The Shepherd, November 2004
ON THE STRUGGLES OF THE BODY AND OF THE SOUL, 2
Bodily asceticism is very often filched because of a very severe lack. This lack consists in the fact that the ascetic practises his asceticism without discretion, according his struggle itself an unwarranted worth, undertaking physical struggles just for their own sake, erroneously tying up and organising all his life, all his God-pleasing efforts, in and for them alone. When he works on such an unreasonable assessment (of his work), a diminution of spiritual struggles will always be entailed, his efforts being diverted by his concentration on the bodily struggles. This happened with Martha. She considered Mary’s conduct as unreasonable and unworthy, and her own of greater worth and more worthy of respect. The Merciful Lord, while not rejecting Martha’s service, graciously pointed out to her that in her service there was much that was unnecessary and much bustle, but that Mary’s activity was essential activity. By these remarks, the Lord cleanses Martha’s struggle of high-mindedness, and taught that bodily service must be perfected with humility. This is it, exactly! Bodily asceticism, if it is not illumined with spiritual understanding, always contains much in itself which is vain. Those who labour therein, although they labour for the sake of God, yet they labour within the old man. In his cornfield tares grow up with the wheat. He is unable to free himself from its influence in his thought faculties or the activity of a fleshly wisdom. It is indispensable for us all to take proper heed to the instruction laid down by the Lord, and to fulfil those of our good deeds which are done by means of the body with the greatest humility, like a slave, bound to fulfil this will of his lord, and as one who yet fails to fulfil that will as he should on account of his weakness and sinful infirmity. To those who engage in bodily struggles its is very useful to know, that there is another struggle which is incomparably higher, a spiritual struggle which is lighted by Divine Grace. He who does not possess spiritual activity, says Isaac the Syrian, remains devoid of the gifts of the Spirit (Homily 56), even as if he had no bodily struggles. The great instructor of the monastics likens bodily activity of itself, with no corresponding activity of the mind within the inner closet, to a fruitless marriage-bed and dry breasts, because bodily activity itself cannot approach Divine understanding [From St Isaac the Syrian’s homily 58, referred to by St Neil of Sora: Foreword to The Tradition]. This we see in Martha. She was so occupied with her labours, she so trusted in their significance, that she did not ask the Lord for directions such as would have been pleasing to Him, but instead she proposed her own opinion and directions, and she petitioned that they should be fulfiled.
Why is the reading of this Gospel narrative appointed by the Holy Church for all the feasts of the Mother of God? Because the Mother of God offered the Godman the most supremely exalted bodily service and the most supremely exalted service of the soul, keeping all His sayings in her heart (Luke 2:51), observing all that happened to Him from infancy and all that touched upon Him, and keeping it in her heart. So that this is made clear, there is appended to the narrative a section from the next chapter of the Gospel, where a certain woman, hearing the Lord’s teaching, calls out to Him: “Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked” (Luke 11:27), and the Lord’s reply to this exclamation: “Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:28). God’s answer to man’s service! Human perception recognises the Mother of God as blessed solely for her bearing of the Godman. The Godman Himself exalts the dignity of the Mother of God, calling those especially blessed who hear the word of God and keep it. This blessedness the Mother of God possessed pre-eminently before all other men, having heeded the words of the Godman and kept them with such fellow-feeling, as no other man ever has. Here again, in contradistinction to human perceptions, spiritual service is given pre-eminence over bodily service.
… And the cold, bodily struggle which flushes one, but is alien to that of the soul, and is alien to that spiritual understanding which is demanded by the word of God and should be a physical struggle for the soul, is a ruination. It leads to self-opinion, to disdain, to judging one’s neighbours; it leads to self-delusion; it forms the inner Pharisee [Ven. Gregory the Sinaite, chapter 137], it alienates one from God and binds one to Satan.
When the Grace of God abundantly overshadows the ascetic, then therein a plentiful spiritual ascesis will be revealed, which leads to Christian perfection. Then its sinfulness will be revealed to the soul, which hitherto has been hidden from her. Then, prayer and lamentation will cry out from the very depths of the soul, pronounced by the mind and the heart while the mouth is silent; they are carried up into heaven, and they throw down the one who prays at the feet of the Saviour; he is kept at the Saviour’s feet. The soul, in confessing its own sinfulness and the limitless majesty of God, enters into perfection; it is led into perfection by the right hand of the all-good God, who made man, and Who re-creates him. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, … Who is gracious unto all thine iniquities, Who healeth all thine infirmities, Who redeemeth thy life from corruption, Who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion. … thy youth shall be renewed as the eagle’s” (Ps. 102:2-5) by the almightiness within Him which renews our nature and of the Saviour who renews us. Amen.
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