Today we in the Orthodox Church have arrived at the Sunday of Forgiveness or Cheesefare Sunday. The Gospel for this Sunday is Matthew 6:14-21, which speaks of the importance of Forgiveness and in another aspect, the importance of fasting, but not for show but rather for one’s own soul.
We have arrived at the Sunday of the Last Judgement, in which Christ teaches us that heaven and hell have to do with the fulfillment of each other’s physical and spiritual needs.
Today we hear the Parable of the Prodigal Son, concerning a son who leaves his father and his brother and squanders his share of his father’s holdings.
Today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Luke 18:10-18, is the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, in which Jesus praises the humble repentance of the Publican and condemns the self-righteous pride of the Pharisees.
Helen Toroney fell asleep in the Lord after a prolonged and declining health at the age of 97, on Sat. May 21, 2022.
We have arrived at the Sunday of Zacchaeus in which we hear the reading from the Gospel of Luke 19:1-10. We know that Zacchaeus, although a Jew, was a tax collector for the hated Roman state, which practiced oppressive taxation during the times of Jesus.
Today we hear the story of the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, from the Gospel of Luke 18:35-43. Jesus met Bartimaeus while coming to Jericho. It seems Bartimaeus had already heard stories about Jesus and his healing and believed in His royal kingship.
Today we hear the Gospel from Luke 18:18-27, the story of the Rich Ruler who asked Jesus, “What can I do to inherit eternal life?”. This same story is read in late August/September, but from the account as written in Matthew.
We have arrived at the Sunday After Theophany, where we hear about the beginning of Jesus’ work in Galilee, describing it as a “great light that began to shine on all”.
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord and New Year’s. This is the season of Feasts concerning the early life of Jesus Christ. The Feast of the Nativity, the Feast of the Circumcision (Jan.1), the Feast of Theophany (Jan.6,) the baptism of our Lord, culminating in the Feast of the Meeting of Our Lord into the Temple. (Feb. 2).
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