"It is more serious to lose hope than to sin. The traitor Judas was a defeatist, inexperienced in spiritual warfare; as a result he was reduced to despair by the enemy's onslaught, and he went and hanged himself. Peter, on the other hand, was a firm rock: although brought down by a terrible fall, yet because of his experience in spiritual warfare he was not broken by despair, but leaping up he shed bitter tears from a contrite and humiliated heart. And as soon as our enemy saw them, he recoiled as if his eyes had been burnt by searing flames, and he took to flight howling and lamenting." -----St. John of Karpathos.
Fr. Ron Hatton sent me this quote. It struck a nerve of truth! How incredible and intricate is our tradition. We must dig deeply as St. John Karpathos did in understanding our journey. He didn't just read the story of Judas and Peter and think, "one betrayed him and killed himself and one betrayed him and found forgiveness." St. John knew there was something going on within each man that mattered. Peter and Judas both walked with Jesus.. We walk with Jesus. And like both disciples, we will betray our Beloved. But we must learn from both, and that both will teach us what is eternal. The Tradition of the Church is vital to our understanding scripture. Without it, we are like sheep without a shepherd. We must be like Peter, no matter how many times we fall, we must weep and repent, and then we must tell the risen Lord, "You know I love You Lord, You know all things."
wkm
Oxford
Fr. Ron Hatton sent me this quote. It struck a nerve of truth! How incredible and intricate is our tradition. We must dig deeply as St. John Karpathos did in understanding our journey. He didn't just read the story of Judas and Peter and think, "one betrayed him and killed himself and one betrayed him and found forgiveness." St. John knew there was something going on within each man that mattered. Peter and Judas both walked with Jesus.. We walk with Jesus. And like both disciples, we will betray our Beloved. But we must learn from both, and that both will teach us what is eternal. The Tradition of the Church is vital to our understanding scripture. Without it, we are like sheep without a shepherd. We must be like Peter, no matter how many times we fall, we must weep and repent, and then we must tell the risen Lord, "You know I love You Lord, You know all things."
wkm
Oxford
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