Thursday Reading 2nd Pentecost Holy Trinity

Acts 5:1-11
A man named Ananias, however, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. He retained for himself, with his wife’s knowledge, some of the purchase price, took the remainder, and put it at the feet of the apostles. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you lied to the holy Spirit and retained part of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain yours? And when it was sold, was it not still under your control? Why did you contrive this deed? You have lied not to human beings, but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last, and great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men came and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, unaware of what had happened. Peter said to her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for this amount?” She answered, “Yes, for that amount.” Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen, the footsteps of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” At once, she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men entered they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.

John 15:18-21
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.

Safro – Proemion (page 118)

Praise, glory and honor to the holy Child who has blessed us by
his joyous birth;
he purified us by his holy baptism,
exalted us by his total humiliation, saved us by his wondrous
cross,
gave us life by his luminous death, renewed us by his glorious
resurrection,
and sanctified us by his living and Holy Spirit.
To him is due glory and honor this morning,
and all the days of our lives,
now and forever.
Amen.

Saint of the day: Saint Eutropia of Palmyra, born in Syria, 3rd century A.D.
Twelve year old girl martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian in 303 A.D.

Meditation:
“A handful of sand, thrown into the sea, is what sinning is, when compared to God’s Providence and mercy. Just like an abundant source of water is not impeded by a handful of dust, so is the Creator’s mercy not defeated by the sins of His creations” (Sebastion P. Brock, The Wisdom of Saint Isaac the Syrian). This quote from Isaac shows the strong belief he held in the mercy of God. So fervently did he hold this as a personal tenet of faith, that he can be counted among the minority of Church Fathers who argued for Universal Reconciliation; the theological position that all will be saved.
Among the Fathers of the Church – Origen, St. Gregory of Nysa, and Isaac of Nineveh stand out as defenders of universal salvation. Each in their own way offers a theological reflection in which the eternal mercy and plan of God is for them made manifest. Origen held the view known as “apocatastasis”, meaning the ultimate restora-tion of all things and all persons with God. St. Gregory of Nyssa, (also called Gregory the Theologian) abandoned the idea of pre-existent souls which Origen had attached to his doctrine, and affirms that within the mystery of the Divine Incarnation is held the ultimate restoration and reconciliation of all with God. Isaac of Nineveh took the posi-tion that hell is a scourging of love, where those in hell have chosen through their lives on earth to be separated from God; but in his thought the doors of hell are locked from the inside. This makes the possibility of repentance and forgiveness being offered to those in hell.
“The entire purpose of our Lord’s death was not to redeem us from sins, or for any other reason, but solely in order that the world might become aware of the love which God has for creation” (Sebastion P. Brock, The Wisdom of Saint Isaac the Syri-an). This quote reflects the foundation of Isaac’s program of thought and prayer, that God made us to be transformed by his love. Through prayer and repentance our hearts will be transformed to be hearts of love, so that we will truly be the image and likeness of God, as was intended in Creation and reached its eternal stature in the Incarnation, Cross, and Resurrection of Christ.