A nation is worth as much as it has embodied from the Gospel

Beloved Romanian brethren everywhere, Father Raphael Noica said that “man is what remains after the Judgment of Christ, not after the judgments of men.” On a much larger scale, i.e. that of the nation from which we all draw, the professor and scholar Simion Mehedinți spoke a truth as brief as it is profound: “A nation is worth as much as it has embodied from the Gospel”. Therefore, in the perspective of eternity, the value of a people is no more and no less than what Christ has represented under the passage of time.

At the Last Judgment, when all nations will be sifted through the sieve of Christ’s Gospel, the French Eiffel Tower, the American Statue of Liberty, the English Big Ben, the Egyptian pyramids, the Chinese wall will not enter eternity. Nor people’s judgments about them. No intention and no effort will be valued that have had as their goal the comfort, prosperity and glory of the earth, because not one stone will be left upon another. All these are perishable and have nothing to do with salvation and eternal life. Only the deeds to which people have labored for the love of God and their fellow men will be treasured. And more than any other deed, the confession of Christ will shine forth, at the cost of life, for the Saviour says: “Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32)

And from this point of view, the Romanian people are of great value before God, because they have given countless citizens of heaven. And perhaps today, more than on any other day of the year, we should remember and be honored by the Romanian priests, martyrs and saints who have not yet been canonized, and who have faced the Carlist, Antonescian and especially Communist persecutions.

But perhaps the most basic thing that today’s generation should learn from these models of eternal value is to stop throwing stones at the image of our own people, no matter how much we may not like the economic, political, social or cultural situation of the country, but to do our part to get the Romanian car out of the pit it is in, only and only because of our sins as a nation.

Elizabeta Rizea, a peasant, could have quietly gone about her life, but she preferred to show that the Romanian peasant’s dignity and courage cannot be trampled underfoot by any political conjuncture.

The philosopher Constantin Oprișan could have never returned to the country, so that he could publish his brilliant ideas in successful magazines and books, but he preferred to give his philosophical genius for the enlightenment and comfort of the martyrs in prisons.

The scientist George Manu could have continued his research work in France, but he preferred to enrich the culture and dignity of this people, leaving both by word and deed the exhortation “be faithful to your ideals and remain dignified.”

The poet Vasile Militaru could have sold his literary talent to flattery to get a life of comfort, but he preferred to say firmly that “in my poems the people will never rhyme with the tractor”, preserving the dignity of a man of culture, like so many others.

Sandu Tudor could have made a royal living from newspaper gossip, from blackmail or polemics of interest, but he preferred to leave all these vanities, showing to what sanctity the monk’s cynicism has reached in his persecutions.

Dr. Dumitru Uță could have practised medicine in decent conditions, but he preferred to serve his neighbour in the poverty, pressure and promiscuity of prison.

The statesman Mircea Vulcănescu could have made a policy of compromise, of personal interest, but he preferred to represent the interests of the Romanian people at the risk of his own freedom and life.

The priest Gheorghe Calciu could have kept silent when churches were demolished and young Romanians were killed to protect his family, but he preferred to show the vocation and value of the priesthood, regardless of the odds.

The hierarch Nicolae Popovici could have tacitly practiced with the regime in order to preserve his glory as a bishop, but he preferred to love the faithful people and not the bishop’s chair, confessing Christ at the risk of his life.

All these outstanding people, from the bishop to the oppressed, represent the value of the Romanian people in eternity because they wanted to represent and confess the eternal Christ. That is why their memory will remain from eternity to eternity.

But dear ones, today it is our turn to show what value we have as a nation. We are the generation now being tested, we are the ones who today show by our deeds whether we enrich or impoverish the value of the Romanian people in eternity. Examples of faith, dignity and cleanliness we have, we just have to follow.

And there will be no one better to weigh the value of today’s generation than tomorrow’s generation.

Happy birthday to all Romanians!

(Dan Tudorache)