Fr. Maximos never ceased repeating that our greatest enemy is our ego, what psychologists would call “narcissism,” and that we can work on that ego as we go about our daily affairs. He then mentioned Abba Dorotheos, an early Father of the Ecclesia who instructed his monks on how to confront their desires so that they might undermine their egotism.
“He taught them simple exercises. If for example they were hungry and curious to find out what the cook had made for the day, the abba’s advice was to resist that urge. Or if somebody came along and asked them for a favor, even if they had no interest in going out of their way to do the favor, they were advised to do it anyway. Fr. Maximos then went on to say that if you read the patristic writings, you will see how a person can sanctify every event of daily life, no matter how trivial and insignificant it may appear.
“You see,” Fr. Maximos continued, “by unconditionally accepting our fellow human beings with all their flaws, our hearts gradually begin to open up. We become easygoing people. People of God have this characteristic. They accept and comfort others.
Patience, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is a direct attribute of God Himself, who leads us to the discovery of our real identity, that is, that we are icons of God. But in order to comfort others,’ we have comforted God within our hearts first. We have found comfort in God, and as a consequence other human beings are comforted by our presence. Abba Isaac the Syrian said that faintheartedness is the mother of Hell.”
“How so?” Maria asked.
“Fainthearted persons constantly have something to worry about, to be fearful of, to become anxious about. They torture themselves and others. On the other hand, people in whose hearts the Holy Spirit is activated follow the middle way. They have harmony and balance within themselves. When we reach this state, we confront even our own shortcomings with magnanimity and generosity.”
Fr. Maximos then spoke of the “complex of perfectionism” as a form of spiritual malady and underscored the wisdom of accepting ourselves with all our limitations.
~Adapted from Kyriacos C. Markides, Inner River: A Pilgrimage to the Heart of Christian Spirituality
