Scientific knowledge itself is not neutral; but, as St Gregory Palamas emphasizes (in this matter the most modern epistemological thinking concurs with him), it is relative “to the intention of those who make use of it,” “appearing according to the thought of those who make use of it and easily taking the form which is given it by the point of view of those who possess it.”
~Dr Jean-Claude Larchet (Therapy of Spiritual Illnesses vol.1, p.62)
Having lost the true knowledge of reality that he possessed in the Spirit, but nonetheless needing knowledge, fallen man ends up replacing this knowledge not by another single knowledge, but by a multitude of forms of knowledge of all sorts, corresponding to the multitude of appearances among which he henceforth moves. St Mark the Ascetic thus notes that its ignorance and forgetfulness of God “cast a pall of terrible and unstable curiosity over the soul.”
But the types of knowledge resulting from this loss are partial, shifting, differing, even opposed to one another–just like the phenomenal realities to which they apply. Man, in his substitutive forms of knowledge, is limited to classifying the appearances of things–these appearances that per se have no objectivity–since they are defined by the deformed and fallen intellect of their observer.
…Fallen man’s various forms of knowledge are thus nothing more than illusory projections of his fallen consciousness, and even where an objectivity or truth seems to have been attained (such as in scientific knowledge), this objectivity and truth can be reduced as a matter of fact to the temporary agreement of states of consciousness producing the same type of projection and being in accordance with one another in some way in their common state of decline.
~Dr Jean-Claude Larchet (Therapy of Spiritual Illnesses vol.1, pp.61-62)
Thus, fallen man replaces the worship of the Creator with the worship of creatures. Idolatry exists not only in the oft-taken forms of organized religion, in which creatures are explicitly defined as gods, but also in all man’s attitude vis-a-vis being, when this being is taken as an end and is endowed with a sense and value per se, instead of these latter being recognized in God. Idolatry also exists in every activity and effort consecrated upon a being per se, instead of being consecrated to God through it. One holds an idolatrous attitude towards a being whenever this being stops being transparent to God, stops revealing Him–in other words, whenever man stops perceiving its spiritual ‘reasons’ and ‘perceiving’ in them the divine energies present in them that define its true nature.
Thus this being hides God instead of manifesting Him; it is closed in on itself in a way instead of serving as a stepping stone for man, that he might be raised up to his Creator.
~Dr Jean-Claude Larchet (Therapy of Spiritual Illnesses vol.1, pp.58-59)
[One] should always act as if [they] were going to die tomorrow; yet [they] should treat [their] body as if it was going to live for many years. The first cuts off the inclination to listlessness, and makes [one] more diligent; the second keeps [one’s] body sound and [their] self-control well balanced.
~Evagrios Pontikos (Philokalia, vol. 1, p. 53)
With our being focused on God, we can more easily entertain the inevitability of our mortality, and by allowing this to shape our actions and our thoughts every day it can stimulate us to take our lives more seriously—considering how we spend our time, what we think about, how we react to others, and whether we are living to make our home and build our treasures here in this life, or preparing for our heavenly home and placing our treasures with God.
Acknowledging that our death is imminent can bring us into much greater intimacy with our Creator; it acknowledges the truth that this life, no matter how many years we are given, is just a shadow and we don’t have the luxury of putting off the things that truly matter. The day of our death, whether it is literally tomorrow or fifty years from now, will be upon us and we should be prepared.
As for our bodies, the Lord is greatly concerned with these as well as our souls, otherwise the Apostle never would have said, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) or, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Therefore, if God cares for it, and He has plans for it even into eternity, then we must also care for it. However, not as the world cares for it, enslaved to our body’s appetites or lost in devotion to it, but rather caring for it in a spiritual manner, bringing it under the direction and control of our intellect, so that it is given what it needs for its ongoing health and vitality.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
~FS
In the whole range of evil thoughts, none is richer in resources than self-esteem; for it is to be found almost everywhere, and like some cunning traitor in a city it opens the gates to all the demons. So it greatly debases the intellect of the solitary, filling it with many words and notions, and polluting the prayers through which he is trying to heal all the wounds of his soul. All the other demons, when defeated, combine to increase the strength of this evil thought; and through the gateway of self-esteem they all gain entry into the soul, thus making a man’s last state worse than his first (cf. Matthew 12:45). Self-esteem gives rise in turn to pride, which cast down from heaven to earth the highest of the angels, the seal of God’s likeness and the crown of all beauty. So turn quickly away from pride and do not dally with it, in case you surrender your life to others and your substance to the merciless (cf. Proverbs 5:9). This demon is driven away by intense prayer and by not doing or saying anything that contributes to the sense of your own importance.
~Evagrios Pontikos (Philokalia, vol. 1, pp. 46-47)
Self-esteem, or vain-glory, is subtle and devious in the way that it turns the mind of its victim away from God, and towards him or herself. It can use nearly every aspect of one’s life as its raw materials for elevating the self, making it glory in itself apart from God, and even in place of God. Like the Pharisee it makes one proud of their accomplishments, or the gifts given them by God, and unlike the Publican it prevents one from humbling themselves and repenting before God, which is a necessary prerequisite for coming into genuine relationship with Christ, and for being healed of our spiritual diseases and attaining salvation.
Have you conquered gluttony, are you no longer attached to possessions, have you attained peace and freedom from disputes and confrontations with others, do you follow Christ’s commands—if you have achieved any of these and yet believe that you have done something yourself, you are in danger of self-esteem and losing the victory in Christ. Vain-glory works along with pride to delude the mind of those who trust in its lies, tricking the mind into believing in its own powers, and divorcing the soul from its marriage with God. Constant prayer, determined prayer, prayer with attention and effort reunite the soul with God, restore the proper humility within the soul, turning it away from itself, and reorienting it towards the Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
~FS
Prayerful Life 