I have always enjoyed reading Saint Paul.  He has a way of getting right to the heart of the matter without mincing his words.  He tells it like it is, which in his day was rare and today should be a lot rarer than it is.  Although he told it like it is, he never did it out of malice and he always, under line always, did it with love.

Writing to the Church in Rome, Saint Paul lays out some rules if you will.  He speaks to them about the grace that has been given to us.  You see, we are all given gifts by God, we may not know what they are or we may be hiding them for some reason or another, but all of us have been given graces.  By virtue of our baptisms we have become members of the God’s family and with that comes a certain amount of responsibility.  We are not alone in this for, believe it or not, we need each other.  There is no such thing as a solitary Christian or a Christian in isolation.  Even the hermits of the early Church that fled to the desert were not alone for long as the people came from the cities.  So we all have gifts and we need to exercise those gifts.

Today’s Epistle reading is a great illustration of what this truly means.  In the first few verses, St. Paul lays out the various roles in the Church.  “Although there are many members of the body, they do not all have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.”  We are family, and with that comes some responsibility.

St. Paul goes on to say, that the gifts we have been given differ according to the Grace that we have received, and then he names a few, prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, liberality, leadership, diligence, but then he tells us what we must do with all of these gifts.  If you re-read his words that we just heard moments ago, you will discover that what St. Paul is saying is that no matter what your job or station in life, whatever it is that you are doing we must do it to the best of our ability because by doing so, we bring glory to God.

But the same is true on the other side.  If we are not using our gifts to the full potential, and if we are not doing whatever it is that we are doing to the best of our ability, then we do not bring glory to God and that, in an Orthodox perspective, is not living up to the promises that were made on our behalf at our baptism.

When we call ourselves something, and I don’t care what that something is, it comes with roles and responsibilities that we have to live up too.  Some of us are parents, and that has a responsibility, the greatest responsibility if I might add, but we are also children, brothers, sisters, workers, employers, etc. but we are also Christians and more specifically, Orthodox Christians and that has to mean something.  If we are not practicing our faith to its utmost, then we are not bringing glory to God, and that is what St. Paul is warning us of in this passage today.

There is a line from the Book of Revelation that speaks about what will happen to us if we do not practice our faith at the highest levels.  The writer of Revelation calls us lukewarm and we will be spewn from the mouth of God.  We will be cast out.  I have said this before, Orthodoxy is not just another faith group or denomination, Orthodoxy is, and has to be, a lifestyle.  We are called to be different; we are called to rise above the pettiness of this life to something greater than ourselves.  We are called to care for those less fortunate and to be the voice of the voiceless.  We are called to take stands on issues and not back down no matter what pressure we are getting from the world.  That is what it means to be Orthodox and it is not easy.

But, St. Paul does not stop there, he writes to the Church at Rome, “be kindly to affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.”  What Saint Paul is saying here is that we have to think of others before we think of ourselves!  That is what it truly means to be a Christian, putting others before ourselves and our own wellbeing.

And how are we to do this, with love, brotherly love and affection.  But notice towards the end of what he said that we must be patient in tribulations.  I find it somewhat amusing when Christians complain about how the world treats us.  Where in Scripture does Jesus ever say, follow me and life will be easy.  Where in Scripture does Jesus say, follow me and you can continue to do whatever you want regardless of the consequences.  Where in Scripture does Jesus say, love everyone, except those who hate us.  The answer simply is nowhere.  Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus say that if we follow Him our life will be easy.  But, in many places He tells us just the opposite; He tells us that our life is going to be difficult and that the world will hate us, in fact He tells us to remember that when the world hates us, it hated Him first!  But we are to fact tribulations with patient endurance.

We are to see to the needs of the saints, that is all of us by the way, and we are to practice hospitality.  Then comes the most challenging part of what St. Paul is instructing us to do; “bless those who persecute you.”  And just to make sure we understand he adds, “Bless and do not curse.”  We are not only to pray for those who persecute us, but we are to bless them!  We are to impart God’s blessing on them, the same blessing that we impart on those we love and cherish in life.  That is the essence of Christianity.

But how are we supposed to do this?  The fathers and mothers of the Church teach that if we are living a true Christian life, if we are participating in the life of the Church, if we are availing ourselves of the Sacramental life of the Church, if we are “continuing steadfast in prayer, then this will natural for us because the life of the true Christian is all about love, love of God and love of neighbor.  Love, not hate, not curses, but love, unconditional love.  That is what it is all about that is what led Christ to the Cross and that is what should be our guiding principal.  If we truly love one another, with the love of Christ, then the rest will work itself out.

Take St. Paul’s words to heart today and during this Dormition Fast and pray that we might all be able to live them to their fullest.

Outside of the Gospels, if I had to choose my favorite book of the Bible I would choose the letter of St. James.  A few years back for Bible Study we spent a great deal of time with this wonderful letter.  If you have not read it I highly recommend spending time in prayerful reading of this pastoral letter.  In fact, the Dormition Fast season is upon us so why not make this your reading for this Holy season that we are about to enter.

In the last chapter of the letter St. James writes that if anyone is sick or suffering let them call the priest, it actually says the elders and that has been translated to mean the priest.  The priest is to be called when someone is sick, it does not matter the time of the day or night, and the priest is to be called to administer the sacraments of the Church.  The Anointing of the Sick has a bad rap; I think people believe that it is the sacrament you receive when all hope is lost.  Sometimes I feel that when I come into the room to anoint someone they are looking for the guy with the sickle to see if he is standing behind me, or maybe even someone from Morill’s funeral home.  The Sacrament of the Anointing is not the Sacrament when hope is lost; the Sacrament of the Sick is the Sacrament of Hope!

One would not dream of starting a journey of any length, without proper preparation.  When you are preparing to head out on vacation, much time is spent in planning and packing all of those things that will be necessary for the journey.  We lay everything out and plan how it will be put into the suitcase so as to maximize the space we have available to us.  The same should be true when we are sick.  I will say this plain, you never know what is going to happen so it is much better to be prepared than not.  If you are sick, of body, mind, or soul, if you are going in for surgery, even if it is day surgery, or if you or your loved one is close to death, call the priest and he will begin the sacrament to you and prepare you for the journey you are about to undertake.  It does not mean you are going to die, but if you are, you should be prepared.

In today’s Gospel from St. Matthew, Jesus encounters two men that are possessed by a demons.  Let me pause here to say that demon possession is real and it is nothing to joke about.  The Church takes this very seriously and this should be approached with great caution.  But Jesus comes upon these men and when they see Him, the demons recognize Jesus and cry out, “What have we to do with you, Jesus, Son of God?”  It is important to say here that even the demons are under the control of God.  The power of God is so great that not even the demons can survive in His presence.  The malice of these demons is so great, but not greater than the power of God.

The demons that had possessed these two men were pure evil.  People are not evil, the actions of people might be evil but people are not evil.  We are all created in the image and likeness of God and by virtue of that we are created out of love, evil comes by virtue of the fall of humanity.  Just as humanity fell in the Garden of Paradise, the demons fell as well and for the same reason, pride.  When we think we know better than God or think we do not need God, we suffer from pride and pride is the root of all other sins.

The demons can do nothing against the power of God and so they have no choice but to flee the men and enter the herd of swine that are nearby.  After they enter the herd, the swine rush down into the sea and die.  You see, God’s love surrounded the men, even thought they were possessed, God’s love surrounded them and protected them from certain death.  As you know, swine were considered unclean and swine herding was forbidden by Jewish Law, so the beasts were sent to their death as a sign of God’s love and protection.  But the swine were also sacrificed to show that no sacrifice is too great for the love of God.

We may not realize it but God’s love and protection surround us every day no matter what we do or how bad we are, the love of God never leaves us.  We may stop loving God or even forget that He is there but God is always around and always loves us.

When we are sick or suffering, the Church is here to bring whatever aid and comfort it can bring.  The church is the place for sinners, there are no saints here.  Jesus did not call saints to follow Him He called the sinners.  Look at who he surrounded Himself with, the lowest of the low and the sinners of this world.  He came not to chastise them, He came to show them love and through that love He demonstrated where there life had come of the rails, so to speak, and then showed them, again with love, how to get their life back on track.

All this past week, Pope Francis has been in Argentina at World Youth Day.  Started by John Paul II, this is a time when the Catholic Youth of the world come together for a week of prayer and learning.  It was reported in the press that almost 3 million turned out for a liturgy on the beach.  3 Million!  He spent time speaking to the youth and to church leaders and he called for a revolution, a revolution of faith.  He told them to get out of the Churches and to bring the love of Christ to the streets, bring the Church to the people don’t wait for the people to come to the Church.

If you have followed Francis at all you know that he is an unconventional Pope.  He has turned away from many of the trappings of his office and turned towards a more simple life, or as simple as the life of the pope can be.  He has visited hospitals and prisons and while he was in Argentina he visited a home for drug addicts.  He listened as each one told their story of how drugs possessed them and how if it was not for the work of those in that home they would still be on drugs today.  A picture of this event has been circulating around, a picture of Francis, Pope of Rome, embracing a drug addict and welcoming him home.  This is what it is all about, this is what Jesus did and this is what we have to do.

The Letter of St. James tells us that we are to show no partiality in our faith; we are to welcome all and minister to all with the love of Christ.  We minster to the sick and the suffering through the sacraments of the Church and, as Jesus did, we show so much love that even the demons flee.

We need to be this hospital, we need to be a place where people can come and find rest and we need to be the place where the love of Christ shines so bright that even the demons flee!

I am often amazed at how fast news travels, good new or bad, news travels very quickly.  It is said that there exists the “Orthodox Grape Vine” and if you want news to get out you use that as your means of fast communication.  The Orthodox world is so small and someone is sure to know someone in another church or in another state that will keep the story going.

I think the same was true in Jesus day as well.  Think about it, Jesus walked the earth in first century Palestine.  There was no internet, no Facebook or Twitter, no newspapers not even the post office existed but word of his fame spread far and wide and no matter where he might be walking someone would approach him and ask him a favor.  I sometimes wonder if Jesus ever wanted to sneak off, incognito, and go shopping or something.

Recently, I had to run down to the store to pick up a few items.  I was not, obviously, dressed as I am standing here before you today; in fact, I believe I was in shorts and T shirt.  I ran in the store, picked up what I needed, and was standing in line when I heard someone call my name.  I turned and it was someone who frequents our Thursday night Community Meals.  So we stood there, I got out of line, and chatted about what was going on in his life, for a few moments and then we both went our way.  As clergy, we are never off duty and we see the same thing in Gospel today.

Jesus was in Capernaum walking with His disciples when a centurion approached Him to ask Him a question.  Now this is remarkable in and of itself because a centurion, a Roman soldier, would approach Jesus, a Jew, and ask anything.  But the most astonishing thing happens when the conversations begins, the centurion calls Jesus Lord and in the humblest of ways.

“Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.  But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.”

The centurion humbled himself in front of Jesus, and those gathered around him, to ask for a favor.  He was not asking for the healing of one of his soldiers or even on of his own children, but for his servant who was at his home and sick.  The centurion humbled himself twice, once in calling Jesus Lord and the other in asking for the healing of his servant.

What we are seeing here is a break down in the strict ethnic lines that had been drawn to this point.  The Jews were subjected to the Romans and they were not always treated very well.

The centurion tells Jesus that he is man under authority, centurions in the Roman Army would have commanded units for more than 100 men, and that his men obey his orders no matter what that order might be.  But here he is, asking for help, this could not have been easy for this man to do.

None of us like to admit when we need help.  We like to think we can do it all, we are the rock, and nothing will break us.  Sometimes we need to be that rock for the family when tragedy strikes or because of our place in the birth order.  Because of this, we have a hard time asking God for help when we need it the most.  Sure, it is easy to follow the will and promptings of Jesus when things are going well, but what of when things turn bad?  It is difficult to ask for help but we have the example of the centurion to guide us.

Scripture tells us that when Jesus heard what the centurion said, he marveled.  This only happens twice in Scripture, this is one time and the other is at the lack of faith in His own hometown.  Imagine, Jesus, who knows everything, was so surprised at the faith of this unbeliever, that Scripture remarks that he marveled.  Jesus says that he has not found so great a faith, even in Israel!  This is sort of a slap in the face to those around Him, Jesus has found their faith wanting.  They are the chosen people and their faith is lukewarm, I would hope that could not be said about us.

He continues on to say, what some commentators hold is the expansion of the ministry of Jesus outside of the Jews, to say that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Jesus is breaking down the ethnic barriers that have existed up to this point and shown that racial superiority in the Kingdom will not happen, in the Kingdom, all will be one there will be no Jew or Greek, male or female.  Then the warning comes, but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

With these words Jesus says that not only the Jews who deny Christ will be cast out but those of the faith, who do not live their faith, will be cast into outer darkness.  You see it is not enough to just say you believe you have to act like you believe to your very core.  I have said this in the past but Orthodoxy is not a religion or a denomination but a lifestyle and it is not easy to live the Orthodox life in 21^st century America, but it is what we have to do.  Orthodoxy should influence everything we do and every action we take.  If it does not, then we are not living the faith.

In the end, the centurion’s request was granted.  Jesus tells him to go his way, and as you have believed, it has been done for you.  This man had so much faith, faith in a man he had never met and faith in a man that he was sent to keep in captivity, that he came to him and asked him to heal his servant and because of the humble way he asked, and the fact that he truly believed, his request was granted.

In a few moments we will be invited to approach in the fear of God with faith and with live.  We will come forward and meet Jesus in reality here in the chalice.  When we step out of our seat and walk down the aisle, we need to approach with all humility as we are actually approaching the living Christ.  As the Vespers prayer reminds us, we do not bow to flesh and blood but before you the awesome God.  Let us pray as the centurion did, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word and your servant shall be healed.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5:14

The Gospel passage that we heard this morning is part of a much larger parable of Jesus called the Salt of the Earth.  Jesus calls the Apostles the Salt of the Earth and says that if the salt loses its flavor it cannot season.

Salt has a lot of biblical significance.  If you eat salt with someone it means that you are bound together in loyalty.  When the bishop arrives at the door of the church, he is met by a child carrying a tray with bread and salt.  Bread is the bread of life and the salt binds the bishop to the community and the community to the bishop.

Jesus used the image of salt, one that his hearers would have been familiar with, to illustrate the role of not only the Apostles but the Church and how that role would influence society.  Because of the preservation power of salt, it is necessary for life.  The Apostles, and now us, have the responsibility to preserve the life of the Church, as handed down to us from the Apostles, so that it will be available to future generations.  We are not to keep it for ourselves alone, but for all generations. We take the choice cuts, and preserve it in our hearts and minds, and pass it along.  We are the salt that preserves the church and her teaching.

In 1630, John Winthrop was aboard the ship Arbella anchored in the harbor overlooking the new world.  He had come to the new world to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was sitting in, what we would now call Boston Harbor, overlooking the land that would become the colony.  He had a hard task ahead of him and he knew it.  He knew of the struggles that the colony of Plymouth had gone through but he was willing to sacrifice it all, including his life, to try and tame the new world.

John Winthrop was a Puritan.  Puritans were exiles if you will, from the clergy after the purges of Elizabeth the 1^st of England.  The wanted to reform the established church, the Church of England, from the inside but were blocked from doing so and therefore persecuted not only by the Church but by the government of the day.  They were opposed to all forms of clericalism, the power of the clergy, and wanted to return to a purer form of the faith.  They were the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Plymouth Colony.  They came to the New World to escape the persecution they were encountering at home.  They were seeking a place where they could practice their faith outside of the dictate of the government, this had never been accomplished before, but they were going to try it.

As Winthrop sat on board the ship he wrote a sermon that was called, A Model of Christian Charity.  Winthrop believed that the world would watch what they were doing keeping in mind this had never been done before.  The world would be watching each and every step they made and holding it up against the ideals of the New World and how they wished to govern themselves.  This was a tall order.

The city would be built on a hill, and a city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden from view.  Standing on the hill one can see for miles and one can see you for miles.  Building a city on a hill was done for safety and for other reasons.

Winthrop used the passage of Scripture that we heard this very morning in drafting his sermon;

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

For Winthrop he took these words and used them to describe the City that he was about to build.  I wonder if he knew that some 100 years later the Revolution that would change the world forever would start in the very city that he was about to build.  His city was to be an example to the world on Christian charity and love towards all.  I think history will show that they fell short of that mark.

But what of us, what does this passage mean for us as we sit here today?  Is God calling us to set out and found a new world that we can build a city on top of a hill?  Are we required to leave all that we have and hold dear and found a new utopian society?  I don’t think so.

Remember the Kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom it abides within each one of us, we are in essence representatives of the Kingdom of God and the light needs to shine from each of us.

We believe that God is the True and Uncreated light.  We see in the Hebrew Scriptures that light is often symbolic of God, His divine law, and Israel itself in contrast with other nations.  In the Gospels and letters of the Apostles, Jesus, the Son of God, is called the light, and we are to become sons and daughters of the light.  We are to turn from the darkness of sin and face the light.  During the Baptism service in the Orthodox Church, the child and parents turn and face the West and renounce Satan and all of his evil was, then they turn towards the East, the direction where the Sun rises from, and make promises to follow that light in season and out of season.

We not only preserve the faith with the salt of our lives but we radiate that faith like the rays of the Sun, we then become the city on the hill the shining example for all the world to see, the city that cannot be hidden and so our works and seen by all but most especially our Father who is in Heaven.

This is not an easy take.  The city on the hill is also the city that is attacked the most.  It is easily defended, if the wall, the wall of Scripture and truth is built around it, and the guardians of the city are watchful, but if there is a weakness in the defenses of the city it can be easily breached.  This requires diligence on our part to ensure that our defenses are strong for the day of trial that will come for all of us in our own way.  We need the strength of Holy Scripture, Tradition, the teaching of the Church, and the Sacramental life of the Church.  The Church exists as the place where we come for that much need shoring up of our defenses to keep the enemy at bay.

We are that city on the hill, we are the new Israel and the new Jerusalem, we are the preserves of the faith and must preserve it will all the vigor that we can muster, if we lose our saltiness then we are not able to flavor the world that sop desperately needs us.