Matins: John 20:11-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
Romans 13:11-14:4
Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgement on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Matthew 6:14-21
The Lord said, if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
As we stand on the threshold of Great and Holy Lent, we should not be at all surprised that today's Gospel reading exhorts us to extend forgiveness to those around us, “If you forgive others their offences, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your offences” (Matt.6:14-15) Unconditional forgiveness of all is a teaching central to our Christian faith, which is found not only in the Lord's Prayer where we ask God to “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”, but also in the words of Christ himself on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The Sunday before Clean Monday, as well as being known as Cheesefare Sunday, is also known as Forgiveness Sunday, and all believers are called to ask forgiveness of those around them in order to have a spiritual profitable Great Lent. The message is clear to us we cannot expect God's forgiveness if we make no effort to forgive others.
Today's Gospel also warns us about how to fast. It is all too easy to get very enthusiastic about Lent, to read the labels on food packets in a Pharisaic fashion, to let a long beard grow and wander about looking pitiful from the change in food type and intake. Unfortunately, this is only fasting on a surface-level. Instead, Christ calls us to hide our fasting, “so that you may not be seen by others to be fasting but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Fasting needs to be about so much more than restraint in food, we should seek to give alms and to fast from gossip, anger and self-centredness. If others notice our fasting, despite our attempts not to draw attention to it, then of course we should use the opportunity to explain our Orthodox practice to them but without stressing our own Lenten ascesis. While Lent may appear daunting, looming ahead of us, let us remember that through ascetic endeavour we can, if only for a while, experience a little hardship that serves to remind us of the suffering that our Lord Jesus Christ experienced for us and for our salvation.
The two actions of forgiveness and of fasting in secret point towards our refreshing of our vocation as “people of the Beatitudes” during Lent. Anyone can follow the Ten Commandments as a moral and ethical guide to their life, even non-Christians. Through the Beatitudes Christ directly calls us to much more than that. He is asking us to fully accept Him and through our faith in Him to for us to make the first faltering steps towards humility and ultimately theosis. If we can truly become peacemakers, pure in heart, merciful (in other words forgive others) and change in an interior spiritual way as the Beatitudes mention, then Christ promises us that we can “rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven”. This reward as today's Gospel tells us 'neither moth nor rust disfigures' as it is a spiritual reward leading to our salvation.
As we proceed tomorrow into Great Lent may God grant us all “kalo stadio” and a blessed and Holy Lent, that we may participate in a true fast and come to experience the joy of Pascha that follows Lent both in this world and in the age to come. Amen.
“He who takes no offence at anyone either on account of their faults, or on account of his own
suspicious thoughts, has knowledge of God and of things divine.” (St Maximus the Confessor)
suspicious thoughts, has knowledge of God and of things divine.” (St Maximus the Confessor)
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