Homily by Protodeacon Edward Kostraby on the Cheese Fare Sunday

This Sunday’s gospel is the last in a series of such Sunday readings (Meat Fare, Prodigal son, Pharisee and Publican) that pre-prepare us for Lent or the Great Fast, starting Monday — 03/03/2025. Today as tradition has it, we are asked to abstain from eggs, milk, butter & cheese — in general diary products and then to follow other reductions of food ie. meat. As Lent progresses (our catechism: Christ Our Pascha explains more on Lent and its connection to our daily lives) fasting should become a way to recognise that we have many desires, that this time of the year becomes a unique journey, a yearly pilgrimage to reflect on our actions and life direction, recognsing our nature, to also forgive ourselves and then extending this to others so that any division, aggression, hatred between people can be reduced and ask for divine help. To forgive is to put between me and my “enemy” the radiant forgiveness of God Himself. To forgive is to reject the hopeless “dead-ends” of human relations and to refer them to Christ. Forgiveness is truly a “breakthrough” of the Kingdom into this fallen world.

Jesus is about liberating people to have life in him, fasting can be a beginning of shedding our desires and becoming more open to not possessing huge wealth and forgiving ourselves for what we have become and applying forgiveness in our daily dealings — a Christian virtue and a Christlike attitude mindful of the gospel passage the father who sees all will reward you… your treasure and your heart should not be primarily focused on earth, but importantly in spiritual matters.

Humans in general are insecure and preoccupied with now and the future, looking towards guaranteeing security and to amass wealth (this will depend on each need) not necessarily in vast quantities, but at least to ensure a certain degree of comfort.

Jesus asks us to do good things with good intentions, about having a particular attitude to all the good things of life, where all that one does depends on an understanding of God, which when truly taken up will result in a liberty and absence of worry.

For Jesus, to have treasure on earth can become all consuming and absorbing for people ie. do I have enough in my super account to have a comfortable life? When will I sell the current house or property and move to a better one or better quality suburb and so this thinking continues, striving and committing ones energies.

Total reliance on “treasures on earth” is an illusion, since such security can only be quaranteed up to a certain level. It can lead to be trapped to this way of life. The message of the gospel is “treasure in heaven” stressing the interior and spiritual nature of a person is equally important and just like spending time to get wealthy, we should also devote time and effort with God. This treasure will last forever going beyond our physical death.

This then comes back to the question of one’s heart, the inner core of a person which generates attitudes and behaviours — if what one treasures above all is material wealth and security that it certainly provides, it is a sure sign that one’s heart, mind and direction in life are set and most likely has no place for the gospel story messages.

A good reminder to us about wealth is the first commandment: you shall have no other gods before me — everything that we have in our lives should be secondary to God, even our most basic needs, it is not that these things are not unimportant, they are, but that humans are more than temporal or earthly beings. That increasing and maintaining wealth comes at the cost of much less to others. Consumerism is our need to have more and becomes a frenzy of spending during times like Christmas, Fathers and Mothers day and other occasions or just that I deserve this for the hard work I’ve done.

The church has always been intended to be a place in which like minded people find community, find forgiveness and not be judged but to go out into the world and be available to all. Forgiveness is a constant theme in the gospels such as:

● return and forgiveness in the prodigal son

● Lord’s prayer — the Our Father

● that church members should forgive each other “seventy times seven times” a number that symbolizes boundlessness

● when dying on the cross — forgive them for they do not know what they have done

● turn the other cheek if someone does something wrong to you, basically don’t strike back as it will most likely lead to all sorts of violence

● Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery

Jesus’ countless miracles are about forgiveness and restoring people to a wholesome life. In none of these, does Jesus punish or scold, there are no conditions, except unconditional forgiveness, which leads to relief, joy, gratitude and love.

The Bible has plenty to say about forgiveness. Where the Old Testament focuses mainly on God’s forgiveness of individuals or groups, the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament is how individuals can and should forgive each other. The power to forgive awakens deep psychosomatic conditions and Jesus did this by simple gestures, words and by being among others without dominating and just like so often He showed unconditional forgiveness which brings joy, relief and gratitude to embrace living.

The gospels stand as a constant reminder of an alternative way of living, placing Jesus and his ways as a life journey, also knowing that that the journey is never easy and we constantly fail as people, but also knowing that if we try and keep trying and are genuine, that forgiveness is always there for us. Jesus is always ready to forgive but this forgiveness is often blocked if we do not extend this to others and in our relationships with others as there is no genuine repentance, no reconciliation with God, unless we are at the same time reconciled with one another.

Praised be Jesus Christ.

See also

November 30 Homily by Protodeacon Edward Kostraby on the Twenty-eighth Sunday after Pentecost March 23 Homily by Protodeacon Edward Kostraby on Palm Sunday