Don`t stay to judge yourself for something you did – be it good or bad, virtue or sin – or to compare it with the others. How many times we have to deal with this matter! Let us forget what passed and not be interested in what we did. By analyzing we discover that we did something important or something bad, something great and nice and better than what the other one did or something lesser.
If we judge the thing in itself or in relation with our brother, we will fall in one of the two traps: either in pride, if it is something good and great, or in despair in misery in the destruction of our existence if it is not something good.
This is because as long as we think we are mature and as long as we think we have power inside ourselves, we carry the weakness of Adam and Eve, the shaky ego our ancestors left for us to inherit.
Therefore in order to remain undisturbed by thoughts, never stay to analyze what you did. This is true for everything happens to us. But how will I make my confession if I don`t judge? At confession I don`t make the analysis of my deeds, only present my sins. This is something different, as I don`t appreciate my deeds, I only relate them.
I don`t stay to think what I did in the morning, what I did and what I didn`t, because this thing causes a suffocating atmosphere in my soul.
If we realize we did something good, you understand in what a great selfishness we may fall. The advice not to measure yourself in any deed is the true wisdom. The most people when they fell, they did so because of this reason. Or we use it to justify our passions. For instance: I sinned once and afterwards I say to myself: what is the use of repentance for me? What a misery! How much our being is torn in this way!
Emilianos from Simonos Petras
Excerpt from Interpretations at Philocaly Vol. 3 – Abba Isihie, Saint Nektarios Publishing Company Nectarie via http://www.ganduridinierusalim.com.
