Saint Makarios the Egyptian, Other seven homilies, Word about patience and discernment, 9, in Church Fathers and Writers, vol. 34, pp. 306-307
The man must show all his endeavor to always struggle and oppose the cunning one and the bad thoughts. It is impossible indeed that the darkness of passions and the bad thought of the flesh would not reveal their evil fruit either in secret or openly; as it is impossible when there is a wound in the body not to suppurate a little until it is healed; treating it it heals but not treating it it may infect the whole body – and in the same way the spiritual passions until healed they remain inside it. They heal only in the course of an intense cooperation with the Grace of Christ.`
Saint Makarios the Egyptian, Other seven homilies, Word about patience and discernment, 5, in Church Fathers and Writers, vol. 34, p. 294
For the virginal soul it is due in order to attach of God to purify itself not only of the visible sins, namely of debauchery, murder, theft, bad words, lie, love of money and greed but also to purify itself with even more care of the hidden passions – as I said – namely of cravings, vain glory, the desire to be admired by people, of falseness, of the love of possession, of cunning, of the bad habits, of hate, of faithlessness, of envy, of selfishness, of pride and all the others which are like them. As according to the Scripture, the hidden sins of the soul are placed in equal measure with the visible ones. By saying : God scattered the bones of those who want to be liked by men (Psalm 52, 5) and: The Lord detests the bloodthirsty and the deceitful.(Psalm 5, 6), God shows that He equally hates the cunning and the murderer
Saint John Chrysostom, Homiliest at Genesis, Homily XXIV, VIII, in Church Fathers and Writers, vol. 21, p. 301
`If someone overcome by habit sees that he continues to be in the same sins, he should force his soul to punish such an idleness; he should not allow any continuation, he should stop here the bad habit, cut the tendency to sin and reject the thought. He should think of the frightening day.`
Saint John Chrysostom, Homilies at Matthew, homily IV, IX, in Church Fathers and Writers,, vol. 23, p. 60
`How to escape of this injury?`
`If we take the drink that kills all the worms and snakes from inside us.`
`And what is the drink with such a great power?`
`The honored Blood of Christ if you commune with hardihood. It can heal all sickness; together with the honored Blood of Christ, the careful listening of the divine Scriptures, then the alms and the listening of the preach. By all these the passions which harm our soul can be killed. Only then we will live for real; now we are no good than the dead. It is impossible for us to live as long as these passions live within us; with them we surely perish
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