The abbot Serapion tells St. John Cassian that we can see what gluttony is like by watching the flight of the beautiful and noble eagle. We can make an admirable illustration of the passion of gluttony—with which a monk, however spiritual and excellent, is sure to be hampered—if we compare it to the eagle. For the eagle soars above the highest clouds in its flight high in the sky, and withdraws itself from the eyes of all mortals and from... Read more
You’re never too sick or weak to be virtuous, says St. John Cassian. To avoid gluttony, eat to keep yourself healthy, not to satisfy every craving. So it is very true and most excellent what the Fathers have said: that the right way to fast and abstain is found in moderation and controlling the body. This, they say, is the goal of perfect virtue for everyone: that, although we still have the desire for food, we exercise self-restraint in the... Read more
You don’t have to starve yourself to be a Christian, says St. Clement of Alexandria. If you’re at a gourmet feast, eat moderately, show respect for your hosts, and give thanks to God. We don’t have to keep away entirely from various kinds of food. We just shouldn’t be obsessed with them. We should eat what’s set before us, as becomes a Christian, showing respect for our host by a harmless and moderate participation in the party. We should look... Read more
Sloth, laziness, boredom—these are problems that can sap our energy for doing what needs to be done. St. John Cassian remembers the wise words of an experienced monk who told him that running away from laziness will never work. When I was beginning my stay in the desert, I told Abbot Moses, the chief of all the saints, that I had been terribly troubled yesterday by an attack of laziness, and that I could only be freed from it by... Read more
If you look to what other people think of you for your reward, says St. Ambrose, you have your reward here on earth—but you miss the reward of eternal life. Clearly, blessed is the life that is not valued by the opinion of outsiders, but is known, as judge of itself, by its own inner feelings. It needs no popular opinion as its reward in any way; nor has it any fear of punishments. Thus the less it strives for... Read more
Sonja Corbitt is the Bible Study Evangelista and creator of the magnificent LOVE the Word Bible study method. She’s a Catholic Scripture teacher with a story teller’s gift—a Southern belle with a warrior’s heart and a poet’s pen. She is the author of Unleashed, Fearless, and Alive. Sonja Corbitt returns to Off the Shelf this time to discuss her fascinating book Fulfilled: Uncovering the Biblical Foundations of Catholicism. This book is PACKED with information and particularly focuses on the role of... Read more
Most of us need people to think well of us—that’s how we get and keep the jobs that feed our families. But St. Augustine warns us that it’s far too easy to let that praise go to our heads. The devil wants us to find our joy in the praise of others rather than in God. Wanting to be feared and loved by other people, for no other reason than to experience a joy that is really no joy, is... Read more
Vanity, or “vainglory” as old English writers used to call it, is a hard vice to conquer, says St. John Cassian. When you think you’ve beaten it, then you’re proud of your victory—and vanity is back again. All vices grow feeble when conquered, and when beaten are day by day made weaker, and lessen and subside both in place and time—or at any rate, as they are unlike the opposite virtues, are more easily shunned and avoided. But vanity, when... Read more
When riots broke out in Thessalonica, the emperor Theodosius furiously ordered that the city should be punished. Thousands died when soldiers were let loose on their own fellow citizens. When Theodosius came home, the bishop, St. Ambrose, refused to let him into church until he had gone through months of public penance. When the emperor arrived at Milan, he as usual went to enter the church. But Ambrose met him outside the outer porch and refused to let him cross... Read more
Maybe you think you’re doing pretty well in your faith. That’s when you need to be even humbler, says St. Ignatius of Antioch—otherwise the devil will attack you through your pride. I have great knowledge of God, but I restrain myself. I don’t want to perish through boasting. And even if I were confirmed in things that have to do with God, yet then it would be good for me to be even more fearful, and not listen to those... Read more
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