Day 30 (5th Tuesday of the Holy Great Fast)
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair.” (2 Cor 4:8)
“I [Pope Shenouda III] remember a letter which I received from a youth 22 years ago.
When I read it I was deeply affected by it to the stage that I wept. I replied to his letter, in which I said to him: ‘I have received your letter, O beloved brother, and I imagined that I had read it many times before I had actually seen it, it is the picture of a life that I know, and the story of many hearts’. Yes, it is a war which tires many. Its thoughts are known, and repeated in the people’s confessions and in their spiritual questions. Here we will try to deal and answer each of these thoughts about despair.
A. The first complaint: I have lost hope. I am useless.
Know my brother, that every thought of despair, is warfare from the devil. He wants you to despair from repentance, either from its capabilities or its acceptance, so that you feel that there is no use in struggling and you give in to sin and remain in it until your soul perishes. So do not listen to the devil, no matter what he says to you. When you are struggling with one of the thoughts of despair, answer it with the saying of Micah the prophet: “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise” (Mic 7:8).
Know that if you despair from repentance, that this is more dangerous than falling into sin. Through despair Judas perished and died. Despair leads into deeper involvement in sin and the sinner progresses from bad to worse. In despair the devil battles with the sinner to keep him away from his Confession Father, from every spiritual advice and from all of the church, so that he will be alone with him, leaving the sinner without any help. The prophets and saints were in warfare with the battle of despair, and so the prophet David said: “Many are they who say of me, there is no help for him in God” (Ps 3). He answers this saying: “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Ps 3:3). David did not despair at his falling but he wept for it and repented. So God returned him to his original rank. God performed many good things for numerous people and He said: “For the sake of My servant David” (1 Kin 11:32,34,36). So do not despair but remember those who previously repented.
If you have lost hope in yourself, the Lord has not lost hope in your salvation. He has saved many and you are not more difficult than all of them. When grace works in you, there is no room for despair. Enter into repentance with a courageous heart and do not belittle yourself.”
B. He says: ‘How can I repent while I am completely unable to arise from my fall?’
Do not be afraid. God will fight for you, for the battle is the Lord’s (1 Sam 17:47). Your resistance, whether it is weak or strong is not important. God can save with much or with little. God is more powerful than the devil who fights with you and He can drive the devil away. So do not look at your power, but at the power of God. Cry and say if you allow me, I will repent for you are the Lord my God (Jer 31:18).”
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
(This is the beginning of a beautiful and thorough narrative about despair. To read further please go to The Life of Repentance and Purity pp36-39)
5th Tuesday of the Holy Great Fast
ካብ ውሽጢ ኤርትራ ዝተረኽበ ንቤተ ክርስቲያን ተዋህዶ ንምቁጽጻር ብመንግስቲ ኤርትራ ክካየድ ዝጸንሐን ዘሎን ሽርሒ ዘቃልዕ ቪድዮ
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