Homily 2: On Holy Baptism

 "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved"

(Mark 16:16)

 This word was spoken by our Saviour the Lord for our strengthening and consolation: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." What can be more comforting to a faithful and baptized soul than these words, which promise eternal salvation? Beloved Christians! Glory to God, and we also believe in the Gospel and are enlightened by holy Baptism. But let us look at the power of holy Baptism and see what we were before Baptism and what we became after Baptism, so that we may receive living consolation from this as well. Through holy Baptism we were delivered from the great calamity and received all true blessedness by the grace of God. Before Baptism we were removed from God, but through Baptism we drew closer to God. Before Baptism we were enemies of God, but by Baptism we were reconciled to God, and God was reconciled with us. Before Baptism we were children of God's wrath, but after Baptism we became vessels of God's mercy. Before Baptism, we were children of darkness and children of the devil, but having been baptized, we became children of light and children of God. Before Baptism we were defiled by sins, but by Baptism we were "washed, sanctified, and justified" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Before Baptism, we were lost, but when we were baptized, we became saved. Before Baptism, the doors to eternal life and the heavenly kingdom were closed to us, but by Baptism they were opened, and those who freely preserve the grace of holy Baptism enter there. These and other blessings of God are received through holy Baptism, and we receive them freely, without any of our merits, according to God's love for mankind alone. For what can the lost deserve? Glory to the goodness of God, glory to His love for mankind, glory to His mercy, glory to His mercies! Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forevermore! All this supreme mercy of God was deserved for us by the Only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, by his precious Blood and death. Beloved Christians! Let us remember holy Baptism and examine whether we live worthy of holy Baptism, so that this very Baptism would not be a greater condemnation for us on the day of the Dread Judgment of Christ, where every lawless word, deed, and thought is judged. Amen.

Homily 3: On Our Adoption as Sons to God

 "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called and be the children of God."

 (1 John 3:1)

 Oh, goodness! Oh, God's love for mankind! Oh, how much God's love overcame! Oh, how abundantly God's grace abounded! Poor and outcast sinners were created children of God! The Apostle of Christ is amazed at this and says: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called and be children of God." What can be more amazing than for a sinner to become a child of God? God's love for man created this. What is more glorious than to be called and to be a child of God? God's grace gave this to man. It is glorious to be a child of an earthly king, but incomparably more glorious to be a child of God, the King of Heaven. This honor, glory, dignity, nobility and name – all the titles of this world are incomparably superior. Glory to God, the lover of mankind, for this! If Christians are children of God, then they are heirs: "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). If they are children of God, then whom and what should they fear? Why fear slanderers, enemies, the devil, demons, death, and hell? God stands for them: "If God is for us, who is against us" (Romans 8:31)? We receive this highest gift of God in Baptism, for then we are born of God and receive this most glorious title. Beloved Christians! Let us remember Holy Baptism and God's highest mercy shown to us at that time. Then we became children of God. Thank God for that! But children are required to be like their parents: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). That is why Christians, as those born of God, should be like God. Thus let us show by our deeds that we are children of God. God is holy, let us also be holy. If God is righteous, let us also be righteous. God is good, "for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:45) — let us also be good, and let us do good to our friends and enemies, who love us and hate us. God is merciful, let us also be merciful, and we will show mercy to our needy brethren. God hates sin, and let us also hate every sin and turn away from every sin. If God loves us, let us love one another. God forgives our sins when we repent, and let us also forgive the sins of people. The Apostle of Christ calls us to this: "Imitate God, as beloved children" (Ephesians 5:1). If we show such morals in ourselves, then we will be true children of God, and we will receive both the inheritance and all the blessings promised to the children of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen

Homily 4: On Our Renunciations and Vows Made at Baptism

 Holy Baptism is like a door through which the baptized enter the Holy Church and become close to God and cohabitants of the saints, but they do not just enter, but before Baptism they pronounce renunciations and vows. 1) Then we renounce Satan and all his evil deeds. Satan is an evil and evil spirit; he was created by a good God, but with his like-minded people he departed from Him, and so from the bright he became dark, and from the good – evil and evil. His works are as follows: idolatry, pride, deceit, lying, flattery, cunning, envy, malice, theft, adultery, fornication, all uncleanness, slander, blasphemy, and every sin. For he is the inventor of sin, he deceived our forefathers in paradise and led them to sin and apostasy from God. We renounce this evil spirit and all its evil deeds before Baptism. 2) We renounce all vanity, pride, and pomp of this world, as called and renewed to eternal life. 3) We promise Christ, the Son of God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, to serve faithfully and truthfully and to follow His footsteps. (4) Thus the covenant between God and us is established. We, having renounced Satan, promise to serve God and be faithful to Him. God receives us into His highest mercy, and promises us the inheritance of eternal life and kingdom, and we, defiled by sins, are washed, sanctified and justified by the bath of Baptism, so the priest greets each baptized person: "Thou hast been washed, thou hast been sanctified, hast thou been justified" (see 1 Corinthians 6:11). Beloved Christians! Let us remember these renunciations and vows and look around to see if we keep them. For it is hard for God to lie, and it is very dangerous for him to be a liar before him. Let us look around to see if any of us has not turned back to Satan, and has not renounced Christ, and has not abandoned Him? Let's look around, on whose side we are, Satan's or Christ's? Whoever fulfills whose will, serves him, belongs to him. Not only the one who denies Christ in His holy name and does not confess Him to be the Son of God and his Saviour, but also the one who unscrupulously and fearlessly violates His holy commandments, renounces Christ. This is the apostolic teaching. For the Apostle says: "They say they know God; but by works they deny it" and so on (Titus 1:16). You see that people deny God by their deeds, and not only by their lips. Whether someone commits fornication or commits adultery, he renounces Christ and turns to Satan. If anyone is angry with his neighbor and thinks how to harm him, he has left Christ and clung to the devil. If anyone steals, steals, or takes away the goods of his neighbor, he has apostatized from Christ and approached Satan. Whether someone deceives or offends his neighbor – no longer with Christ, but with Satan, and so on. All such do not fulfill their vows, which they gave to God, and therefore they lied to God. Let us consider, beloved, our conscience and our life, on whose side we are, Christ's or His adversary, good or evil, those who are saved or those who are perishing? Whoever is not with Christ is with the devil and resists Christ. For Christ Himself says: "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Matthew 12:30)!

 Beloved! Let us beware and be with Christ here, in this world, as we promised at Baptism. Let us be here with Christ, so that in the age to come we may be with Christ according to His true promise: "Where I am, there will my servant also be" (John 12:26). Let us serve Him here as our King and God, so that on the day of judgment He may acknowledge us as His servants, and number us among His faithful servants, and open to us the doors of eternal joy. Amen.

Homily 5: On Our Renewal by Holy Baptism