Everything is Connected – On the way home from Church on Sunday we followed a car with that bumper sticker. After reading it, I thought back to the reading of the day* (Matthew 25),
… for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and in prison and you visited me. For truly I say to you, if you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me (Mt 25)
I tend to shy away from thinking too much about the Last Judgement, as I know that a lot of religious harm and pain has been caused by focusing too much on that aspect. However, the sermon that Father Daniel shared was about the fact that God is Love, and that when we sin (reject that love) we affect all of those around us. I was so taken with the idea that my sins make others around me sin and miss the mark as well. It goes back to the bumper sticker – the dumb choices that I make can and do harm those that I love.
And, of course, the main point is the love for our neighbor that Christ will ask each of us about on that Dread Judgement Day. All I can say is “Lord have Mercy and help me to love others as much as I love myself”
It really put it all together as to why the Orthodox Church in her wisdom does think about this as we approach Lent – how the discipline is a tool to wittling away the passions, not a means to an end as there are no extra brownie points at the Last Judgement for keeping a perfect fast. But you do get them for loving your neighbor.
*the third of the four Pre-Lenten Sundays is “The Sunday of the Last Judgement”
Icon visible at the Greek Archdiocese Website
posted by Mimi @ 3/02/2006 02:00:00 PM
9 Comments
9 Comments:
amen!
great post!!
It's significant, and also very encouraging, that Forgiveness Sunday immediately follows Judgment Sunday. It's easy for me to not focus on that because I'm too busy using up the cheese around the house. :) The two Sundays are connected together because God will only forgive if we first forgive others.
--Anita
What a great connection between discipline and loving our neighbors. I never really think about how my discipline issues carry over into my relationships....thanks for sharing. :)
Great reflection, Mimi.
Thanks for the mushroom comments...I responded on my blog! I have a thing against bananas and its because of the texture so I can "smell" ya on that one! LOL
Laura, I've had "The Brothers Karamazov" come up again and again recently - I read it several years ago, and obviously I need to read it again.
Thanks so much for your compliments, comments and fleshing out my idea! Anita, you are spot on!
St.Peter Chrysologus
"Fasting bears no fruit unless it is watered by mercy. Fasting dries up when mercy dries up. Mercy is to fasting as rain is to the earth. When you fast, if your mercy is thin your harvest will be thin; when you fast, what you pour out in mercy overflows into your barn. Give to the poor and you give yourself. You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others."
Thought you might like this. I printed it out and put it on my kitchen cabinet, so I can make sure fasting doesn't make me cranky. Blessings to you!
Good refresher links to read! Matthew 25 is inspiring to read and the bottom line of Christianity for me. It reminds me totally of who Jesus was. His deeds/actions/examples are only/all I'm concerned about. I always feel like I should physically "give" something rather than "give up" something for lent. Mimi I don't think you have too much to worry about. I'm sure you're on the "side of the sheep"! I have a feeling the goats will get some in the end too though ;)
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