A Fiery Body

Ἠρώτησάν τινες τῶν Πατέρων τὸν ἀββᾶν Μακὰριον τὸν Αἰγύπτιον, λέγοντες· Πῶς ὅτε ἐσθίεις καὶ ὅτε νηστεύεις, τὸ σῶμα σου ξηρόν ἐστι; Και λέγει αὐτοϊς ὁ γέρων· Τὸ ξυλον τὸ στρέφον τὰ καιόμενα φρύγανα, δι' ὅλου ἐσθίεται ἐκ τοῦ πυρός. Οὕτως ἐὰν καθαρεύσῃ ἄνθρωπος τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῳ φόβῳ τοῦ θεοῦ, αὐτὸς ὁ φόβος τοῦ Θεοῦ κατεσθίει τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ. Ἀποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Some of the Fathers questioned Abba Macarius the Egyptian, saying 'Why is it that whether you eat or fast, your body is emaciated?' The old man said to them, 'The wood that is used to turn burning sticks is eventually entirely devoured by the fire. Likewise if a man purifies his soul in the fear of God, that same fear of God consumes his body.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia