The Will of God

The forty-day fast served to heighten awareness that “the will of God is our sanctification”. When the Church presented Jesus calling His disciples on the first Sunday of Lent, she revealed the inception of this saving will. On the second Sunday, she brought into view the second step that follows the disciples' call. Jesus was in a house teaching the Word. No disciple exists without the Word. Then, on the third Sunday, she showed us Jesus on the Cross, calling us to prostrate before Him. The Word is to be obeyed. The disciple does not come from himself but from the teacher who is the icon of perfect obedience. Following this, the Church presented to us two disciples from her own generations, John Climacus and Mary of Egypt. Throughout Lent, the Church reveals to us the power of the Living Jesus Who is here in the midst of the world to gather disciples unto Himself alone. Nothing is difficult for Him. His call is for men and women alike. John and Mary are one icon affirming the Truth that there is no Pascha without the Cross. Holiness is only attainable through this awareness.