sunday sermon for 31st of march 2013

7/29/2019 Sunday Sermon for 31st of March 2013.

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EEPPIISSTTLLEE RREEAADDIINNGGHeb. 1:10-2:3n the beginning, Lord, youfounded the earth, and theheavens are the work of your hands;they will perish but you remain; they

will all wear out like clothing; like acloak you will roll them up, and likeclothing they will be changed. But youare the same, and your years will neverfail. But to which of the angels has heever said, Sit at my right hand until Imake your enemies a footstool for yourfeet? Are not all angels spirits in thedivine service, sent to serve for thesake of those who are to inheritsalvation? Therefore we must paygreater attention to what we haveheard, so that we do not drift awayfrom it. For if the message declaredthrough angels was valid, and everytransgression or disobedience receiveda just penalty, how can we escape if weneglect so great a salvation? It wasdeclared at first through the Lord, andit was attested to us by those whoheard him.The Kingdom of God is not food and drink, butrighteousness and abstinence with holiness: and

so the rich shall not enter it, but those whoentrust their treasures to the hands of the poor.This is what David the Prophet teaches us,

saying: The righteous man shows mercy all theday long; his delight is in the Lord, and walkingin the light he shall not stumble. All this waswritten for our admonition, that we should fastand do good; and in exchange for earthly thingsmay the Lord reward us with the things ofheaven. (The Lenten Triodion)

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ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATEARCHDIOCESE OFTHYATEIRA & GREAT BRITAIN

BBUULLLLEETTIINN OOFF SSPPIIRRIITTUUAALL EEDDIIFFIICCAATTIIOONN2nd SUNDAY OF LENT (Palamas)

31 March 20132nd Mode. No. 1277B ()

31 2013. . 1277

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GGOOSSPPEELL RREEAADDIINNGGMark 2:1-12t that time, Jesus enteredCapernaum, and it was reportedthat he was at home. And immediatelymany gathered around so that there wasno longer room, not even in front of the

door; and he was speaking the word tothem. Then some people came, bringingto him a paralysed man, carried by fourof them. And when they could not bringhim near Jesus because of the crowd,they removed the roof where he was; andafter having dug through it, they letdown the mat on which the paralysedman was lying. When Jesus saw theirfaith, he said to the paralysed man, Child,your sins are forgiven. Now some of thescribes were sitting there, questioning intheir hearts, Why does this man speak inthis way? It is blasphemy! Who canforgive sins but God alone? At once Jesusperceived in his spirit that they werediscussing these questions amongthemselves; and he said to them, Whyare you discussing these questions inyour hearts? Which is easier, to say to theparalysed man, Your sins are forgiven,or to say, Arise, and take your mat andwalk? But so that you may know thatthe Son of Man has authority on earth toforgive sins he said to the paralysedman I say to you, arise, take your matand go to your home. And heimmediately arose, and took the mat andwent out before all of them; so that theywere all amazed and glorified God,saying, We have never seen anything likethis!

The insensitive man is a foolish philosopher, an exegete condemned by his own words, a scholar whocontradicts himself, a blind man teaching sight to others.... He talks profoundly about death and acts as if hewill never die...He has plenty to say about self-control and fights for a gourmet life. He reads about the

judgement and begins to smile, about vainglory and is vainglorious while he is reading. He recites what he haslearnt about keeping vigil, and at once drops off to sleep. Prayer he extols, and runs from it as if from a plague.Blessings he showers on obedience, and is the first to disobey. Detachment he praises, and he shamelessly

fights over a rag... He blesses silence and cannot stop talking about it. He teaches meekness and frequently getsangry while he is teaching it... In front of others he criticises himself for being vainglorious, and in making theadmission he is looking for glory... Out in the world he is full of praise for the solitary life and cannot see howmuch he is disgracing himself. He glorifies almsgivers and despises the poor(St John of the Ladder).

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SSEERRMMOONN OONN SSTT GGRREEGGOORRYY PPAALLAAMMAASS

oday on the second Sunday of the Great Fast, we commemorate our holy father Gregory,Archbishop of Thessalonica, who is known as Palams. He became a monk of Athoswhere he grew into Hesychasm. In 1333 this was denounced by Barlaam, a southern Italiantheologian, who felt that the idea of man being able to see the uncreated light denied thetranscendence and unity of God. Gregory countered with his trilogy The Triads. For hispains he was excommunicated, but in 1351 a council held at Constantinople vindicated him.Metropolitan Kallistos in Act out of Stillness distinguishes five understandings ofHesychasm: the practice of the solitary or eremitical life, the practice of solitary prayer takingus beyond images, concepts and languages, the desire for union with God through the Jesusprayer, the techniques used during the Jesus Prayer and the Theology of Palams. In a sermongiven in December 2012 he spoke about the double aspect of the Jesus prayer, in which thefirst part takes us heavenward and the second part brings us back with a start to theimperfection of our earthly existence.Consider, then, the quotation from Psalm 101 in todays Apostolos passage: You,Lord, founded the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish,but you remain; they will all grow old like a garment, like a mantle you will roll them up, and they will bechanged. But you art the same, and your years will never end.These words are applied to the Word of God, through whom all things were made. Christis no mere prophet, but pre-eternal and pre-existent. He was active in the formation of ourUniverse and far beyond any angelic power. Psalm 109, "Sit at my right hand, till I make yourenemies a stool for your feet" proclaims his supernatural kingship. Orthodox Christians areentrusted with the supreme insight of the New Testament that God was in Christ reconcilingthe world to himself; they witness to the revelation that at the Annunciation God assumedhuman flesh without ever ceasing to be divine. As they contemplate this mystery theyreverently used the words of the Akathistos hymn during this holy season.As he writes about the practice and effects of prayer, Palams draws on suchScriptural teaching to explain to us our unique position in the created order. We may nevercomprehend the essence or being of God, but in devotion may become godlike by being unitedto his energies. During these holy days we kneel in wonder when we hear the words The lightof Christ enlightens everyoneduring the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified. Continually our HolyChurch brings to our attention the ineffable God calling us to share in something of his divineand radiant light.How can we approach such heavenly mysteries? Surely by placing our bodiesparalysed by sin at the feet of the Master. In faith we too, like the Paralytic in todays gospelpassage, will be lowered through the broken roof to hear "My son, your sins are forgiven.Our broken earthly existence can be transformed by acknowledging the divinity of Christ andreaching out towards him in penitence. In this way we too may experience the energies of Godduring this lifes pilgrimage. Therefore, O God, have mercy on us and save us, through theintercessions of Gregory Palams. Amen.

AAPPOOLLYYTTIIKKIIOONN OOFF SSTT GGRREEGGOORRYY PPAALLAAMMAASS

Orthodoxys beacon, support and teacher of the Church, fair glory of monks, invinciblechampion of theologians, Wonderworker Gregory, the boast of Thessalonica andpreacher of grace, intercede without ceasing that our souls may be saved.

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

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sunday sermon for 31st of march 2013

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