And again, the greedy ones who have stiffen their hand from holding it too tight, have transformed their heart in stone. In order to be cured they will need to watch over the unhappy people and suffer for them so much that they will open the clench of their fist.

Kind people naturally do not have an evil heart and share their kindness with others. Thus they do not keep beautiful things for themselves and are not impressed by the beauties of the world showing thus their ardent faith in God as well as their love.

There is no wiser man than the merciful man, who trades the worldly, corruptible things for the heavenly ones. And there is no bigger fool in the world than the greedy man, who is always saving but still needs more and eventually he ends up buying hell from his savings. Those who lose themselves in material goods are totally lost, because they lose Christ.

Those who are obsessed by material goods are always sad and worried because they fear to lose all of it and also their soul. And again, the greedy ones who have stiffen their hand from holding it too tight, have transformed their heart in stone. In order to be cured they will need to watch over the unhappy people and suffer for them so much that they will open the clench of their fist. And so, their stoned heart will be softened and will become again a human heart, opening the gates of Heaven.

(Translation from: Cuviosul Paisie Aghioritul, Epistole, traducere din limba grecă de Ieroschimonah Ştefan Nuţescu Schitul Lacu – Sfântul Munte Athos, Editura Evanghelismos, Bucureşti, 2005, pp. 101-102)