The word of the day is “turn.” Today, the Orthodox observe a “little Lent” before Great Lent. No liturgy is celebrated today, and there is no Gospel or Epistle reading.  Others of us observing Ash Wednesday.   But whether the day is a “Little Lent” or Ash Wednesday, in our reading of Joel 2:12-26, we hear the urgent cry, “Turn to me with all your heart with fasting and wailing and with mourning…” (vs. 12). These stirring words admonish us to take the upcoming Lenten season with ultimate seriousness.  There is no time to delay. There is no more room for spiritual laxity. The prophet announces the time of grace and judgment has come upon us. Today our reading goes back…
The word of the day is “glorified .”  Today with 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10, we begin to read St. Paul’s second letter to his congregation in Thessalonica, the important crossroads of Macedonia.  The apostle writes from Ephesus in about 51 AD within months of his first letter. But now, he refers to the “persecutions and tribulations” that his congregation is undergoing (vs. 4). He consoles his flock in this port city that their afflictions are evidence that they are worthy of the kingdom of God, the reign of God for which they now suffer (vs. 5). St. Paul assures the faithful that God will settle accounts with their persecutors and with those who neither know Him nor obey the gospel. God…
The word of the day is “turn,” Today we observe a “little Lent” before Great Lent. No liturgy is celebrated today, and there is no Gospel or Epistle reading.   Rather, in our reading of Joel 2:12-26, we hear the urgent cry, “Turn  to me with all your heart with fasting and wailing and with mourning…” ( vs. 12). Our reading admonishes us to take the upcoming Lenten season with ultimate seriousness.  There is no time to delay. There is no more room for spiritual laxity. The prophet announces the time of grace and judgment has come upon us. Today our reading goes back to the 700 years before Christ. The People of God are facing two catastrophes, a plague of…
The word of the day is “glorified.” Today with 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10, we begin St. Paul’s second letter to his congregation in Thessalonica, the important crossroads of Macedonia. The Apostle writes from Ephesus in about 51 AD within months of his first letter. But now, he refers to the “persecutions and tribulations” that his congregation is undergoing (vs. 4).  He consoles them that their afflictions are evidence that they are worthy of the kingdom of God for which they now suffer (vs. 5). On the Day of Christ’s Coming St. Paul assures the flock that God will settle accounts with their persecutors and those who neither know Him nor obey the gospel. God’s will carry out His justice when the…