A Word Of Hope For Those Who Lost Hope -- St. John Jacob, The Romanian (The Chozebite)

[IoanC]

{I translated this in 2012}​

We are living in the last age, and the enemy of salvation is trying harder to impose his craft, seeing that the end is getting closer. These are the days of those who cause others to fall into sin (Matt. 18,6), and there is a spiritual drought, the word of God is missing, and so is the good counsel for salvation. Today, many believers end up losing hope because spiritual guides are missing, for as the psalmist says, "there is no more a godly man; for truths fail from among the sons of men".​

More painfully, the illness of despair also finds its way into the hearts of those who have put on the "garment of salvation", even clerics. The doubting of one's salvation is found in many Christians, not only in those who are slaves to the passions, or in strangers to The Church, but also in those who are already on the way to repentance and are burning for the holy Truth. They see the degradation around them, then they see that there are no spiritual guides, sometimes they even see the lack of faith of those "in the chandelier", the ones who should illumine the others, and that's why their poor hearts get discouraged and sometimes they lose hope.

Those who embrace monastic life are more sheltered from worldly waves, but they also see a lack of spiritual progress, and for this matter, they feel a kind of doubt of salvation, and their souls get crippled. Through these words, I am not seeking to judge or condemn those who doubt their salvation, but I am trying to offer them a "tonic", meaning a strengthening potion for the soul.

Our rehabilitation and salvation from damnation was obtained through the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ, on The Cross. So, just as none of the chosen people in The Old Testament were able to escape damnation by offering all their goods, the same way, in our days, we cannot be saved through our deeds without God's Grace: first comes the holy Grace of God, and then the deeds that help our salvation. I am saying this because there are many Christians, especially monks, who rely too much on their own deeds and do not value God's Grace very much. When one like these suffers a fall into the passions, or when their bodies grow weak and they are unable to fulfill the good deeds or their ascetic programs, then they lose hope of salvation. That's because their hope was put in their own asceticism and good deeds, not in God's Mercy. To them, when the strength of the body is gone, or when they fall into passions, then it's all over with salvation, as well, according to their thinking.

Brothers and sisters who doubt your salvation, have it well in your mind: if man was to do all the good things and even if he sacrificed his life for the sake of justice, yet, without the holy Grace of God there would be no salvation. As Prophet David says in the Psalms, "Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people". And again: if one was to commit all the evils in the world, yet, he would not lose hope in God and would run towards repentance, he would still be saved. "Vain is the salvation of man", again, says the psalmist, meaning all of man's struggle is futile without the help of God. Every man is fought by various sins and gets wounded by them. So, we, by ourselves, no matter how many good deeds or ascetic tasks we do, we will not be able to heal and attain purity. God's Gift (Grace) fulfills all the things that are missing from us and heals us towards salvation.

No right-believing Christian should become so discouraged as to say that he cannot be saved anymore. This discouragement and doubting of salvation comes from the enemy. The snake that once counseled our ancestors to eat from the forbidden fruit and told them that they will never die, has now changed his voice and whispers to many: "in vain you eat the bread of life" for "there is no salvation for you, anymore!". Do you see how deceiving a voice is heard today? Holy Prophet David could understand this voice, and that's why he was saying: "Many are they who say of me, there is no salvation for him in his God" (Ps. 3,2). But he was strengthening himself with the hope in God saying: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why do you disquiet me? Hope in God, for I shall praise Him, the salvation of my countenance, and my God". (Ps. 41,6-7) The Prophet repeats these words many times, showing that this is the danger coming from lack of hope. Read The Psalter carefully, and you will see how strengthened king David is in the hope of salvation. He was neither baptized, nor had he seen the joy of the resurrection of The Lord; he only knew about it as a mystery, but the hope of salvation resounded in all of his psalms. Aside from this, not even he was spared from the wounds of sin, but he suffered the gravest wounds because of fornication and murder. Yet, his hope did not decrease and that's why he was saved and sanctified. Now, think of the thief who had faith in the face of death, even though he had a soul burdened by sin, yet, his hope stood until the end. For, if he hadn't had hope, he would not have dared to say: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” How painful it is to see that many who have put on Christ through the Mystery of Baptism and commune with The Bread of Life, meaning The Body of The Lord, and who have been called to inherit The Kingdom of Heaven lack hope of salvation! It causes great pain to The Church, our spiritual mother, who struggles to save everybody!
All of the Holy Fathers say with one voice that no sin is more harmful than the sin of despair because it is almost like denying God. For this matter, brethren, let us cry for our sins because they have saddened God, but this crying should be accompanied by hope in the Mercy of our Heavenly Father and we should never doubt our salvation. The habit of the enemy is to bring mindless fear and trouble into our hearts, so that he can drive us into despair.

Yet, you, Christian brother, even if you see God Himself turn His face away from you and stop counting you among His sheep, not even then should you despair, but pray to Him with perseverance, as the widow who was asking the unjust judge to help her, in The Gospel, and you will not be ashamed. Shout at the poisoning thoughts with courage like Prophet David: "The Lord is my light and my savior; whom shall I fear?", and then say: "My hope is The Father, my refuge is The Son, and my shelter is The Holy Spirit".

(St. John Jacob, The Romanian, of Hozeva Monastery, 1913-1960)

For more Romanian Orthodoxy in English, see my blog: Ioan (John) Calineac

 

[ArmyMatt]

thanks for the reminder!