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 Old…
The word for 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…
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 listen to the story of our salvation? Will our…
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 Pharoah’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,…
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 inside, who is crying. 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…
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…
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 join…
Today on April 24 (Lazarus Saturday), we begin a series of readings that are crucial to the Orthodox celebration of Holy Week. Our study of the work of our salvation will enhance the understanding of the core of the Christian faith of the Orthodox as well as those who are of other Christian backgrounds. My comments intend to give a deeper insight into the way of the Cross. Our resource will be the Scriptures. But we will also use the Orthodox resource for the services and hymnody of Holy Week, The Lenten Triodion.  References to this worship guidebook will give our Orthodox followers insights about the observance of Holy Week from Holy Tradition. They will also enrich our readings for…
The word for today is “sign.” Today the Orthodox stand at the doorway to Holy Week.  At this threshold is the story of the raising of Lazarus John 11:1-45.  Most of us have gone through so many observances of Christ’s passion that the events of this week might have lost their edge. However, if we take a second look at the story of Lazarus, we will learn to participate in the events as if we were there following the Lord to His Cross and the the appearance as the Risen Christ for the first time. At every step, the Lord speaks and acts in surprising ways.  The Scriptures foretold everything that was to occur.  And yet, from our point of…
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…