Homily Two for Palm Sunday (St. John of Kronstadt)

  

Homily Two for Palm Sunday

By St. John of Kronstadt

(Delivered on April 10, 1905)

“Praise Him together, peoples and nations: for the King of the angels has now mounted upon a colt, and He comes of His own will to go to the Cross to strike down the enemies, as One mighty. Therefore the children also, with branches, cry out a hymn: glory to You who have come, O Victor; glory to You, O Savior Christ; glory to You, the Blessed One, our only God” (Palm Sunday, sessional hymn after the 2nd Kathisma).

Today the Church celebrates the solemn entry of the Lord Jesus Christ, seated upon a young colt, unaccustomed to bearing burdens, into Jerusalem — a city full of anxiety and turmoil, long preparing to put to death the Benefactor and great Wonderworker. His solemn reception, unforeseen and unexpected by His enemies — the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees — stirred in them extreme envy and further intensified the hostility hidden in their hearts, and led them to the firm decision to kill Him, especially when the innocent children, moved by the Holy Spirit, loudly cried out to Him: Hosanna (salvation) (Matt. 21:9).

Homily Three for the Sunday of the Last Judgement (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Three for the Sunday of the Last Judgement

By St. John of Kronstadt

(Delivered in 1907)

“But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness” (Psalm 9:8–9).

On this Sunday, the Church is appointed to solemnly remember and serve the terrible future judgment of Christ upon the whole human race, which is to take place at the end of the world. And this judgment will take place soon, as the righteous Judge of all Himself testifies. "Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his works" (Rev. 22:12). And there is nothing more certain and inevitable, as well as more immutable, than the truth that there will be a general judgment upon the human race, at which the fate of all people for all eternity will be finally decided. 

 

God is the Creator and Lawgiver, and the King of every creation, who has given immutable laws to all creatures. By fulfilling these laws they exist and remain in prosperity, but through violation they suffer, become corrupt and are destroyed. Laws have been given to heaven and earth, to the sun, moon and stars. "I have given all the stars commandments" (Is. 45:12), and through their firm fulfillment they exist in orderly order for so many thousands of years, proclaiming the glory of God. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands" (Ps. 18:2).