Meatfare Sunday
Homily of His Grace Bishop Maxim on Meatfare Sunday, Trebinje, 2025 (Loose translation)
I was asked to, in a few words, dear brothers and sisters, address you regarding today’s Gospel that was just read, which brings before us a truth, or an image, of the dread judgment, the last judgment.
After the repentance of the publican and the humility of the prodigal son, those wonderous themes which the Church presents before us at the very beginning of the Triodion, we are now faced with one of life’s dimensions which brings with it into our lives: light and truth. Or, announces that that light will enlighten all aspects of our life. Namely, the image which was just presented to us, heard in the reading, that is, we saw an image of the dread judgment. It presents us with an unordinary and shocking truth that is uncomfortable for our comfortable habits and way of thinking. As we all know on the historical path, but also the personal and mental plan, truth and falsehood are intertwined to such an extent that it’s not easy to differentiate them. It’s not easy to distinguish a deception from that which truly is. This lasts as long as history lasts, dear brothers and sisters. We often see from all levels of social life, people claim to tell the truth but we’re not completely convinced if that which they say is true, is in fact true. The great creators and minds and artists would often show good and evil were intertwined. We have today guests, our brother hierarchs from Russia. Their great representatives like Dostoevsky in literature and Andre Tarkovsky in film, also portrayed how much we, in fact, do not know what our true intention and desire is. In his novel Dostoevsky shows this, but also in his life – it is not known until he comes to the moment of truth. Or in the films of the great Andre where often our desires are portrayed as something which is opposite of what we actually think. So that that which is in the depth of our soul outweighs that which we show in appearance.
And the dreadful judgment brings an end and puts a period to that sort of uncertainty in life and shows us a light which reveals the truth. And that truth, dear brothers and sisters, is not always pleasant. However, today’s gospel brings us hope telling us that truth is not always truth that brings justice, but that it is colored in love and fulfilled in love.
That which we wish to especially note, in today’s short word is important for us in understanding dreadful judgment. It is the truth that no one judges expect Christ Himself. In the Gospel it is said that the Father gave the Son because He is the Son of man. That mystery of the person of Christ who identifies with us justifies that decree of God that Christ be the judge. And now He shows that in the dimension of justice, judgement, but also in the dimension of mercy. If you remember the famous icon from the beginning of the sixth century, the Sinai icon of Christ, you certainly noticed how his face shows two expressions. One more strict and the other more merciful. That mystery of judgment which Christ introduces, that polarity in His Person joins together judgment and mercy. But the most important is that that judgment comes from someone who has completely identified Himself with us. Because He is the incarnated love of God the Father. As such, with His all-encompassing presence in our existence He has that right to be the judge.
However, the Gospel points to a problem. While we try to grasp this mystery of His judgment, thinking that we will be justified if we have good deeds. Then maybe we’ll even make list of all of our merits and good deeds. But He comes to tell us that that, in fact, is not the path. Today’s Gospel shows us that we will not be judged not so much according to what we did, but according to that which we didn’t do. And that is a surprise for us. We didn’t expect that, we thought we were to fulfill the commandments, that in that way we receive a record of our good deeds. Now they are asking Christ, surprised from both the right and left side, that they did or didn’t fulfill His commandments. And then He says, If you did it – or, if you didn’t – do it these the least of my brethren, the young, youth who remain hungry and thirsty. Hungry and thirsty not only of food and drink, but hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Inasmuch as you visited them, or if you didn’t go out to meet and visit them on the streets of the city, then you didn’t visit Me or do it to Me.
This does not mean, dear brothers and sisters, that we’re called to some social activism. On the contrary, the Gospel calls us and invites to manifest acts of charity which spring forth from the depth of our being – love for the least ones and those hated. This day and feast and image of the dread judgment, even if it is shocking and unpleasant is also an invitation for us to awareness. That we understand that fallen nature is all around us and we cannot know, we can’t know what is and what is not, until the light of truth comes. But for us the great hope is that truth is also joined with love, that this day might stimulate us to acts of love towards our neighbors, towards the least of these, that it manifest in our deeds and acts of love.
May God bless you.