Do Not Dispute?
“Do not dispute over the truth with someone who does not know the truth; but from the person that is eager to know the truth, do not withhold words from him.” Saint Isaac the Syrian
#words #truth #evangelism
Friday March 28, 2025 / March 15, 2025
Fourth Week of the Great Lent: Adoration of Cross. Tone six.
Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)
Martyrs Agapius, Publius (Pauplios), Timolaus, Romulus, two named Dionysius, and two named Alexander, at Caesarea in Palestine (303).
New Hieromartyr Alexis priest (1938).
New Hieromartyr Michael priest (1940).
Hieromartyr Alexander of Side in Pamphylia (270-275).
Martyr Nicander of Egypt (302).
Venerable Nicander, monk, of Gorodets (Novgorod) (1603).
New Martyr Manuel of Crete (1792) (Greek).
St. Hebarestes.
St. Zachariah, pope of Rome (752).
The Scripture Readings
Isaiah 29:13-23 (6th Hour)
13
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
14
Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”
15
Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”
16
Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
17
Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest?
18
In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
19
The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel.
20
For the terrible one is brought to nothing, The scornful one is consumed, And all who watch for iniquity are cut off—
21
Who make a man an offender by a word, And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, And turn aside the just by empty words.
22
Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale;
23
But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel.
Genesis 12:1-7 (Vespers, 1st Reading)
1
Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
2
I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3
I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4
So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
5
Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.
6
Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.
7
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Proverbs 14:15-26 (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
15
The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
16
A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18
The simple inherit folly, But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19
The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20
The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends.
21
He who despises his neighbor sins;
22
Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.
23
In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.
24
The crown of the wise is their riches, But the foolishness of fools is folly.
25
A true witness delivers souls, But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
26
In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.