“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33)
On the Third Sunday after Pentecost, July 14, 2024, with the blessing of His Eminence Vladimir, Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldova, the bishop-vicar, His Eminence Filaret celebrated the Holy and Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral “Nativity of the Lord” in Chisinau.
The conclusion of today’s Gospel is contained in a single phrase: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). In vain we strive day and night for the fleeting things of the world. In vain we run after useless things that perish with us. Sometimes we do not sleep, we do not keep holy feasts, we do not find time to go to church, we do not pray at home, we do not read holy books, we do not visit the sick, we do not remember the imminent death and the judgment of God. We all desire the more. We all dream of riches, honor, health and happiness. But we almost all forget Christian works, prayer, forgiveness, repentance and God.
The Holy Fathers urge us to turn again to God, to prayer, to the labour of good works. God is waiting for us. Let us no longer be proud in our own minds, let us not put our hope in our own hands, nor in this ephemeral life. Let us believe in God alone, let us hope in Him alone, let us worship Him alone, let us go to the Church of Christ as often as possible, and through repentance and Christian life let us work the harvest of our salvation.
Source: Căpriana Monastery