Romanian Orthodox Church in Edinburgh

edited by Nepsis Youth Association, UK & Ireland

Sunday, 5th of November, 2017: Twenty-fifth Sunday After Pentecost: Parable of the
rich man and Lazarus, Saints of the Day: St. Gregory, Archbishop of Alexandria, St. Martyr
Galaction and his wife, Episteme, St Martyr Silvanus, St Apostles Patrobus, Hermes, Linus
Gayus and Philologus of the Seventy. On the 1st of November, we commemorated Saints
Cosmas and Damian, Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries of Mesopotamia in Asia Minor.

Kontakion of St. Cosmas and Damian 2nd Tone

Having received the grace of healing, / you grant healing to those in need. / Glorious wonder
workers and healers, Cosmas and Damian, / visit us and put down the insolence of our enemies, /
and bring healing to the world through your miracles.

The first reading. From Galatians 6, 11-18

11 Brethren see with what large letters I have
written to you with my own hand! 12 As many as
desire to make a good showing in the flesh,
these would compel you to be circumcised, only
that they may not suffer persecution for the
cross of Christ. 1
3 For not even those who are circumcised keep
by whom the world has been crucified to me,
and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything,
but a new creation.16 And as many as walk ac-
cording to this rule, peace and mercy be upon
them, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear

the law, but they desire to have you circumcised in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But God 18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

forbid that I should boast except in the cross of be with your spirit. Amen.
our Lord Jesus Christ,

The second reading. From the Gospel according to Luke 16, 19-31

There was a certain rich man who was

19
clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sump-
tuously every day. 20But there was a certain beg-
gar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid
at his gate, 21desiring to be fed with the crumbs
which fell from the rich mans table. Moreover
the dogs came and licked his sores.
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried
22
by the angels to Abrahams bosom. The rich man
received your good things, and likewise Lazarus
evil things; but now he is comforted and you are
tormented. 26And besides all this, between us
and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those
who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor
can those from there pass to us.
27Then he said, I beg you therefore, Father,
that you would send him to my fathers house,
28for I have five brothers, that he may testify to

also died and was buried. 23And being in tor- them, lest they also come to this place of tor-
ments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw ment. 29Abraham said to him, They have
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

Then he cried and said, Father Abraham,

24 30And he said, No, father Abraham; but if one
have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he goes to them from the dead, they will repent.
may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool 31But he said to him, If they do not hear Moses

my tongue; for I am tormented in this and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded
flame.25But Abraham said, Son, remember that though one rise from the dead.
in your lifetime you
 THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS UNITY OF LOVE

God the Trinity is not a frozen entity, not something

As every of Christ's parables of the judgement to-
static or lifeless. On the contrary, within the Trinity
day's parable has got a very simple aspect and at the
there is the plenitude of life and love. God is love,
same time should be reflected on a deeper level. The
says St John the Theologian (1 John 4:8; 4:16). Yet
simple aspect is this: you have had on earth all that
there can be no love without the beloved. A lonely,
was good, Lazarus possessed nothing; but from the
isolated monad can love only itself: self-love is not
parable we see that he did not complain, he received
love. An egocentric unit is not a personality. As the
what the rich man needed not; he ate the crumbs
human person cannot experience his personhood
from his table. And when they died, what did they
save through communion with other persons, so in
take with them? The rich man had nothing to take
God there can be no personal being save through
because he had never had any concern for anything
love for another personal being. God the Trinity is
that the earth couldn't give. Lazarus had always
the plenitude of love, each hypostatic Person exists
longed for more than the earth could give: for justice,
in a relationship of love for the other Persons.
for peace, for love, for compassion, for human
brotherhood for all those things which make the
The Trinity is therefore a relational entity. The rela-
human being human. The rich man was in condition
tions between the three Persons are relations between
which is described in one of the prophecies: Israel
I and Thou, or I and He. Thou, Father, art in
has grown fat with wealth and has forgotten God...
Me, and I in Thee, says Christ (John 17:21). Con-
The poor man could do no such thing; he was too
cerning the Holy Spirit, our Lord says, All that the
poor to be rooted into the earth he was free. Now,
Father has is Mine; therefore I said that he will take
this applies to all of us; because all of us we possess
what is Mine and declare it to you (John 16:15). We
within ourselves both the rich man and Lazarus.
read in St Johns Gospel: In the beginning was the
How, that echoes in a tragic way with the situation in
Word, and the Word was with God (John 1:1). The
which people were when they stood as a milling
Greek text actually says and the Word was towards
crowd around the Cross on which Christ was dying.
God (pros ton Theon). This underscores the personal
Some were believers, His own people but where
nature of the relationship between God the Word and
were they? They had fled; only the Mother of God
God the Father: the Son is not only born from the
and John stood by the Cross. But in the crowd there
Father, He not only exists with the Father, He is
were such who, together with the High Priest, the
turned towards the Father. Thus each Hypostasis in
Pharisees who had condemned Christ, were saying:
the Trinity is turned towards the other Hypostases.
Descend now from the Cross and we shall be-
lieve... How many thought: If He only did that, we The icon of the Holy Trinity by St Andrei Rublev
could believe without taking any risk, believe with portrays three angels sitting at a table upon which is
security, safely; believe and follow One Who had a Cup, the symbol of Christs redemptive sacrifice;
already won His victory; but can we, can we possibly the three Persons of the Trinity turn simultaneously
believe and follow One Who now, defeated, reviled, to each other and to the Cup. The icon has captured
rejected hangs on the Cross between two criminals? the divine love which reigns within the Trinity. The
We can't...That is what the parable says; and which is greatest manifestation of this love was the incarna-
shown in the life of so many.Where do we stand? Are tion of the Son of God for the redemption of humani-
we prepared, captured by the beauty, the ineffable, ty. Orthodox Tradition regards Christs saving sacri-
the unutterable beauty of Christ's personality to fol- fice as a common act of love and self-emptying of all
low Him at all risk? Do not accept yourself while three Persons of the Trinity. It is in this sacrifice that
you remain a mirage: be real, and then you will be the love which exists within the Trinity was given
children of the Kingdom. And what can be greater: and became known to humans. As St Philaret of
brothers and sisters of Christ, sons and daughters of Moscow said, it is the crucifying love of the Father,
the Living God; and messengers messengers of the crucified love of the Son, and the love of the
God on earth. Can we hope for anything greater? Holy Spirit triumphing through the power of the
And yet this is what is offered to each and all of Cross.
us! What a wonder, what a joy! How can we turn
away from this? Amen.
(Metropolitan Anthony - The Parable of the rich man (Metropolitan Hilarion - The Mystery of the Faith)
and Lazarus. (Nov. 1989))