Who in the outside world has worked wonders, raised the dead, expelled demons? No one. Such deeds are done by monks. It is their reward. People in the secular life cannot do these things, for, if they could, what then would be the point of ascetic practice and the solitary life?
~ St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 2
This statement by St. John Climacus might be scandalous to some, especially if I have any readers from a more “charismatic” strain of Christian piety. Indeed, he might be overstating his case a bit (really, “No one”?), but I find this saying, in general, to be a helpful caution.
Contrast this with the following from the Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Continue reading
Everyday Asceticism 