#stmakariosthegreat And when the chosen athlete had heard these things, he made the sign of the Cross over himself, and said, “Blessed be God, Who hath made those who have put their hopes in Him to make thee a mockery and a laughing-stock, and Who hath preserved me wholly and completely from thy error, so that whilst turning aside from the same I was able to advance in the good fight; and having fought and conquered I shall receive a crown from the good Lord Whom I possess. Flee then, and get thee afar off, O thou who art envious of the things which are good, for Christ will make an end of thee, “so that thou mayest not dare to attack any of those who worship Him. For sufficient for thee are those whom thou hast drawn unto thyself by flattery, through thy evil wiles and their own sluggish will, and made to travel on the flat, wide road of destruction. Thou shalt not then dare to draw nigh unto those who of their own will have elected to travel in the narrow, and straight, and troubled, and vexatious way of life, but have fear, and depart from those who dwell in waste places and in deserts.” Now when the blessed man had said these things, straightway the Calumniator disappeared, and the holy man Makarios prostrated, and prayed, saying, “Glory be unto Thee, O Christ, Thou Who art the Refuge of those who are overtaken by storms, Thou Who art the straight way of those who err, Thou Who art the Redeemer of those who flee unto Thee for refuge, both now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages! Amen.” #stmakariosofegypt #stmakarios #demons #discernment #wilesofthedevil #desertfathers #thestruggleisreal #thespirituallaw #ElderEphraimofArizona #myelderjosephthehesychast #charismaticdespair #stsilouantheathonite #christianmorality #blessedaretheblamelessintheway #trials #theroyalpath #secularism leads to #ecumenism #temptationfromtheright #barlaamism #heresy #clericalism #moralism #pietism
