And the elder replied: The fire of the world consumes whatever it touches: wood turns to ashes, iron melts, and man grows weak. But the fire of God does not consume, it enlightens. So it is with friendship in Christ: it burns, but does not consume; it warms without extinguishing, and it enlightens without leaving darkness.
Human friendship, if it is not supported by prayer, feeds on passion, on interest, on pleasure. And then, like a flame without fuel, it dies out. But friendship in Christ needs no other nourishment than Him, and because He is infinite, this friendship is not consumed, but remains alive. Therefore, brother, when you see that your love for your neighbor does not weaken but grows stronger even in hardship, know that it is not you who sustains it, but Christ who sustains it. And then your friendship is no longer yours, but His. And what belongs to Him is not consumed, but burns eternally.
Apophthegm — The elder said: Friendship in Christ is like the silence of the hermit; it makes no sound, yet it cries out to heaven.
The brother, not fully understanding, asks: “How can silence cry out to heaven?”
Pustia Inimii 