Life finds its rhythm in the Church. Occasionally, some find themselves at a dead end, unable to see the meaning of their existence. In such moments, they do not live but only go through the motions. Yet, others, perhaps frail and weak, truly live because God, the Holy Spirit, dwells within them.
We must make sense of this life while we’re still here. Today’s Gospel reading, “love your enemies” (Luke 6:35), contradicts the Old Testament law of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (Leviticus 24:20; Matthew 5:38). These words of Christ challenge our very nature, defy the logic of this world. He teaches us to love our enemies and to break free from the old laws that took hold after the fall. This means crucifying ourselves “with our passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24) and living for eternity. The more people prepare for this eternal life, the brighter our world becomes.
Everything Christ says transcends our flawed human nature and surpasses the wisdom of this world. We must overcome this world as Christ conquered it. But sin deceives us. The devil works tirelessly to distract us from what truly matters. He happily allows us to chase worldly success: “Go ahead,” he whispers, “earn your living, become rich and successful!” He won't interfere with that — knock yourself out! But all this is fleeting, destined for ashes. Yet, the moment we strive for God when we choose to “serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11), the world comes crashing down upon us. We’re left bewildered: “What’s going on?” We only want to serve God, yet we face hostility, scorn, and loss. This is the test: are we truly committed to God, or are we bargaining? “I’ll serve God if He gives me what I want in this life.” This transactional faith is the bedrock of Protestantism, the reason it gained traction. Anything spiritual, anything too complex for human understanding is discarded, leaving only the concrete, the “me-centred”. “I came to God, so God should serve me and fix everything.”
But for us, it’s different: the deeper we go, the more complex it becomes. When God’s grace abandons us because of our inattention and pride, we feel the crushing weight of sin. “I used to run to church joyfully,” we lament, “now I can barely drag myself there. I used to long for prayer, but now my hand falters when I pick up my prayer book.” This struggle can last for years, strengthening us, and teaching us to distinguish God’s gifts from the clamour of our ego.
Today we commemorate St. Dionysius the Areopagite, a man of great learning and spiritual depth. His book, “On the Celestial Hierarchy,” resonates powerfully today, when everyone craves freedom and resists authority. A wife might say, “Why should I submit to my husband? I earn more than him!” “But,” one might reply, “regardless of your earnings, the Lord ordained that you submit to your husband” (Ephesians 5:22). “But I’m smarter!” she might retort. The first rebel, of course, was the devil, who rejected obedience and rejected God. And to this day, the history of our world is a history of rebellion. Even the Fall of Adam and Eve was a revolution, a defiant “Why should I obey God?” (Genesis 3). Those who were nothing try to become everything. But how pitiful, how tragic this is!
Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim (Rosenberg) lived in the Pskov-Caves Monastery for sixty years. When asked, “Father, what’s most important in monastic life?” he replied, “Obedience to your elders, to your superiors.” Often, we protest, judge, and insist on our way. But that spirit is not of Christ. Elder Barsanuphius of Optina made a keen observation: after the abolition of serfdom, morality in Russia declined. Why? People became free: “I can go wherever I please.”
Naturally, we bristle at being told how to live. Yet, consider St. John the Russian, who was enslaved, toiling in a Turkish stable. Outwardly a slave, inwardly he was completely free. When his master offered to send him home, St. John refused, saying, “No, God placed me here, this is where I belong.” He became one of the most revered saints in the Greek Church. Do you grasp the nature of true freedom? It’s not about seeking our way but seeking God’s will (Matthew 6:10). If you’re burdened with a difficult wife, bear it patiently (Colossians 3:19). If your husband is challenging, practise humility (Ephesians 5:21). But we resist. And years later, the woman might sigh, “My first husband wasn’t so bad after all. I could have stayed with him. This second one is much worse…”
Love is a gift from God, granted to the humble. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). We must rethink our lives. Looking back, my journey wasn’t easy. I faced hardship, especially when I worked as a watchman. I was scolded unjustly, and I’d flare up, declaring, “I can’t take this anymore! It’s not fair, I’m innocent, I’ve been slandered!” Now, I think, “That was a blessing, a valuable lesson!” My pride rebelled; I protested. But the Lord held me fast, teaching me humility (1 Peter 5:5). I haven’t mastered it, sadly, but it’s never too late to learn. Especially as our bodies weaken, we learn to accept these limitations. God, in his wisdom, designed it this way: our physical selves decline, but our spirits should grow. Until one day, we say, “Enough of this earthly body! I’m ready to go to God” (Philippians 1:23). And God will take us home — to a place where there’s no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting (Revelation 21:4).
For believers, this earthly life is a passage from the temporary to the eternal. But for unbelievers, the future is a mystery. They cling to this life, desperately seeking pleasure and fulfilment, but it all ends in tragedy.
There was a time when the Church faced fierce persecution. Priests and bishops were murdered, churches demolished, and sacred objects desecrated. Yet, Father Sophrony (Sakharov) reflected on this, saying simply, “Providential!” Everything was destroyed; generations were poisoned by atheism. Only a handful remained faithful. But the Lord preserved the hierarchy. He left a few bishops, who later appointed a patriarch, and the Church was restored.
Grasp this: we might dislike a particular priest, but he represents the hierarchy. And we must remain within this hierarchy, we are part of it. This is our strength, this is where God resides with us. Today, the Russian Orthodox Church stands as the sole force resisting evil in this sinful world. And we are soldiers in Christ’s army, in the Russian Orthodox Church. “And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Never forget this responsibility. Others must follow after us. The children in our arms today will one day pray for the world, that its days may be prolonged, that more and more may come to church for repentance, for an encounter with God, for the Last Supper, which empowers us to live and fight for love.
Sermon by Archpriest Andrey Lemeshonok after Divine Liturgy, 16 October 2022, Commemoration of Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite, Bishop of Athens
