The Fourth Sunday After Transfiguration

Sunday, August 2, 2026

“Your iniquities have been barries between you and your God, 

and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear”  (Isaiah 59:2)

The words of the prophet Isaiah may sound severe, yet they are filled with great love and a father's warning. God never desires to be separated from us, because He created us in His love and wants us to live in His presence. It is sin, however, that builds a wall between us and God—a wall that darkens the heart and weakens our faith.

Today, we often think that sin refers only to great crimes. Yet the Word of God teaches us that every evil thought, every lie, every act of injustice, envy, hatred, selfishness, and unwillingness to forgive also separates us from God. Sin always begins in the human heart, and if it is not healed through repentance, it gradually takes control of a person's entire life.

In our time, people have learned to justify their mistakes. The world often says, “Everyone lives this way,” or “It's not really a big deal.” But God's truth never changes. Whatever leads us away from love, truth, and righteousness always harms our souls.

Yet these prophetic words are not a message of condemnation, but an invitation to return. God does not desire that the sinner should perish, but that they should repent and live. Every time we sincerely repent, confess our sins, and return to God, that wall is torn down, and our hearts are once again filled with His peace.

Repentance is not simply feeling sorry for the mistakes of the past. It is choosing a new way of life. It means leaving behind everything that separates us from God and walking once again in His light. God is always ready to forgive, because His mercy is greater than all our failures.

Let us not become accustomed to living with sin, thinking that it does not harm us. Instead, let us examine our hearts each day and cleanse them through prayer, repentance, and acts of love. For when the wall of sin is removed from our hearts, the grace of God once again dwells freely within our lives.

Therefore, may the Lord grant us humble hearts, sincere repentance, and the courage to change our lives, so that nothing may ever separate us from His infinite fatherly love.

Deacon MIKAYEL MARGARYAN