Среда

(1 Tim. 1, 18–20, 2:8–15; Luke 15, 1–10) The parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin. How great is the Lord’s mercy towards us sinners! Leaves all the good ones and turns to the faulty ones to fix them; He looks for them and, when he finds them, He Himself rejoices and calls all heaven to rejoice with Him. How does it look? Doesn't He know where we are, having departed from Him? He knows and sees everything, but if the point was only to take it and transfer it to his own, immediately all the sinners would appear again in their rank. But one must first be disposed to repentance, so that conversion and return to the Lord can be free, and this cannot be done by command or any external order. The Lord's search for the sinner consists in bringing him to repentance. He arranges everything around him so that the sinner comes to his senses and, seeing the abyss into which he is striving, returns back. All circumstances of life are directed here, all meetings with moments of sorrow and joy, even words and glances. And the internal influences of God through conscience and other right feelings lying in the heart never cease. How much is being done to convert sinners to the path of virtue, but sinners still remain sinners!.. The enemy brings darkness, and they think that everything will pass; and if anxiety arises, they say: “I’ll quit tomorrow,” and remain in the same position. So day after day passes; indifference to one's salvation grows and grows. A little more, and it will turn into bitterness in sin. Will conversion come then - who knows? You might be interested in: