Κυριακὴ Ἁγίας Μαρίας τῆς Αἰγυπτίας,Μητροπολίτης Sourozh Aντώνιος

Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ἀμήν.

Ἑβδομάδα μ’ ἑβδομάδα νοιώθουμε ὅτι πλησιάζουμε ὁλοένα τὴν ἔνδοξη Ἀνάσταση τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ μᾶς φαίνεται ὅτι κινούμαστε γρήγορα, ἀπὸ Κυριακὴ πρὸς Κυριακή, πρὸς τὴν ἡμέρα ποὺ κάθε φόβος, κάθε φρίκη θὰ χαθεῖ.

Κι ὅμως τόσο εὔκολα ξεχνᾶμε ὅτι πρὶν φτάσουμε τὴν ἡμέρα τῆς Ἀνάστασης, πρέπει μαζὶ μὲ τὸν Χριστό, μαζὶ μὲ τοὺς Ἀποστόλους Του, νὰ βαδίσουμε τὴν ὁδὸ τῆς Σταύρωσης. «Ἰδού, ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου θὰ παραδοθῆ εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ θὰ Τὸν σταυρώσουν, καὶ τὴν τρίτην ἡμέραν θὰ ἀναστηθεῖ». Ὅλοι ξέρουμε ὅτι θὰ ἀναστηθεῖ, ἀλλὰ ἔχουμε πότε ἀναρωτηθεῖ πῶς γύρισαν οἱ μαθητές Του στὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ξέροντας ὅτι ἡ Σταύρωση ἦταν κοντά; Κινοῦνταν φοβισμένοι. Δὲν εἶχαν ὡριμάσει τόσο, ὥστε νὰ εἶναι ἐκεῖνοι ποὺ καὶ τὴν ζωή τους θὰ ἔδιναν γιὰ νὰ διαδοθεῖ τὸ μήνυμα τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Κινοῦνταν μὲ φόβο. Ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς τοὺς εἶπε νὰ γυρίσουν στὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ, τὴν πόλη ποὺ εἶχε ἀρνηθεῖ τὸν Χριστό, βάζοντας τὴν ζωή Του σὲ κίνδυνο, ἐκεῖνοι Τοῦ εἶπαν: «ἂς μὴν πᾶμε..», καὶ μόνον ἕνας μαθητής, ὁ Θωμᾶς, εἶπε: «..Ὄχι. Ἂς πᾶμε μαζί Του, κι ἂς πεθάνουμε μαζί Του…»

Ὁ μαθητὴς εἶναι ἐκεῖνος, ποὺ ἀνόητα πιστεύω, ὀνομάσαμε Ἄπιστο: ὁ μόνος ποὺ δὲν ἦταν ἕτοιμος νὰ δώσει τὴν ἐμπιστοσύνη του, τὴν πίστη, τὴν ζωή του, τὸ αἷμα του, χωρὶς βεβαιότητα. Ἀλλὰ ἡ καρδιὰ του ἦταν ἀνεπιφύλακτα δοσμένη στὸν Χριστό. Πόσο ὑπέροχο νὰ εἶναι κάποιος ἕνας τέτοιος ἄνθρωπος! Ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ὑπόλοιποι μαθητὲς δὲν θὰ ἐγκαταλείψουν τὸν Χριστό. Θὰ βαδίσουν μαζί Του πρὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ.

Ἔχουμε σήμερα ἀκόμα τὸ παράδειγμα ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ποὺ ζοῦσε μιὰ τραγωδία πρὶν συναντήσει τὸν Χριστό. Εἶναι ἡ Μαρία ἡ Αἰγυπτία. Ἦταν ἁμαρτωλή. Ἦταν πόρνη. Δὲν πίστευε στὸν Θεό, οὔτε μὲ τὴν ψυχή, οὔτε μὲ τὸ σῶμα. Δὲν εἶχε σεβασμὸ σὲ αὐτὸ τὸ σῶμα ποὺ ὁ Θεὸς ἔχει δημιουργήσει, οὔτε σ’ αὐτὴ τὴν ψυχή. Κι ὅμως ἦρθε, μὲ τραγικὸ τρόπο, ἀντιμέτωπη μὲ τὸ γεγονὸς ὅτι δὲν ὑπῆρχε τρόπος νὰ τῆς ἐπιτραπεῖ ἡ εἴσοδος στὸν Ναὸ ἐκτὸς ἂν ἀπέρριπτε τὸ κακὸ καὶ διάλεγε τὴν ἁγνότητα, τὴν μετάνοια, τὴν νέα ζωή.

Ἂς συλλογιστοῦμε τοὺς μαθητὲς ποὺ σχεδὸν ἱκέτεψαν τὸν Χριστὸ νὰ μὴν ἐπιστρέψει στὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐπειδὴ ἡ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἦταν μιὰ πόλη ὅπου ὅλοι οἱ προφῆτες εἶχαν πεθάνει, δὲν ἤθελαν νὰ πεθάνει ὁ Χριστός, καὶ φοβόντουσαν. Ἂς ἀναρωτηθοῦμε πόσο τοὺς μοιάζουμε. Ἂς ἀναρωτηθοῦμε εἰλικρινὰ σήμερα πόσο μοιάζουμε ἢ ὄχι στὴν ὁσία Μαρία τὴν Αἰγυπτία - τὴν Μαρία ποὺ εἶχε ζήσει τὴν ζωὴ της σύμφωνα μὲ τοὺς τρόπους καὶ τὶς ἐπιθυμίες της, παρασυρόμενη ἀπ’ ὅλους τοὺς πειρασμοὺς τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς· καὶ μία μέρα συνειδητοποίησε ὅτι στὴν κατάσταση ποὺ ἦταν δὲν μποροῦσε νὰ εἰσέλθει στὸν ναὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Πόσο εὔκολα μπαίνουμε ἐμεῖς στὸ ναὸ, ξεχνώντας τόσο εὔκολα ὅτι ἡ ἐκκλησία εἶναι ἕνα μικρὸ κομμάτι τοῦ κόσμου ὁ ὁποῖος ἔχει ἐπιλέξει νὰ ζεῖ ἀποκομμένος ἀπὸ τὸν Θεό, ποὺ ἔχει ἀπορρίψει τὸν Θεό, ἔχει χάσει τὸ ἐνδιαφέρον του γι’ Αὐτόν• κι ὅτι οἱ λίγοι πιστοὶ δημιουργήθηκαν ἀπὸ τὸν Θεὸ σὰν καταφύγιο - ναί, ἡ ἐκκλησία εἶναι ἡ πληρότητα τοῦ Παραδείσου, καὶ τὴν ἴδια στιγμὴ ἕνα τραγικὸ καταφύγιο, τὸ μόνο μέρος ποὺ ἔχει δικαίωμα νὰ βρίσκεται ὁ Θεὸς ἐπειδὴ εἶναι καταζητούμενος. Κι ὅταν ἐρχόμαστε ἐδῶ, μπαίνουμε στὸ βασίλειο τοῦ Θεοῦ. Θὰ πρέπει νὰ ἐρχόμαστε μὲ μία αἴσθηση δέους ὄχι ἁπλὰ νὰ περπατᾶμε ἐκεῖ ὅπως σ’ ἕνα ἄλλο μέρος, ἀλλὰ σ’ ἕναν τόπο ποὺ εἶναι ἤδη τὸ Βασίλειο τοῦ Θεοῦ. 

Ἂν εἴχαμε αὐτὴν τὴν διάθεση, ὅταν ἐρχόμαστε στὴν πόρτα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, θὰ μπορούσαμε νὰ εἴμαστε, ἂν καὶ ἀσήμαντοι, σὰν τὴν Μαρία τὴν Αἰγυπτία. Θὰ σταματούσαμε καὶ θὰ λέγαμε, «πῶς μπορῶ νὰ μπῶ στὸν ναό;» Καὶ ἂν τὸ κάναμε αὐτὸ ὁλόψυχα, μὲ μιὰ καρδιὰ συντετριμμένη, μὲ μιὰ αἴσθηση τρόμου ἀπὸ τὸ γεγονὸς ὅτι εἴμαστε τόσο μακρυὰ ἀπὸ τὸν Θεό, τόσο ξένοι, τόσο ἄπιστοι, τότε θὰ ἄνοιγαν οἱ θύρες, καὶ θὰ βλέπαμε ὅτι δὲν βρισκόμαστε ἁπλὰ σ’ ἕναν μεγάλο χῶρο περιτριγυρισμένο ἀπὸ τοίχους, ἀλλὰ βρισκόμαστε σ’ ἕναν τόπο ποὺ εἶναι ὁ Παράδεισος τοῦ Θεοῦ ποὺ ἦλθε στὴν γῆ. 

Ἂς μάθουμε ἀπὸ αὐτὴ τὴν ἐμπειρία τί σημαίνει νὰ προχωρᾶμε βῆμα-βῆμα πρὸς τὴν Ἀνάσταση, ἐπειδὴ γιὰ νὰ φτάσουμε στὴν Ἀνάσταση πρέπει νὰ περάσουμε μέσα ἀπὸ τὸν Γολγοθᾶ, πρέπει νὰ περάσουμε ἀπὸ τὴν τραγωδία τῆς Μ. Ἑβδομάδας καὶ νὰ τὴν κάνουμε δική μας, μετέχοντας μὲ τὸν Χριστό, τοὺς μαθητές Του καὶ τὰ πλήθη ὁλόγυρα, στὸν φόβο, στὸν τρόμο αὐτοῦ τοῦ γεγονότος· κι ἐπίσης νὰ τὸ ζήσουμε σὰν μιὰ φωτιὰ ποὺ θὰ κατακάψει ὅ,τι εἶναι εὐτελὲς γιὰ τὸν Θεὸ καὶ θὰ μᾶς καθαρίσει. Κι ἴσως μία μέρα, ὅταν ἡ φωτιὰ θὰ ἔχει κατακάψει ὅ,τι δὲν εἶναι ἄξιο γιὰ τὸν Θεό, καθένας ἀπὸ μᾶς ἴσως γίνει μιὰ εἰκόνα τῆς φλεγομένης βάτου, πυρακτωμένης ἀπὸ τὴν θεία φλόγα καὶ μὴ καιομένης, ἐπειδὴ θὰ εἶχε ἀπομείνει σὲ μᾶς μόνο ὅ,τι θὰ ἐπιβίωνε ἀπὸ τὴν θεϊκὴ φωτιά. Ἀμήν.

Ἀπόδοση Κειμένου: www.agiazoni.gr




Πρωτότυπο Κείμενο



Sunday of St Mary of Egypt
16th April 2000

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Week after week we feel that we are coming closer and closer to the glorious Resurrection of Christ. And it seems to us that we are moving fast, from Sunday to Sunday as it were, to the day when all horrors, all terrors, will have disappeared.

And yet so easily do we forget that before we reach the day of the Resurrection we must, together with Christ, together with His apostles, tread the road of the Crucifixion. 'So we are ascending to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they shall crucify Him, and the third day He will rise’. All we notice is that He will rise. But do we ever think of the way in which the disciples went to Jerusalem, knowing that the Crucifixion was at hand? They were moving in fear. They were not yet mature enough to be those who would give their lives for the message to be spread. They were moving in fear. When Christ told them that they would go now to Jerusalem, return to the city which had then renounced Christ, put Him into danger of His life, they said to Him, 'Let us not go.' And only one disciple, Thomas, said, 'No. Let us go with Him, and die with Him.'

This disciple is the one whom, foolishly I believe, we call the Doubter: the one who was not prepared to give his trust to God, his faith, his life, his blood, without certainty. But his heart was unreservedly given to Christ. How wonderful to be such a man! But the other disciples would not desert Christ. They walked towards Jerusalem.

And we have today another example of one who went through a tragedy before they met Christ. It is Mary of Egypt. She was a sinner. She was a harlot. She was unfaithful to God in her soul and in her body. She had no reverence for this body which God had created and this soul. And yet she was tragically confronted with the fact that there was no way for her into the temple of God unless she rejected evil and chose purity, repentance, newness of life.

Let us reflect on the disciples who almost begged Christ not to return to Jerusalem, because Jerusalem was a city where all prophets had died; and they did not want Christ to die, and they were afraid. Let us ask ourselves how much we resemble them. And let us ask ourselves freely today how do we resemble, or not, Mary of Egypt - Mary who had lived her life according to her own ways and desires, followed all temptations of her body and soul; and one day realised that as she was, she could not enter the temple of God.

So easily do we enter the divine temple, forgetting so easily that the church into which we come is a small part of a world that has chosen to be alien to God, that has rejected God, lost interest in Him; and that the few believers have created for God a place of refuge - yes, the church is the fullness of Heaven, and at the same time a tragic place of refuge, the only place where God has a right to be because He is wanted. And when we come here, we enter into the divine realm. We should come into it with a sense of awe, not just walk into it as into a space but walk into it as a space which is already the divine Kingdom.

If we were in that mood we would, when we come to the doors of the church, be, however little, like Mary of Egypt. We would stop and say, 'How can I come in?' And if we did that with our whole heart, broken-heartedly, with a sense of horror of the fact that we are so distant from God, so alien, so unfaithful to Him, then the doors would open and we would see that we are not simply in a big space surrounded with walls but we are in a space which is God's Heaven come to earth.

Let us therefore learn from this experience what it means to go step by step towards the Resurrection, because in order to reach the Resurrection we must go through Calvary, we must go through the tragedy of Holy Week and make it our own, partaking with Christ and His disciples and the crowds around in the horror, the terror of it; and also experience it as a scorching fire that will burn in us all that is unworthy of God and make us clean. And perhaps one day, when the fire will have burnt everything which is not worthy of God, each of us may become an image of the burning bush, aflame with divine fire and not consumed, because only that which could survive the fire of God would have remained is us. Amen.