Homily Two on the Fifth Sunday of Luke (St. John of Kronstadt)

 

Homily Two on the Fifth Sunday of Luke  
(22nd Sunday After Pentecost)

On the Rich Man and Lazarus

By St. John of Kronstadt

In today's Gospel, beloved brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself depicts the visible inequality of people's status and lives in this temporal life and, correspondingly, the inequality of their fate in the endless afterlife. This Gospel is highly instructive for all of us, for people of every status and rank. It tells the story of an unnamed rich man, and a beggar named Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31).

Who then is this ill-fated rich man, this luxurious merry fellow, who has inherited eternal torment? Judging by the fact that he calls Abraham his father, and that he and his brothers were familiar with the writings of Moses and the Prophets, one must assume that the rich man was of Jewish descent and law, a descendant of Abraham. What was his sin, his guilt, for which he so unexpectedly found himself in hades? The Gospel says that he was rich; but, undoubtedly, wealth was not the cause of such terrible torment which the rich man experienced in hades. Abraham, in his time, was also a very wealthy man, yet his wealth did not prevent him from being a friend of God, for he was hospitable, welcoming, and in all respects faithful and obedient to God. It is further said that he was clothed in purple and fine linen, that is, in a manner befitting a king, and that he feasted splendidly every day. It would seem that there is no particular fault in this either; a wealthy man, who has thousands and perhaps millions in money and vast estates, why should he not dress in silk and velvet? Even in the present time, this is not considered an extraordinary luxury, although at that time, fine linen was particularly expensive. Furthermore, it is said that he feasted magnificently every day, meaning he ate, drank, and enjoyed himself with his friends and flatterers; yet even in our enlightened era, frequent feasts and expensive dinners are common, and those who host them do not think that they are grievously sinning or destined for hades, especially if they do not forget the poor. Let us proceed further in seeking the fault of a wealthy merry fellow. 

Prologue in Sermons: November 2

 

 

Repentant Sinners Should Be Treated With Gentleness

November 2

(On Saint Serapion, How he Saved a Harlot)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

It happens that even the greatest sinners sometimes experience moments of deep remorse: and in these moments, finding no source of comfort within themselves, they hasten to those around them, share the sorrow of their sins, and ask to be taught: What should they do? How can they be saved? and so on. Brethren! If such a person were to come to any of you seeking help, how would you treat them? I do not know; but it should generally be noted that some people, when encountering those branded as great sinners, either drive them away entirely or offer them admonitions so severe that next time they would not come to us at all. Such conduct is not advisable. It seems to me that we would significantly reduce the number of these so-called great sinners if we treated them gently and compassionately, applying the balm of mercy to their wounds.

Funeral Oration for Father John Romanides (Delivered by Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Funeral Oration for Father John S. Romanides 

(March 2, 1927 - November 1, 2001)

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

(Delivered on November 6, 2001 at the Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Athens)

In this funeral service I represent His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece, who, despite his wishes, was unable to be present among us, and I convey his prayers for the repose of the soul of the ever-memorable Father John Romanides, who offered great services to the Church of Greece through his participation in inter-Orthodox and inter-Christian dialogues and meetings.

At the same time, I am also present as Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou, because in recent years the ever-memorable Father John had received a discharge from the Holy Archdiocese of America, where he served, and was included in the priestly staff of my Sacred Metropolis.

The Fourth Ecumenical Synod of Chalcedon - Historical Memory and Theological Experience

On this day, November 1, 451 AD, the Fourth Ecumenical Synod of Chalcedon concluded, one of the most important moments in the history of the Church. This Synod was not a simple theological debate but was the Church’s response to the profound spiritual and social crises of the time. With the participation of approximately 520 bishops, under the presidency of Patriarch Anatolios of Constantinople and with representatives of Pope Leo, the Synod was convened by order of the emperors Marcian and Pulcheria, in order to preserve the unity of the Church and the truth about Christ, the God-man.

The Third Ecumenical Synod of 431 AD had condemned Nestorius and confirmed the title of the Panagia as Theotokos. However, after the deaths of Patriarchs Cyril of Alexandria and John of Antioch, the union of the two natures in Christ became a field of new controversy. Eutyches and other followers of Antioch taught that the human nature was absorbed by the divine in the union, a position called Monophysitism, and created confusion regarding the distinction between person and nature.

Venerable David of Evia in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

“Sealed” by God from infancy, Venerable David follows a miraculous path that refers to the Christ-like state of all the great venerables and saints of our Church. Venerable Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis, the composer of the Venerable’s Canon, repeatedly emphasizes this truth and even traces his venerable path in detail. “Father David, all-blessed one, having entrusted yourself to God from childhood, in a way that God wills, you rejected every impassioned attachment to worldly things. And having taken up your cross, you appeared in your way of life equal to the angels” (Praises of Matins). “He (David) appeared to be a fellow zealot of the ancient venerables, the same in their way of life and a participant in their asceticism, and having equal glory with them as he shared their glory and graces” (Oikos of the Synaxarion).

Holy Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian of Asia Minor in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

Although the Holy Unmercenaries, Kosmas and Damian, celebrated today, are different from their namesakes, also Unmercenaries, who are celebrated on July 1, their Service is exactly the same as theirs. It emphasizes the element par excellence of the holiness of both pairs, their unmercenary actions and life, that is, the provision of their services, as their synaxarion notes, free of charge and without pay. This means that the Saints were completely non-avaricious – “cutting off the disease of avarice,” notes the Hymnographer – an example of the elevation of their intellect above material things – “demonstrating the intellect superior to the material.” But how can one disentangle oneself from material goods? Only when one is “involved” with something higher and loftier. And this is none other than love for God and Christ. Only those who have a living relationship with Him, only those who have Him active in their hearts, can truly see their fellow human beings and the whole world with a pure, that is, loving, eye. And this is exactly what happened with the Holy Unmercenaries: they loved Christ and therefore loved every fellow human being, and every creature of God. “Always having Christ active in you, Holy Unmercenaries, you work miracles in the world, healing the sick.”

Saint Eumenios the New: "I Saw the Holy Unmercenaries in White Shirts, Like Doctors"

One afternoon, Father Eumenios felt an unbearable pain in his stomach, to the point of despair. He told me how he was cured: 

“I didn’t know what to do. My stomach had never hurt me before. So I went into the church, stood in front of the icon of the Holy Unmercenaries,* and began to cross my stomach and ask the Holy Unmercenaries to make me well. I crossed myself for over four hours. Then I sat down to rest for a while, and fell asleep. This is when I saw the Holy Unmercenaries in white shirts, like doctors, performing an operation on me. They took out my stomach and showed it to me. Immediately afterwards I woke up and was fine. Since then it hasn’t hurt me at all.”

Source: From the book of Monk Simon, Father Eumenios, the Good Shepherd and Wonderworker. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.

 

* Father Eumenios served as the priest of the Chapel of the Holy Unmercenaries, which celebrates on November 1st, at the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in the suburb of Agia Varvara in Athens.

 

November: Day 1: Teaching 2: Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian

 

November: Day 1: Teaching 2: Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian
 
(On the Sin of Love of Money)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

Today we celebrate the memory of two unmercenary physicians named Kosmas and Damian. The two brothers, Kosmas and Damian, were the children of a pious widow. Raised in piety, they received from God the gift of healing the sick, and they helped not only people but also animals. They helped them freely, remembering the Lord's commandment: "Freely you have received, freely give."

II. The Holy Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian, who healed the sick free of charge, teach us to avoid the passion of avarice, which, having taken possession of our soul, can finally extinguish our love for God and our neighbors and deprive us of eternal life.

Prologue in Sermons: November 1

What Wives Should Do During an Illness in Order To Recover From It

November 1*

(From the Life of Saint John Chrysostom)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

When any of you Christian women are afflicted with some illness, what should you do to recover from it? We don't know how you will answer our question. But we, for our part, advise you to do the following during illnesses to recover from them: first, cast malice from your hearts; second, give alms to the poor; third, pray fervently; and fourth, finally, promise God to always maintain abstinence and purity during feasts and fasts. Hearing this, you will undoubtedly ask: How is it clear that this is how, and not otherwise, one should act during illnesses to recover from them? We will answer this with the following incident, which occurred during the life of Saint John Chrysostom.