If we were to say in the simplest terms what is the spiritual life, I think we couldn’t probably say better than accepting ourselves as we are. Not even transcending ourselves or perfecting ourselves, but simply accepting ourselves. That is the spiritual life. Without that self-acceptance, we cannot come to self-knowledge. Whatever part of ourselves we don’t accept, we repress. What is repressed is not available for the glorification of God. The glory of God is a man fully alive, fully self-accepting. We don’t fulfil our destiny, which is to glorify God, unless we do this hard work of accepting every bit of ourselves, even the bits that don’t seem to fit in, that don’t fit in with our religious image, our monastic image or even our Christian image. Every part of ourself has to be included in the final oblation.