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Meat-Fare Sunday, Ocala 2005 "And He shall come again in Glory to judge the living and the dead." To be sure, all of us are very familiar with this phrase. We recite it each time that we repeat the Creed during the Divine Liturgy. But, as with so many of our expressions in life, we go through the motions, without ever pausing to seriously give thought to the deeper meaning of life, and our destiny upon this earth. Although death is the most definite of all the facts of life,-- for too many Christians it is something we casually see in the obituaries,/ or read about in accidental deaths in the newspapers. / For so many people, life just goes on, and rarely does the thought come, that they will someday reach the end of the line. If people would bring to mind, that the Lord will summon them at some given point of time, and more so when they least would expect it, I think that they surely would adjust their living, and actively seek to align themselves with the Commandments of the Lord. / In speaking about our temporary abode upon this earth, I often repeat the words of a King in antiquity, who commanded his trusted servant to substitute the early day greeting "Good morning Master" with two words: "Remember Death!" This daily reminder kept the King grounded, and cognizant that as a mortal his turn to depart from this earth would come. / I think that these two words, should also be a daily reminder for all Christians.-- However, not in a morbid way, --- because, life is to be lived and enjoyed, providing we use the moral compass to guide us, and to keep us in the Lord's realm, by keeping His Commandments. But, when we glance at today's society it is very evident, that so many people have lost there moral compass. As a result, they founder, and run the danger of rapidly being swept up by the swift currents of the worldly and the material. And the question remains: Without the moral compass, how can a Christian possibly reach his or her earthly destination? With no moral compass, a person unconsciously drifts / -- and very soon, he or she becomes enveloped in himself or herself. Thus, it becomes a consequence of the selfish living, so that there is no concern regarding the welfare of his or her fellow man. Unfortunately, the reality seems to be, that we are living in the "me" generation. People tend to forget, that we were created by God, in His Image and Likeness, with the sole purpose of "theosis", that is, of becoming God-like! In John 3:16 we read: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, so that all, who would believe in Him, would not perish, but have everlasting life!" When the Son did come to this world, to bring us back into Heaven, His 3 year teachings could be summed up in 3 words: "Love one another!" // We hear this admonition emphasized in our Liturgy, to "love one another," just before the recitation of the Creed. In today's Gospel Lesson we heard the application of giving substance to "Love one another," as taught by the Lord. It establishes the welcoming of the just into His Kingdom, --- to live within the realm of His Glory for ever and ever. / / Conversely, the absence of this love for fellow h will surely consign people into eternal condemnation. The basis of the Last Judgment as we heard today, will be the love and concern we have for our fellow man. As we know, the Lord came into this world in the humblest of surroundings of a stable, because there was no room at the Inn.--However, -- at His 2nd coming for the Final Judgment of all humans, from the first created to the last, --the Bible explicitly states, that He shall come in all His Glory, with all His Angels. He then will sit on His Throne of Glory, and as fast as the blink of an eye, He will separate the just from the condemned, --- just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. As we may know, the Lord often used examples from the pastoral experience, so that his listeners would better understand His teachings. He used the classification of the sheep and the goats, because the sheep border on the white; they have a gentle nature, and give milk and wool. -- The goats on the other hand, are usually black, and because of their undomesticated ways, are often ungentle and destructive. One of the Church Fathers appropriately said, that "the goats do not walk straight paths, but deviate and walk in precipitous ways." This separation of the souls on judgment Day will be based on our love for our fellow men, or the lack of same. -- It will not be based on knowledge, -- nor education, -- nor science, -- nor wealth, --nor temporal power and the like; -- but on love; -- love for our fellow man. That is why, to those in the group on His right, the Lord will say: "Come, you blessed of my Father, and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; because I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came unto me!" The souls hearing this, will question the Lord, as to when did they ever see Him to do all these compassionate things to Him! And the Lord will answer: "I say unto you, -- if you did any of these to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it unto me!" Conversely, the Lord will condemn to eternal damnation those, who lived selfishly, arrogantly and egotistically, with never a care for their fellow humans. Blessed then are those, whose hearts are filled with love, and cursed will be those, who lived selfishly, only for themselves. God is good and loves humankind. Therefore, -- man as God's supreme creation, -- created in His Image should be good, and should love humankind. Really, it is so difficult to understand, why so many people make no effort to effect this love in their life! That is,-- to go beyond one's self, and reach out to others. -- To be really concerned for others, as one concerns himself, or herself, with self. / / What a beautiful world we would be inhabiting, if the Christian love was universally applied!. But, regretfully,-- selfishness is at the helm, and man continues to tread the murky waters of misery, which selfishness most assuredly brings. How uplifting it is to read the 6th Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, to see that the first Christians, after every Liturgy, as brothers and sisters would break bread together; --- the rich and poor alike, without any discrimination; but rather it was the rich who shared with the poor, that all may be satisfied. This is the spirit of God's love. These tables in common were called Agapes, meaning tables of Love! Our Agape Coffee hour each Sunday after the Liturgy brings to life the 6th Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Speaking of food, isn't it heartbreaking for those who take time to think, that in our land of plenty, we throw enough food in the garbage to feed most of the hungry in the world! --- When I see those pictures over TV of the starving children around the world, it is to me a heart-rending experience. In these cases, we should take the time and be informed as to how we can help. Usually when we think of the needs of people, we automatically bring to mind food, clothing and shelter! But, we forget the Lord's words: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word, that proceeds out of the mouth of God!" Matt. 4:4 When it is within our reach to place the spiritually nourishing food of kindness and love in the hearts of our fellow humans, we positively should do so. Beloved Friends: The future Judgment Day as foretold in the Gospels, should serve as a reminder, that our life must be lived in the ways prescribed by the Lord. We all know, that after a visit to the Doctor we are handed a prescription. We are most anxious for our health, and we see to it, that we do not miss a single dose, hoping that the pills will restore our health and well-being once again. But there is also a constant need for our spiritual counterpart, our soul, to follow the prescription given by our Lord. The Lord, as our unique Doctor, hands us a lasting life-giving prescription. The prescription of true living and fulfillment through His love. It is a prescription, which, if followed, gives us every guarantee. for real happiness and fulfillment. Still further, following the prescription of our Lord, we shall also be placed on a lofty level. / Just listen to what St. Paul states in the 8th Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans: "We have not received the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, -- but we have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry out: Father, it is the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided that we suffer with Him, in order that we may also be glorified with Him." Co-heirs with Christ! / / Just think of the loftiest height on which God has placed us, --and look at the world around us, to see how people have chosen to debase themselves. Today's Gospel is a prelude to next Sunday, after which the Great Lenten Period begins. We should constantly labor in the Lord's Vineyard, so that every passing year be a better year for us. Therefore, let's really make a conscientious effort, to make this, our most spiritual Lent ever. Let us make every effort, to attune ourselves with the eternal teachings of the Bible, which are the only source of true happiness in life, but more importantly, a guarantee to live forever in the realm of God's glory. Amen. + Fr. George Papadeas
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