The Holy Martyrs Galaction and Epistemis
1 Thessalonians 5:9-13, 24-28; Luke 12:2-12
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat
Read Luke 12:2-12
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Remember. As we approach Remembrance Day in Canada on November 11 we think about those who have fought and died in various conflicts and wars for the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy and profess to be universally and objectively true. These freedoms include freedom of expression, association, conscience, and religion. Each year we are presented with a moment to reconsider the blessing we have received to live in countries that honour these freedoms, even though they are challenged at times. But this form of remembrance is but a shadow of true remembrance.
These freedoms that we enjoy are due to the fact that we have been created in the image and likeness of God and that we therefore have a dignity as human beings. As Christians, we know and confess that this dignity is perfected for us in the Incarnation. God became man in the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ and it is in this that we find true dignity, the fullness of dignity, and this is what we must remember. We must remember that all with whom we come into contact have this same dignity, they are, like us, icons of God’s image and likeness. We recognize this liturgically when the priest or deacon after he has finished incensing the holy icons incenses us in recognition of this God-given dignity we bear. Remember this dignity.
Woe betide anyone of us who through our words or actions undermines or mars another person who bears this dignity. Our Lord’s words in today’s Gospel are very clear and unambiguous. He reminds us that every action, word, and deed that we do or speak is seen by God, including actions we undertake when motivated by passions such as anger, envy, lust, jealousy, or pride. We must be especially careful to not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, which in essence is to deny His presence, to deny that He is the Heavenly King, the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth. It is the callous, conscious, and unremitting denial of the truth. It is the denial of Christ Himself. Whenever we persist in denigrating others whether to their face or what we may think they will never hear (in secret), or harming others physically including the unborn and those at the end of life, we are taking a step down the path of denying Christ. Whenever we act in this way we have failed to remember. We have failed to remember Our Lord. This is why we must continually avail ourselves of sacramental confession so that we might be restored to God, and then with our eyes opened we might again behold His beauty in one another.