Sundays after Pentecost

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Sundays after Pentecost

23rd Sunday - What about good works?

Written by V. Rev. John Shandra

Are the good works indeed helpful for us? This question has been puzzling the most significant minds since the time that Christianity revealed the truth that we are being saved by the grace of God through faith and not by our own deeds (Eph. 2:8).

St. Paul's explanation of this statement is expressed in today's epistle reading, "Not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:9). This means that we should not boast about the good deeds we do because they do not bring to us eternal salvation on their own. Instead, "by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). There is no sufficient work by itself that we can do to be saved; we are being saved only by the grace of God, which we receive through our faith. If our faith is weak, then we receive grace according to our weak faith. The stronger our faith is, the more of God’s grace can we absorb. When our faith becomes perfect or full we receive the full grace of God.

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24th Sunday - Unbelievable faith of Jairus

Written by V. Rev. John Shandra

Today, dear brothers and sisters, we heard in the Holy Gospel about the raising from the dead of the daughter of Jairus, and about the healing of a sick woman, who had blood flowing for twelve years.

These miracles teach us that Jesus Christ as the Son of God by His Divine Power and Authority can raise the dead and heal the sick. Today we learn about the necessity of faith in Jesus Christ for our spiritual and material well-being. We also learn that when in trouble of any kind, we should come to Jesus Christ asking for help because He is the One who can always help and He is always willing to help.

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25th Sunday - A way to eternity

Written by V. Rev. John Shandra

Pharisees, scribes, angry rulers and now a lawyer… How many people tried to find in Jesus’ words something they could turn against Him? Reading the New Testament one could say, "Enough, already! How long are they going to confront Him?" As many times as Jesus was challenged, we must remember that many of these confrontations were never put into in writing? Jesus had to stand against unrighteous accusations all His days while preaching the Good News to the people.

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