О преспеянии в добродетели

All movements, all members of Christians require improvement in virtue; This is their feat and this is all their diligence, so as not to lack anything. Like a plow, if it goes indirectly, the work turns out wrong, so a Christian needs everything in order to strive in doing good in every case. If someone needs to walk thirty thousand steps to reach a city, and he becomes exhausted and careless, he will remain outside the city. Likewise, one who lacks the virtues of righteousness is condemned as careless. Therefore, we must take care of all prosperity, so that the Holy Spirit, resting on good fruits, will join us to the Kingdom of Heaven. He is truly chaste who not only keeps his whole body from fornication, but also every member of his body; when, for example, the eye and tongue observe chastity (each in its own activity), and in the inner man spiritual thoughts do not enter into combination with vicious thoughts. There are so many different types of poisonous animals (for example, asp, scorpion, dragon), but they have one poison that is deadly to those they approach; so there is a great difference between people in wickedness, which determines the activity characteristic of each; at the same time, into the soul that enters into communication and combination with sinful suggestions, for example, vanity, anger, wickedness, deceit, brotherly hatred, love of money, fornication pour in. But a person equally perishes from the poison of gluttony or fornication. Just as an intact eye sees everything purely, truly correctly identifying everything visible, and a healthy stomach can accept all food with pleasure, so a pure soul sees everything blamelessly and purely, but an indignant soul, encountering stumbling blocks in everything and having an eye covered with the darkness of sin, cannot see good as good. Her prayer, fasting and almsgiving are an abomination before God. You might be interested in: