The speech of the Metropolitan of Tamasou, Mr. Isaia – “To sin is human, inevitable yes, weakness yes, but it is not the end. He can repent”
On Holy Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in the afternoon, His Eminence Metropolitan Mr. Isaias of Tamasos and Orini officiated at the Procession of the Bride and preached the divine word in the Holy Church of Saint Therapontos in Lythrodon.
The Eminence in his speech mentioned among other things: “The Fathers established that on this day the face of a sinful woman should be shown, not to highlight her sinful life, but to show her repentance and gratitude, as an example to us all.
Her act constitutes practical application of the sermon of Christ, the sermon of the Forerunner who shouted “repent, ἤγικέν γαρ άσιλεια τὸ ὐρανινζν”, a sermon of repentance.
He who repents realizing that sin is an offense of God and His commands and the only thing that restores him is the change of lifestyle, the change of mind, he applies the preaching of the Gospel and follows the path of salvation.
To sin is human, inevitable yes, weakness yes, but it is not the end. He may repent. “The one who sins is human, the one who repents is divine, the one who persists in sin is demonic”, according to Saint Chrysostom.
And for this reason we also call ourselves, who are in weakness and our fellow human beings, who fall into mistakes not to despair, but to repent, because there is salvation.
This is what the hymnology of our Church teaches today, and above all of today, which shows the sinful woman with her great repentance “repentance is visible, repentance is great”.
You sinned, you were exposed before God and men, at least repent. Repentance can heal wounds. Persisting, to cover your sin, because your ego is fed, is not a solution. It is a recipe for disaster.
This example of repentance is offered to us all by the sinful woman with her act.
Not only does the sinful woman offer the myrrh, but she kneels and washes the very feet of Christ, and together with the myrrh she offers her tears of repentance. Not false tears to be seen by men, but real.
This is the reason why Christ accepts that the sinful woman wash his feet with myrrh. For this reason he supports her by the hypocritical reaction of Judas. Yes, because he accepts her repentance. He not only forgives her, but raises her to a model of repentance.
Christ cannot be mocked “God does not mock”, people can. But God's watchful eye sees all and knows all. Propaganda in Christ does not work.
The sinful woman did not offer him the myrrh to purchase her salvation. Her humiliation and tears expressed her sincere repentance, the true disposition of her soul. “Whore come to your myrrh with your tears, Philanthropist,” we heard the holy hymnist say.
The repentance that Christ asks is not limited to external elements, it is not expressed by some offering or charity. For our repentance to be welcome, we must speak the truth to Christ and to our fellow men, and our actions must be accompanied by contrition of soul.
Let us learn from the example of the sinful woman and try to follow her own model of sincere repentance, so that we too deserve to find mercy”, concluded the Most High.
Finally, he wished everyone a happy Resurrection.
