The elder told me once:
`Your only flaw is that you are oversensitive and you don`t accept to be offended. It is not your fault that you are so sensitive, as you follow your father, father John. But it is not good at all to be too sensitive. Others may take advantage on this sensitiveness and in a very bad way. For the one who has it hypersensitivity is a real damnation and the cause of all diseases. For this reason, try as much as you can to get rid of it or diminish it a little. Otherwise you harm yourself and your family and it is not use to torment them like this.
In what regards the offence from others, normally no one is pleased to accept it and you the least of all when you are proud and expect not to be offended as you don`t offend anyone. But today either we like it or not we all are victims of the offences of the others. When I say offence I mean the moral harm done by others to our dubious prestige. How to control such people? Of course it is not possible. Correct and right it would be not to offend anyone and not to be offended by anyone. It is a hard thing…However, it is not impossible!
This is what the Church of Christ aims to reach. Sometimes God allows to have our patience and faith put to test. Why ? Because in theory we all agree, we are all perfect; but when we have to put it into practice, then we become impotent. Now you are going to ask me: `What about you, do you put these things into practice, grandpa?`
My child, I have been struggling all my life to accomplish the will of God and I don`t know if I succeeded. He knows it. Only His mercy can save us.
Now after all these that happened do you still believe that I don`t love you?`
Excerpt from Anthology of counsels and guidelines– Elder Porphyrios, Bunavestire Publishing.
