Specific for the long lasting patience is to consider yourself the reason of your trial. And maybe that is the way it is in fact. Since many of the things which happen to us, take place for our guidance or for the deletion of the former sins or for correcting the present recklessness or for the avoidance of the future sins.
Thus whoever thinks that for one of these it came the trial, doesn`t rebel when he is hit, especially if he is aware of his sin, nor does he accuse the one through whom the trial came cause either through that one or through another he had to drink the glass of the divine judgement. He only looks to God and thanks Him Who had allowed the trial and blames himself and receives the rebukes with a good heart behaving like David with Semei or like Job with his wife.
But the fool asks God to have mercy on him: and he doesn`t receive mercy because it didn`t come the way he wanted it but as the doctor of the souls considered it useful. That is why he becomes reckless and sometimes he is upset and other times he struggles with the devils and other times he blasphemes God. Thus showing discontent he receives only the club.
Saint Maximus the Confessor– Ascetical Word excerpt from Philocaly – Pr. Dr. Dumitru Stăniloae, Institute of Graphic Arts “Dacia Traiană” S.A., Sibiu, 1947.
