Cited in Barsanuphius and John: Letters, vol. 1, p. 257-258
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To renounce one’s own will is a sacrifice of blood. It means that one has reached the point of laboring to death and of ignoring one’s own will. The statement ‘Behold, we have left everything and have followed you’ is about perfection; it is not about property and small amounts of money, but about thoughts and desires. You, however, have not yet come to this perfection; when you approach there, you will hear what you have to do. For the time being, simply remain carefree in all matters and concerns. As for your property, keep it for now for your nurture. The Lord Jesus Christ will bring you to that ineffable joy; for he is eternal light. Amen.

— Barsanuphius

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "To renounce one’s own will is a sacrifice of blood. It means that one has reached the point of laboring to death and of ignoring one’s own will. The statement ‘Behold, we have left everything and have followed you’ is about perfection; it is not about property and small amounts of money, but about thoughts and desires. You, however, have not yet come to this perfection; when you approach there, you will hear what you have to do. For the time being, simply remain carefree in all matters and concerns. As for your property, keep it for now for your nurture. The Lord Jesus Christ will bring you to that ineffable joy; for he is eternal light. Amen." in the context of "Cited in Barsanuphius and John: Letters, vol. 1, p. 257-258" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Barsanuphius" (Quotes, Letters) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 19, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Barsanuphius

About Barsanuphius

Barsanuphius (died c. 545), was a Christian hermit and writer of Egyptian origin in the sixth century who is venerated as a saint by various Christian churches. While he was living as a hermit close to Gaza at the monastery of Seridus, he became a famous spiritual director with many disciples (such as Dorotheus of Gaza) who asked him for his guidance. In response, he wrote, together with his fellow hermit John the Prophet, over 800 letters which influenced in particular Byzantine and Slavic monasticism.