When Christ said that “the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21) the word Kingdom referred to the Grace of the Holy Spirit. And where else, my brothers, will we experience this Grace of the Holy Spirit, if not in the temple of God? Every time we go to Church, to the Divine Liturgy, we have to go prepared. Whoever honors the Divine Liturgy, is honored by God. My brothers and sisters, Saint Seraphim of Sarov said that the real purpose of our life must be the act of obtaining and acquiring the Holy Spirit. You all know that the first day of the week is Sunday. On Sunday we gather in Church, or rather climb up to the heavens since each Church is a piece of heaven on earth, to meet God, and we all interact with angels and saints to see and live the things that apostle Paul told us “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). From Sunday to Sunday, the Divine Liturgy continues. We take Christ from Church through receiving Holy Communion. “With fear of God, faith and love draw near.” Through the sacrament of Holy Communion we receive Christ and take him with us on the road, and drive him from our church to our homes and to our workplace. Everywhere. And the Divine Liturgy continues with the Altar Table being our heart which is in the Holy Sanctuary that needs to be our body. So, our life must become an endless Divine Liturgy. And we are preparing to enter the splendor of the saints, and to experience it and to see not through « a mirror, dimly, but face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We are preparing to enter along with the spiritual beings, the Angels and the Archangels, the Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged and many-eyed soaring aloft upon their wings. All of us who carry deep within us the divine jewel our Lord Jesus Christ can participate in this heavenly experience. Currently, in my ears, I hear a heavenly melody resonating from my heart: “How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your Saints? If I dare to enter into the bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse my soul and save me, as You Are the one Who Loves mankind.” This is more or less how the Saints lived.
From the homily: “A Few Flowers from The garden of Saint John of Sinai” by Archimandrite Chrysostom, Abbot of the Holy Monastery Saint Nikodimos the Hagiorite located in Pentalofos Peonias at Kilkis Greece.
Sources: https://www.pemptousia.gr/2017/04/liga-louloudia-apo-ton-kipo-tou-ag-ioannou-tou-sina%E1%BF%93ti/ AND https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1968&v=0SCWq3ay9YI
Translated by Margarita Pipinos
