The Strength of the Lord Sustained Her

When the soul is completely penetrated by the love of God, Oh! How everything is good then, how everything is filled with sweetness and joy! But even then, one is not immune to affliction, and the greater the love, the greater the afflictions.

The Mother of God never sinned, even by a single thought, and she never lost God’s grace, but she was obliged to endure great affliction. When she stood at the foot of the Cross, her pain was as vast as the ocean.

The pain of her soul was incomparably greater than Adam’s when he was ousted from Paradise, because her love was also incomparably greater than Adam’s.

And if she remained alive it was only because the strength of the Lord sustained her. The Lord wanted her to see his Resurrection and to remain on the earth after his Ascension to console and rejoice with the Apostles and the new Christian people.

Starets Silouane,

Extraits de : Archimandrite Sophrony,

Starets Silouane, moine du mont Athos, Vie - Doctrine - Ecrits -, p. 355