Fifth Sunday of Great Lent. Saint Mary of Egypt

A sermon on repentance and the possibility of changing one’s life, based on the example of Saint Mary of Egypt.

Dear brothers and sisters, with God’s help we have reached the fifth week of Great Lent. This is a special time when we have already walked a significant part of the spiritual journey, yet at the same time we may feel tired, weakened, and sometimes even spiritually cold. It is precisely at this moment that the Holy Church sets before us the example of Saint Mary of Egypt — not simply as a story from the past, but as a living testimony that a change of life is possible for every person.

Very often, when a person hears the call to repentance and spiritual renewal, they respond: “This is not for me. I cannot change. My life has already turned out the way it has.” Sometimes even with doubt or challenge we hear: “Show me at least one person who truly changed.” In these words there is not only weakness, but also pain, disappointment, and a loss of hope. And to these words, the Church responds not with theory, but with a living example — the life of Saint Mary.

Saint Mary of Egypt was not born a saint. Her life was far from God, filled with sin and passions. She lived as a person who neither knew God nor desired to know Him. But there came a moment when her heart was touched by the grace of God — and that encounter became a turning point. She did not simply feel sorrow — she changed the direction of her life. She left everything and went into the desert, where for many years, through prayer, fasting, and inner struggle, she purified her heart.

Her path was not easy. It was not an instant change, not just an emotional moment, but a long and difficult ascetic struggle.

She struggled with memories, habits, and her past. Yet she did not give up. And in this lies the great power of her example. She became a saint not because she was sinless from the beginning, but because, having fallen, she rose and did not turn back. She showed that true repentance is not just words, but a way of life.

Her life is an answer to each of us. There is no sin that God cannot forgive. There is no depth of falling from which a person cannot rise. But there is one condition — a sincere desire of the heart. Not superficial, not formal, but deep and real. When a person takes even a small step toward God, the Lord comes to meet them and grants strength they never had before.

Therefore today, dear brothers and sisters, looking at Saint Mary of Egypt, let us not say: “I cannot.” Let us not justify ourselves by habits, circumstances, or the past. Instead, let us say: “Lord, I want to change. I want to be closer to You — help me.” And if these words are sincere, the Lord will surely respond.

May this Great Lent become for us not merely a tradition or an external observance, but a true beginning of inner renewal. May the example of Saint Mary of Egypt inspire us not to fear change, not to give up in struggle, and not to lose hope. For with God, all things are possible. Amen.

 Fr. Ivan Symchyna