If You Do Not Forgive ... God Will Not Forgive You Either
On Sunday of Forgiveness this year the Orthodox Church commemorates St Equal to the Apostles Cyril Slavobulgarian as well as St martyr Valentine. The latter, a piece of whose relics are kept in the monastery of St Constantine and Helena, is popular today as The Saint of lovers.
Today’s world needs love. Today’s man needs understanding. God gives us both: His Love and His understanding of our infirmities! He directs us how to live in order to obtain love. He guides us how to act to understand and to be understood by the others. “Because if you forgive men their trespasses, Your Heaven Father will forgive you tîî; if you do not forgive men their trespasses, Your Father will not forgive you either.” (Math.6:14-15). Without forgiveness there is no understanding, no love!
During the Divine Liturgy the monastery church could hardly hold all those who had arrived in search of piece for their souls, to listen to God’s words, to pray for blessing for themselves and their fellow men, to pray for the souls of the departed. To ask for and give the others forgiveness – FORGIVEN. – FORGIVE ME!
From the Sunday Holy Gospel we heard where should people collect their treasures, e.g. the most valuable things for them. The advice comes from God and today’s world, embarrassed and in search of a way out of the economic crisis, has a special need to hear it. The place shown in the Gospel is “not on the Earth where moth and rust eat them and where thieves undermine and steal them but you collect treasures in the Heaven where neither moth, nor rust eat them and where thieves do not undermind and steal them, because where your treasure is, there your heart will be!” (Math.6:19-21).
St martyr Valentine is a special example to follow for people. He is special with how to fulfil our duties, how to stand the wear and tear of life, how to stand up for our Faith. People can follow that example of the saints. We can ask for their intercession and representation before God. Our relatives and friends help us when we ask them. The more as the saints who live in the Kingdom of Heaven and glorify God come to the assistance of us.
Thank God, a lot of people already come to the eparchial monastery of St Constantine and Helena to pray before the relics of St Valentine and to be wedded. For them St Valentine is not only a symbol of the red commercial hearts but the saint who can help in the spiritual battle. The saint who asks God to sthrenghten the youth, to remove all the obstacles on the way to set up a family. To unite the alliance between man and woman blessed by God.
The pious man St Valentine is our intercessor before All-giving God for our welfare on the Earth and for the salvation of our souls.
By the Prayers of St Martyr Valentime, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the God, Be Merst to Us!
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