Exercise

I have just recovered from flu :), praise the Lord for His mercy and goodness! And I am so glad for this little time to write and reflect on the simple and little thing in His Faithfulness.
How good it is that God in His Greatness and yes, in His humility has invited us to follow His way and to learn from Him along our life. And thus, we find ourselves invited into the life of denial of the self; the exercise to limit ourselves and we fast, and do the spiritual exercises in a very practical manner. And once again, honestly I reflect where does it lead?

Of course, we are not being duty-based or legalistic in living such a participatory life, because once again it is an exercise and thus not an end in itself. It is not an 'external righteousness' i.e. the righteousness by fulfilling checklists. If so, then someone might boast of his 'achievements' for being such and such; and if so, what a mask that would be! Then where should it lead?

Foremost, it comes only from Him and His Love and it only leads to Him through the Holy Spirit. It leads into the narrow path. By those exercise, we learn to weep and to see our weaknesses, and to humble our souls before Him who are mighty. Once again we're reminded that we are human; where we're from; for Whom we must live and where we are to. And thus we submit ourselves to earnestly remember the Lord and open our Heart to the Holy Spirit to live in us. Thus we learn to be more dependent to Him and no more in our strength.

And in this produces joy and soberness. It leads us to make Him as the first and the center of our life and prepare us to receive the Holy Mysteries. And we realize that we really need His mercy and we weep before the Lord in heartfelt utterance, "Lord, have mercy," not only for oneself but embrace all. Being unmasked of weaknesses and sins, compunction comes to heart and he bows in contrition. It leads us to realize that how insufficient our own strength but God's mercy is so great, to the point we well up whenever we call on the Most Holy and Sweet name of Jesus.

Thus, through this we also remember those who are before God and pray for us, Our beloved Panagia, our Holy Fathers and Mothers and all The Saints. We come to alert that we will soon root out our tent here and be in the true home. We're awake and really long to come closer and closer to Him, and yet we realize more and more of the sins thus we cry like the woman who anointed Him, like the publican who bowed contritely and like the thief who was beside Him.

Lord, have mercy!