Prologue in Sermons: November 12

The Saints Ask God for Forgiveness of our Sins

November 12

(The Miracle of Saint John the Merciful Concerning the Woman Whose Sin He Forgave After His Death.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

We all, brethren, implore the Lord for the forgiveness of our sins. Yet, being aware of our unworthiness and the impurity of our sins, feeling our separation from God because of them, we must also turn to the saints, as those close to God, with prayers asking them to intercede for the forgiveness of our iniquities. The saints, in the heavenly abodes granted close communion with the Lord Jesus Christ, the sole Mediator between God and men, who gave Himself as a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:5), possess the grace to pray for their earthly brethren who are still burdened by sin, and they obtain for them the forgiveness of these sins and turn the wrath of the Lord from them into mercy.

A certain woman, having fallen into a grievous sin and being unable, out of shame, to confess it to her spiritual father, came to Saint John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria, and, falling at his feet, exclaimed, "O most blessed one, I have committed such a grievous sin that I have no strength to speak of it; yet I believe that you alone can absolve me from it!" John said, "If you have come here with faith, then confess your sin to me." The woman replied, "I cannot, Master." "Well, then, if you are ashamed," said John, "go, write your sin on a sheet of paper and bring it to me." "I cannot even do that," said the woman. The Patriarch said, "Then seal the paper and bring it here." The woman did as commanded, brought the document to John, and begged him not to unseal it.

After this, the woman withdrew from the city in which she had been living, and the Holy Patriarch, having received the sealed document from her, passed away on the fifth day and was buried. Upon learning this, the woman returned to the city and, thinking that her sin was now known, if not to many, at least to some, came in terrible grief to the tomb of John and began to cry out: "O man of God! I dared not reveal my sin even to you alone, and now everyone knows of it. I will not leave your tomb until you tell me where my document is. I believe that you are not dead, but are still alive even now!" And thus crying out, the woman remained at the tomb of the Holy Patriarch, taking no food, for three days. On the third night, the Patriarch appeared to her with two bishops, who had previously been buried beside him, and said: “O woman, when will you cease troubling us and watering our graves with your tears?” And having said this, the Saint gave her her document in hand and further said: “Take it, and, opening it, see what is written within.” The woman took the document, and the vision ended. Upon opening it, the woman saw that the writing of her sin was erased, and below it was written the following: “On account of John, My servant, your sin is forgiven.” And the woman, rejoicing, the story concludes, returned to her house, having received the remission of her sins.

From this account, it becomes clear, brethren, that the Saints truly have the grace to pray for us, to ask forgiveness of sins on our behalf, and to turn the Lord's wrath toward us into mercy. In light of this, let us pray to the Saints, so that they may beseech the Lord to temper His justly moving anger against us, intercede before Him for the forgiveness of our sins, and, finally, ask for us a Christian end to our life, one that is painless, without shame, peaceful, and with a good answer at the Dread Judgment of Christ. Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.