Friday, April 2, 2010

Awake! The Day Is At Hand


You know the time, that the hour has come for you to awake out of sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is almost over, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in the ways of darkness. (Romans 13:11-13)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But everything that is exposed to the light becomes visible, for it is the light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. (Ephesians 5:6-15)

You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, we must not fall asleep like other people, but we must stay awake and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

It is Nîsan


ὁ μὴν οὗτος ὑμῖν ἀρχὴ μηνῶν πρῶτός ἐστιν ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς μησὶν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ λάλησον πρὸς πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν υἱῶν Ισραηλ λέγων τῇ δεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τούτου λαβέτωσαν ἕκαστος πρόβατον κατ' οἴκους πατριῶν ἕκαστος πρόβατον κατ' οἰκίαν ἐὰν δὲ ὀλιγοστοὶ ὦσιν οἱ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ ὥστε μὴ ἱκανοὺς εἶναι εἰς πρόβατον συλλήμψεται μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸν γείτονα τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ψυχῶν ἕκαστος τὸ ἀρκοῦν αὐτῷ συναριθμήσεται εἰς πρόβατον πρόβατον τέλειον ἄρσεν ἐνιαύσιον ἔσται ὑμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρνῶν καὶ τῶν ἐρίφων λήμψεσθε καὶ ἔσται ὑμῖν διατετηρημένον ἕως τῆς τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης τοῦ μηνὸς τούτου καὶ σφάξουσιν αὐτὸ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος συναγωγῆς υἱῶν Ισραηλ πρὸς ἑσπέραν καὶ λήμψονται ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος καὶ θήσουσιν ἐπὶ τῶν δύο σταθμῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν φλιὰν ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις ἐν οἷς ἐὰν φάγωσιν αὐτὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ φάγονται τὰ κρέα τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ ὀπτὰ πυρὶ καὶ ἄζυμα ἐπὶ πικρίδων ἔδονται οὐκ ἔδεσθε ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὠμὸν οὐδὲ ἡψημένον ἐν ὕδατι ἀλλ' ἢ ὀπτὰ πυρί κεφαλὴν σὺν τοῖς ποσὶν καὶ τοῖς ἐνδοσθίοις οὐκ ἀπολείψετε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἕως πρωὶ καὶ ὀστοῦν οὐ συντρίψετε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὰ δὲ καταλειπόμενα ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἕως πρωὶ ἐν πυρὶ κατακαύσετε οὕτως δὲ φάγεσθε αὐτό αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν περιεζωσμέναι καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ βακτηρίαι ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ὑμῶν καὶ ἔδεσθε αὐτὸ μετὰ σπουδῆς πασχα ἐστὶν κυρίῳ


ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ μηνὶ ἐν τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ἑσπερινῶν πάσχα τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἐν τῇ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς τούτου ἑορτὴ τῶν ἀζύμων τῷ κυρίῳ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἄζυμα ἔδεσθε καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα ἡ πρώτη κλητὴ ἁγία ἔσται ὑμῖν πᾶν ἔργον λατρευτὸν οὐ ποιήσετε καὶ προσάξετε ὁλοκαυτώματα τῷ κυρίῳ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας καὶ ἡ ἑβδόμη ἡμέρα κλητὴ ἁγία ἔσται ὑμῖν πᾶν ἔργον λατρευτὸν οὐ ποιήσετε

----------
At the last hour, in the fourth watch of the night, at the beginning of Nîsan, I saw the full moon brilliantly shining traversing almost full way already across the deep night sky moving down towards the western horizon. Meanwhile at the opposite eastern horizon, the sun was gently breaking through the dawn.

In a short while that followed, just as the moon was about to completely hide its face behind the horizon, the moon beheld the magnificence of the sun rising from the opposite horizon. In a rare sight to behold, the uniquely transitioning color of the sky manifested the moment when the moon's borrowed light was overwhelmed by the sun's light. The moon's brilliance gently paled as the rays of the sun gradually intensified.