Ви - Сіль Землі You Are The Salt of the Earth

Основна проблема, яку ми маємо по-справжньому в розумінні конкретного вислову Господа: «Ви - сіль землі», - це те, що сьогодні, в наших нинішніх обставинах, ми схильні вважати сіль як приправу. Ми схильні вірити, що Господь Ісус говорить Своїм учням, що їхня місія полягає в тому, щоб зробити повсякденне життя в цьому світі приємним, так як сіль виділяє аромат їжі.

The main problem we have in truly understanding the particular saying of the Lord: "You are the salt of the earth," is that today, in our current circumstances, we tend to think of salt as a seasoning. We tend to believe that the Lord Jesus is telling His disciples that their mission is to make daily life in this world palatable, enjoyable, much as salt brings out the flavor of food.

Але, всупереч цьому поняттю, ми повинні читати цей вислів як посилання на сіль як консервант, а не як приправу. Господь говорить тут, що місія учнів - це зберегти землю від розбещення гріха. Учні повинні були виконати цю місію, щоб бути консерватором всієї землі, навчаючи правді, яку вони дізналися від Бога. Вони мали навчати словом та прикладом усього, що їм відкрив Божественний Вчитель.

But, contrary to this notion, we must read this dictum as referring to salt as a preservative, not a seasoning. What the Lord is saying here is that it is mission of the disciples to preserve the earth from the corruption of sin. The disciples were to fulfill this mission to be the preservative of the whole earth by teaching the truth that they had learned from God. They were to teach by word and example everything that their Divine Master had revealed to them.

Оскільки сьогодні ми вшановуємо пам'ять усіх святих Русі-України, ми повинні розглянути те, як служили ці великі святі, щоб зберегти нашу Церкву від розбещення гріха. Тоді ми повинні чесно розглянути, чи і як ми продовжували йти по їхньому шляху. Як ми працювали, щоб зберегти навколишній світ від розбещення гріха?

Since today we commemorate All the Saints of Rus'-Ukraine, we should pause to consider first the way these great saints have served to preserve our Church from the corruption of sin. Then, we should honestly consider if and how we have continued to follow in their path. How have we worked to preserve the world around us from the corruption of sin?

Можливо, нам слід було б розглянути життя наших небесних покровителів, свв. Володимира та Ольги, того великого святого та його бабусі, яких називають "рівноапостольними", бо вони привели до Христа весь свій народ. Тут ми мусимо особливо відзначити, що вони не лише привели свій народ до Христа, але наполегливо працювали, щоб вони були об’єднані з Христом. Це важлива відмінність, адже, за словами святого Йоана Златоустого, це дія солі. Сіль не використовується для консервації їжі, яка вже пошкоджена, а лише та, яка ще не зіпсована. У цьому випадку, спочатку люди повинні були прийняти Хрещення, щоб їх врятувати від зіпсуття гріха заслугами Христа. Але тоді їхні лідери повинні були вжити розумних заходів, щоб вони не потрапляли знову в ту саму корупцію, яка колись на них претендувала.

Perhaps we ought to consider the lives of our heavenly patrons, Ss. Volodymyr and Olha, that great saint and his grandmother, who are called "the equals to the Apostles" because they brought their entire nation to Christ. Here we need to especially note, however, that they not only brought their people to Christ, but they worked strenuously to keep them united to Christ. This is an important distinction, because, according to Saint John Chrysostom, this is the action of salt. Salt is not used to preserve food that is already corrupted, but only that that has not yet been corrupted. This being the case, first the people had to receive Baptism, so that they would be saved from the corruption of sin through the merits of Christ. But then, their leaders had to take prudent action to keep them from falling again into the same corruption that had once claimed them.

Свв. Володимир та Ольга виконували цю важливу роль, підтримуючи інститути Церкви. Вони будували церкви у нації, якої не було жодної, або принаймні небагато. Потім вони укомплектува́ли ці нові церкви духовенством, а тоді підтримували духовенство у їхньому щоденному служінні.

Ss. Volodymyr and Olha both exercised this important role by supporting the institutions of the Church. They built churches in a nation that did not have any, or at least few. Then, they staffed those new churches with clergy and then supported the clergy in their day to day ministry.

Ми повинні відчувати себе особливо благословенними, що маємо можливість бути благодійниками Церкви в такому ж сенсі, як наші предки у вірі. Ми будуємо церкву для порятунку душ. Ми жертвуємо великою кількістю, щоб завершити цей проект. Ми споруджуємо храм Єдиному, Істинному Богу саме тоді, коли ліві активісти закликають знищити такі храми. Вони стверджують, що наша Віра наповнена "системним расизмом", але так само, як наша жертва не коливається заради їхньої думки, так і не нею мотивована. Наша жертва вкорінена у Слові Божому, яке не може обдурити. Як ми часто проголошуємо: "Правда Твоя – правда навіки, а Слово Твоє - Істина". З авторитету цього Всемогутнього Слова ми знаємо, що "Мій дім буде називатися домом молитви для всіх народів", тому що "немає ні єврея, ні грека, ні раба, ні вільної людини, але всі є одним у Христі Ісусі ».

We should feel especially blessed that we have the opportunity to be benefactors of the Church in so similar a sense as our forefathers in the Faith. We are building a church for the salvation of souls. We are sacrificing a great deal to bring this project to completion. We are erecting a temple to the One, True God at the very time that leftist activists are calling for the destruction of such temples. They claim that our Faith is filled with "systemic racism," but just as our sacrifice is not swayed by their opinion, it is not motivated by it either. Our sacrifice is rooted in the Word of God, Who cannot deceive nor be deceived. As we often proclaim, "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and your Word is Truth." On the authority of that All-Powerful Word, we know that "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples," because "there is neither Jew nor Greek, nor slave, nor free person, but all are one in Christ Jesus."

Саме авторитет Божого Слова спонукає нас до жертви, будуючи храм Божий для спасіння душ, бо "ті, хто вірить і хреститься, будуть врятовані. Ті, хто відмовиться вірити, будуть засуджені". Але ми не можемо дозволити собі забути свою жертву, своє приношення Богові - це насамперед духовне. Святий Павло каже нам: "Наша боротьба не з плоттю і кров'ю, а з духовними істотами". Наші інженери, архітектори та будівельники роблять добру, гарну роботу у своїх конкретних сферах, але основна робота виконується молитвою, і основи цього будинку були закладені молитвою давно. Тому що це правда, навіть якби цей бажаний храм був зруйнований, його духовна основа витримала б, бо Бог відкрив, що він: "Це мій відпочинок на віки віків. Тут я зупинюсь, бо я цього бажав" ."

It is the authority of the Word of God that impels us to the sacrifice, building the temple of God for the salvation of souls, because "those who believe and are baptized will be saved. Those who refuse to believe, will be condemned." Yet, we cannot afford to forget our sacrifice, our offering to God is primarily spiritual. Saint Paul tells us, "Our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual beings." Our engineers, architects and builders are doing a terrific job in their specific spheres, but the primary work is done by prayer and the foundations of this house were laid by prayer long ago. Because that is true, even if this much desired temple were destroyed, its spiritual foundation would endure, because God has revealed that it shall, "This is my resting place unto the ages of ages. Here I will dwell, for I have desired it."

Тож, природно, нам потрібно матеріально підтримувати Церкву. Христос заповідає нам це робити, але ми також повинні ще більше духовно підтримувати Церкву. Ми повинні молитися за Церкву кожного дня пріоритетним завданням,  і за її лідерів та всіх її членів, особливо в цих дуже небезпечних та важких часа́х.

So, naturally, we need to support the Church materially. Christ commands us to do so, but we must also support the Church spiritually all the more. It must be a priority for us, every day, to pray for the Church, for its leaders and all its members, especially in these very dangerous and trying times.

Сама Церква постійно дає нам зразок цього пріоритету. Наприклад, в єктеніях Божественної Літургії ми завжди молимось спочатку за Церкву, перш ніж переходити до інших конкретніших потреб. Нам було б добре моделювати наші щоденні прохання до Бога згідно з на́голосами, які дає нам Церква. По-перше, моліться за Церкву загально та взагалі, а потім переходите до конкретніших потреб: нашої єпархії та нашої парафії. Усі ці прохання про Церкву стоять перед проханнями про державу та місцеву владу, про гарну погоду тощо.

The Church itself is constantly giving us a model for this priority. In the litanies of the Divine Liturgy, for example, we always pray first for the Church before moving on to other more particular needs. We would do well to model our daily petitions to God on the emphases that the Church gives us. First, pray for the Church universally and generally and then move on to the more particular needs: our eparchy and our parish. All these petitions for the Church stand before the petitions for the State and local authorities, for good weather, etc.

Бог дав кожному з нас можливість стати благодійником Церкви, будувати Церкву, матеріально, але навіть і духовніше. Кожен з нас повинен будувати Церкву своїми молитвами та щоденними жертвами. Таким чином, співпрацюючи з Божою благодаттю, ми можемо приєднатися до спілкування святих, яких ми сьогодні святкуємо, усіх святих Руси-України, і стати «сіллю землі» навіть такою, якою вони були.

God has given each and every one of us the opportunity to become a benefactor of the Church, to build the Church, materially indeed, but also and even more, spiritually. Each of us needs to help build the Church by our prayers and daily sacrifices. In this way, cooperating with God's grace, we can join the company of the saints we celebrate today, all the saints of Rus'-Ukraine, and become "the salt of the earth" even as they were. 

Our Proper Sustenance

Today in the Epistle reading from the Letter of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Romans, Paul describes the tremendous confidence that he has in the salvation that the Lord Jesus has worked for us. The meat of his argument is this: that our reliance is not on any earthly thing and no earthly thing can ultimately harm us, because we have become conformed to the image of the Son of God, Who died and rose from the dead. Our confidence is in our God, Who has taken our the matter of our salvation in hand and has worked it for us.

The main theme of the Book of Psalms, or the Psalter as it is otherwise known is confidence in God. Therein David the primary author of the Psalms says again and again that we should put our trust in God, not in ourselves and not in other things. For this reason, the Church uses the Psalms throughout the day and night in its worship, reinforcing this main theme again and again, many times each day, because temptation always tries to take away our trust. We can see that this is true especially in this culture in which we find ourselves, where future planning of various different kinds has become something of a religion. Retirement planning in particular has become a major industry that thrives upon the anxiety that people naturally fall into apart from God. We saw this last week in the reading from the Sermon on the Mount. There, the Lord Jesus spoke about those who were worrying and hand wringing, asking themselves "what are we to eat, what are we to drink, what are we to wear?" The Lord Jesus pointed us towards confidence in the goodness of the Father.

Beyond the Book of Psalms, the same message can be clearly seen throughout Scripture. Whenever God's people put their confidence in God, that trust was rewarded with an abundance of grace and blessing. But when God's people put their confidence in earthly things or false gods instead of God, their lives quickly went from bad to worse.

In the account of the Lord Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, the Lord becomes hungry after His forty days of fasting. Satan tempts the Lord to be concerned with food. The Lord Jesus replies to the temptation by quoting a verse spoken by the Prophet Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God." In Moses' discourse, spoken just before his death in the plains of Moab, before the Israelite armies crossed over the Jordan in the Promised Land, the prophet tells the people that confidence in God, and God alone, was the reason for the manna during the people's forty years of wandering in the desert. The manna was the people's "daily bread," which they received for their daily sustenance. It is this same confidence in God, which the Lord Jesus refers to in the prayer, which He taught us to be a model of all true prayer: "Give us this day our daily bread."

We Christians, conformed to Christ as we are, are called to be sustained first and foremost by grace. The Holy Apostle John the Theologian tells us that "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." In Christ we have access to an abundance of grace, as the Akafist Hymn puts it "a table full-laden with appeasement." The grace of God is a feast for us from which we are never to fast. Unlike physical food, which harms us when moderation is exceeded, the life and love of God knows no moderation but is able to increase everlastingly, just as the Lord Jesus tells us: "I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

Today, our commemoration of all the saints of Rus'-Ukraine is an invitation to reconsider our orientation to the world. The saints of Rus' were like all the saints throughout history: they were sustained by the grace of God, not by reliance on earthly things. In the same way, we must become like them. We must change our appetites, so that we desire to feast at the table of God's abundance, divine grace poured out in answer to prayer, and not at the table of immoderation.

We should turn with confidence to God as often as possible, feasting at the table full-laden with His grace, especially when we feel our energy ebbing away and our temptations increasing.

Жадібність і робота Avarice and Work

Наш Святий Отець Єронім розповідає, що Мамон - ім'я старого сирійського бога багатства та торгівлі. У стародавніх часах, люди, які хотіли благословення на благополуччя, приносили в його храм невеликі приношення з усвідомленням того, що дуже часто бог відтворює малу жертву з великим багатством і достатку. Аналогічним чином, люди сьогодні дуже часто роблять невеликі інвестиції на фондовому ринку, наприклад, сподіваючись, що невеликі інвестиції принесуть велику користь.

Our Holy Father Jerome tells us that Mammon is the name of the old Syrian god of wealth and commerce. In ancient times, people who wanted the blessings of prosperity would bring small offerings to his temple with the knowledge that very often the god would reciprocate the small offering with great wealth and abundance. In a similar way, people today very often make small investments in the stock market, for example, in the hope that the small investment will yield a windfall.

Ми не повинні скласти враження, що служіння мамонові було легким. Як і всі демони, яким древні люди поклонялися під іменем богів, він міг бути безжальним і вимогливим рабом-водієм. Його віддані з однаковою ймовірністю втратили все або здобули бажанe процвітання.

We should not get the impression that serving Mammon was easy. Like all the demons, which the ancients worshiped under the name of gods, he could be a ruthless and exacting slave driver. His devotees were equally likely to lose everything as they were to gain the longed for prosperity.

Це саме те рабство, про яке розповідає наш Святий Отець Йоан Златоустий у своїх Проповідях у Євангелії від святого Матея. Там Златоустий яскраво описує тривогу і неприємність, які часто рабство для багатства спричиняє. Він описує спосіб затьмарення розуму багача, щоб він більше не міг отримувати божественне натхнення, а також не використовувати незліченних благодатей, які йому посилає Бог. Златоустий продовжує розповідати про те, як розум багатія вкорінюється у земні речі, щоб речі Божі ставали для нього все більш невиразними і нереальними. Однак Златоустий наполягає на тому, що багатий чоловік може легко зруйнувати своє рабство і повернутися з новою любов'ю та відданістю Богові, тому що все, що він повинен зробити, - це визначити в своєму серці зневагу до того, що порожнє і нікчемне.

This is exactly the kind of slavery that Our Holy Father John Chrysostom tells us about in his Homilies on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. There, Chrysostom describes in vivid terms the anxiety and trouble, which slavery to riches often entails. He describes the way that the mind of the rich man is darkened, so that he can no longer receive divine inspiration, nor make use of the countless graces that are sent to him by God. He goes on to tell about the way that the mind of the rich man becomes rooted to earthly things, so that the things of God become more and more vague and unreal to him. Yet, Chrysostom insists it is an easy thing for the rich man to break his servitude and turn with renewed love and devotion to God, because all he needs to do is determine in his heart to despise that which is empty and worthless in any case.

Багато в чому, світ заманив нас у пастку, бо наше земне існування потребує того, щоб ми працювали. Насправді Бог заповідає нашій роботі і в Старому Завіті, де Бог говорить про землю, "в поті обличчя свого будеш їсти її всі дні свого життя", і в Новому Завіті, де Святий Апостол Павло заповідає: "Хто не працює, той і не повинен їсти". Тим не менш, робота природно призводить до придбання, а придбання, природно, призводить до тривоги, оскільки ми намагаємося набирати все більше і більше. Таким чином, людина стає багатою людиною, фактично чи за бажанням. Між цими двома різницями дуже мало, оскільки схильність до контингентних речей залишається однаковою.

In many ways, the world has us caught in a trap, because our earthly existence necessitates that we work. God, in fact, commands our work both in the Old Testament, where God says of the earth, "in the sweat of your face shall you eat of it all the days of your life," and in the New Testament, where the Holy Apostle Paul commands, "he who does not work, neither should he eat." Yet, work naturally leads to acquisition and acquisition naturally leads to anxiety as we try to amass more and more. Thus, man becomes a rich man, either in fact or by desire. There is very little difference between these two, because the inclination towards contingent things remains the same.

Єдиний вихід з цієї пастки - це робити свою роботу в спілкуванні з Богом. Наш Отець серед святих Василій Великий розповідає нам у своєму Трактаті про Християнську Працю: "Вдосконалимо свою роботу молитвою, дякуючи тому, хто дав нашим рукам силу працювати, а нашому розуму силу збирати знання; і Хто дав нам матеріал нашої роботи, що в інструментах, якими ми користуємось, і на яких ми використовуємо свою майстерність; молимось, щоб робота наших рук була направлена на догоду Богу. Таким чином ми творимо душу придатною; ми, в кожному нашому вчинку, просимо Бога, щоб Він благословив нашу роботу, і дякуючи тому, хто дав нам силу працювати, і, як я вже сказав, зберігаючи коли-небудь перед нашим розумом кінець, щоб радувати Його ".

The only way out of this trap is to do our work in communion with God. Our Father Among the Saints Basil the Great tells us in his Treatise on Christian Labor: "Let us perfect our work with prayer, giving thanks to Him Who has given our hands the power to work, and our minds the power to gather knowledge; and Who has given us the material of our work, that in the tools we use, and that on which we use our skill; praying that the work of our hands may be directed to the end of pleasing God. In this way we create within the soul a fitting disposition; for in every act of ours we are both asking God that He may bless our work, and giving thanks to Him Who has given us the power to work; and, as I said, keeping ever before our minds the end of pleasing Him."

Про що тут говорить святий Василій - це виконання нашої роботи в присутності Господа, без тривоги, тому що турбуватися і вимагати собі, позитивно заборонено самим Господом Ісусом, коли Він каже нам: "Не хвилюйся за завтра ».

What Saint Basil is talking about here is the performance of our work in the presence of the Lord, without anxiety, because being worried and solicitous for ourselves is positively proscribed by the Lord Jesus Himself, when He tells us: "Do not be solicitous about tomorrow."

Святий Василій продовжує завершувати трактат, розбираючись про належну мету роботи. Він заявляє, що робота повинна бути встановленою на благо інших, а не на нашу користь. Робота - це наша можливість мати ресурси, щоб задовольнити сподівання Господа: "Коли я голодував, ти дав мені їжу, коли я мав спрагу, ти дав мені пити ..." Таким чином, ми живемо без тривоги для власних потреб, наша проста віра і довіра до Нього, при цьому ми працюємо з конкретним наміром покращити світ навколо нас в ім'я Христа.

Saint Basil goes on to complete the treatise by dealing with the proper end of work. He states that work should be ordered for the benefit of others rather than our own benefit. Work is our opportunity to have the resources to satisfy the Lord's expectations: "When I was hungry, you gave me food, when I was thirsty, you gave me drink..." Thus, we live without anxiety for our own needs, putting our simple faith and trust in Him, while we work with the specific intention to improve the world around us in the name of Christ.

Взагалі, святі отці показують нам, що якщо ми живемо і працюємо, щоб накопичити речі і прив’язатись до контингентних речей, навіть добрих, наш розум буде затемнений нашими постійними асоціаціями з речами, які нас деградують, бо вони менші за нас. Однак, якщо натомість ми живемо і працюємо в спілкуванні та розмові з Богом, просячи Його благословити нашу працю і дякуючи Йому за нашу працю та доходи від неї, наш розум буде просвітлений, а наше серце буде звільнене від турбот.

In all, the holy fathers show us that if we live and work to amass things and become attached to contingent things, however good, our minds will be darkened by our continuous associations with things that degrade us, because they are less than us. Yet, if, instead, we live and work in communion and conversation with God asking Him to bless our work and giving thanks to Him for our work and the proceeds of it, our minds will be enlightened and our hearts will be freed from cares.

The Evidence of God's Love in Our Lives

In the epistle reading today, the Holy Apostle Paul tells us that we boast of our afflictions, because of the much greater hope that the sacrifice of Christ gives to us. Christ reconciled us to the Father through His Blood while we were yet the enemies of God. Thus, God proved His love for us. Since this reconciliation with God has now become the central fact of our lives, our love for God and our hope in Him overflows and increases more and more, as we come to know Him more and more.

Paul makes this same point in very many other places, where, for example, he asks the rhetorical question: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" In other words, if we believe that Christ has risen from the dead and that His Resurrection is for us as well, then we have nothing to fear from the various forces and fortunes of this world. Even though it may seem mighty and threatening from time to time, the truth is that this world is passing away. This world's ruler has already been judged and sentenced. All that remains is for that sentence to be executed. This fact is reflected in the fervent prayer recorded in the oldest Christian document outside the New Testament, the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, known by its Greek title, The Didache. That prayer reads: "Let grace come and let this world vanish. Come, Lord Jesus."

The wickedness of the world seems to be advancing triumphantly all around us. The traditions and mores of our ancestors are being annihilated and the nuclear family is being destroyed. Faith seems to be waning, as the continued pretensions of the scientific worldview claim to have access to every aspect of reality and to replace God. Nothing could be more congruent with the prophecy of Isaiah regarding Lucifer: "For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."

Yet, at the same time, there are abundant signs that Heaven is not inactive and silent. Heaven is inviting us to turn sincerely to God. Turn away from fear and turn to God. What God Incarnate told us is indeed true. Perfect love of God will cast out fear.

The world seems to be undergoing a kind of chastisement, as every nation on earth, beginning from Communist China, has been afflicted with the coronavirus pandemic and the enormous losses associated with it. Then, on the first day of the National People's Congress, the entire city of Beijing was enveloped in a deep darkness at a quarter to four in the afternoon. The commentary in one British newspaper regarding the darkness shows how foreign the viewpoints of faith have become. The author wrote: "The footage was taken on the same day as two annual political plenary sessions of the communist regime, leading some conspiracy theorists to bizarrely claim the footage was a sign from the heavens," as if the idea that God would judge the world and portend that judgment with a sign was completely beyond belief. Yet, we know from examples throughout human history that this is precisely the way that God seeks to warn humanity, inducing us to turn to Him in repentance. Perhaps most recently, the Most Holy Mother of God told the seers at Fatima in Portugal: "When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church...." The Mother of God's prophecy is said to have been fulfilled on 25 January 1938, when the Aurora Borealis was more visible than at any time in recorded human history, being seen in places as far south as Algiers. In our own day, since the eerie darkness in Beijing, seventy percent of China has been crippled by devastating floods, even as a second wave of coronavirus descends on their capital. Finally, all across China, people have been gripped with foreboding as they observe the strange behavior of large numbers of animals, which they fear could be a portent of some further catastrophe.

The Scriptures tell us in no less than three places that the sufferings of such chastisements will be so great that most people will flee into caves and pits of the earth, calling out for the mountains to fall on them and the hills to cover them. Nevertheless, we have to remember in all of this that we are not meant to be that way. We have not been given a spirit of fear. The intention of God, in visiting the judgments upon us as He does, is to bring us to turn to Him in repentance. Remember what Paul said in the epistle. Afflictions are things that we can boast about, because of the great love that God has shown us. The Scriptures also tell us that "love covers a multitude of sins." So, we need to love. We need to decide now to love God with all our heart and mind and soul.

The Natural Law

Today in the Epistle reading, the Holy Apostle Paul speaks concerning the law that is written in the hearts of the Gentiles. The Gentiles, Paul tells us, will be judged according to this law, since they do not possess the Law of Moses. The law, which Paul is referring to is that which we call "the natural law." The natural law is the law that we observe around us in nature itself. It is embedded in nature by nature's Creator, and we are able to see it and understand it because we are intelligent and rational beings.

The natural law is both descriptive and prescriptive, unlike the divine positive law, which is prescriptive only. Prescriptive law is that which prescribes what must be done and what must be avoided. Thus, in the Law of Moses, we have commandments that are "thou shall" and "thou shall not." The natural law is a little different, however. The natural law is first descriptive. In other words, a mind that understands the law that is in nature describes the way that nature is. An example of this is the existence of physical laws like the law of gravitation. We could sum it up as follows: in the physical world, larger bodies attract smaller bodies. Thus, we observe the way that nature is and from this we derive God's laws for our life through this observation. For example, the entirety of the natural law is often summed up in the simply stated commandment: Seek good and avoid evil. This prescriptive commandment is based on our observation of nature. Everywhere around us in the world creatures seek the good of their beings. On the other hand, we also observe that, all around us in the world, creatures shrink away from what is dangerous or harmful.

While other creatures seek the good and avoid evil by instinct, human beings have needed to deduce this commandment from nature and conform themselves to it by effort, because, due to sin, human beings are constantly tempted to do things that are unreasonable and unnatural. Not that we are tempted by evil in so far as it is evil. We are tempted by evil, because of the germs of good that remain in it. The damaged human will is often incapable of distinguishing between greater and lesser goods. A man decides to murder a pregnant woman, because he does not want his infidelity to be discovered. He acts for the good of his reputation, without regard for the greater evil of murder. A teenager decides to steal something from a department store. He acts for the good of possessing the desired thing or the thrill of the act itself or for the esteem of his friends, without regard for the injustice of depriving someone else of something that rightly belongs to him and without regard for the necessary consequences of doing injustice.

Human beings have always been tempted to act in unreasonable and unnatural ways. We have always been tempted to go against the laws of nature. Of course this is very true in the area of sexual ethics, where we can see the widespread use of contraception and pornography, both things that are ethically indefensible from the standpoint of the natural law. Yet, it seems that never before has there been the danger that we can be punished by our society for living according to nature. The examples have more and more multiplied in recent years. We think, for example, of people who have been compelled in various different ways to participate in so-called homosexual marriages from the military chaplains who are forced to officiate them to bakers who are forced to make desserts to celebrate them.

However, we know that one can only live contrary to nature for so long, before it naturally destroys us. I believe I have probably employed the image before, but nature is very much like a river. As a being with free will, we have the choice to swim with the river or against the river. If we swim against the river, we can only continue for so long before we tire and perhaps drown. At which point, the river will sweep what is left of us downriver again in any case. Nature naturally takes revenge on those who live unnaturally.

Fidelity to nature is fidelity to God the Creator. In the same way, true appreciation of nature is true gratitude to God, Who made the physical world for us, so that we could be intrigued, interested, amazed and even perplexed by it, and offer thanks to God for the sheer wonder of it. As David says in the Psalms and the Church sings every night in its evening service: "How wonderful are your works, O Lord! In wisdom You have wrought them all." It can be no accident that the Church sings Psalm 103 in the evening service (the first service of the day) and sings the Psalms of Praise (148, 149 and 150) in the morning service, coinciding with sunrise. The message is clear. At every hour of the day and night, the human mind (the rational image of God) is walking about in nature, making its rounds, lifting up the physical world to God its Creator in a sacrifice of praise. It is clear from the examples that what is intended is a comprehensive praise, containing everything. If we were writing something in the same spirit today, we could not omit to praise God for the unseen worlds of bacteria and viruses. "How wonderful are your works, O Lord! In wisdom You have wrought them all." 

First, then, we resolve to live reasonably, according to nature. Then, we resolve to praise God in gratitude for what He has created. This is the way that we show, as Paul put it, that "the demands of the law are written in our hearts."

Поклик Божий The Call of God

Неправдиве вчення світу, посилене обманом диявола та його демонів, полягає в тому, що щастя людини досяжне в створених речах. Ми страждаємо від постійної спокуси прив’язатись до створених речей, покласти на них свою надію і відволіктися від нашого справжнього щастя, яке можна знайти лише в Бозі.

The false teaching of the world, strengthened by the deception of the devil and his demons, is that human happiness is attainable in created things. We suffer continuous temptation to become attached to created things, to put our hope in them and to become distracted from our true happiness, which can only be found in God.

З цієї причини, нам важливо наслідувати приклад, який нам дають Святі апостоли в сьогоднішньому читанні Святого Євангелія від святого Матея. Апостоли, Симон та Андрій, а потім Яків та Йоан, два сини Зеведея, без вагань відповіли на заклик Господа Ісуса, залишивши створені речі позаду. Що вони насправді залишили? Вони залишили засоби для існування та свої соціальні стосунки, представлені термінами "їх сітки та батько".

For this reason, the example given to us by the Holy Apostles in today's reading from the Holy Gospel According to Saint Matthew is important for us to emulate. The Apostles, Simon and Andrew and then James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, responded to the call of the Lord Jesus without hesitation, leaving created things behind. What did they leave exactly? They left their livelihoods and their social relationships, represented by the terms "their nets and their father."

Вони залишили все позаду, щоб наслідувати Господа Ісуса, бо Бог привабливий для людської душі. У Бога все добре, і у нас є воля, яка прагне добра. Ми були створені завжди шукати добро. Таким чином, коли ми зустрічаємо вседоброго Бога, ми слідуємо за ним природою. Насправді, таким наміром є наша воля до пошуку добра, якби Бог мав би проявити Себе до нас у всій своїй доброті, у нас не було б іншого вибору, як слідувати за Ним. Щоб зберегти нашу свободу, Бог повинен приховати частину Своїх благ від нашого погляду та відкрити Себе у тінях та роздумах. Він виявляє Себе, наприклад, у доброті створених речей, так що добро створених речей підніме наш розум та серця до Того, Хто їх створив. На жаль, через нашу паденну, гріховну природу, найчастіше наші серця прив’язуються до самих речей, і таким чином ми втрачаємо дорогоцінну можливість жити в люблячому спілкуванні з Богом.

They left everything behind to follow the Lord Jesus, because God is attractive to the human soul. God is all good, and we have wills that seek good. We were designed to always seek good. Thus, when we meet the all-good God we follow Him by nature. In fact, so intent is our will on seeking good, if God were to manifest Himself to us in all His goodness, we would have no choice but to follow Him. To preserve our freedom, God has to hide some of His goodness from our gaze and reveal Himself in shadows and reflections. He reveals Himself, for example, in the goodness of created things, so that the goodness of created things will raise our minds and hearts to the One Who created them. Unfortunately, because of our fallen, sinful nature, more often than not, our hearts become attached to the things themselves, and thus we lose a precious opportunity to live in loving communion with God.

У цих чотирьох перших апостолів була більша любов до Бога, ніж любов до створених речей у їхньому житті. З цієї причини, коли Бог покликав їх, вони залишили створені речі позаду, щоб шукати глибших стосунків із самим Творцем. Ви можете заперечити, "вони не мали уявлення, що Творець - це Той, Хто кличе їх". Щоправда, але вони знали голос Творця, який говорив до них людською природою, голос авторитету, який обіцяв зробити їх "рибалками людей". Хто має законний авторитет і здатність ловити людей у сітці Його любові, крім самого Творця?

These four first Apostles had a greater love for God than they had for the created things in their lives. For this reason, when God called them, they left the created things behind to seek a deeper relationship with the Creator Himself. You might object, "they had no idea that the Creator was the One Who was calling them." True, but they knew the voice of the Creator speaking to them in human nature, the voice of authority that promised to make them "fishers of men." Who has the lawful authority and the ability to catch human beings in the net of His love, except the Creator Himself?

Аналогічним чином Бог закликає кожного з нас кожен день і багато разів на день. Найчастіше він закликає нас наблизитися до Нього через людську природу оточуючих нас або через інші створені природи, якими Він виявляє свою доброту. Ми повинні турбуватися, щоб відповісти на Його поклик так, як це зробили Святі апостоли в сьогоднішньому читанні: щоб повернути наш розум і серце Богу, а не іншим людям чи іншим створеним речам.

In a similar way, God calls each and every one of us every day and many times a day. Most often he calls us to approach closer to Him through the human nature of those around us or through the other created natures by which He manifests His goodness. It should be our concern to answer His call the way that the Holy Apostles in the today's reading did: to turn our minds and hearts to God, rather than to other people or to other created things.

Щоб цього досягти, ми повинні постійно прагнути, щоб змінити наш світогляд за допомогою молитви. Коли ми маємо свій розум і серця для Бога, від початку, набагато простіше звернутися до Нього у всіх речах, а не бути захопленим прихильністю до створених речей. Таким чином, ми повинні намагатися постійно думати про Бога і постійно намовляти Його наблизити нас до Нього.

To accomplish this, we have to continuously strive to change our worldview through prayer. When we have our minds and hearts on God to start with, it is much easier to turn to Him in all things, rather than being captured by affection for created things. Thus, we should try to constantly think of God and constantly implore Him to bring us closer to Himself.

Бог шукає спілкування з нами з моменту на мить, і ми повинні відповідати на Його заклик, шукаючи одне і те ж у Нього. Ми повинні бути особливо уважні до спокус, які подаються відволікаючими. Відволікання - це речі, які відводять нашу увагу та намір від Бога. Відволікання - це реальна загроза для нас, адже прийняття і навіть розважання відволікань - це різниця для нас між молитвою та відсутністю молитви. Святий Григорій Богослов каже нам: "Якщо немає уваги, немає і молитви". Наш розум, зосереджений у нашому серці, має здатність спілкуватися з Богом. Для того, щоб по-справжньому молитися, ми повинні відкинути кожне відволікання, знову звертаючи свою увагу на Бога. Навіть якщо ми маємо відволікання кожного моменту, нам все одно потрібно відвести свій розум від цих відволікань і повернути його до Того, з Ким ми розмовляємо.

God seeks communion and fellowship with us from moment to moment, and we should answer His call by seeking the same things from Him. We should be particularly attentive to the temptations that are presented by distractions. Distractions are things that take our attention and intention away from God. Distraction is a real threat to us, because accepting and even entertaining distractions is the difference for us between praying and not praying. Saint Gregory the Theologian tells us: "If there is no attention, there is no prayer." It is our mind, concentrated in our heart, that has the ability to converse with God. In order to truly pray, we have to reject every distraction, turning our attention again to God. Even if we have a distraction every moment, we still need to take our minds away from those distractions and bring them back to the One with Whom we are conversing.

Ті, хто люблять один в одного, щиро бажають бути разом, і вони ревнують увагу один одного. Так має бути з Богом і з нами. Це не означає те, що нам потрібно постійно щось говорити Богові, бо ми знаємо, що дуже дорогі друзі часто задовольняються мовчанкою, щоб просто сидіти в присутності один одного. Цілком прийнятно сидіти в присутності Бога і нічого не говорити, просто усвідомлюючи Його присутність. Аналогічним чином для нас було б спокусою думати, що нам потрібно постійно говорити щось нове, неначе нам потрібно, щоб Бог Всесвіту розважав. Ні, цілком прийнятно і приємно Богові говорити одне і те ж і знову йому знову, доки це походить від серця, яке справді Його шукає. Можливо, нам соромно перед Ним через наші гріхи. Тоді ми повинні сказати Йому це. Ми завжди повинні прагнути бути чесними у повсякденних моментах, які ми проводимо з Богом. Нам не потрібні чудові слова з тими, хто нам найближчий і найдорожчий. Набагато менше нам потрібні чудові слова та високозвучні вислови з тим, хто ближче, ніж будь-хто інший.

Those who are in love with one another long to be together and they are jealous of one another's attention. Thus it should be with God and us. This is not meant to be a suggestion that we need to be constantly saying something to God, for we know that very dear friends are often content to be together in silence, to simply sit in one another's presence. It is perfectly acceptable to sit in God's presence and say nothing at all, simply being aware of His presence. In a similar way, it would be a temptation for us to think that we need to be constantly saying something new, as if we need to keep the God of the Universe entertained. No, it is perfectly acceptable and pleasing to God to say the same thing to Him over and over again, as long as it comes from a heart that is really seeking Him. Perhaps we are ashamed before Him, because of our sins. Then, we should tell Him that. We should always strive to be honest in the day to day moments we spend with God. We do not need great words with those who are nearest and dearest to us. Much less do we need great words and high sounding expressions with the One Who is nearer than any other could be.

Почніть день негайно зі швидкої та рішучої відповіді на заклик Божий. Так, ваш будильник - це голос Божий. Не натискайте кнопку затримки. Не вводьте невірність у перші хвилини ранку. Коли воля Божа стане відома тим звичним шумом, відразу встань і негайно присвяти себе Його дружбі та служінню. Це перший в черзі момент, коли Він покличе нас. Давайте зобов’язуємось відповідати і слідувати за Ним знову і знову.

Start the day immediately with a quick and decisive answer to the call of God. Yes, your alarm clock is the voice of God. Do not press the snooze button. Do not introduce unfaithfulness into the first moments of the morning. When the will of God becomes known by that familiar noise, rise at once and immediately dedicate yourself to His friendship and service. This is the first in a succession of moments when He will call us. Let us commit ourselves to answer and follow Him again and again.

The Rights of God

This past week, we have seen large groups of barbarians, propelled by what they claim is righteous indignation, spread like marauders over American cities, wantonly destroying property, committing theft, robbery and even murder. After several days, they left enormous devastation. It was said again and again that "the protesters" actions were caused and, at least partially, justified by "systemic injustice" against their group. The problem with the argument can clearly be seen in the virtue of justice itself. Justice is the only virtue that is absolutely objective. We know that its essence is rendering to every person what is his or her due. Thus, if I take something from a person, who has a right to that thing, a debt is created. The virtue of justice can only be satisfied by paying that debt, no more and no less. If I take twenty dollars from you, then you are entitled to receive twenty dollars back.

The virtue of justice is also personal. It is only possible for a group to have claims in justice in so far as that group is made up of individuals. A class action lawsuit, for example, seeks justice for a group of individuals who have been similarly wronged. Each individual in the group must prove that the proceeds of the lawsuit are owed to him in justice. It is always nonsense to speak about justice or injustice in vague or ill-defined terms, because justice is objective. If there is a debt, it has to be satisfied, but an objective debt cannot be based on my perception of others' behavior, much less on envy.

The virtue of justice is the reason why the sin of gossip, for example, should be so scary to us. If I take twenty dollars from you, I can discharge that debt by paying you twenty dollars. But if I deprive you of your good name (your reputation, which you have a right to), there is an objective debt just as real as if I had taken your money. But how do I pay that debt? Are we not left with a debt, which can never fully be repaid? Fortunately, Catholics believe in the existence of Purgatory, where such debts can be fully satisfied, when our souls pass through a purifying fire on our way to God.

We human beings are very preoccupied with our own rights. Occasionally, we might remember to think about the rights of others. Nevertheless, we often forget the rights of God. We often forget that we are capable of doing injustice to God Himself and that we often do. We often forget that sins like looting, rioting, stealing, murder, but also even gossip, are offenses not just against our neighbor, but also against God, Whose rights are much more expansive that the rights of our neighbor.

Why are God's rights more expansive than our rights or those of our neighbor? Firstly, because God is the Creator. If I create a book, for example, and someone steals it and publishes it under his own name, then that person has committed injustice. Well, God is not only the creator of one or two things, but the Creator of all things. As Saint John tells us, "all things were made by Him, and without Him was not made anything that was made." Secondly, God's rights are also more expansive than ours or our neighbors', because only God is All-Good. It is inevitable that, because of our sinful nature, we wrong others as well as being wronged by others. Only God, being All-Good, wrongs no one, but permits Himself to be wronged by His own creatures. He permits Himself to be wronged by His own creatures to a point, that is. For those who have believed in Christ and kept His commandments, the divine decree requiring damnation has been remitted due to the sacrifice of Christ. In other words, Christ's sacrificial death on the Cross leaves us with merely temporal debts to divine justice, debts that must be repaid either here or in the purifying fire that awaits us as we go to God. 

Yet, for those who reject God, refusing to acknowledge His rights over His creature, divine justice can only be satisfied by everlasting condemnation, because this is the only outcome that is consistent with the proportionality of justice. What was offered to us was infinite Good (God Himself), and we rejected infinite Good, deserving everlasting loss. This is precisely what the Lord means in the Gospel reading today when He says, "He who denies Me before men, I will deny in the presence of my Father and the holy angels."

Today is the Sunday of All Saints. Saints are those who confessed Christ before other human beings. The saints are those who, with true love for God, tried to win others to the love of God too. Their love for God meant that they were concerned first and foremost with the rights of God, often becoming forgetful of their own rights in the process.

The challenge of the recent events of this past week and more is for us to focus on the rights of God, rather than on our own. Let's remember the very solemn warning that the Most Holy Mother of God gave when she appeared in Fatima, Portugal: "Human beings must stop offending God, Who is already very much offended." At the same time, we should remember that we have the ability by our actions to repair the offenses that have been given to divine justice. We should offer special prayers, fast (tomorrow, by the way, Petrivka, the annual fast before the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul on 29 June begins), and do other good works to appease the anger of God, which has so rightly been inflamed against us.