“The creation of justice, the tree of justice, will be created dry and fresh” (Rustaveli)
All-Holy Priests, Venerable Pastors, Deacons, Monks and Nuns, All Lay People, Residents of Georgia and Our Dear Compatriots Temporarily Living Outside the Borders of Our Country!
Christ is risen!
These words were first spoken by the angel to the anointing mothers who had come to the tomb on Sunday, at dawn;
Christ is risen!
The mothers, overwhelmed with joy, announced it to the apostles;
Christ is risen!
This miracle among miracles was spread by the apostles throughout the whole world; and we, too, filled with no earthly joy, cry out for all to hear: Christ is risen! He is truly risen!
– But what is the reason for our celebration?
– That death has been swallowed up and the gates of hell have been broken; that the eternal captivity of the dead has ended and that all true worshippers of Christ have been given the opportunity to be saved.
Therefore, from now on, we no longer fear death, knowing that the time will come when, like other righteous dead, we too will rise from the grave, never to die again.
The devil will say: How are the dead raised? – The apostle Paul answers him thus: ``Do you not know, O foolish one, that what you sow is not quickened unless it dies? So also with the resurrection of the dead: It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (1 Gal. 15, 35-36, 42-44).
So, the holiday of Easter is a clear confirmation of both our future resurrection from the dead and our deification.
We should know that the abode of the souls of the righteous is called the heavenly or glorified Church, and the assembly of Orthodox believers on earth is called the Church Militant.
The Church celebrating and the Church militant are two parts of the one body of Christ, connected to each other and, at the same time, encompassed and united by His divine grace.
We have a prayerful relationship with the souls of the deceased; the souls of the righteous also continue to work before the Lord and are the intercessors of the Church Militant on earth and its members and intercessors before God. The closest to the Most Holy Trinity and the greatest intercessor for all humanity is the Most Holy Theotokos; our nation is happy that Georgia is under her special protection. The kingdom of God is by force, - the Savior teaches us; that is why the desire and determination of man are of decisive importance; it has always been so.
Let us remember that it took the Jewish nation forty years to reach the Promised Land, even though they were led by Moses, who spoke with God, and Aaron, who was clothed in holiness.
Yes, without labor and merit, neither could the Israelites of the Old Testament inherit the land given to them by the Lord, nor can any person of the New Testament, no matter who they are, gain the kingdom.
We say: God is with us, and this is truly so, but in order for us to be with God, we need to live rightly. We say: Iberia is the destiny of the Most Holy Theotokos, but for this destiny to manifest itself in our time, it is necessary to take appropriate spiritual steps.
The Jews were also proud and boasted before the Savior that they were descendants of Abraham. Jesus Christ replied that the sonship of Abraham and the prophets lies in the fulfillment of their works, that is, in living a righteous life, and not only in genetic kinship, because the murderers of these prophets were also descendants of Abraham.
How can we understand whether we are living rightly or not? A person must have a real feeling that he is right before his homeland, his neighbors, and even his enemies;
As for the relationship with God, no one is righteous in relation to the Lord, because those who are free from sin are not saints; this or that person will be justified only by true repentance and God's mercy. Yes, only through sincere repentance and confession will we be able to put away our sins and reach the state about which the prophet David says: `Blessed is he whose sin is not counted` (Ps.
Our relationship with the Lord, although individual, has always been and continues to be of great importance to society, as has the belief or disbelief of those in power.
As an example, I would like to remind you of one of the difficult periods of our history, namely the 17th century, when two Georgian kings, who were close relatives of each other, – Rostom Khan and Teimuraz I, – ruled.
Rostom rejected Christianity; he gathered such people around him and, living immorally, wanted people to degenerate like him. During his time, "fornication and impurity increased, the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah and the mixing of mothers..." At the same time, those who behaved in this way were appreciated by the king, while those who did justice, those who hated sin and were pure in heart were oppressed (Kartli's Life).
Rostom Khan's 26-year rule brought the country to the brink of spiritual ruin, but the nation overcame this ordeal. One of the contributing factors was the fact that Teimuraz I, who lived an amazing life, reigned during the same period.
For his loyalty to God and country, Shah Abbas tortured his mother, the great martyr Queen Ketevan, two young sons and a daughter, and his third son, David, to death in the war for his homeland. Harassed by enemies, Teimuraz had to leave his kingdom several times, but he never accepted defeat; he returned at the first opportunity and continued to serve his country with renewed strength in word and deed.
The wise king was tonsured a monk at the age of 71. The staunch defender of the law had to pass the final test in Persia, where he was arrested for his confession of Christ and imprisoned. Here he died soon after.
With his loyalty to faith and homeland, his courage and strength, he became a symbol of the unbroken struggle for God and national identity. Because of these qualities, he was considered an exemplary role model not only by his loyal people, but also by domestic and foreign enemies. ``He believed in many Tatars, they will come and light a candle. . . His illustrious mother gave birth to no one else,'' writes King Archil.
We remember the past because it should be a lesson for our present and future lives and activities.
Now let us consider what a person's correct attitude towards their homeland means from a Christian perspective.
Each of us should try to do the maximum of what is our responsibility. This is our service to the country. Of course, the authorities have the most rights and responsibilities. Along with ensuring the territorial security of the country, they are required to protect and develop spiritual and national values. And then - to take care of the material well-being of the people, which means solving socio-economic problems, providing a healthcare system, promoting education, and so on.
The country's prosperity also depends to a large extent on relations with neighboring states. We must definitely deepen our ties with them, for which dialogue between cultures should be a prerequisite; presenting each other's spiritual, scientific, and material values will also contribute to resolving other issues between us.
In general, the state should develop and its ideology should be determined not by external geopolitical factors, but by national interests. These interests should be considered the most important by the government, as well as by parties, non-governmental organizations and the media. The same applies to each of our citizens.
We must protect our identity so as not to become a blind tool for the implementation of others' goals. This is the guarantee of the existence and development of any state.
To strengthen the national focus in the above-mentioned institutions, it is necessary to expand the Georgian business sector and create an affluent middle class.
Unfortunately, the absolute majority of our population, for objective or subjective reasons, lives below the subsistence minimum and the poverty line; however, Georgia has great potential for the revival of the economy and, especially, small and medium-sized businesses. To say nothing of anything else, we have repeatedly noted that ecologically clean agricultural products or food products obtained by their processing will bring serious income to the country, but state support in the form of subsidies and long-term credits is necessary.
We would like to make one suggestion to the government: As you know, the global crisis has hit Georgian business and the population in general quite hard. Naturally, effective intervention is necessary to prevent further job losses. The step taken by the state to reduce taxes since 2009 was a good fact, but perhaps a more effective measure would be to declare a tax amnesty, which would exempt all legal and physical entities operating in Georgia from sanctions and fines.
Of course, if this step is implemented, it will seriously ease the tax burden of both entrepreneurs and citizens and encourage their economic activity.
In general, no matter how difficult our situation may be, we should not lose heart and fall into despair, because trials are given to both individuals and nations either to strengthen their faith or to turn them from their wrong path.
The trials that befell us in most cases were caused by the second reason. This is still the case today. Naturally, the means to escape from problems are also in our hands. As we mentioned above, everyone bears their share of responsibility, therefore everyone must correct their share of mistakes.
Our just approach to our neighbor should be this: "In everything, as you would have men do to you, do you also to them in like manner" (Matthew 7:12).
What a short definition, but how comprehensive! Always remember these words and make them a way of life. We should also try not to be indifferent to the injustice shown to others and to protect the innocently oppressed person.
As for our attitude towards the enemy, there are four stages of development here: first – you give an appropriate response to the offender (which is an Old Testament retribution, “a tooth for a tooth” and is unacceptable for the New Testament); second – you do not retaliate for the hurt inflicted, but are internally angry; third – you endure humiliation without complaint; fourth – you perceive the injustice done to you as atonement for your other sins, you are grateful to the Lord and internally rejoice. Think about which stage you are on and you will understand what kind of Christian you are. “Love your enemy” – the Savior teaches us. And for those for whom these words are incomprehensible and unacceptable, the Apostle Paul advises them: “Pray for your enemies and do not curse them.” By doing this, you are heaping ashes on his head. God is just and will reward everyone according to their deeds. Our offender (and any evildoer in general) will not go unpunished, but the Lord will do it for us; "Vengeance is mine," he commands.
Be like the bee, - Paisios the Athonite teaches us, - which sees only flowers and gathers sweetness for honey, and not like the fly, which seeks out and feeds on garbage and all kinds of filth.
Yes, doing justice and serving justice are essential conditions for every Christian. God showers grace on those who live righteously, but He separates from liars and hypocrites. However, it also happens that those who walk the path of falsehood sometimes seem successful; but do not be discouraged, this is temporary; truth will eventually triumph and find its place for everyone. Know also that prosperity can be more dangerous than misfortune, and conversely, misfortune can bring more good to a person than prosperity. Our population, tired, tortured and impoverished by a twenty-year transitional period, often complains: I wish I had never been born, how long must I suffer? Where is justice? Why should I suffer at all? . , which is a manifestation of the gravest sin - little faith and is the result of wrong living and thinking.
The Lord will not give us a cross heavier than we can bear. In addition, we must look at events with spiritual eyes. Hasn't a person of any time, of any faith, known and does not know that everything is transient: youth and beauty, health and illness, wealth and poverty, honor, position, and life itself?.
So, don't worry and be anxious about what is today and will not be there tomorrow.
If you want to find true prosperity (and eternally), you must seek the kingdom of God, that is, you must strive to live according to the Lord's commandments, for "the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17), - this is what we must remember.
My beloved children, sons and daughters of the Mother of God, blessed Iberia: Kakheti and Abkhazia, Adjara and Tush, Laz and Khevsur, Herni and Svan, Ossetians and Mtskheta, Mingrelians, Gurians, inhabitants of Samochablo and Samtskhe-Javakheti, all our fellow countrymen, therefore, love righteousness and peace, cast off the garment of sin and serve the truth, so that “the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled” among you (Rom. 8:4).
Above the shattered gates of hell, the risen Savior, adorned with an unearthly light, calls us, so that, justified by His grace, we may flourish like palm trees and multiply like the fir trees of Lebanon.
Christ is risen!
He is truly risen!
Praying for you with love
Ilia II
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
