My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS,IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
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ON APRIL 1st OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE FEAST-DAY OF OUR HOLY MOTHER SAINT MARY OF EGYPT
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The recorder of the life of this wonderful Saint was Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. A hieromonk, the elder Zossimas, had gone off at one time during the Great Fast a twenty-day's walk into the wilderness (desert) across the Jordan. He suddenly caught sight of a human being with a withered and naked body and with hair as white as snow, who fled in its nakedness from Zossima's sight. The elder (geronda) ran a long way, until this figure stopped at a stream and called: 'Father Zossima, forgive me for the Lord's sake. I cannot turn to you, for I am a naked woman.' Then Zossima threw her his outer cloak, and she wrapped herself in it and turned round to him. The elder (geronda) was amazed at hearing his name from the lips of this unknown woman. After considerable pressure on his part, she told him her life-story. She had been born in Egypt, and had lived a licentious and immoral life in the city of Alexandria from the age of twelve (12), spending seventeen (17) years in this way of life. Urged by the lustful fire of the flesh, she one day got into a ship that was sailing for Jerusalem. Arriving at the Holy City, she followed the Christian pilgrims to enter into the church of the Holy Sepulchre and to venerate the Holy and Precious Cross of our Lord Christ, but although the others were able to enter, some unseen power prevented her from entering. In great fear, she turned to an icon of the Theotokos (Mother of God) that was by the entrance, and begged her with tears to let her go in and venerate the Cross, confessing her sin and impurity and promising that she would then go wherever the Most Pure Mother of God led her. She was then allowed to enter the church. After venerating the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Savior, she went out again to the entrance and, standing in front of the holy icon, thanked the Mother of God. Then she heard a voice: "If you cross the Jordan, you will find true peace." She immediately bought three loaves of bread and set off for the Jordan, arriving there the same evening. She received Holy Communion the following morning in the monastery of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner and crossed the river. She spent forty-eight (48) years in the desert in the greatest torments, in terror, in struggles with passionate thoughts like gigantic beasts. She fed only on plants. After that, when she was standing in prayer, Zossima saw her lifted in the air. She begged him to bring her Holy Communion the next year on the bank of the river Jordan, and she would come to receive it. The following year, Zossima came with the Holy Gifts to the bank of the Jordan in the evening, and stood in amazement as he saw her cross river. He saw her make the sign of the Cross over the river. She then walked on the water as though it were dry land. When she had received Holy Communion, she begged the elder Zossima to come again the following year to the same stream by which they had first met. Zossima went, and found her dead body on that spot. Above her head in the sand was written: "Abba [Father] Zossima, bury in this place the body of the humble Mary. Give dust to dust. I passed away on April 1st, on the very night of Christ's Passion, after communion of the divine Mysteries. Elder Zossima learned her name for the first time, and also the awe-inspiring marvel that she had arrived at that stream the precious year on the night of the same day on which she had received Holy Communion--a place that he had taken twenty days to reach. And thus elder Zossima with the help of lion that had appeared suddenly buried the holy body of the wonderful Saint, Mary of Egypt. When he returned to the monastery, he recounted the whole story of her life and the wonders to which he had been an eyewitness . Thus the Lord glorifies repentant sinners. Saint Mary is also commemorated in the Fifth Week of Great and Holy Lent. Our Holy Orthodox Church holds her up before the faithful in these holy days of the Fast as a model of repentance. She entered into rest in about the year 530 A.D.
(To be continued)
FOR CONSIDERATION
Why is so much said and written about the sufferings and struggles of holy men and women? Because these Saints are counted as victors--and how can there be victory without struggle, pain, and suffering? In ordinary, earthly warfare no man is reckoned as victorious and heroic who has never been in battle, who has not endured and suffered to a very considerable extent. All the more is this so in spiritual warfare, where the truth is clear and where self-assertion is not only of no use but is a real hindrance. He who knows no struggle for the sake of Christ, either with the world of with the devil with his own self--how can he be counted among Christ's soldiers? How, indeed, among Christ's fellow-victors? Saint Mary of Egypt spoke of this gigantic struggle to the elder (geronda) Zossima: "For the first seventeen (17) years in this wilderness, I struggle with my mindless passions as with fierce beasts. I wanted to eat meat and fish, which I had eaten abundantly in Egypt. I wanted to drink wine, and did not even have water here. I wanted to hear lustful songs. And I wept and smote my breast. I prayed to the most pure Mother of God to remove these thoughts from me. When I had wept enough and done enough smiting of my breast, I then saw a Light that flooded over me from all sides, and was filled with a wonderful peace."
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HOMILY
-- on the fulfillment of the great prophecy: 'He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7).
The holy Prophet Isaiah foresaw across many centuries the terrible sacrifice on Golgotha. He saw the Lord Jesus as from a distance, brought to the slaughter as a lamb is brought. As a lamb brought to the slaughter, even as one led out to pasture, is defenseless, undisturbed and un-retaliating, so was the Lord Jesus as He was brought to the slaughter. He did not say: 'Don't do this, you men.' He did not ask: 'Why are you doing this to Me?' He did not condemn anyone. He did not protest. He did not become angry. He did not think evil of His judges. When His blood soaked Him from the crown of thorns, He kept silent. When His face was covered in spittle, He kept silent. When His Cross was heavy on the road, He endured. When He was tormented by His wounds on the Cross, He did not complain to men. When He breathed His last, He raised His eyes and breathed His last breath towards heaven, not towards earth. For the source of His strength was heaven, not earth. The source of His upholding was God the Father, not man. His True Home was the heavenly Kingdom, not the earthly.
"Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh on Itself the sins of the world!" This was Saint John the Baptist's first exclamation when he saw the Lord. And lo, this prophecy was fulfilled on Golgotha. Lo, the Lamb of God lies slain and dead under the burden of the sins of the whole world.
Oh, my brethren, this costly Sacrifice was for our sins also. The Precious Blood of this meek guileless Lamb was meant for all ages and all generations from the first man on earth to the last. Christ felt the pain on the Cross also for our sins in this present day. He wept in the Garden of Gethsemane for our wickedness also, and our weakness and vice. He gave His Blood for us also. Oh, my brethren, let us not scorn the unspeakable Great Cost at which we have been bought. Because of this Great Sacrifice of Christ's, we have some worth (value) as people. Without this sacrifice--or if we reject this sacrifice--our worth (value) is assessed as nil, as smoke without fire and cloud without light.
O Lord of matchless mercy, have mercy also on us! To Thee be Glory and praise forever and ever. Amen. (Source: The Prologue from Ochrid)
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"--Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George