Sunday

The number forty is put before us as hallowed, and, in a way, perfect. This, I suppose, is well known to you, beloved. Ye well know that a Fast of this number of days is hallowed. Moses fasted forty days. Elias did the same. And our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself fasted this number of days complete. Moses represents the Law, Elias the Prophets, and the Lord the Gospel. And therefore these three appeared on the Mount of the Transfiguration. There the Lord showed Himself to His disciples with His Face shining as the sun, and His raiment glistening; and He stood between Moses and Elias; as it were, the Gospel receiving testimony, on the one hand from the Law, and, on the other, from the Prophets.

  • St Augustine, 17th Tract on John

Prayer:  We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee, for by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

 

Monday

Was there ever man gentler and kinder than the Lord? The Pharisees tempted Him; their craft was confounded, and, in the words of the Psalmist, The arrows of babes have pierced them, (Psalm lxiii:8), and nevertheless, because of the dignity of their priesthood and name, He exhorts the people to be subject to them, by doing according to their words, though not according to their works. By the words Moses’ seat we are to understand the teaching of the law. Thus also must we mystically take, Sit in the seat of the scornful, (Psalm i:1), and likewise, “overthrew the seats of them that sold doves,” (Matthew xxi:12), to describe doctrine.    How they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. This is generally directed against all teachers who command things hard, and themselves do not even things easy.

  • St Jerome, Homily on Matthew

Prayer:

O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and idle talking give me not.

 

Tuesday

As we look at our own lives, the Fathers always talk about reconciling Martha and Mary. The reality is that it’s OK to do both, as long as we’re not distracted by what we do, and as long as we have a heart that’s alive to God at all times during the day – morning, noon, and night. Whether we’re on our bed, or whether we’re at our workplace, or whether we’re in our prayer corner, or whether we’re at church, to have our heart alive to God is the key. The beginning, the middle, and the end of the neptic and watchful tradition of our Church is to be present to the Lord, to continue the dialogue with Him, by His help.

Arichmandrite Sergius Boyer, Retreat talk

Prayer:

But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant.

Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Wednesday

Whom, dearly beloved brethren, whom are we to understand as signified by that rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day, whom, I ask, are we to understand, but the Jewish people, who had all the outward life of religious ordinances, and who turned the treasure of the law they had received to show and not to use? What but the herd of the Gentiles is figured in Lazarus, full of sores? Whosoever turns himself to God and is not ashamed to confess his sin, hath his sores on the skin, for in a sore on the skin breaks out the corruption, which is drawn from within.   What is, then, the confession of our sins but the breaking out of our sores? The corrupt matter of sin is healthily opened in confession, instead of remaining in the mind to rot it. Open sores on the skin bring the poisonous matter to the surface, and when we confess our sins, what do we but open up the evil that there is lurking in us?

  • Pope St Gregory, Homily on the Gospels XL

 

Prayer:

Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

 

Thursday

The great and general Fast is this to abstain from the iniquity of the world, and her forbidden pleasures. This is the perfect Fast, that, denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. After such a Fast, what is the Feast that follows? Hear what the Apostle says in continuation: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). We, then, make our pilgrimage in this world a Lent, by living good lives, and abstaining from her iniquities and her forbidden pleasures. But at the end of this life-long Lent there will be an Easter indeed. We look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.  In that hope, when the reality of the hope shall have come to pass, we shall receive our wages, a penny (denarius). For the same is the wages given to the workers laboring in the vineyard,

  • St Augustine, 17th Tract on John

 

Prayer:  O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Friday

Metropolitan Ephrem Kyriakos on the ‘Civilization of the Flesh’… “The world today, and especially the West, is more and more inclined toward secular, worldly life. This means that in its life it departs from the scope of God and is increasingly immersed in material affairs far removed from the Church and spiritual affairs. It is attached to the surface of things, the most important of which is the flesh. There is nothing more common than the greetings “How’s your health?”, “Your health is poor”, “The important thing is health. People are not content with just that, but they go and focus on physical elegance, concerning themselves with outward appearance and going to the gym, as though they have become worshipers of the body rather than God. Members of the Church are not an exception to all this– even priests, bishops, and the construction of churches where “the important thing is the stone, not the people.” All of this is contrary to the rules of religion and the true faith. Among us, one mostly strives after the pleasure of the flesh, the pleasure of food and drink. Life has come to be focused on health and wealth and not on pleasing God first.” – Arab Orthodoxy blog

Prayer:  Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3X)

Saturday
Elder St  Joseph on the Bible…
Always have the New Testament in your pocket, and when you find a brief opportunity, read an excerpt. Thus Christ gives you light and guides you towards His commandments. He completes your love and guides you to imitate Him…Piously read the Old Testament and you will extract the divine nectar of faith and love. In it God spoke directly to men, and angels guided them”
– ‘Monastic Wisdom’

Jesus Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have Mercy on me a sinner.