17th Sunday after Pentecost (29 September/12 October)

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(29 September/12 October) The 17th Sunday after Pentecost

Matins Gospel reading

Lk 24:37-53 But they were terrified and affrighted, and kept on thinking that they saw a spirit. And He said to them, "Why are ye troubled? And why do reasonings come up in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that I am He. Touch Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, even as ye see Me having." And having said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while they yet disbelieved from the joy, and wondered, He said to them, "Have ye anything to eat here?" And they gave Him a portion of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb. And He took these and ate in their presence. And He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that it is needful for all the things to be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning Me." Then He thoroughly opened their mind to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it hath been written, and thus it was needful for the Christ to have suffered, and to have risen from the dead the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins to have been preached in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send forth the promise of My Father upon you; but sojourn in the city of Jerusalem, until ye are clothed with power from on high." And He led them out as far as to Bethany. And having lifted up His hands, He blessed them. And it came to pass, as He was blessing them, He stood apart from them and was carried up into the heaven. And they made obeisance to Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Liturgy Epistle and Gospel readings

2 Cor 6:16-7:1 And what common disposition hath a temple of God with that of idols? For ye are a temple of the living God, even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk about in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be to Me a people." Wherefore, "Come out from the midst of them, and be separated," saith the Lord, "and cease touching the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you, and ye shall be to Me for sons and daughters," saith the Lord Almighty. Having, therefore, these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, bringing to perfect holiness in the fear of God.

Gal 5:22-6:2 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. But they who are of the Christ crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be walking by the Spirit. Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, even if a man should be overtaken in some transgression, ye, the spiritual ones, be restoring such a one in the spirit of meekness, looking out for thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Keep on bearing one another's burdens, and thus fill up the law of the Christ.

Matt 15:21-28 And Jesus went from that place and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Cananaean woman came out from those borders, and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is badly possessed by a demon." But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and were beseeching Him, saying, "Dismiss her, for she crieth aloud after us." And He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the sheep, the lost of the house of Israel." But she came and kept on making obeisance to Him, saying, "O Lord, help me." And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the bread of the children, and cast it to the little dogs." But she said, "Yes, Lord, indeed even the little dogs eat from the little crumbs which fall from the table of their masters." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is thy faith! Let it be to thee as thou wilt." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Lk 6:17-23 And He came down with them and stood upon a level place. And there was a crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all of Judaea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases--even those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were cured. And all the crowd was seeking to touch Him, for power was coming forth from Him and healing all. And He lifted up His eyes to His disciples, and began to say: "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye who hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye who weep now, for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye whenever men hate you, and whenever they separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in the heavens; for according to these things their fathers were doing to the prophets."

[尼古拉前执事]

(29 September/12 October) The 17th Sunday after Pentecost

Matins Gospel notes

Lk 24:39,40 Saint Bede: "It was not without cause He ordered them to see and recognize His hands and feet instead of His countenance, which they knew equally well. He ordered it so that, when they saw the signs of the nails with which He was fastened to the Cross, they would be able to understand that it was not only a body which they saw, but the very body of their Lord, which they knew had been crucified...Although He could have shown His body to His disciples with all indications of His Passion abolished, He certainly preferred to keep the indications of His Passion on it, by the grace of the divinely arranged plan. First of all this was so the disciples could clearly discern that what they saw was not a spirit without a body, but a spiritual body, and that they might preach to the world certain faith in His complete resurrection, and certain hope in the future resurrection of al. Secondly, it was so that our Lord Jesus, Who intercedes for us with the Father[Rom. 8:34], in His risen humanity, might demonstrate the scars of His wounds to Him forever and show how much He labored for our salvation. Thirdly, so that all the elect who have been received into everlasting happiness, when they see the signs of His Passion, may never stop thanking Him. Lastly, it was so that even the damned may behold the signs in the final judgement:'They shall look at Him Whom they pierced[cf. Zach.12:10; Jn.19:37].'" ["Homily II.9, After Pascha," Homilies on the Gospels, Bk. Two, 81-83.] (ONT. p. 404)

Lk 24:42 Saint Gregory the Great: "What do we believe the broiled fish signifies if not the 'Mediator between God and man[1 Tim. 2:5],' Who suffered? He Who condescended to conceal Himself in the waters of the human race, wished to be caught in the net of our death; and He was broiled, so to speak, by turmoil at the time of His Passion. He then became a honeycomb for us in His resurrection. A honeycomb is honey in wax, and honey in wax is divinity in a human being.....In the food which our Lord ate, He wished to join a honeycomb and a broiled fish since He receives into everlasting rest those in His body who do not retreat from their love of inner delight when they experience tribulation here for His sake. He ate some honeycomb with broiled fish because those who here endure affliction for the sake of the truth are satisfied with true delight." [Hom. 24, Forty Gospel Homilies, 183, 184; cf. Hom.24, P.L. 76(col. 1184).] (ONT. p. 404)

Lk 24:43 Saint Bede: "The Lord took food and consumed it in their presence, as further acknowledgment that it was flesh that appeared to them....We should simply and devoutly understand that the Lord's body, which was raised from the dead and had now become immortal, had no necessity of taking food, yet did have that capability...Surely this food provided Him with no physical sustenance, as it does for mortal bodies; but like water when it is cast into the fire, as soon as the food was consumed, it was absorbed by His spiritual power." [Ib., 84, 85.] (ONT. p. 404)

Lk 24:49 Saint Bede:"He calls the promise of His Father the gift of the Holy Spirit[Jn. 15:26]. He told them many things about Him before His Passion. He tells them to stay in the city. He pledged that they would be clothed with power from on high, because they also possessed the Holy Spirit before, yet they received Him more fully once He had ascended into heaven. Even before the Passion they were casting out demons, healing many sick, and preaching the word of life; and once He had risen from they dead, they were more specially refreshed by the grace of the same Spirit when, as John writes, 'He breathed on them...[Jn. 20:22].' But they were clothed with a greater virtue of His from on high when, ten days after the Lord's ascension, they received Him at Pentecost." ["Homily II.15, Ascension," Homilies on the Gospels, Bk. Two, 138, 139.] (ONT. p. 404-405)

Lk 24:50 Saint Bede: "He rightly concluded all that He did in the world with words of blessing, showing that He was the very One of Whom it is said, 'Yea, the Lawgiver will give blessings[Ps. 83:7 LXX].' And it is appropriate that He led those Whom He blessed out to Bethany, which is interpreted 'house of obedience,' because contempt and pride deserved a curse, obedience a blessing. The Lord Himself was obedient to His Father even unto death,...and the blessing of heavenly life is bestowed only on those who strive in holy Church to comply with the divine commands." [Ib., 139; cf. B1. Jerome, Interpretation of Hebrew Names, CCL 72: 135, 26/27.] (ONT. p. 405)

Lk 24:51,52 Saint Bede: "We have heard that the disciples' minds were opened that they might understand the Scriptures....The psalmist spoke of the solemnity of the ascension when he said, 'God is gone up in jubilation, the Lord with the voice of the trumpet [Ps. 46(47):5].' He ascended with a shout of jubilation, since He sought heaven as the disciples rejoiced in the glory of His being lifted up. He ascended with the sound of the trumpet, since He went up to the throne of His heavenly kingdom as the angels heralded His return to judge the living and the dead. Indeed, He ascended 'Who appointed the clouds for His ascent, Who walketh upon the wings of the winds[Ps. 103(104):104(3)].'" [Ib., 142.]

Code: Select all

    Saint Leo the Great: "Christ's ascension is our uplifting, and the hope of the body is raised, whither the glory of the Head has gone on before." ["Sermon 73, On the Lord's Ascension," in Nicene, 2nd Ser., XII:187.] (ONT. p.405)

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Liturgy Epistle and Gospel notes

Gal 5:22 Blessed Jerome: "What deserves to hold the first place among the fruits of the Spirit if not love? Without love other virtues are not reckoned to be virtues. From love is born all that is good. Now by joy people mean an elation of mind over things that are worthy of exultation, whereas gaiety is an undisciplined elation of mind which knows no moderation....We should not suppose that peace is limited to not quarreling with others. Rather the peace of Christ, that is, our inheritance, is with us when the mind is at peace and undisturbed by conflicting emotions." ["Epistle to the Galations," 3.5.22, P.L. 26:419B-420B (510-512), cited in ACC, VIII:89.] (ONT. p. 261)

Matt 15:23 Saint Bede: "He kept her waiting for an answer in order to declare that the minds of His disciples should also be merciful. As human beings they were ashamed of the clamor of the woman as she pursued them publicly, but He Himself knew the character of His mercy. He kept her waiting for an answer lest an occasion be given to the Jews for finding fault with Him for giving preference in teaching of healing to the Gentiles over them, so that they might justly refuse to adopt faith in Him." ["Hom. I.22, In Lent," Homilies on the Gospels, Bk. One, 216.] (ONT. p. 104)

Matt 15:28 Saint Bede: "She had a great perfection of faith. She had no uncertainty about His divine majesty. She had no small measure of the virtue of patience. Yet the pitying Physician of the pitiful disdained her petitions. He kept her waiting for an answer in order to demonstrate to us the perseverance of this woman that we can always imitate. She had the characteristics of constancy and humility. She willingly embraced the indignity she received, and even confirmed the Lord's statement. This woman rightly signifies the faith and devotion of the Church gathered from the nations." [Ib., 216, 217] (ONT. p. 104)

Lk 6:20c Saint Ambrose: "Saint Matthew fully reveals and says, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit [Mt. 5:3],' for a man poor in spirit is not puffed up, is not exalted in the mind of his own flesh." [Ib., Bk. V, SS 53.] (ONT. p. 316)

Lk 6:21a Saint Kyril: "Saint Matthew says, 'Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness [Mt. 5:6],' but here He simply says that those that hunger shall be filled. Therefore, we say that it is a great and noble thign to hunger and thirst after righteousness, that is, habitually to take part in earnest endeavors of piety--for such is the meaning of righteousness--as if it were our food and drink. Now we ought also to give this explanation: The Savior pronounced those blessed who love a voluntary poverty, to enable them honorably and without distraction, to practise the apostolic course of life. But this is a burdensome thing for those suffering poverty and persecutions....He does not permit us to become dispirited because of the results of poverty; for those who hunger now for piety's sake shall be filled, that is, they shall enjoy the intellectual and spiritual blessings that are in store." [Hom. 27, Commentary, Ch. 6, 130.] (ONT. p. 316)

Lk 6:21b Saint Kyril: "He means those who shun a life of merriment and vanity, and carnal pleasures." [Ib.] (ONT. p. 316)

Lk 6:22 Saint Ambrose: "When men hate you, have fortitude. But He does not mean that deserved hatred on account of guilt, but He speaks of the one who suffers persecution on account of the faith, for such a one shall attain the crown of suffering if he disregards the favor of men and pursues divine grace." [Ib., SS67.] (ONT. p. 316)

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17th Sunday after Pentecost - Woman of Canaan
Matthew 15: 21-28
From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Matthew
by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria

21-23. Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region, and cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But He answered her not a word. Why did He not allow the disciples to go by way of the Gentiles [Mt. 10:5], while He Himself went to Tyre and Sidon, which were Gentile cities? Learn then, that He did not go there to preach, since, as Mark says, He hid Himself [Mk. 7:24]. But rather, when He saw that the Pharisees had not accepted His words about food, He went to the Gentiles. The woman said, "Have mercy, not on my daughter, who is unconscious, but on me who am suffering and experiencing these terrible things." And she did not say, "Come and heal," but Have mercy. He did not answer her a word, not out of contempt, but to show that He had come, in the first place, for the Jews, and to shut the mouths of those Jews who might later slanderously accuse Him of doing good to Gentiles. He also refrained from answering her so that He might reveal the persevering faith of the woman.

23-24. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But He answered and said, I am sent only unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The disciples were oppressed by the cry of the woman and so begged Christ to send her away. They did this, not out of a lack of compassion, but rather with the desire to persuade the Lord to have mercy on her. But He said, "I am sent only unto to the Jews, who are lost sheep because of the wickedness of those shepherds to whom they have been entrusted." In this manner He discloses more fully the faith of the woman.

25-27. Then came she and fell prostrate before Him, saying, Lord, help me. But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Yea, Lord: yet even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. When the woman saw that her advocates, the Apostles, had not succeeded, again she approaches fervently and calls upon the Lord. Christ speaks of her as a dog, because the Gentiles led an unclean life and were involved with the blood of meat sacrificed to idols, while the Jews He speaks of as children. But she answers wisely and indeed profoundly, "Even though I am a dog and not worthy to receive a loaf of bread, that is, a mighty act and a great sign, nevertheless grant this to me which is a small thing by comparison with Thy power, though to me it is great. For crumbs are not large in the eyes of those who eat loaves, but to dogs they are large, and they feed on them."

1. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Now Jesus shows the reason why He put off healing her at the beginning: So that the faith and understanding of the woman might be made manifest, Christ did not immediately give His assent at the beginning and even drove her away. But now when her faith has been revealed she hears the words of praise, Great is thy faith. By saying, Be it unto thee even as thou wilt, Christ showed that if she had not had faith she would not have obtained her request. So, too, if we desire to obtain something, nothing prevents us from obtaining what we desire. Notice that even if saints should ask on our behalf, as the Apostles did for the woman, still, we accomplish even more when we ask for ourselves. The Canaanite woman is also a symbol of the Church gathered from among the Gentiles. For Gentiles who first were even driven away, later were advanced to the rank of sons and were deemed worthy of the Bread, I mean, the Body of the Lord; while the Jews became dogs, thinking that they were being fed by the crumbs, that is, the minute and insignificant details of the letter of the law. Tyre means "besieged," Sidon, "they who hunt," and Canaan', "made ready by humility." Therefore the Gentiles, who were besieged by evil in that the demons were among them hunting for souls, were also made ready by humility. For the righteous were made ready for the heights of the kingdom of God.

[Methodius]

Now I am hungry for broiled fish and honeycomb!

[Lounger]

In all seriousness, this woman shows an example of how we should act. We should often fall prostrate and cry out for our Lord because we are nothing but lowly dogs that fail Him so often.

[Methodius]

True. I apologize if my comments caused any offense.