October 2023 Letter

Dear brethren,

We learn from the late Pope Shenouda about being honest in everything even the little things:

The Bible says: “you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things” (Mat 25: 21), that is, if you are faithful in the earthly, I will raise you up over the heavenly. You were faithful in this present world, and I will raise you up for eternity…

This principle can be applied in many different areas…

• If you are faithful in your love for your neighbor, the Lord can raise you up to love the enemy, that is, give you the grace with which you can love your enemy.
• If you are faithful in serving the Lord in your spare time, the Lord can give you the love with which you dedicate your whole life to serve Him.
• If you are faithful in not accepting voluntary sins, the Lord can save you from involuntary sins…
• If you are faithful in keeping your conscious mind from evil thoughts, then the Lord will give you the purity of the subconscious mind, and the Lord will also give you the purity of dreams…
• If you are faithful in your childhood, the Lord will raise you over the fidelity in youth, which is more warsome.
• If you are faithful in not judging others with your tongue, then the Lord gives you not to judge with thoughts, which is more difficult.
• Likewise, if you are faithful in restraining yourself in terms of apparent outward anger, then the Lord will also grant you purity from inner anger, purity from wrath, hatred, and thoughts of anger.
• If you are faithful in ordinary spirituality (fruits of the Spirit), the Lord can raise you up to the gifts of the Spirit, and without honesty in the first the second is not given.
• God first tests you in a little and if He finds you faithful in it, then He entrusts you with more. But if you show your failure and dishonesty in a little, it is difficult to entrust you on a lot…
• As the Scripture says: “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses?” (Jeremiah 12: 5).
• Strangely many people think of themselves as capable of taking on great responsibilities while they are unable to do less. They do not use the grace they have, yet they demand greater grace, forgetting the Lord’s saying: “you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things” (Mat 25: 21). It is a condition…

May the blessings of St. Mary & St. Mercurius be with us all.

Belleville, October 1, 2023

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