His Beatitude: Illnesses and sorrows are what cleanse us from sins

Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: UOC Press Service

On May 11, 2025, on the Sunday of the Paralytic, at the Agapitus Church of the Lavra, His Beatitude addressed the faithful with a sermon in which he explained the spiritual meaning of the Gospel reading about the healing of the paralytic and spoke about the role of illnesses and sorrows in the life of a Christian.

His Beatitude recalled that the Gospel tells of a man who had lain for 38 years by the Sheep’s Pool (Bethesda), waiting for healing but had no one to lower him into the water when an angel came down and stirred it.

"A great miracle occurred at this pool. From time to time, the Angel of God would descend into the pool and stir the water. Whoever entered the pool first after the water was stirred would be healed of any disease," the Primate said.

According to His Beatitude, through this story, the Lord teaches us that illnesses are permitted by God as a consequence of sin, although there are rare cases when God allows illness not because of sin, but “simply for the glory of God”.

"Most often, we fall ill because of our sins. Illness has two effects on a person. First, through illness, the Lord teaches a person not to sin. He calls the person to cease from sin and instructs them," His Beatitude explained.

If a person does not stop sinning, then illness “becomes a remedy”, the Primate emphasized.

"Illness begins to compensate for the lack of our repentance and destroys the opportunities we have to commit sin," he said.

His Beatitude also shared a story from Church tradition about a man healed by Christ who, instead of expressing gratitude, later struck the Savior in the face during His trial before the high priest.

"The Lord warned this man not to sin anymore, yet he committed an even greater sin. We don’t know what he had been ill with, but the fact that he struck the Savior, an innocent, sinless sufferer, a divine messenger, is a grave sin," noted His Beatitude.

In conclusion, the Primate stressed that when we are sick, the first thing we must do is repent before God, confess our sins, and struggle against our sinful habits.

"Illnesses and sorrows are our cross, by which we cleanse ourselves from sins, by which we prepare ourselves for eternal salvation in heaven through Christ Jesus, our Lord," concluded His Beatitude.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Primate spoke about what kind of intercession one should ask of the Great Martyr George.

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