Galatians 4:4-7 Matthew 2:1-12

Hebrews 2:11-18 Matthew 2:13-23

Hebrews 10:1-18 Mark 11:22-26

Hebrews 10:35-11:7 Mark 11:27-33

Hebrews 11:8, 11-16 Mark 12:1-12

James 1:1-18 Luke 15:1-10

Hebrews 4:1-13 Luke 21:12-19

Hebrews 9:8-10, 15-23 Mark 8:22-26

Hebrews 10:1-18 Mark 8:30-34

James 3:1-10 Mark 11:11-23

2 Peter 1:1-10 Mark 13:1-8

Joel 2:12-26 Joel 3:12-21

Genesis 7:6-9 Proverbs 9:12-18

Genesis 31:3-16 Proverbs 21:3-21

Exodus 2:5-10 Job 1:13-22

Acts 3:19-26 John 2:1-11

Acts 10:34-43 John 8:12-20

Acts 10:44-11:10 John 8:21-30

Acts 12:12-17 John 8:42-51

Romans 4:13-25 Matthew 7:21-23

Romans 14:9-18 Matthew 12:14-16, 22-30

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Matthew 13:24-30

1 Corinthians 2:9-3:8 Matthew 13:31-36

1 Corinthians 10:5-12 Matthew 16:6-12

1 Corinthians 14:26-40 Matthew 21:12-14, 17-20

2 Corinthians 1:12-20 Matthew 22:23-33

2 Corinthians 2:14-3:3 Matthew 23:23-28

2 Corinthians 7:10-16 Mark 2:18-22

2 Corinthians 12:10-19 Luke 4:37-44

Galatians 2:11-16 Luke 6:24-30

Galatians 3:23-4:5 Luke 7:17-30

Ephesians 5:25-33 Luke 11:9-13

Philippians 1:12-20 Luke 11:42-46

Philippians 1:20-27 Luke 11:47-12:1

Colossians 1:18-23 Luke 15:1-10

Why is the Ascension of our Lord so important? Is it an event that concerns Jesus only, as Lord over all, OR is it an event that also concerns us? YES! Come explore the mystery as we look to the Old Testament for light on this!

Edith Humphrey takes us to Isaiah 8:13-18 and Psalm 107:23-31 for insight into St. Paul’s teaching on the people of God as the Temple, and Jesus’ rescue of the faltering apostle Peter on the water. Christ our God is the foundation of the Temple and the foundation of our faith, and issues an astonishing call—that we become signs in this age, showing forth His nature!

This week’s readings for divine liturgy correct any notion we might have that the physical, material world does not matter. While the physical is ordered under the spiritual realm by God, it is also meant to be taken up into it, transformed. We see this careful balance and valuing of the spiritual and material worlds in the lives of the Theotokos and St. Edith of Wilton, as well as in the Old Testament narratives of the “fiery serpent” and the promised “new heavens and new earth.”

To err is human and to forgive is divine, but our readings for this coming Sunday, illumined by the prophets, show us that the proclamation of forgiveness is now a human responsibility. The God-Man demonstrates that God has bestowed this divine characteristic, part of His glory, to those who are his sons and daughters. God forgives, and we forgive. (Matthew 9:1-8; Romans 12:6-14; Jeremiah 31:27-34; Jonah 3:1-10)

We reflect back upon the Psalm “By the Waters of Babylon,” heard by many of us in the past three weeks, as a preparation for Great Lent. Its troublesome final verse is read with the help of other portions of Scripture, St. John Chrysostom, Cassiodorus and others, so that we can understand why the psalm retains a valuable place in our worship together.

The apostle’s appeal for unity is beautifully exemplified in the life of Joseph, and poignantly pictured in the Psalm about oil on Aaron’s beard. May God’s appeal, pattern, and picture help us to unity in this time of disagreement. (Ephesians 4:1-6, Genesis 37-50, Psalm 132/3)

This week we tackle Rev 1:9-17, and seek to understand John’s initial vision of the LORD Jesus in the light of the OT passages that he echoes: Rev. 1:9-17; Exodus 20; Daniel 7:9-14; 10:16-19, and Ezekiel 43:2.

This week we consider the message of the risen Jesus to the church as Smyrna, and are encouraged by a generous God who makes us His confidants, so that we will be prepared for all that comes our way. We are helped in this by looking at Genesis 15 and Daniel 1.

This week we consider Jesus’ strengthening words to Philadelphia in Rev 3:7-13, seeking to understand the meaning of the crown, the pillars, and the name of New Jerusalem by reference to various passages in the New Testament and the fathers, and by looking back to Ex 19:6, 1 Kings 7:21, Zec 4, Hos. 2:24 and Is 44:5.

We are astounded by paradoxical imagery in Revelation 5—the standing-slaughtered Lion-Lamb who is both in the midst of the throne, and in the midst of humanity. This assurance of Christ’s majesty and humility, God’s transcendence and immanence, is confirmed by the Trisagion of Isaiah 6, by God’s assurance to the prophet in Ezekiel 43, and by the perceptive commentary of a sixth century bishop who perceived the significance of Jesus’ double position. Jesus’ proper place with God and with us is the key to understanding the worship of Revelation 5, which we are called to join, for the sake of the whole creation.

This week we read Revelation 7, which offers a double vision of God’s people, with the help of OT lists of the tribes, and the wisdom of the Venerable Bede. I hope that my friends will not mind that I move, from our analysis of this Scriptural vision of the faithful, to a glimpse at my own imaginative work. Beyond the White Fence is a children’s book (for ages 8-13), scheduled to be published at the end of September by Ancient Faith Ministries. It, too, invites us to a larger vision of reality, by which our daily lives, in their terror or monotony, are put in perspective. Listeners are invited, if close to Pittsburgh, to a book launch on Sat Oct 9 at 3:00 p.m., hosted by St. Nicholas McKees Rocks.

We read the Revelation 12:13-17 in the light of Deuteronomy 32:10-18 and Psalm LXX 54:7-8 (MT 55:6-7). Here we learn how God uses the “desert” to nourish and perfect His people. We also see our paradoxical position, both joyfully safe with Christ and the Theotokos, but also exposed to the ongoing campaign of the adversary, who seeks to destroy, dissuading us from following the way of the Lamb.

This week we consider Revelation 17 in the light of Jeremiah’s words concerning historical Babylon. The dark mystery of the visionary Babylon instructs us on the unreal nature of human and demonic power when it is sought in defiance of the living God.

This week we consider Revelation 18:1-8, considering the inevitable judgment of Babylon in the light of the prophet Isaiah (13:21-22; 47:7-9) and Malachi.