By H. H. Pope Shenouda III
A Poem from his book : "The Release of the Spirit"
published in 1957.
nothing to be desired.. but only temptations for the beginners..
I want nothing of the world, for the world is too poor to
give me.. If what I want is available in the world, the world
would be a heaven.. But it is still an, earth as I see.. there is
nothing in it except material things.. in fact I search for heavenly
matters, for the Spirit, for God..
I want nothing of the world, for I am not of the world.. I
am not dust as they think, I am a divine breath.. I was with God
from eternity, and God placed me on the earth.. But I shall
leave it after a while and return to God.. So I want nothing of
this earth.. 'I came forth from the Father, and have come into
the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father"
(John. 16:28).
I want nothing of the world, all that I want is to get rid
of it, to be released from it, from the flesh and from the earth! I
want to return to God-as before-to be again a holy breath not
defiled by any worldly thing..
I want nothing of the world because I seek eternal
immortal things and the world has nothing that is immortal..
All that is in the world is passing away, even the world itself
will perish and come to nothing..I do not seek perishable
things..
I want nothing of the world .There is He whom I ask to
give me.. He who is rich and powerful, in whom I have found
satisfaction and nothing is lacked .. He gives me before I ask
Him, He gives me what is good and of benefit to me.. Since I
have put myself in His hands I need nothing of the world.
I want nothing of the world, for the world does not give
me benefit but with purpose to subjugate me.. Those who
received what the world gave them became slaves to the world..
It gave them the pleasures of the body and took from them the
purity of the spirit.. The world gave them the worldly enjoyment
and took from them the blessing of the heavenly Kingdom..
Satan gave them all the kingdoms of the world and their glory
to make them fall down and worship him.. He always gives all
that he has to make people lose their souls.. As for me, "I have
suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I
may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:8).
This world takes more than what it gives.. It subjects those
who desire it... So I want nothing of it..
I want nothing of the world, for I am superior to it.. I am
a son of God - in the image of God and after His likeness.. I am
a temple for the Holy Spirit and a place of dwelling for God.. I
am the only creature who partakes of His holy flesh and blood..
I am superior to the world and the world is asking me to give
it.. for I have the keys of the heavens and earth.. I, whom God,
in His loving-kindness and humbleness, willed to make me the
light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13,14).
I want nothing of the world, because I want to live as my
fathers did; those whom the earth was not deserving to trod on
.. They lived so, received nothing of the world. On the other
hand they were a blessing to the world.. For the sake of their
prayers God sent water on the earth.. and for their sakes God
preserved the world till today..
I want nothing of the world, because sin entered it and
corrupted it.. In the beginning God saw everything and behold
it was very good, as sin had not yet entered the world. Even
the great sea creatures were blessed by God to be fruitful and to
multiply.. But now, the marvellous picture which God has
drawn is scarred. Therefore I reject the world which loves the
darkness more than the light and I no longer desire anything of
it.
I want nothing of the world, because I want You alone; You
who loved me till the end and gave Yourself up for me; You
who formed me out of nothing and was not in need of my
service but it is rather I who was in need of your sovereignty..
Therefore I want to be released from the world and be united to
You, who gave me the gift of knowing You .
By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
I want nothing of this world
