WEBVTT

00:00:00.110 --> 00:00:08.710
Glory to Jesus Christ. How beautiful that story,

00:00:08.890 --> 00:00:15.509
that account of the woman coming to Jesus and

00:00:15.509 --> 00:00:23.370
expressing her love in that way. The story is

00:00:23.370 --> 00:00:27.230
told to us today in the Gospel of Luke in honor

00:00:27.230 --> 00:00:31.410
of St. Mary of Egypt. whose memory we celebrate

00:00:31.410 --> 00:00:35.149
this day. And we were preparing for this day

00:00:35.149 --> 00:00:39.350
and her commemoration on Thursday by listening

00:00:39.350 --> 00:00:42.890
to her life story, the long life story. Too long

00:00:42.890 --> 00:00:45.890
to read today to you. It takes about a half hour,

00:00:45.969 --> 00:00:49.310
a little bit more. But you can see her in the

00:00:49.310 --> 00:00:52.609
fresco over by the confession stand, standing

00:00:52.609 --> 00:00:57.009
on the Jordan River, having just received communion.

00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:03.159
from Elder Zosimas. This woman is for us the

00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:06.459
image of repentance and desire and love for God

00:01:06.459 --> 00:01:09.359
and transformation. That's why we have her at

00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:14.180
the fifth Sunday so that we can be encouraged

00:01:14.180 --> 00:01:19.439
that whatever sins we have, this woman preceded

00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:23.299
the sexual revolution by a couple thousand years

00:01:23.299 --> 00:01:26.599
and it holds nothing compared to what she did.

00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:34.359
But she didn't identify herself with that. She

00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:38.040
tried to get into the church of the Holy Resurrection,

00:01:38.099 --> 00:01:40.099
the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on the feast

00:01:40.099 --> 00:01:42.359
day of the Holy Cross. And isn't that significant

00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:45.000
for us too? It was the feast day of the Holy

00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:48.140
Cross, which we hear about very clearly today

00:01:48.140 --> 00:01:50.840
from the lips of the Lord about what's going

00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:54.859
to happen. And she was prevented because of her

00:01:54.859 --> 00:01:58.060
sins until she turned to the Virgin Mary. Again,

00:01:58.810 --> 00:02:01.569
A notable thing since on Friday we celebrated

00:02:01.569 --> 00:02:05.170
the Akathist to the Theotokos, the purity, the

00:02:05.170 --> 00:02:08.949
glory of God in a human person, her beauty, her

00:02:08.949 --> 00:02:14.270
kindness, her obedience, all things that we want

00:02:14.270 --> 00:02:18.590
to emulate. And when Mary turned to the Virgin,

00:02:18.710 --> 00:02:22.930
she saw her life, it's flashing in front of her

00:02:22.930 --> 00:02:27.509
sins, and she... fell almost into despair, and

00:02:27.509 --> 00:02:31.310
she cried out to God, and she was allowed into

00:02:31.310 --> 00:02:33.629
the church, after which she went into the wilderness

00:02:33.629 --> 00:02:38.370
for 40 years, before she met another living person.

00:02:38.969 --> 00:02:43.729
And we have her story that Zosimas told, probably

00:02:43.729 --> 00:02:49.009
patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem, and we meditate

00:02:49.009 --> 00:02:52.990
on that on the fifth week and on the fifth Sunday.

00:02:53.530 --> 00:02:58.009
Because these two women, they're the paramount.

00:02:58.409 --> 00:03:01.789
They're the ideal. They're the model for us for

00:03:01.789 --> 00:03:06.530
repentance and for beauty. We don't identify

00:03:06.530 --> 00:03:09.669
ourselves with our sins, but we rise above them

00:03:09.669 --> 00:03:13.990
with God's grace. That's all I want to say about

00:03:13.990 --> 00:03:16.270
St. Mary, because I could spend the whole afternoon

00:03:16.270 --> 00:03:21.330
talking about her gladly. I want to place before

00:03:21.330 --> 00:03:27.819
you now The vision of where we're going. Next

00:03:27.819 --> 00:03:31.979
week is Palm Sunday. And then it's Great and

00:03:31.979 --> 00:03:37.400
Holy Week. And then it's Pascha. Holy Friday,

00:03:37.460 --> 00:03:40.219
Holy Saturday, and Pascha. And here's the vision.

00:03:40.340 --> 00:03:43.919
This is what Father John Kristjankin, an elder,

00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:48.860
a recently reposed elder, he says this. During

00:03:48.860 --> 00:03:52.719
his earthly life, The Savior many times pronounced

00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:56.060
these words so priceless to the believing soul.

00:03:56.500 --> 00:04:01.900
He said, because I live, ye shall live also.

00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:07.159
My peace I give unto you. These things have I

00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:10.699
spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you

00:04:10.699 --> 00:04:19.100
and your joy might be full. A new life has opened

00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:22.939
for man, he said. He has been given the opportunity

00:04:22.939 --> 00:04:27.220
to die to sin by the cross and in baptism in

00:04:27.220 --> 00:04:30.220
order to rise with Christ and to live with him

00:04:30.220 --> 00:04:34.740
and to put on Christ, to be identified so closely

00:04:34.740 --> 00:04:38.740
with Christ that when you look at a person, if

00:04:38.740 --> 00:04:41.740
they're wearing the right clothes, that's Christ.

00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:44.519
He looks just like, he's wearing the same thing.

00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:50.589
He reflects God. He has been given the opportunity

00:04:50.589 --> 00:04:53.310
to die to sin in order to rise with Christ and

00:04:53.310 --> 00:04:56.389
live with him. Father John says, the Apostle

00:04:56.389 --> 00:04:59.569
Paul says in his epistle to the Romans, for if

00:04:59.569 --> 00:05:04.430
we have been planted together in the likeness

00:05:04.430 --> 00:05:07.910
of the death of Christ, we shall also be in the

00:05:07.910 --> 00:05:11.410
likeness of his resurrection. Now if we be dead

00:05:11.410 --> 00:05:16.170
with Christ, we believe that we shall also live

00:05:16.170 --> 00:05:20.889
with him. And we sing at Pascha, a Pascha which

00:05:20.889 --> 00:05:25.129
has opened for us the gates of paradise. Our

00:05:25.129 --> 00:05:28.810
Paschal joy is the joy that comes from the change,

00:05:28.970 --> 00:05:32.649
the transfiguration, the repentance of our whole

00:05:32.649 --> 00:05:36.990
life into incorruptible life. The joy of our

00:05:36.990 --> 00:05:40.610
yearning for undying goodness and the incorruptible

00:05:40.610 --> 00:05:45.829
beauty. That's the vision for me. That's what

00:05:45.829 --> 00:05:48.980
I want. For myself and for you, brothers and

00:05:48.980 --> 00:05:52.879
sisters, and for every single person. The joy

00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:58.420
that is set before us is also our joy. And the

00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:03.100
way there to acquire what all that means lies

00:06:03.100 --> 00:06:08.439
before us very clearly now. Here on this fifth

00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:12.519
Sunday of the Great Fast, St. Mark lays it out

00:06:12.519 --> 00:06:15.500
for us very clearly in a matter of few words.

00:06:16.300 --> 00:06:18.939
Now they were on the road, the twelve apostles

00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:26.420
and Jesus. And Jesus was going before them. Unusual

00:06:26.420 --> 00:06:30.439
in itself. The master doesn't lead the way that

00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:35.839
way. His retinue goes first. And they were amazed.

00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:39.680
And as they followed, they were also afraid.

00:06:40.939 --> 00:06:45.709
Then he took the twelve aside. and began to tell

00:06:45.709 --> 00:06:48.569
them the things that would happen to him. Behold,

00:06:48.610 --> 00:06:50.790
we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of

00:06:50.790 --> 00:06:53.389
Man will be betrayed, and you know the rest.

00:06:54.310 --> 00:06:57.230
Going up to Jerusalem, brothers and sisters,

00:06:57.370 --> 00:07:00.649
with Christ and the disciples, is what Holy Week

00:07:00.649 --> 00:07:06.230
is about. Not a reminder in the bulletin that

00:07:06.230 --> 00:07:08.410
you should come to church services. That's what

00:07:08.410 --> 00:07:12.290
the bulletin's there for. No, but to do what?

00:07:12.410 --> 00:07:15.990
To go up to Jerusalem with the Holy Fathers means

00:07:15.990 --> 00:07:21.990
to be elevated, to rise above ordinary and daily

00:07:21.990 --> 00:07:27.850
plans and to put those here and put the road

00:07:27.850 --> 00:07:31.790
up to Jerusalem and Christ and the crucifixion

00:07:31.790 --> 00:07:35.730
and the tomb right in front. Jerusalem in the

00:07:35.730 --> 00:07:40.149
spiritual sense is the kingdom of heaven. The

00:07:40.149 --> 00:07:42.930
ascent to it is our working out of our salvation.

00:07:43.170 --> 00:07:46.769
That's what we're doing here. And Holy Week is

00:07:46.769 --> 00:07:51.370
our deep and unique and once -a -year participation

00:07:51.370 --> 00:07:58.350
in that in a new and very intense way. St. Mark

00:07:58.350 --> 00:08:00.430
relates this. Now they were on the road going

00:08:00.430 --> 00:08:04.129
up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them,

00:08:04.269 --> 00:08:08.550
and they were afraid. Why were they afraid? They

00:08:08.550 --> 00:08:12.110
were afraid for a very good reason. By now it

00:08:12.110 --> 00:08:14.490
was very clear that there was a plot to arrest

00:08:14.490 --> 00:08:17.850
Jesus in Jerusalem and to put him to death quietly.

00:08:18.850 --> 00:08:22.509
Nobody wanted a scene, but Jesus was making trouble.

00:08:23.269 --> 00:08:25.970
Believe me, what is it, Tom, that Father Michael

00:08:25.970 --> 00:08:29.189
used to say? Jesus is a troublemaker? He used

00:08:29.189 --> 00:08:31.649
to say he gets in the way of everything. Jesus

00:08:31.649 --> 00:08:35.690
gets in the way of everything. That's going to

00:08:35.690 --> 00:08:41.039
be Holy Week. I believe that. The Roman soldiers

00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:44.100
were also in Jerusalem where Jesus was going.

00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:50.259
They were afraid. When someone's afraid, I try

00:08:50.259 --> 00:08:57.100
to console them, to help them, to enter in and

00:08:57.100 --> 00:08:59.860
pass that. But Jesus doesn't give a pep talk

00:08:59.860 --> 00:09:03.600
to his disciples. He doesn't console them in

00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:07.399
that way. No, he tells them what to do. is going

00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:12.120
to happen to him. And he tells them the third

00:09:12.120 --> 00:09:18.879
time. And the disciples, James and John, listening

00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:24.620
to this, actually not listening to this, and

00:09:24.620 --> 00:09:26.679
they have not distinguished themselves in any

00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:29.320
way. They have fallen asleep on the Mount of

00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:34.590
Transfiguration, James and John. They very unkindly

00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:37.409
asked if Jesus wanted to bring down fire and

00:09:37.409 --> 00:09:41.769
brimstone and destroy the Samaritans. James and

00:09:41.769 --> 00:09:45.230
John hadn't done anything yet, and what do they

00:09:45.230 --> 00:09:48.649
say to Jesus? Master, we want you to do whatever

00:09:48.649 --> 00:09:52.429
we ask. And Jesus says, what is that? Knowing

00:09:52.429 --> 00:09:56.169
full well. We want you to make us your right

00:09:56.169 --> 00:10:01.159
and left hand ministers in chief. In your kingdom,

00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:04.879
when you come in your power. Crushing the Romans,

00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:07.480
of course, and everyone else that opposed Jesus.

00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:14.460
What an inappropriate question. And Jesus asked

00:10:14.460 --> 00:10:18.600
John and James, and the apostles were very upset

00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:21.399
about this, because they also wanted those places.

00:10:22.580 --> 00:10:25.600
It wasn't because they thought James and John

00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:28.679
were inappropriate. They also wanted to be in

00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:36.399
charge. And Jesus asks a question. Can you, James

00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:40.960
and John, and he asks us, can you, brothers and

00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:48.059
sisters, fellow Orthodox, dear catechumens, Christian

00:10:48.059 --> 00:10:54.080
inquirers, seekers, curious onlookers, can you

00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:58.379
drink of the cup that I drink of, says Jesus?

00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:02.919
Can you be baptized with the baptism that I am

00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:06.700
baptized with? For catechumens hearing this,

00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:11.279
this is a chance to say no and you leave. And

00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:16.000
for the rest of us, we can oppose the cross as

00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.740
said Peter and James and John too. They just

00:11:18.740 --> 00:11:21.340
weren't listening. They ignored it. But it would

00:11:21.340 --> 00:11:23.960
be to our peril because we will never attain

00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:27.419
the vision of life eternal and the kingdom of

00:11:27.419 --> 00:11:30.850
God within us. They said unto Jesus, James and

00:11:30.850 --> 00:11:34.909
John, we can be baptized with the baptism you're

00:11:34.909 --> 00:11:38.090
going to be baptized with and drink the cup that

00:11:38.090 --> 00:11:41.029
you are drinking of. Jesus said, you shall indeed.

00:11:41.629 --> 00:11:47.009
And they did in their lives. James was martyred.

00:11:47.149 --> 00:11:51.789
John had a very difficult life. St. Mark was

00:11:51.789 --> 00:11:54.190
writing to Christians at the time when he wrote

00:11:54.190 --> 00:11:58.559
this gospel, when there was a... True, real possibility

00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:04.179
of martyrdom in simply accepting Christ. When

00:12:04.179 --> 00:12:06.500
this gospel was written, Emperor Nero was dealing

00:12:06.500 --> 00:12:10.000
very harshly with Christians. Now that's not

00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:14.639
our situation. Today we're just reminded of the

00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:17.039
cost of what it means to be followers of the

00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:19.860
one who carried the cross for our sake, who entered

00:12:19.860 --> 00:12:24.000
beyond the veil of death, who enters with us,

00:12:24.019 --> 00:12:26.759
who offers us here at this liturgy to the Father

00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:31.220
to sanctify us, and that we have to answer this

00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:34.100
question about drinking the Lord's cup and being

00:12:34.100 --> 00:12:37.379
baptized with his baptism. Are the catechumens

00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:42.299
and the rest of us and the many who are not here

00:12:42.299 --> 00:12:46.899
anymore with us, prepared to stay faithful throughout

00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:51.200
every temptation and adversary and adversity

00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:57.639
and sorrow and sickness? Do we have the courage

00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:06.320
to be Christians? I ran across a little saying

00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:10.129
from St. Paisius the Athenite. who died in the

00:13:10.129 --> 00:13:13.789
90s, talks about courage. This is what he said.

00:13:13.909 --> 00:13:16.789
It struck me very powerfully. Our situation is

00:13:16.789 --> 00:13:19.830
different. We're not being ruled and oppressed

00:13:19.830 --> 00:13:23.889
by Turks for 500 years. But we're oppressed by

00:13:23.889 --> 00:13:26.929
our own sins, by our own fears, by our shame

00:13:26.929 --> 00:13:31.129
sometimes to proclaim the Christian message in

00:13:31.129 --> 00:13:34.909
the way we live our life. This is what St. Paisios

00:13:34.909 --> 00:13:39.480
says. Brave people are rare in our times. People

00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:42.419
today are lukewarm. That's why if, God forbid,

00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:44.820
a war breaks out, some will die out of fear.

00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:47.940
Others will fall on the street with some minor

00:13:47.940 --> 00:13:50.379
hardship because they are so used to comforts.

00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:54.320
In the past, people were so brave. In the monastery

00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:57.519
of the Flavians in Asia Minor, the Turks had

00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:00.600
captured a man and slaughtered him. They told

00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.539
his wife, either deny Christ or we will kill

00:14:03.539 --> 00:14:08.159
your children too. And she replied, My husband

00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.500
is now with Christ, and my children I entrust

00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:15.340
to Christ, and I will not renounce Christ. What

00:14:15.340 --> 00:14:18.779
bravery. If Christ is not in us, how can there

00:14:18.779 --> 00:14:22.840
be such bravery? Today, people without Christ

00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:26.539
are building their spiritual homes on rubble.

00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:32.980
Let's be brave. Lent is that time. It's not an

00:14:32.980 --> 00:14:35.919
exercise in historical memory about coming to

00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:37.860
church and remembering this and that, the other

00:14:37.860 --> 00:14:40.840
thing that happened. It's about actually being

00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:43.080
there with Christ and carrying our cross, going

00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:48.639
up to Jerusalem, up, elevating our life, meeting

00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.740
Christ on Golgotha so that we may meet him on

00:14:51.740 --> 00:14:56.080
Pascha. The cup we drink is the absolute honesty

00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:01.190
about our life. The baptism we have. You know

00:15:01.190 --> 00:15:04.509
all about it. You die and you rise. You live

00:15:04.509 --> 00:15:14.409
a new life. Let's ask God for the deep desire,

00:15:14.610 --> 00:15:19.929
the desire of Mary of Egypt, the love she had

00:15:19.929 --> 00:15:23.929
for Christ, led by the Theotokos. That desire,

00:15:24.190 --> 00:15:31.320
let it compel. and impel and inspire us to love

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:34.779
God in the way we can in our life. Amen.