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“It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routined life, even if you hate it.”

A woman must stay alone for a long while until the hate men have for women has left her, and even longer until the jealousy women have for other women has left her, and longer still until the anger her children have for her has left her—until she is no longer a woman altered by the resentment of men, women, and children, no longer what others have forced her to be, but empty as a skull or a shell, filled only by whatever she pleases, forest air perhaps.

Saint John Chrysostom fears lest the sinner falls into one of the two extremes. One extreme is despair and hopelessness; the other is indifference and disinterest. The devil possesses two weapons, which he uses to give the finishing blow to sinners. One weapon is for people who are sensitive; the other, for them who are insensitive. For sensitive people he uses the weapon of despair and hopelessness. He attempts to demoralize the sinner: "Oh no! What have you done? There is no salvation for you now. Who can save you?" The Christian must respond by saying, "Get behind me, Satan of despair! Leave, you scoundrel, because your shadow is obstructing my view of the Cross of Christ, my great hope. I know that I sin, but I hope in God's mercy." For them who are insensitive, the devil possesses the weapon of indifference and disinterest: "Don't worry, you're a good person. What have you done, anyway, to repent? You're not a criminal. You haven't killed anyone. It would be great if everyone was like you!" The Christian must object: "No! Get behind me, Satan of indolence and delusion. Leave, because your ugly figure is blocking the spiritual mirror and preventing me from seeing my true self and understanding that I am full of wounds and in need of treatment."