Our Venerable Father Timothy of Symbola (8th c.); Our Holy Father Eustathius, Archbishop of Great Antioch (338)
Great Fast Day 10. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Read
Genesis 4:16-26
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
One of childhood winter wonders is playing in snow. It gives endless possibilities for creative play from snow forts, to snow mazes and all sorts of games. One of the most popular playground activities, which would involve a whole team of children working together is a competition of who can make the largest snowball. Living in the prairies, where we have endless flatness, the winning team would always include the strongest and or the biggest group of determined children. That sticky snow would collect very fast as long as you could push that snowball across the school yard. Inevitably one would always wonder what it would be like if we had a large hill to push the snowball down. Our imagination, which was inspired by television cartoons, would wonder what it would be like for a snowball sliding down the hill, exponentially growing as it picked up more and more snow, and forming to a size of a house while it rages destruction on all in it’s path.
Today’s reading from Genesis reminds us of that destructive force of sin is like the ever growing snowball racing down the steep hill collecting anything in it’s way. How quickly we skip from the garden of Eden to murder, polygamy, more violence and further murder. The Scripture is pointing out for us the fact that sin, unless it is repented of, always accelerates in growth. Part of this acceleration is what’s called generational sin, when sin or its tendency can get passed on from one generation to another. We need to work at not excusing the existence of even the smallest sin in our heart for it becomes an entry way for further temptation and a potential spiral downward to deeper darkness. The work of holy repentance is not only of benefit to me, but to all those around me and those who come after me. Let us embrace this holy work.