Parish Mosaic – St. Mary of Egypt with Lampada
Undated Sermon on the Life of St. Mary of Egypt [circa early 2000’s], by +Archpriest John Adams, of Eternal Memory
This week we read again the Great Canon, with the life of St. Mary of Egypt who is one of the most loved and revered saints.
I remember reading it the first time. Eve (Princess Eve Galitzine, a founder of our parish) had xerox copies. Oh, it was so long, but so amazing, remarkable, and moving.
Her life went from one extreme to the other, from the very depths – to the very heights.
Her life is inspiring and edifying. Those themselves who are hopeless – she lifts up, those who have exhausted themselves, like the monk Zosimas, who had started to think of himself as perfect, she humbles.
Living alone in the desert, without food or clothing, tormented, but with prayer and tears through great struggles, she clung to the Mother of God, until she was lifted up spiritually, even physically, above the earth, and above the waters.
Last Sunday was St. John of the Ladder (Climacus), and we saw from his example how the prescribed life of the ascetic leads to understanding. Further, this Sunday, we are shown St. Mary of Egypt’s ascetical life, and we see a radical transformation, a model of repentance. This is how we begin, and how we continue. “Open unto me the Gates of Repentance”. We want to turn in repentance, (to be) enlightened. We want to behold the Resurrection more clearly, more brightly.
(Soon comes) Palm Sunday and the pace picks up. At vigil on Saturday evening, there’s the blessing of bread, wine, oil, and palms are distributed…
Try to attend every (Holy Week) service you can, these services are all unique. They all add an essential element to our spiritual growth.
