Highway of Holiness

2nd Sunday of Messri – 18.08.2013

Highway of Holiness

A highway shall be there, and a road,And it shall be called the

Highway of Holiness.The unclean shall not pass over it,But it shall be for others.Whoever walks the road, although a fool,

Shall not go astray. Isa 35:8

St Athanasius (Homily of the Papyrus of Turin, 71, 216; Gambero,

106)

O noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal

in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word? To whom among all creatures

shall I compare you, O Virgin? You are greater than them all O Covenant, clothed with purity instead of gold! You are the

Ark in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which divinity

resides.

1. Obedience Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. …  And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the

training and admonition of the Lord. Eph 6:1,4

2. Fighters through his power

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in

the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole

armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the

wiles of the devil. Eph 6:10,11

3. Light 7 Brethren, I write no new

commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is

the word which you heard from the beginning.8 Again, a new commandment

I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the

darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 1 Jn

2:7,8

4. Love He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no

cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and

walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the

darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 Jn 2:9-11

5. Life And in a window sat a certain young man

named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. .. Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed.  And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted. Acts 20:9-11

(ST. Augustine)I would not exist--I would simply not be at all—unless I exist in You, from whom

and by whom and in whom all things are.

6. For Unwell and Sinners

31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a

physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not

come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Lk 5:31,32

7. FastBut the days will

come when the bridegroom will be taken away from

them; then they will fast in those days.”

Lk 5:35

8. Newness of life

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a

piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match

the old. Lk 5:36

(St. Augustine)“Turn us again, O Lord God of Hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” For

wherever the soul of man turns itself, unless toward thee, it is

enmeshed in sorrows.