You are writing about your clashes with N.G. over Roman Catholic ascetics. Logomachia is of no help here. The core of the matter is not in the “logos,” but in spiritual practice. What did Eastern and Western ascetics seek? What Eastern Fathers resolutely, strictly, with threats and persuasion, and by all possible means were prohibiting, Western ascetics were anxious to achieve by all possible means.
All Eastern Holy Fathers, except those affected by delusion, thought of themselves as absolutely unworthy of having a foresight and special talents, and if – against their will – they received such gifts, they begged God to take them away or provide special protection for them, fearing lest these gifts might turn out harmful or even destructive for them. They believed that all people need profound and permanent repentance all throughout their life until death, because man owes a debt to God that is impossible for him to pay off. People will never be able to “earn” enough to meet this debt. They have got no extraordinary achievements. “When ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” All debtors, according to the Gospel, got only forgiveness of the debt, but none was able to pay off his debt, be it fifty talents, five hundred, or ten thousand talents. What is there to say then about any extraordinary deserves? In reference to the talents received by apostles, the Lord said to them: “Freely ye have received, freely give.”
The Eastern Holy Fathers warned that if man becomes anxious to get some good gifts or talents, the devil, on noticing his anxiety, will try to lure this ascetic into high-mindedness, take hold of him and ultimately destroy him, unless this man comes back to his senses in time.
What an easy prey they are, who, like Western ascetics, without cleansing themselves, while being under the influence of the “old man,” set out on the search of high spiritual conditions! They all are under imminent threat of becoming devil’s puppets and tools.
Both the Word of God and the experience of the Holy Fathers witness that good gifts are granted to the meek and humble. Only the meek and humble can use such gifts without any detriments to themselves, because they think themselves unworthy of them, and if they come into possession of such gifts, they believe this possession to be a temporary trusteeship for protecting these gifts, about which they should be accountable to God and which they would rather have taken away from them.
The most important is to come to the realization of the significance of humbleness through one’s own experience. In this way, one will clearly see that right were not Western, but Eastern Fathers. It is important to experience, for example, the truthfulness of St. Isaak of Syria’s assertion that “who is weeping over his sins is higher than he who is raising the dead.” It is impossible for those who do not understand this to argue with Western Fathers. The conversation will turn into logomachy, in case neither party knows the subject and can only attack the opponent with alien terms, not always using these terms to the point.
May God keep you safe! We look forward to seeing you. Best regards to N.G. and to all to whom this is possible to do. Even the last phrase is possible to understand differently, to say nothing about complicated matters.
Learn to be humble.
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