"Prayer, fasting, vigil and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in themselves, do not constitute the aim of our Christian life, although they serve as the indispensable means of reaching this end. The true aim of our Christian life consists in the [increasing] acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done for Christ's sake, they are only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God." - St. Seraphim of Sarov
Cassian's Corner
26 March 2012
Father Seraphim Rose on Orthodox Living
"Prayer, fasting, vigil and all other Christian practices, however good they may be in themselves, do not constitute the aim of our Christian life, although they serve as the indispensable means of reaching this end. The true aim of our Christian life consists in the [increasing] acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God. As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done for Christ's sake, they are only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God." - St. Seraphim of Sarov
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You know, I strongly suspect the famous quote from St Seraphim above was adapted from or inspired by St John Cassian?
ReplyDelete“It behooves us, then, to carry out the things that are secondary—namely, fasts, vigils, the solitary life, and meditation on Scripture—for the sake of the principle scopos, which is purity of heart or love (c.f. 1 Cor. 3:13), rather than for their sake to neglect this principle virtue which, as long as it remains integral and intact, will prevent anything bad from happening to us whenever one of the things that are secondary has to be omitted out of necessity.... Thus fasts, vigils, meditating on Scriptures and the being stripped and deprived of every possession are not perfection, but they are the tools of perfection. For the end of that discipline does not consist in these things; rather it is by them that one arrives at the end…. Whatever may disturb the purity and tranquility of our mind, then, however useful and necessary it may appear, must be avoided as harmful.” Abba Moses (1.7.2-4)
Delete“Without (love) not only the most excellent kinds of charism but even the glory of martyrdom itself comes to naught” - Abba Chaeremon (11.12.8)
Exactly!
ReplyDelete