EUPHEMIA

Speaking with the goodness and grace of God who is present where love resides.

Within the Season of Great Lent, and throughout various timeframes throughout the year – the Church presents us with the account of the paralytic taken from the four Gospels. In actual fact – the Gospel itself proclaims purpose and healing; the reason why it is Good News and relief! Although the heart of the scriptures is the Gospels – God’s love letter to us, but more to the point; the heart of God is revealed to us in this first written account.

We probably know someone or perhaps have even been in such a situation that in desperate times desperate measures are taken. The most unlikely people who don’t have much spirituality going for them step out of nature – more precisely; habit! Just the other day I came across a friend who is a complete atheist and due to miserable circumstances evolving in his life; he all of the sudden is praying the Jesus prayer and supplicatory canons to the Theotokos!

This was the same deal with the people who lowered their relative through the roof of the Apostle Peter’s house in order for Jesus to lay his hands upon him. People who were desperate, people who were zealots, people who were told ‘if you follow him you break our laws’, people who by the fact of lowering the sick (unclean) into a kosher (purified) household would render anyone there impure as far as their interpretation law was concerned!

We have preparation periods before major feasts which we call Lent (growth via detox) especially throughout Great Lent, where we are meant to take things a little serious in the sense of looking at where we are, broadening our horizons to where we want/should be and begin the process of getting there. The greatest impediment to humanity or the ego in this case is not letting go – we don’t easily let go of things, we hold grudges, we stew over things that end up making ourselves miserable and hate begins to surface. Bitterness is a vicious mistress!

It’s very hard to forgive especially if the pain is too much and utterly unbearable; rejection, betrayal, and abuse most of all scars our existence for life! The worst part of the equation is that when we run to the people who we think should understand us, we are not only let down, but are distastefully categorized!

Yet, when someone stands out from the rest, speaks up, and begins the process of reason – threat looms in the air! All the possible excuses to cast derogative judgment upon this person swiftly swing into action due to inferior motives of the status quoe! Words alone were not an imposing threat, but when action itself via extraordinary means accompanied by words take place; this was the greatest slap in the face for the institution of the old covenant church and still remains with the clowns within the New Testament Church!

When Jesus spoke to the paralytic pronouncing: “Your sins are forgiven you!” The pharisaic party (Which is very much alive and well in the Church of today) had a complete melt down reasoning: “Who does this mere man think he is via pronouncing that which only pertains to God?” At this targeted threat from the scripturally read (the Pharisees) Jesus reveals himself publically for the first time as the one who is the authority over creation and challenges them exhorting: “Can any one of you who are mere mortals find it easier to say to this soul ‘your sins are forgiven’ or would you command him to ‘rise from your stretcher and walk home?’

Here God has revealed himself publically for the FORGIVNESS OF SINS was born as a mere child – children don’t know resentment, but crave affection at all times and eagerly interact! When the child grew up he went to the cross so that the COMPASSION OF GOD could totally manifest himself as the Loving Father who safeguards the life of his children from the tyranny of the destroyer. Many of you who are parents would do anything to protect the life of your young! Thus, the world was no longer orphaned but now fully adopted into the MERCIFUL NAME of He who reaches out and with his touch heals that which is broken!

Most of us have been hurt in one way or another and extents vary! We long to be healed or washed from the filth of other people’s affliction upon our vulnerabilities! We have probably heard the expression ‘time will heal’ – that doesn’t always happen; if anything time may numb the pain but every now and then it resurfaces and it may be accompanied with a nasty sting!

Thus, there will be hurts that we will never recover from and that we will take with us when laid to rest so to speak, but the real equation here is HOW TO COPE! Some of you who are of Latin/Western origins may remember the Serenity Prayer – there reads a wonderful supplication towards the end: “Lord, help me to change that which I cannot!” Hence: INTERVENE!

This Sunday we also commemorate a great Mother of the Church St. Euphemia of Chalcedon (289 -303 AD) who was a tender hearted young lady who loved Christ and the Communion of His Church (the heavenly glorified and still earthly struggling saints) in a timeframe of harsh persecutions waged by Emperor Diocletian (284 -305 AD) Alike many saints especially St Ignatius of Antioch, St. Euphemia received the crown of glory in martyrdom via tortures and wild beasts.

As we know, the early martyrs who were outstanding members of the Christian Community in life were venerated in death. Hence, alike those holy men and women who came forth from death and arose after the Lord’s resurrection - entering Jerusalem in testimony to him (Mt 27:52) Euphemia also made herself known to the people and testified to the Lord who is life.

Unfortunately within Christendom, everyone wants to pontificate and specify how their exclusive group is the right one whilst all the others are deemed null and void (however truthful regarding cults etc.) yet there arose a dispute (451AD) between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Church regarding the Creed (the two natures of God the Son: Jesus) at the Fourth Ecumenical Council. On one side you had the Oriental family saying that Jesus has only one nature (God but not man) whilst the Easter Family affirmed that Jesus is equally God and Man!

Many of us come from superstitious backgrounds where people are thought to carry the evil eye which must be removed via an oil ritual, whilst others try to find meaning via opening the bible at a random page and interpret it via the issue at hand. Thus, within the great synod which came to discuss Christological issues, they presented two parchments which bore the creed of each group.

Hence, these were then placed within the tomb of St. Euphemia and sealed in the hope that the saint will clarify God’s pleasure regarding the right creed. After this had been accomplished, the Church went into a three day fast in order be given clarity. At the end of the three day fast, the bishops processed within the church and unsealed the tomb of St Euphemia finding the Eastern Creed in her hand and the Oriental one at her feet.

Past blunders should not be paid by those who live in the present, rather they should come to an understanding and lay hate aside whilst embracing the reality of the Heart of God who calls us to safeguard his gospel via love, mercy and compassion. Without these three main virtues present within the life of the Christian – the rest is made obsolete in being reduced to dead ritual where God is absent due to the extraordinary lack of true caritas!

SANCTA EUPHEMIA ORA PRO NOBIS DEUM!