Great Wednesday.
Great Week. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Matins – John 12:17-50; Sixth Hour – Ezekiel 2:3-3:3; Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts – Exodus 2:11-22; Job 2:1-10; Matthew 26:6-16.
Read Exodus 2:11-22
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”
The above verses from the Letter to the Hebrews are the first words we heard in the epistle reading all the way back on the First Sunday of the Great Fast. They recall how Moses decides to spurn the luxury of Pharoah’s household in favour of suffering with his fellow Israelites. These verses reference what we read in today’s reading from the Book of Exodus.
Moses illustrates for us the common phrase “short term pain for long term gain.” There are times where, because we live in the here and now, we turn a blind eye to the future and focus exclusively on the physical pleasures and comfort of our life at this very time. More often than not, this leads to neglecting that which is profitable for the soul and for salvation.
In the coming days, we will reflect on the desire for short term profit as seen in the actions of Judas Iscariot who spurns and rejects his place next to Christ for thirty pieces of silver. His example runs counter to that of Moses, desiring the things of this world rather than the things above. We, brothers and sisters, seeing these examples, have our own choice to make. May we always choose to be like Moses and prefer the things from above to the things of the world.