12. All sciences and arts have their own purpose,
for the sake of which the people of these disciplines readily bear great labors
and expenses. Thus, for example, a farmer untiringly tills his land, enduring
heat and cold, aiming at making it produce crop. He knows that otherwise he
will not receive the desired harvest. So does asceticism have its goal, for the
sake of which a person who seeks perfection readily and tirelessly bears
various labors. For the sake of this goal he does not feel overburdened because
of frequent fasts, rejoices in vigils, constantly reading the Holy Scriptures
and is afraid neither of ascetic deeds, nor deprivations. (Blessed John
Cassian)
12. The goal of our ascetic life is God’s Kingdom,
which is attained only through the purity of heart. It is toward this end that
our eyes should look, and it is toward this end that all our concerns should be
directed. Should our thoughts start to deviate, it is essential that we
immediately return our mental focus to it. (Blessed John Cassian)
12. As we read in the writings of the Apostles,
there is a continuous war raging in the members of our body: "For the
flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are
contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish"
(Gal. 5:17). Through God’s providential arrangement, this war has somehow been
infused into our nature — and it is impossible to regard it other than an
attribute of our nature damaged by the fall of the first humans and experienced
by everybody without exception. However, it is necessary to believe that this
war arises within us through the will of God for our good and not to our
detriment. It is left within us to arouse our efforts toward perfection.
(Blessed John Cassian)
The word "flesh" in the Apostles’
Epistles must be understood not in the sense of a person as a being, but as
carnal will or iniquitous thoughts; similarly, the word spirit should be
understood not as some type of being, but as good and evil desires of the soul.
This interpretation was determined by the Apostle himself: "Walk in the
Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16).
Because both one and the other desires are found in the same person, there is a
continuous conflict taking place within us. While the flesh seeks gratification
and strives mainly toward the sinful, conversely the Spirit wholly wishes to
attach itself to spiritual matters, neglecting even the very essential needs of
the flesh.
12. God’s grace that comes to us, awakens our
spirit and restores our higher aspirations, leading us away from the earthly.
Finding itself under the grace’s influence, the will cannot remain indifferent
and lukewarm but ignites with zeal toward the heavenly things to which it
sacrifices everything earthly. Meanwhile, the inclination toward the former
state remains in the body, which is capable of again lowering itself to it. In
order that this will not happen, a feeling that is hostile to higher
aspirations is left in the body. As soon as the will — having savored the
higher blessings and being unsympathetic to the lower inclinations — senses its
presence, it immediately ignites with zeal and courageously defends the higher
good. (Blessed John Cassian)
Return to the first page
