Homily for the Second Sunday of the Holy and Great Fast
The Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas
On the Power of the Faith of Many
By St. Cleopa of Sihastria
The Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas
On the Power of the Faith of Many
By St. Cleopa of Sihastria
“And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic: Child, your sins are forgiven you!” (Mark 2:5)
Beloved faithful,
The word of God is full of boundless teachings. In today’s sermon we will speak about the power of prayer made with faith by many people. For just as when several candles are lit in a dark room greater light is produced, and just as when many coals are gathered together they give more heat, so also the faith of many has greater acceptance before God.
This truth is seen from many testimonies of Holy Scripture, but also from the teaching of the Holy Gospel that was read today. Let us take, for example, the word that the Lord spoke: “And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic: Child, your sins are forgiven you.”
You see, my brethren, that the Lord did not say “seeing the faith of the paralytic,” but “their”, that is, the faith of those who were carrying that paralytic on the bed. Truly, if the four who carried the paralytic had not had great faith, they would not have made such effort with the sick man in order to bring him before the Savior.
For when they saw the great multitude of people surrounding the Savior and were unable to pass through with the paralytic to reach the Lord, they found another way to bring him near to Christ. They uncovered the roof of the house where the Lord was and lowered the bed with the sick man, and with great difficulty and effort they succeeded in placing him before the Savior, having great faith that if Christ would see him He would show mercy on him and heal him of his illness.
According to their firm and undoubting faith they obtained what they expected. For when our most holy and merciful Savior saw their faith and effort, He said to the paralytic: “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Then He said: “Rise, take up your bed and go to your house.”
And he immediately rose up healthy, took up his bed, and went out before everyone, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying: “We have never seen anything like this.” (Mark 2:5–12)
You see, my brethren, the most-glorious miracle that the Lord performed for “their faith,” that is, for the faith of the paralytic and of those who carried him!
But did the Savior perform such glorious miracles only then for the faith of many? No, truly not. The Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ is the same from eternity and unto the end of the ages, most good, merciful, and most compassionate toward all who believe in Him in truth (Psalm 144:18).
For we see daily thousands and thousands of Christians who even today run to Him with faith and with a contrite heart, without doubt, and immediately they experience His mercy and help in all their needs and troubles.
The Most Holy Spirit says in the Psalms:
“The Lord will save the souls of His servants, and none of those who hope in Him will go astray.” (Psalm 33:21)
Who could say or write how many countless miracles the most compassionate God performs for all who love Him and run to Him with firm and unwavering faith?
Standing here in the service of the faithful Christians we see and hear from many their thanksgiving for the benefactions received from God. One gives thanks that through the services performed in the Holy Church he became healthy from the illness from which he suffered; another gives thanks to God because his child succeeded in school; another because he succeeded in work or in marriage; another because God delivered him from losses, from enemies, from the danger that threatened him.
The same most good and most compassionate Savior who healed the paralytic in today’s Gospel for the faith of him and of those who carried him is the same One who performs countless miracles for all good believers who run to Him with right faith and fervent and steadfast prayer.
And in what way the faith of some helps others we have heard many times in the Holy Gospel: with the Canaanite woman, with the servant of the centurion, with the son of the widow of Nain, and with many others whom it is not fitting to mention here.
Read in the Acts of the Holy Apostles and you will see how powerful the prayer of many is when they pray in the Church for those in danger.
We see that the great Apostle Peter, for confessing the truth, was seized, bound, and taken to prison, where he was guarded by four watches, each with four soldiers. Therefore Peter was kept in prison, and prayers were made without ceasing for him by the Church.
And behold, an angel awakened him, saying: “Rise quickly!” And the chains fell from his hands. And the angel said to him: “Gird yourself and put on your sandals,” and he did so. And he said to him: “Put on your garment and follow me.”
And going out he followed the angel, but he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but he thought he was seeing a vision.
And passing the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, and the gate opened by itself, and going out they passed through one street, and immediately the angel of the Lord departed from him.
And Peter, coming to himself, said:
“Now I know truly that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.” (Acts 12:4–11)
You have heard, beloved faithful, what a great and glorious miracle the most good God performed for the Apostle Peter. But why? Because the multitude of the faithful in the Church were unceasingly praying to God for him.
Beloved faithful,
Therefore let us remember that where two or three believers are gathered in the name of the Lord, He is among them (Matthew 18:20). And all the more Christ is there where many believers are praying for someone who is in danger or has a request before God. Nowhere can Christians pray together in greater number than in the holy churches, where their prayers and those of the priests unite and, like incense, rise to God, from whom mercy and help come to all who need His compassion. There the priest intercedes in the Holy Altar before God for all the faithful Christians everywhere.
The most important common prayers offered in our churches for the faithful are especially two: the Holy Liturgy and the Mystery of Holy Unction. How many miracles have been done and are still being done today through the Holy Liturgy? During it, especially on feast days, the greatest number of believers gather together. Thus their common prayers, offered with much faith, unite with the prayers of the priests in the holy altars and contribute greatly to the fulfillment of their petitions.
The prayers of the priests made with faith, united with those of the faithful, accomplish the greatest miracle that has taken place on earth from the time of Christ until today. This ineffable miracle is the transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ during the Holy Liturgy. Therefore, without the Holy Liturgy we do not have Holy Communion; and without this we cannot unite with Christ, we cannot be forgiven, and therefore we cannot be saved, for the Lord says: “Unless you eat My Body and drink My Blood, you will not have Life within you.”
Do you see how great the power and role of the Holy Liturgy is? Do you see that the Holy Liturgy is ours and stands at the foundation of our salvation, because it keeps us directly and constantly in communion with Christ, with the saints in heaven, and with people on earth?
Another miracle of the Holy Liturgy, as a fruit of faith and common prayer, is that it contributes more than anything else to the preservation of the Orthodox faith in the world. What would happen to our faith if we did not make it living, active, and salvific through the Holy Liturgy? It is precisely because some Christians do not attend the Holy Liturgy regularly and do not feel its power that they sometimes go to sects.
The Holy Liturgy, as the crown of the Seven Daily Services, also contributes greatly to the unity, reconciliation, closeness, and brotherhood of Orthodox Christians as children of the Church of Christ. Throughout the two millennia, the Church alone and the services performed in the holy places have gathered Christians around the priests and the altars, united them in prayer in the same faith, healed their illnesses, absolved them from sins through Holy Confession, united them with Christ through prayer and the Holy Mysteries, and guided them in life on the path of salvation through the teaching of the Holy Gospel.
Through the services, the liturgical books, the Holy Liturgy, preaching, and common chanting, the Orthodox Church has preserved not only unity of faith and feeling, but also unity of language, ancient religious culture, and the entire millennial Orthodox Tradition. All these we consider miracles and fruits of the faith and prayer of many.
Within the Holy Liturgy the Church also offers prayers and takes out particles (memorial portions) for the departed, and through the power of Christ’s sacrifice delivers many souls of the dead from hell. Do we not all pray in church for our departed loved ones and together with the priests sing “eternal memory” and say, “May God forgive them”? Only God knows how many souls are delivered from the torments of hell through the liturgical sacrifice and memorial services as a fruit of the grace of the priesthood and of common prayer.
Thus, by praying together with the priests in church, we contribute to the miracle of the forgiveness and deliverance from hell of many souls of our brethren who died unprepared. Do you see how many miracles are accomplished at the Holy Liturgy as a result of common prayer? For this reason great reward from God awaits those who regularly go to church and pray for themselves, for the sick, for benefactors and enemies, and for the departed. Especially for the departed, because the souls of those who died unprepared await release from the condemnation of hell through the prayers of the Church and of us.
Other miracles of the faith and common prayer of Christians occur through the Mystery of Holy Unction. This is the most powerful prayer and service of the Orthodox Church for the sick. Therefore Christians are obliged to ask the priests for this mystery whenever they have sick persons in the family and to participate in Holy Unction in as great numbers as possible, because “the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:15).
Many of you have probably seen sick people healed or at least partly relieved through the Mystery of Holy Unction and the anointing with consecrated oil. Others may have gone to holy relics or miraculous icons in the country and have seen or heard of sick people healed there in a miraculous way through the prayer of those present and through the prayers of Saint Basil the Great read by the priest with fasting and faith.
These are only a few of the miracles performed in the church through the power of faith and the prayers of many.
Beloved faithful,
With God’s help two weeks of the Holy and Great Fast of Pascha have now passed. Let us examine our consciences and ask ourselves:
Have we reconciled with our neighbors through forgiveness and with God through confession to the priest during these fourteen days of fasting?
Have we gone more often to the Holy Liturgy on these Sundays and been found worthy to receive the Body and Blood of Christ?
Have we fasted not only from rich foods but also from anger, drunkenness, and every sin since we entered the Holy Fast?
Have we given alms to the poor and resolved to fast and pray to God until Holy Pascha?
Do we care for our departed loved ones and pray for their forgiveness?
Those of you who have done these things, continue to pray, go to church, and heal the paralysis of your soul through prayer, almsgiving, and repentance. And those who have done nothing for the soul during these holy days of repentance — do not delay, but begin now to work out your salvation while we still have time.
I remind you that today the Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Gregory Palamas, Metropolitan of Thessaloniki in the fourteenth century, as a saint and teacher of prayer. He was a teacher, practitioner, and defender of the unceasing prayer of Christ. Ask for his help and follow, as much as you are able, the path of his prayer.
If we do this, we will receive great spiritual benefit from everything, we will pass through the course of the fast with spiritual labor, and we will be found worthy of the glorious Resurrection of Christ our God. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.