Discourse 59

Discourse Fifty-Nine. The true word of our Lord who said: that a person cannot, with the love of the world, acquire the love of God. Nor with the mixture in him can he be mixed with God. Nor can he be concerned for the world and be concerned for God. When, however, a person abandons these things which are for the sake of vain glory, like those who, on account of the need of the body's passions, are drawn by many of them to this: these things which have confessed the service of the kingdom of heaven, and the confession of our Lord who said is not remembered: that if you work for the kingdom of heaven with all your effort, these things of the natural passions which are seen will not diminish a person for you. But signs will come to you from themselves, before you need them for the time of passions, when not even for the sake of their thought does a person let you go so that you may be passionate. Concerning the separation of the poor soul because of your causes so that you may be passionate. Concerning the separation of the poor soul because of your causes it was created in vain for God: and for you who are zealous for righteousness, will you be negligent from you? That which is in vain for spiritual things: even in measure, bodily things are prepared for him, even without care for them, according to their necessity and according to their time. That one, however, who shows care for secondary things beyond what is right, even when he does not wish, falls from God.

when a person is concerned for these things because of the name of the Lord, the Lord is concerned for both of them according to the measure of his concern and the weight of the value of each of them. However, the testing of God does not consist in these external things, seeking itself in place of its labors, but rather on the hope of the future, which has regard for the whole of its service. In the same way that at one time, out of love for the soul, it gives itself to excellence and devotes itself completely to its service, it does not turn back and become anxious about these things of the body for the morrow, whether they will be or not. For how many times does God allow that one be afflicted in such things by the lovers of excellence? And not only that, but also many evils from every quarter he allows to be stirred up against them, and he strikes them as he did Job in their bodies, and brings them to poverty, and strips them of health, and strikes them with all afflictions, only that he does not approach their souls with harm. A person cannot walk the path of truth, and encounters with virtues, nor a body without experiencing diseases and pains, and remaining without change, if he lives in excellence. For a person is tested by his own will in killing or in the injury of his stature, or in one of his harms, which he has.

If, however, while journeying on the path of righteousness and performing discipline toward God, he has many sons of sleep, and on that path one of these encounters him, he ought not to deviate from it, but joyfully accept without resistance, acknowledging that God has sent him his gift. So that the reasons for which he was tested by afflictions might be fulfilled: that he might become a partner in the suffering of the righteous and the apostles and the rest of the saints, who endured torments for the sake of the path of God. So that God might deem him worthy that he also, for the sake of the path of excellence, should endure afflictions, even by means of evil men, whether from demons or from the body. Not only are these things left to come by divine sign, but so that it may be for you a cause of righteousness. For God cannot ultimately cause him to be surpassed, for the one who has desired to be with him, unless he offers him afflictions on the face of truth. And that person, from himself, cannot do what he is unable to do: that he might be worthy of this greatness, that for the sake of these divine things he might enter into affliction while rejoicing, without the gift from Christ, the blessed witness, the apostle.

Thus it is a great thing, this: that he openly calls a gift that which is placed upon the face of hope in God, to be delighted by suffering through faith, when he says: "And this is not from God, that it was given to you, that not only do you believe in the Son, but that also upon his face you suffer. And you are constantly confessing to the one who delivered you from the dominion of the darkness of the world, and brought you near to the kingdom of his Son, and made you partners with all the sons of light who suffered for the sake of God, so that you might attain to the rank which the saints attained in the light." And this which Peter wrote in his epistle: "When you suffer upon the face of righteousness, blessed are you, for you are partners of the suffering of Christ." He does not know when you will be blessed in joy, when you rejoice; but when adversities come, you put on mourning for your countenance, and you consider it as something foreign to the path of God. Behold, from ages and generations, through the cross and the death of the head, the path of God. For you, from where is this, that apart from the path, difficulties appear to you? Is it not in the footsteps of the saints that you wish to walk? Or is there a separate path from you, and you wish to travel it, and without suffering you will run upon it?

The way to God is a cross that stands every day. One does not ascend to heaven by a way of ease, as is known. The way of ease leads nowhere. But he who with his whole heart entrusts himself to God, God desires nothing that lacks suffering to be done to him. This is the suffering that is upon the face of truth. But from this he knows that he is guided by God: that afflictions are sent upon him in a timely manner. Those, however, who are guided by their passions are never left by divine idleness to fall into the hands of demons, especially if they wash the feet of the brethren, cover their shortcomings, and conceal them as if they were their own. But he who desires that nothing be done to him without suffering in this world, and that he be guided by superfluity—this one has not found the way. As the blessed interpreter said in the commentary on Matthew: "Those who have not lusted after superfluity cannot be freed from afflictions." But the more the soul is guided contrary to the principles of nature, the more its afflictions increase. When, however, these depart from it, first it departs from itself. But he who says that he is without suffering and is guided by superfluity—this one does not even know from what water the superfluity is born in the soul. For the guides of superfluity are water and fire.

Through afflictions the gate of heaven is opened before the soul. Our fathers: by this path of righteousness. God, however, who strengthens his saints through toil, and their thoughts did not waver from the hope of the future. He guards and helps them through their prayers. Amen. The righteous, moreover, are not only strengthened by their own will through noble labors, but also through afflictions that are not by their will, they are greatly strengthened, by the endurance of their patience. In that they endure firmly, all the storms of error, while they gain the wondrous reward of the world to come. The soul that is held by the fear of God is not afraid of anything that might humiliate it physically.