Clean Wednesday in the First Week of Great Lent
At the Sixth Hour
The Lord is righteous and hath loved righteousness; upon uprightness hath His countenance looked.
(Prokeimenon, from Psalm 10, 6th tone, for Wednesday in the First Week of Great Lent)
Why be righteous? To see the Lord's face (His countenance). The Lord loves righteousness, because, it causes His beloved creatures to be most like Him. The reason to struggle for righteousness is to become like Him, so that we can see Him as He really is. To the pure all things are pure. If we strive to become pure, we can gaze upon He who is above all purity, and understand.
Do you want to see God? Do you want eternal happiness, and peace and completeness? Only the countenance of God offers these things. And the only way to behold God's face is to strive to become like Him, as He has revealed Himself, through His only begotten Son.
How marvelous is the Word of God, and how sublime the God-breathed divine services which are a beautiful tapestry, woven throughout with the Word of God. Even a small Prokeimenon, during a weekday service can teach us the whole evangelical gospel and the purpose of life!
O Lord, help us to love righteousness, so that we may behold Thy countenance!
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