The readings from the AWRV Daily Office Lectionary together with other devotional material.
In today’s sermon (for St Thomas Sunday) Fr John drove home the doctrinal fact that Orthodoxy celebrates, today, the sacredness of the Human Body. It was not enough for Jesus to be a ghost, that rose from the dead, or, as the modern ironic and irreverent and blasphemous people say, “Zombie Jesus.” Jesus had to be someone for St Thomas to touch, someone with a body, with wounds. SOmeone that you could “See that it is I”. We are not the Ghostly People of God: we are the living people of God. When body and life separate, both are a mere shell. We – human beings – need flesh and spirit to be what God made us to be, even in our fallen state, but just as much in our Glorified State of which Jesus is the first fruits. And as he is, so shall we be – not amorphous, ghostly beings, but “Touch, and handle. See that it is I.”
It’s been rumbling around in my head all day and I know somehow it’s connected to Orthodoxy’s objections to:
Body Mutilations,
Tattoos.
Gay Sex.
Gender “reassignment”.
And equally:
The Male Priesthood.
The Pro Life teachings.
The human body actually has something it it that is, personally, important. Biology is not destiny, as such: it is personhood, however.
The Daily Office readings from the AWRV together with other devotional material.
The Daily office readings for the week of Easter, as according to the AWRV Rite of St Tikhon. Sorry that my recent schedule has been so tight as to not get these posted!
Christ is Risen!
In the Eastern tradition, regular hourly prayers are suspended through bright week (from Pascha until the following Saturday). During that time the following Paschal Hours are read for all the “minor” hours – The midnight office, Prime, Terce, Sext and None and Compline – during the day (Matins, Vespers are also in special format). Another interesting tradition is that no psalms are read: because they are viewed as all prophecy that is now fulfilled.
If you wish, I think these prayers would make a wonderful addition for Easter Week, as well as throughout the 50 days. Most of the prayers are repeated – traditionally when prayers are repeated thrice (Such as the prayer “Holy God, Holy Mighty”) the sign of the cross is made at the beginning of each prayer. I’ve also marked the sign of the cross (+) at places where it is traditionally made in the Eastern Rite. Note the tones – if you are familiar with Orthodox Chant, these can be chanted, if not, just read ‘em!
There is also a PDF from the Metropolitan Cantor Institute, with the hours set to music in western notation.
Read on…
To-day ends the “regular” WR masses of Lent in the Roman Missal. To-morrow begins the rigours of Maundy Thursday and the rest of the Holy Triduum. The Liturgies of Thursday, Friday and Saturday would not reproduce well in the “pray along” format that I’ve used for these rites. Thank you for reading along this Lent. This sinner asks your prayers.
Today’s Station: Santa Maria Maggiore
Missa: UT IN NOMINE Jesu
INTROIT: Galatians 6: 14
But it behooves us to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ : in whom is our salvation, life, resurrection : by whom we are saved and delivered. (Ps. 66. 2) May God have mercy on us, and bless us : may He cause the light of His countenance to shine upon us; and may He have mercy on us.
REPEAT: But it behooves…
Read on…