THE CONSTANT SPIRITUAL BATTLE WITH THE PASSIONS

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE CONSTANT SPIRITUAL BATTLE
WITH THE PASSIONS.

What are the passions? There are seven major sinful passions and they are, gluttony, lust, avarice, anger, dejection, listlessness and pride. These passions are only strengthened when we attempt to body the letter of the law. Without Chrst’s healing and power, they only get worse, resulting in the second death. Passions, which are uncontrolled desires, lead to sin. These desires that come from bodily needs can make the soul subordinate to the flesh. They can be caused by forgetting God and only thinking about one’s own carnal needs.

Saint Porphyrios advises turning to Christ instead of looking at sin. He says, "You won’t become saints by hounding after evil. Ignore evil. Look towards Christ and He will save you." Frequent prayer, especially the Jesus Prayer, will help create new patterns that are beneficial to the soul. Alone, and with the proper spiritual guidance, such as a spiritual father, sinful passions are extremely difficult to overcome. Saint Paul writes, "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do." [Romans 7:14-15]. Our Holy Orthodox Church teaches that sin is not a normal part of human life. Every sin and wickedness is a "parasite" on what is primarily good and perfect. Our Holy Fathers who also fought the passions become our good example. Saint John Cassian says, "Like skilful doctors who not only treat existing diseases, but also know how to prevent future ones and to take precautions with wise advice and medicine, in the same way these true doctors of the soul treat the emerging diseases of the heart in advance with their spiritual teaching like a heavenly antidote, and do not allow them to grow in the minds of the young ones, instructing them both in the causes of their present temptations and the means to cure them."

Saint Basil the Great explains clearly what a virtue is and what a passion is. He writes that virtue is the proper use of the faculties and gifts of God created inside us, using these gifts to turn toward God and make ourselves into His likeness. A passion is the opposite, it is the improper use of our faculties, turning them toward something that is temporal, created rather than toward the Creator. A person who is spiritually weak and spiritually immature is in danger of surrendering much easier and quicker to the desire and sin. We are taught by our Holy Church to always remain alert and vigilant and possess discernment. Temptations are a wicked provocation. Let us not forget that the evil one is our greatest enemy and wants to separate us from our Creator. No one should underestimate the cunning of the evil one and his determination to lead us to sin (Gk "αμαρτία). The Greek word for sin is "hamartia" and literally translates to "missing the mark." In its broader concept of human is the propensity to sin. Theologically the term "harmatria" is often used to represent the idea of falling short of God’s perfect will.

The evil one (devil) and his angels (demons) explore us individually, looking for our weaknesses. He will use the passions and desires and our senses to ensnare and tempt us to sin, i.e., appealing visions to our eyes, music to our ears, arouses our tongues to speak evil. our hands to hurt our fellow man. The passions and temptations begin with wicked thoughts (logismoi) therefore we must be alert for his many-faceted attacks ready to resist him at every turn. We must also consider that anger, hatred, and malice against others can be translated into a passion. If we have enemies we ought to attempt to forgive them and reconcile with them and banish every remembrance of injury committed by them. This recalls the commandment of Christ, "If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother (or sister) has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" [Matthew 5:23-24]. Delaying reconciliation gives room for the working of more evil.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spiritually use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" [Matthew 5:43-46]. The Christian’s guide is Christ and it is He Who will bring us to participate in the very life of God, which is AGAPE (LOVE).

We are now at the threshold of the Holy Nativity of Christ Jesus the Savior. The journey was long and challenging for most but by the grace of God we are almost there. During the 40 day spiritual journey of prayer, fasting, worship, and metanoia (repentance) each of us was touched by the Holy Spirit and the eyes of understanding of what Christmas truly is, were opened. We can truly say as the three kings, "we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him" [Matthew 2:2]. And hopefully just like the shepherds after they saw Him and worshipped Him, they, "returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen" [Luke 2:20]. We, too, like the shepherds, should share with others the message of salvation.

A BLESSED CHRISTMAS FILLED WITH GOD’S LOVE AND PEACE
TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!

______
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George