478- A Sin that Hurts my Christ

 

St-Takla.org Image: Fr. Bishoy Kamel in front of a wall. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: القمص بيشوي كامل أمام حائط.

A young man met with Father Pishoy Kamel in the beginning of his service as a priest. The young man was quiet, gentle, sweet and he seemed very pious. He sat down to confess bitter sins with tears flowing from his eyes. Father Pishoy was surprised wondering how this seemingly pious man fell victim to all these sins. Before the end of the meeting, the young man asked for a punishment for his sins and some spiritual exercises to help him stop sinning.

Father Pishoy was confused, “Was this young man hypocritical, being pious in Church and committing horrible sins outside the Church?”

One day he met with this young man so he inquired, “I see that you behave piously in Church while you confess painful sins. Is your behavior in Church different from your behavior outside the Church?”

The young man replied, “I share my apartment with a Christian colleague so we’re members in the same body. All the sins committed by my colleague I confess. My sins as well as his sins hurt my Christ.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: خطية تجرح مسيحي!

Lord, give us collective repentance.

If one commits a sin we all commit it.

Give us the spirit of love and true unity.

Nothing is greater than these in Your eyes are.

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