An excerpt from homily 9
Abortion: The finishing Blow
Women,at last, must comprehend how horrendous it is!They must attempt to stop it,and prevent other women who,under demonic influence,plan to have an abortion,because women usually end up committing this crime due to sheer ignorance,intense family pressure,or an internal personal conflict.
The main contributing factor,however,is the devil,who supplies various unsupported reasons,excuses,pretenses,and weaknesses,such as:"there is not enough money..." my husband is pressuring me....my health is compromised..." and so forth.
The devil takes advantage of all these factors and craftily persuades mothers to commit this grave sin.
I am not sure if you are aware of that fact that these embryos,these infants,these beings to not cease to exist once they are aborted.On the contrary!
Each embryo is a complete human being,especially with respect to the soul.
These children live in the other world,and,as you can understand,many millions of children now comprise an entire army in Heaven.All of them protest.Their innocent blood cries out to God that they were killed unjustly,that they did not receive Holy Baptism,that they did not become Orthodox Christians.
Who is responsible for this?
It is self- explanatory and does not have to be spelled out.When this blood is spilled,God's computer documents the crime.
How will this blood be washed away?
When someone becomes dirty,how is he cleansed?
Only with clean water.
Likewise,water is needed in this case as well.It must flow forth continuously from two faucets,which are the two eyes.
Internal repentance should be externalized with a lifelong,never-ending stream of tears.
The sin,of course is forgiven from the moment it is set forth before the sacred and all-powerful Mystery of Confession,where nothing remains unforgiven.God is love, and"he who abides in love abides in God,and God in him"(1Jn.4:16).
However, He is also righteous(vid.Ps 10:7;88:15).
For this reason,women who have had abortions should not feel at ease by virtue of the fact they confessed this sin.
They must pour forth tears of repentance throughout the remainder of their life.
Many of these women do not feel at peace even though they had confessed.
Why?Because they still have not repented internally,they have not shed the appropriate amount of tears required to wash away the blood of the abortion or abortions.
Repentance is indeed vast and endless.Our very existence and the fact that man is permitted to continue living after committing such a crime is proof of God's steadfast love and compassion.Man is still alive:this means that God is waiting for him.Since He is waiting,man must not remain indifferent but take advantage of the opportunity.
The penance given by the spiritual father,with respect to this extremely serious sin and specific crime,also requires special attention.
The penance serves as an adjunct in the therapy of the soul;but as we have said,the faucets of tears must also be opened.These will wash away the blood of abortion,so that a person may subsequently feel communion with God.Confession alone therefore,is not enough.
What, counts what will change and alter God's embittered and poisoned heart,what will restore it to its original condition prior to man's sin,are the tears of repentance flowing from the two faucets of the eyes.
Before departing from this life,we must alter God's Heart.
I will give you an example.
Let us suppose that a child was disobedient or disrespectful and saddened his mother.
When the child approaches his mother and says,"Forgive me,dear mother,for what i did.I will not do it again,"she will reply,"You are forgiven.Don't do it again."
At that moment ,the child indeed receives forgiveness.If,however,he also falls into his mother's embrace and begins to cry,sob,plead,and beg his mother to forgive hm with all her heart,then not even a trace of sadness or bitterness will remain within her heart.
This is precisely what occurs with the person who repents and returns to God after committing a particular sin.
Source-From the book Elder Ephraim of Arizona "The Art Of Salvation"
Published by The Holy Monastery of Saint Nektarios, Roscoe ,NY.
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