– Yes, it always brings great benefits. Diseases help people who have no virtues to propitiate God[101]. Health is a big thing, but the good that illness brings to a person, health cannot give him! Illness brings spiritual good to a person. Illness is a great, great blessing. It cleanses a person from sin, and sometimes guarantees" him a [heavenly] reward. The soul of man is like gold, and sickness is like fire, which purifies this gold. Look, Christ also said to the Apostle Paul: "My strength is made perfect in weakness"[102]. The more a person suffers from illness, the purer and more holy he becomes, if only he endures and accepts the illness with joy.

The only thing that is needed in some diseases is a little patience. God allows illness in order for a person to receive a small reward, and through this illness God cleanses a person of his shortcomings. After all, bodily illness helps in the healing of spiritual illness. A bodily illness brings humility to a person and thus neutralizes his mental illness. God benefits from everything for the good of man! Everything He allows is of spiritual benefit to us. He knows what each of us needs, and accordingly He gives us sickness, either so that we may receive a reward for it, or so that we may pay for some sins.

Heavenly Reward for Illness

"How is your mother?"

"It's bad, Geronda. From time to time, her temperature rises very high, and this causes her unbearable pain. Her skin cracks, becomes covered with wounds, and at night she cannot sleep

"You know, such people are martyrs. If not completely martyrs, then half for sure.

"And for her, Geronda, her whole life is one continuous torment.