The Divine Liturgy was performed today by Bishop Maximos of Melitini in the Metropolitan Church of Saint Stephen in Paris in compliance with the COVID-19 restrictive measures and with the participation of few faithful.
In his sermon, the Bishop underlined: “The rich of today’s pericope who refused the invitation of the Lord resemble the spiritually rich and worldly powerful of our time. And we see that everyone finally found an excuse to turn down this invitation. They preferred to satisfy their selfishness and meet their personal needs rather than accept the call. How similar they are today to those who boast about their virtues, their religiosity, their purity of heart, and easily justify and criticize others to project their ego. They are referred to by Pharisaic hypocrisy in their fasts, prayers, and superficial charities, and are presented as God’s chosen ones and judges of the universe. But, dear Christians, these will not sit at the table hosted by the Lord. Those who will finally taste the fruits of paradise are the poor in spirit, the persecuted, the marginalized, those who all criticized and no one believed that they would receive the mercy of God! “For many are called but few are chosen,” that was the phrase we heard today in the Gospel.
We see that many were invited and eventually a few humble and insignificant ones sat down to banquet, and the others, who all thought they would enjoy the goods of the banquet, were left out. The chosen ones of this world, the mighty and hypocrites and the Pharisees will not be justified before God. Those who are glorified here will be humbled before God and those who are wronged and live with simplicity and humility will be justified before the terrible step of Christ. The infallible judgment of God will invite to the great supper of the kingdom of heaven all who are unworthy to turn our gaze.
Dear Christians, to seek what is not seen and to abhor what impresses us. Do not be deceived by what we see and do not judge easily. Does not the devil appear as good and holy just to impress us? Let our spiritual judgment not be blurred and not to be disoriented. This will keep us away from the Lord’s banquet. The invitation is addressed to all of us, but have we accepted it?” stressed Bishop Maximos of Melitini.