Sunday of the Paralytic

Transcript

1 Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church 8306 NC HWY 751, Durham NC News & Announcements May 22, 2016 Sunday of the Paralytic Basiliscus the Martyr, Bishop of Comana Holy New Martyrs Demetrius and Paul of Tripoli John-Vladimir, Ruler of Serbia NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy 10:00 am To Our Visitors and Guests We welcome you to worship with us today, whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us. Although Holy Communion and other Sacraments are offered only to baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The Antidoron is not a sacrament, but it is reminiscent of the agape feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. After the Divine Liturgy this morning please join us in the Church hall for fellowship and refreshments. Please complete a Visitor's Card before you leave today and drop it in the offering tray, or give it to one of the parishioners after the service, or mail it to the church Office. Acts of the Apostles 9: Today's Readings: IN THOSE DAYS, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, "Please come to us without delay." So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, and showing tunics and other garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, rise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand

2 and lifted her up. Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων 9:32-42 Ἐν ταῖς ἡμεραῖς ἐκείναις, ἐγένετο Πέτρον διερχόμενον διὰ πάντων κατελθεῖν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Λύδδαν. Εὗρεν δὲ ἐκεῖ ἄνθρωπόν τινα Αἰνέαν ὀνόματι, ἐξ ἐτῶν ὀκτὼ κατακείμενον ἐπὶ κραββάτῳ, ὃς ἦν παραλελυμένος. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Πέτρος, Αἰνέα, ἰᾶταί σε Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός ἀνάστηθι καὶ στρῶσον σεαυτῷ. Καὶ εὐθέως ἀνέστη. Καὶ εἶδον αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες Λύδδαν καὶ τὸν Ἀσσάρωνα, οἵτινες ἐπέστρεψαν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον. Ἐν Ἰόππῃ δέ τις ἦν μαθήτρια ὀνόματι Ταβηθά, ἣ διερμηνευομένη λέγεται Δορκάς αὕτη ἦν πλήρης ἀγαθῶν ἔργων καὶ ἐλεημοσυνῶν ὧν ἐποίει. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἀσθενήσασαν αὐτὴν ἀποθανεῖν λούσαντες δὲ αὐτὴν ἔθηκαν ἐν ὑπερῴῳ. Ἐγγὺς δὲ οὔσης Λύδδης τῇ Ἰόππῃ, οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀκούσαντες ὅτι Πέτρος ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῇ, ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτόν, παρακαλοῦντες μὴ ὀκνῆσαι διελθεῖν ἕως αὐτῶν. Ἀναστὰς δὲ Πέτρος συνῆλθεν αὐτοῖς ὃν παραγενόμενον ἀνήγαγον εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον, καὶ παρέστησαν αὐτῷ πᾶσαι αἱ χῆραι κλαίουσαι καὶ ἐπιδεικνύμεναι χιτῶνας καὶ ἱμάτια ὅσα ἐποίει μετʼ αὐτῶν οὖσα ἡ Δορκάς. Ἐκβαλὼν δὲ ἔξω πάντας ὁ Πέτρος θεὶς τὰ γόνατα προσηύξατο καὶ ἐπιστρέψας πρὸς τὸ σῶμα, εἶπεν, Ταβηθά, ἀνάστηθι. Ἡ δὲ ἤνοιξεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῆς καὶ ἰδοῦσα τὸν Πέτρον, ἀνεκάθισεν. Δοὺς δὲ αὐτῇ χεῖρα, ἀνέστησεν αὐτήν φωνήσας δὲ τοὺς ἁγίους καὶ τὰς χήρας, παρέστησεν αὐτὴν ζῶσαν. Γνωστὸν δὲ ἐγένετο καθʼ ὅλης τῆς Ἰόππης, καὶ πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον. The Gospel according to John 5:1-15 At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet." But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, 'Take up your pallet, and walk.' "They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 5:1-15 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἀνέβη ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. Ἔστι δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ιεροσολύμοις ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρα, ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Ἑβραϊστὶ Βηθεσδά, πέντε στοὰς ἔχουσα. ἐν ταύταις κατέκειτο πλῆθος πολὺ τῶν ἀσθενούντων, τυφλῶν, χωλῶν, ξηρῶν, ἐκδεχομένων τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος κίνησιν. ἄγγελος γὰρ κατὰ καιρὸν κατέβαινεν ἐν τῇ κολυμβήθρᾳ, καὶ ἐταράσσετο τὸ ὕδωρ ὁ οὖν πρῶτος ἐμβὰς μετὰ τὴν ταραχὴν τοῦ ὕδατος ὑγιὴς ἐγίνετο ᾧ δήποτε κατείχετο νοσήματι. ἦν δέ τις ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖ τριάκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη ἔχων ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ αὐτοῦ. τοῦτον ἰδὼν ὁ Ιησοῦς κατακείμενον, καὶ γνοὺς ὅτι πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ἔχει, λέγει αὐτῷ θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι; ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ὁ ἀσθενῶν Κύριε, ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔχω, ἵνα ὅταν ταραχθῇ τὸ ὕδωρ, βάλῃ με εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν ἐν ᾧ δὲ ἔρχομαι ἐγώ, ἄλλος πρὸ ἐμοῦ καταβαίνει. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ιησοῦς ἔγειρε, ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει. καὶ εὐθέως ἐγένετο ὑγιὴς ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἦρε τὸν κράβαττον αὐτοῦ καὶ περιεπάτει. ἦν δὲ σάββατον ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ Ιουδαῖοι τῷ τεθεραπευμένῳ σάββατόν ἐστιν οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἆραι τὸν κράβαττον. ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ ποιήσας με ὑγιῆ, ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει. ἠρώτησαν οὖν αὐτόν τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ εἰπών σοι, ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει; ὁ δὲ ἰαθεὶς οὐκ ᾔδει τίς ἐστιν ὁ γὰρ Ιησοῦς ἐξένευσεν ὄχλου ὄντος ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. μετὰ ταῦτα εὑρίσκει αὐτὸν ὁ Ιησοῦς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν σοί τι γένηται. ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἀνήγγειλε τοῖς Ιουδαίοις ὅτι Ιησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὸν ὑγιῆ. 2

3 Today's Events: Sunday School Award and Recogntion Day Philoptochos Graduation Bible Presented to High School Graduate Clayton Watters Coffee Hour hosted to celebrate Costa Constantinou's Birthday FUNDRAISING PROJECTS TO DATE: 2015 February 7 June 6-7 July 18 September 12 September 26 October 3 November 6 November December 6 December 12 Gyro Day Greek Festival Gyro Feast Yard Sale Fashion Show Chicken Dinners To-go Evening of Music Joint Philoptochos/PC Fundraiser Saint Barbara Celebration Banquet Holiday Greek Pastries January 16 Evening of Music January 30 Spaghetti Event February 20 Gyro Event June 4-5 Greek Festival July 23 Gyro Event October 1 Chicken Event September 24 Evening of Jazz 2016 ATTENTION SAINT BARBARA PARISH! Celebrate with your Church Family yournext special occasion! Consider sponsoring a coffee hour in the social hall after Liturgy on Sundays to commemorate a birthday, graduation, nameday, anniversary, or even for the pleasure of just hosting for your Parish. Signing up is easy...just place your name on the 'signup coffee hour' sheet located on the table in the hallway nearest the social hall. For details or questions, contact Helen Paliouras at: or elenipali@att.net 3 Worship Service Schedule for May of Sunday of the Paralytic - 9:00 am Sunday of the Samaritan Woman - 9:00 am -

4 Youth Dance Practice Schedule: The St. Barbara Greek Dance Troupe has completed 6 practices and has 6 remaining in order to prepare for this year s festival. Practices are immediately following church on Sundays. The remaining schedule is as follows: May 8, 15, 22 and 29 (May 29 contingent on everyone s availability due to the holiday weekend) Please make every effort to attend the remaining practices and block your calendars for the festival on June 4 and 5. If you have any questions please contact Alexia and Keith Rheinhardt at keithalexia@gmail.com or Philoptochos News and Updates: May Wednesday 4: Board Meeting 7pm Saturday 14: Blanket Making 1-3 Sunday 15/22: General Membership Meeting (*depends on last day of Sunday School*) Sunday * : Sunday School Award and Recognition Day* June Saturday 18: Blanket Making 1-3 Dues: for the current year are $30.00, checks should be made payable to St. Barbara Philoptochos. 4 WE NEED YOU as a STEWARD! Our Saint Barbara Church needs each and every family to join our Stewardship Program. Our goal is to have 150 Pledged Families in the Stewardship Program. As of April 24th we have 80 Pledged Families in our Stewardship Program. Please help us Reach our Goal.

5 AHEPA SPONSORS MOVIE NIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY! All our parishioners, families, and friends are most cordially invited to come and enjoy an AHEPA movie evening... on Friday, May 20 th, at St. Barbara s fellowship hall. Doors open at 6:30, the film screens about 7:00 PM. Pizza Palace will entertain the whole family : filmed in Baltimore s historic Greektown, this dramatic comedy of ethnic discovery and family conflict centers on teenager Alex, whose summer of fun was cut short when his father forces him to work. At the Pizza Palace, owned by Greek immigrant George, Alex meets co-worker Vasili, a gambler with an eye for women, as well as the striking college girl Marina. Several unforeseen conflicts develop and offer a menu of delightful slices of American life with Greek toppings!! Admission free voluntary donations only. enjoyable evening Free sweet and salty movie snacks, including pop-corn. Come and have an 5

6 Festival News and Information Our much-anticipated Greek Festival, June 4 & 5, is fast approaching. This annual event is not only a valuable source of funds to support St. Barbara, it also offers the opportunity to showcase our beautiful Church and our Orthodox Christian faith. We need everyone s help to make this event a success! Please sign up at the Festival Volunteer Table at the upcoming coffee hours following the Divine Liturgy. Helpers are needed in the following areas: Tues., May 31: Food prep Wed., June 1: Food prep Thur., June 2: Food prep; set up vendor areas Fri., June 3: Sat., June 4 & Sun., June 5: Set up tables, chairs, and grills Monitor parking, serve as cashiers, clean tables, and work the grill, baklava sundae, and Taverna areas. If you will not be available to help during the Festival, please consider donating (by check) to cover some of our expenses such as: $30 for a case of pita bread, $60 for a bucket of feta cheese, $80 for a pail of olives, $300 for 100 street signs to help advertise our Festival, $300 for covering the cost of printing the RAFFLE tickets $1,300 for covering the rental cost of the Dance Floor. Finally, please consider buying or selling raffle tickets to support St. Barbara! One ticket costs $5, and for a book of 5 tickets you pay only $20. RAFFLE prizes are $1,000, $500, and $250, and will be awarded Sunday evening at the Festival. Please see Pete Marinos for raffle tickets. 6 Let us all show our support for St. Barbara! The Festival Committee

7 Ὁ Κύριος βλέπει τὸν ἀγώνα μας Ἰδιαίτερα παρήγορο καὶ ἐλπιδοφόρο εἶναι τὸ θαῦμα ποὺ μᾶς παρουσιάζει ἡ σημερινὴ εὐαγγελικὴ περικοπή. Ἡ σκηνὴ ἐκτυλίσσεται στὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, σὲ κάποια μικρὴ λίμνη μὲ τὸ ὄνομα «Βηθεσδά», ἡ ὁποία βρισκόταν κοντὰ στὴν πύλη τοῦ - τείχους ἀπ ὅπου περνοῦσαν τὰ πρόβατα. Γύρω ἀπὸ τὴ λίμνη αὐτὴ ἦταν πέντε θολωτὰ ὑπόστεγα, ὅπου ἔβλεπε κανεὶς ἕνα θέαμα τραγικό: πλῆθος ἀσθενῶν, τυφλῶν, χωλῶν καὶ ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων ποὺ ἔπασχαν ἀπὸ κάποια παραλυσία. Ἦταν σωριασμένοι κάτω ἀπὸ τὰ ὑπόστεγα καὶ περίμεναν. Τί περίμεναν;... Τὸ θαῦμα! Διότι κατὰ καιροὺς συνέβαινε κάτι ἐκπληκτικό: ἄγγελος κατέβαινε ἀπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸ καὶ «ἐτάρασσε τὸ ὕδωρ». Καὶ τότε ὅποιος - προλάβαινε πρῶτος νὰ μπεῖ στὴ λίμνη, ὅποια ἀρρώστια κι ἂν εἶχε, γινόταν ἀμέσως ὑγιής! Ἀνάμεσα λοιπὸν σ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς ἦταν κι ἕνας ἄνθρωπος «τριάκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη ἔχων ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ αὐτοῦ» παράλυτος ἐπὶ 38 χρόνια! Λίγοι μποροῦν νὰ καταλάβουν τί σημαίνει γιὰ ἕναν ἄνθρωπο νὰ ὑπομένει τέτοια μακροχρόνια ἀσθένεια. Ὡστόσο ὁ παντογνώστης Κύριος, ποὺ γνωρίζει τὴν κάθε λεπτομέρεια τῆς ζωῆς μας καὶ τὰ μυστικὰ βάθη τῶν καρδιῶν μας, εἶδε τὸν παράλυτο αὐτὸ καὶ γνώριζε ὡς Θεὸς ὅτι πολὺ καιρὸ δοκιμάστηκε, «...πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ἔχει». Γιὰ νὰ τὸν βοηθήσει ὅμως νὰ ἐκδηλώσει τὴν πίστη του, τὸν ρώτησε: Θέλεις νὰ γίνεις καλά;... Τότε ὁ παράλυτος ἐξέφρασε σεμνὰ τὸ παράπονό του: «Κύριε, ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔχω» δὲν ἔχω κάποιον νὰ μὲ βοηθήσει νὰ τρέξω στὴ λίμνη, ὅταν ταράζεται τὸ νερό, κι ἐνῶ ξεκινῶ, πάντοτε κάποιος ἄλλος μὲ προλαβαίνει. Πόσο ἀγώνα καὶ ὑπομονὴ ἔκανε αὐτὸς ὁ ἄνθρωπος! Γι αὐτὸ καὶ ὁ Κύριος τὸν πρόσεξε ἰδιαιτέρως καὶ πρόσταξε νὰ γίνει τὸ θαῦμα: Σήκω ἐπάνω, τοῦ εἶπε, «ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει»! Κι ἀμέσως ὁ παράλυτος σηκώθηκε ὑγιής, πῆρε τὸ κρεβάτι του κι ἄρχισε νὰ περπατᾶ! Δὲν εἶναι τυχαῖο τὸ ὅτι ὁ Θεάνθρωπος μέσα ἀπ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀσθενῶν τῆς Βηθεσδᾶ ξεχώρισε ἐκεῖνον τὸν παράλυτο. Ὁ Κύριος ὡς παντεπόπτης γνωρίζει τὸν κόπο, τὸν πόνο καὶ τὶς δυσκολίες τοῦ κάθε ἀνθρώπου. Ἀφουγκράζεται τὶς ἀνησυχίες μας καὶ παρακολουθεῖ μὲ ἐνδιαφέρον καὶ ἀγάπη τὸν ἀγώνα μας. Καὶ ὅποια δοκιμασία ἐπιτρέπει, τὴν ἐπιτρέπει γιὰ τὴν ψυχική μας ὠφέλεια. Διότι, ὅπως εἶπε στὴ συνέχεια καὶ στὸν παράλυτο, πιὸ σημαντικὴ ἀπὸ τὴν ὑγεία τοῦ σώματος εἶναι ἡ ὑγεία τῆς ψυχῆς. 2. Ὅταν ἡ ὑγεία βλάπτει... Ὁ πρώην παράλυτος περπατοῦσε πλέον ὑγιὴς κρατώντας στὰ χέρια τὸ κρεβάτι του. Ἐπειδὴ ὅμως ἦταν ἡμέρα Σαββάτου, διαμαρτυρήθηκαν κάποιοι Ἰουδαῖοι τάχα γιὰ παράβαση τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἀργίας. Ὡστόσο ὁ πρώην παράλυτος τοὺς ἀπάντησε ἀφοπλιστικά: Ἐκεῖνος ποὺ μὲ θεράπευσε, Ἐκεῖνος μοῦ εἶπε νὰ σηκώσω τὸ κρεβάτι μου καὶ νὰ φύγω. Καὶ ποιὸς εἶναι αὐτός; τὸν ρώτησαν. Τί νὰ τοὺς ἀπαντήσει;... Πραγματικὰ δὲν ἤξερε νὰ τοὺς πεῖ ποιὸς εἶναι, διότι ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶχε ἐξαφανιστεῖ μέσα στὸν ὄχλο, πρὶν προλάβει νὰ Τὸν γνωρίσει καλά. Ὅμως κάποια μέρα ποὺ βρισκόταν μέσα στὸν ἱερὸ περίβολο τοῦ Ναοῦ, τὸν βρῆκε ὁ Κύριος καὶ τοῦ εἶπε: «ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε» κοίταξε, τώρα εἶσαι πλέον ὑγιής. Πρόσεξε λοιπὸν ἀπὸ δῶ καὶ πέρα νὰ μὴν ἁμαρτάνεις πιά, γιὰ νὰ μὴν πάθεις τίποτε χειρότερο. Κι ὁ ἄνθρωπος αὐτός, ἀφοῦ ἄκουσε προσεκτικὰ τὴ συμβουλὴ τοῦ Κυρίου, πῆγε στὴ συνέχεια καὶ συνάντησε τοὺς Ἰουδαίους καὶ τοὺς ἀνήγγειλε ὅτι ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶναι Αὐτὸς ποὺ τὸν θεράπευσε. Εἶναι πραγματικὰ ἀξιοπρόσεκτη ἡ συμβουλὴ τοῦ Κυρίου στὸν ἄνθρωπο τὸν ὁποῖο εἶχε θεραπεύσει: «μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε». Πρόσεξε! τοῦ εἶπε. Πρόσεξε νὰ μὴν ἁμαρτάνεις πλέον, διότι εἶδες τὰ ἀποτελέσματα τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Φαίνεται ὅτι ὅλη αὐτὴ ἡ δοκιμασία τοῦ παραλύτου ἦταν συνέπεια τῆς προηγούμενης ἁμαρτωλῆς ζωῆς του. Καὶ πράγματι, συμβαίνει μερικὲς φορὲς νὰ ἐπιτρέπει ὁ Θεὸς κάποια ἀσθένεια ἢ κάποια ἄλλη θλίψη, προκειμένου νὰ μετανοήσουμε. Γιὰ νὰ μᾶς γλυτώσει ὁ πανάγαθος Θεὸς ἀπὸ τὴν αἰώνια καταδίκη, μᾶς προειδοποιεῖ μὲ κάποιες δοκιμασίες καὶ μᾶς καλεῖ σὲ μετάνοια καὶ διόρθωση. Μᾶς στερεῖ προσωρινὰ τὴν ὑγεία τοῦ σώματος, γιὰ νὰ βροῦμε τὴν ὑγεία τῆς ψυχῆς! Αὐτό, βέβαια, δὲν σημαίνει ὅτι κάθε δοκιμασία εἶναι συνέπεια προσωπικῶν μας ἁμαρτιῶν. Διότι καὶ οἱ Ἅγιοι δοκιμάζονται γιὰ νὰ ἐξαγιασθοῦν ἀκόμη περισσότερο. Ὡστόσο εἶναι ὠφέλιμο πάντοτε νὰ καλλιεργοῦμε τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς μετανοίας. Τὸ πιὸ σημαντικὸ δὲν εἶναι νὰ ἔχουμε τὴν ὑγεία τοῦ σώματος ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑγεία τῆς ψυχῆς. Ἂς καθαρίζουμε λοιπὸν τοὺς ἑαυτούς μας ἀπὸ τὸν μολυσμὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, γιὰ νὰ ἀπολαμβάνουμε τὴν κοινωνία μὲ τὸν Θεό, τὴν πηγὴ τῆς ἀληθινῆς χαρᾶς καὶ εὐτυχίας. Ορθόδοξο Περιοδικό Ο ΣΩΤΗΡ 7

8 Sunday of the Paralytic HIEROSCHEMAMONK AMBROSE (FORMERLY FR. ALEXEY) YOUNG 14 MAY 2011 Today is called the Sunday of the Paralytic in the Orthodox liturgical calendar. It is so called because of the Gospel appointed to be read today, John 5:1, which recounts the healing by our Lord Jesus Christ of a paralytic at the Sheep Pool, called Bethesda. It is located in a Muslim quarter of Jerusalem, just behind the beautiful crusader church of St. Anna, which stands next to the site of the house in which the parents of the Theotokos lived, and where the Virgin Mary was also born. There is a back story here. As you know, in the first century the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and so, until the 19th century, there was no visible, above-ground evidence for this pool. As a result, skeptical biblical scholars decided that both the place and the and the story in the Gospel were fiction; this Gospel, they maintained (without any actual evidence, I may say) was actually written long after St. John s death and by someone who wasn t familiar with the layout and geography of Jerusalem in the time of Christ. But then, however, archaeologists discovered the ruins under much rubble of a holding tank that exactly corresponds to the Pool of Bethesda in St. John s account! Further digging confirmed this. Of course this didn t stop the skeptics, who have continued to maintain their impious and even unscientific views of Scripture in general. But the ruins of the pool are there: and it has been verified by scientists to be the real McCoy; you can go there and pray and read the account of the healing of the paralytic on the spot where it happened! It s also called the Sheep Pool, by the way, because this was the place where sheep that were to be sacrificed in the nearby Temple were washed and inspected to be sure that they were without blemish. There were also five porches or porticos around the pool, and in the shelter of these marble porches great numbers of the sick and diseased gathered, waiting for what was called the troubling of the water. What was this about, this troubling of the water? According to Jewish belief, once a year an angel would descend and stir up the waters, and the first person to get into the water when the angel did this, would be healed. According to the Orthodox patristic tradition, there is more to this story. Our Holy Fathers teach us that when Adam was expelled from Eden he took with him two seeds from the Tree of Life. One of these seeds he planted in what was much later to become a suburb of Jerusalem. This seed grew into the tree that became the wood of the Cross, and this spot is marked today by an Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Holy Cross. The other seed, however, was dropped accidentally by Adam, and the waters of a spring immediately came to the surface and hid it; in time this became what we call the Pool of Bethesda, or the Sheep Pool. And thus, each year, on the anniversary of Adam s having dropped this seed there, an angel from heaven descended and stirred the water into a whirlpool, seeking the seed. But of course the action of a holy angel is filled with grace grace so strong that it could heal someone of even a dire or terminal illness. This is the back story to this Gospel account. (Of course modern bible scholars discount all of this because they discount anything that is miraculous.) And this back story has taken up most of my sermon this morning. But there is one other thing I need to point out before concluding, and that is this: THE LORD S HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC REMINDS US MOST FORCEFULLY THAT ALL OF US, TO ONE DEGREE OR ANOTHER, AND IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, ARE ALSO PARALYZED NOT NECESSARILY PHYSICALLY, BUT SPIRITUALLY, AND SOMETIMES ALSO INTELLECTUALLY AND MENTALY. Let me explain. People who are not open to knowledge and learning and new ideas are intellectually paralyzed and, I m afraid, this describes the majority of people in our society and culture today, including many of those who attend our very left-leaning and agnostic colleges and universities and are considered educated. These are people who have turned their backs on Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and they have closed their minds to the miraculous and the Church which was established upon the faith of St. Peter and the other Apostles. And then there are those who are mental paralyzed those suffering from mental illnesses and from advanced forms of dementia. And finally, there are those who are us, we are spiritually paralyzed and that describes the majority of us, we who make little or no effort to appeal to the Lord for healing of our spiritual illnesses and ailments. We who make little or no attempt to cooperate with the powerful grace and energy that God sends to us every day and which we turn away from; we who confess our sins and then turn right around and do them all over again, demonstrating our complete lack of repentance and determination to change. WE SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN, OR DON t BELIEVE, THAT THE LORD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ANY AND ALL DIFFICULTIES AND ILLNESSES. AND THIS GOSPEL ACCOUNT SHOWS THAT HE IS ALOS SOVEREIGN OVER SINS. Remember, in this particular healing, Christ says that the man s paralysis is the result of his sins and that if he continues to sin, an even worse malady will come upon him. Now, not all physical illness is the result of sin, but this Gospel lets us know that some illness is! However, brothers and sisters, we can know for sure that all spiritual illness is the result of sin. Sins that we repeatedly commit; sins with which we do even struggle; sins that we do not seek the Lord s strength to deal with; sins that we justify to ourselves and others all of these plant a seed of spiritual disease that grows and increases all through our lives, becoming stronger and stronger, greater and greater in their size and ability to corrupt us unless, that is, we finally humble down and seek the Lord s healing. Of course, we can receive healing and grace and strength through the traditional channels of grace, which are the sacraments or Holy Mysteries of the Church in particular worthilyreceived Holy Communion and sincere and frequent Confession. But we must never overlook the fact that our Lord can and often acts directly on the human soul. This direct contact between the Lord Jesus Christ and a troubled soul is often overlooked, underestimated, or ignored. But this contact, this healing, comes specifically through an active and mature prayer life and through a broken heart, a heart that realizes, finally, that it can do nothing for itself without Christ, as the Psalm says, a broken and a contrite heart, God will not despise. Source: The Entrance of the Theotokos Skete" 8