Our Venerable Father Cyriacus the Anchorite (c. 448-556)
Ephesians 4:14-19; Mark 11:27-33
Read Ephesians 4:14-19
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
People tend to be very good and speaking the truth, or at least what they believe to be the truth. Ask someone what they think of a given politician, athlete, celebrity, or their in-laws, and they’ll tell you all about their opinion of that person, which they, of course, believe to be the truth. And how often do we hear less-than-charitable answers to such questions?
Speaking the truth in love is more challenging. Speaking the truth in love forces you to recall that even that politician you can’t stand or that family member who always annoys you is truly a beloved child of the Most High and that our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth in order to save that person.
A mature Christian is not, in St. Paul’s words, like a child ‘tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles’. A mature Christian does not get caught up in the falsehood that it is perfectly acceptable to curse, to condemn, to judge people with whom he or she disagrees, even if that person is doing evil or causing harm to others.
A mature Christian is rooted in the love that God showed to us when He sent His Son to dwell among us, to die for us, and to rise from the dead. Our Lord Jesus Christ died for even the most grievous criminal and prolific doer of evil deeds. When we are rooted in God’s love, we most certainly can recognize when someone is causing harm, and work to reduce and reverse such harm where possible. At the same time, when rooted in God’s love, we love such persons all the more, and pray for their conversion, so that the energy they spend on doing harm can be transformed into energy spent doing good.
A darkened mind and heart condemns, judges, and curses. This is because a darkened mind and heart know not the Light of God and only the darkness of the evil one. A mind and heart enlightened by the Holy Spirit knows only how to love, bless, and pray, even for those who do evil.