Română
Fr. Ghelasie Tepes tells us what to do in order to keep our hearts clean, knowing that “a broken and a contrite heart” God will not despise (Ps 50:18 [51:17]). Fr. Ghelasie is the abbot of Sighisoara Monastery in Transylvania, Romania and a disciple of Fr. Arsenie Boca.
Video source (2018): youtube.com/watch?v=6Jis6_RnO7E
Fr. Ghelasie:
Scripture says, “My Son, give me your heart. [Proverbs 23:26] and I will give you my kingdom!” Look what God is asking you, give Him your heart and He will give you His Kingdom! My dear ones, see that God doesn’t need anything from us, except our hearts. As it is written in Psalm 50:18 [51:17], “a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise”. You see, how valuable our heart is… We should keep it clean… and even if we fall and sin, we readily have repentance, the supreme weapon that Christ has given us here on earth, repentance, as it is called, or contrition or the change of one’s own life. And how do you change your life, how do you repent before God? If you smoke, then stop smoking, if you curse, then stop doing it, if you didn’t pray, then quickly start praying… if you were stingy with others, then become merciful… and immediately do the right thing… A man came once to Sambata Monastery [Romania] and said to Fr. Teofil [Paraian]: “Father, I did no harm to anyone!” And Fr. Teofil said to those who were in the monastery: “Oh dear, only the dead do no harm to anyone, they can no longer move, they are stiff…” He says, “But are you dead?” “No, father, I’m not dead!” “Well, then you have a duty to do something else, not only to do no harm, but to do good…” To strive with all the powers to do good… and then you become like Christ… And the Father always said, “Have the mind of Christ!” That is the mind of Christ, is it?
