THE “PERFECT” CHRISTIAN, A nory by Fr. Stefanos Anagnostopoulos.

THE “PERFECT” CHRISTIAN,

A nory by Fr. Stefanos Anagnostopoulos. translatedfrom Greek by the stuff of “Orthodox Heritage. ”

Four to five years ago. I had told you a true story about one of our parish members; i do not know how many of you had heard it or remember it; 1 would like to go over it again as I believe it is directly related to much of what confronts us, or rather what we, at times, observe in our everyday parish life.

It was around this time of the year when I was visited by an Orthodox man of our parish. He came to speak with me, seeking a new spiritual father, as his priest confessor had passed away. He mentioned his name and his previous spiritual father’s name (a well known priest in our area) and immediately proceeded to describe his view of himself:

—Father, 1 know I’m a very good Christian; I am humble and a righteous man!

I responded by asking him where or how he had drawn this conclusion. And he answered:

—I have a large family, I’m a department head at a presti-gious public sector ministry, I go to church every Sunday, I fast,

I do my prayers morning and evening, give alms, and even up to the command that God gives, giving up the tenth from our salary, visit the sick in hospitals, bedridden in homes, fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays and all Lent, confess regularly, commune, and I also...

All this reminded me immediately of the Pharisee, as he pretty- much repeated everything that the Pharisee professed.

—I read the New Testament (indeed, the Pharisee also knew the law of God quite well). And I am also very well read, spending lots of time with many fine books. And I do so wherever I go, and wherever I dwell, Fm talking and warning others about the Antichrist and six hundred sixty-six. I cauterize evil, do strict observations in the name of God’s law, and refer to the Gospel to all: my wife, my children, my relatives, my subordinates, my neighbors, my workers, my apartment building’s residents, to all those in the street, everywhere...

I interrupted him from continuing with his self-charac-terization; I had understood enough. At that moment, God enlightened me, though J am a sinner; and in spite of my miserable, sinful state, I dared tell him the following:

—If you truly care to know yourself, truly comprehend how good of a person you are and the kind of Christian others see in you, and if you think God likes you and your deeds, I am asking you that, upon departing, go seek out there what others think of you. Go and solicit the views of your wife, your children, your apartment building’s residents, relatives, colleagues, etc., and ask them to tell you in all honesty, what they truly think about you. And also ask them to reveal to you what others mutter behind your back, and what they think about the Christianity that you represent. And if they are reluctant to tell you directly, ask them to provide you with anonymous, typewritten responses. This is the rule that 1 place upon you. And after you gain responses from all, come back in a few days and see me. Until then, I ask you that you abstain from receiving Holy Communion. Furthermore, upon hearing what others have to tell you, I want you to go to church and stand in front of Christ’s icon and ask Him: “'Lord, after all that has been revealed to me by others, if I die today, am I worthy to be an inhabitant of Your Kingdom?”

After my instruction, the man left insulted, in a furious, sad and troubled state. He returned however, after three weeks, a changed man! He fell to his knees and with tears in his eyes confessed, shouting:

—Dear father I am a sinner, worst of them all! I'm selfish, I lack compassion, and I am a malicious man, who never displays any understanding towards others. I am an unfair person, gossiper second to no one, glutton, prideful greedy, avaricious; unfaithful  and my  daily actions are worse than those of an atheist, And all of my family and friends and associates told me, without; any exception, that I am a hypocrite, a hypocrite of great proportions. And if I die today, there is truly no trace, of repentance upon me whatsoever. Soon we will observe the Sunday of Last judgment, and the content of that Gospel passage has me truly terrified. If I die where will I go? Surely though, I am not destined towards Paradise...

Vol. 13, Issue 03-04