The Second Sunday of the Blessed Month of Meshir

For this Day the Readings reveal the honor of His Divine presence in the life of the holy church, and the glory of faith in Him. 

Thus, and if the first Sunday is to show the acceptance of the Gentiles, so the second one comes to reveal their being justified through the Son of God: such is the praise of the church along the month of Tobe, and on the feasts of Epiphany: “Jesus Christ the Son of God…” 

Psalms

So the Psalms tell about the House of God: the holy church; the fullness and glory of His Divine presence. 

The Vesper Psalm is to begin, whereas the prophet in the Spirit asks who are to dwell in the tabernacle of the Lord; who the citizens of His house are to be; those who are pure in conduct; witnesses of the truth: 

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness,And speaks the truth in his heart”. 

Such is also confirmed by the Morning Psalm: that the cleanliness of the hand and the purity of the heart are conditioned for ascending into His holy hill, into His holy place: 

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart”. 

Nevertheless the Liturgy Psalm calls everyone to worship, praise, and offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord: 

“Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples… Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in thebeauty of holiness!” 

So they who enjoy His Divine presence in the church are those walking in truth, in the purity of heart; who bear witness of His Divine glory and His holy name. 

Liturgy Readings

The Readings reveal the glory of the New Testament priesthood: the priesthood of peace and righteousness (Pauline Epistle), the glory of the New Testament church: the church of truth (Catholicon), and the honor of the New Testament preaching supported by heaven (Praxis). 

Through his epistle Saint Paul takes us back for to compare between the Old Testament priesthood, and that of the New Testament; the priesthood of the Son of God, in which is the power of life; that which fully and richly gives the blessing, thus revealing the honor of the presence of God in the church and in the world: 

“For this Melchizedek… first being translated ‘king of righteousness,’ and then also king of Salem, meaning ‘king of peace,’ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually… Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better… who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.” 

Then comes the Catholicon to point to the holy church, which, by walking in truth, by commitment to the commandment of love, and caring for the purity of the doctrine – declares the honor of the Divine presence: 

“The Elder, to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth… because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever… I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth… that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments… He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house”. 

In Praxis, the riches of the Lord’s presence through the testimony and preaching of His children is manifested: 

“Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’ And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” 

Gospels

The Gospels show the glory of the Son of God in our deliverance from death (Vesper), from condemnation (Morning), and in satisfying all our needs (Liturgy). 

Now the Vesper Gospel tells of the glory of the presence of the Lord through healing and deliverance from death, and the glory of belief in His Divine authority over diseases: 

“And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum… and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death… Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your son lives.’ So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, ‘Your son lives!’… And he himself believed, and his whole household.” 

Therefore the Morning Gospel reveals the purpose of the Lord’s incarnation and of His coming down into the world: for the salvation of mankind; not for their judgment. It also warns of the danger and responsibility of rejecting the Divine light: 

“’For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved… And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light…’” 

Then the Liturgy Gospel ends up by the fullness of Divine riches and blessing, those which exceed all logical accounts, and surpass all human minds – by feeding and satisfying five thousand families with only five barley loaves and two fish: 

“Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ …Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.’ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’… And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.’… Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’” 

[Through this Chapter we see Jesus who gives fullness to whoever know Him… He has become everything for us: – He fills the body: (the miracle of the five loaves and the two fish, by which He feeds the multitudes to the full). 

He satisfies the soul: (amidst the roaring of the sea and the storms He comes to His disciples to take away their fright). For the roaring sea symbolizes the world which is in trouble; which in turn causes tribulation to the soul. 

He gives spiritual fullness: for, as we hear we perceive that the body and blood are fragments of life in Christ.], says Priest Antonios Fekri. (Reverend Father Antonios Fekri – Commentary on John, Chapter 6).