Do not judge the others then, not merely out of compassion for them, but out of compassion for yourself.
Out of compassion for yourself avoid the consequences of judging others. You may be subject to be forsaken by the grace, to be condemned on the Day of Judgment, or to suffer falling in the same sin for which you judged your brothers as in the story of some old father who condemned hardly a youth who fell in sin, making him fall in doubt and finally leave the monastery to the world. God permitted that the old father suffer in his old age the sin he never experienced in his youth.
Judge Not Others
H.H. Pope Shenouda III
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Another time, a monk of Syrian descent was living in Scetis. He came to St. Macarius and said to him, “I have a question, father: When I was in Syria, I was able to fast a great deal and spend days fasting, but now, in Egypt, I cannot complete the day fasting. Why?” Seeing that the monasteries in Syria were in cities in the midst of people, St. Macarius answered him and said, “You used to spend your days fasting because you dined on vainglory, that is, people’s praise of you during the fasting and abstinence from food. But here in the wilderness, no one sees you, and hence you quickly become hungry.” Because of this, the saints said that if the virtues are known, they are ruined and end; and because of this, they would hide their virtues, wisdom, and knowledge.
ON THE EGO & THE LOVE OF PRAISE
H.H. Pope Shenouda III -
The person who wants to save himself does not think of becoming a shepherd, but flees from shepherding as much as he can. If God firmly takes hold of him and he becomes a shepherd, then he will ask Him for power with which to do the work, for he, on his own, can do nothing. He who trusts in his own power, talents, and ability to save others is a very arrogant person indeed.
Let man stay away from the love of authority, even if the reason is a desire for people’s salvation, because in reality, the reason is a love of vainglory, not people’s salvation.
ON THE EGO & THE LOVE OF PRAISE
H.H. Pope Shenouda III -
“A common misconception in people early in their vocation is that they think they should be capable of the work before they’ve done it—when it is doing the work that creates the individual that is capable of it.”
— WE REACH OUR IDEALS THROUGH THE WORK, JOEL UILI -
Poor are those who limit their thoughts to the past with all its troubles, mistakes and its sweet dreams. There would not be any time or strength left for them to do something for the future.
They talk about the beauty of the past, the greatness of the past, either a boosting talk or a sorrowful talk. As for the present, there is nothing about it, it does not exist, the same with the future … etc.
The beautiful past is not going to satisfy you if the present is troublesome. Therefore, do not live on sweet memories but reach forward. Let your present always be better than your past.
Do not remember from the past except what could make your present better and gives you a push forward in repentance or in growth.
WORDS OF SPIRITUAL BENEFIT VOL III
H.H. Pope Shenouda III -
“I suffer from life and from other people. I can’t look at reality face to face. Even the sun discourages and depresses me. Only at night and all alone, withdrawn, forgotten and lost, with no connection to anything real or useful — only then do I find myself and feel comforted.”
― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet -
If life is good, why wish for a different life? And if life is not good, why hope for another life? You might say, we are hoping for a better life than what we have now, but why do we insist on life? Those who hope for death, are hoping for something better and not for an end.
The Lord’s Prayer
Fr. Mina Dimitri
