The Holy Grand Prince Vladimir (Volodymyr), Equal-to-the-Apostles, Named Basil at Holy Baptism (1015); Holy Martyrs Cyricus and Julitta, His Mother.
A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
Galatians 1:11-19; Mathew 10:37 – 11:1.
Read Mathew 10:37 – 11:1
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Each time when I go to the Holy Land, I try to have at least one of the Divine Liturgies in the middle of the Judean desert, where thousands of early monks (anachorites) were trying to follow Christ in the most radical way. In the eyes of their families and many of their contemporaries, they were loosing their lives full of earthly pleasures for something way too abstract and immaterial. Yet, they were doing exactly what Jesus invited us all to do in the given passage, they were taking upon themselves heavy crosses giving up their families and even their lives for the sake of God and their higher purpose. In the opinion of the vast majority of people, one could find nothing in the desert. Yet, in the most isolated places, where was nothing to find, they were able to find EVERYTHING. One could be very reserved, isolated and deeply unhappy even being surrounded by the crowds of people and involved in the large number of earthly affairs, while being in close relationships with God even if you are in the solitude may bring you true satisfaction and happiness.
One little girl came to her mother and asked supposedly very difficult question to answer in a positive way: “Mom, tell me, whom do you love more: God or me?” The mother came out with a genius answer: “My child,” she said, “As much as I love God more and more with each day, I start to love you increasingly.” It was a brilliant answer that maid her daughter to add: “Mom, then, please, love God as much as you can, because I want you to love me as much as you love God.” God does not want us to choose between our love to him in the opposition to our love for our families or between our happiness and the cross. He wants us to see our love for parents in the light of our love for Him, and our true happiness in the light of the cross. It is not about “either, or”. It is about “both, and.”