|
Hesychius of Sinai (d. after 450), a priest and monk in Jerusalem, wrote on sobriety. To us sobriety infers freedom from intoxication. Sobriety for Hesychius meant what we now call "alertness," "mindfulness," "awareness," or "watchfulness." Sobriety speaks of mindfulness, a sharp and refined awareness, open to God-in-each-situation.
Hesychius wrote that sobriety is the "guardian of the spirit," and it stands "on guard ... at the gates of the heart." Sobriety, he says, edits incoming thoughts by observing closely.
Hesychius offers four aspects of the guardianship of sobriety:
1. Control the imagination. This, he says, is the sole path for Satan to slip thoughts into the mind to mislead us. Indeed, lust, or greed for something harmful, generally starts with one thought, and then it slowly matures to full fruition in action.
2. Preserve in the heart a deep silence, undisturbed tranquility. Truly, one can become so talkative that she does not observe closely. Have you ever said something and thought, "Now, why did I say that?" Speak less, listen more, and observe closely is good advice.
3. Invoke the help of Jesus unceasingly and humbly. Therefore, in the Christian faith, contemplative sobriety is relational, not just a psychological ploy. We are not just trying to live in the now, we are living in relationship with Jesus Christ, our Friend and Savior.
4. Keep the thought of death alive within you. By remembering our mortality, we are cautioned in action and its potential consequences beyond this life.
Do you live mindfully? Can a person live with a deep silence in the midst of a busy life and with noisy surroundings? Explain your response. Do you ever reflect on your death? Why? Why not? How is Christian living to be mindful relationally mindful? Do you talk too much? Explain.
*Comments of Hesychia from The Philocalia, I.
|
