THEOSISGregory the Great
Let the virtuous spouse reflect on the shortcomings of human reasoning in often contemplating what is forbidden. After the Divine Judge has absolved us of our transgressions, let Job, despite his own grief, expose our shortcomings, prompting us to grieve as well, saying, ‘If I have sinned, and you spare me in this hour, why do you not allow me to purify myself from my evil?’ It is as though he is expressing: ‘If my guilt is forgiven, why should it linger in my thoughts?’ Yet, frequently the mind becomes so burdened by the recollection of sin that it finds itself entangled in even greater offenses than before. Overwhelmed, it is beset by fears and driven by various desires, resulting in confusion.
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There is a fear of being vanquished by trials and, when faced with them, a horror emerges at how these very challenges present significant burdens. Thus comes the lament: If I am guilty, woe is me! If I am righteous, I cannot raise my head. I am filled with shame; behold my suffering. Certainly, the wicked must suffer woe, while the righteous endure trials, for eternal condemnation awaits the wicked, whereas the chosen are refined by the temporary trials they face. The wicked may elevate themselves, but in doing so, they cannot evade the sorrow that ensues. The righteous, who bear the struggles of competition, are unable to raise their heads; yet in their humility, they are liberated from everlasting anguish. The one who indulges in pleasures may find themselves falling into the consequences that follow, while the one who humbles themselves through suffering rises increasingly toward eternity.