Whoever discovers God’s love strives zealously to respond to this love
Ever since Christ came and for as long as we reside in this world the main issue is to get our soul healed otherwise, we are “psychopaths”1. A christian who has believed in such a way that finds himself in this course of therapy and is gradually healing and gaining health for his soul, is indeed very rare to find.
Today’s reading from the gospel says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” 2 . Whoever discovers this love of God strives zealously to respond to this love regardless of the sacrifice or effort one may need to make. And once he starts in his heart to truly believe in God and reach communion with God, healing begins to come, this true life begins to come. One feels that and rejoices, it gladdens his heart and he is encouraged. So he believes in Christ truly in his heart all the more, follows Christ all the more and does His will and keeps His commands. As a result, soul catharsis begins, human passions stop, they die. Light comes, the grace of God, this divine reality which mellows man. Little by little man is enlightened, man is unified with God; little by little divine life, godly life spreads in him; the kind of life that only Christ has and gives.
This is the way to believe in Christ, to respond to his love, to experience this salvation while still in this world. And leaving this present world we should feel certain that the Lord has found us, has accepted us, has forgiven us and that we are leaving towards eternal life having gained salvation.
Transcribed talks by Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos
From: Holy Hesychasterion “The Nativity of Theotokos” Publications.
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1 Father Symeon uses the word “psychopaths” metaphorically speaking. A “psychopath” here is the person whose soul (psyche in Greek) suffers in sin; is in ailment.
2 John 3, 16
