Day 1 (Monday)
Philippians 3:12-21; 4:1-23
Last time St. Paul talked rejecting false teachings, and especially any pride in the flesh or in advancement in this life, and makes an example of himself, how his life in Christ has been a life of struggle and suffering with Christ, and how through this suffering he is being united with the Lord in death, so that he can attain the Resurrection from the dead with the Lord. He continues this week from that point, saying that he hasn’t yet reached that point, but that that is the path he is on.
Pressing toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
17 Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.
4 Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Exhortations
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 And I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. 6 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.
Acknowledgment of the Philippians’ Gift
10 I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me; you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. 13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent me help once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more; I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings and Benediction
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
700 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should focus on verses 17-21 of chapter 3, at the beginning, and urge that the group consider what it might look like to glory in the flesh, to make one’s belly one’s god, to set the mind on earthly things. St. Paul is, in this letter, making very clear that the Christian understanding of life and its purpose and meaning is upside-down from what is thought normal in the world. Or rather, he is making the point that the way the world thinks about life is in fact upside down from what is the true reality of things, and urging the Faithful in Philippi to remember that and to live according to the truth that had been revealed to them by the Lord Jesus Christ through the preaching of St. Paul.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Feast of the Koimisis
Last week we read a selection of the hymns that were sung during the celebration of the Feast of Transfiguration on August 6th. This week, we will read a similar selection of the hymns that are sung for the feast of the Koimisis of the Theotokos on August 15th. This is the final feast of the Church year, and celebrates the Falling Asleep (what Koimisis means) of the Virgin Mary, which is to say, it is the celebration of her death and funeral. Because her tomb was found to be empty when the Apostle Thomas arrived and wished to venerate her body, the Church understands and confesses that her body has been raised and that she has taken her place in the Divine Council of the Lord, and already tastes the fullness of the Resurrection. Therefore this is a true and complete celebration, not mixed with sadness in the face of her death, because Christ has triumphed over death, and that victory is already revealed to us in her.
Ist Hymn of the Kekragaria
Marvel at the wondrous paradox! * Now the fount of our life has been laid within a tomb; * her tomb has become a ladder to heaven above. * Gethsemane, holy place, * the Theotokos reposed in you. Celebrate! * Believers, together sing, * having the Archangel Gabriel leading us. * “We salute you, Lady full of grace: O rejoice! For the Lord * is with you and is granting to the world great mercy through you.
Apolytikion
You gave birth yet preserved your virginity. You fell asleep in death yet did not desert the world, O Theotokos. You were transported to life, as you are Mother of Life and, by virtue of your intercessions, deliver our souls from death.
Heirmos of the 1st Ode of the 1st Canon
Adorned with glory divine, O Virgin, * is your most sacred and illustrious memorial, * gathering the faithful all together joyfully to sing * in processions led by Mariam, with timbrels and dancing, * to your Only-begotten Son. * For He has been greatly glorified.
Hymn 1 of the 1st Ode of the 1st Canon
Even as incorporeal orders * of heaven tended your divine body, O Virgin pure, * suddenly the multitude of the Apostles converged * from the ends of the earth, O Theotokos, in Zion, * and all stood before you. And with them * we glorify your solemn memory.
Hymn 2 of the 1st Ode of the 1st Canon
Trophies of victory over nature * did you, O virgin Maiden, raise in giving birth to God. * But in imitation now of your Creator and your Son, * you submit to nature’s laws in a way transcending nature. * And thus, though you die, you resurrect, * and with your Son you live eternally
Hymn 3 of the 1st Ode of the 2nd Canon
Divine and celestial dwellings received you befittingly, * since you are the animate heaven, O Lady pure. * And you stood adorned * and gorgeously appareled * as a wholly blameless bride * beside our King and God.
Hymn 1 of the 8th Ode of the 1st Canon
Clinging with words to the divine Ark * of the holiness, the multitude * of the Theologians cried aloud * unto her in Zion: * Where are you going now, O Tabernacle of the living God? * Cease not, we pray, from watching over those who sing out faithfully: * We who have been redeemed chant in praise of the only Creator, * exalting Him supremely unto all the ages
Hymn 2 of the 8th Ode of the 1st Canon
As the all-blameless one, departing, * lifted up her hands in orison — * hands with which she had embraced * the incarnate God — * she spoke with freedom as a mother, saying to her Son: * Keep them, whom You bequeathed to me, forever as they cry to You: * We who have been redeemed chant in praise of the only Creator, * exalting Him supremely unto all the ages.
Heirmos of the 9th Ode of the 1st Canon
In you the laws of nature are defeated,* O undefiled Virgin pure. * In virginity childbirth was accomplished, and death introduces life. * You, after bearing, are virgin, and after dying are living. * Mother of God, * ever save your inheritance.
Hymn 1 of the 9th Ode of the 1st Canon
Amazed were the angelic hosts of heaven * as they beheld their Lord himself * come to Zion receiving * with His own hands a woman’s departing soul. * For He addressed as a son should * her who had stainlessly borne Him: * O gracious one, * come be glorified with your Son and God.
574 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note the basic themes. a) The Virgin Mary truly died. b) Her Death is not a sad occasion, but only a showcase of the power of God and the Resurrection from the dead. c) Not only has she been raised, but she has been elevated to a rank higher than the angels in the Lord’s Divine Council. d) In that place next to the throne of the Lord, she intercedes always for all of humankind. This feast, then, gives us a very clear understanding of what we are doing when we ask her and all the saints to pray for us. This year, all of the hymns that we have selected are short, so it’s worthwhile to think of them as little mini icons reflecting on a particular element of the Feast, each providing a keyhole view of the wondrous whole.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 3 (Friday)
Luke 21:20-38
This is our final reading from the Gospel of Luke. This concludes the Lord’s prophecy of the judgment and destruction that are coming upon Jerusalem, and sets up very clearly the stark choice between the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God.
The Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold
20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; 22 for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written. 23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Coming of the Son of Man
25 “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Exhortation to Watch
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 38 And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that this passage is where the Lord gives the clearest prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, and that here, as in other places, He speaks about the destruction of Jerusalem together with prophecies of His coming and the last judgment; the clear reason is that the temptations and errors that led to the destruction of the Temple, choosing to build and fight for a kingdom in this world, must always be rejected. Christians are called to follow Christ in the wilderness, in suffering, and to the point of death; and in that suffering, when everything is falling apart, our redemption is near to us, as we participate in the Lord’s Death with our eyes fixed on His Resurrection. In short, what St. Paul says in our Day 1 reading interprets and explains this passage. )
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
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.)
Leave a Reply