Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Congratulations with the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, as well as the leave-taking of the feast of the Dormition of the Most-Holy Mother of God!

Today is already the fourth week that we hear an excerpt from the Holy Apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians. The first three weeks we heard about one and the same thing, i. e. about the importance of unity in Christ and the undesirability of dividing into small groups because of petty differences. It’s not by chance that the church rubrics dedicates three Sundays to this subject, because it continues to be a current theme and often a sore topic. Since the Apostle and the liturgical rubrics devote so much time to this topic, let us be diligent in preserving our unity, and let us always seek oneness in Christ Jesus!

Today we heard an excerpt that examines a new theme and gives an answer to a different problem. Some of the faithful in Corinth did not have the highest opinion of the Apostle Paul. They thought that he was not a real apostle because he was not one of the twelve. They also reproached him because he supposedly demanded too much of them in regards to his own physical livelihood. There were also complaints that women followed after him and served him.

The Apostle persuasively shows that he is indeed a real apostle and clearly answers the reproaches of his spiritual children. About his apostleship, he simple mentions that they, the Corinthians, are personally proof of his membership in the ranks of the apostles, for he gave birth in Christ to all of them, i. e. a very large number of people. They are the seal of his apostleship! To answer their complaints about him receiving support from them for his sustenance, he uses three arguments. The first: the other apostles receive a salary from their parishioners, why not him? The second: the state outfits its soldiers, farmers eat their own grapes, and shepherds drink the milk from their goats, so why can’t he expect something from the Christians that he has given birth to? The third: the Old Testament Law sets down that the clergy have a right to receive an allowance from their flock. In conclusion, St. Paul adds that although he has a right to receive everything that would allow him to live a settled life, he never took what was owed to him and through his own hard work earned his keep, “lest (he) should hinder the gospel of Christ.”

Isn’t it wonderful how the Apostle Paul can talk about that which is most important and most exalted, like unity in Christ, but soon after this take note of things that are mundane, worldly, at first glance not all that spiritual, like the question of the support of the clergy, and in both cases persuasively and correctly counsel people? What a talented and grace-filled man! Let us also, in our spiritual lives, take note of exalted things, but at the same time not forget about the little things, which are perhaps tedious, and, at first glance, have little to do with this life. Let’s avoid judging, gossiping about, and reproaching the clergy. They have enough things to worry about without this. Let’s not forget to support, through our donations, talents, and time, the Church – our parish. These donations, even the most generous ones, cannot be compared to that spiritual support that we receive in the Church.

priest Alexis