Sunday Sermon and Readings for Sunday 21st of April 2013

7/28/2019 Sunday Sermon and Readings for Sunday 21st of April 2013

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EEPPIISSTTLLEE RREEAADDIINNGGHeb. 9:11-14rethren, Christ came as a highpriest of the good things to come,when through the greater and perfecttent (not made with hands, that is, notof this creation), he entered once for allinto the Holy Place, not with the bloodof goats and calves, but with his ownblood, thus obtaining eternalredemption. For if the blood of goatsand bulls, with the sprinkling of theashes of a heifer, sanctifies those whohave been defiled so that their flesh ispurified, how much more will the blood

of Christ, who through the eternalSpirit offered himself without blemishto God, purify our conscience fromdead works to worship the living God!

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RREESSUURRRREECCTTIIOONN AAPPOOLLYYTTIIKKIIOONNPlagal of the 1st Mode

Let us believers praise and let usworship the Word, who like the Fatherand the Spirit is without beginning,born from a Virgin for our Salvation;for he was well pleased to ascend theCross in the flesh and undergo death,and to raise those who had died, by hisglorious Resurrection.

What is a merciful heart? It is a heart which is burning with love for the whole of creation: for humanbeings, for birds, for beasts, for demons - for all God's creatures. When such persons recall or regardthese creatures, their eyes are filled with tears. An overwhelming compassion makes their heart grow

small and weak, and they cannot endure to hear or see any kind of suffering, even the smallest pain,inflicted upon any creature. Therefore, these persons never cease to pray with tears even for theirrational animals, for the enemies of truth, as well as for those who do them evil, asking that thesemay be protected and receive God's mercy. (St Isaac of Nineveh)

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ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATEARCHDIOCESE OFTHYATEIRA & GREAT BRITAIN

BBUULLLLEETTIINN OOFF SSPPIIRRIITTUUAALL EEDDIIFFIICCAATTIIOONN5th SUNDAY OF LENT (Mary of Egypt)

21st

April 2013Plagal of the 1st Mode. No. 1280 ()

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GGOOSSPPEELL RREEAADDIINNGGMark 10:32-45t that time Jesus took his twelvedisciples aside and began to tellthem what was to happen to him,saying, See, we are going up toJerusalem, and the Son of Man will be

handed over to the chief priests and thescribes, and they will condemn him todeath; then they will hand him over tothe Gentiles; they will mock him, andscourge him, and spit on him, and killhim; and on the third day he will riseagain. James and John, the sons ofZebedee, came forward to him and said,Teacher, we want you to do for uswhatever we ask of you. And he said tothem, What do you want me to do foryou? And they said to him, Allow us tosit, one at your right hand and one atyour left, in your glory. But Jesus said tothem, You do not know what you areasking. Can you drink the cup that Idrink, or be baptized with the baptismthat I am baptized with? They replied,We can. Then Jesus said to them, Thecup that I drink you will drink; and withthe baptism with which I am baptized,you will be baptized; but to sit at myright hand or at my left is not mine togrant, but it is for those for whom it hasbeen prepared. When the ten heardthis, they began to be angry with Jamesand John. So Jesus called them and saidto them, You know that among theGentiles those whom they recognize astheir rulers lord it over them, and theirgreat ones are tyrants over them. But itis not to be so among you; but whoeverwishes to become great among you mustbe your servant, and whoever wishes tobe first among you must be the slave ofall. For the Son of Man did not come tobe served but to serve, and to give hislife as a ransom for many.I have never gone to sleep with a grievanceagainst anyone, and I have never let anyone go to

sleep with a grievance against me (Abba Agathon)

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SSEERRMMOONN OONN TTHHEE GGOOSSPPEELL RREEAADDIINNGG

n todays Gospel reading, Christs two very close disciples, John and James, ask Jesusthat they would be given positions of honour in his glorious kingdom. John andJames did not as yet understand that the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God,was not going to be an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual kingdom.Christ did not promise them any such thing that they asked for, rather heshowed them something quite the contrary. He explained to them that human gloryand worldly power were not part of his vision, or of his kingdom. As he says somewhereelse, what is highly esteemed among men, is an abomination in the sight of God. (Lk. 16:15)What, then, does Christ envisage for his disciples? And by the same token, whatare we to expect if we wish to enter into the kingdom of Christ? Christs question toJohn and James gives the answer. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink? This is what weneed to expect: to drink the cup of Christ, to drink the cup of suffering. To be a followerof Christ means to suffer in this world, as he suffered; to accept to be mocked; to beinsignificant and weak; to be humiliated; to be rejected, while at the same time alwaysremaining faithful to God.Often we seek, even as people of the Church, success, power and glory in thisworld. But this is not the vision Jesus Christ taught his disciples. He sees things in atotally different light. He inverts the power-pyramid.

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Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishesto be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,and to give his life a ransom for many. From these words of Christ we understand thatservice, submission, suffering and sacrifice are the things Christ sees as the lot of hisfollowers, in this world. And it is only through these that we can gain access to hisspiritual kingdom.Do we want a high position in the kingdom of God? Then, let us serve ourfellow men and women. Do we wish to seek for greater glory in the kingdom of God?Then, let us submit as if we were slaves to those we owe obedience. Do we really desireto sit on the right hand of Christ in his glory? Then, let us dedicate our whole life tohim, with a readiness to suffer and bear shame for his sake. After all, the time ofcomplete dedication to Jesus Christ is not over. Its forms may be different, but its goal,kingdom of Jesus Christ is ever the same; awaiting us now as it awaited the martyrs,ascetics, holy virgins, and pastors in times past.

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Plagal of the 4th Mode

In you, Mother, was preservedunimpaired that which is according toGods image; for you took up the Crossand followed Christ, and by your deedsyou have taught us to despise theflesh, for it passes away, but to care forthe soul, which is a thing immortal.And therefore your spirit, holy Mary,rejoices with the Angels.I have watched impure souls mad for physicallove but turning what they know of such loveinto a reason for penance and transferring that

same capacity for love to the Lord... That iswhy, when talking of the chaste harlot, the Lorddoes not say, 'because she feared', but rather,'because she loved much' she was able to driveout love with love (Luke 7:47). (St John

Climacus)

Almighty Master, who have fashioned all creation in wisdom, who through your ineffableprovidence and great goodness have led us to these hallowed days for purification of souland body, for restraint of the passions, and for hope of resurrection; who during the fortydays put into the hands of your servant Moses the tablets inscribed with divine letters;grant to us also, O Good One, to fight the good fight, to complete the course of the fast, topreserve the faith undivided, to crush the heads of invisible serpents, to be shown to beconquerors of sin, and without condemnation to arrive at and to worship the holyResurrection (Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts, Prayer Behind the Ambo) ArchdioceseofThyateira&GreatBritain,5CravenHill,LondonW23EN

Tel.:02077234787.Fax:02072249301.Email:[email protected]:www.thyateira.org.ukP r i n t e d b y S t P a u l s P r e s s

Sunday Sermon and Readings for Sunday 21st of April 2013

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