Sermons & Homilies
Today we honor the Mother of God, the Theotokos, who was born to barren Anna. Her honor comes not only from the height of her virtuous life but also on account of being chosen by God to give birth to God in the flesh. It was she who, as St. Gregory Palamas said, stands “between God and every race of men, she made God the Son of man, and men the sons of God.”2 In this manner, then, we can understand what Elizabeth meant when she says to her cousin “Blessed are you among women”...
“God became Man, that man might become god!” All of us are familiar with this saying; in fact, maybe too familiar. Maybe, amongst us Orthodox, it has become like a party-banner which we wave before the non-Orthodox—if not in deed but only in mind.
This saying was fulfilled by Christ when He became incarnate, suffered, died, was buried, rose again and ascended to sit with our human nature upon His Father’s throne far above all the heavens of angels. Since that time, man has become god, but only in potential. But today, these words find their fulfillment in actuality; for the Mother of God has been translated also to that throne...
The history of the Port Arthur Icon is filled with a terrible story of neglect, procrastination and disobedience. When we stand before this icon, we cannot help but notice how humble and meek our Lady is, stricken with a strong gaze of sorrow.
She is not sorrowful so much because of men’s negligence towards her, but because of the harm that they cause themselves by rejecting God, her help, other people and holy things.
