Agony of Heart? St John Klimakos Responds

Hat Tip to Diakrisis Logismōn for this uplifting quote from St John of the Ladder.

Agony of Heart ?

God does not insist or desire that we should mourn in agony of heart; rather, it is His wish that out of love for Him we should rejoice with laughter in our soul. Take away sin, and tears become superfluous; where there is no bruise, no ointment is required. Before the Fall, Adam shed no tears, and in the same way there will be no more tears after the resurrec tion from the dead, when sin has been destroyed. For pain, sorrow, and lamentation will then have fled away.

~St. John Klimakos

I had missed this when originally posted, but am thankful to our Lord that I read it today. As I have noted before, Diakrisis Logismōn is a nice source of well considered spiritual wisdom, posted in nicely-sized doses, and well worth regular consumption for strengthening spiritual health.