When the Homily is about Immunology

Let God Arise...and let my children's clothes be grass stained

5AM
Come receive the light…
A sleeping 2 year old drools on my shoulder, while a miserably sleep deprived three year old grumpily yanks my shoestrings and thereby unlaces my shoes. In my shirt pocket there is a snotty sheet of crumpled up tissue paper, and the front of my shirt is marked with the saliva of the sleeping one who had until recently been busily eating my baptismal cross. I look as though I have been lactating. During a pause in the service I turn back to people standing behind me whose daughter was sprawled out asleep on the floor like a discarded rag doll and I said: “I feel just like that!”

Later, at the Feast, I would repentantly have to face the righteous anger of my wife after losing track of the time and spending far too long in the cigar section with the “fellas.” Sometimes I can be a real bonehead…but I am pretty sure that she has forgiven me after I offered to give her Bright Monday to herself, and I am now facing that which my saintly wife faces every single day – ALL FOUR KIDS…all by myself! No worries, I can handle it! What was that noise?

Anyway, despite all of the crazy events of the day, I am no less moved when once again hearing and remembering the beautiful words of our Father amongst the Saints, John Chrysostom, whose Paschal Homily is read each year:

Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness.
Let no one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Saviour’s death has set us free.
He that was taken by death has annihilated it! He descended into hades and took hades captive! He embittered it when it tasted his flesh! And anticipating this Isaiah exclaimed, "Hades was embittered when it encountered thee in the lower regions." It was embittered, for it was abolished! It was embittered, for it was mocked! It was embittered, for it was purged! It was embittered, for it was despoiled! It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!
It took a body and, face to face, met God! It took earth and encountered heaven! It took what it saw but crumbled before what it had not seen!
"O death, where is thy sting? O hades, where is thy victory?
Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!
For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First-fruits of them that slept.
To him be glory and might unto ages of ages. Amen.

To all those who celebrate the Feast: KALO PASCHA, and:

CristoV Anesth!