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Thursday, June 29, 2017— NO Paraklesis

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FESTIVAL

We are looking for active volunteers to help plan and assist during the festival. You are invited to come and help us. We need your help to ensure its success!

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THE DORMITION FAMILY TABLE

The next Dormition Family Table will be served on Wednesday July 5, 2017 from 5-7 p.m. We are looking for volunteers to help cook and serve. Cooking starts at 2:00 p.m.

Saints and Feasts

June 29

Peter and Paul, the Holy Apostles

The divinely-blessed Peter was from Bethsaida of Galilee. He was the son of Jonas and the brother of Andrew the First-called. He was a fisherman by trade, unlearned and poor, and was called Simon; later he was renamed Peter by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who looked at him and said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter)" (John 1:42). On being raised by the Lord to the dignity of an Apostle and becoming inseparable from Him as His zealous disciple, he followed Him from the beginning of His preaching of salvation up until the very Passion, when, in the court of Caiaphas the high priest, he denied Him thrice because of his fear of the Jews and of the danger at hand. But again, after many bitter tears, he received complete forgiveness of his transgression. After the Resurrection of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit, he preached in Judea, Antioch, and certain parts of Asia, and finally came to Rome, where he was crucified upside down by Nero, and thus he ascended to the eternal habitations about the year 66 or 68, leaving two Catholic (General) Epistles to the Church of Christ.

Paul, the chosen vessel of Christ, the glory of the Church, the Apostle of the Nations and teacher of the whole world, was a Jew by race, of the tribe of Benjamin, having Tarsus as his homeland. He was a Roman citizen, fluent in the Greek language, an expert in knowledge of the Law, a Pharisee, born of a Pharisee, and a disciple of Gamaliel, a Pharisee and notable teacher of the Law in Jerusalem. For this cause, from the beginning, Paul was a most fervent zealot for the traditions of the Jews and a great persecutor of the Church of Christ; at that time, his name was Saul (Acts 22:3-4). In his great passion of rage and fury against the disciples of the Lord, he went to Damascus bearing letters of introduction from the high priest. His intention was to bring the disciples of Christ back to Jerusalem in bonds. As he was approaching Damascus, about midday there suddenly shone upon him a light from Heaven. Falling on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" And he asked, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." And that heavenly voice and brilliance made him tremble, and he was blinded for a time. He was led by the hand into the city, and on account of a divine revelation to the Apostle Ananias (see Oct. 1), he was baptized by him, and both his bodily and spiritual eyes were opened to the knowledge of the Sun of Righteousness. And straightway- O wondrous transformation! - beyond all expectation, he spoke with boldness in the synagogues, proclaiming that "Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 9:1-21). As for his zeal in preaching the Gospel after these things had come to pass, as for his unabating labors and afflictions of diverse kinds, the wounds, the prisons, the bonds, the beatings, the stonings, the shipwrecks, the journeys, the perils on land, on sea, in cities, in wildernesses, the continual vigils, the daily fasting, the hunger, the thirst, the nakedness, and all those other things that he endured for the Name of Christ, and which he underwent before nations and kings and the Israelites, and above all, his care for all the churches, his fiery longing for the salvation of all, whereby he became all things to all men, that he might save them all if possible, and because of which, with his heart aflame, he continuously traveled throughout all parts, visiting them all, and like a bird of heaven flying from Asia and Europe, the West and East, neither staying nor abiding in any one place - all these things are related incident by incident in the Book of the Acts, and as he himself tells them in his Epistles. His Epistles, being fourteen in number, are explained in 250 homilies by the divine Chrysostom and make manifest the loftiness of his thoughts, the abundance of the revelations made to him, the wisdom given to him from God, wherewith he brings together in a wondrous manner the Old with the New Testaments, and expounds the mysteries thereof which had been concealed under types; he confirms the doctrines of the Faith, expounds the ethical teaching of the Gospel, and demonstrates with exactness the duties incumbent upon every rank, age, and order of man. In all these things his teaching proved to be a spiritual trumpet, and his speech was seen to be more radiant than the sun, and by these means he clearly sounded forth the word of truth and illumined the ends of the world. Having completed the work of his ministry, he likewise ended his life in martyrdom when he was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero, at the same time, some say, when Peter was crucified.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Second Mode. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 5:1-10.

BRETHREN, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man -- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Προκείμενον. Second Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 117.14,18.
Ἰσχύς μου καὶ ὕμνησίς μου ὁ Κύριος.
Στίχ. Παιδεύων ἐπαίδευσέ με ὁ Κύριος.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς ῾Ρωμαίους 5:1-10.

Ἀδελφοί, δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως, εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, διʼ οὗ καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν τῇ πίστει εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν, καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ. Οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα· ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν. Ἔτι γὰρ Χριστός, ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν, κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανεν. Μόλις γὰρ ὑπὲρ δικαίου τις ἀποθανεῖται· ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τάχα τις καὶ τολμᾷ ἀποθανεῖν. Συνίστησιν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ὅτι ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν. Πολλῷ οὖν μᾶλλον, δικαιωθέντες νῦν ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ, σωθησόμεθα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες κατηλλάγημεν τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καταλλαγέντες σωθησόμεθα ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ.

Gospel Reading

3rd Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 6:22-33

The Lord said, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."

3rd Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 6:22-33

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· ῾Ο λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός· ἐὰν οὖν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς ᾖ, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου φωτεινόν ἔσται· ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου πονηρὸς ᾖ, ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου σκοτεινὸν ἔσται. εἰ οὖν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐν σοὶ σκότος ἐστί, τὸ σκότος πόσον; Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ. Διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, μὴ μεριμνᾶτε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν τί φάγητε καὶ τί πίητε, μηδὲ τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν τί ἐνδύσησθε· οὐχὶ ἡ ψυχὴ πλεῖόν ἐστι τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος; ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν οὐδὲ συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὐτά· οὐχ ὑμεῖς μᾶλλον διαφέρετε αὐτῶν; τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα; καὶ περὶ ἐνδύματος τί μεριμνᾶτε; καταμάθετε τὰ κρίνα τοῦ ἀγροῦ πῶς αὐξάνει· οὐ κοπιᾷ οὐδὲ νήθει· λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδὲ Σολομὼν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ περιεβάλετο ὡς ἓν τούτων. Εἰ δὲ τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ, σήμερον ὄντα καὶ αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον, ὁ Θεὸς οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς, ὀλιγόπιστοι; μὴ οὖν μεριμνήσητε λέγοντες, τί φάγωμεν ἢ τί πίωμεν ἢ τί περιβαλώμεθα; πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τὰ ἔθνη ἐπιζητεῖ· οἶδε γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος ὅτι χρῄζετε τούτων ἁπάντων. ζητεῖτε δὲ πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν.

Sunday's Sermon

3RD SUNDAY OF MATTHEW

Today my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we will hear in the holy Gospel an excerpt of the Sermon on the Mountain, that Christ gave when he started His salvation work in the world. In this excerpt, we must pay attention to three things that Christ said to us:

1. That the mind is the eye of the soul

2. That love for money and greediness, take us away from God That God through his Divine Providence rules His Creation and cares for all of us Christ today, tells us that the lamp that lights our body is the eye. Similarly, the lamp that lights our soul is our mind. If the eye is healthy, then the whole body is filled with light, as if the entirety of the body is an eye. The same way, our soul will be illumined if our mind and heart have not been blinded by greed and materialism. It is striking to think how much truth is behind these words, when we know that ophthalmologists in our day and age, can diagnose many bodily diseases just by examining one’s eye carefully. Therefore, the human mind, “the eye of the soul”, must be illuminated and not distanced from God, who, as St. Nikitas Stithatos tells us, is: “Light and the source of virtuous light, wisdom, Word, and knowledge. A giver of Wise Word and Knowledge”.

What is it then that darkens the eye of the soul, the human mind? It is darkened from the three major passions, gluttony, love for money, and love of human glory, as Osios Markos the Ascetic says to us. The Lord warns us today, that it is the love for money that pulls us away from Him, because the greed for wealth is closely associated with materialism and cold-heartedness towards our fellow man and many a times leads to lies, hatred, and wrath and eventually even to human abuse.

Isn’t this what we sadly observe in today’s world? Banks and investment companies all over the world are being taken to Court, and they are liable to pay for damages, because they were found guilty of having taken advantage of so many people, and having brought them to economic hardship, out of their greed for more wealth.

Christ orders us to offer our heart exclusively to Him, to turn towards Him and to care for our earthly needs without anxiety, fear or passion, entrusting Him and his Divine Providence to take care of the whole world.

Our faith in God’s Divine Providence is not an abstract, subjective condition, a psychological trick through which we can deal with life’s difficulties. It is instead, the revealed Truth, a Truth revealed by Christ our Lord, when he said to us “My father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John e, 17). Christ’s miracles are a proof of his Divine, Providence for us. St. John of Damascus says “Providence is the care of God for his creation and again, Providence is the Will of God, according to which all His creatures will meet with the best possible outcome”.

The purpose of the Divine Providence therefore is to manage the world that our God has created, and to lead man to Salvation. Christ’s incarnation, His crucifixion and His resurrection were the result of Providence – of the care of God, that gave to man a new chance, for connection and community with God, that had been lost after the Fall of the Forefathers from Paradise. St. Isaac the Syrian says accordingly: “He who lives under the care of God, has Him as his manager – his accountant, and he who wishes to abide by God’s Will, has the angels as his guides in life.”

It is very important for man to feel the Divine Providence in his daily life and in the world around him. If we have spiritual health, we can distinguish God’s concern for us, even during various hardships of life, when we feel deserted by God. According to Abbas Dorotheos, a Christian must be preparing in such a way, so that when he finds himself in temptations, he is not distressed. He should firmly believe that nothing happens without God’s will, since God always acts with our interest in mind. And which is our interest? We will hear today in the holly Gospel through the words of Christ which is our interest: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness, he said and all these things shall be added to you.” In other words our interest is to find the Kingdom of God, and subsequently, He, through His Divine Providence will take care of all the things that we need in our lives.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, in today’s society psychiatrists are in demand, as stress and depression and anxiety have reached epidemic proportions. Our fear of death and the passions from which we suffer because we strive to obtain more money, glory and fulfillment of our bodily pleasures, condemn us to suffer from abundant stress and anxiety and insecurity. Let us please, turn our attention towards God and truly believe in the power of His Divine Providence for us. Let us develop our trust in Him, and we will then be freed from our psychological problems and fears, and their bodily effects. We will then repeat, along with the great Saint Apostle Peter, what he said in his first epistle: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Beloved ones, Our Lord Jesus Christ, cares for all of us.

FR. KONSTANTINOS MANETAS

Γ’ ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΥ

Αγαπητοί εν Χριστώ αδελφοί,

Στη σημερινή Ευαγγελική περικοπή που είναι απόσπασμα από την επί του όρους ομιλία, ακούσαμε τον Κύριό μας να μας κάνει μία πολύ σημαντική δήλωση : ότι ο Θεός είναι Πατέρας μας που φροντίζει για μας. Μέσα στην εκκλησία ζωογονούμαστε από τη χάρη Του Θεού, μεταμορφωνόμαστε και αποκτούμε την υιοθεσία Του και τότε μπορούμε να ανακράξουμε και εμείς όπως λέει ο Απ. Παύλος «Αββά ο πατήρ». Η υιοθεσία συνδέεται με την αναγέννηση του ανθρώπου ο οποίος εφαρμόζει το θέλημα του Θεού, όχι για να αποφύγει την τιμωρία, ούτε για να απολαύσει τον παράδεισο, αλλά από αγάπη στον Πατέρα του. Ετσι ο αναγεννημένος άνθρωπος έχει περάσει από τα στάδια του δούλου και του μισθωτού και έχει αξιωθεί του σταδίου της υιοθεσίας που είναι το ανώτερο όλων.

Η διδασκαλία ότι ο Θεός είναι Πατέρας μας είναι στενά συνδεδεμένη με τη δημιουργία μας και τη σχέση μας μαζί Του. Αποτελεί βασική διδασκαλία της Ορθοδοξίας ότι όπως ο Θεός δημιούργησε τον κόσμο από το μηδέν έτσι διευθύνει προσωπικά και ζωοποιεί τον κόσμο χωρίς κτιστά μέσα, αλλά με τις άκτιστες ενέργειες Του και με την άμεση προσωπική Του επέμβαση. Αυτή η επιμέλεια και το ενδιαφέρον του Θεού για όλη την κτίση που Εκείνος είπε και δημιουργήθηκε είναι η Θεία Πρόνοια. Ο Αγ. Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός λέει χαρακτηριστικά : «Πρόνοια τοίνυν εστίν εκ Θεού εις τα όντα γινομένη επιμέλεια. Και πάλιν, πρόνοια εστιν βούλησις Θεού, δι’ ην πάντα τα όντα την πρόσφορον διεξαγωγήν λαμβάνει». Και ο Αββάς Ισαάκ ο Σύρος μας λέει πάλι : «Πρόνοιαν πολλήν έχει ο Θεός επί τον άνθρωπον και ουκ έστιν άνθρωπος μη ων υπό την πρόνοιαν Αυτού». Τελικά ποιος είναι ο σκοπός της Θείας πρόνοιας ; Είναι να διευθύνει τον κόσμο, να τον κρατάει στην ύπαρξη, να καθοδηγήσει τον άνθρωπο στη σωτηρία του και στην ένωση με Τον Θεό.

Αγαπητοί μου, ο Θεός δεν δημιούργησε τον κόσμο και έπειτα τον εγκατέλειψε, η δεν έβαλε κατά τη δημιουργία μερικούς φυσικούς νόμους, αλλά ο ίδιος προσωπικά τον διευθύνει. Και όπου υπάρχει επανάληψη διαφόρων γεγονότων, αυτό δεν οφείλεται σε μερικούς φυσικούς νόμους, αλλά στην πιστότητα της θείας πρόνοιας. Γι' αυτό και η τέλεση των θαυμάτων δεν είναι άρση των λεγόμενων φυσικών νόμων, γιατί τότε ο Θεός θα φαινόταν ότι αίρει τον εαυτό του, αλλά απόδειξη και φανερώση ότι ο Θεός εκείνη τη στιγμή θέλει να ενεργεί κατά αυτόν τον τρόπο. Είναι πολύ σημαντικό για τον άνθρωπο να αισθάνεται αυτή την πρόνοια του Θεού στη φύση, την ιστορία και σε όλη την προσωπική του ζωή. Όταν υπάρχει αυτή η αίσθηση στον άνθρωπο τότε λέμε ότι είναι πνευματικά υγιής. Συνήθως, όταν έχουμε διαφορές δοκιμασίες στη ζωή, νομίζουμε ότι ο Θεός μας εγκατέλειψε, ότι δεν φροντίζει για μας, ότι δεν προνοεί για τη ζωή και τη σωτηρία μας. Αυτό δεν είναι σωστό, γιατί και τότε στους μεγάλους πειρασμούς ο Θεός διευθύνει τη ζωή μας με την άκτιστη πρόνοια Του. Ο Αββάς Δωρόθεος λέει ότι ο χριστιανός πρέπει να προετοιμάζεται με τέτοιο τρόπο ώστε όταν βρεθεί σε πειρασμούς να μην ταράσσεται και να μην ξενίζεται, «πιστεύων ότι ουδέν άνευ της προνοίας του Θεού γίνεται». Μάλιστα ο άγιος Ισαάκ ο Σύρος διδάσκει ότι ούτε οι δαίμονες ούτε τα θηρία, ούτε οι ζώντες με την κακία άνθρωποι μπορούν να κάνουν το θέλημα τους για να φθείρουν και να καταστρέψουν, «ει μη το του κυβερνώντος επιτρέψειε βούλημα». Μόνον αν ο Θεός επιτρέψει, μπορεί να συμβεί κάτι κακό στον άνθρωπο. Αυτό ισχύει περισσότερο στους ανθρώπους που εγκαταλείπουν τελείως τον εαυτό τους στον Θεό. Για αυτούς ο Θεός δείχνει περισσότερο ενδιαφέρον και στοργή. Γι' αυτό λέει χαρακτηριστικά ο Αγιος Ισαάκ: «Ο αεί κοιταζόμενος εν φροντίδι του Θεού, τούτον ταμειούχον εκτήσατο».

Πώς ο άνθρωπος θα μπορεί να αντιλαμβάνεται την πρόνοια του Θεού στη ζωή του; Για να μπορέσει να δει κανείς την πρόνοια Θεού και να την βιώσει πρέπει να αποδεσμευτεί τελείως από την κυριαρχία της πεπτωκυιας λογικής, δηλαδή να ελευθερωθεί από την εμπιστοσύνη στη δική του σύνεση. Λέει χαρακτηριστικά ο Αββάς Δωρόθεος: «εν παντί πράγματι συμβαίνοντί μοι ουδέποτε ηθέλησα ανθρωπίνη φρονήσει περιδραμείν εμαυτώ, αλλ’ άεί ποιώ μικρόν την δύναμίν μου ειτιδήποτε και αφώ το παν τω Θεώ». Με άλλα λόγια πρέπει να κάνουμε αυτό που εξαρτάται από μας και έπειτα όλα να τα αφήνουμε στην πρόνοια θεού. Εμείς όμως συνήθως αποτυγχάνουμε γιατί σαν κέντρο της ζωής μας, βάζουμε τη δική μας σύνεση και όχι το θέλημα θεού. Ο θάνατος και οι ιδέες για να αποκτήσουμε δόξα, χρήματα, εξουσία και ικανοποίηση των ηδονών είναι εκείνα που μας κάνουν να διακατεχόμαστε από το άγχος και την ανασφάλεια.

Ο Χριστός διδάσκει ότι ο Θεός τρέφει τα πετεινά του ουρανού, ότι Αυτός αυξάνει τα κρίνα του αγρού, Αυτός τα στολίζει τόσο όμορφα. Σε κάθε εσπερινό κατά την ανάγνωση του Προοιμιακού Ψαλμού ομολογούμε ότι ο Θεός εξαποστέλλει τις πηγές να ρέουν μέσα στα φαράγγια, αυτός ποτίζει τα όρη με τις βροχές, αυτός βλαστάνει από τη γη χορτάρι για να φάνε τα κτήνη, και όλα τα ζώα περιμένουν από το Θεό να τους δώσει την τροφή. Αυτό που μας ζήτησε σήμερα ο Χριστός στο Ευαγγέλιο είναι να μην έχουμε μέριμνα για τις βιοτικές φροντίδες αλλά να έχουμε σαν κύριο σκοπό της ζωής μας την απόκτηση της βασιλείας των ουρανών. Η λέξη μέριμνα στα αρχαία ελληνικά σημαίνει φροντίδα ανάμικτη με ανησυχία,με ανησυχη σκέψη, με στενοχώρια, με λύπη. Ο Κύριός μας δεν μας ζήτησε να μην φροντίσουμε για τις ανάγκες μας, αλλά να μην ανησυχούμε, να μην στενοχωρούμεθα, να μην λυπούμαστε. Μας είπε με άλλα λόγια να έχουμε εμπιστοσύνη σε Αυτόν που είναι ο δημιουργός του σύμπαντος και ο Οποίος ενδιαφέρεται για το συμφέρον μας περισσότερο από όσο ενδιαφερόμαστε εμείς.

Αυτώ πρέπει η δόξα εις τους αιώνας.

ΠΡΩΤΟΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΣ, Π. ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΜΑΝΕΤΑΣ

Wisdom of the Fathers

For God, He said, gave us understanding, that we might chase away all ignorance, and have the right judgment of things, and that using this as a kind of weapon and light against all that is grievous or hurtful, we might remain in safety. But we betray the gift for the sake of things superfluous and useless.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 20 and 21 on Matthew 6, 4th Century

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