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Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
“Watchfulness is a continual fixing and. halting of thought at the entrance to the heart. In this way predatory and murderous thoughts are marked down as they approach and what they say and do is noted; and we can see in what specious and delusive form the demons are trying to deceive the intellect. If we are conscientious in this, we can gain much experience and knowledge of spiritual warfare.” – St. Hesychios the Priest
Human beings are very special creations. We have the ability not only to think, but to think about thinking. We are able to observe and think about our own thought processes. Modern science refers to this as metacognition. The holy fathers encourage a disciplined use of metacognition they called watchfulness.
As the fathers describe it, it is the discipline of simply paying attention to what you think much the same way you pay attention to what you are eating during Great Lent. If something is unacceptable, it is not admitted. If that can of soup says it contains milk on the label, it goes back on the shelf. When you become aware of a thought that has sin in the label, you throw it out.
Today St. Gregory Palamas, along with countless other Holy Ascetics, encourage us to be careful not only of what goes into our mouths, but also what goes into our eyes and ears. Sure, you are not allowing any eggs or dairy to enter into your stomach, but of what use is that if you are allowing violence, sexual images, or immoral themes into your very mind!?
Be watchful. Watch what you watch. Watch what you read. Watch your internet browsing and your discussions. St. Paul tells us, “Whatever things are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, if there is any virtue or any praise, think about these things”. (Philippians 4:8) And St. Peter, having been chastised for his lack of watchfulness, later tells the Church: “The end of all things is near! Therefore, be clear-minded, self-controlled and sober in prayer.” (1 Peter 4:7)
“When we strive with diligent sobriety to keep watch over our rational faculties, to control and correct them, how else can we succeed in this task except by collecting our mind, which is dispersed abroad through the senses, and bringing it back into the world within, into the heart itself, which is the storehouse of all our thoughts?” – St. Gregory Palamas
