| The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil is officiated on this day. The readings are: 2 Cor. 11:23-32; Mtt 26-2-28; Jn. 13:3-17; Mtt 26:21-39; Lk. 22:43-44; Mtt 26:40-75; Mtt 27-1-2. During this Liturgy the priest prepares the “Amnos”, the Holy Communion, which is kept throughout the whole year to be given the faithful in times of sickness. The Body and Blood of Christ is present in the Church during the entire year and throughout the ages. On this day, with greater feeling than ever, Christians come for Holy Communion singing: “Receive me Today, O Son of God, as a partaker of Thy Mystic Feast; for I will not speak of the Mystery to Thine enemies, I will not kiss Thee as did Judas, but as the thief I will confess Thee. Lord, remember me when I comest to Thy Kingdom.” “We worship Thy passion, O Christ……” Great Holy Thursday Evening (The service of the HOLY PASSION of our Lord Jesus Christ. The service is Matins of Friday morning sung by anticipation Thursday evening.) Good Friday celebrates the holy, saving and awesome Passion of Christ. To take away our sins, Christ willingly endured the spittings, scourgings, buffetings, scorn, mocking and the purple robe; the reed, sponge, vinegar, nails, spear and, above all, the Cross and Death. The confession from the cross of the penitent thief, crucified with Christ, is celebrated. This service is long, but its content is dramatic and deeply moving for the devout Christian. Participation in the prayers and the historical sequence of the events, as related in the Gospels and hymns, provides a vivid foundation for the great events yet to come. Following are the references of the “Twelve Gospel” readings of this service: 1. St. John 13:31 thru Ch. 18,1 2. St. John 18:1-29 3. St. Matthew 26:57-75 4. St. John 18:28 thru Ch. 19:16 5. St. Matthew 27:3-32 6. St. Mark 15:16-32 7. St. Matthew 27:33-54 8. St. Luke 23:32-49 9. St. John 19:38-42 10. St. Mark 15:43-47 11. St. John 19:38-42 12. St. Matthew 27:62-66 These readings relate the last instructions of Christ to His disciples, the prophecy of the drama of the Cross, the dramatic prayer of Christ and His new commandment. The day should be devoted to reading the “Gospel of the Testament” of Christ which He left for all men. The Church services during Holy Week re-enact the events of this Gospel. |
| Él les dice que Moisés, en quien ellos depositaron su confianza, será quien los acuse durante el Juicio de Dios. Moisés acusará a los judíos por su incredulidad en Cristo, pues fue él quien escribió las profecías y las promesas sobre la Venida de Cristo en los libros del Génesis ( Gen. 3:15, 12:3, 49:10 ), del Deuteronomio (Dt. 18:15) y en general, sobre la ley que fue la sombra de los bienes futuros en el Reino de Cristo (Heb. 10:1), y guía para llevarnos a Él ( Gal. 3:24 ). Las espigas arrancadas en sábado. ( Mt. 12:1–8 ; Mk. 2:23–28 ; Lk. 6:1–5 ). Jesús dejó Judea para dirigirse a Galilea. De regreso a Galilea Él y Sus discípulos atravesaron un campo sembrado. Era un día sábado y, como dice san Lucas: «era un sábado segundo del primero» es decir, el primer sábado después del segundo día de la Pascua. Los discípulos sintieron hambre y comenzaron a arrancar las espigas, y restregándolas entre las manos, las comían. Esto estaba permitido por la ley de Moisés, la cual solo prohibía pasar la hoz en la mies del prójimo (Dt. 23:25). Sin embargo, los fariseos consideraron esto como una violación del reposo sabático y no dejaron pasar la oportunidad de increpar al Señor por haber autorizado las acciones de Sus discípulos. Para defenderlos de tales reproches, Nuestro Señor cita a los fariseos el ejemplo de David ( I Sam. 21:2–7 ). David huyendo de Saúl, llegó a la sagrada ciudad de Nob, pidió al sacerdote Abimélek que le diese cinco panes o lo que tuviese a mano. Abimélek le dio los panes consagrados que solo los sacerdotes podían consumir. La eficacia del ejemplo reside en el hecho de que nadie condenó a David, quien atormentado por el hambre, comió aquellos panes. De igual modo, los discípulos de Cristo no debían ser condenados, pues estaban sirviendo a Su Señor y en ocasiones como ésta, sorprendidos por el sábado, transgredieron la ley de manera insignificante, pues no tenían que comer y decidieron arrancar las espigas. Nuestro Señor justificó el proceder de Sus discípulos para luego revelar la fuente de la que surgió la injusta acusación. Esto es, el falso entendimiento de las exigencias de la ley Divina. Si los fariseos comprendiesen que, el amor compasivo por el hambriento es superior a las tradiciones y costumbres rituales, entonces no acusarían a quienes inocentemente cortaron las espigas para saciar su hambre. El hombre no ha sido creado para observar el sábado, sino que el sábado ha sido dado al hombre para su beneficio. Mas importante que la ley del reposo sabático es el ser humano, y el cuidado de que sus fuerzas no se agoten, evitando así su muerte. |
| This man uses his head, or should I say, he uses his heart. He was ordered to go to the priest, and then he was cleansed on the way. He knew that the Great High Priest had healed him, so he obeyed the command. He went to Great High Priest and worshipped Him. This man understood. He had eyes to see, and ears to hear. He saw what a great miracle had been worked, and he knew that only God would be able to do such a thing. This man was a thoughtful man. He considered things. These other nine, even upon seeing the example of one of their kindred, were not thoughtful. It did not occur to them why they were cleansed, and Who they had just encountered. They had just seen the God-man, and been healed by His mercy, and yet they did not really understand. The law is about love and thankfulness. The law is about becoming like God. The Jewish law is very intricate, and you would be amazed how many things in the Jewish law we still follow to this day, but its essence is the Christian law. That essence is to become like God, to be enlightened; and, being enlightened by Him, to become like Him—not in His essence, but in His actions. To be full of love for every man; to be fire. This leper understood that he had just encountered fire, and he went back to it. These nine men, who had also been healed, did not understand, because they were not thinking with their hearts. They were not being enlightened. The other Gospel says something that relates very much to what we are considering here. It says: Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have (Lk. 8:18) . Be careful how you hear. Everyone is hearing the same thing, but we are hearing it differently, because we are hearing it through the prism of our consciousness, our passions, our sins, and our agendas. To the pure, all things are pure (Tit. 1:15). The pure in heart will see God. 3 The impure will see Him, and yet not see Him, and hear Him, and yet not understand him. They may be healed by Him, and yet they will not really be completely healed by Him. The real healing of the leper is what we are about to see. His healing from leprosy was only the beginning, just like the man who was born blind. 4 When he went to the pool of Siloam and came back, having been given eyes to see, he was enlightened to see the God-man, and to know Him, and REALLY be healed at that point. 5 We can see this over and over again. Christ heals the man inside and out. We have seen only a partial healing so far today. The leper still has a bit more medication to be given, and his healing will be completed. |
| The apostles, when they went forth to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus, consistently placed that message in a particular context: the cosmology of the Bible, based on the doctrine of Creation. Although the dominical mandate the apostles received did not explicitly say so ( Mt 28:19-20 ; Mk 16:15 ; Lk 24:46-48 ; Acts 1:8 ), they quickly sensed that the Gospel of redemption could not be safely proclaimed without the dogma of Creation. This is one of the reasons, surely, that the Gospel, as it spread through the Greco-Roman world, first took root in the synagogues of the Diaspora, where the biblical thesis of Creation was already taken for granted. Elsewhere in that culture, this was not always—or, even, often—the case. The biblical doctrine of Creation was only one of several types of cosmology known around the Mediterranean Basin. For this reason Paul, when he addressed the Stoics and Epicureans at Athens, was obliged to begin with the “God who made the world and everything in it” ( Acts 17:24 ). Those who argued for the truth of the Gospel throughout the early centuries of the Church were obliged to return, again and again, to the biblical teaching on Creation. Apologists like Tatian ( Discourse to the Greeks 5) and Irenaeus ( Against the Heresies 3.10.1-4) perceived that the correct Christian doctrine of redemption absolutely demanded the Jewish format of the created order. Any other cosmological framework would inevitably destroy the Gospel. Very quickly in Christian history the initial article of the Creed spoke of God as “Creator of heaven and earth.” The Church Fathers were not content, however, simply to affirm the fact of creation; they also pondered its meaning and reflected on its implications. For instance, treatises on the six days of creation ( In Hexaemeron ) were prominent in the works of churchmen like Basil and Ambrose. St. Gregory the Theologian , who remained steadfastly apophatic when speaking about God in Himself, spoke more directly when he came to treat of God as Creator. It is in the work of creation, where God is revealed “outside Himself,” that man first knows Him. |
| Photo: mitropolia-simbirsk.ru What does the Bible have to say about the heart? “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” Luke 2:51 “The word of God…[pierces] to…the thoughts and intentions of the heart” Hebrews 4:12) “Out of the heart come evil thoughts” (Matthew 15:19) Surprisingly, the Bible treats the heart as the place where we do our thinking —we think in our hearts, not our heads. And, as Matthew 15:19 shows, those thoughts are not always noble. In our culture we regard our ability to reason as one of the highest aspects of human personhood, but forget how often we employ that faculty in less-than-noble pursuits. The biblical Greek word for thinking actively, like when you’re thinking something through, is dianoia , and it includes selfish fantasies, plotting, and scheming: “The imagination [ dianoia ] of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen 8:21) “He has scattered the proud in the imagination [ dianoia ] of their hearts” (Lk 1:51) So if the heart is where humans do their thinking, where do they feel emotions? The strongest emotions, as well as the deepest thoughts, are said to arise from “the inward parts,” the bowels and kidneys, as we might refer to “gut feelings.” That sounds coarse in our culture, though; so modern English translations usually substitute something more polite, located higher up in the body. Psalm 16:7 in Hebrew: “I will bless the Lord who has given me understanding; in the night also my kidneys instruct me” King James Version, 1611: “My reins also instruct me” ( reins being an archaic term for “kidneys,” as in “renal function”) Revised Standard Version, 1952: “In the night also my heart instructs me” New American Standard Version, 1971: “My mind instructs me in the night” Apparently, over the centuries, everything’s been rising. Maybe in a hundred years we’ll read, “My hat instructs me”! But it’s not a matter of substituting “bowels and heart” for “heart and head,” for the Scriptures don’t share our view of emotion as an equal-and-opposite alternative to reason. Our assumption is that people tend toward one function or the other, and we deplore the waves of emotion that undermine reason, or the coldness of solitary reason that stifles the heart. But the Scriptures don’t view them as opposed or parallel faculties. |
| Jean//Le Muséon. 1959. Vol. 72. P. 101-151, 277-299; Wiles M. F. The Spiritual Gospel: The Interpretation of the Forth Gospel in the Early Church. Camb., 1960; Pagels E. H. The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: Heracleon " s Commentary on John. Nashville, 1973. (SBL.MS; 17); Blanc C. Le Commentaire d " Héracléon sur Jean 4 et 8//Augustinianum. 1975. Vol. 15. N 1/2. P. 81-124; M ü hlenberg E. Wieviel Erlösungen kennt der Gnostiker Herakleon?//ZNW. 1975. Bd. 66. N 3/4. S. 170-193; Orbe A. Cristología gnóstica. Madrid, 1976. 2 vol.; Aland B. Erwählungstheologie und Menschenklassenlehre: Die Theologie des Herakleon als Schlüssel zum Verständnis der christlichen Gnosis?//Gnosis and Gnosticism/Ed. M. Krause. Leiden, 1977. P. 148-181. (NHS; 8); Devoti D. Remarques sur l " anthropologie d " Héracléon: Les psychiques//StPatr. 1985. Vol. 16/2. P. 143-151; Poffet J.-M. La méthode exégétique d " Héracléon et d " Origène: Соттепт. de Jn 4: Jésus, la Samaritaine et les Samaritains. Fribourg, 1985. (Paradosis; 28); Bammel C. Herakleon//TRE. 1986. Bd. 15. S. 54-57; Trumbower J. A. Origen " s Exegesis of John 8. 19-53: The Struggle with Heracleon over the Idea of Fixed Natures//VChr. 1989. Vol. 43. N 2. P. 138-154; Kaestli J.-D. L " exégèse valentinienne du quatrième évangile//La communauté johannique et son histoire: La trajectoire de l " Évangile de Jean aux deux premiers siècles/Ed. J.-D. Kaestli et al. Gen., 1990. P. 323-350; Ehrman B. D. Heracleon, Origen, and the Text of the Fourth Gospel//VChr. 1993. Vol. 47. N 2. P. 105-118; idem. Heracleon and the «Western» Textual Tradition//NTS. 1994. Vol. 40. N 2. P. 161-179; Castellano A. La exégesis de Orígenes y de Heracleón a los testimonios del Bautista. Santiago, 1998; Nagel T. Die Rezeption des Johannesevangeliums im 2. Jh. Lpz., 2000; Wucherpfennig A. Heracleon Philologus. Tüb., 2002. (WUNT; 142); L ö hr W. Valentinian Variations on Lk 12. 8-9/Mt 10.32//VChr. 2003. Vol. 57. N 4. P. 437-455; Il Commento a Giovanni di Origene: Il testo e i suoi contesti: Atti dell " VIII Convegno di Studi del Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca su Origene e la Tradizione Alessandrina (Roma, 28-30 settembre 2004)/Ed. |
| Календарь Материалы 15 февраля 2015 г. [Встреча с Православием/Богослужение] 2/15 февраля 2015 г. Неделя мясопустная, о Страшном суде. Сретение Господа нашего Иисуса Христа. Сретенский монастырь. Божественная литургия. Хор Сретенского монастыря. (MP3 файл. Продолжительность 2:41:17 мин. Размер 116.2 Mb) [Встреча с Православием/Проповеди] Святейший Патриарх Московский и всея Руси Кирилл То была встреча неслучайная неслучайных людей. И мы знаем, что речь идет о праведном Симеоне и о Анне Пророчице, которые всю свою долгую жизнь жили в благочестии, в чистоте, в молитве. Состояние их души было таково, что они могли встретиться со Христом и с Его Пречистой Матерью. (MP3 файл. Продолжительность 10:47 мин. Размер 7.8 Mb) [Встреча с Православием/Жизнь Церкви] Священники о масленице — Вопросы священнику — Художественная литература — Рецепты. Алексей Лидов В ходе гражданской войны в Сирии разрушению подверглись не только объекты инфраструктуры и частные дома, но и 290 памятников, часть из которых находится под защитой ЮНЕСКО. «Полит.ру» публикует информацию о разрушениях, собранную у сирийских журналистов. Протоиерей Андрей Ткачев Поговорим о нашумевшем фильме «Левиафан» господина Звягинцева. Все уже поговорили на эту тему, а мы ещё нет, хотя имеем на это первое право. English Edition [News] “This film will not be shown in our cinemas as most of its contents contradicts the mentality and religious beliefs of the majority of the republic " s population,” Ayubova said. [Saints. Asceties of Piety. Church Holy Days ] The iconography for the Meeting of the Lord is based upon the Gospel passage of St. Luke (Lk. 2:22-39). On the icons, frescoes, and miniatures the key activity is the Theotokos giving the Child into the hands of Symeon; behind her is Joseph the Betrothed carrying doves either in his hands or in a cage, and behind Symeon is the prophetess Anna with a scroll in her hands. [News] The participants of an international conference titled Human Dignity, Freedom and Rights: Christian Dimension, held in Slovenia, have sent an appeal to Pristina city authorities to abandon a scheduled demolition of the temple of Christ the Savior in downtown Pristina. |
| Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: To The Trinity: O Trinity simple and undivided, of one essence and one nature, Lights and Light, three Holies and one Holy, God the Trinity is hymned. But sing, my soul, and glorify the Life and Lives, the God of all. Now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: We sing of thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, O Mother of God, for thou gavest birth to one of the inseparable Trinity, the one Son and God, and to us on earth thou hast opened the heavenly realms. Song 8 Eirmos: Him Whom the heavenly hosts glorify and before Whom Cherubim and Seraphim tremble, let every breath and all creation praise, bless and exalt throughout all ages. Refrain: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me. Troparia: Just Judge and Savior, have mercy on me and deliver me from the fire and the threat which I shall justly incur at the judgment. Forgive me before my end by virtue and repentance. Like the robber I cry, “Remember me!” Like Peter I weep bitterly, “Release me, O Savior!” I croak like the publican; I weep like the harlot. Accept my lamentation as Thou once did the Canaanite woman. ( Lk.23:42 ; Mt.26:75 ; Lk.18:13 ; Lk.7:37-38 ; Mt.15:22-28 ) Heal, O Savior, the corruption of my debased soul, O only Physician. Apply the compress to me, and the oil and wine – works of repentance, compunction and tears. ( Lk.10:34 ) Imitating the woman of Canaan, I also cry, “Have mercy on me, O Son of David!” I touch Thy hem like the woman with hemorrhage. I weep like Martha and Mary over Lazarus. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: To The Trinity: Eternal Father, co-eternal Son, gracious Comforter, Spirit of Truth; Father of the Divine Word, Word of the Eternal Father, living and creative Spirit, Trinity Unity, have mercy on us. Now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Theotokion: As from scarlet silk, O spotless Virgin, within thy womb the spiritual purple was woven, the flesh of Emmanuel. Therefore we honor thee as in truth Mother of God. Song 9 |
| 12. Aaron offered to God the fire pure and undefiled; but Hophni and Phinehas, like thee, my soul, offered to God a foul and rebellious life. ( Lev.9:21-24 ; 1Sam.2:12-34 ) 13. . How heavy in character I have become, in soul and body, like Jannes and Jambres in Pharaoh’s bitter service, and my mind has sunk low. But help me, O Lord. ( Ex.7:11 ; 2Tim.3:8 ) 14. I, wretch that I am, have rolled my mind in mud. But wash me, O Lord, in the bath of my tears, I pray Thee, and make the robe of my flesh as white as snow. 15. When I examine my actions, O Savior, I see that I have gone beyond all men in sins; for I have sinned with knowledge consciously, and not in ignorance. 16. Spare, spare, O Lord, Thy works. I have sinned; forgive me, for Thou alone art pure by nature, and apart from Thee there is none without defilement. ( 1Pet.3:21 ) 17. Being God, for my sake Thou didst take my form, and didst work miracles, healing lepers and bracing paralytics; and Thou didst stop the flow of blood of the woman with hemorrhage, O Savior, through the touch of Thy hem. ( Phlm.2:6; Mt.4:24 ; Lk.8:43-48 ) 18. Imitate, wretched soul, the woman with hemorrhage. Run to Christ and hold His hem, that thou mayest be healed of thy maladies and hear from Him, “thy faith has saved thee.” ( Mt.9:22 ) 19. Imitate, my soul, the woman bent earthward; come and fall down at the feet of Jesus, that He may straighten thee to walk upright in the footsteps of the Lord. ( Lk.13:11 ) 20. Though Thou art a deep well, O Lord, pour on me streams from Thy immaculate wounds, that like the Samaritan woman I may drink and thirst no more; for from Thee gush rivers of life. ( Jn.4:13-15 ) 21. May my tears be for me a Siloam, O Sovereign Lord, that I may wash the eyes of my soul and mentally see Thee Who art that light which was before creation. ( Jn.9:7 ; Gen.1:2-19 ) Refrain: Holy mother Mary, pray for us. To St. Mary of Egypt: Thou , all-blessed one, didst yearn with matchless love and longing to worship the Tree of Life, and thy desire was granted; make us also worthy to attain to the glory on high. |
| Feeble women by nature, but not in your minds and hearts; for womanly weakness did not appear in you in any way, but all your feats surpassed the bravery of men. Upon you were truly fulfilled the words of Scripture, which say, My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9), and again, God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (1 Cor. 1:27; cf. Ps. 8:2, Mt. 21:16). The words of our Most Holy Savior were truly in your hearts, Who said, fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul (Mt. 10:28). And again the Holy Spirit says, Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord (Ps. 30:24). You completed the apostolic work before the apostles. You displayed the faith and courage of soul of the holy martyrs before them. Elias the great prophet, ablaze with Divine zeal, rebuked Ahab, and you confounded the guards of the Lord’s Tomb. Gideon once crushed a multitude of Midianites with three hundred soldiers (cf. Jdg. 7:25). You, along with the righteous men Joseph and Nikodemos, stronger than all of the Jews’ and Pilate’s fortifications became fearless ministers, ready even unto death to serve Him Who came to serve and lay down His soul for the redemption of the whole of mankind. You, O holy women, together with the Most Pure Virgin Mary, the mother of our eternal Savior, with great zeal and bravery of soul gathered to celebrate the very first service to the Savior. Therefore, you were blessed even before the apostles to preach the Resurrection of the Lord. Beloved faithful! Who are these holy Myrrhbearing Women who followed Christ together with the apostles and were accounted worthy to be witnesses to the Lord’s sufferings, and to anoint His holy Body with spices as it lay in the Tomb? The holy Gospel briefly provides us their names and deeds. The first and most full of spiritual zeal and courage is Mary Magdalene , from the city of Magdala in Galilee. The other holy Myrrhbearers are Maria, the mother of James (Mk. 16:1) and of Joses (Mk. 15:47), who is the cousin of the Mother of God; Mary, the wife of Cleopas (Jn. 19:25), and Salome, the mother of the Sons of Thunder (Mt. 27:56; 28:1; Mk. 16:1; Lk. 24:10). Then there is Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, Susanna, and many others serving Him out of their own means (Lk. 8:3). Among the Myrrhbearers were Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus from Bethany, where the Savior often stayed with the holy apostles on the way to Jerusalem or Galilee. |
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