Paul the Apostle writes to the Galatians: “I travail in birth”. He means to say that he gave birth to them once in pain, as if he were in labor, and now experi- ences similar pain again.
Our soul will never see the daylight of the Holy Spirit and grace, unless it hurts, unless someone else hurts for it. And we won’t do any good to any soul nor contribute to its regeneration, if we don’t hurt for it. Only when our heart breaks with pain and longing for the salvation of souls, will we see tough souls soften.
The longing, the pain, the deep empathy, the zeal, the anxiety, like extremely difficult labor, will make the Holy Spirit deign to save our soul and the souls we care for.
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos (†)
From the book: Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos, “SPIRITUAL MESSAGES” Panorama Thessaloniki, 2017
