Archpriest Vitaly Shinkar
Entering Passion Week every year, habit hits us in a way. The regularity of these days deprives our hearts of the most important acuity. We do not see the truth beyond the existing stereotypes which comes out during these days.
The days of Passion Week are the most crucial not from the recollections’ point of view. This is the last fight, which is described not merely in Christian writings, but the whole world is concerned about it. We see evil present in the clearest way, but we also see love that can defeat it.
We live in the world where perturbation grows among people and where we experience loneliness so intensely despite all means of communication… It is the world where the hardest conflicts arise and the most honest reply to us can be the sacrifice at Golgotha, which makes these times the last. Nothing of the kind will ever happen. This reply has already been given and it is the only reply through which we can look at the world. It is the most crucial period of time for us, during which we try to survive our inner crisis of our relationships with God. During this time, we try to look not from the perspective of ordinariness, but from a new one, and see that victory glows behind all our troubles. A gleam of this victory is already visible!
I travel abroad and participate in the lives of people at the places where many live outside their historical Motherlands. Only God can be a true and living hope for many people. They understand that in the real and actual world the Lord will not leave them even if everyone has. People should spend these days as Christians not merely with Him, but also people should see the last truth and make themselves live in this truth time and time again.
It was recorded by Anna Utkina.
Translated from the Russian by Maria Trushanina
