A collection of scriptural meditations from Saints and Fathers of the Church.

It is a sin to spend time idly.

Just as the blessings of God are unutterably great, so their acquisition requires much hardship and toil undertaken with hope and faith.

Those who yield themselves to idleness and apathy, even though they may be spiritual and holy, hurl themselves into unnatural subjection to passions.

Ease and idleness are the destruction of the soul and they can injure her more than the demons.

'The ancient Fathers,' a certain elder said, 'when their spiritual work became known to others, saw this not as a virtue, but as a sin.'

God the Word, the God-Man, our Lord Jesus Christ, compares our life with a market, and the work of our life on earth He calls trading, and says to us all: Trade till I come (Luke 19:13), redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). That is to say, make the most of your time for getting heavenly blessings through earthly goods. Earthly goods are good works done for Christ's sake and conferring on us the grace of the All-Holy Spirit.

But if you give a strong body rest and ease and idleness, all the passions dwelling in the soul are intensified. Then, even if the soul has a great desire for good, even the very thought of the good that is desired will be taken from you.

One who lives in idleness sins continually.

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5025 E. Mill Rd
Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147

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