59. Let these thoughts dwell with you, sleep with you, arise with you. See that you never forget them but, wherever you are, keep them in mind, so that evil thoughts may depart and you may be filled with divine solace. Unless a soul is strengthened with these thoughts it cannot achieve stillness. For a spring which has no water does not deserve its name.
60. This is the way of life ordained for those who live in still-. ness: fasting to the limit of one's strength, vigils, sleeping on the ground, and every other form of hardship for the sake of future repose. For, says St Paul, 'the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us' (Rom. 8:18). Especially important is pure prayer - prayer which is unceasing and uninterrupted. Such prayer is a safe fortress, a sheltered harbor, a protector of virtues, a destroyer of passions. It brings vigor to the soul, purifies the intellect, gives rest to those who suffer, consoles those who mourn. Prayer is converse with God, contemplation of the invisible, the angelic mode of life, a stimulus towards the divine, the assurance of things longed for, 'making real the things for which we hope' (Heb. 11:1). As an ascetic you must embrace this queen of the virtues with all your strength. Pray day and night. Pray at times of rejection and at times of exhilaration. Pray with fear and trembling, with a watchful and vigilant mind, so that your prayer may be accepted by the Lord. For, as the psalmist says: 'The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer' (Ps. 34:15).
SUNDAY OF THE FATHERS OF THE SIX ECUMENICAL COUNCILS
7TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
The Field 85
The Field 84
The Field 83
The Field 82
The Field 81
The Field 80
The Field 79
The Field 78
The Field 77
The Field 76
The Field 75
The Field 74
The Field 73
The Field 72
The Field 71
The Field 70
The Field 69
The Field 68
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