5th Sunday in Lent -- Ocala 4/17/05           

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be ministered

unto, but to, give His life as a ransom for many."  Mark 10:45

The Lord prepares to journey up to Jerusalem for the last time. In this journey to the City of David, He stopped long enough to speak to His Disciples and inform them of the trials and suffering He was going to experience; the scourging, ending with His crucifixion, but on the third day He would rise again.

At this point two of his closest Disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee ask the Lord to favor them by their sitting on the thrones to His right and left, when He would come into His glory. The Lord answered, that the sitting on His right and left was not His to give, but it shall be given to them, for whom it is prepared.

He gave His Disciples a lesson on humility saying: "Whosoever of you who would be first shall be a servant to all." To give a living example He says of Himself" "For even the Son of Man did not come to be ministered unto, but to minister."

His entire life was one of ministering to the people. He was the Servant of all. He preached the word of God in the Synagogues, in the homes, at the seashore and on the mounts. He was a Minister to the ailing; to the lepers, to the blind, to the deaf and dumb, to the paralytics, to the demon possessed. He was a Minister to the deceased, having raised from the dead the son of a widow from Nain, the daughter of Jairus, and His dear friend, Lazarus.

He was a Minister to the hungry having fed 5000 as He preached to them on the mount. He was a Minister to His Disciples, having nurtured them spiritually over three years, and ultimately gave them the supreme example of humility by washing their feet shortly before he was to be apprehended and condemned to be crucified.

This supreme act of humility is unparalleled in history. It manifested the psychic grandeur of the Lord. Jesus also ministered to the imprisoned. He ministered to the two thieves who hung on the cross on either side of him. But, only the one on the left sensed deeply that the Lord had to be of God. He repents on the cross, and prayerfully says: "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." It is there that the Gates of the Kingdom were opened to him, when he receives the Lord's assurance that today he would be in His Kingdom.

Jesus was a minister to all. He taught by example, and expects all his followers to do the same. We are all called to become ministers of spreading the teachings of the Lord. Some Christians become very active in spreading the word. If we are not able to we can help in the dissemination of pamphlets or edifying books to help people see and follow the light.

We have the obligation of visiting the sick and the suffering and to offer them our words of comfort. We have the supreme example of the Good Samaritan, who stopped to minister to the victim, who was robbed, beaten and left to die. The victim was a Jew. Lying and groaning from his wounds he was purposely overlooked by a Priest and a Levite, who didn't stop to be of assistance.

As you know, it was a sin for a Jew to be in the company or even speak to a Samaritan. The Good Samaritan stopped to help the victim. He did not ask if he was a Jew or a Samaritan. He felt it was a matter of conscience to stop by and help, which he did until the man recovered in the neighboring Inn.

There are so many ways in which we can minister. When the Lord taught the commandment to love God with all our heart and all our mind and all our soul, he added: "love your neighbor as yourself.

I have come across many widowers and widows hearing them that since they had lost their loved one after so many years, life means very little to them and that they are so bored. How often I said to them they must find some type of occupation that will give them a renewed interest in life, as for instance to volunteer in countless of ministries to help their fellow men and women.

You've been to Hospitals, and have seen the ladies in pink volunteering and carrying on various duties to help in any way they can. I've talked to many, who express the satisfaction and the purpose their volunteering has given them

We were created to give. We are supposed to be like the trees. A tree must have water to thrive. In turn, the tree sheds gallons of water from its leaves. Otherwise it would choke and die. It is the same with us. If we don't offer of ourselves, and extend ourselves to be of some service to known and unknown, spiritually we become famished. Here in our small Community, all of us should extend ourselves and lend a helping hand, and not wait for another to do what we are able to do. I don't know how many realize the preparation to be ready when our Congregation arrives. Our good President Dr. Pantazis for the past year and one half, without ever voicing one complaint brings what we need for the Liturgy in a large plastic container that has to be wheeled up in a go-cart. He sets up the Altar and at the end he has to dismantle everything and pack it away until the next Sunday.

For some time he did this solely by himself. As of recent months there are two or three volunteers, who help him in this laborious task. I know he derives pleasure, which overrides his labor, seeing that we are making progress, which will ultimately grant us our life's dream of having our own quarters. We must be and remain a community of volunteers.