SO GOOD QUOTES

THE ABANDONMENT OF GRACE

Success or failure in one’s spiritual life depends on the work of grace and the extent of one’s acceptance or refusal of it.

Grace always helps man, assists him in leading a spiritual path,warns and lifts him up if he falls.

The divine grace does not force man to do good.

His free will is still in power, sharing in the work with grace or
not; resisting the work of grace until he falls or continues in his fall.

Therefore, one sometimes abandons sharing in the work of
grace. Sometimes grace abandons him. But it is a kind of
partial abandonment. Complete abandonment would definitely lead to one’s destruction.

What are the reasons for this abandonment? What is the
wisdom behind it?

The reason for the abandonment could be negligence on the side of the faithful and continual rejection of the work of grace. Therefore, grace abandons him until he feels the need for it.

This abandonment leads to greater depth in one’s prayers and fastings, repentance and attachment to God.

Pride could be the reason for this abandonment, or it could be one’s superiority over those who have fallen. Grace would then leave him for a little while so he would fall, realise his weakness and stop his arrogance. He would also feel the heaviness of war against those who fall and have sympathy on them instead of judging them with secrecy or in the open.
Grace might forsake one for a while to experience spiritual combats and realise its depth and the faithfuls need for the divine support, as one would never win by relying on a human hand without grace.

Grace might also forsake a person to get him accustomed to
cautiousness and scrutiny, patience and victory of the Lord.

During all that, the Lord says to the human soul, “For a mere
moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will
gather you.” (Is. 54:7)

—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, WORDS OF SPIRITUAL BENEFIT VOL. IV