Other Chapters by the Same Author

Other chapters by the same author

1 Everyone who has been baptized into Christ must reach the full measure of the stature of Christ, for they have received the power for this and, by fulfilling the commandments, can acquire fullness and practice in it. Conception is the betrothal to the Spirit, birth is a joyful action, baptism is the purifying power of spiritual fire, and transfiguration is the contemplation of divine light, crucifixion is the mortification of all, burial is the keeping of divine zeal in the heart, resurrection is the life-giving raising of the soul, ascension is the rapture of the intellect and its elevation to God. He who has not found this and has not felt it is still an infant in both body and spirit, even if he were gray-haired and everyone considered him active.

2 The passions of Christ give life-giving mortification to those who endure everything, for by them we suffer with Him and will be glorified with Him. The acceptance of pleasures gives death-bearing mortification to those in whom they act. Only voluntary endurance of Christ’s passions crucifies crucifixion and mortifies mortification.

3 To suffer in Christ means to endure everything that happens to us. Envy is for the benefit of the innocent, rebuke to the guilty is for conversion, and the Lord’s teaching opens our ears; therefore the Lord promised a crown to the patient forever and ever. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee! Holy Trinity, glory to Thee for everything! On passionate change

4 Listlessness is a passion not easily overcome: it weakens the body, and when the body weakens, the soul also weakens; and when they are weakened, then voluptuousness acts in the body; voluptuousness causes desire; desire causes burning; burning causes insurrection; insurrection prompts memory; memory prompts imagination; imagination prompts provocation; provocation prompts coupling; coupling prompts assent, and assent causes action either by the body or by various available means. Thus a person falls defeated. On good intention

5 In every work patience breeds courage; courage, vigilance; vigilance, self-mastery; self-mastery, effort; effort in work, that is, its growth, quells bodily incontinence and pacifies voluptuous desires. Desire causes wishing; wishing, love; love, zeal; zeal, warmth; warmth, excitement; excitement, vigilance; vigilance, prayer; prayer, stillness; stillness produces contemplation of the mind; the mind begins to grasp mysteries; the end of mysteries is theology; the fruit of theology is perfect love; the fruit of love is humility; the fruit of humility is dispassion; of dispassion, insight, and prophecy, and foreknowledge. No one has perfect virtue, and no one diminishes sin in themselves, but as virtue gradually increases, sin gradually declines.