Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, Tone 3; The Holy Martyrs Eustratios, Auxentius, Eugenius, Mardarius and Orestes (284-305); the Holy Martyr Lucia, the Virgin (284-305)
Colossians 3:4-11; Ephesians 6:10-17; Luke 14:16-24; Luke 21:12-19
Polyeleos Feast. Nativity Fast.
Read Colossians 3:4-11
Have you seen the movie, “The Terminal?” It stars Tom Hanks as a man who is trapped at the JFK airport in New York due to international politics. It’s actually based on the remarkable story of Merhan Karimi Nasseri who was expelled from Iran and, lacking the necessary documents, was essentially trapped in the Paris airport. Nasseri lived off the generosity of passing travellers in the Paris airport and wrote in his journal for a staggering eleven years! Hearing this we would be tempted to label this situation a true tragedy, and we’d be right. But this was not in fact the worst of Nasseri’s situation. In September 1999, the French authorities reversed their previous position and granted him an international travel card and a French residency permit; he was a free man! But when he was given these papers, he smiled and simply tucked them into his folder and kept writing in his journal. As the days went on and he refused to leave the airport, the authorities discovered that he was afraid to leave. The terminal had become his home.
It is easy to understand Nasseri’s situation because we can recognize in ourselves how easy it is to remain in our own sinful behaviour. St. Paul enjoins us to put to death the way we acted in our previous life with all that separates us from Christ. The way out of the terminal of our sinful condition is through examining our lives and saying no to sin and yes the Christ. Progress in the Christian life always means repentance.
During this time of the pandemic and increased social restrictions, continue to allow prudence, and not fear to govern your life. Trust in the Lord not ultimately to keep you safe from earthly dangers (viruses included!) but to lead you into life in Him and away from your sin. Don’t settle for a life in the terminal of your own sinfulness, but find the freedom offered you through this privileged time of repentance!