Be ready to receive all sort of offense, disdain, and damnation from everybody, even from those that you do not expect them to. You should consider yourself worthy of all of them and receive everything with joy. Endure any sadness, grief and sorrow that comes from demons as one who has done their will. Endure all shortages, unpleasant situations and the bitterness of life. Have patience, put your faith in God and endure even the lack of daily food that in a few hours becomes garbage. Endure everything with patience and put your faith in God, without waiting for consolation from nobody else.

Any help that comes from people is shadowed by the light and advice of the Lord. Therefore, put your faith in God and in all your trials condemn yourself thinking that you are the source of all evil as the one who ate from the forbidden fruit and gained numerous passions. Thus, receive with contempt all the sorrows that will wake you up from your idleness and allow you to taste the sweetness of God’s grace.

(Translation from: Sfântul Isaac Sirul, cel de Dumnezeu-insuflat, Despre ispite, întristări, dureri şi răbdare, Editura Evanghelismos, Bucureşti, 2007, pp. 47-48)