ON THE REASONS WHY GOD PERMITS TEMPTATIONS TO COME UPON THOSE WHO LOVE HIM

By Saint Issac The Syrian(Homily 61)

From the love that the saints show for God on account of the things they suffer for His Name's sake(when they endure straightness and do not forsake that which God loves),their hearts acquire the boldness to gaze toward Him without a veil and to beseech him with confidence.Great is the power of bold prayer.For this reason God allows His saints to be tried by every sorrow,then to experience anew and prove His aid,and to understand how great a providence He has for them,for in their perils He is found to be their Redeemer.And again He does this so that they may gain wisdom from temptations, lest they be unlearned men and be deprived of the two parts of training,and so that they may acquire the knowledge of all things,lest perhaps they be mocked by the demons.

For if He exercised them only in that which is good,they would lack training in the other part and would be blind in battles.

If we say that God guides His saints without training and without their knowledge of it,then we are saying that He wishes them to be like oxen and asses and creatures which possess no freedom.
If a man is not first tried by the experience of evils,he has no taste for the good.Hence when in evils he meets with that which is good,he will be unable in knowledge and freedom to make use of it as being his very own.How sweet is knowledge that is gained from actual experience and diligent training,and what power it gives to the man who through much experience has found it within himself,the same is know by those who have been assured of and have seen the help it affords them.

Then they learn the weakness of their nature and the help of Divine power,when God first withholds His power from them while they are amid temptations.Thus He makes them conscious of their nature's impotence,the arduousness of temptations,and the cunning of the enemy.
Thus he gives them to understand against whom they must wrestle,what kind of nature they are clothed with,how they are protected by divine power,how far they have advanced on the way,to what height God's power has raised them up,and how powerless they  are before the face of every passion when the divine power is withdrawn from them.

Through all these things they acquire humility,cleave closely to God,look for His help with expectation,and persevere in prayer.
Whence could they have received all these boons,if they had not had experience of the many evils which God allowed them to undergo?
As the apostle says,'And lest i should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,a messenger of Satan.'But by the experience of many interventions of divine assistance in temptations,a man also acquires firm faith.Henceforth he has no fear,and he gains stout-heartedness in temptations from the training he has acquired.

Trial is profitable for every man.For if trail was profitable for Paul.'let every mouth be stopped,and all the world become guilty before God.'The diligent are tried,that they might add to their riches,the lax are tried,that they might guard themselves from what is harmful; the sleepy are tried,that they might be armed with wakefulness,those afar off are tried, that they might draw nearer to God;those who are  God's own are tried, that with boldness they might enter into His house.

The son who is not trained will receive no profit from the riches of his father's house.For this reason.then,God first tries and    afflicts,and thereafter reveals His gift.Glory be our Master Jesus Christ Who brings us the sweetness of health by stringent medicines!
There is no man who will not feel oppressed at the time of training,nor any who will not find the time bitter wherein he is given the medicine of trails to drink.

Without temptations a man cannot acquire a strong constitution,yet to endure with patience is not within our power.For how should the clay vessel endure the vehemence of the waters,if the divine fire had not hardened it?.
If we submit ourselves to God,while beseeching Him humbly with perseverance in unceasing desire,we shall certainly receive all, in Christ Jesus our Lord.Amen.

Πώς έπηρεάζουμε τούς άλλους μέ τίς σκέψεις μας

Μέσα μας ὑπάρχει ἕνα μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς ποὺ λέγεται “ἠθικολόγος”. Αὐτὸς ὁ “ἠθικολόγος”, ὅταν βλέπει κάποιον νὰ παρεκτρέπεται, ἐπαναστατεῖ, ἐνῶ πολλὲς φορὲς αὐτὸς ποὺ κρίνει ἔχει κάνει τὴν ἴδια παρεκτροπή. Δὲν τὰ βάζει, ὅμως, μὲ τὸν ἑαυτό του ἀλλὰ μὲ τὸν ἄλλο. Κι αὐτὸ δὲν τὸ θέλει ὁ Θεός. Λέει ὁ Χριστὸς στὸ Εὐαγγέλιο: “Ὁ οὖν διδάσκων ἕτερον σεαυτὸν οὐ διδάσκεις; Ὁ κηρύσσων μὴ κλέπτειν, κλέπτεις;”. Μπορεῖ νὰ μὴν κλέπτουμε, ὅμως φονεύουμε, κακίζουμε τὸν ἄλλον καὶ ὄχι τὸν ἑαυτόν μας. Λέμε παραδείγματος χάριν: “Ἔπρεπε νὰ κάνεις αὐτό, δὲν τὸ ἔκανες, νὰ τί ἔπαθες!”. Στὴν πραγματικότητα, ἐπιθυμοῦμε νὰ πάθει ὁ ἄλλος κακό.
Ὅταν σκεπτόμαστε τὸ κακό, τότε μπορεῖ πράγματι νὰ συμβεῖ. Κατὰ ἕνα μυστηριώδη καὶ ἀφανὴ τρόπο μειώνουμε στὸν ἄλλο τὴ δύναμη νὰ πάει στὸ ἀγαθό, τοῦ κάνουμε κακό. Μπορεῖ νὰ γίνουμε αἰτία ν’ ἀρρωστήσει, νὰ χάσει τὴ δουλειά του, τὴν περιουσία του κ.λπ. Μ’ αὐτὸ τὸν τρόπο δὲν κάνουμε κακὸ μόνο στὸν πλησίον μας ἀλλὰ καὶ στὸν ἑαυτό μας, γιατὶ ἀπομακρυνόμαστε ἀπὸ τὴ χάρη τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ τότε προσευχόμεθα καὶ δὲν εἰσακουόμεθα. “Αἰτοῦμεν καὶ οὐ λαμβάνομεν”. Γιατί; Τὸ σκεφτήκαμε ποτὲ αὐτό; “Διότι κακῶς αἰτούμεθα”. Πρέπει νὰ βροῦμε τρόπο νὰ θεραπεύσουμε τὴν τάση ποὺ ὑπάρχει μέσα μας νὰ αἰσθανόμαστε καὶ νὰ σκεπτόμαστε μὲ κακία γιὰ τὸν ἄλλο.
Εἶναι δυνατὸ νὰ πεῖ κάποιος, “ἔτσι ποὺ φέρεται ὁ τάδε θὰ τιμωρηθεῖ ἀπ’ τὸν Θεό”, καὶ νὰ νομίζει ὅτι τὸ λέει χωρὶς κακία. Εἶναι, ὅμως, πολὺ λεπτὸ πράγμα νὰ διακρίνει κανεὶς ἂν ἔχει ἢ δὲν ἔχει κακία. Δὲν φαίνεται καθαρά. Εἶναι πολὺ μυστικὸ πράγμα τί κρύβει ἡ ψυχή μας καὶ πῶς αὐτὸ μπορεῖ νὰ ἐπιδράσει σὲ πρόσωπα καὶ πράγματα.
Δὲν συμβαίνει τὸ ἴδιο, ἂν ποῦμε μετὰ φόβου ὅτι ὁ ἄλλος δὲν ζεῖ καλὰ καὶ νὰ προσευχόμαστε νὰ τὸν βοηθήσει ὁ Θεὸς καὶ νὰ τοῦ δώσει μετάνοια, δηλαδὴ οὔτε λέμε οὔτε κατὰ βάθος ἐπιθυμοῦμε νὰ τὸν τιμωρήσει ὁ Θεὸς γι’ αὐτὸ ποὺ κάνει. Τότε ὄχι μόνο δὲν κάνουμε στὸν πλησίον κακό, ἀλλὰ τοῦ κάνουμε καὶ καλό. Ὅταν εὔχεται κανεὶς γιὰ τὸν πλησίον του, μιὰ καλὴ δύναμη βγαίνει ἀπ’ αὐτὸν καὶ πηγαίνει στὸν ἀδελφὸ καὶ τὸν θεραπεύει καὶ τὸν δυναμώνει καὶ τὸν ζωογονεῖ. Μυστήριο πῶς φεύγει ἀπὸ μᾶς αὐτὴ ἡ δύναμη. Ὅμως, πράγματι, αὐτὸς ποὺ ἔχει μέσα του τὸ καλὸ στέλνει τὴν καλὴ αὐτὴ δύναμη στοὺς ἄλλους μυστικὰ καὶ ἁπαλά. Στέλνει στὸν πλησίον του φῶς, ποὺ δημιουργεῖ ἕναν κύκλο προστασίας γύρω του καὶ τὸν προφυλάσσει ἀπ’ τὸ κακό. Ὅταν ἔχουμε γιὰ τὸν ἄλλον ἀγαθὴ διάθεση καὶ προσευχόμαστε, θεραπεύουμε τὸν ἀδελφὸ καὶ τὸν βοηθοῦμε νὰ πάει πρὸς τὸν Θεό.

Βίος καὶ Λόγοι Γέροντος Πορφυρίου Καυσοκαλυβίτου, σελ. 439-441

Freely Choosing and Loving Good is a Powerful Weapon

   

By St. Theofan the Recluse

The possibility and basis for all inner victories is first the victory over ourselves — in the breaking of our will and dedicating ourselves to God, with inimical denial of everything sinful. At this time is born the dislike for passionateness, hatred, and aversion, which is itself a spiritual fighting strength and alone comprises the entire army. Where this is not present, the battle is already in the hands of the enemy; but where it is present, we often win without a struggle. From this we can see that a departure point for appropriate activity is our inner [man]; it is the departure point of warfare, only from another side. When consciousness and free will switch to the side of good and come to love it, they vanquish through hatred all evil and passionateness, especially their own. In this consists the change, or the break.

Therefore the powers that war with passions are also the intellect or spirit — the seat of consciousness and freedom — the spirit being upheld and strengthened by grace. Through it, as we have seen, healing power reaches the powers through ascetic labors; through it the vanquishing spirit passes through the passions to battle. And vice versa: when passions attack, they directly storm the mind or spirit, that is, the seat of consciousness and freedom. These reside in our inner sanctuary, at which the enemy shoots his arrows, by way of the passions, from soul-related qualities and fleshliness as if from an ambush. And as long as the consciousness and freedom are whole, that is, as long as they are on the side of good, then no matter how fierce the attack, the victory is ours.

Nevertheless, this does not imply that all the power for victory comes from us — it only shows what comes out of us. The point of fortification for battle is our renewed spirit, and the triumphant, vanquishing power over the passions is grace. It builds one thing in us and destroys another, but again through the spirit, or consciousness and free will. The struggler relinquishes himself to God crying out, complaining about his enemies and hating them, and God in him and through him casts them out and vanquishes them. Be of good cheer, said the Lord, for I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me, (Phil. 4:13) confesses the Apostle, precisely because without Him we can do nothing. Whoever wants to triumph by himself will undoubtedly fall into the same passion that he fights, or at least into some secondary passion. Having given himself to God, he literally goes from nothing to victory. Again, this does not negate our own opposition, but only shows that even with all our opposition, success or victory can never be our own; and if it comes, it is always from God. Therefore oppose and struggle against the passions as much as you can, but do not fail to lay all your sorrows on the living God, Who says: I am with you in an evil day — do not be afraid.

Excerpts from"The Path To Salvation"

Οι θλίψεις που μας προξενούν οι άνθρωποι

- Γέροντα, όταν κάποιος υπομένη κατά Θεόν τις θλίψεις και τις αδικίες που του προξενούν οι άνθρωποι, αυτή η υπομονή τον καθαρίζει από τα πάθη;

                Αν τον καθαρίζη λέει! Τον λαμπικάρει! Μα, υπάρχει ανώτερο απ’ αυτό; Έτσι μπορεί να εξοφλήση αμαρτίες. Βλέπετε, έναν εγκληματία τον δέρνουν, τον κλείνουν στην φυλακή, κάνει εκεί τον μικρό κανόνα του και, εάν ειλικρινά να μετανοήση, γλιτώνει την αιώνια φυλακή. Μικρό πράγμα είναι να εξοφλήση με αυτήν την ταλαιπωρία έναν αιώνιο λογαριασμό;

                Κάθε θλίψη να την υπομένετε με χαρά. Οι θλίψεις που μας προκαλούν οι άνθρωποι είναι πιο γλυκές από όλα τα σιρόπια που μας προσφέρουν όσοι μας αγαπούν. Βλέπεις, στους μακαρισμούς ο Χριστός δεν λέει: «μακάριοί εστε, όταν επαινέσωσιν υμάς», αλλά «μακάριοί εστε, όταν ονειδίσωσιν υμάς» , και μάλιστα «ψευδόμενοι». Όταν ο ονειδισμός δεν είναι δίκαιος, αποταμιεύει κανείς. Ενώ, όταν είναι δίκαιος, ξοφλάει. Γι’ αυτό, όχι μόνον πρέπει να υπομένουμε αγόγγυστα αυτόν που μας πειράζει, αλλά και να νιώθουμε ευγνωμοσύνη, γιατί μας δίνει την ευκαιρία να αγωνισθούμε στην αγάπη, στην ταπείνωση, στην υπομονή.

                Οι συκοφάντες βέβαια εργάζονται συνεργαζόμενοι με το ταγκαλάκι. Αλλά ο δυνατός αέρας συνήθως σπάζει και ξερριζώνει τα ευαίσθητα δένδρα που δεν έχουν βαθειές ρίζες· ενώ όσα έχουν βαθειές ρίζες, τα βοηθάει να προχωρήσουν τις ρίζες τους πιο βαθιά.

                Εμείς πρέπει να προσευχώμαστε για όλους που μας κακολογούν, και να ζητούμε από τον Θεό να τους δίνη μετάνοια, φωτισμό και υγεία και να μην αφήνουμε μέσα μας ούτε ίχνος μίσους γι’ αυτούς. Να κρατούμε μόνον την πείρα από τον πειρασμό, να πετούμε όλα τα φαρμάκια και να έχουμε υπ’ όψιν μας τα λόγια του Οσίου Εφραίμ: «Εάν συμβή σοι συκοφαντία, και μετά ταύτα φανερωθή το καθαρόν της συνειδήσεώς σου, μη υψηλοφρόνει, αλλά δούλευε τω Κυρίω εν ταπεινοφροσύνη τω λυτρουμένω σε από συκοφαντίας ανθρώπων, ίνα μη πέσης πτώμα εξαίσιον»

ΠΗΓΗ: ΓΕΡΟΝΤΟΣ ΠΑΪΣΙΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΡΕΙΤΟΥ “ΛΟΓΟΙ” , 
 τομοσ Δ’.
http://tokandylaki.blogspot.ca/2012/09/blog-post_1110.html 

ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΤΙΜΙΑ ΖΩΝΗ

A brief analysis of the Jesus Prayer

  Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetras

A brief analysis of the Jesus Prayer, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra

The prayer of Mount Athos, who does not recognize it? It is comprised of one small phrase, of measured words.

"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."

With the loud cry "Lord", we glorify God, His glorious majesty, the King of Israel, the Creator of visible and invisible creation, Whom Seraphim and Cherubim tremble before.

With the sweet invocation and summons "Jesus", we witness that Christ is present, our Savior, and we gratefully thank Him, because He has prepared for us life eternal.

With the third word "Christ", we theologically confess that Christ is the Son of God and God. No man saved us, nor angel, but Jesus Christ, the true God.

There follows the intimate petition "have mercy", and we venerate and entreat that God would be propitious, fulfilling our salvation's demands, the desires and needs of our hearts.

That "on me", what range it has! It is not only myself, it is everyone admitted to citizenship in the state of Christ, in the holy Church; it is all those who are members of the body of the Bridegroom.

And finally, so that our prayer be full of life, we close with the word "a sinner", confessing - since we are all sinners - as all the Saints confess and became through this sound sons of light and of the day.

Through this we understand, that this prayer involves:

Glorification

Thanksgiving

Theology

Supplication

and Confession.

 Translated by John Sanidopoulos)

Πῶς πρέπει νὰ φυλᾶμε τὸ νοῦ μας ἀπὸ τὴν πολυπραγμοσύνη καὶ τὴν περιέργεια

ΟΣΙΟΥ ΝΙΚΟΔΗΜΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΡΕΙΤΟΥ "ΑΟΡΑΤΟΣ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΣ"

Καθὼς εἶναι ἀνάγκη νὰ φυλᾶμε τὸ νοῦ μας ἀπὸ τὴν ἀγνωσία, ὅπως εἴπαμε πρίν, ἔτσι παρομοίως εἶναι ἀνάγκη νὰ τὸν φυλᾶμε ἀκόμη καὶ ἀπὸ τὴν πολυπραγμοσύνη, τὴν ἀντίθετή της ἀγνωσίας.
 Γιατὶ, ἀφοῦ τὸν γεμίσουμε ἀπὸ πολλοὺς λογισμοὺς μάταιους καὶ ἄτακτους καὶ βλαπτικούς, τὸν κάνουμε ἀδύνατο καὶ δὲν μπορεῖ νὰ καταλάβη ἐκεῖνο ποὺ ταιριάζει στὴν ἀληθινὴ ἀπονέκρωσί μας καὶ τελειότητα. Γι᾿ αὐτό, πρέπει νὰ εἶσαι σὰν πεθαμένος ἐντελῶς, σὲ κάθε ἔρευνα τῶν ἐπιγείων πραγμάτων, τὰ ὁποῖα, ἂν καὶ μπορεῖ νὰ
ἐπιτρέπωνται, δὲν εἶναι ὅμως καὶ ἀναγκαία. 
Καὶ μαζεύοντας πάντα τὸ νοῦ σου, ὅσο μπορεῖς μέσα στὸν ἑαυτό σου, κάνε τὸν ἀμαθῆ ἀπὸ τὰ πράγματα ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου τὰ πράγματα.Τὰ μηνύματα, οἱ καινούργιες εἰδήσεις καὶ ὅλες οἱ μεταβολὲς καὶ οἱ ἀλλοιώσεις, μικρὲς καὶ μεγάλες του κόσμου καὶ τῶν βασιλείων, ἂς εἶναι γιὰ σένα τέτοιου εἴδους, σὰν νὰ μὴν ὑπάρχουν καθόλου. 

Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἂν σοῦ προσφέρωνται ἀπὸ τοὺς ἄλλους, ἐναντιώσου σὲ αὐτά, ἀπομάκρυνέ τα ἀπὸ τὴν καρδιὰ καὶ τὴ φαντασία σου.
 Ἂς εἶσαι δὲ προσεκτικὸς ἐραστὴς στὸ νὰ καταλάβης τὰ πνευματικὰ καὶ τὰ οὐράνια, μὴ θέλοντας νὰ γνωρίζῃς ἄλλο μάθημα στὸν κόσμο, παρὰ τὸν Ἐσταυρωμένο καὶ τὴ ζωή του καὶ τὸν θάνατο καὶ τὸ τί ζητάει αὐτὸς ἀπὸ σένα· καὶ βέβαια θὰ εὐχαριστήσῃς πολὺ τὸν Θεόν, ὁ ὁποῖος ἔχει γιὰ ἐκλεκτοὺς
καὶ ἀγαπημένους του ἐκείνους ποὺ τὸν ἀγαποῦν καὶ φροντίζουν νὰ κάνουν τὸ θέλημά του.

Ἐπειδή, κάθε ἄλλο ζήτημα καὶ ἔρευνα, εἶναι ἐγωισμὸς καὶ ὑπερηφάνεια, δεσμὰ καὶ παγίδες τοῦ διαβόλου, ὁ ὁποῖος σὰν πανοῦργος, βλέποντας ὅτι ἡ θέλησις ἐκείνων ποὺ προσέχουν στὴν πνευματικὴ ζωὴ εἶναι δυνατὴ καὶ ἰσχυρή, γυρεύει νὰ νικήσῃ τὸ νοῦ τους μὲ τέτοιες περιέργειες, γιὰ νὰ κυριεύσῃ μὲ αὐτὸν τὸν τρόπο καὶ τὸ ἕνα καὶ τὸ ἄλλο. Ὁπότε, συνηθίζει πολλὲς φορὲς νὰ τοὺς δίνη σκέψεις δῆθεν ὑψηλές, λεπτὲς καὶ περίεργες καὶ μάλιστα στοὺς εὔστροφους στὸ νοῦ καὶ σὲ ἐκείνους ποὺ εἶναι εὔκολοι νὰ
ὑψηλοφρονήσουν.

Γιατὶ αὐτοὶ αἰχμαλωτισμένοι ἀπὸ τὴν ἡδονὴ καὶ τὴ συνομιλία ἐκείνων τῶν ὑψηλῶν σκέψεων, στὶς ὁποῖες νομίζουν ψεύτικα ὅτι ἀπολαμβάνουν τὸν Θεό, ξεχνοῦν νὰ καθαρίσουν τὴν καρδιά τους καὶ νὰ προσέχουν στὴν ταπεινὴ γνῶσι τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ τους καὶ στὴν ἀληθινὴ ἀπονέκρωσι· καὶ ἔτσι ἀφοῦ δεθοῦν μὲ τὸ δεσμὸ τῆς
ὑπερηφάνειας, γίνονται εἴδωλο τοῦ ἴδιου τοῦ νοῦ τους· καὶ στὴ συνέχεια, λίγο λίγο, χωρὶς νὰ τὸ καταλάβουν, φθάνουν νὰ λογαριάσουν, ὅτι δὲν ἔχουν ἀνάγκη πλέον ἀπὸ τὴν συμβουλὴ καὶ τὴ νουθεσία τῶν ἄλλων, ἐπειδὴ συνήθισαν νὰ προστρέχουν σὲ κάθε τους ἀνάγκη στὸ εἴδωλο τῆς δικῆς τους κρίσεως· πρᾶγμα, ποὺ εἶναι πολὺ ἐπικίνδυνο καὶ δύσκολο νὰ ἰατρευθῇ· διότι ἡ ὑπερηφάνεια τοῦ νοῦ εἶναι πλέον περισσότερο ἐπικίνδυνη ἀπὸ ἐκείνη τῆς θελήσεως.

Ἐπειδή, ἡ μὲν ὑπερηφάνεια τῆς θελήσεως, ὄντας φανερὴ στὸ νοῦ, εὔκολα θὰ μπορῇ καμιὰ φορὰ νὰ ἰατρευθῇ, ὑποτασσόμενη σ᾿ ἐκεῖνο ποὺ πρέπει. Ὁ νοῦς ὅμως ὅταν ἔχῃ σταθερὴ γνώμη ὅτι ἡ κρίσις του εἶναι καλύτερη ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων, ἀπὸ ποιόν θὰ μπορῇ νὰ ἰατρευθῇ καὶ πῶς νὰ ὑποταχθῆ στὴν κρίσι τῶν ἄλλων, ἐκεῖνος ποὺ δὲν τὴν ἔχει τόσον καλὴ σὰν τὴν δική του; Ἂν ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς τῆς ψυχῆς, ὁ ὁποῖος εἶναι ὁ νοῦς, μὲ τὸν ὁποῖο ὁ ἄνθρωπος μπορεῖ νὰ γνωρίσῃ καὶ νὰ καθαρίσῃ τὴν ὑπερηφάνεια τῆς θελήσεως, εἶναι
ὁ ἴδιος ἀσθενής, τυφλὸς καὶ γεμάτος ἀπὸ ὑπερηφάνεια, ποιός ἔπειτα μπορεῖ νὰ τὸν γιατρέψει; καὶ ἂν τὸ φῶς εἶναι σκοτάδι καὶ ὁ κανόνας εἶναι λάθος, πῶς θέλει νὰ φωτίσῃ ἢ νὰ διορθώσῃ τὰ ἄλλα; 

Γι᾿ αὐτὸ πρέπει νὰ ἀντισταθῇς τὸ γρηγορώτερο σὲ αὐτὴ τὴν ἐπικίνδυνη ὑπερηφάνεια τοῦ μυαλοῦ, προτοῦ νὰ διαπεράση μέσα στὸ νοῦ τῶν κοκκάλων σου καὶ ἀντιστεκόμενος, βάλε χαλινάρι στὴν ὀξύτητα τοῦ νοῦ σου καὶ ὑπόβαλε τὴ δική σου γνώμη στὴ γνώμη τῶν ἄλλων καὶ γίνε ἀνόητος γιὰ τὴν ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ θὰ
εἶσαι σοφώτερος ἀπὸ τὸν Σολομώντα· 
«Ὅποιος νομίζει ὅτι εἶναι σοφὸς μὲ τὰ μέτρα αὐτοῦ ἐδῶ τοῦ αἰῶνα, ἂς γίνῃ μωρός, γιὰ νὰ γίνῃ πραγματικὰ σοφός» (Α´ Κορινθ. 3,10).
http://tokandylaki.blogspot.ca/2012/09/blog-post_9.html