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We see, without judging anyone, that people live as if this life will never end, in a way as if they will never die. They live as if the only goal in this life is to find happiness here on earth and amass the most wealth.
However we know that no person, who came into this world, has stayed forever. When we, living on this earth, begin to live with the Lord and not by the values of this world, then we already become participants of eternal life. Then we die to earthly life and are born to eternal life.
Ensuing out of this, the heroic feats of martyrs, who were not afraid when their lives were being taken for their faith in God, become understandable for us. We understand all of that because they were aware that they are participants of eternal life. They did not fear that someone is taking away this temporary life. Let’s ask ourselves, to what extent have we died with Christ to this earthly life and as far as possible, to what extent do we live an everlasting life with Him?
+ Bishop Benedict (Aleksiychuk)