Year 2a – Week 8 (October 25 – October 31, 2026)

Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 9:1-28 (Covenant with Noah, Noah & his Sons)

Last week we saw the Flood end, and Noah and his family leave the Ark and offer sacrifice to God. We saw God promise never again to destroy every living creature He had made, with a hint in that promise that God’s purpose is not to destroy the sinful world, but to save it, as He does in His Incarnation by assuming human nature. This time, we will see God respond further to the sacrifice, and establish a new covenant with Noah and his family, as He had done with Adam and Eve in the Garden. This new covenant includes new requirements and new promises.

The Covenant With Noah

9 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the air, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

4 Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it and of man; of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. 7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply in it.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”

Noah and His Sons

18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled.

20 Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; 21 and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;
a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.”

26 He also said,

“Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem;
and let Canaan be his slave.
27 God enlarge Japheth,
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem;
and let Canaan be his slave.”

28 After the flood Noah lived three hundred and fifty years. 29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.

646 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out two things. First, that God gives a commandment again, as He did in the Garden of Eden. He tells them what they can eat, that is, the flesh of every living thing, and what they cannot eat, which is to say, the blood of those animals. He then repeats the command to “be fruitful and multiply”, and then makes a promise, that He will never again destroy the world. Second, we need to pay attention to the blood; this is the place where we see that blood is treated as a sacred thing; we’ll see more about why this is so on Day 2, but for now, we need to remember that even from this point, the focus on blood is anticipating the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He sheds for the life of the world at the Crucifixion.

Then, for the portion regarding Noah’s wine-making and what follows, the Leader should note that this is a hard reading; it’s both difficult to understand, and sad to see. There are two sins here: Noah’s sin in getting drunk, and Ham’s sin, which was to spread the word about Noah’s sin. Ham’s sin is worse than Noah’s sin, because Ham was happy to see his father humiliated, and tried to humiliate him more by telling his brothers. It seems that he was trying to take advantage of his father’s weakness and use it to make himself more powerful. In a sense, then, Ham was doing the exact sort of thing that God had forbidden with the eating of blood…he was seizing power for himself from someone else’s weakness. When Noah curses Ham’s son Canaan, then, he isn’t causing Ham’s descendants to be evil and cursed, he is simply telling what the result will be of Ham’s sinfulness, and how it will not work the way that Ham wants. With his will to power and willingness to use others to get what he wants, the newly cleansed world is right back on the road to sinfulness. What we will see as we continue to read through the Bible, then, is that Ham’s descendants do in fact become powerful, for a long time, but in the end, they come to nothing, and the more righteous descendants of Shem and Japheth are the ones who prove to be truly blessed. We should note, as well, that descendants ultimately is not an issue of race, but of likeness. So those who act like Ham and try to take power at the expense of others will come to ruin; those who are humble and gracious and respectful, like Shem and Japheth, will be glorified.)

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)

Leviticus 17:10–16 & Acts 15:28-29

In this space we usually read something from outside the Bible; however, the Day 1 reading shows us God forbidding humanity to eat blood, and this seems strange to us until we see that this is a consistent part of God’s instructions to us, in both the Old Testament and the New; so today we will read where this commandment is repeated in the Law of Moses, and again in the Acts of the Apostles. This thing about not eating blood is one of the only parts of the Law of Moses that applies not only to the people of Israel, but even to others living among them. It doesn’t immediately make sense to us, but if we first recognize THAT it is something God commands, then we can start to think about what it means.

Leviticus 17:10–16

Eating Blood Prohibited

10 If anyone of the house of Israel or of the aliens who reside among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood, and will cut that person off from the people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar; for, as life, it is the blood that makes atonement.

12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel: No person among you shall eat blood, nor shall any alien who resides among you eat blood. 13 And anyone of the people of Israel, or of the aliens who reside among them, who hunts down an animal or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth.

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

This prohibition against eating blood is also one of the few parts of the Law of Moses that non-Jewish Christians were required to observe. During the early years of the life of the Church, the question was raised whether Christians who weren’t Jews needed to “become Jews” in order to be a part of the Church. Some thought that they did, that they needed to become circumcised, and observe all the requirements about food and clothing and washing and fasting. But when the Apostles and other leaders of the early Church met in Jerusalem, they decided only to require the things that God had commanded to Noah, which we see in the Day 1 reading, and see repeated above in Leviticus.

Acts 15:28–29 (NRSV)

28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (There are two reasons, basically, that they are forbidden to eat blood. The first is that it is by the Blood of Christ, when He gives up His life for the life of the world, that we are saved; for this reason, all blood is to be treated with respect, even in the Old Testament. In the sacrifices of the Old Testament, the blood is always a part of the sacrifice, and is an essential part of the reconciliation with God that the sacrifice accomplishes; the blood is wiped or smeared on people and things in order to wipe away sins. To eat it would be to mis-use it, and to “steal” what belongs to God, what has not been given to us…this makes sense especially now, that we have actually been given the Blood of God to consume for our salvation, in Holy Communion. The second reason that the eating of blood is forbidden is that it was common in pagan sacrifices to do precisely that, and therefore eating the blood of animals is strongly associated with idolatry. That the worship of demons should mis-use and corrupt the proper use of animal sacrifice is not surprising, but it does explain why this remained a significant issue, even in the New Testament. Eating the blood of the animals functioned as a mockery of Holy Communion, and is therefore still to be avoided.)

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)

Mark 2:1-22 (Jesus Heals a Paralytic, Calls Levi, Question about Fasting)

Last week we saw Jesus begin to preach, to heal, and to cast out demons, beginning in the city of Capernaum, from the house of Simon and Andrew. After healing many people, He went out into the wilderness to pray, and Simon, Andrew, James & John found Him there. They wanted Him to go back to the city, because everyone was looking for Him, but He told them that He was instead going to go out to the neighboring towns; He was coming to save more than just the city of Capernaum, but all humanity. And as a sign of this, He cleansed even a leper, who began to tell everyone about Jesus, so that Jesus couldn’t go into the towns any longer, but had to stay out in the country. This time, we will see him come back to Capernaum “under cover,” and will see how long that lasts.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2 And when he returned to Caper′na-um after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thus in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Jesus Calls Levi

13 He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about him, and he taught them. 14 And as he passed on, he saw Levi[a] the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15 And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of[b] the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat[c] with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Question about Fasting

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine is for fresh skins.”[d]

Reading 3
572 words

Discussion Questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that there are two main lessons to this reading. The first is that Jesus comes to save sinners, as He calls Levi meets with Levi’s sinful friends. Note along with this that He doesn’t just eat with them, but He preaches to them, and calls them to repentance. This is precisely WHY He comes and spends time with sinners…to call them to leave their sin behind and to follow Him. The second lesson is that those who follow Him behave differently from other people. This shows that the Way He is proclaiming isn’t just another sect of Judaism, just another human religious practice, because it’s not just about the ideas or the practices, but about being with Him. More advanced students may enjoy thinking about what the cloth patch and wineskins paragraph has to do with what goes before.)

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?

Year 2a – Week 7 (October 18 – October 24, 2026)

Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 8:1-22 (The Flood Subsides, God’s Promise to Noah)

These last several weeks we have been leading up to the great Flood that came upon the world in the time of Noah. Last week we saw the Flood finally arrive, after God gathered the animals and had all of them go aboard the Ark with Noah and his family. Before the Flood began, God gave a final warning, and left the door of the Ark open for seven days before the rain began to fall, so that anyone willing to repent and be saved could enter the Ark. After the seven days, God closed the door, and the Flood began. It rained for 40 days. Today we will see how the Flood ends.

The Flood Subsides

8 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; 2 the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually.

At the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters had abated; 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made, 7 and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9 but the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put forth his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.

10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 11 and the dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she did not return to him any more.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go forth from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.

17 Bring forth with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.” 18 So Noah went forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 And every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves upon the earth, went forth by families out of the ark.

God’s Promise to Noah

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

580 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out the timeline, that the time from when the rain began until the Ark came to rest on the mountain was 150 days, and then another 73 days until they saw the top of other mountains, and then 40 days until Noah sent out first the raven, which didn’t return, and the dove, which did, and then another seven days until he sent out the dove the second time, when it brought back the olive branch, and then a final seven days until he sent it out the last time, and it didn’t return. It was then (finally) the first day of the new year that he took the cover off the ark because the earth was no longer underwater, and not until the end of the 2nd month that they all finally left the ark. So they were on the ark for 40 days with rain, 110 floating, 73 aground until they could see other mountains, 40 until he sent out the raven and dove, 7 until he sent out the dove and it came back with the olive branch, and 7 until it didn’t come back at all, which would have been the 24th day of the 11th month, and almost to the New Year, when they took off the cover on the Ark. But in total, they were on the Ark for over a year, from the 17th day of the 2nd month of one year until the 27th day of the 2nd month in the next year. That’s a long time to be on a boat. It’s important also to note God’s promise not to destroy everything on the earth again, for as long as the earth itself remains, and to note that Christ’s coming as a human being, taking our created nature upon Himself, is a guarantee of this; God is committed to SAVING the world, instead of destroying it.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

St. Ephrem the Syrian On the Mercy of God in the Flood

St. Ephrem the Syrian lived in the cities of Nisibis and Edessa, in the far eastern part of what is now Turkey. He served a community that spoke Aramaic, rather than Greek, and as a result he preached and wrote in that language. He lived from 306 to 373, and was therefore a contemporary of St. Basil the Great and the many other great saints of the 4th century. He wrote many hymns, and especially hymns that were used to teach, but he also wrote a number of commentaries on the Scripture, including one on the book of Genesis. From him, then, we are able to see what a saint of the 4th century thought was important about the story of Noah and the Flood.

Invitation to Repentance
Noah began the ark in the first year that was allowed that generation for repentance and he finished it in one hundred years. Although Noah was an example to that generation by his righteousness and had, in his uprightness, announced to them the flood during that one hundred years, they still did not repent. So Noah said to them, “Some of all flesh will come to be saved with me in the ark.” But they mocked him [saying], “How will all the beasts and birds that are scattered throughout every corner of the earth come from all those regions?”
…
(2) On that same day elephants came from the east, apes and peacocks approached from the south, other animals gathered from the west, and still others hastened to come from the north. Lions came from the jungles and wild beasts arrived from their lairs. Deer and wild donkeys came from their lands and the mountain beasts gathered from their mountains.
(3) When those of that generation gathered [to see] this novel sight, it was not to repent, but rather to amuse themselves. Then, in their very presence, the lions began to enter the ark and the bulls, with no fear, hurried in right on their heels to seek shelter with the lions. The wolves and the lambs entered together and the hawks and the sparrows together with the doves and the eagles.
10. When those of that generation were still not persuaded, neither by the gathering of all the animals at that time nor by the love that instantly grew between [the animals], the Lord said to Noah, “In seven days, I will blot out everything that I have made.”
So God granted one hundred years while the ark was being made to that generation, and still they did not repent. God summoned beasts that they had never seen and still they showed no remorse. He established a state of peace between the predatory animals and those who are preyed upon, and still they had no awe. God delayed yet seven more days for them, even after Noah and every creature had entered the ark, leaving the gate of the ark open to them. This is a wondrous thing that no lion remembered its jungle and no species of beast or bird visited its customary haunt! Although those of that generation saw all that went on outside and inside the ark, they were still not persuaded to renounce their evil deeds.
…
(2) For this reason, at the end of the seven days, in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the springs of the great abyss burst forth and the flood gates of heaven were opened. The Lord shut the door before Noah, lest those left behind come at the time of the floods and break down the gate of the ark. The deluge came and God blotted out all flesh. Only Noah was left and those that were with him in the ark. The springs of the abyss and the flood gates of heaven were open forty days and forty nights, and the ark was afloat for one hundred fifty days.

Ephrem the Syrian. (2004). St. Ephrem the Syrian: Selected Prose Works. (T. P. Halton & K. McVey, Eds., E. G. Mathews Jr. & J. P. Amar, Trans.) (Vol. 91, pp. 138–141). Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press.

535 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that St. Ephrem makes very clear that the Flood was not something that God did in a sudden flash of temper, but something that He did only after many, many years of warnings, accompanied by preaching and miracles, urging the people of that time to repent and to return to faithfulness. He gave them an example of righteousness (in Noah), a proof that He was serious about the Flood (in the building of the Ark itself, and then in the assembly of all the animals), and then a final seven days for them to be saved before He closed the door Himself and sent the waters of the Flood. Therefore, we can be certain that there was no one innocent, no one who wanted to repent and be saved, who was drowned in the Flood. Everyone was completely corrupt and evil, to the point that they rejected the salvation that was offered to them.)

Prayer for the Oil from the Baptismal Service + An Explanation of the Dove and Olive from St. Bede the Venerable

For a second reading for Day 2 this week, we will read two separate selections connecting the dove and the olive branch that we saw on Day 1 with the life of the Church. The first selection is from the service of Baptism, and comes right before the baptismal immersion takes place, as the one who is coming to be baptized is anointed with oil.

The other selection is from a sermon preached by St. Bede, a saint of northern England who lived from 673 to 735. He wrote many things, including a history of the English Church from its conversion on, but in his own time, he was best known for the many commentaries and sermons that he wrote. This excerpt is one that he preached on the Gospels, and as we read, you will see the connection.

Prayer for the Oil

O Lord and Master, the God of our Fathers, who sent to those in Noah’s Ark a dove carrying a twig of olive in its beak as a symbol of reconciliation and of deliverance from the Flood; who through these signs prefigured the mystery of grace; who supplied the fruit of the olive for the fulfilment of your holy Sacraments-and through it filled with the Holy Spirit those who were under the Law and made perfect those under grace; bless this oil through the power and energy and visitation of the Holy Spirit, so that it may become an anointing of incorruption, a weapon of justice, a renewal of soul and body, a defense against every influence of the Devil, and a release from evil, to all those who are anointed with it in faith, or partake of it.
To your glory, and that of your only-begotten Son, and your all- holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

St. Bede the Venerable on the Dove, the Olive Branch, the Ark, and the Church

After Noah sent the raven, he sent a dove, and it came to him in the evening, carrying in its mouth an olive branch with green leaves.
You are paying attention, I believe, and with your intellect you anticipate me as I speak. The olive branch with green leaves is a figure of the grace of the Holy Spirit, rich in the words of life, the fullness of which rests upon Christ, as the psalm says, “God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”

Concerning this gift given to Christ’s fellows, John speaks: “You have the anointing from the holy one, and you know all things.”13 And by a most beautiful conjunction the figure is in agreement with the fulfillment—a corporeal dove brought the olive branch to the ark which was washed by the waters of the flood; the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a corporeal dove upon the Lord when he was baptized in the waters of the Jordan.

Not only the human beings but also the living things which the ark contained, and also the very wood from which the ark was made, prefigure us members of Christ and of the church after our reception of the washing of the waters of regeneration. Through the anointing of the sacred chrism may we be signed with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and may he deign to keep it inviolate in us who himself gave it [to us], Jesus Christ our Lord who with the almighty Father in the unity of the same Holy Spirit lives and reigns for all ages. Amen.

HOMILY 1.12.
Louth, A., & Conti, M. (2001). Genesis 1–11 (pp. 145–146). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

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 these two sources are drawing different lessons from the same text. The prayer from Baptism associates the olive branch and the dove with reconciliation between God and humanity, since the dove with the olive was a sign that the Flood was ending and the judgment was over, and then makes use of the oil of the olive as the final preparation for Baptism, in water, we should notice, which perfectly reconciles us to God, as we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and made members of His body, the Church. The quote from St. Bede instead focuses on the Dove hovering above the waters, and makes a connection between the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove when Jesus was baptized and our own receiving of the Holy Spirit when we are baptized. Both selections, however, make a connection between the Ark and the Flood and the Dove and the Olive and the Church and Baptism and the grace that we receive in being brought into the Church.)

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

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

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

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

Day 3 (Friday)

Mark 1:21-45 (Man with an Unclean Spirit, Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House, Preaching Tour in Galilee, Jesus Cleanses a Leper)

Last time we saw St. Mark introduce Jesus as the Son of God and the prophesied Messiah, and we saw Jesus begin to preach that the time was fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God was near, and that everyone should repent and trust in the Gospel, calling the first four of twelve disciples as He reconstitutes Israel. We talked a little bit about how the Gospel is a proclamation of victory and authority, that Jesus is proclaiming that the rule of sin and death, which the demons had brought about in the world through their temptation of human beings to sin, and their ongoing deception and domination of humanity in the many false religions of the pagan world, is over. So let’s see what Jesus does next!

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

21 And they went into Caper′na-um; and immediately on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; 24 and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House

29 And immediately he[e] left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them.

32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together about the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.[f]

A Preaching Tour in Galilee

35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him followed him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Every one is searching for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

40 And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And he sternly charged him, and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.”[g] 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus[h] could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Reading 2
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Discussion Questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out the basic points of what Jesus does. Having begun to reconstitute Israel by calling the first of the twelve disciples, He preaches with authority, and as soon as He preaches, a demon who is possessing a man accosts Him; but the Lord casts the demon out, and frees the man from its control. Then He does the same thing for many other people at Simon Peter’s home, and then takes His new disciples to visit the neighboring towns, preaching and casting out demons everywhere He goes, and almost immediately Mark shows us Jesus healing even a leper. In short; God has come to earth, and is setting everything, even the most impossible problems, in order, driving out the imposter powers who had enslaved His people. This is what the Gospel proclaims, and this is what Jesus is doing.)

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?

Year 2a – Week 6 (October 11 – October 17, 2026)

Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 7:1-24 (The Great Flood)

Last week we saw God command Noah to build the Ark, and to prepare for the coming Flood, which would judge corrupt humanity and cleanse the earth of the taint that had come upon it through human sinfulness. We also saw God promise to keep Noah and his family alive, along with a remnant of all the animals of the earth, and to make His covenant with them; and saw that what God was planning with them was to remove them from the corrupted earth, to cleanse the earth, and to begin again with faithful people, that is, with Noah and his family. We should note that we see Noah first when he is 500 years old, when God tells him to begin to build the ark. Today, 100 years later, we will see the Flood arrive.

The Great Flood

7 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate; 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive upon the face of all the earth.

4 For in seven days I will send rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark, to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, 9 two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every bird of every sort.

15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And they that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.

17 The flood continued forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily upon the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered; 20 the waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.

21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, birds, cattle, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm upon the earth, and every man; 22 everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.

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Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out three things here. First, God gives time, first 100 years, and then 7 days, for everyone else to repent; the only people who refuse to board the Ark are the ones who reject the salvation that He offers. Second, that it rains for 40 days, which is the first time that we see this number 40 in the Bible. This is, it seems, the amount of time it takes for the earth to be cleansed; it is also, not coincidentally, the length of both Great Lent and the Nativity Fast. Third, that both clean and unclean animals are brought on board the Ark, even though we haven’t yet seen what makes an animal clean or unclean. This is seen by several of the Fathers to foreshadow the Church, in which both the clean, that is, the Hebrew people, and the unclean, the Gentiles, are saved, so long as they are faithful to 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 2 (Wednesday)

On Day 1 we talked about the Ark and the Flood as showing God’s mercy, as well as the reality of the consequences of rebellion against Him. Today, we’ll look at how one of the Church Fathers, St. Augustine, interprets the story of Noah and the Ark. This is a nice example of how stories in the Bible can mean more than one thing; in this case, St. Augustine is saying that, besides being a story of human sin and divine judgment in the depths of the past, the Ark gives us an image, even a prophecy, of the coming of the Lord to be the perfect deliverance from sin and death.

The Ark is a Symbol of the Church

Undoubtedly the ark is a symbol of the city of God on its pilgrimage in history. It is a figure of the church that was saved by the wood on which there hung the “Mediator between God and men, himself man, Jesus Christ.” Even the very measurements of length, height and width of the ark are meant to point to the reality of the human body into which the Lord came, as it was foretold that He would come.

It will be recalled that the length of a normal body from head to foot is six times the width from one side to the other and ten times the thickness from back to front. Measure a man who is lying on the ground, either face down or face up. He is six times as long from head to foot as he is wide from left to right or right to left, and he is ten times as long as he is high from the ground up. That is why the ark was made three hundred cubits in length, fifty in breadth and thirty in height.

As for the door in the side, that surely, symbolizes the open wound made by the lance in the side of the Crucified—the door by which those who come to him enter in, in the sense that believers enter the church by means of the sacraments that issued from that wound.

It was ordered that the ark be made out of squared timbers—a symbol of the foursquare stability of a holy life, which, like a cube, stands firm however it is turned. So it is with every other detail of the ark’s construction. They are all symbols of something in the church.”

-St. Augustine of Hippo; The City of God, 15.26.

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 the connection between the Ark of Noah and the Church as “vessels of salvation” is a very common one in the life of the Church. St. Augustine makes the connection specific, not just in the similarity of what the Ark and the Church do (that is, save those who go inside them), but in connecting the dimensions of the Ark with the Incarnation of the Lord, that He became human, and by doing so, even to the point of death, has saved us from death and sin and brings us into everlasting life). Especially important is Augustine’s reference to the door, as showing the wound in the Lord’s side. In the Gospel of John (19:34) we see that one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear after He had died, and blood and water came out; we read this verse as we fill the Chalice with wine in preparation for the Divine Liturgy, so Augustine is connecting the door of the Ark with the Sacraments, saying that we enter into the vessel of salvation by receiving what God gives to us in the Church, which is to say, we are baptized in water, and receive His Body and Blood, and by these things we become members of His Body and are saved, being brought within the Ark of Salvation that is the Church.)

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

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

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

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

Day 3 (Friday)

Mark 1:1-20 (Proclamation of John the Baptist, Baptism of Jesus, Temptation of Jesus, Jesus Preaches & Calls the First Disciples)

As we move into Catechism School season, we will begin to read the Gospel according to St. Mark. This is one of four Gospel books that we find in the New Testament, and read through each year in the Church. You may notice that we are not calling it “Mark’s Gospel,” but rather, the Gospel according to Mark. This is on purpose, and is quite important; although it is true that we have four books that are called Gospels, we need to remember that there are not, in fact, four Gospels, four different stories, about Jesus. Rather, there is a single Gospel, to which four different voices bear witness. This is why we call it the Gospel according to Mark, or John, or Luke, or Matthew…to emphasize the unity of the Gospel.
The Gospel is, put simply, the victory proclamation of Who Jesus Christ is, and of what He has done, and what He calls us to do in response.The word for Gospel (εὐαγγέλιον) literally means “good news,” and is often translated this way, because the proclamation of Jesus Christ truly is good news. However, it’s not just good news, but the victory proclamation of the King of Kings, of what He has done, and what it means for us. So let’s begin!

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
who shall prepare thy way;
3 the voice of one crying
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight—”

4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; 11 and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

16 And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb′edee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zeb′edee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.

Reading 1
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Discussion Questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The leader should point out that St. Mark is telling us Who Jesus is from the very beginning. He says that there was a prophecy from Isaiah about how the Lord, God Himself, was going to come to His people, but first there would be a messenger to prepare the way. Then he tells us who that messenger was, St. John the Baptist. Then he tells us about how Jesus came to John the Baptist, and how He was shown to be God Himself by the voice from heaven, and how He immediately went out into the wilderness to be tempted, and then began to preach that the time had come, and the kingdom of God was close. So the way he talks about the prophecies of the Lord’s coming shows us that Jesus is God, and the way he talks about Jesus being tempted shows us that Jesus is also Human.
The Leader should also point out the the significance of what Jesus does after He returns from the wilderness, as He calls some disciples. He begins with the four He calls here, but ultimately He will have twelve disciples, the same number as the tribes of Israel. This is on purpose; Jesus is rebuilding the priestly people of Israel, as He did the first time at Mt. Sinai, in order to call the nations of the world back to Himself.)

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

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

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

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

Year 2a – Week 5 (October 4 – October 10, 2026)

Day 1 (Monday)

Genesis 5:1-5, 21-32; 6:1-22 (Adam to Noah, Wickedness of Mankind)

Last week we read about the first four days of the Creation. We know, of course, that on the sixth day, God made humanity. We know that the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God and fell into sin; they rebelled against God through the temptation of a fallen angel, so they had to leave the garden of the presence of God and go into exile, out into the world. We know that their oldest son Cain was wicked, and killed his brother Abel, who was righteous, and we know that God punished Cain by cursing him from the ground, and sending him away as a fugitive and wanderer on the earth.

Cain then went away to a different place and built a city and established a civilization of his own, as though he was trying to prove God wrong. We see in Genesis 4:17-26 that this was an ugly civilization, full of violence and boasting and power struggles between people, in which men had more than one wife and considering their wives to be their property. The civilization advanced, and was making things out of metal, and making music, and domesticating animals, but using all that advancement for evil.

Meanwhile, Adam and Eve then had another son, named Seth, who they prayed and hoped would be the one through whom salvation would come to them. We’ll pick up the story there, in Genesis 5, and see how things develop. We won’t read the whole chapter (which is just a list of generations), but we’ll touch on the important points.

Adam’s Descendants to Noah and His Sons

5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.

Seth had a son named Enosh, who had a son named Kenan, who had a son named Mahalalel, who had a son named Jared, who had a son named Enoch.

21 When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methu′selah. 22 Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methu′selah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

25 When Methu′selah had lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 Methu′selah lived after the birth of Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methu′selah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.

28 When Lamech had lived a hundred and eighty-two years, he became the father of a son, 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground which the Lord has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after the birth of Noah five hundred and ninety-five years, and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.

32 After Noah was five hundred years old, Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The Wickedness of Mankind

6 When men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for he is flesh, but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah Pleases God

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and set the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall die.

18 But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.

20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

932 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 contrast between the righteous descendants of Adam, and the wickedness happening with the rest of the world. Especially, if no one else notices, the leader should point out Enoch, who doesn’t die, but is taken directly to heaven; in many ways, we can understand Enoch to be the first Saint, the first righteous human being included in the Divine Council of the Lord, together with the faithful angels. What happens to him is similar to what we see with Moses, and Elijah, and eventually with Panagia. Elijah, like Enoch, is caught up to heaven without dying, while Moses and Panagia both die before being caught up into the presence of the Lord. Finally, for older classes, it would be good to discuss the connection that we see here for the first time in the Bible, between the envy and evil of fallen angels, and human sexual sin and depravity. Without getting into detail, it seems that what is being spoken of here in verse 4 is sexual immorality linked with demonic possession, which remained common features of pagan worship and ritual practice. This is a very large part of the reason that the Church is so insistent on sexual morality.

The Leader should also point out that God’s judgment comes after much patience; we saw last time God giving warnings, talking about how sinful humankind would be given 120 years more to repent. It’s not explicit in Scripture, but the tradition of the Church has been clear that part of the responsibility of the righteous line of Seth was to preach and proclaim and to warn and to urge the rest of humankind to repent, and that they were faithful in doing so. So God does not just come and destroy the world; He points out their sin, calls them to repentance, and gives them a great deal of time before the judgment comes. And when it does come, as we see here, God saves everyone who is willing to be saved (even though it seems like such a small number, we can be confident that God saved everyone who had not rejected Him), and saves all kinds of the animals, so that life will not be destroyed with the wicked. This shows us both the mercy of God, and the capacity of sinful humanity to destroy ourselves and the world around us by rejecting the mercy and love of God; from this, we should both take comfort, and understand a profound warning about the consequences of rebellion against God.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Excerpt from a Homily Explaining that God is Not the Cause of Evil

In both our Day 1 and Day 3 readings this week, we are talking somewhat about demons, fallen angels, those who are in rebellion against God, and their connection to human sin and the brokenness of the world. In the Bible, however, while we often see angels and demons talked about, we never get a clear explanation of how they came to be evil. Today, then, we will read a passage from a sermon of St. Basil the Great, talking about how the devil came to be evil.

[Now we come to] the question about the devil. From where does the devil come, if evils are not from God? What then shall we say? That the same argument that was offered regarding wickedness in the human being also helps us in this inquiry.

But for what reason is the human being evil? Because of his freedom of choice. For what reason is the devil evil? For the same reason; the devil possesses a life endowed with self-determination, and the authority rests in himself either to remain with God or to become estranged (to separate himself, to “become a stranger”) from the good.

Gabriel is an angel, and he stood by God continually. Satan is an angel, and he fell away from his proper place entirely. The free choice of the one kept him in things above, and the self-determination of the other threw him down. For the one (Gabriel) could have become an enemy, and the other (Satan) need not have fallen, but the Gabriel was preserved by his insatiable love of God, while his withdrawal from God showed Satan as worthless.

Evil consists in estrangement (separation) from God. With a small turning of the eye, we are either facing the sun or facing the shadow of our own body. Thus one who looks upward easily finds illumination, but for one who turns toward the shadow, darkening is inevitable. Thus the devil is wicked because he possesses wickedness by free choice, not through a natural opposition to the good.
Why does he fight against us? Because, being a receptacle of all evils, he also accepted the disease of malice and envied our honor. For he could not bear our life free from pain in paradise. With tricks and contrivances he thoroughly deceived the human being, and, misusing the desire the human being had for likeness to God to deceive him, [Satan] showed him the tree and promised that through eating it he would be made like God.

‘For if you eat,’ he said, ‘you will be like gods, knowing good and evil’ (Gen. 3:5). Accordingly, he was not fashioned as our enemy, but out of jealousy he stood against us in enmity. For seeing himself thrown down from among the angels, he could not bear to see the earthly one lifted through progress to the rank of the angels.

(On the Human Condition, St. Basil the Great, p. 75-76, SVS Press 2005).

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Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out the two main points: first, that Satan, and all the demons, were not created evil, but chose to become evil in rebellion against God. God made them free, as He made us free, so that they, and we, could love God in truth and freedom. But the demons chose to rebel instead. Second, St. Basil explains WHY the demons rebelled, that it was out of jealousy of human beings. They were created very great, but when they saw that God intended for us human beings, created much lower, even with physical bodies, to be raised up to the heights, so much that God Himself would become a human being, they rebelled against us, deciding to destroy what God intended to be greater than them. The Saints are the examples that show their failure…this is why it is so important that we call the Virgin Mary “more honorable than the cherubim and more glorious than the seraphim.”)

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 4:12-19; 5:1-14 (Suffering as a Christian, Tending the Flock of God, Final Greetings & Benediction)

Last time, we saw St. Peter emphasize that Christians are called to live in a completely different way from those around them. He urged the Faithful to remain firm when their neighbors, friends, or even family hated them. And he told them that the end of all things was at hand. We will see how he concludes his letter this week.

Suffering as a Christian

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a mischief-maker; 16 yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous man is scarcely saved,
where will the impious and sinner appear?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.

Tending the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. 2 Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, 3 not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise you that are younger be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. 7 Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you. 8 Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you. 11 To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings and Benediction

12 By Silva′nus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God; stand fast in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.

Peace to all of you that are in Christ.

Reading 5
503 words

Discussion Questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that, as St. Peter winds down this letter, he urges them to be faithful in the face of persecution, assuring them that they are not alone, and that the glory of the Lord is awaiting those who endure to the end. He begins, however, by urging the leaders/elders – which is to say, the clergy, since the word for elder is Presbyteros, which we have shortened in English to Priest by a process: Presbyteros -> Presbyter -> Prester -> Prest/Priest – to be faithful shepherds of the flock of Christ, and the people to submit to and humble themselves to the leaders and to one another, as the first and most essential step of faithfulness to God in the face of persecutions. The other thing that is worth noting is that, when he talks about Babylon, he is referring to the city of Rome, and therefore we can presume that he is writing this from Rome, toward the end of his 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?

Year 2a – Week 4 (September 27 – October 3, 2026)

Day 1 (Monday)

Ecclesiastes 9:1-12; 11:7-10; 12:1-14

Last week we read the first chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes, in which Solomon considers the vanity of all his efforts and labors. He goes on to consider how the pursuit of pleasure, and wealth, and power, are all vanity as well, of how it is impossible to be safe or secure in any way, of how “time and chance” always seem to confuse what seems to be a sure thing. This week we will read his conclusion, about how one should live, knowing the things that he has come to know.

Take Life as It Comes

9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hate man does not know. Everything before them is vanity, 2 since one fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good man, so is the sinner; and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that one fate comes to all; also the hearts of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 4 But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost. 6 Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and they have no more for ever any share in all that is done under the sun.

7 Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already approved what you do.

8 Let your garments be always white; let not oil be lacking on your head.

9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life which he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man does not know his time. Like fish which are taken in an evil net, and like birds which are caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

… …

Youth and Old Age

11:7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun. 8 For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 Remove vexation from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

12 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain; 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along and desire fails; because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets; 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

Epilogue

9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find pleasing words, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. 11 The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings which are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

889 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 two things: the Teacher, who is Solomon, and is old at this point, is saying that everything he did in his life seems vain and pointless, as he is approaching the time of his death. The portion from chapter 9 and chapter 11 both reflect this perspective, providing what are effectively proverbs on the living of daily life. Then, as we reach Chapter 12, everything in from verse 1 through verse 8 is a poetic reflection on aging and death. And finally, the last verses, 13-14, are where Solomon says what is actually important, what we should actually concern ourselves with. Everything is vain…except for honoring God and keeping His commandments.).

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

St. Macarius 3 – On the Soul’s Struggle against Sin

St. Macarius was an ascetic in the Egyptian desert in the 4th century, and was among the most renowned of those early ascetics of the Church. He is thought to have been a disciple of St. Anthony the Great, and many stories are told of his holiness and wisdom. To him are attributed the Fifty Spiritual Homilies, one of the treasures of the Church on the spiritual life. On an academic and historical basis, this attribution is usually questioned, with the authorship of these homilies being attributed to a Syrian monastic of some decades later, perhaps by the name of Symeon. However, the authority and accuracy of these homilies is beyond dispute in the Church, and they are treasured by all those who seek to walk the path of prayer and repentance. This homily deals with what Solomon says is vanity, all that is present in human life, and on the actual full remedy to that vanity.

Makarios, Homily 3, pages 23-24 – On the Soul’s Struggle against Sin

“There are some who say that the Lord requires of men only the fruits that are visible, and that it is for God to rectify the things that are hidden. But this is not the case. As a man secures himself with regard to the outer man, so he ought to carry on a struggle and war in his thoughts. The Lord requires of you to be angry with yourself and do battle with your nous, neither consenting to nor taking pleasure in the thoughts of wickedness.

Nevertheless, to root out sin and the evil that is constantly with us can only be accomplished by divine power. It is not possible or within a man’s competence to root out sin by his own power. To wrestle against it, to fight against it, to give and receive blows is yours; to uproot it is God’s. If you had been able to do it, what need was there of the coming of the Lord? As the eye cannot see without light, as a man cannot speak without a tongue or hear without ears or walk without feet or work without hands, so he cannot be saved without Jesus nor enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

If you say, “In outward conduct I do not commit fornication or adultery, neither am I covetous; therefore, I am righteous,” you are wrong in this, thinking that you have fulfilled all. Sin does not have only three aspects against which a man ought to protect himself, but ten thousand. Arrogance, presumption, unbelief, hatred, envy, deceit, hypocrisy, whence are they? Should you not wrestle and strive against these in the hidden places in your thoughts? If there is a robber in your house, at once you are distressed; his presence does not allow you to be at ease. You begin to strike back; blows are exchanged. So ought the soul to strike back, to resist, to repel force by force.

What follows? By resisting and struggling and suffering, a man’s will begins to get the upper hand. If it falls, it recovers itself. Sin throws it again into ten, into twenty conflicts. It conquers the soul and throws it down; then the soul after a time in one battle conquers the sin. If the soul perseveres and does not give in to sin in any way, it begins to get the upper hand and can see through the devices of the enemy and carry off the trophies of victory over sin. But if the man is strictly examined even at this point, sin is still too hard for him until he comes to be a perfect man, to the measure of his stature (Eph. 4:13), and perfectly conquers death; for it is written, The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (1 Cor. 15:26). Thus will the contestants gain the upper hand and be the conquerors of the devil.

But if, as we observed before, a man should say, “I do not commit fornication or adultery; I am no money-lover, and that is enough,” in thinking this way he has contended against three forces. But he has not fought against twenty other forces that sin can employ upon the soul and is therefore beaten. He ought to contend and struggle against them all; for the nous, as I have said many times, is an even match for it, and possesses a power that is well balanced against sin, able to withstand and repel its suggestions.

If you say that the opposing power is too strong and that evil has complete sovereignty over man, you make God un-righteous when He condemns mankind for submitting to Satan, because, as you assert that Satan is so strong and wields a power which forces your submission, you complain to God: “Thou makest Satan greater and stronger than the soul, and then commandest me, ‘Do not submit.’ It is as though a young man should wrestle with a little child, and the child, when he is thrown, is condemned for being beaten. This is a great injustice.” But I tell you then that the nous is a good match for the enemy and evenly balanced against him; and the soul of a struggler, when it seeks, finds help and succor, and redemption is vouchsafed to it. The contest and struggle is not an unequal one. Let us glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit unto the ages. Amen.

A. J. Mason, Fifty Spiritual Homilies of St. Macarius the Egyptian, Translations of Christian Literature: Series I: Greek Texts (London; New York: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; The Macmillan Company, 1921), 178–184.

741 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note how differently St. Macarius approaches human life compared to Solomon in Ecclesiastes. He speaks not as a king, but as an experienced Christian and a seasoned ascetic. For him, life is very far from vanity, although he notes that, if a man struggles alone, then his efforts will indeed be vain. But he begins where Solomon ends, with the commandments of God, and then shows how God will fight in and for us, and will overthrow the power of evil in us, and turn vanity into glory.)

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 3:13-22; 4:1-11 (Suffering for Doing Right, Good Stewards of God’s Grace)

Last week, we saw St. Peter urge the Faithful to be prepared to suffer, even when they did good, even BECAUSE they did good, because the Lord Himself had suffered these same things. This is a general principle in the Christian life, but it also tells us that the Church in his time was actively experiencing persecution, and lets us know that one of his reasons for writing is to encourage them and guide them in this difficult time. We will see him continue this theme here.

Suffering for Doing Right – continued

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is right? 14 But even if you do suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong.

18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Good Stewards of God’s Grace

4 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same thought, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer by human passions but by the will of God. 3 Let the time that is past suffice for doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not now join them in the same wild profligacy, and they abuse you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead, that though judged in the flesh like men, they might live in the spirit like God.

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers. 8 Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. 10 As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading 4
520 words

Discussion Questions

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that St. Peter expects the Christians to live in a different way from those around them, that their lives should be changed because of their Faith. It is not acceptable for Christians to continue to live ‘in drunkenness, carousing, passions, and idolatry.’ St. Peter, indeed, expects Christians to be hated by those around them precisely because they refuse to take part in these things any longer. He urges them to stand firm and remain faithful, even when they are hated and tortured and killed, remembering that God is Faithful, and will reveal them as victorious if they suffer with Christ in this world. He urges them, however, to be certain that they do not commit actual crimes, such as murder or theft, but to rejoice if they are punished for being Faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so to should we live. We should also note that this passage includes the one clear reference in Scripture to the Lord’s descent into Hades, which we depict in the icon of the Anastasis and celebrate on Holy Saturday and Holy Pascha.)

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

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

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

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

Year 2a – Week 3 (September 20 – September 26, 2026)

Day 1 (Monday)

Ecclesiastes 2:12-26; 3:1-15 (Wisdom & Joy Given to One Who Pleases God, Everything Has a Time, The God-given Task)

Last time, in the first chapter and a half of Ecclesiastes, we saw Solomon reflecting on all that he had done earlier in his life to seek fulfillment, starting with success in his kingship and his building up of Jerusalem, and then proceeding to try all the means of pleasure and distraction that were available to a successful ruler in the early Iron age. Having concluded by trial and error that all such things are vanity, and do not bring joy and wholeness, he proceeds this week to reflect on where a human being might rather find true joy.

Wisdom and Joy Given to One Who Pleases God

12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what he has already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. 14 The wise man has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness; and yet I perceived that one fate comes to all of them. 15 Then I said to myself, “What befalls the fool will befall me also; why then have I been so very wise?” And I said to myself that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise man as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise man dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

18 I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me; 19 and who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a man who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by a man who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the toil and strain with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of pain, and his work is a vexation; even in the night his mind does not rest. This also is vanity.

24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the man who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Everything Has Its Time

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

9 What gain has the worker from his toil?

10 I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 also that it is God’s gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil. 14 I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

762 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 is working toward the insight that happiness and fulfillment in this life are not to be found in any external matters, whether what one accomplishes, or what one possesses, or what pleasures one has access to. But rather the joy that we seek may be found in a right relationship with God in the midst of the toils and labors of daily life; and perhaps, in that right relationship with God, the various other accidents of life, whether accomplishment or possession or other pleasures, may find their right and proper place. They are not an end in themselves, but may be a consolation, a gift of God to those who walk with Him.)

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

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

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

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

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Prayers for the Morning

Our Day 1 reading presents us with the question of how we should live our lives; if we can recognize the truth of what Solomon says, that all “normal” human action and priorities come to vanity, then the task that falls to us is to learn how to fulfill our daily tasks, whatever they may be, in a way that is not vain. In order to do so, we should always begin with prayer.
Prayer, in the Orthodox Church, fulfills two functions. 1) At the most essential level, to pray in the morning is to open the door of our hearts and lives to the Lord, to invite Him to be present and active in our lives that day. Therefore prayer is how we ask God to act in us. 2) On a secondary level, in the written prayers of the Church, as we use them to ask the Lord to be present with us, we also find guidance in how we ourselves should approach the day, what challenges and temptations we should watch for, and where we should focus our attention, with the help of the Lord. We will see both of these functions present in the prayer we will read today.
These prayers are taken from the service of the Midnight Office, prayed before dawn when one first awakens, and then from 3rd Hour, which would be prayed at about 9 in the morning; all were written by St. Basil the Great.

First Prayer of St. Basil from the Midnight Office

Lord Almighty, God of Powers and of all flesh, who dwell on high and look on lowly things, who test hearts and minds and know the all the secrets of mortals, Light without beginning and without end, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration; receive, immortal King, the supplications which we, confident of the multitude of your mercies, offer to you from filthy lips at the present hour of the night, and forgive us the offenses by which we have offended, in deed and word and thought, in knowledge or in ignorance, and cleanse us from every defilement of flesh and spirit, making us temples of your Holy Spirit.
And grant that we may pass through the whole night of this present life with an unsleeping heart and a watchful mind, as we wait for the coming of the bright and manifest Day of your only-be-gotten Son, our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ, when he will come to earth with glory to render to each according to their deeds. So that we may not be found lifeless and slum-bering, but watchful and awake in the doing of your commandments, and that, prepared, we may enter together the joy and the divine bridal-chamber of his glory, where the sound of those who feast is unceasing and the delight of those who see the ineffable beauty of your face is inexpressible. For you are the true Light, which enlightens and sanctifies all things, and all creation hymns you to the ages of ages. Amen.

Another Prayer of Saint Basil

We bless you, God most high and Lord of mercy, who ever do with us great and unfathomable things, things glorious and extraordinary, without number, who grant us sleep for the refreshment of our weakness and the relaxation of the toils of our much-wearied flesh. We thank you because you have not destroyed us in our lawlessness, but have shown us your customary love for mankind and roused us as we lay in despair, to glorify your might.
And so, we implore your incomparable loving-kindness, enlighten the eyes of our understanding and raise our minds from the heavy sleep of idleness. Open our mouths and fill them with your praise, that we may be able to sing and chant give thanks to you continually, God glorified in all and by all, the Father without beginning, with your only begotten Son and your All-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen

Prayer at the 3rd Hour

O Lord our God, You gave Your peace to men and sent down the gift of Your All-holy Spirit upon Your disciples and apostles, and by Your power You opened their lips with tongues of fire. Open also my lips and teach me, sinner though I am, how and for what I should pray.
Guide my life, O calm Haven of the storm-tossed, and reveal the way in which I should walk. Renew a right spirit within me, and with Your Sovereign Spirit steady my mind, that, guided and guarded each ay by Your good Spirit, I may be able to practice Your commandments, always remembering Your glorious presence that looks upon the deeds of men.
Let me not be deceived by the corrupting delights of this world, but rather strengthen in me the desire to attain the treasures of the world to come. For blessed and praised are You in all Your saints forever and ever. Amen.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note what we ask God to do in our lives, on the one hand, and what we ask God to help us do. It may be worth reading the prayers a second time, with these questions in mind, and pausing as we find answers to each item. It’s also valuable to note what we say about ourselves, what we say about God, and what kind of relationship with God the prayer is modeling for us, as we seek to bring our mind and heart and being into harmony with the words of the prayer.)

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 2:18-25; 3:1-12 (Example of Christ’s Suffering, Wives & Husbands, Suffering for Doing Right)

Last time St. Peter gave general guidance to the Faithful regarding how they should conduct themselves in society, maintaining good conduct so that everything they did would reflect the grace and love and power of Christ active within them. This time he will get more specific, and speak to how individual Christians should conduct themselves in challenging relationships, such as a servant with a non-Christian master, a wife with a non-Christian husband, and a husband with a non-Christian wife.

The Example of Christ’s Suffering

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to the kind and gentle but also to the overbearing. 19 For one is approved if, mindful of God, he endures pain while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you take it patiently? But if when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God’s approval. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise you wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that some, though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see your reverent and chaste behavior. 3 Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of robes, 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 So once the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves and were submissive to their husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are now her children if you do right and let nothing terrify you.

7 Likewise you husbands, live considerately with your wives, bestowing honor on the woman as the weaker sex, since you are joint heirs of the grace of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Doing Right

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love of the brethren, a tender heart and a humble mind. 9 Do not return evil for evil or reviling for reviling; but on the contrary bless, for to this you have been called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For

“He that would love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking guile;
11 let him turn away from evil and do right;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those that do evil.”

Reading 3
484 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 this is a challenging reading. St. Peter is talking to people who are actual slaves, and is telling them to submit to their masters. It is important to note that he does NOT say that slavery is a good thing, or that it is a good thing for masters to dominate their slaves. He is, however, telling the slaves themselves how THEY should act, how they should understand their servitude, that they should take it as an opportunity to follow the example of the Lord. What we should take from this, then, is not any particular lesson about slavery (which the Church is unequivocally opposed to, to be clear), but about how we ourselves should face whatever troubles and difficulties we face in life. Instead of resenting those troubles and complaining about them, St. Peter is saying that the Christian response is to “take up our Cross” and take the opportunity to imitate Christ when suffering comes to us. We should understand his guidance to wives and husbands of non-Christians in the same light, as reflecting the transformational power of faithful trust in the Lord in the face of trials; these are not intended to be normative models for how a healthy marriage should work, but rather guidance for how a wife or a husband can offer an unhealthy marriage to God, taking up their Cross and following Him in that troubled or broken relationship.

The Leader should also point out the basic thread of St. Peter’s thought: that people who follow Jesus Christ need to live differently, in a way that is worthy of the name of the Lord that we bear. He then points out that generally, those who do what is right will not be treated badly because of that, but then notes that sometimes Christians ARE treated badly precisely because they are faithful to God, and that, since the Lord Himself suffered for no reason, and by His suffering saved us. He concludes by reminding us that all of us who are baptized are saved by the Lord’s suffering, and that we are called to new life by the Lord’s Resurrection.)

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?

Year 2a – Week 2 (September 13 – September 19, 2026)

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?

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?

Year 2a – Week 1 (September 6 – September 12, 2026)

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?

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?

Year 1a – Week 53 (August 30 – September 5, 2026)

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.

700 words

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.

574 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 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?

Year 1a – Week 52 (August 23 – August 29, 2026)

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.

670 words

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.

582 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 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?

Author: Fr. Anthony Cook

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