Body and Soul..Saint Amvrosy of Optino.

Saint Amvrosy.

It is said in the Gospel: "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?!." See how precious the soul of man is!. It is more precious than the whole world with all its treasures and blessings. But it is frightening to think how little we under­stand the worth of our immortal soul. It is to the body, that dwelling place of worms, that bemourned coffin, that we direct all our thoughts from morning to night; but to our immortal soul, that most precious and beloved of God's creations, to that image of His glory and greatness…

Hardly one thought is directed in an entire week. To the service of the body are consecrated the most blossom­ing years of our life and to the eternal salvation of the soul,
only the final minutes of decrepit old age. The body is daily toasted, as at the feast of a rich man, with overflowing cups and sumptuous dishes; but the soul barely manages to collect the crumbs of the Divine word from the threshold of the house of God. The worth­less body is washed, dressed, cleansed and decorated with all the treasures of nature and art; but our dear soul, the bride of Jesus Christ, the inheritor of heaven, wanders about with exhausted step, dressed in the garb of a wretched beggar who receives no alms.

The body cannot bear a single blemish on the face, any dirt on the hands, any patch on the clothing; but the soul which is covered with filth from head to foot wanders from one sinful mire to an­other, and by its yearly and often hypocritical confession it only multiplies the patches on its clothing without renewing it.

For the welfare of the body various entertainments and pleasures are required; it often brings whole families to ruin; for if men are often prepared for all sorts of labors, but the poor soul has hardly one hour on Sunday to hear the Divine Liturgy, hardly a few minutes for morning and evening prayers. With difficulty it manages to collect one copper coin as alms, and it is satisfied when it expresses the remembrance of death with a cold sigh.

For the health and preservation of the body air and dwelling place are changed, the most learned and distant physicians are called, food and drink are refrained from, the most bitter medicines are taken, we allow ourselves to be burned and cut; but for the wel­fare of the soul, for the avoidance of temptations, but to remove from sinful contagion, not a single step is made. We remain in the same air, in the same evil company, in the very same sinful house, and we refrain from seeking the doctor of souls, or we choose an unknown and inexperienced doctor and hide from him that which is already known to both heaven and hell and of which we our­selves boast in society about.

When the body dies, then weeping and despair are heard; but when the soul dies from mortal sin, we often do not even think about it.

Thus, we do not know the worth of our soul and, like Adam and Eve; we deliver it up for what seems to be a beautiful fruit.

Why then do we not at least weep like Adam and Eve?!. The weep­ing of those who have lost their soul should be more hitter than the weeping of Jeremiah who, mourning the disastrous condition of his fatherland, cried out: "Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears," (Jeremiah 9: 1)

With us there is for the most part a care for the acquisition of blessings, only, unfortunately, often for terrestrial and temporal blessings and not for heavenly ones.

We forget that earthly blessings are transient and cannot be re­tained, whereas the blessings of heaven are eternal, infinite and inalienable.

O most merciful Lord!. Help us to despise all that which quickly passes away and to strive only for that which is necessary for the salvation of our souls."

Reference:

Starets Amvrosy. John Dunlop.(1972)