READINGS: LENT SATURDAY V

Invitatory Psalm & BACK

Psalm 105: Hebrew English     Then BACK

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

Even Years: Numbers 24:1-19 1 וַיַּרְא בִּלְעָם כִּי טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא־הָלַךְ כְּפַעַם־בְּפַעַם לִקְרַאת נְחָשִׁים וַיָּשֶׁת אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּר פָּנָיו׃ 2 וַיִּשָּׂא בִלְעָם אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל שֹׁכֵן לִשְׁבָטָיו וַתְּהִי עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים׃ 3 וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר נְאֻם בִּלְעָם בְּנוֹ בְעֹר וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן׃ 4 נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי־אֵל אֲשֶׁר מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם׃ 5 מַה־טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 6 כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּיוּ כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע יְהוָה כַּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי־מָיִם׃ 7 יִזַּל־מַיִם מִדָּלְיָו וְזַרְעוֹ בְּמַיִם רַבִּים וְיָרֹם מֵאֲגַג מַלְכּוֹ וְתִנַּשֵּׂא מַלְכֻתוֹ׃ 8 אֵל מוֹצִיאוֹ מִמִּצְרַיִם כְּתוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם לוֹ יֹאכַל גּוֹיִם צָרָיו וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶם יְגָרֵם וְחִצָּיו יִמְחָץ׃ 9 כָּרַע שָׁכַב כַּאֲרִי וּכְלָבִיא מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ מְבָרֲכֶיךָ בָרוּךְ וְאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר׃ 10 וַיִּחַר־אַף בָּלָק אֶל־בִּלְעָם וַיִּסְפֹּק אֶת־כַּפָּיו וַיֹּאמֶר בָּלָק אֶל־בִּלְעָם לָקֹב אֹיְבַי קְרָאתִיךָ וְהִנֵּה בֵּרַכְתָּ בָרֵךְ זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים׃ 11 וְעַתָּה בְּרַח־לְךָ אֶל־מְקוֹמֶךָ אָמַרְתִּי כַּבֵּד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ וְהִנֵּה מְנָעֲךָ יְהוָה מִכָּבוֹד׃ 12 וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל־בָּלָק הֲלֹא גַּם אֶל־מַלְאָכֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַחְתָּ אֵלַי דִּבַּרְתִּי לֵאמֹר׃ 13 אִם־יִתֶּן־לִי בָלָק מְלֹא בֵיתוֹ כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲבֹר אֶת־פִּי יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹבָה אוֹ רָעָה מִלִּבִּי אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֹתוֹ אֲדַבֵּר׃ 14 וְעַתָּה הִנְנִי הוֹלֵךְ לְעַמִּי לְכָה אִיעָצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָעָם הַזֶּה לְעַמְּךָ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים׃ 15 וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר נְאֻם בִּלְעָם בְּנוֹ בְעֹר וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן׃ 16 נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי־אֵל וְיֹדֵעַ דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם׃ 17 אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מוֹאָב וְקַרְקַר כָּל־בְּנֵי־שֵׁת׃ 18 וְהָיָה אֱדוֹם יְרֵשָׁה וְהָיָה יְרֵשָׁה שֵׂעִיר אֹיְבָיו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֹשֶׂה חָיִל׃ 19 וְיֵרְדְּ מִיַּעֲקֹב וְהֶאֱבִיד שָׂרִיד מֵעִיר׃	1 Balaam then saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel. He did not go as before to seek omens but turned towards the desert. 2 Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel settled tribe by tribe; the spirit of God came on him 3 and he declaimed his poem, as follows: The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of the man with far-seeing eyes, 4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened. 5 How fair your tents are, Jacob, how fair your dwellings, Israel, 6 like valleys that stretch afar, like gardens by the banks of a river, like aloes planted by Yahweh, like cedars beside the waters! 7 A hero arises from their stock, he reigns over countless peoples. His king is greater than Agag, and his kingship held in honour. 8 God has brought him out of Egypt, is like the wild ox's horns to him. He devours the corpses of his enemies, breaking their bones, piercing them with his arrows. 9 He has crouched, he has lain down, like a lion, like a lioness; who dare rouse him? Blessed be those who bless you, and accursed be those who curse you! 10 Balak flew into a rage with Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to Balaam, 'I brought you to curse my enemies, and you have insisted on blessing them three times over! 11 So now go home as fast as your legs can carry you. I promised to load you with honours. Yahweh himself has deprived you of them.' 12 Balaam retorted to Balak, 'Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 13 "Even if Balak gave me his house full of gold and silver I could not go against Yahweh's order and do anything of my own accord, whether for good or ill; whatever Yahweh says is what I shall say"? 14 Now that I am going back to my own folk, let me warn you what this people will do to your people, in days to come.' 15 He then declaimed his poem, as follows: The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of the man with far-seeing eyes, 16 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, of one who knows the knowledge of the Most High. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened. 17 I see him—but not in the present. I perceive him—but not close at hand: a star is emerging from Jacob, a sceptre is rising from Israel, to strike the brow of Moab, the skulls of all the children of Seth. 18 Edom too will be a conquered land, Seir too will be a conquered land, when Israel exerts his strength, 19 when Jacob tramples on his enemies and destroys the last survivors of Ar.
Odd Years: Hebrews 13:1-25 ἡ φιλαδελφία μενέτω. τῆς φιλοξενίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε, διὰ ταύτης γὰρ ἔλαθόν τινες ξενίσαντες ἀγγέλους. μιμνῄσκεσθε τῶν δεσμίων ὡς συνδεδεμένοι, τῶν κακουχουμένων ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὄντες ἐν σώματι. τίμιος ὁ γάμος ἐν πᾶσιν καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος, πόρνους γὰρ καὶ μοιχοὺς κρινεῖ ὁ θεός. ἀφιλάργυρος ὁ τρόπος: ἀρκούμενοι τοῖς παροῦσιν: αὐτὸς γὰρ εἴρηκεν, οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ οὐδ' οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω: ὥστε θαρροῦντας ἡμᾶς λέγειν, κύριος ἐμοὶ βοηθός, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι: τί ποιήσει μοι ἄνθρωπος;       μνημονεύετε τῶν ἡγουμένων ὑμῶν,       οἵτινες ἐλάλησαν ὑμῖν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ,       ὧν ἀναθεωροῦντες τὴν ἔκβασιν τῆς ἀναστροφῆς μιμεῖσθε τὴν πίστιν.             Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐχθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτός, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.             διδαχαῖς ποικίλαις καὶ ξέναις μὴ παραφέρεσθε:                   καλὸν γὰρ χάριτι βεβαιοῦσθαι τὴν καρδίαν, οὐ βρώμασιν,                   ἐν οἷς οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν οἱ περιπατοῦντες.                   ἔχομεν θυσιαστήριον ἐξ οὗ φαγεῖν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐξουσίαν οἱ τῇ σκηνῇ λατρεύοντες.                         ὧν γὰρ εἰσφέρεται ζῴων τὸ αἷμα περὶ ἁμαρτίας εἰς τὰ ἅγια διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως,                         τούτων τὰ σώματα κατακαίεται ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς.                         διὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος τὸν λαόν, ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθεν.                   τοίνυν ἐξερχώμεθα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς, τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτοῦ φέροντες:                   οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ὧδε μένουσαν πόλιν,                   ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιζητοῦμεν.             δι' αὐτοῦ οὖν ἀναφέρωμεν θυσίαν αἰνέσεως διὰ παντὸς τῷ θεῷ,             τοῦτ' ἔστιν καρπὸν χειλέων ὁμολογούντων τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.       τῆς δὲ εὐποιΐας καὶ κοινωνίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε,       τοιαύταις γὰρ θυσίαις εὐαρεστεῖται ὁ θεός. πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν καὶ ὑπείκετε, αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες, ἵνα μετὰ χαρᾶς τοῦτο ποιῶσιν καὶ μὴ στενάζοντες, ἀλυσιτελὲς γὰρ ὑμῖν τοῦτο. προσεύχεσθε περὶ ἡμῶν, πειθόμεθα γὰρ ὅτι καλὴν συνείδησιν ἔχομεν, ἐν πᾶσιν καλῶς θέλοντες ἀναστρέφεσθαι. περισσοτέρως δὲ παρακαλῶ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι ἵνα τάχιον ἀποκατασταθῶ ὑμῖν. ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ ἀναγαγὼν ἐκ νεκρῶν τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν ἐν αἵματι διαθήκης αἰωνίου, τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, καταρτίσαι ὑμᾶς ἐν παντὶ ἀγαθῷ εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, ποιῶν ἐν ἡμῖν τὸ εὐάρεστον ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων: ἀμήν.       παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, ἀνέχεσθε τοῦ λόγου τῆς παρακλήσεως,       καὶ γὰρ διὰ βραχέων ἐπέστειλα ὑμῖν. γινώσκετε τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν Τιμόθεον ἀπολελυμένον, μεθ' οὗ ἐὰν τάχιον ἔρχηται ὄψομαι ὑμᾶς. ἀσπάσασθε πάντας τοὺς ἡγουμένους ὑμῶν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους. ἀσπάζονται ὑμᾶς οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας. ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν.
1 Continue to love each other like brothers, 2 and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; and those who are being badly treated, since you too are in the body. 4 Marriage must be honoured by all, and marriages must be kept undefiled, because the sexually immoral and adulterers will come under God's judgement. 5 Put avarice out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God himself has said: I shall not fail you or desert you, 6 and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord on my side, I fear nothing: what can human beings do to me? 7 Remember your leaders, who preached the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, take their faith as your model. 8 Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever. 9 Do not be led astray by all sorts of strange doctrines: it is better to rely on grace for inner strength than on food, which has done no good to those who concentrate on it. 10 We have our own altar from which those who serve the Tent have no right to eat. 11 The bodies of the animals whose blood is taken into the sanctuary by the high priest for the rite of expiation are burnt outside the camp, 12 and so Jesus too suffered outside the gate to sanctify the people with his own blood. 13 Let us go to him, then, outside the camp, and bear his humiliation. 14 There is no permanent city for us here; we are looking for the one which is yet to be. 15 Through him, let us offer God an unending sacrifice of praise, the fruit of the lips of those who acknowledge his name. 16 Keep doing good works and sharing your resources, for these are the kinds of sacrifice that please God. 17 Obey your leaders and give way to them; they watch over your souls because they must give an account of them; make this a joy for them to do, and not a grief -- you yourselves would be the losers. 18 Pray for us; we are sure that our own conscience is clear and we are certainly determined to behave honourably in everything we do. 19 I ask you very particularly to pray that I may come back to you all the sooner. 20 I pray that the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant, 21 may prepare you to do his will in every kind of good action; effecting in us all whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 22 I urge you, brothers, to take these words of encouragement kindly; that is why I have written to you briefly. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he arrives in time, he will be with me when I see you. 24 Greetings to all your leaders and to all God's holy people. God's holy people in Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.

Even Years: Augustine of Hippo, Sermon "Guelferbitano" 3 (PLS 2, 545-546) Passio Domini et salvatoris nostri Iesu Christi fiducia gloriae est, et doctrina patientiae. The passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is for us both a pledge of glory and a lesson in endurance. Quid enim non sibi de Dei gratia promittant corda fidelium, pro quibus Dei Filius unicus et Patri coaeternus parum fuit ut homo ex homine nasceretur, nisi etiam manibus hominum, quos creavit, moreretur ipse ab eis? Is there anything that the faithful cannot expect from the grace of God, when for their sake the only-begotten, co-eternal Son of the Father was not only born into the human race but even allowed himself to be put to death by the very men he had created? Magnum est quod futurum a Domino promittitur nobis sed multo est maius quod recolimus iam factum esse pro nobis. Ubi erant aut quid erant, quando pro impiis mortuus est Christus? Quis dubitet eum donaturum sanctis vitam suam, qui eisdem donavit adhuc mortem suam? Quid cunctatur humana fragilitas credere futurum esse, ut vivant homines aliquando cum Deo? However great the promises the Lord has made us for the future, we must realize that the things he has already done for us are greater still. Can anyone doubt that he will share his life with the saints, when he has already given them his death? Why is our weak humanity so slow to believe that men will one day live with God? Multo incredibilius iam factum est, quod mortuus est propter homines Deus. Surely something far harder to believe has already taken place: God has died for men. Quis enim est Christus, nisi illud quod in principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum? Hoc Verbum Dei caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis: Non enim habebat in semetipso unde moreretur pro nobis, nisi mortalem carnem sumpsisset ex nobis. Sic immortalis mori potuit, sic vitam donare mortalibus voluit: participes sui postea facturus, quorum esset prior particeps factus. Nam nec unde viveremus nos habebamus de nostro, nec unde moreretur ille de suo. Who indeed is Christ but the Word that was already in existence at the beginning, the Word who lived with God and was God himself? That Word of God became man and lived among us. Unless he had first assumed our mortal flesh he could not have died for us; only in that way was the immortal God able to die and to give life to mortal men. By first sharing their nature, he could in return give them a share in his. In ourselves we had no power to live, and in him there was nothing that could die. Mirum proinde nobiscum egit mutua participatione commercium: nostrum erat, unde mortuus est; illius erit, unde vivamus. And so by this double sharing he brought about a wonderful exchange: we made death possible for him, and he made life possible for us. Non solum ergo erubescere non debemus de morte Domini Dei nostri, verum etiam maxime in ea fidere maximeque gloriari: suscipiendo quippe a nobis mortem, quam invenit in nobis, fidelissime spopondit nobis in se vitam daturum, quam habere non possumus ex nobis. Not only, therefore, need we feel no shame for the death of the Lord our God: we should put all our trust in it and take pride in it, since having taken upon himself the death he found in us, he has promised that we shall find our life in him, a life we could never have of ourselves. Nam qui tantum nos dilexit, ut, quod peccato meruimus, sine peccato pro peccatoribus pateretur, quomodo nobis non dabit quod iustitia, qui iustificat? Quomodo non reddet, qui pollicetur in veritate, praemia sanctorum, qui sine iniquitate poenam pertulit iniquorum? If he who was sinless so loved us as to be willing to suffer what we had deserved for our sins, then surely he who has justified us will gladly give us the recompense of the just. Will he not reward his saints according to his faithful promise, when he took upon himself, guiltless though he was, the punishment due to the guilty? Confiteamur itaque, fratres, intrepidi, vel etiam profiteamur Christum pro nobis esse crucifixum: non paventes sed gaudentes, non verecundantes sed gloriantes dicamus. And so, let us confidently acknowledge and openly declare that Christ was crucified for our sake, proclaiming it with joy and pride, not with fear and shame. Vidit hunc apostolus Paulus, et commendavit titulum gloriae. Qui cum haberet multa magna atque divina, quae de Christo commemoraret, non dixit gloriari se in mirabilibus Christi, quia, cum esset apud Patrem Deus, mundum creavit, cum esset etiam quod nos homo, mundo imperavit; sed: Mihi autem, inquit, absit gloriari, nisi in cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi. The apostle Paul saw in this reason for boasting. He could have told us many great and holy things about Christ: how as God he shared with his Father the work of creation, and how as man like us he was master of the world. But he would not glory in any of these wonderful things. God forbid that I should boast of anything, he said, except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Odd Years: John Chrysostom, Homily 33 on Hebrews, 3-4, (PG 63, 229-230) Εἶτα ἀναιρεῖ ἀπὸ τοῦ τύπου τὴν θυσίαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ πρωτότυπον ἄγει τὸν λόγον, λέγων, ὅτι Ὧν γὰρ εἰσφέρεται ζώων τὸ αἷμα εἰς τὰ ἅγια διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, τούτων τὰ σώματα κατακαίεται ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς. Διὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος τὸν λαὸν, ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθεν. Ἄρα τύπος ἐκεῖνα τούτων ἦν, καὶ οὕτω τὰ πάντα ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔξω παθών. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὸ ἑκοντὶ πεπονθέναι δηλοῖ· δείκνυσι γὰρ, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνα ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τύπος τις ἦν, καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ οἰκονομία οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ πάθους ἦν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν τὸ αἷμα ἀνηνέχθη. Leaving types and figures behind, the Apostle directs his teaching on sacrifice toward what they foreshadowed, as follows: the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the High Priest as a sacrifice for sin are burnt outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate, in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. We learn, therefore, that the former rites were a prefiguring of events to come, and Christ fulfilled them all by suffering outside the city gates. The text also shows that he suffered of his own free will, by intimating that the rites of the old Law were not without meaning but were a prophetic sign. In their accomplishment Christ suffered outside the city boundaries, but his blood was taken up to heaven. Ὁρᾷς οὖν ὅτι αἵματος μετέχομεν τοῦ εἰς τὰ ἅγια εἰσφερομένου, τὰ ἅγια τὰ ἀληθινὰ, τῆς θυσίας ἧς μόνος ἀπήλαυσεν ὁ ἀρχιερεύς. Ἡμεῖς οὖν τῆς ἀληθείας μετέχομεν. Εἰ τοίνυν οὐκ ὀνειδισμοῦ, ἀλλ' ἁγιασμοῦ μετέχομεν, ὁ ὀνειδισμὸς τοῦ ἁγιασμοῦ αἴτιον· καθάπερ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὠνειδίσθη, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς. Ἂν ἐξέλθωμεν οὖν, κοινωνοῦμεν αὐτῷ. You see then that we have a share in the blood that was brought into the Holy Place —the true Holy Place— and in the sacrifice which the High Priest alone had the right to consume. We have a share, therefore, in the reality that was signified. Our fellowship is in sanctification rather than in shame, but shame was the cause of this sanctification. As Christ himself was scorned and reproached, so also must we be. If we go outside the camp, therefore, we shall have fellowship with him. Τί δέ ἐστι τοίνυν, Ἐξερχώμεθα πρὸς αὐτόν; Κοινωνῶμεν αὐτῷ τῶν παθῶν, φέρωμεν αὐτοῦ τὸν ὀνειδισμόν· οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἔξω πύλης ἔπαθεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ αἴρωμεν, καὶ ἔξω κόσμου μένωμεν, καὶ εἶναι σπουδάζωμεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖνος ὠνειδίζετο ὡς κατάδικος, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς. Yet what does the text mean when it says Let us go forth to him? It means surely that we should take our share of his sufferings and accept our part in his shame, since it was no chance happening that he suffered outside the gate. We also must strive to carry his Cross and go out from the world, keeping ourselves free from worldly entanglements. Christ endured disgrace as a condemned man, and so must we. Καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ θυσίαν ἀναφέρωμεν τῷ Θεῷ. Ποίαν δὲ θυσίαν λέγει; Αὐτὸς ἡρμήνευσε λέγων, Καρπὸν χειλέων ὁμολογούντων τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ· τουτέστιν, εὐχὰς, ὕμνους, εὐχαριστίαν· ταῦτα γὰρ τῶν χειλέων ὁ καρπός. Ἐκεῖνοι προσέφερον πρόβατα, μόσχους, καὶ ἐδίδοσαν τῷ ἱερεῖ· ἡμεῖς δὲ μηδὲν τούτων προσενέγκωμεν, ἀλλ' εὐχαριστίαν, καὶ τὴν ἐν πᾶσιν, ὡς οἷόν τε, μίμησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· τοῦτο βλαστησάτω ἡμῶν τὰ χείλη. Τῆς εὐποιίας καὶ κοινωνίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε· τοιαύταις γὰρ θυσίαις εὐαρεστεῖται ὁ Θεός. Δῶμεν, φησὶ, τοιαύτην αὐτῷ θυσίαν, ἵνα ἀνενέγκῃ τῷ Πατρί· ἄλλως γὰρ οὐκ ἀναφέρεται, ἂν μὴ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ διὰ καρδίας συντετριμμένης Through him then let us offer a sacrifice to God. As to what sort of sacrifice this should be, the Apostle himself explains: A verbal sacrifice of praise to his name—in other words, prayers, hymns, and thanksgiving. These things are the fruit of our lips. The people of the Old Testament offered sheep, oxen, and calves, which they gave to the priest. None of these must we offer. Thanksgiving and, as far as in us lies, the imitation of Christ, are what we must bring to the Lord. May our lips yield fruit of this kind! Let these be the sacrifices we bring to Christ for him to offer to his Father. There is no other way in which sacrifice may be offered except through the Son, and through a contrite heart. Ἐπειδὴ καρπὸς χειλέων ὁμολογούντων τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ τὸ χάριν αὐτῷ εἰδέναι, τουτέστιν, ὑπὲρ πάντων, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν δι' ἡμᾶς ἔπαθε· πάντα φέρωμεν εὐχαρίστως, κἂν πενία, κἂν νόσος ᾖ, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἕτερον· τὰ γὰρ ἡμῖν συμφέροντα αὐτὸς οἶδε μόνος. Τὸ γὰρ τί προσευξώμεθα, φησὶ, καθ' ὃ δεῖ, οὐκ οἴδαμεν. Οἱ οὖν μηδὲ αἰτῆσαι εἰδότες ὅ τι χρὴ, ἐὰν μὴ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπιλαβώμεθα, πῶς ἂν εἰδείημεν τὰ συμφέροντα; Οὐκοῦν σπουδάζωμεν εὐχαριστίαν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἀναφέρειν, καὶ γενναίως ἅπαντα φέρωμεν τὰ συμπίπτοντα. Since, then, the fruit of lips that praise his name is to thank him for all he has given us and for what he suffered on our account, let us accept everything gratefully, whether it be poverty, sickness, or anything else; he alone knows what is best for us. [What we should pray for, and how, he says, we do not know. Since we do not even know what to pray for, how could we know what is good for us?] Let us endeavour, therefore, to give thanks for all things, and with a generous heart to accept whatever comes to us.

Prayer