Last winter, I was given a little book called "From the Fathers to the
Churches: Daily spiritual readings". I am benefiting by reading it!
For your consideration:
From 'A Reading from the homilies of St Gregory the Great on the Gospels"
"I want to advise you to leave everything, but I do not want to be presumptuous. If therefore, you are unable to abandon everything which the world offers, you must so hold those things that are of this world that you may not be held by them in the world; that earthly interests may be possessed not be the possessor, and that what you have should be under the control of your mind. Otherwise, if your mind is bound by the love of earthly things, it may itself rather be possessed by its own possessions.
Therefore let temporal possessions be what you use, eternal things what you desire. Let temporal goods be for use on the way, eternal goods be for when you arrive at your goal. Whatever goes on in this world, let it be as it were glanced at from the side. Let the eyes of our mind gaze straight ahead of us, while they are focused intently on the goal to which we shall come." Book 2, Homily 36, 11
