Homily on Faith. -by Wanderer Servant of God Margarita

Dear listeners, today our topic is one of the greatest moral themes—faith. It must be said that a large part of what is called knowledge actually relies on faith. For example, take historical knowledge. Who can truly verify something that happened long ago, or a particular date? In reality, no one can truly verify it. The same goes for astronomical knowledge. Who can check the distance to the sun, which is calculated at 150 million kilometers? None of us can. But we trust what has been said by some scientist who studied it and recorded it. And we believe that he recorded it correctly and that it was confirmed by some kind of experiment, or in some other way. Who can just as easily check at what speed the earth rotates? Yet scientists have written it down, and we believe—100,000 miles per hour, and we trust this completely. And with all the other natural sciences, we trust what the scientists say. So, much is accepted on faith.

But now we will talk about that faith which visibly and invisibly reigns over every other opinion and embraces all, without exception, of the powers and faculties of man. And such faith, of course, is based on immortality, on the eternal, on the infinite. This is religious faith. We say, for example—God exists. But in which God do we believe?—In the eternal God, the Creator of heaven and earth and everything that surrounds us. We believe in this, and from this awareness of ours, from this faith, every undertaking must begin, so that we may achieve a true result. This should be the foundation of every person. Because from faith in God springs all truth and all goodness.

In the book called the Great Catechism, it is explained that there are different kinds of faith. Not different faiths in the sense of different religions, but different capacities or measures of faith. That is, there is little faith, which is called doubtfulness, and there is great faith. For example, when the apostle Peter went to Christ upon the water, and then began to doubt and started to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me, I am perishing!” And Christ the Savior said to him, “Why did you doubt, O you of little faith?” He rebuked him. Now, would the Lord Himself, being right there, allow someone coming to Him to drown? Clearly, it was not enough faith. And there is another example in the Holy Gospel of great faith. This is when the centurion asked Christ the Savior to heal his sick servant, and Christ seemed ready to go, but the centurion said, “No, you do not need to come; just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” This shows the greatest faith—that a single word from Christ was sufficient to heal. Likewise, if we look to that great patriarch Abraham—what moved this man, when he laid his only son upon the altar? Only the deepest faith. And not only that: when God had told him, “Next year I will return and you will have a son,” Abraham was ninety-nine years old—could he not have doubted? He could have, but he so believed God that he did not doubt in the least. And so, thanks to his faith, such people attained the greatest honor, for they possessed great faith.

But there is also a dead faith. What does this mean? One can know that God exists, but do nothing. And the apostle James says, “Faith without works is dead.” What proves that a person has faith? His deeds. This is living faith, or, rather, not dead faith—faith that is confirmed by works. And the apostle Paul says, “Faith comes by hearing.” And hearing by what? By the word of God. For where can we obtain such fervent faith, which would move us? Only by hearing. But not just any kind of hearing. All those scientific discoveries or historical knowledge also dictate to us a kind of faith, but we are speaking of the kind of strong faith in God, fervent and great faith, and for this it is necessary to listen to the word of God. Christ Himself says in the Holy Gospel, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Why did He say, “I am the way”? Because by His example, He showed us the way, the path we must follow to attain perfection. And “the truth,” because His whole teaching, from beginning to end, is true, and there is no falsehood in it whatsoever. And “the life”—because through faith in Christ we can gain eternal life.

When addressing the people, the Lord has always, from ancient times, sent forth His prophets; He never left the human race without guidance. At first, the Lord Himself penetrated human hearts—that is, souls—and filled them in such a way that the faithful people of the Old Testament were saved by the natural law. They understood what needed to be done, were aware of it, and did it accordingly. But not everyone kept to this. From the very earliest times, we see that one person, like Abel, pleases God, while another—his own brother Cain—angers the Lord God. And thus, by the natural law, it was possible to be saved up to a certain time, and people were indeed saved by it, pleasing God. But there came a time when people so completely forgot the natural law and so trampled it underfoot, that only a few remained who kept the law by natural inclination. Therefore, the Lord sent prophets into the world, and through the prophets revealed His laws and His requirements to mankind. However, if we look at the Old Testament prophets, such as… (unclear) and the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord called him to the prophetic path when he was still a youth. And when the Lord called him to go and preach to the people, he replied—out of humility, not disobedience—“Lord, I do not know how to speak, I am still a child.” But the Lord did not accept this excuse, that he was a youth, that he was small. He said, “You will speak what I command you, and you will go where I send you.” And Jeremiah obeyed the word of the Lord, and from his youth began to fulfill the will of God. Whatever the Lord commanded him, that he spoke. He went among the people, but the Jewish people are called stiff-necked. And for rebuking their vices, for admonishing them as God commanded, they did not love him for it—they beat him, put stocks on him, threw him into filthy pits. Such was the “grateful” attitude of the people towards the prophets. Yet, in spite of this, the prophets fulfilled the will of God, because they believed the word of the Lord and obeyed unconditionally. Likewise, the prophet Isaiah, such a great prophet through whom God revealed His future dispensation, did not escape a bitter fate—he was mocked, went naked and barefoot for three years, and besides that, he was sawn in half with a wooden saw. Such torments were inflicted upon the prophets.

Yet, even in such a state—when people would not listen to the prophets or obey what the Lord commanded through them—God did not abandon the human race. The Lord Himself appeared; the Word of God became flesh and brought new teaching to the people. This true teaching was heard, and all whose hearts were ready to receive it accepted the Lord and believed that the Lord Jesus Christ came from God the Father. That He was not some impostor, as the envious scribes and Pharisees called Him, but that He was truly the Son of God, made flesh, who came to save the human race.

Afterwards, even before His Ascension into heaven, Christ the Savior sent His apostles—His disciples—out among the people, saying: “Go and preach the Gospel to every creature,” that is, He sent them into the whole world, to all peoples… While Christ Himself, during His earthly life, walked mainly among the Jewish people and preached to them—though there were times when people from other nations came to Him—He sent His apostles to preach the Gospel to the whole world. And what happened? The apostle Paul, so eloquent and zealous, traveled everywhere, preaching despite prohibitions, undeterred by anything, and all the other apostles also went out and preached. Yet Paul says, “But not all obeyed the glad tidings.” Why is this? Referring to the prophet Isaiah, he says, “Lord, who has believed what we have heard?” And the prophet Isaiah, in speaking to the Lord, was almost justifying himself—why did the people not listen? Because they had shut their eyes, would not hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts, for their hearts had grown hard. And when the heart is stony, how can it be prepared soil? The ground must be prepared—just as Christ the Savior said when He told the parable of the sower: the seed must find good soil, and only that which falls on good, prepared ground will bear fruit. If it falls on a rock, or by the roadside, or among thorns, then little will come of that seed. The heart must be prepared to hear the word of God. And when it is ready, the word of God, falling there and being cultivated—just as a person who wants something to grow will loosen the soil and water it—so too, when we hear the word of God, if we do not neglect it, but continually recall it, as if watering it, then it will bear fruit. Then zeal will arise within us. And zeal will move us to good deeds. And good deeds are the sign that a person does not have a dead faith, but a living faith within him.

And although, just as the prophets of the Old Testament and also the apostles said, “not all believed—who has believed what we have heard?”—as the apostle Paul said—even so, the Lord commands that the word be sown, and He Himself will choose the worthy. As John Chrysostom says, “Only God knows who are worthy; among people, no one knows—though they may think they know well, they are always mistaken in their conclusions. Only the One who knows secrets knows clearly who is worthy of crowns, and who of punishment and torment.” This is known only to the Lord God. And we see that this is true by an example from the Old Testament. When Rebecca was pregnant with twins—Esau and Jacob—they struggled within her womb. She did not know at that time that she had twins or anything, but only from the pain in her womb she went to pray to the Lord and inquire of God what was happening. And the Lord revealed to her: He said, “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples are struggling within you. And the elder shall serve the younger.” Esau and Jacob were still in the womb, not yet born. But since it is the Lord who speaks—He knows everything in advance: what will become of those children, what sort of character each will have, and according to the character of a person, the Lord chooses whom He will. So, Jacob later proved to be of such virtue, so high-minded, that the Lord chose him in his mother’s womb. That is why the duty of all who are zealous—like the Old Testament prophets, the apostles, and likewise those who are zealous for piety in our own times—is to sow the word, to speak, to preach; and as for who is worthy, the Lord Himself will choose, according to the heart, according to one’s readiness.

But how can one know if a person has believed—if someone has heard the word, believed us—how can we check that he has truly received the word? Again, let us speak with the words of the apostle James. He says, “Faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” This is the primary proof—whether a person has believed, whether he has accepted the preaching, or not. Genuine living faith is shown precisely in this: that a person obeys the will of God without reservation, and not only in deed, but even in mind and heart never contradicts what the Law of God says, what the commandments of God enjoin. In the example of Abraham, we see that he never doubted and fulfilled the will of God unconditionally.

The Lord God, our Creator and Maker—we are His creations. And just as parents want their children to listen and obey, why should we be surprised that the Lord God wants from us obedience and love, just as parents want from their children? Indeed, the Lord has every right to require this from us, for man would not even exist on earth if the Lord had not created him. And He did so purely out of His great mercy, out of His goodness—one might even say, He created man purely out of His kindness. For God has no need of man, nor has He ever needed him. All the heavenly hosts praise Him—what does He need from us? But God is good, and so that man, too, might delight in and enjoy the gifts God has given him, the Lord created man on earth. Yet He also requires obedience from man—that he not forget his Creator, his Maker, his Father.

Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord says, “I am the Lord, and there is none else. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity.” And indeed, this is so. All prosperity on earth, and all disasters, occur not without God’s knowledge. Sometimes it is God’s will—He bestows blessings; other times it is God’s permission. When, because of the sins of mankind, the Lord allows disasters and even the elements suffer, and it seems as if the whole earth suffers—and, of course, people suffer as well. Why does the Lord permit this? For our correction. Just as children are punished by their parents—not out of hatred, but because parents want their children to grow up to be good and upright people, and so they often discipline them—so too, the Lord corrects the human race by various means, so that they will turn to Him, come to their senses, abandon their false and unrighteous ways, and walk according to the Law which the Lord has given through the prophets and apostles.

The Lord goes on to say through the prophet Isaiah, “Woe to him who strives with his Maker!—a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth!” Why does the Lord call man “a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth”? We speak in the singular—about man, that is, about people. For out of what was man created? Out of dust, out of the earth. So it turns out that he is like a clay shard among the shards of the earth. One could liken it to a potter who makes pots from clay. And if a pot turns out badly in the eyes of the potter, he breaks it, turns it into shards, and returns it again to the earth. So, too, the Lord can act with us: if we forget His commandments, if we neglect the law of our Creator, then the Lord can destroy us just as the potter destroys his creation.

And further the Lord says, “Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’” One could never imagine an object created by a master arguing with its maker. “And shall your handiwork say of you, ‘He has no hands?’” Yet often we hear from atheists that “matter” created the world, that “nature,” as they say, is responsible. But what is nature? Forgetting the Creator, they give the glory to nature. It is as if a work of art were to say to its maker, “You have no hands,” even though it was these very hands that made it.

The Lord continues: “Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘Why have you brought me forth?’” And such reproaches, no one has the right to utter—no one should say, “Why did God create man, if everlasting torment awaits him?” Eternal torment was not made for man—not at all! It was made for the enemy of God, for the devil, who rebelled against God and became proud. But man is given complete free will. In creating man, the Lord gave him free choice and freedom: if you wish, do good and you will be with the Lord forever; if you do not wish to do good and instead align yourself with the devil and do his will, then that is what awaits you—the Lord, who is not envious, warned us. He warned the human race. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason to accuse the Lord of anything. It all depends on us. Man can do whatever he wishes. If you do good, you have nothing to fear—no punishment awaits you.

So says the Lord: “Do you want to instruct Me concerning the work of My hands? I made the earth and created man upon it. I—My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.” And this is absolutely true. Which of the wisest men can command the heavenly bodies? The host of heaven—all the celestial bodies—strictly obey the law of God; as the Lord gave them a law, so they observe it exactly. No man has the right—or rather, not just the right, but not even the ability or knowledge—to control the heavenly bodies. So the Lord emphasizes: “I gave the law to all the host of heaven. And what do you want to tell Me about the work of My hands?”

And then, turning to the people, He calls them to remember this and show themselves to be men. A true man should reason sensibly: “Take it to heart, you transgressors!” If you have turned away from the Lord, take this to heart—I tell you in advance: take it to heart and be real men. Remember what has happened from the beginning, for I am God and there is none else, there is none like Me. There was never a time when idols could do anything—those whom men worshipped, idols made by human hands. But the Lord God created all things. He says, “There is none beside Me, none like Me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying: My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” Only the Lord God can, through His prophets, foretell what will happen many centuries, even millennia, in advance—all is foretold, and all will come to pass, as He says: “I have spoken; My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” This is absolutely true. Everything foretold through the prophets about the birth of Christ—where He would be born, of whom He would be born, that He would even have to flee as a child—all was foretold by the prophets. That He would be baptized—all was foretold, and absolutely all was fulfilled. It was foretold two thousand years in advance exactly when He would be born, and it came to pass precisely at the appointed time.

How can one not believe the prophecy uttered by the righteous men of old, moved by the Holy Spirit?! They did not speak from themselves, but were moved by the Holy Spirit; therefore, they did not err. Never was prophecy given or spoken by man’s own will, but by the will of God. And further the Lord says: “I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass.” That is, if it was foretold that there will be a dreadful judgment, that all men must rise again and give an account, and each will receive what he deserves according to his deeds—either the kingdom of heaven or eternal torment. The Lord has said this, and He will bring it to pass. “I have purposed it,” He says, “and I will do it.”

“Hear Me, you stubborn of heart, who are far from righteousness.” He calls all people. One should not say, “They are not guilty before the Lord—they do not know the truth.” This truth has already been proclaimed throughout all the earth. The Bible is so widespread—no other book can compare to it. It is the most widespread book in the world. And what of the earth? If people wanted, all could know, study, and verify for themselves that everything that was said has come to pass. And so, what has not yet come to pass, but is foretold, will also be fulfilled. Such are the words of God Almighty. If we believe, then we will be obedient to Him in all things, as faithful servants. But if we do not believe and do not keep His laws, then we put ourselves among the lawbreakers, who will not escape punishment. For the Lord God is not only merciful—He is also jealous. He punishes even several generations ahead for the sins of their fathers, as was foretold in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy.

So then, dear ones, if we wish to be counted among God’s chosen, let us lead a virtuous life—not seeking to satisfy fleshly desires, but imitating those who, while living on earth, showed such faith that they fulfilled all the commandments of God. They despised every fleeting sweetness and comfort, cared nothing for worldly matters, but spent their entire lives in hardship, fasting, and sorrows, and were strict with themselves in everything. That is why they became friends of God.

Such were the righteous of the Old Testament—for example, the prophet Daniel, who continually lived in fasting and prayer, and because of this, was granted the ability to foretell the future. But again, it was not he himself who foretold these things, but the Lord revealed them to him. He was such a zealous man—called a “man of desires.” He pleaded and prayed to the Lord God, and because of his ascetic labors, his fasting and prayer, the Lord sent him revelations through an archangel, who showed him all that would come to pass, and the prophet Daniel wrote these things down for us. And we must firmly believe them.

Likewise, consider such an Old Testament ascetic as the prophet Elijah. What zealot he was—what great faith he possessed, that he, not fearing all the prophets of Baal, who were raised at the royal court and enjoyed the favor of the queen (Jezebel), yet Elijah was not afraid of them. He didn’t even have a knife in his hand, and covered himself only with a sheepskin—so poor and solitary was he. Because he dwelled in the wilderness, the Lord loved him and granted him such strength and courage that he could face the king as if going into battle, rebuking him before all the people.

And why did he speak to the people? Because he loved them. The people of Israel were his own nation. He addressed them and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? Choose for yourselves one God—either Baal or the true God—and serve only Him.” For Elijah understood well that Baal could give the people nothing; he was an idol. And Elijah performed one of the greatest events on earth, which all believers still recall to this day—how, by his zeal, all those priests were destroyed.

But before this happened, thanks to his fervent faith and confidence that the Lord would not abandon him with His mercy and help, Elijah proposed a trial as a demonstration. He invited the priests to build an altar and prepare a sacrifice, and Elijah did the same. He proposed that the priests pray to their god Baal to send fire—not fire kindled by human hands, but that their god would take the sacrifice himself. But since we know that idols can do nothing, and certainly cannot bring down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice, it was of course impossible. The priests shouted and cried out, but to no avail.

Then the prophet Elijah stepped forward and said, “Enough, now I will call on my God.” But before praying to the Lord God, in order to prove God’s power and glory, to make the miracle undeniable in everyone’s eyes, he ordered, “Bring three jars of water and pour them over the sacrifice and the wood—now double it, and they did, now triple it, and they did.” So much water was poured out that the whole trench was filled, the wood was floating, and the sacrifice was drenched.

Then the prophet Elijah prayed fervently to the Lord God. What fervent faith he must have had, what confidence that the Lord would act as he asked! He prayed earnestly to the Lord, and the Lord sent fire from heaven, which consumed everything—the sacrifice, the wood, and all the water. The whole trench was left dry. At that, the people truly glorified God, seeing such a miracle.

Now, of course, we cannot expect such miracles as before, because the prophetic writings themselves say that in the last times, people will not believe on the basis of miracles, but only thanks to the Divine Scriptures. Christ the Savior, knowing this beforehand, said, “Believe as the Scripture has said.” He did not say, “Believe because of miracles,” but, “Believe as the Scripture has said.” So let us, in our own time, turn to the Word of God, examine it, study it, not be lazy, but delve into it, just as gold-seekers dig and sift through so much earth to find that precious metal, gold. In the same way, we should strive to study the Divine Scriptures. And here there is no need to search as they do by digging through the earth, for every word of God is more precious than all precious stones. So, whatever you begin to read, it is all good, all beneficial, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. All that is needed is to love the Word of God, and to desire to hear it, or to read it yourself. Then the Lord will enter into our hearts, and when that fire of fervent faith is kindled in the heart, zeal will appear and it will move us to good deeds.

Then we, like those Old Testament righteous ones of whom the Apostle Paul said that the world was not worthy of them, though they possessed nothing, yet gained everything and became friends of God—we too can become friends of God and be found worthy to converse with Him, as they did. But this will happen if we strive and force ourselves to fulfill the word of Christ the Savior, who said: “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” And elsewhere Christ the Savior said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” What does this mean? It means that everything foretold, everything that Christ the Savior Himself predicted, will all be fulfilled. And so too will the prophecy of the Dread Judgment be fulfilled with absolute certainty; we should not doubt this for even a moment.

The Holy Apostle Peter, instructing his flock entrusted to him by Christ the Savior, warned them in these words: “Above all, know this, that in the last days scoffers will come, walking after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” Indeed, some people say: “Why do you keep threatening us with the Dread Judgment? Everything is just as it always was; there has never been any Judgment, and ever since the fathers died, since the beginning of creation, everything continues as it always has.” But the Apostle Peter says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some think of slowness, but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The Lord is so merciful—He wants to call everyone into the Heavenly Kingdom and does so. That is why He is patient, hoping—and indeed knowing—that there are still some, the elect. So that there will be no excuse for those who do not wish to obey the will of God, who say they did not know, or that the Lord came unexpectedly—no, all has been foretold.

And the Apostle Peter says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and all the works that are in it will be burned up.” Such a terrible event will happen, even before the Judgment begins. If all this is to be destroyed, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved and the elements will melt with fervent heat? If someone truly wishes the Lord to come quickly to judgment, how perfect their life must be!

Therefore, we all need to remember and ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness from the Lord God. If Christ’s first coming was so quiet, unknown to anyone—He came, as it is said, like rain upon the fleece, so quietly was He born on earth—then that day, the Second Coming, all the prophets and apostles describe very differently. That day will be as lightning shines from the east and is seen even to the west. Such will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Or, as the prophet Daniel describes in the Old Testament, he already saw in types the Day of Judgment: “I watched until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was a flame of fire, its wheels burning fire; a river of fire flowed and came out from before Him; thousands served Him, and myriads stood before Him; the Judge sat, and the books were opened.” This is only what is said in words, and even so, it is terrifying to imagine what that event will be like, when the books are opened. What are these books? They are our deeds, all the thoughts of our hearts—everything will be revealed on that Dread Judgment Day.

Even when Christ the Savior walked the earth, He did not hide what would happen—He only kept secret the exact day when it would occur. But He did reveal how it would happen, at least in part. What does He say? “For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be; for wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” That is, the Lord will judge—all will see. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” We all read these words in the Gospel, and we all know them. But if we ponder them more deeply, and imagine them before our mind’s eye, then we will understand how truly terrifying it will be when people see the Cross in the sky and realize that it is Christ the Savior Himself, the One whom the Jews once crucified, who is coming to judge. The faithful, of course, will rejoice—provided their evil deeds do not convict them—while the unbelievers and all heretics will be terrified.

And what does He say further? “And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” But He did not say when this will be. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Yet He gave signs: “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man: for as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away—so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Therefore, watch, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come.

The most important thing is not to expect some extraordinary signs. No—the world will go on as usual. They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage in the days of Noah, and so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Everything will be as it always was. But we must be watchful. Christ addresses believers, urging us not to fall into a senseless sleep—not to live without awareness of what we are doing or where we are going. We should remember with every deed where it will lead, what we are beginning to do, whether it is pleasing to the Lord God, and whether by our actions we are contradicting His will. Then we will be ready to meet the Lord.

And Christ the Savior, warning all believers, says: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the cares of this life.” With these words, everything is said. Do not worry only about food and drink, or only about the body, or have only earthly cares that are temporary. “And that day come upon you suddenly, for it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Therefore watch at all times, and pray that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Thus, we must be vigilant, pray, and ask the Lord to spare us from such punishments.

The holy apostles, having listened to their Teacher Christ, learned from Him and instructed their flocks about the day of the Lord in this way. In the Acts of the Apostles we read: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” He calls the attention of the people to the fact that Christ has come and calls all: “Repent, for He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness.”

And the apostle James, the first bishop of Jerusalem, instructing his flock, says: “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.” He even gives the example of a farmer: when a farmer sows seed in the earth, what is his hope? That he will reap a harvest. So too you—labor. And further he says, “Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned: behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” Even then, they cared for their flock, urging them not to grumble, but to wait in expectation of the Judgment, because every person is given a span of life, and if someone dies before the Day of Judgment, he cannot change anything after, for his life is over. That means one must strive in this life alone.

John Chrysostom, in his moral teaching, says: “Let us weep, beloved, let us weep and sigh. If the body suffers, you want everyone to have compassion on you. If your body is ill, you seek sympathy. But for a soul that is ill and perishing, it is a hundred times more fitting to weep bitterly. We should weep for the soul when it is sick.” — “I fear and tremble for the day of retribution, in which the Righteous Judge will give to each according to his deeds.”

So, my beloved, of all the testimonies offered, two things everyone must remember: fear God, and watch, and await His dread coming.

Forgive me, for the sake of Christ.

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