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…
The word of the day is “better.” Our secular society tucks religion away in a separate compartment. Our citizens can worship as they choose. But their faith is not supposed to have any bearing outside the sphere of their private “spirituality.” But in our reading of Proverbs 21:3-21, the wise sage writes, “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (NKJV vs. 3). To apply this proverb to our time, let’s suppose that righteousness and justice are matters that apply to our life in society. And let’s consider that sacrifices have to do with religious practices. If that is the case, then righteousness and justice are matters of public concern. They apply to our life…
The word of the day is “keep.” It is possible to lose one’s soul.  The Lord said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (NKJV Mark 8:36).  But how does one keep the soul safe from loss?  In our reading of Proverbs 19:16-25, the wise sage says, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die” (NKJV vs. 16). Today we will consider how we might “keep” our soul instead of losing it. The Hebrew Term for Soul The Hebrew term for “soul” is derived from the thought of the animation of creatures that live and breathe.  As a result, it means the…
The word of the day is “cleanse.”  In these times, we think of disease in medical terms. We speak in terms of infections, cancers, and disorders of the heart and other organs. But when we speak of sin, we use words like transgressions, shortcomings, disobedience and “missing the mark.”  However, the Orthodox Church tends to talk about sin as a disease that needs healing and the corruption that needs cleansing. The Cleansing of Conscience The Orthodox approach to sin and redemption is in keeping with our reading of Hebrews 9:11-14.  In that view, the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice is purification.  The apostle writes, “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean,…
The word of the day is “Ark.” Many families pass down certain articles of past generations to their heirs.  We may keep a family Bible, a porcelain dish, a picture or photo album, a uniform, a set of letters or even a handwritten recipe.  These things are a physical connection to the past.  By treasuring them, we call to mind the memory of our ancestors. Material Reminders of God’s Grace In our reading of Hebrews 9:1-7 (first reading), the apostle writes of physical artifacts that were kept in the most sacred place in the Temple.  He writes of the Holy of Holies and says that it had “the golden censer and the Ark of the Covenant… in which were the golden pot…