C ERTAINLY, N OT ! 1st Sunday of Messri

L ET US SING You shall have a song As in the night when a holy festival is kept, And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute, To come into the mountain of the Lord, To the Mighty One of Israel. Isa 30:29

T HE S UNDAY R EADINGS ① It is the day of the Lord ② The title of the Year : The Work of the Holy Trinity in the Church (us). ③ Sub-title for the Month of Messi : The Saviour cares about His Church ④ Week’s Sub-title: Restoring His Flock

L ITURGY OF S T G REGORY Because of the multitude of Your compassions, You formed me when I had no being. You set up the sky for me as a ceiling. You made the earth firm for me so that I could walk on it. ….. You subdued everything under my feet. You did not permit me to lack anything from among the deeds of Your honour. You are He who formed me; And placed Your hand upon me. Yo u wrote within me the image of Your authority;

T HE V INEYARD Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Lk 20:9

1- O RAL L AW  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Lk 20:10

T HE P AULINE E PISTLE to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law ; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 1 Cor 9:21,22

2. W RITTEN L AW  Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. LK 20:11

L ITURGY OF S T G REGORY As a true father, You laboured with me, who had fallen…. You gave me the Law as an aid. You are He Who ministered to me salvation: when I transgressed Your Law. As a true Light, You dawned upon the strays and the ignorant.

T HE C ATHOLIC E PISTLE But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 1 Pet 3:15

A C OMMAND  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matt 7:12

3. T HE P ROPHETS  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. Lk 20:12

T HE A CTS 28 Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians! ” 29 So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. Acts 19:28,29

T HE L ITURGY OF S T G REGORY You bandaged me with all the remedies, which lead to life. You are He who sent to me the prophets, for my sake, I the sick

T HE P SALM Return we beseech you, O God of Host; look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted. Ps 80:14,15

4- K ILLING THE SON 13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him. ’ 14 But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “ Certainly not! ” v 13-16

T HE L ITURGY OF S T G REGORY  You came to the slaughter as a lamb, even to the cross. You revealed the great extent of Your care for me. You put to death my sin in Your tomb. You raised my first fruits up to Heaven.

S T. G REGORY OF N YSSA "If we truly think of Christ as our source of holiness, we shall refrain from anything or impure in thought or act and thus show ourselves to be worthy bearers of his name. For the quality of holiness is shown not by what we say but by what we do in life."

A PPLICATIONS Ask yourself: ① Am I committed to read and to learn the word of God? ② Do I take the Word of God seriously and follow it without compromise? ③ Do I reject the The Law and the Prophets? ④ Do I surrender totally to the Son of God?  Contact your father of Confession and discuss these points with him before the end of the Year.

S AINT J OHN C HRYSOSTOM H OMILIES ON S T. J OHN, H OM.45:1 He did not say it was for the Jews only, but for the entire world. This is not a simple food, but is rather the Life: another life that is different. He called Him “life” because all were dead in sins.