The spiritual battle the saints spoke and wrote about isn’t a metaphor, but a term that reminds us that every war and crime, personal or political, begins in thought, in an inner seed. We’re at war every minute of our lives. Where there are two people, there is the temptation for war. Cain and Abel were blood brothers, but a war broke out between them, and Cain killed Abel.
Cain and Abel. Pietro Novelli Every passion that takes root in our hearts is a harbinger of war. Every passion is an angel of death. The seven deadly passions are called this not only because they kill our soul, but also because as soon as there’s a cause, they rush at our neighbor and kill him.
The guarding of the senses, the guarding of the mind, and of judgment expressed aloud, should keep us from this all-encompassing war. Everything we hear is said so that we might believe this, but only the word of God is truth. Let each man judge how much of everything he has heard is spoken from God and about Him, and how much is from people inflamed by anger and discontent. In this way, we’ll come to see just how exposed we’ve been to this battle.
It’s not enough to flee from evil and strife: We must seek the inner peace that the Prophet David refers to as a living guide, which we believe is a Person—the Holy Spirit: Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it (Ps. 33:14).
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Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate, says the Apostle Paul (Rom. 12:16). Those who justify their deeds with lofty words engage in high-minded pride, for they compare themselves to great men, going so far as to justify their own malice with Scripture. Murderers always say they killed for the sake of justice, that they were putting an end to evil—though the evil was in themselves. That’s why the Apostle continues: Recompense to no man evil for evil (Rom. 12:17).
Arrogance leads to murder, as it comes from the originator of proud exaltation, the devil, the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning (cf. Jn. 8:44). Those who consider themselves wise and think highly of themselves can go so far as to kill in the belief that they’re doing something good: Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service (Jn. 16:2).
That’s why we have to drive out any thoughts of revenge that come to us under the guise of justice, regardless of whom they’re directed against, because they conceal the diabolical desire to kill, which drives away the grace of God.
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Why did Christ tell Peter that he would deny Him thrice before the cock crowed? Why didn’t He say, “before sunrise” or “before daybreak?” Why did he have to associate the rooster with betrayal? Because dawn and the start of a new day are ordinary things that pass by unnoticed, while the rooster’s crow never goes unnoticed.
In the story of Peter’s betrayal, it’s not only the betrayal that’s shocking, but also that Peter didn’t even realize his sin. Not the first time, nor the second time, nor the third time. It was only when the cock crowed that Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him that he would renounce Him before the cock crowed (Mt. 26:75).
Only then did his conscience awaken in him, and leaving those who had seen him renounce Christ, he wept bitterly.
Renouncing Christ produces, first of all, a petrified heart that’s no longer capable of seeing its own fall. So Christ tied the betrayal to the piercing crow of the rooster in order to wake Peter, who otherwise would’ve remained for a long time in the spiritual stupor brought on by his denial. And this reveals to us the great love of the One betrayed, who wouldn’t tolerate separation from Peter—just as, indeed, He doesn’t tolerate separation from any of us who dwell in that same petrified state.
The only real benefit of mass technology would be if the masses became better and smarter. But we see the opposite: Technology is mind-numbing. The question is: does technology make us stupid because it was made by stupid people? If so, then we wouldn’t have developed at all, but would’ve been trapped in stupidity. If it was created by smart people, then we’re dealing with devilish minds who have invented the perfect mind to destroy mankind, because nothing is more dangerous to man than stupidity.
The idea of human evolution through the achievements of great scientific minds has collapsed.
People can grow inwardly only by beholding the model of perfection and goodness that is Christ, and they can be maintained on a high level only by common work, which is possible only in the Church.
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The greatest gift of Christ is that by His own death He leads our love to places we can’t reach, comforts those we can’t be with, and makes everything that’s impossible for men possible.
May the hearts of all be filled with love, and may we become perceptible through Christ in the hearts of those whom we love. Let us forgive one another for the sake of the Resurrection and thank Christ for all things.
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And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? (Lk. 24:36–38).
Christ Himself appears among the disciples and grants them peace with His most pure lips, but they remain confused. Because true peace is a connection with the power of faith, which the disciples were deprived of in the days of the Crucifixion. The fruits of the Spirit can’t abide in us while we’re divided, but only while we’re united. They couldn’t accept peace into their hearts, troubled as they were by doubt and fear.
No one can have the peace of Christ without living faith, which opens the heart to receive a blessing. From this we understand that confusion, unbelief, cowardice, and despair, today called “depression,” can only be healed by personal force of will, which even Christ Himself doesn’t influence, so as not to violate our freedom of choice. Only after the correction of the mind, brought on by effort within the heart, can faith and hope in the promises of Christ be restored—a hope born of love. The soul can receive peace: Christ pours it out continually upon all, if only we’re ready to receive it.
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There’s no weakness that’s easier to fall into than a loss of spirit. For as long as we can remember, we’ve always needed encouragement. From our earliest steps, our first fear of chickens, of wind and rain. Is there any creature more fearful than man? We’re just so delicate…
We are rightfully discouraged, because we can’t do anything on our own. Moreover, we’re the only creature that knows that it will die. So how can we be proud after that? Only in Christ do we have boldness, and only in His name and from Him can we inspire it in others.
Knowing that we fall into despondency so easily, let’s not reveal our fears and low spirits to others. And this is out of love for them, sparing their souls, so they don’t take on our weakness.
That’s why the Church has the Sacrament of Confession, where we reveal our infirmities, fears, and discouragements, but we don’t do it in front of people who are just as weak as we are, because besides troubling them, we ourselves would receive no relief or help of any kind, but only multiply our weakness.
Let us show benevolence to others—it’s the Christian way. And to those who care for their neighbor’s weaknesses and don’t lay their own sorrows upon his shoulders, God comes to help, and as a reward turns their sorrow away from them, transforming it into joy.
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What draws people to us? What makes them want to become our friends? Beauty, fame, a good name, wealth, and, to some extent, knowledge. All this has its benefits. No one sits next to someone who’s turned ugly from sickness or old age or has lost their honor and power and has become impoverished. But it’s only here that true love—the love with which God loves us—begins. God loves us more when no one needs us anymore, because only then do we learn to appreciate love.
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The devil uses justice as long as he can incite war and division. But when the thirst for justice doesn’t bring enmity, but order, then the devil raises up slanderers. Therefore, Christ blesses those who thirst for righteousness only if they’re peacemakers. However, all bloody coups that led to tyranny were carried out by fomenting a thirst for justice—but this is human justice, devoid of peace.
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It took the invention of artificial thinking to demonstrate that Descartes was wrong when he said: “I think, therefore I am.” With the invention of thinking machines, thought can no longer be considered an ontological property of the person. The living sign of existence isn’t thought, but prayer. No one will ever invent a machine that can pray.
A man deprived of grace goes so far as to use law and the words of God to commit evil. In the mind and mouth of a man deprived of grace, even the commandments of the Lord are distorted. Therefore, he judges and oppresses, thinking he’s doing a holy deed. This zeal has unwisely made some into murderers without any remorse, as the Evangelist John foretold: They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service (Jn. 16:2).
That’s why both the severity and forbearance that we show others bear fruit in spiritual work only if we do so according to the movement of the grace of God. Otherwise, neither the observance of the canons nor quotations from the saints will bear saving fruit if they come from the human spirit.
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Of all the things we have to endure on earth (and patience is the saving path that Christ exhorts us to follow in Mt. 10:22), the most difficult is to tolerate the lack of love in others.
When another person has no love, any good deed, any act of charity, any compassion turns into the opposite.
Christ healed the sick, cast out demons, restored sight to the blind, resurrected the dead, and instead of gratitude, He received accusations of working on the Sabbath, that He had a demon, that He blasphemed. In response to love, Christ was put to death.
The absence of love is nothing but envy, and envy is wounded by any good that someone does, even when this good deed is done to the envious man himself.
That’s why it’s only through our own love that we can partake of the love of Christ. Otherwise, for someone who’s devoid of love, Paradise itself would be a cause of suffering.
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We can’t save the planet, because we can’t even save ourselves. We can’t save anything. Not even one tree. Not even a flower. Everything in this universe passes away and disintegrates. Even if people stopped eating cows, pigs, or chickens, the planet wouldn’t be saved. Because even cows, pigs, and chickens will die of disease and old age.
In natural conditions, animals die in terrible agony, torn apart by some predator or birds. Or they suffocate for days and weeks while their bodies rot. If animals started dying from old age, then the stench and infections that would emanate from them would destroy mankind.
Yes, this world as we know it will collapse. Mankind will fall so much that there will be no point in perpetuating it in this world. People will become so dim-witted that all their actions will lead to the destruction of everyone and everything. And the cause of this degeneration into an animalistic and even demonic state will be nothing other than the loss of faith in God, as Christ Himself said: When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? (Lk. 18:8).
The only thing we, as people, can save is our own soul. Not the planet, not a tree, not endangered animals.
If our souls are directed to Heaven, then nothing earthly can blind us: We won’t need to cut down millions of acres of forest; we won’t torment millions of animals, keeping them in darkness and filth to extract better profits; we won’t poison the waters since we won’t be transporting oil and poisons across them. We won’t need bombs and missiles to destroy millions of innocent people; we won’t need anything that pushes the world towards self-destruction.
But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Mt. 6:33)!
To be continued…
