When those who are rich in the Holy Spirit, really having the
heavenly wealth and the fellowship of the Spirit in themselves, speak to
any the word of truth…it is out of their own wealth and their own
treasure, which they possess within themselves when they speak, and out
of this that they gladden the souls of the hearers of the spiritual
discourse…But one who is poor, and does not posses the wealth of Christ
in his soul…even if he wishes to speak a word of truth and to gladden
some of his hearers, yet not possessing within himself the Word of God
in power and reality but only repeating from memory and borrowing words
from various parts of the book of Scripture, or what he has heard from
spiritual men, and relating and teaching this -see, he seems to gladden
others…but after he has gone through it, each word goes back to the
source from which it was taken, and he himself remains once more naked
and poor…For this reason we should seek first from God with pain of
heart and in faith, that he would grant us to find this wealth, the true
treasure of Christ in our hearts, in the power and effectual working of
the Spirit. In this way, first finding in ourselves the Lord to be our
profit and salvation and eternal life, we may then profit others also,
according to our strength and opportunity, drawing upon Christ, the
treasure within.” (Spiritual Homilies of Saint Marcius the Great –
Translated by Fr. Seraphim Rose)
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