Today, 29 March 2015, the Orthodox Church is on the Sunday of Saint Pious Mary the Egyptian, the fifth of the Lent. The Church scheduled the pericope of the Gospel according to Mark, 10:32-45 and that of Saint Evangelist Luke 7:36-45, for the Divine Liturgy of the day.
The true worthiness is acquired through devoted love for God and for the fellow beings
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon in the chapel of “Saint George the Enlightener” of the Patriarchal Residence in which he emphasised, among other things, the fact that the desire of priority and of vain glory is healed through the devoted service of the fellow beings.
Having understood the Kingdom of God as a kingdom of the world, two of His disciples, James and John, sons of Zebedee asked the Saviour to put then on His right and left side, which fact caused envy and anger to the other disciples. Christ, our Lord, clearly shows that the Kingdom of God is a saving spiritual reality, heals the apostles of pride, envy and of any lay thought of grandeur, priority and domination over others and emphasises that the priority or heading other people must be understood as devoted service for all people’s benefit, as the Patriarch of Romania emphasised.
“Having known their souls and having been the healer of passions, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, called all the disciples to Him and told them that people understood priority as domination over other people, but Christ’s disciples had to understand that priority and running other people meant devoted service for all people’s benefit. Thus, Jesus Christ, our Lord, heals brothers James and John of vain pride and the other disciples of envy and anger. He teaches them all that the true honour or worthiness pleasant to God is not acquired through selfish desire of priority and glory of the world, but through devoted love for God and for the fellow beings”, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said.
Devoted love for the fellow beings is the way that leads to salvation
Jesus Christ, our Lord, teaches us that devoted love for the fellow beings or serving them is the way that takes us to salvation, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church also said.
“The Gospel of the day also teaches us, as it did long time ago with the disciples of the Lord, that we can be tempted by the passion of priority, of the desire to be more appreciated than the other people. This selfish desire of priority causes the envy and anger of those around, weakens the harmony and peace, and diminishes the joy of the true brotherly communion. But Jesus Christ, our Lord, teaches us that the devoted love for the fellow beings and helping or serving them is the way that takes us to salvation, namely to the union of man with God and to the joy of the harmony in the human community. Therefore, the true honour or dignity comes from someone’s devoted service or merciful aiding his fellow beings, no matter his rank in community or society. Today’s Gospel calls us to live in the spirit of Christ, not in that of the world. We must reject the temptation of the vain glory through lowliness, repentance and fasting, through the confession of our sins and through the reconciliation with those whom we grieved, through mercy and helping the sick, poor and lonely ones”, the Patriarch of Romania said.
Saint Mary the Egyptian is an icon of repentance
The Patriarch of Romania has also shown in his speech that Saint Mary the Egyptian is an icon or example of repentance and spiritual renewal as well as of the spiritual renewal of the human being through lowliness, prayer and fasting.
“The grace of God changes the sinful man who repents so much that it makes him partaker in the glory of the Kingdom of God which the saints foretaste even in this world. In other words, the example of repentance and holiness of Saint Mary the Egyptian is spiritual strengthening and hope for all people who wish to save themselves, to change and deify their lives, no matter how sinful they could be at a certain time”, His Beatitude said.
Next Sunday, 5 April 2015, the Orthodox Church will celebrate the entrance of the Lord in Jerusalem.
