From this it follows that leaving the world is nothing other than cleaning up your entire external life, removing from it everything passionate and replacing it with something pure, which will not disrupt the spiritual life, but rather aid it. Be it in family, personal or social life—completely re-order your outward behavior in and outside the home, with friends and associates, as the spirit of your new life requires it. Establish rules and order in every part of the home, at work, with acquaintances, and when, how and with whom you spend your time.
How can this be done? However you can, only do it with counsel and discernment, according to the guidance of your spiritual father, or someone you trust. Some people do this suddenly, and it seems better, while others do it by degrees. Only, from the first minute you should come to hate with all your heart everything worldly and sinful, and estrange yourself from it, not wanting it or delighting in it. Do not be conformed to this world (Romans 12.2). After inwardly abandoning the world, visible departure may follow either suddenly or gradually. A man who is weak in spirit will not bear a long drawn-out abandonment—he will not stand firm, will weaken and fall. Such ones are especially overcome by passions of the flesh, which are like second nature to him. Therefore such people should always leave it all suddenly, going far away from that place where they wallowed in sin. A man strong in the spirit of zeal will bear it even by degrees. But for the former as well as the latter, it is absolutely necessary from the first moment of conversion to cease all association with the sinful world and everything worldly until the form of new life has been established. This is the same as fencing around a transplanted tree; for though the wind be soft, it could blow the tree over because its roots are still weak.
St. Theophan the Recluse, The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation
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Regarding the universally praised experience in discerning thoughts, that is, which ones to carry out and which ones to turn away, there can be no rule for this. Let everyone learn himself from his own experience, for we never meet a man whose rules always apply to us.
St. Theophan the Recluse,The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation
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Even if a thought does not represent anything bad in and of itself or in its consequences, do not immediately incline towards it, but be patient for a time, so as not to do anything rash. Some have waited five years before carrying out a thought.
St. Theophan the Recluse, The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation
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“Do not seek answers from anyone in regard to yourself, but create the answers for yourself.”
—Barsanuphius, Letter 347b Letters From the Desert | Barsanuphius & John -
Three elders, one of whom had a bad reputation, once visited Abba Achilles. One of the elders said to him: “Abba, make me one net,” but he said: “I will not make [you one].” The other said to him: “Of your charity [make one] so we can have a souvenir of you at the monastery,” but he said: “I haven’t time.” The other, the one with the bad reputation said to him: “Make me a net so I can have [something] from your hands, abba,” and in answer he said without hesitation: “I will make one for you.” The [other] two elders said to him in private: “How is it that when we asked you, you were unwilling to make [a net] for us yet you said to this one: ‘I will make [one] for you?’” The elder said to them: “I said to you: ‘I will not make [one],’ and you were not dismayed, [thinking] I hadn’t the time. But if I do not make one for this [brother], he will say: ‘The elder refused to make [one] because he had heard of my sin,’ and straightaway we cut the connection. But I raised up his soul to prevent somebody like him from drowning in sorrow.”
Give Me a Word: The Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers
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Truth is truth; but if at some point you speak the truth without discernment, this is not truth. For example, it is true that so and so is mentally disturbed. But if you go and tell this truth you do not benefit anyone.
—St. Paisios the Athonite -
Prudent action is often seen by most people as not sensible or unnecessary or too earnest. The prudent exile controls or limits herself, but is generous with others trusting God to care for her needs. She is modest and doesn’t give herself over to the spirit, attitudes and priorities of a group or a party or an event, just because everyone else is doing it. She does what is right and prudent according to the wisdom in her heart the goal of piety, not explaining or defending herself. The exile understands that most others won’t get it. Prudent action that most others don’t recognize is, according to St. John, an essential part of becoming an exile in this world.
+Fr. Michael Gillis, Renunciation for Beginners -
“Men are often called intelligent wrongly. Intelligent men are not those who are erudite in the sayings and books of the wise men of old, but those who have an intelligent soul and can discriminate between good and evil. They avoid what is sinful and harms the soul; and with deep gratitude to God they resolutely adhere by dint of practice to what is good and benefits the soul. These men alone should truly be called intelligent.”
—St. Antony the Great
SO GOOD QUOTES 