During the month of May our Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church honors the Mary the Mother of God in special prayer services as the akathist and moleben services. Mary was the humble servant of the Lord Who was always one with Her Son, our Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
On the Cross the crucified gave John to His Mother and said: “This is Your Son!” At this moment we along with the beloved disciple John became spiritual children under the protection of His Mother Mary. Then turning to His disciple, Jesus said: “This is Your Mother!” At this moment not only John but all of us had a Spiritual Mother Who loved and cared for and about us. Mary is even now, today, our Intercessor always ready to help us, aid us in our times of need.
During the Moleben to the Mother of God we sing, pray and implore the Holy Theotokos to protect, save and keep us on the road leading to the Heavenly Kingdom saying:
“O Holy Mother of God, save us.” We refer to Mary as:
Ever-merciful Mother of God Mother of Eternal Love Mother of God’s grace Untainted Dove
Fragrant flower of incorruption
Our Intercessor before the Just Judge Comfort to those in sorrow
Refuge of sinners.
Indeed, Mary the Mother of God is ever there for us, ready to help and save those in need.”
Rev. D. George Worschak
Archeparchy of Philadelphia
The story of the Man Born Blind is the third Sunday Gospel in Pascha about the mystery of baptism. This gospel is very clear, “Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his the blind man’s) eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see” (John 9:6-7). The clay represents the anointing we receive at baptism, making us “Anointed Ones,” (Christs, or Christians) and the washing represents the washing in the water of baptism. The blind man can then see, he is “enlightened,” the name the Church gives to baptism. Two observations: to be truly enlightened, we need humility.
The theme of baptism continues in this Sunday’s Gospel, re-affirming that Pascha is a feast of resurrection and of baptism, being born into eternal life. The center of Jesus’ conversation with this unnamed woman (the Church later gave her the name Photine, the “enlightened woman”) is about water. They met at Jacob’s well, a place of great tradition, a sign and a promise of God’s love and mercy for his people. Jacob’s well provided the riches of water to a desert place, the sign that God would always provide for and bless his people. However, the encounter with the woman reveals something more: Jesus is the Messiah to come, he is greater than the Patriarch Jacob. The water of Jacob’s well is only for this world, Jesus would give “the water that would become a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). This clearly refers to our baptisms, as it comes immediately after the comparison of Jesus with John the Baptist, and the baptisms done by Jesus’ disciples. We renew our baptism every time we receive Communion, and they are for life, for eternal life, from God, the giver of life.