July 12
Priest Message
07/12/2026
Sermon on The Sixth Sunday of Saint Matthew
In The Name Of The Father and Of The Son and Of The Holy Spirit, AMEN!
My Dear Family In The Lord,
The correct way to evaluate someone, to appreciate or not appreciate a person, is only after we get to know that individual.
It is not right, to make comments about anybody, if we don’t know who he or she is, although we have to admit that we do that and that happens quite often!
Sometimes, even if we know very little, close to nothing about a person or another, we “jump to conclusions”, we make comments about them, based on things we learn about them from other people, who claim to know very well, one person, or another.
The “tragedy” is, that many times, we start talking about other people, only from the thigs we hear about them, without “investigating” or searching a little deeper, to see who they are. But instead, if some of our friends describe different people in different ways, we think we already know “everything about them” and we “are ready to share” with others, who these people are!
Things like this, happened in Our Lord’s Life, almost every day! He was accused numerous times for many things. Sometimes they accused Him for not observing the Sabbath, because He healed people on the Day of Celebration. Other times they did not believe that The Lord healed different people, even after they saw the miracle with their own eyes!
And we ask, why, why were they so stubborn and refuse to believe in Him and instead to blame Him for just about everything? The main reason for their refusal, was that, they simply saw in Him a rival, they did not want to lose their power and authority that they have and exercise over the people. They were a “clan” pretty structured and well organized, who transferred “the power” from one to another from generation to generation and they did not want to share that or to include Jesus in that clique! We know that The Lord was not interested to join their group, nor to take their power away from them! He was preaching and living His Own Gospel and tried to bring the people to Repentance and to The Knowledge of The Truth! Without corruption and without “playing their dirty political and religious games!”
This was one important reason for them not to believe in Jesus!
Another reason, was, that they did not understand Him, they did not understand His Teachings, did not understand His Message and they did not even want to understand any of these, because they that that Jesus’ Words are not in line with what they have learned and thought!
They also did not like when The Lord criticized them in public and that even created controversies and they hated Him for doing that, because Jesus was saying out loud, things that compromised their positions in the society and make them look bad in front of the people! In other words, their image and authority were damaged and they started losing control over people.
In today’s Gospel Lesson we have an example like that, when they brought to Him, in His own city, a paralytic and when Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic: ”Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9:2)
And then the biblical story continues: “And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say "Your sins are forgiven," or to say "Rise and walk?" But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” (Matthew 9:4-8)
What we can see here, is the same thing that I already told you earlier, some of the scribes, who did not even know Him, started to blame Him and accuse Him for blaspheming, because to them He was just another “man” and how come He said to the paralytic: “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Because not knowing Who Jesus was, they did not understand why He was saying this!
Jesus Christ is Our Lord and The Savior of our souls! He Is The Only One Who can forgive our sins and who can cure us from all our diseases! We can only be saved through Him! He will be The One Who ta His Second and Glorious Coming will tell us where we will go!
Therefore, we have to apply in our life, what we have learned from this Gospel Story, not to judge others, not to talk about people, not knowing who they are and not to “evaluate” or make appreciations about people, if we don’t know who they are!
More importantly to take consideration of the words of St. John Chrysostom who indeed warned heavily against gossiping and speaking about others behind their back. He taught that detraction is highly destructive to both the speaker and the community, and that correcting someone's faults should always be done directly, privately, and with a spirit of love. AMEN!
I cannot wait to see you in Church!
In Jesus Christ Our Lord, I remain, prayerfully yours,
+ Fr. Catalin
