WEBVTT 00:00:03.410 --> 00:00:11.410 I wish each of you a blessed feast. You know 00:00:11.410 --> 00:00:15.650 how it is after Christmas in most neighborhoods, 00:00:15.949 --> 00:00:24.390 certainly stores, all the decorations come down 00:00:24.390 --> 00:00:29.190 at Halloween. Then the next day after Christmas, 00:00:29.289 --> 00:00:31.710 they... The trees are in the garbage on the street. 00:00:33.250 --> 00:00:36.630 We also, in the church, begin our Christmas preparations 00:00:36.630 --> 00:00:40.869 early, a little bit after Halloween. And that's 00:00:40.869 --> 00:00:46.670 been the case since the early church. And we 00:00:46.670 --> 00:00:50.469 begin with that fast of 40 days before we celebrate 00:00:50.469 --> 00:00:55.789 Christmas. Today, with the Feast of the Meeting 00:00:55.789 --> 00:00:57.789 of the Lord in the Temple, which we're celebrating, 00:00:57.950 --> 00:01:01.659 this marvelous fresco... You can contemplate 00:01:01.659 --> 00:01:05.439 that. We come to the end of another set of 40 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:09.739 days. So we're talking about 80 days here since 00:01:09.739 --> 00:01:14.599 we began to prepare for Christmas. During that 00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:19.159 time, for Orthodox Christians, we tried to gauge 00:01:19.159 --> 00:01:25.920 and direct our lives about this. We heard about 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:29.280 enlightenment. We heard about the temple. We 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:32.659 heard about the heart of man, the baptized person 00:01:32.659 --> 00:01:36.299 being the temple of God. We heard about the shining 00:01:36.299 --> 00:01:40.239 forth of Christ, his birth, his coming to the 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:44.099 world, his theophany. It's all about salvation. 00:01:44.260 --> 00:01:48.200 It's all about Christ, that whole time. And now 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:51.519 that we have celebrated all of that for 80 days. 00:01:53.609 --> 00:01:56.010 And we've heard and considered everything that 00:01:56.010 --> 00:02:00.250 came before. And this takes some conscientious 00:02:00.250 --> 00:02:05.290 and intentional effort. So we can do that. Otherwise 00:02:05.290 --> 00:02:10.310 we let the 80 days just slip by. But having heard 00:02:10.310 --> 00:02:13.789 all of that, we are now ready to end that. And 00:02:13.789 --> 00:02:17.409 we come to another time of preparation. As Orthodox 00:02:17.409 --> 00:02:22.550 Christians, our life is about expectation, anticipation. 00:02:24.380 --> 00:02:29.520 Fulfillment. A catechumen is preparing. They're 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:33.819 baptized. It's all fulfilled in that baptism 00:02:33.819 --> 00:02:36.680 and chrismation. And then they receive the Eucharist. 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:40.500 But then it's about anticipation for the next 00:02:40.500 --> 00:02:42.960 week to receive the Eucharist. And then it's 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:45.240 about anticipation for the coming of the Lord 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:48.960 in glory and the resurrection. And we live in 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:56.159 this state. But now the church says, we're preparing 00:02:56.159 --> 00:03:00.400 for a new time for preparation. Yes, another 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:03.379 time for preparation. We're preparing for Lent. 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:06.780 Pretty soon, this blue and this gold is going 00:03:06.780 --> 00:03:12.319 to purple. Less than a month. That's beautiful. 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:15.539 Because we need it after that. Now we're prepared 00:03:15.539 --> 00:03:18.159 for it. We've had all this other stuff. We're 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:22.060 prepared for it. This parable of the... and the 00:03:22.060 --> 00:03:27.020 tax collector, the Pharisee. That's the clarion 00:03:27.020 --> 00:03:32.620 call. That's the bell that tells us as a community, 00:03:32.979 --> 00:03:37.400 not individual Christians, but as a community, 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:42.319 the church, we're getting ready for the 40 -day 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:47.879 great fast, which begins on February 22nd with 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:50.969 Forgiveness Sunday Vespers. And how I look forward 00:03:50.969 --> 00:03:54.449 to that. But first I'd like to say something 00:03:54.449 --> 00:03:57.610 before I speak about the publican, the tax collector. 00:03:57.969 --> 00:04:00.210 Publican, public official, that type of thing. 00:04:00.250 --> 00:04:02.310 In Britain, a publican is a guy who runs the 00:04:02.310 --> 00:04:06.530 bar. So that's not this guy. You heard about 00:04:06.530 --> 00:04:09.009 the publican last week. I know that because I 00:04:09.009 --> 00:04:12.090 heard the sermon, which was wonderful. I don't 00:04:12.090 --> 00:04:16.139 need to go into what a publican is. I'd like 00:04:16.139 --> 00:04:18.360 to say something about today's feast first, though. 00:04:18.420 --> 00:04:20.459 We have this Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, 00:04:20.540 --> 00:04:24.319 the end of the Christmas season. It's on February 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:26.860 2nd. We moved it to today with the blessing of 00:04:26.860 --> 00:04:31.240 the bishop. Luke tells us that after long years 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:35.240 of waiting and expectation, the elder Simeon, 00:04:35.259 --> 00:04:38.360 he was not a priest. You see, we have this reading 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:40.920 from the Epistle of the Hebrews. It might sound... 00:04:41.069 --> 00:04:43.089 complicated to us, but really it's just telling 00:04:43.089 --> 00:04:45.649 us there was no priest there to receive Christ 00:04:45.649 --> 00:04:48.149 because he is the priest. That's what that's 00:04:48.149 --> 00:04:50.829 telling us. After long years of expectation, 00:04:51.269 --> 00:04:54.069 the elder Simeon is there in the temple of God. 00:04:54.529 --> 00:04:58.930 We have two scenes from temples today. And he 00:04:58.930 --> 00:05:04.350 receives the 40 day old Jesus in his arms. And 00:05:04.350 --> 00:05:09.980 he recognizes him. He recognizes him in the spirit 00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:13.779 as the Savior of all mankind. He and the righteous 00:05:13.779 --> 00:05:19.120 Anna, because they are prophets. And they recognize 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:22.660 Jesus, though there could be hundreds of children 00:05:22.660 --> 00:05:26.259 coming that day to be offered to dedication to 00:05:26.259 --> 00:05:29.800 the Lord. Those two immediately see it in the 00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:32.860 spirit of God. And they praise God. It's a day 00:05:32.860 --> 00:05:37.899 of joy. It's a day of sorrow also. Because the 00:05:37.899 --> 00:05:40.500 Theotokos is told that there will be severe pain 00:05:40.500 --> 00:05:43.879 and sorrow and grief with the crucifixion of 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:47.740 her son. And she holds all of these things in 00:05:47.740 --> 00:05:51.139 her heart. Father Alexander Schmemann remarks 00:05:51.139 --> 00:05:56.379 in his wonderful sermon on this day, he says, 00:05:56.420 --> 00:06:00.019 how unspeakably good that the long -awaited light 00:06:00.019 --> 00:06:03.699 and joy comes to the elder Simeon through a child. 00:06:05.919 --> 00:06:09.759 Imagine the old man's trembling hands as he takes 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:13.740 in his arm the 40 -day infant so tenderly, so 00:06:13.740 --> 00:06:17.379 carefully, his eyes gazing on the tiny being 00:06:17.379 --> 00:06:20.899 and filling with an outpouring of praise. Lord, 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:23.879 now lettest thou thy servant depart. He calls 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:29.480 this child his Lord. Amazing. I have held in 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:31.759 mine arms, I have embraced the meaning of life. 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:37.410 And Simeon waited. He waited his entire long 00:06:37.410 --> 00:06:43.810 life. And surely this means he pondered, he prayed, 00:06:43.889 --> 00:06:47.149 he deepened as he waited so that his whole life 00:06:47.149 --> 00:06:51.810 was one continuous expectation of the greatest 00:06:51.810 --> 00:06:56.569 thing that could possibly happen. This eve of 00:06:56.569 --> 00:07:01.269 a joyful meeting. Isn't it time, Father Alexander 00:07:01.269 --> 00:07:05.439 says, that we ask ourselves, What am I waiting 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:11.839 for in the way I live? Is my life a model like 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:17.360 Simeon and the righteous Anna? They see him. 00:07:17.560 --> 00:07:24.259 It's an amazing thing. And the Theotokos comes 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:26.660 to the temple to dedicate. Is it a moment of 00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:30.120 joy? Yes. But there she is, a model again of 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:34.180 our Christian life. She is going to hear at that 00:07:34.180 --> 00:07:39.060 moment of encounter about the profound sufferings 00:07:39.060 --> 00:07:41.720 that she will also suffer with Christ to see 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:45.819 her son. And she will remain faithful to her 00:07:45.819 --> 00:07:50.500 son from beginning to end. So she's that role 00:07:50.500 --> 00:07:53.519 model for us once again, who face sufferings 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:56.000 in this world, those who face social stigma, 00:07:56.139 --> 00:07:59.459 those who face social rejection, those who face 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:02.750 sorrow. this is another aspect of this great 00:08:02.750 --> 00:08:09.250 and awesome day. And today, in that same temple 00:08:09.250 --> 00:08:16.149 where Simeon and Anna were, where Simeon met 00:08:16.149 --> 00:08:20.730 our salvation, we hear a parable from Christ 00:08:20.730 --> 00:08:28.170 about another encounter. Two encounters. About 00:08:28.170 --> 00:08:31.290 a despised man coming to the temple to repent. 00:08:31.769 --> 00:08:35.169 He's probably small of stature, like Zacchaeus 00:08:35.169 --> 00:08:37.909 last week. It was only last week, so there's 00:08:37.909 --> 00:08:41.570 a relationship here. He is much hated for his 00:08:41.570 --> 00:08:45.490 cruelty and his greed. And there up front in 00:08:45.490 --> 00:08:50.929 the temple is a deeply pious and religious man. 00:08:51.470 --> 00:08:56.279 Well respected. Knowledge about... knowledgeable 00:08:56.279 --> 00:09:01.519 about the law. He's generous. He's a Pharisee. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:05.139 He's a religious man. He's dependable. A model 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:10.259 parishioner, I would say. And he's praying, sort 00:09:10.259 --> 00:09:15.080 of. And just guessing, our publican probably, 00:09:15.299 --> 00:09:19.299 probably could hear this Pharisee praying, Oh 00:09:19.299 --> 00:09:24.759 Lord, I thank thee. I'm not like other men. Like 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:29.019 that publican, the tax collector. Well, the tax 00:09:29.019 --> 00:09:31.659 collector coming into the temple, how does he 00:09:31.659 --> 00:09:35.620 pray? He could have boasted also. It's what I 00:09:35.620 --> 00:09:40.679 would have done. Lord, I come before you today 00:09:40.679 --> 00:09:44.519 to tell you how great it feels to give half of 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:49.299 my goods to the poor. I never knew I could be 00:09:49.299 --> 00:09:56.240 so generous. I gave back. Four times, Lord. Four 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:58.620 times. I hope you notice that. Not just the two 00:09:58.620 --> 00:10:01.200 that the law says. And that takes some humility. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:04.480 And well, I could have given back five times 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:07.779 because I've got plenty of money. Lord, please 00:10:07.779 --> 00:10:12.919 forgive that Pharisee. So boastful. So prideful. 00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:16.379 What a hypocrite. But that's not what he said. 00:10:16.580 --> 00:10:19.899 He said something very, very simple. God be gracious 00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:23.799 to me, a sinner. God have mercy on me, a sinner, 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:28.580 for centuries now. As this parable is a clarion 00:10:28.580 --> 00:10:34.419 call for Lent, the church is telling us about 00:10:34.419 --> 00:10:41.220 a warning, about our attitude. Rightly so. Despising 00:10:41.220 --> 00:10:44.500 others is one of the most universal human pleasures. 00:10:45.700 --> 00:10:49.440 Just look at the internet. There's very little 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:52.460 that is so necessarily satisfying to one's sense 00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:57.240 of self as to put down someone else, especially 00:10:57.240 --> 00:11:02.059 people in positions of power that you will never, 00:11:02.179 --> 00:11:05.820 ever, ever, ever meet. Jesus was particularly 00:11:05.820 --> 00:11:09.360 warning us concerning the way this passion ruins 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:13.500 our hearts and our attempts to live in an upright, 00:11:13.620 --> 00:11:18.059 moral, pious manner, a gracious manner. a loving 00:11:18.059 --> 00:11:23.340 manner, a humble manner. I know it well. It continues 00:11:23.340 --> 00:11:25.779 to trip me up and probably you too sometimes. 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:29.419 This is the first lesson about Lent. And in the 00:11:29.419 --> 00:11:33.360 parable, the self -condemnation of the publican 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:38.639 is offered as an example to us of humility. We 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:44.740 cannot pray without that gift. These days, however, 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:49.059 I encounter many people who do not so much despise 00:11:49.059 --> 00:11:53.460 others as despise themselves. This is another 00:11:53.460 --> 00:11:58.120 side of the same coin. A root cause of this affliction 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:02.419 is a person trusting in themselves. And this 00:12:02.419 --> 00:12:06.440 is a big mistake. The first rule of Orthodox 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:12.779 spirituality is never trust yourself. The second 00:12:12.779 --> 00:12:17.570 rule is dare to trust others. fully in God alone, 00:12:17.750 --> 00:12:21.590 like Simeon, like Anna. So whether we think ourselves 00:12:21.590 --> 00:12:25.590 something, or we think ill of ourselves, we're 00:12:25.590 --> 00:12:30.730 still making a judgment on our own terms. Our 00:12:30.730 --> 00:12:36.210 spiritual life is undertaken in a spirit of humility, 00:12:36.350 --> 00:12:41.409 which is about accountability. What do I mean? 00:12:41.730 --> 00:12:45.240 Very briefly, Do you know what the Pharisee really 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:51.139 needed? Not just rules. We need those also. He 00:12:51.139 --> 00:12:54.179 needed a good spiritual counselor, a confessor, 00:12:54.179 --> 00:12:59.080 and a friend. So did the publican. And those 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:03.379 who pray like the publican, for them, the merciful 00:13:03.379 --> 00:13:07.279 God does not leave us in captivity of our passions 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:11.309 with a sense of failure. getting swept away again 00:13:11.309 --> 00:13:14.509 and again with the circumstances of many sins, 00:13:14.690 --> 00:13:17.809 with guilt that will never be resolved. No, no. 00:13:17.909 --> 00:13:21.470 Our guardian angel standing near us quietly to 00:13:21.470 --> 00:13:25.929 help us inspires us to turn to Jesus Christ when 00:13:25.929 --> 00:13:28.309 those thoughts, when that guilt, when that pain 00:13:28.309 --> 00:13:34.629 comes. And we give him thanks. Not like the Pharisee. 00:13:34.629 --> 00:13:37.169 Not trying to count up all that we did good. 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:42.240 in comparison to the bad. No, but thanks for 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:46.120 his providence, his help, his love. And we offer 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:49.779 the prayer of the publican, God be merciful to 00:13:49.779 --> 00:13:51.799 me, a sinner. Amen.