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Excerpts from Sermons: God Granted Us a New Life


By Father Dmitrius Basalygo

Each time when we serve the Divine Liturgy and partake of the Holy Communion, we build up the Holy Church. The communion makes us become the living parts of the Church. Thus we can commune with everyone: with saints, with those who live and those who reposed. (After the all-night vigil on July 11, 2016)

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It is important that we understand (or, maybe, learn or recall) that the apostles were preaching not just another ethic teaching, but their own experience, the Good News about Christ, who was crucified and resurrected, and about the victory over death. The news which told that God granted us a new being, a new life with Him. And the name for this life is “Church”. Often we think that the Church is something external, like an organization, an institution or a building. In fact, the Church is a new way of living, in which God unites with us. We all become the body of Christ, and get the eternal life in this union. God came to this world to gather His children, scattered all over the earth, and grant us the eternal life. He opens to us and grants it every time, when He unites with us in the Holy communion. How can we respond to such a gift? Only with our gratitude, with our pious living and following Christ. (After the Divine Liturgy on July 12, 2016)


By Father Andrew Malahovsky

Prayer is our natural and normal condition. The Lord said: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians, 5:17). Prayer is our weapon.  A human being lives in a hostile environment. Spiritually hostile. The enemy of the humankind is always fighting against us. This is why we should be ready to use the weapon at any time. We repel the enemy’s attacks with prayer. While praying we do not do anything special, we just get back to our natural condition. (After the akathist on July 21, 2016)


By Father Rodion Alhovik

Often people come and say: “I do not know what to do. I am disappointed. No one wants to give me the answers”. Then I ask: “Have you ever confessed and partaken of the Holy Communion? Do you pray?” – “No. Why should I?  To believe and to attend the church on inspiration is enough for me”. It is vital, that we do not wait for inspiration. Our body does not need inspiration. It will demand food in case we need to eat. The same is with the soul. We should not wait for inspiration or certain difficulties and conditions, we should just come to a church. God will arrange everything. God will give you everything and enlighten you, He will strengthen and console you, He will let you see the true beauty of life. May the Lord make us stronger, so that we can attend the church, come for confession, partake of the Holy Communion and feel the joy, which He prepared for each of us. (After the Divine Liturgy on July 31, 2016)

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It is important that we look for grace in the very place, where we are, and with the very people, who are near us.  With the children, the spouses and the parents we have. And we should learn to live with them, and learn to thank God for everything in this or that particular situation. Actually, in this case, a person does not need to go anywhere, neither to Athos, nor to Jerusalem. He has everything. May the Lord help us find Athos and Jerusalem in our hearts, and let us create the vault in which the grace of God will always be. (After the Divine Liturgy on June 29, 2016)


By Father Valery Zaharov

Our repentance is what is really valuable for God. Our desire to change ourselves, our desire for these changes to happen. We cannot change ourselves at will, but the Lord can. And to want this to happen means to let God act in us. […]

Perhaps, a little doubt in God lives in any of us. We cannot trust Him completely, we believe in Him, but what concerns delivering everything into His arm… We do not even realize how to. That is why there is a constant fight between our desire to be with God and our distrust. When our faith prevails, then the Kingdom of Heaven will come. Everything will be possible. God will act in us and through us, and this connection will be not a temporary act, but the key to the life eternal. […]

The Lord does not divide us into the worthy and unworthy ones. Christ accepted the sinner who came to anoint His feet. He cured the bleeding woman, He raised the man from the dead, showing us that there is nothing we should be afraid of in this world, except from losing God. Everything else we can gain if we are with God, if we do not lose the connection with Him and do not turn away from Him no matter what. (After the Divine Liturgy in the boarding home for children with special needs on July 30, 2016)


By Father Sergius Phalei

Those of us, who want to approach the sacrament – confession or the Holy Communion – do not be late. It will be useful for you to listen to the prayers, which are read before confession. The priest reads them not for himself. The words he pronounces are addressed to each confessor. When people are late for liturgy, it is irreverent in relation to the church, the Church as a whole, the Divine Services and, of course, Christ and His Holy Sacraments. (After the all-night vigil on June 15, 2016)

St. Elisabeth Convent, 2017




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