Patristic Lectionary, Night Office Readings.
Nicholas Cabasilas: Asking for God’s MercyFriday, Jul 6 2012
EASTERN ORTHODOX and Nicholas Cabasilas charity, Christ, forgiveness, God,interior life, love, mercy, name of Christ, prayer, redemption, repentance, sin,thoughts 10:27 am
There is no other name by which we must be saved.
That we may be able always to pay attention to Christ, and be zealous in this at all times, let us call on him who is the subject of our thoughts at every moment.
And of course those who call upon him need no special preparation or special place for prayer, nor a loud voice.
For he is present everywhere, and is always with us; he is even nearer to those who seek him than their very heart.
It is fitting, then, that we should firmly believe that our prayers will be answered.
We should never hesitate on account of our evil ways, but take courage because he on whom we call is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
In fact he is so far from ignoring the entreaties of the servants who have offended him, that before they had called on him or even thought of him, he had already called them himself by his coming to earth – for he said “I came to call sinners”.
Then if that was the way he sought those who did not even want him, how will he treat those who call on him?
And if he loved us when we hated him, how will he reject us when we love him?
It is just this that Paul’s words make clear: “If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, how much more, when we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life”.
Again, let us think about the kind of supplication we make.
We do not pray for the things that friends are likely to ask for and receive, but rather for such things as are specifically prescribed for…servants who have offended their master.
For we do not call upon the Lord in order that he may reward us, or grant us any other favour of that kind, but that he may have mercy on us.
Who, then, are likely to ask for mercy, forgiveness, remission of sins and things of that sort from God who loves humanity, and not go away empty-handed?
Those who are called to account, if indeed those who are well have no need of a physician.
For if human beings are at all in the habit of calling upon God for mercy, it is those who are worthy of mercy, in other words sinners.
So let us call on God with our voice and in mind and thought, so that we may apply the only saving remedy to everything through which we sin, for in the words of Peter: “there is no other name by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Nicholas Cabasilas (1319/1323–after 1391): The Life in Christ, 6, 13(PG 150, 681-683), in A Word in Season, Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours, Augustinian Press 1999; @ Dom Donald’s Blog.
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