First Sunday of Great Lent (Kothne Sunday)
(Pethurtha of the Great Lent)

The Great Lent starts by commemorating the first miracle performed by Jesus i.e. turning water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana of Galilee. The Gospel reading for each Sunday of the Great Lent is about a miracle performed by Jesus.

Preface for Meditation

Great Lent is the time for cleaning up our system. Get rid of toxic thoughts, so that Holy Spirit can enter into hearts and fill it up with qualities like compassion, love, obedience to God, service to mankind, etc.

Eviction Notice by Wes Hopper

"Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts"
Buddhist saying

We humans have the most creative minds in the Universe (as far as
we know.) Our minds are non-stop, full speed, pedal-to-the-metal
thought generating machines.

And there's nothing we can do to stop that. At least not anything
that we wouldn't regret. We can slow it down with meditation, but
the thoughts continue to drift by even in the stillness.

Our thoughts create our beliefs, and our beliefs create our actions,
and our actions create our lives.

But not all our thoughts. Only the thoughts that we allow to stick
around. As a well known saying goes, "Thoughts held in mind
repeat after their kind." Or, "What you think about, comes about."

Now it would be nice to think that we were carefully choosing the
thoughts that stick around, but that would be rather optimistic.

If we're not careful, we can get our mind clogged up with thoughts that
took up residence while we were busy doing something else.

That's what our quote calls unguarded thoughts. Thoughts that got in without
showing a photo ID at the door.

Thoughts that didn't get checked against our list of acceptable visitors!

So we find ourselves with thoughts that become beliefs that don't serve us at all.

When you find yourself behaving in a way that doesn't support you in reaching
your goals, ask yourself, "What must I believe to act this way?"

What must you believe about yourself, the world, the situation, your potential,
to cause you to sabotage yourself? It's always rooted in the thoughts you
allowed residence.

So serve an eviction notice and make room for new tenants that support you!

It won't always be easy, but it's worth it!

Bible Readings:

Evening

• St. John 3:1- 6

Morning

• St. Luke 16:1-18

Before Holy Qurbana

• Exodus 20:1-21
• Joel 2:12-20
• Isaiah 58:5-14

Holy Qurbana

• Acts 11:19-26 or
• Revelations 2:1 -7
• Colossians 3:1- 17
• St. John 2:1-11

Sermons, Bible Commentaries and Bible Analyses for 1st Sunday in Great Lent (Wedding at Cana)

Gospel Readings:

Luke 16:1-18 (KJV)

¹And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

²And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

³Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

⁴I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

⁵So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

⁶And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

⁷Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

⁸And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

⁹And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

¹⁰He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

¹¹If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

¹²And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

¹³No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

¹⁴And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

¹⁵And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

¹⁶The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

¹⁷And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

¹⁸Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

John 3:1-6 (KJV)

¹There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

²The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

³Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

⁴Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 2:1-11 (KJV)

¹And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

²And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

³And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

⁴Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

⁵His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

⁶And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

⁷Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

⁸And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

⁹When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

¹⁰And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

¹¹This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.