THE LIFE AND THE WISDOM OF ST. PORPHYRIOS

From "Wounded by Love:  The Life and the Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios"
 
We must go on our own to God in simplicity and artlessness of heart.
(edited from pages 117-118)
  

          When we have a relationship of absolute trust with Christ, we are happy and joyful. We possess the joy of Paradise. This is the secret. Then we can exclaim with Saint Paul, For me to live is Christ and to die is gain and It is no longer I who live, Christ lives in me. Such marvelous words! Delightful! All things must be done simply and gently. 

We must go on our own to God in simplicity and artlessness of heart. What does wise Solomon have to say? He says that we need simplicity. Be mindful of the Lord in goodness and seek Him in simplicity of heart; for He is found with those who do not tempt Him and appears to those who are not unfaithful to Him.

Simplicity is holy humility, that is, absolute trust in Christ, when we give our whole life to Christ. In the Divine Liturgy we say, let us commend ourselves and our whole life to Christ our God, and at another point, To You, O Loving Master, we commend our whole life and hope, and we entreat you and pray and supplicate.

Some time ago a bishop came to see me. We were speaking about prayer and I asked him: 
  
     “What is meant by praying "in simplicity of heart and artlessness?” 
  
     “Praying with simplicity,” he replied. 
  
     “And do you understand what that means, Your Eminence?” I said. 
  
     “Yes, I do,” he responded. 
  
     “Well, I don’t,” I said. “It’s a mystery. It’s something that happens only with divine grace.”
  
     “You’re quite right,” he said. “I don’t understand either. And I’m grateful to you for reminding me that simplicity and artlessness can only be understood and achieved through divine grace.” 
  
     So that’s how you should engage in your spiritual struggle: simply, gently and without force. Simplicity and gentleness are a very saintly mode of spiritual life, but you cannot learn this in an external way. It must suffuse itself mystically within you, so that your soul embraces this mode of life through the grace of God. But very often, in spite of our desire to acquire this simplicity, our enemy recognizes the fact and impedes us. Put into practice the advice, Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. When you desire something and try to force God, it doesn’t come. It will come on a day when you do not expect and at an hour you do not know. This is where the mystery lies. I can’t explain it to you.

When you lose the divine grace, don’t do anything. Continue your life and your struggle simply and normally until, without anxiety, you will be filled again with love and longing for Christ. And then everything will be fine. And then grace will fill you and give you joy. One secret is to be found in the divine service. Abandon yourself to these and the grace of God will overtake you mystically. 
  
 
Words to remember and apply to our life!

With love in Christ,

Fr. Timothy