Father Nikola Todorović: We Are Called to Forgive
What the video says
The speaker says that today we have time for everything except God, the liturgy, forgiveness and the thought of death. The holy fathers teach that if you want to save your soul, think often on death, because after death there is no repentance. He asks the listener to imagine judging their neighbour who dies the next day, leaving one word or one thought unforgiven, and urges forgiving now rather than waiting for someone to die.
He tells us to seek forgiveness for the sake of God from brothers, sisters, parents and neighbours. A church commandment forbids us from receiving communion if we have not forgiven our neighbours. Forgiveness is one of the hardest labours in the Christian life, which is why it entered the Lord's Prayer: we ask God to forgive us as we forgive our neighbours.
Key moments
- Today we have time for everything except God, the liturgy, forgiveness and the thought of death.
- The holy fathers say: if you want to save your soul, think more often on death, because after death there is no repentance.
- Imagine your neighbour whom you judge dies tomorrow, and you remain holding one word or one thought unforgiven; forgive now instead of waiting for someone to die.
- Seek forgiveness from brothers, sisters, parents and neighbours for the sake of God.
- A church commandment forbids communion to those who have not forgiven their neighbours.
- Forgiving is one of the hardest labours in the Christian life, and that is why it entered the Our Father: forgive us as we forgive our neighbours.
Father Nikola Todorović speaks about forgiveness in a short sermon on mission and church life. He begins with an observation about modern life: today we find time for everything except God, the liturgy, forgiveness and the thought of death. He recalls the teaching of the holy fathers, who say that if you want to save your soul, you should think often on death, because after death there is no repentance.
To make this concrete, he asks the listener to imagine a neighbour they are judging who dies the next day, leaving one word or one thought unforgiven between them. His counsel is to forgive now rather than wait until someone dies. He urges listeners to seek forgiveness for the sake of God from brothers, sisters, parents and neighbours.
He then notes a church commandment: a person who has not forgiven their neighbours may not receive communion. Finally, he acknowledges that forgiveness is one of the hardest labours in the Christian life, and this is why it entered the Lord's Prayer, where we ask God to forgive us as we forgive our neighbours. The sermon moves from the lack of time we make for spiritual matters, through the remembrance of death, to the practical demand to reconcile before it is too late, ending with the connection between our forgiveness of others and God's forgiveness of us in the prayer Christ taught.
Main points
- Today we have time for everything except God, the liturgy, forgiveness and the thought of death.
- The holy fathers teach: if you want to save your soul, think often on death, because after death there is no repentance.
- Imagine the neighbour you judge dies tomorrow with one word or thought unforgiven; forgive now instead of waiting for someone to die.
- Seek forgiveness for the sake of God from brothers, sisters, parents and neighbours.
- A church commandment forbids communion to those who have not forgiven their neighbours; forgiveness entered the Lord's Prayer because it is one of the hardest labours.