Kyrieeleison!! Tuesday- Christ taught in the temple

Kyrieeleison! O Lord, Have mercy! Kyrieeleison!

Today, we learn from the bible and church tradition that Christ taught in the temple talking with the scribes and Pharisees in parables about the Kingdom of heaven and the end times; and the Jews leader/priest didn't like it. The Pharisees and Sadducees came with so many malicious questions to trap Him. The Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, asks about the resurrection [Mt 22:33-40], He thought all of them warning all of us to keep watch and be ready. In general the Church stresses the second Coming, the end of the world and the urge to get ready. This is the day our Savior lovingly invites us to keep watching with our lamps lit.

He didn’t like the temple [body] they [Pharisees and Sadducees and us] built for Him to live. It has so much pride, ego, few jealousy, hatred…feeling of loneliness, brokenness ..Then He started getting the drains right and stopped the leaking in the roof...and presently He starts knocking the house in way that hurts and doesn’t make sense. The Pharisees were superficial, egotistical and self-centered and didn’t understand what He was doing. He was building a quite different house from the one they thought of… He was building a Palace.. Because His desire and intention was to come and live in us.

"O Lord, I am sorry I have resisted when you try to fix me! I am sorry I always run to my old ways! The easy way. It is because I didn’t know better. Only You know, Lord, what a great good may soon break from my broken heartedness, if only I bring the pieces to You. Draw me away, O Lord! I am helpless, I want You to intervene on my behalf. Attract me to You. O Lord, for without You I can’t do nothing!. Do not leave me to my own will, my frail determination or my human ability for I am no much to the challenges of the world. I want You, O Lord, to knock down my pride, ego, jealousy.. feeling of loneliness, and want You to bring me out of this mess Yourself, for without you, I simply can not."

Search me, O God, and know my heart:

Try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.[Psalm 139]

God Bless

Dn Medhanie Haile

Church Season

Beginning on the 25th of Sene and lasting until the 26th of Meskerem of the Ge’ez calendar is the Rainy Season or Zemene Kiremt. During this time we remember God’s provision of food to all creatures. As it’s written in the Psalms 147:8-9 “Who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow upon the mountains. He gives to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.” The rainy season is symbolic to the age that human beings spend on earth. This season is sometimes referred to as winter. St Paul writes in 2nd Timothy 4:21 “Do your best to get here before winter.” During the winter season we see the farmer going through all hardships to prepare his farm during this season. He has faith that he will get adequate rainfall for his crops so he labors tirelessly during this season. This refers to our lives, our faith should be like the farmer--we must tirelessly labor on earth and have faith that God will provide. Our work, though, is for the heavenly kingdom. David in his Psalm 126:5-6 ties this meaning beautifully, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Also our church teaches the formation of rain happens through the evaporation and condensation process. This was clearly stated by Aba Giorgis ze-Gasīcha around 14th century AD (G.C) in his famous book Se’atat, “He who contains the waters, scatters the thin fog. He raises the water from the lakes and brings it down from the heights of the sky.” All the readings of this season show how God provides for His creation.

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