Preserve the fiery spark, which the Heavenly Spirit has committed to your heart, and may it ignite and burn as a flame, scorching away the chaff of the passions in the field of your heart. And while these weeds are still young, uproot them and do not allow them to grow into debility. Do not be troubled by the passionate make-up of your nature. You are as if blaming the Creator, Who created you this way. But rather struggle ascetically against it, ask God for help. Do not allow your original thought to take control over you with these snares, which by their conjoining enflame lasciviousness in your body. Run to God with humility, call out to Him: “Have mercy on me, for I am weak!” Ask for help from the Mother of God, who is the root of virginity and purity, call for help to Holy Martyr Thomais and St. Moses the Hungarian, to St. John the Long-Suffering, who suffered much for purity. And you will behold God’s help.
God never abandons those who have the good will to preserve themselves in purity and virginity to fall in this struggle; moreover for their struggle He crowns them with heavenly laurels.
But when you do happen to fall through conjoining with and becoming captive to thoughts due to a mental lapse, then without letting it take hold of you, fall down before the Lord with repentance, humility, and contrition of heart. But do not give yourself over to despair, which is worse than the passion itself. Search for the cause, where this came from, and for what you suffered it. And the cause is this: pride, high self-opinion, disparagement and condemnation of others, gluttony, excessive rest, or association with the opposite sex. And strive to avoid all of this to the extent it’s possible, and especially try to humble yourself, for as it says in the Ladder: “Wherever there is a fall, pride went first” (Step 23). Do not be hardened against revealing your thoughts [in confession to your father-confessor or elder], and this will lead to humility as you rebuke yourself before others. Do you remember how you suffered after you hid this?
