The Seventh Month of Lent

The conclusion of the law and the ancient temple; preparing to cross the Jordan and to enter into Jerusalem to build the new temple that is not formed by the hands of man.

Monday’s readings are about Israel’s rejection for Christ and the invitation to the gentiles for salvation. Isaiah’s prophecy holds Christ’s invitation to the gentiles with Israel in order to build the new temple. It begins by his regret over Israel, who did not listen to the words of the Lord, and as such they went into captivity, “Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” (Isaiah 48:18) He continues to say, ““Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name. And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.” “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’” (Isaiah 49:1-3)

The matins gospel, “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” (Luke 16:31) The catholic epistle, “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:12-13) The praxis, “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31) The gospel is concluded with Christ’s words towards the Jews, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44)

Monday’s readings shed light on the salvation of the gentiles while blindness overcame the Israelites, “Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” (Isaiah 49:6) The catholic epistle, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) The praxis, “and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ” (Acts 22:18,21) The gospel concludes, “Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:39-43)

Wednesday’s readings shed light on Christ’s invitation to righteousness, ““Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.” (Isaiah 58:1-2) Matins psalm, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.” (Psalm 57:1) The gospel warns about the corruption of those who consider themselves as teachers and chosen ones, ““Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?It is neither fit for the land nor for thedunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Luke 14:34-35) The Pauline epistle sheds light about the righteousness of the law and Christ’s righteousness, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” (Romans 10:4-7) The Liturgy’s gospel, “Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves.No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Medraws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:43-44)

Thursday’s readings: the miracle of the church’s resurrection from Israel as Christ’s eternal kingdom, “Thus says the Lord: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,’ So will I do for My servants’ sake, That I may not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there.” (Isaiah 65:8-9) Christ is the blessing in the cluster of Jacob, and He is the chosen offspring for whose sake Judah did not perish, for from him comes the Heir. The matins gospel declares the kingdom of God, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.” (Psalm 24: 1-2)

Christ’s kingdom is based on principles that are not only different from the law of Moses, but also transcend all human organization, “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.Yetit shall not be so among you; butwhoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as theSon of Man did not come to be served,but to serve, andto give His life a ransomfor many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

We notice the practical application to this in the Pauline epistle, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.” (Colossians 4:5-7) Also, the catholic epistle reveals the nature of Christ’s kingdom that is different from the world’s ideals, “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.” (1 John 3:13-14)

The final Friday of Lent: The establishment of Christ’s kingdom, His temple, and the destruction of the temple, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20) Joseph’s words towards his brothers accurately illustrates Christ’s position towards the Jews. Isaiah’s prophecy about God’s call to the nations with Israel, ““Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.” For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:10-13) and he also says, “I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord.” (Isaiah 66:19-21)

Matins gospel is about the Kingdom and its spread, “Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;nor will they say,‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed,the kingdom of God iswithin you.” Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.And they will say to you,‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them.For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.” (Luke 17:20-24) The catholic epistle, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James 5:7-8) The praxis, presents the dialogue of Jerusalem’s council in which it was decided to accept the gentiles into the church, legally. Thus the church was established on the basis of Jews and gentiles, and the church began with steady steps towards spreading the faith in Christ throughout the earth. That is why the psalmist sings, “Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.” (Psalm 98:8-9)

And the gospel concludes by declaring the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. As such, it was necessary for the ancient temple to perish in order for the new one to be established. From a realistic point of view, the temple no longer existed as a temple for God after God’s Spirit departed from it through Christ’s departure. As for the historical point of view, the edifice of the church was not established independently until after the Temple’s destruction in the year 70 A.D. at the hands of Titus the Roman leader. In the Liturgy’s gospel, Christ said, ““O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!See!Your house is left to you desolate; andassuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say,‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:34-35)

The prayer of the Unction of the Sick on the Final Friday of Lent

The readings of the seventh week conclude the Exodus journey with Christ in the wilderness, and then the preparation of crossing the Jordan River in Saturday and Sunday’s readings, followed by the entry into Jerusalem with Christ where He offer’s the sacrifice of His love.

The first stage: The Passover week or the crossing, begins on the morning of Lazarus Saturday, with Christ crossing the Jordan River to reach Jericho. Christ crossed the Jordan River from Jericho when he resurrected Lazarus as we read in John 11. After a few months, Christ crossed the Jordan River a second time from Jericho in order to raise up all of mankind from death by His death and His resurrection. Therefore, the readings at this stage include the crossing of the Jordan River twice: in the matins readings of Lazarus Saturday as well as the matins readings on Palm Sunday. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the new Joshua Who led Israel to cross the Jordan and to enter into the Promised Land. Jericho is the final stop in the journey of the Exodus. It represents sin that lurks in humanity. It was essential to destroy its walls. The readings of this stage follow the great Lent’s system because they conclude the seventh week of the fast and fulfill the goal of the Exodus by triumphantly entering into the Promised Land for rest, and the King enters into Jerusalem. The Son enters the temple as a high priest, who must remain in the temple for a week before offering the sacrifice on the great Day of Atonement, according to the Jewish rite.

Lazarus Saturday Readings

The prophecies: the matins readings of the Holy Lent contain readings of the Old Testament except for the Saturdays and the Sundays, with the exception of Lazarus Saturday and Joyous Saturday. In the readings of Lazarus Saturday, four prophecies are read and they are of the utmost importance, for it is the day of prophecies. The topic of the prophecies is Jerusalem and crossing by the blood, which is the final goal of the Holy Lent’s journey. These four prophecies are characterized by overwhelming joy and the call to announce the good news of the Lord’s salvation.

The first prophecy: “Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.” (Genesis 49: 9-11) When Jacob was about to die, he prophesied for each of his sons and he gave Joseph the blessing and granted his youngest Son Ephraim the birthright. He singled out Judah for a special spiritual blessings, and in his prophecy about him he spoke about Christ, about the cross, (From the prey, my son, you have gone up – Christ upon the cross). About His death, he said, (He bows down, he lies down as a lion). About His resurrection, he said, (And as a lion, who shall rouse him?). The vine represents the Jews and the Gentiles whom He bound together and united, then in His one Kingdom as a prince of peace riding on a colt. The blood of the grapes, with which He washed us from our sins, is His blood which He shed for the New Testament.

The Second prophecy: Isaiah the prophet speaks in awe with joyful exclamation about Christ’s divinity, Christ Who is the Lord and the shepherd. Isaiah the prophet speaks about Christ’s work of salvation, which would be declared by His entry into Jerusalem, “O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.” (Isaiah 40:9-11)

The Third Prophecy: Zephaniah the prophet who was bereaved because of the coming of Judah’s captivity, sees salvation in Christ and rejoices, “Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.” (Zephaniah 3:14-15) For the Lord has removed the judgement of death from mankind. Isaiah the prophet echoes the same idea, “And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 25:7-8) “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55) He prophecies about the end of death which was swallowed up by eternal life.

The Fourth prophecy: this is the famous prophecy of Zechariah the prophet about Palm Sunday, and Christ’s royal entrance into Jerusalem. Zechariah is amongst the prophets who survived the captivity, therefore, all of his speech was focussed on the coming Messiah, and he said, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the temple.” (Zechariah 9:9-15)

Zechariah the prophet presents the story of the final week that began with a joyful and triumphant entry into Jerusalem until the cross, where Christ shed His blood for us, and then rose from the dead on the third day. Therefore, he calls upon the captives of hope to return to the fortress of Christ, because with His resurrection He defeated death for the sake of humanity.

St. Paul explains the prophecies and clarifies how Christ connected the Jews with the gentiles, the heavens with the earth, the people with the peoples, and the soul with the body; he says to the gentiles, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (Ephesians 2:13-19) In St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we find a full explanation for the prophecies of Lazarus Saturday, which is complemented by the rest of the readings about the entry of the Lord Christ into Jericho, and the healing of the blind man to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 42: 7, 16).

With those four prophecies the readings present us with a hearty spiritual meal at the start of the week of the crossing. It is complemented by the remaining readings about Christ’s entry into Jericho and the healing of the blind man in order to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 42:7,16)

Then the readings are presented regarding the raising of Lazarus even prior to the cross, as a sign of Christ’s redemptive work, to disperse the sting of death, which is sin, “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:56) Therefore, we rejoice in the salvation, “O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit… Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;” (Psalm 30:3,11)