Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity AD 2025

Church is the Body of Christ and the Communion of Saints. This means that the Church is holy. But since the members of the Church – all of us – are human beings wounded and weakened by sin, then, unfortunately, what is characteristic of our fallen nature becomes visible again and again also in the Church: all kinds of terrible vices like selfishness, greed for honor, considering oneself better than others and trying to take advantage of others.

The Church, as the Body of Christ and the Bride of the heavenly Bridegroom, is not sinful, for Christ has washed her clean in His blood, but we, her members, need ongoing repentance. As we do the works of repentance, we must know that we cannot sow to the flesh – for then we would reap corruption and death – but only to the Spirit, for then our inheritance will be life everlasting.

When we preach the gospel, we must think not of glory or profit, but only of the salvation of souls. Our aim must not be to make followers for ourselves, but to lead sinners to Christ, that they may find forgiveness and life. We must direct the eyes of all people to where our own eyes are directed: to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto us, and we unto the world.

This message is so important that the apostle Paul emphasizes: “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.” The point here is not that Paul had poor eyesight and therefore had to write in big letters, but that there is no greater message than the message of the cross of Christ.