Chrysostom
Beloved of All
The heart that cries out to God in silence is heard no less than the voice that fills the assembly. Remember Moses, who uttered no sound yet moved the Lord to ask, “Why criest thou unto Me?” Remember Hannah, whose lips were still but whose soul poured out its petition. Do not imagine that your prayers for this man are lost in the air; He who searches the hearts knows the deep groanings of your spirit. Yet I urge you to examine what you ask. You pray for a man to keep you in his sight, to soften his heart toward you, to draw near, all while you “test the spirits.” Good. But test them indeed: not by the warmth of human affection but by the sword of the Spirit. For every thought and desire must be brought captive to Christ. Beware lest the kindness of a spiritual guide become a snare, and what began in piety slip into the fever of the flesh. The Lord has said that to look with lust is already to commit adultery in the heart. Keep your own gaze clear and your longings pure, lest you make yourself an easy prey for the devil.
When I long for the faithful, I do so in the tender mercies of Christ, not in human frailty. I call God as my witness that such love seeks nothing of self but the other’s true good. Let that be your measure. If this man is from God, his life will bear the fruit of righteousness; his words will not flatter but press you toward holiness. Do not grow weary as if God had forgotten. Christ himself was heard in that He feared, and learned obedience through what He suffered. Shall the servant be above the Master? Wait on the Lord with patience. The forgiveness you desire for his heart, first cultivate in your own. Forgive every small offense, hold no secret trespass, and you shall draw near to receive mercy in full measure.
The quiet place where he might come to know you is not a parlor of convenience; it is the inner chamber of the heart, where two souls meet only as both kneel before the Throne. Thither carry your requests without many words. Sing in your heart to God with grace, and let the Spirit intercede with groanings that cannot be uttered. Commend this man to the Most High, and then step back. If it is indeed His will, He will make the path straight in the hour when you are both filled with the knowledge of His will and all spiritual discernment, to approve the things that are excellent and to be sincere until the day of Christ. Until then, do not soften your soul with the delicacy of worldly desires; the broad way is death. Embrace rather the discipline that trains the senses to distinguish good from evil. Pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, not in the mists of sentiment. And when you ask for him to receive strength, love, and truth from God’s heart, be sure that you yourself first drink from that Fountain. For a clean heart prepares a dwelling for the Bridegroom, should He ordain it, and no other voice will guide you home.
When I long for the faithful, I do so in the tender mercies of Christ, not in human frailty. I call God as my witness that such love seeks nothing of self but the other’s true good. Let that be your measure. If this man is from God, his life will bear the fruit of righteousness; his words will not flatter but press you toward holiness. Do not grow weary as if God had forgotten. Christ himself was heard in that He feared, and learned obedience through what He suffered. Shall the servant be above the Master? Wait on the Lord with patience. The forgiveness you desire for his heart, first cultivate in your own. Forgive every small offense, hold no secret trespass, and you shall draw near to receive mercy in full measure.
The quiet place where he might come to know you is not a parlor of convenience; it is the inner chamber of the heart, where two souls meet only as both kneel before the Throne. Thither carry your requests without many words. Sing in your heart to God with grace, and let the Spirit intercede with groanings that cannot be uttered. Commend this man to the Most High, and then step back. If it is indeed His will, He will make the path straight in the hour when you are both filled with the knowledge of His will and all spiritual discernment, to approve the things that are excellent and to be sincere until the day of Christ. Until then, do not soften your soul with the delicacy of worldly desires; the broad way is death. Embrace rather the discipline that trains the senses to distinguish good from evil. Pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, not in the mists of sentiment. And when you ask for him to receive strength, love, and truth from God’s heart, be sure that you yourself first drink from that Fountain. For a clean heart prepares a dwelling for the Bridegroom, should He ordain it, and no other voice will guide you home.
