“The Lord is compassionate and merciful, long suffering and rich in mercy.” (Psalm 103)

Commentary by Elder Aimilianos 

“God’s <<compassion>> is exercised on behalf of human beings who are made of earth and are forever in danger of lapsing into non-existence.”

“God is also <<merciful>> to us because we forget that we are created from the earth; we forget that we are created from earth; we forget that we are nothing, and act as if we were god’s, or make a god out of our ego and our selfish desires. To such a creature, one can only be patient and show mercy.”

God is <<long-suffering>>, He exercises patience with us, because we are ignorant and rebellious; because we stubbornly resist Him. We are not interested in God because our attention is occupied with the fantasy life of our ego, our self-will, and our foolish plans.”

God is <<rich in mercy>>, because human sinfulness is as deep and as wide as the ocean. Mercy is God’s response to actual transgression, to sinful actions, and not simply to things within the soul.”

Ref: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 280-281

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