Wednesday, May 22 (9), 2024
Acts 8:18-25; Jn. 6:35-39

St. Peter tells Simon “Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” [Acts 8:21-22].  “Neither part, nor lot,” ─ while Simon did not even think that he had gone so far astray: he had not done anything wicked, he only thought wrongfully, and that thought of his heart was enough for St. Peter to question whether or not he will be forgiven, even if he repented and prayed to God for mercy.

Such is the importance of the disposition of our heart and of the thoughts coming out of it.  Because of the disposition of the heart, our true self can be totally different from what we appear to others.  And this true inner self is visible only to God and to those whom the Spirit of God might open it, the Spirit which trieth our hearts  [1Thess. 2:4].  What fear and trembling, then, we should have to work out our own salvation [Phil. 2:12]!   And how earnestly and fervently we should pray to the Lord: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” [Ps. 51:10]. And at the Last Judgment there will be something dreadful and amazing: the Lord will say “I know you not” [Mt. 25:12] to those who were not only sure of being godly, but also appeared godly to everyone else…

What should we do, then?  Pray continually: “Save us, O Lord, as Thou knowest how! As Thou knowest, dispose our hearts to Thy salvation!”

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