Great Wednesday. Our Holy Mother Matrona of Thessalonica.
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 for ever!
In the first Old Testament passage we hear at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts this evening, we read how Moses killed an Egyptian and buried him in the sand, fled to the land of Midian, helped the daughters of Reuel against the shepherds at a well, went to live with Reuel, and then bore a son Gershom with Reuel’s daughter Zipporah. God protected Moses from his infancy, allowing him to be rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised as royalty. God further protected him by allowing him to seek refuge in the land of Midian, and ultimately, we know that God would use Moses as His instrument to lead the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt.
Immediately after the story of Moses’ rescue in infancy is explained, today’s passage begins: “One day, when Moses had grown up” (Ex. 2:11). The author of the Letter to the Hebrews also speaks of Moses when he had grown up: “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 than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:24-27). Instead of enjoying the pleasures of a comfortable life in Egypt, for God’s sake, he gave up everything. He chose to suffer alongside his fellow Hebrew people instead of turning a blind eye to them.
How often do we choose pleasure over doing the right thing? How often would we rather our own personal comfort than seeing that other people are treated justly? This week, we meditate on the Passion and Death of our Lord. In obedience to His Father’s will, Jesus accepted suffering. In obedience to God’s will, Moses accepted suffering. Am I willing to accept suffering for God’s sake and the sake of other men and women? Great love can be shown through suffering.