Elder Dionisie Ignat from Colciu: On Patience and a Humble Mind
Many people are eager to say the Jesus Prayer, but don’t want to cut their passions. The Jesus Prayer in the heart is a divine work, not a human one, and so the Grace of the Holy Spirit needs to work the prayer in us, needs to descend upon us. But we don’t want to cut our passions, especially our proud minds, so that we can be acceptable to the Lord and so that Grace can descend upon us.
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People with proud minds are in the devil’s clutch. When the devil knows he has power over them in this way, he doesn’t even bother them in any other way, because he knows they are losing their salvation.
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Pray to the Lord to give you patience and a humble mind so that you have peace of soul. The greatest thing is to have peace of soul in any situation, no matter what someone says to you.
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Patience is the greatest power, and the one who is patient is the strongest.
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Listen! When someone blames himself in all things, you should know that he is close to God; and when he justifies himself, then the devil is with him.
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We need patience! Salvation is not hard, but it is delicate. If we followed the word of the Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Church, it would be very easy.
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When you engage in conversation with a passion, Satan himself is talking to you. It is a passion when you think that others are inferior to you. When you have humble thoughts that you are the last and the worst of everyone, unworthy and guilty of all things, then the grace of the Holy Spirit descends on the soul without passions.
Translated from “Geronda Dionisie from Colciu: Wisdom from the Holy Mountain Athos”, Predania Press
To learn more about Elder Dionisie Ignat:
Elder Dionisie Ignat commemorated on Mount Athos in 2021 on the 17th anniversary of his repose
Never say “I will do it tomorrow”: Elder Dionisie of Colciu’s 112th birth anniversary (2021)