Forgiveness is the fruit of love
This holy season of the Nativity of Christ is a time that brings family and loved ones together, often gathering for the only time during the year. Stress levels are often off the charts, as family members prepare to spend time with relatives who have been a source of conflict, or who have been critical and negative during the previous year. Putting on a face, and pretending to actually like these persons, can be a daunting task during any time of the year, but added stress of shopping for gifts, mailing out Christmas cards, and attending office “holiday” parties, only accentuates the stress of being with these people.
The solution is a simple one, yet one that seems impossible for most people. That is, approach the family member with love and forgiveness. This person may be arriving with an arsenal, fully prepared to push every button to get a negative response, but if their negativity is met with love and forgiveness, they are disarmed, and the fruit of our willingness to forgive them, and LOVE them, is that of peace and harmony. What a great gift to exchange during the time of year when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace!
But how do we do this? We simply imitate Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, while hanging on the cross, asked the Father to forgive his murderers (Luke 23:34). The Lord’s willingness to even forgive his murderers was the fruit of love. If we immerse ourselves in God’s love, and learn to love everyone, we will have acquired the heart of God and love will permeate every aspect of our life. The Lord told us we must even love our enemies, a feat that is impossible without the grace of God empowering us. And, if we can love our enemies, we can even love that relative who irritates the heck out of us!
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Sunday December 21, 2014 / December 8, 2014
28th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone three.
Nativity (St. Philip’s Fast). Fish Allowed
Venerable Patapius of Thebes (7th c.).
New Martyr John (Kochurov), priest (1918).
New Hieromartyr Sergius (1937)..
Venerable Cyril, abbot of Chelma Hill (1367).
Holy Apostles of the Seventy: Sosthenes, Apollos, Cephas, Tychicus, Epaphroditus, Caesar, and Onesiphorus.
Holy 362 Martyrs of Africa, martyred by the Arians, and Martyr Anthusa, at Rome (5th c.).
Martyr Anthusa at Rome (5th C).
St. Sophronius, bishop of Cyprus (8th c.).
St. Valerius, bishop of Trier (3rd c.).
St. Budoc, bishop of Plourin.
Scripture Readings for the Day:
Colossians 1:12-18
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood,[a] the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Luke 17:12-19
12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
Amen!