Scripture Readings -Fourth Sunday after Feast of Pentecost

Scripture Readings -Fourth Sunday after Feast of Pentecost
Old Testament Readings
Deuteronomy 33:23-29 , Joshua 6:14-18
Hosea 5:11-6:1
Daniel 3:24-45 , Isaiah 65:8-12
New Testament Readings
Acts 6:1-17 , I Corinthians 10:14-18
St. Mathew 14:14-23

Persevere - From Saint Justin Parvu

It is not enough to attend the church services and just be there like that would be enough. We have to work the prayer from the inside out. No matter how many prayers we say with our mouth, it is nothing if the prayer is not coming from the heart and if we don’t apply the teachings of Orthodoxy in our everyday life. Now more than ever, lay people have to pray from the heart, because this will be our only salvation. In the heart is the root of all passions and that is where we need to direct our struggles. If in the later years Christianity became look warm and superficial, we have to end all that now, this is not going to be enough anymore. If we will not pray from the heart, we will not be able to sustain the psychological attacks, because the evil one has hidden brainwashing methods that are unknown to us… Times will come when only the ones that have the Spirit of God will be able to know good from evil. Human mind itself on its own will not be able to tell the difference. There will be great deceptions and only the Holy Spirit will give us the discernment we need so we could save ourselves. Pray that you will not be deceived ! Only through prayer we can receive the Holy Spirit. If we don’t pray and just persevere may in our laziness and unrepentful ways, we will completely lose the Holy Spirit and His guidance. May it not be that we lose the guidance of the Holy Spirit !”

Do not rebuke those sorrowful at heart, that you might not be paid back with the same rod, so that when you’ll seek for someone to have mercy on you, you might find him there!

Do not reproach anyone for their sins, but consider yourself responsible for everything, even for your neighbor’s sins.

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“The time will come, and it has already come, when the Christian will no longer be persecuted for prayer, but for his refusal to deny himself. Do not be deceived: the apocalypse does not arrive with frightful thunder, but with a cunning silence. Men will be enslaved unchained, controlled unknowingly and instructed to love convenience more than Truth. Peace will be demanded at any cost, but the price will be the soul. Blind obedience will be required, but not to God, but to spirits foreign to Christ. So, anyone who remains firm in their faith in Christ will be considered crazy, extremist, dangerous. Know this: it is not technology that makes the world lose, but the denial of God. It is not the mark on the hand that is more frightening, but the mark in the heart, when man stops fearing sin. When you stop confessing, when you stop crying about your mistakes, when you get accustomed to evil as something natural, that’s where the end begins. Churches can stand, but if conscience collapses, nothing remains. There won’t be time for halves or quarters. It will be: either with Christ or without Him. Either cross or rejection. Whoever wants to preserve this life at any cost will lose it, and whoever will suffer for the Truth at risk of losing earthly life, this will be written in Heaven. Don’t be afraid of what people are going to do with your body; be afraid of the moment when you will be tempted to keep quiet when you have to confess the Truth. That’s where the great battle will take place.”

“A war or any kind of cataclysm must be met with great faith and without despair , because God is the One who sends such trials upon humanity, for our correction. Through a war, God wants to stop the wickedness of the world’s leaders, who oppose the Creator, and to bring to repentance those who have distanced themselves from Him, through the multitude of passions, or to purify the souls of the chosen ones like gold in a smelter .

God, out of His love, when He sees that no method of correction works anymore, He allows wars and misfortunes.

When the saints and spiritual guides are lacking, God will send another persecution so that, through the suffering of the Cross, we may be sanctified and humanity may gain new saints and guides of souls.

Our repentance, both for ourselves and for all humanity, can always bring mercy to God and give us strength to face any trouble patiently and without panic.

ICON AND LIGHT - St Justin Parvu's advise

Scripture Readings - Third Sunday after Feast of Holy Pentecost

Third Sunday after Feast of  Holy  Pentecost
Evening :St. Mark 6: 4-13 

Morning: St. Luke 9: 1-11
Before Holy Qurbana
Genesis 42: 18-25 , Jeremiah 2: 35 - 3: 5
Daniel 3: 21-30 , Judges 1:8-11
Holy Qurbana
Acts 13: 26-39 , Galatians 6:10-18
St. John 6: 35-46

Lectionary - Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

BO'UTHO OF MOR EHREM - THIRD HOUR SUNDAY (KYMTHO)

BO'UTHO OF MOR EHREM - THIRD HOUR  SUNDAY 

Christ By Your Resurrection 

You redeemed us and saved us 

Lord, Have mercy upon us 

And upon our departed 

On this Sunday , this great day

Hope and courage came to us;

The Living one rose from death

And shamed His crucifiers

On this Sunday, this great day 

The Living One rose from death 

He ascended and sat at 

The right hand of His Father

Christ By Your Resurrection 

You redeemed us and saved us

Lord, have mercy upon us

And upon our departed

Christ, who redeemed Your servants

By Your great Resurrection

Grant forgiveness to us, Lord

And to all our departed

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Notes from Service Book through LRD

You redeemed and saved us

St. Irenaeus explains, "The Lord has redeemed us through His own blood, giving His soul for our souls and His flesh for our flesh, and has poured out the Spirit of the Father for the union and communion of God and humankind, imparting God to humanity by means of the Spirit" 

Lord have mercy upon us

St. Cyprian of Carthage (3rd AD) reminds us that , " The Lord alone can have mercy. He alone can bestow pardon for sins which have been committed against Himself " 

On this Sunday - The Church has set apart the first day of the week for worship because it is the day of Christ's Resurrection ( Mt. 28:1; Mk 16:2 ; Lk 24:1 , Jn 20:1) We see this practice continued as St. Luke notes " On the first day of the week, when we meet to break bread ... " ( Acts 20:7)

In the Didache ( 1st AD) , it is clear that " On every Lord's Day - His Special day- come together and break bread and give thanks.. "

By the 2nd Century, St Justin Martyr witnesses to the already universal practice of worship: " Christians assemble from all places... They read the memoirs of the Apostles.. the one who presides gives a discourse....The priest offers the gifts and the people respond with  'Amin'. All present receive the Eucharist and alms are collected to aid the orphans and widows and all who are in want, through sickness or any other cause. We hold our common assembly on the Sun's day, because it is the first day of the week , on which God put to fight darkness and chaos, and made the world. On this day, Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead." 

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Translation from Malayalam - Living Sacrifice

O our Lord, Son of God who by His resurrection gave us freedom Have mercy upon us

On this day of Sunday the Heavenly one resurrected ,giving us hope and courage. But those who crucified Him became ashamed 

On this great day of Sunday He rose from the tomb and ascended the heaven and sat at the right hand of His father ( I Peter 3:22)

O our Lord, Son of God by Your resurrection gave us freedom, Have mercy upon us

O Messiah who saved us by Your resurrection, Have mercy upon us and our departed ones, 

Scripture Readings - Second Sunday after Feast of Holy Pentecost

Second Sunday after Feast of Holy Pentecost

Evening :St. Luke 6: 12-23

Morning :St. Mark 3: 7 -19 ; 4:21-23

Before Holy Qurbana (OT Readings)
Leviticus 19: 1-8, II Samuel 5: 1-10
Song of Songs 2:15 -3:6  ,  Sirach 46:1-6
Daniel 6: 25-28
Holy Qurbana
Acts 4: 23 - 31
Ephesians 2: 11-22
St. Matthew 10:34 -11:1

Pride , Faithfulness , Judgement - From Commentary of St. Paul's First Letter to Corinth

Apostle Paul exhorted the Church to enjoy unity, based upon the exalted love of God, through the salvation work of the Son (Chapter 1); the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (Chapter 2); and receiving the care of God the Father for His Church, His field, and His building (Chapter 3). The apostle intends for them not to be preoccupied with dissensions, but with God, the whole Love. Now, he is committed to defend himself; not to draw their sight to his person, nor for the sake of temporal glory he covets; but to confirm this church unity. He is the minister of the One Christ, the steward of the mysteries of God; a father to them in Jesus Christ, whose pleasure is not in having a group of them referred to him; but in the faithful realization of his mission, and in the preoccupation of the believers with the Lord, their Savior.

This chapter presents to us a live portrait of the commitment of the minister for faithfulness; faithfulness to God, being the steward of His mysteries; faithfulness to the Incarnate Word, to care for the ministry of salvation; faithfulness to the Church, to bear her humble features; and faithfulness to the ministry, to present a paternal compassion and commitment.

1- A steward of the mysteries of God 1 - 4

2- They should not judge their minister 5 - 6

3- The minister should not be puffed up 7 - 8

4- Troubles of the ministry 9 - 14

5- Paul’s paternal care 15 - 16

6- Sending Timothy to them 17

7- A promise to visit them 18 - 21

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Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveals the counsels of the hearts; and then each one’s praise will come from God” 

The apostle, who cares for his own salvation, for that of his brethren, and for the unity of the Church, seeks to put everything in its right place. On one aspect no one is to judge him, not trusting even his own internal decision; as the search of hearts is within the authority of God alone. And on another aspect, God Himself left His own judgment until His great day, when He, alone, is capable of presenting the heavenly reward and the glory that would never fail nor be corrupted. So why should we take by force the authority of God by judging others. Let us leave the judgment in the hands of Him who is capable of revealing the hidden things of the hearts. Let us not rush things; time is short; the great day of the Lord is soon to come; and the glory is set for us. As though he is saying: [If God Himself is waiting for the last day to praise those who walk faithfully, and to grant them the heavenly glory, Why should you be preoccupied with judging and condemning His ministers, as though you find pleasure in the perdition of others?! As we can only see what is outside, and no one can reveal the inner intent and motives of others to judge their faithfulness, it is befitting of us therefore to wait until the great day of the Lord, when the hidden things will be revealed, and the praise will be from the Lord and not from men (see also James 5: 7).

If I am unable to judge myself, how can I claim to have the right to judge others?!

(Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the Shepherd of the Church and her Founder: “I build My Church”; She is His work, and not any body else’s. He would well understand this, he who knows the value of the dowry He offered for her: “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1: 18, 19). Who, then, can work the vineyard of the Lord, or tend to His flock?! 

Jesus Christ in His care, is not in need of assistant shepherds; But, out of His limitless love for man, He called on him to partake of this task; We may be called ‘shepherds’, Yet, it is not us who do the work, but the ‘shepherd’ Himself in us; He still is the sole Shepherd!

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The enemy tries his best to divert the sight of the Church away from the true Groom to the friend of the Groom, by either commending or reviling him. The Church, being the bride of Jesus the One Groom, she has no one but Him; and has no other way but to let the Groom’s love and the thought of His coming, prevail over her mind and emotions, and fill her heart and life on every side. The enemy, on the other hand, not enduring to see a soul preoccupied with Jesus Christ, does his best to divert us away from the Groom toward someone else; even though a friend of the Groom. He lets us be preoccupied  with the good shepherds, glorifying and praising them; and not giving the glory to God who has given men this authority and this possibility; And with judging and criticizing the wicked. By that the bride’s mind is diverted from loving the Groom to judgment by commending or reviling others.

• Ham, son of Noah brought the curse upon himself by laughing when he saw the private parts of his father; whereas his two brothers who covered him up, got the blessing2.

(St. Ambrose)

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For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men” (9)

The apostle quoted this from what was happening in the Roman amphitheaters, where those condemned to death were presented to wrestle with voracious beasts, or to fight  one another; and the one who wins had to enter into a second, and a third fight, that end in his death. Sometimes they were committed to enter the arena naked for the amusement of the spectators who were thrilled to watch them die from their deadly wounds. It was said that those who were thrown to the voracious beasts in the morning,

were counted as being lucky, compared to those who were left until noon to fight until death against one another. The Roman emperors used those parades as a sort of entertainment and distraction for their people.

The apostles, like their Lord, were counted as not worthy to live, were condemned to death, to rid the world of them. Some believe that the apostle Paul wrote this, and in his mind a custom that prevailed in many pagan countries at the times of serious calamities and plagues; to choose the most evil and the least in social status, to be offered as human sacrifices to idols. And in the early eras, as the Christians were looked upon as the cause of those natural calamities, or of the defeat before enemies, they were offered as sacrifices to appease the wrath of their gods. They were counted as “the filth of the world,

the offscouring of all things” (13),not worthy of living, and should be got rid of. While some believe that he means here “the evil angels”; as the devil and his angels find their pleasure in scoffing the believers, and in seeing them tortured.

The apostle probably proclaims here that all men, even non-believers, could not deny the longsuffering of the apostles, and their receiving the condemnation of death with rejoice; Even angels would marvel to see the work of God’s grace in them.

The Lord Christ allows for His disciples and apostles to go through these troubles, to make them a spectacle both to angels and to men, to show their faithfulness, and to proclaim the grace of God that grants them the strength and endurance, to bring them over to the heavenly glories.

Paul was worthy to become a spectacle to angels, having strived to gain the reward of Christ; he struggled to set the angelic life on earth, by wrestling against the spiritual wickedness. The whole world indeed looked up at him to follow his lead.

(St. Ambrose)

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AN INSPIRATION FROM 1 CORINTHIANS 4

GRANT ME THE SPIRIT OF FATHERHOOD O FATHER OF ALL MANKIND

 In Your divine bosoms I find the warmth of love

There I join every believer in the spirit of true unity

And covet to have all mankind with me.

 

You counted me as Your minister and the steward of Your divine Mysteries.

To what ministry should I be committed, but to preach with love?

And what faithfulness should I present to You, but to practice love.

Grant me the wide-open heart.

To bear the icon of Your love.

And to bring every soul over to you.

Grant me to be Your ambassador by practical love.

O the true Love.

In Your bosoms I would get preoccupied with what preoccupy Your heart.

I would get preoccupied with the salvation of every soul.

And I would have no chance to condemn neither a minister or the ministered.

Nor, as a busybody, to seek in to know what lie in their hearts.

Nor to hasten the day of Judgment.

Nor to rob the chair of Your judgment.

Grant me the simplicity to see in everyone the splendor of Your glory.

To see You in everyone; which would bring joy to my soul.

And the thought of judgment would not crawl into my heart.

Instead of judgment, I shall present a sacrifice of thanksgiving to You.

I see You the source of every spiritual gift to me, to every minister, and to every

believer.

My heart praises You with a new song.

And my soul sings to You an exalted song.

And my tongue keeps on thanking You.

You did not let me and my brethren need anything.

You did not let us lack Your gifts.

But You give abundantly and without measure.

With every song of thanksgiving, I shall present a praise of love.

I covet for all to reign even without me.

For all to be glorified at my expense.

For all to find comfort in the midst of my suffering for Your sake.

Let them be rich; My riches are rather the fellowship of Your poverty.

Let them be glorified; My disgrace is rather the fellowship of the disgrace of Your

cross.

They condemned You to death, O Grantor of life.

Why then, should my soul moan if they count me a spectacle for their entertainment?

And why should I bother if I become a spectacle to angels and men?

Let me be expelled, and even die together with You.

And count Your disgrace my exalted glory.

Grant me the spirit of fatherhood, O Father of all mankind.

To embrace all in my heart, O You who embrace me in Yours

To love everyone more than the temporal light.

To partake of Your love, O You who delivered Yourself for my sake.

What should I seek from You, O Father?

But to become an icon of love for You.

That all inside me would be a fatherhood of love and wisdom!

From Father Tadros Malaty's - A Commentary on the First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians Chapter 4

Temple of God !

A Temple , place of worship unto the Lord -From Father Tadros Malaty's - A Commentary on the First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians' - 

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YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”   I Corinthians 3:16
The apostle Paul speaks about the body as the temple of God, while having in mind the great number of priestesses who practiced corruption to the account of the temple of idols. That made him confirm the relationship of the believer’s body with the Lord Christ, as the temple of God and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. That made him as well, talk about the sanctity of matrimony and the danger of being attached to an adulteress (6: 15, 16).
In the old, Israel counted himself as the temple and the dwelling place of God; on account of that God  was living in their midst. The Lord Christ, having proclaimed that in case two or three gather together in His name, He will be in their midst; the Church became His holy temple.
Wherever God is, will be His temple, sanctified by His Holy Spirit. The Lord Christ, proclaiming to His disciples, that the subject of their preaching is “the kingdom of God is within you”, The Church as a  whole is His temple or His kingdom.; and every member in the Church is God’s temple. It is befitting of him, therefore, not to corrupt this temple, as it is not his own property; but he is just a steward on what God entrusted to him.
The body of the believer is:

• “The temple of God” (3: 16, 17; 19: 6)
• “The Lord’s” (13; 15)
• Should be offered as a living sacrifice to the Lord (Romans 1: 12)
• A dwelling place for God (Ephesians 2: 21, 22)
• A subject of the glory of God (1 Corinthians 6: 20)
• A subject of holiness (Psalm 93: 5)
• A place for peace (Haggai 2: 9; John 16: 33)
• A place where Christ will be manifested (2 Corinthians 4: 10, 11)
• Its members are for righteousness (Romans 6: 13)
• Conformed to the body of Christ (Philippians 3: 20, 21; John 2: 3).

What does he mean by saying that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?
a- The Church, on the level of the congregation, and on that of the member, is the throne of God, where He sits and works, and for the realization of His pleasure.
b- The Church is His kingdom, through which He sends the fruits of the Spirit, of love, joy, peace, and longsuffering (Galatians 5: 22, 23).
c- Through the Church, God leads His people in the midst of sufferings and afflictions, granting them the comforts of the Holy Spirit.
d- As a sanctuary for the Lord, the Church should not be used except for what is his. Even our body members are members of Christ.
e- The Church is the subject of His love; beloved by Him.
f- The body is a tool, moved by the spirit and the brain. What is intended by the spirit, will be shared by the body, whether the will is holy or evil .

“For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 3: 8). I do not wish you to stand fast in us, but in the Lord1.

• Although Paul was not actually ‘nobody’; Yet, if compared to God, he is nobody.
• No one should say in his heart: “God does not care for the sins of the body”.

According to the apostle: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (16, 17). So “Let no one deceives himself” (18).
Someone may say: My soul is the temple of God, and not my body; quoting the following testimony: “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass” (1 Peter 1: 24). What a bitter interpretation! Calling the body grass on account of that it dies. But, you should understand that, what dies for some time, would not also rise by sin. According to the apostle: Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?” (1 Corinthians 6: 19). So, do not ever disregard the sins of the body, on the assumption that your bodies are from God. If you disregard the sin of the body, Are you not disregarding a sin you commit against the temple of God? Your body itself is the temple of the Spirit of God who is in you. So beware of what you do with the temple of God!
Just imagine, what would be worse than to commit adultery within the walls of the Church? You are now the temple of God in your coming in, and in your going out; if you dwell in your homes; if you wake up;… In all that you are a temple of God! So beware, lest it will forsake you, and you would be destroyed!
Speaking about the sin of adultery, and about taking the sin of the body lightly, the apostle says: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6: 19). You were bought at a great price; If you chose to disregard your bodies, do not disregard your price !

(St. Augustine)

It is obvious that we are the temple of God if we do good. If someone is a temple of God; What is in the temple would necessarily be God’s No temple of God would be where an abundance of iniquities are.
(Father Valerian)

He who believes in Christ will receive the Holy Spirit who dwells in Him by the washing of the new birth, by which he would become spiritual. But such a person, if he, again, serves the covetousness of the world, he would become carnal. The apostle Paul says, that those who became spiritual according to the confession of their faith, may probably live as carnal; and insult the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.
(Theodore, Bishop of El-Missa)

“If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” It is befitting of us, therefore, to watch over the holiness of the temple of God through receiving the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, that is realized by the true faith, the sound teachings, and the experience of the new life; As diversion from faith and the corrupt behavior would defile the temple.
He does not say ‘You are the temples of God’, but says: “You are the temple of God”; representing one unit embracing numerous diversified living stones (1 Peter 2: 5).
Certainly in the divine world, there is a specific place for God, where He chooses to dwell – the Church, the icon of heaven; which testifies to His salvation work and His exalted love.
The righteous man could be called ‘heaven’, as about him is said: “for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” . If God dwells in His temple, and the saints are His temple, the expression “Who are in heaven” in the Lord’s prayer, would truly mean “who are in His saints”
I wish the Christians who are called for the eternal inheritance would understand the words: “Who are in heaven” in the Lord’s prayer, as “Who are in the saints and the righteous”. God, being not limited by a certain place; heaven, although higher than the material bodies in the world, yet, being material as well, it would accordingly be limited to a certain space.  Thus if we assume that God exists in the highest reach of the world, the birds would then be better off than us, as they live closer to God. 

It is not written that ‘The Lord is near to the tall, or to those who dwell on the mountains’, but “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart” (Psalm 34: 18); as a reference to humility. So, if the wicked are called ‘earth’, the righteous, on the other hand, are called ‘heaven’, and about them is said: “For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3: 17). Therefore, if God dwells in His temple; and he called the saints ‘His temple’, the expression “Who are in heaven” would mean “Who are in the saints”, and it would be fitting to correlate the righteous and the wicked, spiritually, as heaven and earth, materially.
(St. Augustine)

Paul so says to provoke the consciences of those who have corrupted their bodies by wicked life; and specifically that person who had sexual relationship with his father’s wife (1 Corinthians 5: 1-5).
(Amrosiaster)