Fifth Sunday of Great Lent: Commemoration of St Mary of Egypt
Categories: hymns, feast-days
Date: 05 April 2009 10:39:50
Troparion:
The image of God was truly preserved in you, mother,
for you took up the Cross and followed Christ.
By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away,
but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.
Therefore your spirit, holy mother Mary, Rejoices with the angels!
Kontakion:
Having been a sinful woman,
you became through repentance a Bride of Christ.
Having attained angelic life,
you defeated demons with the weapon of the Cross.
Therefore, most glorious Mary, you are a Bride of the Kingdom!
A blessed Patron Saint Feast Day to fellow-wiblogger Unordered, and to all on this Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday set aside for commemoration of our Righteous Mother among the Saints, St Mary of Egypt. The icon above shows St Mary receiving communion from the priest Zosima, who brought her life story back to the brothers at his monastery. You can read her amazing and challenging life story here [it is also read in Orthodox parishes during Great Lent]. It is a most wonderful life story, and one that does indeed show us the grace of God, and gives me hope and courage to persevere in repentance.
I sadly could not make it to Church this morning, but through searching the Internet I am able to read, and share, some of the hymns from today.
Holy Mother Mary: pray to God for us!
The pollution of past sins prevented you from entering the Church to see the elevation of the Holy Cross; but then your conscience and the awareness of your actions turned you, O wise of God, to a better way of life. And, having looked up on the icon of the blessed maid of God, you have condemned all your previous transgression, O Mother worthy of all praise, and so has gone with boldness to venerate the precious Cross.
Having worshipped at the holy places with great joy, you have received saving grace of journey of virtue, and with all haste you have set out upon the good path you have chosen. Crossing the stream of Jordan, with eagerness you have gone to live in the dwelling place of the Baptist. You have tamed the savagery of the passions through your ascetic way of life, and boldly you have broken the rebelliousness of the flesh, O Mother ever-glorious.
You did sever with the sword of abstinence the snares of the soul and the passion of the body, O righteous one. And by the silence of asceticism you did choke the sins of thought. And by the stream of your tears you did water the whole wilderness, bringing forth for us the fruits of repentance. Wherefore, we celebrate your memory.
The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and asceticism with holiness. Wherefore, the rich do not enter it, but they who place their treasures in the hands of the poor. This does the Prophet David teach, saying, The righteous man is he that does mercy all the day long, who delights in the Lord; and, walking in his light, stumbles not. All this was written for our instruction, that we should fast and do good; and the Lord grant us heavenly things in place of earthly.