His Beatitude Onuphry explains what true enjoyment of life means
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: news.church.ua
The real enjoyment of life is when a person keeps himself within the framework of the Divine Law. This was said by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All the Ukraine in his Sunday sermon on January 17, 2021 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Holy Assumption Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The video of the sermon was published by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.
Telling about the life of the Savior before His Baptism in the Jordan, His Beatitude Onuphry exhorted the believers to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ and rightly enjoy life – not indulging human passions, but obeying the Commandments of God.
Today, he said, the world often teaches how to live and raise children, while preaching self-indulgence: "do whatever you want, buy whatever you want – enjoy life.
"The real enjoyment of life is when a person keeps himself within the framework of the Divine Law," he explained. “When one loves God, when one loves one’s parents, when one respects one’s parents, then it brings enjoyment. But the pleasure that only seems sweet on the tongue is not pleasure. Poison also tastes sweet on the tongue but causes death to a person.
The Archpastor emphasized that willfulness, promiscuity and indulgence of passions do not bring man real sweetness and joy but only bitterness and despair, and "in the end, if man does not repent, perdition."
"Therefore, we must love God and love one another. Children must respect their parents even when they think their parents are wrong. There are times when a child thinks that parents are old-fashioned, while he or she is modern. Youngsters tend to say they won’t live like their parents and won’t act as they are told, because now everything is different. But the things turn out as parents say. And even if it seems to the child that their parents are wrong, they have to humble themselves before their parents and listen to them. And even if the parents are not quite right, this obedience will yield a good fruit. Parents, in turn, must obey God, and then there will be real complete harmony," said His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.
We will remind, earlier the Primate of the UOC said that the one who professes the Truth is stronger than those professing lies.
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