Joyful news. The column by the Chief Editortranslated

Vladimir Legoida

Chief Editor of the journal "Foma," Professor at MGIMO, Candidate of Political Sciences, Professor at the Sirius University.

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Have you noticed that for many, Christianity is primarily associated with suffering? They say, life is pain, and to be saved in it, one must additionally torment themselves. Let us immediately clarify: suffering is indeed one of the most important experiences in people's lives, after the Edenic catastrophe, they are forced to painfully seek the way back to the lost Home. As rightly perceived and understood by Christians, it can truly transform a person. But this does not mean that suffering is recognized as a norm, as an initially given condition of our existence. And even less as a goal to which one should strive.

What then is the goal? I recall the excellent formulation of the Holy Patriarch Kirill:

"Essentially, the mission of the Church lies in making people happy. And it is not about some fleeting happiness, but about genuine, lasting happiness that is stronger than external circumstances, that fills a person's heart even in circumstances that are unbearable for many, because the inner spiritual strength of such a person…"