The Peril of Pride and the Lost Divine Fire
In the story of Father Onufriy, we read a lesson about how arrogance can obscure true heavenly gifts. At the beginning of his spiritual journey, he experienced moments of pure bliss when he felt the presence of a holy fire warming his heart. However, when a shadow of pride crept into his soul, everything changed in an instant. In his quest to elevate himself and exaggerate his own importance, he unwittingly lost the grace that once filled his life with energy. This drama reveals the depth of inner emotions and underscores that even the faint, yet powerful, gift may remain unattainable if pride takes root in the heart. The story of Onufriy reminds us of the need for humility and genuine devotion to preserve the divine spark capable of illuminating our path to spiritual perfection.
What could explain the blindness of Father Onufriy, the founder of the Olonets Monastery?The primary reason provided in the cited sources for Father Onufriy's blindness (the loss of the divine fire) is pride. According to the text from source link txt, when Father Onufriy experienced a wondrous vision and felt heavenly joy, fear and trembling later took hold of his heart. Turning to Elder Gregory, he asked:"Father! The divine fire that warmed my heart has faded! Why have I, wretched one, been deprived of this consolation?" ( link txt)Elder Gregory replied that the cause lay in pride: Onufriy had lofty notions about himself, and it was precisely because of this pride that God's blessing was hidden from him. This moment is clearly recorded later in the narrative:"— For pride," answered Gregory, "you had lofty thoughts about yourself, and because of that, God's blessing has been hidden from you." ( link txt)Thus, according to the provided materials, Father Onufriy's blindness (the loss of the divine fire) is attributed to his pride, when his elevated self-perception became an obstacle to maintaining God's grace.Supporting citation(s):"Father! The divine fire that warmed my heart has faded! Why have I, wretched one, been deprived of this consolation?" (source: link txt)"— For pride," answered Gregory, "you had lofty thoughts about yourself, and because of that, God's blessing has been hidden from you." (source: link txt)