The
Sunday of the Last Judgment (also called Meatfare
Sunday) is the third Sunday of the Triodion.
On this day we commemorate the inescapable second
coming of Christ, ordained by the most divine Fathers to be observed after the
second parable of the Prodigal, so that no one who has learned of the love of
God for mankind from it will live in laziness saying, "God loves mankind, and
when I am separated from Him by sin, all is prepared for my restoration."
This fearsome day of judgment has been designated
for commemoration at this point in time, that through fear of death and the
expectation of future torment, those who live in laziness may be encouraged to
the virtues, not trusting only in the love of God, but also realizing that He is
the righteous Judge who will judge all men according to their deeds. In other
words those souls who have passed over are obliged to undergo judgment.
And this present feast is a type of symbol of
this in that it is presented now as a final celebration just as it will be the
last event after our death. For it behooves us to contemplate that as the
beginning of the world and Adam's fall from Paradise are commemorated on the
following Sunday, so this day is the end of all days and of the world itself.
The commemoration is appointed for this day of
Meatfare, that in awe of this event we should limit our intake of earthly food,
not giving ourselves over to gluttony, and be encouraged to love our neighbor.
In other words, since we were banished from Eden, cursed and condemned through
eating of the fruit, so the present event has been ordained at this time, as
next Sunday we will be banished through Adam, until Christ comes again to raise
us up to Paradise.
It is called the second coming, since Christ
appeared to us at His first coming in the flesh and delivered the human race,
and He will come again to judge whether that which He commanded us has been
observed.
And when will this second coming occur? No one
knows; for although He mentioned several preceding signs, the Lord concealed it
from His Apostles. Before His coming the antichrist will appear. He will live
his life after the manner of Christ, performing miracles like those which Christ
performed, and raising the dead. Yet all that he does will be an illusion.
After this suddenly like lightning from heaven
the Lord will come, going before His holy Cross, and a river of boiling fire
will go before Him, cleansing the earth of its defilement. The antichrist will
be seized immediately along with his servants and will be committed to eternal
fire.
And when the angels sound the trumpets, all the
nations of mankind will gather from all places and from all the ends of the
earth in Jerusalem, for it is the center of the earth. And there the thrones
will be set for judgment. Then all souls will be reunited with their bodies and
clothed in incorruptible beauty, transformed into one likeness.
And with one word the Lord will separate the
righteous from the sinners. Those who have done good will receive eternal life,
and the sinners will be once more sent to eternal and everlasting torment.
Let it be noted that Christ will not ask who
fasted, or who was naked, or who performed miracles, for although these things
are good, mercy and compassion are far better. He will question both the
righteous and the sinners on six commandment-like virtues, of which everyone is
capable: "For I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat. I was thirsty, and ye gave me
drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me. I was
sick, and ye visited me. I was in prison, and ye came to me. Inasmuch as ye have
done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me." Then
all will confess the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory of God the Father.
Now the torments, according to the Holy Gospel
are weeping and the gnashing of teeth, where their worm dies not and the fire is
not quenched, and he shall be cast into outer darkness. For all the Church of
God will joyfully delight in attaining the Kingdom of Heaven, being close to God
in His holy place, and receiving everlasting glory and exaltation. But those who
are separated from God through wasting the life of their souls in laziness and
temporal nourishment will receive torment and darkness, and be eternally
deprived of the divine radiance.
In Thine ineffable love for mankind, O Christ our
God, make us worthy of Thy voice, which we long to hear, number us among those
at Thy right hand, and have mercy on us. Amen.
Source: Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
The Gospel Reading:
Matthew:
25:31-46
31When the Son of
man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit
upon the throne of his glory:
32And before him
shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33And he shall
set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the
King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35For I was an
hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye
clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the
righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?
or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we
thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we
thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King
shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done
it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41Then shall he
say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42For I was an
hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43I was a
stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in
prison, and ye visited me not.
44Then shall they
also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45Then shall he
answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of
the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46And these shall
go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
SUNDAY EPISTLE READING
The mischief of
offending weak brethren.
Eating one kind of food, and abstaining from another, have
nothing in them to recommend a person to God. But the
apostle cautions against putting a stumbling-block in the
way of the weak; lest they be made bold to eat what was
offered to the idol, not as common food, but as a sacrifice,
and thereby be guilty of idolatry. He who has the Spirit of
Christ in him, will love those whom Christ loved so as to
die for them. Injuries done to Christians, are done to
Christ; but most of all, the entangling them in guilt:
wounding their consciences, is wounding him. We should be
very tender of doing any thing that may occasion stumbling
to others, though it may be innocent in itself. And if we
must not endanger other men's souls, how much should we take
care not to destroy our own! Let Christians beware of
approaching the brink of evil, or the appearance of it,
though many do this in public matters, for which perhaps
they plead plausibly. Men cannot thus sin against their
brethren, without offending Christ, and endangering their
own souls.
The Epistle Reading:
1
Corinthians 8:8-13, 9:1-2
8But
meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the
better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
9But
take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a
stumblingblock to them that are weak.
10For
if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's
temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened
to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11And
through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ
died?
12But
when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak
conscience, ye sin against Christ.
13Wherefore,
if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the
world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
1Am I
am not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our
Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
2If I
be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the
seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
