The Holy Great-Martyr Marina.
Blessed Hieromartyr Pavlo Hoydych, Bishop of Pryashiv.
Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.
1 Corinthians 11:8-22; Matthew 17:10-18.
Read 1 Corinthians 11:8-22
The world is full of brilliant people, but it has very few undivided ones. St. Paul suggests that our greatest poverty isn’t a lack of knowledge, but a lack of focus.
His goal isn’t to weigh us down with rules. He wants to free us to love. Whether we are married or single, Paul’s main wish is to help us give our undivided attention to God. It doesn’t matter what our current stage of life is; what matters is where our heart points. A compass doesn’t need to stay still; it just needs to keep pointing north.
Paul then tackles a trap as old as time: knowing a lot but caring very little. Christians in Corinth knew that fake gods weren’t real. They were technically correct. But being right can quickly turn into its own kind of trap. Paul notes that knowledge puffs us up, but love builds us up. Being proud of what we know is like a balloon filled with hot air—it is big but empty. Love, on the other hand, builds a solid house where others can find shelter.
Paul does not change the truth. He firmly believes there is only one God. However, he refuses to use the truth like a hammer to hurt people. Some new believers still felt guilty about eating meat that had been offered to idols. Hurting their feelings just to prove a theological point is a total misuse of truth.
Pride can feed on our good traits just as easily as our bad habits. We can become just as arrogant about being right as someone else is about being skeptical. The truth loses its value the moment we stop delivering it with love.
Mature faith isn’t measured by how sharp our arguments are. It is measured by how wide our love is. The strongest believers are those who use their wisdom to protect and care for others, just like Christ did for us.