Today, 2 November 2014, the Romanian Orthodox Church is on the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost.
All the Orthodox churches read the evangelical pericope from Luke 16:19-31 at the Divine Liturgy, which presents the parable of the merciless rich man: “The Lord said: There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a sermon in the chapel of the Patriarchal Residence dedicated to Saint Hierarch Gregory the Enlightener, in which he explained the meaning of the teaching of today’s Gospel.
“Today’s Gospel reveals us a basic truth, namely that not the many good deeds done matter for God, as the kindness of the devoted soul. If the many good deeds done lead us to pride and bragging, then we have not really enriched our soul. Whenever we cultivate kindness and mercy we open ourselves to Paradise, to the everlasting kindness and mercy of God, while when we gather indifference, merciless, wickedness, selfishness in our soul, we are free to make for the hell understood as a tormented selfish or individualistic existence with no communion of devoted and merciful love”. His Beatitude said.
Today’s Gospel also represents an urge to mercy and kindness, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church showed.
“Our Church inspires herself from the gospel of the merciful love of Christ when she organises old people’s homes, orphanages, canteens for poor people, chemist’s, consulting rooms, and hospitals. The Gospel teaches us that our everlasting happiness or misfortune beyond the grave depends on the way we choose to live the mystery of the merciful love here, in the world. May God help us understand how precious our life in the world is, as preparation for the everlasting happy life! The good words addressed, prayer for other people, helping the poor, examination of the poor achieve what our people say enlightened by the Holy Gospel: gift from another gift makes Paradise.
When giving to other people something of what we received from God and cultivated through prayer and work we get the paradise of everlasting happiness for the glory of God, the joy of the angels and our salvation”, the Patriarch of Romania said, according to Trinitas Radio station.
Next Sunday, the 24th after the Pentecost, the evangelical pericope referring to the Resurrection of Iair’s daughter will be read in all Orthodox churches.
