Fulfilling the commandments brings people the highest happiness


Life is happiness. These words may seem strange. How can you call this life happiness, if at every step we encounter failures, disappointments, bitterness? How much pain do people suffer. Life, some say, is work, and often thankless work - where can there be happiness? And yet, I repeat, life is happiness... Life becomes happiness for us when we learn to fulfill the commandments of Christ and love Christ. Then it will be a joy to live, it will be a joy to endure troubles, and before us will shine the unspeakable light of the Sun of Righteousness - the Lord.

All the Gospel commandments begin with these words: “Blessed, blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the peacemakers…”. From this follows the truth that the fulfillment of the commandments brings people the highest happiness.

Elder Barsanuphius of Optina

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Jesus Prayer Can Heal Us from Anger

Image
A common thing that we all face is anger, the anger that results from the actions of the person next to us. Often it is even our spouse, the person we love the most. When we are angry, we say and do things that we later regret. The Holy Apostle Paul says in his Epistle to the Romans: “ For what I do, I do not understand; for what I want, I do not do, but what I hate, that I do. But if I do what I do not want, I acknowledge that the law is good. But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that what is good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. For to will is present with me, but to do what is good I do not find. For the good that I want, I do not do, but the evil that I do not want, that I practice ” (Epistle to the Romans of the Holy Apostle Paul 7:15-19). When we get angry or resentful, we are far from God. How can we, as true Orthodox Christians, react in this way towards our fellowmen? Anger results from our own selfishness. This is one of the si...
Read more

The Holy Sacrament of Confession and Communion with the Body and Blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ

Image
Although I am not a theologian, I chose to make a small post about the Holy Sacrament of Confession and the Communion with the body and blood of the Savior, Jesus Christ, in order to bring once again to mind their immense importance for our physical, but especially spiritual life. Before sacrificing Himself on the cross, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, instituted, at the Last Supper, the Eucharist, or the Communion with His body and blood: Matthew 26: 26-28 During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.” Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and drink it. This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven. Also, after His resurrection, Jesus gave the apostles the Holy Spirit and the power to forgive and retain peo...
Read more

Prayer - the key to another world

Image
Since I discovered prayer, I can say that I have found myself again, but not in any way, but much stronger . Prayer is the key to God's world, a world full of love, freedom, patience, mercy, forgiveness, hope, faith , and other wonderful qualities. A world in which I certainly want to live, as well as all those close to me (including those who are asleep), and not only (but since I am not the one who decides on behalf of others, all I can do is pray for them). This world of prayer is not an imaginary one, but one as concrete as possible. A world in which God, the Mother of God, and the saints listen to our prayers and, if they are useful to us, at the right time, they are also fulfilled. Prayers to the Mother of God and to the saints are intercessory prayers, in which we ask them to intercede for us before the Lord Jesus Christ, so that He, in His omniscience, may decide whether or not to fulfill the prayers addressed to Him by us. Prayer is the food of the soul . Also, with the h...
Read more