Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church

        

 

“Rosy Christianity”

By New Martyr Maria of Paris

    Where is it, this rose-colored Christianity? Christianity has no color, as scorching-hot steel has no color — it is even impossible to look at to find out its color. Christianity just like the scorching-hot steel pierces one’s heart and incinerates it. Then the man cries out: “Ready is my heart, O God, ready is my heart!” (Ps. 56) All Christianity is in it.

    There are numerous substitutes of Christianity, when one’s heart is not being incinerated, not burning, but rather it is thrilled during the Divine Services. It is then when the light does not blind but merely caresses. And what then? Does it say: blessed are they who are thrilled, who are caressed, who are worldly peaceful and placid? Christianity cuts through the every man’s soul, every nation, every age and it cuts it in two. One half continues to live like it did before, whereas the other half starts to burn. This burning half of one’s soul fills the whole soul like an infection, like a wildfire, like a flood, like a fiery furnace. The burning soul says: “Christ is tormenting me”. It says: “Blessed are those tormented with Christ’s mystery. Blessed is the flaming soul, because it is ready, O God, it is ready”. This is the beginning of all. Hence the monasticism grows; hence is all the true asceticism; hence are all our numerous crosses; here is our meeting with death, here is Christ’s Cross; here is Christ’s death. Christian is baptized into Christ’s death. Christian is wedded with death, Christian lives all his live close to death.