April 16, 2022

Great Saturday
Matins – Ezekiel 37:1-14; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 3:13,14; Matthew 27:62-66; Vespers – Genesis 1:1-13; Isaiah 60:1-16; Exodus 12:1-11; The Book of Jonah; Joshua 5:10-15; Exodus 13:20-15:19; Zephaniah 3:8-15; 1 Kings 17:8-24; Isaiah 61:I0-62:5; Genesis 22:1-18; Isaiah 61:1-9; 2 Kings 4:8-37; Isaiah 63:11-64:5; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Daniel 3:1-23 and the Song of the Holy Children (Apocrypha); Liturgy – Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-20
Great Week. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat. The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated in the late afternoon today.

Read Matthew 28:1-20

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

Imagine the shock of the women on their way to visit the Lord’s body in today’s gospel. One moment they are wondering how they will roll the stone away from the mouth of the tomb and the next they are told the good news of the Resurrection by an angel!

It is interesting that the Lord Himself comes to meet them when they are in the process of proclaiming the good news. The women bare an incredible witness to Life – to Life Himself – conquering death. On the other hand, the soldiers in the face of this tremendous miracle, prefer death to life, the tomb to the light, money to freedom.

What is keeping you in the tomb? Today hand over whatever is keeping you back from joyfully and fearlessly proclaiming the Lord’s victory over sin and death!