READINGS: WEDNESDAY AFTER 1 JANUARY (or 4 Jan)

Invitatory Psalm & BACK

Week 1 Psalm 18:1-30: Hebrew English     Then BACK

If Week 2 Psalm 39: Hebrew English     Then BACK

ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν — καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Even Years: Canticle of Canticles 6:4—7:10 4 יָפָה אַתְּ רַעְיָתִי כְּתִרְצָה נָאוָה כִּירוּשָׁלִָם אֲיֻמָּה כַּנִּדְגָּלוֹת׃ 5 הָסֵבִּי עֵינַיִךְ מִנֶּגְדִּי שֶׁהֵם הִרְהִיבֻנִי שַׂעְרֵךְ כְּעֵדֶר הָעִזִּים שֶׁגָּלְשׁוּ מִן־הַגִּלְעָד׃ 6שִׁנַּיִךְ כְּעֵדֶר הָרְחֵלִים שֶׁעָלוּ מִן־הָרַחְצָה שֶׁכֻּלָּם מַתְאִימוֹת וְשַׁכֻּלָה אֵין בָּהֶם׃ 7 כְּפֶלַח הָרִמּוֹן רַקָּתֵךְ מִבַּעַד לְצַמָּתֵךְ׃ 8 שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְּלָכוֹת וּשְׁמֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר׃ 9 אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ בָּרָה הִיא לְיוֹלַדְתָּהּ רָאוּהָ בָנוֹת וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ מְלָכוֹת וּפִילַגְשִׁים וַיְהַלְלוּהָ׃ ס 10 מִי־זֹאת הַנִּשְׁקָפָה כְּמוֹ־שָׁחַר יָפָה כַלְּבָנָה בָּרָה כַּחַמָּה אֲיֻמָּה כַּנִּדְגָּלוֹת׃ ס 11 אֶל־גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּאִבֵּי הַנָּחַל לִרְאוֹת הֲפָרְחָה הַגֶּפֶן הֵנֵצוּ הָרִמֹּנִים׃ 12 לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי מַרְכְּבוֹת עַמִּי־נָדִיב׃ 7: 1 שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי הַשּׁוּלַמִּית שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי וְנֶחֱזֶה־בָּךְ מַה־תֶּחֱזוּ בַּשּׁוּלַמִּית כִּמְחֹלַת הַמַּחֲנָיִם׃ 2 מַה־יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנְּעָלִים בַּת־נָדִיב חַמּוּקֵי יְרֵכַיִךְ כְּמוֹ חֲלָאִים מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָמָּן׃ 3 שָׁרְרֵךְ אַגַּן הַסַּהַר אַל־יֶחְסַר הַמָּזֶג בִּטְנֵךְ עֲרֵמַת חִטִּים סוּגָה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים׃ 4 שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ כִּשְׁנֵי עֳפָרִים תָּאֳמֵי צְבִיָּה׃ 5 צַוָּארֵךְ כְּמִגְדַּל הַשֵּׁן עֵינַיִךְ בְּרֵכוֹת בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן עַל־שַׁעַר בַּת־רַבִּים אַפֵּךְ כְּמִגְדַּל הַלְּבָנוֹן צוֹפֶה פְּנֵי דַמָּשֶׂק׃ 6 רֹאשֵׁךְ עָלַיִךְ כַּכַּרְמֶל וְדַלַּת רֹאשֵׁךְ כָּאַרְגָּמָן מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים׃ 7 מַה־יָּפִית וּמַה־נָּעַמְתְּ אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים׃ 8 זֹאת קוֹמָתֵךְ דָּמְתָה לְתָמָר וְשָׁדַיִךְ לְאַשְׁכֹּלוֹת׃ 9 אָמַרְתִּי אֶעֱלֶה בְתָמָר אֹחֲזָה בְּסַנְסִנָּיו וְיִהְיוּ־נָא שָׁדַיִךְ כְּאֶשְׁכְּלוֹת הַגֶּפֶן וְרֵיחַ אַפֵּךְ כַּתַּפּוּחִים׃ 10 וְחִכֵּךְ כְּיֵין הַטּוֹב הוֹלֵךְ לְדוֹדִי לְמֵישָׁרִים דּוֹבֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים׃

Odd Years: Colossians 3:17-4:1             καὶ πᾶν ὅ τι ἐὰν ποιῆτε ἐν λόγῳ ἢ ἐν ἔργῳ,             πάντα ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου Ἰησοῦ,             εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ θεῷ πατρὶ δι' αὐτοῦ. αἱ γυναῖκες, ὑποτάσσεσθε τοῖς ἀνδράσιν, ὡς ἀνῆκεν ἐν κυρίῳ. οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ μὴ πικραίνεσθε πρὸς αὐτάς. τὰ τέκνα, ὑπακούετε τοῖς γονεῦσιν κατὰ πάντα, τοῦτο γὰρ εὐάρεστόν ἐστιν ἐν κυρίῳ. οἱ πατέρες, μὴ ἐρεθίζετε τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, ἵνα μὴ ἀθυμῶσιν. οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε κατὰ πάντα τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα κυρίοις,       μὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοδουλίᾳ ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι,       ἀλλ' ἐν ἁπλότητι καρδίας, φοβούμενοι τὸν κύριον.       ὃ ἐὰν ποιῆτε, ἐκ ψυχῆς ἐργάζεσθε, ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις,       εἰδότες ὅτι ἀπὸ κυρίου ἀπολήμψεσθε τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν τῆς κληρονομίας.       τῷ κυρίῳ Χριστῷ δουλεύετε:       ὁ γὰρ ἀδικῶν κομίσεται ὃ ἠδίκησεν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολημψία. οἱ κύριοι, τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἰσότητα τοῖς δούλοις παρέχεσθε, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχετε κύριον ἐν οὐρανῷ.

Even Years: Julian de Vézelay, Christmas Sermon 1 (SC 192, 45.52.60) Dum medium silentium tenerent omnia et nox in suo cursu medium iter perageret, omnipotens sermo tuus, Domine, a regalibus sedibus uenit. Tempus illus sacratissimum, quo ad nos omnipotens sermo Dei nobis de nostra salute locuturus aduenit, descendens de sinu et corde Patris in uterum matris scriptura praetaxata denuntiat. Deus enim, qui multifarie et multis modis locutus fuerat patribus in prophetis, nouissime diebus istis locutus est nobis in Filio illo de quo ait: Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi complacui; ipsum audite. Venit igitur ad nos Dei sermo a regalibus sedibus, se humilians ut nos exsaltaret, pauperans ut ditaret, humanans ut deificaret. Verum, ut de sermonis huius aduentu et efficacie redimendus populus confidat et speret, omnipotens nominatur: Omnipotens, inquit, sermo. Nam si omnipotens sermo non esset, damnatus homo et totus miseries addicitus, liberari a peccato et poena peccati per illum tepide trepideque speraret. Vt igitur certificetur homo perditus de salute, eum saluificans sermo omnipotens nominatur... Facta autem de nihilo omnipotentia sermonis huius sine temporis interiectu materiam creante cum forma. Dixit hic sermo: Fiat mundus; et factus est mundus. Dixit: Fiat homo; et factus est homo. Sed non ea facilitate reficit quas fecit: fecit iubendo, reficit moriendo; fecit iubendo, reficit patiendo. Laborare, inquit, me fecistis in peccatis uestris. Non me laborare fecit mundi machina, dum administratur et regitur: attingo enim a fine usque ad finem fortiter (id est a fine inchoatiuo ad finem finitiuum) et dispono cuncta suauiter... Solus homo, statutae et latae a me legis contumax uioilator, in peccatis suis laborare me fecit. Eapropter a regalibus sedibus ueniens non horreo clausulam uirginis uterninam, nec humanitatis abiectae in personae unitate consortium. Recens natus, pannis induor, reclinor in praesepi dum Creatori mundi locus deest in diuersorio. Tenebant itaque medium cuncta silentium: prophetae dumtaxat qui clamauerant, et aspostoli qui clamaturi erant. Silentium autem hoc medium et medians erat inter clamores amborum, eorum uidelicet qui clamauerant, et eorum qui in proximo clamaturi erant. Dum igitur medium silentium tenerent omnia, omnipotens sermo, id est Verbum Patris, a regalibus sedibus uenit. Et pulchre in silentio medio mediator Dei et hominum, homo ad homines, mortalis mortales, morte mortuos saluaturus aduenit... Veniat, oro, etiam nunc Domini sermo ad silentes, audiamus quid nobis in nobis Dominus Deus loquatur. Sileant carnis nostrae motus et strepitus importuni, sileant et insolentes internae fantasiae, ut audientes aures libere audiant quid Spiritus dicat, audiant uocem super firmamentum. Loquitur enim semper animae nostrae Spiritu uitae, et fit uox super firmamentum quod imminet capiti mentis nostrae; sed nos, dum alias intendimus, loquentem nobis Spiritum non audimus.

Odd Years: Maximus the Confessor, The Five Hundred Chapters, c.1 (PG 90, 1182-1186) Ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἐφάπαξ κατά σάρκα γεννηθείς, ἀεί γεννᾶται θέλων κατά πνεῦμα διά φιλανθρωπίαν τοῖς θέλουσι· καί γίνεται βρέφος, ἑαυτόν ἐν ἐκείνοις διαπλάττων ταῖς ἀρεταῖς· καί τοσοῦτον φαινόμενος, ὅσον χωρεῖν ἐπίσταται τόν δεχόμενον· οὐ φθόνῳ σμικρύνων τοῦ οἰκείου μεγέθους τήν ἔκφανσιν, ἀλλά μέτρῳ σταθμίζων τῶν ὁρᾷν ποθούντων τήν δύναμιν. Οὕτως ἀεί καί  φαινόμενος ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος τοῖς τρόποις τῶν μετόχων, ἀεί διαμένει κατά τήν ὑπερβολήν τοῦ μυστηρίου, τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀθέατος. The Word of God, born once on the level of the flesh, is always born willingly for those who desire it on the level of the spirit, because of his love for men. He becomes an infant, forming himself in them by the virtues; he manifests himself in just the measure of which he knows the one who is receiving him is capable. It is not through any ill-will that he diminishes the manifestation of his own majesty; it is rather that he weighs the capacity of those who desire to see him. And so, though the Word of God is always manifested in the life of those who share in him, yet because the mystery is transcendent, he remains always invisible to all. Ὅθεν σοφῶς τοῦ μυστηρίου τήν δύναμιν διασκοπήσας ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος, φησίν· Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, χθές καί σήμερον, ὁ αὐτός καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας· εἰδώς ἀεί καινόν τό μυστήριον, καί μηδέποτε περιλήψει νοός παλαιούμενον. Thus the holy Apostle, in wise consideration of the meaning of the mystery, says: 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever'—he knows that the mystery is always new, that the mind in understanding it will never deprive it of its freshness. Γεννᾶται Χριστός ὁ Θεός, προσλήψει σαρκός ψυχήν ἐχούσης νοεράν γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος· ὁ παρασχόμενος τοῖς οὖσιν ἐκ μή ὄντων τήν γένεσιν· ὅν Παρθένος ὑπερφυῶς τεκοῦσα, παρέλυσεν οὐδέν τῆς παρθενίας τεκμήριον. Ὡς γάρ αὐτός ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν, οὐκ ἀλλοιώσας τήν φύσιν, οὐδ᾿ ἀμείψας τήν δύναμιν· οὕτω τήν τεκοῦσαν καί μητέρα ποιεῖ, καί παρθένον διατηρεῖ, θαύματι θαῦμα κατά ταυτό διερμηνεύων ἅμα, καί θατέρῳ κρύπτων τό ἕτερον. Ἐπειδή δι᾿ ἑαυτόν ὁ Θεός ἀεί κατ᾿ οὐσίαν ὑπάρχει μυστήριον, τοσοῦτον ἑαυτόν ἐξάγων τῆς φυσικῆς κρυφιότητος, ὅσον ταύτην πλέον διά τῆς ἐκφάνσεως κρυφιωτέραν ἐργάζεσθαι· καί τοσοῦτον πάλιν μητέρα τήν τεκοῦσαν παρθένον ποιούμενος, ὅσον τήν κύησιν ἄλυτον τῆς παρθενίας δεσμόν ἀπεργάζεσθαι. Christ God is born, made man by the assumption of flesh endowed with an intelligent soul, he who brought things from nothing into existence. [A Virgin supernaturally gave birth to him, without destoying anything of her virginity. Becoming man, he did not change his human nature or weaken its power. He made the mother who gave him birth and kept her a virgin, thus at once explaining and hiding one miracle by the other. For God in himself and essentially always remains a mystery, but he brought himself out of his natural hiding through a manifestation that highlights his mystery even more. He kept his birth mother a virgin by ensuring that the bond of her virginity was not broken.] Καινοτομοῦνται φύσεις, καί Θεός ἄνθρωπος γίνεται· οὐ μόνον ἡ θεία καί σταθερά καί ἀκίνητος, κινουμένη πρός τήν κινουμένην καί ἄστατον, ἵνα στήσῃ τοῦ φέρεσθαι· οὐδέ μόνον ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη δίχα σπορᾶς ὑπέρ φύσιν γεωργοῦσα σάρκα τῷ Λόγῳ τελεσφορουμένην, ἵνα στῇ τοῦ φέρεσθαι· ἀλλά καί ἀστήρ ἐξ ἀνατολῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ φαινόμενος, καί τούς μάγους ὁδηγῶν εἰς τόν τόπον τῆς τοῦ Λόγου σαρκώσεως, ἵνα δείξῃ μυστικῶς νικῶντα τήν αἴσθησιν, τόν ἐν νόμῳ καί προφήταις λόγον, καί ὁδηγοῦντα τά ἔθνη πρός τό μέγιστον φῶς τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως. Πρός γάρ ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ σαρκωθέντος Λόγου σαφῶς ὁ νομικός τε καί προφητικός λόγος, καθάπερ ἀστήρ εὐσεβῶς κατανοούμενος, ὁδηγεῖ τούς κατά πρόθεσιν τῇ δυνάμει κεκλημένους τῆς χάριτος. [Natures break new boundaries: God becomes man. The stable and immobile takes on a mobile and instable nature, so as to give it stability. A human mother, supernaturally without sperm, produces a perfect body for the Word, herself kept stable.] A star from the east appears by day and guides the Magi to the place the Word has taken flesh. This conveys a hidden meaning: it shows that the word of the law and the prophets surpasses the experience of the senses, and guides the gentiles to the greatest light of knowledge. The word of the law and the prophets, like a star devoutly observed, is a clear guide to the knowledge of the incarnate Word for those who are called according to God's purpose by the power of grace. Ἐπειδή θέλων ἐγώ, τήν θείαν ἐντολήν παρέβην ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καί τό στεῤῥόν μου τῆς φύσεως, θεότητος ἐλπίδι δελεάσας πρός ἡδονήν κατέσυρεν ὁ διάβολος, δι᾿ ἧς ὑποστήσας τόν θάνατον ἡμβρύνετο τρυφῶν τήν φθοράν τῆς φύσεως· διά τοῦτο γίνεται τέλειος ἄνθρωπος ὁ Θεός, μηδέν παραμείψας τῆς φύσεως, πλήν τῆς ἁμαρτίας· ἐπεί μηδέ τῆς φύσεως ἦν· ἵνα σαρκός προβλήματι δελεάσας, ἐρεθίσῃ τόν ἄπληστον δράκοντα περιχανόντα τήν σάρκα καταπιεῖν, γενησομένην αὐτῷ μέν δηλητήριον, τῇ δυνάμει τῆς ἐν αὐτῇ θεότητος παντελῶς αὐτόν διαφθείρουσαν· τῇ δέ φύσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀλεξητήριον, πρός τήν ἐξ ἀρχῆς χάριν δυνάμει τῆς ἐν αὐτῇ θεότητος ἀνακαλουμένην. Ὡς γάρ αὐτός τόν ἰόν αὐτοῦ τῆς κακίας τῷ ξύλῳ τῆς γνώσεως ἐγχέας τήν γευσαμένην διέφθειρε φύσιν, οὕτω καί αὐτός ἐμφαγεῖν βουληθείς τῆς σαρκός τοῦ Δεσπότου, τῇ δυνάμει τῆς ἐν αὐτῇ θεότητος διεφθάρη. [Since I, a man, chose to transgress the divine command, when the devil tempted the strength of my nature with hope of being like God, and ] God becomes perfect man, then, leaving aside no element of nature - except sin, and this does not belong to nature. He offered his flesh as a bait, to provoke the insatiable dragon to devour the flesh which he was greedily pursuing. This flesh would be poison to the dragon, destroying him utterly by the power of the divinity in it. But it would be a medicine for human nature, restoring it to its original grace by the power of the divinity in it. By smearing the tree of knowledge with his poison of evil, the dragon destroyed man when he tasted it. But having chosen to devour the Lord's flesh, he too was destroyed, by the power of the divinity in it. Τό μέγα τῆς θείας ἐνανθρωπήσεως μυστήριον, ἀεί μένει μυστήριον· οὐ μόνον ὅτι συμμέτρως τῇ δυνάμει τῶν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ σωζομένων ἐκφαινόμενον, ἔχει μεῖζον τοῦ ἐκφανθέντος τό μήπω ὁρώμενον, ἀλλ᾿ ὅτι καί τό αὐτό τό φανέν, ἔτι μένει πάμπαν ἀπόκρυφον, οὐδενί λόγῳ καθώς ἔστι γινωσκόμενον. Καί μή τῷ δόξῃ παράδοξον τό λεγόμενον. Ὁ γάρ Θεός ὑπερούσιος ὤν, καί ὑπερουσιότητος ἁπάσης ὑπερανεστηκώς, εἰς οὐσίαν ἐλθεῖν βουληθείς, ὑπερουσίως οὐσιώθη. Διό καί ὑπέρ ἀνθρώπων, ὡς φιλάνθρωπος, ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρώπων οὐσίας ἀληθῶς ἄνθρωπος γεγονώς, τόν τοῦ πῶς ἄνθρωπος γέγονε τρόπον, μένει διά παντός ἔχων ἀνέκφαντον· ὑπέρ ἄνθρωπον γάρ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος. The great mystery of the divine incarnation always remains a mystery. [While appearing at the same level of power as those he saves, there is something unseen greater than what appears. Moreover, what appears still remains entirely a mystery, in itslelf unknowable by reason. The paradox is not just apparent, but real. God, who is super-essential, and above all super-essentiality, chose to take on an essence, while remaining above all essence. Being above man, yet loving man, he became really a man sharing in the essence of man. He thus shared in the condition of man, while always remaining something above all expression. For being above man, he became man.] Ταῦτα πίστις μόνη χωρεῖ τά μυστήρια, τών ύπέρ νοῦν καὶ λόγον ὑπάρχουσα πραγμάτων ύπόζτασις. Only faith can grasp these mysteries, since it is the substance of things which are beyond intelligence and reason.

Prayer