When faced with the choice to give up our wealth or follow Christ, most of us choose our wealth and walk away from God. Until we are willing to separate ourselves from money and wealth we cannot have eternal life. This is impossible without God’s help.

When we are blessed to have more than we need, it is a challenge for our soul. In the Parable of the Barns, the rich man died without ever using the ‘good things’ that God had given to him. What are we doing with all the good things that God has given to us? We always focus on ourselves, but God wants us to think about others more than ourselves. The best way to learn to care about others is to Tithe to the Church. It was the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Church.

We have all been given many good things from God. What have we done with them? Have we used the good things that God has given to us for others or kept them for ourselves. In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazaros found the in Luke 16.19-31, the rich man who kept everything to himself was in hell when he died. When we consider our stewardship to God’s Church, will we find ourselves in the torment of hell because we did nothing with God’s good things? We must act now!

When God’s blessings come, we don’t always understand them for what they are. In the Parable of the Sower found in Luke 8.5-15 we learn that God’s sends out His Son for all people, but not everyone is able to understand God’s grace fully. In every situation, good and bad, God’s grace is for everyone.

When we are faced with struggles we wonder sometimes where is God? This is especially difficult in times of disaster or tragedy. The Gospel tells the story of the burial of the only son of a widow from Nain. She was not alone. God had compassion on her. We are never alone. God is always with us.

Christ went to the Synagogue and read from Isaiah and said, “Today this is fulfilled in your hearing.” Christ speaks to us today, not just in the past. Every year on the Ecclesiastical New Year, we are reminded that Christ came to heal us, to cure us, and to save us. Let’s make this the “acceptable year of the Lord.”

When thousands were gathered around Christ in the desert, the Disciples expected the Lord to send them away so they could feed themselves. Instead, Christ said, “They do not need to go away. You give them something,” and thousands were fed with just a few loaves of bread and two fish. Christ fed the crowds through the Disciples. He can bless others through us when we allow Him to use us as He used the Disciples. We become agents of God’s grace to help others.

When Christ saw the faith of the friends of the paralytic, He said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” Christ didn’t heal the man until He wanted to show His power to forgive sins. When we are united in the faith of Christ, our sins can be forgiven by God. When we pray each day, rather than praying for our physical health, we should pray for the forgiveness of our sins and the sins of others.

When we battle against God we cannot benefit from His power. When God healed the Gergesene Demoniacs, the crowed was angry with God. Instead of thanking God, they fought against Him. God has the power to protect us even from demons, but only if we stop fighting against Him.

Last week the Church commemorated the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Christ promised the Holy Spirit would guide the Holy Apostles into all the truth. Christ appointed the Apostles to shepherd the Church to heaven. The Apostles ordained Bishops and throughout history, the Bishops of the Church have served as shepherd leading us to heaven. The only thing that gets in the way is that we need to follow. Only goats do whatever the want. Sheep follow the shepherd.