His Beatitude John X from Balamand: All things are lawful to me, but all things are not profitable

This morning, the Divine Liturgy was held in the Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, at the end of which, Patriarch John X shared the following message:

“Saint Paul the Apostle addresses us all, saying: “All things are lawful to me, but all things are not profitable: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Our holy fathers have selected this reading from the Epistle to the Corinthians to remind us what is the true meaning of fasting and the coming spiritual struggle.

All things are lawful to me. I can perform everything and deal with people as I wish, especially in these days when many slogans prevail: first, the call for values such as freedom and respect for human freedom. Yet, the Apostle says: You can do everything, but not everything is profitable. Some things are profitable and others are useless.

This saying serves as a maxim for our lives and a roadmap for the life in our societies, in the church, and the country. It is a suitable roadmap for our societies, a guide for reconciliation with the self and with others.

Nothing controls me, for I have my free will. This leads to another virtue, which is discernment. To discern between good and bad. In our days, this is a problem at work, in our societies and nations …

This article was originally published on the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East website. Please click here to read the full text.