“And you have a bad mood, things go wrong, a lot of stuff, fatigue… That we should not do as Christians? We don’t have to dissolve itself. We really feel sorry for myself…” – sermon by Archpriest Alexander Abramov per week 31st after Pentecost, Holy forefathers.
Photo: spbda.ru
- Christ on the cross, and we are shopping?..
- Not ask Christ to leave, or do you also need “God in a box”?
- Before you know it – Christmas. What have we done, learned?
- Christ will come, and we told Him – “don’t bother to pray!”
- We have learned to talk about Christ, but we should not assume what will hit Him
He said, a certain man made a great supper and invited many, and when it was time for dinner he sent his servant to say to them that were bidden, come; for everything is ready. And all began, without exception, to apologize. The first said to him: I have bought land and I need to go and see it; I pray thee have me excused. Another said I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused. The third has told: I married and therefore I cannot come. Finally, the servant came and reported these things to his Lord. Then being angry the householder said to his servant: go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in hither the poor, maimed, lame and blind. And the servant said, Lord! it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. The Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper, for many are called, but few are chosen.
LK. 14: 16-24
Archpriest Alexander Abramov
From year to year for one of the Christmas liturgies, read the gospel of the Lord, called guests, many of whom were not ready for his invitation. They’ve talked myself out of those or other Affairs. And these things are not bad in themselves: someone married, someone of the cattle brought. Interestingly, the gospel of irony: the first guest refused, because he bought the land, the second is due to the purchase of bullocks, and only a third is getting married. In descending order of importance.
We naturally try this parable to ourselves, and our own behavior we think in the light of it very badly. We respond to the call of the Lord. We are in the Church on Sundays and holidays, go to confession and receive Holy communion. But the Apostle Paul in Colossians puts this parable on the reach of our height. He says: “We have put off the clothing of the old man and dressed himself in new clothes. And in this new garment of the new man there is neither Greek, nor Jew, nor slave nor free. But all in all — Christ.”[1]
Whenever we praise ourselves for what we are, in General, good Christians don’t kill anyone, not robbing and so forth, you have to try and here the clothes of the new man. And ask yourself, honestly ask — this post provides an excellent opportunity: do you really want to get dressed in these new clothes, where all and in all Christ?
And that’s today’s parable. A man wanted to make people beautiful. He’s not cut wood invites, and for the feast. But even in this case, people reject the invitation. I have other things to do! In which case we behave like that? When what is happening is not critical for us. We won’t be late for the meeting. We always, even if uncomfortable for us the appointed time and place, meet with those who we for some reason needed.
Here it is necessary to understand two things. First: the One Who calls us — and the parable is clear that this is the Lord for us and important that we for this reason have thought. And second: every time Christ calls us to do much good.
We love ourselves and each other to intimidate a way of punishing God: behold, the Lord will come and we’ll all get into trouble. If the Savior sought to punish us, It were not for us. The meeting with us He comes unprotected, with open arms.
Where, how, when is this meeting going to happen? You have to feel. You don’t say no one: here and now you scheduled your meeting with Christ. In all your circumstances of life you must see God step toward you. You, who tear his eyes lazily washed, hurried on some seemingly urgent business. And He’s coming towards you. Every day. In your rage, your sadness, your anger. You are given the opportunity not to abandon Christ.
And you have a bad mood, things go wrong, a lot of stuff, fatigue…
What we should not do as Christians? We don’t have to dissolve itself. We really feel sorry for myself. A task for the whole of the rest of our life is to learn to feel sorry for Christ Who prigozhdaetsya our sin.
[1] But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth; do not lie to each other, having put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new self who is being renewed in knowledge in the image of him that Created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, Freeman, but all and in all is Christ (Col. 3: 8-11).