In them [the Lives of the Saints] it is clearly and obviously
demonstrated: There is no spiritual death from which one cannot be
resurrected by the Divine power of the risen and ascended Lord Christ;
there is no torment, there is no misfortune, there is no misery, there
is no suffering which the Lord will not change either gradually or all
at once into quite, compunctionate joy because of faith in Him. And
again there are countless soul-stirring examples of how a sinner becomes
a righteous man in the lives of the Saints: how a thief, a fornicator, a
drunkard, a sensualist, a murderer, and adulterer becomes a holy
man─there are many, many example of this in the Lives of the Saints; how
a selfish egoistical, unbelieving, atheistic, proud, avaricious,
lustful, evil, wicked, depraved, angry, spiteful, quarrelsome,
malicious, envious, malevolent, boastful, vainglorious, unmerciful,
gluttonous man becomes a man of God─there are many, many example of this
in the Lives of the Saints.
By the same token in the Lives of the Saints there are very many
marvelous examples of how a youth becomes a holy youth, a maiden becomes
a holy maiden, an old man becomes a holy old man, how an old woman
becomes a holy old woman, how a child becomes a holy child, how parents
become holy parents, how a son becomes a holy son, how a daughter
becomes a holy daughter, how a family becomes a holy family, how a
community becomes a holy community, how a priest becomes a holy priest,
how a bishop becomes a holy bishop, how a shepherd becomes a holy
shepherd, how a peasant becomes a holy peasant, how an emperor becomes a
holy emperor, how a cowherd becomes a holy cowherd, how a worker
becomes a holy worker, how a judge becomes a holy judge, how a teacher
becomes a holy teacher, how an instructor becomes a holy instructor, how
a soldier becomes holy soldier, how an officer becomes a holy officer,
how a ruler becomes a holy ruler, how a scribe becomes a holy scribe,
how a merchant becomes a holy merchant, how a monk becomes a holy monk,
how an architect becomes a holy architect, how a doctor becomes a holy
doctor, how a tax collector becomes a holy tax collector, how a pupil
becomes a holy pupil, how an artisan becomes holy artisan, how a
philosopher becomes a holy philosopher, how a scientist becomes a holy
scientist, how a statesman becomes a holy statesman, how a minister
becomes a holy minister, how a poor man becomes a holy poor man, how a
rich man becomes a holy rich man, how a slave becomes a holy slave, how a
master becomes a holy master, how a married couple becomes a holy
married couple, how an author becomes a holy author, how an artist
becomes a holy artist. . .
St. Justin Popovich, Orthodox Faith & Life in Christ
, “Introduction to the Lives of the Saints”
, “Introduction to the Lives of the Saints”
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