READINGS: EASTER TUESDAY VII

Invitatory Psalm & BACK


Psalm 68: Hebrew English     Then BACK

Χριστὸς ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν οὐκέτι ἀποθνῄσκει, - Ἁλληλουϊά — θάνατος αὐτοῦ οὐκέτι κυριεύει - Ἁλληλουϊά.

Even Years: Acts 26:1-32

1 ἀγρίππας δὲ πρὸς τὸν παῦλον ἔφη, ἐπιτρέπεταί σοι περὶ σεαυτοῦ λέγειν.

τότε ὁ παῦλος ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἀπελογεῖτο,

2 περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ ἀγρίππα, ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν μακάριον ἐπὶ σοῦ μέλλων σήμερον ἀπολογεῖσθαι,

3 μάλιστα γνώστην ὄντα σε πάντων τῶν κατὰ ἰουδαίους ἐθῶν τε καὶ ζητημάτων:

διὸ δέομαι μακροθύμως ἀκοῦσαί μου.

4 τὴν μὲν οὖν βίωσίν μου [τὴν] ἐκ νεότητος τὴν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς γενομένην ἐν τῷ ἔθνει μου ἔν τε Ἱεροσολύμοις ἴσασι πάντες [οἱ] ἰουδαῖοι,

5 προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν, ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα φαρισαῖος.

6 καὶ νῦν ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς εἰς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν ἐπαγγελίας γενομένης ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἕστηκα κρινόμενος,

7 εἰς ἣν τὸ δωδεκάφυλον ἡμῶν ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν λατρεῦον ἐλπίζει καταντῆσαι: περὶ ἧς ἐλπίδος ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ.

8 τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρ' ὑμῖν εἰ ὁ θεὸς νεκροὺς ἐγείρει; 9 ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ ναζωραίου δεῖν πολλὰ ἐναντία πρᾶξαι:

10 ὃ καὶ ἐποίησα ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ πολλούς τε τῶν ἁγίων ἐγὼ ἐν φυλακαῖς κατέκλεισα τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἐξουσίαν λαβών,

ἀναιρουμένων τε αὐτῶν κατήνεγκα ψῆφον,

11 καὶ κατὰ πάσας τὰς συναγωγὰς πολλάκις τιμωρῶν αὐτοὺς ἠνάγκαζον βλασφημεῖν, περισσῶς τε ἐμμαινόμενος αὐτοῖς ἐδίωκον ἕως καὶ εἰς τὰς ἔξω πόλεις.

12 ἐν οἷς πορευόμενος εἰς τὴν δαμασκὸν μετ' ἐξουσίας καὶ ἐπιτροπῆς τῆς τῶν ἀρχιερέων

13 ἡμέρας μέσης κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν εἶδον, βασιλεῦ, οὐρανόθεν ὑπὲρ τὴν λαμπρότητα τοῦ ἡλίου περιλάμψαν με φῶς καὶ τοὺς σὺν ἐμοὶ πορευομένους:

14 πάντων τε καταπεσόντων ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἤκουσα φωνὴν λέγουσαν πρός με τῇ ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ,

σαοὺλ σαούλ, τί με διώκεις; σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν.

15 ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα, τίς εἶ, κύριε;

ὁ δὲ κύριος εἶπεν, ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὃν σὺ διώκεις.

16 ἀλλὰ ἀνάστηθι καὶ στῆθι ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας σου:

εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὤφθην σοι, προχειρίσασθαί σε ὑπηρέτην καὶ μάρτυρα ὧν τε εἶδές [με] ὧν τε ὀφθήσομαί σοι,

17 ἐξαιρούμενός σε ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν, εἰς οὓς ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω σε

18 ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν, τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν,

τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτοὺς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ κλῆρον ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πίστει τῇ εἰς ἐμέ.

19 ὅθεν, βασιλεῦ ἀγρίππα, οὐκ ἐγενόμην ἀπειθὴς τῇ οὐρανίῳ ὀπτασίᾳ,

20 ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν δαμασκῷ πρῶτόν τε καὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις, πᾶσάν τε τὴν χώραν τῆς ἰουδαίας καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπήγγελλον μετανοεῖν καὶ ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, ἄξια τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα πράσσοντας.

21 ἕνεκα τούτων με ἰουδαῖοι συλλαβόμενοι [ὄντα] ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐπειρῶντο διαχειρίσασθαι.

22 ἐπικουρίας οὖν τυχὼν τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἕστηκα μαρτυρόμενος μικρῷ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ, οὐδὲν ἐκτὸς λέγων ὧν τε οἱ προφῆται ἐλάλησαν μελλόντων γίνεσθαι καὶ Μωϋσῆς,

23 εἰ παθητὸς ὁ Χριστός, εἰ πρῶτος ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν φῶς μέλλει καταγγέλλειν τῷ τε λαῷ καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν.

24 ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀπολογουμένου ὁ φῆστος μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ φησιν, μαίνῃ, παῦλε: τὰ πολλά σε γράμματα εἰς μανίαν περιτρέπει.

25 ὁ δὲ παῦλος, οὐ μαίνομαι, φησίν, κράτιστε φῆστε, ἀλλὰ ἀληθείας καὶ σωφροσύνης ῥήματα ἀποφθέγγομαι.

26 ἐπίσταται γὰρ περὶ τούτων ὁ βασιλεύς, πρὸς ὃν καὶ παρρησιαζόμενος λαλῶ: λανθάνειν γὰρ αὐτὸν [τι] τούτων οὐ πείθομαι οὐθέν, οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐν γωνίᾳ πεπραγμένον τοῦτο.

27 πιστεύεις, βασιλεῦ ἀγρίππα, τοῖς προφήταις; οἶδα ὅτι πιστεύεις.

28 ὁ δὲ ἀγρίππας πρὸς τὸν παῦλον, ἐν ὀλίγῳ με πείθεις Χριστιανὸν ποιῆσαι.

29 ὁ δὲ παῦλος, εὐξαίμην ἂν τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ ἐν μεγάλῳ οὐ μόνον σὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντάς μου σήμερον γενέσθαι τοιούτους ὁποῖος καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι, παρεκτὸς τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων.

30 ἀνέστη τε ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἥ τε βερνίκη καὶ οἱ συγκαθήμενοι αὐτοῖς,

31 καὶ ἀναχωρήσαντες ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες ὅτι οὐδὲν θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἄξιον [τι] πράσσει ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος.

32 ἀγρίππας δὲ τῷ φήστῳ ἔφη, ἀπολελύσθαι ἐδύνατο ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος εἰ μὴ ἐπεκέκλητο καίσαρα.

Odd Years: 1 John 4:11-21

ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς,
καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.
θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται:
ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,
ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει
καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν τετελειωμένη ἐστιν.

          ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν,
          ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν.
          καὶ ἡμεῖς τεθεάμεθα καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν
          ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκεν τὸν υἱὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου.
          ὃς ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃ ὅτι ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ,
          ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ θεῷ.
          καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν.
          ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν,
          καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐν τῷ θεῷ μένει καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει.

ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθ' ἡμῶν,
ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως,
ὅτι καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ.
φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ,
ἀλλ' ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον,
ὅτι ὁ φόβος κόλασιν ἔχει,
ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος οὐ τετελείωται ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ.
     ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν,
     ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς.
ἐάν τις εἴπῃ ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν θεόν, * καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῇ, * ψεύστης ἐστίν:
ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ὃν ἑώρακεν,
τὸν θεὸν ὃν οὐχ ἑώρακεν οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν.
καὶ ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔχομεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ,
ἵνα ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.

Even Years: Basil, On the Holy Spirit, 9:22-23 (PG 32, 107-110)
Τίς, ἀκουσας τῶν προσηγοριῶν τοῦ Πνεύματος, οὐ διανίσταται τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ προς τὴν ἀνωτάτω φύσιν τὴν ἔννοιαν ὑπεραίρει; Πνεῦμα γὰρ Θεοῦ εἴρηται, καὶ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὁ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορεύεται· Πνεῦμα εὐθὲς, Πνεῦμα ἡγεμονικόν. Πνεῦμα ἁγιον ἡ κυρία αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδιάζουσα κλῆσις Who is there who can hear the names of the Holy Spirit and not feel exaltation in his soul, not lift up his thoughts to that supreme nature? For he is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, the upright Spirit, the guiding Spirit. His chief and distinguishing name is Holy Spirit.
Πρὸς ὃ πάντα ἐπέστραπται τὰ ἁγιασμοῦ προσδεόμενα· οὗ πάντα ἐφίεται τὰ κατ᾿ ἀρετὴν ζῶντα, οἷον ἐπαρδόμενα τῇ ἐπιπνοίᾳ καὶ βοηθούμενα πρὸς τὸ οἰκεῖον ἑαυτοῖς καὶ κατὰ φύσιν τέλος To the Spirit all creatures turn for their sanctification; all who live virtuously seek him, and are, by his influence, refreshed and helped towards their own natural end.
Ἁγιασμοῦ γένεσις, φῶς νοητόν, πάσῃ δυνάμει λογικῇ πρός τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας εὕρεσιν οἷον τινα καταφάνειαν δι᾿ ἑαυτοῦ παρεχόμενον. He is the source of holiness, the light of our understanding, for to every mind he offers his own light for the discovery of truth.
Ἀπρόσιτον τῇ φύσει· χωρητόν δι᾿ ἀγαθότητα· πάντα μὲν πληροῦν τῇ δυνάμει, μόνοις δὲ ὂν μεθεκτόν τοῖς ἀξίοις, οὐχ ἑνὶ μέτρῳ μετεχόμενον, ἀλλὰ κατ᾿ ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως διαιροῦν τὴν ἐνέργειαν. Though by nature he is inaccessible, yet through his generosity men can receive him in themselves. He fills all creatures with his power, but only those who are worthy can participate in him. But all do not share him in the same measure; he distributes his power in proportion to men's faith.
Ἁπλοῦν τῇ οὐσίᾳ, ποικίλον ταῖς δυνάμεσιν· ὅλον ἑκαστῳ παρόν, καὶ ὅλον ἁπανταχοῦ ὄν. Ἀπαθῶς μεριζόμενον, καὶ ὁλοσχερῶς μετεχόμενον· κατὰ τῆν εἰκόνα τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος, ἧς ἡ χάρις, τῷ ἀπολαύοντι ὡς μόνῳ παροῦσα, καὶ γῆν ἐπιλάμπει καὶ θάλασσαν, καὶ τῷ ἀέρι ἐγκέκραται. He is simple in essence, but manifold in power. He is present to each in his fullness, and in his fullness is present everywhere. He is divided, but does not suffer by the division; all share in him, but he remains whole, like a sunbeam whose kindly influence benefits each creature as though it were present to that creature alone, and shines over land and sea and dissolves in the air.
Οὕτω δὴ καὶ τό Πνεῦμα ἑκάστῳ τῶν δεκτικῶν, ὡς μόνῳ παρὸν, διαρκῆ τοῖς πᾶσι τὴν χάριν ὁλόκληρον ἐπαφίησιν· οὗ ἀπολαύει τὰ μετέχοντα, ὅσον αὐτὰ πέφυκεν, οὐχ ὅσον ἐκεῖνα δύναται... So too the Spirit is present like the sun to each individual who is capable of receiving him, and emits an influence which is sufficient to help them all, but is not divided; and they profit by sharing in him according to their natures, not according to his power.
Διὰ τούτου καρδιῶν ἀνάβασις, χειραγωγία τῶν ἀσθενούντων, τῶν προκπτόντων τελείωσις. Τοῦτο, τοῖς ἀπὸ πάσης κηλίδος κεκαθαρμένοις ἐλλάμπον, τῇ πρὸς ἑαυτὸ κοινωνίᾳ πνευματικοὺς ἀποδείκνυσι. Through him hearts are raised on high, the weak are led by the hand, those who are advanced gain perfection. He it is who shines on those whose hearts are purified and stainless and makes them truly spiritual through the common communion they have with him.
Καὶ ὥσπερ τὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ διαφανῆ τῶν σωμάτων, ἀκτῖνος αὐτοῖς ἐμπεσούσης, αὐτά τε γίνεται περιλαμπῆ, καὶ ἑτέραν αὐγὴν ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτῶν ἀποστίλβει· οὕτως αἱ πνευματοφόροι ψυχαὶ ἐλλαμφθεῖσαι παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, αὐταί τε ἀποτελοῦνται πνευματικαὶ, καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους τὴν χάριν ἐξαποστέλλουσιν. Even as bright and shining bodies, once touched by a ray of light falling on them, become even more glorious and themselves cast another light, so too souls that carry the Spirit, and are enlightened by the Spirit, become spiritual themselves and send forth grace upon others.
Ἐντεῦθεν μελλόντων πρόγνωσις, μυστηρίων σύνεσις, κεκρυμμένων κατάληψις, χαρισμάτων διανομαὶ, τὸ οὐράνιον πολίτευμα, ἡ μετὰ ἀνγγέλων χορεία, ἡ ἀτελεύτητος εὐφροσύνη, ἡ ἐν Θεῷ διαμονὴ, ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν ὀμοίωσις, τὸ ἀκρότατον τῶν ὀρεκτῶν, Θεὸν γενέσθαι. This grace enables them to foresee the future, to understand mysteries, to grasp hidden things, to receive spiritual blessings, to have their thoughts fixed on heavenly things, and to dance with the angels. So is their joy unending, so is their perseverance in God unfailing, so do they acquire likeness to God, so —most sublime of all— do they themselves become divine.

Odd Years: Augustine of Hippo, Treatise 94 on John, 1-3 (CCL 36, 561-563)

Cum dominus iesus praedixisset discipulis suis persecutiones quas passuri fuerant post eius abscessum, subiunxit, atque ait: haec autem uobis ab initio non dixi, quia uobis cum eram; nunc autem uado ad eum qui me misit quid sibi ergo uult nisi quia ea quae hic dicit de spiritu sancto, quod sit uenturus ad eos et testimonium perhibiturus, quando mala illa passuri sunt, haec ab initio eis non dixit, quia cum ipsis erat?

Consolator ergo ille uel aduocatus (utrumque enim interpretatur quod est graece paracletus), christo abscedente fuerat necessarius, et ideo de illo non dixerat ab initio quando cum illis erat, quia eius praesentia consolabantur; abscessurus autem oportebat ut diceret illum esse uenturum, per quem futurum erat ut caritate diffusa in cordibus suis uerbum dei cum fiducia praedicarent, et illo intrinsecus apud eos testimonium perhibente de christo, ipsi quoque testimonium perhiberent, neque scandalizarentur cum inimici iudaei absque synagogis facerent eos, et interficerent arbitrantes obsequium se praestare deo; quoniam caritas omnia tolerat, quae diffundenda erat in cordibus eorum per spiritus sancti donum.

Hinc ergo iste totus ducitur sensus, quia facturus eos erat martyres suos, id est testes suos per spiritum sanctum; ut illo in eis operante, persecutionem quaecumque aspera tolerarent, nec frigescerent a caritate praedicandi, illo diuino igne succensi. haec ergo, inquit, locutus sum uobis, ut cum uenerit hora eorum, reminiscamini quia ego dixi uobis. haec scilicet locutus sum uobis, non tantum quia passuri estis ista, sed quia cum uenerit paracletus ille, testimonium perhibebit de me, ne ista timendo taceatis, unde fiet ut etiam uos testimonium perhibeatis. haec autem uobis ab initio non dixi, quia uobis cum eram, et ego uos consolabar mea corporali praesentia, exhibita humanis sensibus uestris, quam paruuli capere poteratis.

Nunc autem uado ad eum qui me misit; et nemo, inquit, ex uobis interrogat me: quo uadis? significat sic se iturum ut nullus interrogaret, quod palam fieri uisu corporis cernerent; nam superius interrogauerant eum quo esset iturus, et responderat eis se iturum quo ipsi tunc uenire non possent. nunc uero ita se promittit iturum, ut nullus eorum quo uadit interroget. nubes enim suscepit eum quando adscendit ab eis; et euntem in caelum non uerbis quaesierunt, sed oculis deduxerunt.

Prayer