St. Mary Magdalene and the ROCOR-MP

Jerusalem: 6 August 2012

As reported by the ROCOR-MP website the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, and the Convent of St. Mary Magdalene celebrated the convents patronal feast.  Met. Cyricus of Nazareth, of the JP, led services, with a direct MP representative.  Of all ironies, it seems, that St. Mary Magdalene should be celebrated, and the implications of her celebration should fall on such deaf ears.

The Gospel of Luke, chapter 8, verses 1-2, it reads:

“And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God; and the twelve were him. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devil..”

Yes, the Holy Equal to the Apostles, the Blessed Mary Magdalene had seven devils cast out of her.  And she forever became a devoted and holy woman; indeed, she became the apostle to the apostles, announcing the Resurrection.

Yet, the repentance of this great saint, and her absolute steadfastness by the Cross of the Lord, puts to shame the behaviour of the ROCOR-MP.  The Kontakion of this Holy Woman states:

Standing before the Cross of the Savior,

Suffering with the Mother of the Lord,

The most glorious Mary Magdalene offered praise with tears.

She cried out: What is this strange wonder?

He who holds the whole creation in His hand chooses to suffer:

Glory, O Lord to Thy power!

Yet, St. Mary Magdalene, with the whole host of saints, must behold the ROCOR-MP ‘crucifying’ the Lord again. You say, “Is that not too much?” And I say, “Surely no…The MP ‘crucified’ the Son of God by their apostasy; indeed, the Holy Apostle equates those who commit apostasy with those who crucify the Lord.”

Indeed; we often speak of ‘ROCOR” and it’s betrayal of their past 80 years; and while that’s important, I think it ignores the fact that what transpired was a betrayal of all Orthodox Christian history, a betrayal of Jesus Christ Himself.  ROCOR now regularly participates in ecumenical statements wherein they join with their Phanar friends and proclaim the Romanists to be a ‘Sister Church’; they have prominent MP brother hierarchs who galavant the world looking for every opportunity to participate in Papists activities, they have other brother hierarchs, such as the MP Metropolitan of Minsk who participates in mock communion services with all religious groups, and of course their Patriarch goes to the World Congress of Religions. Yes, friend, Kyril did leave the World Council of Churches (on paper, well, not really, they still participate in the Faith and Order Commission); but, he now seems to have his horizons turned toward wider goals; ones that go beyond professed ‘Christians’, and into trans-religious syncretism.

Is this the path of St. Mary Magdalene?

To those in that path of sadness and heresy, those ancient words of the holy poet, speaking of turning around, still apply:

That the Font of expiation,

Who effac’d thy degradation,

Reconcilement from defilement

May vouchsafe us in His Love.

Amen let creation sing.

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