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| Saint Sophrony the Athonite. |
We must say a few words about Sunday of Forgiveness. This day, when
we sincerely ask forgiveness from one another, is extremely important. When
forgiveness is granted from both sides, the soul then feels free and full of
peace. Of course this state of freedom and peace exceedingly softens Lent.
Prepare yourselves beforehand then, so that you may toss away from your heart
and mind every trace of a negative stance against our brother.
Already from the beginning of Lent we
shall chant about Adam who was chased out of Paradise, and this is important.
According to historical order, we shall also later remember the fall of Adam into sin and Christ's decision to
blot out the curse. In this ingenious composition of the entire cycle of
services, in this amalgamation of theology, prayer and doctrine, which is
presented in the books of Great Lent, is written down the entire Tradition. To
everything however has been given the form of prayer, so that theology can
become the content of all our prayers.
Forgive me. I have spoken now about
the details of our life. Our principle aim I stated in my will. I ask you
please to forget my nothingness and to keep that will. I said there that is not
about something easy. Nevertheless, each time in such days, as the coming
Sunday of Forgiveness, we shall realize this practice and forget all the wounds which were inflicted on us
during our life! And when we forgive, from our heart all our brethren, for
everything which has piled up in our full of toil, misunderstandings, sorrows,
deprivations daily life, then all these are cast off, and our spirit
is redeemed and obtains the liberty of the forgiven man, the redeemed from
all the consequences of sin and inspired with new hope.
We should not be surprised that
misunderstandings in our life occur, especially during the period of Great
Lent. We should however learn to overcome these difficulties, in order to
fulfill the law of Christ Who said: "Forgive if you have anything
against anyone, so that your Father Who is in Heaven may forgive you your
trespasses"[1].
Through the same act, forgiving the sins of our brother, we enter the process
of salvation of the entire mankind. Every time temptations or some
difficulty appear- because it is impossible to avoid frictions, the
consequences of the shortcomings of our flesh-, we must without fail overcome
these, and in this will show wisdom.
One of the likely interpretations of
the passage: "But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you
may not eat"[2],
is that this will have as a consequence the division of all mankind. The
first tragic crime, when Cain killed Abel[3],
occurred already at the beginning of the history of human life. Silouan, our
blessed Patron, says that this is how it started. And Adam grieved...
that all of mankind will live in dissension, wars, murder of one's brother,
reciprocal oppression etc., as everything turned against the law of love[4]...
What kind of preparation does Silouan
propose to us in order to receive Easter? The stronger the Spirit is within us,
the easier we forget every wound and forgive every attack inflicted by our
brother, then also the more abundantly will be poured out on us the joy of
eternal life. Self- kenosis (self- emptying) is a great spiritual act in front of God. The Lord Himself emptied Himself[5].
We read then in Father Silouan the words: "grace dwells in the least"[6]
and not in the superiors. Thus the Lord granted him to know: "The more
man humbles himself, the more he undertakes the striving of self-emptying, the
higher he climbs in front of God, and the more does he become able to
receive the great grace"[7].
It would be naïve to think that our
gathering in this place is a human work. The Lord Himself brought us together.
And since the Lord gathered us together, let us imitate the Elder Silouan. He,
during the feast days at the beginning of his monastic life, used to serve the
Fathers and brothers at the dining room, and would contemplate on what a great
blessing was given to him: "to wait on the beloved of the Lord". Once
even, as he writes, whilst serving the brethren at table he tasted for the
second time the grace of the appearance of Christ[8].
However because, according to spiritual law, these lofty spiritual states
cannot be endured by the human body, they are granted once or twice during
one's life, and afterwards they remain as memory and knowledge (in the form of
recollection) within us. In reality however the strength of the grace
withdraws. St. Macarius the Great stated that the lifting away of grace is
essential, in order for man to continue his activity and life on earth.
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Sunday of Forgiveness
in the Russian Church.
|
It is naïve, as well, to think that
this can be accomplished without pain, without a crucifixion. Through great
sufferings, the patient acceptance of all contempt and reproach and all injustices, we gain the gift
of grace, that love which embraces everything. And then we shall know God
"as He is", that is as "Love"[9].
This then, is what we should live. I would
like to speak to you at greater length about the following strange phenomenon: men
don't pay attention to their own faults and judge others. In this way unity is
destroyed. Guard yourselves from any thought against the brethren, because
every such thought causes a crack in the wall of our Monastery. We have said
this enough times. This is no small thing! Because, when we think evil
about someone and then leave our cell and encounter him, the traces of this
evil thought have their effect. And then the other, due to this phenomenon,
responds in a reciprocal way. And it is never possible to know who
"began" first. This is why we pray: "Grant me to see mine own
failings".* The lack of this vision makes every man think that he is in the right
and unable to discern his own faults. This is done even by chief priests and
all of us. So guard yourself from every evil thought when you are in your
cell, and then "our house" will remain unshaken and we shall gain our
salvation. If however we forgive our own sins without being compassionate
towards our brother, then everything will be destroyed.
Recently a certain young man visited
me who came into conflict with his wife. They have two children. I said to him:
"Humble yourself, and then we shall avoid the tragic breakup of your
family. And the young children will be saved from the tragic type of life to which
are subjected children whose parents are divorced". The same applies to
our family: we shall avoid like fire, like a poisonous snake, every trace of
division. We shall build our life in this way, so that we can be truly
saved and assimilate that gift of God which we have through our spiritual
freedom, that is, to be gathered together and live as one family.
I am speaking whilst my heart is
aching and many of my words are perhaps awkward. Nonetheless however, listen to
what I am telling you and you will see good fruits in your life. St. Seraphim
of Sarov used to say: "Acquire peace and around you thousands will be
saved". We are twenty six persons. Thus, if God helps us to overcome
our passions here, and in this way each one may save thousands, then twenty six
thousand people will enter Paradise...
*******
THE
PRAYER OF ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN
O
Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, curiosity, ambition, and idle
talk, give me not.
But
a spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love, bestow upon me Thy servant.
Yea,
O Lord King, grant me to see mine own failings and not to condemn my brother; for
blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Reference:
BUILDING
THE TEMPLE OF GOD WITHIN US AND IN OUR BRETHREN by Archimandrite SOPHRONY (Sakharov), Vol. 1-3, Translation from Russian to Greek by Archimandrite
Zachariah, St. John the Baptist Monastery, Essex, England, Third Edition, 2014.
Translation
of the above Homily from Greek to English by Holy Trinity Family, Douma, Lebanon.
The
Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian from: THE
GREAT HOROLOGION translated from Greek by the HOLY
TRANSFIGURATION MONASTERY, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.,1997.
[1] Mk. 11,25.
[2] Gen. 2,17.
[3] Gen. 4,8.
[4] St. Silouan the Athonite.
[5] See Phil. 2,8.
[6] St. Silouan the Athonite.
[7] See Lk. 14,11.
[8] St. Silouan the Athonite.
[9] See 1 Jn. 4,8.
* See THE PRAYER OF ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN at end of this Homily.