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.
Sixth Hour – Isaiah 7:1-14. Presanctified – Genesis 5:32-6:8. Proverbs 6:20-7:1.
Read Isaiah 7:1-14
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
We have today a famous prophecy from Isaiah, which is a promise that God Himself would be with us: “And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman′u-el.”—which means God with us or God is with us— (Isaiah 7:13-14). The Early Christians understood this prophecy as pointing to the birth of Jesus. St. Matthew writes: “All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emman′u-el” (which means, God with us).” (Matt 1:22-23). We see that God announces the unimaginable and impossible, so that when it does occur it would be believed and received by faith as a promise fulfilled.
In some Scriptures this text the sign will come through a ‘young woman’, while other texts read ‘the virgin’. What is the difference? The Hebrew word ‘almāh refers to a ‘young woman of childbearing age’, but it was translated in the Koine Greek in 300BC as parthenos, meaning virgin. The Greek translation is called the Septuagint LXX and this text was the standard Scripture of the Old Testament for Jews outside of Judea. It was used by Jews who did not understand Hebrew as well as they understood Greek, which was the common language of the time. There is an ancient Jewish Legend that states that 72 Jewish Scripture Scholars were appointed to translate the text and they did so all at the same time, in the same place. When they finished their work each text was identical. This is the Scripture early Christians used and this is the Scripture that the Evangelists quoted when they wrote their Gospels.
So which is correct? The Fathers of the Church reflected on and defended this text deeply. Blessed Theophylact says this: “The Jews say that it is not written in the prophecy “virgin” but “young woman.” To which it may be answered that “young woman” and “virgin” mean the same thing in Scripture, for in Scripture “young woman” refers to one who is still a virgin. Furthermore, if it was not a virgin that gave birth, how would it be a sign, something extraordinary? Listen to Isaiah, who says, “For this reason the Lord himself shall give you a sign,” and immediately he adds, “Behold, the virgin.” So if it were not a virgin that would give birth, it would not be a sign. The Jews, then, alter the text of Scripture in their malice, putting “young woman” instead of “virgin.” But whether the text reads “young woman” or “virgin,” it should be understood in either case that it is a virgin who will give birth so that the event may be a miraculous sign.“ (Explanation of Matthew 23).
May God who has chosen to come to us through a miraculous sign of the virgin birth strengthen us and be with us this Lenten season and bring us His blessing. We ask this through the intercession of Our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever Virgin Mary.