A Dialogue with God
In this profound sermon, His Holiness presents a spiritual dialogue between man and God, filled with questions and reflections about divine justice, mercy, and salvation. The message expresses man’s longing to understand God’s ways and his dependence on divine grace for salvation.
🌿 The essence of the dialogue
Pope Shenouda explains that dialogue with God is not boldness but a sign of love and trust, as seen in the prayers of Jeremiah, David, and Abraham. God Himself invites man to speak with Him: “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord.”
🌾 Man’s questions before God
Like the prophets, man asks:
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Why do the wicked prosper?
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Why is Satan allowed to deceive many?
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Why, though God desires all to be saved, are some lost?
These are not doubts, but expressions of yearning to understand divine justice.
🌸 God’s love and desire to save all
God did not create man to perish but to live. Scripture says:
“God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Yet man, through his freedom, often chooses destruction. Still, God pursues him like the shepherd seeking the lost sheep.
🌺 Grace begins the journey
Pope Shenouda asks: “Who starts the return—us or God?”
He answers: God always begins.
Man cannot return without divine grace. Thus, we pray:
“Turn me back, O Lord, and I shall return.”
For Christ said: “Without Me, you can do nothing.”
🌼 The Good Shepherd
God is the Shepherd who restores the lost, heals the broken, and saves the wounded. Christ promised:
“No one shall snatch My sheep out of My hand.”
Yet the Pope mournfully asks: “Where is Your hand, Lord, when so many are being lost?”
🌻 The mystery of free will
He reflects on human free will, asking:
“Will You let people destroy themselves by their freedom?”
He pleads that God would guide human freedom toward good, for many want to repent but cannot without His help.
🌷 The prayer of repentance and hope
The sermon concludes with a heartfelt plea:
“Do not leave us to ourselves, Lord. Work in us that we may work with You.”
And:
“If we do not desire You, make us desire You. If we cannot love You, teach us to love You.”
🌈 Spiritual conclusion
This sermon is a prayerful conversation between the soul and God, revealing human weakness and divine compassion. It proclaims that salvation begins and ends with God, and that hope remains alive, for the Creator never forgets His children.
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