be done only by divine power, for it is impossible and outside man's
competence to uproot sin. To struggle, yes, to continue to fight, to
inflict blows, and to receive setbacks is in your power. To uproot,
however, belongs to God alone. If you could have done it on your own,
what would have been the need for the coming of the Lord? For just as
an eye cannot see without light, nor can one speak without a tongue,
nor hear without ears, nor walk without feet, nor carry on works without
hands, so you cannot be saved without Jesus nor enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven." - St. Macarius
 |
| Nitrian Desert, Egypt, into which many saints ran |
Abba Isidore
said, "If you fast regularly, do not be inflated with pride, but if you
think highly of yourself because of it, then you had better eat meat. It is better for a man to eat meat than to be
inflated with pride and to glorify himself." - Sayings of the Desert Fathers
