Virtues alone are not enough Some would say they fast, pray, confess, read the Holy Scripture and spiritual books, minister, give charity, and partake of the Holy Communion, and practice many virtues, however, their spiritual life is at a standstill with no growth at all. They do not know the reason. Such virtues perhaps are defective

Solomon the Wise says, "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (Prov 16: 32) Who then is the person who rules his spirit, that is, who has self-control? Self-control has various aspects, such as control over tongue, over thoughts, over senses, over stomach, over desires and lusts, over nerves, and over all acts of a person.

The influence of reading, listening, and senses On the life of virtue Thinking and Senses: Senses are the source of thoughts, for what a person reads or hears bring forth thoughts. What a person sees occupies the mind, then the thoughts of the mind go to the heart in the form of feelings and emotions, and these easily affect the will and turn into action!

Unless you are converted and become as little children … (Mt 18: 3) How can a person lead a life of virtue and righteousness? The Lord set for His disciples an important and strange precondition for entering the kingdom of heaven, saying, "Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 18: 3)

In the Life of Virtue and Righteousness The importance of yielding fruit:Spiritual life must yield fruit in our lives and the lives of the others, for the Lord stresses on this, saying, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit … I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit." (Jn 15: 1- 5)

Definition, aim, and means What is virtue? Is it mere name or title, such as prayer, fasting, ministry, or charity, or there are measures for it? The three measures by which any virtue is proved as true or false are definition, aim, and means. Prayer: What is it? Is it a talk with God, or mere reciting, and how is it done? How feelings, understanding, and attachment to God are measured?

The Royal daughter is all glorious within (Ps 45) The interior and the exterior: The kingdom of God is within you (Lk 17: 21), i.e., within your mind, heart, feelings, emotions, and intentions. When God reigns within, naturally the fruit will appear in one's actions. Mere external righteousness is hypocrisy. The scribes and Pharisees appeared righteous, but the Lord refused them as hypocrites, and rebuked them, saying, "You cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence." "You are like whitewashed tombs

The three levels governing man's behavior The individual level, the social level, and the spiritual level are three levels governing man's behavior as regards virtue and ambitions. A few benefit from the three, while some choose one or two only, and either benefit from them wisely or deviate. The individual level:+ On this level, a person attempts to lift himself up by acquiring certain virtues or ambitions, developing his mentality, his understanding, and his talents, or acquiring new talents through exercises of memory and reaching conclusions. Some exercises may develop intellectual ability and perception through training on solving problems or quizzes, all of which may give a person a keen and discerning eye.

Spirituality is walking in the Spirit. St. Paul put it clearly, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit." (Rom 8: 1) "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit … for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God … So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8: 5- 8) Spirituality then is going beyond the carnal level.

Almost everybody agrees concerning the good aim, but we may differ concerning the means leading to it. This may be due to the difference in thoughts, in views and degrees of intelligence, and in nature and surroundings, all of which result in different conclusions and judgments.

The danger of focusing on one virtue (B) The Virtue of Obedience In continuation of the same topic, we shall speak here about: The Virtue of Obedience: God commanded us to obey our spiritual guides who watch out for our souls as those who must give account (Heb 13: 17). Moreover, we have in the Paradise of Monks various wonderful examples of obedience to the fathers in holiness. However, we should not obey blindly whatever the case may be; for

The danger of focusing on one virtue A fault in which many, or the majority, fall, is focusing on one virtue only, contradicting or neglecting other virtues. Spiritual life is not merely one sole virtue, but it extends to everything, the same as the Holy Scripture, which is not merely one verse or one commandment, but rather an integral Book speaking about good

What is it? What are its types and levels? In continuation of the definition of virtue, we add: Communion of the Holy Spirit: The Spirit of God dwells in us (1 Cor 3: 16); He works within us and through us, therefore, we should take part in work instead of taking a passive stand. Virtue is therefore communion with the Holy Spirit.

What is it? How to be attained? What are its sources? What is virtue, and who is "a virtuous person"? He may be one who likes and does good and righteousness, whereas virtue may mean purity or walking in the way of God. It also may mean power within oneself enabling a person to overcome all inclinations and temptations of evil, and to practice a righteous life. It may mean going beyond the self to the care for others, beyond self-love to love for God and people. This is important, because sin often makes one focus on oneself trying to lift oneself up and satisfy one's own desires.

The fields and characteristics of growth in ministry can be briefed in the following points: Fields of growth in ministry: 1. Growth in number: We have covered this point in the preceding Article. 2. Growth in visitation extending to everybody: It starts with visiting the absentees, and develops into searching into the financial and spiritual needs of those ministered to, visiting students of Sunday Schools, and referring their families to the father priests to take care of them. 3. Growth in organizing the ministry: This can be realized by using computer. 4. Growth in spreading the ministry: It should extend to villages,

Growth is a principal condition for successful spiritual ministry, and it may take various forms: increase in the number of ministers or those ministered to, growth in the type or character of ministry, or spiritual growth. Increase in number:A prominent example is the ministry of the Lord Christ and His holy apostles, for He started with twelve disciples (Mt 10), then seventy others (Lk 10). When choosing Matthias there were about a hundred and twenty (Acts 1: 15), then over five hundred brethren to whom the Lord

Strange indeed to see ministers with a double personality; behaving in the ministry in a completely different way than at home! In Sunday Schools, for instance, they appear like holy angels, uttering humble and gentle words, seeking the prayer of everybody as sinners, weak and undeserving. At home,

In continuation of the preceding Article about individual work done by the Lord Christ and the Father Apostles:Individual work is clear in the ministry of the Father Apostles as well as in their Epistles, as in St. Paul's Epistle to Philemon, where we read about his work with Philemon and with Onesimus the slave. St. Paul could turn him from a slave to a beloved brother profitable to him in the ministry. He even promised to repay his debts to Philemon (Philem 16- 18).

God cares for the whole world, but His care also extends to individuals, thus giving us a wonderful example of how important is individual work! In the Old Testament: God sent His angel to shut the lions' mouths, so that they might not hurt Daniel in the den, and was with the three young man in the furnace, so fire had no power on their bodies (Da 6: 22; 3: 25- 31). He was with Elijah while fleeing from Queen Jezebel and spoke to him with a still small

By "labor" is not meant the vain labor of the world, but labor for the Kingdom. Vain labor of the world resembles that of Solomon for luxury and wealth, for having attained all that he said, "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind." (Eccl 2: 11) On the other hand your labor for God's sake is for your own salvation and for the edification of the Kingdom. Now let us focus on labor in the field of ministry:

The Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor (Isa 61: 1) The prophecy says regarding the Lord Christ, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." (Isa 61: 1) Who then are those poor for whom the Lord came to preach good tidings?