My beloved brethren, we are living in a century that is characterised by waste of food and irrational spending, on drinks, on food, on clothes, on furniture, travels, on anything. We spend exorbitant amounts of money. Economists have named our society “a consumerist society”. The doctrine of consumerism is: the more you spend, the higher the level of living! And even the things that we truly need are fewer and fewer, many other unnecessary things have become indispensable through aggressive commercials. Socrates said once “the fewer needs does a man have the closer he gets to God.” Because God is autarkical (independent), He does not need anything else. This is the reason why the Holy Apostle Paul said about food and belly that “God shall destroy both it and them” (1 Corinthians 6:13)

Developed countries spend a lot, and those that do not spent are considered underdeveloped. But the consequence is that of the incapacity of paying the debts, while humble countries have progressed. Take for instance the Japanese people. America defeated them through the atomic bomb but they are now defeating America through wisdom and diligence. Because one American eats as much as five Japanese. O, Apostle Paul, wise words you have spoken.

(Translation from: Ne vorbeşte Părintele Augustin, Mitropolitul de 104 ani - Predici ale Mitropolitului de Florina, Părintele Augustin Kandiotis, vol. XIII, Traducere Valeriu Paloş, Editura Metamorfosi, 2013, p. 60)