YOU ARE...
The Light of a Christian cannot escape notice
From a homily on the Acts of the Apostles
by Saint John
Chrysostom, bishop
There is nothing colder
than a Christian
who does not seek
to save others.
You cannot plead poverty here; the widow putting in her two
small coins will be your accuser. Peter
said, Silver and gold I have not. Paul was so poor that he was often hungry and
went without necessary food.
You cannot plead humble birth, for they were humbly born, of
humble stock. You cannot offer the
excuse of lack of education, for they were uneducated. You cannot plead ill-health, for Timothy also
had poor health, with frequent illnesses.
Each one can help his neighbor if only he is willing to do
what is in his power. Look at the trees
that do not bear fruit: have you not noticed how strong and fine they are,
upstanding, smooth and tall? If we had a
garden, we would much prefer trees with fruit—pomegranates and olives—to trees
that are for pleasure, not for utility, and any utility have is small.
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Such are those men who think only of their own
concerns. In fact, they are even worse:
the trees are at least useful for building or for protection, whereas the
selfish fit only for punishment. Such
were those foolish virgins who were chaste, comely and self-controlled, but did
nothing for anyone. So they are consumed
in the fire. Such are those men who
refuse to give Christ food.
Notice that none of them
is accused of personal sins.
They are not accused of committing
fornication
or perjury or any such sin at all:
only of not helping anybody
else.
The man who buried the talent was
like this.
His life was blameless, but
he was of no service to others.
How can such a person be a Christian? Tell me, if yeast did not make the whole mass
like itself, is it really yeast? Again, if perfume failed to pervade all
around it with its fragrance, would we call it perfume?
Do not say: it is impossible for me to influence
others. If you are a Christian, it is
impossible for this not to happen.
Things found in nature cannot be denied; so here, for it is a question
of the nature of the Christian.
Do not insult God. If
you say that the sun cannot shine, you have insulted him. If you say that a Christian cannot help
others, you have insulted God and called him a liar. It is easier for the sun not to give warmth
or shine than for a Christian not to shed his light. It is easier for light to be darkness than
for this to happen.
Do not say then that it is impossible. The opposite is impossible. Do not insult God. If we have put our affairs in order, these
things will certainly come to be, and will follow as a natural consequence.
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The light of a Christian cannot escape
notice. So bright a lamp cannot be hidden.
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