Orthodox Christian Reads

Lectionary for the 13th Sunday of Luke (November 27th)

Ephesians 2:14-22

Brethren, Christ is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Luke 18:18-27

At that time, a ruler came to Jesus and asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.' " And he said, "All these I have observed from my youth." And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very rich. Jesus looking at him said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God.

Commentary by Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid

Notes from John Sanidopoulos:

1. Theophylact here includes lust with adultery, and anger with murder, in accordance with Christs commandments and teaching. See Mt. 5:21-22, 27-28.

2. In the Greek text, the word for "follow," akolouthei, is in the present imperative, implying a continuous action. By contrast, the two previous imperatives, poleson, "sell," and diados, "distribute," are in the aorist imperative, implying a single, finite action. 

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0:00 Intro 0:18 Epistle Reading 1:29 Gospel Reading  2:38 Commentary by Blessed Theophylact 3:09 "Can you make my riches last forever?" 3:53 Jesus is not just a man 4:50 The head of all Commandments 5:17 To distribute means to give with discernment 5:39 Attachment is impediment to spiritual growth 6:30 Money is stickier than glue 7:10 Being a Steward vs. Being Rich 7:51 The devil uses our wealth against us 8:11 When God is our Counselor....

Small Compline, the final prayer service of the day which typically occurs after the evening meal and in compunctive preparation for sleep. It is an opportunity to give thanks for the joys and graces we've received during the day, and an honorable way in which to end the day the same way it began: In doxological prayer to God.

The translation used is published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline Massachusetts. It maintains a genuine faithfulness to the original Greek text, while striking a judicious balance between poeticism and interpretation.

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0:19 Trisagion Prayers 2:03 Psalm 50 3:42 Psalm 69 4:16 Psalm 142 5:30 Doxology  7:10 Nicene Creed 8:15 It is truly meet 8:32 Trisagion  9:31 Troparia 10:24 Thou Who at all times... 11:45 O Spotless... 13:33 And Grant to us... 14:43 In Thee O full of grace... 15:07 Prayer to Angel 15:53 O Theotokos and Virgin 16:25 Awed by the Beauty

Lectionary for the 9th Sunday of Luke (November 20th)

Ephesians 2:4-10

Brethren, God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God: not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Luke 12:16-21

The Lord said this parable: "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." As he said these things, he cried out: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Commentary by Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid.

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0:00 Intro 0:12 Epistle Reading 1:10 Gospel Reading 2:02 Commentary by St. Theophylact 2:08 We must mimic the mercy of God 2:47 Anxiety over poverty 3:56 Taking credit for God's work 4:36 You can't buy long life 6:06 Aimless acquisition of wealth 6:35 Righteous souls are already with God, and are not demanded 8:09 God is my infinite treasury

In honor of the feast day of our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, which we celebrate on November 13th, here is a short selection from his 'philokalic' work, which pertains to the Jesus Prayer and the manner of life that is required to cultivate it.  St. John Chrysostom and the Jesus Prayer is compiled and translated by the V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas and Rev. Fr. Peter A. Chamberas, and is published by New Rome Press. New Rome Press not only produces edifying material, but their careful attention to detail and aesthetics is unparalleled.

Written as a response to a certain abbot’s request for a spiritual rule of prayer, the letter of St. John Chrysostom on the Jesus Prayer lived well beyond its originally anticipated reception. The letter itself has been copied and reproduced for centuries, and served as a vital source of guidance into the art of prayer for many generations of Orthodox Christians.  This text is a powerful exhortation to the life of prayer, but such a description is by no means exhaustive. The majority of St. John’s letter consists of an extended series of unique injunctions, each of which begins with the phrase, παρακαλώ ούν υμάς, or “I beseech you then…” showing the authority and faith with which he writes, and is then followed by an imperative call to immediate action. Nearly all exhortations speak to the interpersonal or relational aspect of the Christian life, how necessary it is to the cleansing of the inner heart of heart.

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Sections Read

• Introduction: Heart
• Paragraph 1 (pp 3-5)
• Paragraph 7 (pp 9-13)
• Paragraph 8 (pp 15-17)

0:18 Introduction: Heart 1:53 Paragraph 1 3:23 Paragraph 7 6:54 Paragraph 8

 A Manual of Eastern Orthodox Prayers published by Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press. 

Evening prayers, an opportunity for compunction and thankgiving. These prayers, as well as many others, are found in A Manual of Eastern Orthodox Prayers published by Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press.

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0:00 Intro 0:12 Trisagion Prayers 1:34 Penitential Troparia 2:25 Troparia of Thanksgiving 3:20  Prayer of St. Makarios the Great 4:01 Prayer of St. Antioch 5:00 Prayer of Forgiveness  5:25 12 Prayers of St. John Chrysostom 7:16 Prayer for Children of God 7:35 Prayer to the Mother of God 7:59 Prayer to the Guardian Angel 8:44  The Magnificat 9:00 Absolve, remit, forgive... 9:15 Prayer to the Holy Cross 10:01 Prayer of St. Philaret of Moscow 10:42 Second Prayer of St. Philaret of Moscow 11:22 As you fall asleep, say:

Morning prayers, beginning the day with God. The translation used is published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Brookline Massachusetts. It is one that I love deeply for its faithfulness to the original Greek text while striking a judicious balance between poeticism and interpretation.

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0:13 Trisagion Prayers 1:28 Troparia 2:18 Morning Prayer 3:05 50th Psalm 4:37 Creed (Symbol of Faith)  5:35 Morning Prayer of St. Basil the Great 6:41 The Magnificat 7:01 Final Prayer

The following is an excerpt from Reflections of a Humble Heart: A Fifteenth Century Text on the Spiritual Life. (pgs 59-61)

"Among the Byzantine manuscripts in the Vatican library there is this portion of the notes of a certain monk Basil concerning his discussions with an elder whose name did not reach us. Either the monk Basil, who recorded the words of the elder of blessed memory, assumed that everyone knew about whom he was speaking, or the elder's name was mentioned in earlier notes that have been lost. It is supposed that the blessed elder was a renowned ascetic of one of the monasteries near Constantinople, and that he lived in the early fifteenth century."

Themes include the fall of Adam, God's love for man, the second coming of Jesus Christ, and Christian virtues.

Published by Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society.

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