(Matt. 6, 14-21)
Our treasure is our love of God
Great Lent is a time for us to return to God. Because of our sins we are outside of paradise. Realizing this fact, we seek the forgiveness of our sins. However, in order for God to forgive us, we are required to forgive others from the depths of our hearts, no matter what they may have done to us. We cannot expect to have any fruit in our spiritual struggle, if we do not forgive.
Furthermore, Great Lent cannot be understood apart from fasting. In a certain way, the great sin committed by the first-created, and for which they were thrown out of paradise, was the breaking of the commandment to fast. Because of this, our return to God, to paradise, cannot happen without the element of fasting. The fast is a law of God, and a law of the Church. During this period, God and the Church want us not only to fast from physical foods but also from our passions and weaknesses.
In addition, our treasure should be our love of God. Man’s flaw is that he searches for treasure here on earth, and this does not randomly occur. He feels supported by these things, these treasures, seeing them as his life. However, if your only care is to gather treasures in this world, your heart will not be able to be with God. Therefore, we need to love Christ. We need to consider this, our love towards Christ, as treasure and to turn everything else in our life in this direction.
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos
Holy Hesychasterion “The Nativity of Theotokos” Publications.
Cheesefare Sunday
