623 chapter 15: the windows of the mystical temple hardly religious, not to say blasphemous. There is a great cleanliness in that temple, and through its windows not even flies, let alone any birds, can enter. You will have a similar purity of heart and soul if you live with closed ears. You may be whiter than snow, purer than crystal, but you will be easily blackened if you lend an easy ear to all things. Once it was solemnly said: “Evil conversations corrupt good morals” (1 Cor 15:33) [LV]. How many men would be chaste, and holy, and not heretical, if they perceived these evil conversations as the harpies which force themselves upon their mind through their ears, and they would either chase them away, or flee from them. The Apostle foresaw this when he wrote prophetically to his dearest Timothy about lax Christians in the following way: “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths” (2 Tim 4:3-4). In the annals of the ancient Fathers it is related that a certain saint began a discourse among his followers about the words of God. But they began to fall asleep. However, when he began a witty story, they awoke and suddenly listened to his words with intense attention. Ah, wretched we are, while pious discourses and even sermons themselves weary us, we have taste of the things that are prying, fabled, harmful, detrimental. Yet we are not ignorant of the fact that the most sure sign of predestination to heavenly glory is the eager and attentive hearing and fulfillment of the Word of God. “Blessed,” (said Christ himself ), “are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Lk 11:28). Therefore, so that we may not be deprived of this blessing, Paul suggests not only to Timothy but to all of the faithful: “You will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching you have followed. Avoid profane and silly myths” (1 Tim 4:6-7). But I add that we must avoid chatting, especially in the House of God, and especially at the time of a sermon. I would further add that we should not indeed present our ears to arguments and controversies that do not
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