The Holy Priest-Martyr Theodotus of Ancyra (284-305)
Apostles’ Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 7:21-23.
Read Matthew 7:21-23
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
It is not enough for us to simply call Jesus “Lord” to gain entry to the kingdom of heaven. Even the demons recognize that Jesus is Lord. In the Gospel of Luke, we hear that when Jesus was performing His healing ministry, “demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ” (Lk. 4:41).
Today’s Gospel reading is scary. Even if we know that Jesus is Lord and have done great works and miracles in His name, we still can be denied entry to the kingdom of heaven. Christ emphasizes how important it is to do the will of His Father in heaven (Mt. 7:21). The one who does the will of the Father will know Him, and such a person would not be one who “practice[s] lawlessness” (Mt. 7:23).
As Christians, it is important for us to be people of prayer. We need to grow closer to God, throwing away sin and every evil inclination within us that distances us from Him, and always seek to do His will in our lives. Christ said that to be His disciple, one must “deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow [Him]” (Lk. 9:23). In seeking God’s will for our lives, we need to be ready to respond with openness, even at the expense of “denying ourselves” and allowing a crucifixion of our will. May God soften our hearts and help us to kill our pride and destructive self-love so that nothing stands in the way of us truly knowing God and doing His will.