"And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life"

(Matthew 25:46)

 Nothing moves a sinner to repentance as much as eternity, and nothing is more useful to every Christian than the remembrance and contemplation of eternity. Eternity keeps a person from sin, pacifies passions, turns away from the world and all its vanity, crushes the heart, gives birth to tears of repentance, encourages prayer and makes a true heartfelt sigh. Remembrance and contemplation of eternity can correct even the most corrupt. The contemplation of eternity filled the deserts, caves, mountains and abysses of the earth with inhabitants. Contemplating eternity, the holy martyrs preferred to endure the heaviest torments rather than submit to the will of impious kings and renounce Christ. From the contemplation of eternity, robbers, murderers, robbers, fornicators and harlots, and other grave sinners became saints and God's chosen ones. Glory to God's love for mankind for opening the doors to Himself to all, even the most grievous sinners. It is surprising that the Christians of the present age, having heard in the Holy Scriptures about eternity, nevertheless cling to the vanity of this world, and seek in this world honor, glory and riches, and build, expand, and adorn their houses and other buildings, as if eternity did not exist. This happens in them from forgetfulness of eternity, and their hearts are darkened by the charm of visible vanity. Beloved Christians! Let us imprint eternity on our memory, and then we will invariably abide in constant true repentance, contrition of heart, and prayer, and we will not be deceived by any vanity of this world, and we will turn away from every sin, as from a poisonous serpent. Everything that the sons of this world like, which seems favorable and dear, will become abhorrent to us. Verily, we will be satisfied with a piece of bread, and a small hut, and the coarsest clothing. Remembrance and contemplation of eternity will teach us to be content with them. Do you know what eternity is? Eternity is a beginning without end, that is, it will begin once and never end; It is always and never, that is, it will always be and will never cease. This is eternity. All ages from the creation of the world to the end are like the smallest point in comparison with the whole world, or like a minute against a thousand centuries, or, better said, like nothing. This is eternity. Eternity is twofold: prosperous and unprosperous. In prosperous eternity there will be the kingdom of God, there will be God, Whom man will see face to face, there will be joy and indescribable gladness, soul and body will receive their all-perfect bliss, and man will be vouchsafed good things, which "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man" (1 Corinthians 2:9). "Then the righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt. 13:43). In an unfortunate eternity there will be deprivation and separation from God, all suffering and torment in body and soul. Then people will want to die, but death will flee from them. This is the second death and eternal death. Sinners! We hear the Word of God about eternity and see that there is a twofold eternity: prosperous, full of joy and all good things, that is, eternal life; and unhappy, full of torment, sorrow, sickness, and all evils, that is, eternal death. Let us repent and wash away our sins with tears, so that we may avoid an unfortunate eternity and enter into eternal life and the kingdom of God. After the Last Judgment of Christ, each will go to his own eternity. For then the Judge Christ will give everyone the proper definition. To the righteous He will open the doors of His eternal kingdom and say to them: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). To sinners He will say: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 25:41). "And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:46). Remember us also, O Lord, in Thy kingdom! Amen.

Homily 14: On the First Christian Work

 "There is only one thing that is required"

(Luke 10:42)

 These words: "There is one thing needful," our Savior said to all of us, O Christians! Many Christians are concerned about this and that, but often they themselves do not know what they are concerned about. Forestalling this useless effort and care, the Lord says to all: "There is only one thing needful." What is it? Eternal salvation. This is the first Christian work, and Christians should have the first care for this. We need food, clothing, a house and everything else necessary for this life, and for this we pray to the Heavenly Father: "Give us this day our daily bread." But eternal salvation is so necessary that without it everything is nothing. "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul" (Matt. 16:26)? There is no benefit, truly none, where there is no salvation. What does it profit us if we gain the whole world, and lose our souls? We cherish temporal life most of all, all the more must we cherish eternal life, which is more precious than the whole world. Just as for every man the first thing to do is that to which his title obliges him, such as: with a judge to judge, with a farmer to cultivate the land, with a merchant to trade, with a shepherd to graze cattle, with a teacher to teach, with a student to learn, and so on; so for a Christian, the first thing should be to please God by faith and truth, Whom he confesses and honors, and so hope and expect to receive eternal life from Him. This is the first Christian work, care and care. This is what is "the only thing that is needed". Beloved Christians! We were created not for temporary, but for eternal life, by holy Baptism we were renewed for eternal life, by the Word of God we were called to eternal life, Christ the Son of God came into the world, suffered and died for the sake of eternal life. You see how dearly God honored our eternal salvation. He created everything for this, and for this He Himself came into the world. We must also have the first effort and care for this. Satan tries to steal eternal life from us and destroy us forever, we should not slumber either, but we should protect this priceless treasure. However, we see and sigh that many Christians do not care about this primary matter. Fornicators, adulterers, and defilements do not care, blasphemers and scoffers, drunkards and sensualists do not care, thieves, kidnappers, and robbers do not care, liars, cunning, and hypocrites do not care, slanderers and reproaches do not care, all those who please not God, but the world and their own whims, do not care. All such and similar people do not value the treasure of eternal salvation, which was obtained by labors, illnesses, suffering, and death, but by the death of Christ the Son of God on the Cross, they do not value, and so they do not revere Him Himself who suffered and died. For today's Christians, that which brings honor, glory, wealth and luxury is precious and great, and eternal salvation is considered as the last thing, so the same deeds follow. Eternal salvation "is the only thing needful," according to Christ, but here it is either gained or lost. It is gained by repentance and faith, and lost by an unrepentant life. Hear, sinners, and you, blessed Christians! Eternal salvation is "one" for us "to need," and here it is either gained or lost. Let us deepen this in our memory, beloved. Sinners! Let us remember our vows given to God at Baptism, and let us repent, so that we do not appear before God as liars. Let us remember the hour of death and repent, so that we may depart from this world not without hope of salvation. Let us remember the Dread Judgment of Christ and repent, so that we may not appear there with our sins. Let us think about the sweetness of eternal life and the sorrow of eternal death, and let us turn to God, and propitiate Him with tears and repentance, so that He may open to us the doors of mercy and His eternal kingdom. Lord God Almighty! Turn us, enlighten Thy face, and we shall be saved. Amen.

Homily 15: On the Christian Education of Children

 "Bring them up in the doctrine and instruction of the Lord"

(Ephesians 6:4)

 This is the word the Holy Spirit speaks through the Apostle to parents and exhorts them to raise their children as befits Christians. "Bring them up in the doctrine and admonition of the Lord." All Christians in holy Baptism were renewed to a new, holy and Christian life, and promised to serve God faithfully and truthfully, and thus to please Him. But in order for those who have been baptized not to become corrupt, and not to fall into a state of misery, and so that it does not happen to them according to the true proverb: "The dog returns to his vomit, and the washed pig goes to wallow in the mud" (2 Peter 2:22), they must certainly prevent this miserable state by bringing up their children well while they are still small and young. For with pain and sighing we see that many children in their youth are corrupted. This happens to them from the negligence of their parents. Many parents teach their children arts that serve for a temporary life, others try to teach foreign languages, and spend a lot of money on this, but they do not care about Christian teaching, and do not try to teach their children to live in a Christian way. Such parents give birth to their children for temporal life, but the doors to eternal life are closed for them. St. Chrysostom, reflecting on parents who neglect the good upbringing of their children, and on the misfortune of badly educated children, says: "Parents who neglect to bring up their children in a Christian way are more lawless than child-murderers. For infanticides separate the body from the soul, and they cast both soul and body into hell of fire. Bodily death by natural law cannot be avoided, and the death of the soul would be possible if the negligence of the parents were not to blame for it. Moreover, bodily death can be immediately abolished by the coming resurrection, but nothing can restore the perdition of the soul" (Discourse 5 against the detractors of monastic life). Therefore, parents, listen to the word of the Lord: "Bring up your children in the teaching and instruction of the Lord." A young tree, newly planted, is tied by the gardener to a stake, planted in the ground and established, so that it will not be torn out of the ground by wind and storm, and the unsuitable knots and shoots on the tree are cut off, so that they do not damage and dry out the tree. Do the same with your little and young children. Bind their hearts to the fear of God, so that they may not be shaken by the snares of Satan and abandon piety, and cut off the passions that grow in them, so that they do not grow and possess them, and so they do not kill the inner new man, born in holy Baptism. For we see that when children grow up, sinful passions are shown and grow with them, like worthless shoots on a tree. Therefore, in order for these lawless shoots not to grow, and not to damage, and not to destroy a person who has been washed, sanctified and justified by holy Baptism, it is necessary to cut them off by the instruction and teaching of the Lord. Cut off then, beloved, such offshoots from your children, and "bring them up in the teaching and instruction of the Lord." As soon as they begin to understand at least a little about good and evil, begin your work and teach them. Do the following with them: 1) Remind them often of holy Baptism and that they then promised God to live decently and be constant, to serve Him faithfully and truthfully, and to shun all evil and sin. 2) Repeat to them often that we are all born and reborn in Baptism not for this temporal life, not for the sake of acquiring honor, glory and riches in this world – which our very death shows, otherwise we would have been in this world forever – but we are born and reborn for eternal life. Our entire life in this world, from birth to death, is the path along which we go to our promised homeland and eternal life. Remind them of this often, so that they do not become addicted to the vanity of this world and learn to "set their minds on things above, and not on earthly things" (Col. 3:2). 3) Admonish them to Who is the Christian God and what He requires of us, that He hates evil and loves good, punishes man for evil, and rewards him for good. And although we do not see Him, He sees us, and is invisibly present with us, and sees our every deed, and hears every word. We must fear Him and do what pleases Him. 4) Enlighten their inner eyes, Who is Christ, in Whom we believe, and for what purpose He came into the world, and lived, and suffered, and died. The reason for this was our sins and our eternal salvation, so that we, having been delivered from sins, would receive eternal salvation. 5) Teach them the law of God and tell them what this law requires of us, that is, that we love God and every person. Everything contrary to this law is vice and sin, and everything that is in agreement and resemblance is virtue. To keep the law of God, and thus to shun all sin, and to live virtuously on holy Baptism, we promised God. Whoever lives differently does not keep these vows, and is a liar before God, and if he does not truly repent and reform, then at the judgment of Christ he will appear a liar. 6) Present to them the end: death, the judgment of Christ, eternal life and eternal torment, so that in this way the fear of God will be instilled in them and they will guard against all evil. Pour all this and so forth like milk into their young hearts, that they may grow in godliness. They call you parents, so be true parents. Ye have begotten them according to the flesh, and beget them also according to the Spirit. You have given birth to them for temporal life, revive them also to eternal life. Beloved Christians! Appear both you and your children at the Dread Judgment of Christ, and give an answer for them to the righteous Judge. He will not ask you whether you have taught your children arts, whether you have taught them to speak French, German, or Italian, but whether you have taught them to live in a Christian way? Young children pay more attention to their parents' actions than to their instruction. Therefore, if you want your children to be pious and good, be pious and good yourselves, and show yourself as an example to them, and thus "bring them up in the teaching and instruction of the Lord." Then your children and you will receive eternal salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Homily 16: On Conscience