Great Tuesday.
Great Week. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Matins – Matthew 22:15-23:39; Sixth Hour – Ezekiel 1:21-2:1; Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts – Exodus 2:5-10; Job 1:13-22; Matthew 24:36-26:2.
Read Exodus 2:5-10
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
As we walk with the Lord Jesus Christ this Great and Holy Week we should cast aside all distractions and dedicate more time to Christ. We aught to seek Him out in prayer and fasting, in quiet, in the Liturgical services at our local parish and in Scripture readings. When we read the Old Testament the Fathers of the Church give beautiful guidance that we should always first seek Christ in the text. This advice brings the initial spiritual context, and interpretation, to the text and connects us to the source of our life.
In today’s reading baby Moses was saved from a diabolical law, which was meant to shed the blood of innocent boys after birth. His mother could not bear to commit such evil—even though she was legally required by earthly authority to do so— but instead she hid the child. Fully relying on God, she released the child down the river hoping that someone, who came to bathe in the river, would be compassionate and save the child. This text encourages us to not be afraid to uphold God’s commandments over contradictory earthy laws. Those who do so with faith and trust will be rewarded by God. Also, as the Fathers of the Church advise, when we seek Christ in this story we see a foreshadowing of the life of the Christ child. Jesus is the one who spoke to Moses in the Bush, is the Giver of the Law, and the New Moses. Jesus also had to be hidden after birth for an evil King also sought His life. Jesus also had to travel to the Nile river—that is Egypt—to find harbour in Egypt until he could safely return to His people to lead them to Salvation. Put your trust and mind in Christ and you will be rewarded.