“The Standing of Mary of Egypt” on last Thursday is the culmination of Lent. In the Church for two months now, we have been taught examples of piety: the repentance of publicans and fornicators, icon worship and hesychasm. Like the Tree of life in the middle of Paradise, the Cross of the Lord is brought to us for worship in the middle of the Lent. As a guide to heaven, “The Ladder” of St John is recommended. And as the highest example of repentance (not for imitation, but for admiration) – the life of St. Mary. The fragile female nature was capable of impossible feats, surpassing the greatest men of desert. Her story fits into a few paragraphs, but can you imagine 47 years in the desert without food and clothing? What willpower and desire to please God helped her endure the external and internal fire? On the day of her memory – on the 5th Sunday of Lent – the Canon at Matins commemorates the righteous Job and the poor Lazarus: “As Job in leprosy, eaten by worms, so Lazarus before the gates of the rich prayed: blessed is the God of our fathers. And no one gave him even a crumb from the rich man’s table, but he received instead the bosom of Abraham.” Because none of our sacrifices, nothing earthly, can compare with what God has prepared for those who love Him. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who, had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13: 45-46). This pearl is Christ. To be with Him, true Christians are willing to bare with suffering, privation, and even premature death. The main thing is that both life be Christ and death be gain (Epistle to the Philippians, 1: 21).
Parish News
According to tradition of the ancient Church, three new Christians were baptized at the Iveron parish in Manila before the main Holy Day. Long live in Christ to Ignatius, George and Mary!
Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem. Divine Liturgy in Davao, parish of St Matrona of Moscow.
Divine Liturgy for Lazarus Saturday at the parish in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Banate, Philippines. The divine service was performed by priests Juventinus Bulaqueña and Joachim Gonzales.
Sunday in Vietnam. Divine Liturgy on the 5th Sunday of Lent, of the Venerable Mary of Egypt in Nha Trang, parish of St Nicolas the Wonderworker
Telegram channel “Diary of a Filipino priest” During this Lent we managed to visit the remote island of Tubabao, where St. John of Shanghai arrived with Russian refugees a few days before Easter in the middle of the 20th century, and where they found shelter for the next three years. […]
Presanctified Liturgy at the parish of Iveron icon of the Mother of God in Manila on Thursday of the 5th week of Lent. The longest Divine service of this day – “Standing of St Mary of Egypt” – is the culmination of the Lenten prayer feat.
The Department of Charity and Social Ministry of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, together with the Sisterhood of Mercy in General Santos City, continue the feeding program for low-income families and those in need on the islands of Mindanao and Luzon, in the Republic of the Philippines. The chairman of the department, […]