“I am now an old man but already from my early childhood I received the impressions of peace and light. From the beginning of the Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905) to the present day I see all mankind immersed in fratricidal wars, and still there is no light on the horizon.
On the contrary, unprecedented black clouds covered the sky, ready to cause an apocalyptic storm… And I, seeing this ferocious situation from my youth, was ready to go out into the streets and squares with a lighted lantern, like Diogenes, to look for a man… But seeing Christ, I was happy for this wonderful discovery and I can never forget this event in the history of our world. In fact, only He, Christ, is actually a perfect Man. But we all pass through our period of earthly wandering with the appeal to be united to Him.
The man really starts
to exist from the moment he realizes himself as a son of the eternal Father
and utters the prayer “Our Father”
with this consciousness.
But we have not yet fully felt this value of man, and that is why we bypass the path of our formation, of our growth in the Holy Spirit.
Without Christ it is impossible to justify humanity…
And in this way Christ, both God and Man, justifies God before the world, revealing to the world the infinite love of the Father, and justifies man before God, showing God the Father the genuine form of man. But this justification is not “legal”, as many Christians tend to think, but of a different order altogether.
After so many years of the uninterrupted, almost uninterrupted, almost interdependence of men on earth, for which they all continually justify themselves before themselves, it is impossible to expect that they will dare to look up to the heights of Heaven and call God their Father.
Nowadays the “dehumanization” of the world has reached terrible proportions.
Apostasy from the authentic Christian faith has become a universal phenomenon. The word that characterizes our century is “apostasy”. I fear, therefore, that only the increase of calamities can now lead men to those sufferings which will appear really critical, and which will again stimulate in them the ability to perceive their primary nature in the image of God. Then peace will reign on Earth. But as long as men remain like wild beasts, we should not expect peace on earth. All efforts through diplomatic channels and other similar means to avert the calamity of war are in vain.
First and foremost, it is necessary the spiritual rebirth of man, necessary the “humanization” of this beastly world.
You understand that my writings are only little hints, brief excerpts from the picture that presents itself to my mind, especially during the hours of the Mass, this eternal sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Of course I would like to talk to you for hours about these vital issues, but here we are, we are not given that in our day.”
(Archim. Sofroniou, “Letters in Russia”, ed. of St. John the Baptist, Essex, p.133)
Do we love our enemies?
Love for enemies is the quintessence, the core of the Christian Faith.
Many might say that love for enemies is so rare that it could be considered unnatural. If that were so, then the pearl, the diamond, the gold are also abnormal. These are rare objects, but who can call them abnormal. Just as there are plants that thrive only in one area, so does this rare love. It “grows” and develops in the Church of Christ.
Christ’s commandment “Love your enemies” is not found in any religion of the world. It is exclusive to Christianity. Christ Himself spoke of loving one’s enemies. The incantation he used is imperative. It doesn’t say, may you love or if you want to love your enemies, but it emphasizes and explains it.
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,
and pray for those who misbehave and persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he raises his sun for the wicked.
And for the good and rains for the godly and the wicked. If you do not love those who love you, what salary will you have? Don’t the tax collectors do the same? And if you show affection to your friends only, what an extraordinary thing you are doing. Isn’t that what the tax collectors do? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
(Matt 5:38-48).
Nobody wants to hurt him. Every person wants to be treated well and forgiven. To sympathize with his sorrows and rejoice in his joy. To be honored and to hear kind words. Feed him when he is hungry, visit him when he is sick. Jesus is urging us not to do what we do not want them to do to us, because then this fratricidal internecine warfare will not end. This applies to everyone, of course. If this commandment were adopted by all classes, nations and states, all malice and conflict, all war and enmity would immediately cease. LOVE is the remedy for every similar disease, there is no other.
“If you expect others to do you good, and if you expect others to reward that goodness with goodness, you are not doing anything praiseworthy.”
(Luke f. 32-34)
To love does not mean a neutral attitude or the absence of hatred. But loving my enemy means my intention to do good to the one who hates me. It does not say “do not return evil for evil.” That’s not a big deal. It’s just tolerance. Nor does it say “love those who love you”. This is only passive love. Jesus says love your enemies. Not just tolerate them, not be passive, but love them. Of course, the most important thing is not that the enemy should turn and become our friend, but that he should not lose his soul because of his hatred for us.
And Christ not only said these things in theory but also experienced them in the most responsible way. Just when the unjustifiable wickedness, sadism, and cruelty of men had reached the breaking point, Jesus, instead of cursing or punishing them, said the startling “Father, leave them alone; for you do not know what they do” (Lk 23:34). The people asked Him to come down from the cross that they had put Him on, and He did not come down. People tried at all costs to make God mortal, and He, by His sacrifice, made them immortal. This example was imitated by the Saints of our Church during the persecutions, such as Saint Stephen at the time of his stoning: “Lord, do not set this sin against them” (Pr. g, 60), but also St. Dionysius of Zakynthos, who protected his brother’s murderer and fled so that he would not be arrested.
Thousands of well and if we do
and we have enmity
with our brother,
all is lost.
(Saint Cosmas the Aetolian)
Love is not only a feeling, but above all an act. An active act, not a passive one. The whole world was created by love. That is why it is best for people to practice from childhood the knowledge of the sweetness that love and charity offer. When the heart hardens, it is difficult to turn back and become visceral.
Love your enemies.
For what blessing will you have from God,
if you love only those who love you?
(Saint Isaac of Syros)
Are these things possible for the people of our friendly age? Can one ever reach this love? If one wants to make this transgression, he can do it with the help of Christ. If we manage to pass this on to our children, then the world will definitely have a “different” future.
THEODOROS KOLOKOTRONIS:
A MEMORIAL TABLE AT HIS BROTHER’S FUNERAL!
Kolokotronis accepted the murderer of his brother John and forgave him!
She didn’t help him with anything he asked for, but she did set the table for him!
At the same table sat his mother, Zambia.
As soon as she recognized her son’s embroidered shirt worn by the killer, she burst into tears.
He took on the general:
“How do you put your brother’s killer on our table?”
“Hush, mother! I forgave him and this table is the best memorial for my late brother”….
From the page “oikohouse”
megalipanagiathivon.gr
