Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
Homily on the 5th Sunday of Pascha.
“Will you give me a drink?”
Today we here about the woman (St Photini) who met the Lord at Jacob's well.
This recount is a wonderful testament for us of the loving and forgiving nature of the All-Holy-Trinity. Moreover, it also shows us that no matter what we do in life, we will never be fulfilled if we don't search in the right place. A person will spend their whole life searching for wholeness however, unless one turns/surrenders to Christ, that search will end in vain. For it is only through the Great "I Am" Jhn 4:26 that one will find life in live it in it's fullness!
In addition, we are taught that even if we live in a constant state of "sin", God is always ready to forgive and forget when we eventually come to our senses in asking for forgiveness; acknowledging that we cannot truly live life without Christ as the cornerstone of our existence!
For with and in Christ Jesus, all things are possible! Mt 19:26
Thus, another point to note here is that many times, so many of us do things that may be out of character because of trying to be accepted by certain people or groups. We may change things about ourselves to fit in to a group or act like someone we are not in order to acquire acceptance.
However, we tend to forget that what truly matters is our standing with God! The acceptance of man is totally irrelevant! Having stated thus, it's very sad to see that one of the most common places this happens is within the walls of so called "Orthodox Churches"!
“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” Jn 4:10
I have heard many stories and read many people's experiences/testimonies online of certain Orthodox jurisdictions imposing their nationalistic values upon newly converted Christians; forcing them to become something they are not just to fit in to the status quo! And even after all that, many of these new converts will be segregated from within their parishes; never being truly accepted as a member of the church because they do not have roots of that particular nationality!
We have all heard the saying that goes - "Who cares what they think or say! They don't pay our bills"!
Well the same approach is to be taken when it comes to the faith. Who cares what man thinks or says. Salvation comes from God the Holy-Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Revealed to the Apostles and the Holy Fore Fathers and Mothers of the Church.
What is man that we are to answer to him or to become something we are not. Who is man, to enforce change to our very persona who has been created by God in His very own image? As long as our hearts are in line with the heart of God and we follow the commandments that Christ left His Church, all else is irrelevant!
Thus, I am only referring to the extremists that use the Church as a club house rather than it's true purpose; the hospital for the soul. Not all Churches behave in such a manner. Not all clergy allow segregation amongst the people. However the sad but true reality is that a good portion of them are heading down this deluded, ungodly and unchristian path.
Christ is God of ALL! Just as His Church is a Church for all not just for one or the other! Nationalism Must be irradiated from the Churches once and for all. We all have a part to play in this from lay person to bishops! The time is now to truly live out the commandment to love one another as Christ loves us!
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jn 4:13-14
Therefore, we have so many perfect examples of loving your neighbour as yourself within the Church. Pick a Saint, any Saint you wish, even multiple ones and you will see that every single one of these Holy men and women radiated Christ's love via their very actions to their last breath! You will also see that some of them perhaps didn't start of their lives like that. In actual fact they lived contrary to Christ's teachings. However, Metanioa took place (A Greek word meaning, Change of Heart/Direction) and they did a three-sixty as it were becoming great leaders and role models of the Church!
“I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” Jn 4:26
In conclusion, if we ever find ourselves in a position were we feel we need to change in order to please others or to fit in, let us remember the saints and how hard they fought to keep the faith. A perfect example is Saint Photini herself whom the Church commemorates this day. In short the Emperor Nero (54-68 AD) had the Saint Photini crucified, skinned alive and thrown into a well to die for confessing Christ, not to mention many other forms of torture she endured before hand; together with her two sons and two sister.
“We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.” Jn 4:42
Through the prayers of the Holy Theotokos and Saint Photini, Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us and save us. Amen
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
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