Daily Bread

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Mar 26, 2025

What is hope? It's some expectation that everything will work out. It's the power that can move us on. But we should be careful choosing what we hope for. “Can you place

“Understand two thoughts, and fear them. One says, "You are a saint," the other, "You won't be saved." Both of these thoughts are from the enemy, and there is no truth in them. But think this way: I am a great sinner, but the Lord is merciful. He loves people very much, and He will forgive my sins.”

St. Silouan the Athonite

Isaiah 26:21-27:9

For behold, the LORD is coming forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed upon her, and will no more cover her slain.

In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. In that day: “A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest any one harm it, I guard it night and day; I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would set out against them, I would burn them up together. Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me.” In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots, and fill the whole world with fruit. Has he smitten them as he smote those who smote them? Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain? Measure by measure, by exile thou didst contend with them; he removed them with his fierce blast in the day of the east wind. Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be expiated, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Ashe’rim or incense altars will remain standing.

Genesis 9:18-10:1

The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled. Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Blessed by the LORD my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.” God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.” After the flood Noah lived three hundred and fifty years. All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.

These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; sons were born to them after the flood.

Proverbs 12:23-13:9

A prudent man conceals his knowledge, but fools proclaim their folly. The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor. Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. A righteous man turns away from evil, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. A slothful man will not catch his prey, but the diligent man will get precious wealth. In the path of righteousness is life, but the way of error leads to death.

A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. From the fruit of his mouth a good man eats good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. He who guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. The soul of the sluggard craves, and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. A righteous man hates falsehood, but a wicked man acts shamefully and disgracefully. Righteousness guards him whose way is upright, but sin overthrows the wicked. One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth, but a poor man has no means of redemption. The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

The Archangel Gabriel was chosen by the Lord to announce to the Virgin Mary about the Incarnation of the Son of God from Her, to the great rejoicing of all mankind. Therefore, on the day after the Feast of the Annunciation, the day on which the All-Pure Virgin is glorified, we give thanks to the Lord and we venerate His messenger Gabriel, who contributed to the mystery of our salvation.

Gabriel, the holy Archistrategos (Leader of the Heavenly Hosts), is a faithful servant of the Almighty God. He announced the future Incarnation of the Son of God to those of the Old Testament; he inspired the Prophet Moses to write the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament), he announced the coming tribulations of the Chosen People to the Prophet Daniel (Dan. 8:16, 9:21-24); he appeared to Saint Anna (July 25) with the news that she would give birth to the Virgin Mary.

Icons - Of Angels - Archangel Gabriel - Page 1 - Uncut Mountain Supply

The holy Archangel Gabriel remained with the Holy Virgin Mary when She was a child in the Temple of Jerusalem, and watched over Her throughout Her earthly life. He appeared to the Priest Zachariah, foretelling the birth of the Forerunner of the Lord, Saint John the Baptist.

The Lord sent him to Saint Joseph the Betrothed in a dream, to reveal to him the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God from the All-Pure Virgin Mary, and warned him of the wicked intentions of Herod, ordering him to flee into Egypt with the divine Infant and His Mother.

When the Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His Passion, the Archangel Gabriel, whose very name signifies “Man of God” (Luke. 22:43), was sent from Heaven to strengthen Him.

The Myrrh-Bearing Women heard from the Archangel the joyous news of Christ’s Resurrection (Mt.28:1-7, Mark 16:1-8).

Mindful of the manifold appearances of the holy Archangel Gabriel and of his zealous fulfilling of God’s will, and confessing his intercession for Christians before the Lord, the Orthodox Church calls upon its children to pray to the great Archangel with faith and love.

The Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel is also celebrated on July 13. All the angels are commemorated on November 8.

Self-Justification

Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos

‘Justifying ourselves, following our own opinion and satisfying our own will are the progeny of ungodly pride’ (Abba Dorotheos).

When we’re accused of something, our first reaction is to defend ourselves. To explain why it’s not like that, even if it is. And that doesn’t apply only to the youngest any more. Grown-ups are lacking in backbone in that, even if the reality is clear, we still try to justify ourselves. ‘I’m human, what can I do?’; ‘I’m at fault but…’; ‘Circumstances are to blame’. Particularly nowadays, when the antidote is to interpret everything, with the emphasis on the psychological method, which is that in order to feel better I have to examine why something’s happened to me and how I can deal with it. This is after I’ve forgotten that the real antidote for every ailment is humility, provided, of course, it’s accompanied by repentance.

We now lack both of these. As if it’s demeaning to make a mistake. As if we lay claim to a justification for our opinion and our will. How can the message of Church life work in our soul: the message that, in order to find your self, you must first lose it? That, rather than blaming others for your own wrongdoing, or saying that they do the same but worse and thus finding a justification, you can instead find solace in the feeling that it’s human to err. Circumstances, other people, our family environment, our upbringing and our experiences have obviously played a role in our inability to see ourselves and others properly. But there’s no solace if we don’t acknowledge, without reservation, the responsibility to accept and to change.

The tradition of our Church sees our relationship with God as being that of Father and children. Each of us has the need for the same relationship with our neighbor and especially with the people who are closest to us. Some of us are called upon to undertake the role of father before we’re ready. Because being a father means taking the decision to really look at ourselves, to embark on a course of rebirth which will transfigure us. We can’t hide ourselves and we can’t hide the truth about who we are and what we do. But since this course demands persistence in the pursuit of self-knowledge, and humility in seeing what it is that’s separating us from love, we have to struggle with ourselves, while, at the same time supporting the others we’ve been called upon to support and to accompany on the path towards the truth.

Sex is not at issue here*. Fatherhood demands decisiveness and the experience of sonship. The ego erases us in the name of freedom, autonomy, the will, and our opinion. It’s not that we have the right to be immature; it’s that it’s inevitable. Children need love. As do grown-ups. The spiritual tradition of our Church depends on the presence of a spiritual guide who will open the way to Christ, through a relationship of love, sincerity and the acceptance of the things repressed in the soul.

Those who seek justification for themselves will never be free of that tyranny. The truth, of course, doesn’t involve continual self-condemnation. It’s a matter of choice. The road passes through the relationship.

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;