Tag: evil thoughts
St. Benedict for Beginners – The Fifth Step to Humility
The fifth step of humility is that a man should in humble confession reveal to his Abbot all the evil thoughts that come into his mind, and any wrongful actions that he had done in secret.’ Nothing helps us make a quantum leap forward in the quest for humility than a good and complete confession…. Read More ›
Evil thoughts
A brother came to see Abba Poemen and said to him, “Abba, I have many thoughts and they put me in danger.” The old man led him outside and said to him, “Expand your chest and do not breathe in.” He said, “I cannot do that.” Then the old man said to him, “If you… Read More ›
Patient endurance
Abba Poemon once said (Patient endurance) is like having a chest full of clothes, if one leaves them in disorder they are spoiled in the course of time. It is the same with thoughts. If we do not do anything about them, in time they are spoiled, that is to say, they disintegrate. . …. Read More ›
The Danger of Servitude
The danger of servitude, especially to the electronic media, is not only that it wastes time and incapacitates, but it also serves as a channel through which evil thoughts about which St. Benedict speaks (cogitationes malas, RB: 4:50), enter the mind of the monk or nun (or lay person) and thence pass through to the… Read More ›
No one is good save God
The blessed Antony often used to say, “If the miller does not blindfold the eyes of his animal it will consume the fruits of his labour. In the same way, by the dispensation of God, we put a blanket over our good deeds so as not to pay any attention to them, lest we beatify… Read More ›