The Lord said to the Jews that came to Him: “Strive to enter the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able.” And they will say: “Lord, Lord, open unto us” and He shall answer and say unto them, “I know you not from whence you are.” Then shall they begin to say: “Lord, we have eaten and drunk in your presence and Thou hast taught in our streets.” But He shall say: “I tell you, I know not from whence ye are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.” (Lk 13: 24–27)
We live in a world today that has lost its moral compass: a world in which Christianity is being persecuted both openly and covertly. We see before us the erosion of everything we hold dear as being moral, natural, and normal. It is tragically ironic that in a nation whose motto is “In God We Trust,” it appears that God has very little to do with the manner in which laws are passed or policy is set. Do we not incur the wrath of God when our Supreme Court begins its sessions with the words: “God bless this Court and the United States of America” and then proceeds to make rulings that are diametrically opposed to God’s Will? Is not the “abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel (Dn 9:27) becoming evident in front of our eyes?
What then are we to do? Should we take to the streets in protest? Not necessarily. Should we write to our senators and congressmen? Possibly. Should we simply remain quiet and let this all happen? No. What each and every one of us must do is to reaffirm in ourselves our own Christianity. Indeed, the Lord did, and does, teach in our streets, our churches, and our homes. Indeed, we do eat, drink, and live in His presence, as He is with us always. The question is, does any of that really matter to us? Are we truly Christian in every sense of that most blessed calling, or are we Christian in name only? Search our hearts and souls. Do we maintain constant contact with our Lord through prayer? Are those prayers sincere, or merely poetry we recite? Is it a top priority in our personal lives to attend the church services to give thanks to God for His unlimited mercies He constantly bestows upon us, or is it “okay” to skip this week, then the next and the next? Do the words of the Gospels, Epistles, and homilies we hear in church truly reach us and inspire us to be better Christians, or are they just pretty words that we have to stand through so that we can finally leave? Do we fast, give alms to the poor and needy, try to be understanding, patient, and forgiving, and judge ourselves so as not to judge others? In a word, does the light of Christ shine in our hearts and souls? Is He the center of our lives? Is not His Will our own? If this is not the case, we are little better than those “doers of iniquity” whom the Lord will cast away from himself. If we are to change the world in which we live or have any impact on it and the people around us at all, we must reaffirm within ourselves our faith in God’s Truth – and no one else’s – and live in accordance with it. If so, God will truly be with us, and with that, all things will be possible for us.
God bless!
—Fr. Alexander
