HOMILY 10 #

On the First Tuesday of the Fast, a Teaching of Saint John Chrysostom: “Let Us Cease from Our Sins”

I have great sorrow in my heart for you, my children, because I see that you have not changed in any way from your unrighteous deeds. A mother does not grieve so deeply when she sees her children sick as I, your sinful father, grieve when I see you afflicted by your lawless actions.

Many times I have spoken to you, trying to turn you away from your evil habits, yet I never see you changed. If one among you is a robber, he does not cease from robbery; if one is a thief, he does not abandon stealing; if one bears hatred toward his neighbor, he continues in enmity; if one is given to greed and plundering, he is never satisfied; if one wears extravagant garments, he does not stop; if one indulges in lust, he does not turn away from adultery.

How, then, can I find comfort when I see you separated from God and turned away from good works? How can I rejoice, having sown good seed in your hearts—words of divine Scripture—yet never seeing you sprout forth or bear good fruit?

Therefore, I beseech you, brothers and sons, do not give in to despair but renew yourselves through a good renewal. Cease from doing evil, fear your Creator, tremble before the terrible judgment. To whom shall we go, and to whom shall we draw near when we depart from this world? What shall we say, and what shall we answer? For it is a fearful thing, children, to fall into the hands of the living God!

Do we not see what has come upon us in this life? And yet, what punishments from God have we not already brought upon ourselves? Has not our land been plundered, and have not our cities been seized? Have not our fathers and brothers soon fallen lifeless to the earth? Have not our wives and children been led away into captivity, into foreign lands? And those who remain—have we not been enslaved by foreigners?

For nearly a hundred years now, we have endured affliction, suffering, and heavy tributes imposed upon us; famine and pestilence have not only struck us but also our livestock. We cannot even eat our bread in peace; sighing and sorrow dry up our very bones.

Who has brought us to this state? You know well that it is our own lawlessness, our sins, our disobedience and defiance. Therefore, I beg you, brothers, let each of you come to your senses, examine your evil deeds with the eyes of your heart, hate them, cast them away from yourselves, and hasten to repentance. Then the wrath of God will be calmed, the mercy of the Lord will be poured out upon us, and those who afflict us will be subdued. We will live here in joy, and after leaving this world, we will enter into eternal gladness, as children returning to their Father and God, inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven, for which we were created by God.

The Lord has made us great, but through our disobedience, we have made ourselves small before Him. Let us not lose the greatness given to us by God through our rebellion! Let us not be hearers only, but doers of the law. And if we stumble in any way, let us quickly rise again, come to our senses, and run to repentance. Let us bring love to God, shed tears of sorrow, and give alms according to our ability. Let us help the poor as much as we can, deliver them from their afflictions, and always abide in God’s love, that we may live in peace.

If we do this, we will turn away the wrath of God and replace it with His mercy. Do we not remember the great city of Nineveh, filled with multitudes of people who were full of iniquity and faced destruction? Yet, because God did not desire their complete destruction, He sent the prophet Jonah to them, proclaiming the doom of their city, just as had happened to Sodom and Gomorrah.

But when they heard Jonah’s preaching, they quickly turned from their wickedness, wiping out their iniquities through repentance, fasting, prayer, great mourning, and tears. From the youngest to the oldest—even nursing infants—they did not eat for three days, and they even made their livestock fast. Through this, they moved God to mercy, changed His wrath into compassion, and were delivered from destruction and affliction.

God saw that they had truly turned away from their wickedness, not only in word but with all their heart, mind, and deeds. In response, He poured out His mercy upon them.

And what shall we say about ourselves? What have we not seen? What has not been done to us? How has the Lord our God not punished us, seeking to turn us away from our iniquities? There has not been a single year in which we have not suffered afflictions from God because of our sins. And yet, we have never abandoned our wicked ways; we always persist in sin and never turn to repentance. In this life, we are continually chastised by God, and in the next, we will receive the unquenchable fire.

Therefore, I beg you, brothers, let us cease from provoking God’s wrath! If even the righteous suffer God’s punishments alongside sinners in this world, they will yet receive brighter crowns from the Lord—while sinners will face greater torment.

Hearing this, brothers, let us be afraid and tremble. Let us cease from our wickedness and do what is good. For the Lord Himself says: “Turn ye unto me, and I will turn unto you.” Our Lord God is merciful; He waits for us to return to Him, that He may save us, have mercy on us, and deliver us from affliction.

And so, with David, let us say: “Lord, look upon our humility and forgive our sins. Turn us, O God, our Savior, and be not angry with us forever from generation to generation.”

For Thou art our God, and we all glorify Thee, together with Thy beginningless Father and Thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.