READINGS: LENT SUNDAY VI
Invitatory Psalm & BACK
PSALMS and BACK
κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, — πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.
Even Years: Zechariah 9:9-12,16-17 9 גִּילִי
מְאֹד
בַּת־צִיּוֹן
הָרִיעִי בַּת
יְרוּשָׁלַםִ
הִנֵּה
מַלְכֵּךְ
יָבוֹא לָךְ
צַדִּיק
וְנוֹשָׁע
הוּא עָנִי
וְרֹכֵב עַל־חֲמוֹר
וְעַל־עַיִר
בֶּן־אֲתֹנוֹת׃
| 9 Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion! Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your king is approaching, he is vindicated and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 He will banish chariots from Ephraim and horses from Jerusalem; the bow of war will be banished. He will proclaim peace to the nations, his empire will stretch from sea to sea, from the River to the limits of the earth. 11 As for you, because of the blood of your covenant I have released your prisoners from the pit in which there is no water. 12 Come back to the fortress, you prisoners waiting in hope. This very day, I vow, I shall make it up to you twice over. 16 Yahweh their God will give them victory when that day comes, like the sheep who are his people; yes, the stones of a diadem will sparkle over his country. 17 How fine, how splendid that will be, with wheat to make the young men flourish, and new wine the maidens! |
Odd Years: Isaiah 50:4—51:3 4 אֲדֹנָי
יְהֹוִה
נָתַן לִי
לְשׁוֹן
לִמּוּדִים
לָדַעַת
לָעוּת
אֶת־יָעֵף
דָּבָר
יָעִיר בַּבֹּקֶר
בַּבֹּקֶר
יָעִיר לִי
אֹזֶן לִשְׁמֹעַ
כַּלִּמּוּדִים׃
| 4 Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple's tongue, for me to know how to give a word of comfort to the weary. Morning by morning he makes my ear alert to listen like a disciple. 5 Lord Yahweh has opened my ear and I have not resisted, I have not turned away. 6 I have offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; I have not turned my face away from insult and spitting. 7 Lord Yahweh comes to my help, this is why insult has not touched me, this is why I have set my face like flint and know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who grants me saving justice is near! Who will bring a case against me? Let us appear in court together! Who has a case against me? Let him approach me! 9 Look, Lord Yahweh is coming to my help! Who dares condemn me? Look at them, all falling apart like moth-eaten clothes! 10 Which of you fears Yahweh and listens to his servant's voice? Which of you walks in darkness and sees no light? Let him trust in the name of Yahweh and lean on his God! 11 Look, all you who light a fire and arm yourselves with firebrands, walk by the light of your fire and the firebrands you have kindled! This is what you will get from me: you will lie down in torment! 51:1 Listen to me, you who pursue saving justice, you who seek Yahweh. Consider the rock from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug. 2 Consider Abraham your father and Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him he was the only one but I blessed him and made him numerous. 3 Yes, Yahweh has pity on Zion, has pity on all her ruins; he will turn her desert into an Eden and her wastelands into the garden of Yahweh. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of music. |
Even Years: Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Psalm 118, 15:37-40 (PL 15, 1423-1424) Confige clauis a timore tuo carnes meas; a iudiciis enim tuis timui. Qui diligit domini testimonia, configit clauis carnes suas, sciens quia uetus homo suus cum Christo confixus cruci luxuriam destruat carnis confige ergo clauis et destrue fomenta peccati est quidam clauus spiritalis, qui patibulo dominicae crucis adfigat has carnes configat has carnes timor domini et iudiciorum eius et seruituti redigat. quodsi carnes istae reiciunt clauos diuini timoris, haud dubie dicitur: non permanebit spiritus meus in his hominibus, quoniam carnes sunt. nisi igitur adfigantur hae carnes cruci et configantur clauis a timore dei nostri, non permanebit in his spiritus dei His configitur clauis qui pro Christo commoritur, ut cum Christo resurgat; his configitur clauis qui mortificationem domini Iesu in corpore suo portat; his clauis configitur qui meretur audire dicente Iesu: pone me ut signaculum in cor tuum, ut sigillum in brachium tuum, quia ualida est ut mors caritas, durus sicut inferi zelus. infige ergo pectori tuo et cordi tuo signaculum crucifixi, infige et brachio tuo, ut opera tua peccato mortua sint Non te ergo offendat duritia clauorum, quia est duritia caritatis, nec ualidus clauorum rigor, quia ualida est etiam caritas sicut mors. caritas enim culpam et omnia peccata mortificat, caritas sicut mortis ictus interimit; denique morimur flagitiis atque peccato, dum domini mandata diligimus. Caritas deus est, caritas dei uerbum est, quod est ualidum et acutius omni gladio acutissimo usque ad diuisionem quidem animae et spiritus artus que et intima penetrans medullarum... his clauis caritatis configatur anima nostra et caro nostra, ut et ipsa dicat: quia uulnerata caritate ego sum. habet ergo clauum suum caritas, habet gladium suum quo anima uulneratur. felix qui hoc gladio meruerit uulnerari His nos uulneribus offeramus, quibus quicumque mortuus fuerit mortem gustare non poterit. talis eorum mors qui dominum sequebantur, de quibus dictum est: sunt aliqui de istis adstantibus qui non gustabunt mortem, donec uideant filium hominis uenientem in regno suo. merito Petrus non timebat hanc mortem; non timebat enim qui dicebat, quia, etsi oporteret eum pro Christo mori, non eum relinqueret aut negaret. tollamus ergo crucem domini quae configat carnes nostras, peccatum destruat. est timor qui configit carnes: nisi quis tulerit crucem suam et secutus me fuerit, non est me dignus. ille enim dignus qui habet Christi timorem, ut crucifigat carnale peccatum. hunc timorem sequitur caritas, quae consepulta cum Christo non diuellatur a Christo, moriatur in Christo, adtumuletur Christo, ut cum Christo resurgat. Odd Years: Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Isaiah, 4:4 (PG 70, 1066-1067) Καίτοι γὰρ ἐξὸν ἐν μορφῇ καὶ ἰσότητι τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἐποιήσατο τοῦτο, καθίκετο δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς κένωσιν. Ἔλαβε δούλου μορφὴν, καὶ γέγονεν ὑπήκοος τῷ Πατρὶ μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. Ἐκρεμάθη γὰρ ἐπὶ ξύλου, προσηλωθεισῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν χειρῶν. Πλὴν τὸ σωτήριον πάθος καθεῖλεν ἀρχὰς, τεθριάμβευκε κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, ἠλευθέρωσεν ἅπαντας τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου τυραννίδος, προσεκόμισεν ἡμᾶς τῷ Θεῷ. Τῷ γὰρ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον, καὶ ἐμαλακίσθη μὲν αὐτὸς, σεσώσμεθα δὲ ἡμεῖς, καὶ γέγονεν ἡμῖν τὸ αὐτοῦ πάθος ἀσφάλειά τε καὶ τεῖχος· ἠγόρασε γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα, καὶ ἐν ᾧ πέπονθεν αὐτὸς πειρασθεὶς βεβοήθηκε τοῖς πειραζομένοις, ἔξω τε τῆς πόλεως ἔπαθεν, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι τὸν λαόν. Οὐκοῦν, ἐρῶ γὰρ καὶ αὖθις, τὸ Χριστοῦ πάθος, καὶ ὁ τίμιος σταυρὸς, καὶ ἡ προσήλωσις τῶν αὐτοῦ χειρῶν, ἀσφάλεια γέγονε, καὶ τεῖχος ἀπρόσιτόν τε καὶ ἀῤῥαγὲς τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύσασιν... Ἔφη γὰρ αὐτός· Τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἐμὰ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἀκούουσι, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσί μοι. Κἀγὼ δίδωμι αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Προσέτι καὶ τούτοις, ὡς Οὐδεὶς ἁρπάσει αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ Πατρός μου, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ὑπὸ σκέπην ὄντα τὴν ἄνω, καὶ ταῖς ἄνωθεν ἐπικουρίαις εὖ μάλα πεπυργωμένα. Ὅτε τοίνυν ἅπαντας μὲν ἐν χερσὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, οἷον ἀνέχοντος ἡμᾶς, σώζοντός τε καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἐφιέντος ἀποκομίζεσθαί πη πρὸς ἃ μὴ θέμις, οὔτε μὴν ταῖς τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων ὑποφέρεσθαι δυστροπίαις, ἤγουν διαβολικῆς σκαιότητος γενέσθαι θήραμα, τὸ ἀπεῖργον οὐδὲν, νοεῖν, καὶ τὰ τῆς Σιὼν τείχη, οἷον ἐζωγραφῆσθαι ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ χερσὶ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ἐξησκημένα πρὸς ἀστειότητα τὴν πνευματικὴν, καὶ ὡραϊσμὸν ἔχοντα τὸ ἐξ ἁπάσης ἀρετῆς εὖ μάλα διαγινώσκεσθαι. Τείχη δέ γε τῆς νοητῆς Σιὼν γενέσθαι φαμὲν τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους καὶ εὐαγγελιστὰς, τεθειμένους εἰς τοῦτο παρὰ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀδιάληπτον ἔχοντας παρ' αὐτῷ τὴν γνώμην. Ἐγέγραπτο γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐν οὐρανοῖς τὰ ὀνόματα, τέθεινται δὲ καὶ ἐν βίβλῳ ζώντων. Καὶ μή τοι θαυμάσῃς, εἰ περιβόλους καὶ τείχη τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοὺς ἁγίους εἶναί φησιν. Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς τὸ τεῖχος, καὶ περιτεῖχος·. Ὥσπερ δὲ [αὐτὸς φῶς ἡ ἀληθινή ἐστὶ, καὶ αὐτοὶ, φησὶ, φῶς κόσμου εἶσιν, τεῖκος] ὑπάρχων, καὶ ἀσφάλεια πᾶσα τῶν πιστευσάντων εἰς αὐτὸν, δέδωκε τοῖς ἁγίοις μυσταγωγοῖς ὡς ἐν ἀξιώματος τάξει λαμπροῦ, τὸ καλεῖσθαι τείχη τῆς Ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ. |
GOSPELS FOR THE THREE CYCLES
*A* , *B* , *C*
| Prayer |