Man is a perfect and perishable being at the same time. On the one hand, we are created in the image and likeness of God. So, we have everything to make our life and the fate of the people around us happy. At the same time, often in our head there are bad thoughts. We are surrounded by despondency, depression, resentment towards fate or someone close, etc. Forget about who we really are, forgiven sunday helps us. This bright day is the best moment of the year in order to tidy yourself and your relationships with loved ones.
When a Forgiveness Sunday comes, and what is its essence
The ancient Orthodox tradition of asking forgiveness from all those whom we unintentionally or intentionally once offended, has existed since ancient times. Christ Himself in the Gospel of Matthew tells us that as we forgive people of their sin, so our Heavenly Father will forgive our faults (Matthew 6: 14-15). This day falls on the last Sunday before the Great Lent, which precedes the celebration of Easter. Once in Palestine or Egypt, monks, in order to purify their souls before the main Christian holiday - Christ's Resurrection - went to pray in the desert. It could well have happened that it could be their last refuge. Therefore, before they left, they asked each other for forgiveness and reconciled, as before death. Of course, these days none of us go to the desert. But to enter with bad thoughts in Lent is extremely undesirable. Therefore, Forgiven Sunday is a good opportunity to free one's soul from the burden of guilt, in fact, to sincerely reconcile with all and forgive everyone who we are unhappy with.
How to excuse a person if there is no desire
There has come the Forgiven Sunday, and in a shower the insult boils. And like you want to find excuses for the actions or words of the offender, but does not work. Have you ever had this? Very often a person says that he can not forgive. He means that he still feels and can not forget the pain he has caused. But you can forgive anyone, it's enough to remember what example Christ gives us. The pain can not go away right away. It does not pass instantly and automatically. The main thing is that the soul does not have the desire to take revenge on the offender, the desire to hurt him. We are imperfect, but we strive to imitate God, to become like him. We should accept each other as we are, and Forgiven Sunday helps to remember this.
For what and for whom to apologize
Before whom should I apologize? Before the closest, of whom do you know exactly what hurt them? Or act on the principle: "I ask forgiveness from all neighbors just in case"? The Church teaches us to purify our soul first of all before those whom we have consciously upset, and with whom we have problems and difficulties in the relationship. Secondly, we need to remember and ask for forgiveness from everyone we thought badly of. Thoughts are material and capable of doing harm. And the closer we are a person, the more we can harm him. And even if there is no possibility to meet with the offended person, you need to imagine a dialogue in your imagination. And then, when there is an opportunity to see this person, you need to apologize to him in reality. Thirdly, you need to remember all the claims to yourself and your destiny, and then accept everything that happened to us in life. For all the will of God, and ultimately any events go for our benefit, whether we believe in it or not. And, of course, do not wait and wait for the Forgiven resurrection, if there is a feeling that the source of love in the soul has begun to dry up a little. Developing in ourselves the feeling of kinship with everything that surrounds us, we make this world better, we fulfill the commandments given to us more than two thousand years ago, and we feel happiness from unity with the Creator.