April 1 Lenten Meditation, Prayer and Scripture

Find 15-20 uninterrupted minutes each day to dwell in the presence of God, setting aside any distracting thoughts and connecting with our Lord through your prayers, while being attentive to listening to Him speak to you through the words of this meditation and Holy Scripture. Begin with this prayer: “Shine within our hearts, Loving Master the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open our hearts that we may hear the message of Your Good News today. Amen.”

LENTEN MEDITATION – April 1 (St Mary of Egypt)

​Fire and Water are incompatible; and so is judging others in one who wants to repent. (St. John Climacus)

TODAY’S PRAYER

`O Lady, Mother of God, who gave birth in the flesh to God the Word, I know, O how well I know, that it is no honour or praise to thee when one so impure and depraved as I look up to thy ikon, O ever-virgin, who didst keep thy body and soul in purity. rightly do I inspire hatred and disgust before thy virginal purity. But I have heard that God Who was born of thee became man on purpose to call sinners to repentance. Then help me, for I have no other help. Order the entrance of the church to be opened to me. Allow me to see the venerable Tree on which He Who was born of thee suffered in the flesh and on which He shed His holy Blood for the redemption of sinners an for me, unworthy as I am. Be my faithful witness before thy son that I will never again defile my body by the impurity of fornication, but as soon as I have seen the Tree of the Cross I will renounce the world and its temptations and will go wherever thou wilt lead me.’ (Prayer of St. Mary of Egypt before she was allowed to enter the Church)

`O loving Lady, thou hast shown me thy great love for all men. glory to God Who receives the repentance of sinners through thee. (Her prayer after she entered the Church).

DAILY MEMORY VERSE
The angel of the Lord said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (Genesis 22:12)

Genesis 12:1-7 (Vespers, 1st reading)

1

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.

2

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.

3

I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4

So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

5

Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

6

Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.

7

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Proverbs 14:15-26 (Vespers, 2nd reading)

15

The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.

16

A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident.

17

A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.

18

The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

19

The evil will bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20

The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich has many friends.

21

He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

22

Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

23

In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty.

24

The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly.

25

A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

26

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge.

Conclude your time with God by taking 5 minutes to sit quietly and pray the Jesus Prayer – “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me the Sinner.”