Homily on the 14th Sunday after Pentecost.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Normally as many are well aware by now, I construct my homilies concerning the Gospel or Epistle reading. However, today I will express several important spiritual issues that I feel must be addressed.
Therefore, earlier in the week I was scrolling through some of my Orthodox Facebook pages that I am a member of. I was horrified with the things that were advertised! Doom, Gloom, Hellfire, Eternal Damnation, conspiracy theories; absolutely nothing concerning salvation, Christ’s Glorious Victory over hades or anything that brings hope to those who are in total despair!
For example, one of the “Orthodox” Facebook pages was obsessing how all of humanity will have micro-chips implanted in everyone's bodies. Such micro-chips will have our money and other important information that the government has full control over.
Moreover, some believe that such a micro-chip is attributed to “the mark of the beast” referring to the end of time. These people who are obviously suffering from spiritual schizophrenia are a danger to not only the Church but to society as a whole! Such people must and in due time WILL be silenced by the grace of the Holy-Spirit!
Therefore, forgive me if I come across harsh but I was absolutely appalled, disgusted and angry at what these clowns vested in orthodox attire were teaching its members!
How about if a person who had lost all hope in religion had come across this page as a last resort to let God back into their life; what do you think would happen to that poor soul who thirsts for God?
I can tell you quite plainly and clearly that no person in their right frame of mind would want anything to do with such an institution; promoting satan and its evil works above the One Who Is (Jesus) supposed to be the focal point and the Salvation He has granted because of Love!
ANATHEMA! (To be Excommunicated/Cut off from the fold) to those who have taught their people/fold to firstly - live in fear of eternal damnation placing a guilt complex on the people and lastly – those that have wilfully forced poor souls that want nothing more but to feel the love of their God to run for the hills so to speak, via the rotten garbage that extrudes from their mouths!
Let the children come to me!!! Have we forgotten these words of Christ? I dare say - woe to anyone who stands in the way of these little one! The little ones being those who have been wronged by institutions and have made one final attempt to find God!
How dare such madmen use the Church – the Hospital for souls as a means to have their time in the spotlight, in order to impose their deluded visions of what they believe to be reality onto those who do not know any better.
Furthermore, we have a perfect example that can be given that shows how much the so-called churches have failed its people; our Lord Jesus Christ’s Glorious and Life-Giving Cross!
On Monday the Church will gather to commemorate the Universal Exaltation of the Lord’s Precious Cross. We in this Exarchate are truly blessed because we have several splinters of our Lord’s Cross in our Chapels across Melbourne.
Thus, what is the first symbol associated with death that the majority of people instantly think of? A Cross!
What do we see on the road-side were someone was tragically killed? A cross. Every time people see a cross it is instantly associated with death! How about life? Because that is what the Cross is! It is the gift of life that Jesus gave us by giving Himself up upon that very cross!
Our mindset must change, we must no longer see the cross as an impediment because sadly that’s how people see it; the end of the road! Yes! It is true that the cross was an instrument of horrendous torture and death and by that death many did descend into hell.
However, Jesus abolished that when He ascended the cross and shed His Prescious blood and via His Glorious Resurrection He has granted us life in Him which never dies! The Holy icon of the Resurrection depicts this perfectly as we see Jesus lifting up Adam and Eve out of hades and into paradise.
Moreover, the Cross must be seen for what it truly is – a weapon against evil, a hope and reassurance of the love of God, a profession of faith and an aid for our prayer life!
Therefore, when one is searching, learning or discovering the orthodox faith, the moment we see things such as punishment, hell and all things associated with thus, turn around and go elsewhere because you are in the wrong place!
True Orthodoxy teaches salvation, love, forgiveness, fraternity, unity but most importantly communion with God in this life and the next!
May we pray for all people that are searching for God that He Christ may reveal Himself to them and that He may protect them from these spiritually polluted people at all times! Let us also ask our Pure Mother the Theotokos to constantly intercede for them to Her Son!
Therefore, through the prayers of the Theotokos, Joseph Her husband – Step-Father of our Lord in the flesh and via the merits of the Lord’s Precious and Life-giving Cross; may He Christ our God save us, have mercy on us and upon all who thirst for Him for He alone is good and love us beyond conceiving!
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