Avoid profane and vain babblings. Life is short. Treat each day as your last, and you will never sin.



1 Timothy 6:17-20

Nov 27/ Dec 10   27th Thursday after Pentecost



Life is short.

Brothers and sisters, contemporary wisdom tells us that "life is short," and so we should enjoy ourselves, take up a challenge, or make a difference in the world. We should not waste the little time that we have.

 

Treat each day as your last, and you will never sin.

 

Likewise, the holy fathers tell us that each day could be our last, and that we should therefore "redeem the time, because the days are evil." Or, as one of the desert fathers said, "Treat each day as your last, and you will never sin."

 

Life is short, but what does this mean? The world tells us that we should enjoy each minute, entertaining ourselves, seeking new experiences and challenges, making the most of the time that we have, because this life is all that there is.

 

The Lord tells us, on the other hand, that the short time of this life is given to us as preparation for eternal life beyond the grave. Time spent in amusements, "experiences," and even in great accomplishments that improve our life here on earth, is ultimately a waste of our time if we are not preparing our souls for eternity.

 

Rather than experiences and worldly accomplishments, we should spend our time perfecting the Image of God — an Image of selfless, sacrificial love — in ourselves and in our lives.

 

The old man does not understand this. When the Lord told his disciples about the resurrection, they did not understand. Even after the resurrection, only few understand this truth. And so we occupy ourselves with vanities.

 

Avoid profane and vain babblings.

 

St. Paul enjoins St. Timothy to

 

"Avoid profane and vain babblings, and the oppositions of knowledge falsely so called."

 

Worldly knowledge is ultimately useless, for the world will pass away. And knowledge based on reason and logic is ultimately untrustworthy, for our fallen reason is capable of proving anything that our fallen heart and will desire to believe.

Let us heed the words of the Lord, and let the world follow its own course. Let us be, as the Apostle enjoins, "in the world but not of the world."

 

Reader Nicholas Park  2009.     St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas

 

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1 comment

  1. If I Had My Life To Live Over

    by Erma Bombeck

    If I Had My Life To Live Over…….

    I would have talked less and listened more.

    I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

    I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

    I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

    I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

    I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

    I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

    I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

    I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

    I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

    I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

    Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy,I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

    When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”

    There would have been more “I love you’s”.. more “I’m sorry’s”

    But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it… live it…and never give it back.

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