Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 16:1-36 (Bread from Heaven)

Last time we saw God’s people celebrate the crossing of the Red Sea with the singing of the 1st Biblical Ode, which becomes the theme for the 1st Ode of every Canon in the Church’s liturgical life, as we connect the crossing of the Red Sea with the Lord’s Resurrection and with His glory shining forth in all His saints. This time, we will see the people proceed from the place where God made the bitter water sweet for them, and as we enter upon the Great Fast, we will see God provide His people with food in the wilderness, to sustain them for the journey through the desert and to the Promised Land.

Bread from Heaven

16 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your murmurings against the Lord. For what are we, that you murmur against us?”

8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your murmurings which you murmur against him—what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord.”

9 And Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your murmurings.’” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning dew lay round about the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as hoarfrost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, every man of you, as much as he can eat; you shall take an omer apiece, according to the number of the persons whom each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so; they gathered, some more, some less.

18 But when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; each gathered according to what he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers apiece; and when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay by to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it by till the morning, as Moses bade them; and it did not become foul, and there were no worms in it.

25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a sabbath, there will be none.” 27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The Lord has given you the sabbath, therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days; remain every man of you in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 Now the house of Israel called its name manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32 And Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord, to be kept throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony, to be kept. 35 And the people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land; they ate the manna, till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)

Reading 18
1030 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 basic plot, that Israel ran short of water and food, complained to Moses & Aaron, that God provided both water and food and instructions about them, and the people kept disobeying His instructions. Behind that plot, however, is a core and vital reality; having led His new people out of slavery and into the wilderness, God is now caring for them directly himself, making that wasteland function for them like the Garden of Eden, the throne-room of God, and they are living the same life as Adam and Eve lived; all they have to do is gather what God sends to them. The Sabbath Day that is established here emphasizes the point; God not only gives them food, but gives them a day to rest, as He provides for them enough on the prior day to sustain them for two days. And the obedience to the Sabbath Day is therefore vital, as it is for them an act of trust in God’s care for them. This is a beautiful reading to reflect upon as we begin Great Lent.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here? (Some answers might be that He takes care of His people, but that He expects His people to trust Him and obey Him).

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us? (Some answers might be that we have needs, and that we are very bad at trusting and obeying God).

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. One thought might be that sometimes we don’t like rules…and we especially don’t like it when we are called out for disobeying the rules. It may be worth pointing out that sometimes, even if we don’t understand the reason behind the rules, obeying the rules is an important way to show that we trust and love the person who makes the rules).

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life? (This is an open question – but hopefully, for all ages, we are reminded of the importance of obedience and trust in God, and how those two things go hand in hand. It is a worthy reflection during the first week of the Fast).

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom on Prayer – 3

Last time, we saw Metropolitan Anthony begin to speak further about how it is that we encounter God, and what we need to change about that, how much attention, preparation, & engagement are actually needed from us to encounter God. It is the same as is required for any other relationship, if we wish for it to grow., He will continue to reflect in this way as we move forward.

Absence of God in Prayer – continued

Let us think of our prayers, yours and mine; think of the warmth, the depth and intensity of your prayer when it concerns someone you love or something which matters to your life. Then your heart is open, all your inner self is recollected in the prayer. Does it mean that God matters to you? No, it does not. It simply means that the subject matter of your prayer matters to you. For when you have made your passionate, deep, intense prayer concerning the person you love or the situation that worries you, and you turn to the next item, which does not matter so much – if you suddenly grow cold, what has changed?

Has God grown cold? Has He gone? No, it means that all the elation, all the intensity in your prayer was not born of God’s presence, of your faith in Him, of your longing for Him, of your awareness of Him; it was born of nothing but your concern for him or her or it, not for God. How can we feel surprised, then, that this absence of God affects us? It is we who make ourselves absent, it is we who grow cold the moment we are no longer concerned with God. Why? Because He does not matter so much.

There are other ways too in which God is ‘absent.’ As long as we ourselves are real, as long as we are truly ourselves, God can be present and can do something with us. But the moment we try to be what we are not, there is nothing left to say or have; we become a fictitious personality, an unreal presence, and this unreal presence cannot be approached by God.

In order to be able to pray, we must be within the situation which is defined as the kingdom of God. We must recognize that He is God, that He is King, we must surrender to Him. We must at least be concerned with His will, even if we are not yet capable of fulfilling it. But if we are not, if we treat God like the rich young man who could not follow Christ because he was too rich, then how can we meet Him?

So often what we would like to have through prayer, through the deep relationship with God which we long for, is simply another period of happiness; we are not prepared to sell all that we have in order to buy the pearl of great price. Then how should we get this pearl of great price? Is that what we expect to get? Is it not the same as in human relationships: when a man or a woman experiences love for another, other people no longer matter in the same way. To put it in a short formula from the ancient world, ‘When a man has a bride, he is no longer surrounded by men and women, but by people.’

Isn’t that what could, what should happen with regard to all our riches when we turn to God? Surely they should become pale and grey, just a general background against which the only figure that matters would appear in intense relief? We would like just one touch of heavenly blue in the general picture of our life, in which there are so many dark sides. God is prepared to be outside it, He is prepared to take it up completely as a cross, but He is not prepared to be simply part of our life.

So when we think of the absence of God, is it not worth while to ask ourselves whom we blame for it? We always blame God, we always accuse Him, either straight to His face or in front of people, for being absent, of never being there when He is needed, never answering when He is addressed. At times we are more ‘pious’ (ver much in inverted commas), and we say piously ‘God is testing my patience, my faith, my humility.’ We find all sorts of ways of turning God’s judgment on us into a new way of praising ourselves. We are so patient that we can put up even with God!

Is this not true? When I was a young priest I preached a sermon, one of the many I preached in a parish, and a young girl came up to me and said, ‘Father Anthony, you must be appallingly evil.’ I said, ‘I am certainly evil, but how do you know that?’ She said, ‘Because you have described our sins so well that you must have committed them all yourself!’ Of course, the shocking description of evil thoughts and evil attitudes which I am giving you now are probably mine and not yours, but perhaps they are yours too, however little.

798 words

Beginning to Pray – pg. 29-31

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 relationship with God can’t be approached half-heartedly. It is not possible for the Creator of the universe and the Savior of our souls to be merely “an important part of our life.” But this is hard for us; we struggle to recognize that God is Lord and King, and that we must submit to Him completely. We prefer to present Him with a “fictitious personality” that we somehow think He will like better than our genuine selves, because this allows us to keep our “genuine selves” under our own control. And then, when things don’t go well, we congratulate ourselves with being patient with God, while in fact we are simply avoiding actually being present with Him. This is often simply because we are hurt, or scared, but if we want to be healed…we have to move beyond this fear and acknowledge the truth, to ourselves, and then to God, and then we can begin to see what He will do in us. It may hurt…in fact it is pretty much guaranteed to hurt, just like surgery or any medical treatment or exercise…but it will heal us.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 21:5-38 (Destruction of Temple Foretold, Signs & Persecutions, Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold, Coming of the Son of Man, Lesson of the Fig Tree, Exhortation to Watch)

Last time Jesus spoke to the Sadducees and to the scribes (the Pharisees), and put both groups to shame, affirming the Resurrection to the Sadducees, and condemning the scribes as hypocrites. This time He will give an example of what true faithfulness looks like, and warn the people explicitly about the destruction that is coming to the temple.

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

5 And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Signs and Persecutions

10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

13 This will be a time for you to bear testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; 17 you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

The Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold

20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. 23 Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And 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, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the 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 say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Exhortation to Watch

34 “But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; 35 for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. 36 But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.”

37 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

Reading 44
763 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that Jesus warns them that the Temple will be destroyed, not so that they can prevent its destruction, or even so that they can escape it (although His warning does give them the opportunity to escape the ruin that comes upon Jerusalem in 70 AD), but so that they don’t follow after earthly rulers and false messiahs. He tells them what the end of their lives will be; not in a rebellion against the Romans, but in persecutions for the sake of His name and the Gospel, that everyone will hate them, but that He will be faithful to them even to the end, and they will win everlasting life by following Him to the end. In short, He is telling them that the Kingdom of God is not to be found in this present life, but in the Resurrection, and urging them to endure to the end in faithfulness, laying aside the good things of this life in order to receive an inheritance with all the Saints in the Kingdom of God.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 15:1-27 (Song of Moses, Song of Miriam, Bitter Water Made Sweet)

Last week we saw the people of Israel saved from Egypt by the Lord, Who parted the Red Sea and led them across in safety, and then destroyed the armies of Egypt as they tried to follow them to bring them back into slavery. This week we see Moses and the children of Israel sing a song to the Lord to celebrate this deliverance and give thanks to God for His goodness to them, after which we will see how the Lord provides His people with the water to sustain life after leading them through water out of slavery into liberty, even as He leads them into the wilderness. As we prepare to begin Great Lent, I think we will find this particularly relevant.

The Song of Moses

15 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

3 The Lord is a man of war;
the Lord is his name.
4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea;
and his picked officers are sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods cover them;
they went down into the depths like a stone.

6 Thy right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,
thy right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
7 In the greatness of thy majesty thou overthrowest thy adversaries;
thou sendest forth thy fury, it consumes them like stubble.
8 At the blast of thy nostrils the waters piled up,
the floods stood up in a heap;
the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’
10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them;
they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

11 “Who is like thee, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like thee, majestic in holiness,
terrible in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
12 Thou didst stretch out thy right hand,
the earth swallowed them.
13 “Thou hast led in thy steadfast love the people whom thou hast redeemed,
thou hast guided them by thy strength to thy holy abode.

14 The peoples have heard, they tremble;
pangs have seized on the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed;
the leaders of Moab, trembling seizes them;
all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
16 Terror and dread fall upon them;
because of the greatness of thy arm, they are as still as a stone,
till thy people, O Lord, pass by,
till the people pass by whom thou hast purchased.

17 Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them on thy own mountain,
the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thy abode,
the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
18 The Lord will reign for ever and ever.”

The Song of Miriam

19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20 Then Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Bitter Water Made Sweet

22 Then Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur; they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he proved them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I put upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord, your healer.”

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the water.

Reading 17
709 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that there is an easy connection to draw between this story of the bitter waters of Marah and the death to which humankind is subject; and the Lord has sweetened even the “water” of death by means of the wood of the Cross. As we prepare for the Great Fast to begin, at the end of which we will celebrate the Lord’s death and resurrection, we also receive this same statute and ordinance, that if we listen to the Lord and follow Him, He will deliver us from all diseases, for He is indeed the One Who heals us. It is in this way that we should undertake the self-restraint and renunciation of the Fast, so that we may faithfully follow the Lord through the wilderness, sustained by Him, and arrive with joy at the Promised Land at Pascha. The Leader should also address the points noted in the Additional Discussion Questions below.)

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

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

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

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

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.)

Additional Discussion questions:

1) What do you think of this song of triumph? What is Moses celebrating about God in this song? (This is an open question – obviously God’s victory is celebrated, as well as His faithfulness to His promises to Abraham and His loving care for His people. Also the destruction of His enemies is celebrated as well, without apology.)

2) What do you think of the fact that Moses celebrates the destruction of the Egyptians? (This may be a point of discomfort – but we have two choices when we see God judge people in the Bible. We can side with the people, and decide that God is unfair, although we don’t know all the details of their minds and hearts. Or we can conclude that, since God is punishing them, it must be just and right. Certainly in this story, with all the warnings and opportunities that God has given to Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the last several chapters of Exodus, it is clear that God has been entirely just and right, and at this point the people who are being destroyed are determined to be His enemies, no matter what.)

3) Who are God’s enemies in this passage? The Egyptians, or their gods? (The answer is given in verse 11, when Moses says, “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?” The fallen angels, the demons who were the gods of the Egyptians, had raised rebellion against their Creator and sought to turn humanity to their side, opposing God Himself. God has delivered His people, and anyone who was willing to come with them, from these evil gods, and has utterly defeated them, and those who refused to be delivered, here at the Red Sea.)

4) Do you know when we talk about this event in our Church services? (Most probably will not, but this song is the first of Nine Odes that we see throughout Scripture, which serve as the basis for the hymns of the Canons that are sung in the Orthros throughout the Church year. This First Ode talks about the Lord’s deliverance of His people at the Red Sea; the Ninth Ode is probably better known, as it is the Megalynarion, the song of the Virgin Mary after the Annunciation, which begins: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” The Katavasies, hymns that are based on these Nine Odes, are sung before the Gospel reading on most Sundays, and the Priest censes during the Ninth Ode, toward the end of the Orthros service and near the beginning of the Liturgy.)

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom on Prayer – 2

Last time, we saw Metropolitan Anthony begin to speak about the apparent absence of God when we pray, and reflect on how sometimes God is absent to spare us the crisis, the moment of judgment, that would come if He presented Himself to us when we were not ready to respond toward salvation to that encounter. He will continue, this time, with an example.

Absence of God – continued

I would like to give you an example of this. Many years ago a man came to see me. He asked me to show him God. I told him I could not but I added that even if I could, he would not be able to see Him, because I thought – and I do think – that to meet God one must have something in common with Him, something that gives you eyes to see, perceptiveness to perceive. He asked me then why I thought as I did, and I suggested that he should think a few moments and tell me whether there was any passage in the Gospel that moved him particularly, to see what was the connection between him and God.

He said ‘Yes, in the eighth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, the passage concerning the woman taken in adultery.’ I said, ‘Good, this is one of the most beautiful and moving passages. Now sit back and ask yourself, who are you in the scene which is described? Are you the Lord, or at least on His side, full of mercy, of understanding and full of faith in this woman who can repent and become a new creature? Are you the woman taken in adultery? Are you one of the older men who walk out at once because they are aware of their own sins, or one of the young ones who wait?’ He thought for a few minutes, then said, ‘No, I feel I am the only Jew who would not have walked out but who would have stoned the woman.’ I said, ‘Thank God that He does not allow you to meet Him face to face.’

This may be an extreme example, but how often could we recognize similar situations in ourselves? Not that we flatly refuse God’s word or God’s example, but that in a less violent way we do what the soldiers did during the Passion. We would love to cover Christ’s eyes, to be able to deal Him blows freely without being seen. Do we not do this, to a certain extent, when we ignore the divine presence and act according to our own desires, our moods, contrary to everything which is God’s will? We try to blind Him, but in fact we blind ourselves. At such moments, how can we come into His presence? We can indeed, in repentance, broken-hearted; but we cannot come in the way in which we immediately wish to be received – with love, with friendship.

Look at the various passages in the Gospel. People much greater than ourselves hesitated to receive Christ. Remember the centurion who asked Christ to heal his servant. Christ said ‘I will come,’ but the centurion said ‘No, don’t. Say a word and he will be healed.’ Do we do that? Do we turn to God and say ‘Don’t make Yourself tangibly, perceptively present before me. It is enough for You to say a word and I will be healed. It is enough for You to say a word and things will happen. I do not need more for the moment.’ Or take Peter in his boat after the great catch of fish, when he fell on his knees and said ‘Leave me, O Lord, I am a sinner.’ He asked the Lord to leave his boat because he felt humble – and he felt humble because he had suddenly perceived the greatness of Jesus.

Do we ever do that? When we read the Gospel and the image of Christ becomes compelling, glorious, when we pray and we become aware of the greatness, the holiness of God, do we ever say ‘I am unworthy that He should come near me?’ Not to speak of all the occasions when we should be aware that He cannot come to us because we are not there to receive Him. We want something from Him, not Him at all. Is that a relationship? Do we behave in that way with our friends? Do we aim at what friendship can give us or is it the friend whom we love? Is this true with regard to the Lord?

690 words

Beginning to Pray – pg. 27-29

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should encourage further reflection on this, on how we approach God versus how we approach family, friends, employers, teachers…other relationships that are important to us. If we are approaching God in a fundamentally different way, as we might justify ourselves in doing because, of course, He is God and everyone else in our lives is not, we need to be attentive to whether that difference actually honors and acknowledges God’s holiness and greatness, or rather reflects a basic desire NOT to actually encounter Him, as we know that if He truly were present with us, we would not be able to remain as we are.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 20:19-47; 21:1-4 (Questions about Paying Taxes, the Resurrection, & the Messiah as David’s Son; Jesus Denounces the Scribes and Praises a Widow’s Offering)

We saw Jesus begin to preach in the Temple last time, and how He answered the chief priests and the scribes, and condemned them for their faithless stewardship of the people entrusted to their care in the parable of the wicked tenants. This time we will see Him address the Sadducees in their turn, and further denounce those who have been in religious authority over the people.

The Question about Paying Taxes

19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people; for they perceived that he had told this parable against them. 20 So they watched him, and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might take hold of what he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me a coin. Whose likeness and inscription has it?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him by what he said; but marveling at his answer they were silent.

The Question about the Resurrection

27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; 30 and the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; 35 but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him.” 39 And some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

The Question about David’s Son

41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
43 till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.’

44 David thus calls him Lord; so how is he his son?”

Jesus Denounces the Scribes

45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and love salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Offering

21 He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had.”

Reading 43
652 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that the Lord’s answer to the Sadducees is concerned with two things. First, He is showing to them the foolishness of their thinking, believing that there is no resurrection from the dead, which is the point they are trying to prove with their little story. Second, He is telling them that what they consider marriage is a temporary and earthly and deeply selfish thing, made unnecessary by the reality of the Resurrection. For the Sadducees, the point of marriage was for a man to possess a woman as the means of gaining a sort of immortality, in having children to carry his name to the next generation. This is the sort of marriage that Jesus says will not exist in the Kingdom of God. In the Church, marriage, and life itself, is not about saving our life, but about giving up our life in love for the Lord and for those around us. This is why, in the Church, the husband and wife are equals, fellow travelers on the path of salvation, why women have a place of honor in the Church even if they have no children, and why monasticism is considered a good and a blessed way of life; because our hope is not in leaving behind a legacy for ourselves, but in becoming partakers of the Kingdom of God. For all of these things, there is no better and clearer example than Panagia herself, glorified even in her death, as we celebrate on the 15th of August.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 14:1-31 (Crossing the Red Sea, Pharaoh’s Army Drowned)

Last time we saw the Exodus begin; this time, we will see Pharaoh betray his word and make war against God one more time as he decides to chase after the the children of Israel and try to bring them back. And therefore, this week we will also see the Lord deliver His people and utterly defeat Pharaoh. This reading is especially fitting for this period, since we celebrated the Lord’s Baptism on January 6th and have been blessing homes since that time, and are also now preparing for the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection…and the Lord’s deliverance of His people from Egypt in the Passover foreshadows both Theophany and Pascha itself. This moment, when the Children of Israel are delivered from bondage in Egypt by a miracle, with the parting of the Red Sea and their passage through it, is one of the significant moments in the history of the people of Israel that anticipates the Lord’s baptism, and that itself is a sign of His death and resurrection, trampling down death by death. As we are baptized into His death and resurrection, then we may say that on both occasions, both at Theophany and at Pascha, the Lord saves His people by means of water.

Crossing the Red Sea

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-ha-hi′roth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Ba′al-zephon; you shall encamp over against it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are entangled in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the people of Israel as they went forth defiantly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-ha-hi′roth, in front of Ba′al-zephon.

10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were in great fear. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord; 11 and they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still.” 15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go on dry ground through the sea. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 Then the angel of God who went before the host of Israel moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness; and the night passed[a] without one coming near the other all night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down upon the host of the Egyptians, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians, 25 clogging[b] their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel; for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

The Pursuers Drowned

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its wonted flow when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled into it, and the Lord routed[c] the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host[d] of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. 31 And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord; and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Reading 16
909 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should address the points noted in the Additional Discussion Questions below.)

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

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

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

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

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.)

Additional Discussion questions:

1) How many chariots did Pharaoh send after the Israelites when he decided that he shouldn’t have let Israel go? (It says he sent 600 picked chariots and ALL the other chariots of Egypt…so this was a large army, led by the elite forces of the king).

2) What did the Israelites say to Moses (and to the Lord) when they saw the Egyptians coming? (They asked if Moses had brought them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness because there weren’t graves for them in Egypt…this is a sarcastic way of saying that leaving Egypt was stupid, and they shouldn’t have listened to Moses at all, and slavery was at least better than dying).

3) What did Moses tell them? (He told them to not be afraid, and to stand firm, and that the Lord would fight for them, and they wouldn’t have to fight at all, only watch and see God would do to save them.)

4) What did God do? (He told Moses to stretch his staff over the sea, and He drove the sea back with a strong wind, and divided the waters, so the Israelites could cross over on dry land).

5) Why didn’t the Egyptians attack the Israelites while they were waiting for the waters to divide and waiting to cross over? (The Angel of the Lord, Who had been leading them, moved and went behind them, and blocked the way between them and the Egyptians with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night – so the Son of God Himself protected them during the night, in the form of a pillar of cloud and fire).

6) What happened to the Egyptians after the Israelites crossed over? (They tried to cross over as well, but the Lord told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea, and the division in the waters went away, and the waters came back and drowned the army of Pharaoh. The hymns of the Church talk about how Moses divided the waters moving his staff vertically, and brought them back together moving his staff horizontally, making the sign of the Cross above the waters and in that way anticipating the Lord’s deliverance of His people by both His baptism in the Jordan and by His crucifixion).

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom On Prayer – 1

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom was a bishop of a community of Russian Orthodox exiles in Western Europe in the late 20th century. He speaks clearly and beautifully about the realities of the Christian life. The following excerpt is from his book “Beginning to Pray.” He is talking toward the question of why it is that sometimes, indeed often, we feel that God is absent when we pray. We will be reading from the first chapter.

From chapter 1 – The Absence of God

As we start learning to pray, I would like to make it clear that what I mean by ‘learning to pray’ is not an attempt to justify or explain this in a speculative way. Rather, I would like to point out what one should be aware of, and what one can do if one wishes to pray. As I am a beginner myself, I will assume that you are also beginners, and we will try to begin together. I am not speaking to anyone who aims at mystical prayer or higher states of perfection, because these things will teach themselves. When God breaks through to us or when we break through to God in certain exceptional circumstances, either because things suddenly disclose themselves with a depth we have never before perceived or when we suddenly discover in ourselves a depth where prayer abides and out of which it can gush forth, there is no problem of prayer. When we are aware of God, we stand before Him, worship Him, speak to Him.

At the outset there is, then, one very important problem: the situation of one for whom God seems to be absent. This is what I would like to speak about now.

Obviously I am not speaking of a real absence – God is never really absent – but of the sense of absence which we have. We stand before God and we shout into an empty sky, out of which there is no reply. We turn in all directions and He is not to be found. What ought we to think of this situation?

First of all, it is very important to remember that prayer is an encounter and a relationship, a relationship which is deep, and this relationship cannot be forced either on us or on God. The fact that God can make Himself present or can leave us with the sense of His absence is part of this live and real relationship. If we could mechanically draw Him into an encounter, force Him to meet us, simply because we have chosen this moment to meet Him, there would be no relationship and no encounter. We can do that with an image, with the imagination, or with the various idols we can put in front of us instead of God; we can do nothing of the sort with the living God, any more than we can do it with a living person.

A relationship must begin and develop in mutual freedom. If you look at the relationship in terms of mutual relationship, you will see that God could complain about us a great deal more than we about Him. We complain that He does not make Himself present to us for the few minutes we reserve for Him, but what about the twenty-three and a half hours during which God may be knocking at our door and we answer ‘I am busy, I am sorry’ or when we do not answer at all because we do not even hear the knock at the door of our heart, of our minds, of our conscience, of our life. So there is a situation in which we have no right to complain of the absence of God, because we are a great deal more absent than He ever is.

The second very important thing is that a meeting face to face with God is always a moment of judgment for us. We cannot meet God in prayer or in meditation or in contemplation and not be either saved or condemned. I do not mean this in major terms of eternal damnation or eternal salvation already given and received, but it is always a critical moment, a crisis. ‘Crisis’ comes from the Greek and means ‘judgment.’ To meet God face to face in prayer is a critical moment in our lives, and thanks be to Him that He does not always present Himself to us when we wish to meet Him, because we might not be able to endure such a meeting.

Remember the many passages in Scripture in which we are told how bad it is to find oneself face to face with God, because God is power, God is truth, God is purity. Therefore, the first thought we ought to have when we do not tangibly perceive the divine presence, is a thought of gratitude. God is merciful; He does not come in an untimely way. He gives us a chance to judge ourselves, to understand, and not to come into His presence at a moment when it would mean condemnation.

759 words

Beginning to Pray – pages 25-27

Discussion questions:

1) What do you notice about this passage? What jumps out at you? (Each person should answer this question, and then the leader can give his/her answer as well. If this results in a discussion, it’s just fine if the other questions are skipped. Chances are what jumps out will involve answers to the other questions anyway.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here? (Among other things, that He is a real person, and that the laws of our relationship with Him are not so different from those that govern every other relationship in our lives. If we want someone else to be present with us, we have to be present with them. It reminds us, too, that God is Holy, and that therefore an encounter with Him is a moment of judgment; to comprehend, even in a small way, the holiness of God is to see ourselves truly, how much we fail and fall short of the glory of God)

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us? (It reminds us that we tend to be very bad at being present in our relationship with God. It reminds us, too, of the real ramifications of our limited nature. We can conceive of a Being greater than us, and can even begin to imagine a Being infinitely greater than all things…but it is another thing entirely to stand face to face with that Being)

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? (Hopefully, everyone will see the importance of changing whatever needs to change in our lives to be more present with God, perhaps in prayer, or church, or service to others, or all of these together. The idea that sometimes we should be grateful that God seems to be absent, because we simply aren’t ready to encounter Him, is humbling and challenging; if we can take that seriously, then a great number of changes to our lives become necessary.)

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 20:1-18 (Authority of Jesus Questioned, Parable of the Wicked Tenants)

Last time we read the story of the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, as He came to His people and His city in mingled glory and humility, riding on a donkey, but receiving the acclamation of the people: Hosanna! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” After this He wept over Jerusalem, and entered the Temple to cleanse it. We’ll continue today with Luke 20, showing Jesus teaching in the Temple after Palm Sunday, in the final days before His betrayal and crucifixion.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

20 One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question; now tell me, 4 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know whence it was. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, that they should give him some of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant; him also they beat and treated shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third; this one they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants, and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “God forbid!” 17 But he looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

‘The very stone which the builders rejected
has become the head of the corner’?

18 Every one who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one it will crush him.”

Reading 42
405 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that Jesus has basically taken over the Temple; after He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He went straight to the Temple and drove out the money-changers, purifying the House of God and making it His own. What God’s people had yearned for since the Babylonian Captivity has come to pass; God is dwelling once more in their midst, even in the Temple, teaching and ministering to the people and calling them and all nations to follow Him. Both of the stories in today’s reading make this same point; in a barely veiled way, Jesus is telling anyone who will listen Who He is. He is the One Who Came from Heaven and had sent John, and He is the Heir of the Master of the vineyard, come to claim back His inheritance from the evil tenants. He is the King of Israel, come to dwell among His people once more and forever.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 13:1-22 (Festival of Unleavened Bread, Consecration of the Firstborn, Pillars of Cloud & Fire)

Last time we saw the death of the Firstborn, and the departure of the Israelites from where they had lived in Egypt, and the instructions for the killing and eating of the Passover. This time, we will see God give a new instruction to Moses about the firstborn of the Israelites, and then Moses will sum up to the people the commandment about the celebration of the Passover for coming generations, and then pass on God’s commandment about the firstborn.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread

13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the first-born; whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

3 And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten. 4 This day you are to go forth, in the month of Abib. 5 And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jeb′usites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.

6 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 8 And you shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.

The Consecration of the Firstborn

11 “And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstlings of your cattle that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13 Every firstling of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem.

14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first-born of cattle. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes; for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

The Pillars of Cloud and Fire

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest the people repent when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 But God led the people round by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for Joseph had solemnly sworn the people of Israel, saying, “God will visit you; then you must carry my bones with you from here.”

20 And they moved on from Succoth, and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night; 22 the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Reading 15
677 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 Yahweh is making clear to the children of Israel that they are His own firstborn, and does so by claiming every firstborn for Himself, and requiring them to redeem them with a sacrifice. The point of this is not to threaten them with death, as the Egyptians experienced, but rather to remind them of WHY this came upon the Egyptians, because Egypt had enslaved and mistreated His own Firstborn Son, the people of Israel, and He had redeemed all Israel from slavery. It is worth noting that “firstborn” signifies a certain legal status; the firstborn was the heir of the father and administered the inheritance to all other children. There is, of course, a prefigurement here of the Lord, the unique Son of God, the Firstborn of all creation (not that He is intrinsically part of the Creation, as He is rather co-eternal with the Father, but rather that He is Himself the one with the authority of the Firstborn, and administers the grace of the Father to all of us who are children by adoption. He should also point out that the text says clearly that Yahweh HIMSELF led the people out, veiled in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and that He was always with them. It is also important to note that, as they go toward the Red Sea, they carry with them the bones of Joseph, who had been buried in Egypt 400 years before, but who had trusted that Yahweh would fulfill His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would bring them back out of Egypt. So, trusting, albeit in a veiled way, in the Resurrection, they carry even the dead out of slavery to freedom, out of death into 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)

St. Gregory Palamas on Encountering God

St. Gregory Palamas was a saint of the 14th century, and the Archbishop of Thessaloniki. In his writings, he speaks a great deal about the practical reality of the Christian life. In this passage, he sums up how a Christian should respond to Jesus Christ’s coming into the world. Since we are celebrating the Feast of Ypapanti, the Meeting of the Lord with those who were waiting for Him in the Temple, it is good for us to consider this, how it is that we should behave ourselves as we encounter God. We join the saint as he is reflecting on the coming of death to humanity through our rebellion against God, and proceeding with wonder at how even this rebellion of ours becomes the instrument by which the Lord delivers us.

St. Gregory Palamas on Encountering God

54. O the depth of God’s riches, wisdom and compassion (cf. Rom. 11:33)! Had there been no death and had our race not become mortal prior to death – for it is from a mortal root – we should not in fact have been enriched with the firstfruit of immortality, nor should we have been called into the heavens, nor would our nature have been enthroned ‘above every principality and power’ (Eph. 1:21) ‘at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens’ (Heb. 8:1). Thus God in His wisdom, power and compassion knows how to change for the better the lapses we suffer as a result of our freely-willed perversion.

55. Many may blame Adam for being so easily persuaded by that wicked counselor and for rejecting the divine commandment, thus becoming the agent of death for us all. Yet to wish to taste a deadly plant before actually doing so, and to desire to eat of such a plant after having learned by experience that it is deadly, are not the same thing. The man who drinks poison knowing that it is poison, and so wretchedly causes his own death, is more culpable than he who takes poison and so kills himself without knowing beforehand that it is poison. Therefore each of us is more culpable and guilty than Adam.

But, you might ask, is that tree really within us? Do we still have a commandment from God forbidding us to eat from that tree? Perhaps exactly that same tree is not within us, yet the commandment of God is with us even now. And if we obey it, and try to lead our life in accordance with it, it frees us from punishment for all our sins, as well as from the ancestral curse and condemnation. But if we now reject it, and choose instead the provocation and counsel of the evil one, we cannot but fall away from the life and fellowship of paradise and be cast into the gehenna of everlasting fire with which we were threatened. 

56. What, then, is the divine commandment now laid upon us? It is repentance, the essence of which is never again to touch forbidden things. We were expelled from the land of divine delight, we were justly shut out from God’s paradise, and we have fallen into this pit where we are condemned to dwell together with dumb creatures without hope of returning – in so far as it depends on us – to the paradise we have lost. But He who initially passed a just sentence of punishment or, rather, justly permitted punishment to come upon us, has now in His great goodness, compassion and mercy descended for our sake to us.

And He became a human being like us in all things except sin so that by His likeness to us He might teach us anew and rescue us; and He gave us the saving counsel and commandment of repentance, saying: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near’ (Matt. 3:2). Prior to the incarnation of the Logos of God the kingdom of heaven was as far from us as the sky is from the earth; but when the King of heaven came to dwell amongst us and chose to unite Himself with us, the kingdom of heaven drew near to us all.

57. Since the Logos of God through His descent to us has brought the kingdom of heaven close to us, let us not distance ourselves from it by leading an unrepentant life. Let us rather flee the wretchedness of those who sit ‘in darkness and the shadow of death’ (Isa. 9:2). Let us acquire the fruits of repentance: a humble disposition, compunction and spiritual grief, a gentle and merciful heart that loves righteousness and pursues purity, peaceful, peace-making, patient in toil, glad to endure persecution, loss, outrage, slander and suffering for the sake of truth and righteousness. For the kingdom of heaven or, rather, the King of heaven – ineffable in His generosity – is within us (cf. Luke 17:21); and to Him we should cleave through acts of repentance and patient endurance, loving as much as we can Him who so dearly has loved us. 

Palmer, G. E. H.. The Philokalia Vol 4 (pp. 451-456). (Function). Kindle Edition.

704 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. Gregory both thinks that repentance is the most essential way we should respond to God’s grace, AND that he sees many other virtues flowing from repentance as its natural fruit. That means these virtues can help us discern whether or not we are actually living in repentance.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here? (We learn that He is with us and within us – and He calls us to be with Him.)

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us? (We learn what the Christian life should look like, in very basic terms, and therefore what the blessed life, the fulfilled life, looks like.).

4) What do you find difficult about this story? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (In this case, it may be a good idea simply to define some of the words St. Gregory uses. Disposition means mood/character, compunction means regret for sin, ineffable means beyond knowledge or definition, cleave means hold tight).

5) Does this story make you think that you need to change anything in your life? (The list of virtues and habits that St. Gregory mentions is a good “measuring stick” for us to apply to our own lives. Not just once, but always.)

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 19:28-48 (Palm Sunday, Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem, Cleanses the Temple)

Last time we saw the Lord enter Jericho and meet Zacchaeus, bringing salvation to this tax collected when he repented of his sins. The Lord also told a parable, of the master who had entrusted his servants with His money in order that they might put His wealth to work on His behalf.. This time, as we begin the period of Triodion, we will see the Lord enter Jerusalem and begin visibly to prepare for His Passion; in this way, we will reach the Crucifixion at Holy Week, and the Resurrection in Bright Week.

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

28 And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Beth′phage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. 31 If any one asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this, ‘The Lord has need of it.’”

32 So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road.

37 As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, 44 and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a den of robbers.”

47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him; 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words.

Reading 41
454 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out how, even though the people greet Jesus saying: “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord,” they clearly don’t understand who He is and what He comes to do. This is why He says that they “did not recognize the time of [their] visitation from God.” They were excited to welcome Him as a miracle-worker, or even as a potential Messiah, a king of the Jews to lead a rebellion against the Romans…but they didn’t realize that He was God Himself come to visit and save them. We need to be careful that we don’t miss the point of the Lord’s coming to us; it’s very easy to do.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 12:29-51 (10th Plague, Death of the Firstborn, The Exodus within Egypt, Directions for the Passover)

Last time we saw Yahweh give extremely precise instructions to the people of Israel regarding how they were to celebrate the Passover, and how their obedience would establish a distinction between them and the Egyptians, making everyone who took part in the Passover a member of God’s people of Israel, a partaker in His covenant. This time, we will finally see the tenth plague, the justice of Yahweh upon Pharaoh and all those who held to Pharaoh despite the warnings of Moses and the nine plagues that had preceded it, as demonstrations of the power of Yahweh and the vanity of the gods of Egypt. In this final plague, those gods, from Pharaoh to the many demon gods he served, are overthrown and made a mockery, and justice is given for the 400 years of slavery in which Israel had served, and most especially for the slaughter of the infant children of Israel by Pharaoh.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

29 At midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of the cattle. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where one was not dead. 31 And he summoned Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise up, go forth from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also!”

The Exodus: From Rameses to Succoth

33 And the Egyptians were urgent with the people, to send them out of the land in haste; for they said, “We are all dead men.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their mantles on their shoulders. 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked of the Egyptians jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing; 36 and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they despoiled the Egyptians.

37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Ram′eses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very many cattle, both flocks and herds. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any provisions.

40 The time that the people of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.

Directions for the Passover

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the passover: no foreigner shall eat of it; 44 but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45 No sojourner or hired servant may eat of it. 46 In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth any of the flesh outside the house; and you shall not break a bone of it. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”

50 Thus did all the people of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 51 And on that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.

Reading 14
612 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (There are many things that the Leader can point out here, but perhaps the most surprising element is that, although verse 43 says that no foreigner is permitted to take part in the Passover…but then verse 48 gives clear instructions for how a foreigner, someone who is not a descendant of Abraham, is to become a part of Israel, but undergoing circumcision and then taking part in the Passover. This is an essential thing for us to understand, that Yahweh was indeed inviting all nations to become a part of Israel, but that in order to do so, they needed to become part of the covenant He had established with Abraham through circumcision, and then to take part in the Passover, which makes Israel His particular people. We see this continue in the Church, with the process of catechesis, which begins with exorcisms, continuing with Baptism, and concluding with Chrismation, with these three actions corresponding with circumcision, with the Passover, and with the covenant at Mt. Sinai which is commemorated at the Jewish feast of Pentecost.)

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)

Prayers before Communion

When we are approaching the Lord, it is very important that we do what we can to prepare ourselves, to confess that we are unworthy, but to seek the mercy and grace and presence of the Lord anyway. The Church gives us many prayers that we can use to prepare to receive Holy Communion; in some prayer books, you can even find an entire Canon with hymns and prayers of preparation, and it is right and proper that all of us should make use of them to some degree, and prepare ourselves carefully to encounter the Lord.

With that said, there are seven prayers in particular that the clergy say before they receive Communion in the Liturgy, and the people can and should use these prayers as well. These are especially appropriate for us to reflect upon now, as we are just about to read the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee in Church this coming Sunday, and will see there the importance of repentance and humility in approaching God. We might say that these prayers are an expansion upon the prayer of the Publican: “Oh God, be gracious on me, the sinner, and have mercy on me!”

Prayers before Communion

I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You, have mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me worthy without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins and for life eternal. Amen.

Behold, I approach for Holy Communion.
O, Creator, burn me not as I partake;
For You are fire, which burns the unworthy,
Wherefore, do cleanse me from every stain.

Tremble, O mortal, beholding the Divine Blood.
For it is as a lighted coal, burning the unworthy.
It is God’s Body and deifies and nourishes me:
It deifies my soul, and wondrously nourishes my mind.

You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with Your Divine love, You have changed me; but burn away with spiritual fire my sins, and make me worthy to be filled with the joy of You; that rejoicing in Your goodness, I may magnify Your two Presences.

How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare to enter into the bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse my soul and save me.

Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the pledge of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation.

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your adversaries. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom. Master, remember me in Your kingdom. Holy One, remember me in Your kingdom.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (For these prayers, I suggest that the Leader urge the group to identify and to sum up the point of each of these prayers, and how they express our true relationship to the Lord as we approach Him in the Eucharist. The Leader may wish to note that the Greek word that is translated as “yearning” in the fourth of these prayers is a word that means fervent and burning desire; we are saying that we know that we should and therefore that we are committed to seeking the Lord above every other thing that we might desire or crave, because we cannot find any lasting peace or joy in any created thing, but only in Him. As St. Augustine says: “My heart is restless until it rests in You.”

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

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

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

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

Additional Discussion questions (When we read prayers, we should consider different questions:

1) What does this prayer say about God? (These prayers say that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, that He has saved us, and that His Body and Blood are offered to us in Communion. They say that He is fire, and consumes the unworthy.)

2) What does this prayer say about us? (These prayers say that we are the first, the greatest of all sinners, that we are not worthy of God’s love, and that we need Him to cleanse us, to forgive and heal us, and to make us worthy.).

3) What is the relationship between us and God that this prayer is seeking? (A relationship in which we, who need God, receive His love and grace and mercy, and are brought into communion with Him, not because we are worthy, but because in our unworthiness He loves us. A relationship in which we are lower, and He is higher, and we are looking up to Him in thanksgiving.)

4) What do we need to change about our thinking and our living to make this prayer more real for us in our lives? (We need to confess the truth that we are unworthy and sinful, and the truth that God loves us even though we are unworthy and sinful, and that He calls us to approach Him and be healed and cleansed and forgiven and raised up and deified, made like Him)

5) Is there anything in this prayer that bothers, troubles, or confuses us? (There may be many answers, but a common question is how we can all say that we are the first among sinners with any truth. If one of us is the first among sinners, then everyone else would be second, third, etc. But the point is that we shouldn’t be looking at anyone else’s sins; when we stand before God, all that matters is that we are unworthy, and He loves us anyway and calls us to repentance and communion and theosis (to be made like God, like Him). If we’re looking at anyone else’s sins, we’re not looking at God…so in the only way that is relevant, we are all each the first among sinners.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 19:1-27 (Jesus and Zacchaeus, Parable of the Ten Talents)

Last time we read from Luke 9, where Peter had just confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, after which Jesus told His disciples for the first time about His coming Passion. After this, we saw the Lord bring Peter, James and John up Mt. Tabor, where they saw Him transfigured before them, and then when they came down the mountain, He healed the young man troubled by a demon, at his father’s request. From that point through Luke 18, Jesus does many other miracles and told many other parables, as He moves toward Jerusalem and His Passion. As we prepare for the beginning of Triodion with the Sunday of Zacchaeus this past Sunday, we will skip ahead to the point in Luke where the Lord enters Jericho and meets Zacchaeus, so as to arrive at the Crucifixion and Resurrection by Holy Week.

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchae′us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchae′us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”

6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchae′us stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Talents

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive kingly power[a] and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten talents,[b] and said to them, ‘Trade with these till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingly power,[c] he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading.

16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your talent has made ten talents more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your talent has made five talents.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your talent, which I kept laid away in a napkin; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.’

22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talent.’ 25 (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten talent!’) 26 ‘I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.’”

Reading 40
613 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 Zacchaeus provides another example of what it looks like to turn to Christ and follow Him. Because he is a wealthy man, whose wealth was gained by evil deeds, his path is different from that of the blind man, who needed only to be persistent; he needs to repent, and make right what he has done wrong, and yes, become much less rich in order to be saved. We can therefore see him as a surprising counterpart to the rich young ruler who the Lord encounters in chapter 18, who had kept the Law all his life, but was unable to part with his money. For the second part, the parable, we should note that the slaves of the nobleman in this case represent those who follow Him, and those who are the enemies of the nobleman represent those who reject Christ. This parable therefore fulfill a dual purpose. First, it makes clear that Jesus is not coming to establish a Jewish empire in place of the Roman empire, and that His visible kingdom is not going to be established soon. Second, it makes clear that those who follow Him in the meantime have a responsibility to bear fruit, to work with the grace that He has given to them. To simply sit still and hold what we have been given without working actively to see that grace grow in our lives is to invite judgment upon ourselves. We should note, as well, that the next episode in the narrative, immediately following this reading, is the entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, where He is greeted as the Messiah, and His entrance into the Temple, where He drives out the money-changers and begins to preach there.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 12:1-28 (Passover Instituted)

Last time we saw the warning of the final plague, the death of the firstborn, given to Pharaoh, and Moses left his presence for the last time. This time, God will give instructions to the people for how they are to celebrate the Passover, which becomes the foundation and formation of the Lord’s People as they leave slavery and enter into the Yahweh’s purpose for them.

The First Passover Instituted

12 [a]The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household; 4 and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats; 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.[b] 7 Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled with water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses, for if any one eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly; no work shall be done on those days; but what every one must eat, that only may be prepared by you. 17 And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as an ordinance for ever. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, and so until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses; for if any one eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.”

21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Select lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood which is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to slay the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to slay you. 24 You shall observe this rite as an ordinance for you and for your sons for ever. 25 And when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he slew the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

Reading 13
860 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (There are many things to note in this passage. Primary among them, I think, is this: the entire purpose of the ten plagues has been to warn, and ultimately, to judge Egypt, but the broader purpose is for the children of Israel to be freed from slavery. Up to this point, they have simply been protected from the plagues that the Egyptians experienced. Here, however, God gives to THEM a specific instruction, that they must obey in order to be delivered. This moment, then, establishes anew who is and is not a part of the Lord’s people; those who obey, who take part in the Passover, are the nation of Israel from this time forward. They are not saved on the basis of their blood or ancestry, but on the basis of their obedience. Beyond that, we can see many things that we recognize; Holy Week is mirrored here, with two great assemblies at the beginning and at the end. We should also note that everything about the celebration of the Passover is one-time-only. There are no leftovers; everything is done in readiness to depart, for in eating the Lord’s Passover, the children of Israel, and we ourselves, become strangers to the kingdoms of this world, wanderers on the earth, following a higher calling, becoming citizens rather of the kingdom of God. We are not to settle down permanently, for our dwelling place is with the Lord.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 2 (Wednesday)

St. Athanasios the Great on the Incarnation

During the controversy about whether Jesus Christ was fully God or not, which was a very big argument through most of the 4th century, St. Athanasios the Great (of Alexandria in Egypt) wrote an important book, “On the Incarnation,” talking about how and why Jesus Christ became a human being, and what He accomplished by so doing. We are reading a short excerpt from that book today, from Chapter 7, a refutation of the Gentiles and their unbelief in the Incarnation of the Lord. He addresses first their arguments that the Incarnation is ridiculous by pointing out that, if they are willing to believe in a Word/Logos of God, and that the Word is active and knowable in the world, then it is silly for them to deny that He could take a body, and then continues by addressing the idea that the Word could/should have chosen a higher nature in Creation than that of man.

On the Incarnation Chapter 7:43

(43) Some may then ask, why did He not manifest Himself by means of other and nobler parts of creation, and use some nobler instrument, such as sun or moon or stars or fire or air, instead of mere man? The answer is this. The Lord did not come to make a display or to show off. He came to heal and to teach suffering men. If He had wanted to make a display and show off, the thing to do would have been just to appear and dazzle the beholders with an impressive vision. But He came to heal and to teach, and the way to do that was not just to dwell here with us, but to put Himself at the disposal of those who needed Him, and to reveal Himself to them only as much as they could bear it, so that He didn’t destroy the value to them of His Divine appearing to them by exceeding their capacity to receive the gift.

Moreover, nothing in creation had erred from the path of God’s purpose for it, save only man. Sun, moon, heaven, stars, water, air, none of these had swerved from their order, but, knowing the Word as their Maker and their King, remained as they were made. Men alone having rejected what is good, have invented nothings instead of the truth, and have ascribed the honor due to God and the knowledge concerning Him to demons and men in the form of stones. Obviously the Divine goodness could not overlook so grave a matter as this. But men could not recognize Him as ordering and ruling creation as a whole.

So what does He do? He takes to Himself for instrument a part of the whole, namely a human body, and enters into that. Thus He ensured that men should recognize Him in the part who could not do so in the whole, and that those who could not lift their eyes to His unseen power might recognize and behold Him in the likeness of themselves. For, being men, they would naturally learn to know His Father more quickly and directly by means of a body that corresponded to their own and by the Divine works done through it; for by comparing His works with their own they would judge His to be not human but Divine. And if, as they say, it were unsuitable for the Word to reveal Himself through bodily acts, it would be equally so for Him to do so through the works of the universe. His being in creation does not mean that He shares its nature; on the contrary, all created things partake of His power.

Similarly, though He used the body as His instrument, He shared nothing of its defect,62 but rather sanctified it by His indwelling. Does not even Plato, of whom the Greeks think so much, say that the Author of the Universe, seeing it storm-tossed and in danger of sinking into the state of dissolution, takes his seat at the helm of the Life-force of the universe, and comes to the rescue and puts everything right? What, then, is there incredible in our saying that, mankind having gone astray, the Word descended upon it and was manifest as man, so that by His intrinsic goodness and His steersmanship He might save it from the storm?

567 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 St. Athanasios is explaining why God came as a human being, and didn’t make a big show of lights and power)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here? (St. Athanasios is saying that there is a good reason that He didn’t come in a way that nobody could deny or argue with…because coming in the fullness of His power would be more than anyone could bear. There may be other answers as well.)

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us? (St. Athanasios is making a point about humanity itself, that our ability to receive and understand God is extremely limited, and that that is part of why Jesus came as a human being. There’s more there, but that point should be emphasized)

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…there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly difficult, although it is true that we human beings don’t like the idea of there being things that are beyond our capacity. We tend to barrel through warnings and rules and instructions to “not push that big red button” because we want to see what happens if we break the rules. Sometimes, when those rules are set by reality itself, we hurt ourselves badly by doing so.)

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life? (Admitting that we need God’s healing and help is often difficult. Acting on that admission is still harder. If what St. Athanasios says is true, then a lot of how we live each day needs to change.)

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 9:18-43 (Peter’s Confession, Transfiguration, Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon)

Last week we saw the Lord effectively ordain the twelve apostles and send them out to preach. When they returned, a crowd followed Jesus, and we then saw Him feed 5,000 people. This week, Jesus will see Him speaking with the twelve before He takes three of His disciples up a mountain to pray, and show them His Divinity.

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone the disciples were with him; and he asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist; but others say, Eli′jah; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen.” 20 And he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21 But he charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Eli′jah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep but kept awake, and they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli′jah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen;[a] listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried, “Teacher, I beg you to look upon my son, for he is my only child; 39 and behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him till he foams, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon tore him and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.

Reading 21
612 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note how the Lord invites Peter’s confession that He is the Messiah, which means Anointed One, and that the Greek for this word is Christos, which we have borrowed into English as Christ. Anointing means to have oil poured or dabbed on one’s head. It was a sign that God had called and given authority and responsibility to a person, like a king or a priest. The Leader can also point out that Jesus reveals Himself as God to the three disciples on the mountain in the same chapter as He foretells His death to them. This is not a coincidence – He tells them about it both before the Transfiguration and afterward.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here? (We see clearly that Jesus is indeed God Himself, and that He comes to suffer and to die of His own will, even though He has power and authority over death and demons and all enemies).

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us? (We see again how much we struggle with faithlessness and a lack of understanding of Who Jesus Is, and what He comes to do).

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. Some may wonder why the disciples couldn’t cast the demons out, or why Peter was talking about “dwellings” on the mountain for Jesus and Moses and Elijah. Regarding the demons, Jesus says in this episode in one of the other Gospels that some demons don’t come out without prayer and fasting; as for the “dwellings,” there was an old tradition of that mountain being the place where God was enthroned in a heavenly tabernacle together, worshiped and surrounded by angels and saints. Peter is recognizing Christ’s divinity, which He has just confessed previously, by suggesting that they should build a tabernacle for Him and for the OT saints. See here for more information. https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/wholecounsel/2019/08/05/tabor-and-hermon/))

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life? (It is easy to celebrate the power and glory of the Lord; it is much harder to walk the way of the Cross that Christ calls us to walk in imitation of Him.)

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 10:21-29, 11:1-10 (9th Plague – Darkness, Warning of the 10th Plague)

Last time we saw the 8th plague come upon Egypt when Pharaoh still refused to let the people of Israel go. It came as a plague of locusts that covered the land and consumed everything green that was left. For the first time, Pharaoh confessed that he had sinned, and asked Moses to pray to the Lord for mercy for him and his people. Yet again, however, once Yahweh took the locusts away, Pharaoh refused to let the people go. We can see this process is winding down towards the end that God foretold to Moses, as the 9th plague, the Darkness that could be felt, comes upon Egypt. We will see Pharaoh make one more offer of a “bargain” with Yahweh, to let the Israelites go, but to require them to leave their livestock behind. When Moses replies that this is unacceptable, Pharaoh will tell him to leave his presence and never come back again. Moses will agree that this is indeed the last time Pharaoh would see his face, and from this we understand that the time of warnings is over, and the moment of the judgment of Pharaoh for the enslavement of Israel and the murder of their children has now arrived. So today we will also see what God tells Moses to say to Pharaoh as he leaves his presence, as the 10th plague is announced.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; 23 they did not see one another, nor did any rise from his place for three days; but all the people of Israel had light where they dwelt.

24 Then Pharaoh called Moses, and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your children also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 26 Our cattle also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the Lord our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take heed to yourself; never see my face again; for in the day you see my face you shall die.” 29 Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.”

Warning of the Final Plague

11 The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence; when he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, jewelry of silver and of gold.” 3 And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

4 And Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go forth in the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits upon his throne, even to the first-born of the maidservant who is behind the mill; and all the first-born of the cattle. 6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever shall be again.”

7 “But against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, not a dog shall growl; that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me, and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get you out, and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.

Reading 12
556 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, even though, Pharaoh has begun to humble himself somewhat, he has only done so when forced to, and is struggling to hold on to some sort of consolation prize at every stage. Unfortunately for him, this is not repentance, but only a grudging capitulation. He remains a false god and oppressor to the Israelites and to all his people; therefore, Yahweh will overthrow and humiliate his power, and the power of the gods he serves, and from him he claims to have his power. The darkening of the sun, the chief of the Egyptian gods and the one Pharaoh claims to represent, is precisely this, a destruction and humiliation of the power of these false gods. The final plague, then, will strike both for justice, as a recompense for the slaughter of the Hebrew children, and as a blow against the dynasty of the Pharaoh, and his claim to immortality in his heir. He should also point out that this reading shows us Moses as he is still with Pharaoh, and tells us what God says to Moses there. Moses then warns Pharaoh of the impending death of the firstborn, and then, when Pharaoh does not relent, he leaves his presence. Then God makes clear to Moses that the purpose of all this is to show to all of Egypt, and to all nations, the glory and the wonders of Yahweh. Thus, in Egypt, a place dedicated to the demon gods who had raised rebellion against their Creator, in a place of darkness and horror, the Lord stands up and abolishes every other power, and delivers His people, and all who are willing to hear Him, from the power of Hell. We should definitely see in all this a prefigurement of the Lord’s Descent into Hades after His crucifixion.)

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. But often these insights are only gained after long and deep reflection upon the text and its various other meanings at the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Prayer of the Hours and St. Basil on Prayer and Thanksgiving

We know that the Christian life is supposed to be a life of constant prayer (St. Paul says we should “Pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances” in 1 Thessalonians 5:16), but it can be difficult to figure out what that would actually look like, and how we should begin to do so. To help us out, we look at two resources today. The first is the Prayer of the Hours, which is repeated at Compline, at the Midnight Office, and at the services of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th Hour, which means that we actually pray this particular prayer four times at the service of Royal Hours on the Eve of both Christmas and Theophany, as well as on Great & Holy Friday. It is also commonly used in the private evening prayers of an Orthodox Christian in the home. The second selection is an excerpt from a homily of St. Basil, in which he provides us with a beautiful and detailed account of how we can and should think about prayer throughout our daily life.

Prayer of the Hours

O Christ our God, who at all times and at every hour, both in heaven and on earth, are worshipped and glorified, long suffering and plenteous in mercy and compassion; who love the just and show mercy to the sinners; who call all men to salvation through the promise of the blessings to come: Do you, the same Lord, receive also our supplications at this present time, and direct our lives according to your commandments. Sanctify our souls; purify our bodies; set our minds right; clear up our thoughts, and deliver us from every sorrow, evil and distress. Surround us with your holy Angels so that being guarded and guided by their presence, we may arrive at the unity of the faith and the knowledge of your ineffable glory; for blessed are you unto the ages of ages. Amen.

St. Basil on Prayer and Thanksgiving

“As you take your seat at table, pray. As you lift the bread, offer thanks to the One Who Gives it to you. When you sustain your bodily weakness with wine, remember Him Who supplies you with this gift, to make your heart glad and to comfort your infirmity. Has your need for eating food disappeared once you are full? Do not let the thought of your Benefactor disappear with it. As you are putting on your clothes, thank the One Who gave it to you. As you wrap your coat around you, feel yet greater love to God, Who both in summer and in winter has given us coverings convenient for us, at once to preserve our life, and to cover what is unseemly.

Is the day come to an end? Give thanks to Him Who has given us the sun for our daily work, and has provided for us a fire to light up the night, and to serve the rest of the needs of life. When night has come, take it as yet another opportunity for prayer. When you look up to heaven and gaze at the beauty of the stars, pray to the Lord of the visible world; pray to God the Maker of the universe, Who in wisdom has made them all. When you see all nature sunk in sleep, then again worship Him Who gives us release from the continuous strain of toil (even when we would rather not sleep), and by a short refreshment restores us once again to the fullness of our strength.

But do not allow sleep to possess the night completely. Do not allow half of your life to be useless through the senselessness of slumber. Divide the time of night between sleep and prayer. More than that, do all you can to make your sleeping itself an experience in piety; for it is only natural that our sleeping dreams should echo the cares of the day. Whatever our conduct and pursuits have been, our dreams will follow after them. In this way, then, your thought will pray without ceasing: if you direct your thought to God in prayer, not only in words, but by uniting yourself to God through all the course of life, with every action and pursuit. This is how your life will be made one ceaseless and uninterrupted prayer.”

+ St. Basil the Great, from Homily V. In martyrem Julittam, adapted from the translation quoted in the Prolegomena in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series II Volume 8. From https://orthodoxchurchquotes.wordpress.com.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note the following points about the Prayer of the Hours:

a) Which Person of the Holy Trinity do we address in this prayer? (We are talking specifically to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity).

b) What do we say about God in this prayer? (We say that He is worshiped all the time both in heaven and earth, that He loves people who do well and is merciful to those who don’t, and that He calls everyone to salvation.)

c) What do we ask God to do in this prayer? (We ask Him to accept our requests and to guide us according to His instructions).

d) What parts of ourselves do we ask the Lord to help? (Our souls, bodies, minds, & thoughts).

e) Who do we ask the Lord to send to help us? (The Angels – we ask the Lord to surround us with the Angels, so that their protection and guidance can help us reach the unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the glory of God.)

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

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

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

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

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the 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.)

Additional Discussion questions:

1) What does St. Basil say about being thankful? (This covers most of the prayer – he gives specific examples about how we should actively give thanks to God for every good thing that we have each day).

2) What does it mean to be thankful? (This is a point for reflection and discussion – there are two points that are essential for thanksgiving, however. First, there must be a recognition that the good thing we are receiving comes from God. Second, we must actively give thanks to God for that good thing; we must encounter Him in the good thing we are receiving, allowing it to be a meeting between God and ourselves.)

3) What does St. Basil say we should be thankful for at night? (The sun as it sets, the stars and the entire creation, and the rest that we are given at night.)

4) What does he say we should do at night? (He says we should pray, and not just sleep).

5) How does he say we should make night a time of prayer? (Two ways – actively, by actually praying at night. This can be just our evening prayers before we go to sleep, but there is a long Christian tradition of taking some time to pray, perhaps reading a Psalm or two, or just saying the Lord’s Prayer or the Jesus Prayer, or simply “Lord, have mercy,” at any time we wake during the night. But he also urges that, if our thoughts and cares are directed toward the Lord during the day, then even in our dreams we will continue to be oriented toward Him, and even our sleep will be a prayer.)

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 9:1-17 (Apostles Sent Out, Herod’s Perplexity, Feeding 5000)

We talked last week about how Jesus healed the woman with the flow of blood and raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. In this chapter, we will see Him send the twelve disciples out to preach and heal and cast out demons. Let’s see what happens next!

The Mission of the Twelve

9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Herod’s Perplexity

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Eli′jah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.

Feeding the Five Thousand

10 On their return the apostles told him what they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a city called Beth-sa′ida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Reading 20
411 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 when Jesus sends the twelve out, it is effectively their ordination. They were just His followers before, but now they are acting as ministers of His love and His power, and when they return, they are called Apostles, not just disciples. Herod’s confusion of Jesus with John the Baptist, or the feeding of the 5,000, are also worth highlighting. The leader can pick which aspect they want to focus on, of course, if the group doesn’t take the conversation in a different direction.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here? (We see that He chooses to act through human beings, through His Apostles, and that that even applies in the feeding of the 5,000; Jesus multiplies the food, but He begins with what the Apostles have to offer, with the 5 loaves and 2 fish).

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us? (We see the problems that we have that Jesus comes to heal, for one thing: sickness, hunger, demon possession. And we see their potential; human beings are created to be like Jesus, and we see the Apostles beginning to grow and be transformed by the Lord in this passage.).

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, but the shaking of the dust as a testimony against towns that reject the Apostles is a potentially challenging aspect. The reality that even receiving the Good News of the Gospel is an occasion for judgment, if we fail to receive it, is challenging, but profoundly important, since this is generally how God’s judgment operates. He doesn’t come and condemn us for our sins; first, He comes and calls us to repentance, offers us a better way. But if we reject that call and that offer, then He accepts our decision, and we are left outside the Kingdom.)

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life? (This passage reminds us that we are also called to be the vessels and ministers of the love of Jesus Christ; and also that, as we hear the Word of God, it is important that we respond with a good will and a willing heart.)

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Exodus 10:1-20 (8th Plague – Locusts)

We return to our normal Old Testament readings this week, after looking at different passages for Christmas, and at the book of Proverbs, over the last three weeks. We left Moses, Aaron, Pharaoh, and the people of Israel and Egypt in the midst of the ten plagues, as the Lord strives with Pharaoh and the demon gods of Egypt for the lives and salvation of the people in the land. When we last saw them, we saw the heavens themselves turned against Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, as God sent thunder and hail to destroy the crops that were in the field. We saw how Yahweh was still merciful, even at this moment of judgment, and gave warning in advance so that anyone who listened to the warning could keep their people and their livestock under shelter, and how not all the crops were destroyed at once, leaving some food for the people of Egypt. We also saw Pharaoh bargain once more for mercy, and promise to let the people go if God brought an end to the hail, and once again we saw him turn to treachery and refuse to let them go once the hail stopped. This time, we will see the Lord explain His purpose in more detail to Moses as He sends him once more to warn Pharaoh that the 8th plague is coming.

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, 2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your son’s son how I have made sport of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them; that you may know that I am the Lord.”

3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, 5 and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land; and they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours which grows in the field, 6 and they shall fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7 And Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God; do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh; and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God; but who are to go?”

9 And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old; we will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.” 10 And he said to them, “The Lord be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. 11 No! Go, the men among you, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desire.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning the east wind had brought the locusts.

14 And the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt, and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever shall be again. 15 For they covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

16 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore, forgive my sin, I pray you, only this once, and entreat the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.” 18 So he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the Lord. 19 And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.

Reading 11
664 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 at least one way in which God is hardening Pharaoh’s heart is by requiring not just compliance, but humility from him. Pharaoh might be willing to let the people go, or to bargain for some better settlement, in which he could keep his pride or his standing. Indeed, Yahweh offered just such a thing earlier on, but we will remember that earlier on, Pharaoh wasn’t willing even to recognize Yahweh as a real being, much less as one worthy of dealing with “the mighty Pharaoh.” Now, Yahweh is requiring that Pharaoh humble himself and acknowledge his weakness; and this is the one thing Pharaoh is most unwilling to do, even though it is the only way he can be saved. Therefore the judgment that Yahweh sends upon him here is both terrifying, since it brings the famine that the hail did not (in Yahweh’s mercy) bring, and also humiliating, since the Pharaoh is being shown helpless before mere insects, and the power of his gods, which had claimed to have power to keep locusts away, is shown to be utterly vain as well.)

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)

Prayer from the Great Blessing of the Waters on Theophany (January 6th)

Every year we bless the waters on January 6th, on the Feast of Theophany, when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan. There is a special prayer that we only use on this feast-day, that talks about what happens when the Lord is baptized, and reflects on how all of Creation is changed and transformed in this moment. It was written by St. Sophronios of Jerusalem.

Prayer from the Great Blessing of the Waters on Theophany

Trinity beyond all being, beyond all goodness, beyond all godhead, all-powerful, all-vigilant, invisible, incomprehensible; Creator of the spiritual beings and rational natures, innate goodness, unapproachable Light that enlightens everyone coming into the world, shine also in me your unworthy servant. Enlighten the eyes of my mind that I may dare to sing the praise of your measureless benevolence and power. May my supplication for the people here present be acceptable, so that my offences may not prevent the Holy Spirit from being present here; but permit me now without condemnation to cry out to you, O Master, lover of mankind, beyond all goodness, Almighty and eternal King, and to say:

We glorify you, the Creator and Fashioner of the universe. We glorify you, only-begotten Son of God, without father from your Mother, without mother from your Father. For in the preceding feast we saw you as a babe, but in the present one we see you full and perfect man, our God, made manifest as perfect God from perfect God.

For today the moment of the feast is here for us and the choir of saints assembles here with us, and Angels keep festival with mortals. Today the grace of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove dwelt upon the waters. Today the Sun that never sets has dawned and the world is made radiant with the light of the Lord. Today the Moon with its radiant beams sheds light on the world. Today the stars formed of light make the inhabited world lovely with the brightness of their splendour. Today the clouds rain down from heaven the shower of justice for mankind.

Today the Uncreated by his own will accepts the laying on of hands by his own creature. Today the Prophet and Forerunner draws near, but stands by with fear seeing God’s condescension towards us. Today the streams of Jordan are changed into healing by the presence of the Lord. Today all creation is watered by mystical streams. Today the failings of mankind are being washed away by the waters of Jordan. Today Paradise is opened for mortals and the Sun of justice shines down on us. Today the bitter water is changed to sweetness by the presence of the Lord, as it once was for Moses’ people of old.

Today we have been delivered from the ancient grief, and saved as the new Israel. Today we have been redeemed from darkness and are filled with radiance by the light of the knowledge of God. Today the gloomy fog of the world is cleansed by the manifestation of our God. Today all creation shines with light from on high. Today error has been destroyed and the coming of the Master makes for us a way of salvation. Today things on high keep festival with those below, and things below commune with things on high. Today the sacred and triumphant festal assembly of the Orthodox exults.

Today the Master hastens towards baptism, that He may lead humanity to the heights. Today the One who does not bow bows down to His own servant, that He may free us from servitude. Today we have purchased the Kingdom of heaven, for the Kingdom of the Lord will have no end. Today earth and sea share the joy of the world, and the world has been filled with gladness. The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and were afraid.

The Jordan turned back when it saw the fire of the godhead descending in bodily form and entering it. The Jordan turned back as it contemplated the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, descending and flying about you. The Jordan turned back as it saw the Invisible made visible, the Creator made flesh, the Master in the form of a servant. The Jordan turned back and the mountains leapt as they saw God in the flesh, and the clouds uttered their voice, marveling at what had come to pass, seeing Light from Light, true God from true God, the Master’s festival today in Jordan; seeing him drowning the death from disobedience, the goad of error and the bond of Hell in Jordan and granting the Baptism of salvation to the world.

Therefore I too, a sinner and your unworthy servant, recount the greatness of your wonders and, seized with fear, in compunction cry out to you:

“Great are You, O Lord, and wondrous are Your works, and no word will suffice to hymn Your wonders!”

639 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 the various elements from the additional discussion questions below. He should also note that this prayer is, effectively, an anagogical reading of the Lord’s Baptism in the Jordan River.)

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.)

Additional discussion questions:

1) There are two things that are repeated in this prayer; what were they? (The prayer says “Today” several times, and it says “The Jordan turned back!” several times as well.

2) Why do you think it says “today!” when it talks about all of these things that happened a long time ago? (This is a question to encourage discussion, but there are two points that should be emphasized once the discussion has died down. First, we talk about these things as happening “today” because we share in the consequences, the blessings, that have come from the Lord’s active presence in this world. Second, we talk about them happening “today” because in celebrating the Lord’s baptism, we participate in the event ourselves through the mechanism of memory and liturgical celebration. The barriers of time fall away when we enter the Church; we step out of the normal stream of time and enter into God’s time, His “Kairos,” the time of salvation, of opportunity, of transformation. So when we celebrate the Lord’s Baptism, and every other event of His life, we celebrate as those who are present, participating with all the Saints of all ages in the joy of the Lord’s Incarnation, of His presence in our midst.)

3) Why do you think we repeat that “the Jordan turned back”? (Again, this is to encourage discussion, but the idea is that Creation itself, and all the parts of it, even the rivers, and the mountains, and the clouds, were amazed at the presence of their Creator present in the flesh, saving and healing and restoring and transforming all that was and is broken in what He has made).

4) What do you think Jesus’ baptism means? Why did He begin His ministry by being baptized? (We’ll talk about this more on Friday, but at its core, the Lord’s baptism is a sign and token and first fruit of His Incarnation. He immerses Himself in our created nature completely; and by being present in it, He heals it, and transforms it, and reconciles it with Himself, and all of us are called to participate in that reconciliation. Which is why we too are baptized).

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 8:40-56 (A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed)

Last week we read about Jesus & the disciples crossing the lake and how the Lord delivered the man who was possessed by many demons. After He had done so, they crossed back over the lake, so that the cleansing of the demon-possessed man was the only thing that the Lord did in the course of that entire laborious crossing. As he returns to the Galilean side of the sea, the crowd will already be waiting for Him, and among them a father in the last extreme of desperation.

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41 And there came a man named Ja′irus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus’ feet he besought him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As he went, the people pressed round him. 43 And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians[f] and could not be healed by any one, 44 came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter[g] said, “Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

49 While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well.” 51 And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52 And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, “Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat. 56 And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Reading 19
384 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 the two miracles contained here, and how the woman was healed just by touching Jesus, which is different from what we normally see. Also, this is the second time Jesus raises someone from the dead. The first was the son of the widow of Nain, in Luke 7)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here? (We learn that He is compassionate, and comforting, and how power over sickness and even death.).

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us? (We see the sort of problems that we tend to have: chronic sickness, death, and grief.).

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. Some may wonder why the woman was healed without actually asking, or why Jesus told the parents not to tell anyone what happened with the girl who was dead. The Scripture doesn’t provide clear answers, so these are a good opportunity for discussion, to see what kind of answers the group comes up with.).

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life? (The woman who was healed came to Jesus with purpose and intent – too often we just go through the motions when we pray or come to Church. We would do much better if we imitate this woman at those times, and always, and approach Christ with purpose and intent, desiring greatly that He make us whole).

6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)

Day 1 (Monday)

Proverbs 2:1-22; 3:1-18

As we prepare to begin the New Year of 2026, we take a pause from the Old Testament and continue through the Book of Proverbs, to remind us of the importance of learning God’s teachings, of respecting our parents, and of avoiding the sins in which those around us encourage us to take part. In this passage, the writer of Proverbs urges his son (and by extension all of us) to receive wisdom, and to treasure it and to seek it with dedication and zeal, promising that all those who seek the Lord faithfully will be saved and preserved from sin, and find all good things from God.

The Value of Wisdom

2 My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you cry out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures;
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and preserving the way of his saints.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you;
understanding will guard you;
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil;
15 men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.

16 You will be saved from the loose woman,
from the adventuress with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the shades;
19 none who go to her come back
nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 So you will walk in the way of good men
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and men of integrity will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Admonition to Trust and Honor God

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments;
2 for length of days and years of life
and abundant welfare will they give you.
3 Let not loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them about your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good repute
in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your substance
and with the first fruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.

The True Wealth

13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
and the man who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from it is better than gain from silver
and its profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called happy.

Selection 2
636 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 both what is being warned against, what is being advised, and what is being promised: what we should avoid, what we should do, and what we will receive if we do these things. Above all, the value of wisdom is emphasized; and we must remember, as well, that Wisdom in the book of Proverbs is not simply facts or experience, but is personified. Wisdom speaks, and cries out in the streets, and is said to have been the agent of the Creation itself; Wisdom is, in fact, the Word and Son of God 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?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Saint Basil the Great
The life of St. Basil is quite long, but it gives an unusually full picture of the life of the Church in the 4th century, at its best and at its worst. For this reason we will read his entire life – it will probably take between 10 and 15 minutes to read.

St. Basil truly stands as a beautiful example of what a Christian Bishop is. As one of his fellow bishops said after his death: “He belongs not to the Church of Caesarea alone, nor merely to his own time, nor was he of benefit only to his own kinsmen, but rather to all lands and cities worldwide, and to all people he brought and still brings benefit, and for Christians he always was and will be a most salvific teacher.”

St Basil was born in the year 330 at Caesarea, the administrative center of Cappadocia. He was of illustrious lineage, famed for its eminence and wealth, and zealous for the Christian Faith. The saint’s grandfather and grandmother on his father’s side had to hide in the forests of Pontus for seven years during the persecution under Diocletian.

St Basil’s mother St Emilia was the daughter of a martyr. On the Greek calendar, she is commemorated on May 30. St Basil’s father was also named Basil. He was a lawyer and renowned rhetorician, and lived at Caesarea.

Ten children were born to the elder Basil and Emilia: five sons and five daughters. Five of them were later numbered among the saints; besides Basil, Macrina (a nun), Gregory of Nyssa, Peter of Sebaste (both bishops), and Theosebia (a deaconess).
St Basil spent the first years of his life on an estate belonging to his parents at the River Iris, where he was raised under the supervision of his mother Emilia and grandmother Macrina. They were women of great refinement, who remembered an earlier bishop of Cappadocia, St Gregory the Wonderworker (November 17). Basil received his initial education under the supervision of his father, and then he studied under the finest teachers in Caesarea of Cappadocia, and it was here that he made the acquaintance of St Gregory the Theologian (January 25 and January 30). Later, Basil transferred to a school at Constantinople, where he listened to eminent orators and philosophers. To complete his education St Basil went to Athens, the center of classical enlightenment.

After a four or five year stay at Athens, Basil had mastered all the available disciplines. “He studied everything thoroughly, more than others are wont to study a single subject. He studied each science in its very totality, as though he would study nothing else.” Philosopher, philologist, orator, jurist, naturalist, possessing profound knowledge in astronomy, mathematics and medicine, “he was a ship fully laden with learning, to the extent permitted by human nature.”

At Athens a close friendship developed between Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian, which continued throughout their life. In fact, they regarded themselves as one soul in two bodies. Later on, in his eulogy for Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian speaks with delight about this period: “Various hopes guided us, and indeed inevitably, in learning… Two paths opened up before us: the one to our sacred temples and the teachers therein; the other towards preceptors of disciplines beyond.”

About the year 357, St Basil returned to Caesarea, where for a while he devoted himself to rhetoric. But soon, refusing offers from Caesarea’s citizens who wanted to entrust him with the education of their offspring, St Basil entered upon the path of ascetic life.

After the death of her husband, Basil’s mother, her eldest daughter Macrina, and several female servants withdrew to the family estate at Iris and there began to lead an ascetic life. Around the same time, Basil was baptized by Dianios, the Bishop of Caesarea, and was tonsured a Reader. He first read the Holy Scriptures to the people, then explained them.

Later on, “wishing to acquire a guide to the knowledge of truth”, the saint undertook a journey into Egypt, Syria and Palestine, to meet the great Christian ascetics dwelling there. On returning to Cappadocia, he decided to do as they did. He distributed his wealth to the needy, then settled on the opposite side of the river not far from his mother Emilia and sister Macrina, gathering around him monks living a cenobitic life.

By his letters, Basil drew his good friend Gregory the Theologian to the monastery. Sts Basil and Gregory labored in strict abstinence in their dwelling place, which had no roof or fireplace, and the food was very humble. They themselves cleared away the stones, planted and watered the trees, and carried heavy loads. Their hands were constantly calloused from the hard work. For clothing Basil had only a tunic and monastic mantle.

In their solitude, Sts Basil and Gregory occupied themselves in an intense study of Holy Scripture. They were guided by the writings of the Fathers and commentators of the past. From all these works they compiled an anthology called Philokalia. Also at this time, at the request of the monks, St Basil wrote down a collection of rules for virtuous life. By his preaching and by his example St Basil assisted in the spiritual perfection of Christians in Cappadocia and Pontus; and many indeed turned to him. Monasteries were organized for men and for women, in which places Basil sought to combine the cenobitic (koine bios, or common) lifestyle with that of the solitary hermit.

During the reign of Constantius (337-361) the heretical teachings of Arius were spreading, and the Church summoned both its saints into service. St Basil returned to Caesarea. In the year 362 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Meletius of Antioch. In 364 he was ordained to the holy priesthood by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea. “But seeing,” as Gregory the Theologian relates, “that everyone exceedingly praised and honored Basil for his wisdom and reverence, Eusebius, through human weakness, succumbed to jealousy of him, and began to show dislike for him.” The monks rose up in defense of St Basil. To avoid causing Church discord, Basil withdrew to his own monastery and concerned himself with the organization of monasteries.

With the coming to power of the emperor Valens (364-378), who was a resolute adherent of Arianism, a time of troubles began for Orthodoxy, the onset of a great struggle. St Basil hastily returned to Caesarea at the request of Bishop Eusebius. In the words of Gregory the Theologian, he was for Bishop Eusebius “a good advisor, a righteous representative, an expounder of the Word of God, a staff for the aged, a faithful support in internal matters, and an activist in external matters.”

From this time church governance passed over to Basil, though he was subordinate to the hierarch. He preached daily, and often twice, in the morning and in the evening. During this time St Basil composed his Liturgy. He wrote a work “On the Six Days of Creation” and others on the Prophet Isaiah, and on the Psalms, as well as a second compilation of monastic rules.

St Gregory the Theologian, speaking about the activity of Basil the Great during this period, points to “the caring for the destitute and the taking in of strangers, the supervision of virgins, written and unwritten monastic rules for monks, the arrangement of prayers [Liturgy], the felicitous arrangement of altars and other things.” Upon the death of Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea, St Basil was chosen to succeed him in the year 370. St Athanasius the Great, with joy and with thanks to God welcomed the appointment to Cappadocia of such a bishop as Basil, famed for his reverence, deep knowledge of Holy Scripture, great learning, and his efforts for the welfare of Church peace and unity.
St Basil’s had many difficulties as he became the bishop of Caesarea, schisms and political controversies both inside the Church and outside it. Amidst the constant perils St Basil gave encouragement to the Orthodox, confirmed them in the Faith, summoning them to bravery and endurance. The holy bishop wrote numerous letters to the churches, to bishops, to clergy and to individuals. Overcoming the heretics “by the weapon of his mouth, and by the arrows of his letters,” as an untiring champion of Orthodoxy, St Basil challenged the hostility and intrigues of the Arian heretics all his life. He has been compared to a bee, stinging the Church’s enemies, yet nourishing his flock with the sweet honey of his teaching.

The emperor Valens, mercilessly sending into exile any bishop who displeased him, and having implanted Arianism into other Asia Minor provinces, suddenly appeared in Cappadocia for this same purpose. He sent the prefect Modestus to St Basil. He began to threaten the saint with the confiscation of his property, banishment, beatings, and even death.

St Basil said, “If you take away my possessions, you will not enrich yourself, nor will you make me a pauper. You have no need of my old worn-out clothing, nor of my few books, of which the entirety of my wealth is comprised. Exile means nothing to me, since I am bound to no particular place. This place in which I now dwell is not mine, and any place you send me shall be mine. Better to say: every place is God’s. Where would I be neither a stranger and sojourner (Ps. 38/39:13)? Who can torture me? I am so weak, that the very first blow would render me insensible. Death would be a kindness to me, for it will bring me all the sooner to God, for Whom I live and labor, and to Whom I hasten.”

The official was stunned by his answer. “No one has ever spoken so audaciously to me,” he said.

“Perhaps,” the saint remarked, ” that is because you’ve never spoken to a bishop before. In all else we are meek, the most humble of all. But when it concerns God, and people rise up against Him, then we, counting everything else as naught, look to Him alone. Then fire, sword, wild beasts and iron rods that rend the body, serve to fill us with joy, rather than fear.”

Reporting to Valens that St Basil was not to be intimidated, Modestus said, “Emperor, we stand defeated by a leader of the Church.” Basil the Great again showed firmness before the emperor and his retinue and made such a strong impression on Valens that the emperor dared not give in to the Arians demanding Basil’s exile. “On the day of Theophany, amidst an innumerable multitude of the people, Valens entered the church and mixed in with the throng, in order to give the appearance of being in unity with the Church. When the singing of Psalms began in the church, it was like thunder to his hearing. The emperor beheld a sea of people, and in the altar and all around was splendor; in front of all was Basil, who acknowledged neither by gesture nor by glance, that anything else was going on in church.” Everything was focused only on God and the altar-table, and the clergy serving there in awe and reverence.

St Basil celebrated the church services almost every day. He was particularly concerned about the strict fulfilling of the Canons of the Church, and took care that only worthy individuals should enter into the clergy. He incessantly made the rounds of his own church, lest anywhere there be an infraction of Church discipline, and setting aright any unseemliness. At Caesarea, St Basil built two monasteries, a men’s and a women’s, with a church in honor of the Forty Martyrs (March 9) whose relics were buried there. Following the example of monks, the saint’s clergy, even deacons and priests, lived in remarkable poverty, to toil and lead chaste and virtuous lives. For his clergy St Basil obtained an exemption from taxation. He used all his personal wealth and the income from his church for the benefit of the destitute; in every center of his diocese he built a poor-house; and at Caesarea, a home for wanderers and the homeless.

He had always been sickly since his youth, and the toil of teaching, his life of abstinence, and the concerns and sorrows of pastoral service took their toll on him. St Basil died on January 1, 379 at age 49. Shortly before his death, the saint blessed St Gregory the Theologian to accept the See of Constantinople.

Upon the repose of St Basil, the Church immediately began to celebrate his memory. St Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium (November 23), in his eulogy to St Basil the Great, said: “It is neither without a reason nor by chance that holy Basil has taken leave from the body and had repose from the world unto God on the day of the Circumcision of Jesus, celebrated between the day of the Nativity and the day of the Baptism of Christ. Therefore, this most blessed one, preaching and praising the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, extolling spiritual circumcision, himself forsaking the flesh, now ascends to Christ on the sacred day of remembrance of the Circumcision of Christ. Therefore, let it also be established on this present day annually to honor the memory of Basil the Great festively and with solemnity.”

St Basil is also called “the revealer of heavenly mysteries” (Ouranophantor), a “renowned and bright star,” and “the glory and beauty of the Church.” His honorable head is in the Great Lavra on Mount Athos.

In some countries it is customary to sing special carols today in honor of St Basil. He is believed to visit the homes of the faithful, and a place is set for him at the table. People visit the homes of friends and relatives, and the mistress of the house gives a small gift to the children. A special bread (Vasilopita) is blessed and distributed after the Liturgy. A silver coin is baked into the bread, and whoever receives the slice with the coin is said to receive the blessing of St Basil for the coming year.

Discussion questions:

1) This was an especially long reading, so we won’t lengthen today’s session with many questions. It would be good, though, to have everyone present mention one thing that they had noticed in particular about the life of St. Basil.

Day 3 (Friday)

Luke 8:19-39 (True Kindred of Jesus, Jesus Calms a Storm, Cleanses the Gerasene Demoniac)

Last time, we saw the Lord preaching and delivering to those who heard Him the parable of the Sower, also explaining why He spoke in parables, so that those who were not yet ready to hear His words would not understand them, and therefore, as we concluded, might be granted time to become ready before the seed planted in their hearts sprouted and began to grow. This time, we will see His mother and the sons of Joseph come to Him, but He will proceed without them to cross the sea of Galilee and to cleanse a man grievously afflicted by evil spirits.

The True Kindred of Jesus

19 Then his mother and his brethren came to him, but they could not reach him for the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brethren are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he said to them, “My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even wind and water, and they obey him?”

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac

26 Then they arrived at the country of the Ger′asenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And as he stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Ger′asenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Reading 18
596 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 the Lord’s response when His mother and the sons of Joseph (for that is who His brothers are) come to Him is not necessarily dismissive of them, but notes that all those who hear Him and trust in Him are also His near family. Second, it must be noted that everything else that happens is a) specifically Jesus’ idea and b) all centered on the cleansing of the demoniac. That is to say, Jesus, on purpose, crosses the sea and calms the storm for the express and sole purpose of finding this one man afflicted by demons, cleansing him, and sending him back to his home to declare the glorious works of God. This may bring some clarity about what what is often considered a difficult and confusing episode.)

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

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

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

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

Day 1 (Monday)

Micah 1:1-5; 4:1-13; 5:1-4 (Prophecy against Samaria and Jerusalem, Consolation, Prophecy of a Ruler Born in Bethlehem)

This week of Christmas, we will read one of the prophecies of His birth, the one that is referenced in the gospel of Matthew, and that the scholars in Jerusalem referenced when the Magi came there asking where the Messiah was supposed to be born. This comes in the Prophecy of Micah, and we will read the introduction first, so that we understand that this prophecy is speaking primarily of the sins of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and of the coming judgment of God upon them. This is the content of the first three chapters, but in the fourth, the prophet begins also to speak of consolation, and in the fifth reaches the prophecy which is referenced to the Magi.

Prophecy of Micah (Excerpts)

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Mo′resheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezeki′ah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samar′ia and Jerusalem.

Judgment Pronounced against Samaria & Jerusalem

2 Hear, you peoples, all of you;
hearken, O earth, and all that is in it;
and let the Lord God be a witness against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is coming forth out of his place,
and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 And the mountains will melt under him
and the valleys will be cleft,
like wax before the fire,
like waters poured down a steep place.
5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob
and for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not Samar′ia?
And what is the sin of the house of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?

Through chapter 3, the prophet then continues to outline the destruction that God is warning the people of Israel and Judah will come upon them, which is fulfilled soon after in the destruction of both kingdoms by the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires, respectively. Then, in chapter 4, the tone changes.

Peace and Security through Obedience

4 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
2 and many nations shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall decide for strong nations afar off;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
4 but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
and none shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples walk
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
for ever and ever.

Restoration Promised after Exile

6 In that day, says the Lord,
I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away,
and those whom I have afflicted;
7 and the lame I will make the remnant;
and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
from this time forth and for evermore.
8 And you, O tower of the flock,
hill of the daughter of Zion,
to you shall it come,
the former dominion shall come,
the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why do you cry aloud?
Is there no king in you?
Has your counselor perished,
that pangs have seized you like a woman in travail?
10 Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion,
like a woman in travail;
for now you shall go forth from the city
and dwell in the open country;
you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued,
there the Lord will redeem you
from the hand of your enemies.
11 Now many nations
are assembled against you,
saying, “Let her be profaned,
and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”
12 But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord,
they do not understand his plan,
that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Arise and thresh,
O daughter of Zion,
for I will make your horn iron
and your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples,
and shall devote their gain to the Lord,
their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.

5 Now you are walled about with a wall;
siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike upon the cheek
the ruler of Israel.

The Ruler from Bethlehem

2 But you, O Bethlehem Eph′rathah,
who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in travail has brought forth;
then the rest of his brethren shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out how, in the prophecy of Micah, the prophecy begins with a promise that God will come down and tread the earth, and then proceeds to speak first of judgment…but then after judgment, restoration is promised, and with the restoration, this marvel, of the birth of the Messiah in the town of Bethlehem. We might note how Israel is delivered in what follows by being taken to Babylon, and then it is even promised that Israel will plunder the wealth of the nations from them. This might be read, and certainly was read by some when the Lord was preaching, as prophesying a war leader, but…for us as Christians, we may recognize that the wealth of the nations, the gain or produce of these peoples, is the people themselves, whom the Lord claims for Himself, sending out Israel to thresh and reap the harvest, which is to say, sending the Apostles and the Church out from the Promised Land to bring all nations into His inheritance. The Leader can also attend to the other discussion questions below.)

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

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

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

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

Additional Discussion questions:

1) What does this reading have to do with Jesus and Christmas? (This is the prophecy that tells where the Messiah, the Christ, will be born. Bethlehem means “house of bread,” because it was a town in the farming area of Judaea, and Ephrathah refers to the man who founded the town. Bethlehem was the home town of King David, who was the ancestor of the Virgin Mary, and therefore the ancestor of Jesus, according to the flesh. This is why Joseph & Mary had to go back to Bethlehem to be registered. It was their ancestral home town.)

2) What sort of town is Bethlehem, according to the prophet Micah? Is it important or not? (Micah says it is not important, that it is “one of the little clans of Judah).

3) What does Micah say about the One Who is going to be born in Bethlehem? (He says that He will rule in Israel, and that His origin is from old, from ancient days).

4) What do you think it means, that Micah says someone will be born later, whose origin is from ancient days? (This is how the prophet talks about the fact that Jesus is God Himself, now born as a human being. He didn’t just come into existence, but has always been, and made all things, and will now become a human being, even though He is the One Who made human beings).

5) What else does this prophecy say about Jesus? (It says that when He comes, people who had wandered will come back, and that He will feed His flock, and will be great to the ends of the earth, and will bring peace).

6) Do you have any questions about this? (This is an open question, of course – it’s important for all of us to get comfortable with the way the Prophets talk. It’s often not obvious what it is talking about, and often we can’t immediately find answers to the questions that we ask. Sitting and reflecting on those questions, though, as we pray and worship and celebrate the Liturgy, often results in us finding answers after some time. It is a rare month that I don’t find an answer in the Liturgy or the Bible or my prayers to questions that I have been pondering for a long time. We can’t ever find answers if we aren’t comfortable asking questions for which we can’t find immediate, easy answers. The best answers are the ones that we have to work for and wait for.).

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Hymns from Christmas

Every year, on December 25th, we celebrate the Nativity, or Birth, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In this feast, we see our Creator and God become human, born of the Virgin Mary, present in our midst for our salvation. The themes of this celebration are nothing less than the wonder and awe of beholding Emmanuel, God With Us, but this marvel has manifold facets, which the Church meditates upon in the hymns that accompany the Feast. The feast-day celebrations last two full days, not just one, and begin with the Royal Hours the morning of Christmas Eve, continuing with the Vesperal Liturgy that evening, and finishing with the Orthros and Liturgy on Christmas Day itself.

Hymns sourced from dcs.goarch.org

Hymns from the Celebration of the Nativity of the Lord

Troparion of the Royal Hours
As she carried in her womb * what she conceived without seed, * Mary went to Bethlehem * with elder Joseph to enroll, * for they were of the house and the lineage of David. * The time arrived for her * to give birth to her Child; * but then there was no place * in the inn for them. * Therefore the grotto served as a luxurious * royal palace for the Queen. * And Christ the Lord is born, to raise the image * which was formerly fallen.

Idiomelon 2 of the 3rd Hour
Before Your Nativity, O Lord, the heavenly hosts trembled in amazement, as they watched the mystery unfold. For You, who adorned the sky with the stars, became a little baby, in Your good pleasure. You, who hold the whole world in Your hand, lay in a manger, a trough meant for beasts. Such was Your plan for our salvation, and thus was Your compassion made known. O Christ, the great mercy, glory to You!

Doxastikon of the 9th Hour
Today, He who holds the whole world in His hand is born from a Virgin. (3) He who is impalpable in essence is wrapped in swaddling clothes as a mortal. God, who in the beginning established the heavens of old, is lying in a manger as a newborn babe. He who rained down manna for the people in the wilderness is nursed by His mother. He who is the Bridegroom of the Church is summoning the Magi. And He is accepting their gifts, now as the Son of the Virgin. “We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. We adore Your Nativity, O Christ. Also show us Your divine Epiphany.”

Doxastikon of the Vespers Kekragaria
When Augustus reigned alone on the earth, the many kingdoms of mankind came to an end; and when You became man from the pure Virgin, the many gods of idolatry were destroyed. The cities of the world passed under one single rule, and the nations came to believe in one God. The peoples were enrolled by decree of Caesar; we the faithful were enrolled in the name of the Godhead, when You became man, O our God. Great is your mercy. Lord, glory to you.

Doxastikion of the Liti
The Magi, kings of Persia, ⁄ know that You, the heavenly King, ⁄ were assuredly born on earth. ⁄ They came to Bethlehem, led by the light of a star, ⁄ and offered their chosen gifts: ⁄ Gold, and frankincense and myrrh! ⁄ Falling before You, they worshiped You: ⁄⁄ For they saw You, the timeless one, lying as a Babe in the cave.

Kathisma 1 of the Orthros
Come, believers, let us see the place where Christ has been born.* With the Magi, those three kings who from the orient are,* now let us follow to where the star is proceeding.* Ceaselessly do Angels sing praises there.* Shepherds in the field sing a worthy song,* saying: Glory in the highest be to Him who* was born today in the grotto* from the Virgin and Theotokos,* in Bethlehem of Judea.

Eirmos of Ode 1 of Canon 1 of the Feast
Christ is born; glorify Him! * Christ is come from heaven; go and meet Him. * Christ is on earth; arise to Him. * Sing to the Lord, all you who dwell on the earth; * and in merry spirits, O you peoples, praise His birth. * For He is glorified.

Troparion of Ode 1 of Canon 1 of the Feast
The Master Builder, seeing collapsed * the man whom He constructed with His own hands, * bowing the heavens now descends. * And through a pure and holy Virgin unites * wholly with his nature, having truly taken flesh. * For He is glorified.

Troparion of Ode 1 of Canon 2 of the Feast
Plainly foreshadowed by the burning bush that was not consumed, ⁄ a hallowed womb has borne the Word. ⁄ God is mingled with the form of mortal men, ⁄ and so He looses the unhappy womb of Eve from the ancient, bitter curse. ⁄⁄ Therefore we glorify Him!

Year 1
669 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 what is happening at Christmas is the birth of God the Word/Logos Himself, the Son of God, through Whom the Father created all things, enters into His Creation, in order to raise us up, to restore in us His image in which we are created, to free us from sin and slavery to the demons, to heal and re-fashion and restore us. God becomes human, which is marvel enough; but He does it for us, in order to save us. The hymns which we sing each year are a master class in the Orthodox Christian understanding of the Lord’s Incarnation, and its place at the very center and foundation of not just human history, but the very existence of the cosmos.)

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 8:1-18 (Some Women Accompany Jesus; Parables of Sower & Lamp under Jar)

Last time, we saw the Lord speak about John the Baptist, and then encounter a sinful woman at the dinner which Simon the Pharisee had held for Him. She washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, and although Simon judged her, and judged Jesus for not discerning that she was a sinful woman, the Lord was merciful to them both, granting to Simon the miracle of discerning his thoughts, and thus revealing His divinity to the Pharisee, even as He also forgave the sins of the woman. This time, we will see Him continue to preach, and will read one of the most famous parables from the New Testament.

Some Women Accompany Jesus

8 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Mag′dalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Jo-an′na, the wife of Chu′za, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

The Parable of the Sower

4 And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved.

13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.

A Lamp under a Jar

16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. 18 Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

Reading 17
500 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 the resonance between this parable and the passage we highlighted with the Day 1 reading, from the prophecy of Micah, with the prophet speaking of Israel being sent out to thresh and harvest among the nations, to bring their gain, their fruit/produce as wealth to the Lord. He should also urge a discussion about why the Lord speaks in parables, purposely concealing the full truth of His coming from some of those who hear Him. The second parable, about the Lamp in the Jar, may shed some light on the subject; nothing that is hidden will not eventually be revealed, but the Lord is, perhaps granting time to those who hear for their hearts to soften, or even providing them with a puzzle on which to reflect, so that they may learn to seek the meaning, and from there may be trained toward seeking after Him. In any case, the truth of the Gospel is hidden from no one forever, and the Lord provides each human being with what is most needful for our salvation. In this, as in all things, we are called to trust Him and to seek Him earnestly.)

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

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

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

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

Additional Discussion Questions

1) What happens in this reading? What are the main events? (1 – Jesus goes out preaching with the twelve and with some of the women disciples as well; 2 – He tells and explains the Parable of the Sower; 3 – He talks about the lamp and lamp stand, and his mother and brothers come to see Him. All three of these can bear more discussion.)

2) What do these things mean? Do any of them represent or tell a lesson beyond just telling what happened? (Obviously the parables of the sower and the lamp and the lamp stand mean something more…it would be good to see what everyone thinks they mean. The parable of the Sower is explained by Jesus, and it’s good to consider exactly how He explains it, but the small parable of the lamp and lamp stand is worth looking at again to see what Jesus is getting at. It may be important to think about whether the lamp on the lamp stand is connected with the good seed in the parable of the Sower.)