Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

The Holy Great Martyr Barbara. Our Venerable Father John of Damascus

Title

Look carefully then how you walk

Outline

When I walk to the Priory each day, it is dark

While I am used to walking in the dark, I do look ahead and to the sides. There may be a lovely deer or rabbit or owl to bless and for which to talk God. There may be a skunk to greet, but to keep my distance from. There may be a diamondback. And the road has cracks in it. I look carefully, praying my rosary as I walk, and try to be wise. If there is lightning about, I take the car.

All in all, I find the walk a gift to me. I am mostly alone with God and perhaps his creatures. And I see things that those with bright lights and noise do not see.

There we see our readings, which prescribe how we are to approach life in general and the coming of Christ in particular.

The first lesson in walking as wise rather than unwise is to watch where you are going

All around us there are people involved “in the unfruitful works of darkness”. We will know them, for “the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.” We get light from our Lord and the tradition he has transmitted to us and the Holy Spirit within. When we see the “works of darkness” avoid them. Instead, expose them for what they are.

But this is not done by calling them out or gossiping about them, “For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret.” Rather be light yourself, for “when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.” We at least had our dark places, and when God’s light shone into them and made them visible he could transform us into light.

We live this in part by “be[ing] filled with the Spirit,  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.” In the Latin Rite the Liturgy of the Hours should pervade us - and I do love to chant it - but that is not absent from the Byzantine Rite, for we have the Horologion. The Desert Fathers simply sung the Psalms daily. And the Church is full of songs from every age. This should permeate our language and it is both how the Spirit fills us and how we express to others the light within us.

The second lesson is to find Jesus and return to Jesus

The lepers had comradeship because they shared the same darkness. Yet they saw Jesus, perhaps after seeking him, and although showed propriety in not coming close, they sought his help: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

Jesus sends them on what seems like a stupid mission - go to the priests who had declared them taboo? Yes, go. It is a test of faith, as one sees in the children’s books by George MacDonald, The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie. They do and are all healed.

But then a strange division appears. The 9 seek the priests who will now declare them ritually pure. They forget that their colleague the Samaritan will still be taboo and they forget about Jesus in their joy. They may not mention Jesus to the priests.

The Samaritan, left alone, returns to Jesus. He returns in deep thankfulness and worship, for now he can come near. Jesus responds that the light of faith in him has both exposed and driven away his darkness: “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Note that he is sent again, and Jesus knows it will be a mission, for he will not keep silent about Jesus.

Brothers and Sisters, the Christian life is a life of leitourgia.

It is the coming to the light of Jesus, the good, the true and the beautiful, that helps us recognize evil and avoid it; it is the trusting in Jesus that opens us to the Spirit that transforms us to be partakers of the divine nature; it is listening to the command of Jesus that has us joining him in mission - and much of that mission is simply living the light and sharing with others the joy and inner music we have found through the Spirit in Him.

Let us always be returning to Jesus at let us thereby “learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 6-13-2022: Day of the Holy Spirit

EPISTLE

Ephesians 5:9–19

9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; 13 but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. 14 Therefore it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,

and Christ shall give you light.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16  making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-4-2022: Great Martyr Barbara

(29th Sunday, Slavic)

Luke 17:12–19

12  And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13  and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14  When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then said Jesus, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19  And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-4-2022: Great Martyr Barbara

ON THE SAME DATE | OCTOECHOS

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-4-2022: Great Martyr Barbara

Gospel Luke 13:10–17 (27th Sunday, Greek) or Luke 17:12–19 (29th Sunday, Slavic)