SO GOOD QUOTES

111- Visiting

Visiting is a kind of pastoral care. St. Paul said about it, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city, where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” (Acts 15:36).

Visiting is essential for whoever is in a position of responsibility.

The bishop and the priest visit the flock and the servant visits his children. Even the ordinary faithful person sits with himself, reviewing his life, where is he going?

Visiting others means that you care about them and want to make sure they are all right.

Therefore, visiting creates a deep feeling of mutual love. You visit the one you love and the one whom you visited will love you for caring about him.

The opposite is also true; lack of visiting creates a feeling of loneliness and depression. How easy for one to say, “There is nobody to ask about me, even the Church and the priests!”

Many of our brothers were lost because nobody visited them or by the time they were visited, it was too late. Either because matters, by that time, became complicated or their hearts became void of responsive feelings, love of goodness and love of the one visiting them.

For this reason, the quick action of visiting solves problems before they become serious.

This applies especially to those who are young, weak, new or those who are facing tribulations or trials or under certain pressures and are unable to save themselves or find a solution.

There is a big difference between such a visit and a social visit.

You might visit a person without seeking to help him.

You might visit him and talk about many matters without referring to God and the extent of this person’s relationship with Him. A pastoral visit means entering into one’s life, knowing his problems and helping in solving them creating a deep relationship between him and God.

Pastoral care means visiting others, accompanied by God. And when you leave, you must have left God in his home and in his heart.

Let us conclude by hoping that you’ll ask yourself: who needs your visit? Whom have you visited but not actually helped?!

—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. III