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Redeeming the Time by seraphimholland on 3/3/09
For we are strangers on the earth, as were all our fathers; keep our
short life without sin, O our Savior, and have mercy on us, as the
lover of mankind.
The Troparion of the Prophecy, 1st Tone, Clean Tuesday, At the Sixth
Hour.
For we are strangers on the earth.
This world is not our home. Sion is our home. We are strangers,
pilgrims on this earth, just as Moses was a “stranger in a strange
land” We must not act too familiar with the things of the world,
because they are not of God.
How pathetic we are! We can spend hours in trivial and even wicked
pursuits and we can barely spend 5 minutes in prayer! Truly the
psalmist was correct: “All men are liars”, because although my lips say
that “I am a stranger on this earth”, the way I live shows I consider
this to be my home. O Lord, help us to be like Moses, and pass through
this life, the strange land, as strangers to it, and find Sion.
Keep our short life without sin.
Our life is short. It is good to remember this every day. We will not
live in this strange land forever. In this short time, we are to become
ready for the Promised Land – but will we waste our time and actually
be strangers there?
O our Savior, and have mercy on us, as the lover of mankind.
This “mercy” we ask for is not only the forgiveness of sins. That is
not enough! If we do not change our disposition and become strangers to
sin, we will always remain strangers to God. The mercy we seek is to
change our way of thinking, our priorities, our very inner being so
that we would not be inclined towards sin.
Priest Seraphim Holland St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, McKinney,
Texas
http://www.orthodox.net/dailylent/great-lent-week-01-tuesday_2008+str...
http://www.orthodox.net/dailylent/great-lent-week-01-tuesday_2008+str...
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