From antiochan.org, dynamispublishing.org and:
Daily Readings:
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: the Nativity Fast
Scriptural Readings:
Zephaniah 3:8-18 (12/3-12/16) Reading in Kellia at the Feast of the Holy Prophet Zephaniah
The New Age of Joy: Zephaniah (Sophonios) 3:8-18 SAAS, especially vss. 16, 17: “At that time the Lord shall say to Jerusalem, ‘O Zion, be of good courage; do not let your hands grow slack. The Lord your God is with you. The Mighty One shall save you. He shall bring gladness upon you and will renew you with His love.” The Lord God revealed to Zephaniah the Prophet a wonderful future age when He would transform His covenant with the human race. These verses remind us that the new age is here. The fundamental change between man and God is operating. What God accomplished by taking our flesh as a man is now operating among us. The Lord Jesus’ birth from the Theotokos, His life, ministry and His death on the Cross culminated in Resurrection and Ascension, and the active outpouring of the Holy Spirit to “...as many as received Him” (Jn. 1:12). We are now living this through the Church under the New Covenant.
What a blessing! Not only may we read Zephaniah’s prophecy, but what he foresaw we may receive, enjoy and taste. Access to God’s grace and love are available in the community of God’s People! Sadly, many who call themselves Christians fail to know God-with-us. He is why Saint Paul asks, “...do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death....that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin?” (Rom. 6:3,6). Today, we may “...lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of [us]” (Php. 3:12). Zephaniah makes this accessible by recording, in this passage, seven aspects of what we now call ‘the life in Christ’ so that we may lay hold of that which God offers us in and through His Church.
1) God promised that in this age of the Church He would provide “...a language...for all to call upon the name of the Lord” (Zep. 3:9). In the Body of Christ, in the Church, we are born anew having learned to say, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn. 20:28).
2) God showed Zephaniah that the whole human race may unite “...under one yoke” (Zep. 3:9), to be one people all across the world. This is what Christ offers everyone at this moment: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:29). Orthodox Christians in Syria, Russia, Greece, Egypt, Japan, Romania, Albania, France, Chile, Georgia and North America - everywhere - are one people, yoked together in Christ.
3) As Zephaniah foresaw, God is removing ‘shameful practices’ (vs. 11). Hence, within the Church, we strive together to be “...a gentle and humble people...” (vs. 12) who do not fret when wronged, defend if slandered, or seek sympathy when others calumniate us, but earnestly forgive and seek the forgiveness of those with whom we are in conflict!
4) Attaining humility is a path open to all who will “...show reverence to the name of the Lord” (vs. 12), for fear of God in the heart will readily eschew unrighteousness (vs. 13).
5) Hence, as we follow what the Church teaches, by the grace of God we cease speaking vanities so that a deceitful tongue will not be found in our mouth (vs. 13).
6) Being fed with both the Truth and the Life of God through the Church, the faithful seek to feed and lie down under God’s shepherding with “...no one terrifying them” (vs. 13).
7) In this way, with dread of the world being removed, and being joined to the Lord Jesus and cared for in His pasture, the Church, we may be “...glad and rejoice with [our] whole heart (vs. 13).
Beloved, the King of Israel “...has taken away your iniquities and ransomed you from your enemies: Christ is in the midst of us!” (vs. 15). Have joy “...as in a day of feasting” (vs. 17)!
O Lord, look upon Thy servants, prove us, search us and root out of us every operation of the Devil and give us victory over him, that we may be worthy of Thy heavenly Mysteries.
Titus 1:15-2:10
Titus 1:15-2:1015To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure. Their very minds and consciences are corrupted. 16They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
2But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine. 2Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, prudent, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. 3Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, 4so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited. 6Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, 8and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. 9Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to talk back, 10not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior.
Luke 20:19-26
Luke 20:19-2619When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people.
20So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. 21So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. 22Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 23But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, 24“Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor’s.” 25He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.
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