Sunday<\/p>\n
The doubt of Thomas is described in the Church hymns as \u201cblessed,\u201d for it was not a doubt of resistance to truth, but one that desperately desired a truthful answer\u2014 a \u201cdoubt which gave birth to faith\u201d when the answer was revealed. In hymns of the Church, Christ says to Thomas, \u201cYour doubt will teach My Passion and Resurrection to all,\u201d and we affirm that his doubt \u201cbrought the hearts of believers to knowledge.\u201d The conversion of Thomas\u2019 doubt into faith led him to the clearest confession of Christ\u2019s divinity, addressing Jesus as my Lord and my God<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal is to live in an Orthodox way, not simply to speak or to write in an Orthodox way. This is why, you see, a sermon does not inform, does not change the life of a person, no matter how good it is, unless the preacher is actually living the faith\u2026 It is relatively easy to think in an Orthodox way; to live the Orthodox way of life requires effort.\u201d \u00a0ELDER ST PAISIOS<\/p>\n
Monday<\/p>\n
Acts 3:<\/p>\n
3\u00a0<\/span>Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.<\/i> <\/span> 2\u00a0<\/sup>And a certain man lame from his mother\u2019s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; <\/span> 3\u00a0<\/sup>who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. <\/span> 4\u00a0<\/sup>And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, \u201cLook at us.\u201d <\/span> 5\u00a0<\/sup>So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. <\/span> 6\u00a0<\/sup>Then Peter said, \u201cSilver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.\u201d <\/span> 7\u00a0<\/sup>And he took him by the right hand and lifted him<\/i> up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. <\/span> 8\u00a0<\/sup>So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them\u2014walking, leaping, and praising God. <\/span> 9\u00a0<\/sup>And all the people saw him walking and praising God. <\/span> 10\u00a0<\/sup>Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.<\/span><\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon\u2019s, greatly amazed. <\/span> 12\u00a0<\/sup>So when Peter saw it,<\/i> he responded to the people: \u201cMen of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? <\/span> 13\u00a0<\/sup>The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him<\/i> go. <\/span> 14\u00a0<\/sup>But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, <\/span> 15\u00a0<\/sup>and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. <\/span> 16\u00a0<\/sup>And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes<\/i> through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.<\/span><\/p>\n Wednesday \u201cYet now, brethren, I know that you did it<\/i> in ignorance, as did<\/i> also your rulers. <\/span> 18\u00a0<\/sup>But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. <\/span> 19\u00a0<\/sup>Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, <\/span> 20\u00a0<\/sup>and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,[a<\/a>]<\/sup> <\/span> 21\u00a0<\/sup>whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. <\/span> 22\u00a0<\/sup>For Moses truly said to the fathers, \u2018The L<\/span>ord<\/span> your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.<\/span> <\/span> 23\u00a0<\/sup>And it shall be<\/span> that<\/i> every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.\u2019<\/span>[b<\/a>]<\/sup> <\/span> 24\u00a0<\/sup>Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold[c<\/a>]<\/sup> these days. <\/span> 25\u00a0<\/sup>You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, \u2018And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.\u2019<\/span>[d<\/a>]<\/sup> <\/span> 26\u00a0<\/sup>To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you<\/i> from your iniquities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Thursday<\/p>\n Acts 4:<\/p>\n Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, <\/span> 2\u00a0<\/sup>being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. <\/span> 3\u00a0<\/sup>And they laid hands on them, and put them<\/i> in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. <\/span> 4\u00a0<\/sup>However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.<\/span><\/p>\n 5\u00a0<\/sup>And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, <\/span> 6\u00a0<\/sup>as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. <\/span> 7\u00a0<\/sup>And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, \u201cBy what power or by what name have you done this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 8\u00a0<\/sup>Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, \u201cRulers of the people and elders of Israel: <\/span> 9\u00a0<\/sup>If we this day are judged for a good deed done<\/i> to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, <\/span> 10\u00a0<\/sup>let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. <\/span> 11\u00a0<\/sup>This is the \u2018stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.\u2019<\/span>[a<\/a>]<\/sup> <\/span> 12\u00a0<\/sup>Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Friday<\/p>\n Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. <\/span> 14\u00a0<\/sup>And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. <\/span> 15\u00a0<\/sup>But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, <\/span> 16\u00a0<\/sup>saying, \u201cWhat shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is<\/i> evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.<\/i> <\/span> 17\u00a0<\/sup>But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 18\u00a0<\/sup>So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. <\/span> 19\u00a0<\/sup>But Peter and John answered and said to them, \u201cWhether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. <\/span> 20\u00a0<\/sup>For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.\u201d <\/span> 21\u00a0<\/sup>So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. <\/span> 22\u00a0<\/sup>For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.<\/span><\/p>\n Saturday<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/sup>And being let go, they went to their own companions<\/i> and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. <\/span> 24\u00a0<\/sup>So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: \u201cLord, You are<\/i> God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, <\/span> 25\u00a0<\/sup>who by the mouth of Your servant David[b<\/a>]<\/sup> have said:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018Why did the nations rage,<\/span><\/span> 27\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cFor truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together <\/span> 28\u00a0<\/sup>to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. <\/span> 29\u00a0<\/sup>Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, <\/span> 30\u00a0<\/sup>by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 31\u00a0<\/sup>And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.<\/span><\/p>\n 32\u00a0<\/sup>Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. <\/span> 33\u00a0<\/sup>And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. <\/span> 34\u00a0<\/sup>Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, <\/span> 35\u00a0<\/sup>and laid them<\/i> at the apostles\u2019 feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPeter’s sermon continued…<\/p>\nAddressing the Sanhedrin<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nAnd the people plot vain things?<\/span><\/span>
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>The kings of the earth took their stand,<\/span><\/span>
\nAnd the rulers were gathered together<\/span><\/span>
\nAgainst the L<\/span>ord<\/span> and against His Christ.\u2019<\/span>[c<\/a>]<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nSharing in All Things<\/span><\/h3>\n