Sermons & Homilies
Today we celebrate the feast of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. This special, miraculous and wonder-working icon is the protectress of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. She intercedes especially to the Lord for all Orthodox in this land and in the diaspera. She is abundant grace to the faithful, healing to the infirm, a light to monastics and a beacon to all those who truly seek Her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel appointed for this Sunday we hear Our Saviour speak this parable:
The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Lk. 12:16-21)
The Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, like the Evangelist John, was one of the twelve Apostles, whereas the Evangelists Mark and Luke were of the Seventy.
Today we have the opportunity to celebrate a feast which is unique in our Church calendar, the feast of the Angels. All of the other saints which we celebrate, like St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Herman of Alaska, St. Seraphim of Sarov, and so many others, were human beings, flesh and blood just like us. But today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Archangel Michael and all the nine ranks of the holy, heavenly, bodiless hosts – including our own Guardian Angels. Because they are spiritual and bodiless, we relate to them in spiritual ways. Because we are earthly and weighed down with worldly cares and passions, this feast presents a great challenge for us.
The parable in today’s Gospel of the Rich Man and Lazarus, on the surface seems very clear to us, the rich man had every thing that this world could give him, he was clothed in the finest purple and linen, he ate the best gourmet food every day, he had great wealth, a good name and status among his fellow-citizens. He had all he wanted because … all he wanted was what this world could give him. He believed that material wealth, respect and admiration from those around him and obedience from those under him was all he really needed. And so he lived his life this way and felt satisfied, oblivious to the needs of those around him.