Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost; Tone 7; 🕁 Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the other bodiless Powers of Heaven.
All-Night Vigil Feast. Resurrectional Gospel 2. A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
Ephesians 2:14-22; Hebrews 2:2-10; Luke 8:41-56; Luke 10:16-21.
Read Ephesians 2:14-22
Paul has written much in his letters that Jewish Christians must not exclude Gentile Christians for not observing Jewish law, that Gentile Christians must not devalue their faith in Christ and his cross and negate it by doing so. Israel was set apart as paradigmatic, in its temple and priestly structure and in the prescribed cultural practices of the people, through which God would reveal himself to the world. Its purpose was to bring about something within which inclusion would be available to all. We “are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” That was the “kingdom of priests” vision for Israel which continues in the Church, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Leading up to today’s reading, Paul wrote, “Remember that at one time you Gentiles were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” That is his point: it is good to appreciate how deeply good our inclusion in the church is and, as a previously excluded people, facilitate opportunities for others to consider their Holy Spirit-inspired inclusion.