This is the root of all virtues, God has created us from nothing and now, since we are what we are now thanks to Him, we need to found our spiritual being on this knowledge because on our own strength we are nothing. The deeper we will plunge in this observation, the clearer we will see our shortcomings and wretchedness, and God will lay stronger stones at the base of our spiritual edification.

Don’t you ever think, my son, that you will ever be able to deepen all this knowledge.

It’s impossible (…)

If you wish to praise God, be humble and wish to be oppressed by the others.

If you wish to find Him, don’t praise yourself because He will go away. Be as humble as you can and he will come to you in a warm embrace. The more humble you will be in front of him and considered worthless by the others, rejected by them, the more he will welcome you and become one with you.

Brother, for the sake of the great gift God has given to you that through your sins so much you’ve damaged consider this: think of yourself as the most unworthy and faultiest of them all. Be grateful to those who allow you the chance to be humble, meaning those who denigrate or have denigrated you. Even if you reluctantly accept their words, make an effort and don’t show your discontent.

And if, despite all these efforts, devil’s trickery lingers and becomes so strong that hurts our soul, then we have to be humble and hate (our sins) even more, and fight with all our strength to get rid of him.

But still, we cannot get rid completely of his brutality because we suffer from the pride’s grievance rooted in the love of ourselves.

This way, we will get honey out of bitter poison, health out of wounds, and humbleness out of pride.

(Translated from Nicodim Aghioritul, Războiul nevăzut, Editura Egumenița, Galați, pp. 121-122)