Excuses

The General Message of the Lecture

This lecture addresses the topic of excuses in human life and reveals how people throughout history use them to justify mistakes and escape responsibility instead of honestly confronting themselves with repentance. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that excuses are as old as humanity itself, and that God does not accept excuses that conceal or justify sin.

 First: Excuses Throughout Sacred History

From Adam and Eve, to Cain, then Abraham, and later the scribes and Pharisees, humanity has always tried to place blame on others. Even if circumstances appear justified in human eyes, God looks at the heart and does not accept excuses that contradict the commandment or evade truth.

️ Second: Excuses in Spiritual Life

His Holiness speaks about common excuses such as:

• Being too busy to pray due to lack of time.
• Avoiding fasting under the pretext of illness or weakness.
• Neglecting giving or service with seemingly logical excuses that hide avoidance of commitment.
  He emphasizes that the real issue is not inability, but lack of sincere desire.

 Third: Excuses in Service and Priesthood

The lecture discusses excuses related to pastoral neglect, lack of preparation for service, and justifying failure through forgetfulness or necessity. These excuses can cause stumbling to the people and strip service of its spiritual essence. Priests and servants are called to responsibility through love, not justification of mistakes.

 Fourth: An Important Spiritual Rule

The golden rule presented by His Holiness:

You may create an excuse for others out of love,
but do not create an excuse for yourself.

Making excuses for others can be a virtue, but making excuses for oneself is often a justification of sin.

 Conclusion

Excuses require wisdom and discernment. Not every excuse is rejected, but any excuse that covers sin, justifies it, or shifts blame to others is unacceptable before God. The right path is honesty with oneself, bearing responsibility, and seeking true repentance.

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