Sunday of Forgiveness.Saint Sophrony the Athonite.

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.

The Lily announcing Christ's birth.Father Arseni Boca.

The soul that reaches the state of purity receives the Lily announcing Christ's birth. At this time the unfolding of gifts received through Holy Chrism occurs. Now the soul must pass against its will through tribulations not dependent on it though ordained by God, completing what was missing from the soul's understanding of things in its life on earth. Throughout this time, the power of Holy Spirit continues working within the ascetic. Let us not forget: the Holy Spirit acted only after the ascetic disengaged all of his soul's powers from working against nature and set them to work for their originally intended purpose: in accordance with nature. Once this conversion and inner harmony of powers is obtained in us, then comes the work of the things above human nature, assisting the growth and development of the Holy Spirit is gifts ordained by God for each of us.

A new child has been born in the flesh, bringing it into a state of purity. Then the child grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon Him."He is the morning star which arises in the hearts of the believers," as Peter says. He is God -as- Light - our light - the one covered by the darkness of ignorance from the time of passions, which will rise like the dawn and will speed your healing.' And thy old waste desert places shall be built up, and thy foundations shall last through all generations:" Jesus Christ. The Light of the world and your light will glow more brightly. The child Jesus became perfect man in the army of perfected men and comes, bowing his head under the hand of dust of His creation, showing His humility in receiving Baptism.

Faith, Hope, and Love.Saint Tikhon Zadonsk.

Saint Tikhon Zadonsk.

Man is more beautiful than any other creature since he is in the image of God. Through the in­carnation he is justified and is no more under wrath. He has become a member of the body of which the heavenly head is Jesus Christ. He mysteriously par­takes of the life-giving Body and divine Blood. He is made worthy to become the habitation of God and the temple of the Holy Ghost. He is in communion with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus he becomes a son, an heir, a co-heir with Christ. Read the Acts of the Apostles and you will see that all these titles are ascribed to man by the Holy Ghost. ... And what will it be in the future life, according to the unfailing promise of God! What goodness, bliss, honor and glory! The unin­terrupted flow of eternal blessedness will be like a river, incomprehensible to the present mind and in­expressible by the tongue, the blessedness which "eye hath not seen" spoken of in (1 Cor. 2. 9). The children of God will shine like the sun in the kingdom of the heavenly Father; they will be as angels, like other gods. Glory be to the Trinity for having so honored and magnified our kind !

The soul cannot live without grace. Grace and faith are the necessary conditions for the soul which strives to restore its innate nobility. "Our own strivings are power­less",read Psalm 118.

Grace is the food and clothing of the saints. It wakens grief in a man's heart, making him dissatis­fied and moving him to seek the reason of this dis­satisfaction. Grace gives sorrow and grace comforts; showing us the poverty of all things, it engenders in us a repentant sorrow for having fallen short of the love of God. . . . One who is possessed by such sorrow will always grieve, for he thinks of God's offended love and not of the fear of hell. It is a grief of love.

This state, approaching what might be called perfect con­trition, is propitious to the growing longing after God; through grace, the love of God is increased in the heart, and the soul "desires nothing more than it desires God." Hu­mility, prayer, thanksgiving, assurance of divine mercy are gifts of grace."

Faith is a spiritual gift; it enters the heart. It comes down from heaven and the heart of man is caught up to things celestial.... Faith is the com­forting perception of the gospels produced in the heart by the Holy Ghost. It purifies the heart, endows it with joy and freedom, that gift of the Son.

Faith is intimately linked with hope, for "we hope in the One in whom we believe"; moreover, faith calls forth love for Christ, which leads to pity for all, love for all and-true fruit of true faith-acts of justice and sympathy.

Alone faith in the Son of God who died for us and rose again justifies us without regard to our works, nevertheless this faith cannot be idle but engenders love as its concomitant. Faith, this divine spark, is kindled in us and bursts into flame with the help of God through the reading of and listening to the word of God, through meditation on the acts of God in the past, through prayer, through the partaking of the holy mysteries and, like a good tree, it reveals itself externally by sweet fruit of love.

Faith is not an emotion divorced from the logical powers of the mind. The creed is a matter of thought and conviction as well as of deep re­ligious emotion produced by response to its historical and spiritual assertions. He never protested against the intellect, but only against the deadly theoretical knowledge of right dogma divorced from its expression in Christian life.

True faith is the keeping and confession of right dogma, that is to say, it consists in true faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God: for knowledge of beliefs is one thing and real faith in Christ is quite another. The first often makes one haughty, arrogant, and fruit­less. Hence, many who possess a right knowledge of dogma live lawless lives; many even preach on faith, and teach and exhort others, but themselves do not move forward, as though they were mere signposts on the road. True faith in Christ is humble, patient, merciful, and full of loving-kindness.

A traditional image best expresses it: faith is the root from which a Christian grows; good works of faith are its leaves and fruits and the more fruit there is, the lower do the branches bend, as true symbols of humility.

It is always good to enquire into one's faith, especially at the present time when there are so many phantasies. Believe, together with the whole Church, what has been revealed by the word of God.

Faith is inseparable from the other theological virtues. In the trinity of the acts of man's mind, heart and will, lies his total response to the perfection of divine love. And with the support of abundant references from the New Testament: "All Christianity and all Christian duty consists in faith, hope and love."

Lord Jesus, the tree of life.

The person of Christ should be everything for us, our estimation. The main obstacle to faith and spiritual growth is estrangement from the Christ of the Bible. It is our only enemy, the Devil who sows doubt, disbelief, and despair of the goodness of God" in people's minds particularly in the mind of a monk or of a man who is making spiritual progress. The Devil strives to tear the Church by schisms, by slan­derous reports on righteous persons and, above all, by blur­ring the image of Christ in people's memory. It is the Devil who turns our eyes away from the suffering of Christ in order to prevent, or at least to endanger, out salvation.

Yet the essential freedom of man remains-that freedom so much in connection with the spiritual combat. It is on account of this freedom that man can respond to divine love, to the sacrifice of Christ, and to the whole problem of the future life and salvation. The atonement has achieved the organic regeneration of man's fallen nature. But salvation has both its divine and its human side: God's love requires man's free response. "Are then all saved?. Salvation is offered to all," but those who reject Christ, or false Christians, deliberately cut themselves away from saving grace, from the fruit of the incarnation-for Christ wishes to save all (1 Tim. 2. 4).

Salvation is both the content of Christian belief and the appropriation by man of Christ's saving life and death and resurrection; it is at once a belief and a mystical experience which has its beginnings here on earth and is to be lived and fully revealed in the life to come: "The beginning of salvation is to learn our own wretchedness”. It is here that we must seek it not after death .... But whilst we neglect it, Satan steals away our immeasurable treasure, the eternal salvation bought by the blood of Christ." Whilst he is alive a Christian must strive after that "which is his dearest hope."

We were created and, having fallen, we have been redeemed for eternal life. We are renewed in baptism and through the word of God, and called to eternal life; to this end has holy scripture been given to us, to this end did Christ the Son of God, come into the world to live as a man, to suffer and die, that we should receive this everlasting life. The first duty of a Christian is eternal salvation.

The token of salvation here on earth is true faith practiced and expressed in acts of love, triumphant in its hope over all temporal tribulations and firm in its fidelity to Christ. Salvation in the future life can be apprehended through cer­tain images and mystically experienced.

You see the rising of the sun and yet when it goes down it seems as if it had never been there­ and then again it appears. This reminds us of the death and resurrection of Christ, and of the resurrection of the dead. Victorious soldiers inspire us to contrast earthly triumphs with the so much greater triumph of the saints whose souls are at peace and who contemplate the beauty of the Heavenly Jerusalem. What rapture overtakes those who put on the garment of salvation! ... If here on earth people listen to sweet singing, and still desire to hear it, and are comforted by it beyond words, how much more so in that mansion where “the voice of praise is ceaseless”. There is peace, harmony and love, and his will, and the fellowship of the saints and angels, complete serenity and perfect wisdom.

Beauty is a reminder to man of his innate dignity; in nature it is a memory of paradise and an image of future harmony.

Reference:

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. Nadejda Gorodetzky.(1976)

The noetic prayer is for all Christians .Abbot Haralambos Dionysiatis.

I place below a collection of questions to my ever-memor­able Elder, Father Haralambos, from his spiritual children and pious pilgrims, and the Elder's answers to these.

Question: Elder, what is your opinion, since you teach "noetic prayer", is it only for monastics or does it concern all Christians?

Elder: From all that the Holy Fathers write, but also from my experience, I can see that noetic prayer is for all Christians. However, it's not for the heretics, and it's even more difficult for the heterodox.

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God 

have mercy on me, a sinner"

- You give us a lot of encouragement by saying that noetic prayer is also for those of us who live in the world. However, we need help. We have tried to apply what is written in the books but it seems hard.

- Of course, it's hard. This work not only requires struggle, it also requires an experienced guide. Do you have a spiritual father?.

- We have, Elder. He is good, but he says that he doesn't know how to teach us about "noetic prayer".

- Let it be. There is even worse. If you don't know, say that you don't know. But don't impede the other from learning.

Well, since you have a confessor, I don't need to confess you.

The Blessed Surgeon’s faith and love. Excerpts from the life of Saint Luke of Simferopol.

The faith.

When he arrived in Simferopol in 1946, Saint Luke had thought that his knowledge and experience in surgery would be in demand. However, a month-and-a-half passed before he received official per­mission to practice medicine. From 1946 on, he worked as a consultant at the Simferopol Hospital. He also assisted the Hospital for Invalids of the Great Patriotic War. Until the end of 1947, he gave reports and lectures to doctors and operated on patients and the wounded. Zhdanov (the official in charge of Russian Orthodox Church Affairs) characterized his medical activity as very active.

Archbishop Luke regularly attended meetings of the surgeons' associa­tion, in which civil doctors and surgeons participated. He would listen carefully to their reports and speeches and always introduced necessary corrections. According to Dr. G. F. Pyatidvernaya, during a meeting, one surgeon asked the archbishop: "How can you, such a specialist, a surgeon, believe in somebody whom you have never seen, in God?"

Love does not exist without patience.Saint Cyprian of Carthage.

   Love is the bond of fellowship, the foundation of peace, the link and strength of unity. It is greater than both faith and hope. It comes before both good works and martyrdoms, and since it is eternal it will always remain with us in God's presence in the realms of heaven.

    But if you remove patience, love no longer endures. Remove the substance of endurance and tolerance and it has no roots or strength to persevere. For this reason the Apostle spoke about love in the same breath as tolerance and patience.