By Archpriest Rodion Putyatin
The present day is par excellence the day of preparation for tomorrow's festival. Therefore, we will talk about preparation.
Pious listener! If tomorrow you had the birthday of some important person to you, or a beloved person to you, or your benefactor, or your father or mother, then you, no doubt, would have thought of it in advance, took care of how to congratulate this person better tomorrow, how to say something to them and do something pleasant for them, and especially I would think a lot about it and give care today. This always happens with all reasonable people, noble and grateful.
Tomorrow is the birthday of our most loving Lord, the sweetest Jesus, Who is for you, pious listener, of all people higher, more important, more dear - even more dear than your father and mother. Have you thought, have you cared about how to congratulate Jesus Christ on His birthday tomorrow? Did you think, did you care, what would you say tomorrow or do something pleasant for Him, pleasing to Him?
If you didn’t think about it, didn’t care, if in six weeks of preparation for the festival it didn’t even occur to you at all, then at least take care now, think more about it. For yourself, perhaps, you have prepared a lot of pleasant things, but for the Savior, what? Think about it!
Think about how you will spend tomorrow. The more you think and care about this, the more pleasant it will be for your Savior everything you have done for Him.
And this one thought of yours, one concern to do something tomorrow pleasing to the Savior will be pleasing to Him, because it will be an expression of your love for Him and a proof of your concern for your salvation. And for your Savior, there is nothing more dear to you than your salvation.
So, and I will also say, think carefully, take care more now: how would you honor tomorrow's feast, how would you congratulate the Lord Jesus Christ tomorrow on His birthday, what would you do or say tomorrow for Him, for His sake?
Such preparation will be a blessing for you, and pleasant for your Savior. Amen.
Pious listener! If tomorrow you had the birthday of some important person to you, or a beloved person to you, or your benefactor, or your father or mother, then you, no doubt, would have thought of it in advance, took care of how to congratulate this person better tomorrow, how to say something to them and do something pleasant for them, and especially I would think a lot about it and give care today. This always happens with all reasonable people, noble and grateful.
Tomorrow is the birthday of our most loving Lord, the sweetest Jesus, Who is for you, pious listener, of all people higher, more important, more dear - even more dear than your father and mother. Have you thought, have you cared about how to congratulate Jesus Christ on His birthday tomorrow? Did you think, did you care, what would you say tomorrow or do something pleasant for Him, pleasing to Him?
If you didn’t think about it, didn’t care, if in six weeks of preparation for the festival it didn’t even occur to you at all, then at least take care now, think more about it. For yourself, perhaps, you have prepared a lot of pleasant things, but for the Savior, what? Think about it!
Think about how you will spend tomorrow. The more you think and care about this, the more pleasant it will be for your Savior everything you have done for Him.
And this one thought of yours, one concern to do something tomorrow pleasing to the Savior will be pleasing to Him, because it will be an expression of your love for Him and a proof of your concern for your salvation. And for your Savior, there is nothing more dear to you than your salvation.
So, and I will also say, think carefully, take care more now: how would you honor tomorrow's feast, how would you congratulate the Lord Jesus Christ tomorrow on His birthday, what would you do or say tomorrow for Him, for His sake?
Such preparation will be a blessing for you, and pleasant for your Savior. Amen.