HOMILY 5 #

On Wednesday of Cheesefare Week: A Teaching from a Spiritual Father to His Spiritual Children, from the Words of Saint John Chrysostom

I desire your salvation, beloved one, and therefore I give you my blessing.

You know, my son and child, born of the Spirit, that God has entrusted me with the talent of teaching so that I may make gain with it and not hide it in slothfulness. For when the Lord comes, He will demand an account from me, a sinner, at His fearful judgment, if I do not now make a profit with it. Dreadful will be the judgment, and grievous the answer I must give.

This is my talent—to care for your souls and to sow the divine seed of holy teaching in your hearts, uprooting the thorns of sin. When I see you walking in the law of the Lord, then my heart rejoices. But when I see you transgressing the commandments of the Lord, then sorrow consumes me.

I have already spoken to you, my beloved child, about the evil of drunkenness, yet you did not heed my words. And now I am greatly distressed over you, for I see you, even in these holy days of fasting, overcome by drunkenness. Yet these days have been given to Christians for the cleansing of sins and the salvation of the soul, while you remain as one of the faithless.

Do you not know that even in ordinary days drunkenness has been forbidden to Christians? For it is written: “Drunkards shall not inherit the Kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:10), but for them is prepared eternal torment together with adulterers, idolaters, and robbers. The drunkard destroys his own soul.

Many in past generations have perished through drunkenness: even servants of God, kings have lost their kingdoms, bishops have forfeited their priesthood, mighty men and warriors have perished miserably, the rich have become poor, the healthy have fallen sick, the long-lived have died suddenly, without God’s judgment, like those strangled.

Many destroy themselves through drunkenness; countless are those who have left this world before their time because of reckless drinking, and for them, the judgment shall be dreadful.

And you, brethren, understand this: whoever is often drunk has an incomplete mind. In drunkenness, there is no order, neither in worldly affairs nor in spiritual matters.

A drunken king or prince will lay waste to his land, will judge unjustly, and rulers will forget wisdom in excessive drinking.

Drunkenness destroys wealth and leads to servitude. The drunkard is always ready to quarrel and fight with his brethren, he accumulates debt, and he ruins his affairs.

Drunkenness keeps one from the Church of God. Drunkenness separates wives from their husbands. Drunkenness does not accept fasting. Drunkenness brings sickness, destroys the beauty of the body, makes one sluggish, darkens the vision, brings pain to the legs, drives away wisdom, separates one from God, delivers one to death, and casts one into the unquenchable fire.

Knowing this, my son, cease from this evil of drunkenness, I beseech you. Never drink before midday, for it weakens the body and destroys the soul. I grieve much over your drunkenness.

It would be my joy if you would abandon this evil habit.

Above all, my child, do not drink at all during this holy fast, until the Resurrection of Christ. These days are for our cleansing, that the Lord may forgive you for having angered Him by your drunkenness until now.

O my child, do not be drunken in this holy fast, for this is a great evil!

The Apostles did not command us to honor the memory of the saints during the fast by drinking, yet you give more honor to your stomach than to the saints by getting drunk in the holy fast.

Thus, we call ourselves Christians in vain, while we commit pagan deeds.

O brethren, let us do all things to the glory of God, that the Lord may glorify us in His Kingdom, and here grant us health, honor, and a peaceful life.

To Him be glory, and honor, and dominion, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.