It doesn’t make us guilty
2 February 2023
Passions arise in all of us from time to time. Their appearance confirms our uncleanness, but doesn’t make us guilty. We’re guilty only if we give in willingly to any passion, in other words if we don’t consider it an enemy and don’t fight it determinedly; we’re guilty if we welcome it whenever it comes and find pleasure in the stimulation it causes. This attitude indicates a willingness to be reconciled to the passion and, therefore, to be at odds with God.
Saint Theophan the Recluse
