From the Head of the UGCC: The occupier looks at us with the dark eye of Mammon, which our Kobzar wrote about back then

Sunday, 03 July 2022, 22:31

When a person is judged by what she can give, then such an eye is a dark eye, a greedy eye. Our Kobzar describes such a lustful eye by saying: “And that casts greedy eyes, over all the globe, to find somewhere, a land not yet enslaved, which he could conquer and then bear, with him into the grave.” This was said by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav in his homily to the faithful on the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

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“This is the eye of the invader who is coming to our land today and looking at all of us only in terms of what can be taken from us, enslaving and robbing us of everything we are,” adds the Head of the Church.

According to the preacher, in today's Gospel, Jesus Christ reveals us the truth about God's providence, which is God's paternal care about his creation, his human.

Moreover, says the Primate, the Lord says that in order to properly take care of ourselves, we must learn from God.

“And the best prudence, - the spiritual leader convinces, - with which a person can take care of herself, her relatives and loved ones, is faith in God's providence. Because this faith changes a person's attitude even to the means of existence that a person has in this world.” Therefore, no wonder that today the Lord speaks of two masters. He says: no one can serve two masters - God and money. What does it mean? Christ emphasizes that there is a striking difference between the two masters.

“When someone serves Mammon, His Beatitude Sviatoslav explains, he serves his own needs. He consciously understands that no one will help him take care of himself. Thus, one who serves mammon has a very specific eye. He views the world with an eye that sees only what can be taken. Evaluates the dignity of other people by how much they can be used. From various mass media we often hear that in today's world a person is worth exactly as much as she gives. What she gives for her society and her state. A person is judged by what she can give, and therefore such an eye becomes a dark eye, a greedy eye.”

“This is what it means to serve mammon. Because this god takes away from a person her freedom, and inspires fear of tomorrow and says: take today, because tomorrow may not come,” the preacher added.

Instead, the one who believes in God's providence has a completely different eye, a bright one, says the Gospel.

Why?

“He looks at everyone around from the perspective of what can be given to them. What can be done to make this world a better place?! This is an icon of God's eye, which looks at us, seeing our problems and difficulties precisely in order to help us in our needs. The one who serves God is not afraid of tomorrow, because he knows that God who today with His merciful eye allows us to live, exist, have the opportunity to even help our neighbor, will allow us to do the same tomorrow. Therefore, that eye is clear, bright. This is the eye of the sower,” said the Head of the Church.

Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky used to say that “giving alms is about sowing.”

“Therefore, the one who gives alms does not lose, but gains. To seek the Kingdom of God and its justice means to sow God's light and goodness around you, to be able to share even the last you have. Consequently, the eye, the look of such a person will always be constructive, positive, and clear,” assured His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

“I think, - added the Archbishop, - each of you, especially during these dramatic months of the war, felt that everything that we have given to our neighbor in some way come back to us.”

The UGCC Department for Information