Abba Paul went to see Abba Basil and said, "Abba, as far as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I read and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?"
Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he responded, "If you will, you can become all fire. You cannot be a monk unless you become like a consuming fire."
The soul fills the body, as God fills the world. The soul bears the body, as God bears the world. The soul outlasts the body, as God outlasts the world. The soul is one in the body, as God is One in the world. The soul sees and is not seen, as God is seen and is not seen. The sould is pure in the body, as God is pure in the world.
