Radio Archives   St. Nicholas Home Page

Ukrainian     click the arrow (play)      English

29 Травня, 2011

+ Христос Воскрес!

Дорогі радіо слухачі!

Сьогодні тзв. неділя сліпородженого. Мова тут про чоловіка, який народився сліпим.

Не бачити світа, не розрізняти різьних красок, не добачати схід сонця, не задивлятися на його захід, означає не милуватися Божим даром зору, якого ми усі задармо одержали.

Сліпота вважалася страшною карою за гріхи, і апостоли питаються Господа: "Хто насправді согрішив, що він сліпим родився. Чи він сам, чи може батьки його?"

Очевидно, що нераз хвороба є наслідком невідповідного життя, але не конче це карою за гріхи. Господь є милосердний і Він прощає, бо не бажає смерти грішника, але щоб той навернувся і жив. І Вчитель пояснює: "Ніхто не провинився, але він сліпим народився, щоб слава Божа на ньому виявилася."

І оздоровляє його Господь. Робить слину з болота і посилає його, щоб умився у Силоамській купелі. Тут потрібна була віра, що він умившися зможе бачити. І умивається і бачить, і радіє.

Фарисеї і книжники, які перестрашилися, що їхня популярність в народі, помаліє, взяли сліпородженого на допит. Той їм пояснює, як все сталося, а вони пригадали собі, що це була субота і не випадає нічого робити згідно зі законом. І замість прославляти Христа за добре вчинене діло, вони Його вважають переступником закону.

По всяку ціну стараються діскредитувати Христа. А може той чоловік насправді не був сліпим, а тільки таким представився, щоб затуманити. І питаються його батьків, чи то правда, що він сліпим родився? Діставши позитивну відповідь, вони знова звертаються до нього самого, щоб його випробувати: "а що ти думаєш про цього, що відкрив твої очі?" Він його назвав пророком.

І знова бажаючи зловити його на слові питаються "Ну, як ти прозрів?"

Докучило це сліпородженому і він зачинає розмовляти саркастичним тоном:

"Та що ж хочете ще почути? Може і ви бажаєте бути Його учнями?"

"Ти є його учним," кажуть вони, "а ми є Мойсиєві ученики.

Ми знаємо, що до Мойсея промовляв Бог, а цього не знаємо звідкілля він?"

"То ж і дивно", каже сліпороджений, "що ви не знаєте звідки Він, а Він мені відкрив очі. Знаємо, що Бог не слухає грішників, а хто побожний і чинить Його Волю, того Він слухає. Від віку нечува­но, щоб хто відкрив очі сліпородженому. Якби Він не був від Бога, не міг би був зробити нічого."

Побачили фарісеї, що не переможуть і прогнали тоді його від себе сказавши: "Ти ввесь у гріхах родився і хочеш нас навчати?"

Показується отже, що не вистарчає мати здорові очі, щоб могти бачити. Можна бути духово сліпим, помимо того, що посідаєм зір 20 через 20.

Ми усі до певної міри сліпі, і ми усі бажаємо прозріння. Працюємо в тому напр'ямку. Вчимося, набераємо досвіду, щоб темряву змінити на світло.

Що властиво є темрява - чорний кольор. Чи це не брак світла - брак білого. Біле це мішанина усіх красок; у відповідних пропорціях. Посідання світла, це наші добрі діла і наміри, це добре відношення до інших не залежно як інші до нас ставляться, це принемання усього, що від Господа приходить, уповання на Всевишнього - різьнокольоровий килим приємний для ока; а посідання темряви це бачиння усього у неґативному, відкидання чого небудь доброго, уповання на себе самих.

Владика Інокентій Лотоцький у проповіді на нинішну неділю так висловлюється:

"Христове світло творить великі чуда. Воно невіруючих робить віруючими і грішних перемінює на праведних. Читаємо в діяннях апостолів, що Савло ненавидів Христа і його учнів, він переслідував їх і видавав на смерть. В дорозі до Дамаску засяяло навкруг нього світло з неба. Савло впав на землю і почув голос: „Савле, Савле, чого мене переслідуєш?” На питання: „Хто Ти Господи”, Савло почув відповідь: „Я Ісус якого ти переслідуєш.”

Те світло Христове так просвітило душу Савла, що він став Павлом, апостолом народів, ревним Христовим слугою. Він впродовж цілого життя проповідував Христа, терпів за Нього і віддав своє життя за вірність Господеві. Ось благословений овоч чудесного діяння Христового світла."

Просім нашого Господа Ісуса Христа, щоб нам відкрив наші очі, працюймо у тому напр’ямку, щоб ми, кожної хвилини нашого життя, упивали в себе Христове світло, щоб це світло нас чим більше просвітлювало, щоб ми його випромінювали на зовні, на всіх з якими по дорозі життя стрічаємося, і в такий спосіб розганяли темряву.

Дорогі в Христі!

У четвер празник Вознесіння. Св. Тома з Аквину так каже з нагоди цього дня:

"40 годин Христос був у гробі, як доказ, що він справді помер, 40 днів залешився на землі на доказ, що він живе новим життям. Якби Христос воскрес у самий день смерти, то дехто міг би мати сумнів, чи він справді був мертвим. Якби він відійшов на небо відразу після воскресіння, дехто міг би мати сумніви, чи він справді воскрес."

40 днів по Воскресінні, перед тим заки вознісся на небо до свого небесного Батька, Христос навчав своїх учнів, приготовляв їх, просвітлював їх. Помимо того ми бачимо, що учні не розуміють у чому полягає Христова місія тут між ними, і в чому лежить їхнє завдання. Вони питаються Господа, чи нарешті відбудуєш ізраїльське царство?

Очевидно - Христос володар, але не політичний. Він духовний провідник, ідучи за Ним ми опановуємо себе, стаємо провідниками для тих, які бажають побачити світло.

За 10 днів по Вознесінні будемо празнувати Зіслання Св. Духа. Коли Дух зійде на апостолів, вони уповні просвітляться і зрозуміють. Ми також, під впливом Св. Духа можемо розуміти свої завдання, побачити світло і іншим освітлювати дорогу.

+ Х Р И С Т О С   В О С К Р Е С !   В О І С Т И Н У   В О С К Р Е С !

 пісня)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Xrystos Voskres!  Today is the Sunday of the Man Born Blind, when we commemorate the healing of this man’s blindness that leads us to the idea of our own spiritual blindness and need for healing.  The Gospel reading today tells the story of a blind man healed by Jesus.  People once believed that if someone was blind or lame, it was a result of the punishment they received for their sins, but Jesus showed otherwise.  After preaching in the Temple, Jesus was walking with His disciples and saw a blind man sitting in a corner, begging those who were passing by for some help.  The disciples ask their Teacher, "Lord, who sinned, he or his parents, so that this man was born blind"?  Christ, who knows the hearts of men answered with compassion and love, "Neither this man sinned, nor his parents.  He was born blind for God's work to be manifested".  What a strong defense Jesus offers to those who suffer; those who are afflicted, and those who are in pain.  The blind man had no burden to prove his innocence, no need to feel guilty or ashamed of his condition.  Jesus then rubbed his spit into the mud and applied it to the man’s eyes, and immediately after the man washed his eyes he gained the ability to see.  The man went on to tell his neighbors about his healing and eventually he was brought before the Pharisees to account for his behavior on the Sabbath.  When the Pharisees asked him how he regained his sight, “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.  Still doubtful, the Pharisees summoned the man’s parents to confirm his blindness since birth and whether Jesus did indeed give this man sight.

The Pharisees condemned this man born blind, even after he was healed.  They accused him of being sinful at birth - and so he was.  But so were the Pharisees and so are each of us.  Born with original sin, no man or woman is without sin.  The Pharisees, by rejecting Christ, demonstrated just how blind they really were.  Instead of rejoicing that people were being healed and lives were being changed for the better, the Pharisees were only concerned about the observance of laws on the Sabbath.  Because of their blindness, they did not realize that God never intended the Sabbath to prevent any act of mercy.  Unable to shake the man’s story about his healing, they threw him out of the temple, and when Jesus heard this and found the man, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. This episode illustrates the words of the Prophet Isaiah: ‘Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened’.  Jesus then said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”  We find the physical blindness of the man, but also the spiritual blindness of our Lord's disciples, the Pharisees, and the Jews. 

We all walk with some kind of blindness throughout our lives, we all carry the burden of sin, but from the moment we were first conceived, Jesus has been welcoming us into the light of His knowledge and His mercy.  Christ indicates to His disciples that this man was born blind, not because of sin but so the work of God could be made manifest in him.  We can see this in the lives of many wholesome, yet disadvantaged people.  They find their disadvantage to be a challenge, a challenge that may bring out the best in them.  We can think for example of certain Downs Syndrome children who are unbelievably kind and loving, far more so than many who are born with no such infirmity.  We can also think of some blind people who, having lost one sense, have refined another sense almost to perfection, and show an understanding of the inner self that those with sight do not have.  We can all think of examples of incredible courage and love among disadvantaged people, examples where the love of God is made manifest through their lives.  In the case of this man born blind, perhaps all his life had been a preparation for his meeting with Christ.  Not only was his soul pure enough, refined, but he also accepted Jesus as the Son of God, therefore making the work of God manifest in him.

When I think about the reference from today’s scripture: ‘He was born blind so that the will of God could be revealed through him,’ I remember a young boy named Gabe, and the time when his incredible story was shared with me.  I was with my son at the playground, enjoying some beautiful weather, when we first met Gabe.  My son and I were playing catch, when the ball rolled behind the slide at the playground.  As I went to retrieve it, to my complete surprise - out popped a little boy from behind the slide with this amazingly wide eyed smile and angelic looking face, who took such delight in returning the ball to me.  I thought he was about the same age as John Paul, since they were of similar height and build, but I found out later that Gabe was nearly four years older, and that because of his health issues he would always be small for his age.  I was rather taken with Gabe, and soon learned that Gabe was short for Gabriel.  We included him in our game of catch and both boys were having a wonderful time. Gabe wore these thick lensed glasses that often came to rest on the middle of his nose, so his eyes would peek up at you, over the frames.  They made him look that much more endearing, but I figured that his sight must not be too good, so I made sure we threw the ball slowly to Gabe so he would have a better chance of catching it.  I also noticed Gabe was wearing these bright green frog boots, even though the weather called for sneakers or even sandals, but I could see how happy and special they made him feel. A few moments later I met his mother, Debbie, and we started talking about our boys, when she mentioned that Gabe suffers from Downs Syndrome.  From his outward appearance, I had wondered about it myself, but it seemed like a relatively mild case, until she told me that Gabe had already made it through four major surgeries at the renowned Pediatric Clinic in Boston, Massachusetts to reconstruct his heart, because his congestive heart defect was much more serious then what they usually anticipate for children with Downs Syndrome, but from looking at this precious little boy, you would have thought that he did not have a care in the world, because he was so happy and delightful. There was even a profound peace that emanated from his laughter.  I found out that Gabe was Debbie’s fifth child, and when she was 18 weeks pregnant, they discovered the serious heart condition and genetic defects that her son would be facing. Her doctor at Sister’s Hospital in Buffalo actually recommended that Debbie and her husband abort the fetus, but they refused to let the doctors do anything that would hurt their baby, because they believed that God had a reason behind their son, Gabe, and they were not about to question God’s Wisdom.  After Gabe was born, he was not expected to live past his first year.  Born with a two chamber heart and serious bone and muscular impairments, Gabe could only walk with the assistance of a body brace.  Every night, Gabe’s hips would dislocate due to developmental defects in his ligaments and tendons, and he faces much pain and discomfort until they fall back into place.  But after many prayers and multiple surgeries later, Gabe made it to where he is today – the bright eyed, gentle, and happy boy whose heart is filled with so much love, and who runs around the playground so joyful and carefree. It made me ponder today’s Gospel reading even more, when Debbie told me how Gabe brought her own father back to God.  She told me that for years, her father lost his faith; he stopped believing in God and no longer went to Church or even prayed. And this devastated her completely, because she has such a strong sense of God in her own life. But when her father learned about Gabe’s condition, when he learned about the uphill battle he would be facing in order to survive, he started praying for his grandson, both day and night, he even returned to the Church faithfully and became a believing Christian again. One year ago, Debbie’s father died unexpectedly, but she told me that she gained much solace from the fact that her father died believing in God again, because now she could rest assured that he’s in Heaven because of his renewed faith.  Debbie firmly believes that all of this was made possible because of her son, Gabe, and how the will of God was so beautifully revealed through him.  I, too, believe that Gabe is a beacon of God’s mercy and love, a way for God’s work to be manifest in a world that desperately needs it the most - because his rare innocence can truly open one’s eyes to Christ.

When the blind man's eyes were opened, he could see the true light in Christ and he "worshiped Him". (John 9:38)  The Will of God was made manifest in him, just as God’s Will continues to manifest itself in children like Gabe, and all those whom we meet that open our eyes daily to Christ.  It has been written, "Clay cannot heal the blind and yet with the breath of God, it gives sight.  Water cannot heal and yet the water of baptism bears the Holy Spirit.  Bread and wine cannot heal and yet transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, it fortifies our souls.  Wood and paint cannot heal and yet icons can penetrate the human soul by radiating God’s grace through them.”  In this way our bodies, mere flesh, bone and blood, can become living containers of Christ.  Our souls activated, we can become beacons of the Holy Spirit; seeing the whole of God's Creation as it really is.  We see that every blade of grass and every hill, every tree and every ocean, all creatures and all people, are miracles of God's handiwork, signs of His presence among us, and we see that we live not in the ordinary, everyday world, but in potential Paradise, the world as it really is, as God made it first, and we see God the Creator behind all things and in all people.  And then we too, together with the man born blind, can say: "I was blind, Lord, and now I see".

Xrystos Voskres – Voistynu Voskres!

(пісня)