The Good Samaritan and Advent: Homily for the 23rd Sunday After Pentecost in the Orthodox Church

Gospel According to Luke 10: 25-37           

            I have a warning for you:  Christmas is now only forty-four days away.  And for most of us that means shopping, planning, travel, decorating, parties, and the busiest and most stressful time of the year.  Unfortunately, most of our activities over the next six weeks will have little to do with the true meaning of Christmas:  that the Son of God became a human being in order to bring us into the eternal life and joy of His kingdom.   So it is a blessing that we have the period of Advent, of the Nativity Fast, to prepare to celebrate this unbelievably good and joyful news.  For unless we prepare for Him through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, reconciliation, and repentance, we will not be ready to glorify Him at His birth.

            Our familiar gospel text today reminds us what it means to worship and receive the Christ who is born at Christmas.  One of the Pharisees, a religious lawyer, asked Jesus Christ what he needed to do in order to find eternal life.  He already knew the answer:  to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.  But this lawyer wanted to justify himself, he wanted to find a loophole to make it easier to meet God’s requirements.  So he said, “And who is my neighbor?”   Maybe he wanted to hear that only upstanding Jewish men like himself were worthy of his concern.  Maybe he wanted to hear that it was enough to take care of his family members, to love those who loved him. 

            Christ knew what the man was up to, so He told him a story in which a person whom the Jews loved to hate—a Samaritan—was the only one who helped a Jewish man who had been attacked, robbed, and left for dead by the side of the road.  Respectable Jewish leaders, a priest and a Levite, simply walked past the poor man and did nothing to help him.  But the hated Samaritan was unbelievably generous toward this man, cleaning his wounds, physically taking him to an inn, paying for his lodging, and promising to return to check on him. 

            After hearing this story, even the lawyer saw the point.  The Samaritan turned out to be the only one who was a neighbor to that Jewish man, for he alone showed mercy.  The Savior concluded, “Go and do likewise.”  In other words, anyone who is in need is your neighbor.  Show mercy to anyone who needs your help.  That’s what it means to love your neighbor as yourself.

            As we stand forty-four days before Christmas, we must all acknowledge that we have fallen short of fulfilling the Lord’s command.  Like the Pharisee, we want to define our list of neighbors narrowly so that we can feel as though we have already mastered God’s law.  It’s one thing if our children or parents or good friends need help, but what about someone whom we don’t particularly like or who is very different from us in religion, race, nationality, politics, lifestyle, or in some other way.  All too often, we use such excuses to convince ourselves that it really is a good thing to judge, hate, and ignore other people.  But when we do so, we turn away from the One who was judged, hated, and rejected by the religious leaders of His day, our Lord Jesus Christ.

            For the Fathers of the Church saw the Good Samaritan as image of the Son of God.  Purely out of love, He came to a world that rejected Him, that despised Him to the point that He was hung on a cross by those He came to save.  Like the Samaritan, He was hated by respectable, powerful people.  Yet He still became one of us, binding our wounds, giving life to the dead, and providing His Church as an inn, a hospital, in which we are healed and fulfilled by His boundless mercy and nourished by His own Body and Blood.   

            Also like the Samaritan, Christ made no distinction between different types of people.  The Samaritan knew that the Jewish crime victim probably hated him.  But he cared for him nonetheless. Likewise, our Lord was born, lived, died, rose again, and ascended into heaven for the salvation of all humanity.  Of the Jews and Romans who crucified Him, Christ said from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”   He is born at Christmas for the salvation of the entire world.   And though we cannot fully understand this truth, all mercy, love, and goodness that any human being has ever shown has been the work of Christ.  For He made us all in His image and likeness, and apart from Him no human being has any life or light.

            As we confess in our pre-communion prayers, we ourselves are the chief of sinners.   We must take care of the log in our own eye before worrying about the speck in our brother’s eye.  The more we grow in the Christian life, the more we will see that to judge others self-righteously is really only to judge ourselves and to reject the mercy and love of our Lord.  Instead of wasting time as the self-appointed judges of others, we should stay busy with the way of selfless, humble love and service that Jesus Christ has shown us.  We should care for others as the Samaritan cared for that Jewish man, who probably viewed him as an enemy.   

            You see, our faith calls us to prepare for Christmas in ways very different from what is common in our culture.  It’s not all about presents and purchases and parties and how to stuff ourselves without gaining weight.  Instead, it is about growing in the mercy and compassion of Christ; it is about manifesting the true love for God and neighbor by which participate in the eternal life of the Holy Trinity.  We should use the Nativity Fast, the weeks of Advent, to prepare as fully as we can to embrace the healing of our broken, corrupt humanity which Christ, the Second Adam, was born to restore.   For the Christian life is not a set of arbitrary rules or exercises.  Instead, it is the path by which sick, weak, battered, and discouraged people enter into the blessing and holiness for which we were created in the image and likeness of God.

            If you have not done so already, give prayerful attention to how you will devote time, energy, and attention to prayer, fasting, almsgiving, repentance, and reconciliation this Advent.  I would be glad to visit with you about how to use these practices in beneficial ways at this point in your spiritual journey.  Consider making an Advent wreath at home, lighting an additional candle each week as you pray and read Scripture. Devote at least a few more minutes a day to prayer and Bible reading.  When you are tempted to speak or act with hatred or judgment toward someone or to fall into despair or fear, say the Jesus Prayer, calling upon the Lord in humility for the calming of your inflamed passions.   Practice some form of fasting or self-denial in order to gain strength in fighting self-centered desires.  When you have the opportunity to help someone in any way, do so.  Bring some nonperishable food items for our Thanksgiving food drive and stay tuned for information on a similar drive for Christmas.  

            Are these small steps?  Of course they are.  They won’t magically change the world into a paradise.  But they will begin to change us by opening our lives bit by bit to the love which is our salvation, the love shown by the Good Samaritan, by our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.  We will celebrate His birth, His incarnation, in forty-four days.  Now we must prepare to receive Him by showing the same mercy to our neighbors that He has shown us.  And who is our neighbor?  Anyone who is in need.  When it comes to how we treat others, nothing else should matter at all.                   

            

Lazarus and the Rich Man: Homily for the 22nd Sunday After Pentecost in the Orthodox Church

St. Luke 16: 19-31

    

            I bet that every one of us can name some famous people who seem to be famous mostly because they are famous.  Some people make the news simply by being who they are for reasons that are beyond us.  For whatever reason, the names of celebrities are always well known.

            But it’s not the same for the humble and poor, for people who live on the streets or in shacks and who do not know where their next meal will come from.  Hundreds of millions of children in the developing world today do not have safe drinking water, adequate shelter, or health services.  Many of them end up like the poor man in today’s gospel lesson, begging desperately outside the home of a wealthy person, only to be ignored and to die without any human comfort.  The names of those who live such lives are rarely known or recorded.  The names, like the people, are usually thought to be unimportant and rarely make the news.

            How completely shocking it is, then, that our gospel text gives us the name of the poor beggar Lazarus, but leaves out the name of the rich man.  This detail shows us that God’s kingdom is not like worldly kingdoms, not like human society as we know it.  For the kind of wealth that makes people famous in this life counts for nothing in the next.  And the kind of humility, the kind of complete trust in God that the poorest of the poor are in the best position to have, counts for little in today’s world; yet, it is only by that kind of humble trust that anyone will enter the kingdom of God.

            No, the point is not that the rich will be damned and the poor will be blessed.  Instead, it is that there are strong and deep temptations associated with wealth, possessions, and success in this world. For if we love ourselves, our riches, and our status more than God and neighbor, no matter how much or little we have, we will shut ourselves out of the kingdom.  The name Lazarus means “One who has been helped,” and those whose miserable life circumstances do not encourage them to trust in money, power, or success are in a good position to learn that their help is in the Lord, in His mercy and love.

            The rich man never learned that lesson, however.  He wore only outrageously expensive clothes and had a great feast every day.  He must have known about the poor beggar Lazarus.  He probably stepped over or around him every time he went in or out of his house.   Here was a desperately poor man, lying on the ground, whose only comfort was the stray dogs who would lick his open sores.  All that Lazarus wanted were the crumbs that fell from the man’s table, you might say his garbage. But the rich man was so greedy and thoughtless that he apparently denied him even that.   Our Lord is quite clear about the consequences of such a life.  This man showed no mercy; he demonstrated no love for his wretched neighbor. Consequently, he cut himself off from the mercy and love of God.

            Quite different from this selfish man were the saints we commemorated on Thursday, the Holy Unmercenary Healers Cosmas and Damian.  They used the money they inherited from their parents to provide medical care without charge to the sick and needy.  Imagine that:  doctors who refused payment.  God worked many miracles through them, for they became channels of the Lord’s mercy and love to those with whom the Lord identified Himself:  the sick, the weak, the stranger, “the least of these my brethren.” 

            St. Paul’s famous words about love in 1 Corinthians 13 were lived out by these great saints.  We remember them precisely because of their love.  The Lord said that the greatest commandments are to love God all our heart, soul, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves.  And what greater sign of love is there than patiently and selflessly to ease the pain of others, to lighten their burdens, to heal their bodies, and restore them to health.  No, these men did not take credit for their work or think that they healed by their own power.   Instead, their lives were transformed by the healing energies of the Holy Spirit; they became channels of God’s mercy to suffering, desperate people.

            Saints Cosmas and Damian were completely different from the rich man who disregarded Lazarus.  They would have provided him their best care free of charge and done everything possible to nurse him back to health.  Their selfless love for Lazarus would have been an icon of the Kingdom of God in which those who wait humbly upon the Lord will not be disappointed.

            But we have to go beyond merely praising the memory of Sts. Cosmas and Damian.  We must venerate them not only with our words, but also with our deeds; namely, by following in their footsteps for the Lazaruses of our world and or our lives.  No, we are not all called to become physicians; we are not all called to give everything away to the poor.  But we are all called to live out the selfless love that Jesus Christ has brought to the world, the love that is patient and kind and free of envy; that rejoices in the truth and endures all things for the salvation of the world.  That kind of love never fails, for it has conquered death through our Lord’s crucifixion and glorious resurrection.

            Such love is not a feeling, an emotion, or a sentiment.  It is a commitment, a sacrifice, an offering of ourselves to God in the service of the living icons of Christ whom we encounter every day, namely every human being with whom we come in contact.  Unlike the rich man in the parable, we are not to be so fixated on ourselves that we ignore the needs of others.  None of us is rich and famous in the world, but we all have the opportunity, at the very least, to share the crumbs that fall from our tables with those who are hungry for them.

            As we prepare for the Nativity or Advent fast, we should plan on giving the money that we save by eating a humble diet to those who do not have the basic necessities of life.  That’s what we do as a parish through the “Food for Hungry People” collection during Lent.  Stay tuned for details on a food drive for Thanksgiving and for our plans to help a needy family at Christmas.   Think also of the crumbs, the small bits of time and energy, that we are all able to give:   to the sick and lonely who need visitors or at least a note or a phone call; to neglected children who need tutors and mentors; to pregnant women in difficult situations who need our support to help them welcome their babies; and to the countless other people in our own neighborhoods who need God’s blessing in their lives in a tangible, practical way.

            The hard truth is that, if we are not sharing our lives and blessings with others in some way, we will become just like the rich man who was too caught up with his own pleasure to worry about poor Lazarus.  We know where that path leads.  The good news is that Saints Cosmas and Damien have shown us a better way, the way of our Lord, which is open to us in every generation, in every walk of life, no matter how rich or poor we are.  For the money and power of the world will fade away; they do not last.  Only one thing lasts, and that is the selfless love of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ Who has conquered sin and death.  And we all have gifts and abilities that may become channels of His blessing and mercy to a world of people like Lazarus, whether their wounds are physical or spiritual or emotional. 

            Of course, we do not have to save the world; Christ has already done that.  We just have to be faithful:  to trust, believe, and follow our Savior in how we treat others.  He turned no one away empty-handed and neither should we.  If we claim His mercy and love for ourselves, we must show them to all who bear His image and likeness.  Let us be Christians not merely in name, but also in how we live, even when it is inconvenient.  Then we will become living icons of the salvation that Jesus Christ has brought to a world of sin and death, and the Lazaruses of the world will know that they too are the children of God.  And together with them, we will all share in the mercy of a Lord Who raises the dead, heals the sick, feeds the hungry, and makes even the most miserable people His blessed sons and daughters.        

                

Orthodox Thoughts on the 2012 Election

October 30, 2012 

V. Rev. Paul Jannakos

As Orthodox Christians we bear witness to Christ in all dimensions of life. This includes participation in civic life, where as citizens of this country we elect into office those who aspire towards the work of public service on both the local and federal levels.

We do not deny that the democratic electoral process is a wonderful gift given to us as citizens of the United States. We thereby vote for those whom we feel would best govern our lands according to the values and principles we esteem as believers.

As we approach the upcoming Election Day, it is beneficial to be reminded about several key issues regarding the Orthodox Church and its role in the social and political life of its faithful.

1) The starting point of our political involvement as Orthodox believers is a paradoxical one, which is that in relationship to the gospel of Christ, we have no absolute political “affiliation.” The true home of every Orthodox Christian is the Kingdom of Heaven, which in this age, stands over and above every earthly state. That the Kingdom of Christ is the only Kingdom that truly “reigns,” even in this fallen age, is why we pledge to it the totality of our lives. For as long as we live in this age, we are sojourners while on this earth and the only city (“polis”) that we can thus claim as our truest home is the Jerusalem from above – the “Heavenly Jerusalem.” “But the Jerusalem that is from above is free, and she is our mother.” (Galatians 4:26). The lives – and deaths – of all the Holy Martyrs testify to this fundamental teaching regarding the true nature of Christian citizenship.

2) In light of this, we should also refrain from permitting our worldview to be shaped or compromised by any social or political ideology, be it “conservatism,” or “capitalism,” or “liberalism,” or “libertarianism,” or “progressivism,” or “socialism,” or “feminism,” or “pluralism,” or “egalitarianism,” or “or any other “ism” whatsoever. Instead, the core beliefs, values, and morals that govern how we envision the “way things should be” in this world are shaped uniquely by the life and witness and teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church, which according to St. Paul is the “pillar and foundation of truth.” (1 Timonty 3:15). Again, St. Paul writes, “See to it, brethren, that no one takes you captive through philosophy or empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” (Colossians, 2:8).

3) Even so, this does not infer nor does it suggest that we as Orthodox Christians must completely divorce ourselves from participation in the civic life of the countries in which we live. We are in the world, yes, but we are not “of” the world. This means that we no longer belong to the world (i.e. the “society of men”), nor do we adhere to its fallen values and ideals. [For] I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:14,15).

Yet as long as we each are living in our own country and place, we do whatever we can in order to bear witness to the saving truth of the gospel. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16). Understood from this perspective, as Orthodox believers we are entitled to participate as fully as we possibly can in the social and political life of our country, especially when it comes to the work of the Church’s philanthropy. Members of the Body of Christ are likewise commanded to show our respect and give honor to those in political office, (See 1 Peter 2:17), and to pray for them during the Divine Liturgy – whether we agree with their political policies or not.

4) Here in America, the idea of separation between Church and State as envisioned in the Constitution does not mean that those of us who profess faith are to be excluded from political discourse simply because our societal sentiments are explicitly religious – as some currently assert. Separation of Church and state simply means that there will be no official “state church” that functions as a spiritual and moral guide of its people, as is the case in many European countries. (E.g., as the Anglican Church is in England).

As such, we are responsible for bearing witness to the truth of Christ in the public sphere, no matter how unpopular such a truth may be. We must not be silent in the face of injustice. We must never be afraid to speak against any disruption or violation of the public good. The Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in North America recently expressed the same by saying, “We call for responsibility by individuals, institutions and governments to ensure the welfare of every citizen. We must safeguard the sacrament of marriage in accordance with God’s will for the sacred union between man and woman and the sanctity of family as the fundamental nucleus of a healthy society. In this regard, we emphasize regular family worship, particularly at Sunday liturgy. We must strive to eliminate the violence proliferated against innocents of every kind, particularly of women and the unborn. Likewise, we must resist the wastefulness and greed that dominate our consumer society, confessing that our spiritual citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3.20) in order that our witness be characterized by the compassion and mercy as well as the generosity and philanthropy that distinguishes our God who loves humankind.”

In short, it is our duty to work towards the “leavening” of our American culture by promoting all that is holy, true, righteous, noble, beautiful, and life-giving. Orthodox Christians have engaged in this kind of positive witness in whatever lands they have dwelt for almost 2000 years, which is the legacy of St. Constantine and Helen, St. Vladimir of Russia, St. Sava of Serbia, St. Kosmos Aetolos of Greece, and St. Herman of Alaska, just to name a few.

5) Finally, as Orthodox Christians we should resist the fanaticism that some display in their politicking, whether it is on the “right” of the “left.” The Orthodox Church deplores those who use extremist language in order to advance any type of hateful, racist, or xenophobic ideologies. St. Paul writes, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer one another.” (Colossians 4:6). As American citizens we have the right to free speech, but this should never give us the leeway to vilify or slander ones neighbor simply because he or she may stand for a differing political view. Dialogue between political parties concerning social issues, mores and laws should remain open, forthright, and considerate.

As Orthodox believers we strive to do what we pray: to work for the peace and reconciliation of all human beings, beginning with our own families and in our own homes.

May God bless our nation with His peace and righteousness.

http://www.frpeterpreble.com/2012/10/orthodox-thoughts-on-the-2012-election.html

News from Christian Palestine: Dr. Maria Khoury's Speaking Tour

Dear Friends of Saint George Taybeh,

Praying and hoping all of you are safe and having a blessed day especially

everyone living in the East Coast following the news of Hurricane Sandy.

I hope to be in the Boston area myself  and promote especially 

"Christina Goes to the Holy Land." Thank you if you recommend this book 

to your local Sunday school programs since its very educational about the sacred

holy sites and walks the footsteps of Christ.  

I have listed general locations at the end of this email

where I will share my reflections as an Orthodox Christian and mother living

in Palestine where currently it is the olive picking season.  There is no place in the world

where land is so important and here in Taybeh we have over 30,000 olive trees to be picked.

That means most people, like my husband, wake up at 5 am to pick olives with their workers.

In other communities international and local activists are helping the farmers 

especially since there are many incidents where Israeli settlers prevent local people

from reaching their own farmlands and a great loss of Palestinian farmland because of

the Apartheid Separation Wall.  It is a bit outrageous to keep telling you the same old story

year after year.  

Please forgive me, also, because the other day you got

one of my personal emails that was not meant for the mailing list.  

Sorry I pushed the wrong button. 

Making this message longer I wanted to make sure you have heard that The Israeli authorities

held the exams send by the College Board for weeks, not releasing the tests to the offices of AMIDEAST in Ramallah

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/10/16/israel-sat-oped/

What do you think Israel is gaining by not allowing Palestinian students to take the SAT's?

with the love of Christ, maria

“Bless your persecutors; never curse them, bless them… Never pay back evil with evil… 

Never try to get revenge… Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.” 

(Romans 12:14-21).

Tree of Life Conference

 "Education: How Can We Embrace Our Common Humanity?"

Full details:  www.tolef.org

SATURDAY, NOV 3:   9:00 am Christ Episcopal Cathedral, Springfield, MA

SUNDAY, NOV 4:  1:30 pm First Congregational Church, Old Lyme, CT 

MONDAY, NOV 5:  5:30 pm Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT

WEDNESDAY, NOV 7:  6:15 pm Westminster Presbyterian Church, West Harford, CT

SATURDAY, NOV 10: 6 pm, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

 

SUNDAY, NOV 11: Liturgy/Sunday School at Holy Cross, Williamsport, PA

SUNDAY, NOV 11: 7 pm, Holy Trinity Church, State College

 

MONDAY, NOV 12: 7 pm, Holy Cross, Williamsport, PA

 

TUESDAY, NOV 13: Noon, St Tikhon's Seminary, South Canaan, PA

TUESDAY, NOV 13: 7 pm, Holy Annunciation Church, Berwick, PA

SUNDAY, NOV 18:  Liturgy/Sunday School St. George Cathedral, Springfield, MA

SUNDAY DEC 1:   12:00 to 2:30 pm St. Irenaeus Institute Family Advent program at

                                  St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, St. Louis, MO

Susan Haikalis Elected President of OCL

October 30, 2012 Leave a Comment

Susan Haikalis

Susan W. Haikalis of Walnut Creek, California was elected President of the Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) at their 25th Annual Conference in Washington DC this month.
Ms. Haikalis is a convert to Orthodoxy and has been involved in a number of groups supporting Administrative Unity of Orthodox Jurisdictions in the US. She participated in Boston with the original GOAL organization and has actively participated in attending OCL meetings for the past 15 years both contributing to discussions and educational programs as well as supporting her husband, Peter Haikalis, in his own leadership in OCL. Ms. Haikalis strongly believes that achieving administrative unity with Orthodox Jurisdictions in the US is critical for the survival of Orthodoxy for our children and future generations.
Ms. Haikalis has served on the Ascension Greek Orthodox Cathedral Philoptochos Board and as a Vice President of the Cathedral’s Parish Council. She has served on the Executive committee of the Cathedral’s Capital Campaign which has raised over 10 million dollars for a Chapel, Parking Facility and Platia. She has recently completed 3 years as the President of the Women’s Board of the Patriarch Athenagoras Institute at the Graduate Theological School in Berkeley, CA. The Women’s Board has an annual commitment to raise a minimum of $30,000 for the Institute which is the only Orthodox Graduate Program in the US with representatives from the multiple Orthodox jurisdictions in the US as faculty, members of the Board of Trustees as well as MA level students. The Institute is also the home for an Orthodox Christian Fellowship group for students.
Ms. Haikalis has spent over 45 years in health care settings, primarily hospitals and outpatient/Home Health, including mental health and developmental disabilities. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Masters in Social Work from New York University. As a health care administrator, she has developed linkages to community organizations such as the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Visiting Nurses/Hospice, and Regional Centers for the Developmentally Disabled, etc. At Mount Zion Medical Center in San Francisco, she was the administrator responsible for the first hospital based Skilled Nursing Facility in the City in the 1980’s and for over 5 years coordinated all the HIV/AIDS programs in the hospital including an outpatient clinic and an inpatient unit. She also directed the department of Patient and Family Services at Mount Zion and later at California Pacific Medical Center. Her hospital experience has included many years of working with The Joint Commission on meeting standards for a variety of different departments/programs.
From 1994 until 2002, Ms. Haikalis was the Director of Client Services and Treatment Support at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, a major AIDS service provider in the country. The program routinely provided services to over 2000 HIV+ clients each year. She presented papers at the International AIDS Conferences in Durbin, South Africa in 2000 and in Barcelona in 2002 on the impact of permanent housing on treatment adherence for patients with advanced HIV disease.
From 2002 to 2010, Ms. Haikalis was a social work consultant working with the HIV/AIDS Centers of Excellence in San Francisco, other HIV programs in the City and in Marin County HIV/AIDS programs. The San Francisco Bay Area programs provide a full spectrum of services needed by people with HIV/AIDS and her work was focused on improving access to health care, treatment adherence, case management, HIPPA compliance and chart documentation. Ms. Haikalis, as a licensed clinical Social Worker, also maintains a private practice focusing on clients who have difficulty negotiating the current health care system, including helping clients with SSDI and SSI applications.
Ms. Haikalis has served as the National President of the Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care and was founding President of the Social Work Health Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting education, training and research on issues that social workers can have an impact on in the US health care system.
Since 1965, Ms. Haikalis has been working closely with patients impacted by the health care system. Ms. Haikalis has participated as a member of the original Joint Commission Public Advisory Group and served as chair for four years. Helping people effectively use the health care system has been a professional lifetime goal. After retiring from full-time employment, Ms. Haikalis and her husband moved to Rossmoor and enjoy spending time with their two grandchildren (who live in Berkeley), singing in their Greek Orthodox Church Choir and traveling!
http://ocl.org/susan-haikalis-elected-president-of-ocl/?utm_content=plemasters%40mcm.edu&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Continued%2E%2E%2E&utm_campaign=%7EOCL%20Elects%20New%20President%7Econtent

Jairus and the Bleeding Woman: Homily for the 21st Sunday After Pentecost in the Orthodox Church

          Luke 8:41-56

          Sometimes we think that everyone has to approach God in exactly the same way.  After all, we are Orthodox Christians.  The Divine Liturgy and other services are set; they don’t change and are celebrated in by the Orthodox around the world.  Our beliefs were defined through ancient councils.  Our spiritual practices have been passed down over the centuries by countless generations.  The Holy Spirit has preserved our church in a unity that is unique among Christians.  But that unity doesn’t mean complete uniformity in the sense that we all must or should do exactly the same thing.  We are all distinct, free persons; and it’s as such that we will find God’s blessing and salvation in our lives.

            We read in today’s gospel passage about two very different people who approached Jesus Christ in different ways.   One was Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue.  He was an upstanding man in the Jewish community.  His position indicates that he had a good reputation and was thought to be a righteous man.  The other person was very different.  She was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, and had spent all her money on treatments that did not work.  Not only was she now poor, she was also considered unclean because of the flow of blood.  She was isolated:  anyone who had physical contact with her would also become unclean.  She could not even enter the Temple or have a normal social life.  She had been treated for twelve years as though we she was cut off from God and everyone else. 

            Jairus sought out the Lord and asked Him to heal his daughter, who was dying.  But the woman—whose name we do not know—could not bring herself to do even that.  She knew her place: a poor, isolated, unclean woman not worthy of the attention of the Messiah.  She couldn’t ask Him to lay hands on her for healing, for that would make Him unclean also.   She was surely embarrassed to discuss her medical condition with Him in the midst of a large crowd.  All that she could find the courage to do was to reach out anonymously and touch the hem of His clothing.  She had enough faith, enough hope, and enough courage to do that.

            And when she did, she was healed.  She had not made Him unclean; instead, He had made her well.  But she was scared to death when Jesus Christ asked, “Who touched me?”  She knelt down before the Lord in humility, and trembling with fear, confessed to Him-- and to the rest of the crowd—that she was the one.   Yes, she said out loud why she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And then the Lord said, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace.”   

            This story shows the tremendous mercy of our Lord.  This woman had not said a word to Christ and had not even identified herself to Him.  She didn’t ask Him to make a decision to help her.  She was probably too afraid and humble to do those things. But she did what she could, reaching out to Christ in faith.  The Son of God knew who had touched Him, of course, but asked who it was in order to give her an opportunity to confess her faith, to make clear to herself and to those in the crowd that our Lord’s healing mercy extended even to her, that His mercy overcomes all the uncleanness and misery of those who come to Him in humble repentance.   

            At different times in our lives, we will all identify this woman.  Perhaps we have a long-term struggle, a weakness or cross that we have borne for years.  Perhaps we wrestle with some deep embarrassment or humiliation in our lives that we are afraid to acknowledge even to God, let alone other people.  Maybe we have done or suffered something that makes us feel unclean or unworthy in our relationship.  Maybe we can’t find the words to express our pain even to God in prayer, much less to others.  We may feel cut off from the Lord and separated from family and friends.

            If that’s the case, we should follow this woman’s example of touching the hem of His garment, of reaching out to Christ for mercy, healing, strength, and forgiveness as best we can.  He will not embarrass us or send us away.  Instead, He will respond graciously, as He always did to humble, sincere people who came to Him with faith, love, and repentance.   We won’t make Him unclean; instead, He will make us His beloved sons and daughters.

            Jairus approached Jesus Christ differently, openly asking  Him to heal his dying daughter.  But his faith is then put to a very hard test.  For the girl dies, but the Lord says that she is only sleeping.  Everyone ridicules the Savior for this.  But Jairus somehow believed the astonishing word of the Lord:  “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 

            Can you imagine how hard it must have been for Jairus and his wife to hear this news and to believe in the Lord’s promise?  Their daughter had just died and the mourning had begun.  It was time to start getting ready for the funeral, and here was Christ saying that the girl would soon be alive again.  Their faith was put to the test, but they did believe.  And the Lord did as He said:  He gave them back their daughter alive and healthy.

            This healing was not as simple as Jairus had hoped.  He was probably used to getting what he wanted.  Surely if anyone deserved the help of the Messiah, it was an upstanding leader of the synagogue.  But just as Abraham’s faith was tested by the command to sacrifice Isaac, his faith is tested when—to all appearances—his daughter is dead and gone.  It is one thing to heal the sick, but quite another to believe that someone can raise the dead.  But probably with a great deal of fear and all kinds of doubts going through his head, Jairus believes.   He trusts as best he can.  And through his faith, the Lord works a great miracle.

            People are different.  We have distinct personalities, occupations, interests, and spiritual strengths and weaknesses.  But we can all have faith.  When we open the wounds and sorrows of our lives to Christ as best we can, He will hear us.  And He will respond in the way that is best for our salvation, for our growth in holiness.  No two people have exactly the same journey to the Kingdom.  No two people pray, fast, give alms,  forgive, and serve in precisely the same way.  Jairus and the woman with the flow of blood were very different people who approached Christ differently.  But the one constant factor is the mercy of our Lord, which extends to all who call upon Him from their hearts with humble trust.

            If you are prepared to receive Communion today, I urge you to approach the chalice with “the fear of God and faith and love.”  For we do not simply touch the hem of Christ’s clothing in the Eucharist or ask him to heal our sick child.  We do far more, for we eat His flesh and drink His blood.  We commune in the most intimate way possible with the One Who has conquered sin and death.  And we do so praying that Jesus Christ will heal the deepest wounds of our souls and make us participants in the eternal life of the Kingdom.  We receive Communion by name, as unique individuals whose only hope is in our Lord.   Jairus and the woman came to Him in faith as best they could.  We should do the same.         

Sometimes It's Best to Stay at Home: Homily for the 20th Sunday After Pentecost in the Orthodox Church

Epistle to the Galatians 1:11-19

Gospel According to St. Luke 8:27-39

           It’s usually more exciting to go off on a trip than it is to stay at home.  Travel gives us at least a bit of adventure, a change of scenery, that gets us out of our usual routine.  Sometimes if we stay in the same place too long, we get restless and long for something new.

            That’s how the man in today’s gospel lesson felt.  Jesus Christ had cast many demons out of him and had delivered him from a terrible existence.  The wretched man had been naked, living in a cemetery, with no family or friends.  Everyone was afraid of him, for even chains and shackles couldn’t control him when the demons took over.  After the Lord set him free, the man understandably wanted to leave town, to follow the One who had delivered him.  But Christ didn’t want him to do that.  Instead, he was to return to his own house and tell what great things God had done him.  So that’s what he did, he proclaimed throughout the whole city how the Lord had blessed him, had given him his life back.

            We can’t blame this poor fellow for wanting to move on.  He was certainly known in the country of the Gadarenes as that crazy man whom everybody feared.  That’s apparent from people’s reaction to the sight of him when he is finally clothed and in his right mind.  The people were afraid.  They even asked the Lord to depart because of it.  Perhaps this was some kind of trick.  Maybe he would become violent again at any moment.  The man knew that this was how people viewed him and was probably ashamed, as any of us would be in his situation.  So he wanted to put his hometown behind him and not look back.  He wanted simply to be with Jesus Christ, who was probably the only person who had shown him compassion and friendship in many years.

            But that wasn’t Christ’s plan.  He knew that the Gadarenes didn’t understand the Gospel.  He knew that they were so disturbed by the amazing changes in the man’s life that they couldn’t hear the word of the Lord.  So it was time for the Lord to leave, but the man who had been possessed by demons was to stay.  For eventually, people would see that the positive changes in this man were permanent.  Over time, they would get to know him and accept him.  And his new life would be living proof of Christ’s salvation.  He would be living evidence that God’s blessing and healing have come even to demon-possessed Gentiles of whom everyone was terrified.  He would be a living sign that the mercy of Christ extends to all and can heal even the worst wounds and diseases of our souls.

            Some are called to be itinerate evangelists, to travel from here to there proclaiming the Gospel; some are called to be physicians, nurses, teachers, or development workers in far-away lands.  But most of us are not.  Most of us are called, like the man in today’s lesson, to stay right where we are, among those who know us best—for good or for bad—to work out our salvation together with them.   Our challenge is to accept with humility the family, the church community, the job, the school, the friends, the neighborhood, the blessings and the challenges, that God in His providence has allowed us to face.  No, He is never the author of evil, but He calls us to put up with one another’s weaknesses with patience, perseverance, and forgiveness.  If we think that the grass is always greener somewhere else, we will never learn that we are members of a Body, that we are not isolated individuals, but members of one another in Christ.  Whether in church, family, work, school, or friendships, it’s by bearing with one another that we work through our difficulties and learn to stop thinking simply in terms of our own desires and agendas, but in terms of what is best for others with whom we share a common life.

            Staying put is often good, not only for our communities and relationships, but for ourselves.  The man who had been demon-possessed could have left his town and put that sad part of his life behind him.  It would be easier for him to forget his painful past by moving on.  But perhaps we kid ourselves when we think that it’s best to put the dark moments of our lives completely out of mind.  For they are reminders that we do not save ourselves, that we are always dependent upon the Lord’s mercy and blessing in our lives.  We are never self-sufficient as Christians, and our journey is not one of perfect success.  No, we should not obsess on our weaknesses, failures, and pains.  We should be grateful and joyful about God’s blessings in our lives.  But we should also acknowledge what our past sins reveal about us:  our weakness, our spiritual sickness, and the fact that we can easily fall back into the pit of our own corruption.  When we remember who we were, and where we are tempted to return, we are reminded to stay focused, to be on guard, and to be all the more thankful that the Lord has raised us up from our low estate.  It was true for the Gadarene demoniac, and it’s true for all of us who have put on the new life in Christ.  When we remember what it was like to wallow in the mire of our passions like pigs in mud, we will glorify with humility the One who set us free.

            Another reason for staying home was the impact that this man’s example would have on his friends and neighbors.  For there is no more powerful evidence of the truth of the Gospel, there is no stronger witness of Christ’s salvation, than a life transformed.  That poor man was so overwhelmed by evil that he had lost his identity as a person.  When the Lord asked him his name, the man replied, “Legion,” because he was filled with so many demons.  And, as we’ve seen, he acted like someone controlled by the forces of evil.  But after Christ delivered him, the man returned to a normal human life, clothed and in his right mind.  

            If he had left town, no one whom he met would have known about his past unless he mentioned it.  And even if he told them about it, the story would not be nearly as significant for them as it would be for the people in his hometown.  It’s one thing to hear about someone’s transformation.  It’s another to see it with your own eyes.  And it was only by staying home that this man was able to become a uniquely powerful icon of what Jesus Christ can do to heal and fulfill even the most miserable human being.

            Well, we haven’t been running around demon-possessed, naked, and out of our minds in cemeteries.  But we have all at times give into our temptations and allowed our passions to overtake us.  Though we may have repented and found God’s forgiveness, we can still be ashamed to see certain people or to be in situations that remind us of our failings.   Out of pride, we don’t want to be reminded of how we acted and how we may be tempted to act again. Granted, we shouldn’t put ourselves in situations of great temptation when we can avoid it.  But we also shouldn’t hide our light under a bushel; we should not allow pride to keep us from showing others to what the Lord has done for us.  Like the Gadarene demoniac, we should return to our house, our home, our neighborhood, our classroom, our workplace, our friendships, and become a living example of what Jesus Christ can do in the lives of sinners.

            Of course, some may be skeptical of us.  Some may even be afraid and ask us to leave, as they did to Christ Himself.  But with perseverance, humility, and love, we should focus on living with joy and gratitude the new life that the Lord has given us.  Others will see and take notice, and that’s how we will proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God even as we stay at home, giving thanks for the great things that Christ has done for us.  And then others will know that the Lord’s mercy, blessing, and healing are for you people just like you and me, right where we are.