Each of us, dear brothers and sisters, will face the moment when we must appear before God! Unfortunately, not all of us are preparing for this, and not all of us are humbling ourselves, because death is not a natural process of human life’s conclusion; it is the consequence of the Fall, and people try in every way to avoid death.

Sin brought suffering, sickness into human life; sin brought misunderstanding; sin brought disobedience; sin brought death into human life. But the Lord, in His Resurrection, gives us hope for eternal life, for death no longer has power over us. Today, death is no longer frightening for us, because the Lord has opened the gates of paradise, and together with the wise thief who confessed Him as the Son of God and Savior of the world, as well as with all the righteous, He awaits us there.

And every person who lives piously, who fulfills God’s commandments, who walks in them, through tears of repentance, passes in the sleep of death into the quiet harbor of the Kingdom of Heaven, where they live in joy and eternal bliss! If we constantly strive to meet God, the Lord will certainly resurrect our soul, just as happened with the son of the widow from Nain.

On this Sunday, we commemorate Venerable Sergius the Obedient, who rests in the Near Caves. The very word “obedient” speaks of his entire struggle, for he was obedient not only to God but also to the abbot, his brethren, and all who came to him. That is why the Lord rewarded him with many rich gifts.

Even to this day, the venerable saint intercedes for everyone who approaches his healing relics with prayer and request: he heals human souls burdened by sin, cures illnesses, drives away the enemy of humankind — the devil, and grants everything necessary to those who ask. The main thing is that we come to him with deep faith, repentance, mercy, and trust in God’s mercy, knowing that the Lord can, through this holy one, fulfill all our requests.

May the Lord, dear brothers and sisters, touch our deadened hearts, so that they may be resurrected and glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and all His saints. And may the Lord help us to walk our earthly path and attain eternal salvation and eternal blessings in the Kingdom of Heaven!