Question to Schema-Archimandrite Abraham (Reidman). Conversation at the St Ignatius’ Skete of the New-Tikhvin Convent, May 1, 2003.
Question. St. John of the Ladder says that “Men can cure the lustful, angels the malicious, but only God the proud”. What does it mean? It seems that only the Lord can heal all passions.
Answer. I think these words should be understood in this sense: pride is such a terrible passion that people cannot help in any way here. If the ascetic strives to overcome his passion, prays, repents, in other words, opposes pride, only then it diminishes. And no wise advice, no restrictions imposed on a proud person will help. For example, a person subject to fornication can be limited in communication with the opposite sex, fasting can be imposed on him, he can be forced to make prostrations and taught to keep away from lusty thoughts. And pride is even very difficult to notice: it seems to a person that in fact this is not pride, but a correct view of things.
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