A spiritual hospital, a clinic, a hospice, a therapeutic center, and a fitness center
Our Orthodox Church has always seen herself as a hospital for the soul, the place where her children can seek healing. It is within her walls that we find the medicine we need to make us holy (whole), and where we can find the means for transformation that opens the doors to the Kingdom of God. It is within her walls that we gain access to our true inheritance, and enter into communion with God.
Adolf Harnack, in his book “The Mission and Expansion of Christianity: The First Three Centuries”, wrote, “Christianity never lost hold of its innate principle; it was, and it remained, a religion for the sick. Accordingly it assumed that no one, or at least hardly any one, was in normal health, but that men were always in a state of disability.”
Christ is the Great Physician, and established His Church that we might all be healed of the sickness that has separated us from the Father. Nothing in this world offers this promise of healing, and nothing in this world can open the gates to Paradise. Only through Christ’s Church can we hope to be saved, and only through His Church can heaven and earth be united as one.
In the Church we find combined in one, a spiritual hospital, a clinic, a hospice, a therapeutic center, and a fitness center, for treatment to provide the spiritual cure, maintain wellness for its patients (faithful members). Is it any wonder, then, that the Church should be the very center of each and every day, taking precedence over everything else, including work, leisure time, and entertainment?
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Thursday February 20, 2020 / February 7, 2020
Week of the Prodigal Son. Tone two.
Venerable Parthenius, bishop of Lampsacus on the Hellespont (4th c.).
Venerable Luke of Mt. Steirion (953).
New Hieromartyr Barlaam, archbishop of Perm (1937).
New Hieromartyr Alexander priest (1938).
New Hieromartyr Alexis priest (1942).
The 1,003 Martyrs of Nicomedia (303).
Venerable Mastridia of Jerusalem, woman ascetic of the desert (ca. 580).
Six Martyrs of Phrygia (305) (Greek).
Venerable Peter of Monombateia (Greek).
St. Aprionus, bishop of Cyprus (Greek).
New Martyr George of Crete (1861) (Greek).
Martyr Theopemptus and Synodia (Greek).
St. Avgul, bishop of Brittany, who suffered under Diocletian (ca. 305).
St. Roman, bishop of Kilmaronen.
St. Richard, father of Saints Willibald, Wunnibald and Walburga.
The Scripture Readings
1 John 4:20-5:21
Obedience by Faith
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Obedience by Faith
5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
The Certainty of God’s Witness
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Confidence and Compassion in Prayer
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
Knowing the True—Rejecting the False
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Mark 15:1-15
Jesus Faces Pilate
15 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”
3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. 4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!” 5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.
Taking the Place of Barabbas
6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
Christ said he came to heal the sick, not the well. Healing illness, casting out demons, converting lost souls, teaching morals and respect – all of this was for the sick.
God bless…..
I would like to know from which Holy Scripture version the daily readings come. Every day when I read them here, I am struck with how much more content they have, and when I look in my versions – I have a few – they seem to be lacking something?
I always use the New King James Version of the Bible. I grew up with the King James Version, which I love to this day, but the NKJV has made corrections, since English today is different than at the time of the publication of the KJV. Too many of today’s versions are tainted by the theological views of their translators, is another reason I stay clear of most versions.
Father Bless.
In truth the Church is the hospital for us, but I wonder. Is it also not the armory in which we put on the whole armor of God? Yes, we can read and pray at home but there seems to be something more when we are gathered in community to heal, worship and hear the word of God. I view the prayer rule I was given as my prescription medicine I was sent home with, but I still need to gather with the rest of my family in the Eucharist to be fully protected throughout the week.
Now I understand why something was missing in my versions of Holy Scripture. It was the above reading from 1 John 5:7-8 that stood out for me. I found five different versions/translations in my collection.
The first one I bought was a NKJV Study Bible from 2002 – a good friend had let me have hers for a long time, and I liked it so much that I had to have my own. I loved it, and read it every day, hungry for the Word of God, so much so that it began to fall apart. So, I started reading another one, the NIV, Cambridge Bible, which I found very comforting with the Psalms. Later I acquired a NRSV and a NJB Study Edition, and finally, last year I bought the Orthodox Study Bible.
The NIV says: 7. “For there are three that testify: ” 8. “the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”
The NRSV says: 7.” There are three that testify:” 8. “the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree.”
The NJB says: 7. “So there are three witnesses” 8. “the Spirit, water and blood; and the three of them coincide”
None of these mention the three Witnesses in Heaven, no wonder it has been difficult to understand the Trinity. The Orthodox theology on the Trinity – without the filioque – make sense. It has been an eye-opener for me, to discover the Orthodox Church, I cannot find anything there that does not ring true. A lot of gaps are being filled in, still a long way to go, though.
The Orthodox Study Bible has the same translation as the NKJV for 1 John 5:7-8, but, for some reason I do not enjoy reading as much as my old NKJV.