First Sunday of the Great Fast, Sunday of Orthodoxy, Memory of the Holy Prophets 2023

Divine Liturgy of St Basil

Ambon Prayer 13

Our Holy Father Porphyrius, Bishop of Gaza, the Holy Great Martyr Photina the Samaritan

Title

Outline

Byzantine Catholics follow Orthodox theology

There are some issues on which some Orthodox communities remained separated from Rome while the 23 Uniate communities found unity with Rome (essentially in the Council of Florence), but on the core issues Byzantines, along with other communities in unity with Rome, are one with Orthodox communities and both are one with the great history of the Faith

That is what makes Maronite and Byzantine and, perhaps in the future, Ordinariate communities in the midst of the Diocese of Austin (or of Galveston-Houston) a bit strange, for they are parishes within a local church, a diocese, to which they do not belong.

But at root, despite ethnic and historical differences, we are one.

That is the celebration of our readings today

Hebrews celebrates the earlier part of the Christian movement, the part that looked forward to Christ

Here we have Moses who rejects a high status place in a great empire to “share ill-treatment with the people of God,” a rag-tag extended family of slaves, for, while he was not fully aware of it, “He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt.”

Here we have a disparate group of leaders down the ages, mixed in their status and their holiness, “Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,” who were used by God to preserve God’s holy people - whose holy people we are - down the ages.

Not all of these were great victors, for, “Some were tortured, refusing to accept release (Eliezer in 2 Macc), that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment.” And the list of sufferings goes on.

But “all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised.” Why not? Because God’s plan included all who followed Christ, Gentile as well as Jew, in the decades not just down to the time of Hebrews’ writing, but down to our age. We are part of the holy line.

We are not alone, but we are watched by a throng of saints who testified about faith in God and witness our struggles: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” That puts us in context.

Now see how this works in our Gospel

Jesus, who has already called some disciples, calls Philip, who knows Peter and Andrew. But Philip was aware that the Messiah would regather the people, not special individuals, so he extends the call to his brother, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Notice that he goes all of the way back to Moses.

Nathaniel is not impressed, for Nazareth did not have a long and honorable Jewish heritage. Was Jesus really part of historical Israel? However, when he meets Jesus, Jesus reads his character, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” True Israel, no deceit. Then, when asked how he knew Nathaniel, he responds with prophetic insight: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” That was enough for Nathaniel, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” This is indeed the culmination of the people of God, the one of whom Moses and the prophets spoke.

But Jesus does not let his stop there. He points out that history is moving onward to a greater fulfillment than in the past, doing so with the statement, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” More than Jacob, more than anything in Israelite history, this will be a new revelation.

Brothers and Sisters, we are part of, even the culmination of a great history, that of the people of God

There are stories of worthies in the Hebrew Scriptures that should be guiding us.

There are saints in heaven from the past 4000 years who are watching us and cheering us on

The standard of life is that of Jesus, but there are a host of witnesses that can say, “We did it in our day, how about you in the greater day?”

May we live out the great calling we have as part of this throng so that we in the end say, “We have seen it. We have seen heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” That is, we have seen Jesus.

Readings

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 3-5-2023: First Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Orthodoxy

EPISTLE

Hebrews 11:24–26, 32–12:2

24  By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward.

32  And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—33  who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34  quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35  Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, illtreated—38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2  looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 3-5-2023: First Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Orthodoxy

GOSPEL

John 1:43–51

43  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Beth-saida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45  Philip found Nathana-el, and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46  Nathana-el said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathana-el coming to him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” 48 Nathana-el said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49  Nathana-el answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” 51  And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (2-26-2023: First Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Orthodoxy)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2023 | TRIODION AND GREAT LENT

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 3-5-2023: First Sunday of Great Lent or Sunday of Orthodoxy

FIRST SUNDAY OF GREAT LENT OR SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY

Bright or Dark Vestments

Matins Gospel Luke 24:12–35 (38th Sunday)

Epistle Hebrews 11:24–26, 32–12:2

Gospel John 1:43–51