My beloved spiritual children in Our Risen Lord and Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!
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THE SAMARITAN WOMAN (Part II)
"The woman saith unto Him: 'I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ; when He is come, He will tell us all things.' Jesus saith unto her: "I that speaks unto thee am He..."
The Lord reveals that He is the expected Messiah - "I that speak unto thee am He." Rendered speechless by the wonder, the woman makes no reply to Him. The Apostles then return from the city and marvel at their Teacher's talking with the woman - an unbeliever, a Samaritan. And they are speechless with wonder.
"So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them, and He abode there two days. And many more believed because of His own word."
The Lord responded to their plea and stayed for two days with them. And the harvest was truly abundant, for as well as those who believed in Him because of the woman's words, "many more believed because of the words" from His most pure lips.
And they said unto the woman: "Now we believe; not because of thy saying, for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." What the Lord said during these two days to the spiritually hungry and thirsty people is not known, as it has not been recorded. But that His words were "living water", having drunk of which a man thirsts no more, there is no doubt. This is seen, firstly, by the great number of those who came to believe in the Lord and, secondly, from their right confession of faith in Him: "This is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
Among the many gods in whom the Samaritans believed, they did have some belief in the God of Israel. They held this belief, not because they knew Him but out of respect for Israel (Jacob), who has at one time lived among them. The Samaritan woman speaks of "our father Jacob". Doubtless, the Samaritans had heard the prophecy, linked with Jacob's name, about the star that would "come out of Jacob" (Numbers 24:17). When, at one time, Balak King of Moab went to war against the Israelites, he summoned Balaam, a soothsayer, to prophecy victory over Israel, and so encouraged his army. But when he tried to work his soothsaying magic and prophesy to Balak that which the king's heart desired, suddenly "the Spirit of God came upon him, and he began to prophesy, not what Balak wanted, but what God wanted, saying: "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!" When Balak heard these words, he began to rebuke Balaam, but Balaam was not afraid and continued: "Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are upon hath said: 'I shall see Him, but not now; I shall behold Him, but not nigh. There shall come a star out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel!" (Numbers 24). And lo, He Whom Balaam saw from afar appeared. The star shone out of Jacob, brighter than the sun, and more beautiful than the loveliest dream. And the Samaritans saw it and rejoiced. They saw and believed. They drank to their fill of Living Water and became alive to eternal life.
But Christ the Savior did not give Living Water just to the Samaritans and the Jews. He gave it, and gives today, to each and every one who, in the desert of this life, is aware of his spiritual thirst. On one occasion, the Lord stood in Jerusalem and "cried saying: "if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (St. John 7:37). Do you hear how it is said: "He cried?" The Good Shepherd does not whisper; He shouts, calling His flock to water. He, in His love for mankind, stands in the searing desert of this world and "cries" to all the travelers exhausted by thirst. Blessed are they that hear the voice and draw near to him in faith. He will not question them about the language they speak or the nation to which they belong, their age or their riches, but will give them "living water", to strengthen and rejuvenate, renew, regenerate and revive them, and adopt them as sons, leading them out of the fiery furnace of this world into the garden of paradise. O Divine Drink, how wondrous Thou art! O sweet Savior, Thou cool and refreshing Well, how translucent, abundant, and Life-Giving Thou art! O Holy Spirit the Comforter draw to the Lord all those whose souls year for immortal life, and who cry in their thirst: "My soul is athirst for God; yea, even for the Living God!" O Lord Jesus, glory and praise be to Thee, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity consubstantial and undivided, now and forever, through all time and eternity. Amen. (Source: Homilies by St. Nikolai Velimirovic)
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Please note: For a very long time I have made it my personal task to enrich and inspire you, the stewards in the parish of St. Andrew, by bringing you the sacred writings of the Holy Fathers and Mothers of the Church, as well as, the official and authentic teachings of our Holy Orthodox Faith. No other Christian body can claim to possess the spiritual treasure of our Orthodox Church.
The goal or objective of this effort is to strengthen your understanding of the Faith and to encourage everyone who believes and follows faithfully Christ our Savior and God to live a more virtuous and holy life.
Sadly, however, the reality is much different. There is resistance, however, to any kind of positive spiritual change. Yet, our Lord Christ invites us to the "new life." A life in Christ that demands a change from our current worldly life. The Lord's conditions for one who is willing to follow Him are: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (St. Matthew 16:24). The "cross" a dreadful instrument of punishment, is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ. Self-denial is for the sake of Christ and the gospel, for a better life; it is not a punitive end in itself. Here Jesus states the central paradox of the Christian faith. In grasping the temporal, we lose the Eternal, in sacrificing everything we can know, we gain unimaginable riches. In dying, we live.
Avoid useless speculations and gossip. Stop all attempts to subvert the teachings of the Lord. Love your enemies and pray for them. Be a good instrument of Christ and strengthen unity and peace among your fellow Christians. Hypocrisy is wrong and destructive. In 1 Peter 2:1 the holy Apostle says, "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking." The duty--the necessity-- for Christians to be holy in their conduct is the issue pursued in this passage. The Apostle Paul has written that all Christians are to put off the old manner of life, corrupted by evil and deception (Ephesians 4:22). Similarly, those addressed here are to turn away from evil.
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George