Holy Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Council
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven… "
I want you to consider this from two perspectives- the big picture and the little one.
I was reading an article in the current issue of Odyssey magazine about one of my heroes, Archbishop Anastasios of Albania. Archbishop Anastasios is the first leader of the Albanian Orthodox Church, since it was revived after the fall of Communism there. The church there has had some unique problems in recent history. Albania under the Communists was a completely atheistic state, in which all the bishops and most priests were either executed or jailed. So the church as an institution was in shambles. In addition, there is a mix of religions- a majority are Moslem and about one fourth are Orthodox Christians. Despite this, the church is undergoing a wonderful renaissance, and the religious tensions that afflict so much of the Balkans are rather mild in Albania. Why? Because the church there has a tremendous philanthropic ministry that serves everyone in need, regardless of religious affiliation.
Some of those working in Albania are former parishioners here- Melanie Linderman, Dr. Charles & Maria Linderman, Pauline and George Russell. Those of you as do support them are doing God’s work.
My point is this. The work being done in Albania exemplifies what the Lord said in the Scripture that we read today, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Talk is cheap; nothing compares to the gospel being preached in actions. It has the power to overcome centuries of religious hostility.
We heard a similar sentiment expressed in the epistle today, in words directed by St. Paul to St. Titus, a bishop on the island of Crete. “I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile.” In short, do not waste your time talking, but instead apply yourselves to good deeds.
This is the big picture, but I want you also to consider the little picture: Good deeds do not have to be dramatic. Not everyone can or wishes to go to Albania or Africa or India or someplace dramatic. I want to read to you some advice given by a Russian cleric of the 19th century known as Theofan the Recluse. He wrote, “All things we have to do, great or small, should be done as though the eye of God were looking at us. Every visitor or every person we meet should be welcomed as a messenger from God. The first question we should always ask inwardly is this: what does the Lord wish me to do with or for this person? We should receive everyone as though they were the image of God, reverencing them and ready to help them all we can” (quoted in The Art of Prayer, 1966, pp. 243-244). God sends us opportunities every day and perhaps even every hour to fulfill His command, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Every day is the Lord’s Day- “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Fr. Arseny, a Russian priest who spent decades in the gulags during the rule of Joseph Stalin, once said, “Each person you encounter enriches you, brings you a piece of light and joy. Even if he brings you his grief you will find in everything the will of God” (Fr. Arseny: 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father, 2002 SVS, Crestwood, NY, p. 112).
One of the temptations of life is to think that if I am not doing something dramatic, then I am doing nothing at all. Yes, Archbishop Anastasios is one of the great churchmen of our era, and his example is a beacon for us all. But each of us in much less dramatic fashion is able to exemplify the Biblical, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father.”
St. John Chrysostom once wrote that on the last day, the Day of Judgment, God will judge us on the small things. He will not condemn us for not performing miracles- for not raising the dead or moving mountains- but rather instead for not doing the small things that were easily within our power to do, but we neglected to do them. Now that’s a scary thought! “
"You are the light of the world.” This is our calling.
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Readings:
Titus 3:8-15
TITUS, my son, the saying is sure. I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned.
When I send Artemas or Tychicos to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful.
All who are with me send greeting to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Matthew 5:14-19
The Lord said to his disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."