Bad Abundance
“I have realized that the destruction of man lies in the abundance of material goods, because it prevents him from experiencing the presence of God and appreciating His benevolence. If you want to take someone away from God, give him plenty of material goods. He will instantly forget Him forever.”
St. Paisios of Mount Athos
#materialism #God #orthodoxy
Monday December 23, 2024 / December 10, 2024
27th Week after Pentecost. Tone one.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Martyrs Menas the Melodius, Hermogenes, and Eugraphus of Alexandria (310).
St. Ioasaph, bishop of Belgorod (1754).
New Hieromartyr Jacob and Alexander priests, Hieromartyr Eugraphus and his son (1918).
New Hieromartyrs Anatolius, Alexander, Eugene, Constantine, Nicholas priests and with them Martyrs Peter, Michael, Dorotheus, Laurentius, Gregory and Virgin-martyrs Alexandra and Tatiana, New Hieromartyr Michael priest, New Hieromartyr Sergius (1937).
Virgin-martyr Eudocia (after 1937).
New Hieromartyrs Nicholas and Alexis priests (1938).
Virgin-martyrs Anna and Tatiana confessors (1948).
Virgin-martyr Thecla confessor (1954).
Venerable Anna confessor (1958).
Martyr Gemellus of Paphlagonia (361).
Venerable Thomas of Bithynia (10th c.).
Blessed John, king of Serbia (1503), and his parents Stephen (1468) and Angelina Brancovich (16th c.).
Hieromartyr Theotecnus (Greek).
Martyr Marianus (Greek).
Martyr Eugene (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
John 10:9-16 Matins Gospel
9
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12
But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13
The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15
As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
16
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
1
Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers,
2
older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.
3
Honor widows who are really widows.
4
But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.
5
Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.
6
But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.
7
And these things command, that they may be blameless.
8
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9
Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man,
10
well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.
11
Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
12
But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
13
And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.
14
Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.
15
Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18
Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up? They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20
Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up? And they said, “Seven.”
21
So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
Ephesians 6:10-17 Martyrs
10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Luke 21:12-19 Martyrs
26
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
27
who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
28
For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
1
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2
a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
Hebrews 7:26-8:2 St. Ioasaph
26
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
27
who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
28
For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
1
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2
a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
John 10:9-16 St. Ioasaph
9
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12
But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13
The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15
As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
https://rumble.com/v60of0z-bad-abundance.html
https://old.bitchute.com/video/zSHSA9U2WqL5/