On the spirit of Pride
CHAPTER XIII: The teaching of the elders on the method of acquiring purity. WHEREFORE it is now time to produce, in the very words in which they hand it down, the opinion of the Fathers; viz., of those who have not painted the way of perfection and its character in high-sounding words, but rather, possessing it in deed and truth, and in the virtue of their spirit, have passed it on by their own experience and sure example. And so they say that no one can be altogether cleansed from carnal sins, unless he has realized that all his labours and efforts are insufficient for so great and perfect an end; and unless, taught, not by the system handed down to him, but by his feelings and virtues and his own experience, he recognizes that it can only be gained by the mercy and assistance of God. For in order to acquire such splendid and lofty prizes of purity and perfection, however great may be the efforts of fastings and vigils and readings and solitude and retirement applied to it, they will not be sufficient to secure it by the merits of the actual efforts and toil For a man’s own efforts and human exertions will never make up for the lack of the divine gift, unless it is granted by divine compassion in answer to his prayer.
—St. John Cassian, Institutes
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CHAPTER XI
FOR if we recall that thief who was by reason of a single confession admitted into paradise, we shall feel that he did not acquire such bliss by the merits of his life, but obtained it by the gift of a merciful God. Or if we bear in mind those two grievous and heinous sins of King David, blotted out by one word of penitence, we shall see that neither here were the merits of his works sufficient to obtain pardon for so great a sin, but that the grace of God superabounded, as, when the opportunity for true penitence was taken, He removed the whole weight of sins through the full confession of but one word.
Institutes
St. John Cassian -
‘There is no remedy in this tempest but to wait for the mercy of God.’
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It took Teresa 20 years to master this, but for another person she said it might take just a day. That’s up to God.
How to find inner peace like Saint Teresa of Ávila -
If I were to try to find “value” in “mistakes” (again, a goal that I instinctively find suspect), the only one that has ever made sense to me is the fact that you might eventually be able to talk to someone else who thinks they’ve made their life worthless — that their human selfishness or stupidity is unprecedented in the history of the world — and say, well, look, I did that too, and I’m still here.
cruel optimism new year
rayne fisher-quann -
Sometimes showed more love and gave more grace to strangers than to the people closest to me
cruel optimism new year
rayne fisher-quann -
Those who pray, read the Bible, and work and sleep, will be given enlightenment at a moment of God’s grace.
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Those who are carried by grace might not need spiritual
practices.
But the majority of people are stopped by obstacles from
natural dispositions and traditions, as well as obstructions by
external effects. They need an inward struggle within
themselves and a struggle against the wars that come from
the outside.
If one trained himself practically to be on the good path and
followed it, he then has to stabilise himself and not to turn to
his old behaviour. The love of good will then become part of
his nature. That needs time and work of grace.
—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Words of Spiritual Benefit Vol. IV -
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
SO GOOD QUOTES 