Primate of the UOC: If a person is overwhelmed with anger he becomes a bearer of death

If we love a person, we should pray for him. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine spoke about this on the day of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, August 9, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

“If a person lived righteously before God,” explained the Primate, “then even though he has left the world, he remains a bearer of life.”

Unlike the righteous, some people even during the earthly life become bearers of death. "A person can be alive, but if he is overwhelmed with anger and hatred, he becomes a bearer of death. The Lord says that if someone hates his brother, he is a murderer. Most likely, it is not a sword that stabs a neighbor, but the spirit of death that comes from the evil man hits all surrounding people and leads them to death, pushes to fall," – said His Beatitude.

To be bearers of the spirit of life, we must live righteously, the Archpastor said. "We must love God and in God we must love our neighbour. Love a man as he is," – he noted.

The Primate warned Christians of the desire to denounce their neighbours. "We must remember that we are sinners, weak and powerless. We cannot improve a person, it is God who is in power to change him, - said His Beatitude Patriarch Onuphry. – Man has sinned today to repent tomorrow, God will forgive him, but we still hate him."

However, according to the Metropolitan Onuphry, sinful acts do not need to be approved. "Love is not the acceptance of human weaknesses, but a wish for good and God’s grace to a person," – he reminded.

Those who, in our opinion, sin, the Archpastor urged to pray. "Yes, a man may be sinful and have some major drawbacks, but if we love him, we must pray for him," – said Metropolitan Onuphry.

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