We have come to the Church in order to break away from the captivity, from the darkness, from the pit, and to start a new life where everything will be in God: my health issues (while we rely on doctors, medicines, or other treatment methods), my salary (while we are always curious about exchange rates), all relationships that I have (“Does he/she love me? Will he/she kiss me or miss me?”) All these issues will become non-issues for us if we enter the new life. When there is the grace of the Holy Spirit in your heart, when there is the love of Christ inside you, when you are compassionate towards all creatures, especially God's creatures, when you're grateful — what else do you need, what kinds of relationships, what elaborations? You possess the fullness of life because you have come to know God; you have bowed to him, you serve him, you have put your entire life into his hands, and He has your ultimate trust.
Sin will distract you. It will tell you to look here or there, to consider the future: what will you do tomorrow, when you become old? How big will your retirement benefit be? The entire Universe is in God's hands but we, being just a tiny grain of sand, do not trust him. “You didn't give me enough. You prevented me from doing something. I have missed some opportunity…” By closing up in our own shells and trying to build our own world, to be our own architects, we act in a primitive way. This kind of life isn't real. When a person leads such an unreal life he will eventually have to admit that his entire life was in vain.
This is why we need to change something immediately. Otherwise, the Lord will tell us, “I've already told you! It was for your sake that I came into this world. I forgave you a million times whenever you came for confession.” We have received enough food for thought right now. What we need now is to accept it, understand it, and let it sink into our hearts. If we manage to do so, we will not have any questions anymore. Prince Hamlet used to say, “To be or not to be? That is the question.” This isn't a question for us because we know that Jesus Christ has defeated death. What else do we need? Why are we so confused for no reason? We know everything in advance: today we're here on Earth, and tomorrow we will go to Heaven and we have to get ready for that moment. Time flies quickly. It looks as if the Forgiveness Sunday was only yesterday. In fact, the Great Lent is over. Pascha, Ascension — and Christmas again. Buds are swelling but I can already see falling leaves. Can you really attach yourself to anything temporary?
This is why we have to learn to do basic things such as serving God and neighbour. Do your best to try and find the opportunity to serve. This is your spiritual wealth. This is how you can really acquire the Holy Spirit, which is necessary for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
