Day 1 (Monday)

Ecclesiastes 1:1-18; 2:1-11 (Reflections of a Royal Philosopher, Futility of Seeking Wisdom, Futility of Self-Indulgence)

As we begin the new Ecclesiastical Year and prepare to return to the book of Genesis and the great narrative of our Lord’s work of salvation for us, in which this year we will be reading the account of Noah and his family in the great Flood, we will pause for a few weeks first to read a very different sort of book. For today, we will look at the beginning of the book of Ecclesiastes, a book of wisdom written by David’s son Solomon toward the end of his life. He is reflecting on his life, and the lives of those around him, and considering the value of the many things that human beings are concerned about, and what they all amount to in the end.

Reflections of a Royal Philosopher

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains for ever.

5 The sun rises and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south,
and goes round to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.

8 All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done;
and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already,
in the ages before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to happen
among those who come after.

The Futility of Seeking Wisdom

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be numbered.

16 I said to myself, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18 For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

The Futility of Self-Indulgence

2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces; I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, man’s delight.

9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

681 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 Solomon isn’t telling us what DOES matter, here; he is simply reflecting on all the things that he has seen people, including himself, chase after, and how pointless it all has proven to be. It’s important that we understand that he is NOT telling us that all the things that he tried were good; on the contrary, he is saying that he tried everything that SEEMED good, and found that it led only to vanity. He did and tried everything that his eyes desired…and it got him exactly nowhere. This book suggests that perhaps we need to come to understand that everything we think is so important will come to nothing, in the end; this helps us ultimately to understand that what Christ is calling us to…this is truly life in the face of death, hope in the face of vanity, as we will see on Day 2.)

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 2 (Wednesday)

Hymns from the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross

Today for our selection from Church Tradition, we’ll be looking at some of the hymns from the great Feast of the Church that we celebrate on September 14th, the Elevation of the Precious and Holy Cross. This feast commemorates both the finding of the Cross by St. Helen, and its recovery and return to Jerusalem in 627, after its seizure by the Persians a decade before. The feast of the Cross is a Strict Fast, and functions almost like mini celebration of the themes of Holy Week, all distilled into a single feast day, in the fall. Note that the Old Testament readings for this feast are Exodus 15:22 – 16:1, when Moses casts a tree into the bitter waters and they become sweet; Proverbs 3:11-18, with guidance to not despise the instruction or the correction of the Lord, and Isaiah 60:11-16, with the glory of Lebanon, the cypress, the pine and the cedar coming together to glorify the Holy Place of the Lord, and to show that the Lord saves us, and the God of Israel delivers us.

1st Hymn of the Kekragaria
The Cross is exalted now * and it invites all creation * to praise the immaculate * Passion of the Lord who was lifted up on it. * For when He slew thereon * him who had murdered us, * He gave life again to us the dead, * and made us beautiful, * and He granted us to be citizens * of heaven, as Compassionate, * due to His exceeding benevolence. * Therefore let us greatly * rejoice as we exalt His holy name, * and let us magnify His divine * extreme condescension to us.

2nd Hymn of the Liti
The Tree of true life was planted in the place of the skull ⁄ and upon it, eternal King, You have worked salvation in the midst of the earth! ⁄ Exalted today, it sanctifies the ends of the world, ⁄ angels in heaven greatly rejoice ⁄ and men upon earth make glad, ⁄ crying aloud with David and saying: ⁄ Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, ⁄⁄ for He is holy and grants the world great mercy!

3rd Hymn of the Aposticha
Rejoice, you are the guide for the blind, * and the physician of the sick, O most precious Cross, * and also the resurrection * of all who died, lifting up * all of us who had succumbed to corruption. * Corruption has been destroyed, and incorruptibility * through you has blossomed, and we mortals were deified, * and the Slanderer has been utterly stricken down. * Seeing you lifted up today * in the hands of the Hierarchs, * we in turn now exalt Him who was exalted by means of you, * and bowing before you * we adore you, and great mercy we draw abundantly.

Mid-Ode Kathisma
Of old the tree in the garden stripped us naked, * and by its taste did the enemy bring in death. * Now the tree of the Cross, which for all mankind is bearing * the garment of life, was planted upon the earth, * and therefore is all the world filled with every joy. * As we see it exalted now, let us, O peoples, cry aloud * together unto God in faith: * Full of glory is Your house, O Lord.

From Ode 9 of the Canon
Eating the tree’s forbidden fruit once * in Paradise brought death to the human race. * But through the Cross, today death has no effect, * because the curse that fell on the entire human race through mother Eve * was undone by the Offspring of the all pure Mother of God, who now is by all the hosts of heaven magnified.

2nd Hymn of the Praises (Ainoi)
What a paradoxal miracle! * The Cross that held the Most High * like a grape cluster full of life * is observed by all to be * exalted from the earth today: * the Cross, through which we have all been drawn to God, * and by which death was completely swallowed up. * O immaculate Tree, * whereby we again enjoy the deathless food * that was in Eden of old, * and Christ we glorify.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out how the Cross is the tool by which the Lord has healed the vanity and brokenness that Solomon is lamenting in our Day 1 reading. Our nature is healed, the world is being restored, and we have a way to live that is not vain, but is filled with the joy and glory of the Lord. It still lies in not being consumed by the cares and pleasures of this world, but we can now see what it is that we hope for, where for Solomon, this was clearly a vague and uncertain thing.)

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)

1 Peter 2:1-17 (Living Stone & Chosen People, Live as Servants of God)

Last time we began the general Epistle of St. Peter to the Churches in Asia Minor (the ancient heartland of the Church that was in what is now modern Turkey). He was talking to them about how the promise they have been given, which they receive even in the face of persecution, is the fulfillment of what the prophets had foretold, the precious thing that all the righteous of the Old Testament had longed for, in order to encourage them to remain faithful when they were suffering for the Lord. Having received that promise, he urged them to lay aside the desires and fears of this vain world and to become holy. Here he will continue to develop this theme, and get specific about the sins they need to leave behind.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

2 So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; 3 for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

4 Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; 5 and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe,

“The very stone which the builders rejected
has become the head of the corner,”

8 and

“A stone that will make men stumble,
a rock that will make them fall”;

for they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.

Live as Servants of God

11 Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. 12 Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Reading 2
401 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. Peter is telling the Christians that, even though they are being rejected by their neighbors, they have been made the people of God, which is far better. He is also urging them to live as Christ commanded them, so that their neighbors, and even their enemies, will see how they live and give glory to God. For advanced conversations, you can urge a reflection on what it means to “live as free people, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but live as servants of God” (verse 16)…especially in the light of what we saw from Solomon about what freedom to do whatever he wanted actually led to, and how St. Peter is urging his listeners to a very different way. Not the way that leads to vanity, but the way that seems vain and weak to the world, but is in fact the power of God for salvation and transformation…which is to say, the way of the Cross.

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)

Proverbs 5:1-23; 6:1-19

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

As we begin the new Church year, and our second year of the Religious Education Initiative, we will start with another selection from the book of Proverbs. In this passage, the writer of Proverbs warns his son (and by extension all of us) against some common temptations, starting with the temptations of fornication, and proceeding to other matters. On the one hand, these warnings are almost cliched…but they are still deeply relevant.

Warning against Impurity and Infidelity

5 My son, be attentive to my wisdom,
incline your ear to my understanding;
2 that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a loose woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol;
6 she does not take heed to the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.

7 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house;
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless;
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of an alien;
11 and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 I was at the point of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely hind, a graceful doe.
Let her affection fill you at all times with delight,
be infatuated always with her love.

20 Why should you be infatuated, my son, with a loose woman
and embrace the bosom of an adventuress?
21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
and he watches all his paths.
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
and he is caught in the toils of his sin.
23 He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is lost.

Practical Admonitions

6 My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor,
have given your pledge for a stranger;
2 if you are snared in the utterance of your lips,
caught in the words of your mouth;
3 then do this, my son, and save yourself,
for you have come into your neighbor’s power:
go, hasten, and importune your neighbor.

4 Give your eyes no sleep
and your eyelids no slumber;
5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter,
like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Without having any chief,
officer or ruler,
8 she prepares her food in summer,
and gathers her sustenance in harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a vagabond,
and want like an armed man.

12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
goes about with crooked speech,
13 winks with his eyes, scrapes with his feet,
points with his finger,
14 with perverted heart devises evil,
continually sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

16 There are six things which the Lord hates,
seven which are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and a man who sows discord among brothers.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note the warnings against the pursuits of immorality with women that are not one’s wife. One might read these as speaking primarily of actual relationships, especially adulterous relationships, and certainly that is primary. However, the pursuit of pleasure and fantasy that is so extremely common in the present day is corrosive to the soul, undermining self-discipline and destroying one’s capacity to receive reproof. And the further warnings against slothfulness, against imprudent agreements with others, against gossip and crooked speech, are all very relevant to the present day.)

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

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

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

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

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 2 (Wednesday)

Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos

Last week, as we finished the Church year, we read a selection of the hymns that were sung during the celebration of the Feast of the Koimisis of the Theotokos on August 15th, celebrating the end of her life and her resurrection and elevation to the Divine Council. This week, as we begin the new Church year, we will read a selection of the hymns that are sung for the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Thus, we begin the Church year with her birth, and end the Church year with her death. In celebrating her birth, we thus begin with a meditation on the beginning of the Lord’s work of salvation in the world.

3rd Hymn of the Kekragaria
Famous are the barren women who gave birth by divine decree. Of all those born, Mary divinely shone most illustriously. For in addition to being born of a childless mother wondrously, she physically gave birth to the God of all supernaturally. Her virgin womb receiving not the seed of any man, she thus became the only gate of the only-begotten Son of God, who after He went through, preserved it sealed and shut. Wisely arranging everything, as He alone knows best, He has accomplished the salvation of all humanity.

1st Hymn of the Liti
Today, people, the first fruit of our salvation is here! ⁄ For behold, she who was foreordained from generations of old ⁄ as Mother and Virgin and receiver of God, ⁄ comes forth in birth from a barren woman: ⁄ A flower has blossomed from Jesse, ⁄ and from his root a branch has sprung. ⁄ Let Adam our forefather be glad ⁄ and let Eve rejoice with exultation! ⁄ For behold, she who was made from the rib of Adam ⁄ plainly declares her daughter and descendant blessed. ⁄ For, she says, deliverance is born to me, ⁄ through which I shall be set free from the bonds of hell. ⁄ Let David rejoice, striking upon the harp, ⁄ and let him bless God: ⁄ For behold, the Virgin comes forth from a barren rock, ⁄⁄ for the salvation of our souls!

2nd Hymn of the Aposticha
At an Angel’s prediction, a child all-holy of righteous Joachim and Anna, O Virgin, you came forth today; heaven and throne of God, vessel of cleanliness, foretoken of joy for all the world, envoy of our Life, destruction of the censure, proxy of blessings. Therefore, at your nativity, O Daughter called of God, plead for peace and great mercy for our souls.

2nd Kathisma Hymn of the Orthros
Unto us is born today Mary the child of God, * as the branch from Jesse’s root, and as the fruit of David’s loins, * and all creation is re-created and deified. * O heaven and the earth, rejoice in unison. * Sing praises unto her, O all you Gentile clans. * Joachim is exultant, and Anna is keeping festival, crying out: * “The barren woman bears the Theotokos, * the nourisher of our Life.”

Hymn from Ode 6 of the Canon of the Feast
In you, undefiled One, ⁄ the mystery of the Trinity is praised and glorified: ⁄ for the Father was well-pleased with you, ⁄ and in you the Word made His dwelling among us, ⁄ and the Holy Spirit overshadowed you.

Hymn from Ode 8 of the Canon of the Feast
The preordained tabernacle of our reconciliation with God ⁄ now comes into being. ⁄ She is the one who will bear the Word for us ⁄ appearing in the material substance of the flesh. ⁄ He has brought us from non-existence into being! ⁄ We sing His praises, and exalt Him above all forever!

Praises Hymn 1
What a paradoxical miracle! * That the fountain of life from a barren wife is born, * that grace, fulgent, may commence to bear its fruit henceforth. * Be joyous, O Joachim, * having become the God-bearer’s progenitor! * There is no one else like you * in generations of paternity, O godly one, * for the God-receiving Maiden, the tabernacle of our God * the mountain all-holy, unto us has been bestowed through you.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that the Virgin Mary is spoken of as the fulfillment of many expectations and plans. She is the vessel of God’s plan to save humankind, she is the dwelling place of God on earth, she is the descendant of David, she is the recreation of Adam and restoration of Eve, she is the renewal of human nature, and the source of the blessing of God upon us, through her Son, Jesus Christ. In praising her, we confess that she is an active agent, that her will and intent was involved, and not only hers, but that of her parents as well. This is a reminder to all of us both of how salvation has come to us, and of what our life in Christ must go: we need to be active agents as well, submitting our lives to the Lord, so that He can be at work in us as well for the salvation and blessing of all the world.)

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)

1 Peter 1:1-25 (Salutation, a Living Hope, Call to Holy Living)

In Year 2 of the REI, we will read the Gospel according to Mark. This Gospel is much shorter than the Gospel of Luke, so we’ll be able to complete the entire Gospel in about 31 weeks, leaving some time here at the beginning of the Church year, and at intervals throughout the year, to read some of the general Epistles of the Apostles Peter, John, James & Jude. The Gospel according to Mark is generally understood to represent the St. Peter’s account of the Lord’s ministry, since Mark was known to be a disciple of Peter’s in Rome, and to have written the Gospel in Alexandria prior to his own martyrdom. Therefore, for these first five weeks, as we approach the beginning of Sunday School in October, we’ll read from the first general Epistle of St. Peter, to get a sense of what he thought was most important about the Christian Faith.

1 Peter

Salutation

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappado′cia, Asia, and Bithyn′ia, 2 chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

A Living Hope

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. 9 As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.

10 The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired about this salvation; 11 they inquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

A Call to Holy Living

13 Therefore gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. 21 Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord abides for ever.”

That word is the good news which was preached to you.

603 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note first the audience of this letter: all the places named in the introduction are in what we now call Asia Minor, mostly within the modern state of Turkey, but comprising the heartland of the Greek-speaking world at the time. Second, we should note that St. Peter is emphasizing to them that they have an inheritance that cannot be taken away from them, in which they should rejoice, even as they are suffering persecutions in this life. He is encouraging them by reminding them that they are citizens of the Kingdom of God, and that it is only to be expected that the kingdoms of this world will hate them and reject them. Even when hated and rejected, they need not be afraid, for the Lord is with them, and will be with them always.
Leader should also point out that, having reminded them of what a precious thing they had received, St. Peter continues with the word “therefore” and urges them to action, to set aside the things of the world, the “futile ways of their ancestors,” and to hold fast to the Lord and to each other, in faith and hope and love. We should point out that St. Peter is saying precisely that they, being Christians, have been delivered from vanity and futility…and next Monday, we will see King Solomon lament precisely those things. So in the New Covenant, having been freed from those things, we are called to remember that, and to hold fast the word of the Lord, and to lay aside the things of this world.)

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)

Philippians 3:12-21; 4:1-23

Last time St. Paul talked rejecting false teachings, and especially any pride in the flesh or in advancement in this life, and makes an example of himself, how his life in Christ has been a life of struggle and suffering with Christ, and how through this suffering he is being united with the Lord in death, so that he can attain the Resurrection from the dead with the Lord. He continues this week from that point, saying that he hasn’t yet reached that point, but that that is the path he is on.

Pressing toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

17 Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.

4 Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Exhortations

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 And I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. 6 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

Acknowledgment of the Philippians’ Gift

10 I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me; you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. 13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent me help once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more; I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings and Benediction

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

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Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should focus on verses 17-21 of chapter 3, at the beginning, and urge that the group consider what it might look like to glory in the flesh, to make one’s belly one’s god, to set the mind on earthly things. St. Paul is, in this letter, making very clear that the Christian understanding of life and its purpose and meaning is upside-down from what is thought normal in the world. Or rather, he is making the point that the way the world thinks about life is in fact upside down from what is the true reality of things, and urging the Faithful in Philippi to remember that and to live according to the truth that had been revealed to them by the Lord Jesus Christ through the preaching of St. Paul.)

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)

Feast of the Koimisis

Last week we read a selection of the hymns that were sung during the celebration of the Feast of Transfiguration on August 6th. This week, we will read a similar selection of the hymns that are sung for the feast of the Koimisis of the Theotokos on August 15th. This is the final feast of the Church year, and celebrates the Falling Asleep (what Koimisis means) of the Virgin Mary, which is to say, it is the celebration of her death and funeral. Because her tomb was found to be empty when the Apostle Thomas arrived and wished to venerate her body, the Church understands and confesses that her body has been raised and that she has taken her place in the Divine Council of the Lord, and already tastes the fullness of the Resurrection. Therefore this is a true and complete celebration, not mixed with sadness in the face of her death, because Christ has triumphed over death, and that victory is already revealed to us in her.

Ist Hymn of the Kekragaria

Marvel at the wondrous paradox! * Now the fount of our life has been laid within a tomb; * her tomb has become a ladder to heaven above. * Gethsemane, holy place, * the Theotokos reposed in you. Celebrate! * Believers, together sing, * having the Archangel Gabriel leading us. * “We salute you, Lady full of grace: O rejoice! For the Lord * is with you and is granting to the world great mercy through you.

Apolytikion

You gave birth yet preserved your virginity. You fell asleep in death yet did not desert the world, O Theotokos. You were transported to life, as you are Mother of Life and, by virtue of your intercessions, deliver our souls from death.

Heirmos of the 1st Ode of the 1st Canon

Adorned with glory divine, O Virgin, * is your most sacred and illustrious memorial, * gathering the faithful all together joyfully to sing * in processions led by Mariam, with timbrels and dancing, * to your Only-begotten Son. * For He has been greatly glorified.

Hymn 1 of the 1st Ode of the 1st Canon

Even as incorporeal orders * of heaven tended your divine body, O Virgin pure, * suddenly the multitude of the Apostles converged * from the ends of the earth, O Theotokos, in Zion, * and all stood before you. And with them * we glorify your solemn memory.

Hymn 2 of the 1st Ode of the 1st Canon

Trophies of victory over nature * did you, O virgin Maiden, raise in giving birth to God. * But in imitation now of your Creator and your Son, * you submit to nature’s laws in a way transcending nature. * And thus, though you die, you resurrect, * and with your Son you live eternally

Hymn 3 of the 1st Ode of the 2nd Canon

Divine and celestial dwellings received you befittingly, * since you are the animate heaven, O Lady pure. * And you stood adorned * and gorgeously appareled * as a wholly blameless bride * beside our King and God.

Hymn 1 of the 8th Ode of the 1st Canon

Clinging with words to the divine Ark * of the holiness, the multitude * of the Theologians cried aloud * unto her in Zion: * Where are you going now, O Tabernacle of the living God? * Cease not, we pray, from watching over those who sing out faithfully: * We who have been redeemed chant in praise of the only Creator, * exalting Him supremely unto all the ages

Hymn 2 of the 8th Ode of the 1st Canon

As the all-blameless one, departing, * lifted up her hands in orison — * hands with which she had embraced * the incarnate God — * she spoke with freedom as a mother, saying to her Son: * Keep them, whom You bequeathed to me, forever as they cry to You: * We who have been redeemed chant in praise of the only Creator, * exalting Him supremely unto all the ages.

Heirmos of the 9th Ode of the 1st Canon

In you the laws of nature are defeated,* O undefiled Virgin pure. * In virginity childbirth was accomplished, and death introduces life. * You, after bearing, are virgin, and after dying are living. * Mother of God, * ever save your inheritance.

Hymn 1 of the 9th Ode of the 1st Canon

Amazed were the angelic hosts of heaven * as they beheld their Lord himself * come to Zion receiving * with His own hands a woman’s departing soul. * For He addressed as a son should * her who had stainlessly borne Him: * O gracious one, * come be glorified with your Son and God.

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Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note the basic themes. a) The Virgin Mary truly died. b) Her Death is not a sad occasion, but only a showcase of the power of God and the Resurrection from the dead. c) Not only has she been raised, but she has been elevated to a rank higher than the angels in the Lord’s Divine Council. d) In that place next to the throne of the Lord, she intercedes always for all of humankind. This feast, then, gives us a very clear understanding of what we are doing when we ask her and all the saints to pray for us. This year, all of the hymns that we have selected are short, so it’s worthwhile to think of them as little mini icons reflecting on a particular element of the Feast, each providing a keyhole view of the wondrous whole.)

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 21:20-38

This is our final reading from the Gospel of Luke. This concludes the Lord’s prophecy of the judgment and destruction that are coming upon Jerusalem, and sets up very clearly the stark choice between the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God.

The Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold

20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; 22 for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written. 23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Exhortation to Watch

34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 38 And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that this passage is where the Lord gives the clearest prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, and that here, as in other places, He speaks about the destruction of Jerusalem together with prophecies of His coming and the last judgment; the clear reason is that the temptations and errors that led to the destruction of the Temple, choosing to build and fight for a kingdom in this world, must always be rejected. Christians are called to follow Christ in the wilderness, in suffering, and to the point of death; and in that suffering, when everything is falling apart, our redemption is near to us, as we participate in the Lord’s Death with our eyes fixed on His Resurrection. In short, what St. Paul says in our Day 1 reading interprets and explains this passage. )

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

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

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

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

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)

Philippians 2:12-30; 3:1-11

Last time we read the beginning of St. Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi, and saw how he introduced himself, how he wrote to encourage them in the face of persecutions (both his own and theirs), and confirmed the essential divinity and humanity of the Lord as He preached Christ’s example of humility in lowering Himself and becoming human. This time he will urge them to continue to be faithful, and warn them especially against the false teachings that are currently present among them.

Shining as Lights in the World

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. 20 I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare. 21 They all look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me; 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself shall come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy; and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete your service to me.

Breaking with the Past

3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not irksome to me, and is safe for you.

2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil-workers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. 4 Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee, 6 as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law blameless.

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

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Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader can note two points. a) The first paragraph is a good example of what the Church calls synergeia, how our salvation is a matter of our will and work in cooperation with God’s work and will in us. The point is that we cannot save ourselves from sin and death; it is God Who saves us, but we have to cooperate with Him. b) The final two paragraphs are an example of what Paul means. He lists all the things that he had done himself that he might have thought were his own works to save himself, and then shows how none of those actually saved him, and what He must do is to trust in the Lord, and be faithful to Him, and follow Him in suffering, even to the point of death, so that He may follow Him even to the resurrection from the dead. This is the point for all of us…the Christian life isn’t about completing a checklist, but is a matter of living a life of faithfulness, entrusting our entire lives to the Lord, and following Him through the many sufferings of this life into everlasting life.)

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)

Feast of the Transfiguration – 7

We have been reading, but have now completed the sermon of St. Proclus on the Most-Holy Theotokos. Since we celebrated two great feasts of the Church earlier this month, we will take the final two weeks of this year to reflect on some elements of the services for the feast of Transfiguration (August 6th) and Koimisis (August 15th). For the Feast of Transfiguration, we should note that there are three readings from the Old Testament, all of which we read during this past year. Two of them are the encounters that Moses had with God on Mount Sinai, from the book of Exodus, and the third is the meeting that Elijah had with God on Mount Horeb, when God was not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in the still small voice. These readings were selected because they showed us the previous times that Moses and Elijah had met the Lord on the mountain, and how those meetings were fulfilled when He was transfigured and revealed His glory to them and to His disciples on Mount Tabor.

Kekragaria 1
Before Your crucifixion, O Lord, the Mount became like heaven, the cloud was like the Tent. When You were transfigured and the Father bore witness to You, Peter, James and John were there, since they would also be with You when You were betrayed; so that by seeing these wonders of Yours now, they would not be frightened by Your sufferings later. Grant that we may venerate Your Passion in peace, because of Your great mercy.

Liti Idiomelon 3
Christ, the light that shined before the sun, like the sun moved over the earth in His body; and, before His Crucifixion, He executed His awesome plan for salvation in a manner fitting His divine majesty. And so, today on Mt. Tabor, He mystically reveals the image of the Trinity. He took His three select Disciples, Peter, James and John, and led them up with himself. And then He briefly concealed the flesh that He had assumed, and He was transfigured before them. In so doing, He showed them the majesty of His original beauty, although not completely, but just enough to inform them, as much as their physical eyes could bear, and still spare them, lest the full vision cause them to lose their life. Then He brought in the pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elijah; and each in his own way testified that He is God, and that He is the true radiance of the Father’s essence, and that He is Lord of both the living and the dead. Then a cloud, like a tent, overshadowed them, and the voice of the Father on high came from the cloud, and audibly bore witness and said, “This is the One whom I begot without changing from the womb before the morning star, my beloved Son, whom I sent to save those who are baptized in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and who with faith confess that undivided is the one dominion of the Godhead. Listen to Him.” O humane Savior, Christ our God, we pray You to illumine us as well, with the light of Your unapproachable glory, and show us to be worthy recipients of your kingdom that has no end.

Hymn 3 from the 9th Ode of the 1st Canon
Having seen strange and marvelous wonders, * and having heard the voice of the Father * on Mount Tabor, the servants of the Word * cried out proclaiming unto the whole world: * He is our Savior and the impress of the Archetype.

Hymn 4 from the 9th Ode of the 1st Canon
Invariable image of the One who is, * the seal that is neither moved nor altered, * Son and Logos and Wisdom and Arm, * and Right Hand and Strength of the Most High, * we all extol you with the Father and the Spirit.

Hymn 1 from the 9th Ode of the 2nd Canon
That You might manifestly show * Your unutterable second descent to come, * how You the Most High God * will then be seen standing in the midst of gods, * You did ineffably shine forth * on Moses and Elias and * on the Apostles, O Lord, * on Mount Tabor. Hence we magnify You, O Christ.

Hymn 2 from the 9th Ode of the 2nd Canon
People, come listen to me. * Let us climb that mountain, holy and heavenly, and immaterially * stand in the city of the living God. * Let us noetically see * the immaterial Divinity * of the Father and the Spirit, * shining forth in the Only-begotten Son.

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Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note the basic themes. a) Christ is the same One Who appeared to Moses and Elijah. b) At the Transfiguration, His Divinity is revealed in the human nature He assumed. c) Being Incarnate with us, He changes us and saves us. d) In showing forth His Divinity, He shows also that He is the Master and Lord of sin and death, and prefigures His triumph over them. The long hymn from the Liti, especially, sums up the entire story, and reflects on its meaning and significance.)

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 18:18-43 (Rich Ruler, Jesus Foretells His Passion a 3rd Time, Heals a Blind Beggar Near Jericho)

Last time we saw Jesus urging His disciples to pray, with fervent persistence like the widow, with humble repentance like the tax collector, and with the lowliness and simplicity of a child. This time, we will see Him continue to speak to those around Him as He makes His way toward Jerusalem and His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

The Rich Ruler

18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have observed from my youth.” 22 And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. 24 Jesus looking at him said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “Lo, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no man who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive manifold more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon; 33 they will scourge him and kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar Near Jericho

35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; 36 and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Reading 39
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 this passage follows immediately on the scene in which the disciples are keeping the children from the Lord, and He rebukes them, saying that the kingdom of God is for children, and unless one approaches the kingdom of God in the manner of a child, they will have no part in it. Remembering that, we can see the story of this rich young ruler as further explaining what it means to approach the kingdom of God like a child; following God is not just a matter of obeying the commandments and avoiding sin, but of actually becoming weak, and poor, and depending solely on the Lord for our life and salvation. In short, as an infant depends on its parents, so too we need to entrust ourselves to the Lord. The story of the Blind Beggar, whose persistent prayers for the Lord to have mercy on him are often cited as one of the origins of the Jesus Prayer, is another example of this sort of humble faith, illustrating in actual examples the points that the Lord has been making in parables and teachings.)

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)

Philippians 1:1-30; 2:1-11

Up to this point, for our Day 1 readings we have been reading from the Old Testament, covering the narrative from the Creation through the call of Israel, the problems once they entered the Promised Land, the evil kings and the prophets God sent to call the people to repentance, and finally the exile, which was where we found Tobit and his family, living in Ninevah after the fall of the nation of Israel. We’ve spent the Day 3 readings on the Gospel of Luke, and have seen what Jesus said and did during his ministry, as the fulfillment of the expectation of the Faithful of the Old Testament. For the last few weeks of this first year, then, we’ll use the Day 1 readings to see what happened after Jesus ascended into heaven, and get a glimpse of the life of the early Church through one of the letters of St. Paul. We should note that St. Paul began his life as a Pharisee, and an opponent of Jesus and His teachings. He was converted while in the act of persecuting the early Christians, and ended up establishing churches throughout the world, especially in the Greek world. For the final weeks of August, we will read his (short) letter to the Church in the city of Philippi, located near Thessaloniki in Greece. The Church there was the first Christian community established in Greece. At the time St. Paul wrote this, he was a prisoner under house arrest in Rome, writing to express pastoral care and concern for the churches he had founded.

Salutation

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

7 It is right for me to feel thus about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul’s Present Circumstances

12 I want you to know, brethren, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ; 14 and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice.

19 Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear omen to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict which you saw and now hear to be mine.

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

885 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader can note a few things. First, Paul considers his imprisonment an advantage; he is using it to preach Christ to the soldiers guarding him, and even to the household of the emperor. Second, in verse 19 he talks about how his deliverance, but we need to understand that he isn’t talking about freedom from imprisonment, but that he complete his life faithfully. He sounds a lot like St. Ignatius talking about his death. Third, what he urges them to do is also similar: he wants them to be faithful, he wants them to maintain their unity with one another, and he wants them to imitate Christ, most especially in humility and suffering, understanding that victory for Christ was won by means of the Cross, by humiliation and suffering.)

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 – 4

This week we will conclude the sermon of St. Proclus on the holiness of the Theotokos, and the honor due to her, which he preached in the presence of Nestorius during the controversy which led to the 3rd Ecumenical Council at Ephesus, and the condemnation of Nestorianism.

Proclus of Constantinople
Homily 1: On the Holy Virgin Theotokos, Delivered while Nestorius was seated in the Great Church of Constantinople – 4

VIII
So he who bought us was no mere man, you Jew! For the nature of man was enslaved to sin. Nor was he solely God, without humanity. For he had a body, you Manichee! Had he not clothed himself in me, he would not have saved me. Rather, when he appeared in the Virgin’s womb he clothed himself in him who was condemned; there it was that the awesome contract was concluded. He gave spirit and took flesh. The same one was both with the Virgin and of the Virgin; by his “overshadowing” (cf. Lk. 1.35 ), he was with her; by becoming incarnate, he was of her.

If Christ is one (person) and God the Word another, then there is no longer a Trinity, but a quaternity. Do not rend the robe of the incarnation which was “woven from above” (cf. Jn. 19.23). Do not be the disciple of Arius, for he in his impiety divided the divine essence; you must take care not to sunder the union, lest you be sundered from God. Who was it that “shone on those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Lk. 1.79)? A man? But how? For men dwelt in “darkness,” as Paul says: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness” (Col. 1.13), and again: “Once you were darkness” (Eph. 5.8). Then who was it who “shone”?

David teaches you when he says, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Ps. 117.26)! Tell us plainly, David: “Cry with strength and spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet (Is. 58.1),” and tell us who this is. The Lord the God of hosts! “The Lord is God, and he has shined upon us” (Ps. 117.27)! For “the Word became flesh” (Jn. 1.14), the natures came together and the union remained unconfused.

IX
He came to save, but he also had to suffer. How were both possible? Mere man had no power to save. One who was solely God could not suffer. What happened then? He who was God became man. By what he was, he saved; and by what he became, he suffered. When therefore the church saw the synagogue crowning him with thorns, she bewailed the outrage in these words: “Daughters of Jerusalem, go forth and behold the crown with which his mother crowned him” (Song 3.11). For he both wore the crown of thorns and undid the sentence of the thorns (cf. Gen. 3.18–19).

For the same one was in the “Father’s bosom” (cf. Jn. 1.18) and in the Virgin’s womb, in his mother’s arms and on the “wings of the wind” (Ps. 103.3), adored by angels (Heb. 1.6 ) and “dining with tax collectors” (Mt. 9.10; Mk. 2.15). Seraphim would not look at him (cf. Is. 6.2), and “Pilate interrogated him” (Mk. 15.2, 4). A “servant struck him” (Jn. 18.22), and creation trembled. While nailed on the cross, he did not depart from his throne; while shut in the tomb, he was “stretching out the heavens like a curtain” (Ps. 103.2); while numbered with the dead, he was plundering Hades. Below he was accused as a “deceiver” (Mt. 27.63), above he was glorified as the Holy One.

What a mystery! Beholding his miracles, I extol his divinity; seeing the sufferings, I cannot deny his humanity. As man, Emmanuel opened the gates of human nature; as God, he left the bars of virginity unbroken. As he entered through the ear, so too did he come out from the womb; as he was conceived, so was he born. His entering in was altogether without passion, and his coming out was altogether beyond understanding—as the prophet Ezekiel said:

“The Lord brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. And the Lord said to me, ‘Son of man, this gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened. No one shall pass through it, but the Lord, the God of Israel, he alone shall enter and come out, and the gate shall be shut’ (Ezek. 44.1–2).”

There you have a clear testimony to the Holy and ‘God-bearing’ Mary. Let all contradiction now cease, and let us be enlightened by the teaching of the Scriptures, so that we may attain to the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading 4
739 words

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

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note how St. Proclus’ words echo and reflect the iconography and the hymnography of the Church. We hear language such as this on all the feasts of the Lord’s Incarnation, at Pascha, and constantly and consistently in the Divine Liturgy. The Platytera icon in the Apse explicitly communicates the precise point. St. Proclus is deeply grounded in the worship of the Church, and stands as a relay point for that ancient tradition through this controversy into the subsequent centuries. As we encounter the challenges and questions of our present age, we should take him as a model for the task that falls to us, and answer according to the tradition delivered once for all to the Apostles.)

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 18:1-17 (Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge, Pharisee & the Tax Collector, Jesus Blesses Little Children)

Last time Jesus warned His disciples about the many troubles that would come after His Passion, including the destruction of Jerusalem, and the need for them to flee when their fellow Jews proclaimed the coming of the Messiah and the time for a rebellion against the Romans. This time, He will offer them encouragement, and guide them in how to find strength in every trouble.

The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge

18 And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; 3 and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Reading 38
390 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 in all three of these sayings, the two parables AND the response to the children, Jesus is making the same point. The remedy to trouble in the world is prayer, putting our trust in the Lord. The first parable reminds them that persistence in prayer pays off even when the judge is unjust, so how much more will it “work” when the judge is our Father, Who loves us. The second reminds them what sort of prayer is valuable; not the sort that congratulates themselves for their holiness, but rather the sort that confesses sin and places trust wholly in the Lord for salvation. The third point, with the children, further illustrates this point, that even when if we have not sinned greatly, we are always still small and weak and needy before the Lord, like children, and that if we cannot approach God with the humility of children, we can have no part in His Kingdom.)

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 14:2-15 (Tobit’s Final Words, Epilogue)

Last time we read the prayer Tobit prayed in thanksgiving and glory to God after the departure of the Archangel Raphael, how he urged the people in exile to repent and be faithful, how he assured them of God’s mercy, how he foretold the destruction and restoration of Jerusalem, and even prophesied about the entrance of the Gentiles into the covenant and the presence of God on earth in the heavenly Jerusalem. This time we will finish the book of Tobit, with an epilogue that tells how the story ends.

Tobit’s Final Words

2 Tobit was fifty-eight years old when he lost his sight, and eight years later he regained it. Tobit did almsgiving, and continued to fear the Lord God, and gave thanks to Him. 3 He grew very old, and called his son and his son’s sons, and said, “My son, take your sons. Behold, I have grown old, and I am departing from this life. 4 Depart to Media, my son, for I trust all the words Jonah the prophet spoke concerning Nineveh, that it will be overthrown. But in Media there will be more peace for a time. For our brethren in the land will be dispersed in the earth from the good land. Jerusalem shall be desolate, and the house of God therein will be burned up. It shall be desolate for a time.

5 “But God will again have mercy on them, and He will return them to the land. They will build the house, but not as it was before, until the times of the age are fulfilled. After this, they will return from the captivity and build Jerusalem honorably. The house of God within her will be built as a glorious building for every generation forever, as the prophets said concerning her. 6 All the Gentiles shall return to truly fear the Lord God. They shall bury their idols in the earth, and all the Gentiles will bless the Lord. 7 His people will offer thanks to God, and the Lord will exalt His people. All who love the Lord God in truth and righteousness will rejoice. They will show mercy to our brethren.

8 “So now, my son, depart from Nineveh, since what the prophet Jonah said will doubtless come to pass. 9 But keep the law and the ordinances. Be merciful and righteous, that it may be well with you. Bury me decently and your mother with me, but lodge no longer in Nineveh. 10 My son, observe what Aman did to Ahikar who reared him, how he led him from light into darkness, and how greatly he repaid him. Indeed Ahikar was saved, but as for that man, he was repaid with retribution and descended into the darkness. Manasseh did almsgiving and was saved from the trap of death that was set for him. But Aman fell into the trap and perished.

11 Now then, my children, observe what almsgiving does, and how righteousness delivers us.” After he said these things, his soul departed as he lay on his bed. He was one hundred and fifty-eight years old, and Tobias buried him gloriously. 12 When Anna died, he buried her with his father. Then Tobias departed with his wife and his children to Ecbatana, to Raguel his father-in-law.

13 He grew old honorably and buried the parents of his wife most respectfully. They inherited their estate and that of Tobit his father. 14 Tobias died at Ecbatana of Media when he was one hundred and twenty-seven years old. 15 Before he died, he heard of the destruction of Nineveh, taken by Nebuchadnezzar and Ahasuerus. Thus before his death he rejoiced over Nineveh.

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 Tobias foretells clearly here what he mentioned in his prayer, with the destruction of Jerusalem, its restoration, and the establishment in Jerusalem of a “house of God” that would last forever and be for all nations and all generations; what we have seen in the New Testament is that this refers not to the temple building itself, but to our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is Himself God, making His Dwelling with humankind forever. This is why Jesus said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” Regarding the reference to Aman and Ahikar, Ahikar is Tobit’s nephew who works for the king of Assyria, mentioned at the beginning of the book, and again as attending the celebration of Tobias & Sarah’s wedding. Aman was a student and heir of his who betrayed his master and tried to have him killed, but even the executioner refused to kill Ahikar because of his righteousness, and Aman ended up suffering execution himself. The point being made is that righteousness and almsgiving are always vindicated in the end.)

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 – 3

We have been reading a sermon from St. Proclus of Constantinople on the Theotokos, in the midst of the controversy over her role in the Lord’s economy of salvation, and specifically whether it was right to call her the Mother and Birthgiver of God. He preached this sermon in the presence of Nestorius, who was at that time the Patriarch of Constantinople, as Nestorius was preaching and teaching that she should NOT be called the Mother of God, but rather the Mother of Christ, in order to not demean God by claiming that He had a mother. St. Proclus is affirming strongly the ancient tradition of the Church that she did in fact give birth to God, and therefore must be called the Mother of God in order to proclaim that central truth of the Gospel. We will read the third part of the sermon today.

Proclus of Constantinople
Homily 1: On the Holy Virgin Theotokos, Delivered while Nestorius was seated in the Great Church of Constantinople – 3

VI
What happened then? The very one who brought every creature into existence and whose bounty never fails, he it was who for the condemned won life most sure and for death secured a fitting dissolution. He became man (he alone knows how—to explain the miracle is beyond the power of speech). By what he became he died; by what he was, he redeemed—as Paul says, “in him we have redemption through his blood, the remission of our trespasses (Eph. 1.7).”

What a transaction! It was for others that he procured immortality, since he himself was immortal. Another, able to do this work, there neither was nor has been nor is nor will be, beside him alone who was born of a virgin, God and man. His dignity was such as not only to outweigh the multitude of the condemned, but also to prevail against all sentences given against them.

For he was the Son, maintaining his unchangeable likeness to the Father; the creator, possessed of unfailing power; the merciful, revealing his unsurpassable compassion; the high priest, who was worthy to plead on our behalf (cf. Heb. 3.1). None of these qualities could ever be found in another, whether in equal or in similar degree. Behold his love! Freely accepting condemnation, he destroyed the death that was due to those who crucified him; and the transgression of those who killed him he turned into the salvation of the transgressors.

VII
A mere man could not save; for he would have needed a savior himself, since, as Paul said, “all have sinned (Rom. 3.23).” By sin we were delivered to the devil, and by the devil handed over to death. Our affairs were in utmost peril; there was no means of rescue. This was the verdict of the physicians who were sent to us. What happened then?

When the prophets saw that our wounds were beyond human resource, they cried for the heavenly physician. “Bow thy heavens and come down” (Ps. 143.5), says one. Another, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed” (Jer. 17.14). One says, “Stir up thy might, and come to save us!” (Ps. 79.2). Another, “Will God indeed dwell with men?” (3 Kg. 8.27). One says, “Let thy mercies speedily overtake us, for we are brought into great poverty” (Ps. 78.8). And another, “Alas my soul, for the godly man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men” (Mic. 7.1–2).

Another says, “O God, come to my help; O Lord, make haste to help me” (Ps. 69.1). Another, “Yet a little while and the coming one shall come and not tarry” (Hab. 2.3; cf. Heb. 10.37). Another, “I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; seek thy servant whose hope is in thee” (Ps. 118.176). And another, “God, even our God, shall come manifestly and shall not keep silence” (Ps. 49.3).

So our natural King did not allow our nature to remain for ever under tyranny. The merciful God did not permit us to remain subject to the devil to the end. He came, who was always present. He paid the ransom of his own blood. He gave to death in exchange for mankind the body taken from the virgin that he bore. And he redeemed the world from the curse of the law, by death destroying death—as Paul cries, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Gal. 3.13).

Reading 3
575 words

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

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note how completely St. Proclus is concerned with the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is spending this sermon effectively summing up everything that the Lord is and has done for our salvation. His point about the honor due to the Mother of God, the marvel that has been revealed in her, is wholly in pursuit of the affirmation of the truth of Gospel about our Lord Jesus Christ. As is evident elsewhere in the Orthodox Faith, so do we see here as well, that we honor the Virgin Mary in order to confess the One Whom she bore.)

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 17:11-37 (Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers, Coming of the Kingdom)

Last time we saw Jesus preparing His disciples for their ministry and their eventual martyrdoms with the guidance He was giving to them. As He continues on His way to Jerusalem for His Passion, He encounters a group of Ten Lepers asking for His help, and after they depart cleansed, with only one returning to give thanks, He is approached by Pharisees who ask Him when He will establish the Kingdom of God. He will respond briefly to them, avoiding their trap, and then will speak in more detail to the Disciples about His actual coming, and also the horror that will result from the sort of kingdom that the Pharisees are looking for, prophesying the rebellion of the Jewish people against the Romans in the 60’s A.D., and the destruction and death that will result.

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samar′ia and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then said Jesus, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

The Coming of the Kingdom

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Lo, there!’ or ‘Lo, here!’ Do not go, do not follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

26 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was in the days of Lot—they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed.

31 On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

Reading 37
536 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 gives an answer to the question of “when the kingdom of God is coming” to both the Pharisees and to His disciples. To the Pharisees, He tells them that they’re looking for the wrong thing if they are looking for signs of the coming of the Kingdom…because He is already there, the King of glory in their midst, and they aren’t able to see Him. To His disciples, He addresses the question of when He will come to finally rule, and tells them that when that day comes, there will be no doubt…but that long before that happens, He will be rejected by “this generation,” which is to say, by the people who have just been talking to Him, by the Pharisees and the others with them. He then warns them that after that, there will come a day of judgment, the day of the Son of Man that Daniel foretold, when that same generation will CLAIM that the Messiah has come, and that that day will be a day of horror and judgment and death, and they are to flee the city immediately when they start to see people talking about how the Messiah is coming. We also know that this is exactly what the Christians in Jerusalem did in the 60’s A.D., when there was a proclamation of the Messiah’s coming, and a rebellion against the Romans; when this happened, all the Christians fled the city, and did not take part in the rebellion. As a result, the Christians survived, when everyone who remained in the city was starved, killed, or enslaved.)

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 13:1-18 (Tobit’s Prayer)

Last time we saw Tobias & Sarah, together with the Archangel Raphael, return to Ninevah, where Tobit’s blindness was healed, and Raphael revealed himself to be an archangel sent by the Lord. He urged them to remain faithful, to be diligent in almsgiving and all righteousness, to always give glory to God, and disappeared from their sight, having directed them to write down everything that had happened in a book. We are now coming to the end of the book of Tobit, with Tobit’s prayer of thanksgiving this week, and next week, an epilogue explaining what happened to everyone.

Tobit Exalts the Lord

1 Then Tobit with exceeding joy wrote a prayer, saying:
2 “Blessed is God Who lives unto the ages,
And blessed is His kingdom, for He scourges, and is merciful; He brings down into Hades, and leads up.
There is no one who will escape His hand.

3 Give thanks to Him before the nations, O children of Israel, for He scattered us among them.
4 Make known His greatness there; exalt Him in the presence of all the living, for He is our Lord and God; He is our Father unto all the ages.
5 He will scourge us for our wrongdoings, but He will again have mercy and gather us from all the nations, wherever you were dispersed among them.
6 If you return to Him with all your heart and with all your soul, to do the truth before Him, then He will turn to you and not hide His presence from you.

7 Behold for yourself what He will do for you, and give thanks to Him fully with the organ of speech.
Bless the Lord of righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages.
8 In the land of my captivity, I give thanks to Him, and make known His might and majesty to a nation of sinners.
Be converted, you sinners, and do righteousness before Him.
Who knows if He will desire you and have mercy on you?

9 I exalt my God, and my soul exalts the King of heaven and will rejoice exceedingly in His majesty.
10 Let all speak of His majesty and give thanks to Him in Jerusalem.
O Jerusalem, the holy city, He will scourge you for the deeds of your sons, but He will again show mercy to the sons of the righteous.
11 Give thanks to the Lord with goodness and bless the King of the ages, that His tabernacle may be restored again to you in joy.
12 May He rejoice in you, the captives, and may He love those who are distressed among you unto all generations forever.

13 Many Gentiles will come from afar to the name of the Lord God, bearing gifts in their hands and offerings to the King of heaven. Generations of generations will offer You joyful worship.
14 Cursed are all who hate You; blessed are all who love You forever.
15 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for the children of the righteous, for they will be gathered together and will bless the Lord of the righteous.
Blessed are those who love You. They will rejoice in Your peace.
16 Blessed are the many who grieved over all Your scourges, for they will rejoice when they see all Your glory and will rejoice forever. Let my soul bless God the great King.

17 For Jerusalem will be built with sapphire and emerald, and her walls with precious stones, and her towers and battlements with pure gold.
The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with beryl, onyx, and stones from Ophir.
18 All her streets will proclaim, ‘Alleluia!’ and will give praise, saying, ‘Blessed is God, who exalted you unto all the ages.’”
14:1 Then Tobit ceased giving thanks.

533 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 basic thread of Tobit’s prayer. He begins by praising God for His power, as the one who punishes, and the one who has mercy. He then acknowledges the sin of his people, and God’s just judgment in exiling them; at this point he points out that, being exiled among the nations, they are able to do what was their purpose from the beginning, to proclaim the good works of the Lord to all the nations. He urges his people to repent, because God will have mercy on them and return them from exile, and to proclaim His name to their captors, because they may hear and be converted. He then speaks of Jerusalem, and how it too will be judged and exiled, but will be restored again, and then he begins to speak of the Gentiles, all the foreign nations, coming to worship God there, and ends with a vision of the heavenly Jerusalem, in words that we recognize from John’s vision of the Church as the Bride of Christ. So in all this, Tobit is seeing the big picture, and giving glory to God for His mercy and His justice and His wonderful works for the children of men.)

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 – 2

Last time, we began to read a sermon preached by St. Proclus of Constantinople during the Nestorian controversy in the lead-up to the Council of Ephesus. This sermon was a reflection on the Holy Theotokos and her role in the Church, and is notable in that it was preached in the presence of the heresiarch Nestorius during the period that he was the Bishop of Constantinople. St. Proclus is one of the preeminent defenders of the Orthodox understanding of the Incarnation, and an ally of St. Cyril of Alexandria in these matters. His words ultimately anticipate the decision of the Church at not just the council of Ephesus, but also of Chalcedon in 451.

Proclus of Constantinople
Homily 1: On the Holy Virgin Theotokos, Delivered while Nestorius was seated in the Great Church of Constantinople – 2

III
So do not be ashamed of the birth pangs, O man! For they were the beginning of our salvation. Had he not been born of a woman, he would not have died. Had he not died, he would not “through death have destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2.14).” A master builder is not dishonored if he dwells in buildings of his own design. Clay does not defile the potter who repairs what he himself had fashioned. Neither was the pure one defiled by coming forth from a virgin’s womb. From what he formed without pollution he came forth without defilement.

O womb, in which was drawn up the bond that gave us all liberty! O belly, in which was forged the sword that defeated death! O field, in which Christ, nature’s farmer, himself sprouted forth unsown as an ear of corn! O temple, in which God became a priest, not by changing his nature, but by his mercy clothing himself with him who was “according to the order of Melchizedek (cf. Heb. 6.20; 7.11; Ps. 109.4)”! “The Word became flesh” (Jn. 1.14), even if the Jews disbelieve the Lord who said so. God has put on the form of a human being (cf. Phil. 2.7), even if the Greeks ridicule the wonder. For this reason, the mystery is a “scandal to the Jews” and “folly to the Greeks (1 Cor. 1.23),” because the miracle transcends reason. Had the Word not dwelt in a womb, the flesh would never have sat on the throne. Were it a disgrace for God to have entered a womb, it would also be a disgrace for angels to serve a man (Mt. 4.11; cf. Heb. 1.14).

IV
So he who is by nature impassible became in mercy most passible. Christ did not by progress become God—heaven forbid!—but in mercy he became man, as we believe. We do not preach a divinized man, but instead we confess an incarnate God. His own handmaid he acknowledged as mother, he who in essence is without mother and in the incarnation is without father.

How otherwise could Paul speak of one and the same (Christ) as both “without mother” and “without father” (Heb. 7.3)? Were he merely man, he would not be without mother; and yet he has a mother. Were he solely God, he would not be without father, and yet he has a Father. But now the same one is both without mother, as Creator, and without father, as creature.

V
You should also pay attention to the name of the archangel. He who brought the glad tidings to Mary was called Gabriel (Lk. 1.26). What is the meaning of “Gabriel”? God and man. Now he of whom Gabriel was bringing these tidings was God and man, and thus his name was an anticipation of the miracle, given to assure us of the incarnation. Listen to the reason for his coming and glorify the power of the one who became flesh.

The human race was deep in debt and incapable of paying what it owed. By the hand of Adam we all signed a bond to sin. The devil held us all in slavery. He kept producing our bills, using our suffering body as his paper. There he stood, the wicked forger, threatening us with our debts and demanding satisfaction. One of two things had to happen: either the penalty of death had to be imposed on all, because “all had sinned” (Rom. 3.23), or else a substitute had to be provided who was fully entitled to plead on our behalf.

No man could save us; the debt would have been his liability too. No angel could buy us out, for such a ransom was beyond his powers. One who was sinless had to die for those who had sinned; that was the only way left by which to break the bonds of evil.

Reading 2
658 words

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

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note how direct St. Proclus is in affirming the reality of the Incarnation even in the womb of the Virgin Mary; this emphasis of his is directly connected to our calling her the “Theotokos,” the Mother/Birthgiver of God, because the One she bore was truly God Himself. The two quotes that are often drawn from this sermon (among others), are these: “Had the Word not dwelt in a womb, the flesh would never have sat on the throne.” And “We do not preach a divinized man, but instead we confess an incarnate God.” It is also worth discussing his understanding of the bond which humanity had signed to sin, and how the devil kept us enslaved to him by means of this. His understanding of the remedy is not identical to the common Western understanding that Christ paid a debt that we could not, and a large part of that is the question of to whom the debt was owed. We will see how he further develops this idea next 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?

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 16:19-31, 17:1-10 (Rich Man & Lazarus, Some Sayings of Jesus)

Last time we read the parable of the dishonest manager, as the Lord uses a scoundrel to show how the children of this world know better how to use money to gain favor than the children of the kingdom, who too often neglect the care of the poor and the needy. From that, he proceeded to indict the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. This time, we will Him speak a parable of those who neglect what is actually revealed and prophesied by Moses and the prophets, in the beautiful parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz′arus, full of sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz′arus in his bosom.

24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz′arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Laz′arus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.’”

Some Sayings of Jesus

17 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Reading 36
565 words

Discussion Questions

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note that here we have an important parable, that of the rich man and Lazarus, which gives us the clearest picture we have anywhere in Scripture of what happens after death. It’s fairly self-explanatory, but it can be noted that it doesn’t say who created the gulf between Abraham and the rich man in torment…it would be good to discuss who it is that is punishing the rich man, who it is that has created the separation between the place of torment and the place of peaceful rest. Myself, I believe that the rich man is punishing himself…he has rejected God all his life, and is unable to bridge that gulf that he himself has created, and his selfishness and unrepentant prevents anyone from helping him, even if they want to do so.)

For the second half of the reading, this selection is fairly self-explanatory, but difficult to follow. The Leader should point out about verse 3-4 that it is, in fact, tremendously difficult to implement both halves of the Lord’s instructions. Most of us are very uncomfortable rebuking sin in one another…but if we ever work up the courage to do so, we struggle still more to forgive them if they repent. But the Lord insists that we must do both, and not just once, but even seven times in a single day. The passage regarding the slave, in verses 7-10, is challenging, simply because it assumes the institution of slavery. The Lord is not saying that slavery is good, however; He is simply using a common example to make the point that doing the “bare minimum” required in a job is not worthy of praise…it’s just the bare minimum. We should not content ourselves with just “being good enough” or “being no worse than anyone else around us.” We are called to holiness and faithfulness, to Theosis, to become like the Lord. There is no room for half measures, for “good enough.” We need to be consistent, and we need to be faithful.)

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 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

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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
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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.)