No Excuses

Μηδεὶς βάρος καὶ πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν προφασιζόμενος ἀνάξιον ἑαυτὸν τοῦ μοναχικοῦ ἐπαγγέλματος ἀποκα λοῖτο· καὶ διὰ ἡδυπάθειαν ἑαυτὸν εὐτελίζειν νομιζετω, προφασιζόμενος προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις. Ὅπου γὰρ πολλὴ ἠ σηπεδών, ἐκαῖ καὶ μεγάλης ἰατρείας χρεία, ἴνα τὸν ῥύπον ἀπόθηται. Οἱ γὰρ ὑγιαίνοντες ἐν ἰατρείω οὐ παραγίνονται. Εἰ βασιλέως ἐπιγείου καλέσαντος, καὶ εἰς τὴν κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ δουλείαν στρατεῦσαι θελήσαντος, οὐκ ἀναμένομεν, οὐ προφασιζόμεθα· ἀλλὰ πάντα καταλείψανρες προθύμως αὐτὸν καταφθάνομεν· πρόσχωμεν ἑαυτοῖς, μή πως τοῦ Βασιλέως τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ Κυρίου τῶν κυρίων, καὶ Θεοῦ τῶν θεῶν καλοῦντος ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν οὐράνιον ταύτην τάξιν, ἐξ ὀκνηρὶας, καὶ ῥᾳθυμίας παραιτησώμεθα, καὶ ἐν τῶ μεγαλῳ βήματι εὑρεθῶμεν ἀναπολόγητοι· δυνατὸν μὲν γὰρ καὶ δεδεμένον τοῖς τοῦ βίου πράγμασι, καὶ σιδηραῖς φροντίσι Βαδίζειν, άλλὰ δυσχερῶς. Ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ σίδηρα περικείμενοι ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν πολλάκις βαδίζουσιν. Ἀλλὰ συνεχῶς προσκόπτουσι, καὶ τραύματα ἐκ τούτου δέχονται.   Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης τῆς Κλίμακος, ἡ Κλίμαξ

Let no one on the account of the weight and multitude of his sins declare himself unworthy of the monastic vow, and because of a delight in pleasures disqualify himself, excusing himself in his sins. For where there is much putrefaction, major treatment is required to draw out the impurity. The healthy do not call on a physician. If a king of this world were to summon us and request us to serve him, we should not delay nor should we make excuses, but we should leave everything and with zeal hurry to him. Let us be alert, then, lest when the King of kings and Lord of lords and God of gods summons us to heavenly office, we because of reluctance and indolence avoid it, and so find ourselves without excuse at the Last Judgment. Yes, it is possible to walk even when weighed down with worldly affairs and heavy cares, but only with difficulty. Even those with their feet bound by irons can often walk, but frequently they stumble and suffer injury. Saint John Climacus, The Ladder