Brothers, if you want to cure your souls, you need four
things! Shall we make an agreement? From the time you were born until now,
whatever sins you committed, I will take on my back, if you’re willing to lift
only four strands of hair in exchange!
Is that too heavy or hard for you?
And what will I do with your sins?
I have a bottomless pit and I will throw them in! What is this bottomless pit? It is the compassion of Christ.
The first hair is: when
you want to confess your sins, the first foundation is to forgive your
enemies. Do you do this? If you do, you have lifted the first strand
of hair.
The second hair is: find
a good, educated, and virtuous spiritual father to whom you can confess your
sins. The time to be ashamed is when commit
sin. When making your confession you
should not be ashamed. When confessing,
tell all your sins clearly. First, say
to your spiritual father, “Father, I will go to hell because I don’t love God
and my brothers with all my heart, as I love myself.” Have you done this? Then you have also lifted the second hair.
The third hair is: when
you have confessed your sins, the spiritual father will ask you, “Why, my
child, did you commit all those sins?”
Be careful not to accuse others!
Accuse only yourself and say, “I have done them through my own wicked
will; I am to blame.” Is it too much for
you to accuse yourself? It isn’t? Then you have lifted the third hair, also.
Now we come to the fourth hair.
When you finish confessing your sins, and your spiritual father gives
you his blessing and you leave, decide with a firm resolve and decision that it
is better to die, better to shed your blood in martyrdom, than to fall again
into sin. Do you do this also? If yes, you have lifted the fourth hair as
well.
These are your remedies, brother. As light as lifting four strands of hair!
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