In the spiritual period of Lent, during which we are called, like athletes in sports arenas, to strive for the attainment of a spiritual goal, Archbishop Makarios of Australia refers to in his new recorded message of spiritual edification posted on the social media platform Instagram.
Focusing on the spiritual goal of avoiding condemnation, the Archbishop recalls a relevant prayer heard during the Divine Services of the blessed time we are experiencing. Not condemning our neighbor means not disturbing the peace of his soul,” he emphasizes, among other things.
The full message of the Archbishop of Australia follows:
The Holy and Great Lent was called by the Fathers of our Church a spiritual stage. And indeed it is a spiritual stage because we are all striving – struggling like athletes going into the arena – to conquer some spiritual goal, some spiritual record. So I wanted to ask you during this blessed time to set a very important spiritual goal. And that goal is not to judge. There is a prayer that you will often hear in the church during this time that says, “Lord and Master of my life… Yes, Lord King, grant me to see my sins and not to judge my brother. To see my faults,” we ask Christ to help us, “and not to condemn my brother. This means that I do not condemn my neighbor so that he may live in peace. Not judging my neighbor means not disturbing the peace of his soul. Because if we condemn the other person and we distress and embitter him, then it means that we violently enter into the peace of his soul and disturb it. And I think, my dear brothers, that we have no such right.
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