“Do not fight to expel the darkness from the chamber of your soul. Open a tiny opening for light to enter, and the darkness will disappear.
Let all your strength be turned to love for God, worship and adhesion to God.”
- St Porphyrios (20th Cent), Wounded by Love, pg 136
Reflection:
When we fight to change ourselves on our own, how much success do we have?
The key is loving Christ with “...all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’'...and your neighbor as yourself.’(1) As St Porphyrios reminds us, we must aim all of our efforts into loving God in order to succeed at anything in life.
If we make even the slightest ‘opening’ for the Christ’s Light to enter our hearts, we will find that the darkness will disappear, transformation occurs, we become a new and refreshed person in Christ.
We make that ‘opening’ by loving and worshipping God at the core of every task we do: our work, schooling, and even in the mundane chores and duties. We keep that opening open by praying throughout our day, and participating in the sacramental life of the Church.
In this way our focus is always on loving Christ, and our weaknesses melt away due to God’s help. We stay focused on our positive action of loving God - instead of the trap of the anxiety of worrying about our weaknesses.
Let us make that small 'opening' for Christ’s Light to enter our hearts and keep it open each day through living our Faith, the Orthodox Christian way of life.
