St. Peter the Damascene: What is True Faith?

[Excerpted and translated by Elpenor]

FOR such a person--a person of true faith--will not worry at all anymore about anything whatever, knowing, that A horse is prepared for war but it is salvation that is from God , as Solomon says (Prov. 21.31). And by faith he dares anything without any doubt, as St. Isaak says: Aquire faith inside yourself to defeat your enemies. For he neither lives as autonomous, but as a living being guided by God's will, as the prophet says:

I became near you like a beast, nevertheless I am continually with you (Ps. 72.22-23). Do you wish to comfort me in your knowledge? Be it as you wish. Do you wish to let me in temptations in order to humiliate me? The same I follow you. Without you I have nothing to do. Without you I wouldn't be born out of nothing, neither can I live or be saved. Do with your creature whatever you like.

But I believe that you have prepared for me good things, since you are good, even if it isn't useful for me to know them. But neither am I worthy to know, nor do I ask to know in order to gain comfort. Perhaps it will not do me good. Nor comfort from any war dare I to ask, though I am feeble and everything brings me pain, because I don't know for whom it is beneficial. It is you who knows everything, do accordingly as you know. Let me only not fail, whatever might happen. But whether I will it or not, save me. And this, if it pleases you. Therefore, I don't want anything at all. I stand before you like a soulless being. I put my soul into your inoccent hands, in this age and in the age to come.