Today the main thing is not to shape ourselves after this worldly spirit. It is martyrdom. We should do our best to avoid being drawn by this trend and led on this path. The smart fish don’t let themselves be caught by hooks.
They see the bait, they understand it’s a bait, go away and escape while the others see the bait, they rush up there to eat and they are caught. In the same way the world has its bait and catches the people. They are attracted by the worldly spirit and are caught by it.
The worldly spirit is a disease. Let us avoid the worldly manner of thinking in the same way we try to avoid a disease, no matter where we find it. Let us estrange ourselves of the spirit of worldly progress in order to advance spiritually, recover our spiritual health and rejoice angelically.
Pious Paissios the Athonite
