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2009-12-30 Subject - Bible Guest - Righteousness “The first prerequisite for striving for righteousness are regret and penitence because each person needs them,” says Fr. Serovbe Petrossian, Spiritual Pastor Church of St. John the Baptist, Yerevan What is righteousness? According to human logic righteousness is equality as in human relations as well as in various correlations of nature and universe. That equality is compared with the set of scales of Themis, Greek goddess of justice, symbolizing truth and justice. When the scales of crime and punishment are balanced valuation of justice comes forth. Justice is created by people by means of corresponding application of the laws they have adopted, whereas righteousness is granted to the human being by God as a reasonable and wise feature of steps taken in everyday life and response to those steps which should be reviewed according to only true, sincere and sound logic. Righteousness should not be searched in the opposition of evil and kind, darkness and light, warm and cold, hatred and love and other such contrasts. Righteousness is an abstract notion which is very often present is reasonable actions and nature. “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice.” (Ps 37:30) What is necessary for achieving righteousness? Prerequisites of justice are truth, sincerity an impartial reasoning. It is not a stable status which people strive to gain. Simply the human being should try during his lifetime often to create and to see phenomena of righteousness which will make life interesting and happy. That is why the human being should keep away from such temptations as greediness, malice, envy, weak-mindedness, weak will and many other similar defects and vices which give birth to unfairness and injustice. The first prerequisite for striving for righteousness is regret and penitence because each person needs them. One of the means of reaching righteousness is also application of justice in human relations. However, it is observed also in the nature and universe. In order to notice and to enjoy righteousness the human being should be guided by God-granted genuine senses which have been unblemished and sacred and it is later that they have been changed and profaned and have turned into what we presently have. Let’s remember that Adam and Eve were deceived and led into temptation in the Garden of Eden. And there are so many temptations at present! It is known that “…unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:20). What is the role of the Church in achieving righteousness? As faithful Christians we must take the opportunity granted to us by means of the Church in order to live honestly in order to witness justice and to be sure that righteousness which according to our logic is not seen to us is often realized by the Lord if not at present than in the future because righteousness is kind and the Creator spreads it everywhere. We should not forget that whatever we have is God-granted grace and that life should be continued in constant communication with God the best means of which is prayer. The symbol of justice in the Church is the Lantern of St. Gregory the Illuminator which according to the tradition illuminates the peak of the Mount Aragats, and it is only the righteous that deserve seeing that divine light. |
