All that joy that they communicate to us, all
those words that the church says, this is so
important, just pour us forth praise. It's a
feast day. Our secular feast days in this country,
July 4th, Thanksgiving, we should keep them,
obviously. But they eclipse. Practically speaking,
for our Orthodox people, a feast like this. Of
course, Christmas eclipses it too. But the beginning,
the crowning moment, the crown of our salvation,
as the hymn says, is this feast day. This is
the one that we should pour all our energy and
our heart into. July 4th is great. Thanksgiving
is amazing. Christmas... It's beyond. But this
feast, brothers and sisters, this is the day.
Even if the church is not packed and people don't
understand and feel the necessity to offer their
own hearts and words and praise and time to God
for this feast day from our own congregation,
we can share with each other. When I was first
a priest, I remember being so disheartened you
know a feast like this would happen and uh the
church wasn't packed because in my mind you know
uh even matt was on tuesday morning and heard
let the church be packed of course simply not
realistic people go to work and children are
being fed and get ready for school and all that
but you know that's a young priest not understanding
but i still felt downcast but then i realized
Why? Why not imbibe me? Because it's such a great
feast. We present ourselves to the Theotokos
and we say, O Holy Lady, send your help. If you
are one that is might invincible, as we sing
in that beautiful hymn, to be the champion leader,
then she will help us. Most people believe in
God, even the so -called nuns. People with no
church affiliation, they check that box. It says
church affiliation, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish.
At some point, even Orthodox made it onto the
list for the military, as they were called. And
the last box is none. More and more, as you know
from all the surveys and the polls, more and
more check none. But it turns out that even the
nuns believe in God. But this feast is not about
believing in God as such. It's believing that
God becomes man. So that man can become a son
of God and full of grace. A bearer of Christ.
A crystal for us. Today we celebrate the Theotokos.
The one who bore God in her flesh himself. And
if that's true, then there's So many things that
we have to affirm. First, that God in his providence
has guided the history of salvation and the world
from the beginning. Adam and Eve, messing up,
didn't call forth a plan. God has been guiding
his world. God so loved the world. that he gave
his only begotten son. So brothers and sisters,
don't despair by the chaos, the demonic activity,
the ignorance in the world. Don't despair. God
is guiding us. And God is guiding us in a particular
way that we just don't like and appreciate. He
asks us. As the angel communicated to the virgin
of Nazareth. And she said, let it be according
to thy word. God is not coming with the power
of tanks and airplanes and bombs. And political
power. Which is what we want. Let's solve the
problem. Because we're Americans. Let's deal
with it. In the most practical way. God's way
is gentle. It's speaking to the heart of each
and every person. It does no good to impose the
truth on someone because they will just reject
it. But when God speaks to the heart, then that
heart, if it seeks God, if it's not captivated
by the fear of death, and you've heard the epistle
to the Romans. that Christ came to destroy him
that had the power of death, that is, the devil,
who held captive all those because of the fear
of death. When we embrace the freedom from God,
then we see he is acting in this world, acting
in our life, and the question is, will we say
yes? You've heard this story of the Annunciation
so many times, and no doubt you've read it countless
times. It's familiar to you. But it's the familiar
thing we should pay most attention to. Especially
in this regard that I mentioned in the background.
How does it end? The Holy Lady says, let it be
according to thy word. The angel departs. What
we would want is, let's sit down and plot this
out. But she has total freedom and love for God.
And the let it be is for everything, not just
one thing. And it isn't that, brothers and sisters,
what we're doing in Lent. Trying to say yes to
God for everything. One great saint who really
paid attention to the details, to the familiar,
is Saint Philaret of Moscow, giving a sermon
in the 19th century. I read this short paragraph
to you last year. I plan to read it every year.
Here's the way St. Pilarite said to his congregation.
It takes us back to Genesis. During the days
of the creation of the world, when God uttered
his living and mighty words, let it be, let there
be light. The Creator's words brought creatures
into existence. But on the day, unique in the
existence of the world, when Holy Mary uttered
her humble and obedient letter B, I will hardly
dare to express what took place then. The word
of the creature caused the Creator to descend
into the world. God uttered this word here also.
Say, you will conceive in your womb and bear
a son. He will be great. He will reign over the
house of Jacob forever. Jacob is Israel. The
Israel of the church. But again, that which is
divine and incomprehensible occurs. The word
of God itself defers its action, allowing itself
to be delayed by the word of Mary. How can this
be? Her humble let it be was necessary for the
realization of God's mighty let it be. What secret
power is thus contained in these simple words?
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it
be to me according to your will. That it produces
an effect so extraordinary. This marvelous power
is nearly secure and perfect. self -dedication
to God, a dedication of her will, of her thought,
of her soul, of her entire being, of all her
faculties, of all her actions, of all her hopes
and expectations. She is pure, we say the most
pure. One writer says that means not just pure
in the sense of her body and her mind. But in
her simplicity, her directness, her discernment,
her approach to God, her capacity to commit herself,
her will to God without distraction, without
hesitation, without reservation, to simply be
open to God. It's that simplicity that we're
looking for, that we're working on during Lent.
Shouldn't we? How? Not self -improvement. It's
not about that. Coming closer to Christ. His
pure mother. And letting that grace. Change us.
It's not that we have to try harder. It's that
we have to be more simple. And free. Free of
all the constraints. So that we can say. Also.
Let it be according to thy will. And rejoice.
On this day. And forever. Such a glorious glorious
feast. To him be glory now and ever. Amen.