Highway of Holiness 2 nd Sunday of Messri –

Highway of Holiness  A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. Isa 35:8

St Athanasius ( Homily of the Papyrus of Turin, 71, 216; Gambero, 106) O noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word ? To whom among all creatures shall I compare you, O Virgin? You are greater than them all O Covenant, clothed with purity instead of gold! You are the Ark in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which divinity resides.

1. Obedience  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. … And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Eph 6:1,4

2. Fighters through his power  10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6:10,11

3. Light  7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 1 Jn 2:7,8

4. Love  He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 Jn 2:9- 11

5. Life  And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead... Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted. Acts 20:9-11

(ST. Augustine)  I would not exist--I would simply not be at all—unless I exist in You, from whom and by whom and in whom all things are.

6. For Unwell and Sinners  31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Lk 5:31,32

7. Fast  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.” Lk 5:35

8. Newness of life  Then He spoke a parable to them: “ No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. Lk 5:36

(St. Augustine)  “Turn us again, O Lord God of Hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” For wherever the soul of man turns itself, unless toward thee, it is enmeshed in sorrows.