LIVING ORTHODOX

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Brothers and sisters, today’s Gospel reading is one that I myself have always loved. It reveals to us, through the Saviour’s words, the love God has for man.

The world we live in tries to excite a concern for material things: a good career, an abundance of wealth, fine foods, and a life of luxury. This couldn’t be further from the experience of the saints and the high calling we as Christians have to become saints. This isn’t to say that having a good career or money is a bad thing, but that worrying over these things, or forsaking the remembrance of God is not good. 

Jesus reveals to us that by abiding in God’s will, that the Father will feed us and clothe us. For we are more important to God than the birds of the air, yet He still feeds them. This isn’t to say that one should see this as a message of prosperity through faith, or reckless abandon of one’s responsibility—for it is a good thing to labour and work for what we have—but that in setting God before all that we do, He blesses us and grants to us what we need by His abundant mercies. We must always turn to Him in prayer and thanksgiving. How many of us may neglect to not only give thanks for our meal, but also to pray and give thanks afterwards? I myself have been guilty of this. 

St. John Maximovich, whose memory we celebrated yesterday, was a man who always had the remembrance of God in his heart. He loved reading the lives of saints and sought to live as they lived. He would pray when sailing on the sea towards the Philippines, and by his prayers typhoons were warded off. He lived according to the Divine Law and, as a result, one could truly see that he was not a citizen of this world, but found his citizenship in Heaven. When St. John was a young man, he was once held in prison, and even then it was clear that he was hardly troubled by his circumstances. 

Brothers and Sisters, let us follow his example and heed the homily we heard last week from Vladyka Ireneé. Read the gospel and read the lives of saints. For in them, we not only see the gospel lived in action, but also the providence of God in daily life. 

Amen. 

Fr. Mikhail