REV. FR. MALEK RIHANI
St. Mary Orthodox Church
Palos Heights, IL
Having been a sinful woman, / you became a Bride of Christ through repentance. / Having attained the angelic life, / you defeated demons by the weapon of the Cross; / therefore, O most glorious Mary you are a Bride of the Kingdom.
— Kontakion: Tone 3
One of the best ways we Orthodox express our love for one another is with the words “Many Years.” We do this to wish each other as much time as possible to repent and to return to the graces of God on our journey to partake of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The fifth Sunday of Great Lent, and the story of St. Mary of Egypt, gives us another reminder of the importance of seeking repentance.
Like many of the great saints and prophets before her, Mary lived the worst possible life on earth. As a young person, she was set on destroying herself, and sought every opportunity to destroy the lives of others. But when she traveled to Palestine and tried to enter the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem, she felt an invisible force deny her. She that was a sinner and a destroyer of life was unable to enter and worship the Creator of life. In her role as a most loving mother, the Blessed Theotokos guided Mary of Egypt to a new life of continuous repentance, until Mary received her reward of eternal life.
As a child, I grew up in Jordan, about 60 miles from Jerusalem. I lived across the street from a refugee camp, and saw first-hand the deplorable conditions that refugees endure. IOCC is there on the ground assisting Jordan with the influx of refugees—results of ongoing conflicts in the region. I will always be grateful for the presence of IOCC, feeding the hungry and healing the sick. Let us strive to imitate St. Mary of Egypt and her continuous repentance, until divine peace is restored in the land of peace.
