Homily on the Second Sunday of Great Lent
Hebrews 1: 10-2: 3; Mark 2: 1-12.
As I have said many times, we Christians are called to show the love of Christ to all. Yes, this can be a challenge at times but this is what we are called to do. Unfortunately, many people have rejected the offer of Christ and prefer, like the Pharisees, to question the spiritual realities of the Church.
Yet what a wonderful gift we have in the Church, for Christ promised that even though she may be attacked she will never fall (Matthew 16:8). In other words, no matter how difficult things may get Christ has promised that He will always be there present in His Church keeping her on the right path leading mankind towards his salvation.
Sadly, many people have fallen for the ways of the world and have become self-obsessed preferring the validation of likes on social media to any real connection with others. This is a worrying trend because this is the world our young people are being brought up in, a world where self-worth is measured in likes.
We are worth so much more than likes on social media – Christ showed us this through His incarnation, death and resurrection. In other words, God could not leave His children orphaned so He sent His beloved Son the second Person in the All-Holy Trinity (John 3: 16). All He asks is that your yes be yes and genuine with a desire to be shaped by Him (Matthew 5: 37).
What is wonderful about this is that we are able to choose to embrace God, we have free will and we are not under any external threat to accept Him. He wants us to freely to choose to embrace Him. He knows best for us and what is best is to be connected to Him through the Holy Mysteries of His Holy Orthodox Church.
Many of you are parents and understand the joys and difficulties of rearing children. As parents, you are the first teachers of your children, you want the best for them and you will do everything you can to ensure that they have the best chances in life. Still, there comes a time where you have to let go and let your children make their own choices. As frightening as this can seem, this is a vital step in their growth into responsible adults as it lets them become who they are meant to be through successes achieved through hard work and lessons learnt from their mistakes.
So, to is it with the All-Holy Trinity, He is our Parent who has given us the free will to choose to say yes to Him and His Church. He does not want us to be automatons (robots) who are programmed to act a certain way, He wants us to be free agents who freely choose to become part of His Bride the Church.
Yes, in accepting this call we will fail at times through sin, yet like the Father in the parable of the Prodigal Son, He will always forgive us if our sorrow is genuine (Luke 15: 11-32).
Some will choose to reject Him and deny His existence, they have made their choice. We cannot force them to embrace the truths of His Church. We can show them His love through our prayers and actions but that is all we can do. As the old saying goes, you can take a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.
Unfortunately, this revolt against God has left many in society like parched land longing for water (Psalm 143: 6). These people are often empty and have often embraced a nihilistic attuited to life which will slowly leave them more empty and spiritually weak – perfect prey for the evil one and his minions.
This is a lamentable situation for those who have denied God, as they are made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1: 27). By embracing this despair, they are letting the emptiness of the evil one drag them down and trap them in the mire of his malice.
All we can do as noted before is to pray for these people, offer your fasts to God for them, and show them that they are loved, and that life does have meaning especially when lived in full communion with All-Holy Trinity.
As we enter the second week of Great Lent use this time as a time to reflect on what changes can be made in your life to make you thrive and become the person God has created you to be. We all have unused potential which we could use for the betterment of God’s people and the world. We are called by Christ to use our unique gifts and talents in the spread of the Gospel (Matthew 25: 14-30).
Saint Gregory the Diologist writes:
“The man setting out for foreign parts entrusted his goods to his servants, for he granted his spiritual gifts to those who believed in him. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.”
What this makes clear is that there is deeper layer of meaning in this parable for it shows as well as talents which can be developed in our everyday lives, we are all gifted with spiritual talents as well. Many of the Saints were gifted with great spiritual gifts such as clairvoyance, the ability to heal physical and spiritual illness, and the ability to live chaste lives amongst others. These spiritual talents can only be built up through prayer, fasting and the frequent worthy reception of the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist and penance.
Each and every one of as are called to develop these talents so that we grow and become more and more like Christ. We are given these talents to help build our communities and bring others to Christ therefore they must be used for the good of ourselves and others.
Saint John Chrysostom is adamant that we must use our talents to benefit others for he says:
"Nothing is so pleasing to God as to live for the common advantage."
In other words, when we use our gifts to build His kingdom to bring others to Him, we please Him.
Saint Paul makes it clear in his letter to the Ephesians that we are to use our talents for good for he says:
“For We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Therefore, a life lived in joyful Christian service, to bring others to the higher things is what we are commanded to do.
Every action that is done to another is an action done to Christ. For Christ says:
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me… Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. ’And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This is not to say that the Church is a social justice agency – it is so much more than that. If we live a life centred in Christ and regularly partaking of the Holy Mysteries of the Holy Eucharist and Penance, then these good deeds will flow from us as a consequence of our love for Christ.
This is why the faith cannot be simplified down to solely good works. Whilst good words are admirable, if they do not flow from a life lived in communion with the Holy One then these works are worth nothing.
Look at society today, so many people do good deeds not out of love for the other but rather to be filmed so that they can be told by the world what a good person they are.
Christ is adamant they have had their reward already for he says (Matthew 6 1-4):
“Be careful that you do not do you charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your father in Heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound the trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
Anyone can give a man a drink but if their motivation is not out of love for their fellow human being than they are merely committing an act of lip service. This is one of the many reasons Christ was critical of the Pharisees for they did not do charitable acts out of love but rather a desire to be seen to be holy by the world.
Our Lord and Saviour puts it wonderfully for He says in Matthew 23: 23-28:
“Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees! For you pay the tithe of mint anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law; justice, mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you cleanse the outside of the dish and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
There we have it from Christ’s mouth the higher things of the law – justice, mercy and faith. One who lives a life in the imitation of Christ will always strive to be just towards others and show them forgiveness when others offend them in word or deed. Moreover, faith is central to their lives for we are called to trust God and not worry for He will provide for us and give us the spiritual graces we need to fight the good fight and win the race (2 Timothy 4: 7-8). That is, if we trust Him for Jesus says (Matthew 6: 25-:
“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body clothing. Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Soloman in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown in the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith.”
Thus, it is vital that we do not fall into despair but trust that God will help us no matter what we need. I can attest to this reality as there have been many times in my life where things have seemed hopeless yet the All-Holy Trinity brought about a miracle to bring about the desired result what ever it may have been.
Finally, let us use this week as a time to ask God to help us to grow in love of the All-Holy Trinity and others. Let us look and see how we can show the love of Christ to others – especially those who may appear to be lost. Let us pray that we may grow in justice, mercy and love so that we may truly live lives centred on He who is the author of all life for He is a God who loves mankind.
“Lord our God, you are the shepherd of our lives; may you keep us from paths of laziness, gossip, ambition, lust for power and verbal fodder.
Thus, You are mercy personified – open our eyes that we may see our faults, our ears that we may improve our lives, and our hearts that we may grow in love via humble endurance.
Lord You are our King who bestows all goodness upon us – grant us awareness in order not to condemn others when they fail us; usher our minds in order to mirror thee in order to enfold them in thy flock so that they may praise you forever. Amen”
Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian.
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