Readings for today:
Wisdom 3:1-9
1: But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.
2: In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,
3: And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.
4: For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.
5: And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.
6: As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.
7: And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble.
8: They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.
9: They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.
2 Peter 2:9-22
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.17 These are wells without water, clouds[b] carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.[c]
18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped[d] from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,”[e] and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
“A common misunderstanding of liberty or freedom is to see it as standing apart from all moral restraints, to say there is no such thing as sin. But this results in slavery of the worst kind, bondage to egotistic and sensual passions. True Christian freedom begins with freedom from sin, freedom from immoral activity. A Christian is called to live in purity in an impure world.”
“The attraction of this approach [rationalizations supporting lewdness, perversity, and indulgence] for the unwary is a permissiveness that makes no demands for purity, holiness, or struggle. The true Faith teaches otherwise, as St. Thalassios describes: “…the keeping of God’s commandments generates dispassion. The soul’s dispassion The soul’s dispassion preserves spiritual knowledge.
In addition to blatant self-indulgence that attracts some to heresy, there is the appeal of “self-will” and “freedom” promised by despising authority (see vs. 10). If one chooses to be “free” of direction and rightful authority, then the spiritual, moral, and reasonable safety provided by Holy Tradition and the Fathers is removed. Recall the bumper stickers that invite you to “Question Authority.” Beloved of Christ, affirm and seek the godly protection and shelter of wise pastoral authority, following in the footsteps of the Holy Fathers.” – from Dynamis
John 15:17-16:2
17 These things I command you, that you love one another. 18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’[c]
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. 1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
“While, with respect to God’s work in the world, the Son will give or send…the Spirit…from the Father, with respect to His divinity, the Spirit originates or proceeds from the Father alone: The Spirit receives His eternal existence only from the Father. In conformity with Christ’s words, the Nicene Creed confesses belief “in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.” By contrast, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The source, the fountainhead, of both is the Father.”
2 Tim 2:1-10
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may[b] the Lord give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
“The gift of God is the grace of the Holy Spirit, or charism, given to Timothy at his ordination. This grace fills up that which is lacking and gives authenticity to the priesthood. But it is not automatic. We must stir up and rekindle it.”
“Our salvation and calling are based on His grace and love, not on anything we have done to merit God’s favor.”
“The second-century Letter of Barnabas notes that: “He submitted [to suffering] so that he might break the power of Death and demonstrate the resurrection from the dead- thus it was necessary for him to be manifested in flesh. Also [he submitted] so that he might fulfill the promise to the fathers and, while he was preparing the new people for himself and while he was still on earth, to prove that after he has brought about the resurrection he will judge” (Barn. 5:6,7).”
Saint Haralampos, intercede to Christ our God for us, that our souls be saved.
