Divine Services

Sunday, JULY 6 -- Third Sunday of St, Matthew   (refers to the reading of St. Matthew's Gospel during the post-Pentecost period)

 A MORNING PRAYER

Grant unto me, my Lord, that with peace in mind I may face all that this new day is to bring. Grant unto me grace to surrender myself completely to Thy holy will. Instruct and prepare me in all things for every hour of this day. Whatsoever tidings I may receive during the day, do Thou teach me to accept them calmly, in the firm conviction that all eventualities fulfill Thy holy will. Govern Thou my thoughts and feelings in all I do and say. When things unforeseen occur, let me not forget that all cometh down from Thee. Teach me to behave sincerely and reasonable toward every member of my family and all other human beings, that I may not cause confusion and sorrow to anyone. Bestow upon me, my Lord, strength to endure the fatigue of the day and to bear my share in all its passing events. Guide Thou my will and teach me to pray, to believe, to hope, to suffer, to forgive, and to love. Amen.

A PRAYER BEFORE SLEEP 

Now that we are about to go to sleep, grant us, O Master, the repose of our souls and body. Preserve us against the dark slumber of sin and against any impure satisfaction that roams around in the darkness of night; quiet the assaults of our passions, arrest the darts that the evil one insidiously throws at us, still the commotions of our flesh, and calm all earthly and worldly feelings with us. Grant us, Lord, a watchful mind, innocent thoughts, a sober heart, gentle sleep free from evil dreams. At the hour of prayer, arouse us, strong in the practice of your commands and ever-mindful of your desires. Give us the grace to sing your glory throughout the night: To praise, bless and glorify your all-honorable and magnificent name, +Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for evermore. Amen.

Epistle, Sunday, July 6 Third Sunday of St. Matthew

EPISTLE

Romans 5:1-11 

Therefore since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through Christ Jesus our Lord.  Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.  More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.  While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  Why one will hardly die for a righteous man — though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.  But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more now that we are reconciled shall we be saved y his life. Not only so, but  we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.

Gospel, July 6 Third Sunday of St. Matthew

Gospel

Matthew 6:22-33

The Lord said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."

FOR REFLECTION

Our Holy Father Abba Sisoes the Great

(feastday is July 6, 2008)

Venerable Sisoes the Great (+429) was a desert Father who struggled in the Egyptian desert, in a cave blessed by the struggles of his predecessor, the Venerable Antony the Great. Engaged for 60 years in spiritual struggle in the desert, St. Sisoes achieved great spiritual purity and so grasped the gift of working miracles, that by his prayers, he once even brought a deceased youth back to life. Unusually strict with himself, St. Sisoes was very merciful and sympathetic toward his neighbors, and received everyone with love. The Venerable Saint taught his visitors humility. In answer to one desert dweller who asked him how he had managed to achieve constant mindfulness of God, the Saint noted: “This, my son, is but little; most important of all is to consider yourself to be the lowliest of all, for such self-disparagement facilitates one’s acquisition of humility.” Asked by the monastics whether for a monk who had fallen into sin one year of repentance was sufficient, St. Sisoes replied: “I believe in the mercy of our Man-loving God, and if a man should repent with all his soul, God will accept his repentance in three days.” As Venerable St. Sisoes lay on his deathbed, the disciples gathered around their elder noticed that his face had become radiant. They asked the dying man what he beheld. Abba Sisoes replied that he was looking upon the Holy Prophets and Apostles. His disciples asked him “With whom are you conversing?” He answered that the Angels had come for his soul, and that he was asking them for but a little more time in which to repent. His disciples objected: “Father, you are not in need of repentance.” However, with great humility, the Saint replied: “Truly, I do not know whether I have even begun to repent.” As soon as he had uttered those words, his face became so radiant that the brethren could not dare look upon it. The Venerable Saint had just managed to relate to them that he beheld the Lord Himself, when his Holy Soul departed for the Heavenly Kingdom.

How Abba Sisoes taught a brother that the desire of vengeance separates a man from God:

There was a certain brother who had suffered an injury at the hands of another. Coming to the abbot Sisoes, he explained the wrong which he had suffered, and then said, "My father, I desire to be avenged." The old man begged him to leave his avenging in the hands of God, but he persisted, saying, "I cannot rest until I have well avenged myself." Then Sisoes said to him, "Since your mind is altogether made up with regard to this matter, I need not reason with you. Let us, however, pray together." Thus saying, he arose and began to pray in these words: "O God, Thou art no longer needful to us. We do not require Thy care of us. We ourselves are willing, yea, and are able to avenge ourselves." As soon as the brother, who had desired vengeance, heard these words, he fell at the old man's feet and begged for pardon. "As for him with whom I was angry," he said, "I shall not in any way contend with him."