We need to fill our lives and deeds with the Word of God, because it will make us successful. It is important to believe in God and then we will be “fruitful” with good works.
Moreover, it is worth teaching this to others (to show an example), because it is the best “fruit” that a person can bear. The Head and Father of the UGCC stressed this in his homily to the faithful at the Church of St. Josaphat (Sviatoshyno) in Kyiv on Sunday, October 20, 2019.
“The Word of God always presents us with the Most High as the God of fruitfulness. Because Heavenly Father is the fountain of life, He also makes fruitful every creature. And this means that He gives it the opportunity to grow, develop, ripen and then bear fruit,” said the Primate. “Man works, but God bears fruit, and the power that fertilizes man and his efforts is the Word of God. After all, the Word of God is not just some good idea or information, but above all a creative force.”
The Head of the UGCC also told us what we should do to ensure that our efforts bear fruit. “Each of us hears the Word of God, but we also have the mission to embody it in our lives. For in the modern world the wisdom of man and the achievements of his work are not enough. We sometimes see it ourselves: we work so much, but it brings no fruit; we want the best, and it turns out as usual. Often we launch into our lives “empty nets,” without the Word of God. For everything that the Christian does, namely, the way he lives, must be a means of bringing the power of the Word of God into this world. Now the world does not believe in words, but can believe in the manifestation of a fruitful and active Word of God,” said His Beatitude.
According to him, God’s grace helps us in our activities and accompanies us in life. “Often, Christians really put their hands down and say that it is now unrealistic to live according to God’s commandments. Instead, the Word of God speaks to us: ‘Fill your actions with the power of God and you will see the fruit. But glory will belong not to you, but to God alone.’ Therefore, Jesus Christ says, ‘Let your actions shine among men, that they, when they see your good works, glorify God,'” stressed the spiritual leader of the Greek Catholics.
Department of Information of the UGCC