Homily on the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent
The current pandemic that is wreaking havoc in the world has shown us all how cruel, selfish and self obsessed we as human beings can be in times of crisis.
It was only a few day’s ago that my wife Archdiaconisa Lianna alerted me to the fact that there are people out there cheating and robing other’s by purchasing essential items and selling them for 3 times their worth. To those who commit such vile acts, may I briefly remind you what our Lord says in the gospel of Matthew 25:35-40.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did to me!”
The virus has seen virtually every public event closed down or rescheduled for a later date. Many religious institutions have followed suite, including the church’s who claim to be orthodox! The same one’s who love to go on their power trip and make convincing fables up in order to deal with their identity crisis..
Firstly may I begin by saying that the exarchate will not bow down and succumb to this virus PASCHA MUST AND WILL GO AHEAD!
Secondly, the Church father’s have stated very clearly within the canons that “every baptized orthodox Christian must attend the divine liturgy on the Lord’s Holy Pascha! Failure to do so will result in an instant anathama, (excommunication) that only a synod of bishops can absolve the person from. The only exception being if a person where to be dying, medically unable to move or a woman about to give birth.
Having stated thus, if we want to abide by the canons and rigorously be by the book, all jurisdictions that will not hold or attend the Paschal service have automatically anathamatized themselves; clergy and laity!
If we go back in history, what did the faithful do when they were dealing with plagues, famines, disease and pestilences? They gathered to pray, asking God to liberate them from whatever it was that was threatening them.
Even in communist Russia, communism sought to silence orthodoxy by imprisoning, beating up and killing the faithful. But what did the Christians do? Did they submit to the communists? No! They brought there faith underground in secret. Always knowing that if they where caught they would have been killed. Still they gathered in prayer, asking God to liberate them. Thus, He who is mercy personified heard the cries of their hearts, and sure enough communism came to an end in 1991.
Pondering, on how our ancestors and other Christians of the past dealt with crisis’s from their era, it makes me wonder, “if it was good enough to ask the Lord for His assistance and implore the intersection of the Theotokos and that of the saint’s, what is the difference now? Why are we not united in prayer?
In cancelling the services, running away and hiding; we are behaving just like the hired servants our Lord teaches us about in the gospel of John chapter 10 verse 12, “So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.”
For years, my fellow brethren (clergy) have been persecuted and called all types of evils for standing up for and safeguarding our faith which is orthodox!
“Blessed are you when they say revile you and persecute you falsely, vilifying you in all manner of speech on my account. Rejoice I say to you and excel in gladness, for your reward with be great in heaven. The Beatitudes.
Keeping the words of our Saviour in mind, when people speak evils against us, it is a confirmation from God that we are on the right track. Thus, further strengthening our faith in Him who bowed down the heavens and the earth by His descent in becoming Son of man.
“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Mk 8:34
Hence, one word that others love to throw at the Exarchate is “uncanonical”.
Well now I say to these small minded people who are the hired servants with a guilt complex, “who are the real uncanonical Christian’s?
“Assuredly I say to you, that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” Mk 9:1
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