My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
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THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST: "JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED" (Matthew 7:1).
Saint Anthony the Great writes, "If you see your brother sin, do not disparage him, do not reject him and do not condemn him. Otherwise you will end up in your enemies' (Satan's) hands. Do not judge any mortal being lest the Lord should dismiss your prayers."
Abba (Father) Dorotheos writes: "Who troubles, judges and does harm than demons? So, it turns out, we help demons to ruin both our lives and the lives of our neighbors. Why does this happen? It happens because we have no charity. "For charity shall cover the multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). Saints do not condemn one who sins, nor do they reject him, but rather sympathize with him, they are sorry for him, they instruct and comfort him, they heal him as if he were an ailing man, and do everything to save him."
Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian
"Lord, grant me to see my own failings, and not to judge my brother (or sister).
Do not mock or judge someone who has fallen into sin, but rather pray lest you fall into sin. Do not pamper anyone while he is alive and do not lose hope in him before he dies. Do not laugh at one who has sinned, rather set him on his feet."
As we, as Orthodox Christian believers, continue on our spiritual journey to meet our Lord and Savior, as the shepherds and magi did on that Holy Day of His Birth, we must first examine our heart and free it from any impurity that has been collected there perhaps from previous years. One of the most serious sins which we may have committed, as a "self-righteous" individual, is to pass judgment on another person.
Our Lord Christ is very clear in his famous Sermon n the Mount: "Do not judge others so that you yourself will not be judged. For with judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you" (Matthew 7:1-2).
Jesus admonishes us and says, "Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not see the plank in your own eye...you hypocrite. First remove the plank from your eye!" (Matthew 7:3-5).
We all need to have discernment and discernment is acquired, above all, by examination of oneself and one's own sins rather than those of others. And preoccupation with the sins of others may lead to blindness to one's own sins. We should not, however, confuse judging with condoning. We absolutely not judge our fellow man but we must not condone and approve sinful or evil conduct or actions. In other words "love the sinner but hate the sin."
We, as followers of Christ God, live in a world which condones all evil and condemns that which is good and holy. The world, as always, disagrees with the commandments of God and makes every effort to overturn and discourage anyone from following them or living by them. The secular world is a Godless world. A world without Divine Commandments, without faith, without Christian values, without ethics, without morality, without love, without self-control, without justice, without human dignity, without true peace, without harmony, without self-respect, without any accountability for evil actions, without God.
The Christian, the true Christian, is one who is obedient only to God, his Creator. He or she is one who follows His Teachings faithfully. He dedicates his life to following God's law in a very sincere and respectful manner.
Agape (love) and humility are the wings that lead to Paradise, Saint Kosmas Aitolos declared. We must love one another, even for those who have made wrong choices and fallen away from God. A humble and kind spirit reminds us that we are the ones who need to repent and turn back toward our Lord. We must never judge others, but we must judge ourselves and our actions. All good is from God, not us. And therefore all glory and praise goes to His Name!
Although everyone is distracted with the pandemic and even the political unrest within our country, we must not neglect our spiritual preparation for the Coming of the Savior of the world, and the celebration of His Holy Birth on earth. His Birth is the birth of Love, of Hope, of Peace, of reconciliation, of forgiveness, of regeneration, of restoration, of healing, of justice, of righteousness, of salvation and of the inheritance of His Eternal Kingdom.
"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men!" (Luke 2:14).
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy Incarnation,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George