{"id":202096,"date":"2018-08-13T17:14:06","date_gmt":"2018-08-13T14:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=202096"},"modified":"2018-08-13T18:52:48","modified_gmt":"2018-08-13T15:52:48","slug":"hatred-disunity-enmity-dehumanize-cautions-romanian-patriarch-daniel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/hatred-disunity-enmity-dehumanize-cautions-romanian-patriarch-daniel\/","title":{"rendered":"Hatred, disunity, enmity dehumanize, cautions Romanian Patriarch Daniel"},"content":{"rendered":"

During his homily delivered Sunday at the Pasarea Monastery near Bucharest, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel offered his reflections on the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23-35), cautioning that forgiveness draws peace, while hatred, disunity, and enmity dehumanize.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Forgiveness in today\u2019s gospel in not just a simple individual attitude. It refers to the community, however small it may be: family, Church, society, people or peoples, entire humanity,\u2019 the patriarch said.<\/p>\n

Peace in family and society<\/h4>\n

In this context, Patriarch Daniel explained that when man loves and forgives, the conflicts in his family or the society change. \u2018The quarrels stop; consultations, the good counsel, the good deed and word start.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018In the same way in society, when people forgive each other as God forgives them, a new life begins, and society becomes more humanized. But if people foster hate, disunity, enmity, then society enters into a sort of tortured, spiritually poor existence, and people dehumanize, they become evil.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018The forgiving and kind-hearted man resembles God,\u2019 the Patriarch stressed, pointing to the Romanian folk saying \u2018to be a man as God\u2019s bread\u2019.<\/p>\n

While pointing to the meanings of the Parable, Patriarch Daniel said that \u2018God rebukes to correct those who have received His forgiveness, but who do not forgive in turn those who have wronged them.\u2019<\/p>\n

His Beatitude noted that the gospel passage containing the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant is \u2018a Gospel of forgiveness and accountability.\u2019<\/p>\n

God\u2019s love is beyond all calculation<\/h4>\n

The Romanian Patriarch went on to reflect on the master\u2019s mercy who not only postponed the payment of the huge debt the servant had, but cancelled it completely.<\/p>\n

His Beatitude explained that the 10,000 talents \u2013 the servant\u2019s debt \u2013 was huge, the equivalent of almost 490 tons of gold. Thus, from this parable we understand how great \u2018God\u2019s power to forgive\u2019 is.<\/p>\n

\u2018It is beyond all calculation,\u2019 His Beatitude said. \u2018God\u2019s generosity, open-handedness, magnanimity, kindness, and merciful love are above all arithmetical, financial or accounting calculations.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Patriarch of Romania noted that \u2018Christ the Lord willingly referred to this great amount of gold to compare the great debt man has to God and the small debts people have towards each other.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018God forgives great debts, but people cannot forgive even the small ones,\u2019 the patriarch highlighted.<\/p>\n

\u2018And forgive us our debts\u2019<\/h4>\n

His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel also referred to the translation of the Lord\u2019s Prayer (Our Father).<\/p>\n

He reminded that according to the Greek version of the Lord\u2019s Prayer, we ask God to \u2018forgive us our debts\u2019.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, in Romanian there is a translation with a wider spiritual meaning of the term, related to moral and spiritual debts. The Romanian translation did not follow the Greek New Testament meaning, using the term err<\/em> or trespass.<\/em><\/p>\n

The patriarch explained that this translation was preferred \u2018to show that it does not refer to a financial debt, but to mistakes, sins.\u2019<\/p>\n

Although the Latin translation uses the term \u2018debt\u2019, in French it was translated as \u2018offense\u2019.<\/p>\n

What is our debt?<\/h4>\n

Continuing his sermon, the Patriarch of Romania pointed to the debt every one of us has to God, according to the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.<\/p>\n

\u2018What does it mean that we are God\u2019s debtors with such a great debt of 490 tons of gold?\u2019 Patriarch Daniel asked.<\/p>\n

\u2018It means that we are responsible for the incalculable gift that God gives us, namely the gift of life \u2013 our immortal soul, and the calling to eternal life, i.e. to salvation.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018This is the great gift and our great debt of gratitude to the Giver,\u2019 Patriarch Daniel said noting that human soul has an infinite value.<\/p>\n

This great gift comes with a huge responsibility because \u2018whenever we use the gift of life, the powers of the soul and the energies of the body against the will of God, then we sin and become debtors and guilty to the Giver,\u2019 the Patriarch warned August 12.<\/p>\n

The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church added that God gives us forgiveness and limitless merciful love, but is disturbed when we do not forgive our fellow people, because \u2018thus his merciful love is blocked, it is not conveyed to others.\u2019<\/p>\n

At the end of his speech, Patriarch Daniel recommended everyone to be merciful and forgiving, not mean and vengeful, \u2018and when we are unable to forgive, let us ask God\u2019s help unto the glory of the All-Holy Trinity and our salvation.\u2019<\/p>\n

Pas\u0103rea Monastery<\/p>\n

Pas\u0103rea Monastery is a historical monument located 29 km from Bucharest, built at the beginning of the 19th<\/sup> century on the shores of Lake Pustnicu, on the edge of the homonymous forest, part of what once was Codrii Vl\u0103siei.<\/p>\n

The monastery is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the cemetery church is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos.<\/p>\n