Homily on the 5th Sunday after Pascha
John 4:5-42.
In today’s Gospel we have recounted for us the meeting of Our Lord and Saviour and the Samaritan women (Saint Photini). In this Gospel we have our Lord and Saviour requesting a drink from the Samaritan women. The woman is rather confused for she states:
“How is it that you being a Jew, ask a drink from me a Samaritan Woman?”
In ancient times, the Jewish people tended not to have anything to do with the Samaritan people as according to them, they the Samaritans, were an impure corruption of the Jewish law. This is why the Samaritan woman is confused for if a Jew spoke to a Samaritan person he would have been looked down upon by his fellow Jews. However, in today’s Gospel Christ is making it known to the Samaritan women that the true worship of God will be opened up to all under the New Covenant:
“Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, (site of the Samaritan temple) nor in Jerusalem (site of the former Jewish Temple), worship the Father.”
The implication then is clear as He states:
“But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship him.”
Clearly Christ is also pointing her to the day of Holy Pentecost - when the All Holy Spirit descended on the Holy Apostles and each man in the crowd heard the Apostles preach in their own language. This is the day when the All Holy Trinity revealed that it is possible for all to be united to Christ’s Body regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity. Gone are the days of the Old Law (which could not fix man’s relationship with God) and in is the New Covenant which through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection can save and will save.
One thing that I have found in my ministry as a priest, is that so many in the Orthodox Church conceive the Church to be an exclusive club! This is contrary to Christ’s Gospel and certainly contrary to what the All Holy Spirit has revealed to us at Holy Pentecost! The Church is for all who choose in faith to enter Her - through Holy Baptism and all the other Holy Mysteries (Sacraments). We as the Church must fight the inclination to conceive the Church as a club - the good Lord must be saddened at the reality that his Holy Body has been reduced to a set of little clubs. For instance, is it good to have the Russian Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Church etc.? Do not these divisions, based on ethnic origin, divide that which should not be divided by men? In being so divided, they lose their connection to the Body of Christ, and consequently are at risk of being ineffective in their ministry. One can know them by their fruit and it is not good fruit! Unfortunately, it is bitter fruit that does not give comfort and sustenance - a fruit that any market gardener would have to throw away as no one would want to buy it.
I have spoken to many people who have had deep longings for the truths of Orthodoxy - sadly, after spending time in Ethnic Orthodox parishes many give up on joining the Church. All too often, these people state that their reason for not joining these ethnic Orthodox Churches is because the members of these Churches treat them like foreigners, and more insultingly expect them to become like the ethnic members of these respective Churches!! Furthermore, most of these ethnic Churches will sparingly use English - serving as a further point of exclusion. Furthermore, the languages that they use in their liturgies are often dead languages which few in the congregation can understand!This Pascha I remember speaking to one of our parishioner’s children (who have their origins in an ethnic Orthodox Church) and they told me it was so nice to finally understand what was being said in the Liturgy! This is an unacceptable situation - the people must understand what is being said - otherwise we risk alienating the very people we are trying to minister to! Remember we as Christ’s Body are not some secret society where mystical knowledge is hidden in incomprehensible texts. Rather, the faith is to be freely exclaimed to all so that they to may come to the knowledge of the love of the All Holy Trinity.
Finally, let us remember that Our Lord and Saviour always spoke to people (in His earthly ministry) in ways that they could understand. Hence, this is the reason why Jesus spoke in parables (a parable is a simple story used to convey a greater truth). Therefore, we (as Christ’s Body the Holy Church) are called to follow in His example and speak to people in ways that will help them understand the faith. Therefore, we should be less concerned with dead liturgical languages and be more concerned with celebrating the Holy Mysteries in the language of the people. This is not to say that the language is to be dumbed down but rather the language used to celebrate the Divine Mysteries must be dignified and understandable by all.
This week let our prayer be that we are always open to others so that we may communicate the truths of our faith in ways that they may understand.
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