“Fortunate, worldly people tell us, are those who live in crystal palaces and have all kinds of conveniences…”

Fortunate, worldly people tell us, are those who live in crystal palaces and have all kinds of convenience.
Blessed, however, are those who’ve managed to sim­plify their life and become liberated from the web of this world’s development of numerous conveniences (i.e. many inconveniences), and were released from the frightening stress of our present age.
…Fortunate, worldly people say, are those who can enjoy the goods of the world.
Blessed, however, are those who give away every­thing for Christ and are deprived even of every hu­man consolation for Christ. Thus it is that they man­age to be found night and day near Christ and His di­vine consolation, which many times is so much that they say to God: My God, Thy love cannot be en­dured, for it is great and cannot be fit within my small heart.

– St. Paisios, from his 6th Epistle, on the Beatitudes

Featured image: St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Ekwok, Dillingham Census Area, AK. Library of Congress.
Above: view from church, cannery in background