The study of brief sayings, as, for example, of the Gerontikon, aims to help you overcome yourself
everyday. By reading a short apothegm or a page perhaps, you try to imprint it in your mind and keep it there during the day as a steady “indulgence” and study of the mind and heart. However, only some- one who has taken the decision to humble himself, repent and constantly renounce himself can do this. By doing such work, the ego is stripped away. On the contrary, someone who doesn’t care about humility or long for repentance, will read a whole book, but in order to support the ego and simply to please him- self.
Through obedience man can save all virtues: faith, repentance and the hard work he puts in. Otherwise, his pains get wasted.
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos (†)
From the book: Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos, “SPIRITUAL MESSAGES” Panorama Thessaloniki, 2017
