Sermon on the 28th Sunday after Pentecost [2011]

†

Beloved brothers and sisters into the Lord,

When we talk about happiness, we talk about communion! For that the great dinner of God’s Kingdom, which all are called in the today’s Gospel [Lk. 14, 16-24], is an expression of communion, of brotherhood among all believers.

And if we cultivate the narcissism, the solipsism, the consumerism then is very clear the fact that we have no love of the communion.

But ecclesial communion is first step toward consciousness of our appurtenance to eternal communion with God in His Kingdom.

The Church is the holy space in which we teach communion, communion as self-forgetting for to see others.

The Church is the place where all what we do for others strengthens us and us and them.

And at Church we teach to think, to feel, to see, to smell, to touch theological.

Here we teach about the interdependence of us, about what means to see God in your neighbor, about how beautiful is the joy of communion and brotherhood.

Of course, that for such of profound experience of communion are needed people who want it. It needs by time but and by much effort for us to understand each other.

But the ecclesial experience is the best posture of existential knowledge because in the frame of it we are helped by the grace of the Most Holy Trinity, enlightened and filled with joy.

And therefore our ecclesial experience is divine-human for that we live under the direction of God or, more precisely, we continually strive to make proper the enlightenment of God.

And living in the rhythm of the Church, we understand why are embarrassing the suppositions of humans than when comes word to serve God.

Someone „motivated” the need to go to see his newly purchased land [v. 18].

Another wanted to try his oxen new buy [19].

The third, recently married, did not want to abandon „the pleasures of love”.

With all they had recent acquisitions, joys, new delights, suave and so they considered that God is a vetust joy.

But the three of parable, the unfortunate examples, represent whole panoply of human ingratitude at address to God.

To consider something above God means to be unreasonable. For that to be rational means to be faithful man, obedient to God into all.

Because He is continuous novelty, full ontological joy, the feeling of true communion.

And we are painful, very painful, when we use all kinds of sophistry for to mask our indifference, ingratitude and unloved to God.

Not all the Israel believed in His Messiah…and at His dinner was called nations [v. 21]. But nations of the earth did not believe with all in preaching the Gospel…and therefore the invitation to the Kingdom’s Dinner is continues [v. 23].

And who has ears to hear! Who has the ears of heart abroach…the one can to hear His call continues, His invitation to holiness.

Because the Kingdom of God is not meretricious party but is happiness into His glory, the holiness seer of God.

So that, after what we see, last sunday, that can not exist feast without joy, now we understand that can not exist dinner without participants.

Every Saint and Divine Liturgy is a time of eucharistic communion. It’s a time for to be with Christ, and through Him, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, with all Most Holy Trinity.

And because the life and the orthodox cult are trinitarian just therefore our experience of communion is possible and this knows a continuous spiritualization.

Because we spiritualize together with our Trinity, with our trinitarian God.

And orthodox communion is full of self-overcoming for that each of us want to be broader, more comprehensive.

And therefore the personal spiritual beauty differs in the Church, because the interior rhythm is the one proper and each of us tends to God on measure of his wish.

And you understand, of course, that this Gospel closers us to the feast, through the fact that it asks us to think seriously at our possibilities by to be communional.

What do we do and what can we do for others?

What our heart leaves us to do for others…and how serious are our gifts to others?

We give more than we receive?

What gifts must do orthodox christians in such a way that invite others to spiritual beauty?

And, undoubtedly, at such questions we can answer if we are serious with ourselves.

For that the One that is born in Bethlehem, the Emperor of glory, enters in history as God incarnate…and namely with maximum seriousness in relation with people.

And those whom He draws to Himself truly, He fills them with seriousness and His delicacy, with which He loves us.

Therefore to have and we the seriously desire to be in communion, for that God looks where people love each other and grow in love and understanding. Amen!