His Beatitude: If wealth does not allow one to move upward, it must be renounced
The Primate of the UOC called on the faithful not to become slaves to material goods and to strive for the salvation of the soul.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy on the 12th Sunday after Pentecost celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the church in honor of Venerable Agapitus of the Caves at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and addressed the faithful with a homily on the Gospel account of the rich young man. This was reported by the Information and Educational Department of the UOC.
His Beatitude called on the faithful to abandon attachment to earthly goods for the sake of the salvation of the soul, because a believer must possess wealth and not serve it. The Archpastor explained that at certain stages of spiritual perfection, earthly possessions turn a person into their slave and pull him downward.
"There are such stages of spiritual perfection when wealth hinders the believer," said the Primate. — "It brings a person nothing but a burden. If a Christian does not set down this burden, he loses the ability to continue moving upward."
A Christian is obliged to have dominion over possessions and not to serve them as a slave. According to the Archpastor, attachment to material goods turns a person into a worshipper of the corruptible world and closes the path to spiritual perfection. Moreover, even a small amount of possessions harms the spirit when sinful attachment is present.
As an example, the Primate cited the venerable fathers of the Kyiv-Pechersk monastery. Many saints came from wealthy families but consciously renounced earthly possessions for the sake of the ascetic life in the caves and a virtuous life. The Archpastor emphasized the necessity of the proper distribution of goods, whereby a wealthy person gives his surplus to those in need.
"O God, I thank Thee for these gifts," His Beatitude quoted the prayer of the venerable one. — "But grant me also salvation. If Thou dost not grant me salvation, I have no need of these gifts. They will bring me no benefit whatsoever."
The Primate of the UOC also reminded the flock that the fulfillment of the commandments does not make the Lord a debtor to man, and that salvation is a separate gift. This great gift a Christian is obliged to ask for unceasingly in prayer.
As the SPJ reported, His Beatitude explained how to attain spiritual steadfastness.
