St. Theodoros The Great Ascetic - 98 - 100

98. 'Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning', says the Lord (Luke 12:35). A good girdle for our loins - one which enables us to be nimble and unhampered - is self-control combined with humility of heart. By self- control I mean abstinence from all the passions. Our spiritual lamp is lit by pure prayer and perfect love. Those who have prepared themselves in this way are indeed like men who wait expectantly for their Lord. When He comes and knocks, they open at once; and when He has entered - together with the Father and the Holy Spirit - He will take up His abode with them (cf. John 14:23). Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He comes will find acting in this manner (cf. Luke, 12:37).

99. A monk, as a son, must love God with all his heart and all his mind (cf. Deut. 6:5, Mark 12:30), and, as a servant, he must reverence and obey Him, and fulfill His commandments with 'fear and trembling' (Phil. 2: 12). He must be 'fervent in spirit' (Rom. 12: 11), and wear 'the whole armor' of the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 6:11). He must strive for the enjoyment of eternal life and do all that is prescribed. He must be in a state of inner wakefulness, guard his heart from evil thoughts, and through good thoughts must continually practice divine meditation. He must examine himself daily concerning his evil thoughts and acts, and must correct any defects. He must not become proud because of his achievements, but must call himself a 'useless servant' (Luke 17:10), altogether in arrears over fulfilling his duties. He must give thanks to God and ascribe to Him the grace of his achievements, and do nothing at all from self-esteem or love of popularity, but do everything in secret and seek praise only from God (cf. Rom. 2:29). Above all and in all things he must completely fortify his soul with the Orthodox faith, according to the dogmas of the Holy Catholic Church as taught by the divine message-bearers, the apostles, and by the holy fathers. Great is the reward for those who live in such a manner. They receive everlasting life and an indestructible abode with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the coessential Divinity in three Persons.

100. 'Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole man' (Eccles. 12:13. LXX). Here the Preacher says to us: I show you in summary form the best way to salvation; fear God and keep His commandments. By fear he means not the initial fear of punishments, but the perfect and perfecting fear, which we ought to have out of love for Him who has given the commandments. For if we refrain from sin merely out of fear of punishment, it is quite clear that, unless punishment had awaited us, we should have done things deserving punishment, since our propensity is for sinning. But if we abstain from evil actions not through threat of punishment, but because we hate such actions, then it is from love of the Master that we practice the virtues, fearful lest we should fall away from Him. For when we fear that we may neglect something that has been enjoined, the fear is clean (cf. Ps. 19:9A arising for the sake of the good itself. This fear purifies our souls, being equal in power to perfect love. He who has this fear and keeps the commandments is the 'whole man', in other words, the perfect and complete man.

Knowing these things, let us fear God and keep His commandments, so that we may be perfect and entire in the virtues. And having a humbled spirit and a contrite heart, let us repeat unceasingly to the Lord the prayer of the great and divine Arsenios: 'My God, do not abandon me. I have done nothing good before Thee, but grant me, in Thy compassion, the power to make a start.' For the whole of our salvation lies in God's mercy and compassion. To Him be glory, might and worship: to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and through all the ages. Amen.