Daily Reflection for July 18, 2018

One day when he was sitting in front of the church, the brethren were consulting him about their thoughts. One of the old men who saw it became a prey to jealousy and said to him, ‘John, your vessel is full of poison.’ Abba John said to him, ‘That is very true, Abba; and you have said that when you only see the outside, but if you were able to see the inside, too, what would you say then?’

One of the most insidious passions or thoughts is envy. It can poison relationships in community. Here John replies with humility instead of being offended and in doing so perhaps brings his brother to conversion as well.