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SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2024

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT (SAINT JOHN CLIMACUS);

VENERABLE MARY OF EGYPT

DIVINE LITURGY OF SAINT BASIL THE GREAT

RESURRECTIONAL TROPARION - TONE FOUR:

When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel the joyous message of Thy Resurrection; they cast away the ancestral curse and elatedly told the apostles: Death is overthrown! Christ God is Risen, granting the world great mercy.

TROPARION TO SAINT JOHN CLIMACUS - TONE ONE:

O dweller of the desert and angel in the body, you were shown to be a wonder-worker, our God-bearing father John. You received heavenly gifts through fasting, vigil and prayer: healing the sick and the souls of those drawn to you by faith. Glory to Him who gave you strength! Glory to Him who granted you a crown! Glory to Him who through you grants healing to all!

TROPARION TO VENERABLE MARY OF EGYPT – TONE EIGHT:

In you, O Mother, was preserved with exactness what was according to the image; for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away; but to care for the soul, since it is immortal. Therefore, O Venerable Mary, your spirit rejoices with the Angels.

RESURRECTIONAL KONTAKION - TONE FOUR:

My Savior and my Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and delivered the earthborn from their chains. And He has shattered the gates of hell, and as Master, He has risen on the third day!

KONTAKION TO SAINT JOHN CLIMACUS - TONE FOUR:

The Lord truly set you on the heights of abstinence, to be a guiding star, showing the way to the universe, O our father and teacher John.

KONTAKION TO VENERABLE MARY OF EGYPT – TONE THREE:

Having been a sinful woman, you became a Bride of Christ through repentance. Having attained the angelic life, you defeated demons by the weapon of the Cross; therefore, O most glorious Mary you are a Bride of the Kingdom.

KONTAKION OF THE FIVE SUNDAYS OF GREAT LENT

To thee, the Champion Leader, do I offer thanks of victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror; but as thou that hast that power invincible, O Theotokos, thou alone can set me free: from all forms of danger free me and deliver me, that I may cry unto thee: ‘Rejoice, O Bride without Bridegroom!’

HYMN TO THE THEOTOKOS (INSTEAD OF “IT IS TRULY MEET”):

All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace; the assembly of angels and the race of men. O sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, the glory of virgins, from whom God was incarnate and became a Child, our God before the ages. He made your body into a throne, and your womb He made more spacious than the heavens. All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace. Glory to you!

EPISTLE READINGS

THE PROKEIMENON IN TONE SEVEN:

The Lord shall give strength to His people! The Lord shall bless His people with peace!

HEBREWS 6:13-20

Brethren, for when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

SAINT JOHN CLIMACUS: EPHESIANS 5:8-19

Brethren, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

THE ALLELUIA VERSES:

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High! To declare Your mercy in the morning and Your truth by night!

GOSPEL READINGS

MARK 9:17-31

At that time, one of the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”

SAINT JOHN CLIMACUS: MATTHEW 4:25 – 5:12

At that time, great multitudes followed Jesus – from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

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Saint Mary of Egypt (530)

The biography of this wonderful saint was written by St. Sophronius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Once, during Great Lent, a certain priest-monk, the Elder Zosimas, withdrew into the wilderness beyond the Jordan, a twenty-day trek. Suddenly, he caught sight of a human being with a withered and naked body, whose hair was as white as snow, and who fled from Zosimas’s sight. The elder ran for a long while, until this person stopped at a brook and cried out: “Abba Zosimas, forgive me for the sake of the Lord. I cannot face you, for I am a naked woman.” Zosimas then threw his outer garment to her, which she wrapped around herself, and then she showed herself to him. The elder was frightened upon hearing his name spoken from the mouth of this woman whom he did not know. Following his prolonged insistence, the woman related her life’s story. She was born in Egypt, and at the age of twelve began to live a life of debauchery in Alexandria, where she spent seventeen years in this perverted way of life. Driven by the adulterous flame of the flesh, she one day boarded a boat which was sailing for Jerusalem. Arriving at the Holy City, she wanted to enter the church in order to venerate the Honorable Cross, but some invisible force restrained her, preventing her from entering the church. In great fear, she gazed upon the icon of the All-holy Mother of God in the narthex and prayed that she be allowed to enter the church to venerate the Honorable Cross, all the while confessing her sinfulness and uncleanness, and promising that she would go wherever the All-pure One would direct her. She was then permitted to enter the church. Having venerated the Cross, she went back to the narthex and, before the icon, gave thanks to the Mother of God. At that very moment she heard a voice saying: “If you cross over Jordan you will find true peace!” Immediately she purchased three loaves of bread and started out for the Jordan, arriving there that same evening. The next day she received Holy Communion in the Monastery of St. John and crossed over the Jordan River. She remained in the wilderness for forty-eight years in great torment and fear, struggling with passionate thoughts as though with wild beasts…

Saint Meliton, Bishop of Sardis in Asia Minor (177)

Meletion was a celebrated shepherd of the second-century Church. Governing with great ability, he endeavored to gather all the books of Sacred Scripture into a single codex. By his meekness and piety, Meletion also labored to restore peace in the Church of Laodicea, which was troubled by a controversy regarding the celebration of Pascha. Besides this, he defended Christianity against the pagans. He traveled to Rome in about the year 170, to submit to Emperor Marcus Aurelius a written Apologia of the Faith and of the Christian Church. St. Melito—this learned, pious and zealous man—reposed peacefully in the Lord in the year 177…

Saint Mary of Egypt

A wonderful penitent, self-tormentor, Mary hid herself from the face of men. Yea, O sinful me, By passion darkened. Passions are beasts which eat at our heart; Like serpents they secretly weave in us a nest. Yea, O sinful me, By passion consumed! In order to save sinners, Thou didst suffer, O Christ, Do Thou now not loathe me, the impure one! Hearken to the cry of Mary, The most sinful of all! The Lord showed compassion, He healed Mary; Her darkened soul He whitened as snow. Thanks be to Thee, O All-good One, O Lord most dear! Thou didst cleanse an impure vessel and gild it with gold; Thou didst fill it to overflowing with Thy grace. This is true mercy. 

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REFLECTION

Why is it that much is said and written about the sufferings of holy men and holy women? Because the saints alone are considered victors. Can anyone be a victor without conflict, pain and suffering? In ordinary earthly combat, no one can be considered victorious or heroic who has not been in combat, endured much or suffered greatly. The more so in spiritual combat, where the truth is known, and where self-boasting not only does not help at all but, indeed, hinders it. He who does not engage in combat for the sake of Christ, either with the world, with the devil or with one’s self, how can he be counted among the soldiers of Christ? How then is it with Christ’s fellow victors? St. Mary spoke about her savage spiritual combat to Elder Zosimas: “For the first seventeen years in this wilderness, I struggled with my deranged lusts as though with fierce beasts. I desired to eat meat and fish, which I had in abundance in Egypt. I also desired to drink wine, and here I did not have even water to drink. I desired to hear lustful songs. I cried and beat my breast. I prayed to the All-pure Mother of God to banish such thoughts from me. When I had sufficiently wept and beat my breast, it was then that I saw a light encompassing me on all sides, and a certain miraculous peace filled me.”

HOMILY on the fulfillment of the great prophecy Like a lamb led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7).

Though many centuries of time, the discerning Prophet Isaiah foresaw the awesome sacrifi on Golgotha. From afar he saw the Lord Jesus Christ led to the slaughter as a lamb is led. A lamb permits itself to be led to the slaughter as it is led to the pasture: defenseless, without fear, and without malice. Thus, our Lord Christ was led to the slaughter without defense, without fear, and without malice. He does not say, “Men, do not do this!” nor does He ask, “Why are you doing this to Me?” nor does He condemn anyone. Nor does He protest. Nor does He become angry. Nor does He think evilly of His judges. When, from the crown of thorns, His blood flowed, He was silent. When His face was soiled from being spat upon, He was silent. When His Cross became heavy along the way, He endured. When His pain became unbearable on the Cross, He complained not to men but to the Father. When He breathed His last, He directed His gaze and sighs toward heaven and not toward earth. For the source of His strength is heaven and not earth. The source of His consolation is in God and not in men. His true homeland is the Heavenly Kingdom and not the earthly kingdom. Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! (John 1:29). This was the first exclamation of St. John the Baptist when he saw the Lord. And, behold, now on Golgotha that prophecy was fulfilled. Behold, under the weight of the sins of the entire world, the Lamb of God lay slaughtered and lifeless. O brethren, this costly sacrifice was made for our sins as well. The blood of this sinless and meek Lamb was destined for all times and all generations, from the first to the last person on earth. Christ also felt the pains on the Cross for our sins, even those of the present day. He also wept in the Garden of Gethsemane for our wickedness, our weakness and our sinfulness. He also destined His blood for us. Brethren, let us not then despise the indescribable costly price by which we have been redeemed. Because of this sacrifice of Christ we, indeed, have some worth as people. Without this sacrifice, or if we disavow this sacrifice, our worth, by itself alone, is equal to nothing. It is equal to smoke without a flame or a cloud without light. O Lord, unequaled in mercy, have mercy on us also! To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

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