The Holy Martyrs and Confessors Gurias, Samonas (284-305) and Abibus (313-24)
1 Timothy 1:1-7; Luke 14:12-15
Nativity Fast
Read Luke 14:12-15
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In today’s gospel passage, Jesus Christ reminds us of the necessity of taking care of the poor, of the less fortunate.
One particular way of doing this is by providing for a basic need of every person, and that is nutrition. It is almost difficult to imagine that nowadays there are so many people without food, according to some sources about 42 million people worldwide who are “literally going to die” if they will not be reached on time (David Beasley, Director of UN’s World Food Programme).
This month we also remember the innocent victims of the genocide, the famine that the Ukrainian people endured in 1932-33, and later, when millions of people died of starvation, because the people under the order of Joseph Stalin took all the food away from them.
These people not only did not help the poor, but also far worse than that, took away what these people had and left them to die of starvation.
This is completely opposite of what the Lord teaches us in today’s gospel passage and opposite of what we read in the book of Proverbs: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” (Prov 19:17).
The Lord encourages us to acknowledge and provide for the poor, just as He always acknowledged and provided for them and also continues to do so. We, on our part, are called to become those disciples of Christ, through whom our Master can reach those in need.