The nativity of the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, of the seed of Abraham, born from the tribe of Judah, from the line of King David. The Holy Theotokos was born of the elderly parents, Joachim of the lineage of David, and Anna of the lineage of Aaron. Therefore, Mary was of royal birth by her father, and of priestly birth by her mother, foreshadowing Him who would be born of her as King and High Priest. Because her parents were very old and had no children, they were ashamed before men and humble before God. In their humility they prayed to God to bring them joy in their old age by giving them a child. Mary was born in Nazareth and at the age of three was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. In her young womanhood she returned to Nazareth and shortly thereafter heard the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel concerning the birth of the Son of God from her most pure virgin body. From her, the Son of God was born in the flesh that he might free people from the ancient slavery of sin.
Your birth, O Virgin Theotokos, heralded joy to the universe; for from you arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. Removing the curse, He gave the blessing, and by destroying Death, He granted us eternal salvation.
At your holy birth, O Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. Your people, delivered from the guilt of their faults, celebrate your birth and cry out: The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos and Sustainer of our Life
Philippians 2: 5-11
Brothers and sisters: Your attitude must be that of Christ: Though he was in the form of God, he did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estate and it was thus that he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross! Because of this, God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name above every other name, so that at Jesus’ name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!
Luke 10: 38-42, 11: 27-28
At that time Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home. She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and listened to his words. Martha, who was busy with all the details of hospitality, came to Jesus and said, “Lord, are you not concerned that my sister has left me to do the household tasks all alone? Tell her to help me.”
The Lord in reply said to her: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things; one thing only is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it.”
While he was saying this a woman from the crowd called out, “Blest is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” Jesus replied, “Rather, blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”
Galatians 5: 11-21
Brothers and sisters, as for me, if I am still preaching circumcision, why do the attacks on me continue? If I were, the cross would be a stumbling block no more. Would that those who are troubling you might go the whole way, and castrate themselves!
My brethren, remember that you have been called to live in freedom–but not a freedom that gives free reign to the flesh. Out of love, fulfillment in this one saying: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If you go on biting and tearing one another to pieces, take care! You will end up in mutual destruction!
My point is that you should live in accord with the spirit and you will not yield to the cravings of the flesh. The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; the two are directly opposed. This is why you do not do what your will intends. If you are guided by the spirit, you are not under the law. It is obvious what proceeds from the flesh: lewd conduct, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, bickering, jealousy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I have warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!
Mark 7: 5-16
At that time the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of our ancestors, but instead take food without purifying their hands?” He said to them: “How accurately Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites when he wrote, ‘This people pays me lip service but their heart is far from me. Empty is the reverence they do me because they teach as dogmas mere human precepts.’ You disregard God’s commandment and cling to what is human tradition.”
Jesus went on to say: “You have made a fine art of setting aside God’s commandment in the interest of keeping your traditions! For example, Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and in another place, ‘Whoever curses father or mother shall be put to death.’ Yet you declare, ‘If a person says to his father or mother, Any support you might have had from me is korban (that is, dedicated to God)’, you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. That is the way you nullify God’s word in favor of the traditions you have handed on. And you have many other such practices besides.” Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them: “Hear me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters a man from outside can make him impure; that which comes out of him, and only that, constitutes impurity. Let everyone heed what he hears!”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Monday, September 7 –
