Sick With Envy

Dear Parish Faithful,

Great Lent: The Twenty Second Day

From Evagrius of Pontus (+399)

The dark powers are sick with envy against us
when we pray,
and they will use every conceivable trick
to frustrate us spiritually.
They endlessly stir up our inner memories
to distract us into thoughts
and will try to stir our flesh to all kinds of desires,
for in this way
they think they can hinder the soul's glorious ascent
and its journey to God.

Fr. Steven