Chrysostom
Beloved of All
You speak of horrors I can scarcely imagine, and your words are full of anguish. Yet even in such a torrent of fear, you have cried out to the Church for prayer, and that is not nothing. The enemy of our souls wishes you to believe you are utterly abandoned, that no hope remains, that your will is shattered. But the voice of despair is a liar. Our God is not far off; He walks upon the sea in the darkest watch of the night, and He wills that we bear these terrors manfully, not because we are strong, but because He is with us. When the storm is fiercest, then He is nearest, though our eyes are too troubled to see Him.
You speak of reincarnation and past lives as though they were chains riveted upon you. Cast that thought from your mind entirely. You are not some ancient figure reborn; you are a soul for whom Christ died, a person made in the image of God, and there is no truth in these fables. Our birth is not from blood, nor from the will of the flesh, but from God. By the waters of baptism, we are made new creatures, and that is our only identity: beloved children of the Father, sealed by the Spirit. What phantom lineage can compare to this? The Scriptures, which you must cling to now as your only anchor, know nothing of such wandering souls. The Holy Spirit gave us the Scriptures precisely to free us from deceit and to draw us out of danger. Immerse yourself in them, and let no other voice speak louder.
You are tormented by what may be within your body, and your fear cries out against seed and egg and child. Know this: the body of a believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and no evil procedure can override the promise of God. Did not the Word Himself take flesh in the Virgin’s womb? That mystery is beyond our probing, yet it declares that God works life where and how He wills. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will guard you; He who formed Isaac from a barren womb can certainly preserve you from every contamination. Do not let scrupulosity drive you to a fear that sees defilement in every quarter. The Apostle teaches that neither eating nor abstaining commends us to God, but faith working through love. So fix your mind not on the terrors they threaten, but on the certain protection of your heavenly Father.
You feel your faith is gone, your hope extinguished. Then borrow the faith of the Church, which prays for you now. Let your soul return to its rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you, not yet in removing every trial, but in giving you His Son, and with Him the promise that no one can snatch you from His hand. The poverty and helplessness you experience, the contempt you suffer, may become your deliverance. Often the one who is despised finds pity, while the proud are destroyed by envy. Our Master does not need many possessions or worldly power to save; He delights to work through what the world counts as nothing.
Imitate even the servants in your own household, who bear harsh words with patience and fear their earthly master. Will you not endure these afflictions with a greater fear of God, who sees all and will judge righteously? Your lamentation springs not from your circumstances alone, but from a want of full trust. Yet He will not reject a bruised reed. Stand fast, then. Let the holy Psalms be your medicine: “I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” He is your refuge from this affliction that encompasses you. Do not be drunk with grief, but sober and watchful in prayer.
I do pray for you. I pray that every evil scheme be brought to nothing, that your body and soul be kept pure from all harm, and that the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind. May you come to know with certainty that nothing, no power of the air, no human malice, no depth of darkness, can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. He will multiply the fruits of righteousness in you, and out of this desolation He can bring forth new life. Only do not give way to despair. The night is long, but morning breaks.
You speak of reincarnation and past lives as though they were chains riveted upon you. Cast that thought from your mind entirely. You are not some ancient figure reborn; you are a soul for whom Christ died, a person made in the image of God, and there is no truth in these fables. Our birth is not from blood, nor from the will of the flesh, but from God. By the waters of baptism, we are made new creatures, and that is our only identity: beloved children of the Father, sealed by the Spirit. What phantom lineage can compare to this? The Scriptures, which you must cling to now as your only anchor, know nothing of such wandering souls. The Holy Spirit gave us the Scriptures precisely to free us from deceit and to draw us out of danger. Immerse yourself in them, and let no other voice speak louder.
You are tormented by what may be within your body, and your fear cries out against seed and egg and child. Know this: the body of a believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and no evil procedure can override the promise of God. Did not the Word Himself take flesh in the Virgin’s womb? That mystery is beyond our probing, yet it declares that God works life where and how He wills. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will guard you; He who formed Isaac from a barren womb can certainly preserve you from every contamination. Do not let scrupulosity drive you to a fear that sees defilement in every quarter. The Apostle teaches that neither eating nor abstaining commends us to God, but faith working through love. So fix your mind not on the terrors they threaten, but on the certain protection of your heavenly Father.
You feel your faith is gone, your hope extinguished. Then borrow the faith of the Church, which prays for you now. Let your soul return to its rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you, not yet in removing every trial, but in giving you His Son, and with Him the promise that no one can snatch you from His hand. The poverty and helplessness you experience, the contempt you suffer, may become your deliverance. Often the one who is despised finds pity, while the proud are destroyed by envy. Our Master does not need many possessions or worldly power to save; He delights to work through what the world counts as nothing.
Imitate even the servants in your own household, who bear harsh words with patience and fear their earthly master. Will you not endure these afflictions with a greater fear of God, who sees all and will judge righteously? Your lamentation springs not from your circumstances alone, but from a want of full trust. Yet He will not reject a bruised reed. Stand fast, then. Let the holy Psalms be your medicine: “I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” He is your refuge from this affliction that encompasses you. Do not be drunk with grief, but sober and watchful in prayer.
I do pray for you. I pray that every evil scheme be brought to nothing, that your body and soul be kept pure from all harm, and that the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind. May you come to know with certainty that nothing, no power of the air, no human malice, no depth of darkness, can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. He will multiply the fruits of righteousness in you, and out of this desolation He can bring forth new life. Only do not give way to despair. The night is long, but morning breaks.
