By Fr.
Andrew Lemeshonok
We are
tied to a wardrobe full of clothes, to the plate of borscht, to our wallet with
the money that wither away, to the weather that cannot warm up our hearts. We
are addicted to all those things. This is our weakness, a reason for our
current woeful condition, because we are tied to wrong relationships with one
another, to offences, to divisions and separations, too. Unfortunately, we
cannot do without these relationships. This is why words about eternity and the
absence of death may sound comforting to us, of course, but we do not feel them
in the same way as the people who were free from all that vanity from the
start. We need lots of props in order to really enter into the life where
Christ is risen.
***
We are
grateful to God for being in the Orthodox Church, for having the intercessors
like the Theotokos and the saints who pray for us, and even though we have
harsh hearts, we still can feel it sometimes. There comes a moment when we
finally break through and the new life touches us. This is when we understand
that we live not only on the earth: we have our share in Heavens, too. I would
like this share to grow bigger and bigger. (Sermon after Vespers on April 24,
2017)
By Fr. Alexander Pashkovsky
Every one
of us has a cross to carry. For some, it is their family. For others, it is an
illness, a sorrow of any kind, work-related problems, etc. We shouldn’t be
seeking easier paths. What we should be looking for is God’s will. Most often,
we already know it because we know the Ten Commandments and we know we must not
trespass them because there is no justification for sins like these. (Sermon
after the All-Night Vigil on June 24, 2017)
***
It is
vital to learn to see godlike goodness in one’s neighbour. We must remember
that goodness does not disappear. It is us who change: today we are kind and
calm, and tomorrow we can change. (Sermon after the Divine Liturgy on June 25,
2017)
***
Sometimes
we say Doubting Thomas, and mean it in the negative sense. However, a true
believer must test everything. A believer must not trust himself. He must
search for the truth, like St Thomas who did not believe initially but then
looked for God and found the faith. (Sermon after the All-Night Vigil on April
22, 2017)
By Fr. Priest
Valery Zakharov
If we pay
attention during prayer, we will hear what the Lord wants to tell us. (Sermon
after an Akathist in the Boarding Home for Children with Special Needs on June
23, 2017)
***
We often
think that it is something inside us — a proper mood, agility, or hard work —
that makes miracles happen. We forget that miracles come from God, and we can
only petition God for them. God grants us our petitions precisely when we
realise whom we are asking and who we are. This repentance gives God the chance
to act. (Sermon after the Divine Liturgy in the Boarding Home for Children with
Special Needs on July 1, 2017)
***
Teach us
to love… I think this is what God wants to accomplish. If He rebukes us for
some reason, it is not meant as a way to disparage or offend us. He does it to
make us holy, no less. (Sermon Before the Confession in the Boarding Home for
Children with Special Needs on April 21, 2017)
By Fr.
George Glinsky
We often
try to substitute God with an idol that we model in our own image and likeness
based not only on our own needs and requirements but even on political, social,
or other interests. However, if we refuse to make the idol in our image and likeness;
if we finally acknowledge that we are the image and likeness of the invisible
God; if we recall what God calls us for, our lives will change. If we stop
pleading with God to let us do what we want, if we stop perverting the Gospel
every time we need it, we will discover the fulness of the Divine Revelation on
the pages of the Holy Scripture. In spite of our total depravity, the
abomination of our life, our spiritual deformity, Apostle Paul says that the
Lord is always true to his promise: He came to save all people who turn to him
with repentance, willing to transform their lives and redefine them in the
light of the Gospel. (Sermon after the Divine Liturgy on June 27, 2017)
***
We must
work hard every day to demonstrate that Christ did indeed rise for our sake;
that we remain faithful to him, even as we have heard about him long long ago;
that our lives do change if we try to remember him; that He really transformed
our lives and this transformation is irreversible. It is only in this case that
the Good News of the Gospel — the news of the Resurrection of Christ — will
take roots in our hearts and bring the fruit of salvation not only for us but
also for the people who are looking for the truth. (Sermon after the Vespers on
April 26, 2017)
By Fr. Sergius
Nezhbort
May the
Lord help us to stay firm in what we are called to do: in our duties and the
circumstances of our lives. May He teach us not to scuttle back and forth, not
to panic, but make attempts at moving forward. (Sermon after the Divine Liturgy
on June 26, 2017)
By Fr.
Sergius Khrapitsky
Independence
isn’t an Orthodox word because every human depends on God. It’s impossible to
be independent of God. The devil’s poison spreads around the contemporary world
and penetrates deep into human conscience. People can’t even comprehend that
these are the actions of the foe of the human race.
Almost
the entire world is under the devil’s rule nowadays. Only those people who
pray, fast, and go to church, demonstrate that they are free from his cobwebs.
(Sermon after the Divine Liturgy on July 3, 2017)
August
14, 2017
St.
Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION