Can a believer isolate himself from his brothers and sisters?

“Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” (Heb. 10:24), that is, let us support one another with prayer and good deeds. Our “competing” is “according to the rules” only⁹⁵² when we gather together in the spirit of love as members of one another. “Therefore, let us pursue the things which make up for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (Rom. 14:19). Even a hermit is obliged to pray in plural, saying, “Our Father who art in heaven … forgive us our sins.”

St. John Chrysostom says, “For nothing so especially makes persons easily vanquished and subdued in temptations, as isolation. For, tell me, scatter a phalanx in war, and the enemy will need no trouble, but will take them prisoners, coming on them separately, and thereby the more helpless.”⁹⁵³ “There is no such great evil as isolation and man staying out of the group without communication.”⁹⁵⁴ “On this account the assembly of the whole Church has more power: and what each cannot do by himself singly, he is able to do when joined with the rest. Therefore most necessary are the prayers offered up, here, for the world, for the Church, from the one end of the earth to the other, for peace, for those who are in adversities, are important.”⁹⁵⁵

950 St. John Chrysostom, Hom. Laz . 6 (PG 48:1037–1038).

951 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies On Hebrews 34.8 (NPNF I/14:522).

952 Cf. 2 Timothy 2:5.

953 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies On Hebrews 30.2 (NPNF I/14:503).

954 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of St. John 78.41 (NPNF I/14:288).

955 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts 37 (NPNF I/11:231).