Category: The Bible

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The Scriptural Readings for the Great and Holy Week in the Orthodox Church

Scriptural Readings for Great and Holy Week

Saturday of Lazarus                     John 11, 1 – 4

Christ Entry into Jerusalem   John 12, 1 – 18. (Palm Sunday)

Bridegroom Service                    Matthew 21, 18 –  43.

 (Palm Sunday Evening)

Bridegroom Service                    Matthew 22, 15 – 46;  23, 1 – 39.

 (Holy Monday Evening)

Bridegroom Service                     John 12, 17 – 50.

 (Holy Tuesday Evening)

Sacrament of Holy Unction      1st. Epistle – James 5, 10 – 16.

1st. Gospel –                                         Luke 10, 25 – 37.

2nd. Epistle –                                       Romans 15, 1 – 7.

2nd. Gospel –                                       Luke 19, 1 – 10.

3rd. Epistle –                                        Corinthians 12, 27 – 31; 13, 1- 8.

      3rd. Gospel –                                   Matthew 10, 1, 5 – 8.

      4th. Epistle –                                Corinthians 6,  16 – 18; 7, 1.      

     4th. Gospel –                                  Matthew 8, 14 – 23.

      5th. Epistle –                                 Corinthians 1, 8 – 11.

      5th. Gospel –                                  Matthew 25, 1 – 13.

      6th. Epistle –                                  Galatians 5, 22 – 6: 2

      6th. Gospel –                                  Matthew 15, 21 – 28

      7th. Epistle –                                  I Thessalonians 5, 14  – 23

      7th. Gospel –                                     Matthew 9, 9 – 13      

Bridegroom Service                          Luke 22, 1 – 39                                                               (Holy Wednesday Evening)

(Great and Holy Thursday Morning)       

Vesporal Liturgy of St. Basil The Great                       

The Institution of the Holy Eucharist

The Gospel Reading is a composite: 

                       Matthew 26, 2 – 20; John 13, 3 -17; Matthew 26, 21 – 39;                     Luke 22, 43 – 45;  Matthew 26, 75 + 27, 1 – 2

Great and Holy Thursday Evening, – The Service of the Twelve Gospels

        1. COMPOSITE READING: John 13, 31 – 38 + 14, 1 – 31 + 15, 1 – 27 + 16,1 – 33 + 17, 1 – 26 +18, 1.
        2. John 18, 1 – 28.
        3. Matthew 26, 57 – 75. 
        4. John 18, 28 – 40 + 19, 1 – 16.

                 5.   Matthew 27, 3 – 32.

                Procession with the Blessed Cross    

    6.   Mark  15, 16 – 31.

    7.   Matthew 27, 33 – 54.

    8.   Luke 23, 32 – 49.

    9.   John 19, 25 – 37.

  10.  Mark 15, 43 – 47.

  11. John 19, 38 – 42.

  12. Matthew 27, 62 – 66.

Great and Holy Friday:

  The Royal Hours Gospel of the First Hour:

Matthew 27, 1 – 56.

Gospel of the Third Hour

Mark 15, 16 – 41. 

Gospel of the Sixth Hour  

Luke 23,  32 – 49. 

Gospel of the Ninth Hour

        John 19, 23 – 37.

  The Vespers The Taking Down from the Cross

(The Apokathelosis)

Matthew 27, 1 – 38; Luke 23, 39 – 43;

Matthew 27, 39 – 54; John 19, 31 – 37;

Matthew 27, 55 – 61.

  The Lamentations (Matins for Holy Saturday)

Matthew 27, 62 – 66.

Great and Holy Saturday The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great

Matthew 28, 1 – 20.

Sunday of Holy Pascha

The Resurrection Service Mark 16, 1 – 8.

The Divine Liturgy of Pascha

John 1, 1 – 17. The Vespers of Love (The Agape Vespers) John 20, 19 – 25.

Christ is Risen

 

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Traveling to Bethlehem (December 23. 2010)

Holy Family
Holy Family

Question: How are the Old and New Testament related? This time of year is the best time to ask this question. As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity in the Flesh, the best thing we can ask is what relationship between the two parts of the Bible. For we Orthodox, the Old and New Testaments are inexorably linked. The Old Testament is the foretelling of the New.  It holds up a mirror to Christ and to all the individual features of his life.  What do I mean?  Shall we look at the details?

  • Virgin Birth: Isaiah 7, 14 and Ezekiel 44, 27 – 44:4
  • Birth in Bethlehem: Micah 4 – 5
  • The Adoration of the Magi: Numbers 24, 15 – 17
  • Christ the Prince of Peace: Isaiah 6, 6 – 7.

These details of the Nativity show how God prepared the world through His prophets.  The Old Testament provides us Christ in shadow and in smoke.  The word that the Church uses for this relationship is foreshadow.  The arrival of the Messiah was an event for which God had to prepare the world. Christmas is two days away, are you spiritually prepared?

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TRAVELING TO BETHLEHEM (21 November 2010)

The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple
The Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple
“Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11, 27 – 28) This is the conclusion of this morning’s gospel reading.  When you first hear this exclamation and Jesus’ answer, you think, how rude!  Is Jesus belittling the Theotokos?  One must truly read closely what Our Lord has said.  The unknown woman praises Jesus’ mother for having borne and raised such a son.  Christ further praises the Virgin not for her biological contribution, as significant as it was; but more importantly for the faith that she exemplified in doing God’s will.  Mary’s obedience in faith allowed God’s Holy Spirit to overshadow her and to bring forth the Incarnate Lord. Mary contributes our humanity to be perfected by Christ and to join with His divinity to Incarnate the Second Person of the Godhead. Fully God and Fully Man, but as we know God respected Mary’s free-will and did not impose His will on the Virgin.  She heard God’s will and kept it. The journey to Bethlehem takes a big step today in the tiny footsteps of a precious little girl. Up the steps of the temple comes the preparation of God. As we chant in the Canon of the Akathistos “Hail! O Blameless one, the Palace of the only King. Hail! O fiery Throne of the Almighty.” ]]>

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TRAVELING TO BETHLEHEM (19 November 2010)

Prophet Obadiah
Prophet Obadiah
Feast of the Prophet Obadiah – Obi..who? This might well be the reaction to this Old Testament prophet. Obadiah was a post exilic prophet, that is a prophet who spoke to the Israelites after the Babylonian Captivity.  You might also hear of Obadiah being one of the “Twelve Minor” prophets.  Minor? This needs an explanation.  These prophets include Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi as well as Obadiah. Why are they “minor”?   The are grouped in this way because their writings are short in length.  Actually, The Vision of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament – only one chapter. Why should we care? To find the answer to this question we need to look in one of the Eothina (Dawn) Gospels.  It is a familiar scene after the Resurrection, which is related by St. Luke in chapter 24, 13 – 53.  The resurrected Christ encounters some of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. Here we read: “Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (v. 27); not all the major prophets but all the prophets.  This is the what the Orthodox teaching tells us about the road to Bethlehem.  God prepared the world and most especially his people, the people of Israel.  This is the significance of Obadiah, he is one of the voices God chose to prepare for the Coming of Christ. Obadiah tells of the coming of a King to save his people.  The King is coming…are you preparing? ]]>

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The Bible and the Church – Lesson 1

the-bible-and-the-church Attached is a beginning of a series on the Bible and the Church.  You must use Quick Time movie viewer. This is a FREE download go to http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/.   Follow the instructions. To advance the images on the movie just please your curser on the image and click.  To advance each slide please place cursor on slide and click. Thank You! I hope you enjoy this first class and more will follow!  Please send me your comments.  gpb]]>