The Holy Apostle Thaddeus; The Holy Martyr Bassa. Post-feast of the Dormition.
Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.
2 Corinthians 11:5-21; Mark 4:1-9.
Read 2 Corinthians 11:5-21
Many years ago there was a man named Charles Colson who was a top White House aide in the 1970s. He was convicted and imprisoned in the infamous Watergate scandal. Much later he had a profound religious conversion while in prison. People were curious to know how he would spend his life upon his release. Would he go back into politics? Rather he crisscrossed the nation preaching the grassroots gospel of Jesus Christ. He spoke out especially against Tele-evangelists who preached a prosperity gospel — a gospel that honors excessive wealth as a sign of God’s favor and leaves the poor to fend for themselves. Mr. Coulson protested their central claim that if you live a good life then God will bless you with material wealth and success. His response was to say, “God doesn’t want successes. He wants us.” This invites us to recognize that man today is no less susceptible to spiritual deception than he was at the time of St. Paul. In writing to the Corinthians St. Paul chides them for accepting a gospel and spirit which is completely different from the one they received from him — a gospel for which he did not charge them money, unlike the new false teachers whom they have accepted with their messages of appearance, money and prestige.
Then and now, two people but one constant challenge. We want both heaven and earthly riches. When faced with such choices do I remind myself of Jesus’s words about how hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God? Truly your heart will always be where your riches are stored.