St Peter of Damascus | Three giants of the devil: laziness, forgetfulness and ignorance

Indeed, I myself am terrified of those three giants of the devil about whom St Mark the Ascetic has written: laziness, forgetfulness and ignorance.

For I am always dominated by them, and I am afraid that in my unawareness of my own limitations I will stray from the straight path, as St Isaac puts it. It is for this reason that I have compiled this present collection.

The person who hates being rebuked is obviously subject to the passion of pride, St John Klimakos says; but the person who puts behind him the fault for which he was rebuked is loosed from his bonds.

As Solomon says, ‘When a fool enquires about wisdom, he is regarded as wise’ (cf. Prov. 17:28. LXX).

St Peter of Damascus