Psalm 92/3, Isaiah 6, Genesis 3, Isaiah 51:9, cf. Isaiah 27:1, Ezekiel 29:3, Psalm 88/9:10 Having entered into God’s holy presence in Great Vespers, by means of the Lamplight Songs, and the ancient Hymn, O Gladsome Light, we are given a vision of the LORD, robed in majesty.  It is as though we are tracing the experience of the prophet Isaiah in the Temple, when he saw the LORD high and lifted… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Psalter 6: Robed in Majesty! appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

Psalm 129LXX/130 MT  and 116/117; Deuteronomy 30:11-14; Romans 10:6-8, Luke 23:34-46, Mark 14:37, 15:34 In the darkness of Vespers, and from the depths of our hearts, we cry out to God, knowing that the Lord’s Day will follow the night. The third and fourth of the lamplighting Psalms (Psalm 129/130 and Psalm 116/117) are chanted one after the other.  We sing them in short bits, and in response with verses that recall… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Psalter 5: Crying Out of the Depths appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

Psalm 141 (LXX) /142 (MT); 1 Samuel (Kingdoms) 22; 1 Samuel (Kingdoms) 24; Hebrews 12:1-6 The second of the “Lamp-light” Psalms, Psalm 141 in the Greek, 142 in the Hebrew, continues the theme of the previous one—the plight of the righteous, and their cry to God.  In the Psalter, it is introduced by a superscription that reads “by David, when he was in the cave, a Prayer.”  David’s popularity was not appreciated… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Psalter 4: I Cried to the Lord appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

Psalms 1-3; 2 Samuel (2 Kingdoms)15-18 In the first session of this series on the Psalms, we began with Psalm 103/104, the first Psalm recited for Saturday Great Vespers, seeing ourselves in that blessed place with God as, resting, He surveys and is pleased with all that He has created.  The next selection from the Psalter in Great Vespers is taken from what is called the “first kathisma,” literally, “the first sitting.”… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Psalter 2: Blessed is the Man! appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

PSALM 103 (LXX); Hebrews 12:18-24; Exodus 24; Genesis 1; 1 Corinthians 15 Every week, beginning with sundown on Saturday, we recite Psalms with the Church, and so are illumined by God.  Great Vespers begins with the astonishing psalm of creation (Psalm 103 LXX/104 Hebrew text), by which we stand, as it were, alongside God during His rest on the sixth day, and survey with pleasure everything that He has made. We begin… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Psalter 1: It is Very Good! appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

Song of Simeon/Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29-32); Genesis 26:26-30; 2 Samuel (Kingdoms) 20:41-42; Isaiah 54:10;  Nehemiah 8:3. “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples— a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory of thy people Israel.” So spoke the elder Simeon, when he received the infant God-Man in… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Canticles 12: Departing in Peace appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

Luke 1:68-79; Genesis 12:1-3; Gen 22:16-17; Psalm 18/LXX 17:3; 2 Samuel/Kingdoms 7:1-17; 2 Samuel/Kingdoms 22:3; Isaiah 9:2, Malachi 3:1; 4:2-5 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Canticles 11: Horn, House, Oath, and Dayspring appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

Canticle 7 (Dan 3:25-56); 2 King 19:15-20:6; Genesis 22:15-18   The seventh and eighth Biblical canticles, comprising the confession of Azariah and the song of his three friends in the fiery furnace, are everywhere present in holy week.  Indeed, their exhortation to “praise the Lord and highly exalt Him forever” finds its way into the mouth of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet, as we hear her story in one of… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Canticles Episode 8: Azariah’s Confession and the Beginning of the Song appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

Jonah 2:2-9; Matt 12:39-41; Job 41; Psalm 104/LXX 103:26; Psalm 139/LXX 138: 8-12; Psalm 148:7 The song of Jonah, Old Testament Canticle 6, is notable for its poignancy and substance.  Jonah gives voice to the desolation of those who know themselves to be at the brink of death, crying out to the Lord from the depths, and also from the depths of their being.  It is a heart-cry of longing, coupled with… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Canticles 7: Jonah’s Cry from the Depths appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more

Isaiah 26:9-20; Psalm 119; Romans 8:22-39; 2 Peter 1:19 The fifth Biblical Ode, taken from the song in Isaiah 26:9-20, is both challenging, and encouraging.  It begins practically, with a description of human vigilance before God, and ends pragmatically, with a reminder that human beings are given by the LORD a time of rest, for He is the main Actor in our world. Between these bookends, we hear of righteousness and judgment,… An Ancient Faith Blog The post Light from the Canticles 6: Hosea’s Yearning and Hope appeared first on A Lamp for Today ..read more