Friday, August 9 (July 27), 2024

1Cor. 7:35-8:7; Mt. 15:29-31 Attention is vital for any success in our earthly affairs ─ and much more so in the spiritual life.  Attention would spot anything improper and bring it before our inner judgment; attention also guards our internal legislative chamber and protects the executive powers which put our decisions into effect.  Little wonder, then, if our whole spiritual life is called a life of sobriety, and in the patristic writings we find so much space dedicated to sobriety and attention: in fact, these two are the same.

Therefore, how valuable is the skills of constant attention!  As a matter of fact, the efforts of those who just begin to care about their souls are aimed precisely at that.  Initially our attention is focused at the outside direction; as soon as, instead of that, we manage to re-focus it on our inner life, we begin to see some success.  Actually, our spiritual life gets truly started from that moment, and henceforth grows and gains strength side by side with our attention.

In other words: stand up mentally before the Lord in your heart, and with the utmost attention consider your every thought, decide your every step.  Arguably, this is a formidable labor: it can be successful only together with prayer.  Prayer both gives energy to your spiritual life and receives energy back from it.

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