Table of Contents
Readings
- Vespers: Psalms 78:20, 23 & John 5:31 – 46
- Matins: Psalms 80:3, 18 & John 6:47 – 58
Liturgy
- Pauline epistle: Romans 11:13 – 36
- Catholic epistle: 1 John 5:9 – 21
- Praxis: Acts 11:2 – 18
- Psalm & Gospel: Psalms 36:9, 10 & John 9:1 – 38
Introduction
“When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness”. (Job 29:3).
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” (Isa.9:2).
[Who made the darkness of error in us to become light through the coming in the flesh of Your only-begotten Son … Now You also, O our Master, enlighten the eyes of our hearts and purify us to be whole in soul, body, and spirit] (Fraction to the Father).
Observations on the Readings of the Day
The Catholicon Reading for the Day (1 John 5:9 – 21) signifies life granted to us, in person of the Son of God. This Reading is similar to that of (1 John 5:13 – 21) for the Second Day of the Feast of the Cross (the 18th of Thoout); that which talks about the life given to us in Christ (verses 13 – 20). It also is repeated through the Readings of Theophany Feast – on the 11th of Tobe – (1 John 5:5 – 21) thus with the addition of verses (5 – 13), those which speak about baptism.
The Praxis Reading for the Day (Acts 11:2 – 18) is the same Reading for the fourth Sunday of the Month of Pashons. Also, it is similar to the Praxis (Acts 11:2 – 14), read for the sixth Day of Nesi (of the leap year).
For this Day, this Reading comes in order to talk (through verses 14 – 18) about baptism. But for the fourth Sunday of Pashons, the Reading speaks about the salvation of God, made and revealed to every human-being. Then For Nesi 6 it comes for number 6 (the clue of that Day Readings): representing the six brethren who went forth with Saint Peter.
Explanation of the Readings
After the divine manifestation of the Son to all nations had been revealed through the first Sunday,
That they had come to Him, so thirsty to His salvation through the second Sunday,
And had received membership in His kingdom, by repentance and baptism, through the third Sunday,
Came the fourth Sunday through which they received the light of His knowledge; for their lives shone with the light of the Son.
So the fourth Sunday tells about the shining of the light of the Son of God, which accompanied and followed up their baptism with water and the Spirit, so that the Gentiles could receive the grace of perception so as to know the true God.
Psalms
So the Vesper Psalm is to begin, showing the doors of heaven opened, and the waters of the Spirit overflowing:
“The waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed… He… opened the doors of heaven”.
Then the Morning Psalm goes forward, showing the gift of salvation given through the light of the Son:
“Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!… Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.”
Thus, and because of this precious gift, comes the Liturgy Psalm to tell how all humanity could see the light of the Son of God:
“In Your light we see light.”
Vesper and Morning Gospels
Now through the Vesper Gospel the Lord rebukes the Jews as they have not received the burning and shining lamp –John Baptist; also because they have rejected the Sun of Righteousness, in spite of His Divine presence among them; even of the Scriptures, which testify of Him:
“’He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John’s… And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form… You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.’”
Then comes the Morning Gospel revealing one of the fountains of enlightenment and unity with the Son of God: that is, Eucharist:
“’For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.’”
Liturgy Readings
The Pauline Epistle shows the light of God revealed to the Gentiles, the temporary hard-heartedness of Israel, then the visitation and the mercies of God to all. Also, Saint Paul expounds the depth of the divine dispensation for the salvation of all:
“For I speak to you, Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry… For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel… Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.”
But the Catholicon reveals trust and confidence in prayer to be signs of the enlightenment, of the true knowledge of God and of understanding the divine truth:
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him… And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
Then comes Praxis to announce, through the opinion of Saint Peter, that the Gentiles were not only received, but were also granted the gift of the Holy Spirit and given the Spiritual gifts, just as that which happened with the Jews:
“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ… and they glorified God, saying, ‘Them God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.’”
To end up comes the Liturgy Gospel with a wonderful pattern of illumination: the blind from birth. For, though the time of blindness was so long, but meeting the Son of God has opened the eyes of understanding; not only the eyes of the body, but also those inner heartedly eyes, that they may see and consider the knowledge of the true God:
“’… As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ … So he went and washed, and came back seeing… ‘… One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.’ … He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the son of God?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him.”