The Holy Priest-Martyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (155-56)
Great Fast Day 12. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Read
Genesis 5:32-6:8
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Most of live 70 to 80 years, some even older. Billy Graham who reposed in the Lord yesterday lived a wonderful 99 years! But look at this list in today’s readings! 100 years… 200 years…three hundred years… Adam lived to 930 years! Incredulous! Even though they lived for many years, they all have something in common with us, with the exception of one (Enoch)—they all died.
We will all come to and end of this life. The Scriptures do not beat around the bush when it comes to human mortality. We are born into this world, we live for a season, and we will repose in the Lord. This also happens for all other creatures. The difference between us and all other creatures is that we can foresee death, we are conscious of it, and we can prepare for it.
Remembering that in Christ death is but a threshold to cross into eternal life, we prepare for death by living that eternal life now! The Great Fast (Lent) is the perfect time for us to examine our lives, and to embrace Life thereby allowing us to live most fully now and into eternal life.
Let’s ask the Lord for mercy and an insatiable hunger for life!