GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA
HOLY APOSTLES CHURCH / NEWCASTLE
FROM THE RECTOR'S OFFICE
13/7/14
Today’s reading reminds us of a beautiful image..
A city that’s built on a mountain peak that’s visible from everywhere…
That’s how you all are, says the Lord…
The whole world sees you. Some humans see you, but you must know that there is more important eyes that watch over you; the angels and the saints of God…
The most important eyes that follow you is that of our Father in Heaven and that of the tireless observation of His Son who came to earth and was crucified for us. That is why He watches over us, with love and affection along with the angels and the saints….
Today’s reading helps us better understand our purpose and the meaning of our life…
You are a small lamp, says Jesus. You don’t light the lamp and place it in a trunk so the oil burns for no reason.
We don’t switch on the light and leave it on if no one goes to the basement. We don’t need light there.
We need light to guide us through our journey in life.
Each of you is a lamp, says Jesus.
A small lamp which was lit by our Heavenly Father. We are obliged to honour this light and place it somewhere to shine all through our home. In other words, in the darkness of our society we should become a good example with our behaviour for a better tomorrow. Who is this light ?
You, me, each of us. When is this light lit ?
When we rise above our desires, our actions and have good intentions for the common good of all mankind.
That is God’s wish. Jesus says, As you wish others to treat you well that is how you, in return should treat everyone.
How do you wish for people to treat you ? With compassion, love, honesty and kindness.
You don’t want to be despised or humiliated. That’s goodness. We should all have that in our hearts.
We should remind ourselves of this when we must do something for others, as we’re all one body, one society, one family. There is no way that we’re not affected by someone’s pain or difficulties.
Do you know how intimidating it will be when Jesus stands before us ? That time will come for each of us.
He’ll say, John, Katerina, Nicholas,....... how did you live the life that I gave to you? Where is your good work? Which of the commandments did you abide ? How many of my brother’s did you help and show compassion to ?
There has been and there will be people, like our saints, that lived their life in the light of God and it shone throughout society. God rewarded them for their work and their teachings by calling them, light of life on earth. Therefore, this is the light in which our reading speaks of today.
That is one side of our society. The light. Unfortunately there is the other side. Darkness.
People that live in the dark, whose lives are consumed by darkness.
I’m only going to refer to one case. The worst. The most repulsive. The worst crime to commit by any human being. Even worse than murder. I’m referring to the conviction and the imprisonment of the criminal paedophile Rolf Harris.
As paedophilia is a crime. A paedophile is a criminal.
He rapes the body and the soul of a child, so to satisfy his animalistic desires. It’s impossible to imagine the anguish and hopelessness that the victims of a paedophile must go through their entire life. Nothing can ever heal the wounds of these children’s souls in their lifetime.
When I first read the statistics of paedophilia, the blow was so intense that I was left speechless.
1 in 5 children will be sexually abused. Paedophilia is a curse in society and damned are the paedophiles. Scum of the earth, whom unfortunately live amongst us. In all societies, ethnicities and in all ages. And in ours.
Whoever knows of this disgraceful act, a crime against a small child and does not report this person to the police, no matter how much time has passed, he too is a criminal and guilty, both in the eyes of society but especially in the eyes of God and one day justice will be served for the indifference.
We must remember that all children are also our children, children of society which entitles them to be protected from these human like beasts.
The bible reads of the warning from Jesus to those who are the reason for which a child suffers.
He says, whoever violates one of these children would have been better off tieing a millstone around his neck and jumping in to the ocean.
May we return to the Light my dear brother’s and sister’s and may we never forget that we only have one soul. Let’s protect it as our one and only treasure. If we lose it, we’ll be the unhappiest of all people. Let’s not forget Jesus’ warning (and the more often we remember, the better).
