Homily on the Gospel of Matthew,

Ch. 4, verse 16

Jesus Christ came to the inhabitants of the land beyond the Jordan, to the inhabitants of the land of Nephalim and Zebulun, who were pagans at that time, and the people sitting in darkness saw a great light, and light shone for them that sat in the land and in the shadow of death (Matt. 4:16). These words apply to you as well, for for many years you have been deprived of divine services, the Mysteries of Christ, you have not heard the preaching of the Gospel, church singing and prayers. A new generation of young people has already grown up, who do not know Christ at all, and to whom no one has preached the Christian faith, His teachings. And these unfortunate children are like the people who inhabited the land of Zebulun and sat in darkness and the shadow of death. And His light shone upon them, when by the mercy of God the temples were opened, for our Lord Jesus Christ is the only and true light. This is what St. John the Theologian says about Him in the first chapter of his great Gospel, which is read once a year at Paschal Matins: In Him was life, and life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not enveloped it (John 1:4-5).

Today, as to the ancient Christians, we can address you with the words of the Apostle Paul: "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). Only in the light of Christ can we walk our earthly path.

There are different sources of light - bright, like the sun, moon and stars; weak, like a smoking candle or lamp; small sparks glowing with a faint light. But it's still light, it's still a blessing from God. Every small light is pleasing to God, and with such a small light each of you can shine in the surrounding darkness. With your kindness, your kindness and affability, your mercy, your holy love and piety, you can and must shine in this world, for you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy people, a people taken as an inheritance to proclaim the perfection of Him who called you out of darkness into His wondrous light (1 Pet. 2:9). The holy Apostle Peter values you so highly.

One does not need to be a learned preacher with eloquence, one must have a heart illumined by the light of Christ. Any simple old woman who has not learned anything can be a bright lamp of God if the light of meekness, love and humility burns in her heart, if she loves everyone around her and tries to help in every way she can.

To many people who consider themselves bearers of enlightenment, the light of the mind, the words of Christ are addressed: "Behold, the light that is in you, is not darkness" (Luke 11:35)? The Lord calls a person to see if there is the light of Christ in his heart.

After Jesus Christ had illuminated the people of the land of Zebulun and Neuphalim with His Divine light, He immediately began to call upon them: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 3:2). And we need to remember that we will shine with our hearts only when we are freed from the darkness of sin, for light and darkness are incompatible. Let everyone take to himself the Lord's call for repentance! The time is approaching, which the Holy Church has ordained for special repentance – the time of Great Lent.

Unfortunately, an extremely grave sin has become very widespread, the significance of which many of you are not sufficiently aware of – the sin of renouncing Christ, renouncing faith in God. You know how great were the multitude of faint-hearted people who, in the past years of atheism, during the general census of the population, quite easily wrote that they were non-believers in the column on their attitude to religion. And yet this is a completely obvious, undoubted renunciation of Christ. This refers to Christ's stern warning: "Whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 10:33). And this should be horrified.

In the first centuries of Christianity, there were severe persecutions of believers; it is known from the history of the Church how many martyrs shed their blood for the name of Christ, for confessing Him. But along with this host of holy martyrs there were many faint-hearted people who renounced Christ out of fear of torture. When the persecutions ended, many returned to the Church with tearful repentance, but the Ecumenical and Local Councils condemned all apostates from the faith extremely severely; there was a time when they were not accepted into the Church at all. Later, they began to receive them, but after a long repentance, they were excommunicated from communion for decades!

Those of you who have denied Christ in our times, who are no match for the persecution of the first Christians, are like these apostates. None of you were killed, not tortured, there was no direct persecution, and, nevertheless, there were many faint-hearted people for whom even the mere fear of suffering for the faith was enough to declare themselves unbelievers. I do not know what ecclesiastical punishment we will impose on these new apostates from the faith. This is a very complex issue that is subject to discussion by the Council.

It is necessary that each of you should examine your own conscience, and he who has renounced Christ would not dare to approach the Holy Chalice, for the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils concerning apostates have not been revoked.

May the Lord God preserve you all from fear where there is none, for many have exaggerated this fear. May this terrible calamity not be with any of you. May the light of Christ always shine in your hearts. Amen.