And if riches be desired in life, what is richer than wisdom, which maketh all things? And if sense do work, who is a more artful worker than she of those things that are? And if a man love justice, her labors have great virtues. For she teacheth temperance and prudence and justice and fortitude, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in life.
Wisdom of Solomon 8:5-7
We all feel burdened, mentally and spiritually, with the state of the economy and society in general. When times like these are upon us, we need to recall that true riches and true security are not in outward possessions but in inner ones. Paradoxically, when we concentrate on acquiring inner treasures, the virtues, we deal more effectively with our outer problems.
The quote above from the Book of Wisdom in the Old Testament lists the four cardinal virtues: Temperance, Prudence, Justice, and Fortitude. Cardinal means "hinge," and these virtues are called the cardinal virtues because the whole life of virtue hinges upon them. They are not as exalted as the three Gospel virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love, which were revealed only in the New Testament and became available to man only after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. But by praying for the cardinal virtues of the Old Testament and striving to acquire them, we predispose ourselves to receive by grace the higher virtues of the New Testament.
Fortitude translates the Greek word andreia, that is, manliness. In the time of the Homeric heroes, it denoted the physical courage of the noble warrior. Later the pagan philosophers, as well as the inspired Old Testament writers, applied the term to the moral courage required to face all of the various trials of life, not only those involving physical danger.
Today, we need moral courage to cope with our disintegrating and rapidly changing social and financial circumstances. Faced by manifold problems and temptations, like a warrior surrounded by enemies and not knowing which one to strike first, we may be tempted to be overwhelmed by confusion as well as fear. What tactic can we use to fight all of our enemies at once? What training will give our hearts stereoma, steadfastness, in the midst of trials?
The training and the tactic are the same, that is, the unceasing repetition of the Name of Jesus, by means of the Jesus Prayer - Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner. This one clear and saving thought replaces the myriad confusing and gloomy thoughts (logismoi) which plague our mind and generate fear. It establishes our mind on the immovable Rock which is Christ, and it infuses our hearts with fortitude to withstand the winds and waves which buffet us on the sea of life, that is, the winds of demonic action and the waves of life's misfortunes.
How often in history have famous generals been overwhelmed, on the edge of utter defeat, but did not lose their courage, and suddenly plucked victory from defeat! So God desires us to act, by the power of prayer in the Name of Jesus!
Our Lord destines us to a great blessing: to belong to the Holy Orthodox Church, for only here can we obtain Salvation, if we do not waste the time of preparing ourselves for eternity.
To avoid wasting this time, let us turn to the awesome admonitions of the Word of God, Gospel parables, prayers and church hymns which teach us that our mind is filled with unnecessary triviality and troubles, THAT THE ENEMIES OF OUR SALVATION GIVE TO US. And we, in our carefree manner, like to think that they are our own harmless and pleasant thoughts. Having distracted our mind from God, the enemy begins bringing sinful thoughts and wishes, which are extremely hard to resist. TO FIGHT AGAINST SIN SUCCESSFULLY, ONE MUST REPLACE HIS THOUGHTS WITH CONTINUAL PRAYER TO JESUS.
All the Saints had to do this to reach their sanctity. There is no other way. This prayer saves and is successful only if done patiently and humbly, not with the goal of pleasure, but rather release from sins, and it demands a lot of time.
Our Merciful Lord Jesus Christ, grant us eternal salvation by the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints! Amen.
