Our Venerable Father Hypatius, Bishop of Gangra (312-37)
Sixth Hour – Isaiah 42:5-16; Vespers – Genesis 18:20-33; Proverbs 16:17-17:17
Great Fast Day 32. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Read Proverbs 16:17-17:17
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
An important element in the spiritual life is attentiveness to the inner state of our heart. Jesus very much teaches this in the Gospels. The Fathers of the Church emphesis this universally. How true it is that when we do not pay attention to the inner state of our heart we can be steered onto a path we did not initially set out on: “Pride goes before destruction” (Pro 16:18). St. John Cassian, who spent time learning from the desert fathers before writing his spiritual teachings and founding two monasteries, has this to say:
“Injury precedes destruction, and an evil thought precedes ruin.” In the same way a house never suddenly collapses except because of some old weakness in the foundation or because of extended disregard by its tenants. Thus the structure of the roof is eventually destroyed by what had begun as a tiny leak but into which, through long neglect, a stormy tempest of rain pours like a river, once a large breach has been made. For slothfulness a dwelling will be brought low, and through lazy hands a house will leak.” (12 CONFERENCE 6.17.1.13)
Our Lord says, “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.” (Luke 16:10). The faithfulness in the heart that the Lord expects will have either tremendously positive or negative consequences in our life. The Lord reminds us that little things, the inner faithfulness which no one can see except the Lord, can either lift us up closer to Him or lead to our destruction and ruin.