The Shepherd, March 2006
A Homily of the New Hieromartyr, Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, 3
Consequently we can express the interest we take in the cause of the Gospel in praying to the Lord,
- that He should take this holy cause under His protection,
- that He should give its servants the strength to do their work worthily,
- that He should help them to conquer difficulties and dangers, which are part of the work,
- that He should not allow them to grow depressed or weaken in their zeal;
- that He should open the hearts of the unbelieving for the hearing and acceptance of the Gospel of Christ,
- that He should impart to them the word of truth,
- that He should unite them to the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church;
- that He should confirm, increase and pacify His Church, keeping it forever invincible”
We pray for all this, but mostly with lips and but seldom with the heart.
Don’t we often hear such remarks as these: “what is the use of these special prayers for the newly initiated? They do not exist in our time, except, perhaps, in the out of the way places of America and Asia; let them pray for such where there are any; as to our country such prayers only needlessly prolong the service which is not short by any means, as it is.” Woe to our lack of wisdom! Woe to our carelessness and idleness!
Offering earnest prayers for the successful preaching of Christ, we can also show our interest by helping it materially. It was so in the primitive Church, and the Apostles lovingly accepted material help to the cause of the preaching, seeing in it an expression of Christian love and zeal.
In our days, these offerings are especially needed, because for the lack of them the work often comes to a dead stop. For the lack of them preachers cannot be sent out, or supported, churches cannot be built or schools founded, the needy amongst the newly converted cannot be helped. All this needs money and members of other religions always find a way of supplying it.
Perhaps, you will say, that there are people are richer than ourselves. This is true enough, but great means are accumulated by small, and if everybody amongst us gave what he could towards this purpose, we also could raise considerable means. Accordingly, do not be ashamed of the smallness of your offering. If you have much, offer all you can, but do offer. Do not lose the chance of helping the cause of the conversion of your neighbours to Christ, because by so doing, in the words of St. James, “you shall save your own soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
Orthodox people! In celebrating the day of Orthodoxy, you must devote yourselves to the Orthodox Faith not in word or tongue only, but in deed and in truth.
Slightly edited - taken from the website of the St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Dallas, Texas
|
