At the time of persecutions Christians cared for one thing only. Not to betray Christ, not to deny Him, not to do anything against their faith. They paid attention to every detail in an absolute way. Likewise, we should be absolutely careful not to be won over by a spirit of overindulgence. You crave for a sweet and you go for it. You immerse in the pleasure of eating it. Watch yourself! This pleasure steals you away from Christ. So does going for what you like instead of what you are offered.
In today’s world let us be precise just as the mar- tyrs and the righteous used to be. Surrounded by all goods imaginable, let us confine ourselves to what’s necessary and ignore the rest. Such small sacrifices is what God expects from you –external sacrifices– so that, little by little, you start to deny your will.
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos (†)
From the book: Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos, “SPIRITUAL MESSAGES” Panorama Thessaloniki, 2017
