Sayings of the Desert Christians: Abba Cronius

from:http://orthodoxwiki.org/Sayings_of_the_Desert_Fathers#Abba_Cronius

If the soul is vigilant and withdraws from all distraction and abandons its own will, then the spirit of God invades it and it can conceive because it is free to do so.


Some thoughts

This is uncompromising language, I feel. "Withdraws from all distraction" implies that we have a choice about whether or not we are distracted. Hmm... Back in the day, there was no distinction between thought and action. An example is where Jesus says that to look at a woman lustfully is the same thing as having committed the deed. More than one modern day person has said to me that we can't help what we think, only what we choose to do about our thoughts. Being as much a product of modernity as the next guy, I tend to go with the latter notion. But at the same time, I remember that our own Lord taught something different. So I compromise. When I have thoughts that trouble me or are of a sinful nature, I pray about them asking God to show me where those thoughts come from so I can do something about their origins. It's the best I can do at this time