 Before the time of the wedding feast was over, Raguel swore an oath and said to Tobias, “You are not to leave from here unless the two of you stay the fourteen days of the wedding feast. 21 At that time take half of my belongings and go in good health to your father. The remainder will be yours when I and my wife die.”

965 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 we see the demon flee even the hint of the Lord’s coming that is present in the smoke from the fish heart and liver, and therefore we may be assured that, when we are faithful to God, we do not need to be afraid of the attacks of the demons. More importantly, we see how Tobias and Sarah begin their marriage in faithfulness to God, with a prayer, affirming their commitment to the Lord and to one another. The final words of the prayer are what they ask for, and it is a good summary of what Christian marriage is: not for fornication, that is, not to use one another, but to be devoted to each other, and to seek and receive mercy from God, and to grow old in that mercy, in the love of the Lord.)

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. Silouan – Two Sayings on the Christian Life

Saint Silouan was born Simeon Ivanovich Antonov in 1866 to Orthodox parents in Russia’s Tambov region, somewhat to the northeast of Ukraine. At the age of twenty-seven, after a time of military service, he left his native Russia and came to Mount Athos, where he became a monk at the Monastery of St. Panteleimon and was given the name Silouan, the Russian version of the Biblical name Silvanus, or Silas.

An ardent ascetic, he received the grace of unceasing prayer and saw Christ in a vision. After long years of spiritual trial, he acquired great humility and inner stillness. He prayed and wept for the whole world as for himself, and he put the highest value on love for enemies. Even Thomas Merton, a twentieth-century Catholic monk, described Silouan as “the most authentic monk of the twentieth century.” St Silouan fell asleep in the Lord on September 24, 1938. He was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1987, and his feast is celebrated on September 24th.

Though barely literate, he was sought out by pilgrims for his wise counsel. His writings were edited by his disciple and pupil, Archimandrite Sophrony. Father Sophrony has written the life of the saint along with a record of St. Silouan’s teachings in the book Saint Silouan the Athonite.

St. Silouan on the Christian Life – Two Sayings

“God helps us in what is good, while the enemy incites us to evil, but this depends also on our own wills: we must constrain ourselves to what is good, but with moderation and knowing the measure of our strength. We must study our souls to know what is salutary for us: it may be more profitable to one man to pray, for another to read or write. It is a good thing to read but it is better to pray without distraction, and better still to weep: to each as it is given to him by the Lord. To be sure, when we rise from sleep we must render thanks to God, then repent and pray our fill. Next, we should read to rest the mind, and after that pray again, and work. Grace proceeds from everything that is good, but above all from brotherly love.“

Pages 31-32

Archimandrite Sophrony. Wisdom from Mount Athos: The Writings of Staretz Siloan. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. Crestwood, NY. 1974.

“If we wish to love God we must observe all that the Lord commanded us in the Gospels. Our hearts must brim with compassion and not only feel love for our fellow-men but pity for every creature – for everything created of God.

That green leaf on the tree which you needlessly plucked: it was not wrong, only rather a pity for the little leaf. The heart that has learned to love feels sorry for every created thing. But man is a supreme creation, and therefore if you see that he has gone astray and is bringing destruction on himself pray for him and weep for him if you are able, or at least sigh before God for him. And the soul that acts after this fashion is loved of the Lord, for she is like unto him.

If you think evil of people, it means you have an evil spirit in you whispering evil thoughts about others. And if a man dies without repenting, without having forgive his brother, his soul will go to the place where lives the evil spirit which possessed his soul. This is the law we have: if you forgive others, it is a sign that the Lord has forgiven you. But if you refuse to forgive, then your own sin remains with you.

The Lord wants us to love our fellow-man; and if you reflect that the Lord loves him, that is a sign of the Lord’s love in you. And if you consider how greatly the Lord loves His creature, and you yourself have compassion on all creation, and love your enemies, counting yourself the vilest of men, this is a sign of the abundant grace of the Holy Spirit in you.”

Pages 32-33

Archimandrite Sophrony. Wisdom from Mount Athos: The Writings of Staretz Siloan. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. Crestwood, NY. 1974.

475 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 the particular character in the sayings of St. Silouan. There is a deep humility and compassion in his words, reflecting the utter difference of the life to which we are called in our Lord Jesus Christ from the way of existence that we encounter elsewhere in the world. The gentleness and love that comes through in every word of St. Silouan call us to reflect on our every thought, and submit all that we are to the will and the call of the Lord.)

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 15:11-32 (Prodigal Son)

In Luke chapter 14, which we read last week, the Lord spoke in several different ways about the importance of being faithful to Him, of following Him and leaving every other loyalty behind, of making the Lord and the Gospel the highest priority of life. He didn’t sugarcoat what it meant to follow Him either, but urged everyone who was listening to Him to count the cost, to prepare themselves to trade earth for heaven, and to follow Him. When the religious authorities noticed who has been listening to this preaching and putting it into action, He told parables of how much joy there is when those who have been lost are restored once again, the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin. This week, we see Him make the message explicit with the greatly beloved parable of the Prodigal Son.

The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons; 12 and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living.

14 And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. 15 So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”’

20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; 23 and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; 24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry.

25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father,

‘Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Reading 34
523 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 has been speaking so far to the conflict between what we tend to think is important in life – food, clothing, shelter, family, money, & power – and what is truly important, that is, the Kingdom of God. In these passages, He shifts gears, and begins to speak about the difference between how those who follow Him appear to the world – as a deplorable crowd of sinners and vagrants – and how God sees them, as precious vessels of grace once lost, but now restored to their proper place. In this shift, we are able to see that the reality of the Kingdom of God is not just that punishment is coming, and we need to act to be saved from it. More importantly, the love and glory of God is offered to us, and we need to act to receive it. The point is not just to be saved from judgment, although judgment will indeed come upon those who refuse the call of the Lord. Rather, the call of the Lord is to restoration and wholeness and love and everlasting life. This is what we see depicted in this parable of the Prodigal Son, and also of the missing coin and the lost sheep from the previous week.)

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.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Tobit 6:1-19 (Tobias Catches a Fish)

Last time we saw Tobias, Tobit’s son, go out and find a man to help him on his journey; the man, of course, turned out to be the Archangel Raphael. This time they will start on their journey together, and strange things will occur.

The Journey to Rages

1 They went on the journey and came to the Tigris River. So they spent the evening there. 2 The young man went down to wash himself, and a fish jumped up from the river and was determined to swallow the young man. 3 The angel said to him, “Take hold of the fish.” So the young man grabbed the fish and put it on the bank. 4 Then the angel said to him, “Cut open the fish. Take the heart, the liver, and the gall and put them in a safe place.” 5 The young man did as the angel commanded him. Then they cooked the fish and ate it.

6 After this, they traveled together until they came near to Ecbatana. 7 Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, what is the purpose of the liver, the heart, and the gall of the fish?” 8 He replied, “If a demon or an evil spirit troubles anyone, the heart and the liver must be used to make smoke before the man or woman, and that person will never be troubled again. 9 As for the gall, use it to anoint a man who has white films on his eyes, and he will be healed.”

10 As they came near Rages, 11 the angel said to the young man, “Brother, we will spend the night with Raguel. He is your relative and with him is his only child, a daughter named Sarah. 12 I will speak for her that she might be given to you as a wife, because her inheritance belongs to you; for you alone are from her people. The girl is beautiful and she is sensible. 13 “So now listen to me, for I will speak to her father. When we return from Rages, we will celebrate the wedding. For I know that Raguel cannot give her to any other man according to the rule of Moses, or he will be subject to death. Thus it is proper that you receive the inheritance rather than another man.”

14 Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, I have heard the girl was given seven husbands, and they all perished in the bridal chamber. 15 Now I am the only son of my father, and I fear for myself lest, entering the bridal chamber, I may die even as those before me. For a demon loves her, and he does not harm anyone except those who approach her. Now I fear for myself lest I die and bring the life of my father and mother down into their tomb with grief and sorrow upon me. They have no other son who will bury them.”

16 But the angel said to him, “Do you not remember the words your father commanded you, to take a wife for yourself from among your people? Now listen to me, brother, for she will be a wife to you. As for the demon, have no concern, for this night she will be given to you as a wife. 17 If you enter the bridal chamber, you will take with you ashes of incense, and lay some of it on the heart and liver of the fish. Then you will make smoke, and the demon will smell it and flee and never return. 18 When you approach her, both of you will rise up and cry out to the merciful God. He will save you and be merciful. Do not fear for yourself, for she has been prepared for you from of old. You will save her and she will go with you. I believe that you will have children by her.” 19 As Tobias heard these words, he loved her and his soul was very much united to her.

635 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 the various organs of the fish being used as solutions for the problems is rather strange. We should not understand from this that there is a certain type of river fish whose organs have this particular virtue, but rather that God is choosing to act by means of this fish and its innards, through the obedience of Tobias to the guidance of the angel, to save both Sarah and Tobit. That it is a fish, and not some other animal, may be seen as a veiled prophecy of Christ Himself (Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς Σωτήρ), Himself the ΙΧΘΥΣ (fish), through whom the blind see, demons are driven away, marriage is transformed, and those who trust in Him are saved. We should also note here the strange, but important-to-recognize, connection between demonic action and sexual immorality. Tobias here says that “a demon loves [Sarah], and attacks those who approach her.” This is similar verbiage to what we will see in the coming year in the prelude to Noah, when it says that the fallen angels desired the daughters of men. We don’t need to discuss this in detail now, but we need to note it, since it will show up again.)

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. Paisios the Athonite on Prayer

This is a saying from St. Paisios, who was a much beloved elder in the mid-to-late 20th century. He fell asleep in the Lord in 1994, and was canonized as a saint in 2015. His feastday is July 12th, so as we celebrate this saint, we take the opportunity to read some thoughts of his on the subject of prayer.

St. Paisios the Athonite on Prayer

“Geronda, what does prayer mean to you?
– I send a signal; I ask for help. I continuously ask for help from Christ, from Panagia, from the Saints, for myself and for others. If I do not ask for help, it will not be given to me.

I remember a time during the Greek Civil War when 1,600 guerrillas had closely surrounded us. All together, we were but 180 soldiers barricaded behind an outcropping of rock. If we were to have been captured, they would have killed us. I kept trying to set up an antenna for the wireless in order to contact Central. I could not; the antenna was repeatedly cut down by the incessant gunfire. The captain shouted at me, ‘Leave that alone! Come here! Help us heave a crate or two of grenades!’ At the same time, he kept making the rounds of the machine-gun nests to inspect them. As soon as he left, I ran back to the wireless. Until he gave the orders, I kept trying to set up the antenna and also running back to help, so that he would not shout. I finally set up the antenna with a shovel and a stick, and managed to make contact. I said but two words. That was it! In the morning, the Air Force came and saved us. Is it a small matter that 180 men surrounded by 1,600 soldiers were, in the end, saved?

That incident made me realize the great mission of the monastic: to help through his prayer. Worldly people say, ‘What do monks do? Why don’t they come into the world and help the community?’ It is as if they were telling a wireless operator, ‘What are you doing there with that wireless? Drop the wireless; grab a gun and get over here to fight.’

We receive no benefit whatsoever by communicating with all the stations of the entire world if we do not make contact with God and have heavenly communication with Him in order to ask for and receive His help. Blessed are those who have tuned into the Heavenly Station and remain, reverently, on the same frequency with God.”

St. Paisios Spiritual Counsels, Volume 6, page 22-23.

“‘–What should I do when I have no stamina at all, Geronda?’
– You must force yourself to do at least something spiritual. You must arrange to study a little and pray a little every day. Study, prayer, psalmodic are the vitamins that the soul requires every day.

We should never let a day go by without having prayed at all. During the war, I remember that when days went by without our having launched an offensive, we fired a few rounds with our guns. Otherwise, the enemy would have thought that we were asleep at the switch and taken us by surprise. We must do the same thing in our spiritual struggle. When we sometimes feel worn out and cannot fulfill all of our spiritual work, we should not cut the rope – the communication with God. We should do a few prostrations, count a few knots of the prayer rope whilst saying I the Jesus Prayer. In other words, we should ‘fire off a round or two’ so that the devil will not capture us. And as soon as we have straightened ourselves out, we should resume our regular spiritual struggle.

When one neglects spiritual work, if one does not do even a few prostrations or a few rounds with the prayer rope, he will become unruly. He is able to do chores, but not prayer. I see monks who constantly do chores, but neglect study and prayer. ‘Let me do this, and let me do that as well,’ they say, and prayer is pushed aside, and in the end they become unruly; they become like worldly people. I have seen workers who chisel stones in the sun or cut wood all day long. Nevertheless, even if you give them triple their wages, they cannot stand in church for even half an hour; they go out and smoke. I have taken note of such behavior.

When one does not pray, he distances himself from God, and becomes like an ox – he works, he eats, he sleeps. And the more one distances himself from God, the more difficult things become. His heart becomes cold and afterwards, he cannot pray at all. In order to straighten himself out, his heart must soften; it must turn towards repentance; it must be shaken.”

St. Paisios Spiritual Counsels, Volume 6, page 58-59

755 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note the simple and practical wisdom of St. Paisios. The story from the war provides a beautiful answer to a question which was not asked explicitly, but which is always present: why should I pray when I have other more practically relevant things to do? In the same way, the saint’s officer felt that the radio was a waste of time, and that his efforts would be better suited to picking up a gun or doing other practical work. But in the end, it was the cry for help that saved them, and so it is with all of us. And the question of stamina as well, gently but clearly, expresses the truth that when we find that it is hard to pray, the remedy is simply to continue to make an effort, even in a small way, in order to build up our tolerance for such work. To say that “it is hard, and therefore I can’t do it,” is really no excuse at all. Because everything is hard when we first try it…but we can get better through practice and sustained, careful effort, and most especially when the grace and mercy of God go before and behind and beside us to help us on the path.)

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 14:25-35, 15:1-10 (Cost of Discipleship, Salt & the Lost Sheep & Coin)

Last time we saw Jesus continuing to teach at the dinner banquet to which one of the Pharisees had invited Him. He spoken then about humility and hospitality, and gave the parable of the Great Dinner to which many were invited, but which few chose to attend, to explain the nature of the Kingdom of God. Having just spoken about how those who were originally invited refused the invitation, so that the master of the banquet sent His servants out into the highways and byways to compel everyone they found there to come in, He turns to the multitudes accompanying Him and speaks to them about what it means to actually follow Him, what one actually must do to attend the banquet of the Lamb of God.

The Cost of Discipleship

25 Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. 33 So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

About Salt

34 “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? 35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; men throw it away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Reading 33
482 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 how Jesus makes clear to the multitudes following Him that they are not “good to go” simply because they have been called to replace those who were originally invited. Everyone who is called to follow Christ (and that is ultimately every human being that has ever lived) is called to lay aside less important and precious things and hold fast to the Kingdom of God. This applies to rich and poor, saints and sinners, to those called first and those who come after. We are all called to count the cost and lay aside every other desirable thing to follow the Lord.)

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.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Tobit 5:1-23 (Tobias Obeys His Father)

Last time we saw Tobit give Tobias his inheritance; which is to say, he passed on to him all the wisdom about how to live a faithful and blessed life that he had, and then gave him instructions where to find the last money that he had saved for him. This time, we will start to get to know Tobias as he responds; and we will also see God’s messenger, the angel Raphael, enter the scene.

Tobias Obeys His Father

1 Tobias answered him and said, “O father, I will do everything you have commanded me. 2 But how will I be able to obtain the silver, for I do not know him?” 3 Then he gave him the record of the debt and said to him, “Find for yourself a man who will travel with you, and I will pay him his wages as long as I remain alive. Now go and obtain the silver.” 4 Then Tobias went to look for a man and found Raphael, who was an angel. But he did not know it.

5 So Tobias said to him, “Can you go with me to Rages of Media? Are you acquainted with those places?” 6 The angel said to him, “I will go with you. I am acquainted with the roadways and I have lodged with our brother Gabael.” 7 Tobias said to him, “Wait for me and I will tell my father.” 8 He said to him, “Do so, but do not delay.” 9 So he went to his father and said, “Behold, I have found someone who will go with me.” But his father said, “Call him to me, that I may know what tribe he belongs to, and if he is trustworthy enough to go with you.”

10 So he invited him, and Raphael came in. They greeted one another cordially. 11 Tobit then said to him, “Brother, to what tribe and kindred do you belong?” 12 Raphael responded, “Do you seek a tribe and a family, or a hired man to go with your son?” Tobit replied, “Brother, I wish to know your people and your name.” 13 Then he said, “I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the Great, one of your relatives.”

14 So Tobit said to him, “You are most welcome, my brother. Do be not angry with me for seeking to learn of your tribe and your family. As it turns out, you are a brother of mine from a good and upright family. For I knew Ananias and Jonathan, the sons of Shemiah the Great, since we would journey in common to Jerusalem to worship and to offer the firstborn and the tenth of our harvest. They were not led astray in the deception of our brothers. My brother, you are from a good root. 15 “But tell me, what shall I give you as wages? A drachma a day and expenses for you and my son? 16 I will even add more to your pay, if you both return in good health.” 17 Thus they were well pleased.

Then he said to Tobias, “Prepare for the journey, and may it be prosperous.” So his son prepared the things for the journey. Then his father said to him, “Go with this man, and may the God who dwells in heaven prosper your journey. May His angel journey with you.” They both departed, and the young man’s dog went with them.

18 But Anna his mother wept and said to Tobit, “Why have you sent our son away, or is he not the staff of our hands when he goes in and out before us? 19 Do not attain silver upon silver, but may it be dirt compared to our son. 20 For as he was given to us to live by the Lord, this is sufficient for our existence.” 21 Tobit said to her, “My sister, do not be concerned. He shall return in good health, and your eyes will see him. 22 For a good angel will go with him, and his journey shall be prosperous. He will return in good health.” 23 So she ceased weeping.

616 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note the exchange between the angel and Tobit about what tribe he is from. Tobit is, as it turns out, trying to figure out what kind of person this “man” is, and most especially whether he is faithful, or faithless. Raphael calls attention to this for us, asking him why he cares, if he’s just looking for a hired man. When Tobit persists (without giving a reason, but still insisting), Raphael gives him the name of another faithful Israelite, and Tobit rejoices, specifically for this reason. This allows us to see how carefully Tobit guards against faithlessness; he works hard not to allow even any evil influence to come to his son. We can point out, too, that Tobit’s faith, that God will protect his son by “sending a good angel with him” doesn’t mean that he knows Raphael is an angel himself, but only that he trusts God to protect his son. That he’s already spoken with that angel God is sending is unknown to him…but he’s not wrong in the least about God’s faithfulness.)

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. Andrew of Crete on St. John the Forerunner – Part 2

St. Andrew of Crete was born in Damascus in the late 600’s A.D., and became a monastic at the monastery of St. Savvas in the Holy Land. There he began to compose canons for liturgical services, which poetic form eventually became normative for Orthodox worship services; the Canon remains one of the central elements of the Orthros service (although it is often omitted in parish practice for reasons of time). Because of his many talents, he was one of the representative sent from the Patriarchate of Jerusalem to the 6th Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 680; after the council ended, he remained in Constantinople, and in ~700 he was elevated to be the Metropolitan bishop of Gortyna in Crete. He lived out his remaining days there, and fell asleep in the Lord some years later. His Great Canon of Repentance is a central feature of the Lenten services of the first week of the Great 40 Days of Lent. Last week we began to read a homily which he preached on St. John the Forerunner, the feast of whose Nativity we celebrated last Wednesday; we will finish that homily today.

https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2020/01/epithets-of-saint-john-baptist-in.html

Homily on the Beheading of the Honorable Forerunner – Part 2

John received such great and important names. He is honored by these because his works were in accordance with his titles. Thus John was “greater than among those born of women.” (Matt. 6:11). This is the one for whom the prophet David really chants, as if borrowing the mouth of God and Father and says: “I have prepared a lamp for my Christ. On him, the Grace of the Holy Spirit will be revealed and will shine, who will anoint him Messiah and king” (Ps. 131:17-18).

This is that great Elijah, not the Tishbite, but the one who stood between the Law and Grace and became the forerunner of the first coming of Christ, although historically, he lived after Elijah the Tishbite, the one who had the same inspiration as him and strength, as the archangel told his father Zechariah (Luke 1:17).

And to which Zechariah did the angel say these things? To the Zechariah whose blood cries out louder than the blood of righteous Abel (Matthew 23:35).

He is the one who leaped in his mother’s womb, before he even saw the light of day, because he was informed of the presence of his Master in the womb. He used the language of his mother and, while he was still in her womb, announced the birth of the Son and Word of God from the Theotokos Mary, saying: “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43).

He is the one who, with the preaching of repentance, will soften the hearts of the parents and bring them back to their children and “will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

This was the fruit of a divine promise, the joyful message of Gabriel, the tender branch given by God, to the tree withered by age. The fertile flower of barrenness. The prophet who is the son of a prophet. The resident of the desert. The one who prepared and prepares the people of the whole world for the spiritual battles and for the welcoming of the Lord. The bright moon of the Sun, which shines forever. The lamp of the divine Light. The soldier of the eternal king. The Nymphagogos of the Bridegroom. The servant of the Master. The voice of the Word, who was a priest forever like Melchizedek, as without a father, without a mother and without a genealogy. The priest who was found worthy to officiate even the Baptism of God Himself. He who heard God the Father speak with his own ears. He who baptized the Son and He who saw the Holy Spirit.

He who was the end of the law. He who mediated between the Grace of God and men. He who was the greatest of all the prophets and in whose person all prophetic ministry is exhausted. The herald of the kingdom of heaven. The forerunner of Christ, who is Himself the truth. The door through which we enter the place of repentance. He who was the jewel and the splendor of the virgins. He who prepared our salvation. The one who legislated temperance and became a bridle to the lawless and wicked and even the one who guided those who respected the divine law.

This is the great John. The name that came out of the mouth of God and was conveyed from the heavens to Zechariah with the archangel’s voice. This is the voice that was born from the deaf and mute father. He who, with his father’s silence, abolished his mother’s barrenness. He revealed the “Lamb of God” with his finger, giving it greater power than even the best orator. He who in his person has the right to boast about self-control. The one who lived his earthly life as an incorporeal one, who was found like a precious pearl in the mud.

He who, like a precious treasure, was found in a fragile and cheap treasury. The one who threatened the unfruitful souls with the axe of Divine justice, the desert-loving turtledove of the Church, the unstoppable mouth, the voice of the one who cries in the wilderness and resounds thunderingly to the ends of the world, saying “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the way” on which the Lord will pass into the souls of men (Matthew 3:3; John 1:23).

This is the tongue that with its divine words and its pure voice, even after his death, rebukes Herod and preaches Christ, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).

To God belong the glory and the majesty forever and ever. Amen

812 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note the structure of St. Andrew’s homily. In the first portion, which we read last week, he went through all the titles and names by which St. John is known, connecting them to the points in Scripture where they are fulfilled and demonstrated. In this section, he speaks not of the names of the Forerunner, but rather of his role and significance in the Lord’s economy of salvation, and the actions of his life, so that this sermon effectively collects everything about St. John the Baptist into a singe place.)

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

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

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

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

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 14:7-24 (Jesus Teaches at the Banquet on Humility, Hospitality and the Great Dinner)

Last time we saw the Lord continuing on His way up to Jerusalem, teaching His disciples and preaching to the people in the towns and villages along the way, warning them that the time is drawing short and that everyone is faced with the decision of whether to follow Him and be faithful to God or not. Notably, some Pharisees came and warned Him not to go to Jerusalem, because Herod was planning to kill Him, but He said He must go, and lamented over Jerusalem for its unwillingness to be faithful. After this He was invited to a dinner by one of the Pharisees, where He healed a man on the Sabbath. This time, we will see Him continue to teach at that dinner.

Humility and Hospitality

7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you both will come, and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

The Parable of the Great Dinner

15 When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; 17 and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Reading 32
481 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 continuing to make the same points we have been seeing so far, that His coming is a critical moment for everyone there, and that they must not treat it as just another every day, but must choose to follow Him, or not. This is the particular point of the parable of the banquet; all of the excuses that the people give are, in general, normal, everyday life, good reasons to miss a party. That the excuses are not accepted does not show the master of the house to be strict or crazy, but indicates that the banquet is far, far more important than the people who are being invited realize, and that they are making a terrible mistake in treating it as just another party. Then he continues the point by speaking still more clearly to them about the cost of discipleship, and how those who follow Him need to choose Him above all other values, desires, and possessions.)

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.)