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Glory to Jesus Christ, dear brothers and sisters!
Today we have heard in the Holy Gospel (Luke, X: 25-37), especially in the Apostle (Ephesians, IV:1-6), that we must be worthy to be called Christians. So Paul says that he is a "prisoner for the Lord". He also says that we all must live in single-mindedness, preserve the unity and live in respect to one another, in respect to the Lord. And then God will be always with us.
Today we have heard the Holy Gospel of Luke, where a scribe, who knew very well the Holy Scripture, came to Jesus and wanted to expose Him by questions. He thought that Jesus knew little, and taught something heretical. And he asked: "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And the Lord said to him: "What is written in the Law?" That is, fulfill the main commandment. Which one? He certainly knew this commandment, you and I know it: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself". Jesus said to him: "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live", that is you will inherit eternal life. Do you understand?
This is the most important commandment on the earth. If we love God with all our being and love our neighbors as ourselves, or more, then we are saved. And we do not need many commandments. "Do not kill!" How can we kill when we love? "Do not steal, do not tell a lie!" How can we do that if we love God with all our being? We cannot do harm to our Lord and, moreover, to our neighbor, whom we can see.
But, as we read further in the Holy Gospel, the scribe wanted to justify himself and said, "And who is my neighbor?" And we can also ask: who is my neighbor? Do you understand? Because Christ said: " And a person's enemies will be those of his own household" (Matthew, X: 36). This means that if you try to save yourself and your relative does not, the devil will attack you through him. He will penetrate into your spiritually sick places as if he had the right to do so. Do you understand?
Who, then, are our neighbors? So let's just say this: our neighbors are the God's people. Yes? Neighbors are the God's.
And who are the God's people? And Jesus gives an example for us. See, the God's are seen in their actions, by the way they do something. Not with words but with deeds they show that they are the God's ones. Because their deeds are good.
So, see, some robbers attacked a Jew, who was returning home. "...who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead". Who did attack this Jew? Maybe relatives attacked, maybe even a brother, who knew he was going to sell a ram, or something else and had to carry back $200 or $300. Yes? He knew that it would be. That brother could drink with his friends or whatever, and they could do it. They made an ambush, assaulted him and stole the money.
And who else could attack? Relatives do evil. Cain kills Abel. The first children on the earth fight, because one is the God's and the other is demonic.
But who is the God's and who is the neighbour?
A priest walks and sees the lying injured. He looked - no one saw him - and he went away. Whom does the priest serve to? Who is he, the God's or demonic? Demonic, diabolical, but wears a robe and seems to teach wisdom to people. Do you understand? And his actions showed that he was indifferent to the troubles of others - let people die. Could you do this, could you go away when somebody is bleeding?
There is the second - a Levite, one of the Levite's tribe, they all serve in the temple. They do not work, but serve in the temple. All other tribes of Israel give them a tenth to feed them. Levite is the one that must serve God. And now he sees a crippled. Also looks around, no one sees him, and he goes away. So the Levite went away. Didn't he? Who is he, again, the God's or demonic? It is clear who he is. As Jesus says that your father is the devil, because you do things of the devil. Isn't it so? You cannot do good.
There is another man, an ordinary Samaritan. Samaritans are Jews, who were in captivity once and they returned back to the land of Israel. But Jews did not accept them and said that they had mixed blood and that the Samaritans were not worthy to be Jews, because they had pooled blood. Jews treated them like semi-animals, like semi-people. Do you understand?
So Samaritan goes and sees a lying Jew, who was always holding him in contempt. He had special side-locks, or his hair was special, in short, the Samaritan saw that he was a Jew. But he did not leave him. "He saw him, he had compassion". He bound up his wounds, pouring on wine first, then disinfected his wounds with oil not to let bacteria get there. He laid him on his donkey and brought to the first hotel. He had his business, maybe, he had some plans in the household, maybe, he had to do some family affaires, maybe, he had to do something else. But he postponed those affairs and took Jew to the hotel and said to them: "Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back".
Did he have any affaires with this Jew, who, probably, despised him? He was beaten, a samaritan could let him die. Right? "It serves you right, you kill yourself!" - no, he did not let him die. He really helped the poor, he provided care and said that he would pay more if necessary. Did he have nothing to do - only to pay extra for each beaten? Who is he? Who is he - the God's or demonic? The God's one, that is the neighbor. Do you understand?
And the Lord says to that scribe, if you want to be the God's one, it means to be the neighbor to your neighbors - "You go, and do likewise". So do the God's actions, and then you will get the eternal life. "Love you neighbor as yourself," - so it is said the Holy Gospel. Therefore, we must understand it and perform it. And there is no wonder that in the life we often meet a kindred soul, who is not one of our relatives, but in spirit we are neighbors. They are true brothers and sisters. As Christ says: "For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother" (Mark, III:35), neighbors are neither your parents, nor sisters, but those, who hear the God's word, the word of truth - and do it gladly. These are really your brothers, these are really your sisters.
And the family of Christ on earth is great. If we are in His family as His children, we say, "Our Father in Heaven" - and not the one, who is in hell. So do good deeds. For Christ says: "You are of your father the devil" (John, VIII: 44) - to those, who do not do good deeds. We try to do good deeds, to confirm, that our Father is in Heaven, that He created the universe. And our family is very large. It is here in Ukraine, it is in Europe, it is also in Central America, it is in Africa, in North and South America, it is in Australia, it is across the globe. Everywhere is our family. Do you understand?
And when we meet them, we will feel immediately that they are our neighbors. When we meet with the demonic, we will feel some cold, fear, dislike. They will be unpleasant for us, it will be a bit uncomfortable for us to be with them. It is always good for us to be with the God's people, because God is with them. Keep in mind that they are few on earth, but they are. So we need to work, to preserve unity. As we say in the liturgy: "Glory to God in the highest - that is glory at the height to God - and on earth peace among men of good will." This means that there must be peace between the people of God, who love God. And the faith does not matter: Catholic, or Protestant, or any other. The party, nationality, origin and so on do not matter as well. If it is a good soul, then you do not care if he has black or white. Do you understand?
Therefore among the God's there is no racism, and nothing similar. But among the demonic there is everything: hatred, covered by equity, etc. We must be careful in order not to participate in any evil. And we must be the God's and work to confirm that we are truly God's people, as the Samaritan. So be good Samaritans. Do not be those who give themselves airs and say that they are the God's, and indeed they are irrelevant to God. And really you will be judged by your deeds, as Christ says. Who will judge? People will judge and will praise your Father in Heaven. Because when you're doing good to a man, he says, "God save you," "Thank you", "May the Lord save you." And our Father in heaven and Angels see and will judge us by our deeds.
When Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He was already close to the time of His suffering. And the apostles saw that He had influence on people. They saw that He brings people together very easily, teaches them, and they obey him with great enthusiasm, with joy. Because they feel the grace and words of truth, sincere words, that make life easier. Because many good souls have problems with their family, problems with relatives and they think, "Maybe I am guilty?" And the demonic cousin use you and even more, making fun of you. And he reproaches you as if you was guilty.
But when you begin to understand the words of Jesus Christ that "your family is your enemies," and your neighbors are your family of Christ, these are your brothers, sisters, - you will have easy conscience and you will understand what is going on really. Everything around becomes easier for you, you begin to move smoothly and stop making the mistakes that you do constantly, opening your heart to evil. And they hurt you, cause great pain. Family may cause more pain as others. Strangers say something against you once a year, but family does it every day. But pray in such a way: "God, give me forgiveness and love, if I have these relatives, so they are sent to me." Forgiveness and love! Treat them with forgiveness and love, treat them with patience. But we cannot trust where the trust is not necessary. You cannot turn your back on those, who will put the knife there again. But we should realize that our family is all, who love the Lord.
And now we actually have a very bright example, as the government builds and the posts are given to relatives, friends and so on. This is a big mistake, because they are not your neighbours. Whom with do you want to build? Do you love Ukraine, do you love God? Then build Ukraine with those who also love it, love God as well as you. But do not give it to your brothers, relatives etc.. And then everything goes down, everyone criticizes you, and you do the same mistakes again. Do you get what I say?
So whatever you do in your life, any business - do not do it with relatives, but do with God. Because, they say, it is better to lose with smart, than to find with a fool. A relative may be a fool.
Be wise, get to know the word of God in truth and understand that in addition to love to the neighbor, God calls us to wise actions. Because as for the pain, we have enough of it, but we need to serve to good people. Be aware not to lose our force ahead of time, not to give bread to pigs, who would return in their malice against us and trample it down. And give the bread of God to those, who are really hungry, to really thirsty souls, who need support from us somewhere, some words to help, the fact that we vote not for sake of profit, but for the truth. Do you understand? Raise your hand not for the benefit, but for the truth and support the truth in the person, who fights for the truth. Because the truth is God.
And God lives in our neighbors. And we must support each other and unite. People of good will, unite! Then there will be peace on earth among men of good will. Great, right? You see, all that Christ teaches, His actions show that His saying was true, the truth of the Lord. And if we listen, we live in such harmony, such health, such happiness! But we must begin to listen to Him, we must begin to understand Him. Do not hope that someone will change, but change yourselves. Change yourself - and a thousand will change around you, looking at your life, your actions. And we, who are good, must unite, then it is easier for us, because we see that we are not alone, we are not two, not ten, but many.
May God bless you, protect, strengthen and save.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
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Apostle (Ephesians, 4:1-6):
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1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a
manner worthy of the calling
to which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing
with one another in love,
3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to
the one hope that belongs
to your call--
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all
and in all.
Gospel (Luke, 10:25-37):
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25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test,
saying,
"Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you
read it?"
27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,
and your neighbor
as yourself."
28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this,
and you will live."
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And
who is my neighbor?"
30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and he fell
among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half
dead.
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when
he saw him
he passed by on the other side.
32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw
him, passed by
on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was,
and when he saw
him, he had compassion.
34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and
wine.
Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care
of him.
35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to
the innkeeper,
saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you
when I come back.'
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a
neighbor to the man
who fell among the robbers?"
37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to
him,
"You go, and do likewise."
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