The Holy Prophet Jeremiah (625-585 BC). Coronation of Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God (1773). Passing into Eternal Life (1951) of Blessed Klymentii (Clement) Sheptytsky, Archimandrite of the Studites and Confessor
Acts 13:13-24. John 6:5-14.
Read Acts 13:13-24
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
Sts. Paul and Barnabas head out for a missionary trip. Led by the Holy Spirit they go from town to town visiting all the synagogues preaching the Good News of the Gospel. Notice that they do not start with the life of Jesus, but start by recounting the events of the Old Testament. This is the foundation on which the New Testament stands. God did not just start with the Incarnation of His Son, but long before this began a movement of preparation, which culminated in the Incarnation, death and resurrection of the Son of God. There is a long history of God interacting with His chosen people. This is the history of the family of God and it becomes our history when we enter into a covenantal relationship through baptism. By coming to know the Old Testament we not only come to know our spiritual family better—therefore ourselves because we are all human beings in need of God’s love and mercy—but we come to know Jesus better. We see the historical relevance out of which the Saviour of the World comes out of. We see more clearly the work of the Holy Trinity preparing the way in the Old Testament. The Prophecies preparing the people for the Incarnation. We see the fulfillment, the continuity, the wisdom and the mercy of God preparing the way. May we all be rooted in the Word of God as Paul and Barnabas were.