The Third Sunday of the Blessed Month of Meshir

This Day tells about the riches of eternal life; that which is freely given us through the Son of God, thanks to His divine, overflowing mercies. 

Psalms

The Vesper Psalm reveals what the essence of this grace in our lives is: seeing the Divine countenance and the manifestation of His glory, together with His righteousness: 

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” 

But the Morning Psalm asks where His loving-kindnesses on us are: 

“Lord, where are Your former loving-kindnesses, which You swore to David in Your truth?” 

Then the Liturgy Psalm answers: 

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” 

Liturgy Readings

The Readings stress: the danger of unbelief (Pauline Epistle), the importance of diligence and holy fighting (Catholicon), and the effectiveness of the presence of Christ in Eucharist and through the word that raises up from the dead (Praxis). 

In his Epistle, Saint Paul warns us of the graveness of unbelief which causes us to be prevented from entering into the divine rest, thus leading us to death and perdition: 

“Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.” 

Then the Catholicon shows that this promise of eternal life requires building up, and diligence: 

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” 

After that, and through Praxis we are told of the resurrection of Eutychus from the dead at the time of the Eucharist, and of the power of the word of life, of which Paul the apostle has preached: 

“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciple came together to break bread… And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, ‘Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.’ Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.” 

Gospels

Now the Gospels obviously reveal eternal life that is manifested by the word of Christ (Vesper), and through His command (Morning) and His holy body (Liturgy). 

Through the Vesper Gospel the Lord calls us for eternal life, revealed by His word, warning us at the same time of seeking human glory on the account of the honor that comes from God: 

“’You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life… How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?’” 

Then the Morning Gospel assures that His command is life everlasting, and that for Him the purpose of incarnation is to be a light and salvation to the world: 

“’I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world… And I know that His command is everlasting life.’” 

To end up comes the Liturgy Gospel with the Divine calling that all humanity should believe in the Son of God, the bread of life who comes down from heaven to give life and resurrection to all those who come to Him and believe: 

“’Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life… For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst… And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’”