Whenever Elder Paisios of the Holy Mount received a layman, he always began the meeting by repenting the visitor's sins as if they were his own. Nowadays, people seem to have different habits. They prefer to shun responsibility and blame others. They ascribe their problems to their adverse circumstances or the ill will of other people, or they attribute their children's poor behaviour to the influence of the street.
Only by learning to accept responsibility for our sins and take the blame for the sins of others can we hope to find the grace of the Holy Spirit. But by denying responsibility and shifting the blame on others, we stand no chance. We may continue to go to church and partake of the sacraments, but that will change little. The absence of the Holy Spirit will fill our lives with sadness.
When we go to Church and trust our Lord, we have no reason to complain. So let us live as Christians and thank the Lord in our prayers.
Priest Rodion Alkhovik
