Our Venerable Father Alypius the Stylite (610-41); James the Hermit (457); The Blessing of the Church of the Holy Great-Martyr George which is in Kiev, before the Gates of Holy Wisdom Cathedral (1019-54)
1 Timothy 3:1-13; Luke 16:1-9
Nativity Fast.
Read 1 Timothy 3:1-13
There are always distractions that turn our gaze away from Christ. The media hype surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has turned many peoples’ hearts to fear. Social media activity in connection with recent political events reveals that there are many people who think that the right candidate is the one to solve the world’s woes and that you are deranged and backwards if you prefer the other candidate. These two have distractions dominated the minds, hearts, and televisions of many people in the past eight months or so. But there are always others.
As the Apostle Paul reminds us, we need to struggle to cut through the distractions and keep our gaze on the Lord Jesus Christ. He offers the images of a soldier, and athlete, and a farmer. A soldier has a singular focus to train and be disciplined in order to be ready to respond to and please his commanding officer. When the call for battle comes, the solider must be ready. An athlete must compete according to the rules of the sport if he is to become a champion—cheaters are disqualified! A hardworking farmer has the right to be the first to receive a share of his crops for which he laboured.
Like a soldier is diligent in his training, we need to be diligent in our prayer. As an athlete must compete according to the rules in order to win, we need to be of sound doctrine in order to maintain a right relationship with God. As a farmer has the right to the crops for which he laboured, we gain eternal life with Christ as a fruit of our faith and diligence.
Always remember to keep your gaze on the Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. He is our hope and our strength. Communion with Him is our goal. Keep your gaze on the finish line and the prize!