Commentary on the Daily Lectionary of the Orthodox Church
Author: Fr. Basil
Now retired, the Very Rev. Archpriest Basil Ross Aden has served as a parish priest, parish pastor, diocesan mission director, writer, and college teacher of New Testament and Religious Studies. He has a Master of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the University of Chicago and has published daily devotional and stewardship materials as well as a college textbook on Religious Studies. He also has published papers and/or lectured on the Orthodox perspective on Luther and the Reformation. religious freedom, current issues of religion and society, and St. John Chrysostom. He is married to Sandra and has two sons and three grandchildren. He is still active as a priest as well as a writer of articles and materials on Orthodoxy and topics of faith and life today.
Christ is risen! The word of the day is “baptized.” If we have any doubt that the glorious events of our salvation apply to us, we should reread today’s reading of Romans 6:3-11. If we observe the events of these holy days as a spectator, then, of course, they do not happen to us. But the Lord calls us to participate in His sufferings and death so that we might also share in His resurrected life. This is Paul’s proclamation when he writes, “Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life” (NKJV Romans 6:4). The…
The word of the day is “glory.” The Cross. A symbol of the world’s hatred, yet the sign of God’s infinite love; an image of defeat, yet an emblem of victory.  A sight of shame, yet a vision of glory. Today in our reading of 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:2, Paul writes, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (NKJV vs. 27). By this pronouncement, the apostle notes that the Cross contradicts everything that this world stands for. The Cross judges all the values and aspirations of worldliness–its power, its pleasures, its riches, and…
The word of the day is “open.” Among our readings today is Isaiah 50:4-11. The prophet writes, “The Lord God has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away” (NKJV Isaiah vs. 5). This statement is especially appropriate for tonight’s reading of the Twelve Gospels of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. These passages are both meaningful and challenging. Throughout the service, our natural human nature makes it difficult for us to stand and concentrate on the readings. Thus, we might ask with what spirit will we hear and pay attention to them? With what Spirit Will We Listen? With what spirit will we hear the story of our salvation? Will our reading and…
The word of the day is “deliverer.” Today in our reading of Exodus 2:11-22, we find that Moses has grown up. Leaving the palace, he tried to join himself to his own people.  The Orthodox Study Bible comments that “He went out among His brethren because he refused to be the son of Pharaoh’s daughter” (Hebrews 11:24-26) (OSB fn. 2:11).  The Orthodox Study Bible adds that “Moses was forty years old at the time, and he knew he was Israel’s deliverer. Thus. He defended an Israelite and killed the Egyptian.” He supposed that the Israelites would understand his calling from God, but they did not” (OSB fn. 2:11). Moses: as Deliverer Now, if Moses believed he was the Hebrew’s deliverer, then it seems that he…
The word of the day is “compassion.”  Today’s reading of Exodus 2:5-10 tells the story of how the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt began. It started with compassion. An Egyptian princess discovers a basket made of bulrushes floating on the Nile. She opens the ark. Her heart goes out to the baby crying inside. She knows that the infant is a Hebrew boy who should have been killed at birth. But she saves the child and intends to raise him in the palace. The baby’s sister is standing by and runs to fetch the child’s mother. The princess will pay her to nurse the child. In this way, by compassion, Moses is delivered from death to be the one…
The word of the day is “fruit.”  Today in Matthew 21:18-43, we read of another astonishing act of the Lord. We think of the Lord as merciful and longsuffering, and He is. Yet as He returns from Bethany to the Holy City, He stops to pick figs from a tree on the side of the road. But the tree was bearing only leaves.  In response, Jesus says, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again” (OSB vs. 18). Immediately the tree withers. The Gospel of Mark makes this seemingly spiteful action is even more puzzling. Mark says that figs were not in season at that time (Mark 11:13). Why then should Jesus expect to find fruit on it?  And why destroy it? The Story…
Palm Sunday (John 12:1-18) The word for today is “fulfill.”  Today we follow the Lord as He enters the Holy City of Jerusalem. The multitudes greet Him as the King who “comes in the name of the Lord” (OSB John 12:13).  The crowd praises Him as the Son and successor to King David. And the throng shouts, “Hosanna.”  This term is a Hebrew word of prayer and praise that means “Save, we implore you!” (Strong’s, #5614, 277). Thus, in today’s Gospel (John 12:1-18), the Gospel writer John quotes the Prophet Zechariah, “Fear not daughter of Zion. Behold your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt (OSB vs. 15). The Kind of Kingdom He Comes to Establish Today we…
The word of the day is “fire.” Today our reading of Hebrews 12:18-13:8 begins with a striking admonition: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:18-19). Today as we stand in the doorway of Holy Week, we have good reason to take this urgent counsel with ultimate seriousness. Indeed our King is coming to us and the events that the things He will endure on our behalf will be both dreadful and awesome. As the Lord prophesied, He comes “to bring fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49), the fire of God acting…
The word of the day is “speechless.”  Can those who have no voice get justice? If they cannot speak, they cannot be heard. Therefore, if their cause is to be considered, then someone must speak for them. In keeping with this thought, in our reading of Proverbs 31:8-31, the sage writes, “Open your mouth for the speechless… open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (NKJV vs. 31:8).  Today we learn that the Almighty expects us to defend those whose cause would otherwise be unnoticed or even purposely overlooked. The sage of Proverbs writes, “The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge” (NKJV Proverbs 29:7).  The Septuagint…
The word of the day is “horse.”  What strength can we rely on when we face temptation?  In our reading of Proverbs 21:23-22:4, the wise sage of Proverbs writes, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord” (NKJV vs. 31).  If temptation engages us in a battle, we might depend on our strength as ancient peoples counted on their chariots.  However, the sage states that rescue from our foes is in the hands of God, not warhorses or human power. Today we highlight the importance of trusting the Lord and not our own devices. The ancient Israelites did not have horses or chariots until the reign of Solomon. Therefore, to the Chosen People, the warhorse was a source…