Desperation
Nothing is so strong as desperation. It knows no defeat at the hand of any, whether on the right hand or the left.
When someone has cut off in his mind all hope of life, no one is more daring than he; no foe can face him, no rumors of affliction can weaken his purpose, for every affliction which may come is less than death, for he has resolved to accept death for himself.
If, in every place and in every circumstance, and on every occasion in all that you intend to do you set your mind’s sight on toil and affliction, then you will find yourself at all times courageous and unhesitating in standing up against all apparent difficulties.
Through the power of your deliberation, the timidity that is customarily born in people whose thoughts are set on comforts, will take flight.
Not only this, but all difficult and hard things which you may encounter will appear easy and light for you.
Indeed, it can often happen that your affairs turn out in the opposite way to what you had expected, and these things may not touch you.
Prayer at night
One day I went to the cell of a holy brother, and because of an illness lay down in a corner, so that he could take care of me for the sake of God, for I had no one else to go to in those regions.
For some time I had seen this brother’s custom of waking at night for the Office before the other brethren, and he would commence going through the psalms, however many they might be, but then, all of a sudden, he would abandon his Office and fall on his face: he would strike his head on the ground sharply in quick succession, some hundred times one might guess – all this stemming from the fervor which had been kindled by grace in his heart. Then he would stand up, greet the cross, again make a prostration, again greet the cross, and again fall on his face.
He acted in this manner a great many times, so that you could not keep count: has anyone the ability to count the prostrations which that brother made each night? He would approach the cross and kiss it some twenty times with fear and ardor, with love mingled with reverence; and then he would continue to recite the psalms again. But every now and then, no longer able to endure the mighty flame of the thoughts which kindled him with their fervor, he would raise his voice, being overcome with joy, unable to contain himself. And I was greatly astonished at the grace to be found with that brother who was so eager and wakeful in the work of God.
Translated by Sebastian Brock, Daily Readings with Saint Isaac of Syria
