What do we learn from the moon?

The moon appears to us to always be changing over time. Sometimes we see it as a full moon, sometimes as a crescent, and sometimes it seems to be hidden or dark. St. Basil the Great says, “Thus, the sight of the moon, making us think of the rapid vicissitudes of human things, ought to teach us not to pride ourselves on the good things of this life, and not to glory in our power, not to be carried away by uncertain riches, to despise our flesh which is subject to change, and to take care of the soul, for its good is unmoved. If you cannot behold without sadness the moon losing its splendour by gradual and imperceptible decrease, how much more distressed should you be at the sight of a soul, who, after having possessed virtue, loses its beauty by neglect, and does not remain constant to its affections, but is agitated and constantly changes because its purposes are unstable. What Scripture says is very true, ‘As for a fool he changes like the moon’ (Sir. 27:11)”⁴⁴⁷