Mat.6:14-21
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
Today’s gospel says, “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” As we embark on the journey of Great Lent, Christ tells us the importance of forgiving each other.
However, before we take on “forgiveness” as a crucial challenge of love, we must first ask ourselves: “Am I withdrawing into my own world, trying not to be bothered by all the “troublesome” interactions with other people?“ “Am I trying to live without engaging with others as much as possible to avoid the inconvenience of forgiving and being forgiven?”
The journey of Great Lent, a journey of heart and body, leads us to the destination of Pascha (Easter). It is the Passover to the Kingdom of God. The Passover is a Passover from the solitary “me” to the “us” in the banquet offered by the risen Christ.
The first thing we must hold in our mind on that journey is feeling of “sadness”. It is a painful sadness for the “me” who has drifted away from the “us” that God has given to us as the present, and who is only seeking to fiercely protect our own tiny “peace.” And the first thing we must do, prompted by that sorrow, is resolute repentance and contrition.
And furthermore, this repentance should not be about overeating, drinking, being licentious, selfish, greedy, and hating others… Above all, before repenting for these, there must be a turning from “I” to “us.” Yes, it is difficult for us to be “us.” We are afraid of being “us.” But are we not trying to escape from this turn, saying “it’s troublesome”? We must go out onto the road opened to the possibilities of love. If we close ourselves off from love out of fear of conflict, we must quickly realize how much it saddens God, who created us in the image of His Trinitarian love.
When we set out on that path, we first encountered Christ, God who came to this earth as a “forgiveness”, and in that “forgiveness” and love, we ourselves were able to “forgive”. We finally came to know Christ as “resurrection.”
Orthodox Christians greet each other on Easter Sunday with phrases such as “Christ is Risen!!” and “Indeed He is Risen!” This is a mutual confirmation that we have truly been transformed into “us.” Fifty days from now, after completing Great Lent’s journey, we will be able to call out to each other, “Christ is Risen!”