Friday. [Eph. 4:17-25; Mark 12:1-12]

   In the parable about the vineyard is depicted the Old Testament Church and God’s care for it. The New Testament Church succeeded the Old, and so this parable can be applied to it as well. Since each Christian is also a living church of God, it can be applied to him as well. The latter is more needful for us. What is the vineyard? It is the soul that has received remission of sins, the grace of rebirth, the gift of the Holy Spirit as a promise of the heritage of the eternal kingdom, the word of God, the holy mysteries, a guardian angel. Who are the husbandmen? Consciousness and freedom. They receive the gifts and give a commitment to cultivate them and bear fruit to the Lord. Who are the careless husbandmen? Those who want to use the advantages of being a Christian as befits the external order of their lives, but do not bring worthy spiritual fruits to the Lord. Who are those sent from the Lord? The conscience and the fear of God, the word of God, teachers and pastors by whom the Lord wants to give understanding to the careless. Those who do not want to change themselves do not heed them; some drive them away and try to muffle their voice. Others even start to war against the Lord Himself, when they reject faith in Him in various forms. In the end, they will be miserably destroyed (cf. Mt. 21:41).

Friday. [I Pet. 1:1–2, 10–12; 2:6–10; Mark 12:1–12]

On the day of Theophany it is shown in action that the Divine economy of our salvation is accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ according to the goodwill of the Father, in the communion of the Holy Spirit. But now, through the word of the Apostle, it is suggested to us that the salvation of each person according to that Divine economy of God happens in no other way than through the operation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,  According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ (I Pet. 1:2). God the Father, having foreseen the man who would believe, meets him with His goodwill, and calls him to salvation through the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, having called him to faith and strengthened him in it, sprinkles the believer with the blood of the Lord and Saviour in the Sacrament of Baptism. Through this, the Holy Spirit, receiving entrance into him, Himself abides in him and helps him in every way possible to provide for his salvation. Let us praise, hymn, and magnify the Most Holy Trinity, the good Maker of our salvation. Giving all diligence, let us hurry to adorn ourselves with every virtue, in the image of Him Who created and recreated us; that we not be shown to be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord, and bar ourselves from entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord (II Pet. 1:5, 8, 11) to which we are called.