READINGS: LENT TUESDAY III

Invitatory Psalm & BACK

PSALMS and BACK

ἰδοὺ νῦν καιρὸς εὐπρόσδεκτος, — ἰδοὺ νῦν ἡμέρα σωτηρίας

Even Years: Exodus 32:1-20

וַיַּרְא הָעָם כִּי־בֹשֵׁשׁ מֹשֶׁה לָרֶדֶת מִן־הָהָר וַיִּקָּהֵל הָעָם עַל־אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו קוּם עֲשֵׂה־לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ כִּי־זֶה מֹשֶׁה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֹא יָדַעְנוּ מֶה־הָיָה לוֹ׃ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַהֲרֹן פָּרְקוּ נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵי נְשֵׁיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶם וְהָבִיאוּ אֵלָי׃

וַיִּתְפָּרְקוּ כָּל־הָעָם אֶת־נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶל־אַהֲרֹן׃ וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם וַיָּצַר אֹתוֹ בַּחֶרֶט וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃ וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ לְפָנָיו וַיִּקְרָא אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמַר חַג לַיהוָה מָחָר׃ וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ מִמָּחֳרָת וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַיַּגִּשׁוּ שְׁלָמִים וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם לֶאֱכֹל וְשָׁתוֹ וַיָּקֻמוּ לְצַחֵק׃

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֶךְ־רֵד כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלֵיתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃ סָרוּ מַהֵר מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִם עָשׂוּ לָהֶם עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ־לוֹ וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־לוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה רָאִיתִי אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְהִנֵּה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף הוּא׃ וְעַתָּה הַנִּיחָה לִּי וְיִחַר־אַפִּי בָהֶם וַאֲכַלֵּם וְאֶעֱשֶׂה אוֹתְךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל׃

וַיְחַל מֹשֶׁה אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָה יְהוָה יֶחֱרֶה אַפְּךָ בְּעַמֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל וּבְיָד חֲזָקָה׃ לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר בְּרָעָה הוֹצִיאָם לַהֲרֹג אֹתָם בֶּהָרִים וּלְכַלֹּתָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה שׁוּב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ וְהִנָּחֵם עַל־הָרָעָה לְעַמֶּךָ׃ זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לָהֶם בָּךְ וַתְּדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם אַרְבֶּה אֶת־זַרְעֲכֶם כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם וְכָל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֶתֵּן לְזַרְעֲכֶם וְנָחֲלוּ לְעֹלָם׃ וַיִּנָּחֶם יְהוָה עַל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת לְעַמּוֹ׃

וַיִּפֶן וַיֵּרֶד מֹשֶׁה מִן־הָהָר וּשְׁנֵי לֻחֹת הָעֵדֻת בְּיָדוֹ לֻחֹת כְּתֻבִים מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה הֵם כְּתֻבִים׃ וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא חָרוּת עַל־הַלֻּחֹת׃

וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־קוֹל הָעָם בְּרֵעֹה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־מֹשֶׁה קוֹל מִלְחָמָה בַּמַּחֲנֶה׃ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵין קוֹל עֲנוֹת גְּבוּרָה וְאֵין קוֹל עֲנוֹת חֲלוּשָׁה קוֹל עַנּוֹת אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ׃ וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר קָרַב אֶל־הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיַּרְא אֶת־הָעֵגֶל וּמְחֹלֹת וַיִּחַר־אַף מֹשֶׁה וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ מִיָּדוֹ אֶת־הַלֻּחֹת וַיְשַׁבֵּר אֹתָם תַּחַת הָהָר׃ וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ וַיִּשְׂרֹף בָּאֵשׁ וַיִּטְחַן עַד אֲשֶׁר־דָּק וַיִּזֶר עַל־פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם וַיַּשְׁקְ אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃



1 When the people saw that Moses was a long time before coming down the mountain, they gathered round Aaron and said to him, 'Get to work, make us a god to go at our head; for that Moses, the man who brought us here from Egypt—we do not know what has become of him.' 2 Aaron replied, 'Strip off the gold rings in the ears of your wives and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.'

3 The people all stripped off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He received what they gave him, melted it down in a mould and with it made the statue of a calf. 'Israel,' the people shouted, 'here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!' 5 Observing this, Aaron built an altar before the statue and made this proclamation, 'Tomorrow will be a feast in Yahweh's honour.' 6 Early next morning they sacrificed burnt offerings and brought communion sacrifices. The people then sat down to eat and drink, and afterwards got up to amuse themselves.

7 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go down at once, for your people whom you brought here from Egypt have become corrupt. 8 They have quickly left the way which I ordered them to follow. They have cast themselves a metal calf, worshipped it and offered sacrifice to it, shouting, "Israel, here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!" ' 9 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'I know these people; I know how obstinate they are! 10 So leave me now, so that my anger can blaze at them and I can put an end to them! I shall make a great nation out of you instead.'

11 Moses tried to pacify Yahweh his God. 'Yahweh,' he said, 'why should your anger blaze at your people, whom you have brought out of Egypt by your great power and mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, "He brought them out with evil intention, to slaughter them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth?" Give up your burning wrath; relent over this disaster intended for your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to whom you swore by your very self and made this promise: "I shall make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and this whole country of which I have spoken, I shall give to your descendants, and it will be their heritage for ever." ' 14 Yahweh then relented over the disaster which he had intended to inflict on his people.

15 Moses turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, tablets inscribed on both sides, inscribed on the front and on the back. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing on them was God's writing, engraved on the tablets.

17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, 'There is the sound of battle in the camp!' 18 But he replied: No song of victory is this sound, no lament for defeat this sound; but answering choruses I hear! 19 And there, as he approached the camp, he saw the calf and the groups dancing. Moses blazed with anger. He threw down the tablets he was holding, shattering them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He seized the calf they had made and burned it, grinding it into powder which he scattered on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.

Odd Years: Hebrews 3:1-19

      ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι,
      κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν,
      πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν ὡς καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ.
      πλείονος γὰρ οὗτος δόξης παρὰ Μωϋσῆν ἠξίωται
      καθ' ὅσον πλείονα τιμὴν ἔχει τοῦ οἴκου ὁ κατασκευάσας αὐτόν.
      πᾶς γὰρ οἶκος κατασκευάζεται ὑπό τινος,
      ὁ δὲ πάντα κατασκευάσας θεός.
      καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ
      ὡς θεράπων εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων,
      Χριστὸς δὲ ὡς υἱὸς ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ:
      οὗ οἶκός ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς,
      ἐάνπερ τὴν παρρησίαν καὶ τὸ καύχημα τῆς ἐλπίδος κατάσχωμεν.

Διό, καθὼς λέγει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον,
σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε,
μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ,
κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ,
οὗ ἐπείρασαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἐν δοκιμασίᾳ
καὶ εἶδον τὰ ἔργα μου τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη:
διὸ προσώχθισα τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ καὶ εἶπον,
ἀεὶ πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ: αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰς ὁδούς μου:
ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου, εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου.
      βλέπετε, ἀδελφοί, μήποτε ἔσται ἔν τινι ὑμῶν καρδία πονηρὰ ἀπιστίας
      ἐν τῷ ἀποστῆναι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ζῶντος,
      ἀλλὰ παρακαλεῖτε ἑαυτοὺς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν,
      ἄχρις οὗ τὸ σήμερον καλεῖται,
      ἵνα μὴ σκληρυνθῇ τις ἐξ ὑμῶν ἀπάτῃ τῆς ἁμαρτίας:
            μέτοχοι γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν,
            ἐάνπερ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς ὑποστάσεως μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν κατάσχωμεν,
            ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι, σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε,
            μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ.
      τίνες γὰρ ἀκούσαντες παρεπίκραναν;
      ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες οἱ ἐξελθόντες ἐξ Αἰγύπτου διὰ Μωϋσέως;
      τίσιν δὲ προσώχθισεν τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη;
      οὐχὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήσασιν, ὧν τὰ κῶλα ἔπεσεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ;
      τίσιν δὲ ὤμοσεν μὴ εἰσελεύσεσθαι εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν;
      καὶ βλέπομεν ὅτι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν εἰσελθεῖν δι' ἀπιστίαν.

1 That is why all you who are holy brothers and share the same heavenly call should turn your minds to Jesus, the apostle and the high priest of our profession of faith. 2 He was trustworthy to the one who appointed him, just like Moses, who remained trustworthy in all his household; 3 but he deserves a greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house is more honoured than the house itself. 4 Every house is built by someone, of course; but God built everything that exists. 5 It is true that Moses was trustworthy in the household of God, as a servant is, acting as witness to the things which were yet to be revealed, 6 but Christ is trustworthy as a son is, over his household. And we are his household, as long as we fearlessly maintain the hope in which we glory. 7 That is why, as the Holy Spirit says: If only you would listen to him today! 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at the rebellion, as at the time of testing in the desert, 9 when your ancestors challenged me, and put me to the test, and saw what I could do 10 for forty years. That was why that generation sickened me and I said, 'Always fickle hearts, that cannot grasp my ways!' 11 And then in my anger I swore that they would never enter my place of rest. 12 Take care, brothers, that none of you ever has a wicked heart, so unbelieving as to turn away from the living God. 13 Every day, as long as this today lasts, keep encouraging one another so that none of you is hardened by the lure of sin, 14 because we have been granted a share with Christ only if we keep the grasp of our first confidence firm to the end. 15 In this saying: If only you would listen to him today; do not harden your hearts, as at the Rebellion, 16 who was it who listened and then rebelled? Surely all those whom Moses led out of Egypt. 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Surely with those who sinned and whose dead bodies fell in the desert. 18 To whom did he swear they would never enter his place of rest? Surely those who would not believe. 19 So we see that it was their refusal to believe which prevented them from entering.

Even Years: Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 43 (PL 52, 320,322)
Tria sunt, tria, fratres, per quae stat fides, constat devotio, manet virtus. Oratio, ieiunium, misericordia. Quod oratio pulsat, impetrat ieiunium, misericordia accipit. Oratio, misericordia, ieiunium, sunt haec tria unum, dant haec sibi invicem vitam. Perseverance in faith, devotion, and virtue is assured by three things: prayer, fasting, and mercy. Prayer knocks at the door, fasting gains entrance, mercy receives. These three things, prayer, fasting, and mercy are all one and they give life to each other.
Est namque orationis anima ieiunium, ieiunii vita misericordia est. Haec nemo rescindat, nesciunt separari. Horum qui unum tantum habet, vel ista qui simul non habet, nihil habet. Ergo qui orat, ieiunet; qui ieiunat; misereatur; audiat petentem, qui petens optat audiri; auditum Dei aperit sibi, qui suum supplicanti non claudit auditum. Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no one try to separate them, for this is impossible. If we have only one of them, if we have not all three together, we have nothing. Whoever prays, then, must also fast; whoever fasts must also show mercy. If we want our own petitions heard we must hear the petitions of others. God's ear will be open to us if we do not turn a deaf ear to other people.
Ieiunium ieiunator intellegat; esurientem sentiat, qui vult Deum sentire quod esurit; miseratur qui misericordiam sperat; pietatem qui quaerit, faciat; qui praestari sibi vult, praestet. Improbus petitor est qui, quod alii negat, sibi postulat. When we fast we should understand what it means to be really hungry. If we want God to take account of our hunger we must feel for the hunger of others. If we hope for mercy we must show mercy. If we look for kindness we must show kindness. If we want to receive we must give. Only a shameless person would ask for himself what he refused to give to others.
Homo, esto tibi misericordiae forma; sic quomodo vis, quantum vis, quam cito vis, misericordiam tibi fieri; tam cito aliis tantum, taliter ipse miserere. In showing mercy this should be the rule: show it in the same way, with the same generosity, with the same promptness as you would wish it to be shown to you.
Ergo oratio, misericordia, ieiunium, sint unum patrocinium pro nobis ad Deum, pro nobis haec advocatio sint una, una haec pro nobis oratio sint triformis. Let prayer, mercy, and fasting, then, be one single appeal to God on our behalf, one speech in our defence, one threefold plea in our favour.
Quod ergo contemptu perdidimus, ieiuniis conquiramus; animas nostras ieiuniis immolemus, quia nihil est quod Deo praestantius offere possimus, probante Propheta, cum dicit: Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus; cor contritum et humiliatum Deus non spernit. What we have lost by despising others let us regain by fasting. By fasting let us offer our souls in sacrifice, for we can make no better offering to God, as is proved by the prophet's words: A sacrifice pleasing to God is a contrite spirit. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.
Homo, offer Deo animam tuam, et offer oblationem ieiunii, ut sit pura hostia, sacrificium sanctum, vivens victima, quae et tibi maneat, et data sit Deo. Hoc qui non dederit Deo, excusatus non erit, quia daturus se non potest non habere. Offer your soul to God, make him an oblation of your fasting so that your soul may be a pure offering, a holy sacrifice, a living victim, remaining your own and at the same time made over to God. Whoever fails to give this gift to God will not be excused for you are never without the means of giving if the gift to be given is yourself.
Sed accepta ut sint ista, misericordia subsequatur; ieiunium non germinat, si de misericordia non regetur, siccatur ieiunium misericordiae siccitate; quod imber terris, hoc ieiunio misericordia est. Quamvis cor excolat, carnem mundet, eradicet vitia, virtutes serat, si misericordiae fluenta non dederit, fructum non colligit ieiunator. To make these offerings acceptable mercy must be added. Fasting bears no fruit unless it is watered by mercy. When mercy dries up fasting is arid. Mercy is to fasting as rain is to the earth. However much you may cultivate your heart, clear the soil of your nature, root out your vices and sow virtues, if you do not release the springs of mercy your fasting will bear no fruit.
Ieiunator, ager tuus misericordia ieiunante ieiunat; ieiunator, quod tu in misercordia fuderis, tibi in horreo hoc redundat. Homo, ergo, ne servando perdas, collige prorogando; homo, dando pauperi, da tibi; quia, quod tu alteri non reliqueris, non habebis. When you fast a thin sowing of mercy will mean a thin harvest. When you fast what you pour out in mercy overflows into your barn. So do not lose by saving, but gather in by scattering. Give to the poor and you give to yourself. You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others.

Odd Years: Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John, 11:8 (PG 74, 506-507)
Μεσιτεύει πάλιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ὁ Θεοῦ τε καὶ ἀνθρώπων διαλλακτὴς καὶ μεσίτης, καὶ ὁ μέγας ὄντως καὶ πανάγιος ἡμῶν ἀρχιερεὺς, ταῖς παρ' ἑαυτοῦ λιταῖς τὴν τοῦ ἰδίου γεννήτορος ἐκμειλίσσεται γνώμην, ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἱερουργῶν. αὐτὸς γὰρ τὸ θῦμα καὶ αὐτὸς ἱερεὺς, αὐτὸς ὁ μεσίτης, αὐτὸς τὸ πανάμωμον ἱερεῖον, ὁ ἀμνὸς ὁ ἀληθινὸς ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. As a man the Mediator between God and man intercedes on our behalf, and because he is our very great and most holy High Priest who offers himself as a sacrifice for us, his prayers appease the anger of his Father. Christ is himself both sacrifice and priest, both mediator and victim without blemish, the true lamb who takes away the sin of the world.
ἦν οὖν ἄρα τύπος ὥσπερ τις καὶ σκιὰ διαφανὴς τῆς ἐν ἐσχάτοις καιροῖς ἀναδεδειγμένης τοῦ Χριστοῦ μεσιτείας, ἡ πάλαι διὰ Μωυσέως, καὶ ὁ κατὰ νόμον ἀρχιερεὺς τὸν ὑπὲρ νόμον ἱερουργὸν ἐν ἰδίῳ γέγραφε σχήματι· σκιαὶ γὰρ τῆς ἀληθείας εἰσὶ τὰ νομικά. Μωυσῆς γὰρ ὁ θεσπέσιος καὶ μὴν σὺν ἐκείνῳ καὶ ὁ περίβλεπτος Ἀαρὼν μέσον διὰ παντὸς ἐχώρουν Θεοῦ τε καὶ τῆς συναγωγῆς, ἄρτι μὲν τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς πλημμελήμασι τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ δυσωποῦντες ὀργὴν, καὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν καλοῦντες ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀτονοῦσιν εὐμένειαν· ἄρτι δὲ πάλιν ἐπευχόμενοί τε καὶ εὐλογοῦντες αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὰς κατὰ νόμον θυσίας, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἔτι δωροφορίας, κατὰ τὴν τῶν διατεταγμένων προσάγοντες τάξιν, ποτὲ μὲν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ χαριστήρια τὰ ἐφ' οἷς εὖ παθόντες ᾔδεσαν παρὰ Θεοῦ. The mediation of Moses in ancient times was a clear type and symbol of the mediation of Christ as manifested in the last days, and the high priest of the Law was a figure of the High Priest who is above the Law. Indeed, all that relates to the Law is a foreshadowing of the truth. The saintly Moses, and with him the celebrated Aaron, always stood between God and the people of Israel. They placated God's anger at the people's sins, calling on heaven to be merciful to their weakness; they invoked blessings on them and offered the sacrifice and gifts ordained by the Law for sins, or as thank-offerings for the blessings God had given them.
ὁ γε μὴν ὑπὲρ τύπους καὶ σχήματα νομικὰ πεφηνὼς ἐν ἐσχάτοις καιροῖς ἀρχιερεύς τε ἅμα καὶ μεσίτης Χριστὸς, ἐρωτᾷ μὲν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, συμφιλοτιμεῖται δὲ ὡς Θεὸς τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, διανέμοντι τοῖς ἀξίοις τὰ ἀγαθά. ἐμφανέστατα δὲ τοῦτο παρέδειξεν ἡμῖν ὁ Παῦλος εἰπών Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. But Christ, who appeared in the last days to supersede the types and symbols of the Law, is both High Priest and Mediator. As a man he intercedes for us, but as God he is one with God the Father in bestowing blessings upon those who are worthy of them. Paul's saying, Grace and peace be with you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, teaches us this quite clearly.
ὁ τοίνυν ἐρωτῶν, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, συνδιανέμει πάλιν ὡς Θεός. ὅσιος γὰρ ὑπάρχων ἀρχιερεὺς, ἄμωμός τε καὶ ἄκακος, οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἀσθενείας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ, καθάπερ ἦν ἔθος τοῖς ἱερᾶσθαι λαχοῦσι κατὰ τὸν νόμον, μᾶλλον δὲ ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν ἑαυτὸν προσενεγκὼν, καὶ τοῦτο εἰσάπαξ διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν, παράκλητος γέγονεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστι περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, κατὰ τὴν Ἰωάννου φωνήν· οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου... τουτέστι, τῶν ἐκ παντὸς ἔθνους τε καὶ γένους κληθησομένων διὰ τῆς πίστεως εἰς δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἁγιασμόν. Christ prays for us as a man, but as God he also gives. For being a High Priest who is holy, innocent, and undefiled, he did not offer himself in sacrifice for his own frailty as did those to whom it fell to offer sacrifice according to the Law. No, it was for the salvation of our souls and on account of our sin that he made this offering, and made it once for all. He undertook to plead on our behalf and he is himself the sacrifice for our sins, and not for our sins only but also for the sins of the whole world, for the sins of every nation and race that is called to attain righteousness and holiness through faith.

Prayer