Orthodox Sermons & Articles

Recently by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, many new saints who were martyred by the communist regime for their faith have also been added to the list. However, there are many saints unknown to us, who also lived their Christian lives honestly and devotedly but were martyred for their beliefs in Jesus Christ. They might be unknown to us, but to God, Who knows even our hearts and thoughts, knew them also and has granted them each the crown of salvation. There is one detail we need to understand; it is not we, humans, who can make another man or a woman a saint, but only God Himself. We do not proclaim the saints, but acknowledge them for their outstanding and demonstrated pure way life in Christ. We just recognize God’s work and glorify those who have been glorified by God.

 

Kievan Rus’ once was a barbaric country, but in 988 had turned to Christ and ever since has been producing countless numbers of saints as a witness to its sincerity and devotedness to Jesus Christ the Savior. This result of a life in Christ is the foundation for today’s celebration in our Church.

 

Today’s Gospel reading shows us how everything started. First, Jesus Christ called four fishermen Simon, Andrew, John and James and promised to make them the fishers of men. Indeed, all the Apostles of Christ, including these four, had become fishers of men according to the promise of God. Their nets of the Gospel have caught thousands and then millions and now billions of people of which we ourselves are included. Unlike the real fishermen who kill their catch, these took us into their boat, "the Church" and brought us to a calm haven in God’s Kingdom. Therefore, today’s Gospel reading opens for us the starting point of Christianity. We learn from the Apostles how to follow Jesus permanently. Their Gospels and Epistles not only describe the life of our Savior Jesus Christ, but also offer to us priceless information of the Christian tradition together with many examples of how we should deal with our spiritual instability.

 

In his letter to the Romans, which we read today, St. Paul the Apostle opens to every Christian a very special and important point which is necessary for our salvation. He writes here about our human conscience, which is the law of God written into our hearts. He also brings up the question about the salvation of the Jews and Gentiles, which was asked many times in those days. However, he stops on this question not because he had to prove to the Jews the possibility of salvation for the Gentiles, but he had to show to the Gentiles that there is a way for them to be saved, as well. "There is no partiality with God," writes St. Paul. In the eyes of God all people and all nations are equally important to Him. The Jews were chosen as a nation to show to the rest of the world how good it is to live in unity with the real God. God had wisely fenced the Jews with His Law through Moses, but many of them at the time had failed to recognize their Shepherd, when He came.

 

Gentiles, on the contrary, did not have the Law of God. However, there were some in their midst who acted as they knew the Law. St. Paul explains this: "When Gentiles, who do not have the Law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness… " (Rom. 2:14-15). Therefore, Gentiles who followed their conscience were fulfilling the law of God written in their hearts. This is why many barbaric nations so easily received the sermons about Jesus Christ. They were "hungry" for God and when the opportunity to accept the Lord had become real for them, they compared their conscience with the sermons of the Apostles and became followers of Jesus.

 

Many Jews were convinced that salvation is possible only for the Jews. St. Paul gives his answer to this dilemma also: "Not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified" (Rom. 2:13). This sentence is both liberation and conviction. Liberation for those who fulfill the law and conviction for those who know the law but do not follow it. This sentence also opens for us another truth of God’s wisdom: we cannot be saved simply by knowledge of what is right, but we have to do what is right and holy. Therefore, when we neglect our conscience, do the works against it and against the law of God we convict ourselves of unrighteousness and of unworthiness.

 

Dear brothers and sisters, today’s celebration of All Saints of the Rus’ is the best example of how a barbaric country can become the fruitful tree of the virtues through the grace of Jesus Christ. The nets of the Gospel that were spread around the world by the Apostles have reached the most distant countries, including Kievan Rus’. Being Gentiles before accepting Christ the Savior, the best people of that country were living according to their conscience and therefore, just as any other country in the world, were granted the opportunity to see the Master of the Law. Let us, therefore, give thanks to our Savior for His sacrificial love and outstanding care for every human being on earth. Let us give Him thanks for shining upon our mother country with His salvific grace and for all the saints, who like the stars beautify our Church. Salvation is near, dear brothers and sisters, for everyone! Therefore, let us make an example of the saints who are close to us not only through Jesus Christ but also through the country of our origin. They have proven that Jesus had come to save not only the Jews but all people who come to Him with open hearts. Therefore, let us open our hearts and follow Jesus just like the four of the first-called Apostles did. Amen.