(Saturday of our attitudes towards others)

The readings of this day speak about our attitude towards each other and our relations as brothers in the one flesh and with all mankind as brothers in humanity and how this is one of the entrances and ways of revealing the Father’s righteousness and love for us.

Therefore, he also declares Our wrong attitudes towards others, whether in our love of money or in not forgiving, slander, love of money, greed, hardness of heart and closing the bowels towards those in need and not forgetting the offense and inner bitterness prevents the father’s righteousness from appearing in the lives of God’s children.

The readings begin with the cry of the soul from the depths and it seems that she knew that the unity of love is achieved only by praying loudly, supplicating and screaming.

“Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;

Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.”  (Psalms 130)

The Matins gospel calls for perfection in the subordination of Christ,glory be to Him, full-giving and the participation of others in what is ours.

“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 10)

While Pauline Epistle declares the unity of feelings and interests between the shepherd and the people.

“you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.

Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.”  (2 Corinthians 7)

Catholic Epistle, on the other hand, presents the unity of love among the members of the one church as a sincere expression of the validity of faith and of the fatal negativity that makes faith dead.

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (James 2)

As for Praxis,it warns between the unity of feelings of hatred among some to harm others, as happened in the agreement of the Jews together to kill St. Paul and even to fast together for this purpose.

“And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him.

But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.” (Acts 23)

In the psalm of the liturgy, the soul rejoices, which does not cease to pray and supplicates to the Lord.

“I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” (Psalms 27)

The Gospel of the liturgy closes with the parable of the king who forgives too much to his servants and expects them to do so with each other and severely holds accountable those who do not forgive their brothers.

“Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”  (Matthew 18)

The summary of the readings

The cry of the soul which is in need of victory and the glorification of the victorious soul in Christ. The psalms of Matins and liturgy

The unity of feelings of love and purity of  dealing are the true image of the Holy Church. Pauline Epistle

Great obstacles to the victory of the children of God

The love of money. The Matins gospel

Deadly negativity. Catholic Epistle

Sinful jealousy.Praxis

Non-forgiveness and the love of revenge. The Gospel of liturgy

The church in today’s readings

Bible unity. The Matins gospel

Faith and works. Catholic Epistle.