Seriousness
Seriousness
Perhaps some of our relationships with people are characterized by seriousness. But does our relationship with God have the same character of seriousness?
Are our promises to God serious promises? And are our decisions concerning our spiritual life serious decisions, or do we promise and do not fulfill, decide and do not act, as though we were not committed to anything?!
Are our vows to God firm vows characterized by seriousness? Or do we make important agreements with God in critical moments of our lives, then the crisis passes and we cancel all our agreements..?
And when we approach to partake of the Holy Sacraments, determined with all our hearts to live a holy life with God, do we retain this feeling, or do we forget the commitments of our hearts and do not walk seriously in a life of repentance?!
Do we have a clear, known path in which we walk steadfastly, or are we like a feather tossed about by the winds, without seriousness?
Does this seriousness in the spiritual life adhere to certain principles of purity without deviation, and to the means of grace without laziness, and to service without slackness?
The saints who repented, such as Moses the Black, Augustine, and Mary the Copt, had repentance characterized by seriousness; they never returned to their old life which they had left without return.
And those who established friendship and fellowship with the Lord did not betray Him in this friendship, but remained faithful to Him with seriousness, feeling a commitment of heart and action toward His love.
Those who are serious in their spiritual lives are not shaken by trials or temptations, and they never forget that they are temples of God and that His Spirit dwells in them. Nor do they forget that they are children of God, and that they must remain keeping His image and likeness.
Those who are serious in their spiritual lives show seriousness in every aspect of their lives: in their words, in their actions, in their service, in their worship, in their relationships with others, and in their firm stance toward thoughts and feelings that wage war against the heart.
They are people of principles. And they have a commitment toward their principles.
May we all live with this seriousness, for it is one of the qualities of the children of God. And it is a sign of steadfastness.
[1] An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, published in El-Keraza Magazine, ninth year, issue 41, October 13, 1978.For better translation support, please contact the center.
