Spiritual words

Did You Speak Badly About Someone? Bless that Person!

    • Photo: Bogdan Zamfirescu

      Photo: Bogdan Zamfirescu

Were you envious? Pray for the good of the person whom you envied. Confess every sin, without hiding anything, to your spiritual father or to a faithful, pious and honest abbot; keep God’s commandments and you shall save your soul.

Did you speak badly about someone? Bless that person! You did damage to someone? Pay that person back. Were you adulterous? Cry, lament, cease to sin, supress your flesh, dry your body and pray incessantly. Were you arrogant? Be humble. Were you envious? Pray for the good of the person whom you envied. Confess every sin, without hiding anything, to your spiritual father or to a faithful, pious and honest abbot; keep God’s commandments and you shall save your soul.

The hand of the Lord fashioned you: at least be ashamed of the way in which you were fashioned and don’t fall into beastly passions.

(Patericul Lavrei Sfântului Sava, Editura Egumenița, 2010, p. 156)