The Teaching Of The Holy Fathers Concerning the Narrow Way

'God very often permits people to be tempted, and lets much evil assail them from all sides. He lets their body be afflicted, as in the case of Job; He brings them into poverty, causes them to be ostracized and shunned and strikes them in the matter of their possessions. Only their soul suffers no harm. When walking in the way of the righteous, it is impossible not to meet with trouble, or that the body should not suffer pain and weakness and should not remain immutable, if we want to live in virtue. But the person who lives pleasing his own will, giving way to jealousy or anything else that is harmful to him, is already condemned. But if anyone is walking in the way of justice and righteousness, and is travelling to God with many others like himself, and something of the kind happens to him, he should not turn away from the trial that has come to him, but should receive it with joy, without question, and should thank God for sending him this good gift, that he has been granted to fall into temptation for God's sake and has become a partaker of the sufferings borne by the Prophets, Apostles and other Saints who endured afflictions for the sake of the way of God, whether the afflictions come from men or devils or from the body---for it is impossible for them to come or be sent without God's permission---and let it be to him an occasion for sanctification. Just as it is impossible for God to give grace to a person who wants to be united to Him otherwise than by enduring trails for the truth, so too it is impossible for a person without the gift of Christ to make himself capable of this greatness, namely of enduring trial for the divine gift and rejoicing over the trials that have come to him. Saint Paul bears witness to this. So great is this work--to suffer for one's hope in God---that the Apostle frankly calls it a gift. This is from God, he says, that you have been given the privilege not only of believing in Him (in Christ), but also of suffering for Him. As also Saint Peter wrote in his epistle: Even if you do suffer for what is right, blessed are you, because it gives you a share in Christ's sufferings. And so you should not rejoice when you live in full enjoyment and pleasure, and you should not lose courage when in trouble and consider your position far from the way of God. The way of God from the beginning of time and from the creation of the human race has been the way of the cross and death. How did you get your idea that everything is just the opposite? You must realize that you are outside the way of God, that you are far from Him, that you do not wish to walk in the steps of the Saints, but want to make some special way for yourself and travel by it without sufferings. The way of God is a daily cross. No one has climbed to heaven by living a life of pleasure.'



by Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov).
Excerpt from: The Arena, Chapter 30, pg 107-108.