Status Updates From Balance of the Heart

Abba Poemen said, “If a man appears silent in speech but is condemning other people in his heart, he is really talking incessantly. Another man may seem to talk all day, but he is keeping silence since he always speaks in a way that is right with his heart.”

'Being in God’s presence during the whole day, while we work, eat, and move around, makes it easier to be in his presence when we stand and raise our hands in prayer. Praying without ceasing prepares us for prayer. For the desert fathers and mothers, the transition from one mode of prayer to the other was seamless. They were in the constant presence of God.'

A spectular read for Lent

'The spiritual journey is the continuous struggle between the mind (nous), which is able to com- prehend and contemplate God, and the senses, which want to be satisfied with earthly pleasures. Immersion in the pleasures of the world and the senses results in fear of death. The purer our life is, the purer our thoughts will be, and the more the senses will find pleasure in God rather than earthly pleasures. '

'The reader has to experience and to reason within him/herself about what is really necessary and important in life. This requires deep thinking and honest examination of the heart and the soul. Facing oneself is the most difficult thing that we can do in our lives, which is why most people avoid it, dread it, and do not know how to do it Indulging in shopping, eating, working, or other forms of self indulgence... '