The Healing Power of Almsgiving, Fasting, and Prayer

79. Almsgiving heals the soul’s incensive power; fasting withers sensual desire; prayer purifies the intellect and prepares it for the contemplation of created beings. For the Lord has given us commandments which correspond to the powers of the soul.

St. Maximus the Confessor Four Hundred Centuries on Love: #79

Maximus the Confessor explains that almsgiving heals the soul’s incensive power, fasting withers sensual desire, and prayer purifies the intellect. These practices correspond to the powers of the soul and prepare it for contemplation and divine communion.

Imagine a gardener tending to a diverse array of plants, each requiring specific care to thrive. Almsgiving, fasting, and prayer are like the gardener’s tools, nurturing the different aspects of the soul. Almsgiving softens our hearts, fostering compassion and healing anger. Fasting disciplines our bodies, curbing excessive desires. Prayer lifts our minds to God, cleansing our thoughts and preparing us for deeper spiritual insights.

By faithfully practicing almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, we cultivate a balanced and healthy soul, ready to receive and reflect the divine light. These disciplines are gifts from God, designed to guide us towards holiness and union with Him.

Practicing these disciplines regularly helps us to grow in virtue and holiness. They strengthen our relationship with God and prepare us to experience His presence more fully. Through almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, we become more attuned to God’s will and more capable of living out His love in our daily lives.