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In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit! Amen!
Today in the Holy Gospel (John I:43-51) we have heard how Philip called his brother Nathanael to Jesus and Nathanael said to him: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Nathanael came, Jesus said to them: "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" And he asked: "How do you know me?" And Jesus answered: "I saw you praying under the fig tree". But he had been praying somewhere in 5 km from Jesus. Jesus could not see him physically. He saw him through spiritual sight, that this one praying under the fig tree would be one of His apostles.
And Nathanael knew that he prayed there alone. And nobody was there to see him. And so he said: "So you truly are the Son of the living God." He believed in Jesus as the Son of God immediately. You see, he did not need more evidences. For many people it may be shown or not shown to prove - they stay spiritually blind and do not see the truth. Even when many people saw Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they still were shouting on the third day, "Crucify him, crucify him!" (John, XIX: 6). Yes?
Here is an example for us to be sighted, to be those who are able to see the truth at once and follow it. Much as the evil angel tempts you, do not give in, because you will fall from salvation, as some of those who followed Jesus among the apostles did. Seventy apostles followed Jesus and fell away from salvation. They departed from Jesus, because they did not like some things Jesus said.
Today is also the first Sunday of Lent, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of Orthodoxy, which is established in honor of recognizing and honoring the holy icons in the Orthodox rite of service. But the Sunday of Orthodoxy does not mean the victory of icon-worshippers over those who rejected the use of icons. This means the time came in Orthodox Church to glorify God correctly, not making idols of the icons. For the second commandment of God says: "You shall not make idols for yourselves ... to bow down to it" (Leviticus, XXVI: 1). That means you can't worship the icon more than God. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth". (Exodus, XX: 4), that means you should not worship the dead bodies, even it was saint when alive.
Therefore, we must honor the saints and honor their bodies, the way we honor all the rest - in the cemeteries. To prevent vandalism, that those bodies were not tearing into pieces and sold as it is done in some churches. They sell them for big money and generally do the job of devil, saying they are Orthodox. But in fact they are not Orthodox. For the Orthodox are the ones who really praise God, praise God correctly, they do not glorify the dead body or convert the Orthodox faith into idolatry. Icons should support us in prayer to the Lord. Similarly, the bodies of the saints should be kept in near and distant caves, as in the tombs, as in the Acropolis. For this is the burial place, where can't be admitted many people, only those who maintain order there. Those relics should not be for sight-seeing and getting big income from, etc. To praise God adequately - this is Orthodoxy. To communicate only with God, not something else. Otherwise such Orthodox raise laugh of Protestants and all sane people.
So Sunday of Orthodoxy is distorted in many Churches. Genuine orthodoxy means to praise God really, how we do: "Glory to God! Glory to God!" At each step of our life we should glorify God and recognize Him at every step. We should ask the Lord, if He bless us to do something. Ask in such a way: "God bless, my holy angel, tell me how to do it in a better way." You should always be in contact with angel, with God. You see?
When we are with God to the full, then we clearly capture all situations, we understand how to talk with someone, how to solve a particular issue. We do not make unnecessary movements when we are with God. We do His will clearly. We should praise Him correctly to be with Him. We must always praise Him: "Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God!" How difficult would it be in our lives and during the Lent: "Glory to God that You are, that You help us". You should also always ask for His holy will. You see? Be guided by God. For we are the children of God, true children of God, whom God loves and leads to salvation.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
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Apostle (Hebrews, 11:24-26, 32 - 12:2):
11
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be
called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God
than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than
the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell
of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets --
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword,
were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies
to flight.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were
tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a
better life.
36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and
imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed
with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute,
afflicted, mistreated --
38 of whom the world was not worthy -- wandering about in
deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth..
39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did
not receive what was promised,
40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart
from us they should not be made perfect.
12
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so
closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Gospel (John, ²:43-51):
1
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found
Philip and said to him, "Follow me."
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and
Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him
of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth,
the son of Joseph."
46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of
Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"
48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus
answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree,
I saw you."
49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!
You are the King of Israel!"
50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you
under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than
these."
51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will
see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the
Son of Man."
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