The goal of our life is to become perfect and saints. The goal of our life is to become the children of God and heirs of the kingdom of heaven.
Let us beware that, for the sake of our present life, we are deprived of the future. Let us beware not to neglect the purpose of our life in order to fulfill our biological needs.
Fasting, vigil and prayer alone do not bring the desired results, because these are not the purpose of our life, but they are the means to achieve the goal.
Light the fire of your virtues. Fight to keep the passions off your soul. Cleanse your heart from every dirt and keep it pure. The Lord may come in and dwell in you, so that the Holy Spirit may overwhelm you with divine gifts.
My dear children, you must care for this all the time. This must be your purpose and desire for your entire life.
That’s why you must pray to God. You must try to find the Lord every day, but in your heart and not out of it.
And when you find Him, stand in fear and terror, as if you were a cherub and a seraph, because your heart has become the throne of God. But to find the Lord, humble yourself as much as you can, for the Lord abominates the proud, whereas he loves and visits the humble in heart.
If you fight the good cause, God will make you stronger. This fight will reveal our weaknesses, shortcomings and defects. It is the mirror of our spiritual state.
Whoever did not fight did not know himself. You have to beware of minor offences.
If you sin by mistake, do not despair, but get up quickly and pray to God, who has the power to raise you.
We have deeply rooted within us weaknesses, passions and defects, many of which are hereditary.
All those defects are not cut at a stroke, neither with anger nor with grief, but with patience and persistence, with care and attention. Pride is concealed in excessive grief.
That is why it is harmful and dangerous, and is often exacerbated by the devil, in order to stop the fighter’s cause.
The road leading to perfection is long. You must pray to God to give you strength. You have to deal patiently with your fall. As quickly as you get up, do not stay where you fell, crying and lamenting inconsolably, like the children.
Be vigilant and pray, so that you will not be tempted. Do not despair if you continue to sin.
Many of them are very strong by their very nature and by habit. Over time, however, they are defeated with care. There is nothing to despair you.
Saint Nectarios of Aegina
