Our Lord gives us a parable in the Gospel today, that is often called “The parable of the Rich Fool!” He describes a young man who God had blessed with an incredible crop for the season…over and above what he actually needed. The rich fool was then hit with the demon of greed and said to himself:
“I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all of my crops and my goods! And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and make merry!”
The parable ends with the young fool having his life end, and the demon of Greed being victories, because the fool neglected to store up riches in the Kingdom.
When we look at this parable, we notice something that is quite interesting. The rich fool didn’t actually accomplish any of the things he set out to do…yet his sin remained. He was still called a “fool” by God. So where was the root of his sin? Where did it begin to take hold?
“…and he thought within himself…”
While this parable is about the dangers of greed, it also serves as a reminder of how dangerous our thoughts can become. It is in the mind that spiritual warfare begins, and it is why the Church Fathers, from the very beginning, have placed an enormous amount of emphasis on guarding our thoughts.
When a negative seed is planted, like we see in the Gospel today, it can affect the totality of not only how we act, but also our attitude towards life, towards people, towards God, and towards ourselves. A great example of this are thoughts connected with lusts of the flesh. A seed is planted in the mind, which leads someone to seek out imagery, either on the internet or in the mind. Pornography is one of the great pandemics of our time, with statistics showing that an average of 55% of people view those images…with an astounding 11% of our population having a diagnosed addiction. [1]
What begins as a simple thought grows into seeking out these images, which then reprograms the person to begin seeing people as objects of desire rather than true human beings. I would argue that the pandemic of pornography over the past several decades is what has led to the massive amounts of division within not only our own country, but the entire world, because it has warped the minds of so many into seeing people as tools that can be used, rather than what they are: Icons and reflections of God Himself.
Pornography and lusts of the flesh…something that is literally destroying the WORLD…all begins with a thought. So dear ones, how are we to war against these negative thoughts?
The first thing that the Saints tell us to do, is to simply ignore them! St. Paisios tells us that “Thoughts are like airplanes flying in the air. If you ignore them, there is no problem. But if you pay attention to them, you create an airport inside your head and permit them to land!”
If we find that the thoughts have landed, then the only way they can be defeated is through prayer. When we have lives that are steeped in the sacramental life of the Church, Confession, the Eucharist, along with a strong prayer rule in the mornings and evenings, we build up a wall around our souls and hearts.
When the evil one slings his arrows of pride and deceit, our minds naturally call to mind our prayers:
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…” A reminder to us who it is leading those thoughts within us.
“Arise O Lord! Save me O My God!”
“Have mercy on me O God…according to Thy Steadfast Love, and according to Thy abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions…”.
Not only is it a way to counter negative thoughts, prayer is also the greatest aid to maintain positive thoughts. When we invite God into any situation within our thoughts, He comes! His presence is one of power, energy, and light! He might not reveal Himself immediately, but He is not absent from the moment we call upon him.
It was once said that “The Lord may not come when you want Him to, but He is always right on time!” With that begin said, when we find ourselves waged in a battle of thought, it is up to us to invite our Lord in! A simple repetition of the Jesus Prayer would be powerful enough to do this…”O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”
I sum these things up because, especially now as we begin the Advent Fast, we have to be vigilant in our thoughts. If and when they take root, we have to be purposeful with our prayer! St. John Chrysostom reminds us that a thief will never enter into a house where a party is going on! So in a real sense, we need to fill our souls up with the joyfulness of our Lord, and party because of His Presence within our hearts!
We start that journey at the Divine Liturgy with laying aside all earthly cares, so that we might fill the empty recesses of our hearts with God Himself in the Holy Eucharist. May those moments surrounding the Cherubic Hymn be a beginning for us all, that doesn’t just last until we exit the “calm haven” of the Church, but rather extends out to the rest of our lives in the midst of the fallen world.
[1] https://www.addictionhelp.com/porn/statistics/