He who wants to cross the spiritual sea is long-suffering, humble, vigilant and selfcontrolled.
If he impetuously embarks on it without these four virtues, he agitates his heart, but cannot cross.
Stillness helps us by making evil inoperative. If it also takes to itself these four virtues in prayer, it is the most direct support in attaining dispassion.
Afflictions that come to us are the result of our own sins. But if we accept them patiently through prayer, we shall again find blessings.
The intellect cannot be still unless the body is still also; and the wall between them cannot be demolished without stillness and prayer.
The flesh with its desire is opposed to the spirit, and the spirit opposed to the flesh,and those who live in the spirit will not carry out the desire of the flesh
Whatever we do without prayer and without hope in God turns out afterwards to be harmful and defective.
There is a sin which is always ‘unto death’ (1Jn 5:16): the sin for which we do not, repent. For this sin even a saint’s prayers will not be heard.
The sign of sincere love is to forgive wrongs done to us. It was with such love that the Lord loved the world.
We cannot with all our heart forgive someone who does us wrong unless we possess real knowledge. For this knowledge shows us that we deserve all we experience.
A passion which we allow to grow active within us through our own choice afterwards forces itself upon us against our will.
Saint Mark the Ascetic
No comments:
Post a Comment