The Evil Eye

ὁ δὲ πονηρὸς ὀφθαλμός ἐστιν ἡ προσποίητος ἀγάπη, ἥτις καὶ ὑπόκρισις καλεῖται· δι' ἧς ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα σκοτίζεται τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Ἄξια μὲν σκότους πράγματα ἐννοούμενον ἔσωθεν· διὰ δὲ τῶν ἔξωθεν μερῶν, φωτὸς εἶναι δοκοῦντα προφέρον ῥήματα· λύκοι γάρ εἰσιν ὡς ἀληθῶς, προβάτων περιβεβλημένοι δοράς· οἱ τὸ ἔξωθεν τοῦ ποτηρίου καὶ τῆς παροψίδος μόνον πλύνοντες, καὶ οὐκ εἰδότες, ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ τὸ ἔσωθεν τούτων καθαρισθῇ, οὐδὲ τὸ ἔξωθεν καθαρὸν δύναται γενέσθαι. Διόπερ τούτους σαφῶς ἐλέγχων, φησὶν ὁ Σωτὴρ, ὅτι· Εἰ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐν σοὶ, σκότος, τὸ σκότος πόσον; Τουτέστιν· εἰ ἡ δοκοῦσά σοι ἀγάπη εἶναι φῶς, διὰ τὴν ἐν σοὶ κεκρυμμένην ὑπόκρισιν σκότους ἄξιόν ἐστιν ἔργον, τί τὰ προφανῆ σου παραπτώματα; Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ο Θαυματουργός, Ἐἰς Τὸ Κατά Ματθαῖον Ἐὐαγγέλλιον

But the evil eye is false love, which is also called hypocrisy, by which the whole body of man is darkened. Deeds deemed fit for darkness may be within, while by outer members words come forth that seem to be of the light: for these are in truth wolves, though they may be wrapped in the fleeces of sheep. Such are they who wash only the outside of cup and bowl, not understanding that unless the inside is cleansed, nor can the outside be clean. Thus, in open reproach of such, the Saviour says: 'If the light in you is darkness, how great that darkness?' That is to say, if the love which seems to you to be light is, by reason of some hypocrisy hidden in you, is a work fit for darkness, how patent are your errors? Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus, Commentary on Matthew.