April 6, 2025

Tone 8

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent

St. Mary of Egypt

5th Sunday of Great Lent: St Mary of Egypt

Commemorated on April 6

Introduction

(GOARCH) On the Fifth Sunday of Lent the Orthodox Church commemorates our Righteous Mother Mary of Egypt. The feast day of Saint Mary of Egypt is April 1, however, she is also commemorated on this Sunday due to her recognition by the Church as a model of repentance.

Life of the Saint

Our holy mother Mary was born in Egypt. She had left her parents at the age of twelve to go to Alexandria, where she spent the next seventeen years in debauchery and the greatest profligacy. Living on charity and linen-weaving, she nevertheless offered her body to any man, not being forced to it by dire necessity as were so many poor women, but as though she were consumed by the fire of a desire that nothing was able to appease.

One day, seeing a crowd of Lybians and Egyptians moving towards the port, she followed them and set sail with them for Jerusalem, offering her body to pay her fare. When they arrived in the Holy City, she followed the crowd that was thronging towards the Church of the Resurrection, it being the day of the Exaltation of the Cross. But, when she reached the threshold of the church, an invisible force prevented her entering in spite of repeated efforts on her part, although the other pilgrims were able to go in without hindrance. Left alone in a corner of the narthex, she began to realize that it was the impurity of her life that was preventing her approaching the holy Wood. She burst into tears and smote her breast and, seeing an icon of the Mother of God, made this prayer to her: "O Sovereign Lady, who didst bear God in the flesh, I know that I should not dare to look upon thine icon, thou who are pure in soul and body, because, debauched as I am, I must fill thee with disgust. But, as the God born of thee became man in order to call sinners to repentance, come to my aid! Allow me to go into the church and prostrate before His Cross. And, as soon as I have seen the Cross, I promise that I will renounce the world and all pleasures, and follow the path of salvation that thou willest to show me."

She felt herself suddenly freed from the power that had held her and was able to enter the church. There she fervently venerated the Holy Cross and then, returning to the icon of the Mother of God, declared herself ready to follow the path that the Virgin would show her. A voice replied to her from on high: "If you cross the Jordan, you will find rest."

Leaving the church, she bought three loaves with the alms a pilgrim had given her, discovered which road led to the Jordan and arrived one evening at the Church of Saint John the Baptist. After having washed in the river, she received Communion in the Holy Mysteries, ate half of one of the loaves and went to sleep on the riverbank. The next morning, she crossed the river and lived from that time on in the desert, remaining there for forty-seven years without ever encountering either another human being or any animal.

During the first seventeen years, her clothes soon having fallen into rags, burning with heat by day and shivering with cold by night, she fed on herbs and wild roots. But more than the physical trials, she had to face violent assaults from the passions and the memory of her sins and, throwing herself on the ground, she implored the Mother of God to come to her aid. Protected by God, who desires nothing but that the sinner should turn to Him and live, she uprooted all the passions from her heart by means of this extraordinary ascesis, and was able to turn the fire of carnal desire into a flame of divine love that made it possible for her to endure the implacable desert with joy, as though she were not in the flesh.

After all these years, a holy elder called Zosimas (April 4), who, following the tradition instituted by Saint Euthymios, had gone into the desert across the Jordan for the period of the Great Fast, saw one day a human form with a body blackened by the sun and with hair white as bleached linen to its shoulders. He ran after this apparition that fled before him, begging it to give him its blessing and some saving words. When he came within ear-shot, Mary, calling by name him whom she had never seen, revealed to him that she was a woman and asked him to throw her his cloak that she might cover her nakedness.

At the urging of the monk, who was transported at having at last met a God-bearing being who had attained the perfection of monastic life, the Saint recounted to him with tears the story of her life and conversion. Then, having finished her account, she begged him to come the following year to the bank of the Jordan with Holy Communion.

When the day arrived, Zosimas saw Mary appearing on the further bank of the river. She made the sign of the Cross and crossed the Jordan, walking on the water. Having received Holy Communion weeping, she said: "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation" (Luke 2:29). She then took leave of Zosimas, asking him to meet her the following year in the place where they had first met.

When the year was past, Zosimas, going to the agreed spot, found the Saint's body stretched on the ground, her arms crossed and her face turned towards the East. His tearful emotion prevented him from noticing at once an inscription traced on the ground by the Saint, which read: "Abba Zosimas, bury here the body of the humble Mary; give what is of dust to dust, after having prayed for me. I died on the first day of April, the very night of the Passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, after having partaken in the Holy Eucharist." Consoled in his grief by having learned the Saint's name, Zosimas was amazed to discover that she had, in several hours, covered a distance of more than twenty days' march.

After having vainly tried to break up the earth with a stick, he suddenly saw a lion approaching Mary's body and licking her feet. On the orders of the Elder, the beast dug a hole with its claws, in which Zosimas devoutly placed the Saint's body.

On his return to the monastery, he recounted the marvels that God had wrought for those who turn away from sin and move towards Him with all their hearts. From the hardened sinner that she had been, Mary has, for a great many souls crushed under the burden of sin, become a source of hope and a model of conversion. This is why the Holy Fathers have placed the celebration of her memory at the end of the Great Fast as an encouragement for all who have neglected their salvation, proclaiming that repentance can bring them back to God even at the eleventh hour.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is this Wednesday at 6 p.m. If you are planning on receiving holy communion, please fast after lunch.

Akathist to the Passion of Christ will be sung on Friday at Noon.

There will be no Inquirers/Catechumen classes the next two weeks (April 5 & 12) so that people can come to confession before Vespers.

In Christ,

Fr Gregory

Final Petition: The Key to True Repentance

"Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen."

This final part teaches us self-examination and mercy.

• Stop judging others - focus on your own repentance.
• Be quick to forgive - God forgives us as we forgive others.
• Seek daily self-reflection - examine your conscience each night.

The Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is far more than a set of words to be recited during Great Lent - it is a spiritual roadmap, a guide for overcoming sin, cultivating virtue, and drawing closer to God. Every phrase of this prayer invites us to self-examination, humility, and transformation, helping us to remove the obstacles that hinder our salvation and replace them with the light of Christ.

As we have explored, this prayer addresses the deepest struggles of the human soul: sloth, despair, the lust for power, and idle talk - all of which pull us away from God and entangle us in spiritual darkness. Yet, rather than leaving us in despair over these weaknesses, the prayer leads us forward, calling upon God to fill our hearts with chastity, humility, patience, and love - the virtues that reflect the very character of Christ Himself.

But the prayer does not stop there. It culminates in a plea for true spiritual sight - the ability to see our own sins rather than judging others. This final petition is the ultimate key to spiritual renewal because it shifts our focus from external distractions to internal transformation. When we stop obsessing over the faults of others and instead work on purifying our own hearts, we take the first step toward genuine holiness.

Though this prayer is central to Great Lent, it is beneficial for daily spiritual life. Consider incorporating it into your personal prayer rule, reciting it not as a mere habit, but as a serious commitment to inner change. Let each word sink into your soul, challenging you to live it out rather than merely saying it.

Here are some practical ways to make this prayer a reality in daily life:

1. Identify the passions you struggle with most - Do you battle spiritual laziness? Do you fall into despair easily? Are you tempted by pride or power? Use this prayer as a diagnostic tool to uncover areas where repentance is needed.
2. Seek to actively cultivate the virtues mentioned - Each day, make an effort to practice chastity in thought and action, humility in speech and attitude, patience in trials, and love in all things. Ask God for strength in these areas.
3. Commit to self-examination before judging others - When tempted to criticize or condemn someone, pause and reflect: Have I looked at my own sins first? Have I repented today? Keep a humble heart, always remembering that God alone is the judge.
4. Accompany the prayer with physical humility - During Orthodox services, this prayer is often accompanied by prostrations. Even in private prayer, consider bowing or making prostrations as an outward sign of the inner humility you are asking God to grant you.
5. Turn words into action - This prayer is not meant to remain just in our thoughts; it must translate into real-life change. If we pray for humility, we should actively seek to be humble. If we ask for patience, we should practice it in difficult moments. If we beg God to remove idle talk, we should control our tongues and speak only words that build up and encourage.

To be continued...

This Week at Ss Cyril & Methodius

Wednesday, April 2

• 1:00 PM-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions
• 6:00 PM: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy

Thursday, April 3

• 1:00 PM-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confession 
• 6:00 PM: OCF Meeting (Assumption GOC visit)

Friday, April 4

• Noon: Akathist to the Passion of Christ

Saturday, April 5

• 3:00 PM: Confessions
• 5:00 PM: Great Vespers

Sunday, April 6 (Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt)

• 9:00 AM: Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, April 9

• 1:00 PM-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confessions
• 6:00 PM: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy

Thursday, April 10

• 1:00 PM-5:00 PM: Office Hours/Confession 
• 5:30 PM: Akathist to Our Lady Queen of All
• 6:00 PM: OCF Meeting

Friday, April 11

• TBD: Vespers

Saturday, April 12

• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy
• 4:00 PM: Confessions
• 5:00 PM: Great Vespers & blessing of Palms

Sunday, April 6 (Palm Sunday)

• 9:00 AM: Hours
• 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy

Hymns After the Small Entrance

Tone 8 Troparion (Resurrection)

Thou didst descend from on high, O Merciful One! Thou didst accept the three day burial to free us from our sufferings!//O Lord, our Life and Resurrection, glory to Thee!

Tone 4 Troparion (Sts. Cyril & Methodius)

Divinely-wise Cyril and Methodius, / equals-to-the-apostles and teachers of the Slavs, / entreat the Master of all / to strengthen all nations in Orthodoxy and unity of mind, / to grant peace to the world and to save our souls.

Tone 8 Troparion (St. Mary of Egypt)

The image of God was truly preserved in thee, O Mother, for thou didst take up the Cross and follow Christ. By so doing, thou taughtest us to disregard the flesh for it passes away;but to care instead for the soul, for it is immortal.//Therefore thy spirit, O holy Mother Mary, rejoices with the angels.

Tone 8 Kontakion (Resurrection)

By rising from the tomb, Thou didst raise the dead and resurrect Adam. Eve exults in Thy Resurrection,//and the world celebrates Thy rising from the dead, O greatly Merciful One!

Tone 3 Kontakion (Sts. Cyril & Methodius)

Let us honor the sacred pair, who translated divine scripture / pouring forth a fountain of divine knowledge from which we still draw today. / Now as you stand before the throne of the Most-high / we call you blessed, Cyril and Methodius, / as you fervently pray for our souls.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

Tone 3 Kontakion (St. Mary of Egypt)

Having been a sinful woman, thou becamest through repentance a bride of Christ. Having attained angelic life, thou didst defeat demons with the weapon of the Cross.//Therefore, O most glorious Mary, thou art a bride of the Kingdom.

now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 6 Theotokion

O protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, / O mediation unto the Creator unfailing, / disdain not the suppliant voices of sinners, / but be thou quick, O good one, to help us who in faith cry unto thee; / hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, // thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honour thee.

Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14

Brethren, when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Gospel:  Mark 10:32-45

At that time, Jesus took his twelve disciples, and he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant of James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

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(Instead of “It is truly meet…,” we sing the following)

Hymn to the Theotokos

All of creation rejoices in thee, 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 thy body into a throne, and thy womb He made more spacious than the heavens.

All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace.//Glory to thee!

Communion Hymn

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! (Ps. 148:1)

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