Daily Bread
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Isaiah 28:14-22 (6th Hour)
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,
15 because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it goes out it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass over, and by day and by night; it will be a terror just to understand the report.”
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon – that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
22 Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
Genesis 10:32-11:9 (Vespers, 1st reading)
32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.
1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.
4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.
9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Martyr Matrona of Thessalonica
The Holy Martyr Matrona of Thessalonica suffered in the third or fourth century. She was a slave of the Jewish woman Pautila (or Pantilla), wife of one of the military commanders of Thessalonica. Pautila constantly mocked her slave for her faith in Christ, and tried to convert her to Judaism. Saint Matrona, who believed in Christ from her youth, still prayed to the Savior Christ, and secretly went to church unbeknownst to her vengeful mistress.
Pautila, learning that Saint Matrona had been to church, asked, “Why won’t you come to our synagogue, instead of attending the Christian church?” Saint Matrona boldly answered, “Because God is present in the Christian church, but He has departed from the Jewish synagogue.” Pautila went into a rage and mercilessly beat Saint Matrona, tied her up, and shut her in a dark closet. In the morning, Pautila discovered that Saint Matrona had been freed of her bonds by an unknown Power.
In a rage Pautila beat the martyr almost to death, then bound her even more tightly and locked her in the closet. The door was sealed so that no one could help the sufferer. The holy martyr remained there for four days without food or water, and when Pautila opened the door, she again found Saint Matrona free of her bonds, and standing at prayer.
Pautila flogged the holy martyr and left the skin hanging in strips from her body. The fierce woman locked her in the closet again, where Saint Matrona gave up her spirit to God.
Pautila had the holy martyr’s body thrown from the roof of her house. Christians took up the much-suffered body of the holy martyr and buried it. Later, Bishop Alexander of Thessalonica built a church dedicated to the holy martyr. Her holy relics, glorified by many miracles, were placed in this church.
The judgment of God soon overtook the evil Pautila. Standing on the roof at that very place where the body of Saint Matrona had been thrown, she stumbled and fell to the pavement. Her body was smashed, and so she received her just reward for her sin.
Lord, Save Me!
By Fr. Theodore Stylianopoulos
Gospel reading (Mat. 14:22-34) tells the memorable story of St. Peter’s failed effort to walk on the water. Let’s recall the storyline.
Jesus wanted to be alone to pray. He had taken to the hills for quiet and solitude. Meanwhile the disciples were in a boat crossing to the other side of lake Galilee. As they sailed, the winds and waves kicked up. A squall broke out. In the midst of the storm, Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water. As they were frightened, He said to them “Take heart, it is I [Ego eimi]; have no fear!”
The Apostle Peter, known for his daring, seized the moment. “Lord, if it is You,” he said, “bid me come to You on the water.” “Come!” was the Lord’s reply. Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But looking at the waves and the winds instead of at Jesus, he lost his focus and began to sink. “Lord, save me!” he yelled. Jesus reached out with His hand, pulled him out of the water and brought him back into the boat. The stormed calmed. The disciples all in amazement confessed to Jesus: “Truly, You are the Son of God!”
If this episode was part of a “star-wars” film we would probably accept it and be entertained by its drama. But could such miracles occur for real? Could Jesus and then Peter for a few steps have really walked on water? Well, let’s not forget the mysteries and astonishing powers in creation. Astronomers with new instruments have discovered in recent decades billions of new galaxies travelling at dizzying speeds from each other, and also phenomena within them that absolutely astound the human mind.
I love watching astronomy documentaries. I am amazed contemplating the immense distances between stars and even more so between galaxies, the notions of massive black holes swirling around each other, the birth of new stars bursting into light, and a phenomenon called “particle entanglement.” Particle entanglement involves two related sub-atomic particles which then can be separated long distances, even millions of miles, and still interact instantly, seemingly faster than the speed of light. Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance.” But scientists are already using particle entanglement in computing technologies and cryptography, with amazing prospects for the future.
This week’s calendar reminders:
Monday 3/24: Vesperal Liturgy for Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos 6:30 p.m. (potluck meal to follow)
Tuesday 3/25: no services or events
Wednesday 3/26: Presanctified Liturgy 6:30 pm (potluck meal to follow)
Thursday 3/27: Lenten Matins 8:30 am
Friday 3/28: Paraklesis to the Theotokos 8:30 am
Saturday 3/29: Catechumen Class 4:30 pm; Choir Rehearsal 4:30 pm; Great Vespers 6 pm
Sunday 3/30: Divine Liturgy 9:15am;
CLICK BELOW to donate online:
Christ the Savior Orthodox Church is located in Southbury, Connecticut, and is part of the New England Diocese of the Orthodox Church of America.
Mailing address: Christ the Savior Church, 1070 Roxbury Road, Southbury, CT 06488
PLEASE DONATE to help our parish do the work of the Lord, thrive and grow, and extend the Kingdom of God. May the Lord bless your generosity!
Fr. Moses Locke can be reached at frmoseslocke@gmail.com