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7th in Luke - Galatians 2007 "From now on, let no person trouble me; for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body." Galatians 6:17 My sermon today is based on the Apostolic Reading we heard, contained in the 6th chapter of St; Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, verses 11-18. Apparently St. Paul wanted to silence some of his listeners, who may have questioned his authority, by telling them that he bears the marks of the Lord Jesus on his body. As the Lord was lashed, and was crowned with the crown of thorns, to finally be nailed to the cross, to a lesser degree, St. Paul suffered scourgings, lashings etc., which oftentimes drenched him in his own blood. That is why repeatedly he would say: "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ, Who lives in me!" (Galatians 2:20) To those, who gloried in their own successes, without connecting to God, St. Paul says that these people only deceive, and cheat themselves. He then states: "But, far be it from me to glory in anything, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. " The Cross was the great symbol, which gave St. Paul the needed inspiration and courage, to face insurmountable situations in preaching the new Gospel to the pagans and idol worshipers. When we think of it, all people live by symbols. These symbols constitute a convenient way of expressing complex and far-reaching ideas and ideals. The world is full 61 symbols. In nationalism we have our flag, which in glorious days inspired us, contrary to the swastika and the hammer and sickle, which annihilated the individual, and the freedom in which all are born. The Medical profession has the caduceus, that is the staff of Hermes, the ancient Messenger of the Greek gods, with wings on top and two serpents interwoven and facing one another. The Legal profession has the scales of justice. And the Christians from ancient times have the Cross. Also, connecting us with the horrible first 3 centuries of persecutions, we have the cryptographic outline of a fish, which in Greek, is the first 5 letters stating: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour!" But, the most meaningful Symbol the world has ever known, or will know, is the Cross. Concentrated into that emblem is the significance and meaning of the whole world, of human life and destiny. The Cross tells us about God in such an emphatic and conclusive way, that anyone who zealously seeks the truth, cannot fail but discover something, of what is in the heart and mind of our Heavenly Father. He or she will discover that God loves humans with an everlasting love, even though sometimes its difficult to understand with our finite minds. We can't understand the many tragic things happening in this world. The Symbol of the Cross, which until the Lord's time was the most horrific manner of executing death sentences, is now converted to Christianity's most Sacred Symbol, because it was blessed eternally by the Lord's Blood, which totally sanctified it. The Cross also tells us about humans. It proclaims that humans are not just sinners, but more importantly we were created in the image and likeness of our loving Heavenly Father. Also, the thorn-crowned bleeding Figure on Golgotha is the Eternal humanity, revealing to the light of day the deep inner nature of humans; their insatiable idealism, and the never-ending struggle with the flesh and materialism. The Cross also tells us the story of forgiveness and the healing of body, mind, and soul, for all who would humble themselves, and repent. The Cross carries a message, not only to those burdened with sin, but to those, who are fear-obsessed, sick and afflicted men and women. That message is forgiveness, and the fact, that we can make a new start, is backed by the invincible power, wisdom, and love of our Creator and Father in Heaven. A mystic once pointed out, that the Cross, on which our Lord was crucified, had an upright and a cross-piece, which signified the meeting of two Worlds --- the visible and the invisible. The horizontal bar stands for our human life lived in time. The vertical bar is the Life of the Eternal, coming from Above, to pierce our material existence with a new spirit and a new power. Without question, the Cross is the focal point in human history, marking a new order of things, proclaiming a God of righteousness and love, as also the God-likeness of humans, and the possibility of forgiveness to make a new start. A new start! That is the inspiration, the power and the hope of the Cross. Let us never forget it. We made mention of some symbols, which are important to humans, but none can ever, --even remotely approach the symbolism of the Cross. Today's date is also symbolic, not only for the Nation involved, which is Greece, but for all the democratic Nations of the world. The year was 1940. The black cloud of the Axis had already overshadowed all the Nations in Europe, and was rapidly approaching the Balkan Countries. Who would have thought, that France, a powerful Nation which was boasting of her Maginot line was to capitulate to Hitler in only two weeks. And one by one, like a domino effect all the Nations submitted to the Swastika. By request to Hitler, Mussolini was to walk in and overtake little, poorly armed Greece, and then Hitler was free to march on and attempt to overpower the Soviet Union. Isn't it amazing how the little and insignificant things become great acts to be admired and emulated. Picture the well mechanized army of Mussolini, running to take over little Greece, who had outmoded weapons, and were pulling heavy canons by hand over the mountaintops of northern Greece. But, what Greece lacked in weapons, it possessed tremendous fortitude and patriotism in its people, steeped in their deep faith in the Lord and His protective Mother, St. Mary. They firmly believed, that they could stave off the Axis powers. So it was, that on October 28, 1940, four o'clock in the morning, the Italian Ambassador awoke Premier Metaxas and asked him to surrender because the Italian armies were positioning themselves on Greece's northern border. The reply was a resounding "OXI", that echoed throughout the world. No that will never be, we are going to resist. This reminded me of Ancient Greece in the 4th Century B.C., when the Persian King Xerxes with an army of 100,000 was stopped by King Leonidas of Sparta, with only 300 Spartans and 1000 other troops at the narrow passage of Thermopylae. Xerxes demanded surrender stating that if the Greeks didn't surrender, there would be thousands of arrows thrown, which would literally cloud the sky. Leonidas' reply was: "Good, we shall be able to fight under the shadow cast." Leonidas kept the Persians at bay, and had it not been for a traitor, Ephialtes, to show Xerxes another pathway, perhaps Xerxes would have withdrawn his troops. Thus, Premier Metaxas was true to his heritage of old. The Greek army drove back the Italian army, almost to the Italian border. This heroic act lasted 7 months and Greece was finally overrun by the most powerful German armies. The world acclaimed heroic Greece for her heroic stand, and the statesmen of that time lauded Greece by saying, that the Greek resistance upset Hitler's timetable, in that he marched toward Russia in the midst of winter, and was defeated in Stalingrad. Stalin gave great praise to Greece for her heroism. Greece showed the world once again, that it is the spirit, which is able to overcome the material. The "OXI" Day, October 28th should truly be an international Holiday, because by the statesmen of the World War II period, Greece emerged as a true hero of that war. Thus, it is only proper that we extol the contribution that Greece made at that time to prove to the world, that right makes might, and that freedom is to be defended, at all costs. The theme song of the fighting Greeks, was the symbol of the Holy Cross, and with their faith in the Cross, they were bound to win. Amen. + Fr. George Papadeas
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