Пятница

(Rom.5:17–6,2; Matt.9:14–17) They asked the Lord: why don’t His disciples fast? He answered: because the time has not yet come for them. Then, in a parable speech, he showed that, in general, the severity of external asceticism should correspond to the renewal of the internal forces of the spirit. First, kindle the spirit of jealousy, and then impose severity on yourself, for in this case there is a new inner strength in you that can withstand them with benefit. If, without this zeal, you take up rigor, being carried away either only by the example of others, or by the show of asceticism, then it will not be beneficial. You will hold on to this strictness for a little longer, and then you will weaken and give up. And you will be even worse than before. Severity without inner spirit is the same as a patch of raw linen on old clothes, or new wine in old wineskins. The patch falls off, and the hole becomes even larger, and the wine breaks through the skin, and itself disappears and makes the skin worthless. This, however, does not mean that strictness is not suitable, but only that it is instilled that it is necessary to start them in order. It is necessary to make sure that their needs come from within, so that they satisfy the heart, and do not only oppress from the outside, like oppression. You might be interested in: