Starets Ambrose of Optina
On how much we care about our bodies and how much we care about our souls.
The Bible tells us: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"
(Mark 8:36) That is how precious the human soul is. It is more precious
than the whole earth with all its treasures and blessings. However,
it’s frightening to think how little we understand our soul’s worth.
From morning to night, we direct all our thoughts to the body, the
housing for worms, this fallen coffin, and on God’s most precious and
beloved creation, on His image of glory and majesty, we hardly spare one
thought in a week. We spend the most flourishing years of our life in
serving our body, and only the last minutes of our decrepit old age,
toward eternal salvation. Daily, the body indulges itself with full cups
and sumptuous dishes, as though at a rich man’s feast, while the soul
barely gathers crumbs of God’s words on His doorstep. The insignificant
body is washed, dressed, cleaned, adorned with all types of treasures
from nature and the sciences, while the priceless soul, the bride of
Jesus Christ, inheritor of Heaven, wanders with exhausted steps, donned
in clothing of a poor wanderer that is without charity.
The body doesn’t tolerate one blemish on its face, any dirt on its hands, not one patch on its clothing, while the soul, from head to toe, covered with filth, that goes from one sinful quagmire to another, and its yearly confessional which is often hypocritical, only increases its patches rather than rejuvenating it. The body demands various forms of diversions and gratifications; it frequently ravages whole families, for its sake people sometimes are willing to exert all types of efforts while the soul - has barely one hour on Sundays to partake in the Divine Liturgy, scarcely minutes for morning and evening prayers, reluctantly collects a handful of copper coins for charity and when thinking about death, expresses its satisfaction with a cold sigh.
For the sake of health and welfare of the body, the atmosphere and habitat is substituted, foremost and distant physicians are summoned, there is abstinence from food and drink, the most bitter medicines are consumed, the body is allowed to be burned and dissected, yet for the health of the soul, for the avoidance of temptations, for distancing away from sinful infection, they take not one step but remain in the same atmosphere, in the same iniquitous society, in the same corrupt house, not seeking any spiritual physician, or else selecting one that is unfamiliar and inexperienced, hiding from him that which is already known to Heaven and hell, and about which they themselves boast among their circles. When the body is dying, you hear lamentations and despair, but often no thought is given when the soul is dying from mortal sin.
Like Adam and Eve, we don’t know the value of our soul and give it away for a seemingly rich yield.
At least why don’t we cry like Adam and Eve? Unfortunately, in the main, our concerns are for acquiring earthly benefits and not Heavenly ones. We forget that earthly gains soon pass and cannot be retained, while Heavenly gains are eternal, endless and cannot be taken away. Most gracious Lord! Help us to despise everything transient and concern ourselves only with the needs to save our souls.
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