Homily 53 #
On Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Lent, an Instruction from the Holy Gospel, interpreted by the Holy Fathers.
[John, ch. 1] The Lord said of Nathanael: “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” Nathanael saith unto Him: “Lord, how knowest Thou me?” The Lord answered and said unto him: “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.”
Interpretation.
When the Lord was in His second year after His birth, Nathanael was only three days old. Then Herod began to slaughter the infants. And Nathanael’s mother, fearing for his life, carried him into a deserted vineyard and hid him beneath a fig tree. Although the Lord was at that time in Egypt and Nathanael was in Bethsaida, the Lord saw him lying under the fig tree. He sent His angel, saying: “Go, protect Nathanael, who lieth under the fig tree, until his mother cometh to take him.” And when the persecution had ceased, his mother returned and found Nathanael laughing and playing with his little hands. She rejoiced and took him up, glorifying God.
[Luke, ch. 9] The Lord said: “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Interpretation.
This is spoken of those who fall away, for those who depart from the true faith cannot be made upright again. Likewise, monks who turn back to worldly things and sin again after repentance are like dogs that return to their own vomit.
[Matthew, ch. 23] The Lord said: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
Interpretation.
This is spoken of teachers, priests, and spiritual children. A priest who is boastful, proud, rude, drunken, and foolish is unworthy of his office, and such a one should not receive spiritual children, nor should the children come to him for repentance.
[Matthew, ch. 23] The Lord said: “Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.”
Interpretation.
Here the Lord speaks of rulers and earthly judges, who judge unjustly and take bribes, declaring the guilty innocent and condemning the righteous. Likewise do priests, who forgive sins for money and offer prayers for payment—which ought not to be done. So too bishops, who ordain unworthy priests in exchange for bribes.
[Matthew, ch. 23] The Lord said: “Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.”
Interpretation.
Of such does the Lord speak—those who fast with hypocrisy and perform outward deeds for show, seeking the praise of men, while in secret they commit iniquity. This is also said of priests who accept offerings in the church of God from unworthy rich men, yet turn away the worthy poor.
[Matthew, ch. 10] The Lord said: “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
Interpretation.
This the Lord says to the apostles and to all the saints. For the serpent protects its head, even though it gives up its body to be killed. In the same way, you also should protect your soul—your head—while offering your body to fasting, every kind of virtuous labor, suffering, and even death. For it is written: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.”
The dove is harmless, for it lives among people and even in the temples. So too you should live in God, hold fast to the true faith, walk according to the tradition of the Church, and you shall have life. This is spoken to everyone.
[Acts, ch. 20] The holy Apostle Paul says: “After my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.”
Interpretation.
The wolves are heretics, and the flock is the faithful. And those “from among you” refers to the fact that even from the apostolic band, some fell away into heresy.
[Matthew, ch. 24] The Lord said: “Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.”
Interpretation.
This refers to the testing at the aerial tollhouses, which are in the air—this is the “winter.” And the “sabbath” means the idleness of good works. It is good for those who live in repentance to labor in good deeds and to be freed from sin while still alive, so that they are not tested in the air by hostile demons—for there is true winter there.
[Matthew, ch. 6] The Lord said: “If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Interpretation.
This the Lord says to all the faithful, commanding them to let go of anger and all hostility toward their neighbors and brethren, so that their own sins may be forgiven.
[John, ch. 16] The Lord said: “A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me.”
Interpretation.
This was said about the Lord’s Passion: when our Lord Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb, they did not see Him; but when He rose again, they saw Him and rejoiced greatly.
[John, ch. 21] Why did the Lord say three times: “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?”
Interpretation.
Because Simon Peter had denied the Lord three times.
[Matthew, ch. 5] The Lord said: “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him.”
Interpretation.
This is because He commands us to repent and be cleansed from sin before death. For this life is a short and uncertain path. The adversary is the devil, the quarrel represents our sins, and the end of the path is death.
[Matthew, ch. 7] The Lord said: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”
Interpretation.
Do not take upon yourself the judgment that belongs to God. If you wish to be a judge, then judge your own sins in thought. Place your soul and your body before you, and say within the conscience of your soul, with thought and mind: why do you judge the small sins of others—those who have sinned briefly and have quickly turned to repentance—when you yourself sin in multitudes and do not come to repentance, nor judge yourself?
Have you not heard the Apostle Paul, who says: “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged”?
We have enough to worry about, brothers. Let each of us attend to himself and to his own evil deeds. Let judgment be given to God alone, who knows each person’s frame and strength, birth and bodily makeup, as He alone understands. God judges differently: one way for a bishop, another for a king or prince, differently for an abbot, differently for a priest, differently for a teacher, differently for a student, differently for an elder, and differently for a youth, differently for the sick and the healthy, the free and the enslaved. And who can understand or comprehend the judgments of God? Only the One who created all.
For if your brother, in simplicity, does some deed that is pleasing to God—even one act—he may be justified for his whole life. But you, by judging and condemning him, torment your own soul. And if he should fall into error, how do you know how much he has struggled in repentance? How many tears he shed before and after the deed? How many until the end of his life? And it may be that his sin shall be reckoned as righteousness before God, who, seeing his repentance, will have mercy and forgive him. But you, by condemning him, bring ruin to your own soul.
How do you know, or understand, whether he may be saved or not? And not only do you condemn him, but you also reproach him—even though you are made of the same flesh. If your brother disgusts you—if you despise him for sinning—that is worse than judging, for it means you hate the sinner while thinking yourself righteous before God. You are like Cain, who, after murdering his brother, said: “What evil have I done?” for he thought that God did not see.
But those who desire to be saved never concern themselves with the sins of others. We, however, in our wretchedness, if we see or hear of someone sinning, not only do we damage our own souls, but we implant that sin in the hearts of others as well, saying, “Did you hear what that person did?” In doing this, we harm others too, placing another’s sin in their hearts—and so we are found to be cooperating with demons, to our own destruction.
If we had perfect love within ourselves, we would cover the sins of others—and then many of our own sins would be covered and forgiven. So let us not judge the sins of others, brothers, but weep over our own, and judge the many sins of our own hearts.
[Luke, ch. 14] The Lord said: “When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind… and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
Interpretation.
The Lord commands us to invite the poor and the destitute, and to feed and give drink to them—those from whom you do not expect any invitation in return.
[Matthew, ch. 23]
Question. Is it good to confess one’s sins to a spiritual father?
Interpretation.
Yes, it is good and beneficial—but not without danger. If the priest is coarse, or ignorant, or proud, or a drunkard, or quick-tempered, or greedy for money, or envious, or a slanderer, or quarrelsome—then one should not confess or repent before such a person. Such a teacher, being harsh, careless, lazy, or spiritually weak, will only make you feeble.
But if you find a man who is spiritual, wise, gentle, and quiet, then confess to him without shame or doubt—for such a father will guide you in the truth. For God is faithful to forgive sins to those who live according to His law.
Many priests, possessed by ignorance and coarseness, do not walk in the right way themselves, nor do they allow others to walk rightly. Of them the Lord said:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
“Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”
[Luke, ch. 11] The Lord said: “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.”
Interpretation.
This He says to the priests—those who teach people the law, but do not walk in it themselves. They burden the people with penances, yet live lazily themselves.
To our God be glory, now and ever.