READINGS: LENT SATURDAY III

Invitatory Psalm & BACK

PSALMS and BACK

ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, — ἵνα φανερωθῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα.

Even Years: Exodus 40:16-38 וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֹתוֹ כֵּן עָשָׂה׃ וַיְהִי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן׃ וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־אֲדָנָיו וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־קְרָשָׁיו וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־בְּרִיחָיו וַיָּקֶם אֶת־עַמּוּדָיו׃ וַיִּפְרֹשׂ אֶת־הָאֹהֶל עַל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־מִכְסֵה הָאֹהֶל עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ וַיִּקַּח וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־הָעֵדֻת אֶל־הָאָרֹן וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַבַּדִּים עַל־הָאָרֹן וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־הַכַּפֹּרֶת עַל־הָאָרֹן מִלְמָעְלָה׃ וַיָּבֵא אֶת־הָאָרֹן אֶל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן וַיָּשֶׂם אֵת פָּרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ וַיָּסֶךְ עַל אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָן בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן צָפֹנָה מִחוּץ לַפָּרֹכֶת׃ וַיַּעֲרֹךְ עָלָיו עֵרֶךְ לֶחֶם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד נֹכַח הַשֻּׁלְחָן עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן נֶגְבָּה׃ וַיַּעַל הַנֵּרֹת לִפְנֵי יְהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִפְנֵי הַפָּרֹכֶת׃ וַיַּקְטֵר עָלָיו קְטֹרֶת סַמִּים כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־מָסַךְ הַפֶּתַח לַמִּשְׁכָּן׃ וְאֵת מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה שָׂם פֶּתַח מִשְׁכַּן אֹהֶל־מוֹעֵד וַיַּעַל עָלָיו אֶת־הָעֹלָה וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַכִּיֹּר בֵּין־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבֵין הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיִּתֵּן שָׁמָּה מַיִם לְרָחְצָה׃ וְרָחֲצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם וְאֶת־רַגְלֵיהֶם׃ בְּבֹאָם אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבְקָרְבָתָם אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ יִרְחָצוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ וַיָּקֶם אֶת־הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב לַמִּשְׁכָּן וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־מָסַךְ שַׁעַר הֶחָצֵר וַיְכַל מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָה׃ וַיְכַס הֶעָנָן אֶת־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה מָלֵא אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן׃ וְלֹא־יָכֹל מֹשֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד כִּי־שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה מָלֵא אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן׃ וּבְהֵעָלוֹת הֶעָנָן מֵעַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן יִסְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכֹל מַסְעֵיהֶם׃ וְאִם־לֹא יֵעָלֶה הֶעָנָן וְלֹא יִסְעוּ עַד־יוֹם הֵעָלֹתוֹ׃ כִּי עֲנַן יְהוָה עַל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן יוֹמָם וְאֵשׁ תִּהְיֶה לַיְלָה בּוֹ לְעֵינֵי כָל־בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל־מַסְעֵיהֶם׃	16 Moses did this; he did exactly as Yahweh had ordered him. 17 On the first day of the first month in the second year the Dwelling was erected. 18 Moses erected the Dwelling. He fixed its sockets, set up its frames, put its crossbars in position and set up its poles. 19 He spread the tent over the Dwelling and the covering for the tent over that, as Yahweh had ordered Moses. 20 He took the Testimony and put it in the ark, positioned the shafts on the ark and put the mercy-seat on top of the ark. 21 He brought the ark into the Dwelling and put the screening curtain in place, screening the ark of the Testimony, as Yahweh had ordered Moses. 22 He put the table inside the Tent of Meeting, against the side of the Dwelling, on the north, outside the curtain, 23 and on it arranged the loaves before Yahweh, as Yahweh had ordered Moses. 24 He put the lamp-stand inside the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the Dwelling, 25 and set up the lamps before Yahweh, as Yahweh had ordered Moses. 26 He put the golden altar inside the Tent of Meeting, in front of the curtain, 27 and on it burnt fragrant incense, as Yahweh had ordered Moses. 28 He then put the screen at the entrance to the Dwelling. 29 He put the altar of burnt offerings at the entrance to the Dwelling, to the Tent of Meeting, and on it offered the burnt offering and cereal offering, as Yahweh had ordered Moses. 30 He put the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for the ablutions, 31 where Moses, Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet, 32 whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar they washed, as Yahweh had ordered Moses. 33 He then set up the court round the Dwelling and the altar and set up the screen at the gate-way to the court. Thus Moses completed the work. 34 The cloud then covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of Yahweh filled the Dwelling. 35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, since the cloud stayed over it and the glory of Yahweh filled the Dwelling. 36 At every stage of their journey, whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling, the Israelites would resume their march. 37 If the cloud did not rise, they would not resume their march until the day it did rise. 38 For Yahweh's cloud stayed over the Dwelling during the daytime and there was fire inside the cloud at night, for the whole House of Israel to see, at every stage of their journey.
Odd Years: Hebrews 6:13-20 τῷ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπαγγειλάμενος ὁ θεός, ἐπεὶ κατ' οὐδενὸς εἶχεν μείζονος ὀμόσαι, ὤμοσεν καθ' ἑαυτοῦ, λέγων, εἰ μὴν εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω σε καὶ πληθύνων πληθυνῶ σε: καὶ οὕτως μακροθυμήσας ἐπέτυχεν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας.       ἄνθρωποι γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ μείζονος ὀμνύουσιν,       καὶ πάσης αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογίας πέρας εἰς βεβαίωσιν ὁ ὅρκος:       ἐν ᾧ περισσότερον βουλόμενος ὁ θεὸς ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῖς κληρονόμοις τῆς ἐπαγγελίας       τὸ ἀμετάθετον τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ ἐμεσίτευσεν ὅρκῳ,       ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων,       ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι τὸν θεόν,       ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν οἱ καταφυγόντες κρατῆσαι τῆς προκειμένης ἐλπίδος: ἣν ὡς ἄγκυραν ἔχομεν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ βεβαίαν καὶ εἰσερχομένην εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος, ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
Hebrews 6:13-20 13 When God made the promise to Abraham, he swore by his own self, since there was no one greater he could swear by: 14 I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants. 15 Because of that, Abraham persevered and received fulfilment of the promise. 16 Human beings, of course, swear an oath by something greater than themselves, and between them, confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute. 17 In the same way, when God wanted to show the heirs of the promise even more clearly how unalterable his plan was, he conveyed it by an oath 18 so that through two unalterable factors in which God could not be lying, we who have fled to him might have a vigorous encouragement to grasp the hope held out to us. 19 This is the anchor our souls have, reaching right through inside the curtain 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever, of the order of Melchizedek.

Even Years: Gregory Nazianzen, Talk 14 on love of the poor, 38,40 (PG 35, 907-910) Μακάριοι, φησὶν, οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται. Οὐ πολλοστὸς ἐν τοῖς μακαρισμοῖς ὁ ἔλεος. Καὶ, Μακάριος ὁ συνιὼν, ἐπὶ πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα· καὶ, Χρηστὸς ἀνὴρ ὁ οἰκτείρων καὶ κιχρῶν· καὶ, Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐλεεῖ καὶ δανείζει ὁ δίκαιος. Ἁρπάσωμεν τὸν μακαρισμὸν, συνιέντες κληθῶμεν, χρηστοὶ γενώμεθα. Μὴ διακοψάτω σου μηδὲ νὺξ τὸν ἔλεον. Μὴ εἴπῃς· Ἐπανελθὼν ἐπάνηκε, καὶ αὔριον δώσω σοι· μή τι μέσον γένηται τῆς ὁρμῆς καὶ τῆς εὐεργεσίας· τοῦτο μόνον, οὐ δέχεται ἀναβολὴν ἡ φιλανθρωπία. Διάθρυπτε πεινῶντι τὸν ἄρτον σου, καὶ πτωχοὺς ἀστέγους εἰσάγαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, καὶ ταῦτα μετὰ προθυμίας. Ὁ γὰρ ἐλεῶν, φησὶν, ἐν ἱλαρότητι· καὶ διπλασιάζεταί σοι τὸ ἀγαθὸν τῇ ἑτοιμότητι. Τὸ γὰρ ἐκ λύπης, ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ἄχαρί τε καὶ ἀκαλλώπιστον. Πανηγυριστέον δὲ, οὐ θρηνητέον τὴν εὐποιίαν. Ἐὰν ἀνέλῃς σύνδεσμον, φησὶ, καὶ χειροτονίαν, μικρολογίαν δὴ λέγω τοῦτο καὶ δοκιμασίαν, εἶτ' οὖν ἀμφιβολίαν, καὶ ῥῆμα γογγυσμοῦ, τί γενήσεται; Ὡς μέγα τι καὶ θαυμάσιον! οἷον καὶ ὅσος ὁ τούτου μισθός! Ῥαγήσεται πρώιμον τὸ φῶς σου, καὶ τὰ ἰάματά σου ταχὺ ἀνατελεῖ. Τίς οὖν οὐκ ἐφίεται φωτὸς καὶ ἰάσεως; Εἴ τι οὖν ἐμοὶ πείθεσθε, δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ συγκληρονόμοι, ἕως ἐστὶ καιρὸς, Χριστὸν ἐπισκεψώμεθα, Χριστὸν θεραπεύσωμεν, Χριστὸν θρέψωμεν, Χριστὸν ἐνδύσωμεν, Χριστὸν συναγάγωμεν, Χριστὸν τιμήσωμεν· μὴ τραπέζῃ μόνον, ὥς τινες· μηδὲ μύροις, ὡς ἡ Μαρία· μηδὲ τάφῳ μόνον, ὡς Ἰωσὴφ ὁ Ἀριμαθαῖος· μηδὲ τοῖς πρὸς τὴν ταφὴν, ὡς Νικόδημος ὁ ἐξ ἡμισείας φιλόχριστος· μηδὲ χρυσῷ καὶ λιβάνῳ καὶ σμύρνῃ, ὡς οἱ μάγοι πρὸ τῶν εἰρημένων· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἔλεον θέλει καὶ οὐ θυσίαν ὁ πάντων Δεσπότης, καὶ ὑπὲρ μυριάδας ἀρνῶν πιόνων ἡ εὐσπλαγχνία, ταύτην εἰσφέρωμεν αὐτῷ διὰ τῶν δεομένων, καὶ χαμαὶ σήμερον ἐῤῥιμμένων, ἵνα, ὅταν ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγῶμεν, δέξωνται ἡμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνὰς, ἐν αὐτῷ Χριστῷ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

Odd Years: Augustine of Hippo, Treatise on John 84, 1 (CCL 39, 1176-1177) Plenitudinem dilectionis qua nos invicem diligere debemus, fratres carissimi, definivit Dominus dicens: Maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, ut animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. Fit ex hoc consequens, quod idem iste evangelista Ioannes in epistola sua dicit: Ut quemadmodum Christus pro nobis animam suam posuit, sic et nos debeamus pro fratribus animas ponere; diligentes utique invicem sicut ipse dilexit nos, qui pro nobis animam suam posuit. The Lord marked out for us the fullness of love we ought to have for each other when he told us: There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. Taking into account his previous words, namely: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you, the conclusion we must draw is the same as that of the evangelist John who recorded these statements. In his first letter John tells us that we ought to lay down our lives for our brethren in the same way as Christ laid down his life for us, loving one another after the example of Christ who loved us and made the supreme sacrifice for us. Nimirum hoc est quod legitur in Proverbiis Salomonis: Si sederis cenare ad mensam potentis, considerans intellege quae apponuntur tibi; et sic mitte manum tuam, sciens quia talia te oportet praeparare. Nam quae mensa est potentis, nisi unde sumitur corpus et sanguis eius qui animam suam posuit pro nobis? Et quid est ad eam sedere, nisi humiliter accedere? Et quid est considerare et intellegere quae apponuntur tibi, nisi digne tantam gratiam cogitare? Et quid est sic mittere manum, ut scias quia talia te oportet praeparare, nisi quod iam dixi, quia sicut pro nobis Christus animam suam posuit, sic et nos debemus animas pro fratribus ponere? Sicut enim ait apostolus Petrus: Christus pro nobis passus est, relinquens nobis exemplum, ut sequamur vestigia eius. Hoc est talia praeparare. Hoc beati martyres ardenti dilectione fecerunt; quorum si non inaniter memorias celebramus, atque in convivio quo et ipsi saturati sunt, ad mensam Domini accedimus, oportet, ut quemadmodum ipsi, et nos talia praeparemus. Surely this is what we read in the Proverbs of Solomon: When you sit down to eat at the table of a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you, then stretch out your hand and take your portion knowing that you in your turn will have to provide the same kind of meal. What is this ruler's table, if not the altar at which we receive the body and blood of him who laid down his life for us? And what does it mean to sit at this table, if not to approach it with humility? What does it mean to stretch out your hand and take your portion knowing that you will have to provide the same kind of meal yourself, if not what I have already told you, namely that just as Christ laid down his life for us so we too ought to lay down our lives for our brethren? This is what the apostle Peter said: Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we might follow in his footsteps. This is what it means to provide the same kind of meal, and what their burning love enabled the blessed martyrs to do. If we are to give true meaning to our celebration of their memorials, approaching the Lord's table at the very feast at which they were fed, we must, like them, provide the same kind of meal. Ideo quippe ad ipsam mensam non sic eos commemoramus, quemadmodum alios qui in pace requiescunt, ut etiam pro eis oremus, sed magis ut ipsi pro nobis, ut eorum vestigiis adhaereamus; quia impleverunt ipsi caritatem qua Dominus dixit non posse esse maiorem. Talia enim suis fratribus exhibuerunt, qualia de Domini mensa pariter acceperunt. At this table we do not commemorate the martyrs in the same way as we commemorate others who now rest in peace, so as to include them in our prayers, but rather in order that they should pray for us and help us to follow in their footsteps. They practiced that perfect love which Christ said could not be surpassed, offering their brethren the same kind of meal as they themselves had received from the table of the Lord. Neque hoc ita dictum sit, quasi propterea Domino Christo pares esse possimus, si pro illo usque ad sanguinem martyrium duxerimus. Ille potestatem habuit ponendi animam suam, et iterum sumendi eam; nos autem nec quantum volumus vivimus, et morimur etiamsi nolumus; ille moriens mox in se occidit mortem, nos in eius morte liberamur a morte; illius caro non vidit corruptionem, nostra post corruptionem, in fine saeculi per illum induetur incorruptionem; ille nobis non indiguit ut nos salvos faceret, nos sine illo nihil possumus facere; ille se nobis palmitibus praebuit vitem, nos habere praeter illum non possumus vitam. This must not be understood as implying that we can be the Lord's equals by bearing witness to him to the extent of shedding our blood. Christ had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again; but we cannot choose how long we shall live, and death comes to us even against our will. [When he died and killed death in himself, we were delivered from death in his death. His flesh did not see corruption, but ours, after corruption, will put on incorruption through him at the end of time. He did not need us to save us, but without him we can do nothing. He extended the vine to us the branches, but we can have no life apart from him.] Postremo etsi fratres pro fratribus moriantur, tamen in fraternorum peccatorum remissionem nullius sanguis martyris funditur, quod fecit ille pro nobis; neque in hoc quid imitaremur, sed quid gratularemur contulit nobis. Quatenus ergo martyres pro fratribus sanguinem suum fuderunt, hactenus talia exhibuerunt, qualia de mensa dominica perceperunt. Diligamus ergo invicem, sicut et Christus dilexit nos, et tradidit semetipsum pro nobis. Finally, even if martyrs die for their brethren, none of them by shedding his blood brings forgiveness for the sins of his brothers, as Christ brought forgiveness to us. In this he gave us not so much an example to imitate as a reason for rejoicing. Insofar, then, as they shed their blood for their brethren, the martyrs provided the same kind of meal as they themselves had received from the table of the Lord. Let us therefore love one another as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.

Prayer