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Christ is in our midst, my dear readers.
I congratulate you with our spiritual spring! I want to wish everyone that during the Great Lent, you may truly rejoice. Rejoice that we have transformed and purified our souls, that we have not only acquired virtues but have also learned to keep them. Our soul is like a beautiful house, which is cluttered with the refuse of sins. It needs to be cleaned of this trash.
With every breath, we come closer to the Heavenly Kingdom. Each person is allotted a certain number of steps in his life, and then comes the transition to eternity. On this path, we encounter various temptations and obstacles. The Canon of Andrew of Crete shows us examples that any sin can be overcome through repentance. There is no transgression that God cannot forgive us. Christ came into the world to save sinners. He sacrificed Himself so that we could enter paradise. Let us remember the wise thief. What did the Savior answer him when he repented? Truly, I say to you, today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. Therefore, we have no right to despair and lose hope in God’s mercy.
The Canon of Andrew of Crete sets the tone for the saving path of Great Lent. I would like the words of this canon to always resonate in our hearts, so that we turn to God and to the example of repentance of those people mentioned in it. The Lord is always with us, He never abandons any of us. But we must not only speak but also actively witness our faithfulness to God. And the most important testimony is our love for the Lord and for every person.
Source: Orthodox Christianity