Saint Theophan the Recluse. Thoughts for every day of the year
Translated from the Russian text below, with some assistance from translate.ru. Corrections are welcome.
(Eph 5:9-19; Mt 18:10-20). Comforting His disciples, the Lord said that it is better for them that he ascend into heaven, since after His ascension He would send in His place another Comforter, the Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended and remains present in the Church, completing the work of Christ in each one of the faithful. Every Christian is a partaker of the Spirit. This is so essential that whoever does not have the Spirit does not belong to Christ. Give yourself a good look – do you have the Spirit of grace? After all, He doesn’t remain in everybody; He can leave. Here are some signs to look for. At first, you will find the spirit of repentance, who teaches the Christian to turn toward God and correct his life. The spirit of repentance, having completed its work, then passes the Christian along to the spirit of holiness and purity, which is in turn replaced by the spirit of adoption. The first stage is marked by a labor-loving zeal, the second by warmth and a heart that is aflame with sweetness, and the third by a spirit of sonship, from which the heart cries out to God, “Abba, Father”! Look and see on which at which of these stages you can be found – and if you aren’t on any of them, take care and begin to work on yourself.
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