Honey

A monk once came to his confessor and said:
– Father, every time I come to you, I confess and lament my sins, I receive from you advice for correction, but I cannot change. What good can I get from coming to you, if I fall into the same sins anyway?

The father replied:
– My son, take two clay jars – one with honey, and the other empty.
The monk did so.
– And now, – his father said, - pour the honey from one into the other several times.
The disciple listened to him again.
– Now, my son, look at the empty vessel and smell it. 

The monk smelled it and said:
– Father, the empty vessel smells of honey, and there, at its bottom, there is a little honey left.
– Look, my teachings are stored in your soul. If you acquire at least some of the virtues for the sake of Christ, God, through His mercy, will fill what you lack and save your soul for eternal life. Just as a housewife does not keep peppercorns in a pot that smells of honey, so God will not turn you away if you plant a good beginning in your soul.