The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

In the Gospel reading for today, we are encouraged and motivated to pray. "Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be made full."

St. Basil gives us the example of Martha and Mary. Martha busied herself with serving the Lord while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him. Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her with the physical work. "The one ministered to the visible man; the other bowed down before the Invisible. And the Lord Who was there as both God and Man was pleased with the good dispositions of both women… Yet though He did not turn the one away from her task, He praised the other because of that to which she had devoted herself."

St. Basil tells us that there are two ways of serving God. Though one is better, neither should despise the other. Jesus taught us, saying, "As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it unto me" (Mt. xxv. 40). "And so whether you receive the stranger, or feed the poor, or comfort the afflicted, or give help to those who are in need and in pain, or take care of the sick, Christ receives your service as bestowed on Him. But should you choose to imitate Mary, who, putting aside the service of bodily need, ascended to the contemplation of the divine glories, seek truly to do this. Leave the body, leave the tilling of earth, and the preparation of what is eaten with bread. Sit at the feet of the Lord, and give your mind to His words, that you may become a sharer of the mysteries of the divine nature which Christ reveals. For to contemplate that which Christ teaches is a work above the service of corporal need."

There are two parts to prayer. The one is to praise God with a humble heart, and the other is to petition Him. Both are good, but one is better. The first part of our prayer should be to praise God without distractions, humbly submitting ourselves to His Holy Will. Then we may continue with our prayers of petition.

St. Basil continues: "Pray to the Lord therefore with fear and with humility. (Phil ii. 3). And when you pray to Him from a humble heart, let you say: 'I give Thee thanks, O Lord, because Thou hast borne with my sins in patience, and hast left me even till now without chastisement. For I have long deserved to suffer many afflictions; and to be banished from Thy sight; but Thy most clement mercy has borne with me in patience. I thank Thee again, although I am unable to render Thee such thanks as are due Thy mercy.'"

"And when you have fulfilled in turn the duty of praise and of humility, then ask for what you ought to ask for; not for riches, as I said, nor for the glory of this earth, not for health of body; for He made you and your health is His care, and He knows which state is profitable to each one, to be healthy or to be infirm. But let you seek, as He has told us, for the kingdom of heaven. For as I said before, He will provide for your body's needs. For Our King is of infinite dignity, and it is unfitting that anyone should ask of Him what is not becoming. Be mindful, therefore, when you pray that you do not bring upon yourself the anger of God; but seek from Him the things that are worthy of God Our King. And when you pray for the things that are worthy of being asked of God, cease not from praying till you receive them."

St. Basil seems to make very clear that there is only one thing Jesus would have us petition. The Kingdom of Heaven is all that we should seek. We are to ask that our joy may be made full. Only in Heaven will our joy be made full, so this is what we must unceasingly ask of God. God takes care of all of His creatures here on earth. He made us, knows what we need, and knows what is best for us. If we seek Heaven first and foremost, He has promised us everything else. God's rain falls, and His sun shines on the just and the unjust alike.

If we truly love God as we ought to love Him, we desire only Him in Heaven. We become almost indifferent to the cares and concerns of the world and this present life. We see the material gifts all around us as coming from God, and we praise and thank Him for them. We see the crosses and sufferings of our lives here on earth as coming from Him, and we, likewise, praise and thank Him for these. He knows what we need, when we need it and how much we need. Trust Him, and do not worry about these things. Our only concern should be loving and serving Him and being with Him. Some may serve Him materially as Martha did, while others may serve Him spiritually as Mary did. Both have the goal of serving God and are seeking and praying to be with Him eternally in Heaven, where their joy will be made full.

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