“Just as the body has an ear, so also does the soul. Not everybody has an ear that is open, nor does every soul… The soul whose ears are open, hears and listens to God speaking and does what God commands. Truly, such a soul cannot but hear God and obey His commandments if it has its ears open. Men listen and carry out the commands of earthly kings and lesser authorities, and will not a soul listen to God speaking if it has its ears open?
(St Tikhon of Zadonsk,  ‘Spiritual Treasure’)