Christ is Born!
🌞
Of the Saturday after the Nativity of Christ:
The reading from the Apostle precedes and continues the one written about in the link (and also has verse 11 in common with it):
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07122023.html
1 Timothy VI, 14 — 'ἡμῶν' - 'emon' - 'us' (our).
The Apostle Paul teaches Timothy to keep God's commandments and faith, to avoid sinful passions (as they are understood as certain addictions to sin), in particular, money-love (see above).
The reading concludes with a solemn confession and praise of the Father, which I have written about here:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/
The reading from the Gospel is preceded and continued by the one I wrote about earlier at the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/04072023.html
Jesus Christ here fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah about the Messiah's mercifulness.
I mention the soul of God
briefly elsewhere:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18032023.html
Here it is a figurative expression (God the Father does not have a part of His nature called a soul
, and He does not have a human nature), which means the depth and power of God's love in the Trinity (a parallel to the commandment to love God with all our souls).
See also the prophecies of Isaiah at the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/29032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30032023.html
Of the Saturday before Epiphany:
The readings from the Apostle are a direct continuation of the readings spoken about by the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30112023.html
The immediate continuation of this reading from the Apostle (with which it also has two verses in common — 1 Timothy IV, 4-5) is the one I wrote about at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/01122023.html
1 Timothy IV, 3, 4 — 'μετὰ εὐχαριστίας' - 'meta eukharistias' - 'with thanksgiving, with gratitude' (it is also possible to think of the Eucharist in the sense that we give thanks for all gifts, including food and the like).
The apostle Paul speaks about the Church and the importance of being a good churchman to Timothy (who was a bishop in addition to the apostleship), and the same applies to all clergy (the pastoral letter).
Then he reiterates the idea that food and marriage are not something bad, in particular, that there is no truly unclean
food. For the latter, see the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Belly.html
The Gospel readings were about John the Baptist's preaching at the Jordan and his ministry.
Matthew III, 11 — 'εἰμὶ' - 'eimi' - 'I am' (not).
For a parallel passage in Mark, please refer to this link:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/
The main purpose of John the Baptist's preaching was to prepare people for Christ, to remove the obstacles that prevented them from repenting, including the excuse of descent from Abraham's lineage and similar ones.
For more information about the prophecies concerning John, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08032023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!