48. The ascetic must devote himself entirely to the Lord with all his heart, with all his mind, and with all his strength, and, having been crucified to the world in soul and body, he must constantly work for Him in the fulfillment of His commandments, so that, having stood steadfastly on this path, he may receive eternal and blessed life.

49. He who bridles the belly diminishes the passions, but he who is conquered by him multiplies them. The more wood, the stronger the flame, and the more food, the more worms there will be. When the Holy Spirit, who dwells in a person, unable to endure the stench of gluttony, departs from him, then an evil spirit enters into him and corrupts everything within him. As smoke drives away bees, so gluttony drives away the grace of the Holy Spirit.

50. It is not bad to drink a little wine, as the Apostle wrote to Timothy, for its moderate use does not disturb the natural state of the body and does not arouse evil thoughts in the mind; only its immoderate use is the sowing of thorns of passions and vile thoughts.

51. The ascetic must abstain from everything, not only from the multitude and variety of foods, but also from everything that is forbidden. As the body, deprived of one limb, everything becomes ugly, so he who neglects the one virtue of abstinence destroys all its splendor. For abstinence is the restraining of oneself from every passionate and sinful deed and striving, in order to do nothing but the will of God. One must preserve abstinence in all senses: in sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, in gait and in all affairs in general.

52. A person who wishes to please God by polishing must also keep all the commandments, for why do we fast, if not in order to fulfill the will of God more conveniently?

53. When we love God with strong love, He will not remember our former iniquities, for He does not reproach those who come, nor does He say, "Why have you fled from Me so long?" but with love He receives every repentant sincerely, whenever he comes to Him. Let us cleave to Him strongly, and pierce our flesh with His fear.

54. The strength of the body is exhausted by illnesses, its beauty is taken away by old age, and after a rich meal, hunger soon returns again. Let us abandon the care of what we cannot perpetuate. Let us move to the heavenly Jerusalem through virtues. Let us exhaust the body with labor and fasting and enslave it to the soul, so that it does not enslave the soul to the devil!

55. Frequent instruction in the Divine Scriptures lulls the material-loving passions to sleep like wild beasts. Following the example of the Apostle, let us always bear in our bodies the death of the Lord Jesus.

56. Be vigilant, stand still, be sober. No one who sleeps is married. The devil flees the teetotaler and robs the sleeper. Do not let your eyes sleep and your eyelids slumber, that you may be saved, like a chamois from an arrow, and a bird from a shadow.

57. Let us flee from the snares of this life and its cares, which in no way benefit us. Having renounced the world, let us also renounce the flesh, for the all-evil devil has many snares. Looking to heaven, let us count the sorrows of this life for nothing, and let us shorten its care by the hope and power of Christ.

58. Behold, the Bridegroom is coming at midnight (cf. Matt. 25:6): hearken, that when you hear His voice, you will be found ready to go out to meet Him. Blessed is that servant, whose coming, the Lord shall find vigilant (cf. Matt. 24:46).

59. In the Great War, we are in this life. The wicked walk around (Psalm I, 9) with bows strained, and one strikes the ear to passionately listen to condemnations and slander, another to the eyes of lustful gaze, this one to destroy a brother, this one to the belly to lust after food, another hands to steal another's things, and another to let the feet flow to evil. For this reason take up all the armor, in which ye shall be able to quench all the arrows of the evil one that have been kindled (Ephesians 6:13, 16).

60. What does the Lord require of you, if not that you love righteousness, show mercy, and be willing to do anything with the Lord? Let us cleave to the Lord and let us not waste our time in vain, but, as to the good Lord, let us offer Him sincere service. He teaches us and exhorts us, comforts and threatens us, and gives His kingdom as a reward for obedience to those who listen to Him.

61. To whom we are numbered, we must live in the image of them. The Scriptures count us among strangers and strangers. Let us live here as in an inn, remembering that we must get out of it in every possible way. Let us take care both of the way and of what is necessary for the way to eternal life; let us put on the garments in which we are to appear there, that is, as the Apostle commands: in the wombs of generosity, kindness, longsuffering, humility (cf. Col. 3:12), for the Lord says: "Not everyone shall say to me, Lord! God! enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but do the will of the Father who is in heaven (cf. Matt. 7:21).