The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew (25:31-46)
The teachings of Our Lord, God and savior Jesus Christ are often quite difficult for us. In fact, it cannot be any other way since God is speaking to man. God is attempting to raise man from his earthly nature which makes him similar to the beasts, and He is trying to raise him to the level and stature which alone is God’s. We do not take lightly the idea that God desires to call us “sons and daughters.”
As the Church prepares us for the coming of the great and holy challenge, we are indeed challenged by the words of Christ. Sometimes this makes us uncomfortable. Why is God always challenging us? Why does God expect so much from us? Really, if we think about it, we should really be troubled if God didn’t challenge us and didn’t expect so much from us! In man made religion everything is geared towards the pleasure of those who are at the top. But in our Christian faith, everything presupposes that the one who is at the top is ready to become the least of all, even to die for all. As our Lord says “He who desires to become the greatest, must be the servant of all” and He also says “True love is to give ones life for his friends.”
In today’s gospel reading our lord challenges us, challenges every fiber of our being in fact. The challenge is how do we respond to those who are marginalized and struggling in our society? How do we respond to those who have dire needs? There are people in the world (and in our own communities) who are hungry, who are thirsty, who are strangers, who are naked, who are sick and who are in prison. No matter which of these situations we see others facing, we know that the person who is going through these afflictions is in need of help from somewhere. We are expecting help to come from God but my dear friends, God is expecting help to come from us!
It is not that helping others is just a nice thing to do, it is the rule by which each of us will be measured. It is true that the Lord is challenging us, but in His divine mercy He is also preparing us and warning us about the coming judgment and He is giving us a roadmap to His kingdom. The privilege of being a child of God is to do what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for all of humanity. He made the fallen state of humanity His burden. And by making us His burden, He entered into our struggles. In fact our Lord became all of these that are here mentioned. Our Lord was hungry and thirsty when He fasted. He was a stranger when He travelled from place to place. He was in prison on the night in which He was betrayed, or rather gave Himself up for the life of the world. He was naked and sick when He hung upon the tree of the cross and according to Isaiah the prophet “we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Is 53:4). So God understands what it is to suffer and to be associated with the downcast and downtrodden in society, and He wants us to also understand and to spring into action.
But He goes even further, He multiplies the blessing of serving the poor and the struggling. He tells us that when we do this we are not simply serving those who are struggling, we are in fact serving the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! What a Lord and Master we serve! He bows low to identify with the least of our brethren and then raises our service so that it will be counted as service to Him, the King of glory! So what more can the Son of God do to convince us to serve others? Let us go out of our way to help others during the coming season of Great Lent. You may be surprised to find that when you disconnect from the computers and televisions, there are many people who can use your help, right in your community.
Let us try hard to bring the love and mercy of God to them and there can be no doubt that God will see our love and mercy and will multiply this much, much more in our lives, both here and at the great and awesome judgement. Glory be to God forever AMEN.
2/19/2017
Below are some thoughts from our SMM Coordinator ~
The healing touch of Jesus is what we all so desperately need, and so many don’t have that in person connection in the form of a Church Parish with a full time Priest, which is the full Gospel lived out in Orthodox Christianity. We are supporting local missional Church Parishes and their Priests who sometimes work unrealistic bivocational hours to share Jesus healing touch. We can bring relief so they can dedicate more time to ministry and their families. To come along side us and learn more and possibly donate or apply for relief as a Clergy (Priest or Deacon) go to our home page @ www.ocmamerica.us … There is no better time than now as the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Pray to the God of the harvest that he might send workmen into the fields. Do not muzzle the oxen that treads out the grain. A workman is worthy of his wages. Bring all the tithes and offerings into the storehouse that your barns may be full so much that they cannot contain it. No amount is too small or too great. Be a cheerful giver as our Lord Jesus lays on your heart. Hurting hearts will not be able to thank you enough for the healing you bring them.
My parents, Sub-Deacon Peter and Sonia Boyar are very active at Ss Peter and Paul in Detroit, Michigan. My father is in the church office everyday (volunteering all office duties – now 30 years, creating/publishing the weekly bulletin), first responder to all emergency calls, on the Church Council and in the choir; and my mother was the secretary of the Ladies Altar Guild, volunteers where needed, and in the choir, as well. She also purchased more bonds for the Banquet Hall renovation project there than anyone else. My maternal grandfather was an associate pastor in the 1950’s here, too.
Eric grew up in a Protestant home with two very business and ministry minded very creative parents and two very different siblings, his sister being more status quo and his brother being more a rebel. Eric was serious about God to a fault, which caused his own mistakes in overcompensating at times. He has always been a creative. He completed his general college education in Northern Minnesota, then off to Texas to a Christian leadership institute. From there, on to a university for design technology. He worked in technical design just out of college, and then on to retail management and sales, including some interior design.
Ancient Faith Radio gave Share the Faith Director, Fr Evangelos Pepps, an opportunity to discuss Orthodox mission work in the US. How can we share the faith effectively and establish more Orthodox missions? 
