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| Elder Ephraim of Arizona. |
Love is the Christian's triumph over the devil, hatred, and envy.
In order to reach the divine harbour of God's love, we must first fear Him as
God, Who chastens sin and transgression. It is not possible to cross the sea
and reach the harbour without a boat. Likewise, it is impossible to reach the
harbour of love without repentance. The fear of God appoints us commander and
captain in the boat of repentance, and it takes us across the murky sea of life
and guides us to the divine harbour of divine love. Just as we are unable to
live without air likewise it is impossible to live in the eternal life with God
if we do not breathe the very sweet and fragrant air of God's love.
Let us shake off the burden of our sins with the power of
repentance, and thenceforth light and free as eagles, let us fly high above
where the eternal God has stored up the inexhaustible treasures of virtue and
wisdom, so that we may drink the waters of eternal life and be deified, as the
Scriptures say: "You are gods, and all of you are the sons of the Most
High."
Let us compel ourselves, my children, for the love of God is not
gained through negligence and sluggishness but through eagerness, obedience,
patience, forbearance, silence, prayer, and forcefulness in everything. So
shall we be negligent for such an eternal gift? No! Then let us cry out in
lamentation: "Christ, our Master, shut us not out of Thy kingdom, but
open unto us out of Thy compassionate mercy. Amen."
God is love and full of compassion. Let us not sadden Him in
anything!.
From time to time the blessed dew of God's love affects my callous
soul. Ah, how much it soothes my wretched soul! How much it refreshes my soul
and lightens the burdens of life and temptations! Oh, if only God would count
me worthy through your prayers to rest eternally in the dew of God's love for
which I long!
The salvation of man requires much toil. The tempter-the devil-has
activated all his experience and knowledge to annihilate man. Do not depart
from us, God, my God, but be for us as the brass serpent was for Moses so that
by looking at You, we may be healed from the bites of the spiritual serpents.
"When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am
He." My Christ, my light, my crucified love, Who was lifted up on the
Cross for our sins, the Serpent that saves souls wounded by the evil serpents,
heal us who have been wounded by the stings of sin.
May God bless us and in His good will open His sea of compassion to
us, so that we may all be found united together in the eternal and blessed
life, where there is neither pain nor sorrow or sighing, but life unending.
"God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
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| The prodigal son. Ron Dicianni. (1990-1999) |
Oh, what joy that cannot be taken away! What a confident awareness
that henceforth the torments of this toilsome life have ended! “What god is as
great as our God” He is a Father overflowing with compassion, Who does not take
sins into account, as long as His repenting son says: "I have sinned
against heaven and in your sight."? Then at once the Father embraces and
kisses him and obliterates from His heart every trace of displeasure that the
child's profligacy may have occasioned! I lose my senses when I contemplate
His abyss of paternal compassion towards sinners!
How vividly the monastic saints must have felt grace in prayer! God
visits us somewhat faintly in prayer, and we feel a little bit of grace. But
they Who were engrossed in theoria all night long-how intensely they must have
felt the kingdom of heaven! “The kingdom of heaven is within us”.
One holy monk stood up to say his evening prayers and stretched out
his arms. When the grace of God came upon him-he had his back to the setting
sun- it overcame him so much that he didn’t come to himself until the sun rose
the next morning and warmed his face. Then he realized that it was the next
day, and he glorified God who counts men made of earth worthy to see such
mysteries.
Oh, how much I would have liked to live in those days when sanctity
and good examples were abundant-now there is only aridity and misery. Let us
once again thank God immensely that in such a moral darkness He has given us a
little light, so that even by stumbling forward we are able to reach the gates
of the heavenly Jerusalem and not be shut out in the eternal darkness. May this
not happen to any Christian, my dear Christ, but may all of us together be
counted worthy to reach there with joy and a joyful step, celebrating the
eternal Paschal. Amen.
Reference:
Counsels from the Holy Mountain. Elder Ephraim.(1999)