Sermon on the feast of St.James in parish at Mundare. Nov. 6th. 2016.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

Deacon Andrei Boldireff. The reading from the Holy Gospel.

Today, when we celebrate the memory of St. James, the Intercessor of this temple, the Gospel reading tells us a parable about a rich man and a poor man Lazarus. St. James himself explained this story not only in his Epistle, but also by all his life. As we know from Saint James’s life’s legend, he was the only one among the other children of Saint Joseph who was in truth close to Christ and who had become His real student. Saint James turned out to be the only one of his brothers who was willing to give Jesus Christ the small piece of land, which he had inherited from his father Saint Joseph, the Betrothed. He left all his earthly possessions in order to serve the Lord and follow his Savior. The apostle Paul tells that Jesus Christ, after His Sufferings and Resurrection, appeared to His brother Saint James when he was alone, apart from the other apostles. Thanks to his poverty of spirit, Apostle James became a very prosperous man. Daily and even hourly, he was feasting in his heart with Christ. By his constant prayer and abstinence he had multiplied in his soul the spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The doors of his soul were permanently open to all. The first Archbishop of Jerusalem was and still is feeding the faithful Christians not with crumbs, but – through serving the Holy Liturgy – with the Majestic Bread of Life.

Today St. James nourishes us with his homily, written in his Epistle. He tells us that, as the sun and the intense heat dry the grass, in the same way the wealthy man will vanish if he follows the path that leads away from, rather than towards God. Saint James consoles the poor people by saying that those who are able to withstand trials, would be granted happiness. The righteous Apostle calls us to judge people not by their appearance, or by their clothing or rings. He points at the importance for us to become rich in faith and inherit the treasures of the Heavenly Kingdom, which God promised to those, who love Him. Saint James warns us not to scorn the poor, not to oppress them, and not to judge them. Faith alone, without good deeds, cannot save us. Such faith is dead, like the one of the rich man. “God opposes the proud, and blesses the humble”, – St. James says.

The path towards the bosom of Abraham is open to all. The rich men who are kind, or the poor men who are meek, are not to be rejected by Christ the Saviour. The Kingdom of Heaven is not closed for people. If someone is poor and sick, then one must be as Lazarus – rich in humility, patience and good humour. Lazarus had no jealousy or hatred towards the rich man, and bore his grief without complaining.

But if someone has received from our Creator many good gifts, – such as good health and strength, money and talents, intellect and resourcefulness, – that person must remember that all the aforementioned does not belong to him alone. If we look around us, we will see that nearby there is always someone with whom we can share our money, our time and our love, and – by doing that, – enrich ourselves. Elder Saint Paisius from Holy Mt. Athos once said: “God opens an account in Heaven in which heavenly rewards are stored for every Christian, who endures sickness and injustice willingly, with patience. It is as if God were saying to each person: “You have suffered a lot in this world? I will give you for that the most blessed place in Heaven”. In this way God will settle accounts with every person and will judge us all, according to His Divine truth!

Today our church also commemorates the icon of the Mother of God that bears a marvelous name: “The Joy of those, who grieve”. On this icon the Queen of Heaven is standing, surrounded by the sick and suffering humanity. The words from the prayer to Her: “Feeder of the hungry”, “Dresser of the naked”, “Wellness of the sick” are written in front of each group of the afflicted people. Next to them are depicted angels, distributing the blessings and the benedictions from the Mother of God. At the top of the icon the Holy Saints, the friends of the Mother of God, are presented… A small child does not lament or cry when his loving mother is at his side. So, it is with us: when we are in the Church of Christ, our sorrows disappear. Here there is only spiritual joy, because the most Pure Mother of God who gave birth to the Source of Eternal Joy is with us! Let us pray to our Intercessor, Saint James the Apostle, that She may help us have such faith, hope, love, patience, and good deeds as had St. James, Abraham the forefather, and Lazarus the poor man. Amen!

From the bottom of my heart let me congratulate Father Alexii, the Parish Board, all the parishioners and guests of this Holy Church on this special day! I wish you all spiritual joy and blessing in your prayers, good health and long life!