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4th Sunday in Lent Ocala 3/18/07 "In your patience, you shall win your soul!" Luke 21:19 In life, so many people express themselves often without thinking, and accepting their personal behavior automatically. Everyone should question themselves, if for instance we are people, possessing the very necessary virtue of patience. How many times we have remarked to others, that they should exercise patience, when we ourselves don't heed the advice we give! 'The virtue of patience is a very great gift. Happy and fulfilled is the person who is patient. It was one of those days, shortly before He was to suffer the humiliations and the crucifixion, that the Lord Jesus related to His Disciples that they would greatly suffer in the future; but He ended His talk to them by stating: "In your patience you shall win your soul!" To the list of virtues, which should adorn every Christian soul, the virtue of patience is high on this list. It is a powerful weapon for us to conquer over the adversities we face in this life. Patience is not simply a word for consolation, but is the portals through which we enter to the realm of hope. The Lord gave great importance to the virtue of patience, and it is He, Who gave firstly gave us the example of patience and perseverance. As happy and fulfilled is the person who exercises patience and perseverance, so conversely is the person unhappy and unfulfilled, who does not exercise patience and perseverance. If we profoundly examine the virtue of patience, we shall see that it possesses all the supreme value of agape, love. St. Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 13, he analytically outlines the supreme virtue of agape, love, stating that love believes all things, hopes for all things, and is patient in every way. Patience is so closely allied to faith and hope. If we have patience, most assuredly we shall have hope which gives us the confidence that a better day will dawn. History is replete with examples of famous persons, as well as those unknown, who overcame great obstacles because they persevered with patience. If we stopped to think, we could bring to mind that we also overcame because we persevered with patience, faith and hope. I had read at one time of the famous explorer Ernest Shaketon. While exploring the South Pole, he stated that one of the most difficult virtues is patience, and it was for this reason that he named his tent, the "tent of patience!" It is this virtue, which fortified him with hope that he would succeed in his mission, as he most certainly had done. Patience is not a virtue of the faint-hearted. It is a virtue that is closely allied with courage, and grants a person much power to overcome. Patience, we could say, is characteristic of God. We see it in the plan of creation. We see it relatively to humans, who chose to become distant from God. We often hear, and perhaps we have uttered it: "how is it, that God, witnessing the world conditions does not bring about catastrophe of the world!" But, saying this, we forget that God is the God of patience and hope! Like the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal son we heard a few weeks ago, He patiently awaits with open arms the return of His children. The person who perseveres with patience becomes the winner. Even if he or she suffers some setback, victory shall come if he or she does not weaken. With patience we gradually ascend and secure every step of our life. A building in plan is non-existent until one, brick is added to the others to construct the building. One brick at a time. The poet gives his poem life one phrase at a time. The athlete step by step prepares to match or exceed his or her record. The same goes for patience. Patience does not know defeat. It knows that it has the power to sustain and to sacrifice. And the most important is that, which the Lord stated so epigrammatically: "It is through your patience that you shall win your soul!" How can we personally acquire patience? St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans Chapter 5, verses 2-5 states: "we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope;- and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has, been poured out within our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, Who has given to us." Unfortunately, so many do not take the time to analyze themselves and thus make efforts to secure the tranquility and the fullness they desire. People do not exercise patience, while they expect it in others. How many times we have exhorted others by saying: "Be patient!" The absence of patience perplexes instead of solving problems. As everything good and pure in life presupposes cultivation and sweat to bring forth fruit, patience is no exception. It must be cultivated. There are so many examples commencing with our Lord, followed by His Disciples and the countless thousands of Saints, as well as great personalities of the world, who overcame adversities through patience and perseverance. Being in the last part of Lent, which introduces us to the Holy Week and the Passion of our Lord, we should further labor to give Lent its true and beneficial meaning, Not simply as many have it, that is with the substitution of our regular diet, which in itself is disciplining ourselves, but more importantly the galvanizing of our soul; to make it powerful enough that no adversity can subdue it. And of course, one of the main weapons is the virtue of patience, which we should acquire as a vital component in our life, giving credence to our Lord's admonition; "For it is in your patience that you shall win your soul." Amen. +Fr. George P padeas
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