READINGS: EASTER THURSDAY VII

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 89B: Hebrew English     Then BACK
Psalm 90: Hebrew English     Then BACK

ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ τὸν κύριον ἤγειρεν - Ἁλληλουϊά. — καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξεγερεῖ διὰ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ - Ἁλληλουϊά.

Even Years: Acts 27:21-44

21 πολλῆς τε ἀσιτίας ὑπαρχούσης τότε σταθεὶς ὁ παῦλος ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν εἶπεν, ἔδει μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες, πειθαρχήσαντάς μοι μὴ ἀνάγεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς κρήτης κερδῆσαί τε τὴν ὕβριν ταύτην καὶ τὴν ζημίαν.

22 καὶ τὰ νῦν παραινῶ ὑμᾶς εὐθυμεῖν, ἀποβολὴ γὰρ ψυχῆς οὐδεμία ἔσται ἐξ ὑμῶν πλὴν τοῦ πλοίου:

23 παρέστη γάρ μοι ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τοῦ θεοῦ οὗ εἰμι [ἐγώ], ᾧ καὶ λατρεύω, ἄγγελος 24 λέγων,

μὴ φοβοῦ, παῦλε: καίσαρί σε δεῖ παραστῆναι, καὶ ἰδοὺ κεχάρισταί σοι ὁ θεὸς πάντας τοὺς πλέοντας μετὰ σοῦ.

25 διὸ εὐθυμεῖτε, ἄνδρες: πιστεύω γὰρ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι οὕτως ἔσται καθ' ὃν τρόπον λελάληταί μοι. 26 εἰς νῆσον δέ τινα δεῖ ἡμᾶς ἐκπεσεῖν.

27 ὡς δὲ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτη νὺξ ἐγένετο διαφερομένων ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ ἀδρίᾳ, κατὰ μέσον τῆς νυκτὸς ὑπενόουν οἱ ναῦται προσάγειν τινὰ αὐτοῖς χώραν.

28 καὶ βολίσαντες εὗρον ὀργυιὰς εἴκοσι, βραχὺ δὲ διαστήσαντες καὶ πάλιν βολίσαντες εὗρον ὀργυιὰς δεκαπέντε:

29 φοβούμενοί τε μή που κατὰ τραχεῖς τόπους ἐκπέσωμεν, ἐκ πρύμνης ῥίψαντες ἀγκύρας τέσσαρας ηὔχοντο ἡμέραν γενέσθαι.

30 τῶν δὲ ναυτῶν ζητούντων φυγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ πλοίου

καὶ χαλασάντων τὴν σκάφην εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν προφάσει ὡς ἐκ πρῴρης ἀγκύρας μελλόντων ἐκτείνειν,

31 εἶπεν ὁ παῦλος τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις, ἐὰν μὴ οὗτοι μείνωσιν ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ, ὑμεῖς σωθῆναι οὐ δύνασθε.

32 τότε ἀπέκοψαν οἱ στρατιῶται τὰ σχοινία τῆς σκάφης καὶ εἴασαν αὐτὴν ἐκπεσεῖν.

33 ἄχρι δὲ οὗ ἡμέρα ἤμελλεν γίνεσθαι παρεκάλει ὁ παῦλος ἅπαντας μεταλαβεῖν τροφῆς λέγων, τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτην σήμερον ἡμέραν προσδοκῶντες ἄσιτοι διατελεῖτε, μηθὲν προσλαβόμενοι:

34 διὸ παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς μεταλαβεῖν τροφῆς, τοῦτο γὰρ πρὸς τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας ὑπάρχει: οὐδενὸς γὰρ ὑμῶν θρὶξ ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀπολεῖται.

35 εἴπας δὲ ταῦτα καὶ λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐχαρίστησεν τῷ θεῷ ἐνώπιον πάντων καὶ κλάσας ἤρξατο ἐσθίειν.

36 εὔθυμοι δὲ γενόμενοι πάντες καὶ αὐτοὶ προσελάβοντο τροφῆς. 37 ἤμεθα δὲ αἱ πᾶσαι ψυχαὶ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ διακόσιαι ἑβδομήκοντα ἕξ.

38 κορεσθέντες δὲ τροφῆς ἐκούφιζον τὸ πλοῖον ἐκβαλλόμενοι τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν.

39 ὅτε δὲ ἡμέρα ἐγένετο, τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐπεγίνωσκον, κόλπον δέ τινα κατενόουν ἔχοντα αἰγιαλὸν εἰς ὃν ἐβουλεύοντο εἰ δύναιντο ἐξῶσαι τὸ πλοῖον.

40 καὶ τὰς ἀγκύρας περιελόντες εἴων εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ἅμα ἀνέντες τὰς ζευκτηρίας τῶν πηδαλίων,

καὶ ἐπάραντες τὸν ἀρτέμωνα τῇ πνεούσῃ κατεῖχον εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν.

41 περιπεσόντες δὲ εἰς τόπον διθάλασσον ἐπέκειλαν τὴν ναῦν, καὶ ἡ μὲν πρῷρα ἐρείσασα ἔμεινεν ἀσάλευτος, ἡ δὲ πρύμνα ἐλύετο ὑπὸ τῆς βίας [τῶν κυμάτων].

42 τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν βουλὴ ἐγένετο ἵνα τοὺς δεσμώτας ἀποκτείνωσιν, μή τις ἐκκολυμβήσας διαφύγῃ:

43 ὁ δὲ ἑκατοντάρχης βουλόμενος διασῶσαι τὸν παῦλον ἐκώλυσεν αὐτοὺς τοῦ βουλήματος, ἐκέλευσέν τε τοὺς δυναμένους κολυμβᾶν ἀπορίψαντας πρώτους ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐξιέναι,

44 καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς οὓς μὲν ἐπὶ σανίσιν οὓς δὲ ἐπί τινων τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου: καὶ οὕτως ἐγένετο πάντας διασωθῆναι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.

Odd Years: 1 John 5:13-21

ταῦτα ἔγραψα ὑμῖν * ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι ζωὴν ἔχετε αἰώνιον,
τοῖς πιστεύουσιν * εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ.

καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ παρρησία * ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς αὐτόν,
ὅτι ἐάν τι αἰτώμεθα κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ * ἀκούει ἡμῶν.
καὶ ἐὰν οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀκούει ἡμῶν * ὃ ἐὰν αἰτώμεθα,
οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἔχομεν τὰ αἰτήματα * ἃ ᾐτήκαμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ.
          ἐάν τις ἴδῃ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντα ἁμαρτίαν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον,
          αἰτήσει, καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ ζωήν,
          τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον.
          ἔστιν ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον:
          οὐ περὶ ἐκείνης λέγω ἵνα ἐρωτήσῃ.
          πᾶσα ἀδικία ἁμαρτία ἐστίν,
          καὶ ἔστιν ἁμαρτία οὐ πρὸς θάνατον.
οἴδαμεν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει,
     ἀλλ' ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τηρεῖ αὐτόν,
     καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς οὐχ ἅπτεται αὐτοῦ.
οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν,
     καὶ ὁ κόσμος ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται.
οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἥκει,
     καὶ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν * ἵνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινόν:
     καὶ ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ, * ἐν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ ἰησοῦ χριστῷ.
     οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς * καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος.

τεκνία, φυλάξατε ἑαυτὰ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων.

Even Years: Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John, Book 10 (PG 74, 434)
Τετελεσμένων οὖν ἄρα τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὸ ἐλλελοιπὸς ἔδει πληροῦν, τοῦτ᾿ ἔστι, τὸ ἀναβῆναι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα. Διὰ τοῦτό φησι· Συμφέρει ὑμῖν ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω. Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἀπέλθω, ὁ Παράκλητος οὺ μὴ ἔλθῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Φέρε γή τι καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἕτερον ἀπινοῶμεν τοῖς θεωρήμασι χρήσιμόν τε καὶ ἀληθές. Κατώρθωτο μὲν γἀρ ἅπαντα λοιπὸν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καθάπερ ἀμέλει διεβεβαιούμεθα νυνί· χρῆν δὲ δὴ πάντως κοινωνοὺς ἡμᾶς καὶ μετόχους γενέσθαι τῆς θείας τοῦ Λόγου φύσεως, ἥπερ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀφέντας ζωὴν εἰς ἑτέραν μετασκευάζεσθαι, καὶ πρὸς καινότητα πολιτείας μεταστοιχειοῦσθαι τῆς θεοφιλοῦς· ἀλλ᾿ ἦν οὐχ ἑτέρως δύνασθαι τούτου τυχεῖν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος κοινωνίας τε καὶ μετουσίας. After Christ had completed his mission on earth, it still remained necessary for us to become sharers in the divine nature of the Word. [Therefore he says, "It is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Paraclete will not come to you." Besides this, we can discern another true advantage. Everything else he had to do on earth was accomplished, as we just established.] We had to give up our own life and be so transformed that we should begin to live an entirely new kind of life that would be pleasing to God. This was something we could do only by sharing in the Holy Spirit.
ὅ τε μὴν πρεπωδέστατός τε καὶ οἰκειότατος καιρὸς τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀποστολῇ, καὶ καθόδῳ τῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐκείνος ἦν ἄρα λοιπὸν εἰστρέχων εὐκαίρως, ὁ μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ. Συνὼν μὲν γὰρ ἔτι μετὰ σαρκὸς καὶ τοῖς πιστεὐουσιν εἰς αὐτὼν, παντὸς, οἶμαι, χορηγὸς ἀγαθοῦ ἀνεδείκνυτο· ἀλλ᾿ ἐπείπερ αὐτὸν ἀνακομίζεσθαι δεῖν πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα καιρὸς ἐκάλει καὶ χρεία, πῶς οὐκ ἔδει συνεῖναι διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῖς σεβομένοις αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐνοικεῖν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς πίστεως, ἵν᾿ αὐτὸν ἔχοντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, μετὰ παῥῥησίας κράζωμεν· Ἀββᾷ, ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν εὐκόλως ἴοιμεν ἀρετὴν, καὶ προσέτι τούτῳ, δυνατοί τε καὶ άμαχοι πρὸς τὰς τοῦ διαβόλου μεθοδείας εὑρισκώμεθα, καὶ τὸ πάντα ἰσχύον ἔχοντες Πνεῦμα; Ὅτι γὰρ εἰς ἑτέραν τινὰ μεθίστησιν ἕξιν τοὺς ἐν οἷς ἂν γένοιτο καὶ κατοικήσῃ τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ εἰς καινότητα δὲ μεταπλάττει ζωῆς, πῶς οὐ ῥᾳδίως ἐπιδείξῃ τις ἂν, ἀπό τε τῆς ἀρχαίας καὶ νίας Γραφῆς; It was most fitting that the sending of the Spirit and his descent upon us should take place after the departure of Christ the Saviour. As long as Christ was with them in the flesh, it must have seemed to believers that they possessed every blessing in him; but when the time came for him to ascend to his heavenly Father, it was necessary for him to be united through his Spirit to those who worshiped him, and to dwell in our hearts through faith. Only by his own presence within us in this way could he give us the confidence to cry out, Abba, Father, make it easy for us to grow in holiness and, through our possession of the all-powerful Spirit, fortify us invincibly against the wiles of the devil and the assaults of other men. It can easily be shown from examples both in the Old Testament and the New that the Spirit changes those in whom he comes to dwell; he so transforms them that they begin to live a completely new kind of life.
Ὁ μὲν γὰρ θεσπέσιος Σαμουὴλ, ὅτε τοὺς πρὸς τὸν Σαοὺλ ἐποιεῖτο λόγους· Καὶ ἐφαλεῖται, φησὴ, ἐπὶ σὲ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου, καὶ στραφήσῃ εἰς ἄνδρα ἄλλον. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος Παῦλος· Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι, εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα, ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ Κυρίου Πνεύματος. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν. Saul was told by the prophet Samuel: The Spirit of the Lord will take possession of you, and you shall be changed into another man. St Paul writes: As we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, that glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit, transforms us all into his own likeness, from one degree of glory to another.
Ὁρᾷς ὅτι μεταπλάττει τὸ Πνεῦμα πρὸς ἑτέραν ὥσπερ εἰκόνα, τοὺς ἐν οἷς ἂν φαίνοιτο καταυλισθέν· Μεθίστησι γὰρ εὐκόλως ἀπὸ τοῦ φρονεῖν ἐθέλειν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἰς τὸ μόνα βλέπειν τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ἐξ ἀνάνδρου δειλίας, εἰς εὐτολμοτάτην διάνοιαν. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦτο παθόντας εὑρήσομεν, καὶ κεχαλκευμένους διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, εἰς τὸ μήτε τὰς τῶν διωκόντων ἐπαναστάσεις κατανικᾷν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ἀγάπης ἀπρὶξ ἐχομένους, οὐδαμόθεν ἀμφίβολον. Does this not show that the Spirit changes those in whom he comes to dwell and alters the whole pattern of their lives? With the Spirit within them it is quite natural for people who had been absorbed by the things of this world to become entirely otherworldly in outlook, and for cowards to become people of great courage. There can be no doubt that this is what happened to the disciples. The strength they received from the Spirit enabled them to hold firmly to the love of Christ and to face without fear the violence of their persecutors.
Οὐκοῦν ἀληθὴς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ λόγος, Συμφέρει ἡμῖν, λέγοντος, τὸ ἀποδημῆσαί με εἰς οὐρανούς. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἦν ὁ καιρὸς τῆς καθόδου τοῦ Πνηεύματος. Very true, then, was our Saviour's saying that it was to their advantage for him to return to heaven: his return was the time appointed for the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Odd Years: Augustine, Treatise 124 on John, 5,7 (CCL 36, 685-687)

Duas vitas sibi divinitus praedicatas et commendatas novit Ecclesia, quarum est una in fide, altera in specie; una in tempore peregrinationis, alter in aeternitate mansionis; una in labore, altera in requie; una in via, altera in patria; una in opere actionis, altera in mercede contemplationis.

Ista significata est per apostolum Petrum, illa per Ioannem. Tota hic agitur ista usque in huius saeculi finem, et illic invenit finem; differtur illa complenda post huius saeculi finem, sed in futuro saeculo non habet finem. Ideo dicitur huic: Sequere me; de illo autem: Sic eum volo manere, donec veniam, quid ad te? Tu me sequere.

Tu me sequere per imitationem perferendi temporalia mala; ille maneat, donec sempiterna venio redditurus bona. Quod apertius ita dici potest: Perfecta me sequatur actio, informata meae passionis exemplo; inchoata vero contemplatio maneat, donec venio, perficienda, cum venero.

Sequitur enim Christum, perveniens usque ad mortem, pia plenitudo patientiae; manet autem, donec veniat Christus, hunc manifestanda plenitudo scientiae. Hic quippe tolerantur mala huius mundi in terra morientium, ibi videbuntur bona Domini in terra viventium.

Quod enim ait: Volo eum manere, donec veniam, non sic intellegendum est quasi dixerit, remanere vel permanere; sed, expectare; quoniam quod per eum significatur, non utique nunc, sed, cum venerit Christus, implebitur. Quod autem per hunc significatur, cui dictum est: Tu me sequere, nisi nunc agatur, non pervenietur ad illud quod expectatur.

Nemo tamen istos insignes Apostolos separet. Et in eo quod significabat Petrus, ambo erant; et in eo quod significabat Ioannes, ambo futuri erant. Significando, seqebatur iste, manebat ille; credendo autem, ambo mala praesentia huius miseriae tolerabant, ambo futura bona illius beatitudinis exspectabant.

Nec ipsi soli, sed universa hoc facit sancta Ecclesia, sponsa Christi, ab istis tentationibus eruenda, in illa felicitate servanda. Quas duas vitas Petrus et Ioannes figuraverunt, singuli singulas; verum et in hac temporaliter ambulaverunt ambo per fidem, et illa in aeternum fruentur ambo per speciem.

Omnibus igitur sanctis ad Christi corpus inseparabiliter pertinentibus, propter huius vitae procellosissimae gubernaculum, ad liganda et solvenda peccata claves regni caelorum primus Apostolorum Petrus accepit; eisdemque omnibus sanctis, propter vitae illius secretissimae quietissimum sinum, super pectus Christi Ioannes evangelista discubuit.

Quoniam nec iste solus, sed universa Ecclesia ligat solvitque peccata; nec ille in principio Verbum Deum apud Deum, et cetera de Christi divinitate, et de totius divinitatis trinitate atque unitate sublimia, quae in illo regno facie ad faciem contemplanda, nunc autem, donec veniat Dominus, in speculo atque in aenigmate contuenda sunt, quae praedicando ructaret, de fonte dominici pectoris solus bibit; sed ipse Dominus ipsum Evangelium, pro sua cuiusque capacitate omnibus suis bibendum, toto terrarum orbe diffudit.

Prayer