July 7, 2013 - Our mission and our personal difficulties

July 7, 2013 - Our mission and our personal difficulties

July 7, 2013

Our mission and our personal difficulties 

We celebrated the great feast of Pentecost and, in the mists of the joy of the Holy Spirit and the calling of the Apostles, our mission in this world was designated. We are called to preach that the Kingdom of God has come and to show His philanthropy (Math. 10:7-8). Even so, it seems that our temptations and personal difficulties hinder our task.  Yet, our “fall” from the joy that we lived during the previous feast days should be of no surprise! For “ Peter first takes the keys of the kingdom of heaven and earth into his hands and then it is allowed that he falls into denial, so his spirit is humbled by the fall. So you, even though you accept the key of divine knowledge and then fall into various thoughts, do not be surprised. Glorify our only wise Lord, who, in different situations, puts reigns on the opinion that we have of our self when we progress in the knowledge of God. Because temptations are the restraints of human arrogance and are sent by God’s providence.” (St. John the Carpathian - 100 Chapters of Consolation, 62)