Archimandrite Sophrony of Essex: the regenerated soul

Those who are not reborn from on High will never understand those who are. There appears to be nothing outstanding about Christians, who may often seem morbid or hypocritical.The regenerated soul is more sensitive to all spiritual phenomena — more deeply wounded by all that is contrary to divine love: by calumny, violence, murder and so on. Together with this, a patient attitude to every ordeal makes the regenerated soul more able to apprehend the ‘wisdom that is from above’ (Jas. 3.17). In some hidden place within her she finds ‘a well of water springing up into everlasting life’ (John 4.14). Prayer is like a strong hand clinging fast to God’s raiment, at all times and in all places: in the turmoil of the crowd, in the pleasant hours of leisure, in periods of loneliness.

Archimandrite Sophrony of Essex