"What is the filthiness of soul? Filthy thoughts, a lascivious glance, the inability to forgive, a lie—and so on."
— St. Ephrem the Syrian
How a Darkened Intellect Pollutes the Soul
Inspired by St. Ephrem the Syrian
This is the interior posture of a darkened intellect—when the mind, clouded by sin, begins to call evil good, and good evil. The soul becomes unclean not merely through scandalous behavior, but through the subtle habits we allow to take root: envy, resentment, dishonesty, impure thoughts, and refusal to forgive.
We were created to reflect the light of God. But when the soul is stained, like a clouded mirror, it no longer reflects His radiance clearly. Sin—especially the sins we justify or hide—dims our spiritual vision and distances us from God.
Yet there is hope. Christ came not only to forgive us but to purify us. Through confession, prayer, and grace, the soul can be made clean again—freed from the filth that weighs it down.
Ask yourself today:
What thoughts, habits, or wounds are polluting my soul?
What needs to be brought into the light and surrendered?
Let the words of the Psalmist be your prayer:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)
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In Christ,
Dann Aungst
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Road to Purity, inc