The Power Of Humility

Εὐρίσκω Μανασσῆν ἐκεῖνον ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὡς οὐδέν ἕτερον ἀμαρτήσαντα, καὶ τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν εἰδώλοις, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν Θρησκείαν μολύναντα· ὑπὲρ οὖ εἰ πὰς ὁ κόσμος νενήστευκεν, οὐδὲν ἂν ἄξιον ἀντεισενεγκεῖν ἠδυνατο, ἀλλ’ ἴσχυσεν ἡ ταπείνωσις ἀνίατα ἰάσασθαι ἐν αὐτῷ. Ὅτι εἰ ἠθέλησας θυσίαν, ἔδωκα ἂν, τῷ Θεῷ, φησὶν ὁ Δαυῖδ, ὁλοκαυτώματα, σώματα διὰ νηστείας, οὐκ εὐδοκήσεις. Θυσία τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὸ ἐξῆς νενόηται πᾶσιν. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης τῆς Κλίμακος, Λογος ΚΕ', ἡ Κλίμαξ

I find that Manasseh sinned like no other man has by his placing of idols in the Temple of God and defiling all the divine worship, and if the whole world had fasted for him, it would not have been enough to repair this, but humility had the power to cure the incurable in him. 'For if you had desired a sacrifice I would have given it,' says David to God, 'Holocausts and fasting bodies do not please you. A sacrifice to God...' 1 And everyone knows the rest. Saint John Climacus, Step 25, The Ladder 1. Ps 50.18