Chapter 21

How the Church Cares for Her Sheep and Lambs

I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring; and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. One shall say, I am the Lord’s, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord. (Isaiah 44:3, 4, 5)

WE often hear the Church spoken of as our Mother. I will now explain to you in what way and for what reason the Church truly is our Mother. All of us Christians have two births: one is according to the flesh, of nature; the other is spiritual, when a person receives the Grace of God, and through baptism becomes a member of the Church. Therefore, the Church, by right of spiritual birth, becomes our Mother; then, again, she is entitled to that right by the religious instructions which she offers to us; she also enjoys the full right of motherhood, by virtue of the care she has for us, and of the Providence with which she is gifted for our salvation.

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:15, 16) With these words, the Prophet of old comforted the people, who bitterly complained of their condition, as they needed the Grace of God, and waited the Saviour, who was to give it to them. And now, thanks to that love of God, which we cannot describe with our human tongues, we live in the good age of opportunities; the Grace of God has touched us; yea, the Son of God walks in the midst of men.

Yet the Grace of God is not like the air, which is poured out alike for all nature and all mankind; the merits of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross are not appropriated to men against their will. The virtue of our Lord’s glorification does not sanctify every one of us alike; His Apostle says: There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:41-42).

Jesus, who gave Himself as a price for to redeem man from the Devil, from the sufferings of sins, from spiritual and therefore eternal death, He, our Saviour, demands, that we be faithful followers of His word, in order to retain the new life while we yet walk in the dangerous path of this material world, while we yet may fall a prey to the changes of time. Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, will, at the last terrible Judgment Day, exact of us who call ourselves Christians an account as to how we have fulfilled His commandments. I will build my Church, He said; and we who have the privilege of being members of His organization, must be obedient and keep within the bounds, for He has fixed a limit, as well as He has beautifully reared the whole of parts. He, the anxious shepherd of His flock, has also said: If thy brother neglect to hear the Church, let him be to thee as an heathen man and a publican (Matthew 18:17). Likewise, the faithful servant of Jesus Christ, St. Paul, who jealously guarded the purity and wholesomeness of the Church, has said: For there are unruly ones, vain talkers and deceivers, whose mouths must be stopped; who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake (Titus 1:10, 11).

Now, I think, the object of to-day’s lesson can be explained more clearly for you; i.e. that the Church is our Mother, and that we ought, with stronger faith, give up ourselves to her care, earnestly studying her services and law, and the measures of discipline by which she seeks to benefit all of us in this earthly life, as well as to prepare us for our everlasting home. Time and again you have been told from this holy altar how the Holy Church, our Mother, besides giving spiritual birth to her children, and confirming them in moral strength by the Holy Ghost, then feeding them with the body and blood of the Lamb of God; how, besides this, she guides them in all those things which are necessary in every-day home-life, and likewise for the prosperity of sober and honorable citizens.

The true Christian asks the Church to extend her blessings over his fields, his cattle, his vineyard, his fishing-boat, and over the material and place where he intends to build a home or a house of business, that he may be reminded that Christian laws are to rule the establishment where a Christian earns his living; likewise his sleeping and cooking apartments. Parents ask the Church to invoke God’s blessing over the heads of their young children who are just commencing their school-days; and public thanks are offered up when young people have successfully graduated. When the inhabitants of a province or state celebrate the anniversary of some noble patriot, or when, in general, Christians commemorate the virtues of a holy man, a hero of the Cross, their holiday (feasting and innocent merry-making) is crowned with the prayer and blessing of the Church of which the saint himself is still an active member! The sick are brought before the altar where the Church of Jesus Christ assembles; prayers are asked for those who are making voyages by sea or land, and the poor are remembered. Commending ourselves, and one another, the beatings of many hearts are heard in the one voice of our Mother, the Church, when she offers her prayers, together with the saints, for the weak members of the body who are given to sinful passions, and for those who, by their sacrilegious stubbornness, have fallen from the Grace of God.

Yes, the Church is the only school where man may learn how to grow to the full measure of true manhood, unto the measure of the growth of Christ. Should we not then give more attention to the little children in our congregation? Ah, yes! This is an obligation required of all Christians. The Church is particularly anxious concerning the welfare of children. The responsibility of parents for their children is very great. They are, in fact, the earthly guardians in custody of the children of Almighty God, their Heavenly Father. Teach the little ones. Yet before their minds are capable of retaining impressions — speak to their hearts, mould them to the form of the beautiful and holy. Make over them the sign of the life-giving Cross. Teach them to distinguish from other pictures a painting of our good Lord, or His Holy Mother, and some Biblical sketch. At first, the child may not know, but it can easily be made to feel that God always sees it, when it is naughty, etc. While He was on earth, working out for us our salvation, the Son of God said: Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of God, (Luke 18:16) Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in Heaven. The teaching of the Gospel plainly tells us that the children of the Select have their angels in heaven, which — as their representatives — can rejoice on their account, as well as they can become offended for any wrong done to them. When it becomes possible for you to teach your little children to pray together with the angels, then you will experience a better change in the moral and spiritual condition of your family.

Ah, yes! Parents are ever anxious over their children! They give much of their strength, of their time, and of their money in order to make of their children mechanics, merchants, laborers, artists. Some — but not many — add to this their patriotic zeal, so as to give to their country good citizens. This is necessary, and very good. But do we not also see around us great abuse in the education and bringing up of children? We now and then see children, dressed in fine and soft clothing, who do not know how to greet a friend, or who have no consideration whatever for an old person.

Yes, luxury has harmed many a son and cursed the life of many a daughter. If you are Christians, then give your children, above all, a Christian education. Many books and papers are now printed which sell for little money. Do not allow them to select their own reading. The food for their minds must be given with great discrimination, else they develop passions, false characters, and, with their poisoned minds, create disturbances in society. Does it not make you feel happy when any one praises you, or your children, and exclaims, “What a clever person! What a beautiful person!” This happiness is not enough for the Church. She strives to give us a higher name; she strives to instruct her children so, that when each one of them is looked upon, one who cannot read will be able to read in their faces and actions their holy name: A man of God, a noble Christian woman! And those which do not shine with the light of God’s life within them are not Christians at heart.

“Ah! I do not think,” says St. John Chrysostom, “that there are many among the priests which will be saved. I think, rather, there are many more among them which will be condemned!” Therefore, the holy Church, which is also anxious for her ministers, requires the aid of parents in giving their children a wholesome Christian education. Especially the sponsors—i.e. the godfather and godmother—are responsible for the moral and religious welfare of their children according to the Spirit. Living together in the Church of God, with all the opportunities before us to-day, let us hope that the words of the holy prophet will be fulfilled for us also: