The Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

This is the Sunday of the Father and Son’s Providence, for every soul and for the holy church on the earth, in which the time of the divine healing is revealed as well as God’s continuous work for the sake of our salvation until the time of His coming and the end of the world. “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” (John 5:17)

Vespers & Matins (Psalms & Gospels)

The Psalms of Vespers and Matins demonstrate that mankind is frail and that the Divine Providence [1] is everlasting from generation to generation. The Vespers Psalm starts with the supplication of the soul that understands her estrangement and that her days on earth are little, like those who have preceded her: “Hear my prayer, O Lord, And give ear to my cry; … For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.” (Ps. 39: 12) Therefore, the Gospel Vespers warns against the iniquity on the earth, making clear the depth of His Providence through His longsuffering for all. The Father is patient with all for the sake of their approval and purification, and the Son searches for our strong faith in Him. The church is aware of this Providence through her continuous prayer without fatigue. “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18: 7–8) 

The Matins Psalm continues with the truth of the permanent divine work with all generations: “Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You. … But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.” (Ps. 102: 1, 12). As for the Gospel of Matins, it declares His economy with the Jewish nation in whom He planted His vineyard and had given His law and had distinguished them from other people by His promises to them. He waited for fruits from them but they continued in their stubbornness which culminated through their rejection of His Son and His crucifixion. Consequently, God affirms the magnitude of the divine benevolence, in the fullness of the time, by including all nations that will bear the required fruits. “There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it … And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one … But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir’ … So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers? They said to Him, ‘He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.’ Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.” (Matt 21: 33, 34, 35, 38, 39–40, 41, 43)

[1] The correct English translation of the Arabic Christian expression ‘التدبير الإلهي’ is “Divine Providence” or “Divine economy”. This term refers to God’s sovereign guidance, care, and governance over creation and human affairs according to His wisdom and purpose. It is commonly used in Christian theology to express trust in God’s plan and intervention in the world.

Pauline Epistle

The Pauline Epistle shows the Son’s economy in His second coming and what will happen in the last days before His second appearance, with mankind ‘falling away’ and the appearance of the antichrist through his false wonders, who deceives the people that refused God’s salvation with their own will. At the same time, He encourages the believers to be steadfast and to hold onto the biblical teachings and the church traditions: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition … And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. … But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord … Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” (2 Thes. 2: 3, 8–10, 13, 15)

Catholic Epistle

As for the Catholic Epistle, it declares His divine economy in all the times and seasons, and God’s longsuffering towards mankind for their salvation and deliverance from judgement. However, the wicked believe that there is no end or judgement for humans hence they continue in their stubbornness and being hard-hearted. “… knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’ … But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; …Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, … and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” (2 Pet. 3: 3, 4, 8–10, 11, 15)

Praxis

Therefore the Praxis calls all people to repent and return to God; not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. 

“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. … Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come–  that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26: 19–20, 22–23) The church correspondingly testifies this holy divine will of God, through her preachers, for the return and salvation of all people. “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:29)

Liturgy Psalm & Gospel

The Liturgy Psalm proclaims His divine economy in creating the world and in His love for man, and what God’s will is in the life of mankind: mercy, judgement and justice. “He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Ps. 33: 5) The Psalm also declares the power of His word which ‘makes’ the earth and heavens and not only the paralytic man since 38 years: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Ps. 33: 6)

The gospel of liturgy concludes with the miracle of healing the paralytic man, as well as the work and the Providence of the Father and the Son for the sake of healing mankind from the impairment of sin and from all its effects after a long period of estrangement. The covenant angel (i.e. the Son of Man) did not come to stir the water again but to create the water of the new covenant (i.e. baptism) to always move with the power of His Holy Spirit – to be pure water, cleansing water for the second birth and water of sonship. Hence the Gospel demonstrates the role of the church in her continuous work for searching for the constrained souls, the blind, lame and paralysed in spirit, to grant them with the power of the Holy Spirit in giving them new life, salvation and healing. “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.” (John 5: 6–9) The reading also warns mankind against sin or else mankind will receive what is worse than disease and pain, namely eternal perdition. If in man’s eyes disease looks evil, eternal destiny is in fact what is more important and will be more difficult and horrific for those who despise God’s mercies. “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.’” (John 5: 14) Lastly, the Son of God declares His permanent Providence and unity with the Father, for the sake of healing mankind: “But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’” (John 5:17)