God does not allow a trial without a reason.
We may not understand the "why" at that
moment, but He knows the "for what good."
Let us not be afraid of difficult days.
Let us keep our faith, let us pray and let us be a
little more patient.
Because many times, where we see a dead end, God
prepares a way out.
Someone helped someone to repent and come to
Christianity and from then on he became a fervent believer. However, he himself
fell into a great mortal sin and when he died he went to hell. After some
years, the one who was shown mercy also died, who went to heaven.
The merciful brother in heaven did not find the one
who brought him to Christianity. It seemed so strange to him that he had been
saved and the "bridge" of his salvation had not been saved.
So he asked the Lord:
- Lord, where is my savior? You are my real Savior,
but where is the one who sent me to You? How can I be here and he there (in
hell)? Should I go there too!
And it is said that this so moved the Lord that He
commanded that the mortal sin that he had committed be forgiven and that He
also bring him to heaven.
The justice of God was defeated in a moment of
judgment. Know that those whom we have helped and shown mercy will be witnesses
of our defense in the hour of judgment.
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Dimitrios Panagopoulos Preacher
People said that he had a great gift from God, because
he never judged anyone.
One day they brought before him a young Monk who had fallen
into a serious sin.
The other fathers were angry.
- “We must judge him,” they said.
- “Come too, Abba, let us decide what will happen.”
The Elder did not answer.
He only got up, took an old sack, filled it with sand
and put it on his shoulder.
But the sack had a small hole, so the sand fell behind
him onto the road.
The Monks looked at him in amazement.
When they reached the place of judgment, they asked
him:
- “What does this mean, Abba?”
And then he said:
-“My sins fall behind me like sand, and I do not see
them.
But I have come today to judge the mistakes of my
brother.”
Silence fell.
No one spoke again about punishment.
They only wept, embraced the young Monk and prayed
with him.
This story remained in the tradition of the Church for
centuries, because it reveals something very profound:
The man who truly sees his soul loses the need to
condemn others.
And whoever truly approaches Christ becomes more
merciful, not more cruel.
As Saint Isaac the Syrian said:
“Do not hate the sinner. Hate his passions and pray
for him.”
One day, a prince who was impressed by the horse’s
fame and appearance, wanted to buy it, offering the old man an exorbitant sum.
However, he refused to sell his beloved horse, with which he had been attached
for so many years, and returned to his village.
-“Are you a fool?” his fellow villagers asked.
“Sell the horse for your own good, you will make a lot
of money and you will be happy!”
-“Ah, the horse helps me in my work…
And who knows what is good and what is bad?” The old
man replied, “Only God knows!”
The days passed and the horse remained the old man's
inseparable companion.
One morning he woke up and saw that his horse was
gone.
His fellow villagers gathered to express their sorrow
to him:
-“What a great misfortune that has befallen you, now
who will help you with your work?
You were a fool not to sell the horse.
Now you have neither the money nor the horse”.
The old man, with his characteristic calmness,
replied:
-“And who knows what is good and what is bad? Only God
knows!”
The villagers walked away, thinking that the old man
had gone mad.
After a few days the horse returned to the old man's
paddock, along with some other beautiful wild horses that he had encountered in
the forest.
The villagers gathered again and said to him:
-“How lucky you are! A great good has happened to you,
since now you have more horses to help you.”
The old man answered them:
-“In any case, I am pleased that my horse has
returned.”
His villagers looked at him contemptuously again.
After a few days, his son, riding one of the horses,
fell and broke his legs, leaving him helpless.
The villagers gathered again and said:
-“What a misfortune that has befallen you! With the
horses that came, you finally lost your right hand in the business – your son –
who is now suffering from the pain and may suffer for the rest of his life.”
The old man answered again:
-“Who knows… only God knows what is good and what is
bad!”
Not a week had passed since this accident, and a
neighboring country declared war on his country. So, the army passed through
his city and conscripted all the young men of the city.
Of course, they did not take his son, who had broken
legs, and so he did not take part in the fierce battles that followed.
The villagers came again and said:
-“You are very lucky, since all our sons go to be
killed in the war, while you will always have your son near you.”
And the old man answered them with tenderness:
-“We humans never know enough to judge whether
something is a blessing or a disaster. You still, my brothers, do not
understand:
Only God knows what is good and what is bad!!”
So we must show absolute trust in our God, not in
words but in deeds! Is there any chance that if we abandon ourselves like a
small child to His Will, we will ever feel sadness, anxiety, or distress? And
who knows what is good and what is bad.. Only the Lord knows!
Lord, I beg you
for those who are hurting,
for those who are hungry,
for those who commit crimes,
for those who die
unfaithful,
for those who feel lonely
or are desperate,
for those who plan revenge,
for those who are
struggling,
for those who have become
orphans,
for those who have broken
down,
for those who have sinned
mortally.
Lord Jesus Christ, have
mercy on us!
