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(1 Cor. 10, 12–22; Matt. 16, 20–24) When the Holy Apostles confessed the Savior as the Son of God, He said: “must... suffer... and be killed” (Matthew 16:21). The matter was ripe; all that remained was to complete it by death on the cross. The same thing happens in the course of a Christian’s moral progress. While he is struggling with passions, the enemy still hopes to tempt him somehow, but when the passions subside and the enemy no longer has the strength to arouse them, then he raises external temptations, all kinds of vain lies and, moreover, the most sensitive ones. He aims to raise the thought: “Well, what did you work and fight for? This won’t do you any good.” But when he prepares in this way for a war from outside, the Lord sends down the spirit of patience to His worker and, before the enemy has time to raise any trouble, prepares in his heart an inspired readiness for all kinds of suffering and hostility, and the enemy’s machinations fail. Just as the Lord said about Himself: “you must suffer,” so they also experience some thirst for sorrows. And when they come, they greet them with joy and drink them, like a thirsty person drinks cool water. You might be interested in: