According to her vita, written by Saint Sophronius, from her youth Saint Mary devoted her life to the pursuit of pleasures. Reading her life, as we did in church this past Thursday, we might be tempted to think of Mary as an outlier, an extreme. But, in fact, if we examine our conscience honestly and take a sincere look at the shape of our lives, we will likely see that we are just as dogged in the pursuit of our own pleasures and comforts. Sleep, entertainment, social media, work, financial security, and, yes, carnal pursuits—many of us place all of this and more before God. Therefore, as we approach Holy Week, let us resolve to be transformed by the encounter with the Lord’s Cross, just as St. Mary was. Then, just as she spent the rest of her life in the desert, we, too, can take the lessons of Lent with us even as we leave this season behind, always striving to live ascetically, dying to our passions so that we might live unto God.
Home / Work of the Church / Reflections in Christ / Metropolitan Tikhon /