Print

 

SUNDAY,  DECEMBER 10, 2017

27th Sunday After Pentecost 

If one looks into the Serbian Calendar, one will see that three Sundays before Christmas, besides having the names of the Saints commemorated on those Sundays, are marked in this order as: Children's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day. It is not known exactly how and when these Serbian customs came into being. At least no one troubled himself to do any research and find out. No doubt that they have some deep roots in the Serbian social and religious life, and though not exactly in the same form, they were practiced in every Serbian home. 

One undisputed fact is that those customs are connected with Christmas. They all precede Christmas in a strict order so much so that the Church has marked them in the calendar. Being beautiful, simple and meaningful and practical expressions of Christian love and charity, deepening of family ties and affections of social caring for the less fortunate. All in all, if the Church did not directly originate them, she found them to be very sound Christian motivation. 

The name of the day points out who is the celebrant. So on Children's Day, the children are the celebrants, on Mother's Day, the mothers are the celebrants and on Father's Day, fathers are the celebrants. Each are to do on that day that what they are doing or should be doing throughout the year and throughout their lives the only way love can be tangibly expressed. They are giving and not taking. Of course each gives according to his or her own means. 

The celebrant thought ahead of time and prepared the gifts of love according to his ability. This love within the family overflows into acts of charity to those outside of the home who need help. Even Serbian queens on this day would provide for many people in warm and solemn manner in their palaces. All the gifts of love have been given before Christmas, all the needs within family and community have been provided for and we are then to be all ready to receive the greatest gift ever given from the living God the Father, His gift of love...His only Begotten Son, coming to live with us and abide in us forever. 

Protinica E. Resanovic 

The Reading from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Ephesians (6: 10-17) 

Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

THE GOSPEL READING FROM SAINT LUKE (13: 10-17) 

At that time Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her: “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd: “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said: “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound - think of it - for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. 

REFLECTION from Prologue of Ohrid by St. Nikolaj Velimirovic 

Why do some people, well educated and baptized as Christians, fall away from Christianity and give themselves over to philosophy and pedantic theories, pretending that these are truer than Christianity? They do so for two principal reasons: either because of a totally superficial understanding of Christianity or because of sin. A superficial understanding of Christianity rejects it, and sin flees from Christ as does a criminal from the judge. Superficial and sinful Christians were as often enraged and infuriated with Christianity as were the pagans. The superficial and culpable find it is more comfortable for them to bathe in the shallow puddle of human thoughts than in the perilous depths of Christ. For those who sincerely follow Christ, He constantly calls them to a greater and greater depth, as He once said to the Apostle Peter: Launch out into the deep (Luke 5:4). St. Mark the Ascetic writes that the Law of God is understood in accordance with the fulfillment of the commandments of God: “Ignorance compels a person to speak in opposition to that which is beneficial, and insolence multiplies vice.” 

Читање из посланице Светог Апостола Павла Ефесцима (6: 10-17) 

А даље, браћо моја, јачајте у Господу и у сили јачине Његове. Обуците се у све оружје Божије, да бисте се могли одржати против лукавства ђаволског: Јер наш рат није с крвљу и с телом, него с поглаварима и властима, и с управитељима таме овог света, с духовима пакости испод неба. Тога ради узмите све оружје Божије, да бисте се могли бранити у зли дан, и свршивши све одржати се. Станите дакле опасавши бедра своја истином и обукавши се у оклоп правде, И обувши ноге у приправу јеванђеља мира; А сврх свега узмите штит вере о који ћете моћи погасити све распаљене стреле нечастивог; И кацигу спасења узмите, и мач духовни који је реч Божија. 

Читање Светог Јеванђеља по Луки (13, 10-17) 

У време оно, кад учаше у једној зборници у суботу, И гле, беше онде жена болесна од духа осамнаест година, и беше згрчена, и не могаше се исправити. А кад је виде, дозва је Исус и рече јој: Жено! Опроштена си од болести своје. И метну на њу руке, и одмах се исправи и хваљаше Бога. А старешина од зборнице срђаше се што је Исус исцели у суботу, и одговарајући рече народу: Шест је дана у које треба радити, у оне дакле долазите те се лечите, а не у дан суботни. А Господ му одговори и рече: Лицемере! Сваки од вас у суботу не одрешује ли свог вола или магарца од јасала, и не води да напоји? А ову кћер Авраамову коју свеза сотона, ево осамнаеста година, не требаше ли је одрешити из ове свезе у дан суботни? И кад Он ово говораше стиђаху се сви који Му се противљаху; и сав народ радоваше се за сва Његова славна дела. 

Исповест - Света тајна покајања и исповести је Једна од најважнијих, благодатних средстава у животу једног хришћанина. У свакодневном животу човек чини ситније или крупније грехе. Они су као блато које каља душу човекову и његов морални лик. Зато је Црква одредила средство којим се то блато и прљавштина греха спира са човека то је Света тајна покајања и исповести. Исповест је потребна што чешће, а обавезно уочи сваког причешћа Нажалост, ова света тајна није довољно заступљена у нашем народу, а можда је одсуство покајне дисциплине један од битнијих узрока нашег моралног и духовног посрнућа Исповест се врши у храму или исповедаоници, пред свештеником. Верник исповеда све оно што га мучи у души, и што му оптерећује савест, све грехе, чак и оне који су почињени у мислима или жељама. Колико је важна исповест знају они који се исповедају, јер они после исповести осете велико олакшање , као да им је неки велики терет пао са душе и срца, а цело њихово биће прожима неизрециво блаженство. Не треба се плашити исповести, јер свештеник, по својој заклетви не сме да открије ни један грех који му је исповеђен, по цену живота

Wisdom from the Holy Fathers: 

God is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. Hence, if we feel in our hearts the cold which comes from the devil - for the devil is cold - let us call on the Lord. He will come to warm our hearts with perfect love, not only for Him but also for our neighbor, and the cold of him who hates the good will flee before the heat of His countenance. - St. Seraphim of Sarov 

Do we forgive our neighbors their trespasses? God also forgives us in His mercy. Do we refuse to forgive? God, too, will refuse to forgive us. As we treat our neighbors, so also does God treat us. The forgiveness, then, of your sins or unforgiveness, and hence also your salvation or destruction, depend on you yourself, man. For without forgiveness of sins there is no salvation. You can see for yourself how terrible it is. - St. Tikhon of Zadonsk 

Св. Јован Касијан: "Ми не треба да верујемо да је нама, за постизање савршенства срца и чистоте тела, довољан само пост који се састоји у уздржању од видљивих јела. Не, њему треба придодати још и пост душе. Јер, и она има своја штетна јела... Свака похота и блуђење непостојаног срца јесте нека паша душе на својеврсном пасишту које је храни штетним јелима, и која је чине непричесном небесног хлеба и тврде хране. Уздржавајући се од свега тога у нашем светом пошћењу, сразмерно својим силама, учинићемо сврсисходним и доброплодним и држање телесног поста. Јер, напрезање тела које је сједињено са скрушеношћу духа представља најпријатнију жртву Богу: оно ће у чистим и лепо украшеним скривницама срца изградити обиталиште достојно Његове светости. Међутим, ако ми, постећи телесно, будемо ухваћени у мрежу најпогубнијих душевних страсти, изнуравање тела нам веће донети никакве користи."