Homily on the 10th Sunday After Pentecost. -Met. Andrian (Chetvergov)

“‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you,’” thus the Lord teaches us in today’s Gospel (Matthew 17:20).

St. John Chrysostom explains this thought as follows: “Speaking of miraculous faith, He (the Lord) points to the mustard seed to show the inexpressible power of faith. For though the mustard seed appears very small, it possesses great strength.” Indeed, from a tiny mustard seed grows a large, sprawling tree.

Such were the fruits of the apostles’ faith, who accomplished far more than moving a mountain—they healed hundreds of the sick and raised many from the dead. “For it takes less power to move a mountain than to drive death out of a body,” says Chrysostom. Likewise, it requires immense spiritual energy to expel an unclean spirit from a person.

As you heard today, Christ’s disciples could not do this due to their lack of faith, and as the Lord says, “this kind can come out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).

We must approach God with great boldness. When praying to Him, we should be like a small child, reaching out with tiny hands, yearning with their whole being for their mother’s help. We should be like a wretched pauper, starving and seeking aid from someone known for their mercy.

We must pray unceasingly, remembering Christ’s words: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

The Apostle Paul also commands us to pray always. But what does it mean to pray unceasingly? Do we not have daily responsibilities? Can we focus solely on prayer? How can we fulfill this commandment given to every Christian?

To pray unceasingly does not mean only standing before icons, reciting prayers, making prostrations, or constantly attending church. We can pray unceasingly everywhere and always by mentally reciting the Jesus Prayer at every opportunity. But most importantly, we must maintain a prayerful disposition. Our hearts should always be filled with reverence for God’s greatness, Whom we continually glorify. Then we can combine prayer with daily work and worldly tasks. Let us pray even when summoned by those in authority, and while standing at their door, let us silently lift our supplications to God, asking for His protection. Then, indeed, we need not worry about what to say, for the Lord Himself will speak through us.

The holy prophet David, though burdened as king of Israel with countless cares for his people’s welfare, prayed unceasingly, as we read in his psalms: “My tears have been my food day and night…” (Psalm 41:3), “I am worn out from my groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping…” (Psalm 6:7), “At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws” (Psalm 118:62).

Of course, we can also repeat familiar prayers like “Our Father,” “He Who Dwells in the Shelter,” or “Let God Arise,” but the key is that these should not be mere memorized phrases but thoughts formed in our minds, vivid images, and heartfelt desires. A prayer spoken mechanically or without understanding its meaning is unlikely to reach God. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on the prayer, using translations from Church Slavonic or even commentaries when needed. If you catch your mind wandering from prayer, pulled back to earthly concerns, return to the point where your prayer was focused.

God does not hear prayers that are displeasing to Him. He rejects petitions aimed at harming others. We, as Christians, must instead pray for all people—for their health, their well-being, for the sick, the suffering, and those who show us mercy and support us. Then the Lord will hear our prayers and respond according to His boundless mercy.

Through prayer and fasting, Jesus Christ Himself attained the spiritual perfection and strength needed to perform miraculous healings and cast out demons. Fasting is no less important than prayer, for it not only purifies the body but also frees the soul from the dominance of the stomach. The experience of the holy fathers shows that a plant-based diet, consumed sparingly and not every day, is sufficient for normal life.

Modern civilization has fostered a false notion of the necessity of three meals a day, and medicine mistakenly claims that humans require a vast number of calories. Yet, you yourselves can easily disprove this—indeed, you do so during Great Lent, when many notice an improvement in their well-being.

Eating is a matter of habit. But this habit must be shaped by the individual, guided not by the stomach’s cravings but by the Savior’s teachings and the wisdom of our ancestors. Then, in the harmonious combination of prayer and fasting, our soul, like a bird with two wings, will soar to the heavens and experience the sweetness of that flight, the joy of communion with the heavenly powers, angels, and cherubim, to the glory and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

From the book Живое Слово