Truth (About Ourselves)
“If the Sunday of the Dread Judgment seems harsh and merciless and unloving to us — if it seems perhaps to even be speaking of some other God entirely — then it might be (at least in part) because we are misunderstanding the meaning of the word “judgment.” “God the Judge” is not — as we might often unconsciously assume — simply another way of saying “God the Accuser” or “God the Punisher” or “God the Condemner.” Far from it! A judge — quite simply, and above all else — is someone who speaks the truth. Therefore, the purpose of the Dread Judgment at the end of time itself will be for us to finally learn the truth about our own hearts — a truth that only God can possibly reveal.” (Igumen Gabriel)
“We must be prepared, however, for our faltering steps of obedience to open the eyes of our souls to the truth about where we stand before Him. After letting down his nets and catching that great haul of fish, Peter gained the spiritual clarity to know his unworthiness: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” His reaction bears some similarity to St. Silouan’s teaching: “Keep your mind in hell and do not despair.” When we attempt even the smallest act of obedience, we open our darkened souls to behold the brilliant light of Christ. The darkness in our hearts will then become all the more evident to us. Instead of being discouraged that we are more aware of our spiritual weakness, we must then call all the more for the Lord’s mercy as we struggle to remain on the path to the Kingdom.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)
“If we decide to learn the truth about ourselves and others, if we decide to stop constructing an imagined ‘ego’ to project onto our social surroundings, then we have to realize that we must be candid and sincere. Sincerity is abhorrence of pretense. Posturing destroys the unity of the personality since it makes us appear outwardly different from what we really are. It distorts the essence of the spiritual life because it promotes love of the self, ambition and love of pleasure. The more people love themselves, the more they become dependent on the opinions of those around them. But Christ teaches us to repudiate lies, egotism and all those outward forms of good, self-justifying behavior. You’re called upon to embark on a course of self-knowledge, that is, to understand in your heart the true nature of your spiritual ailment, because those who haven’t seen their inner darkness aren’t seeking the light….We’re called upon to rip off the mask of virtue and to put on our genuine self, because ‘God monitors our heart…” (Archimandrite Theofilos Lemontzis)
“You are alive – you are going to die. We have to work it backwards – live in a manner such that your death will not undo the whole of your life. Fasting is learning how to eat in order to live. And the life that we live is the life of Christ. Therefore I eat a little less and share a little more. I eat a little less and pray a little more. I eat a little less and pay attention to my life. Why do I pray? I talk to God because He alone is life. The true life-giving conversation is the one I have with God. I learn to say thank you, from the depths of my being. I learn to use my voice to offer thanksgiving in the name of all creation. I talk to God because He alone tells me the truth about myself and the world around me. God never lies.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“Only by having a proper comprehension of reality—the truth about God and about human beings—can we become that which God has called us to be.” (Fr. John Behr)
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