“In an acceptable time, I have heard you…” In a very old book, I read that there was a king a long time ago who had the following custom. Throughout his entire kingdom and whenever he came near a city with his army, he carried two flags; a white one and a black one. When he approached the city; he raised the white flag which meant that as long as that flag was raised, a soldier did not have permission to disturb anything, not even the hair on a person’s head! All of the city’s inhabitants had also the ability to request favors from the king, whatever they desired. This, however, was for a short duration only and it had a very definitive time limit. As soon as time was up, the black flag was raised and then mothers would weep for their children; in homes and in fields there would be fire, murder, blood, everywhere, to people and to animals alike…

Do you comprehend what I am telling you? Christ, our good King, raises His white flag over this world through His Holy Cross. Let all the sinful come, all people, all nations, while there is time! The time will soon come that the white flag of love and mercy will be lowered and then all gates will be shut. The day will come that you will arrive only to find the Church door closed. You will keep knocking but not even the chanter will be there to answer. The stars and the sun will be extinguished and the rivers will dry up. The moment of judgment and justice will be upon us all!

My brethren, as long as we remain in this vain world, let us repent, let us weep, and let us all beg God’s mercy; May God deem us worthy to spend the rest of our life “in peace and repentance,” through the intercessions of our Holy Theotokos and all the saints. Amen.

Bishop Augoustinos of Florina
Source: www.orthodoxinfo.com