He who hears Christ, enlightens himself. And he who imitates him corrects himself. He who loves Jesus practices hard work. The hard work drives away the negligence. The soul is strengthened by the toils of exercise; when it does everything in moderation, it expels the negligence. He who is the master of his belly, withers the desire and his mind is not enslaved to thoughts of fornication. The mind of the restrained is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The mind of the gluttonous is the home of crows. Satiety with a variety of foods evokes desire. Austerity makes sweet even the plain bread. He who secretly congratulates the envious is freed from envy. And frees from envy whoever hides the one who is envious. Stay away from the one who lives carelessly, even if he has a great reputation. Make friends with the toiling man, and you will find protection in him.
Saint Thalassius the Libyan
He who expelled the mother of passions and affluence, is easily freed, with the help of God, from the other passions, anger, sorrow, resentment, etc. But he who is submissive to the first, even if he does not want to, is hurt by the other passions. Pride is excessive love for our body.
Saint Maximus the Confessor
Above all, keep the guarding and nurturing of your mind. To have courage in every sorrow, and every good that you have, to keep it intact and unchanged. And take great care of yourself, do not admit any intrusive pleasure. Because the passions of the soul are soothed by silence; but when they are irritated and scratched, they become fiercer and push those who have them to sin more and become difficult to heal, as is the case with bodily wounds when rubbed and scratched. Even a slow speech can separate the mind from the memory of God, as the demons push us into it and the senses are convinced of them.
Abbas Filimon
