"In times of persecution, Christians must unite around the priests ... The Divine Liturgy and the Honorable Gifts will give Christians the power to endure hunger and protect them from all harm, under the banner and protection of the Theotokos.
There is also a need to pray the Jesus Prayer and pray to Our Lady, saying: Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
These brief prayers united us in prison, so we were able to withstand the persecution of the communist regime without succumbing to the red harbor.
But these are for lukewarm Christians, because the zealous are always ready - they do not wait for the time of persecution or war to take care of their souls!
For the true Christian it does not matter when a war or persecution comes. The true Christian is always ready, prepared with the candlelight of his soul, to meet the Heavenly Bridegroom.
The true Christian does not live in fear and anxiety about when a war will break out or when a bomb falls on his head. He is looking for ways to sacrifice more for his neighbor and for God.
The true Christian seeks within him the Kingdom of Heaven and has nothing to fear in this ephemeral life. To him, regret is joy and the Cross is resurrection.
Either way, our lives are in God's hands and only He knows the end of man. Therefore, let us not be afraid when we hear of wars and other terrible events, for all these things must happen, as our Savior said (cf. Matthew 24: 6 and Mark 13: 7).
We should be afraid of the fact that our souls are not ready to meet Christ. "
Elder Justin Parvu - From the book "Life of Sacrificing Love" pp. 80-81 ATHOS Publications
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