Embark on a soul-stirring Lenten voyage with Fr. Philip Hall as he delves into the timeless truths of Orthodox Christianity. In a world consumed by fleeting desires, Fr. Philip invites us to ponder where our earthly treasures will be in 100 years. Through poignant reflections on fasting, prayer, and feasting on Christ, he challenges us to shift our focus towards eternal riches. Join us on this transformative journey of faith, where we seek not just temporal fulfillment, but everlasting joy in God’s presence. Subscribe now and explore the profound depths of spirituality with us.
The Monastery of St Anthony and St Cuthbert, Shropshire, England, March 6th, 2022
Watch the full sermon on Archimandrite Philip’s channel: https://youtu.be/VGeQce98SSM
Fr. Philip:
Where is your real treasure? What do you watch? What do you listen to? What do you read? What do you store up? What do you put your trust in that is not God? In Heaven or on earth? What is there that keeps you away from God?
What about reputation, style, approval from other people, popularity? What other things like that are actually more to you than God Himself? Where will all of those things be in 100 years from now? And if you can’t take them with you into Heaven then perhaps you should drop them now…
And then the opposite really start building up other people. What do your neighbors need? What does your city or town or village need? Ask yourself, build up purity of heart and goodness and loving kindness and bear in mind that just before what St. Paul writes in Romans, he says “love your neighbor as yourself”.
It’s a good idea at this time of the year to mind your own business. How someone else runs their life is not your business. Do you disapprove of their prayers, their fasting, their ideas, their home, even the way they bring up their children or disapprove of their children, do you disapprove of their job, their garden, their holidays, their behavior, well as far as is possible, mind your own business.
Sometimes “mind your own business” is of course coming into conflict with others, but even there you must not let hatred rule but in every way try and bring peace and joy and love and forgiveness to bear on the situation. And then make every part of your life center on God.
Make joy, make peace, encourage love, give yourselves to others. At this time of the year when we think about fasting, let us Feast on Christ. Feast on Him in the services, in the reading of the Scriptures, in our daily prayers. in the sacraments. Feast on Him in confession, in good works and delighting in His creation, as here in the Northern Hemisphere creation begins to burst forth with life.
And that way we can do a sort of audit of ourselves, not only are we not eating certain things and doing more prayers and so on, but we’re beginning to look at our lives properly and say, “really, how does God look at me? Does he see me as a greedy person, as somebody acquisitive, as somebody who lords over others, someone who always knows the right answer? Or does He see me as someone who serves other people, who delights in Him, who wishes to give all of his life to God?”
Have a happy, joyful, rich, and above all, secret Lent! God bless you! Your prayers! Amen.
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