Monthly Archives: January 2021

Jan222021

Eastern Orthodox axiom

St. John of Damascus writes:

“St Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, recounts in his ‘Spiritual Garden’ that Abbot Theodore Aeliotes told of a holy hermit on the Mount of Olives, who was much troubled by the demon of fornication.

One day when he was sorely tempted, the old man began to complain bitterly, “when will you let me alone? be gone from me! you and I have grown old together.”

He said this to the devil. The devil then appeared to him, saying, “Swear to me that you will keep what I am about to tell you to yourself, and I will not trouble you any longer.”

And the old man swore it. Then the devil said to him, “Do not venerate this Icon, and I will cease to harass you.”

The Icon in question represented Our Lady, the holy Theotokos, bearing in her arms our Lord Jesus Christ.

You see what those who forbid the veneration of Icons hate in reality, and whose instruments they are. The demon of fornication strove to prevent the veneration of Our Lady’s Icon rather than to tempt.

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Jan202021

Extraordinary orneriness

“Ah, ha!” she went on, looking at him over her spectacles, “do you suppose that by moving your soul from place to place you can change it? Your trouble is neither in the air nor outside you, but within you. On my word, to hear you talk, one might fancy that by travelling from one spot to another every discord could be avoided, that a man could escape from himself! Nothing can be more false. Ask the Father—”

And when Durtal, smiling awkwardly, was gone, Madame Bavoil questioned her master.

“What is really the matter with him?”

“He is being broken by the ordeal of dryness,” replied the priest. “He is enduring a painful but not dangerous operation. So long as he preserves a love of prayer, and neglects none of his religious exercises, all will be well. That is the touchstone which enables us to discern whether such an attack is sent from Heaven.”

“But, Father, he must at any rate be comforted.”

“I can do nothing but pray for him.”

“Another question: our friend is possessed by the notion of a monastic life; perhaps you ought to send him to a convent.”

The Abbé gave an evasive shrug.

“Dryness of spirit and the dreams to which it gives rise are not the sign of a vocation,” said he. “I might even say that they have a greater chance of thriving than of diminishing in the cloister. From that point of view conventual life might be bad for him. Still, that is not the only question to be considered—there is something else—and besides, who knows?” He was silent, and presently added: “Much may be possible. Give me my hat, Madame Bavoil. I will go and talk over Durtal with the Abbé Plomb.”

JK Huysmans ‘The Cathedral’

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Jan172021

Penetrating deeper

…All this arises from secret self-esteem and pride, and they can never quite realize that they are steeped in pride up to their very eyes. For they think that a certain degree of recognition of their own wretchedness suffices, and, although they have this, they are full of secret self-esteem and self-satisfaction, taking more delight in their own spirituality and spiritual gifts than in those of others. They are like the Pharisee who gave thanks to God that he was not as other men, and that he practised such and such virtues, whereat he was satisfied with himself and presumed thereon. Such men, although they may not use the Pharisee’s actual words, habitually resemble him in spirit. And some of them even become so proud that they are worse than the devil. For, observing in themselves, as they imagine, certain apprehensions and feelings concerning God which are devout and sweet, they become self-satisfied to such an extent that they believe themselves to be very near God; and those that are not like themselves they consider very low and despise them after the manner of the Pharisee.

In order to flee from this pestilent evil, abhorrent in the eyes of God, they must consider two things. First, that virtue consists not in apprehensions and feelings concerning God, howsoever sublime they be, nor in anything of this kind that a man can feel within himself; but, on the contrary, in that which has nothing to do with feeling — namely, a great humility and contempt of oneself and of all that pertains to oneself, firmly rooted in the soul and keenly felt by it; and likewise in being glad that others feel in this very way concerning oneself and in not wishing to be of any account in the esteem of others.

Secondly, it must be noted that all visions, revelations and feelings coming from Heaven, and any thoughts that may proceed from these, are of less worth than the least act of humility. And humility is one of the effects of charity, which esteems not its own things nor strives to attain them; nor thinks evil, save of itself; nor thinks any good thing of itself, but only of others. It is well, therefore, that these supernatural apprehensions should not attract men’s eyes, but that they should strive to forget them in order that they may be free.

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Jan162021

The penetrating insight of God

The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Hebrews chapter 4

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Jan152021

Right here, right now

Another no less remarkable example is that of St. Augustine, who, in his Confessions, tells us that when he began to think seriously of leaving the world a thousand difficulties presented themselves to his mind. On one side appeared the past pleasures of his life, saying, “Will you part from us forever? Shall we no longer be your companions?” On the other, he beheld virtue with a radiant countenance, accompanied by a multitude of persons of every state in life who had led pure lives, and a voice said to him, “Can you not do what so many others have done? Was their strength in themselves? Was it not God who enabled them to do what they did? While you continue to rely upon yourself you must necessarily fall. Cast yourself without fear upon God; He will not abandon you.” In the midst of this struggle the saint tells us that he began to weep bitterly, and, throwing himself upon the ground, he cried from the depthof his heart, “How long, Lord, how long wilt Thou be angry? Remember not my past iniquities. How long shall I continue to repeat, ‘tomorrow, tomorrow’? Why not now? Why should not this very hour witness the end of my disorders?”. (Confess., L. 8, c. 11).

‘The Sinner’s Guide’ by St Louis of Granada

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