On the Passions - Elder Ephraim

On The Passions from Elder Ephraim in the book, "Counsels from the Holy Mountain"

Struggle, my child, for God's road is narrow and thorny; not inherently, but because of our passions.  Since we want to eradicate from our heart the passions, which are like thorny roots, so that we may plant useful plants, naturally we shall toil greatly and our hands will bleed and our face will sweat.  Sometimes even despair will overcome us, seeing roots and passions everywhere!

But with our hope in Christ, the Repairer of our souls, let us diligently work at clearing the earth of our heart.  Patience, mourning, humility, obedience, cutting off one's will -- all these virtues help cultivate it.  We must apply all our strength, and then God, seeing our labor, comes and blesses it, and thus we make progress.

Take courage, for the toil is temporary and ephemeral, whereas the reward is great in heaven.  Struggle and be vigilant with your thoughts.  Keep a firm hold on hope, for this shows that your house is founded on the rock -- and the rock is our Christ.

Do not feed your passions by yielding to them, so that you do not suffer pain and affliction later!  Labor now, as much as you can, because otherwise, if the passions are not tended to, in time they become second nature, and then try and deal with them!  Whereas now, if you fight against them lawfully, as we advise you, you will be freed and will have happiness by the grace of God.

The thing that should preoccupy us above all is how to cleanse our heart from the passions and how to abate some passion or vice!  The visitations of grace that God sends us from time to time for consolation do not play an important role, because they come and go.  Ah, those passions! They are like roots with thorns.  How much toil, how much pain, what tears, what prayers are necessary for a person to find slight relief -- it is a real martyrdom!

I pray to the merciful God that He will show you the path of salvation and guide you as a hart to the springs of the living water of refreshment.  Man is full of passions, shortcomings, etc., and in order to be freed of them, he must engage in a bloody battle.  Once he wins, with God's help, he will receive here in this life the promise of the future marriage with the Lamb, Who was ruthlessly slaughtered by cruel hands accursed by God. 

From "Counsels from the Holy Mountain," by Elder Ephraim, (Florence, Arizona: St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery, 1999), pp. 163 - 164.