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THE SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS
THE SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS Genealogies are common in Hebrew bible and were a matter of pride. Mathew’s portrait of the genealogy of Jesus Christ is an amazing testimony to God’s power to overcome the sin of humankind. This stylized ancestral tree consisting of roughly three groups of fourteen: from Abraham to David, from David to the deportation to Babylon; and from the deportation to Jesus. The numerical value of David’s name in Hebrew is fourteen, which may account for this arrangement. From an Orthodox perspective, these three phases represent the three states of human life. The first phase represents the uniqueness and dignity of humanhood, and the continued fellowship with…
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REVELATION TO ST. JOSEPH
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BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Most of the orthodox prayers are filled with praises and thanksgiving to the Trinitarian God. In addition to the traditional prayers, personal prayers and meditations are inevitable in living a meaningful Orthodox life. Although we pray a lot, most of our prayers tend to be “wish lists”. In today’s Gospel reading, Zechariah’s prayer is full of thanksgiving and acknowledgement of what God has done in the past and will do in the future. He worships God using the special name “Most High” and proclaims God’s tender mercy. Today, when we gather together for family prayers read and meditate ‘Zechariah’s Prophecy’. During our personal meditation, try finishing these sentences: “God, I…