Fourth Homily for Palm Sunday (St. Luke of Simferopol)

 By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on April 18, 1954)

All Jerusalem stirred from the news of the greatest miracle of the resurrection of the four-day dead Lazarus by the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was necessary to meet with glory the Wonderworker, unprecedented in the world, who created such an unheard-of miracle.

The people, who were subject to the Romans, could not prepare a magnificent triumph, and the solemn entry of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem bore a completely different seal than the triumph of the Roman emperors and generals. This holy seal was predicted for hundreds of years by the prophet Zechariah, who said: ““Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zech. 9:9).

Third Homily for Palm Sunday (Archpriest Rodion Putyatin)

By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin

"Tell the daughter of Zion: Behold, your King is coming to you, meek" (Mt. 21:5).

Our Holy Church proclaims at every Divine Liturgy: "With the fear of God, faith and love, draw near." Who is invited to this, to whom is this said? In the early days of Christianity, this applied to all Christians standing in the church, because then everyone, without exception, every day came to Holy Communion. In these times, “With the fear of God, faith and love, draw near,” is said to those Christians who have prepared for Holy Communion. Without a special seven-days or at least three-days of fasting and preparation, now none of the ordinary Christians, except for the dangerously sick, can proceed to Holy Communion.

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent: Homily on Repentance (Bishop Elias Meniates) - Part 3 of 5

...continued from part two.

Habit with necessity is a dynastic tyrant who, once in power, holds it forever. One day, one hour, one time, did you think, O Christian, that sin should reign over you? But when it received from your free will permission and authority, one day became your whole life!

Once you looked up and saw that face, but count how far you've come! Up until now you have been completely possessed by carnal appetite. You hunger for flesh and any flesh. In order to enjoy it, you spare no expense, you spare no effort, you leave no stone unturned. In time your very soul became flesh. You walk and your thoughts are constantly in the arms of your harlot. You stand and your desire wanders to find new food. You converse and your speech revolves around recounting your carnal achievements. You fall asleep and this is your last thought before closing your eyes to fall asleep. You are sleeping and this is what your imagination is dreaming. You wake up and this is your purpose. This today, this tomorrow, this forever, which at one time began as doing something just once!

Journey Through Holy Week: Holy and Great Wednesday

 The Harlot Who Sensed the Divinity of the Bridegroom Christ

On Holy and Great Wednesday, the whole world remembers, according to the words of Christ, the act of gratitude, repentance and love of a woman who anointed Christ with precious myrrh, according to the Gospel, shortly before His passion.

 

The Narrations of the Evangelists

Matthew (26:6-7), whose Gospel we will hear on Holy Wednesday morning during the Presanctified Liturgy, says: "And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table."

On Determining Dates and Times Known Only by the Lord (A Homily of St. Luke of Simferopol)

 On Dates and Times

Luke 12:32–40

By St. Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and All Crimea

(Delivered on November 13, 1947)

When Jesus Christ parted with the disciples on the Mount of Olives before the Ascension, they asked: “At this time, Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed in His own power” (Acts 1:6–7). And we are often curious, wanting to know, we are looking for a variety of indications from Holy Scripture, trying to determine dates and times.

The date of the Second Coming was appointed many times by Adventist sectarians, but, of course, their expectations did not come true. We must remember that the Day of the Lord will come suddenly, like a "thief in the night" (Pet. 3:10). The Second Coming of the Lord will be like lightning, suddenly flashing from one end of the sky to the other (see Matt. 24:27). We only need to know this and no longer be curious.