UOC Primate: True Love Turns Evil into Good

In his sermon on the holiday of Venerable Sabbas the Sanctified, Metropolitan Onufriy warned against being too demanding toward the people around and urged to heal one’s own vices, rather than your neighbor’s”. It is reported by the UOC Information and Education Department.

“The whole life of Venerable Sabbas was filled with love toward God and people close to him,” he noted.

His Beatitude told a story about the thieves who penetrated into the cave cell of the righteous man: they could feel his forgiving attitude to them and this transfigured their hearts.

“If there is true love, it turns an evil man into a kind man. Love is able to cure everything. Taking a look at the life of the Venerable, we understand we can live righteously as long as we follow God’s Commandments and choose them as the only correct pathway,” remarked His Eminence.

He also underscored that only life according to the Commandments can benefit humans. “Even if your near ones oppose to such choice of yours for the time being, they will later realize it was correct, if you have made this choice in good faith in order to fulfill God’s will,” said the Primate.

His Beatitude also warned against being too rigorous and demanding towards the people around and urged to heal other people’s sins with love. “If people have small weaknesses and we wish to help them correct those weaknesses, we can resort to strict administrative actions. For instance, to reprimand or blame them. However, if a person has big weaknesses and shortcomings, they should be cured solely with love. Love is able to cure everything,” he emphasized.

The UOC Primate called on parents to be careful when bringing up their children.

“In case your child faces serious problems like drug or alcohol addiction, they can be approached with love,” he said. – You shouldn’t tell a child every day this is bad and make him or her feel depressed. You’d better do it seldom and softly, feeling empathetic. He who commits a wrong thing, is exposed by his conscience already. If you enhance this feeling of being guilty, you enhance your child’s tortures and this can destroy him or her. Love, on the contrary, supports a person, does not press on him and helps him come out of the vicious pitfall.”