In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Today we are keeping the memory of St John of the Ladder, and tomorrow comes the feast of the Annunciation. It is a blessing for us that these two come close together like this. As we heard this morning, God made promises to us, and these promises began when Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden. They broke, by their disobedience, the perfect communion between them, and God, the Father, their Creator. Human beings after this, by themselves, could not possibly restore this communion between human beings, and God. God promised that He would provide the way in due time.

It is important for you, and for me always to remember this: when Adam and Eve were disobedient it is not that they were breaking the Law – they broke love; they broke trust which goes with love. They listened to the Liar below, and this is what broke communion. They turned in on themselves. If you recall, their first action after they fell was to try to hide from God because, they said: We are afraid. Fear is never from God; it comes from below. I don’t have to tell you the whole story of Adam and Eve again.

Today we have a reminder that God revealed Himself to Abraham with the same love as at the beginning. God always reveals Himself as love. With Abraham He said: Follow Me, and I will multiply your descendants. The multiplication of his descendants was for the purpose of talking to the whole world about His love. However, like human beings keep doing, the descendants of Abraham began to forget what is their purpose. In the end, it seems that it was enough to say that Abraham is our father. Even if they became weak, and even if they became forgetful, God did not forget His promise. He sent His Only-begotten Son – this Only-begotten Son about whom we have already been singing this morning, who is the One who speaks everything into being – and He did this through the Virgin Mary. She said Yes, and her whole life was saying Yes to God’s love. Where Adam and Eve were weak, by God’s Grace she was strong.

Because of this loving obedience, she is still strong for us today. It is her veil that is protecting us from harm. What is this veil from, except the love of God? She is protecting us with the love of God. In everything in her life, she always did, and does point to Christ. In every icon we see of her (or at least almost every one, because there are a few of her by herself), she is pointing to her Son. She is always drawing our attention to her Son. She is saying to you, and to me: He is the Way. He, Himself, said this in the Gospel: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). These are most important words for you, and me always to remember. He is the Way. What is this Way? It is the Way of self-emptying love – love, which is patient above all; love, which accepts betrayal, and still loves. Look how the Apostles (we’ll see it soon again) ran away because of fear. The Saviour, in His love for them goes after them, and brings them back. He renews them, and strengthens them. He fills them with the Holy Spirit. What He does with those Apostles, He does with you, and me also. We fall; we fail; we betray, and still the Saviour waits for us. He opens doors for us. He sends people to us to straighten us out. It’s important always to remember this love.

Today, when we are talking about the ladder of divine ascent, that ladder which is described by St John, the abbot of Sinai, it is very important for us to remember that we do not climb this ladder by ourselves. We do not find some secret way to take step after step after step up to the Kingdom of Heaven. When you look at the icon of the ladder, you will see at the top in heaven, Christ Himself, blessing. This ladder leads to Christ; it leads to the Kingdom of Heaven. On this ladder there are people climbing up towards Him, and the people who are climbing up the ladder have their eyes on Him. They have their eyes on Him like the Apostle Peter had his eyes on the Saviour when he walked on the water. On the side of this ladder there are little black figures that are pulling people off the ladder. These are the tempters. They try to pull people off by distracting them, and so you can see in this icon there are people falling off.

It’s important for you, and for me to remember this because, in our lives, when we take our eyes off the Lord, when we look anywhere else except at the Lord, we will fall. It always happens. I have plenty of experience, myself. However, mercifully, because God is love, because He loves us and is patient with us, as St John says, himself, if I fall down to the bottom again, it is possible for me to begin again. This is the most important thing. Truly, we fall. God knows that we fall. However, He loves us, and He encourages us to go back, and start up again. He wants you, and me to be with Him in the Kingdom. When the Apostle Peter sank in the water because he saw the wind and the waves, and he was afraid, because of his love for the Lord he knew enough, he remembered enough to say: “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). The Lord stretched His hand out, and Peter took that hand. Then the Apostle was again able with confidence, with his eyes on the Lord, to stand with the Saviour on the water.

We, as we are passing through our lives, are passing through all sorts of temptations, and stormy waters. This is the way for every human being. However, as long as we keep the eyes of our heart focussed on Jesus Christ, our Saviour, like the Apostle Peter, we will stand on the water with the Saviour.

To reinforce all of this, as a reinforcement of WHO IS exactly Jesus Christ, we have also given to us today the healing, the deliverance of the young boy possessed by a demon. You can tell in this Gospel that it is not just epilepsy, because what happened with this little boy is the same thing that happens always when evil is in the presence of the love of God. Immediately when this boy comes into the presence of the Saviour, the Evangelist Mark tells us that the demon sees Christ, and he convulses the boy, and tries to kill the boy in the same way that his father described had happened before. Every time the Saviour comes into the presence of someone who is possessed by evil (we see it everywhere in the Gospels), the darkness cannot stand it, and there is always a violent reaction. The Saviour always intervenes, and saves. Here, He delivers the boy from slavery to the demon, restores him to perfect health, comforts his parents, and gives glory to God. This is just like yesterday with the healing of the deaf and dumb person (cf. Mark 7:31-37).

The Lord brings life, and healing love wherever He is. As He has done for them, He does now for you, and for me. We must look to Him. We must follow the direction of the Mother of God, and like her, run to her Son. We must allow Him to help us. We must allow Him to throw away the fear that troubles us. We must allow Him to fill our hearts with the love which comes with His peace, so that in everything that we are, and do, we will carry His love. We will carry His life, and we will bring His love, and His life to people around us. Everything about our lives will glorify our Saviour, Jesus Christ, together with His Father, who is from everlasting, and His all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

† Archdiocese of Canada - Orthodox Church in America