Chrism

Waiting is unpleasant. But it is important for us to realize that waiting is a virtue related to patience, endurance, strength and joyful anticipation for what God has in store for us. It is essential in our spiritual Orthodox life. We are not waiting with emptiness, because our God fills every moment. Let’s give God the keys to our waiting, and not insist on our own expectation of how our waiting should be fulfilled. There is no need to grasp our future and take full control of it, but let God define it, and bring out good from it based on His love for us. “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the one who seeks Him” (La 3:25).

Patience is one of the virtues that is the “fruits of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22). Patience requires endurance through suffering while being courageous and keeping hope in the Lord through all trials. During trials we must be tolerant of ourselves and others, growing in gradual steps with the grace of God by keeping His commandments. 

“And as for that in the good soil, they are these who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Lk 8.15).

According to Christ, only those that are patient will bring forth fruit from the seeds of God’s word sown in their hearts. So let us be patient, and let us be a fertile ground accepting God’s word and anticipating with great hope the fruits of the Holy Spirit.