The elder said to the brother: My son, dust does not gather in a single day, but neither is it cleaned in a single day. Dust settles slowly, yet it leaves quickly when the light comes. Know that the dust of indifference is not removed by effort, but by turning back. When the heart turns toward Christ, the dust falls off by itself, just as frost melts when the sun rises. Do not fear that much has gathered, for Christ does not count the lost years, but the moment you return. The Mother of God does not look at how long you stayed in darkness, but at how sincerely you want to step into the light, and the Saints do not ask why you let the dust accumulate, but show you how to lift the first broom: prayer.
Then the elder said: My son, the dust is not your shame, but the proof that Christ has waited for you.
Apophthegm
A brother said to the elder: Father, how can I clean this dust, if it has gathered over the years?
The elder answered him: My son, the modern man is not afraid of dust, but of the silence in which the dust becomes visible. That is why he always runs, so he will not see what he has left behind. But know that the dust of the soul is not wiped away with spiritual tissues, but with true tears. A single tear of repentance wipes more than a thousand resolutions. The modern man cleans the screen of his phone every day, but does not clean the screen of his heart for years, and then wonders why he no longer sees Christ. The Mother of God does not ask you to be clean, but to want to be cleansed, and the Saints do not judge you for your dust, but rejoice for every speck you leave behind.
Then the elder spoke a word: My son, the dust does not destroy you; only becoming accustomed to it does.
And the brother said within himself: How can I stop getting used to the dust, if I have grown used to myself?
Pustia Inimii 