On Sins and Virtues

Lubomyr Husar

Ilona Shuster, 14 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

Foreword

He said he wanted to be a Human Being putting a very special sense into this word. And that is what he was – a Human Being. Unique, extrordinary – yet humble. His austerity and modesty highlighted his grandeur.

Few people have a moral right to expound on human morality in public. Liubomyr Huzar certainly was such a person since he himself was a man of high moral standards.

In this book he speaks about human merits and shortcomings – not as a celestial divinity, but as a wise man who obtained his wisdom through his personal experience including his own errors and weaknesses. He doesn’t boast of his impeccability and he doesn’t scorn those who are called sinners. His love for his neighbor encompasses all the neighbours regardless of their devoutness or depravity, nor their faith, nationality or social status…

In their everyday communication with each other people often forget about their calling in this world to be Human beings, and behave in an immature way falling back on unseemly actions. Liubomyr Huzar sees the root of all evil namely in the lack of love, respect and tolerance. More often than not, in the lack of self-respect.

I believe this latest one of the books he has written will help many people better realize their role in the human society, in their relations with their kindred, friends, neighbours and colleagues and even with their enemies, if any.

On sins an virtues

People like talking about other people’s merits and demerits. Our attitude to others is often based on our view of human virtues and sins. But in my communication with others I come to the conclusion that many people do not know what some or other virtues and vices mean, and what is hidden behind them…

Our Lord created man free, gave him mind and will and entitled him to do good. Therefore, it is inherent in the human nature to be free, or, in other words, to have an opportunity to choose. Thus, to be free means to make a choice in favour of good. And when we sin, we do it due to our infirmity and weakness. A person can err and do evil, but they were not entitled to do it by our Lord.

I hope this book will help grasp the essence of what we – for short – call “good” and “evil”, as well as how they are manifested in human deeds and thoughts.

Good and evil.

Darina Parakhonyak, 6 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

Kindness

Kindness.

Ilona Shuster, 14 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

A person is considered to be kind if they do good and sow the seeds of good all-around for their relatives, friends, beloved ones and acquaintances. Everything they do has a positive feature to it and yields benefit to those who it is directed at. Being kind means above all trying to be oneself, being human. We show our kindness through doing our duty in accordance with our human nature. If a machine functions properly, we say it is a good machine. Likewise a person who accomplishes their human mission successfully is a “good” or “kind” person.

On top of that, a kind person does good with a smile, in a positive mood and seeks no reward.

Kindness.

Olesya Babiachok, 12 years old, Lviv

Kindness.

Olena Zub, 9 years old, Ivano-Frankivsk

Kindness.

Sofia Kuzik, 12 years old, Stryi city (Lviv region)

Goodwill

A person of good will is the one who does good. This person wishes it and does it because they are kind. They do not count on getting something in exchange. Benevolence is closely linked to kindness and is one of its manifestations.

Benevolence.

Anastasia Parakhonyak, 9 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

Benevolence.

Adriana Prunko, 9 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

Cynicism

Cynicism is the utmost manifestation of disrespect. Sometimes I hear people say: he was driving too fast – and crashed. It serves him right! – they say. He deserved it… To say this about other people, and such attitude to a human being, to his life – is cynicism. Since a human being and their dignity is a great value in itself. This dignity is to be respected. The failure to respect it is a form of cynicism

Shame

The Good Book mentions the fear of God. What is the meaning of it? Many people believe that we should be careful about our deeds, since if we do something wrong, then God, our Lord, like a fair policeman, will punish us. So we need to be cautious and wary of everything, not to get our bumps.

Actually, the fear of God is nothing but the feeling of shame. For instance, I feel if I do something “wrong” in the presence of my mom or another person dear to me. Likewise, we feel ashamed to do wrong in the presence of God. And God is everywhere, He is omnipresent. To put it short – we feel awkward , we feel bitter, we are afraid to have hurt someone by our negligent, unfair and sinful behavior. The feeling of shame can be analyzed in various ways. But, generally speaking, it is a feeling of inner discomfort caused by doing wrong in front of other people, particularly, the beloved ones.

Shame.

Justina Yakimyak, 16 years old, Kyiv

The feeling of shame is peculiar to those who respect others. One may also feel ashamed for someone else, who they are related to. For example, for a son or a daughter, for a relative, for a compatriot, for a colleague ot an acquaintance.

Ask me if I have ever felt ashamed? Of course, I have.

Unfriendliness

This feature is based on a lack of human’s dignity. A person who respects himself/herself and others, tends to treat other people in a way he/she wants to be treated by them. Love your neighbour as yourself. Therefore if I want to be treated politely and respectfully, I must treat other people politely and respectfully.

Unfriendliness is, so to say, an infirmity of human nature.

A person who shows hostility towards others has no self-respect, and no dignity in them.

Unfriendliness

Maria Ruban, 10 years old, Izyum (Kharkiv region)

Thankfulness

To be grateful is to acknowledge that someone did good to me, and to do justice to that person. Particularly if that deed was selfless, done for my benefit only, and could even do harm to the person who did it.

When I thank somebody, I express my gratitude aloud. The ability to be grateful and thankful is a very nice and noble merit.

Gratitude

Nazar Prus, 11 years old, Lviv

Bravery

Bravery.

Anastasia Veres, 6 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

What does it mean to be brave? To have the courage to do good. Sometimes we lack courage to confess who we are. We do not dare cross our heart not to be laughed at, we do not dare speak of God not to be mocked. Bravery is the courage to be oneself.

You know, people may be thoughtless, they can fly off the handle and push into danger. This is not bravery, it is stupidity. Genuine bravery is when I feel I have to behave in a particular way, considering all objective circumstances – even though I don’t know what will come out of it. For example, I admit that I am a Christian and I am determined to do good even if people laugh at me.

This is a kind of positive and practical bravery – and not thoughtlessness or a desire to show off my readiness to face a risk for a vain glory.

In our liturgical prayers we often ask God to give us enough daring to appeal to Him. So to say, a courage of trust. Like a child appealing to his father.

Bravery.

Yaroslav Murafa, 10 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

Bravery.

Sofia Lozova, 12 years old, Kyiv

Bravery.

Diana Kovtun, 11 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

Because when we speak to strangers we often feel embarrassed to ask for something. Whereas a child addresses its father simply and clearly: dad, I am hungry, dad, I need something… Our Church encourages us to appeal to God in that same way: God, listen to me, God, help me. In other words, not to feign anything before God, but just appeal to him : God, I am in pain, help me, listen to me.

We often lack such blessed innocence and trust – the holy simplicity. Some say: how can I speak to God so simply?

Speak to Him simply! That is the courage of trust in God, and the realization that God is my best friend.

Dignity

Dignity is what we received from God. A sense of truth is one of its main features. Dignity is not what we thought up for ourselves or ascribed to ourselves. Because it is a manifestation of human nature – of the divine inside us.

Dignity is connected with the perception and awareness of our origin. Our divine origine… Some can take pride in originating from a princely family. But that is another matter.. Dignity has to do, first and foremost, with belonging to the divine. Because man is created in the image and likeness of God.

God gives us the gift of life through our parents, our vocation and talents, and through the gift of the Holy faith.

The Revolution of Dignity also has to do with this important sense of awareness. Ordinary people realized who they are and which rights they are vested with – because they originate from God. Human dignity is inseparably connected to the awareness that a human being is the creation of God.

Dignity.

Yaroslav Murafa, 10 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

We often say about somebody: he behaves with dignity… It means that the mentioned person is aware of their dignity.

Dignity is not to be confused with pride or even haughtiness – this is about a person who believes he is unique in the world and that there is noone like him, and will never be.

Dignity is not pride. It is not like “I am too good and deserving to do things like that…” No, it is like “I am a human being, a creation of God, endowed with the God’s gifts, I am aware of my dignity, so I behave in a way not to offend others by saying “I am a lord and you are a fool”.

For example, Metropolitan Sheptytskyi could talk to anyone. To high ranking officials, to nobles and ordinary peasants and labourers. He respected everyone. And all of them while talking to him were aware: he regards me as a human being.

The gift of mind, the gift of will and of freedom given to us by God – they all are part of human nature. And we are all happy to have those gifts – each of us is endowed with them. There is no man who isn’t endowed with them. Since I am a human being, I have all the gifts that God gives to everyone.

One of our Lord’s commandments says: you shall love your neighbour as yourself. To love one’s neighbour as oneself means to see in them the same dignity I have in myself, since I am happy to know that I originate from God and I live by His will because it was Him who created me. Likewise, He created all others.

Those two conformable words “self-esteem” and “selfishness” which are about a “love for oneself” have nothing to do with the love Jesus Christ spoke about. These notions refer to the ones who gratify themselves, pander to themselves, and treat themselves with too much indulgence. But the love that Jesus Christ appointed to us – is nothing else but the sense of dignity.

A person can be born at the royal court or in a peasant hut. It makes no difference because both of them are of the divine origin and are endowed with dignity which is to be respected.

Laziness

Everyone has a duty to take care of something or someone. Since he who doesn’t have a duty – doesn’t feel it necessary to do anything useful, he doesn’t bare any responsibility and doesn’t have a goal of reaching any particular results.

It is one thing when I am reluctant to impose myself on others. But if I am not willing to take any responsibility just because I feel more comfortable that way – it is a very serious blemish.

Jesus Christ said: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. But to love oneself doesn’t mean to seek gain for oneself. It means to respect oneself, because our Lord created us all intelligent, he gave us dignity, lots of talents and a calling. If I got all of these, it means all other persons got it all as well. Thus, to love my neighbour means to respect him in a way I want to be respected by him. Because I respect myself, I respect myself as our Lord’s creation, as our Lord’s child, as a human being who thinks, behaves responsibly and takes into account other persons’ needs, who is not indifferent to those who surround me, and who, therefore, respects others because they are God’s creatures just just like me.

Laziness.

Arseniy Troshchak, 11 years old, Lviv

Laziness.

Daryna Klyusa, 6 years old, Halych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)

Laziness.

Mikhailo Kushnirchuk, age 8, Ivano-Frankivsk

Haughtiness

Haughtiness is a form of arrogance when a person demonstrates their supremacy over others, showing he is better, more important, more deserving and perfect, and scornfully regards others as the “imperfect” and the “unimportant”.

Arrogance

Sometimes a person can feel an irresistable desire to make themselves look better than they really are. Meaning, look, I can do it, I’ve done it, I’ve made it – that’s I! Such a desire is not to be confused with dignity which is a manifestation of the divine inside each of us. Arrogance has to do with other moral categories – the need for recognition, particularly the recognition which is undeserved and unmotivated. The need to be constantly praised, glorified and to be regarded as a model. If a person really acomplished something worthwhile, something worthy of appreciation and emulation, there is nothing bad in it. Striving for prominence should be respected, it should not be considered evil. But if one’s achievements are presented as greater than they really are – it is a human blemish related to telling lies or half-truth, or exaggerating.

When I come across arrogance in communication with other people, I usually try not to overreact. I can shrug my shoulders or just grin. One can see right away what the person is striving for – whether they are searching for truth – or long for glory. I usually do not encourage an exaggerated self-esteem.

Showing arrogance means taking pride in something which does not actually exist, exaggerating one’s capacities and virtues. The opposite of it is humbleness or humility. Although, humility can also be false and pretended. For example, I went to school, I studied, I had a chance to see quite a lot in this life, I got a considerable experience and knowledge, I can multiply two by two, I can have an opinion on lots of things, write something, explain something to someone. If I denied I can multiply two by two, it would be a falsity, a lie. Or if Enrike Carouso said he could not sing we would all laugh. Because it would be a lie which would have nothing to do with humility.

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