Retreat and Ascent

Τοσοῦτον χρησιμεύει πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡ τῶν θορύβων τῶν ἀστικῶν ἀναχώρησις, ὅτι τὰς πόλεις καταλιπὼν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ὑιὸς, ἐπ' ἄκρων ὀρέων τοὺς καθαρῶς βιοῦντας ἐμακάριζε. Δεικνὺς δι' ὤν πράττων ἐδίδακεν, ὡς ἀδύνατον, τὸν μὴ ἀποσπασθέντα τῶν χαμαιζήων, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἄκραν ἀρετὴν ἀναβάντα, μακαρισθὴναι παρὰ Θεοῦ, ἢ τῶν μελλόντων τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν. Ὁ γὰρ τὰ ἄνω φρονῶν, ἐκεῖ κατοικεῖ, οὖ Χριστός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ καθεζόμενος.  Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Ἐπιστολὴ Διοσκορῳ

Withdrawal from urban tumult conduces to salvation so much that even the Son of God, abandoning the towns, blessed the purer life on the heights of the mountains. Evidently He teaches by deeds, so that those who are unable to tear themselves from things of the earth and to ascend to virtue, might be blessed by God or meet future goods. He who thinks of high things dwells where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Letter to Dioscorus