orthodox-christian-life:“In this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while, if need be, yo
orthodox-christian-life: “In this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). Thus speaks St. Peter the Apostle whose life was filled with many temptations and frequent sorrows. Thus speaks the man who left his home and family members and followed after Christ and who, for the sake of Christ, endured many difficulties: from hunger, from thirst, from the Jews, from the Romans, from false prophets, from cruel heathens and who, in the end was crucified on the cross, all for the sake of the Lord Christ. He, who in this life was unmercifully scourged with great sorrows and great temptations, counsels us to rejoice in Christ so that this joy may swallow up all our proportionally lessor sorrows and temptations. But why brethren should we rejoice in Christ? Because He revealed and showed us the reality of the greatest and most beautiful hopes and dreams of mankind; He revealed to us the One God, Living, Omnipotent, All-wise All-merciful and He gave us the privilege to call ourselves His sons; He revealed and showed us the immortal and eternal life; life incomparably better than this life on earth; He revealed to us the spiritual kingdom; the kingdom of angels and the righteous; the kingdom of all good and the light of truth and justice; He revealed and showed us the goal of our existence here on earth and the purpose for all our efforts and sufferings in this transient life; He revealed to us the ocean of heavenly joy compared to all of our sorrows and temptations as a drop of muddy water, which cannot disturb or muddy that ocean. O brethren, what joy awaits us! O brethren, how small a price does our Lord ask of us to purchase this joy in which the angels bathe and in which the righteous swim! Only to fulfill a few of His short commandments that is the entire price! O Lord Jesus, the all-miraculous source of our joy, our boast and our pleasure, our glory and our thanks, place Your finger on our mouths and do not allow a drop of muddy sorrow and temptations to poison us. To You be glory and thanks always. Amen. Prologue from Ochrid -- source link