Homily 20: On the Struggle Against Sin

 All Christians who want to be true Christians and receive eternal salvation in Christ Jesus absolutely need podvig against all sin, in order not to allow themselves to be possessed by it. "Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts," says the Apostle to Christians (Romans 6:12). Their faith demands this of Christians, according to the words of the Apostle: "Show me thy faith by thy works" (James 2:18). They must listen to God, in Whom they believe, and not sin, and live for God, and not for sin. This is required by holy Baptism, by which we have been renewed for the holy Christian life. They demand the vows given at Baptism, by which they promised to serve the Lord faithfully and truthfully. The work of salvation is required, since for those who break the law and do not keep their vows given at Baptism, holy Baptism is useless, as if they had lied to God. Reason about this, Christians. A Christian is known not from the words: "Lord, Lord," but from podvig against every sin. He is a true warrior who stands and struggles against the visible enemy. In the same way, a true Christian is one who constantly carries out the struggle against sin. But let us see why a person sins, and then it will be easier to resist sin. There are five causes of sin: 1) Corruption of human nature. Man is conceived in iniquity, and is born in sins, as the Psalmist says: "In iniquity I was conceived, and in sins my mother gave birth to me" (Psalm 50:7). Sinful passions, with which a person is born, incline and draw him to sin. "Poor man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24) Corruption and wretchedness entered into man from the fall of Adam, and inclines man to all sin. Children are born like their father: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6). But Christians, by the power of holy Baptism and the vows given at that time, must stand and struggle against inclinations and passions, and not allow them to turn into deeds. 2) The devil leads a person to sin. The Apostle speaks of this and exhorts Christians to guard against him: "Be sober, be watchful, for your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him with firm faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9). The Apostle Paul says the same thing in another place: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His power. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:10-12). These invisible enemies are always on the alert to our destruction, O Christians, and try to lead us to every sin. Therefore, we should not slumber either. 3) The temptations of the world also lead to sin. We see this growing evil. One does something, the other sees or hears it, and recklessly imitates it. Temptation is like a pestilence, which begins in one person and infects many who live nearby. "Woe to the world because of temptations, for stumbling-blocks must come; but woe to the man through whom the offense comes" (Matt. 18:7). 4) The cause of sin is the unkind upbringing of children. Such children, having grown up, strive for all evil. This comes from the negligence of parents. Pay attention to this, fathers and mothers! 5) Human habit strongly attracts to sin. We see this evil, we see that drunkards always strive for drunkenness, kidnappers for theft, fornicators and adulterers for uncleanness, slanderers for slander, and so on. For their habit, like a rope, draws them to sin, and like one who is hungry for bread and thirsty for water, they strive for the sin to which they are accustomed. Spurred on by habit, people sin. A Christian who wishes to be saved and to show his faith from works must certainly struggle against it. All these opponents of our salvation are fierce. Cruel is "the flesh with passions and lusts" (Gal. 5:24), which desires that which is contrary to the spirit (Gal. 5:17); the devil is an adversary, who constantly seduces and fights us; fierce are the temptations by which the lust of the flesh, like fire by the wind, is fanned and kindled. But for one who is accustomed to evil, habit is the fiercest of all, it is like second nature for man. I confess that the feat against the above-described opponents is difficult for everyone, but it is necessary and honorable. Many struggle and conquer people, but become captives and slaves of their passions. There is no more glorious victory than oneself and it is a sin to win. There is no crown and triumph without victory, and there is no victory without podvig against enemies. Beloved Christians! Let us enter into this podvig, so that with the help of Christ we may gain victory, and receive from Him a crown of goodness, and we will triumph eternally in His kingdom. Help in the struggle against sin can be found in the following. 1) To listen and heed God's Word. It shows sin and virtue, leads away from sin and encourages virtue. For "all Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). For "the Word of God is a spiritual sword" (Ephesians 6:17), with which the enemy of the soul is cut. (2) God is present in every place, and wherever we are, He is with us; and whatever we do, we do before Him and with His holy eyes. How, then, shall we commit iniquity before God, and transgress His holy law in His sight? We are ashamed and afraid to commit outrage before the earthly king and the inferior authority, how much more should we be ashamed and afraid to show outrage before God, for any sin is outrage before God. 3) Remember the end: death, the Judgment of Christ, hell and the kingdom of heaven – all this leads away from sin. "In all your works," says Sirach, "remember your end, and you will never sin" (Sir 7:39). 4) Avoid occasions that lead to sin, such as banquets and feasts, evil and obscene conversations. For "evil associations corrupt good morals" (1 Corinthians 15:33). 5) Keep in mind and remember that during the very act of sin a person can die and perish. Thus Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, pursued in the footsteps of the Israelites, and wanted to do them evil again, but in that very lawless deed he perished (see Exodus 14:27). Thus Absalom, the son of David, desired to kill his holy father, and in that desire he perished (2 Samuel 18:9). We see the same thing now: we see that fornicators and adulterers are smitten during the most abominable deed, blasphemers at the time of blasphemy, thieves and kidnappers during theft, and other lawless people receive according to their deeds. Thus the righteous judgment of God smites the wicked, so that we may fear to sin and commit lawlessness. 6) To think that Christ, the Son of God, was tortured for sins and died. "He was manifested for our sins, and bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5). Are you, Christian, to do what Christ, the Son of God, drank the bitterest cup of suffering for, and so "crucify the Son of God in you again" (Hebrews 6:6)? 7) Not to look at what people do, but to listen to what the Word of God teaches. For thus we avoid the temptations of the world. "Great is peace to them that love Thy law (Lord), and they shall not be offended" (Psalm 118:165). Christian, love the Law of God, and the temptations of the world will not harm you. 8) Our efforts and struggles against sin have no power without God's help. Therefore, we should try and pray that the Lord will help us in such an important matter. God helps those who strive and care, strengthens those who struggle, and crowns those who overcome. Beloved Christians! We see our spiritual enemies, who want to destroy us not temporarily, but forever, and we also see help in the struggle against them. Let us stand, let us stand strong, and let us be strengthened by the power of the Almighty Jesus, our Saviour, and let us not allow Him to possess us, then we shall be crowned with the crown of victory from the Founder of the Feat of Jesus! Lord Jesus, Conqueror of death and hell, help us! Without You we can do nothing, with You we can do anything. Amen.

Homily 21: On the Threats of God

 We see the threats written in the Holy Scriptures, through which God threatens unrepentant sinners with temporal and eternal punishment. For as a king, who cares for the good state of his state, issues a useful decree, and declares in the decree what his subjects should and should not do, and in the decree he also prescribes the punishment of transgressors, saying, This and that shall be done by those who transgressed the decree, so the King of heaven, the Lord God, has issued His holy and righteous law to all men, that they may live and correct themselves according to the rule of this law. and what He forbids they avoided, and what He commanded, they would do. And to the transgressors of the law he declared temporal and eternal punishment: "Already the axe lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matt. 3:10). "But the fearful, and the unfaithful, and the filthy, and the murderers, and the fornicators, and the sorcerers, and the idolaters, and all the liars, shall have a portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. This is the second death" (Revelation 21:8). "If ye are not converted, he will sharpen his weapon, he has drawn his bow and prepared it, and in it he has prepared instruments of death, he has made his arrows for those who are burned" (Psalm 7:13-14). "He will bring down a snare upon sinners: fire and brimstone, and a stormy spirit, their portion of the cup" (Psalm 10:6). "Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). These and other threats of God are terrible to us, but they show us God's great love for mankind. Because nothing turns a sinner to repentance so much as threats of execution. Through the promise of good things, God calls us to Himself and eternal salvation, and through the threat of execution, He urges, coerces, and convinces. That is why He threatens sinners because He does not want to destroy them. That is why He manifests His wrath, so that we may correct ourselves by the fear of this wrath and avoid eternal punishment. For if the fear of the earthly king turns us away from much evil, then how much more is the fear of the Heavenly King able to turn us away from all evil and move us to repentance, if we often reflect on His righteous wrath against sin and on His terrible threats. Truly, by the fear of execution, as with a rope, a person will be bound and restrained, and will not be moved to any evil. Truly, he will not want to sin when he sees before his intelligent eyes the eternal fire prepared for him for sin. Verily, the remembrance of the plague will not allow you to be executed, and the reflection of hell will not allow you to enter hell. Truly we owe much to our God, beloved Christians, and for this His love for us, that He has announced to us about Gehenna and other plagues. For we are moved to repentance more by the threat of execution than by the promise of good, as stated above. But open the ears of your souls and give heed to what I want to offer you. It is dangerous, very dangerous, to despise God's threats, and not to repent, and not to correct oneself. Know for sure and do not doubt that he who despises His threats will actually recognize God's punishment. There is nothing more dangerous than to despise what God threatens. He will fall into hell who does not think about hell. He who despises this death will not escape eternal death. The wrath of God is recognized by the one who does not fear the wrath of God and does not repent. "Our God is a consuming fire. It is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31)! "God is not mocked" (Galatians 6:7). What a man sows, that he will also reap. Verily, God is Merciful and Loving to mankind, but He is also Righteous, for He will reward all according to their deeds. Sinners, let us put into memory and repeat this word: it is dangerous to despise God's threats! God threatened our forefathers in paradise: "You will die in the hour when you eat of the commanded tree" (Genesis 2:17). The forefathers despised this, and died a death. The wicked who lived in the time of Noah despised God's threats, and perished from the Flood. The Sodomites despised it, and were burned with fire. Even now sinners despise and perish. The wicked were drowned in the flood, who did not believe the preaching of the righteous Noah about repentance. What can we expect for today's wicked, scoffers, and those who despise the Law of God? They too will plunge into the most terrible flood of eternal perdition. He burned the Sodomites with fire from heaven for their abominable impurity. What can fornicators, adulterers, and other desecrators hope for now, except the fire of hell, in which they will burn and not burn forever? Many of the Israelites in the wilderness were smitten because of their iniquities, and did not reach the promised land. The same will happen to lawless Christians, they will not be admitted into the kingdom of God. For "outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and does unrighteousness" (Rev. 22:15). And this is what the Lord says: "If you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way" (Luke 13:5). Sinners! Listen to this word and repent! Temporal perdition is terrible, but eternal perdition is much more terrible. Therefore, let us fear destruction, and repent, and escape it! The Ninevites feared the destruction that was to follow them, repented, and did not fall into perdition, but received mercy from the Loving God. Let us also turn with all our hearts to our God, and repent, and cease to irritate Him with our sins, and receive mercy from Him. Amen.

Homily 22: On Pride

 "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble"

(1 Peter 5:5)

 The abominable sin is pride, but few people know it, because it is hidden deep in the heart. The beginning of pride is ignorance of oneself. This ignorance blinds man, and so man becomes proud. Oh, if man knew himself, knew his poverty, misery, and wretchedness, he would never be proud! But all the more accursed is man who does not see and does not know his poverty and wretchedness. Pride is known by deeds, as a tree is by its fruits. But let us see what are the fruits of the bitter seed of pride. 1) A proud person seeks honor, glory and praise in every possible way. He always wants to show himself something, and to instruct, command and command others, and if anyone hinders his desire, he is very angry and angry with him. 2) Having lost his honor and authority, he murmurs, is indignant and blasphemes. What have I sinned? What am I guilty of? Are my labors and merits worthy of this? And it often happens that a person kills himself. 3) He begins to do things beyond his strength, which he cannot do. Oh, man! Why do you touch a burden that you cannot bear? 4) Arbitrarily interferes in other people's affairs. He wants to point out everywhere and to everyone, although he himself does not know what he is doing. So he is blinded by pride. 5) Without shame, he praises himself and exalts himself: "I have done this and that, I have rendered such and such services to society." O man! You count your merits, but why don't you talk about your faults? If you are ashamed to announce them, then be ashamed and praise yourself. 6) He despises and despises other people: "He is a vile man, he is worthless," and so on. Person! He is a human being like you, for we are all human beings. He is a sinner, but I think that you will not renounce this name either. He has sinned or is sinning in this, and you have sinned in another, and perhaps in the same thing. "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). 7) He does not submit to authority and does not obey his parents, for the proud have a fierce and unyielding neck. They always want to decide and confirm the will of their will. 8) The good that he has is attributed to himself, his efforts, labors and reason, and not to God. O man! What can you have of your own, who came naked out of his mother's womb? What can you have if God, the source of all good, does not give you? What can our diligence and labor do without the help of Him Who alone can do all things, and without Whom everyone is nothing, like a shadow without a body? 9) He does not like rebuke and exhortation very much. He thinks that it is in good working order, although it is all dirty. 10) In humiliation, contempt, in troubles and misfortunes, he does not endure, he is indignant, murmurs, and often blasphemes. 11) In words and deeds he shows a certain arrogance and pomp, and so on.

 These are the fruits of pride, hateful to God and people. Bitter are these fruits, and so is the seed from which they are born. "What is high among men is an abomination to God" (Luke 16:15). That is why it is written: "Everyone who exalts himself will humble himself" (Luke 14:11). The virtue opposite to pride is humility. As vile and vile as pride is, so much is humility favored and loved by God and people. There is nothing that the great and lofty God looks upon so kindly as a humble and tender heart. That is why the Most Holy Theotokos says of Herself: "He looked upon the humility of His servant" (Luke 1:48). When pride departs from a person, humility enters him, and the more pride decreases, the more humility increases, for one gives way to the other, as the opposite. The darkness goes away, and the light comes. Darkness is pride, and humility is light. If we consider ourselves and recognize our misfortune and wretchedness, then we will have sufficient reason for humility. We are born naked and weeping; we live in troubles, misfortunes and sins; we die with fear, fear, and sighing; we are buried in the earth and turned to the earth. Here you cannot see where the rich are, where the beggar, where the noble and where the rootless, where the master and where the slave, where the wise and where the foolish lie. Everyone there was equal, because everyone turned to the ground. So, why does the earth and pus ascend? Beloved Christians! Let us know our poverty and wretchedness, "and let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt us in due time" (1 Peter 5:6). Let us know, beloved, that we are Christians from Christ, meek and humble in heart. It is shameful and very unseemly for Christians to be proud if Christ, the Great and High God, humbled Himself. It is shameful for servants to be proud when their Lord is humble. There is nothing so indecent and unseemly for Christians as pride, and nothing shows a Christian so much as humility. From humility a person is known that he is a true disciple of the meek and lowly in heart Jesus. Thus, if we want to show a testimony that we are true Christians, then let us learn from Christ to be humble, as He Himself exhorts us: "Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). Let us write and deepen in our memory the Apostle's words: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Amen.

Homily 23: On Malice

 Malice is an inveterate and inveterate anger. Anger, if it is not subdued soon, turns into malice. That is why the Apostle exhorts and teaches us at the very beginning and immediately to put off anger: "Let not the sun go down on your anger; and give no place to the devil" (Ephesians 4:26-27). And from this we see that he gives place to the devil who keeps anger and malice against his neighbor. Over such a person, the devil, as a spirit of malice, has already prevailed, and leads him as his prisoner. Malice is born either from envy, as Cain had malice against his brother Abel, envying his welfare, was angry with him and killed him (see Genesis 4:8), or from an offense inflicted on a person. Thus people are angry and angry with those who have offended them, and want to repay them with evil for evil, and thus avenge their offense. An abominable and laughable sin is malice. Other sins are either a kind of gain or sweetness to the sinner. A thief steals to satisfy his soul. The fornicator commits fornication in order to please his flesh. And the evil one is angry without all this. He sins and is tormented, iniquity and is devoured, he takes revenge and suffers vengeance. Thus, to the wicked, his very malice is punishment and beating. If it were possible to look into the heart of an evil person, then nothing else would appear there but hellish torment. Therefore it happens that evil people darken and dry up, for malice, like poison, devours their flesh. O fierce passion! Fierce and pernicious both for the wicked and for those against whom it rebels and arms. If it is not stopped in the beginning, then it does great misfortunes, just as an intensified fire consumes many houses. "Such a thing is malice that if a person does not stop it at the very beginning, then it multiplies immeasurably, like fire that has found dry materials," says St. John Chrysostom. Malice is committed in different ways. 1) Through the deprivation of health. This is done by those people who, being angry with their neighbor, give him poison, and thus damage his health, from which a person suffers almost incessantly, and dies. This is the action of malice and its pernicious fruit. (2) By taking his life, as Cain killed his brother Abel. 3) Through backbiting and slander. A wicked man, wishing to take revenge on his neighbor and having nothing to harm him, invents a vice in him and thus spreads a false evil rumor about him, or makes great things out of a small thing, that is, he calls a mote a beam. Therefore, it happens that many people endure false slander and reproach. The reason for everything is malice. 4) An evil person, having committed malice, often boasts about it: "I have given him; Let him know me. The words of the Psalmist are suitable for such people: "Why do you boast of malice, O mighty one" (Psalm 51:3)? It is a vile and vile smell of malice to rejoice and boast about the injury and destruction of others. Oh, the fierce and pernicious effect of malice! A man, as one who has sinned against God and his neighbor, should have regretted and repented, but the wicked one boasts and is exalted by this. He sins, and boasts of sin, he commits iniquity, and is exalted in iniquity. It is a vile and pernicious malice that is at work in him. Person! Thou hast now boasted and rejoiced over thy wicked work, but if thou wilt not mend thyself, then thou shalt sigh, weep, and weep, when all thy wicked deeds, as well as those of other wicked ones, shall be presented before thee, and shall be made manifest to all the world. Then you will see your destruction. 5) In some people, malice is so strong and multiplied that they are not afraid to say: "I will perish myself, but I will get him!" Do you not know what perdition is? Put your hand to the fire, and you will taste some of its sorrows. You cannot endure this—will you endure the bitterness of the fire of Gehenna, in which man will be completely immersed and drowned, and will burn and not burn forever! But when you look around, you will find out for yourself that the devil, the spirit of malice, produces and pronounces such words in you. You see, beloved Christians, what a fierce and grievous evil malice is. Evil and bitter are the fruits of malice; evil and bitter is the malice itself, which gives birth to such fruits. Woe to the world from malice! It harms everyone and in every way, as mentioned above, it is impossible for anyone and nowhere to hide from it. When he cannot otherwise harm a person, then through his tongue he releases poison on a person. No matter how many troubles, misfortunes and evils there are in the world, the reason for all of them is malice. So, woe to the world from malice! But greater woe to the wicked themselves! They harm the bodies of others, and their own souls; they kill the bodies of others, but they take away their own souls, they take away the temporal life of others, and their own eternal life; they destroy others temporarily, but themselves forever. Malice leads to such grave evil. Those who are angry, if they do not want to perish forever, must correct themselves and change their evil hearts. This is facilitated by the following: 1) It is terrible for Christians to be angry, who are commanded to love not only their friends, but also their enemies by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is terrible for Christians to do evil, who are commanded to do good even to those who hate it (cf. Matthew 5:44). It is terrible for Christians to take revenge, because they are commanded to forgive the sins of people (cf. Matthew 6:14). The Avenger will fall into the hands of the Avenger, God. "It is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31)! Let the wicked soul heed this, and let him mortify the poison of his malice with repentance and contrition of heart. Otherwise, he will appear with his sins at the Dread Judgment of Christ, and according to his deeds he will receive (cf. Matthew 16:27). 2) It often happens that the wicked, wishing to harm others, first harm themselves: the poison that is prepared for others, they themselves eat; with the sword which they draw against others, they kill themselves, and their sword enters into their hearts (see Psalm 36:15); and into the ditch that others are dug, they themselves fall. This is what the Psalmist sings: "He dug a pit and deepened it, but he will fall into the pit that he made. His wickedness shall be turned upon his head, and his iniquity shall come down upon the crown of his head" (Psalm 7:16-17). And the Lord says: "With what measure ye measure, it shall be measured unto you" (Matt. 7:2). Beloved Christians! Let us listen to the Apostle's admonition: "Let not the sun go down on your anger," and let us subdue and tame anger at the very beginning, and while this lawless child is small, let us kill him, so that he may not grow up and take possession of us. Putting aside all malice, and all deceit, and hypocrisy, and envy, and all backbiting, as newborn babes, let us love the pure milk of the word, that from it we may grow unto salvation (1 Peter 2:1-2). "Beloved! Let us not imitate evil, but good. He who does good is from God; but he who does evil has not seen God." (3 John 1:11). Amen.

Homily 24: On Love

 We talked about malice, now let's talk about love. Love is a virtue opposite to malice. As bitter as anger is, so sweet is love. As harmful and pernicious as malice is, so useful is love; and as evil and bitter are the fruits of malice, so good and sweet are the fruits of love. Malice is bitter both for the wicked and for others; Love is sweet for both lovers and loved ones. Malice eats up and binds the heart; Love unties and expands the heart. Malice kills; Love revives. Dead is he who lives in malice, and alive is he who dwells in love. Malice saddens; Love comforts, brings joy and cheers. Malice is cruel and ferocious; Love is gentle and meek. Malice is proud and arrogant, but love is humble. Malice is merciless; Love is merciful. Malice is impatient; Love is long-suffering. Malice does evil; Love does not do evil, but does good. Malice is hateful and abominable to all; Love is favorable and loved for everyone. Everyone condemns malice; Love is praised and exalted by everyone. He who lives in malice is poor and cursed; He who lives in love is blessed and blessed. Both God and men abhor those who live in malice; God and men rejoice in him who abides in love. Malice is the seed of the devil; love is the seed of the Divine. Thus, accursed and miserable is the condition of wicked people, even though they are worshipped as gods in the world; Blessed and comforting is the state of hearts filled with love, even if they are trampled on like earth and pus. They are outwardly beautiful, but inwardly vile; These are outwardly ugly, but inwardly sweet. They shine outwardly, but inside they darken and turn black; These do not look like something valuable on the outside, but inside they have everything. They are outwardly healthy, but inwardly rotten; These are outwardly unsightly, they do not know how to speak beautifully and smoothly, but inside they are healthy, beautiful and pleasant. They are like apples, beautiful on the outside, but bitter and wormy on the inside; these are like apples, outwardly unpleasant, but inwardly sweet and delicious. So these are the evil tree, and these are the good tree. For "a tree is known by its fruit" (Matt. 12:33): as the fruit is, so is the tree. But let us look at the fruits of love, that we may know how a tree is by its fruit, so love is by its works. For love is known by deeds, and not by words. Beloved Christians! If we had true love, it would take away from us all trouble and introduce all well-being: our cities, villages, villages, and homes would be a place of paradise filled with joy and sweetness. For there is no love without it. If there were love in people, we would not be afraid of robbery, murder, violence, robbery, for "love does no harm to one's neighbor" (Romans 13:10). If there were love, there would be no theft, theft, and other evil, because "love does no harm to one's neighbor." If there were love, people would not touch their neighbor's bed, because "love does no harm to one's neighbor." If there were love, people would not tolerate slander, reproaches, reproach, desecration, dishonor, and other evils, for "love does no harm to one's neighbor." If there were love, people would not deceive us, deceive us, and lie to us: "Love does no harm to one's neighbor." If there were love, we would not need judgments, for there would be no what and for what to judge and condemn, since there would be no evildoers and transgressors. The courts are established because of the crimes of the law. He who truly loves is free from judgment, as he is free from sin. If there were love, we would not need guards, locks, and storerooms to store our possessions, for we would not be afraid of thieves and robbers. If there were love, people would not be in prison for debts, rents and arrears, love would not allow this, for "love is merciful" (1 Corinthians 13:4). If there were love, people would not walk half-naked and in rags, because love would clothe them, for "love is merciful." If there were love, homeless people would not wander, because love would not allow this, but would give them a place of rest, for "love is merciful." If there were love, there would be no beggars and wretched, because the love of the rich would complement their shortcomings. If there were love, the authorities would not complain about the ruled and the ruled about the authorities, because the authorities would build society, and the ruled would be obedient to them. For the same reason, pastors would not complain about people and people against pastors, masters against slaves and peasants, and slaves and peasants against masters, parents against children and children against parents, and so on. If love were in us, it would be for us instead of a strong wall against the Turks and our other enemies and all our visible and invisible enemies. For where there is love, there is God Himself, the Helper and Protector of love. O love, dear and sweet love! Without love, everything is bad and unhappy, but with love, everything is good and prosperous. Nowadays Christians like to live in rich houses, to sit at a rich meal, to dress in rich clothes, to ride in rich carriages and on horseback, although they see the shortcomings and poverty of their neighbors. And from this it can be seen that they love only themselves, and not God and their neighbors. Therefore, in people there is all kinds of trouble, calamity and wretchedness. For the cause of all evil is self-love. Therefore, the Loving God, having care for our well-being, gave us the following commandment: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:39). Once upon a time, Christians had "one heart and one soul" (Acts 4:32). Now we see the opposite: now Christians have heart against heart and soul against soul. Now the lips of all are filled with love, or rather flattery, but very few have love in their hearts, because "because iniquity has abounded, the love of many has grown cold" (Matt. 24:12). Christians, woe to us without love! Where there is no love, there is no faith, for there is no faith without love, and where there is no faith, there is no Christ and salvation. Christians! We confess God, who is Love (1 John 4:8). "Let us love one another, that we may with one mind confess the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Eucharistic Canon). Amen.