One very important lesson of life is that without repentance our 'boat' will never reach its destination, which is the Father's house. King David was assured about this by Nathan the prophet when he visited him. The message of the whole Gospel is about repentance, forgiveness and the Kingdom of God. How else can our sinful condition be reconciled with God's holiness? And it is a prerequisite in order to convert others to God. In the 51st Psalm, King David like a prodigal son, with a loud voice pleads with the Lord "Create in me a clean heart...Renew a steadfast spirit in me...Do not take away your holy Spirit from me...Restore to me the joy of your salvation…” These are the important requests God is expecting from us and all other will be added to us!

Who should remain inside the Church after the readings? Repentant sinners! Perfect human beings? NO, just Christians who are willing to walk next to Jesus while He is carrying His cross towards Golgotha. Is that all I need to do? No, we need to stand under His cross in full understanding that He is the Savior, the Holy One of Israel.

Last Sunday we tried to connect the 51st Psalm and the walk to Golgotha with Christian Stewardship. Christ's stewardship to His Father was to die on the cross. Consequently Christ's stewardship to His Church was the same act on the cross inaugurated with the words "Father forgive them." Does the Lord require of us to die in the same manner? Perhaps one day, like many others in the past, we may have to give our whole life for the Faith. But in the meantime He is only asking of us to give up a 'portion of our life'. Some monetary gift towards His Church and the least of His brethren; a few hours of our time to work in His Church as advisors to the youth; as Parish Council members; visiting the sick and comforting those who grief;... letting go of our pride and selfishness.

We learned that the hymn the Priest intones while going around the church "May the Lord our God remember all of you in His Kingdom" is not a hymn but a cry, the same cry of the thief on the cross, who after confessing Jesus as his Lord and Savior, made the plea "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Do we see the benefit of repentance?
Do we see how the gates of paradise open wide when a repentant soul knocks! The sermon from the cross, the sermon of the cross, there is no greater sermon!

The Great Entrance ends when the Priest places the Gifts on the holy Altar with the words of a hymn from Holy and Great Friday evening (which is a Holy Saturday morning Orthros service) " The noble Joseph taking down from the cross Your spotless Body, wrapped it in a clean linen with aromas and laid it for burial in a new tomb".

It is very encouraging to the Priest that he hears positive comments about the Divine Liturgy lessons offered for your uplifting and learning on Sunday mornings. It is even more gratifying to hear the same positive comments from the mouths of young parishioners. To those young ones especially I say, 'Thank you for appreciating the effort'.

Help us, save us, have mercy upon us and protect us God of our fathers.

Father Christos