Galatians 3.23-29

Luke 7.36-50

Hebrews 9.11-14

Mark 10.32-45

On this the fifth Sunday of Great Lent, the Church honors the memory of St Mary of Egypt. She lived in the sixth century. She is commemorated on April 1 as well. We know her story from St Zosimos, the hieromonk who encountered her in the desert beyond the Jordan. In years past, we have given the fifth Thursday evening of Great Lent to reading her story from the Synaxarion. It took us a little over an hour to read her story. None of us who attended the reading of her story left unmoved.

Her story is an icon of the Christian Faith, of Great Lent and Holy Pascha. Mary of Egypt was a wanton harlot from the age of 12; she was antiquity’s version of a ‘porn star’. She confessed to St Zosimas when he encountered her in the desert: ‘I am ashamed to recall how I ruined my maidenhood and, then, unrestrainedly and insatiably, gave myself up to sensuality.’ She lived, she confessed to St Zosimas, in that ‘vile condition’ for seventeen years.

And then, one summer, she fell in with a crowd going to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross. When she approached the church, however, an invisible force prevented her from entering through the doors. Several times she fought to enter the Church; each time she was repelled and found herself standing in the courtyard. Exhausted, she went aside to stand in a corner of the porch.

And then, with great difficulty, she began to understand why she was barred admittance to see the life-giving Cross.

 The word of salvation gently touched the eyes of her heart, and she stood, weeping. And then she saw above her the icon of the Theotokos, and she prayed: ‘Rightly do I inspire repulsion and disgust before thy virginal purity. Help me for I have no other help. Permit me to see the venerable Tree upon which the God who was born of Thee shed His Blood on the Cross for the redemption of sinners, even for me, unworthy though I am. I will never again insult and defile my body by the impurity of fornication. I will renounce the world and its temptations, and I will go wherever Thou should lead me.’

She told St Zosimas: It was as if she acquired the fire of faith as a kind of hope and confidence in the mercy of the Theotokos. She went again and merged with the crowd that was pushing its way into the temple. She was possessed with trembling and was almost in delirium as she drew near the doors. But now, no one seemed to thwart her, no one hindered her entry into the church. It was as if the same force that before had prevented her now cleared the way for her. She entered without difficulty and prostrated herself to the floor before the life-giving Cross, and she worshipped the LORD.

When she came out of the Church, she returned to the icon of the Theotokos in the courtyard, and she heard a voice from on high saying: ‘If thou wilt cross the Jordan, thou shalt find a great rest.’ ‘O Lady,’ she cried, ‘Do not forsake me!’ and with those words on her lips, she set off on her journey to the Jordan.

For seventeen years she was in the desert, alone, in fasting and prayer, fighting wild beasts, mad desires and passions. The demons also were tempting her. Often, she missed the meat and fish she had enjoyed in abundance in Egypt. She regretted not having wine to drink, which she loved so much. She was disturbed greatly by a mad desire that egged her on to sing satanic songs she had once learned. When such desires entered her, she struck herself on the breast and reminded herself of the vow she had made to the Holy Theotokos. In her thoughts, she would return to the icon of the Mother of God who had received her, and she cried out to Her in prayer, imploring Her to chase away the thoughts to which her soul was succumbing. After weeping for a long time and beating her breast, a light seemed to shine on her from everywhere and to dispel her wicked thoughts, and an abiding calm would descend on her after the violent storm.

At other times, she would be assailed by thoughts that urged her on to fornication. A fire would be kindled in her soul which seemed to consume her completely and to awaken in her a thirst for embraces. As soon as these cravings came to her, she would fling herself on the earth and water the ground with her tears. Sometimes she would prostrate herself on the ground for a day and a night, but she would not rise from the ground until a calm and sweet light descended, which enlightened her and chased away the thoughts seeking to possess her. Always, she turned the eyes of her mind to her protectress, the Holy Lady Theotokos, who always helped her and delivered her. There is much more to the story; but for my purpose, I am focusing on St Mary’s account of the struggles she endured in the desert to ‘put to death what was earthly in her.’

We see in the story of St Mary of Egypt that, contrary to what many want to believe, God does not tolerate sin. He did not permit Mary as an unrepentant harlot to enter His Holy Church. St Paul says, for example, the unrighteous, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, sexual perverts, will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. And the LORD cries through His prophet, Isaiah: Woe to those who would call evil good and good evil. In our day, we are deceived to believe that we must coddle sin so as not to offend friends or family. But we give no thought to if we might be offending God. Does this not show that our friendship is with the world? And friendship with the world is enmity with God. (James 4.4)

But we also see in the story of Mother Mary of Egypt that God is the Judge who is all-merciful and gracious. He does not tolerate sin, but He does not destroy the sinner, but waits for his repentance when he should turn from his sin and live. And those who present themselves to Him in repentance, as did Mother Mary of Egypt, He washes and illumines them. He strengthens them against the temptation with the Light of His Countenance that fills the soul with peace. He heals them, He straightens them so that they are aligned with His Righteousness. And He even deifies them and restores them to their original beauty and makes them into saints.

We can see our original beauty in Mother Mary’s repentance freely chosen. We are not robots. We are created in the image and likeness of God. In that image and likeness, we are free to give our love to whatever god we choose. ‘Even in the depth of wickedness and the bondage of sin, a man is at liberty to turn to what is good. [St Macarios XV.36] 

But this means struggle. ‘Not the moment that he hears the word of God does a man come to be of the good side’, says St Macarios. ‘You take away the man’s free will, if you say so, and you deny the existence of the opposite power, wrestling with the mind. There is need of much faith, and patience, of conflict, endurance and labor, of hungering and thirsting for what is good. Most wish to obtain the kingdom of heaven without trouble or pains or sweat, but that is a thing impossible. In those afflictions and sufferings, in that patience and faith are hidden the promises and the glory of heaven.’ (Hom V, pp. 49-51)

At our baptism, there was sown in our heart the Seed of the LORD Jesus Christ’s Holy Resurrection. But, we must choose to nurture that seed and grow it. That means fighting to put to death our love for the world and the flesh, as did St Mary of Egypt, so that we will not be destroyed with our sins but be restored to our original beauty in the Glory of the LORD’s Holy Pascha! Amen!

Sermon