Fr.Vladimir's Sermon Delivered on Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, May 25th, 2008:

"Christ is Risen, dear brothers and sisters! A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out his package.

"I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the portrait.

"Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.

The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this portrait of the son. Who will bid for this painting?" There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters." "$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the painting of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted. "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel.

"I'm sorry, the auction is over. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"

My beloved brothers and sisters, God gave his son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The son, the son, who'll take the son?" We know who the Son is-Jesus Christ our Lord; we know what He is offering - The Living Water (the Life Eternal); and we even know where to find Him-here, my beloved brothers and sisters, in the Church; we just have to accept Him and drink and partake of Him.

In today's Gospel reading we meet a woman from Samaria. At first, Jesus simply asks her for a drink of water. Jesus says to the woman: "Give me a drink."Likewise on the Cross, after hours of darkness, the hours of forsakenness, Jesus is crying I am thirsty.

Last Sunday we heard Him saying to us: Do you want to be healed? This Sunday we hear Him saying: Give me a drink! How do we know that our Lord is thirsty? Because the Word of God says so! Where do we hear the Word of God? Here, in church, my beloved brothers and sisters. Again, our Lord reminds us that He is thirsty. One more time the Church tells us that our Lord is thirsty! What do we say in response: "Lord we are thirsty too. What can you offer us in return?" 10Jesus is answering us, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. Everyone who drinks of the earthly water will be thirsty again, 14but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."

Hearing these words from our Lord, we should follow the example of the Samaritan woman and joyfully issue an invitation to all our brethren: "Come and see a man who told us everything that is necessary for the Life eternal!"

May we be like the Samaritan woman and bring many back to Christ. Unlike the Israelites in the desert, who quarrel and complain because they are thirsty, and ask for miracle after miracle, may we recognize the living water of Jesus as all we ever truly need. May we thirst for the living water of Jesus with the same urgency and need as Jesus who thirsted at noon one hot, long, dry day, so many years ago, for the rebirth of one precious, lost child-a Samaritan woman who was no one and Everyone! We are that woman. Let us quench thirst of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. If each parishioner gives a drop of water we will have the full glass to offer to our Lord. Let us not withhold anything back from our Lord. Let us save our Savior. Amen."

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