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Dear Friends of Saint Dumitru Monastery,

 

In the weeks preceding Great Lent we hear in churches the Gospel readings relating the Passion of the Lord. In particular, on the cheesefare Tuesday, we heard the episode of Peter’s threefold denial, as related by Saint Luke. Only in this Gospel we find the fact that, after Peter denied three times that he knew the Savior or was among His disciples, and the rooster crowed, “the Lord turned and looked at Peter” (Luke 22:61). Only then Peter realized what he had done and “went out and wept bitterly”. Thus, not the rooster’s crowing, but the eyes of the Lord “woke” Peter up… 

 

The Fathers of the Church instruct us that the same happens to us all. We would not know that we erred, we would not know the darkness of our fall, if God had not illumined us, if He had not sent His Son as Light of the world (cf. John 8, 12). Moreover, we would not know what is good without Christ the Savior. We realize, thus, that Good, like Truth, Life, Way (cf. John 14, 6), Light (John 8, 12), Salvation (cf. Isaiah 49, 6) are in fact a Person, Jesus Christ. Everything we call “good” on earth are but pale reflections of Him.  

 

Let us also note that the Savior does not chastise (He merely “looked at Peter”). But His look, His presence shows everyone who they are and what they did. It will be similar in the Judgment Day: in His presence we will see ourselves, who and how we are, and we will place ourselves accordingly, to the left or right…

 

Therefore, we can turn this Great Lent into an occasion for us to repair our many denials of the Good. Most of our denials/treasons were done unknowingly, but quite a few were done knowingly. For all of them, this period of spiritual struggles, performed in the mystical presence of our Savior, is a unique opportunity for our souls to recover.

 

May our good Savior “wake” us up, too, and may the Holy Apostle Peter give us the strength to repent/cry.

 

In Christ, our Lord and Savior,

 

The Abbot of Saint Dumitru Monastery

Protosyngellos Ieremia with the brotherhood

 

PS. The Lenten service schedule of our monastery can be found on the Liturgical Schedule section of our website.