The parable of the good Samaritan answers the question who is my neighbor. It also is the most perfect description of the incarnation in the Scriptures if the incarnation resonates in our hearts, there is no need to ask who our neighbor is. 

Redeeming the Time

When the incarnation resonates in our hearts, we will know who our neighbor is

We must encounter *everything* in our lives spiritually, or else we may miss a life-changing moment. We discuss two moments in the life of the people of the Gadarenes and the Monk-Martyr James (+Nov 1,1520). Their reaction to them was completely different. The people of the Gadarenes had no idea that they turned down an opportunity to have the light live within them. After a chance conversation, which he thought about spiritually, James became a vessel of light. 

Life is full of critical moments: The Gadarene demoniac and the Ascetic-Martyr James

St. Paul teaches us how to think about ourselves, which completely determines how we live. The pastoral letter referred to in the homily is at orthodox.net/announcements/pastoral-letter_2020-11-08.html 

The way we experience life completely depends on how we think

What made the saints who they are? It was the true Christian faith that they kept, and held on to, and had the power to transform their lives. Not so the “various and strange doctrines” that St. Paul warns us about — the corrupting “gospel” of the world, so prevalent in modern culture. Know your faith so you can be on guard against the lies of this world. 

Fathers of the 7th Council. The Gospel vs Various and Strange Doctrines

Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain because He arranged everything toward this purpose. We do not know her name or the name of her son. We discuss this and bring in the book called The Bronze Bow which also depicts Jesus visiting an unknown person and completely changing their life. Although the book is fiction, it depicts something is happening every day for everyone. We are significant! If we understand this in the Christian way, not the way of the world, we will live with patience, without confusion, in a victorious and transcendent way. 

The Widow of Nain and The Bronze Bow prove every person is significant

Everyone knows the “Golden rule,” but very few understand the exact why we should follow it. As soon as the Lord gives this instruction, He explains the reason why. If we understand this reason is that we are children of the Highest and therefore it is absolutely and exclusively our nature to be merciful as our Father is merciful, we are not far from the kingdom of God, in fact, so very close that we are entering it, on the very threshold. 

Why should we follow the Golden rule? It is in accordance with our very nature.

What is the key to having a fulfilled, happy life? Most people in the world don’t know. Most Christians in the world don’t know. St. Paul knows, and he explains it this portion of his epistle to the Corinthians. When we act according to who we are, we are happy. Therefore, person must know himself, and he will know himself if God abides in him. God made man in a specific way for a specific purpose. St. Paul talks about every man living according as the purpose of in his heart, and that is indeed the reason why we sow bountifully and reap bountifully, and abound in every good work. An exegesis of this passage from Corinthians makes it very clear why we do what we do and how beautiful it is. 

Sow bountifully and abound to every good work

On the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross the Gospel includes the Lord's invitation, ”Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” In order to make a voluntary decision to deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Jesus, we must know enough about life, and what is good and what is bad in order to make an informed decision. This knowledge must include understanding what is to save one’s life and what it is to lose it, and the answers to the questions: ”For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Near the end of the sermon, there was the patter of little feet and the distraction of the children caused a very important conversation about the importance of children in the church, and the admonition that all Christians in the church must consider all children to be their responsibility and their joy, and the absolute necessity of praying for one another. 

We must know what is life and death in everything in order to take up the cross

On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we read the words of Jesus Christ, which predicted His death on the cross: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” We talk about how Jesus on the cross draws all men to Himself. The answer is very simple, and is the open “secret” to victorious living and understanding the power of the cross and the way of the cross. 

How did Christ draw all men to Himself by hanging on the Cross?

The celebration of the Nativity of the Theotokos is just before the Exaltation of the Cross, and these two feasts at the beginning of the liturgical year are two different kinds of beginnings. We also explain the Troparion and the Kontakion for the feast, why we say “Most Holy Theotokos save us," why we venerate the Theotokos so highly, and that we always think of the Theotokos in the context of her great ministry to humankind, being the birthgiver of God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Nativity of the Theotokos: Two Feasts, Two Beginnings

St. Paul tells us that Christians have been “given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” What is the meaning of this “earnest.” how to we obtain it, and how do we keep it? The parable of the wedding feast, read also today, teaches us. 

The earnest of the Holy Spirit is only in those who wear the wedding garment.

The rich young ruler called Jesus Christ good, but he did not know what “good” is. Christians must know who is good and why we should try to do good things. There is a simple reason, misunderstood by most. We also discussed other words that are misunderstood in today’s society, such as suffering and regarding things that are possible or impossible. 

The rich young ruler. What is good? Why should we try to be good?

We tell the story of the Dormition of the Theotokos, with emphasis on why it is the last Great Feast of the Church year, and discuss very important dogmas regarding her conception, the Annunciation, her giving birth to Christ, and her Dormition. 

Dormition story with important dogmas regarding the Theotokos

We look more deeply at the inner spiritual meaning of the Parable of the Unmerciful Debtor. Everyone knows the story, and the stern admonition at the end of it; the Lord tells us that if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven. The reason why that admonition is given is because if we receive the love of God in our hearts, we will love and we will forgive. This is obvious and natural. The absence of love and forgiveness of others is a sign that the heart has not received the love of God experienced Him. This is not a matter of: we *must* do certain works such as love and forgive others; it is a matter of our hearts being changed by the love of God so that we naturally will love and forgive. Whether or not the heart is changing is the greatest litmus test for whether or not a person is really a Christian. This is not works based religion. This is the way of life. 

The way of Salvation described by the Parable of the Unmerciful Debtor

In the Gospel today, the disciples could not cast out a demon and asked why. The Lord told them that it was because of their unbelief. Unbelief is nothing, it will die and not endure. Let us learn how to believe, by looking at the luminous example of the Holy Maccabean Martyrs, celebrated on the first day of the Dormition fast. Their martyrdom was possible because they knew who they were. In our age, there is a crisis of identity. Let us explore how to find out who we are (or should be) by examine the witness of the Holy Maccabean Martyrs. 

The Holy Maccabean Martyrs teach us in what our identity should rest

Homilies from St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in McKinney, Texas - Fr. Seraphim Holland shares his homilies from St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in McKinney, Texas.

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Redeeming the Time

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