2nd Sunday of Luke
October 4

“A 10 year old boy who went into an Ice Cream shop some years ago climbed on to a stool at the counter and asked: ‘How much is an ice cream sundae?’
‘Three fifty,’ the waitress replied.
The boy reached into his pockets, pulled out a handful of change, and began counting. The waitress frowned impatiently. The others in line were waiting. The boy squinted up at the waitress. ‘How much is a dish of plain ice cream?’ he asked.
The waitress sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘Three dollars,’ she said with a note of irritation.
Again, the boy counted his coins. At last, he said, ‘I'll have the plain ice cream, please.’
The waitress took the coins, brought the ice cream, and walked away. About ten minutes later, as she was cleaning the counter she noticed the boy was gone. She picked up the empty dish - then swallowed hard. There on the counter, next to the wet spot where the dish had been, was fifty cents. The boy did have enough money for a sundae, but he had ordered plain ice cream - so he could leave a tip!”
It was a simple act of kindness on his part. Kindness. Gracing someone's life with good. Just because!
There is a familiar story about a young, newly wed couple who described the unexpected kindness shown to them at their wedding. The bride said: “My mom and Mary had been friends for years. So we invited her family to the wedding. We were thrilled when they came but a bit surprised when Mary’s son brought along a few of his friends but it was no big deal, after all, he was like family. Besides, we were all having a great time. People having fun, eating and drinking. “Yes,” said the groom, “maybe drinking too much.” “Yes, soon the wine was gone, and the waiters were nervous because the people still wanted to party.”
The young bride slid to the front of her seat. “I didn’t even know about the problem until it was solved. No one told me. Someone told Mary’s son, though, and he took care of it. He made so much wine, we have enough for long after; and it tasted SO good!”
“He didn’t need to do it. There are many sick people in town that could have received his attention. There are people much poorer than us. “But he was here - and he saved us from looking like poor hosts. He saved our wedding. He saved our memories. How kind!”
Kindness - Jesus’ kindness in His very first recorded miracle, turning water into wine for this young couple in the village of Cana in Galilee. Kindness - also shown by Jesus to a short person with a tall bank account, yet bankrupt in friendship. Jesus called Zacchaeus out of tree and insists on doing lunch. But not just at some restaurant. He wants to go to Zachaeus’ home. Unbelievably kind, don’t you think?
Or the middle-aged woman with the gray-streaked hair. Face wrinkled from years of pain. Twelve years she said. She had run out of money, out of doctors and out of hope. Everyone had avoided her for fear of catching whatever was draining her of health, till Jesus came to town. On His way to treating the daughter of an influential man, who was dying - on His way to that - surrounded by a huge crowd she got behind Jesus and touched Him. She could feel the immediate change. She knew she was better. So did Jesus and He stopped. He stopped - and talked with her! Influential people were waiting. A young girl was dying.
Time is ticking and Jesus stops to talk with a social nobody. He uses an endearing term to address her - “Daughter.” “Daughter” He says, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” It is a tender word He never used for anyone else. Just her; Her without a name. How kind!
We often think of the power of Jesus, the passion of Jesus, the devotion of Jesus. Here we see His kindness. In the Book of Psalms we read: “O Lord, your loving kindness is better than life.” (Psalm 63:3)
You know, kindness is often confused for Christianity. I heard someone speak about his mother. "She was the kindest person I ever knew. She was ready to share with everyone, and assist anyone in need, a real Christian."
Of course, being kind does not make me a Christian. By accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, accepting Holy Baptism and Holy Chrismation and participating in the life of the Church do that.
Being an Orthodox Christian does not, unfortunately, make one kind. Let's take a moment to examine kindness from God's point of view. How does He practice kindness? In Matthew 5:45 Jesus is recorded as saying, "Your father in heaven causes the sun to rise on the good and the evil, and sends rain on the just and the unjust..." In today’s reading of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke we have the same teaching. Jesus said, "God is kind to the unthankful and evil."
In spite of what people deserve, in spite of how people respond, God continues to shower His goodness, big and small, on humanity making our lives more manageable and even enjoyable. Including YOU AN ME! God’s kindness, extending to us the good things of life and doing it irrespective of how we recipients respond; whether we deserve it or not. Shown to us again and again.
Think of a way or two in which God has been kind to you this week? Think about it! Here is what Holy Scripture says: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:32) “Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return…” Then, says Jesus, “ your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil." (Luke 6.35)
Season the lives of all we meet with kindness. Why? Because Jesus Himself has so seasoned our lives. I am not trying to lay any guilt trip on us. That is not what our Orthodox Christian life is about. What it IS about is giving away what has first been given as a gift to us. What we receive we can then also share. Kindness shown to us becomes kindness we can show to others. There is something else, however. Strange though it may seem, as we give it away and the more we give it away the better we will feel, the stronger we will become in faith.
“Give, and it will be given to you” says the Lord (Luke 6:38). St. Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 13, paints a portrait of love. He wrote: “Love suffer long and is kind…” Love is kind.
St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians: “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies and kindness…” (3:12) Here is the invitation for us to complete the circle of kindness which first was shown to us. We are invited to complete love by giving it away. The Fathers of the Church have taught us: “When love ceases to be generous, it is no longer love.” Love is given to us and then we pass that love along to another person. Here is the mystery of it - when we do that, we are actually passing the love back to Jesus. Jesus faces us in the eyes of the one to whom we extend love through kindness.
Kindness, in the kingdom of God, works exactly the same way. Do not be naive about it, though. Showing kindness is not always easy. It can be risky. It makes us vulnerable. People may spread rumors about us. They may take advantage of us. Showing kindness can get us dirty. Showing kindness can even hurt. Just ask our Savior as He stretched His hands out on the Cross.
Sometimes being kind means being tough. Do not confuse kindness with a cheap sentimentality, a wimpy sort of giving in to whatever whims and desires another person wants. The wife faces a spouse with one colossal hangover from his night out with the boys; he begs her to call work and say he is sick with "the flu or something." Should she do that out of kindness?
The teenage girl faces the constant pleadings of her boyfriend, often romantically phrased and tenderly spoken, to show just HOW MUCH she loves him; to allow him to share himself completely with her; or whatever tired line he uses to try and score. Does kindness demand her cooperation? In each case, and I am sure you can supply more; the answer is "NO!" For Christian kindness seeks what is honestly a good result, a healthy result, a positive result, a life-enriching result. An act that prevents a person from confronting the true damage that is occurring as a result of their alcoholism is not kindness. An act that results in a pregnant teenage girl and a young boy who is encouraged in promiscuity is NOT kindness. It is not kindness to give a drug addict $20.
Kindness is helping a person experience something positive in life. Sometimes that will show in quiet, tender ways; like a kid leaving a small tip out of hard earned allowance. Sometimes in strong ways, like sitting beside someone that others are ready to shove out the door, or making a donation when you are counting your own pennies. Sometimes in challenging ways when we have to block damaging behavior.
When these things are done as our personal response to the kindnesses shown in our life by Jesus Christ and by God our heavenly Father, when they are done as a thank you - consciously or unconsciously - to Him, they do not go unnoticed. Jesus said "And whoever give one of these little ones only cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward" (Mat 10:42).
So God’s invitation comes to us - to tame tempers which so easily flare and hurt; to check selfish streaks; to overcome fears of being taken for a ride; to close distances between ourselves and others; to deliberately stop from the busyness of life; to step across the awkward moments. It is an invitation that brings us to our knees in prayers, asking the Holy Spirit to reorder our priorities, to warm our hearts towards others, to pull us off the road of pride, to lay out a welcome mat and extend a helping hand; to speak a word of encouragement; to give to someone in need; to lend to a neighbor; to telephone or write to one who is in sorrow; to visit the sick or the aged; to befriend a lonely person; to lend a hand to a harassed friend. It is God’s love, His kindness growing through us. Amen!



Hierotheos, Bishop of Athens
October 4

According to some, Hierotheus, like Saint Dionysius, was a member of the court of Mars Hill. Having first been instructed in the Faith of Christ by Paul, he became Bishop of Athens. He, in turn, initiated the divine Dionysius more perfectly into the mysteries of Christ; the latter, on his part, elaborated more clearly and distinctly Hierotheus' concise and summary teachings concerning the Faith. He too was brought miraculously by the power of the Holy Spirit to be present at the Dormition of the Theotokos, when, together with the sacred Apostles, he became a leader of the divine hymnody. "He was wholly transported, wholly outside himself and was so deeply absorbed in communion with the sacred things he celebrated in hymnology, that to all who heard him and saw him and knew him, and yet knew him not, he seemed to be inspired of God, a divine hymnographer," as Dionysius says (On the Divine Names, 3:2). Having lived in a manner pleasing to God, he reposed in the Lord.

Reading Courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery

Icon Courtesy of St. Isaac Skete