Monday, September 16 (3), 2024
2Cor. 8:7-15; Mk. 3:6-12

When the Lord lived on earth, He stopped men and daemons who praised Him [Mk. 3:12], and demanded that people believed in Him and followed His commandments.  The rule isn’t much different today, and it will remain the same at the day of the last Judgment: “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” [Mt. 7:21].

So, when we the sing the Great Doxology at the Matins in church, we begin with “Glory to God in the highest…” and finish with “Heal  my soul… teach me to do Thy will”: without that, praising the Lord has no value whatsoever.  Without that, the praises come not from our hearts, but merely from our lips which repeat someone else’s words ─ and the Lord gives no heed to them.

Our whole life ought to be the praise of the Lord.  Others will see it and praise the Lord as well ─ for it is the Lord who works any good in everyone, if only we do not resist Him, ─ and every good thing is a praise for Him.   Everyone ought to become “a sweet savour of Christ” [2Cor. 2:15], then the Lord will be praised continually, without much noise.  Look at a rose: it has no voice, but its fragrance spreads far away in silence.  That’s an example for the Christians.

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