Homily on Forgiveness Sunday #
Priest Alexei Lopatin
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters!
Last Sunday was dedicated to an event that has not yet occurred but will inevitably take place and affect each of us—the Dread Judgment of the Lord. Today’s Sunday, which precedes Great Lent, is dedicated to an event that took place many millennia ago—the expulsion of our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, from Paradise.
These events are distant in time. One has already come to pass, the other has not yet arrived. Yet they are closely connected, like two Sundays separated by a single week. They are linked together, following one another in succession.
The connection is obvious. For what will God judge us at His Dread Judgment? For our sins. And what was the first sin? The transgression of God’s commandment by our first ancestors.
The Apostle Paul writes of Adam: “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
What was Adam’s sin? The Creator forbade him to eat the fruit of one of the trees that grew in Paradise. God warned man: “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Of course, the Lord was not warning Adam that the fruit itself was poisonous, but that by eating of it and acting in self-will, man would separate himself from God and lose that eternal life in Paradise which had been appointed to him at the creation of the world.
Man acted in self-will. Our foremother Eve listened to the serpent, who deceived her, saying: “In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). This was too great a temptation—enticing and irresistible—to become as gods, to become like the Creator Himself.
Yet there was falsehood in the words of the serpent. For the first man had already been created in the image and likeness of God; he possessed free will and could discern good from evil. But in Paradise there was no evil—our first ancestors were inexperienced in its ways, and they believed the serpent.
Having tasted the forbidden fruit and broken the commandment, Adam continued in sin. When the Lord asked him, “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” (Genesis 3:11), the forefather sought to shift the blame onto the very Creator, saying: “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). In this way, Adam as if accused the Creator Himself, implying that he had not transgressed of his own accord, but because of the woman given to him by God.
Thus, sin entered the world. Thus, our first ancestors lost their life with God and were cast out of Paradise. Humanity remained in a state of sinfulness until the coming of Jesus Christ, “by whom we have now received the atonement,” as the Apostle Paul writes (Romans 5:11).
Christ has given us effective remedies against sin—repentance and forgiveness. Many Gospel parables are dedicated to repentance and forgiveness, such as the parable of the Prodigal Son, recently recalled by the Church. The son repented before his father, even acknowledging that he was unworthy to be called his son. And the father forgave him and received him into his house with joy.
Such is the great power of repentance and forgiveness. It would not be a mistake to say that repentance and forgiveness are like two wings by which a person may rise to heaven and return to the house of his Heavenly Father.
The Apostle Peter asked Christ, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). And the Savior answered, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22).
Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us be merciful, as our Creator is merciful. Let us forgive the offenses and wrongs done to us. Let us forgive daily, but especially during the Great Fast and on this very day of Forgiveness Sunday, which precedes it. For the Fast has been established by the Church not only to purify the body through abstinence but also to cleanse the soul through humility, patience, and forgiveness.
Let us ask forgiveness of one another. Let us repent of our sins by coming to confession before a priest. Let us forgive others without waiting for our offenders to come to us first with repentance.
But for what should we repent? What should we forgive?
There are sins that are obvious and understood by all—lust, pride, rudeness, envy, falsehood, lack of self-restraint, gluttony, drunkenness, and greed. We say, “This person has wronged me,” and we understand what we mean. But a conscientious person, a true Christian, will say, “I have wronged this person,” and understand what that means.
Yet there are sins that are not so obvious, ones that even zealous Christians fail to recognize or acknowledge. Today, I wish to speak about something that has imperceptibly entered our lives, and especially the lives of the youth. I am speaking of the internet.
Whether we like it or not, computers and the internet have become part of our daily lives. It is difficult to find an Old Believer, especially in the city, who does not have a computer or does not use the internet. For many people, especially for the youth, the computer has become an almost indispensable part of life.
There are times when, engaging in arguments or discussions online, we lose control of ourselves. We allow ourselves to speak harshly toward people we have never met and perhaps never will meet. And often, people take real offense. But we dismiss it, saying, “What does it matter? It’s just the internet. Who is there to ask forgiveness from?” Oh, how mistaken such a view is!
The person with whom we argue online is not a mere figment of our imagination. He is a living person with emotions and feelings. We do not see him. We do not see whether he turns pale, flushes red, or even sheds tears. But this does not mean we should treat our interlocutor as an unfeeling shadow. Even without seeing or hearing him, we must respect our neighbor and be mindful of his feelings.
Brothers and sisters, during the days of the Great Fast, I call upon you not only to practice abstinence and prayer, which is self-evident. I call you not only to modesty and restraint in speech. But I also call you to humility in your conduct online. For many, it is difficult to refrain from using the computer during the Fast. But if you do not have the strength for this, at least strive to avoid arguments and idle talk on the internet.
But is this only about those who go online? No, it concerns all of us—those who drive, those who go to the store, those who use public transportation, and so on. We, as Christians, must set an example of how to conduct ourselves. We must not repay evil for evil, nor speak harsh words to those who offend us, but rather show humility, patience, and love.
Remember the words of Christ: “I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).
Also remember these words of the Savior: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Let us make every effort to pass through the Great Fast without stumbling into temptation and, in due time, to glorify the Risen Christ.
To Him be honor and worship and glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.