“…In the Church that can be fixed, but with difficulty, and has to pay a heavy price for being so careless was lost. Just don’t lose the love” – for love is so important forgiveness, who could not become a Saint, although he was sentenced to death for Christ, and what most expect from us Lord – thinks the Archimandrite Andrei (Konnos).
Photo: patriarchia.ru
- Archimandrite Andrew (Cananas): to Achieve good selfishness
- Archimandrite Andrew (Cananas): To be of God ought to be natural
- Archimandrite Andrew (Cananas): Passed through the suffering of the compassionate really
- Archimandrite Andrew (Cananas): fell in Love with the enemy – so soon to meet Christ
- Archimandrite Andrew (Cananas): Let’s take attack Paradise!
If we make love the main goal in life
Archimandrite Andrew (Konnos)
The Church wants us to learn to forgive, to love each other, live together. Otherwise is a Great post, is Easter, the summer comes, and know it – that Christmas, and what? What have we done, learned?
If you do not know how to love – so can’t do anything. Even I, the priest – I can do without love? To Serve The Liturgy? Formally to pronounce the Greek word, formally a priest?
As people realize that my soul has changed through a relationship with Christ? If I learn of love. Love is the pinnacle of virtues, and when you put it to your purpose, seek it, strive to make it its characteristic feature – you are getting close to it. The goal is love. And most importantly, that nothing broke. Problems in the family? No money? Nothing to worry about. The main thing – that has not disappeared love.
Love is something incredible. Love we want from the Church. This is difficult, because the logic of this world, the cares of this world say: “Why are you doing this? Observe their interests, leave a beautiful theory…” But that’s not the theory. Peace of mind – not a theory. Clear conscience – not a theory. Sleep without sedative pills is not a theory but a reality. The real state. When you sleep, your breathing is normal, smooth as a baby’s, which in the dream, breathing quietly because he did not know anxiety, placing reliance on the love of parents. This is not theory, but practice: a peaceful sleep with a peaceful smile on his lips.
Have you ever seen a sleeping baby? Here is what we want from God, that we loved Him and trusted Him as much and because of that love, forgiving others. The main thing – not to lose love, and everything else can be purchased again.
And the car (was stolen – you can buy new), and furniture (broke – fix), and Dom (decaying – update). The main thing to waxed not old love, because when it decays, it takes a lot of sweat, blood and tears to restore it. Because, as you say, the broken Cup is difficult to glue. It is possible – in the Church that can be fixed, but with difficulty, and has to pay a heavy price for being so careless was lost. The main thing – not to lose love. This is important.
And if we make love the main goal in life, we will see how God will bless us. We love all and to forgive all for the sake of Christ’s Resurrection. As sung at Easter: “the day of Resurrection, and prospetime celebration and each other’s embrace, and those who hate us, forgive everything for the Resurrection.” For the sake of the Resurrection, for the Lord, Who is alive and exists. If you’re going to love and forgive – you will see how the Lord will cover you. See what grace He’ll send and what wonders will he do.
Met a fallen woman and condemned her
In the life of elder Paisius was such cases. Somehow he began to look for the cause of one temptation. The elder seemed to be, the fact is that he is not fasting. He strengthened the post, but the temptation, instead of disappearing, became even more serious. The old man fasted, prayed (including at night), but felt that God does not hear his prayer is the soul can’t rest. The cause was clearly something else. And I know that elder paisios did? Sat down and began to think, to remember how he lived – not whether sinned.
Because often we look for the cause in one place, and find quite different. Very often. Instead of “to ripen in a root”, tormented, looking for the cause and not finding them. But if you look really, all you can learn. Here elder paisios and remember – you know what? When he lived in Konitsa, once met a woman in the city had a bad reputation. Met and condemned himself. That is, his soul rejected this sinful woman, he didn’t take it to heart. Even for a few minutes.
It was a long time ago elder paisios and forgot to think about that woman – but in that moment, love has disappeared from his heart. And when he remembered it – after sleepless nights of fasting and prayer, I realized what the cause of temptation. “I realized, – he told, – that in that moment estranged from love, fell out of its space. I repented, began to weep bitterly about this woman and said, “Lord, forgive me for what I condemned it myself, did not love her, did not, as You do to all of us – although we are all sinners. Forgive her, Lord, and cut! And forgive me, and teach me to love and forgive everyone, including this woman.” And when I had spoken these words, he told the old man something which had tormented me the temptation disappeared and I calmed down.”
Elder Paisios. Photo from stepenna.blogspot.com
See? The temptation has disappeared, not because of the posts, vigils and prayers. But it was necessary to come to understand the reasons. Therefore, it is important to remember that where evil has penetrated the soul – the only place it can go. From the same place. That is pointless to apply, for example, charity, if you hate someone.
“Here, thinks people will give charity and will cease to hate.” No. Stop only when you forgive, love and opens itself to love. Charity cannot cope with the hatred – the problem is solved from within.
When not helping prayer
The Lord wants us all to be in unity and love. This unity is the Church. The Lord wants us to be together and stood before Him in connection with one another, in prayer together. So. He wants our prayer was common. Otherwise, if our hearts are not connected, if we are not in a big Church family, among his brothers, nothing will work. We do not feel any grace, any love of God, and our life will be sanctified by His blessing.
All our good works is not a personal achievement, not an individual effort; and I am contending for is not to be so good, but in order to experience this unity – a unity with all in our Church. As in a family where many children: when one happens something good, others do not enjoy? For example, one of the daughters of the engagement, and the whole family celebrates, shares the joy with neighbors, friends: “we, the bride, happiness!” Such unity, such a relationship wants from us and of the Lord – that we all, staying in the Church loved each other. Otherwise, prayer will not bear fruit or even martyrdom (as the Apostle Paul says: “And if… give my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3). Everything is nothing if there is no love. No love – no nothing.
As I said, we in the Church calendar is a Martyr Nicephorus, but no Martyr Caprice. More precisely, it could be – but it’s not there. At the last moment this man, the priest, has lost God’s grace. Why? Because he was unable to forgive – to forgive and to love again my friend, St. Nicephorus – even before execution. Both of them were beheaded, but before the between came the war; and here Nicephorus, acknowledging his guilt, he wanted to make peace with Apreciem – because the next day both of them would die for Jesus Christ, but Caprice did not want to forgive him. His anger stayed with him.
The next day they both led to the place of execution. The first bowed his head St. Nicephorus. And he felt… you Know, like elder paisios spoke about the Martyr’s death of those times? The sword of the executioner martyrs had a similar bond to retrieve from the strings a heavenly melody. When in place beheaded Nicephorus stood Caprice – never forgive, not love again my friend, – the grace of God had suddenly left him. Faith is gone, and Caprice felt, roughly speaking, just a piece of meat. If awakened from sleep, he asked swinging the executioner: “What is it? Where am I? Execute me? Why? No! I swear, I will bring a sacrifice to idols!” His faith was gone.
Source
Translation Yelizaveta Terentyeva for the portal “Orthodoxy and the world”