" ΑΡΧΙΜ. ΑΙΜΙΛΙΑΝΟΣ ΣΙΜΩΝΟΠΕΤΡΙΤΗΣ: ΧΑΡΑ, ΛΥΠΗΣ ΟΛΕΘΡΟΣ "

 ΑΡΧΙΜ. ΑΙΜΙΛΙΑΝΟΣ ΣΙΜΩΝΟΠΕΤΡΙΤΗΣ

Ο πόνος, η στενοχώρια, η αγωνία, η ψυχική τραγωδία είναι αποτέλεσμα
της πτώσεως του ανθρώπου, η οποία οφείλεται στον εγωισμό του.

Οι αναθυμιάσεις του, εγώ γεννούν στην ψυχή την στενοχώρια, ενώ η
φυσιολογική της κατάσταση είναι η χαρά, διότι ο Θεός είναι ειρήνη, είναι
χαρά, και η ψυχή είναι εμφύσημα* του Θεού, δημιουργήθηκε από Αυτόν και οδεύει προς Αυτόν.

Επομένως, η στενοχώρια είναι ξένη και αδικαιολόγητη μέσα στην ανθρώπινη ζωή.

   Και όμως σήμερα δεν βρίσκεις άνθρωπο χαρούμενο, που σημαίνει πως δεν βρίσκει κανείς άνθρωπο ισορροπημένο, ήρεμο, φυσιολογικό.

    Η στενοχώρια είναι αρρώστια τρομερή που μαστίζει την οικουμένη, η
μεγαλυτέρα ίσως βάσανος της ανθρωπότητος, το μεγαλύτερό της δράμα. Δεν
είναι απλώς τα προοίμια της κολάσεως αλλά η βίωσις της κολάσεως από της
παρούσης ζωής.

    Έλλειψις χαράς σημαίνει έλλειψις Θεού, ενώ η χαρά απόδειξις της
παρουσίας αυτού. Εάν κανείς είναι κοσμικός άνθρωπος και τέρπεται επί
τοις επικήροις, χαίρεται για τις ηδονές, για τα παροδικά και μάταια,
αυτός ίσως έχει κάποια ηδονή, κάποια ευχαρίστηση, αλλά στην
πραγματικότητα, αν προσέξει κανείς, θα δει ότι υπάρχει θλίψις και
στενοχώρια στην ζωή του, όπως λέγει η Αγία Γραφή: <θλίψις και
στενοχωρία επί πάσαν ψυχήν ανθρώπου του κατεργαζομένου το κακόν>.

    Δεν είναι δυνατόν να υπάρχει χαρά εκεί όπου υπάρχει παράβασις της
εντολής του Θεού, όπως είναι αδύνατον να υπάρχει στενοχώρια με την
εφαρμογή του νόμου του Θεού.

    Χαρά, Λύπης Όλεθρος. Λύπη είναι ένα ξίφος που έρχεται αιφνιδίως και
χτυπάει το σώμα, ιδιαίτερα όμως την ψυχή του ανθρώπου. Και μάλιστα κάτι
που εξέρχεται από την κακία των ανθρώπων, από την αμαρτία, από την
δυσωδία, από την αντίθεση των άλλων. Η λέξη λύπη είναι συγγενής προς την
λέξη λύμη, η οποία σημαίνει πληγή, κάτι που στάζει πύον. Επομένως, λύπη
είναι η κατάσταση της ψυχής, η οποία στάζει πύον. Κυρίως προέρχεται από
βέλη τα οποία εξακοντίζονται από την κακία των ανθρώπων ή και από τις
κακίες της δικής μας ψυχής. Η λύπη εδώ δεν είναι αυτό που λέμε,
είμαι λυπημένος. Όταν λέμε, είμαι λυπημένος, κατά κανόνα εννοούμε, ζω
τις αναθυμιάσεις της δικής μου αμαρτίας, της δικής μου εγωπάθειας, της
δικής μου απομονώσεως από τον Θεό. Όταν οι πατέρες ομιλούν για την λύπη,
εννοούν κάτι διαφορετικό.

    Η χαρά λοιπόν είναι λύπης όλεθρος. Επομένως όταν μας χτυπήσουν τα
βέλη αμαρτίας, των πονηρών παθών, των εμπαθών λογισμών, τα βέλη των
κακών ανθρώπων ή οποιαδήποτε άλλα, όταν φαίνεται η δυσωδία του προτέρου
μας βίου, όταν η αποτυχία της ζωής μας έλθει να μας χτυπήσει, τότε η
χαρά είναι όλεθρος της λύπης. Η χαρά είναι σαν μια ασπίδα που χτυπούν τα
βέλη και φεύγουν και δεν παθαίνεις τίποτε. Όλοι εκείνοι και όλα εκείνα
που έρχονται να θλίψουν την δική μας ψυχή καταστρέφονται, απόλλυνται.

    Η τροφή των εν Χριστώ ασκουμένων είναι η χαρά. Η χαρά τρέφει την ψυχή
, το πνεύμα, τον νου, ώστε να μπορούν να ανεβαίνουν και να δίδωνται εις
τον Θεόν. Καμία άσκησις, καμία εγκράτεια, κανείς πόθος, καμία αγάπη δεν
μπορεί να φτάσει εις το τέρμα εάν δεν τρέφεται. Σκεφτείτε κάποιον που
θέλει να είναι καλός αθλητής και δεν τρώει. Απλούστατα θα πέσει εις τον
δρόμο. Έτσι ακριβώς παθαίνει και κάποιος πνευματικός ασκητής αν δεν έχει
χαρά.

Ομιλία π. Στέφανος Αναγνωστόπουλος-Ο ΑΟΡΑΤΟΣ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΩΝ

Παρακολουθείστε την ομιλία του π. Στεφάνου Αναγνωστοπούλου με θέμα «Ο αόρατος πόλεμος των δαιμόνων» η οποία πραγματοποιήθηκε την Δευτέρα, 12 Νοεμβρίου 2012 στον Ιερό Ναό Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου Παραλίας Πατρών στα πλαίσια των εσπερινών ομιλιών της ενορίας. Η τηλεοπτική κάλυψη της ομιλίας πραγματοποιήθηκε από τον σταθμό ''ΛΥΧΝΟΣ'' τον τηλεοπτικό σταθμό της Ι. Μ. Πατρών.

Πατήρ Ανδρέας Κονάνος-Αθέατα Περάσματα

Πατήρ Ανδρέας Κονάνος Εκπομπή Αθέατα Περάσματα 12 Φεβρουαρίου 2013

On the Beginners’ Spiritual Shortcomings

 Fr. Arsenie BOCA

Propensity for Haughtiness

They are more readily inclined to give lessons, rather than to receive them. They condemn within their heart those who do not understand faith as they do and they manifest that condemnation – at first, secretly held in their hearts – through their words – and that is when you feel like you hear the Pharisee who thought he was worshipping God when he was vaunting himself for his own deeds, while despising the tax-payer. That sort of attitude is to please the devil. All of these things drive one’s soul to pride and haughtiness. They are of no use whatsoever to the beginners (on the contrary, they change whatever else they have good in them, into sins), as they cease bearing with one another and if anyone comes up to belittle their fellowman, that pleases them. They will see the straw in their brother’s eye yet will fail to notice the beam in their own eye; they will make a big deal out of the other’s minor deeds and will efface their own – greater – faults.

They don’t like confessor Fathers who do not praise them for their actions and don’t appreciate their good behaviour – because such spiritual sons’ sole pursuit is to be praised and commended in everything they do.

They even try to convince others that they have an accomplished spirit and harbor true piety.

They even go as far as not confess their sins anymore, lest they should downplay themselves in the process and they avoid mentioning their mistakes in order to render them lighter. They will avoid by all means praising others, but they do not like not being praised by others. Sometimes they will go as far as to ask others to praise them. Beginners very seldom escape such weaknesses.

Propensity for Spiritual Stinginess

They complain whenever they don’t receive the comfort they expected from their spiritual Fathers or their fellowman. They always look to filling up their minds with spiritual advice and teachings. They dedicate all their time to reading and have no more of it left for the spiritual work, which should be their first and foremost duty.

Propensity for Anger

They are always in a bad mood.

They do their duty sloppily.

They get upset for the slightest thing and end up being unbearable to the ones around them.

They blame others.

They badmouth others.

They give moral lectures in a bitter and high voice, as if they were the only ones who would have access to being virtuous.

Propensity for Spiritual Greed

They exhaust themselves carrying out prayer rules.

They apply themselves to fasting without limits.

They keep away from people who would invite them to take bodily food.

They lack discernment.

They work against the commandments.

They want bodily canons (rules) rather than mind-based canons.

They don’t listen to their spiritual Fathers.

They take pride in making various efforts without discernment.

Such spiritual “sons” are encouraged by the devil to behave this way.

They always look for pulling out counsels that suit them, from their spiritual Fathers.

In case one rejects their ideas, they sulk like children.

Whatever they do, they do superficially, because they are convinced that they do nothing good before God, whenever He doesn’t work [in their life] as they would like Him to.

They take the Eucharist many times, without their spiritual Father’s approval.

Propensity for Envy and Worldliness

Their fellowman’s spiritual wellness always gets into their eyes.

They suffer when they hear someone else being praised.

Another person’s virtue makes them sad and if given the chance, they will belittle and persecute it, in order to break off all praise for that person.

They want to be the first in everything.

Excerpt from CĂRAREA ÎMPĂRĂTIEI – ”The Way to the Kingdom” – by Fr. Arsenie BOCA

The Icon – A Window into the Age to Come

According to the teaching that the Holy Fathers handed down to our Church, the first Sunday of the Holy Lent is dedicated to the holy icons and to those who suffered for them during the iconoclastic persecution. It reminds us of the victory of Truth over all the heresies that have shaken Christ’s Church throughout the history and particularly over those who despised the icons, stating that God cannot be represented in any way through the mere colours of a painted image.

Through His Incarnation, God gave humans the possibility to reach theosis; He gave all of those who believe in Him the power to become sons of God (John 1:12). Thus, by making Himself seen and felt, our Saviour can be represented in an icon, as a human. Today, icons are always present in any Christian’s life. Any prayer – whether it is done in church or in the peace of one’s own home – is accompanied by the holy icons. They accompany the Christian’s life everywhere.

The Tradition of the Church tells us that icons date back to the first centuries of Christianity. Eusebius of Caesarea, the most important historian of the Church of the first centuries, also states in his “Church History”: “I have seen many portraits of the Saviour, of Peter and Paul, which have been preserved until today” – which proves that icons were an integral part of Christianity ever since its foundation.

Christian teachings were carried out from the very beginning by the Church through word and icon. It is for this reason that by the decisions of the 7th Ecumenical Council, the Holy Fathers were able to say: “The tradition of icon-making has existed ever since the times of Christian preaching by the Holy Apostles. Iconography is in no way the painters’ invention, but, on the contrary, an established law and a tradition of the catholic Church”. This is how their presence in the Church is explained and the way in which it has silently taken its natural place in the Christians’ lives. Already, in the 4th century, several Holy Fathers such as St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. John Chrysostom, and others refer to the icons in their writings as to a natural practice in the Church.

In Christ’s image as a Man we find His entire divine nature

When we honour an icon, we do not worship the painting per se, nor the material of which it was made, but we worship the Truth that is represented by the face depicted in the icon, as the Truth that has always been handed down by the Church. That is what Christians have always done, without needing a full theoretical formulation, initially; it was only later, during the 7th Ecumenical Council, after the heresies and false teachings had disappeared, that the teaching took on a more precise shape. “Nobody has ever seen God; yet His Only-Begotten Son, Who dwells in the Father’s bosom, He has made Him known” (John 1:18). By His Incarnation, Christ reveals to the world, through His divine nature, the Father’s Image, as “Whoever has seen Me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9). We do not know how God is as Himself, but we know that God the Son, after His incarnation, is no longer separated from his human body and appearance and therefore, in Christ’s image as a human we find His whole deification – we find God Himself. By depicting the Saviour, the icon does not only depict His divinity and humanity, but also His Person, in which both natures unite — undivided and unshared. Christ did not reveal the Father only by His words, which we find in the Scriptures, but also by His Face, the Face of God. Rumanian Father Petroniu Tănase, recently gone to the Lord, used to say very beautifully in one of his speeches that “the icon is an opening towards the age to come, through which we see God with our bodily eyes. That is why, when we look at an icon, our eyes do not stop at the matter of which it is made of – wood and colour – but our mind goes beyond it and rises to a mysterious knowledge of the unseen things”.

The honouring of the icon is transmitted to the one who is represented in it

The icon is “our window to Heaven” – is a phrase that is often quoted and very true. Blessed Kallistos Ware, well-known Bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople and Professor of Orthodox theology with Oxford University, says that the icon is more than just a window. It isn’t only a window through which you can see the beauty of the things which it overlooks, but it is also “a door to Heaven”, because as we pass through it, we become part of Heaven and we meet the one who is represented in it, face to face. The icon makes a direct connection between us and the person represented in it and gives us the possibility to commune with that person and to know him/her. Because of that connection, as the Holy Fathers say, our honouring of the icon gets transmitted to the person depicted in it.

Icons use images and shapes taken from the material world in order to transmit the revelation of the divine world and make it accessible for knowledge and contemplation. We can state without any doubt that the current image of Christ in the Orthodox Church renders elements that are characteristic to His Face, that have been preserved ever since the times of the Apostles, through the Church Tradition. This is precisely why the Church art books give meticulous instructions as to the details that one must observe when painting the Face of the Saviour Jesus Christ. Since not all icon-painters are gifted with a great talent and neither are they always worthy of supernatural inspiration, the Church has set the rules based on which one should paint all icons, so that they always express the Truth that has been handed down by the Holy Scripture and the Holy Tradition. The agreement that must exist between the word and the icon was particularly clearly expressed in the decision of the 7th Ecumenical Council. Through the voices of the Holy Fathers of the Synod, the Church decided then that the worship of icons should be similar to the one shown to the Holy Cross and the Holy Scripture: namely, just as for the Holy Cross, as a distinctive sign of Christianity and of the Holy Scripture, because of the complete correspondence between the word and the image. “We preserve, without any innovations, all the traditions of the Church that were established for us, whether they are written or not, including the painting of the icons, according to what the Holy Scripture preaches and tells about […]. Because if one is depicted by the other, then one is also justified by the other”, said the Holy Fathers of the 7th Synod. Hence, we understand that the Church does not see the icon as a mere form of art that serves for illustrating the Holy Scripture, but a complete correspondence between the two – and that is the reason why the icon receives the same honouring as the Holy Scripture.

Denying the icon is denying the reality of the Incarnation

Christ’s image is a testimony of His coming and living in a human body; therefore, in the eyes of the Church, denying Christ’s icon appears like denying Truth and the fact that He became man. Upon defending the icon during the iconoclastic times, the Church not only defended its educational role – much less its aesthetic value – but the very bases of Christian faith, the visible proof that God had become man, as a foundation for our salvation. “I have seen the human face of God and my soul was saved”, said St. John the Damascene. If we understand the icon that way, we will no longer wonder at the firmness and the complete dedication of its defenders, who faced torture and death during the dark ages of the iconoclasm.

http://www.ziarullumina.ro/articole;1543;1;53734;0;Icoana—privire-in-lumea-veacului-viitor.html

ELDER PAISIOS-ON HUMBLENESS AND PATIENCE

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Jc 4:6)

Father Paisios used to say:

- When we patiently endure our problems and turn to God for help, we notice that He gives us the best possible solution. Unfortunately, in our days, people are very impatient. We do not love patience at all. Christ assured us, however, that only the ones who are patient will inherit the Kingdom of God. (“…they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Lk 8:15- “but he who endures to the end will be saved” Mt 24:13- “by your endurance you will gain your lives” Lk 21:19.)

“Sometimes God allows for a relative or a fellow worker to cause us problems in order to exercise our patience and humbleness; however, instead of being grateful for the chance God gives us, we react and refuse to be cured. It is like refusing to pay the doctor who is giving us a shot when we are ill.”

“The good Christian must also endure his corrupt supervisors; for they are amazed by his good behaviour, while they are being unfair to him.”

“God does not want us, His children, to be pestered. He gives us temptations and hardships in order to become perfect. Temptations will cease to exist in our life, when we reach the level of perfection.”

“We, Christians, ought to love afflictions and not try to get rid of them; afflictions are necessary means leading to our perfection.”

“When people treat us unjustly, we must be happy, because God’s justice, which is superior to human justice, will protect us. We should either seek human justice, or patiently wait for the justice of God. We must be careful, however, not to pursue an unjust treatment, because this would be unfair on our part and would indicate lack of love towards other people.”

“It is for our own benefit to hope for divine justice, when treated unfairly, and not react to the injustice done to us. Not only we will profit from this, but later on our children will be benefited as well. However, the opposite thing happens, when people curse us and the curse is just.”

“When God sees that we are proud and arrogant, He allows for the presence of temptations in our life. He will take them away from us, only when He sees that we humble ourselves.”

When I first went to the monastery, I wondered: “Should I humble myself and obey only the elder, or the fathers as well as the novice monks?”
One day, while discussing with Father Paisios a relevant subject, he said to me:
- My mind tells me that even the animals are better than me; so, I humble myself and obey them. Very early this morning, being tired from praying all night and exhausted because of my illness, I lay down to rest. After a while, I heard a kitten miaowing outside my cell as if she needed something. I really wanted to rest, but I humbled myself and went against my own will. I obeyed the kitten and replied to her calling. I went to open the door. It had started to rain and I let her in so she wouldn’t get wet. What do you think then? Should I obey the animals or not? My thoughts tell me I should.
- Elder, should we practice obedience with discretion, or obey with complete trust without questioning?
He replied:
-After we voluntarily submit ourselves to a good spiritual father who is humble and giving, then we should obey him without questioning. I will give you an example, so that you may understand the way God functions in our lives. Suppose the abbot tells you to go to Iviron Monastery and take the boat to run an errand at Lavra Monastery. And you answer him according to your own logic: “Father, don’t you think it would be of greater spiritual benefit for me to walk through the mountain since I would be alone? The boat is very crowded and I might be involved in useless conversation that would spiritually harm me.” The abbot might tell you to do as you like, because he does not wish to upset you. You, however, must realise that you are acting according to your own will and you are not under his obedience. Thus, God may allow for a mishap while you will be walking through the mountain, i.e. to be bitten by a snake, to fall and hurt your leg or get lost, in order to teach you to be humble and not look selfishly after your own good, but instead let Him do so. On the other hand, if you did not express your own will and obeyed your abbot by taking the boat to Lavra Monastery, then God would have protected you, and He would see that your encounter with the other people wouldn’t have spiritually harmed you.
We should unhesitatingly trust and obey our spiritual fathers. If we think over and examine with our own logic whatever they say to us, then we should know that we are not obedient to our spiritual father, but rather to our judgment and opinion. We must bear in mind that the grace of God is attracted by the simple-hearted people, who humbly trust their spiritual fathers and do not have confidence in their own thoughts.
The aim of complete and trusting obedience of a monk to his Elder is the perfect purification of his mind and the total submission of his own will to divine grace. When a monk is granted this gift then the goal of obedience has been fulfilled and “…against such there is no law” (Gal 5:23).

Father Paisios said that the spiritual work of a Christian should focus on the acquirement of humbleness. – God loves man very much; He knows very well the problems of each one of us, and wishes to help us before we ask Him to do so. Since God is omnipotent, there are no difficulties which He cannot overcome, except one. The difficulty God faces, and I repeat, it is the only one, is that He “cannot” help us when our soul is not humble. God “feels sad” because, while He sees His creature suffer, He “cannot” offer any help. Whatever help He offers, it will harm the person because he lacks a humble mindset.
Whatever happens to man, depends absolutely on his humbleness. For instance, we see a man striving and finally being subdued by one of his passions. God allows this to happen for only one reason: because his soul is filled with conceited thoughts and pride. Perhaps this man hates this specific passion and fights really hard to get rid of it. He will not achieve anything, however, because God does not help him; and He will not help him unless he humbles himself. Although he hates this specific passion, he is subdued by pride, which is the passion that introduces man to all other passions. “Pride is the cause of every passion,” St. John of the Ladder.
Man wants to progress spiritually and asks God to give him love, prayer, obedience and all virtues. We should be aware that God will not give us what we are asking for, no matter how hard we try, unless we humble ourselves. If our only aim is humility, then God will give us everything for free.
God wants and desires only one thing from us: our humbleness. He does not need anything else; just to humble ourselves, so He can actually make us partakers of His divine grace, which was granted to us through the mystery of Holy Baptism. Although we did not love Him yet, neither had we struggled to acquire His grace, He gave it to us as a gift out of His extreme kindness. He is only asking from us to humble ourselves and respond out of gratefulness and appreciation to His love. Thus, divine grace, which abides in us, will be activated and function accordingly. It will make us love God and get to know Him; it will do everything for us, if we only humble ourselves and allow for it to act. The only obstacle to the energy of God’s grace is our pride, our lack of humility.
St. Peter in chapter 5 of his 1st Epistle helps us clearly understand our fault and tells us what we should do: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.” (1Pt 5: 5-7)
If we concentrate solely on our struggle for humility, then everything will be granted to us by God as a blessing. When we take care of everything else except our humbleness, then we will never achieve anything good; even if we did, we wouldn’t be able to keep it for long. We need only one thing: the humbleness of our heart, which will give rise to the Kingdom of God’s grace.

Priestmonk Christodoulos (1998) “Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain”
Holy Mountain.

St Makarios the Great- Concerning the progress of a Christian

HOMILY 18:

1. As many lights and burning lamps are kindled by the fire, but all the lamps and lights are lighted up from one nature. Thus Christians also are lighted up from one nature, and shine, from the Divine fire, the Son of God; and have these lamps flaming in their hearts, and shine before him while on earth, even as he himself.
2. Christians therefore are lights that have the oil in themselves, that is, " the fruits of righteousness." But if they are not lighted up from the light of the Godhead in themselves, they are nothing. The Lord was a burning light through the Spirit of the. Godhead abiding substantially in him, and inflaming his heart according to his human part.
3. For as a rotten bag that is filled with pearls, so are Christians also, who being outwardly despicable, have in the " inward man the pearl of great price." But others are like whited sepulchres, without indeed they are beautiful; but within are full of dead mens' bones. They are dead before GOD, and clothed with all manner of shame and filth, and the darkness of the enemy.
4. The Christian ought at all times to be mindful of God. For it is written, " You shall love the Lord thy GOD with all thy heart;" that he may not only love the Lord, when he goes into his oratory, but that even when walking, and in company, and when eating, he may retain the memory of GOD, and a natural affection for him. Indeed to what thing soever the heart of any one is linked, that is his god. If the heart at all times desires GOD, he is the Lord of the heart.
But if any one that has outwardly renounced all, and is stript of his possessions, yet is wedded to himself, or to worldly desires; wheresoever his heart is chained, that is his god. And he is found to have come out of the world indeed through the broad gate, but through a wicket to have gone in again.
5. But if a man at all times cleave fast unto the Lord, and places his confidence and hope upon him; then none can hurt him: for though the devils are strong as the strong mountains, they are burnt by prayer, as wax by fire.. Yet in the mean time great is the struggle and fight that lies upon the soul against them. There are the rivers of dragons, and the mouths of lions. But the fire of love burneth up all.

 6. As a man that is a complete worker of evil, is insatiable after mischief; so Christians that have been baptized into the Holy Spirit, are insatiable after God. Yet while they have a mixture of sin, they are liable to fear, and travel through frightful places.
7. For as merchants, though they have now a fair wind, and a smooth sea, are in fear, lest on a sudden there should be a contrary wind, and the sea grow tempestuous: so Christians, though they have in themselves the favorable wind of the Spirit blowing, yet are in concern, lest the wind of the adverse power should rise upon them, and stir up a tempest in their souls.
There is need therefore of great industry, that we may come to the haven of rest, to the perfect world, to eternal life and pleasure, to the " city of the saints, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the church of the first-born." 8. Nor ought we to be secure. For as a garden that is set with fruit-trees, and sweet-smelling plants, and all well laid out and contrived with beauty, and has withal a little wall for an hedge, to keep it; if -it should so fall out that a rapid river runs by it, and by little and little dissolves the foundation, having once gained entrance, it roots up all that was planted. Even thus is the heart of man; it has good thoughts and desires, but there are rivers of corruption ever approaching. And if the mind but a little give way to unclean thoughts; lo, the spirits of error have entered in, and overturned all the beauties that were there, and laid the soul waste.
9. As the eye is little beyond all the members, and yet contains the heaven, the stars, the sun, the moon, cities, and other creatures; for all these are seen under one, are formed and imagined in the pupil of the eye. Thus also the heart is a little vessel. And yet there are dragons, and there are lions, the poisonous beasts, and all the treasures of wickedness, and there are rugged ways, and precipices. In like manner there is GOD, there are the angels; there is the life and the kingdom; there is the light, there are the treasures of grace: there are all things.
1O. And yet many find them not. For as when the alarm of war is sounding, the wise-men, and the great ones were not there; but the poor, and the unlearned are sent forth; and they work a victory over their enemies, and receive from the king the rewards of their victory, and crowns, and dignities. Thus also is it in heavenly things. It is the poor and unlearned from the beginning, that love the truth, do what it requires, fight the good fight, and receive from GOD the grace of his Spirit. But the wise and great flee the war; neither do they make any progress, and consequently are left behind them who have fought and overcome. And the Lord has promised, a Where I am, there also shall these my servants be." And they shall reign together with the Father, and with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit, even to ages of ages? Amen.

From ,St Macarius the Great Spiritual Homilies

Source: elpenor.org