Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. 

Στὸ ταξίδι μας πρὸς τὴν Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστὴ καὶ τὸ Πάσχα, συναντᾶμε μὶα σειρὰ παραβολῶν ποὺ θὰ πρέπει νὰ μᾶς προετοιμάσουν στὸ ταξίδι μας αύτό. Καὶ ἡ σημερινὴ παραβολὴ μᾶς μιλάει γιὰ τὸν Τελώνη καὶ τὸν Φαρισαῖο. 

Ὁ Τελώνης εἰσῆλθε στὴν ἐκκλησία γνωρίζοντας ὅτι δὲν ἔχει δικαίωμα νὰ βρίσκεται ἐκεῖ. Μὲ ποιὰ ἔννοια; Ἡ ἐκκλησία εἶναι ἕνα μικρὸ μέρος πάνω στὴ γῆ ποὺ εἶναι ὁλοκληρωτικὰ ἀφιερωμένο στὸν Θεό, ποὺ ἀνῆκει στὸν Θεό, ἐκεῖ ὅπου ἔχει δικαίωμα νὰ ζεῖ, ἐκεῖ ὅπου ἐρχόμαστε νὰ συναντήσουμε Αὐτὸν καὶ κανέναν ἄλλο. Ὦ, φυσικά καὶ  ὅλους τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους. Καὶ ὁ Τελώνης στάθηκε στὴν πόρτα γνωρίζοντας ὅτι εἶναι ἕνας ξένος καὶ ὅτι ἡ μόνη του ἐλπίδα βρισκόταν στὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ ποὺ εἶχε πεῖ στὴν Παλαιὰ Διαθήκη, « Παιδί μου, δῶσε μου τὴν καρδιὰ σου – ὅλα τὰ ὑπόλοιπα εἶναι δικὰ μου». 

Ἔτσι, μποροῦμε νὰ ἔλθουμε καὶ νὰ προσφέρουμε τὴν καρδιά μας στὸν Θεὸ καὶ μόνο τότε, μποροῦμε νὰ βαδίσουμε σ’ αὐτὸν τὸν ἱερὸ τόπο. 

Ὁ Φαρισαῖος ζοῦσε σύμφωνα μὲ τοὺς κανόνες· σκεφτόταν, ἔνοιωθε ὅτι ἔκανε αύτὸ ποὺ περίμεναν ἀπὸ αὐτὸν, σύμφωνα μὲ τὸν νόμο, εἶχε δικαιώματα ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἶχε δικαίωμα νὰ βρίσκεται στὸ βασίλειο Του, ἦταν ἕνας ἀπὸ τὸν δικὸ Του λαό. Καὶ γι’ αὐτό, κοιτάζοντας γύρω του, μποροῦσε νὰ συγκρίνει τὸν ἑαυτό του μὲ τοὺς ἄλλους, ἐπειδὴ δὲν ἄξιζαν τὸ ἴδιο μ’ ἐκεῖνον. 

Ἄς σκεφτοῦμε τὴν σημασία ποὺ ἔχει γιὰ έμᾶς αὐτὴ ἡ παραβολὴ· ὅταν ἐρχόμαστε στὴν ἐκκλησία, συνειδητοποιοῦμε ὅτι εἶναι ὁ τόπος ὅπου μποροῦμε νὰ εἰσέλθοῦμε μόνο ἄν ἡ καρδιὰ μας ἔχει δοθεῖ στὸν Θεό, καὶ μόνο ἄν ἡ καρδιὰ μας ἔχει γίνει ὁ τόπος τῆς κατοικίας Του; Κι ἄν ἐντοῦτοις, ἔχουμε προσπαθήσει σκληρά, τίμια νὰ ζήσουμε σύμφωνα μὲ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιο, μποροῦμε νὰ ποῦμε ὅτι «ἀξίζω», μποροῦμε νὰ ποῦμε «ἔχω δικαίωμα νὰ εἶμαι ἐδῶ;». Ὄχι, μόνο ἡ ἀγάπη μπορεῖ νὰ μᾶς δώσει τὸ δικαίωμα αὐτό· μονάχα ἡ ἀμοιβαία ἀγάπη καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη μας πρὸς τὸν Θεὸ μποροῦν νὰ μᾶς ἐπιτρέψουν νὰ εἰσέλθουμε σὲ τοῦτο τὸ ἱερὸ βασίλειο. Καὶ ὅταν ἐρχόμαστε στὴν ἐκκλησία, ἄς σταματήσουμε γιὰ ἔνα λεπτὸ στὴν πόρτα, καὶ ἄς σκεφτοῦμε, «Τοῦτο τὸ βασίλειο εἶναι ἱερό, εἶναι ὁ ἱερὸς τόπος τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἄς εἰσέλθω μὲ ὅλη μου τὴν καρδιά· «ἄς στραφοῦμε στὸν Θεό καὶ ἄς ποῦμε. «Κύριε, Εἶμαι ἀνάξιος, καὶ ὅμως ἔχω ἀγαπηθεῖ ἀπὸ ἐσένα· εἶμαι μολυσμένος, καὶ ὅμως, Κύριε, μπορῶ νὰ ἀγαπῶ Ἐσένα καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους γύρω μου καὶ παρὰ τὶς ἀτέλειες μου, τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ μόνο μέρος, ὅπου μπορῶ νὰ σταθῶ». 

Ἀμήν. 

Ἀπόδοση Κειμένου: serafeim.in

Πρωτότυπο Κείμενο

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

On our journey towards Lent, and beyond Lent towards Easter, we come to a series of parables which must prepare us to our journey through Lent. And today’s parable speaks to us of the pharisee and of the publican.

The publican came into the church knowing that he has no right to be there. In what sense? The church is a small place on earth which is totally dedicated to God, which belongs to God alone, in which God has a right to live, into which we come to meet Him, and no-one else. O, of course, everyone else, but only together with Him. And the publican stood by the door knowing that he is a stranger and that his only hope lay in the fact that God loves. He had said in the Old Testament, ‘Child, give Me thy heart — all the rest belongs to Me’.

So, we can come and give our heart to God, and only then can we walk into this sacred ground.

The pharisee lived according to rules; he thought, he felt that he did everything that was expected of him according to the Law, he had rights before God; he had a right to be in God’s realm, he was one of His people. And therefore, looking round he could compare others who in his eyes were not worthy of the same.

Let us reflect on ourselves; when we come to church: are we aware that it is a realm into which we can come only if our heart has been given to God, and if our heart has become His dwelling place? And also, if we have tried, however hard, however honestly to live according to the Gospel, can we say ‘I am worthy’, can I say ‘I have a right to be here’? No, it is only love that can give us a right; it is only our love, mutual, and our love to God that can allow us to enter into this sacred realm. And when we come, let us stop one moment by the door, and think, ‘This realm is sacred; it is God’s dwelling place; let me enter into it with all my heart;’ turn to God and say, ‘Lord, I am unworthy, and yet, I am loved; I am impure, and yet I can love Thee, O Lord, and the people around me. Imperfectly, but this is the only ground on which I can stand here’.

Amen.