By Fr. Andrew Lemeshonok
We are
accustomed to being guided solely by our personal experience. We do not have
the courage to speak about the struggle and the triumph over the sin because it
is beyond human power.
Notwithstanding
this fact, we see that there is God and there is the grace of the Holy Spirit
that empowers and restores every person who repents. We hear the words of St
Symeon the New Theologian that genuine repentance can bring back one’s
chastity.
Indeed,
it’s a miracle when someone rejects the sin and goes on to subject himself to
God completely. It is a miracle that can happen in everyone’s life. Currently,
we see the opposite. People tend to quarrel and say mean words to each other.
They offend and criticise one another. They indulge in self-pity. People just
won’t admit that they are guilty before God. When we come to confess, we see a
priest who is a human being like us, not Jesus Christ. We utter some words
which don’t contain the treasure of repentance. In fact, repentance is a
radical change — a transformation that the Lord does to us.
It would
be great if we learned to stand in church and take part in worship, in the
Sacraments of Christ that bring renewal to our souls. Our souls must constantly
receive the aid of grace to be able to wage war against the world of sin and
lures.
May God
help us not to lose that droplet of the Spirit that we now have. May we
preserve it till Easter. It is extremely easy to lose the Spirit. One can lose
the connection with God for just a single word, a single thought, for taking
offence or passing judgement. That’s terrible. We must stay awake and remain
attentive: how we look, how we speak, and how we walk — it does matter.
Everything must be graceful and filled with God’s Spirit. We came to church not
only to look at the images of saints and enjoy them because the light of Christ
shines through all the saints. We must become holy, too. We must be able to
maintain in our hearts the holiness that we have partaken of and share it with
our neighbours.
God
bestows so much love, care, and mercy upon each one of us! We have touched the
immortal Fountain of Life — the Chalice — so many times! Why are we still the
leaking vessels, unable to hold that grace? Passions, despondence, desperation,
and resentment besiege us, blocking our neighbours and God from our sight like
walls. We must keep breaking that wall at all times. St Seraphim of Sarov would
carry heavy rocks on his back and say, “I torture him who tortures me.” We must
always remember that the enemy is near. We must not rely on ourselves. Instead,
we should seek God’s help and God’s blessing for every moment of our lives.
March 10, 2018
St.
Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION