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He who observes himself in the mirror is both the spectator and the seen; So is grace: if it finds rest in a person and dwells in him, then it glorifies him, and itself is glorified by him. And without the help of grace, the heart cannot have sufficient strength and be filled with tenderness to properly confess to the Master; on the contrary, a person is poor and lacking in perfection, and vile and unclean thoughts take up residence in him, like a crow at night on the ruins of a house (Ps. 102:7). Therefore, it is a person’s duty to call upon grace so that when it comes, it enlightens him; it is the duty of a person, having purified himself, to strive for grace to dwell in him and help him; with grace, he will advance in every virtue and, enlightened by it, will be able to comprehend the diversity and splendor of the future age. Grace becomes a wall and fortification for him and protects him from this age for the life of the age to come. The lips and heart of Your servant are open, fill them with Your grace, so that at all times I may bless You, Christ, my Savior. Sprinkle my heart, O Good Lover of Mankind, with the dew of Your grace. Just as the sown earth cannot bring up its plants without the visitation of Your grace, so my heart, without Your grace, is not able to utter what is pleasing to You and bear the fruit of righteousness. Behold, the rain nourishes the plants, and the trees are crowned with various flowers, so may the dew of Your grace enlighten my mind and decorate it with the flowers of tenderness, humility, love and patience. We are always absent-minded and weak, envious and crafty, we often think badly of each other, entertain evil thoughts and are always, as if in a terrible mud, immersed in thoughts. And when grace comes to visit us, it encounters the stench of unclean thoughts in our hearts and immediately retreats, not finding an entrance for itself to move in and dwell in us as it pleases; and unless it makes an impression on the heart with its luminous sweetness, so that a person feels that grace visited him, but did not find an entrance, so that, thus enjoying the illumination of grace, he seeks it. However, grace itself cannot completely retreat from us, because by its own mercy it is prompted to show mercy to everyone. The manifestation of grace brings delight, silence and contrition. Waves of grace and illumination of the Holy Spirit become pleasant to the heart, and the soul suddenly forgets everything earthly, carnal harmful passions. And finally, these waves of grace warm the mind and soul. They are likened in the soul to a royal garden, which is full of fruitful trees and beautiful fruits, having different tastes, fragrances, pleasantness, delight to the eyes, attractiveness to the mouth and smell. These are the waves of grace: they enlighten, delight, and amuse. Blessed are the deeds of the soul that has within itself waves of grace. She is enlightened, delighted, happy, filled with contemplation and fragrance. I will also say: blessed is the soul that has all these gifts within itself. Such a soul does not look at anything on earth, but is given into captivity to God, because the sweetness and pleasantness of the bridal chamber does not allow it to spin in the world. He [the Lord] is a treasure of mercy, requiring from us at least a little zeal, and soon gifts and enriches those who seek Him with complete contrition. This treasure is like a full-flowing spring that gushes out in abundance and supplies water to everyone who wants to draw without depletion. It is fitting for someone standing near such a source to say that it is like the bounties of God. For just as the source does not prevent anyone who wants to draw from it, so the treasure of grace does not prevent any person from becoming a partaker of it. Therefore, if there is a desire to accept grace, then even if someone wishes to take a small share of the treasure, those who seek will find a whole treasure of grace. Blessed is he whose mind, by grace, has become like a cloud full of rain; (such a one will convert) the souls of mortals to the return of the fruits of life, and grace will be his eternal praise. Grace never rejects any person who wants to be saved. Just as a spring, constantly exuding pure streams and abundant streams, never prevents anyone who wants to enjoy the gift of pure, abundant waters, so divine grace is open to everyone, so that everyone can enjoy as much as they want. For when the Savior in the Gospels calls everyone with His Divine voice, without in the least distinguishing between the poor and the rich, He says: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink (John 7:37). When you try to learn virtue, then imagine the poverty of your mind. Learn from the saints and ask for God's grace to complete the task. Imagine your sinfulness and call on God for help. Understand your nature and do not shy away from God's grace. Try to have God's grace illuminating your mind, so as not to be ridiculed; serve her as your guardian, so that, insulted by you, she does not leave you; honor her as a teacher in the invisible, so that (in her absence) you do not stumble, as in darkness; without her, do not dare to begin the feat, so as not to die shamefully; without it, do not take the path of virtue, because the serpent is plotting against you; with it, just begin to take care of your soul, because many deceive their minds with the semblance of good. If she is not with you when you sail by sea, then your labors will be useless. If it does not anoint you when you go against your enemies, then, after working hard, you will cry in shame. If she is not with you, you will recognize the cunning of the serpent. Be ready to obey, because she will show you everything clearly. Be attentive to her covenant and you will soon get rid of your worries. Bring her to you for cohabitation, and she will give you shameless company. Try to have her as your sister, as Scripture said (see Proverbs 7:4), and she will show you the way to your Father and make you a son of the Most High. If you make her your sister, like a mother, she will give you her breasts and, like a baby, will protect you from malicious people, raise you like a carefree child, and form you into a perfect husband. Trust in her tender love, because she is the beginning of all acquisition. You don’t yet see her love, because babies sucking milk don’t know their mother’s care. Be patient, submit yourself to her will, and then you will understand her benefits. And children do not know how they are raised, but, growing up, they come to surprise when they mature, and turn natural dispositions into arbitrary ones. And if you wait, you will know the benefit. The grace of God overcomes the invasions of all invisible forces. Nothing is hidden from it, and therefore whoever has it will not suffer harm. It cannot hide either, because there is light that darkness cannot hide. Those who devote themselves to every good work and to every exercise in virtue must be firmly convinced that by the grace of Christ and God’s power, final deliverance and cleansing from the passions of dishonor aroused in the soul and in the body can be accomplished in us, because what is impossible for us is possible for God who has promised (that for us). How blessed are we sinners, because grace itself rises to help us! If we bring one drop of tears, it will blot out and destroy all the handwriting of our debts. Here she cries out with compassion, with love she cries out: “Bring your manuscripts, and with them your tears, and this is enough so that your debt does not precede you there.”