🇬🇧 Glory be to Jesus Christ! 🌞
Of the Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross:
The readings from the Apostle are available
here:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/
For readings from the Gospel, see the following links:
20042023.html
25042023.html
2 Corinthians I, 21, 22 – ‘ημας’ - ‘emas’ – ‘us’. ‘ημων’ – ‘emon’ – ‘us’ (our).
2 Corinthians I, 23 – ‘εμην’ – ‘emen’ – ‘my’ (mine).
2 Corinthians II, 1 – εμαυτου – emautou – (of) myself
.
2 Corinthians II, 2 – ‘εμου’ – ‘emou’ – ‘me’.
2 Corinthians II, 3 – ‘εμη’ – ‘eme’ – ‘my’
This reading is preceded by the passage referred to here:
11082023.html
It is also followed by the reading referred to at the following link
(it also refers to the end of today’s reading, since they overlap):
14082023.html
There are some good thoughts on the beginning here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B70LlI9ANWN/
Quote: ” The apostle Paul speaks of a pledge. Pledge
means
something given in advance, in advance of receiving what is expected
.
It is given to create trust. The apostle says that God has given the
grace of the Holy Spirit into the hearts of the faithful to assure
trust, and that the fullness of this will be given to the faithful in
the Kingdom of God. These words of the Apostle Paul are mentioned in
connection with the Chrismation (Confirmation). ”
Paul goes on to say that he does not want to upset the Corinthians by judging unrepentant sinners. He says that if someone grieves someone else, they will also grieve themselves, and that only the kindness shown by the first person who was grieved can change that grief into joy.
The apostle’s judgement was both just and merciful, but nevertheless, the heart of the apostle Paul was not pleased with the very fact of needing such a judgement, which is why he wrote that he wanted to come with joy.
See more, and also the continuation of the topic at the second link above, regarding the text in the Epistle further down the page.
Matthew XXII, 5 – ‘εμποριαν’ – ‘emporian’ - ‘bargaining’.
This reading continues with the one referred to here:
11042023.html
This is a well-known parable about those called to the wedding of a king’s son.
The king represents God (the Father), the king’s son — the Son of
God, Jesus Christ, and the slaves (servants) — the prophets, apostles,
saints, and even angels. The extermination of murderers is a spiritual
death that comes after mortal sins. It means that those who refused to
accept the invitation of Jesus Christ and instead persecuted and even
killed the servants of the king (God) suffered spiritual death in this
and do not inherit the Kingdom of God. It is important to note that even
those who rejected but did not persecute the king’s servants, those who
rejected for their own sake – trade, profit, wealth, and so on – also do
not participate in the Kingdom of God. The parable does not say that
they are spiritually dead, but they do not participate in this life in
the fulfilment of God’s will, in living in accordance with it, that is,
in the language of the Gospel, have not entered the Kingdom of God
,
and are in great danger of not entering it in eternity (that is, of
perishing, of entering eternal torment). The city of the murderers is
such a world order that induces people to reject God’s invitation to
enter the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, and such an order is also
sinful and judged by God.
The people called on the roads are the people whom the Lord calls, who have not chosen the riches of this world over God’s will. And the conclusion of the parable shows that it is not enough to respond to God’s call, but one also needs to have a clean life (symbolised by clean festive clothes) or be purified by repentance.
The parable, in the form of a typical relationship for the time, which Jesus’ listeners understood, shows the importance of responding well to God’s call, of not being too attached to earthly things, and of living a good life.
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!