First Sunday of Great Lent: Wedding in Cana of Galilee Sunday
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John02/01-11/ On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come. ’His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
فليس مَلَكُوتُ اللهِ أَكْلاً وَشُرْبًا، بَلْ بِرٌّ وَسَلامٌ وفَرَحٌ في الرُّوحِ القُدُس رسالة القدّيس بولس إلى أهل رومة14/من14حتى23/يا إخوَتِي، إِنِّي عَالِمٌ ووَاثِقٌ، في الرَّبِّ يَسُوع، أَنْ لا شَيءَ نَجِسٌ في ذَاتِهِ، إِلاَّ لِمَنْ يَحْسَبُهُ نَجِسًا، فَلَهُ يَكُونُ نَجِسًا. فإِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ أَجْلِ الطَّعَامِ تُحْزِنُ أَخَاك، فَلا تَكُونُ سَالِكًا في المَحَبَّة. فَلا تُهْلِكْ بِطَعَامِكَ ذَاكَ الَّذي مَاتَ المَسِيحُ مِنْ أَجْلِهِ! إِذًا فَلا تَسْمَحُوا بَأَنْ يَصِيرَ الخَيْرُ فيكُم سَبَبًا للتَّجْدِيف. فَلَيْسَ مَلَكُوتُ اللهِ أَكْلاً وَشُرْبًا، بَلْ بِرٌّ وَسَلامٌ وفَرَحٌ في الرُّوحِ القُدُس. فَمَنْ يَخْدُمُ المَسِيحَ هكَذَا فهوَ مَرْضِيٌّ لَدَى الله، ومَقْبُولٌ لَدَى النَّاس. فَلْنَسْعَ إِذًا إِلَى مَا هوَ لِلسَّلام، ومَا هُوَ لِبُنْيَانِ بَعْضِنَا بَعْضًا. فَلا تَنْقُضْ عَمَلَ اللهِ مِنْ أَجْلِ الطَّعَام؛ لأَنَّ كُلَّ شَيءٍ طَاهِر، ولكِنَّهُ يَنْقَلِبُ شَرًّا عَلى الإِنْسَانِ الَّذي يَأْكُلُ وَيَكُونُ سَبَبَ عَثْرَةٍ لأَخِيه. فَخَيْرٌ لَكَ أَنْ لا تَأْكُلَ لَحْمًا، ولا تَشْرَبَ خَمْرًا، ولا تَتَنَاوَلَ شَيئًا يَكُونُ سَبَبَ عَثْرَةٍ لأَخِيك. وٱحْتَفِظْ بِرأْيِكَ لِنَفْسِكَ أَمَامَ الله. وطُوبَى لِمَنْ لا يَدِينُ نَفْسَهُ في مَا يُقَرِّرُهُ! أَمَّا المُرْتَابُ في قَرَارِهِ، فَإِنْ أَكَلَ يُدَان، لأَنَّ عَمَلَهُ غَيْرُ صَادِرٍ عَنْ يَقِينٍ وإِيْمَان. وكُلُّ عَمَلٍ لا يَصْدُرُ عَنْ يَقِينٍ وإِيْمَانٍ فَهُوَ خَطِيئَة.
The kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Letter to the Romans 14/14-23/I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
