Although our spiritual literature is rich in guides for those seeking the salvation of the soul, since such books as the works of St. Ephraim the Syrian, St. Abba Barsanuphius, St. Isaac the Syrian, and others like them are quite expensive and therefore not accessible to everyone, the compilation of this book was undertaken, in which, like a treasury, much good material has been collected, with the aim of brevity and clarity of presentation in mind.
Many of the female monastics, living by their own labors, do not have enough time to read lengthy works; for such people this book is especially convenient.
There are many paths that lead to God, but we believe we will not be mistaken if we place at the head of everything the remembrance of death, the most precious of all spiritual feats, for it, and it alone, tears a person away from the vanities of this age, makes him dead to the world, destroys in him all sinful passions, replaces all feats, embraces the whole life of a person, purifies his heart, attracts to him the grace of the Holy Spirit, and thereby grants him a free ascent to heaven, without hindrance from the aerial powers of the ruler of the darkness of this age.
The great ascetic, St. Isaac of Syria, speaks about the remembrance of death thus: “Satan hates this providence and attacks with all his might to destroy it in man, for he knows, the cunning one, that if this thought abides in a man, then his mind is no longer on this earth of deception, and his wiles do not come near the man.”
Since the remembrance of death in its action is nothing other than the constant focus of the mind's attention, and with it all the soul's powers, on the future eternal life, the goal of all the tempter's efforts is to distract the attention of the ascetic for Christ and direct it toward worldly concerns, or to dissipate it among the vain things of this world. "And therefore," says St. Isaac, "if possible, Satan would give man the kingdom of the entire world, if only to erase such a thought from his mind through distraction. And if he could," confirms the holy father, "he would do so willingly."
So, here is the surest and shortest path for all who seek the salvation of their souls. The means to attain this incomparable blessing are set forth in this work in due order.
Also included here is a remarkable extract from the mytericon of the monk Isaiah, compiled by him exclusively for female monastics and previously not published in Russian.
We call upon the blessing of the Most High for our small work and ask that His grace open the minds and hearts of those who honor and strive to fulfill His holy will according to the saying: “Tell me Your ways, O Lord, and teach me Your paths.”
About faith in God
He who has faith and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not have faith will be condemned.
The evidence for faith in the existence of God is obvious; foremost among them is the inner law inscribed by God on the tablets of the human heart, which convinces us of the existence of the Deity. Among primitive peoples, this was expressed in the worship of inanimate objects: the sun, the moon, fire, and so on. Some even built temples to an unknown God, from which we are fully convinced that, at the very creation of man, the worship of God was instilled in him as something natural. And if atheists have emerged today who deny the existence of God, then these people have not only corrupted their concepts but have even distorted natural law.
The inner law given to us by God reveals good and evil, rewarding us for good deeds with spiritual joy, and punishing us for evil with tormented conscience. This serves as clear proof of the infinite wisdom of our Creator, Who, although He granted us free will, also implanted within us a kind of guide who, through inner inspirations and sensations, motivates us to fulfill God's will. Then we are given Holy Scripture , which with all clarity leads us to the knowledge of God's existence and His divine and all-wise purposes in the creation of the universe, for everything visible and invisible to us in this world continually speaks to us of the Creator and Maker, of His goodness, omnipotence, and wisdom.
In this world, every plant, animal, and man, as we see, descends from one another: plants from seeds, animals from their own kind, and man as well. Who initiated all this? Where did the first plants, the first animals, the first man come from? That nothing could have come into being by itself is evident from the fact that throughout the entire existence of the world, nothing has been created or manifested by itself except what Almighty God created in the beginning. And if there are madmen who claim that everything arose from some kind of matter, or was created by itself, then this is clearly only a resistance to the truth, or a boastful desire to proclaim something new. This tendency, unfortunately, has recently developed primarily among the youth, because, lacking a true religious education, driven by a spirit of pride, they think they have become wiser than everyone else, and that all before them were mistaken. It is obvious that such absurd ideas can only take place in the minds of those thinkers who are under the special influence of the original enemy of our eternal salvation.
Faith saves a person only when his deeds correspond with it; faith without works is dead ( James 2:26 ); and our good deeds are only pleasing to God when they are done with faith in Jesus Christ ( Gal. 2:16 ). Faith is a heavenly ray, illuminating the darkness of our lives, guiding us to our heavenly homeland. Faith is the voice with which the blind man cried out: Son of David, have mercy on me ! Although we do not see Jesus Christ, by the power of faith we know that He is the unfading light, dispelling the darkness of error, that He is the Guardian, protecting us from misfortunes, that He is the heavenly Physician, healing our sinful wounds. But faith is a gift from God, which is confirmed and rooted in us from the fulfillment of God's commandments, from the constant striving for good. For instruction and confirmation in faith and piety, we must turn to our mother, the Holy Church, into which, as into a rich storehouse, the Apostles placed all that is true and saving, so that those who thirst might flow to this life-giving source and draw abundantly from it the water of life.
Faith in the matter of our salvation is the same as the foundation in a building; if the foundation is undermined, the building inevitably collapses. Where there is no faith, there is unbridled passions, dragging a person into the abyss of evil; unbelief brings the wrath of God; we see this in the destruction of the ancient world in the flood, and in the swallowing up of several cities by the earth. An unbeliever is worse than a dumb animal, for it also knows its master: “ He has known the will of him that is gainful: and the ass his master’s crib” ( Isaiah 1:3 ). Unbelief destroys human well-being, not only private family well-being, but also public well-being. Faith, like every virtue, is subject to temptations; he who has not been tempted is inexperienced, as the Holy Scripture says. The enemy of our salvation, by God’s permission, strives to shake our faith; but we must repel his attacks with fervent prayer to God—thus taught the Lord, the Holy Father. The Apostles, when their faith was waning.
The Holy Fathers call souls alien to faith in God their Creator dead; thus says St. Callistus: "Many dead souls are buried in a living body, as if in a tomb." "Listen," exclaims St. Demetrius of Rostov , "for the body of a sinful man is called the living tomb of a dead soul."
Fervent prayer , frequent and heartfelt confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, love for one's neighbors, humility, avoiding acquaintances and conversations with corrupt people, and especially with unbelievers - these are the most reliable means of preserving and strengthening the faith.
Pray to God, teaches Saint Tikhon, that He would give you true living faith, guard your faith more than your life, for we must lay down our lives for the faith.
We must not only have the right to believe, but also know which faith is most pleasing to God. In this, as in everything, let us seek guidance from the word of God: The Apostle Thomas believed in the resurrection of Christ only when he touched the Savior's wounds; but the Lord said to him, "You have seen and believed: but they are more worthy of praise, which have not seen, believe." If we believe what we see, then this is no longer faith. True faith is confidence in the invisible, as if it were visible, and in the hoped for, as if it were present. Thus, we do not see God, but believe that He is; we do not see the future bliss prepared for the righteous, nor the eternal torment awaiting sinners, but we believe that they exist—such faith is true, pleasing to God.
Perfect faith consists in complete devotion to the will of God, as mentioned in the Holy Gospel: Whoever shall say this mountain, let him be moved, and cast into the sea: and shall not consider it in his heart, but have faith: and as he saith, it shall come to pass: it shall be done unto him whatsoever he saith ( Mark 11:23 ). Such faith is a great gift of God, bestowed especially upon simple and innocent hearts: He hath hidden this from the wise and prudent, and revealed it unto babes. Yea, Father, for such was Thy good pleasure ( Matthew 11:25-26 ). Such faith was possessed by the martyrs when they walked into the fire, and it did not scorch them; when they were cast into the sea, and it vomited them out unharmed; when they were led out to be devoured by bloodthirsty beasts, and they meekly licked their feet. Such is the power of faith, conquering natural laws! Thus, a paralytic was once brought to the Lord in faith to receive healing, and he received it ( Matthew 9:2 ). A woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for 12 years was instantly healed by simply touching the Lord's garment with faith ( Matthew 9:22 ). A blind man cried out with faith, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" and his eyes were opened ( Mark 10:52 ). Jairus fell at the feet of the Giver of Life with faith and prayer, and his dead daughter rose from her deathbed ( Mark 5:42 ). Even in our own time, though poor in faith, there have been many instances of those afflicted with long-standing and incurable illnesses, having exhausted all their possessions on medical treatments and yet finding no relief, when they turned with faith to the Lord, the Source of life, they received complete healing: the blind regained their sight, the crippled were straightened, the lame began to walk, the mute to speak, and countless other ailments, by the mere invocation of His most holy name with faith, were instantly healed by His omnipotence, as many of those reading these lines have undoubtedly witnessed, and in some cases the most gracious healing effect was even achieved. Let us recall recent instances that occurred in the God-saved city of Moscow: in 1867, when the Holy Relic of Mount Athos was brought there, how many long-standing ailments were instantly healed by a single touch of the Relic! Let us also note the miraculous phenomenon that occurs with the Epiphany water, which some have preserved for decades, always as fresh as if freshly drawn! Is the invisible action of God's almighty providence in all this, paternally caring for the strengthening of our faith, which is the foundation of our entire salvation?
"O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and understanding of God, for His judgments are unsearchable, and His ways are not found out" ( Rom. 11:33 ), exclaims the holy Apostle Paul, teaching us not to philosophize highly about divine matters, inaccessible to the understanding of our limited minds, but rather to be guided by humility, for God's works are incomprehensible. Let us believe in simplicity of heart, as the holy Apostles did, and we will be saved.
Faith produces in the heart of the believer joy and gladness about the Lord Savior, about His goodness and love for mankind: it softens suffering and sorrows with the hope of heavenly reward for them, makes a person cold to everything earthly, transitory, encourages him to seek the eternal, incorruptible, heavenly; it mystically unites the soul of the believer with Christ, as a bride with a groom: I will betroth you to myself in faith , says the prophet in the person of God, and know the Lord ( Hos. 2:20 ); and the holy Apostle Paul: For I have betrothed you to one husband as a pure virgin, to present you to Christ ( 2 Cor. 11:2 ).
Great is the power of faith: it has caught some up alive to heaven, and snatched others from the waters of the flood; it has caused the barren to give birth, and saved from the sharp sword; it has brought the poor and humbled out of the pit, and made them rich and great; it has brought down fire from heaven, divided the sea, cleaved the rock and poured out water from it, satisfied the hungry, called the dead to life, calmed the waves; it has healed the sick, defeated armies, toppled walls, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, humbled the proud and exalted the humble. In a word, all things are possible to those who believe, as the holy Apostle Paul testifies, saying of himself: I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me.
The spread of the Christian faith, from its very beginning, encountered fierce resistance from the spirit of evil, which continues to this day. Its offspring: atheists, apostates, heretics, schismatics, and others - no matter how much they strive to obscure the truth, the Orthodox Christian faith shines in all purity and will remain so until the end of the world, according to the word of the Lord: On this rock I will build my church , and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it ( Matthew 16:18 ). The devil strives for nothing so much as to plunge us into the abyss of unbelief; but let us firmly resist him, according to the word of the Apostle: But above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one ( Eph. 6:16 ).
Since faith in God is the foundation of our salvation, our conversation begins with it. Next, we will discuss the other virtues necessary for the salvation of the soul.
To build a house, various building materials are needed, such as brick, wood, iron, etc.; so, to build an eternal heavenly dwelling, many virtues are needed.
When starting any good work, and especially when reading spiritually beneficial works, it is necessary to pray to God, internally from the depths of the heart ask Him to bless our undertaking and make it fruitful, otherwise our labor will be in vain , according to the word of the Lord: without Me you can do nothing .
About prayer
Pray without ceasing, give thanks for everything, and whatever you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive.
( 1Th.5:18 ; Matt.21:22 )
Just as in a natural state an infant does not suddenly become an adult, but rather attains full maturity little by little; so too in a spiritual state, a person cannot suddenly rise from carnal and sinful to a spiritual, God-pleasing state, but ascends to this height gradually, striving in virtues, at the head of which stands prayer . For through prayer we ask everything of God, as He said, " Ask, and it will be given to you ." But if we do not ask, we will receive nothing, we will not perform a single virtue, unless we turn in prayer to the Lord, beseeching His help. But before we begin to pray, we must know what prayer is. How and for what should we pray?
What is prayer?
Prayer is the reverent striving of the human soul toward God, or a heartfelt conversation between man and God, during which man, imagining God invisibly present with him, pours out before Him the feelings of his soul. The Old and New Testaments contain numerous references to the necessity of prayer and its lofty significance, which is fully confirmed by the examples of the Savior and His apostles, who spent days and nights in prayer. Their followers, who practiced this lofty virtue throughout their lives and, having experienced its necessity and beneficial properties, named it the queen and chief of the virtues. They spoke so much about no other virtue as about prayer: it is the elevation of the mind and heart to God; through it, man enters into the host of angels and becomes a partaker of their bliss, illuminated by their wisdom; Prayer is an incense most pleasing to the Lord, a most reliable bridge for navigating the waves of life's temptations, an impenetrable wall for all believers, a safe haven, a divine garment that clothes the soul in great grace and beauty. Prayer is the mother of all virtues, the guardian of chastity, the seal of virginity, a sure defense against all the wiles of our age-old enemy, the devil. Strike your enemies with the name of Christ, that is, with prayer, as the Holy Fathers teach, for there is no weapon more powerful than this, neither in heaven nor on earth. Prayer is the affirmation of peace, the propitiation of God for sins, a haven untouched by the waves, the enlightenment of the mind, the axe to despair, the destruction of sorrow, the birth of hope, the satiation of anger, the intercessor for the condemned, the consolation of the imprisoned, the salvation of the perishing: it made a whale a home for Jonah, it brought Hezekiah back to life from the gates of death, it turned the flames of Babylon into dew for the youths; by the prayer of St. Elijah, it closed the heavens: " Let it not rain upon the earth for three years and six months " ( James 5:17 ). Even the holy apostles themselves, when they could not cast out unclean spirits, the Lord said to them: " This kind cometh out not but by prayer and fasting" ( Matthew 17:21 ).
There is nothing more precious in a person's life than prayer. It makes the impossible possible, the difficult easy, the inconvenient convenient. Prayer is as necessary for the human soul as air is for breathing, or water for a plant. He who does not pray is deprived of communion with God and is like a dry, barren tree that is hewn down and thrown into the fire ( Matthew 7:19 ). He who does not pray does not receive God's blessing for his deeds, as it is said: "Unless the Lord builds the house, they that build it labor in vain" ( Psalm 127:1 ).
It is a misfortune for a blind person not to see the light, but it is a far greater misfortune for a Christian to lose the disposition to prayer, to deprive his soul of Divine light. Darkness takes up residence in such a soul, and upon its departure from the body, its destiny will be eternal darkness. This, in brief, is the meaning and power of prayer, and at the same time its virtues, as well as the plight of those who are alien to the spirit of prayer.
What and how should we pray?
The Lord's Prayer, "Our Father," is the highest of all prayers, as it flowed from the most pure lips of the Savior Himself; in it all human needs are briefly set forth.
"When we come to stand before our King and God and to proclaim our prayers," says St. John Climacus, "let us not approach this unprepared; lest, seeing us from afar, lacking the weapons and attire befitting a royal presence, He command His slaves and servants to bind us, cast us far from His presence, and tear the charters of our petitions to pieces, casting them upon our faces. Therefore, when approaching conversation with God, we must cast away from ourselves all worldly things, not heeding any thoughts, which arise with particular force during prayer ."
The Venerable Cassian the Roman , concerning prayer, gives the following instruction: in order for prayer to be offered with due fervor, one must certainly put aside all earthly cares, and not only worry, but should not even think about any worldly occupation or undertaking.
And St. Macarius the Great says this: "When you direct your mind and thoughts to heaven and desire to unite with the Lord, then Satan becomes beneath your thoughts. Just as the ancient walls of Jericho fell before the power of God, so now the walls of evil that obstruct your mind will be cast down by the power of God. When you stand in prayer, remember before whom you stand! Be deaf and mute to everything around you, call upon the Lord for help, and He will help you. You must root out any inclination toward anger and completely eradicate the destructive ardor of carnal lust, no matter what its direction."
A man standing in prayer is like a soldier on the battlefield: here is a time of acquisition, precious moments of spiritual purchase for one who resists the enemy and, ignoring his suggestions, strengthens himself in prayer, labors, strives, calling upon the Lord, the Author of Asceticism, for help. The enemy's temptations during prayer are countless: in these moments, he recalls our worldly affairs, the fulfillment of which seems necessary and urgent, while failure to fulfill them preoccupies us with grave losses. But if you want your prayer heard, pay no attention to anything that truly concerns you; God's grace will remind you even after prayer. And should you forget something else and suffer a consequent neglect in worldly affairs, since it was for God's sake, He, the All-Good, will repay it a hundredfold. During prayer, be deaf, blind, and mute to everything and everyone except God. “The beginning of prayer, as St. John Climacus writes, consists of driving away thoughts at the very moment they appear; its middle is that state when our mind is not plundered by thoughts, and the perfection of prayer consists in the rapture of our whole being towards God.”
Upon rising from sleep, let your first thought be thanksgiving to God; with the same thought, go to sleep, bearing in mind that your bed may become your grave. Forgiveness of offenses, even the most grievous, is essential for success in prayer, remembering the apostle's words: " Let not the sun go down on your wrath" ( Eph. 4:26 ).
An Angel of the Lord revealed to one of the monks the following form of prayer to the Most God-pleasing One: first of all, let us offer sincere thanksgiving to God, then confession of sins and contrition of soul in feeling; and finally, let us present all our petitions to the King.
We see from the Holy Gospel that the judge granted the widow's request, convinced only by her persistence. Likewise, the friend who initially refused his friend's request, but when the friend, without leaving him, continued to plead, finally yielded to his persistence ( Luke 18:5 ). Through these parables, the Lord teaches us how we must act in order to receive what we ask for.
The Teachers of the Church and all the Holy Fathers commanded humility and heartfelt contrition for one's sins during prayer, and said: if a person does not recognize himself as a sinner in his heart, God will not hear him. We see this from the prayers of the Pharisee and the publican. Prayer , mingled with tears of humility and repentance, will certainly be heard; pouring forth from a humble soul, it, in the words of the Wise, pierces the clouds and does not rest until it reaches the Lord.
Humble prayer opens the heavens and inclines the angry justice of God to mercy: humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you ( James 4:10 ).
The publican, when he prayed, didn't even dare look up to heaven or raise his hands, but instead struck his breast and, confessing his sins, humbly asked for mercy. Meanwhile, the pompous Pharisee enumerated his supposed virtues and seemed to demand a reward from God. What happened? One was pardoned, and the other condemned.
"Let us consider," says St. John Chrysostom , "to whom are we approaching and why? What do we desire to receive? We approach God, at whose contemplation the Seraphim avert their faces, unable to bear the radiance; we approach God, Who dwells in unapproachable light, and we approach so that He may deliver us from Gehenna, forgive us our sins, free us from intolerable punishments, and grant us heaven and its blessings."
So, let us fall down before Him in body and mind, so that He Himself will raise us up from our prostration, let us converse with Him with meekness and with all humility (St. John Chrysostom . Conversation 51 on Matthew in Russian translation. Part 2, p. 879).
The Venerable John of Egypt, a hermit and recluse, called the clairvoyant, among other advice to the brothers who came to him for guidance, gave the following commandment: “One should never be haughty during prayer, not consider oneself righteous, but with humility and heartfelt contrition, constantly cry out to God for mercy and help on the difficult and slippery path to salvation.”
Do not attempt to speak too much when conversing with God, lest your mind be distracted by searching for words. One word of the publican, spoken from the depths of a contrite heart, propitiated God, but the pompous speech of the Pharisees shamed him. To whom will I look, says the Lord, but to the meek and humble, who trembles at My words ( Isaiah 66:2 ).
Even if you have climbed the entire ladder of virtue, still pray for forgiveness of your sins, hearing the Apostle Paul speak of sinners: " Of whom I am chief ." If you spend much time in prayer and see no fruit, do not say that you have acquired nothing and corrected nothing: for the very act of praying is already an acquisition and correction.
What greater blessing could there be than to cling to the Lord and remain in constant union with Him? Anyone who, while engaged in some task, says St. John Climacus, "and having established an hour of prayer, continues to practice it," is mocked by the demons, for the demons strive to steal our hours of prayer during our time of study. Abandoning prayer brings an invisible death to the soul. Being diligent in prayer, be exceedingly merciful; through this virtue you will receive a hundredfold here and inherit eternal life, but one bound by the passion of avarice can never pray purely. Do not abandon prayer until its fire and the waters of tears have carefully departed from you, for you may not receive another such time for the forgiveness of your sins in your entire life. If you are pleased by any words of prayer, continue them, for your Guardian Angel then prays with you. St. Niphon once saw a monk walking and silently reciting a prayer that, like a fiery flame emanating from his lips, reached to heaven. The monk was accompanied by an Angel, who held a fiery spear in his hands, with which he drove away demons from him.
St. Macarius the Great explains with an example how practicing prayer brings down the gift of prayer from the Lord. Although an infant, he says, can do nothing, he nevertheless moves and cries in search of his mother, and the mother takes pity on him—she is glad that the child is searching for her with effort and cries. Since the infant cannot come to her, the mother herself, overcome by love for the infant after his long search, approaches him and with great tenderness takes him, caresses him, and feeds him. The loving God does the same with the soul that seeks Him. Constantly abiding in prayer, as St. Macarius teaches, Macarius the Great, as if mysteriously united with the Lord, having received the Holy Spirit, is inflamed with love for the Lord, ablaze with an insatiable desire to be with Him, as it is said: " They that eat me shall yet hunger, and they that drink me shall thirst" ( Sir. 24:23 ). Such a state of man serves as a prefiguration of the bliss that is prepared for those who love God in the future.
"Pray without ceasing," says the holy Apostle, "lest you enter into temptation." But unceasing prayer does not consist merely of praying unceasingly; it also requires constantly remembering God and imagining Him always before us, watching over all our deeds, intentions, and thoughts. Therefore, during all our activities, we should accustom ourselves to mentally repeating the Jesus Prayer more often: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner," or "Most Holy Theotokos, save me." The holy fathers have provided detailed instructions on the Jesus Prayer in the book "The Philokalia" and other ascetic works.
One God-wise father says: "If you wish to serve God unceasingly in the body, as you are incorporeal, acquire prayer secretly in your heart, and your soul will be like an angel before death." St. Basil the Great says that one must not confine one's prayer to words, but, on the contrary, place all its power in spiritual desire and in continually continuing feats of virtue, for it is said: "Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" ( 1 Cor. 10:31 ).
Whatever you do, call upon the name of God as often as possible, thank the Lord for everything, for joys and sorrows, since everything is sent for our good: then your whole life will be sanctified and will become an unceasing prayer.
Let us not ignore the words we utter daily in the Lord's Prayer: " And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors ." Similarly, it is written in the Holy Gospel: "When you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses" ( Mark 11:25-26 ). Therefore, if we bear a grudge against anyone in our hearts, then until we are reconciled, our prayer is in vain. If we consider ourselves to be right in a quarrel with someone, but in any case, we must be the first to seek reconciliation, but if, despite all this, those who have offended us do not wish to be reconciled with us, then we will no longer answer before God as those who sincerely desired and sought reconciliation.
Let us turn to a further discussion of prayer: we must pray not only when we are disposed to pray, but also when we don't feel like it, when laziness, sleep, worries, vanity, and so on distract us from prayer. And if, despite all this dark horde, we pray, strive, compel ourselves, and struggle with ourselves, then such prayer will penetrate the heavens and appear before the throne of the Lord. Nighttime is very suitable for solitary prayer; then all becomes quiet, calm, and prayers raised to God in the silence of the night, from the depths of the heart, bring down upon those praying God's double mercies. During such prayers, the all-evil enemy rises up against those praying with particular force, subjecting them to many temptations, fears, and misfortunes. But by God's grace, all this is overcome, and for their struggle with the enemy, those who have repelled his temptations are granted great gifts of God's grace. Lengthy prayers, both nightly and daytime, should be performed only with the advice and blessing of experienced spiritual guides.
Illnesses, sorrows, and all our misfortunes are the consequences of sins; therefore, we must ask the Lord for forgiveness of sins, so that we may be healed of our illnesses and freed from our misfortunes. Many of us, in our needs and sorrows, seek exclusively earthly aid, and when we see that these are unsuccessful, we turn to God and often do not receive what we ask for. The reason for this is obviously hidden in the paucity of faith, for we are deemed worthy of God's grace only according to the measure of our faith, as the holy Apostle says: " Let him ask by faith, and nothing doubting. For he that doubteth is like unto a tempest of the sea, tossed and blown by the winds." For let not a man think that he will receive anything from God. The punishments sent to us by God, such as famine, wars, unseasonable rains, droughts, and so on, are all for our sins; therefore, the cause of all evil lies within us. Hence again there is an extreme need to pray to the Lord for the forgiveness of our sins, so that by uprooting this root of all misfortunes, we may also be delivered from all the natural evils sent upon us in the form of destructive natural phenomena.
Pray without ceasing, brethren, both at home and on the journey, with all prayer and supplication, praying always in the Spirit, and whatever you ask of the Lord in faith, you will receive: “ All things, whatever you ask in prayer, you who believe, you will receive” ( Matt. 21:22 ). Even if the Lord does not quickly grant what you ask, be patient, wait, and hope confidently. He Himself assures us: “ Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” ( Matt. 7:8 ). Our weakness and sinfulness should not weaken our faith and hope during prayer, for we must trust not in our own strength, but in the mercy of God. We see numerous examples of how graciously the Lord accepted the prayers of great sinners who cried out to Him in humility. The essential and primary conditions of prayer are: complete devotion to God's will, an awareness of one's utter unworthiness and sinfulness, a sincere desire to improve one's life, and, above all, meekness. Even if it happens that someone asks and does not receive, this does not mean that their prayer remains unheard, but that, by God's providence, the petitioner is tested in patience, and then, when patience is maintained to the end, they are all the more worthy of what they ask for. It is essential to be patient in prayer: asking the Lord for this or that blessing is not a matter of a single day; the Holy Fathers spent their entire lives in prayer and repentance, and were finally granted God's grace. Some pray and, not receiving what they asked for, grow cold in prayer: or perhaps the Lord was already close to fulfilling their request, or perhaps they abandoned the labor of prayer when God's mercy was already close to them. It also happens that we ask and do not receive what we ask for because it would serve us for evil: " Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask evil, that ye may spend it in your pleasures" ( James 4:3 ). No matter how great your sins, pray, do not despair, remembering what the Lord Himself said: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: but though they be as scarlet, they shall be as wool." And if you will and obey Me, you will eat the good things of the land. But if you will not and obey Me, the sword will come upon you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things ( Is. 1:18–20).). But sometimes it happens that the Lord deliberately leaves the prayers of His servants unanswered; for example, the great Moses the God-seer asked to be granted entry into the Promised Land, but was not heard; David prayed, intensifying his prayer with fasting in ashes and tears, for the life of his sick son, but the Lord did not deign to fulfill his request. Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, surrendering ourselves entirely to His holy will, which sometimes leaves our petitions unfulfilled and thereby prepares for something better in the future. Let us entreat God for what is most necessary, that is, for the salvation of the soul, while we have time for it: the night will come when no man can work ( John 9:4 ). Since our soul is immortal, we must take incomparably more care for it than for the body, which is nothing more than a temporary shell of the soul. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you ( Matthew 6:33 ).
Once Saint Macarius the Great was asked how to be saved. He answered: Brethren, let us fall down before the Lord and weep for our sins: these small tears will quench the fiery Gehenna, whereas sinners who do not repent and do not weep now will weep and sob bitterly in the next world like babies, and their tears will burn their bodies like fire, but will no longer bring them any comfort. Every virtue, and especially prayer, the mother of all virtues, requires compulsion, an effort on our part, as it is said: The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force ( Matthew 11:12 ). And Saint Apostle Paul said: Those who pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer, and endure this present thing ( Eph. 6:18 ). The Holy Fathers, explaining Holy Scripture , teach that thus Saint Isaac the Syrian : Every prayer in which the body is not burdened and the heart is not grieved is considered the same as the premature fruit of the womb; and St. John Climacus said: Those who have not yet acquired true and heartfelt prayer are helped by fatigue in physical prayer, which requires forcing oneself to heartfelt contrition, which comes from the awareness of one's countless sins, and every effort to shed tears, for only through them are the defilements of the soul cleansed and virtues implanted.
The prayerful disposition is a gift from God; but, depending on the degree of purity and receptivity of the heart, some quickly sense the presence of this gift within themselves, and then prayer becomes inexpressibly sweet and comforting, while others must labor greatly to awaken this gracious feeling. The varying effects of grace in this regard leads us to consider God's wise dispensation: if a gift is obtained without effort, we do not always value it and easily lose it, while what we acquire through intense labor we treasure as a precious treasure. It is good to pray when the Lord grants tears of compunction; in such moments, it is best of all, imitating the sinful woman, to mentally fall at the feet of the Crucified One and, washing them with tears of repentance, ask for forgiveness for our countless sins, and at the same time, to disregard our insignificant virtues, but to place all hope, all trust, in God's boundless mercy alone, which covers all our sins. No matter how pleasing to God our prayerful request may be, in our opinion, no matter how deep our sorrow may be, for deliverance from which we pray to the Lord, we must leave the fulfillment of our request entirely to God's Providence, remembering the words of the Divine Redeemer: My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me : nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt ( Matthew 26:39 ).
This is the highest form of perfect prayer, expressing complete and boundless devotion to the will of God! In times of special need, one should follow the example of the Savior, praying up to three times, as He did in Gethsemane before His Passion.
For a man burdened with sorrows, there is no better consolation than prayer . Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray ( James 5:13 ). If conversation with a friend alleviates sorrow, how much more so with the Creator Himself, the true Comforter of the soul. The habit of attentive, undistracted prayer is acquired with difficulty, and when it is mastered, then prayer becomes a source of unceasing spiritual consolation. The luminary of ascetics, St. Macarius of Egypt , who by his own experience knew the spiritual consolations that followed prayer, speaks of this thus: sometimes the fire of prayer kindles and flares up more strongly, and sometimes, as it were, more weakly; this lamp, always burning and shining, at times becomes clearer, more kindled from the rapture of God's grace, and at other times sheds its radiance sparingly; At other times, this light, appearing in the heart, revealed an inner, profound, and hidden light, so that a person, completely absorbed in this sweetness and this contemplation, no longer possesses self-control. Describing such a blessed prayerful state is not entirely accessible to those who have little practiced prayer, but whoever strives diligently and humbly in this holy pursuit, their inner spiritual eyes are opened, and the secret, unknown works of God are revealed to them. But let us say that if spiritual guides are always needed, then all the more so in prayerful endeavors, lest, through our inclination to arrogance, instead of grace, we accept the deception of the spirit of evil, which transforms itself into an angel of light, as St. Paul said ( 1 Cor. 2:11-14 ).
Let us also not overlook the need to protect oneself with the sign of the cross during prayer, which is an Apostolic institution. This must be done correctly, and not like others, who seem ashamed of the Lord's Cross. A careless sign of the cross insults the Lord and is considered a sin by those praying. Consequently, not only is it powerless, but it even pleases the demons, whereas it should serve as an invincible weapon against them. For it is not so much the criminal who fears the place of execution as the devil who trembles before the Cross, fleeing in fear, unable to bear to gaze upon its power, scorched by it as by fire. By the power of the Cross of Christ, the saints healed the sick, raised the dead, harmlessly drank deadly poison, and walked through fire and water. Yet today's Christians, spurred on by some false sense of shame, don't even think to cross themselves when entering a house or sitting down to dinner, as if they didn't know what the Lord said: " For whoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" ( Mark 8:38 ). Isn't it extreme folly, a grievous blindness of the soul, to be ashamed of our Lord and Creator, to be ashamed of His precious, life-giving Cross, that Cross by which we were saved, and on which the precious blood of our Redeemer was shed" (Christian Reading, 1845, part 4). Let us consider the following instructive observation on the power of the Cross: when we sign ourselves with the Cross, then between us and the Heavenly Father, so to speak, hangs our Crucified Savior on the Cross; then the Divine gaze of the Most High no longer beholds our shameful brow, covered with sinful ignominy, but the thorn-crowned head of the God-man; not our treacherous heart, filled with all manner of impurities, but the pierced ribs of our Redeemer; not our unclean hands, ceaselessly committing iniquity, but those nailed to the Cross; the most pure palms of the All-Righteous and All-Holy Lord Jesus Christ. Armed with the Holy Cross, the martyrs went to the most terrible torments fearlessly, as if in other people's bodies, enduring them with rapture, like those rejoicing (Christian Reading, 1845, part 4). One of the most ancient writers of the early Christian Church testifies that the Christians of that time, following the Apostolic tradition, protected themselves with the sign of the cross in every action and movement: when entering, when dressing and putting on shoes, when washing, before and after a meal, when lighting a fire, when lying down on a bed, when sitting down: in a word, in every activity.
Let us conclude our conversation with a warm prayer to our Savior, the Sweetest Lord Jesus:
O most merciful Lord! Grant us the divine gift of holy prayer, pouring forth from the depths of the heart; gather our scattered minds, that they may ever strive for Thee, their Creator and Savior; crush the fiery arrows of the evil one that tear us away from Thee; quench the flame of thoughts that consume us more powerfully than fire during prayer; overshadow us with the grace of Thy Most Holy Spirit, that until the end of our sinful life we may love Thee alone with all our heart, with all our soul, mind, and strength; and at the hour of our soul's separation from this mortal body, O Sweetest Jesus, receive our spirits into Thy hands and remember us when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. Amen.
About love for God
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength ( Mark 12:30 ). The fulfillment of this first and greatest commandment is contained in these words of the Gospel: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word . Further, the Lord says: And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him ( John 14:23 ).
Thus, love for God consists in the fulfillment of His holy commandments, of which the chief is love for one's neighbor, as we see from the Gospel account of the day of God's terrible universal judgment, on which the Lord will impute to Himself the love shown to one's neighbor, and for it will grant eternal bliss. Consequently, he who loves his neighbor loves God; and if anyone doubts this, let St. John the Theologian assure him: If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a lie. For he who does not love his brother whom you see, God, Him. But not seeing, how can you love ? Of all our virtues, love for the Lord is the most pleasing, for in it lies the fulfillment of the whole law: "Love suffers long," says the holy Apostle Paul, "is merciful; Love does not envy, love does not boast, is not puffed up, is not easily irritated, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth: it loves all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails.” He who loves God most of all always remembers Him, reflects on His perfections and deeds, strives to know His will, and to do everything according to His commandments; the soul that truly loves God always strives with its thoughts and desires towards Him: “ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” ( Matthew 6:21 ). He who truly loves God always strives more and more to imitate His divine perfections. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect ( Matthew 5:48 ).
The devil, seeking the destruction of man, extinguishes in him the feeling of love for God, arousing instead an attachment to the earthly, ingratitude, coldness, unbelief, grumbling, pride; he strives to give man drink of the deadly poison which he himself has drunk.
Love for God is kindled in the heart of man when he reflects on the blessings of God poured out upon the human race, and how can we not love God, for He created us innocent and blessed, imprinted upon us the image of His Divinity, breathed into us an immortal soul, adorned it with wisdom, holiness and truth, made man the ruler of all earthly creatures, and when he, for disobedience, subjected himself and all his posterity, mired in wickedness, to eternal condemnation; then the Lord drew us fallen from this abyss, came down from heaven, took upon Himself our nature, shed His most pure, most holy blood for us, and not only delivered us from eternal condemnation, but made us children of God, heirs of the endless heavenly kingdom; how, after all this, can we not love God! In truth, he who does not love such a benefactor is worse than a pagan, for they also love those who love them; we see this even in dumb animals.
If we love anything beautiful in God's creation, shouldn't we love the Creator Himself even more? We should pray more fervently to the All-Holy Spirit for the heavenly gift of love, which is poured into our hearts only by the Holy Spirit ( Rom. 5:5 ).
Those who are drawn to sin without resisting it have no signs of God's love. Some, having become accustomed to sin and persisting in it, imagine they have love for God, but their hope is vain—it is nothing more than self-delusion, for what fellowship has light with darkness? Joseph and Susanna resolved to die rather than sin before God, while the holy martyrs, inflamed with love for God, went to cruel torments and death as if to a feast.
The love of God is wine that gladdens the heart of man ( Psalm 104:15 ). The intemperate have tasted this divine drink and become ascetics, sinners have tasted it and become righteous, the rich have tasted it and coveted poverty, fornicators have tasted it and become chaste, the weak have tasted it and become invincible, the ignorant have tasted it and become wise, the sorrowful have tasted it and rejoiced. The gifts of the Holy Spirit poured out on those who love God are countless.
Love, says St. John Climacus, is a fiery spring: in proportion as it pours forth drink, it inflames the thirsty one. He who truly loves God is devoted to His holy will, and whatever befalls him, he accepts it as from the hand of God, with firm faith that all this will serve for his spiritual benefit, to test his patience, through which eternal salvation is achieved. To such a one the Lord will one day say: "O good and faithful servant, you have been faithful to Me over a little; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord" ( Matthew 25:23 ). For a soul devoted to God, the misfortunes that befall it in this life serve as steps that elevate it to perfection.
He who loves God with all his heart does not divide his heart between the world and God, between the pleasures of the world, as enjoyed by the rich man mentioned in the Gospel, and between serving God: for a man cannot serve two masters, God and mammon, as the Gospel says. But he who truly loves the Lord God with all his heart, preferring God to everything in the world, out of love for Him, leaves behind wealth, glory, pleasures, and all the delights of the world—and withdraws even from those closest to his heart, if only they hinder the salvation of his soul. For whoever loves father or mother more than Me , says the Lord, is not worthy of Me ( Matthew 10:37 ).
He who truly loves the Lord with all his soul strives to fulfill all His will, to arrange his whole life and all his activities according to His law, in everything and always strives to imitate the holy example of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, to become like Him in his thoughts, desires and deeds, fearing to offend the Lord not only by a lawless deed, but also by a sinful word or thought, he, with every creeping of his mind and heart to evil, says to himself: how can I do this evil word and sin before God ( Gen. 39:9 ).
He who truly loves the Lord God with all his thoughts loves to always meditate on God, always places himself in His holy omnipresence, meditates on His law day and night; for him the words of the Lord are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, more precious than gold; he loves to go often to the temple of God, thirsts for communion with Him in prayer and the holy sacraments; he, even while living on earth, thinks more about heavenly things, preferring the future life to all the blessings of this life. He who loves the Lord his God with all his strength is not carried away by the temptations of the world, is not afraid of its threats, does not bow to its flattery; he, for the glory of God's name, is ready to forfeit all temporal blessings, to endure all reproaches and persecutions, and even death itself. " Who shall separate us from the love of God ," says St. Apostle, is it tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ( Rom. 8:35 )? Such is the true, perfect love of God!
Having explained what it means to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, it remains to show how we can know whether we truly love the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything is known by its signs: there are signs of love for God. Let us pay attention to them.
A lover thinks of nothing so much as of the beloved: for such is the nature of our hearts that the one we love is constantly in our thoughts. We are often separated by space from the one we love, but we are always with him in our thoughts, looking at him, listening to him, and talking to him, even waking up in the morning. And the first object of our thoughts is the one we love; whether we are engaged in some activity for ourselves or for others, no activity prevents us from thinking of the one we love. Therefore, he who loves God, whether in church or outside, day or night, sitting or lying down, meditates on the fact that God exists, that He created heaven and earth, angels and men, that He is invisibly present everywhere, sees all, hears all, knows our thoughts and desires, that He, in His omnipotent power, sustains the entire universe, leads everything to its intended purpose, prolongs our lives, preserves our health and well-being, and that we live, move, and have our being through Him! We then have no need to be reminded of what we love; for love itself continually brings our beloved object to mind. Therefore, let us pay attention to ourselves and examine: is the Lord always in our minds and hearts? Or, at least, how often do we remember Him? If He, our Savior, comes to our minds frequently, then it means we love Him. The Holy Prophet King, who ardently loved the Lord, cried out to Him: " What have I in heaven? And what have I desired from Thee on earth, O God of my heart and my portion forever" ( Ps. 72:25 ). "Seven times a day have I praised Thee, O Lord" ( Ps. 119:62 ), continues Saint David, and in another place he says: " At midnight I arose to give thanks to Thy name, O Lord ." Thus, the soul that loves God loves to pray, fervently and often, and this because it constantly strives and thirsts to converse with its beloved Creator, seeks Him, and delights in Him. Therefore, those who love God love to frequently visit the temples of God, love to fast often, and love to partake of His Holy, life-giving Mysteries, which most closely unite us with Him, our Redeemer. Anna the Prophetess, loving God with all her heart, never departed from the temple of the Lord, serving with fasting and prayer day and night. And the first Christians daily partook of the most pure body and blood of Christ. Love for God is also revealed by a disposition to read or hear the word of God. He who loves God delights to hear what God, his Creator, has spoken in Holy Scripture; he delights to know His holy will; he sweetly immerses himself in the word of God, joyfully contemplates the works of God's wisdom, heeding the words of eternal life. "How have I loved Thy law, O Lord, all the day long is my meditation! How sweet are Thy words to my taste, more than honey and soma to my mouth" ( Psalm 119:97, 303 ). LoveOur relationship with God is revealed through a pious Christian life, through the fulfillment of God's will. This is the nature of our hearts: whomever we love, we strive diligently to fulfill their will; our Creator Himself assures us of this: " If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; he who does not love Me does not keep My words" ( John 14:24 ).
As in the Babylonian furnace, amidst the fierce flames, the heavenly dew cooled the blessed youths, so too, when the love of God abides in the heart of man, it quenches every passionate flame and cools it with ineffable dew (John Chrys. 16, Epistle to Philippians). A person burning with love for God behaves on earth as if he were dwelling in heaven, and cannot be hindered by anything from the course of virtue. He disdains all the pleasures and annoyances of this life, hastening to his heavenly homeland (John Chrys. 28, Demon on the Book of Genesis).
He who among mortals has been granted the highest gift of God's love, remains only in body on earth, while his blessed soul has already soared to the heavenly dwellings and enjoys the most blessed communion with the heavenly Comforter, like a bride with her groom.
About love for one's neighbors
Similar to the first commandment about love for God is love for one's neighbor: " Love your neighbor as yourself" ( Matthew 22:39 ). The entire law of God and all prophecies are based on these two commandments. Love covers a multitude of sins, and without it, neither fasting, nor prayer, nor anything else is pleasing to God. Saint Apostle Paul speaks of this thus: " Though I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like a noisy gong or a clanging trumpet. And though I have prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all understanding, and have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I give away all my goods (not for love), and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" ( 1 Cor. 13:1-3 ).
How pleasing to God is our mutual love is evident from many Gospel sayings: By this all know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another ( John 13:35 ). He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him; but he who hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he goes, for the darkness has blinded his eyes ( 1 John 2:10-11 ). And about those who hate men, the holy Evangelist uttered these terrible words: Whoever hates his brother is a murderer ( 1 John 3:15 ).
When a quarrel occurs with someone, we must strive by all means to achieve a speedy reconciliation, remembering the Apostle's words: " Let not the sun go down upon your wrath" ( Eph. 4:26 ). The most reliable means of achieving reconciliation is humility and fervent prayer to God, which drives away the spirit of malice from those at odds. The power of prayer and humility is so great that it involuntarily subdues the enemy and makes peace with their neighbor; even the most malicious enemies are thus vanquished. If we graciously forgive those who have offended us, then the Lord will forgive us our sins, as we repeat daily in the Lord's Prayer: " And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors ." The Lord showed us an example of perfect meekness in His prayer for those who crucified Him, and we, imitating this, must sincerely pray to God for those who hate and offend us. Although at first such a prayer may be very difficult, later it becomes consoling. At the same time, we must excuse them, strive to justify them, attributing this more to the weakness inherent in man. We must seek reconciliation with them, through our services rendering them good, heeding the Divine Apostolic teaching: Let not one be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good ( Rom. 12:21 ). It is not surprising when the guilty one seeks reconciliation, but it is praiseworthy and pleasing to God when the offended one first strives for this. In such a case the word of the Gospel is fulfilled: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God ( Matt. 5:9 ).
When we see someone sick, we do not reproach them, but sympathize with them, wish for relief, and offer good advice. We should also act in the same way toward the mentally ill, those afflicted by irritability or some other infirmity. We should not repay insult with insult, but rather be condescending toward them, pitying them as weaklings. Then, in turn, they will help us in our infirmities, and thus the Apostle's words will be fulfilled: " Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" ( Gal. 6:2 ). The Lord, as our Creator, knowing our weaknesses, has also given us the appropriate remedies. If we were obedient to God's will, we would live not on earth, but in paradise; our bliss would consist in mutual love.
He who does not desire his neighbor's salvation, and even rejoices in his destruction, is worse than a demon. Such a desire is inherent in the spirit of malice, but for a human being it is unforgivable. Such a person is no longer a disciple of Christ, but a traitor to Him, for the Lord imputes to Himself everything that man does to man. Therefore, do not wish for your neighbor what you do not wish for yourself; by doing so you will demonstrate true love for him. If you wish to gain victory over your enemy, show him love and all possible charity. By doing so you will shame the spirit of malice and serve the salvation of your brother, and especially your own. Just as salt destroys rottenness in food, or fire burns rust from metal, so love eradicates malice from the human heart.
He who loves his neighbor undoubtedly loves God, but he who thinks he loves God and hates his neighbor is a lie. True love consists in deeds of mercy: if you see a poor person perishing from need, help him as much as you can, the Lord does not demand much, but rather that it comes from a sincere heart according to your strength; if you see someone in inconsolable grief, or illness, or some other misfortune, comfort him, and the Lord will comfort you too; seek an opportunity to be useful to someone, in whatever way and in whatever way you can; wipe away the tears of those who weep, and the Lord will wipe away your tears; give rest to the stranger, and the Lord will give you rest; pray to Him for the suffering, and He, the All-Good, will assuage your sufferings; do not condemn those who sin, and the Righteous Judge will not condemn you; satisfy the hungry and thirsty, and you too will be deemed worthy of the heavenly table in the Kingdom of God; Visit the sick, the grieving, and the Lord will console you with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Where there is love, there is God's blessing, and where there is none, there is darkness and sinful gloom, the abode of evil demons. Love is the surest means of saving the soul. If we, being weak, are unable to fast and pray for long periods, and perform other virtuous deeds, then let us make up for it with love.
Of all the works of mercy, the most pleasing to the Lord and the most salutary for us is that if someone turns a sinner from the path of iniquity to the way of salvation, the Lord will forgive him the multitude of his sins, as the words of the Apostle assure us: Brethren, if any of you errs from the way of truth, and anyone turns him back, let him know that in turning a sinner from the error of his way he will save his own soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins ( James 5:19–20 ). But whoever turns anyone back to the path of wickedness will be condemned to Gehenna fire.
We see from the Holy Gospel that on the great day of God's universal judgment, when the fate of each of us will be decided, only those who have been merciful to their neighbors will be especially granted God's blessing; they will be deemed worthy of high honor by God; on that great day, before all the heavenly powers, before all the saints and before the entire universe, they will be called sons of light, blessed of the heavenly Father, heirs of the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world ( Matthew 25:24 ).
Saint Ephraim the Syrian thus blesses those who have the invaluable gift of love: blessed is the man, he says, in whom is the love of God, for he has found God in himself; God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him ( 1 John 4:16 ). In whom love is, he is with God above all things; in whom love is, he fears not, for perfect love casts out fear , as the holy Apostle says ( 1 John 4:18 ); in whom love is, he never disdains anyone, he trusts in all things, he endures all things ( 1 Cor. 13:7 ). In whom love is, he fulfills the will of God; he is a disciple of God, for our Good Master himself said: Seven will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another ( John 13:35 ). Therefore, blessed is he who has acquired love and with it has moved to God, for God knows His own and will receive them into His bosom. The worker of love will be a companion of the angels and will reign with Christ (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1848, p. 7, book 5). There is a tradition about the holy Evangelist John the Theologian that this Apostle of love, already in his old age, incessantly said: " Children, love one another ." When asked why he constantly reminded him of this commandment, he replied that if someone fulfills it, then it alone is sufficient for salvation (Orthodox Moral Theology of Bishop Plato, p. 205).
What an extraordinary miracle! He who has sincere love fulfills the whole law, for the fulfilling of the law is love ( Rom. 13:10 ). O the incomparable power of love! There is nothing more precious than love, either in heaven or on earth.
On hope in God and patience
Do not put your trust in princes or in the sons of men, for there is no salvation in them ( Ps. 145:3 ), cries the Holy Prophet King, do not put your trust in friends, or in wealth, or in your health, or in anything else, all this is vain, disappears like a dream, flutters away like smoke.
Trust in your Creator and Savior alone; He knows all your spiritual and physical needs better than you do, and He cares for you. Those who do not trust in God face God's terrible judgment: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and sets his arm of flesh upon him; and his heart will depart from the Lord. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his hope. He will be like a tree planted by the waters, and will send out his root in the moisture; he will not be afraid when the heat comes, but his stem will be green; and when there is no rain he will not be afraid, nor will he cease to bear fruit ( Jer. 17:5, 7:8 ).
Those who place their hope in anything earthly can never be at peace. You place your hope in wealth, but you can always lose it. You place your hope in man, but he is fickle and mortal. You place your hope in your health and abilities, but physical illness deprives you of all of these. Our only true, firm, and undoubted hope is Jesus Christ , the Son of God, the Almighty, Eternal God. By His command, the heavenly angels guard us in all our ways. Our enemy constantly distracts us from our hope in God, but we, knowing his demonic cunning, must constantly repel his evil slander. As Saint Tikhon says, there can be no hope without patience. Where there is true hope, there is patience, and where there is patience, there is hope. Hope, like faith, is subject to many temptations. In a distressing situation, it is necessary to endure, so as not to seek deliverance from the misfortune in an unlawful manner, but to surrender ourselves to the will of God and await from Him mercy, either to help in patience or to deliver from the misfortune, as He Himself, our Savior, knows. There is no greater temptation to hope than when thoughts, rising up in the conscience, say: " There is no salvation for him in his God" ( Ps. 3:3 ). Because of this, a person is covered in the darkness of sorrow. In such a grave temptation, what is most needed is patience, silence, and sighing from the depths of the heart, until this severe storm passes or is relieved. Here one must hope beyond hope and trust beyond hope, as the holy Apostle writes about Abraham: " Beyond hope, to the right of hope " ( Rom. 4:18 ). The holy Apostle exhorts to this struggle and patient hope. The Prophet King: Be patient, be strong in the Lord, and let your heart be strong, and be patient with the Lord ( Psalm 27:14 ). And by God's mercy he gives hope: the patience of the poor will not perish forever ( Psalm 9:19 ) . And he sets himself as an example: I patiently endured; the Lord listened to me and heard my prayer ( Psalm 40: 2 ). At the same time, we must also heed the words of the psalmist: Trust in the Lord and do good ( Psalm 37:3 ). This word shows us that he who trusts in God must do good, follow God's will, and not his own. In vain does he hope in God who resists Him with his deeds; in vain does he expect mercy from God who continually irritates Him with an unrepentant disposition, who stretches out his hands and lifts his eyes to God, but turns his heart away from Him and turns to mammon, silver, impurity, and other sinful passions. God is the deliverer of those who love Him, not of those who resist Him. The Lord gives strength to his people ( Psalm 29:11 ). He will fulfill the will of those who fear Him, and He will hear their prayer and save them ( Psalm 145:19).). Those who do not fear God who fearlessly violate His law will not fulfill their will, because they do not do His will, and He will not hear their prayers, because they themselves do not want to listen to Him and repent. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to destroy the memory of them from the earth ( Ps. 34:17 ). The Lord listens to those who honor and worship the Creator, not their passions—not gold and silver, God's creation—and He cools them in their temptations, comforts them, and gladdens them with His grace. He also listens to sinners who repent and cease to sin. A sinner remains a sinner as long as he lives fearlessly and does not cease to sin, and when he repents and abandons sin, by God's grace he is joined to the ranks of the righteous. Such sinners should not put aside their hope, but without doubt expect the mercy of God through Christ Jesus, who came into the world to save sinners.
On the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Most Holy Virgin is the great helper of the Christian race, and especially of those struggling in the spiritual life and desiring to rise from their sinful lives. Through Her, says St. Augustine, God descended to earth so that through Her people might be deemed worthy to ascend to Him. She is the only undoubted hope and intercessor of sinners, raising them to repentance. She saves and has mercy on all who flee under Her maternal protection. She is an inexhaustible source of mercy, an invincible wall, an immutable intercession before the Creator, the hope and intercession of all the faithful who trust in Her. To Her alone did the Lord and Her Son proclaim that all Her petitions would be fulfilled. Through Her maternal prayer, the righteous wrath of God moved against sinners is turned away. She, as St. Augustine says, St. Demetrius of Rostov : "Standing between God and our sins, as an intercessor, she does not allow our sins to pass near God, and with the voice of her prayers for us, she repels the voice of our mortal sins, crying out to God against us ." We must look to the Most Holy Virgin as our all-powerful intercessor before the throne of the Almighty. We are adopted by her at the cross in the person of the beloved disciple of Christ. We belong to her as an acquisition redeemed by the precious blood of God and her Son. The blessings she pours out on the Orthodox world are boundless, more than the sand of the sea, as is living testimony to the multitude of her miraculous icons, pouring forth countless miracles upon the Orthodox world.
But it is not enough just to love the Most Holy Virgin, it is also necessary to imitate Her most holy life, Her purity, Her innocence, Her meekness, mercy, humility, Her perfect devotion to the will of God, only then can we dare to call Her our Mother, and only then are our prayers to Her pleasing and saving for us.
The Athonite Fathers, as inhabitants of Her earthly heritage, especially striving to venerate Her, laid down a rule that all who wish to have in the Most Holy Virgin a quick hearer of their prayers should intensify the reading of the Archangel's greeting to Her:
" Rejoice, O Virgin Mary! Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have borne the Savior of our souls ."
The Holy Fathers commanded that this prayer be read daily, morning and evening, three times with prostrations, and, in addition, that it be read mentally, that is, heartily, at every hour (reminded by the striking of the clock), and that we reflect that every hour of our life may be our last, and that we be prepared if the Lord suddenly demands us for judgment, for in whatever the Lord finds us, that is how He will judge us.
About church services
The Church is an earthly heaven; the Divine Services performed within it are the work of angels. Aside from necessary obediences, as granted by blessing, or due to physical infirmity, one should not miss a single church service, arriving at the very beginning and leaving on leave. All who depart from God and His holy temple will perish. When entering the temple of God, one should not stop and converse with one's own or the laity. Only those blessed by the abbess should enter the altar, and only in proper attire, wearing a cassock and kamilavka. They should remain there, especially during the Divine Services, fulfilling their obedience with the fear of God, remembering that this is a sanctuary where God Himself and all the heavenly powers are always invisibly present. When the time for church services arrives, one should abandon private prayers and all other activities and hasten to the temple of God for corporate prayer, as the Lord said, " Where two or three are gathered in His Name, there He is in their midst" ( Matthew 18:20 ). The prayer of one, compared to the prayer of a common church, is a feeble voice before the multitude of roaring waters, a quiet breath of wind before the roar of thunder, a barely perceptible flame before a vast flame. It is a great sin to engage in anything other than necessary monastic obedience during services. One should abandon all else and go to the temple of God, standing there reverently, paying attention to what is being read and sung. Unless absolutely necessary, do not leave the church; also, remain in the church during the reading of psalms or sermons. Those who are accustomed to leaving the church frequently disturb other pious ones and, therefore, sin doubly. After evening prayers, each woman should go to her cell, except in special cases when, with the blessing of the Abbess, she is entrusted to minister to the sick or perform other duties. While in church, do not look around, do not whisper, do not exchange glances, but stand and look down, keeping the fear of God within you, and remember why we came to this holy monastery and desired monasticism, making vows to God for which we will be severely punished on the day of the dread Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it has been said: "It is better not to promise than to promise and not fulfill." We made many promises upon entering monasticism, but how many have we fulfilled? Woe to us, great woe, if we fail to fulfill the vows we made to God; we will greatly answer for them.
On the necessity of forcing oneself to a God-pleasing life
The Lord, the Founder of Asceticism, Himself said that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence; the violent take it by force ( Matthew 11:12 ). And it is also said: " Enter ye through the narrow gate: for the wide gate and the broad way lead to destruction, and many are there that enter therein." For the narrow gate and the strait way leadeth to life, and few are there that find it ( Matthew 7:13-14 ). St. Macarius the Great discusses this thus:
To the extent that you gather your mind to seek God, to that extent, and even more so, is He compelled by His own compassion and goodness to come to you and comfort you. He stands and examines your mind, your thoughts, and the movements of your thoughts, observing how you seek Him—whether with all your soul, or with laziness, or with negligence? And when He sees your diligence in seeking Him, then He will appear and reveal Himself to you, grant His help, and prepare victory for you, delivering you from your enemies.
The Lord, as soon as He sees that someone courageously turns away from worldly pleasures, material entertainments and worries, from earthly bonds and the whirl of vain thoughts, gives such His gracious help and unstumblingly guards this soul, which beautifully completes its course in this evil age, with an effort directing its thoughts always to the Lord, renouncing itself, and seeking the one Lord.
Labor, diligence, sobriety, great attentiveness, speed, and persistence in petitioning the Lord are required, so that we may be freed from the desire for anything earthly, avoid the snares and mirages of pleasure, and the rising of evil spirits; and to know precisely with what sobriety and fervor of faith and love the Saints labored. And if now, with much prayer, petition, faith, and aversion to the world, we do not receive into ourselves that heavenly love of the Spirit, and if our nature, defiled by vice, does not cleave to love—that is, to the Lord—and is not sanctified by the love of the Spirit, then we will not be able to attain the heavenly kingdom.
Very few are those who have combined a good beginning with a good end, who have reached their goal without stumbling, who have a single love for the one God, and who have renounced everything. Many are moved to compunction, many become partakers of heavenly grace, and are wounded by heavenly love, but they do not endure the various struggles, struggles, labors, and manifold temptations from the evil one encountered along the way. Through weakness and inactivity, or through fear of their own will, or through love for something earthly, they remain in the world and become mired in its depths. Just as God's promises are great, unspeakable, and inscrutable, so we need faith and hope, and labors, and great exploits, and long-lasting trials. With Christ we wish to reign for endless ages; shall we not resolve to endure with zeal, throughout the short time of this life, until death itself, struggles, labors, and temptations?
Whatever a person loves in this present world burdens their thoughts, as if drawing them down and pushing them down, preventing them from rising, and this becomes a trial for the entire human race. For no matter what passion a person struggles with courage, no matter how hard they resist it, but rather indulges in it, it attracts them and holds them as if by some kind of bond. For one who has constant hope in God, evil seems to thin out and liquefy within them.
Thus, we must fight against the sin that dwells within us, and we must strive to fulfill Christ's commandments; without this, no one will succeed in anything good. We find it appropriate to recall that when the holy Apostles, pondering the difficulty of salvation, asked the Lord, "Who can be saved?" The Lord answered them: "With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
No less powerfully does the following vision, described by St. Anthony the Great himself , drive away sloth and inspire energy. He says, "I prayed to God to show me what kind of protection surrounds and protects a monk. And I saw a monk surrounded by fiery lamps, and a multitude of angels guarded him like the apple of an eye, protecting him with their swords; then I sighed and said: this is what is given to a monk, and yet, despite this, the devil overcomes him and he falls." And a voice came to me from the merciful Lord and said: the devil can overthrow no one; he no longer has any power after I, having assumed human nature, crushed his power. But man falls of himself when he gives in to negligence and indulges his lusts and passions. I asked: is every monk given such a protection? - and I was shown a multitude of monks protected by such protection. Then I cried out: "Blessed is the human race, and especially the army of monks, who have a Lord so merciful and loving. Let us be zealous for our salvation, and, casting aside all negligence, diligently carry out our labors, that we may be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ."
On the veneration of holidays
On feast days, except for the necessary monastic obediences, one should not engage in any work, remembering the Lord's commandment: "But the seventh day thou shalt dedicate to the Lord thy God." These holy days should be spent in prayer, contemplation, and the reading of edifying books. Upon returning from church and after meals (says St. Tikhon), one should remember the wondrous and saving deeds of God, graciously performed on those days for our salvation; reflect on them, and for those deeds, with a joyful spirit, thank God, which are abundantly described and explained in church verses and in the songs sung on those feasts (Vol. 8:185). A beautiful and God-pleasing feast (says St. Ephraim the Syrian), repentance with tears, abstinence from sins, and desire for eternal blessings. A beautiful and pleasing feast is one where Christ co-celebrates, where His feasts are celebrated, and where the divine scriptures are honored (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1849). St. Chrysostom says: if we do not honor feast days, we will be condemned as violators of the Lord's commandment, as sacrilegious.
On the Communion of the Most Pure Mysteries of Christ
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him . What could be higher and more desirable than these most comforting words of our Savior, which express all His love, the boundless depths of His bounty bestowed upon man in the sacrament of Communion? What can compare to the state of man united with the Lord Himself? This is a mystery of mysteries so sublime that the human mind, limited as it is, cannot fully comprehend it. It is enough for us to know that in the sacrament of Communion we are granted the greatest, ineffable gifts of God, and therefore we must strive by all means to live so as to frequently partake of this most holy sacrament, which the ancient Christians were granted daily.
Holy Communion, strengthening our physical and spiritual powers, also serves as an invincible weapon for defeating the invisible enemy of our salvation—the devil. This enemy, most dangerous to us, lays so many snares for our destruction, into which he strives with all his might to lure us. Wherever we go, at almost every step this evil spirit strives to wound us; everywhere he entices, everywhere he tempts us; we want to do good, but he draws us to evil; we want to pray, but he brings upon us filthy thoughts, laziness, heaviness, etc., taking advantage of our weaknesses and our inclination to sin. How much caution, self-attention, self-compulsion are required on our part, lest this fierce spirit of malice gain control of us! He is all the more dangerous because he is invisible to us and is exceedingly cunning and crafty. Against such a dangerous enemy one must use powerful weapons, but what could be more powerful than the most holy sacrament of Communion? It is also an omnipotent force in itself, for by partaking of the body and blood of Christ, we receive within ourselves the Lord of heaven and earth, whose power is boundless. On the other hand, it contains within itself the full power of our great redemption, accomplished by the Savior, the fruit of which was the victorious triumph over the dark kingdom of the devil.
He who rarely approaches this saving sacrament distances himself from salvation. Even a simple consideration makes this truth clear: he who receives Communion frequently cleanses his conscience through the sacrament of repentance, and by renewing sorrow and remorse for the sins he has committed, he imprints upon his soul the saving fear of God, which restrains him from sin. To achieve this, he must frequently arm himself with good thoughts and good deeds that distance him from sin and draw him closer to God. Then, with frequent Communion, good dispositions and virtues gain greater strength and become a need of the soul. Each of us knows from experience that frequent repetition of something develops a habit for it. He who frequently repeats sin becomes a slave to sin; he who strives for virtue becomes an ascetic of piety. Thus, a frequent communicant necessarily acquires the disposition to serve the Lord with zeal, because he truly believes in the power of the Divine Sacrament; glorifies Him with joy and hope, because he truly trusts that the Lord is his helper and protector; submits to Him with humility and love, because he truly loves the Lord, who loved and blessed us with all heavenly gifts.
Let us not remain silent about those who approach the cup of Christ unworthily. God's word speaks of such: " For he who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's Body ." Approaching this fearful Mystery, we say: "I will not give Thee a kiss like Judas," and so forth. Who are these who give the Lord a Judas kiss? These are undoubtedly those who, having been united with the Lord, sanctified by His most holy gift, freely cleansed of their countless sins—the offspring of the spirit of malice—yet again surrender themselves to the dark, demonic realm, once again return to their filthy deeds, once again enslaved to Satan. Woe, eternal woe to such!
Let us conclude our conversation about the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ by showing some of the countless benefits that it brings to those who worthily partake. According to the teaching of the Church (see the order before and after communion), this most holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, to those who worthily partake of them, gives strengthening of the joints together with the bones, healing of various ailments, health, preservation of strength, salvation and sanctification of the soul and body, alienation, i.e., the driving away of sorrows, joy and gladness, the remission of sins, the mortification of passions, the enlightenment and purification of the defiled soul, preservation from every deed and word that is soul-corrupting, protection from every devilish action, a wall and help and removal of adversaries, i.e. evil spirits, the driving away of every dream and evil deed and devilish action, the destruction and complete destruction of evil thoughts and enterprises, and the night dreams of dark and evil spirits, the correction of life and confirmation in the holiness of life, the observance of the commandments, the increase of virtue and perfection, enlightenment of the senses, peace of spiritual powers, faith that is not ashamed, the fulfillment of wisdom, enlightenment of the eyes of the heart, boldness and love for God, the giving of the Holy Spirit, the increase of Divine grace, the indwelling of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in our souls, the confirmation of life, the betrothal to the future life and the kingdom, the parting of eternal life, a favorable answer at the terrible judgment of Christ, the communion of heavenly blessings.
With a conscience cleansed by the sacrament of holy repentance, and with a sincere desire to correct our lives, let us more and more often approach the taste of the heavenly table, given to us in the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, so that with a worthy acceptance of this high gift, we may also accept into ourselves those innumerable gifts that are given to us through this great sacrament, so that, worthily partaking of this most holy bread here on earth, we may be deemed worthy to partake more fervently of Christ there, in heaven, and to abide forever in the communion and contemplation of Him, our Creator, Master, and Redeemer Jesus Christ, which may we all be deemed worthy of by His will and goodness.
About exploits and visions
One should not undertake feats beyond one's strength, as St. John Climacus writes, and especially not willfully without a blessing. One should not undertake any feats of fasting, special prayers, or anything else, and one should not make any vows to God, because everything done willfully is at the instigation of the enemy and leads to pride and destruction. One should also be very wary of various visions, which lead to a false opinion of one's holiness. The book Selected Teachings of the Holy Fathers, on page 34, states the following: "The general rule for all is to not be carried away by manifestations from the spirit world, and to recognize every such manifestation as a grave temptation for oneself. Angels appear only to holy men, and only saints are able, enlightened by Divine grace, to distinguish holy angels from devils." When appearing to humans, devils often disguise themselves as holy angels, surrounding themselves with every possible veneer of appearance, the more easily to seduce, deceive, and destroy the inexperienced, the conceited, and the foolishly curious. It is a great calamity to enter into communion with demons, to accept their impressions, even to submit to their influence, which, attracted by a person's own will, has a special effect.
About repentance
Open to me the doors of repentance, O Giver of Life !
a) What is repentance, according to the teachings of the Holy Fathers?
"Repentance is a return," says St. John Climacus . "Repentance is a promise to God of a new life. Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord through good deeds, the opposite of sinful falls. Repentance is the cleansing of the conscience " (Ladder. In Word 5, No. 1). St. Isaac the Syrian says that repentance is given to people after baptism—for it is a second rebirth from God, and that gift, the pledge of which we received from faith (in Holy Baptism), we accept (in full) through repentance" (Works of the Holy Fathers in the Russian Translation, Vol. 23, Word 83, p. 482).
b) The essence of the feat of repentance
By repentance, as moral perfection and a valiant feat in an active, pious life, the Holy Fathers understand not the private cleansing of a sinful conscience during confession, but rather its prolonged torment and unceasing appeal to God's mercy, accompanied by constant contrition of heart for the iniquities committed. "Repentance," says St. John Climacus , "is a voluntarily self-condemning thought. The penitent is the shameless condemned. The penitent is the inventor of his own punishment. Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all sorrows. Repentance is constant hopelessness in bodily consolation. Repentance is a strong oppression of the belly and a defeat of the soul, with a courageous feeling" (in No. 1).
c) The need for constant repentance
The necessity of repentance, as a constant cleansing of the sinful conscience, is obvious to everyone. If , according to the words of Holy Scripture, no defilement shall enter the kingdom of God ( Rev. 21:27 ), and who among us is pure from defilement, even if he lives only one day on earth ( Job 14:15 ); then how can we not fear the terrible sentence of the all-knowing Judge: unless you repent, you will all perish ( Luke 13:3 )? “Repentance is the door of mercy,” says St. Isaac, “open to those who earnestly seek it; by this door we enter into God’s mercy; without this entrance we will not find mercy: for all , according to the word of divine Scripture, have sinned, and are justified freely by His grace” ( Rom. 3:23–24 ).
d) The beginning and limits of repentance
Saint Isaac the Syrian defines the entire scope of ascetic repentance thus: “Repentance is the second grace, and is born in the heart from faith and fear. Fear is a fatherly staff that guides us until we attain the spiritual paradise of blessings; and when we attain it, then it leaves us and returns. Paradise is the love of God, in which is the enjoyment of all blessedness” (in Word 83, p. 482). “Repentance is the ship, and fear is its helmsman, while love is the divine haven. Therefore, fear (of righteous punishment for sins) leads us onto the ship of repentance, transports us across the foul sea of life, and leads to the divine haven; which is love. To this haven come all who labor and are burdened with repentance. And when we reach love, then we have reached God, and our path is complete and we have come to the island of that world, where the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are” (word 83, p. 482).
d) How does saving repentance begin and how is it supported ?
Thus, repentance, as St. Isaac teaches, is born of faith in the righteous Rewarder and is aroused by the fear of God's inevitable judgment and deserved torment. The sinner is horrified by the terrible fate prepared for the unrepentant and resolves to turn from the realm of Satan to God, his Father. Then this is what happens in the soul of one beginning repentance, as described by St. Ephraim the Syrian .
1. “The devil does not allow the wicked to come to their senses, presenting to them the severity of repentance. And repentance, seeing his cunning, approaches with kindness and says: “Just bring God to mind, and I will labor for you. Picture in your mind His mercy, and I will intercede for you with sighs. Just sigh a little, sinners, in repentance, and I will make you God's servants. And the prophet Isaiah said: when you return and sigh, then you will be saved ( Isaiah 30:15 ). Behold, says repentance, I bring you a testimony (from the word of God), only repent.” - “If the sinner sighs,” continues the holy father, “then with a sigh the burden laid on him by the serpent will depart from him; “After the mind has been lightened, he will drive away from himself the darkness of ignorance, and the eye of the soul will become clear, and soon repentance will guide the soul to salvation.” So, a sigh from the depths of the heart is the beginning of saving repentance.
2. “Then,” continues St. Ephraim, “the sinner will not only sigh, but also shed tears with great sorrow. Why? Because the soul, after a long separation from God, seeing Him as a Father, is moved to shed tears; from having finally seen the Parent, it sheds tears and inclines God to itself: for it loves the Father’s blessing, and thus is cleansed from everything to which the serpent led it.” These tears of heartfelt contrition are not tears of destructive despair, but the sweet tears of compunction of a soul turned to God. “The remembrance of God,” explains St. Ephraim, “leads sinners to sighing; but David says: I remembered God, and was glad” ( Ps. 76:4 ). That is why those who repent rejoice that they have been freed from the bonds of the serpent” (Word 99 on repentance, p. 160).
3. Having experienced the greatness of God's mercy and, as it were, having tasted the sweetness of God's fatherly love, which, having forgotten all the sins of the prodigal son, like the Father in the Gospel, having seen him from afar, ran to his neck and kissed him ( Luke 15:26 ), those who sincerely repent, having received undeserved forgiveness from God, punish themselves for all their previous iniquities, for their treacherous betrayal of such a loving Father, for their insensitivity and ingratitude to the Giver, King, and God. "And what is difficult and unbearable for others," says St. John Climacus, "becomes pleasant and desirable for those who have lost virtue and spiritual wealth. For the soul, deprived of its former boldness, having lost the hope of dispassion, having broken the seal of purity, having given up the treasures of gifts to be plundered and having become alien to divine consolation, having rejected the covenant of the Lord, having extinguished the beautiful fire of spiritual tears, and, wounded, painfully tormented by the memory of this, not only with all readiness accepts all labors, but piously decides to mortify itself with asceticism, if only a remnant of the spark of love, or the fear of the Lord, is preserved in it” (Word 5, in No. 23). In such a state of grave shame before the most merciful Heavenly Father, whom they have offended and angered by their iniquities, with the terrible remorse of an awakened conscience, the penitents doom themselves to all manner of sacrifices to appease God, and condemn themselves to the most strenuous feats, as if wishing to compensate for the lost time of their error. But in general, it should be noted that the various feats of repentance are not commanded by the Holy Fathers, but are imposed by the penitents themselves, according to the zeal and zeal of each, and should serve more as an expression of the penitent spirit than as any punishment for past sins. "Whoever loves Christ as he should love," says Chrysostom, "will not suffer himself to remain without punishment, even if Christ has forgiven him: for one insult to Him constitutes the greatest punishment. It is not grievous for the lover to suffer some evil for insulting the one he loves; “but most of all, that he insulted his beloved... Let us also reason thus, and weep bitterly over the fact that we so ungratefully insult our benefactor!” (On Matthew, Conversation 11, p. 266).
e) Temptations in the feat of repentance and means against them
1. "Before our fall," says St. John Climacus, "the demons represent God to us as loving toward mankind, but after our fall, as inexorable" (Ladder of the Ladder, Word 5, No. 31). The Holy Fathers advise repelling this evil thought of despair with a strong hope in God's mercy. "When someone falls," cries St. Isaac the Syrian, "let him not forget the love of his Father; but if he happens to fall into various sins, let him not cease to strive for good, let him not stop in his course, but, even when defeated, let him rise again to fight his adversaries, and daily let him begin to lay the foundation of the ruined building, until his very departure from this world, having on his lips the prophetic word: do not rejoice over me, my adversary, for I have fallen: for I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will enlighten me ( Micah 7:8 ); and let him by no means cease from the warfare until death, and while there is breath in him; let him not give up his soul to the battle, even in the very time of defeat. But if his boat is broken every day, and the whole cargo is wrecked, let him not cease to take care, to provide, even to borrow, to transfer to other ships and to sail with hope, until the Lord, having looked upon his struggle and having compassion on his defeat, sends down His mercy upon him, and gives him strong incentives to meet and endure the fiery arrows of the enemy. Such is the wisdom given by God; such is the wise sick man who does not lose his hope! (In Word 7, p. 42). Saint John Climacus assures us: "Often even small gifts have appeased the great wrath of the Judge" (Word 5, No. 32). "The Lord is merciful," cries Saint Ephraim, "He is pleased to show mercy and save man. Therefore, sinner, beg unceasingly for mercy and ask for bounty; for your Lord does not tire of forgiving you your debts" (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1850, Vol. 16, p. 26).
2. "Former habits," says St. John Climacus, "often torment us even when we weep over them" (B, no. 29). And in such cases, the demons bring sorrow to the soul of the penitent and instill hopelessness in repentance (B, no. 29). "When I am subjected to a disastrous fall," said one brother, "my thought devours me and reproaches me: 'Why did you fall?'" Against such a tormenting onslaught of evil thoughts, Abba Pimen said in approval of his brother: "As soon as a man falls into sin and says: 'I have sinned!' the sin immediately passes" (Accomplished Sayings on the Holy Fathers, p. 209, no. 99). And St. Ephraim the Syrian encourages: “Even if you sin a thousand times, but then again resort to repentance, you will again be cleansed of the filth and iniquities you have committed. Our Lord said: ‘Seventy times seven forgive your brother his trespasses’ ( Matthew 18:22 ); how much more will our Lord Himself forgive the one who repents! If you, a sinner, sin seventy times seven in one day, God will not close the doors of mercy to you, if only you repent” (Article 4 on Repentance, p. 207).
3. “In the lazy,” says St. John Climacus, “falls, by confession, are grievous, and suppress the hope of dispassion” (B, No. 39). In grave falls, demons strive to bring a person to despair; so that in the utter hopelessness of salvation, the one who has grievously sinned cries out, like Cain: “ The greater is my guilt, that it should be left me” ( Gen. 4:13 )! Against this terrible obsession, the holy fathers awaken faith in the boundless and inexhaustible mercy of God. “Nothing is equal to God’s generosity,” cries St. John Climacus, “nothing exceeds them! Therefore, whoever despairs is a suicide” (B, No. 38). “Are you a sinner? Do not despair?” St. John convinces. John Chrysostom: “I will never cease to anoint you with this medicine. Do you have many sins? Do not despair! I will never cease to repeat this to you. If you sin daily, repent daily... For God's love for mankind knows no measure, God's goodness cannot be expressed in words. Your sin has a measure, but there is no measure to the medicine. Your sin, whatever it may be, is human sin , but God's love for mankind is ineffable” (See the Appendix to The Holy Fathers, 1857, p. 469).
4. "I fear," cried St. Dorotheus to Barsanuphius the Great, "that when I sin, I may become accustomed only to repenting, and not to correct myself, to lingering in my sins, and to dying thus" (Teachings of St. Abba Dorotheus , Question 17). This apparent futility of repentance, in the constant expectation of death, often terrifies the unfortunate sinner, who, despite all his efforts, sees no improvement in his life, and trembles at the terrible hour of death. "Brother! You must not despair," replied the great elder. "A helmsman, when his ship is tossed about by the waves, does not despair of his salvation, but steers the ship until he brings it to harbor. So you too, seeing that you have become carried away and scattered in the matter, call yourself back to the beginning of the path, speaking with the prophet: and I said, now I have begun ( Ps. 76:11 ), and so on... (Answer 18, p. 243) " If someone falls, then let him again try to control himself. I believe in God that this (accidental repetition of falls) will not turn into a habit for such a person, and negligence will not take hold of him; but God will soon bring him to the disposition of the diligent (workers) and will not take his soul until He brings him to a high measure, to a perfect man ( Eph. 4:13 ). So, do not grow weary, but while you have time, work, and God will help you! " (Answer 17, p. 241). "Do not be surprised that you fall daily," says St. "St. John the Baptist, do not retreat, but stand firm, and your guardian angel will undoubtedly respect your patience" (B, no. 30). "Whoever sincerely comes to God," assures St. Simeon the New Theologian , "He does not allow them to fall at all; but, seeing their weakness, He cooperates and helps, giving them a hand of strength from above, and leads them to Himself. He cooperates both clearly and at the same time inconspicuously, tangibly and imperceptibly, until finally, having climbed the entire ladder, they draw near to Him and are united with Him there, not knowing themselves whether in the body or outside the body, and communing with Him and enjoying ineffable blessings" (Chapter 94, p. 25, see Christ's Reading of 1828, Part 12 of Simeon the New Theologian).
5. Careless souls usually soothe their consciences with an undeserved and therefore false hope in God's love for mankind. "This vile affliction," said St. John Climacus, "being protected by God's love for mankind, becomes quite pleasant for sensualists" (B, no. 41). To be freed from this affliction, it is enough to be convinced of the undoubted truth that God is as merciful as He is just—merciful to those who sincerely repent and just to unrepentant sinners; and therefore, repentance is necessary for each and everyone. "Do not believe him," warns St. John, "who, after your fall, tells you of minor offenses: it would have been better for you not to have done that—this means nothing" (B, no. 32). "For us, who have fallen into the pit of iniquity, it is impossible to be rescued from it unless we plunge into the abyss of repentant humility" (B, no. 28). "Bring repentance from your soul," says St. Ephraim the Syrian, "and shed a few tears on the sin that wounds you , and the pernicious wound on your limbs will be completely healed. But if custom alone draws you to the Doctor, you will not receive health. Only with tears and contrition can your illness be healed" (Art. 4, p. 208).
The ease of repentance plunges the negligent into another extreme: they constantly postpone repentance. Against this deception, the Holy Fathers instill the fear of sudden death. “Is it not hidden from you,” says St. Ephraim, “when the end will come and overtake you? But you can receive cleansing from sins immediately, if only you pray for it” (Article 4, p. 207). Moreover, notes St. John Climacus: “while the ulcer is still new and hot, it is easily healed; but old, neglected and neglected ulcers are not easily treated, and for their healing here require much labor, cutting, sprinkling and cauterization. Many ulcers become incurable over time: but with God all things are possible ” ( Matthew 19:26 ) (No. 30). The later repentance, the more burdensome it is! "To heal deep wounds," says St. Isidore of Pelusium , "labor, fasting, vigil, almsgiving, prayer, and other similar virtues are necessary. Although a sinful soul can regain its original beauty, it does not achieve this except through countless labors, sorrows, and torments" (see Christ's Reading, 1835, Part 2, p. 53).
g) Signs of true repentance
Since repentance is usually expressed through outward pious actions, the penitent, looking with partiality at his external efforts, can easily deceive himself with a false correction of his life, concentrating the full power of true repentance in a variety of bodily pious deeds. Therefore, the Holy Fathers present genuine signs of sincere, unfeigned, unrepentant repentance .
"What does it mean to repent of sin?" one brother asked Abba Pimen. "To sin no more," the great elder replied. "The righteous are called blameless because they forsook their sins and became righteous" (Honourable Sayings on the Holy Fathers, p. 214, no. 120). Thus, the first sign of true repentance is not committing the very sins for which one repents.
2. But leaving only former passions and vices is not enough for a truly repentant Christian: bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance , the great teacher of repentance, the Forerunner ( Matt. 3:7 ) called out to converted sinners ! “What are the fruits worthy of repentance? These,” answers Basil the Great , “are deeds of righteousness, opposed to sin, which the repentant must bear fruit, fulfilling what is said: bearing fruit in every good work ( Col. 1:10 ). (Works of the Holy Fathers 1847, vol. 9, p. 360). And the Venerable Cassian lists in detail what specific positive virtues a repentant sinner should use to express the sincerity of his repentance: “sins can be atoned for,” says St. Father, - by many deeds of repentance: for eternal salvation is promised not only to repentance, as is evident from the words of the Apostle Peter: repent ye and turn, that ye may be cleansed from your sins ( Acts 3:19 ), - John the Baptist and the words of the Lord Himself: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ( Matthew 3:2 ); but also: love covers a multitude of sins, through almsgiving the wounds of our soul are healed, because as water quenches fire, so almsblot out sin; and tears wash away sins, for David, having said: I will wash my bed every night, I will wet my bed with my tears ( Ps. 6:7 ), further says that he did not shed them in vain: depart from me, all ye that work iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping ( Ps. 6:9 ). Confession of sins also destroys them: Speak first of your iniquities, that you may be justified ( Ps. 44:26 ); sorrow of soul and on the right hand: see my humility and my labor, and forgive all my sins ( Ps. 25:8 ); especially the correction of our morals: take away evil from your souls, learn to do good, seek judgment, deliver the offended, judge the orphan, and justify the widow, and come, and let us be afflicted; and though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: and though they be like scarlet, they shall be as wool ( Is. 1:16-18 ); and sometimes the prayers of the saints, if anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, let him ask, and he will give him life ( 1 John 5:16 ); or: Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him... and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him ( James 5:14-15 ); sometimes deeds of mercy and faith: through alms and faith sins are cleansed ( Prov. 15:27); assistance in the conversion and salvation of others: he who converts a sinner from the error of his way will save the soul from death and cover a multitude of sins ( James 5:20 ); forgiveness of others for the offenses they have inflicted on you: if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you ( Matthew 6:14 ). - So, these are the many ways in which one can earn the mercy of the Creator! (See Christ's reading, 1814, September, p. 340). When choosing these direct paths leading to salvation, one must firmly remember the above-mentioned remark of Basil the Great , that from a repentant sinner no other virtues are required, namely those opposite to his former deep-rooted vices - thus: from a voluptuous and depraved person - fasting and chastity, from a stingy person - almsgiving, from a proud person - humility, from an angry person - meekness, etc.
3. "The sign of one who brings firm repentance," says St. Ephraim, "is a collected and austere way of life, the laying aside of arrogance and self-conceit, as well as eyes and mind always directed toward the desired Jesus Christ, with the desire, by the grace of Christ, to become a new person... If you fast and laugh madly, then you will easily be tripped up. If you weep during prayer and behave in a worldly manner in company, then you will soon be caught in a net. If, despite your chaste behavior, you are careless, then you will not hesitate to fall. Repentance must be brought with all the heart. “The penitent must be constantly the same, namely, always be what he began... You must be the same in the marketplace as you are in church, just as precise in your deeds, thoughts, actions, words, as precise in confession” (Tv. St. Fathers, 1850, vol. 15, p. 195).
4. "The sign of caring repentance," says St. John Climacus, "is the recognition of oneself as worthy of all sorrows that befall us, visible and invisible, and even greater ones" (B No. 38). "Stung by reproofs," urges St. John, "let us keep our sins in mind until the Lord, seeing the effort in us, ardent seekers of Him, erases our sins, and transforms the sorrow that wounds our hearts into joy. For it is said: according to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart , in the same measure have Your consolations rejoiced my soul" ( Ps. 93:19 ). In due time, let us not forget him who says to the Lord: “ What sorrows have you shown me, many and evil ones? And you turned and revived me, and from the depths of the earth, after I had fallen, you raised me up again ” ( Ps. 70:20 )! (In Word 4, No. 38).
5. "The Holy Fathers place daily weeping, and moreover, increasingly intense, as the clearest sign of sincere repentance. 'Whoever truly gives an account of his deeds,' says St. John Climacus, 'considers every day lost in which he does not weep, even if he did some good on it' (Word 5, No. 33). 'And whoever weeps for himself will not learn of the weeping, or fall, or reproach of another. A dog caught by a wild beast is all the more furious at it, irritated to the point of frenzy by the pain in its wound' (No. 36).
6. This is how St. John Climacus describes the state of those who truly repent: “Will you see laughter appear in them? Or idle talk? Or irritability? Or anger? They no longer even think that anger exists in people, because irritability has been completely eradicated from them by tears. Will you see arguments among them? Or idle talk? Or freedom of speech? Or concern for the body, or traces of vanity? Or even the expectation of pleasures? Or thoughts of wine? Or the tasting of fruits? Or the use of arsenic? Or delights of the throat? Even the expectation of all this has died out in them even in this present age. Will you see in them concern for anything earthly? Or condemnation of any person? – Not at all” (St. John Climacus in Word 5, No. 15).
c) Confirmation of God's acceptance of repentance and the remission of sins
"Let no one who mourns nourish themselves with the hope," warns St. John Climacus, "that they will receive assurance at their departure: for the unknown is uncertain. " Relax me with assurance, that I may rest first; I will not depart hence unreassured " ( Psalm 38:14 ) (B, no. 34). Therefore, the penitent, even during the struggle of repentance, must diligently seek assurance of the absolution of their sins and carefully experience in their spiritual life the most reliable signs of the absolution of sins, as indicated by the Holy Fathers.
1. The first sign of the abandonment of former sins is not only an actual avoidance of them, but also a continuous resistance to their desire, combined with fear and trembling, lest one again fall under the power of sin and Satan. “ Repentance from sin ,” says the Great Barsanuphius, “ is not to do it again: and to shun evil is their forgiveness. Let not the former things offend you!... And if you believe so, you always tremble—lest you sin, lest you fall away from sanctification ” (Barsanuphius in response 241). Such slavish fear, combined, however, with a confident boldness in the mercy of God, St. Athanasius the Great explains with the analogy: “Whatever relationship exists between master and slave, the same exists between God and the conscience of man. "Thus, just as a criminal slave learns from the gestures and words of his master that he has lost the favor he enjoyed before the transgression of his will, so too a man who has sinned loses the boldness before God that his conscience had in prayer; but when the sinner repents as he should, God again grants him the boldness he had before his fall; and from this the man learns that God has forgiven him his sins" (Christian reading 1842, part 2, p. 354). St. John the Baptist depicts this trembling state of spirit even more clearly. Isaiah the Hermit: “If your heart hates sin and turns away from everything that is a reason for sin, and you prudently, using force, distance yourself from that which draws you to sin, and you pray from your soul to your Creator that He will help you not to anger Him in anything, and, prostrated before Him, you will ask with many tears thus: “It is Yours, O Lord, to be merciful; deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies: for I am so weak that, without Your help, I cannot escape their hands.” If you pray in this way, carefully trying not to grieve those who guide you to God: then this comes from the nature of the new Adam, Jesus Christ (Christ Reading, 1847, part 4, p. 347).
2. A most lively sense of our sinfulness and, combined with it, continuous contrition or sorrow, which is Godly , makes our repentance unrepentantly unto salvation ( 2 Cor. 7:10 ). “Let us be careful,” says St. John Climacus, “that our conscience does not cease to reproach us, not because of purity, but as if brought to exhaustion by our sins. The sign of our resolution in the fall is the constant recognition of ourselves as debtors to God” (No. 37, word 5). “When the mind is renounced from all hope in what is visible in this world,” says St. Isaiah the Hermit, “then this will be a sign that sin has died in you.” “When the mind is renounced, then the barrier that stood between it and God will be destroyed” (Christ’s reading, 1826, part 21, p. 138).
3. Having experienced the most pernicious consequences of vices, and in the light of the truth and holiness of God having seen all their abomination before God, the repentant one is filled with irreconcilable hatred and disgust for sin. Such a disposition of the soul serves as a sign of its reconciliation with God. “When is the soul assured beyond doubt that God has forgiven its sins?” asks St. Basil the Great , and answers: “If it sees itself in the disposition of the one who said: ‘ I have hated and abhorred iniquity .’” ( Ps. 119:163 ) (The Holy Fathers, 1847, Vol. 9, p. 219). “If your heart has completely hated sin,” asserts St. Basil the Great, “then you will be able to see that God has forgiven you.” Isaiah the Hermit, - then it gained victory and tore itself out from among those who commit lawlessness” (Christian reading 1826, part 21, ch. 6, p. 137).
4. Sin, even when killed and cast out from the depths of the soul, can still defile the soul with passionate memories of it. For "what we have done with passion," says St. Theodore of Edessa , "the memories of that also reign in the soul with passion. When passionate desires are completely erased from the heart, so that they no longer attach themselves to it, then this serves as a sign of the remission of past sins. For as long as the soul is aroused by passions, sin remains dominant in it" (Christian Reading, 1825, Part 17, Chapter 11).
5. St. Cassian places the erasure of even images and representations of sins from memory as a sign of complete cleansing from sins. “We must remember,” he says, “that he who, during repentance and satisfaction for them, imagines images of them and recalls them, has not yet been absolved from his former sins. From this it follows that we should then consider ourselves absolved and forgiven of our former sins when the heart and imagination are no longer deceived by them. Thus, in our conscience there is an unfailing witness, which, even before the judgment, assures us of the completion of repentance and the granting of forgiveness. In short, we should be assured that our former falls have been forgiven when the memory of them and attachment to present pleasures have been eradicated from our hearts” (Christian Reading, 1844, September, p. 385).
6. Deep humility and the tangible influence of the Holy Spirit in a humble-minded soul serve as the most living guarantee of its eternal freedom from the slavery of sin and the seal of heavenly adoption! “Where the Spirit of the Lord is,” testifies St. John Climacus , “there bonds are loosed; where there is incomparable humility, there bonds are also loosed. But whoever does not have these two assurances, let them not deceive themselves; they are still bound” (Word 6, No. 34). “ A Christian is sinful ,” says St. Simeon, having repented of his former misdeeds, and not applying himself to a God-pleasing life, should he not find joy and gladness in divine gatherings and sacred rites from the depths of his heart and in prayers, and should not display such zeal and attention as he had to pleasures and worldly malice; but as he labors and is burdened, and finds himself involuntarily enduring violence, like speeches, and torment: let him not imagine that he has been freed from the hand of the devil, but let him know that he is still mentally restrained by the evil tormentor. When, therefore, he knows himself to be praying and singing with joy and fervor, and hating in thought all that is sweet and honorable in this present life, then let him know that he has come under the kingdom of Christ. This sign is clearly of deliverance and freedom, about which the Apostle speaks: “By the freedom whereby Christ has made us free, stand fast” ( Gal. 5:1 ) (In Word 4, p. 70).
i) The height of the feat of repentance
According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, true repentance of a sinner has great merit in the eyes of God.
1. “Repentance is God’s table,” teaches St. Ephraim, “for through it God partakes of human salvation. And the Savior says: This is my meat, that I may do the will of him that sent me, and finish his works ” (1 John 4:34). Thus, repentance is the wondrous bread of God: God partakes in it of the confession of conscience; He drinks in repentance the tears of compunction; in it He delights in the fragrant aroma—the sincere feeling of sighs; for it is to God as fragrant wine. These are the manifold meats of God: abstinence, fasting, vigil, diligent prayer, submission with humility; for these are more pleasing to God than other sacrifices. Repentance is manifold, and therefore it makes various offerings to God. It feeds God with praise and also with confession; " ...feeds Him with abstinence, piety, and asceticism; feeds Him with various alms... Although all (virtues) feed God, repentance feasts upon God more than all: for the Gospel says that God rejoices more over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons ( Luke 15:7 ). Repentance makes a feast for God, because heaven also calls to the feast. The angels rejoice when repentance invites them to the supper. All the heavenly ranks feast, stirred to joy by repentance. Repentance does not slaughter calves or sheep for them, but offers the salvation of sinful people for joy" (The Holy Fathers, 1850, vol. 15, pp. 170-174).
2. Repentance not only assimilates and rekindles the grace bestowed in baptism, but also reveals it in active life, and receives from above a sensible sanctification for the soul. “Through holy baptism,” says St. Simeon, “we receive forgiveness of sins, and are freed from the former curse, and are sanctified by the presence of the Holy Spirit; but we do not then receive the perfect grace of which it is said in these words: ‘ I will dwell in them and walk’ ( 2 Cor. 6:16 ). This belongs only to those who are firm in faith and prove it by their deeds. If after baptism we indulge in evil and shameful deeds, then we completely lose this sanctification. But through repentance, confession and tears, in proportion to their extent, we receive forgiveness for past sins, and at the same time sanctification and grace from above” (Christian reading 1823, part 12, ch. 74, p. 41).
3. Repentance, having fully achieved its goal—the remission of all former sins—brings down the Holy Spirit of God into the soul, and in Him the pledge of eternal salvation in Christ Jesus is received. "Through repentance," continues St. Simeon, "the filth of vices is washed away, and then the Holy Spirit is imparted; however, not simply, but according to the measure of faith, disposition, and humility of those who repent with all their souls, and then, when they receive perfect forgiveness of sins from their father and godparent... And the grace of the All-Holy Spirit is given to the souls betrothed to Christ as a pledge of betrothal. And just as without betrothal the bride is not sure that she will one day be united with the groom: so the soul does not yet have the firm assurance that it will live forever with its Lord and God, and will be united with Him mysteriously and ineffably and will see His unapproachable beauty, if it does not accept the pledge of His grace and does not feel Him within itself” (Christian reading 1823, part 12, ch. 75-76).
On the remembrance of death, the last judgment after death and the torments of hell
In all your words (activities) - remember your last, - and you will never sin
( Sir.7:39 ).
The Holy Church, preparing her children for sincere and true repentance during the holy days of Lent, instituted, on the eve of Great Lent—"on Meatfare Sunday"—a national commemoration of the Last Judgment of Christ (Matthew 106), as a powerful means of curbing and sobering the most careless and careless sinners: an institution of the Orthodox Church—divinely wise and fruitful in active Christian piety! The millennia-long experiences of countless Christian ascetics have proven and continue to prove daily that without a living faith in the future afterlife, without the thought of righteous retribution at the Last Judgment of Christ, no repentance for sins is possible. True, irrevocable repentance is unrepentant , of which there is only one, according to the teaching of the Apostle. According to St. Paul, "the thought can be converted to the salvation of a sinner" ( 2 Cor. 7:10 ); one might say, it begins, grows, and is crowned by an irresistible thought and a most vivid sense of the sinner's future fate. Without this gracious thought, not only cannot true repentance, as a lengthy and arduous endeavor, begin and be accomplished, but no personal good can even be produced—in its pure form, without any admixture of worldly gain. "The first thought," says St. Isaac the Syrian, "which, through God's love for mankind, enters a person and guides the soul to life, is the thought that sinks into the heart about the end of this nature. This thought is naturally followed by disdain for the world; and with this begins in a person every good movement that guides him in life. And it is as if the divine power, accompanying him, lays a foundation in a person when it wishes to reveal life in him." "And if a person does not extinguish this thought we have spoken of within himself with worldly ties and idle talk, but will bring it back in silence, and will dwell on it in contemplation, and will occupy himself with it: then it will lead a person to a profound contemplation, which no one is able to describe in words" (Word 86, p. 500). In this final sign, the remembrance of death and the terrible judgment of Christ constitutes one of the most powerful means for success in active Christian piety.
1. What does the feat of remembering death consist of?
By the remembrance of death the Holy Fathers do not mean a private thought about death and its consequences, a thought which often troubles every sinner and from which he tries to get rid of it as quickly as possible; they do not even mean the undoubting certainty of death as the inevitable fate of every person, the certainty of a cold mind that looks at everything abstractly - as if from a distance, not touching it; finally, they do not mean the very expectation of imminent death , which brings horror to our physical man. No! By this the Fathers of the Church understand a special spiritual contemplation , which is more convenient to feel by its saving effects on the soul than to define and express in words. “Let us understand this,” says St. Isaac, “not about that first thought, which by its reminder awakens in us the memory of death, but about the fullness of this deed, when it instills in a person an inseparable memory of death, when by thinking about it a person is placed in a state of constant wonder . "The first thought is nothing physical, but this last is spiritual contemplation and wondrous grace. This contemplation is clothed in luminous thoughts. And whoever possesses it no longer enters into inquiries about this world, and is not attached to his body" (Homily 86, p. 501). As a result of such a wondrous contemplation of his fate beyond the grave, which has already brought a feeling of repentance, but which even more vividly recognizes himself as utterly worthless, a Christian, in the spirit of faith, daily offers his entire life as a sacrifice to God the Savior. "Remembrance of death," says St. John Climacus, "is daily death; and remembrance of one's departure is hourly sighing" (Homily 6, No. 2). This is the essence of this lofty achievement!
2 The necessity of this feat for moral perfection
St. Isaac said in the above-cited passage that no good movement can be born in the soul without the thought of death, that this thought is a kind of grace-filled force, both stimulating and supporting a person in difficult struggles of virtue, and that it elevates a person above all that is perishable and transitory—to such a height where he vividly senses in his soul the breath of the future eternal life. Given such a lofty significance of the remembrance of death in a person's moral life, "some are perplexed," says St. John Climacus, "and ask: why, when the remembrance of death is so beneficial for us, has God hidden from us the foreknowledge of the hour of death? But they do not know that God miraculously arranges our salvation through this. This is precisely why the thought of death is salvific: neither the time, nor the circumstances, nor the nature, nor the consequences of our death are unknown to us; and in this form, unceasing remembrance of death is not only extremely beneficial, but also extremely necessary for a truly pious life. "Just as bread," says St. John Climacus, "is more necessary than any other food, so the thought of death is more necessary than any other activity" (Homily 6, No. 4). "It is impossible," they say, "it is impossible to spend the present day piously unless we consider it the last day of our entire lives." And it is truly astonishing that even the pagans said something similar, for this is how they defined love of wisdom: "it is reflection on death" (Homily 6, No. 24).
3. From what is the remembrance of death born and by what is it maintained?
"The fear of death," says St. John Climacus, "is a quality acquired by our nature as a result of disobedience, and the trembling of death is a sign of sins not purified by repentance. Christ also reveals in himself ( Matthew 26:37 ) the fear of death, but does not tremble at it, in order to clearly demonstrate in himself the quality of two natures" (Homily 6, No. 3). Therefore, our entire moral struggle must consist in constantly directing our attention to the terrible thought of death, a thought that, one might say, reminds us of itself daily and against our will. We must employ every means possible not to remove this unpleasant thought from ourselves, but to retain it, to become accustomed to it, or better yet, to become completely imbued with it. To this end, the Holy Fathers advise the following means:
1. “The remembrance of death,” says St. John Climacus, “in those who live together gives rise to labors and reflections, or rather, the sweetness of dishonor: and in those who have withdrawn from all rumor, it gives rise to the laying aside of cares, unceasing prayer, and the guarding of the mind. But these same virtues give rise to the remembrance of death, and are born of it” (Homily 6, No. 4). In even more detail, but also in general terms, he depicts the occupation of the mind, affirming in itself the thought of death: “Many deeds are for the active mind; "I mean—thoughts about love for God, about the remembrance of death, about the remembrance of God, about the remembrance of the kingdom, about the zeal of the holy martyrs, about the remembrance of the omnipresence of God, according to the word of the one who said: I have foreseen the Lord ( Psalm 16:8 ), about the remembrance of the holy and intelligent Powers, about the remembrance of one's departure, the coming meeting, torment and eternal condemnation. Thus we began from the high, and concluded with what makes one safe from falling" (Homily 6, No. 15).
2. The Church Fathers recognize strict solitude, fasting, and prayer as the most effective means of maintaining the thought of death. “This grace,” says St. Isaac, “grows in the hermit’s and solitary abode. Let us ask for it in prayer, let us observe long vigils for its sake, and with tears let us beseech the Lord to grant this grace, as incomparable to anything!” (Homily 68, p. 502). “But insensitivity of the heart,” notes St. John Climacus, “blinds the mind, and a multitude of foods dries up the springs of tears. Thirst and vigil produce sorrow in the heart, but from a grieving heart flow waters” (Homily 6, no. 13).
3. These are the thoughts that St. Ephraim instills in carefree sinners, when imagining the inevitable hour of death: “Let us consider, brethren, that man is like vanity ( Ps. 134:4 ); his days are like the flower of the field ( Ps. 102:15 ), they will pass in a single moment of time, and all will pass away. Why do you worry in vain, O man? One attack of fever will stop your dancing and leaping! One hour will separate you from those dancing with you. One night, and your flesh will wither, your feet will stop running to evil, your hands will weaken, your eyes will dim, your tongue will suddenly become silent, your voice will suddenly become dull, your sighs will multiply, useless tears will flow from you, your thoughts will be upset, and no one will be able to help you. You have dishonored and dishonored God, and all will leave you and go away, and no one will remain with you except the invisible demons you have pleased. The implacable angel sent, standing afar off with downcast eyes, will await the Lord's beckoning, so that, snatching your poor soul, he may lead it to the place prepared for it, where it will reap what it has sown—where weeping, sorrow, distress, gnashing of teeth, and grief grow, abound, and even overflow. Why do you fuss in vain, wretched one? There the eyes of the drunkards will darken; there the flesh of the dancers will wither; there those who drink wine with harps and pipes will be tormented and hungered; There fornicators, adulterers, thieves, murderers, soothsayers, poisoners, sorcerers, deceivers, sodomites, child molesters, predators, and bloodsuckers will weep with great sorrow, gnash their teeth, and beat their faces. All of them, and those like them who sin unrepentantly to the end and who walk the broad and spacious path that leads to destruction, will undoubtedly find a suitable home there. For it is impossible to dance with demons here and rejoice with angels there, as the Lord said: Woe to you who laugh now, for you will weep and lament there ( Luke 6:25 )! (Two Holy Fathers, 1849, part 3, p. 347, homily 78)
4. The thought of the fateful moment of death brings involuntary fear to a sin-loving soul, but the idea of the terrible judgment after death makes both soul and body tremble. “Go,” advised one brother St. Ammon , “have the same thoughts that criminals have when they are in prison. They always ask others: where is the judge? when will he come? and they weep in anticipation. So should every Christian constantly listen and convict his soul, saying: woe is me, how will I appear at the judgment seat of Christ, and how will I justify myself before Him?” (St. Ammon, p. 35, no. 1) “What fear, trembling, and what need we will see,” exclaims St. Theophilus, when the soul is separated from the body!... Then a mighty host of adversary forces will come upon us, the princes of darkness, the wicked rulers of the world, principalities, powers, spirits of malice, and in a certain sense they will rightfully take possession of the soul, presenting to it all the sins committed in knowledge and ignorance, from youth to the end of life. They will appear to it and expose all its deeds. Moreover, what kind of trembling do you think the soul is gripped with at that time—until the sentence is pronounced upon it and its deliverance is accomplished? This is a time of its anguish, until it learns what will happen to it.
St. Cyril of Alexandria also teaches in his Sermon on the Departure of the Soul , St. Theodore the Studite in his Third Catechumen, and, in general, all the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church who discussed the separation of the soul from the body. And this terrifying picture of the struggle between demons and angels for the soul departing the body before the very eyes and in the most vivid consciousness of the dying person's soul itself is not some instructive invention of the Fathers and Teachers of the Church, but an undoubted truth of the afterlife, proven by many experiences of persons respected in Christianity, who—as is commonly said—fell into a stupor for a time and then returned to life. Thus, St. Theodora, a disciple of the great saint of God, Basil the New, recounted her end: "When the hour of my death came, I saw faces I had never seen, I heard words I had never heard: what shall I say? Fierce and grievous calamities, of which I had no idea, befell me because of my deeds. How can I describe the bodily pain, the burden and cramped conditions to which the dying are subjected? It was as if someone naked had fallen into a great fire, burning, melting, turning to ashes: thus a man is destroyed by mortal illness at the bitter hour of the separation of the soul from the body. When I was approaching the end of my life, and the time of my departure had arrived, I saw a multitude of Ethiopians surrounding my bed. Their faces were dark as soot and pitch; their eyes like hot coals; the sight was as fierce as the fiery Gehenna itself. They began to rage and make a noise. Some roared like beasts and cattle, others barked like dogs, others howled like wolves; looking at me, they became furious, threatened, rushed at me gnashing their teeth, and immediately wanted to devour me; Meanwhile, they prepared charters and unfurled scrolls on which all my evil deeds were written, as if awaiting some judge who was destined to come. My wretched soul was seized with great fear and trembling. Not only did the grief of death torment me, but also the menacing appearance and fury of the terrible Ethiopians were for me like another, more cruel death . I turned my eyes in all directions, so as not to see their terrible faces and not to hear their voices, but I could not get rid of them—they staggered everywhere; there was no one to help me; when I was completely exhausted, I saw two light-bearing Angels of God, in the form of youths of indescribable beauty, coming towards me... and so on." Saint Peter the Publican (Chet-Menaion, September 22) and Saint Aref of the Caves (see the Caves Patericon) saw exactly the same visions of evil and dark demons at the hour of their death. “Similarly,” testifies the ecumenical teacher of the Church, Saint Chrysostom (as early as the 4th century), “many will tell of terrible visions that appear at death, the sight of which the dying, unable to bear, shake with great effort the very bed on which they lie, look at those standing by with eyes distorted by fear, when the soul is torn within itself, does not want to leave the body, cannot bear the gaze of the approaching Angels.”" If we tremble when we look at terrible people, then what kind of fear will we be subjected to when we see the descending Angels and the fierce powers of demons , when the soul will be torn away from the body, crying in vain and much...?" (in homily 53 on the Gospel of Matthew). The torments of evil spirits were experienced, at the hour of their death, by the Venerable Agathon (see Schools, Piety, part 3, p. 56), the great ascetic Stephen of Sinai (see John of the Ladder, step 7), and many other persons, about whom the prologues and the Menaion reader narrate. In general, the conviction of a private judgment after death at the so-called aerial tollhouses became the common faith of the entire Orthodox Church (see, Orthodox dogma, theological Fr. Anthony. On the Tollhouses, p. 244).
Furthermore, face to face with opposing forces, stand the divine powers, and for their part, they present her good deeds. Consider, then, what trembling and fear torments the soul, finding itself among these powers, until its judgment is decided by the righteous Judge! (St. John's Spoken Words, p. 290, no. 2).
3. Finally, a vivid image and, as it were, a premonition of hellish torments strikes even the most carefree soul with horror and wrenches it from the terrible embrace of sin, as from the jaws of hell. "Why do I fall into carelessness while remaining in my cell?" one brother asked an experienced elder. The saint answered him: "Because you have not yet recognized either the expected peace or the future torment. For if you truly knew this, then even if your cell were filled with worms, so that you stood in them up to your neck, you would endure it without weakening." This wondrous premonition of future torments is partly explained by St. Dorotheus as follows: "While in this body, the soul receives relief from its passions and some consolation: (a person) eats, drinks, sleeps, converses, walks with his dear friends. When it leaves the body, the soul remains alone with its passions, and therefore is always tormented by them; occupied with them, it is scorched by their rebellion and tormented by them, so that it cannot even remember God... Do you want me to explain to you by example what I am telling you? Let one of you come, and I will lock him in a dark cell, and let him, even for only three days, neither eat, drink, sleep, converse with anyone, sing psalms, pray, and not remember God at all; and then will he know what the passions will do within him? However, he is still here; how much more, after the soul leaves the body, when it gives itself over to the passions and is left alone with them, will it then suffer, the unfortunate one? From the sorrows here, you can somewhat understand what the sorrow there is. For when someone has a fever, what inflames him? What fire, or what substance, produces this burning? Is it not his own malnutrition that inflames him, constantly troubling him and making his life miserable? So too, the passionate soul is always tormented, the unfortunate one, by its own evil habit, ever bearing bitter memories and the oppressive impressions of passions that ceaselessly burn and scorch it. And besides this, brethren, who can imagine those terrible places, those tormented bodies, which serve as instruments of souls in such and so many sufferings, yet do not themselves decay; that terrible fire and darkness; those merciless servants of the tormentors and other countless torments, often spoken of in divine Scripture, and which are proportionate to the evil deeds of the souls and their evil memories? For just as the righteous, according to the saints, receive certain bright places and angelic joy, proportionate to their good deeds, so too sinners receive dark and gloomy places, full of fear and horror. For what is more terrible and disastrous than the places to which demons are sent? And what is more terrible than the torment to which they will be condemned? However, sinners will also be tormented with these same demons, as Christ says: " Depart into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" ( Matthew 25:41).)! (Instruction 12, p. 144). “As far as heaven is from earth,” a prisoner of hell—a pagan priest—revealed to Macarius the Great, “so much is fire beneath us, and we stand in the midst of fire from head to toe. It is forbidden for any of us to see another face to face. For us, the face of one is turned to the back of another. And we, as those who did not know God, are still somewhat pardoned; but those who knew God and rejected Him—they are beneath us!”—The great elder wept and said: “Unhappy day on which man was born!... (St. John Chrysostom, p. 154, no. 37). “And even more terrible is what St. John Chrysostom says ,” continues the Venerable One. Dorotheus: “Even if the river of fire did not flow, and terrible angels did not stand by, but only if all people were summoned to judgment, and some, having received praise, were glorified, while others were sent away with dishonor, so as not to see the glory of God: then would not the punishment of shame and dishonor and the sorrow of falling away from so many blessings be more terrible than any Gehenna? (Education 12, p. 146). “The soul,” concludes St. Theophilus, “caught in a carefree life, will hear that terrible voice: let the wicked be taken away, let him not see the glory of the Lord ( Is. 26:10 )! Then the day of wrath, the day of sorrow, the day of darkness and gloom will overtake it. Consigned to outer darkness, and condemned to eternal fire, it will suffer punishment for endless ages!” (Accomplishments of the story, p. 291).
6. However striking the gloomy pictures of the cruel death of a sinner, the terrible judgment beyond the grave, and especially the eternal torments of Gehenna may be, they cannot in themselves touch or soften our stony, hardened hearts. God alone can take the stony heart from our flesh and give us a heart of flesh ( Ezek. 26:26 )! “Let us assure ourselves,” says St. John Climacus, “that the remembrance of death, like all other blessings, is a gift of God; because often, being at the very graves, we have no tears, and remain insensitive; and often, too, not having such a spectacle before us, we become contrite” (Homily 6, No. 20). “This grace,” assures St. "Isaac," he said, "is given to those at a moderate level (of moral perfection) and desiring repentance in uprightness of heart. It is given precisely to those of whom God knows that they truly deserve to depart from this world for a better life, in accordance with His good will, which He has found in them" (Homily 86, No. 562). Therefore, the surest and, one might say, the only sure means of receiving this incomparable grace is constant and intense prayer to God, the Knower of hearts.
4. Temptations for those who try to establish in their minds the remembrance of death
“Satan hates this thought (i.e., the remembrance of death), says St. Isaac the Syrian, and attacks with all his might to destroy it in man: For the crafty one knows that if this thought remains in a man, then his mind is no longer on this earth of deception, and his wiles do not come near the man” (Homily 86, p. 501).
1. Since the remembrance of death in its action is nothing other than the continuous directing of the attention of the mind and with it all the powers of the soul to the future eternal life, the goal of all the efforts of the tempter is to distract the attention of the ascetic of Christ and direct it to worldly concerns, or to ruin him with the vain things of this world. “And therefore,” says St. Isaac, “if it were possible, Satan would give him the kingdoms of the whole world, if only by distraction he could erase such a thought from the mind of man. And if he could, as it is said,” confirms the holy father, “then he would do it willingly” (Homily 86, p. 501). Consequently, a Christian must firmly remember that with distractions and cares it is absolutely impossible to preserve the unceasing remembrance of death. “Whoever intends to retain forever in himself the remembrance of death and the judgment of God,” says St. “The Ladder, while at the same time indulging in worries and material entertainment, is like a man swimming, who at the same time wants to clap his hands” (Homily 6, No. 11).
2. Attachment to anything in the world gives the tempter a reason to occupy the ascetic's thoughts not with the afterlife, but with this present life. "He who has died to everything," says St. John Climacus, "remembers death; but he who is still attached to the world never ceases to plot against himself" (Homily 6, No. 21).
3. The enemy fights us with both left and right weapons : before he can distract the ascetic's attention with vain worldly concerns, he instills in him a solicitous, seemingly God-pleasing concern for every brother in Christ, trying to distract him with numerous expressions of brotherly love and helpfulness. "Do not desire," warns St. John Climacus, "to convince everyone with words of your love for them, but rather ask God to reveal your love to them in some unknown way. Otherwise, you will not have time for explanations with people and for contrition" (Homily 6, No. 22).
4. A common , but unfortunately often successful, trick of the cunning tempter is to convince the ascetic by every means possible of the strength of his health and the hopeful continuation of his earthly life, forcing him to postpone further and further the concern for his end, while at the same time suggesting that with increased asceticism he can still more than make up for lost time. "Do not deceive yourself, foolish worker," exhorts St. John, "as if one time can be exchanged for another; for not a single day is sufficient to fully repay his debt to the Master" (Homily 6, No. 23).
5. The remembrance of death, especially at the beginning and in the middle of this struggle, is very distressing for our old self, which it seems to incessantly slaughter . "The constant distraction of thoughts that we have acquired, and the gloomy oblivion that ceaselessly steals the thought of death from those beginning to labor at its frequent remembrance. When, having recognized this wile of invisible enemies, we persevere in the salvific struggle, then we will see within ourselves a new battle against it—thoughts of doubt in the reality and benefit of the struggle, thoughts of mockery and blasphemy, calling it strange, stupid, and ridiculous—thoughts of false humility, advising us not to separate ourselves from others in our behavior. "If, by the great mercy of God, this battle is also conquered, the very tormenting fear produced by the vivid memory and imagination of death, as if a premonition of it, is at first unusually difficult for our old man: it terrifies the mind and imagination; a cold tremor runs through the body, shaking and weakening it; the heart is tormented by unbearable anguish, combined with hopelessness." (See the works of Bishop Ignatius. Volume 2, p. 731). One should not reject this state, one should not fear its harmful consequences. "For everyone who begins to live according to God," says St. Simeon the New Theologian , "the fear of torment is useful, and illness is born from it. He who dreams of making a beginning without such illness and bonds not only lays a foundation on the sand of his own deeds, but is also like one who attempts to build a temple in the air, without a foundation at all—which is impossible. "From this illness (the fear and trembling of death) all joy is soon born; by these bonds the bonds of all sins and passions are torn asunder; this tormentor is the cause not of death, but of eternal life" (Sym. Nov. Theologian. Acts, ch. 66). The weight of these inner sorrows gives the tempter a pretext to distract the ascetic from this holy and fruitful occupation: under such circumstances, the invisible enemy reminds the ascetic of God's great love for people, which does not require any painful sacrifices from them. Therefore, St. John Climacus warns: "When you weep over sins, do not allow that dog (i.e., the devil) to approach you, who inspires you with the idea that God loves mankind! (This thought is only useful to you when you see yourself being drawn into deep despair.) For the enemy’s intention is that you should not have either these tears or this not terrible fear” (Homily 6, No. 10).
5. Signs of proper remembrance of death
Because of the extraordinary fruitfulness and loftiness of this holy feat, the devil employs countless and innumerable wiles to deviate from it. On the other hand, those who practice the feat of remembrance of death can easily deceive themselves, completely misjudging their spiritual state. For "not every desire for death," says St. John Climacus, "should be considered good. Some, constantly sinning out of force of habit, humbly pray for death. Others, however, have no intention of repentance and call upon death out of despair. Still others, in their conceit, consider themselves dispassionate and do not fear death. Finally, others, if such are found today, through the action of the Holy Spirit desire their own transmigration" (Homily 6, No. 8). Therefore, it is necessary to discern clearly the sure signs of the grace-filled remembrance of death .
1. “A sure sign,” says St. John Climacus, “in the depths of the heart of those who remember death is voluntary impartiality to every creature, and complete abandonment of one’s own will” (Homily 6, No. 6).
2. The ordinary vivid image of death, as St. Isaac the Syrian says, “is something corporeal,” and therefore arouses a tormenting fear for the body; but the gracious remembrance of death “is spiritual contemplation and wondrous grace. This contemplation is clothed in bright thoughts” (Homily 86, p. 501). “Fear for the body,” the holy father explains in another place, “is so strong in people that as a result of it they often remain incapable of accomplishing anything glorious and honorable. And when fear for the soul penetrates fear for the body , then bodily fear weakens before spiritual fear, like wax before the force of the fire that consumes it” (Homily 2, p. 19).
3. “An Egyptian monk once told me,” relates St. John Climacus: “After the remembrance of death had become firmly established in the depths of my heart, when, in a need that arose, I wanted to bring a little consolation to the mortal world, this remembrance, like a judge, forbade me. And what is surprising: when I intended to remove the thought of death from myself, I was in no way able to do so” (Homily 6, no. 13). And St. Isaac generally remarks: “Whoever has the remembrance of death no longer enters into inquiries about this world, and is not attached to his body” (Homily 86, p. 501).
4. “He is also wise,” says St. John Climacus, “who daily and with certainty awaits death; but he is holy who desires it every hour” (Homily 6, No. 7).
5. “Just as, according to the definition of the Fathers, perfect love does not fall, so I affirm,” says John Climacus, “that the perfect feeling of death is not terrible” (Homily 6, No. 14).
6. Finally, it should be noted that all the above-mentioned signs are necessary for those beginning this ascetic struggle, lest they fall into self-delusion. And those blessed souls, in whom the Holy Spirit Himself produces the remembrance of death, through a certain special feeling, not only clearly recognize, but also vividly sense the difference between truth and deception. "Just as tin clearly differs from silver, although similar in appearance, so," assures St. John Climacus, "for those who understand, the difference between the natural and supernatural fear of death is obvious and clear" (Homily 6, No. 5).
6. Different degrees in the feat of remembering death and hellish torments
The feat of remembering death begins with the thought of one's future fate beyond the grave—a thought, though seemingly random, which from then on is neither random nor fruitless, as soon as it strikes the soul with fear. This is also the soul's fear for the body—the fear of dying unexpectedly, and then (who knows) perhaps perishing forever! From such reflections, if they are not quickly erased from the soul by distractions and worldly concerns, salvific fear for the soul is born. "I will explain to you," says St. Basil the Great, "salvific fear, the fear that brings holiness, the fear that arises in the soul from instruction, and not from external impressions." When you find yourself drawn to some sin, then, I implore you, think of the dreadful and unbearable judgment seat of Christ, where the Judge sits upon a high and exalted throne, and all creation stands before Him in awe, engendered by the glory of His appearance. Each of us (this will certainly follow) will be brought before Him, and the life's work of each of us will be examined. After this, those who have committed much evil during their lives will be approached by certain terrible, sullen angels, emitting fire from their eyes, breathing fire, their faces like night, in the expression of their cruelty and hatred for men. After this, imagine a deep abyss, impenetrable darkness, a fire devoid of radiance, having the power to burn in the darkness; further: - a special breed of poisonous and carnivorous worms, eating insatiably and never getting their fill, producing unbearable diseases through bites; finally: - a punishment, the most severe of all, a curse and eternal rejection... Fear this! Taught by this fear, restrain your soul as if with a bridle from impure desires! " (In a conversation on Psalm 83, verse 12). “And no matter how deeply this saving fear shakes the soul, those struck by it,” says St. John Climacus, “do not stop there, but incessantly add fear to fear, until the last strength in their bones is exhausted” (Homily 6, no. 19). To what extent this saving fear can increase, St. John showed this in two amazing examples: “A certain man who lived here in a place called Tholas often went into a frenzy at the thought of death, and as if he had lost consciousness, or was struck with epilepsy, the brothers who were present carried him away almost lifeless” (Homily 6, no. 17). He also tells a wonderful story about Hesychius the Choreite: “He spent his life in complete negligence, and had no care at all for his soul. Finally, his body so weakened that for about an hour he seemed completely dead when he came to, he begged us all to leave immediately. And having barred the door of his cell, he remained there for twelve years, never speaking to anyone, either idle or sensible, and eating nothing but bread and water. He remained motionless, so immersed in his mind by what he had seen during his ecstasy, that he never changed his position, but always remained as if amazed, and in complete silence, he shed hot tears! ... However, the Lord miraculously glorified His great mercy in him. "Having reverently buried him in the cemetery, near the fence," concludes St. John Climacus, "the next day they began to search for his relics, but did not find them. Thus the Lord confirmed his caring and praiseworthy repentance" (Homily 6, No. 18).
7. The fruits of the feat of remembering death and the Last Judgment after death
The gracious contemplation of one's future destiny beyond the grave has a powerful and irresistible effect on the soul. "It is perfectly true, beloved," assures St. Isaac the Syrian, "that if God were to grant people this true contemplation for a short time, there would be no succession in this world. This contemplation serves as a bond against which nature cannot resist, and for those who accept this reflection into their souls, it is a grace of God that is stronger than all individual efforts" (Homily 86, p. 502).
1. The thought of God's terrible judgment, even at a time when it apparently accidentally strikes the soul, tramples upon the strongest passion and snatches a person from the very jaws of hell. "When the enemies succeed in captivating a person's mind, through his own fault," said St. Abba Kropius, "then they secretly draw him until they lead him to a passion invisible to him. If here the mind turns, seeks God, remembers the eternal judgment: then the passion immediately falls and disappears. Scripture says: when you return and sigh, then you will be saved, and you will understand where you were ( Isaiah 3:15 ) (St. John the Baptist, p. 126, no. 2). "If the fire of carnal lust scorches you, oppose it with the fire of Gehenna, and the fire of your lust will immediately be extinguished," assures St. Chrysostom. If you wish to utter something indecent, think of that gnashing of teeth, and the fear of it will curb your tongue. If you wish to commit some theft, listen to what the Judge commands and says: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into outer darkness ( Matthew 22:13 ), and thus you will cast out this passion. If you lead an intemperate life, then listen to what the rich man says: Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue: for I am vexed in this flame ( Luke 16:24,25 ), and he received no help. By frequently recalling this, you will finally abandon the passion of intemperance. If you love pleasures, reflect on the hardships and sorrows that will be there; After this, you will not even think about amusements. If you are cruel and unmerciful, then remember more often those virgins who were not admitted to the Bridegroom's chamber because their lamps went out; and you will soon become philanthropic. Are you negligent and careless? Reflect on the fate of the one who hid his talent, and you will become quicker than fire. Are you consumed by the desire to seize your neighbor's property? Constantly imagine that undying worm, and in this way you will easily free yourself from this illness, and correct all your other weaknesses" (Homily 10 on the last verse of 2 Corinthians).
2. “A living remembrance of death,” says St. John Climacus, “cuts off excess in food; and when this excess is cut off in humility, the other passions are cut off along with it” (Homily 6, No. 12). “Whoever reflects on the torments to which he will one day be subjected for his iniquities,” says St. Isaiah, “no longer thinks about anything else: his heart is oppressed by grief about the coming torments; the thought of them drowns out all other thoughts; food does not even come to his mind. He does not answer those who scold him; he patiently endures all insults, considering himself worthy of them; with heavy sighs and groans he thinks about that terrible judgment before which he must one day appear; “The great sorrow of the heart brings forth abundant tears from his eyes” (Christ’s Reading, 1831, Part 43, p. 68). Let us cut off excesses in food; by this, apparently, the simplest means, the most vivid remembrance of death and the Last Judgment frees the ascetic, even without his knowledge and effort, from the violence and uncontrollability of all kinds of passions. “Considering the vicissitudes of human life and the uncertainty of its end,” reasons St. Anthony the Great , “we will distance ourselves by such consideration from sin. When we rise from sleep, it is quite doubtful whether we will reach the evening. Again, when we wish to calm the body with sleep, it is just as uncertain whether we will see the light of the coming day. Reflecting on the infidelity of our life and nature in all respects, we attain the knowledge that God’s Providence guides us. Then we cease to sin and be carried away by empty and corruptible situations; "Then we do not become angry with anyone, we do not strive to accumulate earthly treasures, we trample everything corruptible with fear of the departure from here that may follow daily, and with unceasing reflection on the separation of the soul from the body; then love for the opposite sex ceases to act, the flame of fornication is extinguished; we forgive each other our debts, having the approach of the final retribution constantly before our eyes. By the fear of judgment and the fear of torment the deceptive lusts of the flesh are destroyed, and at the same time the soul is supported when it is inclined to fall" (See the works of Bishop Ignatius, vol. 2, p. 723). But this is not enough! The remembrance of death directly places the repentant sinner on the path of salvation , and leads to the zealous fulfillment of every kind of virtue. "For such a one," explains St. Barsanuphius the Great, "says to his thought: "I and God - we are alone in the world! and if I do not fulfill His will, I will no longer belong to Him, but to someone else,” and every hour he awaits his departure from the body, thinking how he will meet God, and such a one will quickly find the path to salvation” (See Guide to Spiritual Life, in answer 343). “Living memory of death,” reveals St. Philotheus of Sinai"...is the cause of many virtues. It gives birth to sorrow for God, it encourages abstinence from all evil, it brings to mind Gehenna; it is the mother of prayer and tears; it is the guardian of the heart; it does not allow attachment to anything that is essentially insignificant; it is the source of prudence and discretion. From here comes the intense fear of God— the purification of the heart from passionate thoughts, and the fulfillment of many of the Lord's commandments. In the remembrance of death one sees a constant, invincible feat, about which many of Christ's ascetics care (Christ's reading, 1827, part 27, p. 166)."
3. The Venerable John the Seer explains to one brother how, from the involuntary fear of impending death, a voluntary memory of death is born , and from goodness under compulsion, a free good is born, which finally completely frees a person from death , that is, from the danger of falling into mortal sin and being condemned to eternal death . “If a person does good out of fear of death, then this forced good cannot be compared with that which happens by a person’s free will; however, such a person is still better than one who does nothing. It is good for a person to remember death in order to learn to know that he is mortal, and a mortal is not eternal, and not eternal and must involuntarily leave this age. Through the constant memory of death, a person learns to do good voluntarily. And voluntary good completely frees the soul from death (See Guide to Spiritual Life, in answers 646, 647).” This is because, as the Venerable John explains, Maximus the Confessor , “Salvific sorrow inevitably destroys passions and gives birth to virtues; because he who has rooted it in the depths of his heart cannot be wounded by the arrows of the devil; he who cares for it with his soul does not fear the manifold attacks of the demons. He who has girdled his mind with it is not deprived of divine thoughts; he who has devoted himself to it knows the rules of a pious life. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, Who plants it in the hearts of the worthy. It alone is the cause of that joy of which we will partake in the kingdom of heaven, for it is the divine seed, the ripe fruit of which is the enjoyment of eternal blessings (Christian reading, 1846, part 3, p. 388).”
4. In its highest development, the remembrance of death exerts an irresistible force and an irresistible influence on the soul, as those who have established the thought of death within themselves have acknowledged. “It is astonishing!” said one ascetic to Saint John Climacus, “when I intended to remove the thought of death from myself, I could not do it at all!” And blessed Hesychius, dying, said to the fathers: “Whoever has acquired the remembrance of death can never sin (Homily 6, No. 18).” Therefore, the last and most perfect fruit of this holy work, Saint John Climacus places the incorruptible purity of the soul—the most joyful safety from falls . “As some define,” he says, “the abyss as something that has no betrayal, because the bottomless place is called by this name; Thus, through the thought of death, incorruptible purity and incorruptible action are acquired (Homily 6, No. 10). “Whoever has established the memory of death in his mind,” concludes St. John Climacus, “will no longer sin: remember your last days, and you will never sin ( Sir. 7:39 )!” And St. Simeon, the new Theologian, based on his own experience, promises even here on earth to one suffering from the fear of eternal torment an ineffable, gracious consolation . “Whoever does not want to avoid the illness born of the fear of eternal torment, and does not recoil from it, but surrenders to it with the will of his heart and takes upon himself its bonds; he, in accordance with the measure of his sorrow, begins to walk more quickly along the path to heaven, and it will present him to the King of kings. After this, as soon as he looks, even dimly, at the glory of God, the bonds will immediately fall from him, and the tormenting fear will flee far from him, and the sadness in his heart will turn into joy, and (in his heart) a source will open, which outwardly will constantly pour out streams of tears, and inwardly - in the soul - silence, meekness and inexpressible sweetness, as well as courage and readiness - to freely and unceasingly obey every commandment of God ... This is impossible for beginners, for those who have reached the middle - it is natural, and for the perfect - this source becomes a light from which the heart is suddenly changed and reborn (Christ's reading. 1823, part 12, p. 36) ".
Such are the fruits of remembering death! Therefore, even contemporary Christian ascetics advise and exhort. "Given the importance of the fruits of remembering death , we must be courageous in cultivating them and overcome all obstacles through intelligent labor and persistence; we must believe that we too will attain these fruits in due time, by the mercy and grace of God. Remembering death, the fears that accompany it and those that follow, remembering it, combined with fervent prayer and self-mourning, can replace all labors, encompass a person's entire life, grant him purity of heart, attract to him the grace of the Holy Spirit, and thereby grant him free ascension to heaven, past the powers of the air" (See the works of Bishop Ignatius, vol. 2, p. 723).
8. How can one strengthen within oneself the remembrance of death, the Last Judgment, and the torments of Gehenna, while living in peace amidst the vanity of life?
For laypeople, the remembrance of death is even more necessary than for worldly hermits, for worldly cares and distractions, social obligations and family concerns completely overwhelm the soul in the world, preventing it from focusing on its future eternal destiny. And, rarely encountering the thought of death, a person cares nothing for eternal salvation, relying, completely without any right, on the mercy of the heavenly Judge. But the terrifying thought of death and Gehenna is powerful enough to arouse even the most careless! Therefore, one must employ every means possible to strengthen this saving thought within oneself. The means for this, also for laypeople, are the same as those indicated by the holy fathers above, especially for hermits. Here we will indicate only the special cases in which the thought of death can sink deeper into the soul; and such cases should be taken advantage of.
1. It is imperative to visit the dangerously ill, especially those close to us and those we know. Even the ancient sage noted that it is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of mirth ( Ecclesiastes 7:3 ). By visiting the sick, we also fulfill the commandment of brotherly love, which the Lord Jesus considers a service to Himself: " I was sick, and ye visited me" ( Matt. 25:36 ). And we ourselves learn much at the sickbed: patience, trust in God, humility, and the conviction that beauty, strength, wealth, and glory are vanity. Alas! For the sick, nothing is dearer than health.
2. Even more striking is the end of every dying person: look at the horror that grips the soul of a sinner at the sight of his terrible, inevitable death! Who can help him? And what will a man give in exchange for his soul ( Mark 8:36 )? “Let us fear,” urges St. Barsanuphius the Great, “the dreadful day and hour, in which neither brother, nor relative, nor ruler, nor power, nor riches, nor glory will protect us; but only a man and his work will exist” (See Guide to Spiritual Life, in answer 799). The same, or something even more terrible, will happen to us at death if we do not repent. And on the contrary, what joy shines on the face of the righteous at the sight of eternal rewards! Let us not forget this sight, let us firmly imprint in our memory the striking image of death, in the faces of our familiar brethren, and it, like a stern judge, will protect us from many crimes.
3. Of all the entertaining news of life, the most instructive are stories of sudden and unexpected death, especially of people we know; in such cases, curiosity is very useful, to know the terrible details of sudden death, to understand the unforeseen events of the deceased, to discover the secret causes of misfortune, to imagine the terrible uncertainty of the eternal fate of the suddenly deceased... all this cannot fail to impress the memory, and not make the most careless heart shudder. But at the same time, let us not forget that sudden death befalls only those who do not care about their salvation: this is announced by the Lord Himself ( Luke 12:42 ). "God," said St. Barsanuphius the Great to one brother who was afraid of unexpected death, will not take your soul, struggling with passions and lusts, until he brings you to a high measure - to a perfect man (See Guide to Spiritual Life, in answer 26).
4. The memory of sudden death should be brought to mind during any undertaking where sudden death may occur, for example, when setting out on a journey, when crossing a river, and so on. "When beginning any task," advises one great ascetic, "say to yourself attentively: 'What will happen if my Lord visits me with death now ?' And see what your thoughts answer you: if He condemns you, immediately abandon that task and take up another; for the doer of virtue must be ready at all times to depart on his journey. Whether you are sitting at your handiwork, or on the road, or visiting someone, or eating food, always say to yourself: 'What will happen if God calls me now?' "See what your conscience tells you, and do as it tells you" (See Letters on Christian Life, 1860, Issue 2, p. 372, No. 44). Such a vision of sudden death does not inspire cowardice , but rather purifies the purpose of the undertaking , suppresses self-confidence, arouses hope in God's Providence, and is generally quite salutary. Venerable Sarah said of herself: "When I lift my foot to climb a ladder, I picture death before my eyes, and then I climb the ladder" (See St. John's Words, p. 269, No. 6). This is how the saints acted!
5. We daily, so to speak, surrender ourselves to the embrace of death and, surprisingly, do not feel its presence. "Sleep is the image of death!" said the pagan sages, but Christianity teaches that death itself is nothing other than dormition . Let us always go to sleep with such holy feelings that we would not be afraid to die.
6. And it is always edifying and salutary to remember death; but we must strive to learn from our own experience how salutary this blessed contemplation is. Therefore, let us try to imagine death before our eyes, especially at the time when some passion is just beginning to flare up within us: we will certainly feel how, at the sight and imagination of terrible death , every rage of passions is silenced, and – at the contemplation of the fire of Gehenna – every heat of lust cools... “The misfortune that happens in the world,” teaches us the newly revealed miracle worker St. Tikhon of Zadonsk , “is a certain shadow and image of the future and eternal misfortune. It is hard here to be counted among the villains, to be numbered among the evil and dishonorable people; but it will be far harder to be numbered with the devil and his evil angel, and to be counted with them forever .” It is hard to be under the power of a tormentor here, and to endure mockery, ridicule, and all violence and malice from him; but it will be far harder to be under the power of Satan, the adversary of God, and to endure mockery, ridicule, and malice from him forever . It is hard to endure beatings, suffering, illness, fever, toothache, and physical weakness here; but it will be far harder to endure the eternal burning of the fire of Gehenna, the fierce and unbearable illness, the gnashing of teeth, the sleepless worm, and to suffer in soul and body from it. It is hard to sit in prison here, deprived of light, and feeling no consolation; but it is far harder to sit in the prison of hell and never see the light, and to be deprived of all consolation forever . It is hard to endure thirst here and desire, but have no relief; but it will be harder— eternally ! In a word: every temporary suffering, whether on the soul or the body, is grievous—everyone knows that—but eternal suffering is incomparably more grievous , both for its grandeur and for its continuation, as it is endless , which the condemned will endure in both soul and body. Temporary suffering is the shadow of eternal suffering. A shadow is nothing compared to the truth, and temporary suffering is nothing compared to the eternal ! Recognize eternal suffering as a temporary thing, and beware lest you fall into it. Descend into hell now with your mind, lest you descend later with your soul and body! How can you endure a fire that burns but does not consume, a worm that gnaws but does not consume, the gnashing of teeth, the pitch darkness, the stingy appearance of demons, weeping and wailing, and sobbing, and all other evil things—how can you endure them?... Think about this, compare temporary suffering with eternal suffering, and vanity will be driven out of your heart by this thought as by a whip . (See Works of St. Tikhon, Voronezh, Volume 15, Letter 26).
Repentant cry
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted ( Matthew 5:4 )
The remembrance of death necessarily gives rise to lamentation over the sins committed and the terrible fate awaiting the sinner beyond the grave. "As every word is preceded by thought," says St. John Climacus, "so the remembrance of death precedes weeping and the shedding of tears" (Homily 6, No. 1). And therefore, lamentation serves as the clearest expression of true remembrance of death, and, as it were, its most perfect fruit.
1. What is meant in active Christian piety by the name of penitential weeping?
"Weeping for God," teaches St. John Climacus, "is despondency of the soul and such a disposition of the sorrowing heart, in which it ceaselessly and fervently seeks what it thirsts for, and when its search is unsuccessful, it tirelessly pursues it, and with loud sobbing cries out after it" (Homily 7, No. 1). From this understanding of weeping, it is revealed that it is not an occasional sorrow of the heart, pouring out in tears, but an incessant and, moreover, constantly increasing anguish of the repentant soul, reaching the point of self-forgetfulness and, as it were, exhaustion in the torments of repentance. "Contrition of the heart," explains St. St. John the Ladder, "is an incessant torment of conscience" (Homily 7, No. 2), "it is not a boastful affliction of the soul, in which it gives itself no peace, but hourly imagines only its resolution (death), and—like cool water—expects consolation from God, who comforts the humble and contrite of heart" (Homily 7, No. 27). "Weeping is the full sorrow of a repentant soul, which daily adds sorrow to sorrow, like one giving birth and feeling the pangs of birth" (Homily 60).
2. The Necessity of Weeping for Success in Active Piety
Tears, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers of the Church, must accompany the ascetic of Christ from the beginning of his departure, in the wake of the founder of the ascetic struggle – Christ – until the end of life: this is his food and drink in this vale of tears and exile; this is the lot of fallen man, inevitable and inescapable, if not in this life, then beyond the grave – for all eternity. “Whoever does not weep for himself here,” said St. Abba Pimen, “will weep forever there. Therefore, it is necessary to weep either here – voluntarily, or there – from torment” (See Venerable Sayings, p. 25, No. 41). “Let us weep, brothers,” exhorted Macarius the Great; “let our eyes shed tears before we depart there, where our tears will burn our bodies” (See Venerable Sayings, p. 153, No. 33)! Repentant weeping is equally necessary for the purification of the soul and for progress in virtue. "Where there is no weeping, there is no protection from temptation," confessed St. Abba Peter (See the Venerables, p. 233, no. 2). And St. Pimen the Great asserts in general: "Whoever wishes to cleanse himself of his sins cleanses himself with tears; and whoever desires to acquire virtues acquires them with tears." For weeping is the path indicated to us by Scripture and by our fathers, who said: "Weep! Besides this there is no other path!" (See the Venerables, p. 214, no. 119).
3. What gives birth to true tenderness
True compunction , that is, weeping that is not painful, but mixed with the joyful hope of God's mercy, can be born in the soul only with a deep awareness of one's guilt, before the boundless love of the Heavenly Father. “God does not require,” says St. John Climacus, “and it is not pleasing to Him that a man should weep from heartache, but He desires that out of love for Him he should rejoice with spiritual joy. Take away sin, and painful tears are superfluous to the sensory eyes. Adam had no tears before his transgression, just as there will be none after the resurrection, when sin is abolished” (B, No. 45). “As soon as an infant begins to recognize his father, he is filled with joy. If the father is absent for a time on business and then returns again, then the child is full of both joy and sorrow; joy, because he sees his beloved; "sorrows, because for so long he was deprived of the caresses of the good father" (B, no. 59). "So too the soul," explains St. Ephraim the Syrian, "after a long separation from God, is moved to shed tears; from having finally seen the Parent, it sheds tears and inclines God to itself, for it loves the paternal blessing, and thus is purified of everything" (Table of the Holy Fathers, 1850, vol. 15, p. 160). Therefore, tears of tenderness flow from the eyes, with the reverent gaze of the soul turned to the loving face of the Heavenly Father. "Tears in prayer," says St. Isaac the Syrian, "are a sign of God's mercy, which the soul has been granted through its repentance, and of the fact that it has been accepted and has begun to enter the field of purity through tears. If thoughts are not torn away from transitory things, if they do not reject hope for this world; if contempt for it is not aroused in them, and they do not begin to prepare a farewell to their departure; if thoughts about things belonging to the future age do not begin to act in the soul; then the eyes will not be able to produce tears" (Word 30). "When you shed tears in your prayer," testifies St. Mark the Ascetic , "then Christ has touched your eyes, and you have received mental sight" (Christian reading, 1821, part 3, p. 239). "Whoever has tears of tenderness flowing from him," reveals our native ascetic, the Sarov elder Seraphim, "such a heart is illuminated by the rays of the sun of truth, Christ God" (In the Sayings about the Life of the Elder Seraphim, 1844, p. 60). So, “contrition is a gift from God,” says Basil the Great, “given either to arouse desire, so that the soul, having tasted the sweetness of such sorrow, would try to love this sorrow, or as proof that the soul, with the most careful care, can be in constant contrition, and that those who rejected it through negligence are not at all excusable” (T. Holy Fathers, 1847, Vol. 9, p. 221).
4. Crying comes in different forms
“The concept of tears,” says St. John Climacus, “according to the definition of many of the Fathers, is somewhat obscure and difficult to find, especially regarding the tears of newcomers, for whom the origin of tears has many different types, namely: there are tears from nature, from God, from sorrow, both reprehensible and praiseworthy, from vanity, from fornication, from love, the remembrance of death, and from many other things” (Homily 7, No. 32). All these types of tears ,” continues the holy father, “having overcome them with the fear of God, let us appropriate pure and unflattering tears for our release (from death); for in them there is no forgery or conceit, on the contrary, there is purification, the progress of love for God, the ablution of sin and the bringing of the passions to dispassion” (No. 33). It is very comforting that all tears, through the fear of God, can be transformed into purely spiritual and saving tears. "Tears are the product of thoughts, and thought gives birth to reason and intelligence" (Homily 7, no. 17); but we use our mental faculties quite freely, and therefore, "we can graft spiritual tears onto reprehensible, or natural, tears. This is clearly known to those inclined to vanity," says St. John Climacus. However, although "no one disputes," as St. John notes, "that all tears are beneficial to us according to God" (no. 36); nevertheless, even between the most beneficial or saving tears, there is a great difference. "The one who weeps attains the perfection of weeping not when he wishes it; but this depends on what he wants to cry about, and on the fact that he is crying not about what he wants to cry about, but about what is pleasing to God” (B No. 26) Therefore, it is necessary to know that:
1. “Often, the hateful tears of vanity are mixed with weeping for God,” notes St. John Climacus, “and we will recognize this skillfully and piously when we notice in ourselves that we are both weeping and being cunning” (B No. 26).
2. “When we cry in prayer, and laughter immediately intervenes, this is from the devil’s cunning,” reveals our native ascetic, the Sarov recluse Seraphim (The Tale of the Life of the Elder Seraphim, 1844, p. 60).
3. "There is a correct and beneficial contrition of the heart, which humbles it," says St. Mark the Ascetic ; "and there is another, incorrect and harmful one, which torments it. Vigilance, prayer, and patience in adversity constitute a harmless and beneficial contrition for the heart, if only we do not violate the proportionality in their mixture by excess" (On the Lawful Spirit, Chapter 18, 19).
4. “Great and untimely contrition of heart,” says St. Simeon the New Theologian, “darkens and disturbs the mind, drives pure prayer and compunction from the soul, and produces in it heart disease, and then hardening and extreme blindness; and through this, demons produce despair in people who live according to the spirit” (Christian reading 1823, part 12, ch. 46).
5. “Weeping worthy of eternal bliss ( Matthew 5 :4), Basil the Great recognizes that weeping – “when we weep over sins, or because of the insult to God’s honor, because a person dishonors God by transgressing the law; or because of those who suffer in sin, for it is said: the soul that sins, it will die ( Ezek. 18:4 ), in which we imitate the one who said: and I will weep for many who have sinned before ( 2 Cor. 12:21 )”
6. There are holy tears of fear and tears of love . "Tears of fear naturally produce trembling and caution," says St. John Climacus; "but tears of love, if love has not yet reached perfection, are perhaps easily stolen from some. And strange to say," the holy father notes, "humility is safer in its time" (Homily 7, No. 66).
7. There is a certain wondrous weeping, hidden from the depths of humility, unnoticeable to those who weep. "I have seen weeping in some," testifies St. John Climacus, "and in others I have seen doubt in their weeping; having weeping, they are in such a state as if they did not have it, and from this beautiful ignorance they remain secure, and of them it is said: ' The Lord makes wise the blind' ( Psalm 145:8 )."
8. "There are tears that burn, and there are tears that nourish," says St. Isaac the Syrian. "All those tears that flow from the essence of the heart, from contrition for sins, dry up and burn the body, and often even the most dominant (mind) in the soul, during the outpouring of tears, feels harm from them. And at first, a person necessarily enters this level of tears, but through them the door is opened for him to enter the second, better than the first: and this is the land of joy, in which a person receives mercy. These are already tears shed out of prudence; they adorn and nourish the body, and flow spontaneously of their own accord; and not only, as has been said, do they nourish the human body, but also the person's appearance is changed. For it is said: when the heart is merry, the face blossoms: but when in sorrow, it mourns ( Prov. 15:13 )” (Tv. holy fathers, 1854, vol. 28, p. 116).
5. Signs of true contrition
1. “The distinguishing quality of those who are still progressing in blessed mourning,” says St. John Climacus, “is abstinence and silence of the lips, and those who have progressed are not anger or resentment; but those of the perfect are humble-minded, thirsty for insults, voluntary desire for involuntary sorrows, non-judgment of those who sin, compassion – even beyond the measure of their strength. The former are worthy of approval, the latter are praiseworthy; blessed are those who hunger for sorrow and thirst for insults, for they will be satisfied with insatiable food” (Homily 7, no. 4). Therefore, “when we see anger and pride in those who imagine that they are mourning for God, then we will recognize their tears as contrary: for what fellowship has light with darkness ( 2 Cor. 6:14 )” (no. 29).
2. “Prayer with sighs and tears is beautiful, especially if we shed tears silently,” says St. Ephraim the Syrian. “To cry out for someone to hear is a sign of pleasing people; and whoever prays with knowledge and faith sees the Lord before him, for in Him we live and move and have our being ( Acts 17:28 )” (The Holy Fathers, 1849, Vol. 14, p. 173).
3. The penitent can see the most obvious and most reliable sign of true contrition in the strictness of his life and in the hatred of all bodily comfort. "Those," says St. John Climacus, "who can weep from the depths of their hearts have come to hate their own lives, and they abhor their bodies as an enemy" (Homily 7, No. 28). "As one who loves God said: 'I swore that I die every day.'" "This is what distinguishes the sons of God from others," describes St. Isaac the Syrian, "is that they live in sorrows, while the world prides itself on luxury and peace." For God did not desire that His beloved should rest while they were in the body, but rather He desired that while they were in the world, they should abide in sorrow, in hardship, in labor, in poverty, in nakedness, in loneliness, in need, in illness, in humiliation, in insults, in heartfelt contrition, in a weary body, in renunciation of relatives, in sorrowful thoughts, having a different view of all creation, a place of residence unlike ordinary human, a monastic dwelling, which is silent, invisible to human sight, containing nothing that would make a man happy here. The monks weep, and the world laughs. They sigh, and the world rejoices. They fast, and the world lives in luxury. They toil day and night, devoting themselves to ascetic struggles in cramped quarters and labors. Some of them abide in voluntary sorrows; “Others are in labor, struggling with their passions; others are persecuted by people, and others suffer from passions, from demons and from other things... May Christ our Savior, whose love overcomes bodily death, show us the strength of His love!” (In Word 36, p. 192).
6. Means that induce heartache
Undoubtedly, true compunction is a gift from God; but the Lord bestows His gifts only to those who ask, and opens to those who knock, and only diligent seekers take the kingdom of God ( Matthew 7:7, 11, 12 ). Therefore, anyone who desires to acquire the sublime gift of tears must, for their part, exert no small effort and employ all the means indicated by the holy fathers.
1. Since tears are born, grow, and multiply with the remembrance of death, St. John Climacus first of all inspires the ascetic: “Do not cease to imprint on your mind and keep in your thoughts the abyss of dark fire, and the merciless servants, the uncompassionate and inexorable Judge, the immense chasm of the underworld flame, the narrow descents into subterranean and terrible places, and into gaping abysses, also - images of everything like that, so that the lust that abides in our soul, brought to inaction by great trembling, gives way to incorruptible purity, and the soul receives into itself the illumination of the immaterial light, shining more brightly than any fire” (Homily 7, No. 10). “Let your bowing down on your bed be for you an image of your bowing down into the grave; Let the very act of eating at a meal be a reminder for you of the instructive meal of those worms; and while tasting the drink – water, do not forget about the thirst in that flame” (No. 18).
2. The very circumstances of a sorrowful, lonely, and inconsolable life can and should incline one to shed tears. “You ask about occupation and reflection, how a man can become dead in his cell?” St. Isaac the Syrian addresses the ascetic. “Does a man, diligent and sober in soul, really need to ask how he should behave when he is alone with himself? What other occupation does a monk have in his cell besides weeping? Does he ever have time to turn from weeping to another thought? And what occupation is better than this? The monk’s very presence and his solitude, resembling a stay in a tomb, far from human joy, teach him that his activity is weeping. And the very meaning of his name calls and convinces him of this, for he is called the mourner , that is, filled with sorrow in his heart. And all the saints departed this life weeping. If the saints wept, and until they departed this life, their eyes were always filled with tears, then who will not weep? A monk's consolation is born of his weeping. And if the perfect and victorious wept here, then how will one filled with wounds endure until he ceases to weep? He who has a dead man lying before him and sees that he himself is deadened by sins, does he need to be taught with what thought he should use his tears? "Your soul, which is dearer to you than the whole world, is deadened by sins and lies before you; does it not then demand weeping?" (Homily 21, p. 121). "Let your very clothing," adds St. John Climacus, "convince you to the work of tears: for all who mourn the dead are clothed in black! If you do not weep, then weep for this very reason. If you cry, then cry even more because, through your sinful falls, you have brought yourself down from a state of ease to a state of great difficulty” (Homily 7, No. 22).
3. But it often happens that no reflections, no sorrowful circumstances can draw a saving tear from a broken and hardened heart. “And such people,” notes St. John Climacus, “seek tears in vain, consider themselves unfortunate and condemn themselves to sighs, lamentations, spiritual sorrow, deep grief and despondency. But all this,” assures the holy father, “although they admit it is not a little useless, safely replenishes the tears themselves. For tears often lead frivolous people to arrogance; therefore they are not given to others” (Homily 7, No. 47). But even such broken people are encouraged by St. Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople, with withering sorrow: “Have you no tears? Do not despair, but sigh often and heavily with all your heart. Tears are a gift of God; Little by little, with sighs and tenderness, you will ask them from God. For it is written: “ He who seeks will find, he who asks will receive, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (T. Holy Fathers, 1845, pp. 1–13).
4. The Holy Fathers also offer other, more external , and therefore more freely used, means of inducing mourning. Thus:
a) “A person achieves weeping with difficulty,” says the Great Barsanuphius, “through much teaching in Scripture, patience and through self-denial” (Teachings of St. Dorotheus, answer 6).
b) "If a man," teaches St. John the Seer, "being among others, cuts off his own will and does not pay attention to the sins of others, then he acquires weeping. For through this his thoughts are collected and, collected in this way, give birth to sorrow for God in the heart ( 2 Cor. 7:10 ), and this sorrow is tears" (Teachings of St. Dorotheus, answer 34).
c) “If you preserve your tongue,” assures St. Isaac, “then God will give you the grace of heartfelt compunction” (Word 45, p. 497).
d) “The heart is afflicted by three kinds of abstinence,” says St. Mark the Ascetic , “that is, by abstinence in sleep, food, and physical rest. No one can have sorrow and grief according to God unless he first loves the causes of these. The fear of God and reproof allow sorrow to enter into them; but abstinence and vigilance are associated with sorrow” (Christian reading, 1821, part 3, p. 305).
7. Why does crying disappear?
1. “Having the gift of weeping,” warns St. John Climacus, “hold on to it with all your might. For before it is perfectly mastered, it is easily taken away, and like wax from the fire, it easily melts from bodily disturbances and cares, from luxury, and especially from talkativeness and mockery” (Word 7, no. 5). For “if nothing promotes humility so much as weeping, then, without a doubt, nothing counteracts it so much as laughter” (no. 8). “Whoever sometimes weeps, and sometimes lives in luxury and laughs, is like a man who throws bread at the dog of sensuality instead of a stone; apparently he drives it away, but in reality he lures it to himself” (no. 14).
2. “Do not be like those who bury the dead,” continues the holy father, “who sometimes weep for them, sometimes get drunk for their sake; but be like the prisoners in the mines, who suffer beatings every hour from the servants assigned to them” (No. 13).
3. "There are things," he also notes, "by which the springs of tears dry up in us, and there are other things by which mire and filth are generated in them. From the former, Lot fell into lawless union with his daughters; and from the latter, the devil fell from heaven" (No. 67).
4. "Whoever is puffed up in his soul by his tears, and condemns in himself one who does not shed tears, is like a man who asked the king for a weapon against his enemy and kills himself with it" (No. 44). "Having received tears," the holy Patriarch Gennady also urges, "guard them with all your strength; beware of gluttony and drunkenness, and especially of judging every man. Be mindful of your own affairs, but do not judge man whom God has created " (Tv. Holy Fathers, 1845, pp. 1-13).
5. “Those who mourn,” asserts St. John Climacus, “will never sing or cry out loudly to themselves in hymns; because all such things as these disturb the mourning” (Word 7, No. 52). Often one word has transformed mourning; but it would be strange if one word also brought it back” (No. 60).
6. “It is inappropriate for those who weep,” he also asserts, “to theologize; for it usually puts an end to weeping. One who theologizes is like a teacher sitting on the pulpit, and one who weeps is like one who spends his days on dunghill and in sackcloth” (No. 24).
7. Saint Abba Isaiah lists in detail the signs of the absence of the fear of God and true contrition in the heart of a Christian: “If, having been insulted, you become indignant; then you do not perform true repentance. If you grieve over things stolen from you; then there is no fear of God in you. If you are indignant when someone defrauds you; then there is no fear of God in you. If you willingly listen to self-praise, then there is no fear of God in you. If in conversations with others, you want your words to prevail; then there is no fear of God in you. If you are upset that your words are neglected; then there is no fear of God in you. For all this means that the old man is still strong in you, and that there is no one who could drive it out and accept true and God-pleasing mourning .” We must open the eyes of our minds to know ourselves and understand that he who follows his own will is an enemy of God. If you keep God's commandments and direct your affairs according to His will; if you understand that you cannot please His Majesty on your own; if you continually keep your sins before your eyes, you will find protection against your enemy, who strives to overwhelm you with pride, so that you consider yourself righteous; and you will preserve intact the edifice built by the tears of repentance. Then you will understand that you have come to know yourself and where you are; and your heart will not be exalted, as if it had won the victory. For until a person stands before the judgment seat and hears the determination and knows his place, he cannot know whether he is pleasing to God or not. A person should never trust himself; on the contrary, he should be in fear and anxiety as long as he remains in the body. “Blessed are they who never rely on their own works, but, always overcome by fear, do not dare before God, and – having recognized His greatness and their own weakness, they try to submit to His will, as He Himself wants, and in such a trembling feeling they mourn for themselves, and do not judge others, but leave the judgment to God – the Judge!” (Christian reading 1847, part 4, p. 375).
So many seemingly harmless ways exist to lose the sorrow sometimes acquired with great difficulty! Therefore, one must not give in to carelessness, even when one already possesses this precious treasure. "Unfailingly preserve within yourself the blessed and joyful sorrow of holy contrition," exhorts St. John Climacus, "and do not cease your labors with it until it presents you, exalted above all things here, pure to Christ." (Word 7, No. 9). To preserve and maintain the God-given gift of tears, the Holy Fathers command us to abide in the labor in which tears come, and not to voluntarily change the feats of active piety. Venerable Theodore of Enata said that "he knew a monk who lived in silence in his cell and whose handicraft was rope weaving." When this monk sat and wove a rope, engaged in mental prayer, tears came to him. Then he stood up to recite his prayers , but the tears ceased. The brother sat down and took up the rope, concentrating his thoughts, and the tears came again. Likewise, when he sat and read, tears came; he stood up to pray, and the tears immediately ceased. As soon as he took up the book again, the tears returned... Concerning this, St. Theodore concludes: "The admonition of the holy fathers is correct that weeping is a teacher: it teaches every person what is useful for him" (See Alphabetical Patericon: Theodore of Enata).
8. Temptations for those struggling in penitential weeping
1. Abstinence most of all disposes us to weeping, while satiety and ridicule most of all remove weeping, as stated above. "But the demons," as St. John Climacus says, "often mock them bitterly. For when we overeat, they arouse contrition in us, and when we fast, they harden our hearts, so that, deceived by false tears, we give ourselves over to the mother of passions—luxury. And we should not obey them, but rather do the opposite" (Word 7, No. 48).
2. "Our enemies are full of malice," continues St. John, "so much so that they turn the mother of virtues into the mother of vices, and what leads to humility they turn into a cause for pride. I have seen that often in cities and amid rumors, tears are stirred up, so that, having given ourselves over to the thought that we can endure no harm from worldly rumors, we might draw closer to the world; for such is the goal of the evil demons. But let the very location and appearance of our homes call our thoughts to contrition. May Jesus, Elijah, and John, praying alone, convince you of this" (Word 7, No. 68).
3. On the other hand, the demons inspire those who labor in communities and perform all their prayers in the company of brothers to never show tears, lest others be tempted. Against this temptation, St. Simeon the New Theologian commands: “Standing in assembly, that is, in the temple, unceasingly shed hot tears with tenderness, not paying attention to the fact that others are tempted by this, or even laugh. Keep in mind that those who see me weeping think of me as a great sinner, and pray for my salvation. – If you see that you yourself are falling into vanity because of this, then leave the church, do this secretly, and immediately return to your place (Christian reading, 1823, part 12, ch. 123)
4. The tempter's usual cunning lies in his presentation of the futility of heartfelt lamentation and sorrow, and the inexorability of the Judge—God. Therefore, St. John Climacus warns: "Drive away from yourself the dog that comes during the deepest weeping, suggesting that God is unmerciful and unmerciful" (Word 7, No. 62). To repel this temptation, the Holy Fathers urge the Christian ascetic of the extreme necessity and high dignity of all kinds of sorrows . "Remember," says Basil the Great, " that many are the sorrows of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver them from them all" ( Psalm 34:20 ). And he who asserts that sorrow is unbecoming for a righteous man, speaks nothing other than the same thing as he who asserts that an opponent is unbecoming for a wrestler. "But will a wrestler who does not set out to struggle have any pretext for receiving crowns?" (The Holy Fathers, 1845, Part 1, p. 310). "Do not think, beloved," encourages St. Ephraim the Syrian, "that you alone endure sorrows more than anyone else: for every head falls into sorrow, and every heart into grief ( Is. 11:5 ). Just as it is impossible for one living on earth to escape this air, so it is impossible for a person living in this world not to be tempted by sorrows and illnesses. Those who are distracted by earthly things experience sorrows from earthly things, and those who strive for the spiritual suffer from spiritual things. But the latter will be blessed, because their fruit is abundant in the Lord" (The Holy Fathers, 1848, p. 365). "Christians," says Macarius the Great, "must endure both external sorrows and internal battles, so that through patience they may become victors in defeat itself. For such is the path of Christianity: where the Holy Spirit is, there—like a shadow—follow persecution and battle" (Christian Reading, 1825, Part 20, p. 25). "To the soul of the grieving," assures St. Isaac the Syrian, "the Lord shows great love for mankind, commensurate with the severity of the suffering in his sorrow" (Homily 91, p. 524).
5. The severity and duration of heartaches gives the tempter an excuse to instill premature, false joy in the ascetic. Therefore, St. John Climacus warns: "With the hand of humility, as one unworthy, reject the joy that comes to you, lest, by too quickly admitting it to yourself, you receive a wolf instead of a shepherd" (Word 7, no. 57). And St. Isaac affirms: "Whoever departs from sorrows undoubtedly separates himself from virtue. But whoever abides in his virtue without sorrow, the door to pride is open to him. And when a person abides in pride, then the providential Angel, who is near him and awakens in him concern for righteousness, departs from him" (Word 34, p. 184).
6. Finally, the Holy Fathers warn against the dangerous premature desire for spiritual contemplation . "Do not rush to contemplation," says St. John Climacus, "when it is not the time for contemplation; let it itself pursue you for the beauty of humility, and overtake you, and forever unite with you in an immaculate marriage" (Word 7, No. 58).
9. Different degrees of feat in penitential weeping
Tears have varying merits before God; the feat of weeping gradually increases and rises. “ With time the sea dwindles , as Job says ( Job 14:11 ): so what is said about weeping,” notes St. John Climacus, “appears and is perfected in us gradually, over time and with patience” (Word 7, No. 20). “The merit of the feat of weeping, according to the holy fathers, depends not on the abundance of tears shed, but on the greater or lesser magnitude of the inner sorrows that give rise to tears. “I saw,” testifies St. John, “that even small drops of tears, like blood, flowed with difficulty; and I also saw springs of tears poured out without labor. And I judged those who labor more by their labor than by the quantity of tears. And I think that God judges in the same way .” For our good and righteous Judge, as in everything else, also in tears, undoubtedly takes into consideration the power of nature” (No. 23). Therefore, there are tears:
1. External and internal or spiritual . “Whoever has acquired spiritual tears,” says St. John Climacus , “will find any place convenient for weeping. But whoever weeps only externally will never cease to analyze places and customs. Just as hidden treasure is safer from theft than one placed in the marketplace; so let us understand spiritual and external tears” (No. 12). “So, let the heart preserve weeping, and the face and word a proper cheerfulness!” advises St. John the Seer (Guide to Spiritual Life, Moscow, 1855, answer 737).
2. Tears of fear, joy, and love . “Tears over the soul ’s departure give birth to fear,” says St. John Climacus; “but when fear gives birth to fearlessness, then joy shines; and when endless joy is attained, then the blossom of holy love emerges” (Word 7, no. 56). “Sighing and lamentation cry out to the Lord. Tears shed from fear intercede, and tears of holy love show us that our prayer has been accepted” (No. 7).
3. Tears forced, and those freely shed . “Tears begin in the first abode of the hidden life,” says St. Isaac, “and raise a person to the perfection of God’s love. For when a person begins to leave the bodily things of this world, then he quickly attains the grace of tears. But until a person receives this gift, his work is still accomplished only in the external man , and he has not yet at all sensed the effectiveness of what is hidden in the spiritual man. But when someone is deemed worthy of the grace of many tears, shed without compulsion, then he begins to see within himself the fruit hidden in the soul. And the further he goes, the more he is enriched with this grace, until, from the continued outpouring of tears, he begins to drink them in both his food and his drink” (Word 21, p. 115). This is the state we should strive for: “Be like a king in your heart, exalted in humility,” encourages St. John Climacus, “and command laughter: ‘ Go,’ and it goes ; and sweet weeping: ‘Come,’ and it comes ; and our servant and tormentor, the body: ‘Do this, and it will do it ’ ( Matt. 8:9 )” (Word 7, No. 39).
4. Unexpected Tears of Grace. " When we have neither labored nor considered this," proclaims St. John Climacus, "and yet the soul becomes tearful, abounding in water, and softened; then let us hasten: for the Lord has come uninvited, and gives us the lip of God-loving sorrow, and the cool water of pious tears to erase the record of our sins. Guard these tears, like the apple of your eye, until they pass; the power of such weeping is great, incomparably greater than the weeping that results from our efforts and intentions" (No. 25).
5. Finally, tears of blood, in the true sense of the word . “I have seen some,” asserts St. John Climacus, “who have reached the extreme degree of weeping; for I noticed that they were tangibly, with their lips, shedding blood from a grieving and wounded heart; and then the words of the one who said came to my mind: I am wounded like grass, and my heart is withered away ( Ps. 101:5 )!” (No. 65).
A remarkable example of the sorrowful struggles of lamentation is offered by St. John Climacus himself. His biographer, Daniel, a monk of Raifa, relates that "St. John loved to shed tears in solitude, and therefore, choosing a remote, very cramped cave, he raised his sobs and cries to heaven with a force similar to that of people who suffer, who are either slaughtered with weapons, or burned with fire, or whose eyes are gouged out!" (See the life of St. Abba John, p. 8 under the Ladder).
10. The dignity and height of penitential weeping
1. “Before lamentation and tears,” says St. Simeon the New Theologian, “let no one deceive us with empty words, and let us not deceive ourselves in the success of piety. There is no repentance in us, no true contrition, no fear of God in our hearts, and we have not yet come to know ourselves, and our soul is not yet permeated with a sense of future judgment and eternal torment. For if we knew ourselves and had acquired these virtues and were permeated with them, then we would immediately shed tears. But without tears, neither the hardness of our heart can soften, nor will our soul attain spiritual humility, nor will we have the strength to become humble. But he who has not arranged himself in this way cannot unite with the Holy Spirit; and without uniting with Him through purity, he cannot place himself in contemplation and knowledge of God, and is unworthy of mysteriously studying the virtues of humility” (Christian reading 1823, part 12, p. 38).
2. Heartfelt sorrow with tears, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, elevates, or rather, constitutes the sole merit of all feats of piety . “No matter what great feats we may undergo,” says St. John Climacus, “if we do not have a sorrowful heart, they are false and worthless” (Homily 7, No. 64). “A heart filled with sorrow over weakness and impotence in obvious bodily deeds,” asserts St. Isaac, “replaces all these bodily deeds. Bodily deeds without sorrow of the mind are the same as an inanimate body. Sorrow of the mind is a precious gift from God. He who endures it as he should is like a man whose members are filled with holiness” (Homily 89, p. 508). “A small sorrow for God’s sake is better than a great deed accomplished without sorrow; for voluntary sorrow demonstrates the experience of faith in love” (Homily 74, p. 451). “A tear shed from great sorrow and heartache, upon seeing the truth and with a burning within,” assures Macarius the Great, “is truly food for the soul, given from the heavenly bread, of which, sitting at the feet of the Lord and weeping, Mary especially partook, according to the testimony of the Savior Himself; for He says: ‘ Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her’ ( Luke 10:42 ). Oh, what precious pearls these are in the outpouring of blessed tears!” (Homily 25, p. 254). “Whoever cries about his sins,” concludes the great Pimen, “ does two things : he works and stands guard over his sins” (Dostopam. sage, p. 198, no. 39).
3. “The source of tears after baptism is higher than baptism itself ,” asserts St. John Climacus, “although it is a bit presumptuous to say this. For baptism is the cleansing of evils that were in us before, but through tears the sins committed after baptism are cleansed; and having received baptism in infancy, we all defiled it, but through tears we cleanse it again. And if God, out of love for mankind, had not given tears to people, then those who are saved would truly be rare and hardly be found anywhere” (Word 7, No. 6). “ Every sin that a man commits , ” theologizes St. Theodore of Enata, - besides the body, there is: but the fornicator sins against his own body ( 1 Cor. 6:18 ), because from the body flows filth that defiles it: so every virtue exists besides the body , and he who weeps daily purifies the body , because the tear that flows from above washes the body of its impurities" (See Alphabetical Patericon: Theodore of Enata). "Therefore," concludes St. Climacus, "it is necessary, absolutely necessary, that we, having become defiled again after ablution, cleanse our hands with the unquenchable fire of the heart and the oil of God's mercy" (Word 7, No. 64).
4. The feat of heartache is equal to martyrdom. “As martyrs,” says Macarius the Great, “who endured many torments and showed their patience until death, they thus became worthy of crowns of glory, and the greater and more difficult the labors they performed, the more glory and boldness they acquired from God; “So too, souls, being given over to various sorrows, which either come from outside, from people, or originate in the mind from absurd thoughts, or are from bodily illnesses, if they constantly endure them to the end, then they will receive the same crowns and the same boldness as the martyrs , because just as the martyrs suffered from people, so they suffer from the action of evil spirits, and also - the more insults they endure from the enemy, the greater glory they will receive from God, not only in the future life, but also here they will be honored with the consolations of the Holy Spirit” (Christian reading, 1821, part 8, p. 17, No. 15).
11. The effects and fruits of gracious weeping
1. Weeping not only washes away, but completely destroys all sinful impurities. “ If you want to wash away impurities, be washed away with tears ,” says Barsanuphius the Great, “ for every impurity is washed clean; cry to Jesus, until your throat is silent: “Master, save us, we are perishing” ( Luke 8:24 )! Take the ashes from your heart and kindle that fire which the Lord came to cast upon the earth, and it will consume all these, and with a sounding sound will it bring forth your gold ” (Guide to Spiritual Life, answer 77). “As fire destroys stubble,” confirms St. John Climacus, “so immaculate tears destroy every visible and mental impurity” (Word 7, no. 31).
2. Tears of sorrow are a great offering to the Heavenly King, and seem to compel His mercy. “It has happened,” says St. John, “that the poor and needy in virtue have been seen, who, not with beautiful, but rather with some humble, dark, and timid expressions, from the depths of a desperate heart, persistently and patiently cried out to the Heavenly King, and by their effort, as it were, compelled His unforced nature to compassion” (No. 43). “Whoever, from every misfortune that befalls him,” confirms St. Nilus of Sora , “and against every enemy thought , weeps before the grace of God , so that it may help him: he will soon find peace if he prays with spiritual understanding” (Word 8). “And just as another, having brought a great gift to the king,” concludes St. John, “ Isaac the Syrian is rewarded by him with a kind look: so too, to the one who has tears in his prayer, the great King of the ages, God, forgives every measure of sins, and rewards him with a benevolent look” (Word 7, No. 55).
3. “The abyss of weeping will see consolation,” says St. John Climacus, “and purity of heart will receive illumination” (Word 7, no. 55). “Weeping and so-called sorrow have joy and gladness contained within them, like honey in a wax cell” (B, no. 49). “There is no joy on earth sweeter than that which comes from compunction,” assures St. Ephraim the Syrian. “Has any of you been illuminated by this joy of tears for God? If any of you, having experienced this and delighted in it, during fervent prayer was lifted above the earth, then at that hour he was entirely outside his body, outside this entire age, and no longer on earth. Such a one converses with God, is enlightened in Christ!” (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1849, part 2, p. 169). This gradual transformation of penitential weeping into grace-filled tears of joy in the Holy Spirit is beautifully depicted by one modern Christian ascetic: “Tears shed for sins are at first bitter, flowing out of illness and languor of the spirit, which the spirit communicates to the body. Little by little, consolation begins to unite with the tears, consisting of a special calm, a feeling of meekness and humility; at the same time, the tears themselves, proportionately and in keeping with the consolation they provide, change, losing much of their bitterness, flowing painlessly or with less pain. At first they are scanty and come rarely; then little by little they begin to come more frequently and become more abundant. When the gift of tears is strengthened in us by God’s mercy, then the inner struggle is tamed, thoughts subside, and mental prayer, or the prayer of the spirit, begins to act abundantly, saturating and delighting the inner man. Then the tears are transformed from bitter into sweet. Then spiritual consolation begins to act , which has no equal among earthly joys, and which is known only to those who practice prayerful weeping and have the gift of tears. (See St. Nila of Sorsk, Word 8). Then the Lord's promise is fulfilled: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted ( Matthew 5:4 ). Then the ascetic greets himself, inspired and assured by the Holy Spirit: O Lord, who guardeth the little ones, let us humble ourselves, and He hath saved me. Return, my soul, to thy rest, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee: for he hath delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling ( Psalm 115:5-7 ). Then the ascetic, seeing the powerlessness of sinful thoughts and sensations over himself, vainly striving to subjugate him to their influence, boldly says to them: Depart from Me , all you who practice iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping . The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord has accepted my prayer ( Psalm 6:9,10 )! (Bishop Ignatius, Volume 1, p. 227).
4. “One who weeps incessantly,” says St. Isaac, “cannot be disturbed by passions. And if the tears of one who weeps and mourns can temporarily not only lead him to dispassion, but also completely cleanse and free his mind from the remembrance of passions, what shall we say of those who, with knowledge, practice this work day and night?” (Word 21, p. 122). “He is truly safe from falling ,” replies St. John Climacus, “who, as a result of the remembrance of death and falls, unceasingly irrigates his cheeks with living waters from his bodily eyes” (Word 7, no. 42). “He who has unceasing weeping,” confirms Barsanuphius the Great, “ is not wounded by warfare , whether it be with men or with harlots” (Guide to Spiritual Life, answer 460). Therefore, St. Isaac concludes: “If we acquire this grace, better and more excellent than other gifts, then, with its help, we will attain purity. For from weeping a person comes to purity of soul. And once we achieve it, purity will not be taken away from us until our very departure from this life. Therefore, blessed are the pure in heart , for there is no time when they do not delight in this sweetness of tears, and in it they always see the Lord . While tears are still in their eyes, they are deemed worthy of seeing His revelations at the height of their prayer” (Word 21, p. 121).
5 . “ Tenderness instills in us the only-begotten Son , when it longs for Him,” assures St. Ephraim the Syrian. Tenderness attracts the Holy Spirit to the soul (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1849, Part 5, p. 168). And St. Isaac explains in more detail how an ascetic, through sorrowful weeping, achieves the final goal of his aspirations— the closest union with God . “The sorrow of the mind,” he says, “is sufficient to replace every bodily activity. St. Gregory the Theologian says: he is a temple of grace who is in union with God and is always preoccupied with the thought of His judgment. What does it mean to have concern for His judgment, if not to always seek its reassurance, if not to grieve, if not to worry incessantly about the fact that we cannot attain perfection, due to the weakness of our nature? To have unceasing sorrow about this means to constantly carry in your soul "Remembrance of God," as Blessed Basil the Great said. "Undistracted prayer produces a clear thought of God in the soul. And by establishing within ourselves the remembrance of God, God dwells within us. Thus we become the temple of God. Thus, care and a contrite heart serve as preparation for repose in God! To Him be glory forever! Amen" (Word 89, p. 516).
12. The necessity of penitential weeping for all who seek salvation, and the means of arousing such saving weeping
The inevitability of internal and external sorrows for achieving salvation is proclaimed in many places in Holy Scripture. We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God , says Apostle Paul ( Acts 14:22 ). Christ suffered for us in the flesh, and arm yourselves with the same mind , urges Apostle Peter ( 1 Pet. 4:1 ): for Christ also suffered for us and left us an example, that we should follow His steps ( 1 Pet. 2:21 ). Therefore, if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him ( 2 Tim. 2:12 ), concludes Apostle Paul; therefore, inevitably, if we do not suffer, we shall not reign ( Rom. 8:17 ). The word of God places internal sorrows and external persecution as the distinguishing marks of truly pious Christians: all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution ( 2 Tim. 3:12 ). On the other hand, eternal woe is announced to those who spend their present lives in pleasures and comforts: Woe to you who laugh now! For you will mourn and weep ! ( Luke 6:25 ) – threatens the Lord Jesus. Remember, it will be said to every sensualist in the afterlife, that you received your good things in your life: therefore you suffer here ! ( Luke 16:25 ) And, on the contrary , blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted, promises the Lord Jesus ( Matt. 5:4 ). So, weeping and lamentation are appropriate not only for the hermits of the world , but also for all Christians who sincerely seek the kingdom of heaven.
1. To arouse salvific weeping, one must employ the same means tested by the great Christian ascetics of old and modern times and indicated above: vigils, fasting, intense labors, reading Scripture, endurance of all insults, silence, introspection, especially the contemplation of death and eternal torment , and constant forcing oneself to weep— that is, frequent sighs, sorrows, and contrition of the repentant soul during solitary prayer. All these means are accessible to everyone and can be easily used, if not everywhere and at all times, then at least in home life and—especially at night, free from social activities. Therefore, no one can excuse themselves for the insensitivity and hardness of their heart.
2. Involuntary sorrows are encountered even more frequently in the world than in the hermit's life. In the bustle of the world, misfortunes threaten a person from all sides: illness and death of relatives, loss of wealth and prosperity, dishonor and insult—all these are inevitable calamities; and—there is hardly a person who, at every moment of his life, does not groan under one of these or similar calamities. The Christian's achievement does not consist in meeting such involuntary sufferings with cold blood and insensibility, but in enduring them with patience and strong faith in God's providence. and the essential merit is that he accepts from the punishing right hand all sorts of calamities as a deserved punishment for his sins, and makes use of them for his salvation: for every punishment, says the Apostle, at the present time does not seem to be joy, but sorrow: but in the end the fruit of peace rewards righteousness to those who have been taught ( Heb. 12:11 ).
3. The world boasts of an insensitivity of heart, as if it were a constant presence and greatness of spirit. But what sensible person would call the inconsolable grief of an orphan, the tears of a father or mother over the loss of dear children, or anything similar , cowardly tearfulness? Without a doubt, weeping is adorned with modesty and solitude; but it should not be suppressed by callous worldly propriety or some kind of insensitive, imaginary generosity. A Christian can and should transform even these tears of natural sensitivity into salvific weeping through prayerful dedication to God the Savior. Pour out your inconsolable sorrow of soul over the loss of those dear to you, but pour it out with ardent tears in prayerful appeals to God the Comforter; and you will insensibly be confirmed in a joyful devotion to the all-wise and all-good providence of God, and you will soon receive relief and consolation in your grief! In the day of my trouble I cried out to You, confesses the Psalmist, and You heard me ( Ps. 85:7 )!
4. There are other kinds of sorrows that rarely evoke tears, but very often suppress even the most ardent spirit. These are unforeseen setbacks in everyday life, misfortunes and persecution at work, inconveniences and meager provisions despite the most intense labors, and sometimes ingratitude and persecution from evil people for the most well-intentioned deeds. How can one accept such sorrows, accompanying honest labor and the most selfless virtue? Oh! These are holy sufferings, preparing an incorruptible crown of eternal life for the righteous! If you suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed are you ( 1 Pet. 3:14 ), says the word of God , for the glory and Spirit of God rests upon you ( 1 Pet. 4:14 ). "Rejoice and be glad, " cries the Lord Jesus to such sufferers, "for great is your reward in heaven" ( Matthew 5:12 )! Let us not forget the teaching of the Holy Fathers, who affirm that the worth and merit of every virtue lies not in the beneficial consequences of a good deed, nor even in the holy pleasure of conscience, but solely in the greatness of the sorrow with which any virtue is accomplished ( Rom. 5:3-5 ).
5. Prayerful tears, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, serve as the most reliable and obvious sign of a change in life. "The beginning of a good life," says St. Ephraim, "is tears during prayer" (Word 7, p. 120). The same is affirmed by St. Simeon, Isaac the Syrian, and many others, as shown above. Therefore, let no one deceive themselves or mislead others with what seems to them to be sincere repentance; let no one expect worthy fruits of repentance until they have watered it with prayerful tears!
6. In the world, people most often suffer and perish from self-deception: they seek bliss where it does not and cannot be, and they fear fear where there is no fear ( Ps. 13:5 ). Idle poets and novelists, economists immersed in selfish calculations, millionaire merchants, rich peace-lovers, and pseudo-philosophers-materialists have filled our deplorable world with paradisiacal phantoms, and the majority of humanity gifted with reason spends their entire lives chasing after these phantoms of bliss, which from the first days of the world has forever flown from earth to heaven!.. But who among us, having experienced worldly pleasures to some extent, has not learned from personal experience that in the world every pleasure is poisoned by bitterness? Let us believe Solomon, who experienced almost every pleasure in the world, and confesses that everything is vanity and the ruin of the spirit! Where is that holy joy, that truly heavenly bliss, which our immortal spirit thirstily seeks everywhere? To our amazement—in sorrow, in suffering, in ceaseless contrition of heart, in prayerful tears! Who among the world-lovers can believe this? But is it really true that men are unworthy of faith, of whom the whole world is not worthy ( Hebrews 11:38 )—the great Basils, Anthonys, Macariuses, Chrysostoms, Ephraims, Isaacs, and the countless host of holy Christian ascetics? Is it not from his own experience that the God-inspired king-prophet speaks: “ In the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, Your consolations have rejoiced my soul” ( Ps. 93:19 ) and the Apostle, caught up to the third heaven, “I rejoice in my sufferings” ( Col. 1:24 ): “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ” ( 2 Cor. 1:5 )?
So, whoever wants to seek holy joy and bliss on earth, let him seek them in prayerful tears.
On gluttony and abstinence
1. What is the vice of gluttony according to the teachings of the Holy Fathers?
The need for food and drink is innate in our bodily nature, and the moderate satisfaction of this need is legitimate and necessary. "How do you strive to separate yourself from me?" cries gluttony in St. John Climacus. "I am bound to you by nature. The door to me is the quality of food; the cause of my insatiability is habit; the foundation of my passion is previous habit, insensibility of the soul, and the oblivion of death" (Word 14, No. 35). Thus, having its basis in nature itself and transgressing the limits of moderation, gluttony turns into a terrible and humiliating vice—under the following forms, as indicated by St. John Climacus:
1. Insatiable gluttony. “Gluttony is the hypocrisy of the belly; for when it is satiated, it complains of scarcity; when it is overflowing and barely able to be consumed, it cries out that it is hungry” (Word 14, No. 2).
2. A capricious and inventive lust. "Gluttony is the inventor of seasonings, the source of sweets. If you block the stream, another arises elsewhere; if you cut off this one, another overcomes you" (No. 3).
3. Uncontrollable and envious greed for one's favorite food. "When you see," explains St. John the Seer, "that your mind delights in the prospect of food, and compels you to be sure to warn everyone, or to draw some food closer to yourself: this is (the vice of) gluttony" (Barsanuphius V. in answer 88). "Gluttony," as St. John Climacus characterizes it in this regard, "is a deception of the eyes: it takes in moderation, but expects to swallow everything at once" (Word 14, No. 4).
4. Untamed, ever more ferocious gluttony. "He who caressed a lion," says St. John Climacus, "often tamed him; but he who indulged the body (the stomach) made him even more ferocious" (No. 6).
2 Pretexts for Gluttony
The passion of gluttony, base and ugly in its present form, loves to disguise itself with plausible pretexts. But the God-wise ascetic fathers reveal it beneath every plausible cloak and teach us, the inexperienced, to distance ourselves from the temptations of gluttony.
1. A common pretext for gluttony is an imagined weakness of the body and a cowardly fear for one's health. Against this pretext, St. John Climacus legislates: "While the flesh is still in full strength, let us exhaust it at all times and in all places; but when it has become subdued (which I do not consider possible until the grave), then let us conceal our deeds" (Word 14, no. 10). "Master your belly before it masters you; otherwise, abstinence will end in shame" (no. 17).
2. Gluttony is often justified by the example and blessing of inexperienced pastors and spiritual fathers. "I have seen," says St. John, "elderly priests deceived by demons; and they, with their blessing, permitted the young men under their charge wine and other indulgences at feasts. If those who absolve are worthy of the Lord," advises the holy father in this case, "then we too will absolve them in moderation. But if they are negligent, let us not seek their blessing, especially when our carnal warfare is in full swing" (No. 11).
3. Hospitality and the practice of entertaining strangers often serve as a plausible pretext for gluttony. "If a stranger has come," says St. John Climacus, "then the glutton is driven entirely to love by gluttony, and considers his own indulgence a consolation for his brother. He debates in whose presence he should indulge in wine, and, thinking to conceal his virtue, becomes a slave to passion" (No. 8).
4 Gluttony almost always uses Christian holidays and days of general spiritual rejoicing as a legitimate excuse for itself. “The Jew rejoices in the Sabbath and the feast,” describes St. John Climacus, “but the Christian glutton rejoices in the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day; he calculates the day of Easter in advance and prepares the food several days in advance. The slave of the belly calculates what foods he will celebrate with, while the slave of God calculates what gifts he will be enriched with” (No. 7). “The time of joy and consolation for the perfect is the laying aside of all care; for the ascetic, it is a time of struggle; for the slave of passions, it is the feast of feasts and the triumph of triumphs” (No. 15).
5. Sometimes an untimely and unnatural urge for food arises, which, like some unusual illness, demands immediate satisfaction. “The desire to eat before time is a clear sign of the passion of gluttony,” assures St. John the Seer (Barsonuph. V. in answer 88). What causes this painful hunger? “Know,” answers St. John Climacus, “that a demon often enters the stomach and makes it so that a person is not satisfied, even if he has eaten all of Egypt and drunk the Nile. But, after eating, this unclean spirit departs” (No. 27). Laugh at the demon who, after supper, suggests to you the idea of eating later in the future; for the very next day, at the onset of the ninth hour (i.e., the 3rd after noon), he will renounce the decrees of the previous day” (No. 13).
6. "Vanity often declares hostility to gluttony," reveals St. John Climacus, "and they quarrel among themselves over the poor ascetic, as if he were a purchased slave. One compels one to absolve oneself, while the other presumes to display one's virtue" (No. 9). How should one act in such a dangerous situation? "When vanity rises up strongly against us," teaches Blessed Diadochus , "finding an opportunity to reveal its evil nature in the arrival of some brethren or some stranger, then it is useful to make appropriate relaxations in the usual diet. For through this we will force the demon to retreat without success and even regret his attempt, and we will fulfill the law of love – exactly, and through indulgence we will not reveal the secret of abstinence” (Christian reading 1827, part 28, p. 40, ch. 46).
3. The fatal consequences of gluttony in moral terms
The Holy Fathers and ascetics recognize the passion of gluttony as the most important of all passions and the source of all that is vile and degrading to the nature of a godlike being. “The prince of demons is the fallen morning star,” says St. John Climacus, “and the chief of passions is greed of the belly” (Word 14, no. 30). “The beginning of all evil,” asserts St. Isaac, “is the repose of the belly and the relaxation of oneself through sleep, which ignites lustful lust” (Word 21, p. 110). It is terrifying to read St. John Climacus’s mere enumeration of the vices that flow from this passion. “You seek to know the names of my offspring,” he exclaims of gluttony. “I will count them, and they will outnumber the sand.” "Listen, at least, to the names of my firstborn and beloved children. My firstborn son is a minion of fornication, the second after him is hard-heartedness, and the third is drowsiness; from me come a sea of thoughts, waves of filth, an abyss of unseen and unnameable impurities. My daughters are laziness, verbosity, free speech, ridicule, wit, stiff-neckedness, stubbornness, insensitivity, captivity, arrogance, insolence, dandyism, followed by impure prayer, the collapse of thoughts, and often unexpected and sudden misfortunes, with which despair is closely connected—this is the most evil of all my daughters" (B No. 35).
Gluttony inevitably gives rise to the fierce battle of carnal lust. "Just as the seed of the sweat of fasting produces the ear of chastity," explains St. Isaac, "so too does satiety produce debauchery, and overeating, impurity. Every food consumed adds moisture and becomes a natural strength within us. If we seek it out, we will certainly find that it is the stomach alone that brings us to the ruins that befall us" (Word 14, No. 18). Therefore, the holy father urges: "Fight the stomach with all your might, and abstain from it with all sobriety. If you labor a little, the Lord will soon be your co-worker" (Word 14, No. 24).
4 The Necessity and Significance of Fasting in Active Christian Piety
1. Fasting, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, is a necessary condition for a pious ascetic life; so that a Christian ascetic, by violating it, renounces asceticism itself, which in the language of the Holy Fathers is generally called fasting . “If you made a vow to Christ to walk the strait and narrow path,” says St. John Climacus, “then restrict your stomach: for by pleasing it and expanding it, you violate your conditions. Pay attention and hear who says: broad and wide is the path of gluttony, leading to the destruction of fornication, and many are those who enter thereby. What is the narrow gate and strait path of fasting, leading to the life of chastity, and few are those who enter thereby ( Matt. 7:14 )” (Word 14, No. 29).
2. The inevitable necessity of fasting in active Christian piety is revealed by the following experiences of the holy ascetic fathers: "Flesh and spirit war against each other," says Basil the Great. From coarse food, like a thick cloud, smoky vapors emerge and block the path of the illuminations of the Holy Spirit that illumine the mind. Therefore, if you want to strengthen your mind, curb the flesh with fasting. This is precisely what the Apostle said: to the extent that the outer man decays, to that extent the inner man is renewed ( 2 Cor. 4:16 ), and again: when I am weak, then am I strong ( 2 Cor. 12:10 ) (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1846, book 3, p. 13). Blessed Diadochus proves the necessity of fasting even more tangibly : “Satan,” he says, “since he cannot, due to the presence of grace, nest in the mind of those struggling, as before – before baptism, he flies into the moist part of man and settles in the body, in order to ensnare the soul through its easy obedience. Therefore, it is necessary to dry the body to the proper extent, so that through its moisture the mind does not slip and fall into tempting pleasures” (Christian reading, 1827, part 28, ch. 82, p. 79). After all this, the conclusion of St. Climacus is inevitable: “Do not deceive yourself! You will not be freed from Pharaoh and will not see the heavenly Passover if you do not partake of bitter herbs and unleavened bread all your life. But bitter herbs are the compulsion and labor of fasting, and unleavened bread is a mind that is not arrogant. Let the word of him who says, " But as for me, when the demons vexed me, I clothed myself in sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer clung to the bosom of my soul" ( Psalm 34:13 ) (Word 14, No. 32).
3. Fasting, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, is considered the most necessary and powerful means in an active, pious life. “Fasting is praiseworthy in itself,” says Blessed Diadochus, “but not with God. It is, as it were, an instrument that attunes those who desire it to sobriety. Therefore, ascetics of piety should not rely too much on it, but in faith in God they should await the fulfillment of our vow. For even those skilled in any arts never boast of the success of their pursuits in terms of their instruments, but each of them awaits the actual manifestation of their product, in order to discover from it the precision of the art.” But this instrument is fundamental and all-encompassing. (Christian reading, 1827, part 28, ch. 47, p. 40). “Everyone knows,” says St. Isaac, “that every struggle with sin and lust is begun by labor, vigil, and fasting.” Fasting is the foundation of all virtues. Fasting with prudence is a vast abode for every good thing. But he who neglects fasting brings all goodness into disarray; for fasting was a commandment originally given to our nature as a warning when partaking of food, and by breaking the fast the very foundation of our creation fell. But wherein the first humiliation consisted, from there the ascetics begin to progress in the fear of God. From this also the Savior began. Likewise, all who follow in the Savior's footsteps establish the beginning of their struggle on this foundation; for fasting is a weapon prepared by God. Before fasting, the human race knew no victory, and the devil never experienced defeat at the hands of our nature; but by this weapon he was weakened at the very beginning. And our Lord was the leader and firstborn of this victory, that He might place the first crown of victory upon the head of our nature. "And as soon as the devil sees this weapon on someone, this adversary and tormentor is immediately filled with fear, immediately reflecting on and remembering his defeat in the desert by the Savior, and his strength is broken, and the sight of the weapon given to us by our Leader, scorches him. What weapon is more powerful than this? And what gives the heart so much courage in the struggle against the spirits of evil as hunger for Christ's sake? For to the extent that the body is burdened and suffers while the demonic host surrounds a person, to that extent is the heart filled with hope. Clad in the weapon of fasting, one is constantly inflamed with zeal. Whoever abides in it, his mind is unshakable and ready to meet and repel all fierce passions" (Works of the Holy Fathers, vol. 23, in verse 21, pp. 110-113). St. John Kolov explains this powerful effect of fasting with a visible analogy. "If a king," he says, "wishes to take an enemy city, he first of all withholds water and provisions, and thus the enemies, perishing from hunger, submit to him. The same thing happens with carnal passions. If a man lives in fasting and hunger, then the enemies, weakened, will abandon his soul" (Homilies of the Holy Fathers, p. 100, no. 3). "But he who indulges his belly," adds St. John Climacus, "and intends to overcome the spirit of fornication, is like one who tries to extinguish a fire with oil" (Homily 14, no. 21).
Finally, fasting, as the mortification of the old man within, has, according to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, the merit of bloodless martyrdom. "If you wish to rejoice with those martyred for Christ," exhorts St. Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople, "then surrender your body to fasting, submit your will to being trampled before the will of God, your belly to hunger, your heart to strength, your blood to be shed—if not outwardly, then inwardly; that is, dry it up with dry food, so that you may receive the promised blessings" (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1845, p. 6, Canon 42).
5. What exactly does fasting consist of according to the teachings of the Holy Fathers and what are the ways to accustom oneself to it?
"Fasting," defines St. John Climacus, "is a constraint on nature and the cutting off of what delights the throat (Word 14, No. 33). A proper fast, according to the teaching of St. Thalassius, is when we eat little, consume simple food, and avoid pleasing people. Fast until evening," the holy father legislates, "do not overindulge afterwards, lest you rebuild what you destroy. Do not drink wine, but do not overindulge in water either, otherwise you also provide the substance for fornication" (Christian Reading, 1822, Part 6, p. 291).
From this it is revealed that fasting in active piety is a continuous, never-failing, but gradual and prudent mortification of the most crying needs of our mortal nature!
To help a pious Christian accustom himself to such continuous fasting, the holy fathers and ascetics suggest the following methods:
1. Observe a prudent gradualness in the choice and quantity of foods. “When our soul desires various foods,” reasons St. John Climacus, “then it demands what is natural. Therefore, let us also use cunning against the cunning enemy; otherwise, a most difficult battle, or a fall, awaits us. Let us first eliminate from ourselves those foods that fatten, then those that inflame, and only afterward those that delight. If possible, give your belly nourishing and digestible food, so that by satiety we may satisfy its insatiable greed, and by speedy digestion, we may be freed from the scourge of inflamation. If we pay attention, we will find that most foods that puff up the belly excite the most powerful movements in the body” (Word 14, No. 12). "Eat sufficiently at lunch, but abstain at dinner," advises our native ascetic, the recluse Seraphim (See the account of his life, p. 88). "You may eat twice a day," allows the Great Barsanuphius. "Eat it properly and with the fear of God, and you will certainly not be condemned. This means that you should not eat anything out of lust, but only when you have what nature requires, and in such a way that after eating and drinking you feel the urge to eat" (Rep. 508). This contentment without excess is the beginning of the holy fast.
2. Adapt fasting to one's physical strength. "Abstinence for each person should be determined by his physical strength," Basil the Great legislates, "so as not to stop at what is below the strength that is in a person, and not to extend to what is above strength" (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1847, Chapter 4, p. 397). If, having received sufficient food, the body cannot serve "in the labors of piety," says St. John the Seer, "and without nourishing it, you fear infirmity, then keep to the middle ground, not rising too high, and not descending too low, and the Scripture will be fulfilled, which says: Do not turn aside either to the right hand or to the left ( Proverbs 4:27 ). Give the body a little less than it requires: for the fatherly path consists in not burdening oneself with either food or drink during one’s stay” (Barsanuphius. V. in answer 139). “To divide according to one’s strength,” explains the Great Barsanuphius in general, “means to consume not a bit less than is proper in food, drink, and sleep” (In answer 84). But to what extent exactly should one reduce the intake of ordinary food? And this is determined by St. John the Seer: “Everyone should determine for himself the measure both in cooked food, and in wine, and in drink in general, for example: if someone constantly drinks three cups of water a day and eats one liter (3/4 pound) of bread, then he should deny himself half of one of the three cups, and in food, too, instead of a whole liter, consume a liter minus one ounce” (In answer 83). This is how Blessed John the Seer accustomed himself to fasting. Dositheus, namely: having reduced the usual, very sufficient intake of food by an eighth, and drink by a sixth, he used this reduced portion until he got used to it and found himself completely satisfied with it; then he again reduced it in the same proportion, and - got used to it; until finally he settled on 1/4 pound of bread (See the preface in the teaching of St. Dorotheus).
3. Strengthen ordinary abstinence when carnal passions are aroused. “When passion is on the rise,” says St. Ephraim, “then let the divine hunger, that is, fasting, be intensified; but let it be proportionate to the strength of the one overcome by the passion: for such a passion can only be cured by prolonged labor” (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1850, p. 140). “When the passion of gluttony struggles with you,” warns St. John the Seer, “then strive with all your might for God’s sake not to give the body as much as it requires” (Barsonuph. V. in answer 499). Specifically: “when you feel a battle, you must reduce the amount of food by one ounce, and also limit yourself in drink” (In answer 85).
4. Avoid excessive, weakening fasting, even during times of physical warfare. “Beware,” warns St. Isaac, “that your body does not become too exhausted, and thereby negligence grows stronger against you, and cools your soul. Everyone must weigh his life, as it were, on scales. When you are satiated, beware of allowing yourself freedom even in small things. Let your sitting be chaste while satisfying your needs. Especially during your sleep, be chaste and pure, and strictly watch not only your thoughts, but also your members” (Word 40, p. 208). “Fasting to the extreme and overeating are reprehensible,” says St. Ephraim; “for both far-reaching abstinence and filling oneself with food are equally bad. Therefore, one must dissolve everything in moderation, so as not to shake zeal through complete immoderation. In carnal inflammation, not every movement comes from the maliciousness of a demon; but it sometimes happens that during extreme abstinence, movement occurs when dry and hot breaths excite the nature; this has been recognized by the most skilled testers of nature. Therefore, one must dissolve the body in moderation with food, so that with complete immoderation the ascetic does not suffer violence from the movements of the flesh" (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1850, p. 142). "Cunning demons," assures St. Isidore of Pelusium , - inspire not only gluttony, but also excessive fasting: for they know that the insatiable will either fall into pride from the thought that he is more perfect than his companions, or will become so weakened in body that he will be useless both for himself and for others; and when the illness intensifies over time, he will fall away from the faith, give in to despair and begin to blaspheme” (Christian reading 1844, part 1, p. 37).
5. Eat daily. The great ascetic Abba Pimen advises: "In my opinion, one must eat every day, but eat a little, not to satiety. The Fathers fasted for three days, and four, and even a week; but they experienced all this, being strong in virtue, and found that it is better to eat a little every day , and they showed us the royal path, for it is more convenient for us" (St. John the Baptist, p. 196, no. 31). And St. Theodore the Studite proves that such a fast in no way demeans the greatness of the ascetic struggle: "If someone were to say that he should eat once a day, would he not fall short of the perfection of abstinence?" "No, let him not fear: for if it were so, Christ would not have commanded us, in the prayer - Our Father , to ask for the necessary food every day, nor would the raven have brought food to the prophet Elijah every day, nor would the divine Paul of Thebes, nor the Great Anthony have preferred to eat a little every day, rather than fast for three, four, or seven days. For in order to eat every day, there are no imperfect, but even very perfect, according to the rule and order which we have shown: however, all of ours are well and God-lovingly corrected by the divine fathers" (In the catechumen. instruction 48, 1853 edition, p. 151).
6. In cases of general celebration or warm hospitality, how should a good Christian eat and drink everything to the glory of God ? "When someone glorifies God by remembering the Benefactor," answers Basil the Great, "and with such a spiritual disposition that even the physical position testifies that a person eats not carelessly, but as if having God as a spectator; and also with the purpose of eating, when he eats not for pleasure, as a slave to the belly, but as a worker for God, for cheerfulness in the deeds performed according to the commandment of Christ" (Short Rule of Basil the Great, question 196).
7. In case of occasional excesses and careless intemperance, do not grieve over the violation of the fast, but strive to compensate for it. One must be indulgent toward one's soul in its infirmities and imperfections, explains the recluse Seraphim, and tolerate one's shortcomings as we tolerate others, but not become lazy, and urge oneself to do better. If you have consumed too much food or done something similar, more akin to human weakness, do not be disturbed by this, and do not add harm to harm; but courageously urge yourself to correction, and meanwhile strive to maintain peace of mind, according to the word of the Apostle: Blessed is he who does not condemn himself, for he is tempted by himself ( Rom. 14:22 ) (The Tale of the Life of Seraphim, p. 54). Abba Silouan and his disciple Zachariah came to a monastery, where they were asked to partake of a little food for the journey. When they left the monastery, the disciple saw water on the road and wanted to drink. The elder said to him: "Zacharius, today is Lent!" "Have we not eaten, Father?" the disciple replied. "We ate, but it was a matter of love," said the elder; "but now, my son, we must keep our fast" (St. Macarius, p. 259, no. 1). When Abba Macarius happened to be with the brethren, he made it a rule: if they drink wine, drink for the brethren; but for one glass of wine, do not drink water for the whole day! Therefore, when the brethren gave him wine for strength, the elder accepted it with joy, so that he could torment himself later" (St. Macarius, p. 144, no. 10). This is how the great fasters acted!
8. When the body is weakened by ascetic labors or illness, do not fast at all. "The body, exhausted by ascetic labors or illnesses," teaches the recluse Seraphim, "must be strengthened with moderate sleep, food, and drink, without even observing the time." Jesus Christ , after raising the daughter of Jairus from death, immediately commanded that she be given something to eat ( Luke 8:55 )" (The Tale of the Life of Seraphim, p. 54). "What is fasting," reasons the Great Barsanuphius, "if not a punishment of the body in order to humble the healthy body and make it weak for the passions, according to the word of the Apostle: when I am weak, then I am strong ( 2 Cor. 12:10 ). "But illness, greater than this punishment, is imputed in place of fasting, and even more so, to the one who endures it with patience, thanks God, and through patience receives the fruit of his salvation; for, instead of weakening his body through fasting, it is already painful. Thank God that you have been freed (by illness) from the labor of fasting. Even if you eat ten times a day, do not grieve; you will not be condemned for it; for you do not act this way from demonic suggestion, nor from a weakened mind, but this happens to us for our testing and for the benefit of our souls" (Rep. 169).
9. According to St. John Climacus, taming the belly is facilitated by labor, vigil, and the remembrance of death. “When hunger overcomes you,” he instructs, “subdue it with labor; but if this is impossible due to weakness, fight it with vigil. If your eyes are heavy, take up handicrafts; but if there is no sleep, do not touch handicrafts: for it is impossible to occupy the mind with God and mammon, that is, with both God and handicrafts” (Word 14, No. 26). “When sitting down to a meal filled with delicacies, bring to Wednesday the remembrance of death and judgment: for even with this you will barely stop the passion. When partaking of a drink, do not cease to represent the vinegar and gall of your Master; and – without a doubt, you will either abstain, or sigh, or humble your wisdom a little” (B No. 31).
10. Finally, we must remember that since the need for food is the most essential need of our mortal nature, then, as St. John Climacus says, “nothing completely eradicates gluttony in people. He who has received the Comforter overcomes it through Him; and the Comforter, entreated by such a person, does not allow the stomach to act passionately” (B, no. 35). No one is freed from gluttony, confirms Barsanuphius the Great, except the one who has come to the measure of the one who said: “ I forgot to eat my bread. At the sound of my sighing my bone clave to my flesh” ( Ps. 101:5-6 ). Such a person quickly achieves a reduction in food and drink, for tears serve him as bread, and finally reaches the point of being nourished by the Holy Spirit. And then this flesh will follow the thought according to God, and the joy of the Spirit will appear in the heart, nourishing that soul and fattening the body, and strengthening them both, and such a person no longer weakens and does not become despondent: for Jesus from then on becomes an intercessor for him, and places him near the threshold there, from where all sickness, sorrow and sighing have fled ( Is. 51:11 ), and the word of Scripture is fulfilled in him: “ Where your treasure is, there is your heart also ” ( Matt. 6:21 )” (In answers 96 and 97).
6. Properties of true fasting
1. True fasting leaves its mark on all the external and internal behavior of the ascetic. "The measure of abstinence," says St. John the Seer, "is not limited to food and drink alone, but extends to conversation, sleep, clothing, and all the senses; in all of this there must be a measure of abstinence" (Rep. 81). "As soon as someone begins to fast," describes St. Isaac, "from that moment on, his mind desires to come to the desire for conversation with God. For a fasting body cannot tolerate sleeping the entire night on its bed. When the seal of fasting is placed on a person's lips, then his thoughts are filled with compunction, his heart exudes prayer, sadness is on his face, shameful thoughts are far from him, no joy is visible in his eyes, he is an enemy of lusts and vain conversations. “No one has ever seen a prudent faster become a slave to evil desire” (Word 21, p. 111). He who strives to be pure in all the members of his body,” says Anthony the Great, “who is truly pious and avoids everything that defiles the body, can say with David: All my bones say, ‘Lord, Lord, who is like You ?’ ( Psalm 34:10 ); such a person bridles all his senses, does not allow them to rule over him, and places the yoke of the Lord upon them. He does not allow his gaze to turn to evil, and does not look at a woman with lust; he does not turn his ear to slander, to the suggestions of the devil, and to all his thoughts that he puts into the soul; on the contrary, he is always attentive to the saving instructions of Jesus Christ, and brings with himself a pleasing fragrance to Him. He seals his lips with silence, not allowing them to utter foolish words. He turns his hands to acts of mercy and truth. His feet walk to fulfill the Lord's commandment: "If anyone can carry you one mile, let him go with him two" ( Matthew 5:41 ).
2. Proper fasting is completely free from vanity and relaxation. “Concerning fasting, I will say,” teaches Barsanuphius the Great, “examine your heart to see if it has been robbed by vanity, and if it has not been robbed, examine it a second time to see if this fasting makes you weak in the performance of deeds, for such weakness should not exist; and if it does not harm you in this, then your fasting is correct” (Answer 841). Experiencing relaxation from fasting, one must remember that weakness can be both natural and from demons: if the body weakens while taking daily food, teaches the holy father, “this is from demons; otherwise, it is natural weakness” (Answer 98). Concerning vanity in fasting, this is what St. Isidore says: “If you strive in fasting as you should, do not be proud. If you are vain about this, then it is better to eat meat: for it is not so harmful for a person to eat meat as to be proud and arrogant” (St. John the Baptist, p. 96, No. 4).
3. During Lent, one must courageously and prudently distance oneself from all human indulgence. St. John the Seer offers excellent instructions on this: "Walking in wisdom, receive everyone, giving no offense to anyone, following the example of the Apostle, who said that he was pleasing both to the Jews and to the Greeks and to the Church of God" ( 1 Cor. 10:32 ). Our times have turned toward bodily rest and to the filling of the belly, which give birth to all passions. Guard yourself, then, from those who come for such a reason, whether they be laymen, or brothers, or fathers. When they happen to come, do not indulge them excessively and do not reject them completely; but when it is a person who comes specifically for this purpose, then distance yourself from him: it is more profitable for you to be called stingy when you are not one, than to be called a voluptuary. So, receive everyone with appropriate friendliness, pretending only to partake equally with everyone else, while actually partaking less than is proper. And if anyone pressures you, tell them: "The apostle says: ' Do not get drunk with wine, for in it is fornication' ( Eph. 5:18 ). The Fathers say: 'We beseech every man who desires to be saved and to offer repentance to God to guard himself from the excessive use of wine, which gives birth to all passions!'" Guard yourself from those who say: 'If you don't drink, then I won't drink, and if you don't eat, then I won't eat!' "And with all humility ask such a thing, saying: The Apostle said: Let not the one who eats blame the one who does not eat, for they have not eaten the Lord, and let not the one who does not eat condemn the one who eats, for he eats the Lord and glorifies God ( Rom. 14:3-6 ), and since both are done for the glory of God, then both are honorable before God. Therefore, let everyone, for the love of God, eat and drink as much as he wants, but do not force me, please, for I am weak and can do no more." Therefore, be prudent in relation to those who come: you must have understanding and wisdom, so as to know about each one why and how he came: for the sake of God, or for food" (Barsonuph. V. in response 590).
4. During fasting, one should avoid judging those who do not fast, just as those who eat should not criticize those who fast. The same Venerable John the Seer instructs those who eat: "Why do you not think well of your brothers who fast, for your own edification, saying to yourselves: 'We are negligent, but our brothers abstain?' Just as the brothers who rise early from the table should think well of you, saying: 'Woe to us! We rise out of weakness, but our brothers, although they eat more than we, receive no harm from this, for they do everything with discernment.'" Thus, both of them avoid the threat contained in the Lord’s saying: judge not, that ye be not judged ( Matt. 7:1 ), and do not violate the words of the Apostle: let not he that eateth reproach him that eateth not , etc. ( Rom. 14:3 ) (Barsonuph. V. in answer 543).
5. Bodily fasting is made easier by gradual habits of abstinence; but it has no merit without internal – spiritual fasting. “Whoever burdens his belly with food,” says St. John Climacus, “expands his insides; but whoever struggles with his belly contracts them. When the insides are contracted, then they will take in a little, and naturally we become fasters” (No. 25). But if a person is not capable of internal work according to God, assures Barsanuphius the Great, then in vain does he labor in external fasting! That is why the Lord said: “What does not go into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth” ( Matt. 15:11 ). For internal work with heartache produces true silence of the heart” (Rep. 210). Therefore, St. John advises: Father: "As for external fasting, bow your neck, remembering the life of the fathers and their vigils, humble your heart, and if you can, endure until the ninth hour (i.e., until 3 pm), and if you cannot, then do not worry; try to maintain the fast of the inner man, fulfilling the commandment: ' Whatever you take from the tree ,' and protect yourself from other passions. This fast of the inner man will be pleasing to God, and will compensate you for the lack of physical fasting (In response 509).
7. The fruits of Lent
Holy, prudent, and true fasting brings many and varied benefits to the ascetic. The Fathers of the Church could not find enough words to describe in detail all of its beneficial effects. “Love the most beautiful fast—a worthy and God-pleasing deed!” exhorts St. Ephraim. “Fasting is a chariot that ascends to heaven. Fasting protects against temptations, anoints one for the feat of piety—it is the companion of sobriety, the cause of chastity. Fasting elevates prayer to heaven. Fasting is the mother of health. Those who fast have a precious body and a precious soul. Fasting brings peace to homes. Fasting is the guardian and protector of virginity. Fasting is the path to repentance. Fasting is the cause of tears” (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1849, Part 3, p. 290). “Fasting is the suppression of passion,” continues St. "St. Isaac, the Ladder, is the eradication of evil thoughts, liberation from sleepy dreams, purity of prayer, lamp of the soul, guardian of the mind, deliverance from blindness, door of compunction, humble sighing, joyful contrition, abolition of verbosity, occasion for silence, guardian of obedience, relief of sleep, health of the body, provider of dispassion, remission of sins and the door of paradise and consolation" (Word 14, no. 33). "The meal of one who constantly fasts," adds St. Isaac, "is sweeter than any fragrance of musk or the incense of myrrh. At the meal, among the fasters, the Beloved reclines, sanctifying them, and transforms the bitterness of their suffering into indescribable sweetness; and His spiritual and heavenly servants overshadow them and their holy delicacies. And I know one of the brethren who clearly saw this with his own eyes. Blessed is he who has stopped his mouth from every lust that separates him from the Creator! Blessed is he whose food is the bread that came down from heaven and gave life to the world! Blessed is he who in his field has seen the watering of life, flowing mercifully from the bosom of the Father, and has raised his eyes to Him! For when he drinks of it, his heart will rejoice and flourish, and will be filled with joy and gladness.
About thoughts
The Lord will judge not only for the sins actually committed, but also for the sinful thoughts that a person wishes to fulfill, as it is said in the Holy Gospel: Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart ( Matthew 5:28 ). And likewise, if someone bears a grudge against someone, even if he does not carry it out in deeds, but is condemned for his evil intention, and not only for every evil thought, but even for every idle word, a person will give an answer on the day of God's judgment, as it is said in the Holy Gospel ( Matthew 12:36 ). - Just as a person will be condemned for evil thoughts, so he will be rewarded for good ones. If someone, seeing another in misfortune or poverty, pitied him, but due to his own shortcomings could not help him, then the Lord will count the good desire for the deed itself; Or if someone would like to attend services in God's temple but is unable due to ill health or other circumstances, the Lord accepts their desire as the deed itself. From this we must understand and comprehend that for every good desire, even if unfulfilled, a person will be rewarded, while for every evil one, he will be punished. It should also be known that evil, sinful thoughts are brought to a person by his enemy, the devil, and if a person does not accept them, then he is rewarded by God for this, of which there are many examples: Saint Mary of Egypt, during her 17 years of repentance, struggled with sinful thoughts, and for resisting them, she attained angelic purity. And many others, like her, who resisted sinful thoughts were crowned by the Initiator of the Asceticism, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Prologue recounts how a disciple of a certain holy elder, while staying with him, once failed to obtain the elder's blessing before the elder fell asleep. The disciple was tempted seven times to leave without his blessing, but he courageously resisted these thoughts and remained until the elder awoke, where he was shown in a dream that seven crowns had been sent down from heaven to his disciple for his sevenfold repulsion of his thoughts. This is how precious resistance to sinful thoughts is in the eyes of God.
About blasphemous and other evil thoughts
Many suffer from evil thoughts that are the result of the enemy's influence; these thoughts are of three kinds: about fornication, about unbelief in God, and especially about blasphemy against God, the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints of God, against the holy icons, the holy Sacraments and all that is sacred.
In the book "Spiritual Healing for the Confusion of Thoughts" by Saint Demetrius of Rostov , the following is said about blasphemous thoughts: there is no sin in these thoughts if a person does not desire them, hates them, and turns away from them. But if someone willingly accepts them, he sins mortally. He who, through ignorance and cowardice, thinks that these thoughts originate with him also sins: for they are the offspring of the demons, and it is to them that they should be attributed, and not to oneself. As we hate and resist these thoughts, and they force their way into us, then a person receives a reward from God for his patience. Saint John Climacus writes about this: "When a person rejects blasphemous thoughts, he is not guilty of them, but is also deemed worthy of an increase in heavenly rewards." The devil, who implants these thoughts in a person, tries to convince them that they are the product of their own nature, in order to drive them to despair. But one must know that all thoughts the soul does not desire are from the devil. It also happens that a person, as if in a state of forgetfulness, briefly entertains these thoughts, but upon coming to his senses, banishes them. In such a case, one must sigh from the depths of one's heart to the Lord and repent, and the Lord will forgive. One must certainly confess these thoughts to spiritual fathers, but without explaining the blasphemous words in detail, for this is impossible. He who is troubled by these thoughts is strengthened by the enemy, and he who disdains them is put to shame. When these thoughts attack, one should not engage in any reasoning or argument with them, but rather pray inwardly, without ceasing: " Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me , a sinner." As the Holy Fathers said, "Beat the enemy with the name of Christ; there is no weapon more powerful than this, neither in heaven nor on earth." Thus, blasphemous thoughts should be disregarded, likening them to a dog's barking: although we hear it, we suffer no harm from it. But if anyone begins to object to these thoughts, they will intensify and will not subside until they are ignored. Let us humble ourselves, cease judging our neighbors, be merciful to all, be fervent in prayer, and abstain from food and drink—and the thoughts of the enemy will depart from us, as it is said in the Holy Gospel: " This kind can go out only by prayer and fasting ." But even in this case, as always and everywhere, we must exercise prudence: some ascetics, tormented by blasphemous thoughts, fell into despair, imposed immeasurable fasts upon themselves, stopped attending God's church, and did not partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, considering themselves unworthy—and some even despaired of their salvation. But all this is due to the influence of demons. In such cases, as in everything, we should not be guided by our own reason, but turn to spiritual fathers, who are given to us by God as guides in the spiritual life.
Blasphemous thoughts intensify during prayer and other good deeds, but they soon leave those who neglect them. Those who spend their lives in mortal sins without repentance, in negligence and laziness, are not attacked by the enemy with blasphemous thoughts, for he already considers them his captives. He fights with these thoughts those who care for the salvation of their souls, who live in repentance and love for God, according to what is said in Holy Scripture: " Those who want to live piously in Christ will be persecuted ." Saint Catherine of Sinei was troubled for a long time by blasphemous and vile thoughts: when the Lord appeared to her and drove the demons away, she cried out to Him: " Where have you been until now, O my Sweet Jesus ?" The Lord answered: " I was in your heart ." She then said, "How can this be, since my heart was filled with impure thoughts ?" The Lord replied, " By this, understand that in your heart you had no love for impure thoughts; but rather, striving to get rid of them and unable to do so, you suffered, and thus you made a place for me in your heart ." We also recommend reading the life of Saint Niphon, December 23. He courageously struggled with thoughts of unbelief for several years, for which he was crowned by the Lord Himself.
Therefore, let no one be troubled, nor despair of those who are obsessed with blasphemous thoughts; know that this is for our benefit rather than a temptation, but to the demons themselves it is a shame (from the work of Saint Demetrius of Rostov ).
On the Benefits and Necessity of Sorrows
Sorrows are the ladder that leads to heaven; there was no other way there but the cross; there is not, and never will be, as all of Holy Scripture assures us. The Lord, His Most Pure Mother, His beloved disciples, and all the saints walked the path of sorrows, which the Lord commanded us all to follow in imitation of Him, according to His word: " Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me ." God has ordained, as St. Macarius of Egypt says , that the path leading to eternal life should be marked by sorrow, by hardship, by many trials, by the bitterest temptations, so that man might inherit the blessings of heaven both by God's mercy and by righteousness. Just as God's promises are great, ineffable, and inscrutable, so too do we need faith and hope, and labors, and great feats, and enduring trials. We desire to reign with Christ for endless ages; shall we not resolve to diligently endure struggles, labors, and temptations in this brief life until death? The divine Apostle, foreseeing in spirit the heavenly reward prepared for our sorrows, said: "The sorrows of this age are unworthy of the heavenly glory that will be revealed to us upon our passage into eternity."
Nothing is so useful in sorrow as thanksgiving; for it intercedes before God for man's weakness, assuages sorrow, and increases the reward for it. But he who murmurs in sorrow not only loses the reward for patience, but is subject to condemnation, and the sorrow itself thereby increases.
Those who live self-willedly, walking the broad path that leads to destruction, are less subject to sorrows, for the enemy of salvation, seeing them fulfilling his will, leaves them in peace, while he plunges those who strive for their salvation into great sorrows. This is why it is said: " Many afflictions be upon the righteous," and also : " If thou hast come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation ." But concerning those who lead a life without sorrows, the Apostle Paul says: "Woe to them, for they are forgotten by God and are not God's children." This visible peace and the rest enjoyed in it, to the extent that they are apparently beneficial to the body, irritate the passions of the soul and increase its suffering.
God never allows a soul that trusts in Him to become so overwhelmed by temptations that it reaches despair. For one who has unceasing hope in God, evil seems to thin out and liquefy within him.
No one can acquire anything good except through great labor and sorrow. From the beginning of time, sorrows have been a sign of God's election; but we lack patience, are unwilling to endure even a little, and do not strive to accept anything with humility, and therefore we become burdened, and the more we try to avoid adversity, the more we fall into it. Sorrows, refining a person like gold in a furnace, make him, by God's grace, worthy of eternal heavenly blessings. The blessed contemplator of God's mysteries, in a heavenly revelation received by him, saw a host of those clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, and he was told of them: " These are they which came out of great tribulation " ( Rev. 7:14 ). The soul that truly loves God does not consider sorrows as anything, but enjoys them, and flourishes in suffering, foreseeing in spirit the heavenly glory prepared for sorrows.
The multiplication of sorrows, as one ascetic said, is proof that our prayer has been heard by the Lord. Sorrow brings a person closer to God and salvation, as it is said: " Call me in the day of your trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify me " ( Psalm 49:15 ). The Lord did not say, "Call me in the day of your joy," although we should always call upon Him, for He, the Omniscient, knows that on days of joy we are less capable of receiving divine consolation. A Christian should have hope, joy, and anticipation of the future kingdom and deliverance every day, and say: "If I am not delivered today, I will be delivered in the morning." If a person does not have before his eyes the joy and hope of receiving deliverance and eternal life, he will not be able to endure sorrows. Sorrow confessed to a spiritual guide is thereby assuaged.
The Lord, during the time of fierce sorrows in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed to His heavenly Father, and taught us by His word and example to resort in sorrow with prayer to Him, the true Comforter of the soul, for besides Him we will not find consolation in anyone or anything.
Every soul, as St. Ephraim the Syrian says, that desires to please God, must first of all courageously maintain patience and trust. For God does not allow a soul that trusts in Him and is patient to be tempted to such an extent that it despairs and falls into temptations and sorrows that it cannot bear: " But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted beyond what you can bear; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (Cor. 10:15). The evil one does not tempt the soul and oppress it with sorrows to the extent that he wishes, but to the extent that God allows him. The soul, enduring sorrows courageously, must firmly trust in God, expecting His help and intercession, and it is impossible for it to be abandoned. On the contrary, the more the soul strives, turning to God with faith and hope, undoubtedly expecting help and deliverance from Him, the sooner the Lord will deliver it from all sorrow.
Good-natured patience in sorrows is a healing balm, a heavenly medicine, and one must consider that the sorrow that has befallen one must inevitably endure it; but whoever bears this burden with murmuring, it becomes more and more difficult, but whoever thanks God, considering himself worthy of even greater punishment, the burden of sorrows is lightened for him, according to what our Savior said: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light ( Matthew 11:30 ).
Self-reproach or self-accusation greatly contributes to the complacency of enduring sorrows. Like any virtue, it is difficult only at the beginning, but once the soul gains the skill, it becomes desirable, a support, and a great spiritual consolation. We must undoubtedly believe that everything that happens to us by God's will serves our good; this thought will strengthen us in gracious patience. Sorrows serve as a cleansing of sins, sometimes even those we have forgotten. Therefore, woe to us, eternal woe, if, having spent our lives in sin, we appear at the universal judgment of God, unpurified by repentance and sorrows. Then the whole world will see our spiritual nakedness, God's angels and the host of saints will abhor us, " Never knew I you" ( Matthew 7:23 ), the Lord will tell us. Blessed are those who here will bear the punishment for their sins. "When we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened, lest we be condemned with the world" (Cor. 11:32). If, says Saint Tikhon, you are suffering from a long illness and receive some consolation from those who serve you, consider those who are internally suffering grief and sorrow, externally covered with wounds, and have no one to serve them, to feed them, to give them drink, to raise them, to wash their wounds, and yet they endure. If you are in exile, think of the prisoners who are in chains, in rags, removed from home and fatherland, suffering beatings and wounds every day, working hard during the day, confined at night in unclean and stinking dungeons, and without any consolation—for them death is more pleasant than life. If you suffer poverty, think of those who were once rich and famous, and have reached the point where they have nothing to feed themselves or their families with, nothing to clothe them with, nowhere to lay their heads. They wander from one household to another, burdened with debt, cramped everywhere, in sorrow, in grief, as if burning in a furnace. Look at the poor, the half-naked, the sick, from whom taxes and dues are demanded. Descend mentally into hell and consider how the poor condemned suffer, who, if possible, would wish to burn in fire here until the end of the world, if only to be freed from eternal fire. Raise your mental eyes to the heavenly dwellings; of those living there, not a single one will be found who has not reached there through patience, for as it is said: through many tribulations must one enter the kingdom of heaven . St. ChrysostomThey say that patience frees the soul from agitation and evil spirits and places it in a quiet haven. Patience in adversity surpasses almsgiving and many other virtues. There is nothing equal to patience. St. Chrysostom also says that sorrow keeps us from becoming attached to this world; we await death with complacency and are not attached to bodily goods, and this is the most important part of love of wisdom: not being attached and attached to this life. A soul alien to sorrow is agitated, restless, and puffed up; on the contrary, a soul alien to pleasures and uninhibited by anything concentrates entirely on itself; one is courageous, another childishly weak; one is solid, another frivolous. From a multitude of pleasures, we commit many sins, as anyone can see. A soul living in sorrow and abstinence is not like that; it is far removed from all this.
Thus, sorrows are a gift from God, and a great gift, for through temporary patience one is deemed worthy of the inheritance of ineffable and eternal heavenly blessings. Thus was it deigned by the All-Good Lord, Who Himself bore the most grievous sorrows; He was sinless, and endured such sufferings as are not found in the annals of men. But we sinners suffer for our sins, and thereby are not only cleansed from them; but by the grace of God we are deemed worthy to be heirs of those blessings of which he who was granted a vision of them said: " Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have they entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him ."
On humility and meekness
Every Christian, and especially monks, most of all needs to have Christ-imitating, blessed humility. He who lacks it will never see God, as He said: " On whom shall I look? Only on him who is meek and silent and trembles at My words ." Anyone who wants to be a true monk must first of all strive to acquire humility. The teacher of humility is the Lord Himself: " Learn from Me ," He says, " for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" ( Matthew 11:29 ).
Behold how salutary and precious humility is in the eyes of God! To acquire it, one must constantly reproach, censure, and accuse oneself of everything, considering oneself not only more sinful than everyone else, but even worse than any dumb creature; when reproached for something, remain silent, meekly explaining the truth; cut off one's own will, endure reproaches, insults, and humiliation—this is the true path to humility. No matter what virtues one may possess, one must always consider oneself the most sinful in the world, as it is said: " When ye have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants' ( Luke 17:70 ). "
Meekness, as St. John Climacus says, is an imitation of Christ, an angelic quality, a strong bond for the devil, a shield against temptation. God resides in meek hearts, while the soul of the proud is the seat of the devil. St. John Climacus calls blessed humility an incalculable treasure, a divine title and gift, whose Teacher is the Lord Himself. An unmistakable sign of humility is distrust of one's own thoughts, a desire for correction, and unquestioning obedience.
David did not say that he fasted, watched on the ground, lay down, but he humbled himself and the Lord saved him.
Repentance restores the fallen, weeping for sins strikes the gates of heaven, and humility opens them.
Where there is no light, there is darkness, where there is no humility, everything is vain and futile: only true humility is inaccessible to demonic delusion.
When Anthony the Great saw all the devil's snares spread for the destruction of mankind, he asked the Lord in horror: "Who can be saved?" He was answered: "The humble!" For the enemy's snares will not even touch him.
He who considers himself humble does not have true humility, for it consists in always and in everything considering himself worse and more sinful than everyone else.
One must always be ready to respond to every word: forgive me, I have sinned. He who has suffered slander has, by God's grace, received a piece of silver. One must always and in everything consider oneself guilty. These are the signs of true humility.
If a person does not love humility with all his heart, and if he does not express it in all his deeds, he will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
The humble person is not ashamed to admit his shortcomings, which are characteristic of human weakness, and thereby correct them.
He who considers himself to be reviled by demons in any way, be a slave and servant to all. The least here in the kingdom of heaven will be called the greatest.
Humility engenders the fear of God, curbs verbosity, teaches one to recognize one's own wretchedness, makes human praise disgusting, inspires a person to blame and reproach himself in everything, and not to trust his own reasoning and his feelings, as enslaved to sin. Humility teaches us to despise the vain world and to seek the one thing needful ( Luke 10:42 ). For that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God ( Luke 16:15 ). Where there is humility, there is salvation: "I humbled myself, and He saved me" ( Psalm 115:5 ). Humility, like other virtues, is attained through intense prayer, self-reproach in everything, and patience with offenses. Humility, as St. Ephraim the Syrian says, makes a person righteous. Humble sinners are justified even without good deeds, but the righteous, through pride, destroy even their many labors. Christ Himself abides with the humble. Do you need forgiveness for your sins? You will receive it through humility. Do you desire to overcome vice? You will overcome it through humility. Do you desire to inherit eternal life? You will inherit it through humility. Do you desire to become exalted? It will exalt you. Do you love purity? It will acquire a pure heart. Do you desire holiness? It will make you holy. Do you desire to be perfect? It is the path to perfection, and you will ascend to every height through humility.
Meekness, according to St. John Climacus, is an immovable disposition of the soul, when it remains the same in dishonor and praise (Word 8:3).
Meekness is a sign of great strength, as the ecumenical teacher St. John Chrysostom says. To be meek, one must have a noble, courageous, and very lofty soul (Christian Reading, 1857, p. 314).
Meekness, by its very nature, contains such a wondrous power that not only is it firm and unshakable, but through its gentle and easy beneficial influence it strengthens everything around it. Meekness is firm through its correct compliance, gentleness, and peacefulness. As a quiet and peaceful disposition of the heart, meekness neither seeks anything higher nor tests itself against anything stronger; it is free from any claims on the rights of others and never irritates one's neighbor. Meekness, like a quiet river, flows evenly and peacefully within the bounds of its activity. The actions of the meek are quiet and proper, their manners and behavior are pleasant without hypocrisy, their words are gentle without flattery, and seem to moisten the ear and soul. Peace and tranquility rest in the heart of the meek. Everyone loves the meek, so much so that even pride seems humbled before them. Meekness attracts the eyes of the Lord, which rest especially upon the meek. To whom shall I look, only to the meek , saith the Lord.
About obedience
Saint Barsanuphius the Great teaches about obedience: “Reject your will from yourself, and humble yourself throughout your entire life, and you will be saved.”
Know that there is no more noble deed than that which comes from obedience. If you wish to be saved, acquire humility, obedience, and voluntary submission, and always remember that there is no one who does not require an advisor except God, who created wisdom. St. Ephraim the Syrian says, "Beloved, honor your father with all your might and do not violate the statutes of the one who begot you in the Lord." Then the evil demons will not overcome you.
Venerable Abba Dorotheus testifies: "You cannot understand God's will and fully surrender to it if you believe in yourself and adhere to your own will; therefore, Venerable Abba Pimen said that our will is a bronze wall between man and God. In my God I will cross the wall, my God, His way is blameless. This is most wondrous! For only then does a person see the blameless path of God when he abandons his own will. If you remain in obedience, then never trust your heart, for it is deceitful. Do not think or assume that you are better or more righteous than your mentor, and do not examine his deeds, otherwise you can often be deceived and fall into temptation. And so learn to question, learn not to rely on yourself, do not believe what your thoughts tell you. There is no salvation except in this way. Saint St. Climacus says: "The humble wise always turn away from their own will, as if it were misguided, and humbly accept instruction, paying no attention to the lives of their teachers, but entrusting their care to God, who even through the donkey revealed to Balaam what he was to do." He who wishes to know God's will must mortify their own will. Concerning disobedient monks, Saint Climacus says that it is better to drive them away from the monastery than to leave them to do their own will, since those who drive them away often incline the one they expelled to humility, while those who condescend to self-willed monks under the guise of love for humanity drive them to the point where they curse them terribly at their death.
Saint Gregory of Sinai , extolling obedience, says that it sits at the right hand of God the Father. He describes the passions opposed to obedience with particularly harsh terms. Disobedience, he explains, is the mouth of hell; contradiction is the tongue of a disobedient demon, sharp as a sword; self-indulgence is its sharpened teeth; justification is its larynx; conceit, which leads to hell, is the breath of its all-consuming belly. Truly, exclaims Saint Gregory of Sinai, a miracle ineffable and incomprehensible: that by virtue alone, or more precisely by one commandment, we may ascend infallibly to heaven, just as by disobedience alone we have descended and continue to descend to hell. Saint Basil the Great asserts that anything done without the will of a mentor is theft and sacrilege, leading to death rather than to benefit. Saint Simeon the New Theologian exhorts: "Brother, if your heart is kindled and you come to a community or to a spiritual father, be obedient in everything to your guide in the Lord. Have faith in your father and look upon him as upon Christ Himself, believing that both your life and death are in the hands of your shepherd. Never contradict him, for contradiction is the cause of spiritual and eternal death. Remember that by falling into contradiction and losing faith in your spiritual father and teacher, even while you are still alive, you wretchedly descend into the net and depths of hell and become the home of Satan and all his unclean forces. Know that the demons rejoice over those who contradict their father, and the angels marvel at those who humble themselves. He who humbles himself is like the Son of God, who showed His obedience to the heavenly Father, even unto death, even death on the cross. Reveal every thought daily to your father, and accept everything he says to you as from the mouth of God with full faith. Ask God with tears to grant you a spiritual Father; having received the gift, preserve it and give thanks to God.
There is no greater fall for a monk than to follow the impulse of his heart; this is more terrifying than all demons. Don't try to have an elder prescribe obedience to suit your tastes; in that case, it's useless. If someone truly desires to fulfill God's will with all his heart, then God will never abandon him, but will guide him according to His will.
A man advises his neighbor as he knows, but God acts in the one who hears as he believed.
Obedience is self-doubt, even in good deeds. Some things may seem good to us, but they may be displeasing to God. Revealing bad thoughts to the Father destroys them and weakens the passions. A snake brought from a dark hole into the light tries to flee and hide, so too, when exposed, bad thoughts flee.
I want to speak to you with a terrible word, said one of the holy fathers: even perfect ascetics who disobey the fathers will go to hell. For whoever wants to fulfill his own will is a son of the devil. Whoever questions the fathers and disobeys irritates God.
Everything said here about spiritual fathers in women's monasteries led by abbesses applies to them and to all those to whose spiritual guidance, with the blessing of the abbess, monastics will be entrusted.
About dreams, fortune telling and superstitions
One must be wary of believing dreams. The Lives of the Holy Fathers recount how a monk frequently dreamed dreams, always of divine significance, and everything he saw later came true. Experienced in recognizing demonic wiles, the elders warned him not to believe dreams, but he ignored their advice. The visions continued, and finally, the enemy, seeing that the monk had completely surrendered to his dreams, showed him in a dream a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ with the holy Apostles in darkness, and the Jews who crucified Him in light! The unfortunate man apostatized from God and married a Jewess, for which he incurred the terrible wrath of God: he was eaten alive by worms! Such is the terrible lesson and disastrous consequences of believing in dreams, despite the seemingly good beginning. For those who believe in dreams, they often come true by God's permission, as if as a punishment for superstition. John Climacus writes: "There is a demon who, as soon as we lie on our bed, comes to us and sends down arrows of evil and impure thoughts upon us, so that through laziness, not having armed ourselves with prayer against him at the time, we fall asleep in those vile thoughts, and then have vile dreams." If, while awake, we are constantly preoccupied with evil thoughts and sinful desires, then how can there not be sin in our dreams? If, while awake, we love to listen to shameful, obscene stories, or to gaze at something tempting, then what can we expect in our sleep if not sin? Finally, if we lead an intemperate and disorderly life—indulging in immoderate gluttony—then what good will we dream of? And so, precisely because of this, it is precisely during our sleep that such temptations, such dark and vulgar sins, often occur, the kind even dumb animals wouldn't commit. Nothing will rid us of nocturnal temptations and dreams more quickly than fervent prayer and fasting. There is also an evil spirit, as St. John Climacus writes, called the preliminary, which immediately greets us upon rising from sleep and seeks to defile our first thoughts. Consecrate to the Lord the firstfruits of your day, for to whomever you offer them first, to him will they be given that day.
One should not trust any premonitions, encounters, bad days, or any kind of omens and prejudices; all these are the enemy's snares to lure one into superstition. Some, as St. Chrysostom writes, dare to invoke the name of the Mother of God and the holy saints in divination and make the sign of the cross, but one should flee from them, and one should also be wary of fools who walk barefoot in winter, wear heavy chains, iron caps, and so on. In ancient times, there were truly true fools for Christ's sake, but today they are very rare. The fools of this age are for the most part deceived by the enemy and deceive others, accusing others of secret sins through the action of the spirit of malice (for it knows all things past and present), feigningly casting out demons, and randomly predicting the future. All this and similar things are done with the help of demons. We should not try to know the future, for what we really need to know is all revealed in Holy Scripture .
About food and dining procedures
Those living in the community should not have any food of their own, separate from others. They should eat whatever God has provided at mealtime, and should not prepare anything special in their cell without the abbess's blessing, otherwise it would be secret eating. Likewise, those who, while serving in the kitchen, bread-making, and other duties, eat secretly from their elders, are doing so at the instigation of the enemy, and this too is secret eating, a violation of the sacred monastic rules. People should arrive at the refectory at the first bell, as an untimely arrival disrupts order and prevents others from attentively listening to the Word of God. One should remain in the refectory as in God's temple with reverence, listening to the reading of the sermons, looking nowhere, not talking among one another, not whispering. Do not discriminate against the food, but partake of everything offered with prayer and thanksgiving, considering yourself unworthy, due to your sins, of the food offered at the meal, consuming it in moderation and not to the point of overloading the stomach. Do not take food from the meal into the cell without a blessing.
A word to the newcomers
Some newcomers to the monastery say that, as they have not yet been tonsured, they are not obligated to observe the monastic rules. But they fail to understand that the enemy speaks through them. He wants to undermine them from the very beginning (that is, from the very foundation), weaken their spiritual strength, and thereby render them incapable of proper monastic life. Those who succumb to such diabolical suggestion become lazy without even realizing it, and while in the holy monastery, they lead a life worse than that of laymen. From time to time, they become increasingly weakened and prepare a sorrowful future for themselves, for what we sow in the beginning, that we will reap later.
The most necessary things in monastic life are humility, patience and abstinence.
About absences into the world and on pilgrimage
Great harm comes to those who go out into the world to visit their relatives. St. Tikhon says: "It is very dangerous and tempting for a nun to leave the monastery; therefore, unless absolutely necessary, do not leave the monastery or enter secular houses, otherwise you will not return the same as you left" (Vol. 1, p. 77). Therefore, one must remain in one's monastery without leaving. One must remember what is said in the Holy Gospel: when one of the disciples asked the Lord to go bury his father, the Lord forbade him, saying: " Leave the dead (i.e., the laity living in sin) to bury their dead, and you follow Me ." Those who live by their own labors, when they must necessarily go to pick up or deliver work, are obligated to ask the Abbess's blessing each time, and without it, never leave the monastery walls, and, having accomplished what they set out to do, never set foot anywhere else. The Lord punishes self-will by allowing various misfortunes and misfortunes. It is not beneficial, especially for young people, to leave the monastery for pilgrimage, much less to visit other monasteries, for temptations are at every step and great falls often occur. Remember that one can fall not only in body, but in heart, mind, and eyes. It is better to fall with one's feet than with one's heart, mind, and eyes. Pay attention to this, says St. Tikhon of Christ (volume 1, p. 77).
On the relationship with the abbess and spiritual fathers and elders
One should look upon the abbess as a mother given by God and as a superior, and fulfill her will with all diligence and love. The sisters should understand that they are her children, that she wishes them good and not evil, and wishes to present them pure to God, so as not to answer for them before God's judgment. One should have nothing hidden from the abbess and those elders who have been chosen with her blessing and given as spiritual mothers. One should go to them more often, at least once a week, and reveal to them not the sins of others, but one's own sins and infirmities. One should not discuss one's infirmities with the other sisters and novices, because many of them are ignorant of the spiritual life and therefore cannot give good advice, as it is said in the Holy Gospel: " When can the blind lead the blind? shall not both fall into the ditch?" ( Luke 6:39 ). Confessors, abbesses, elders, and spiritual mothers must confess their sins sincerely, concealing nothing, and speak of the sins of others only when absolutely necessary. He who conceals his sins harbors a snake in his heart, and its poison is deadly. You are ashamed to reveal your sins in the presence of one person. How can you not think of that terrible judgment, when your unrepentant sins will be revealed before all the heavenly powers, before the entire universe?
It is narrated in the Patericon that a certain elder had a vision: when one of the brethren told his sins in confession to his spiritual father, snakes fell out of his mouth, therefore, every unrepentant sin is a snake living inside us.
About the love of money and passion for clothes and other worldly things
For the love of money is a root of all evil ( 1 Tim. 6:10 ). It consists of an attachment not only to money, but to every earthly possession. A lover of money is not only one who has much and does not share with the poor, but also one who, although he does not have anything in excess, insatiably desires it, and constantly thinks about it. The lover of money is like the ancient Israelites who worshiped the golden calf. For the lover of money, God is his silver; he thinks about it incessantly, desires it insatiably, rejoices in it and takes delight in it; it is an idol dwelling in his heart; he serves and worships it, and trusts in it, and with it he will be condemned to eternal torment. The love of money is a cruel beast, exclaims St. Chrysostom; it is called a mortal sin. The Lord Himself in St. The Gospel said: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" ( Matthew 19:24 ). We see the most terrible example of the love of money in Judas, who betrayed his Teacher for pieces of silver and then hanged himself. St. John Climacus says that the love of money is the worship of an idol. A money-lover, a mocker of the Holy Gospel, who justifies himself by his weaknesses, as if for their sake he should care for his own provision, does not heed such a word of the Lord: " For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul" ( Matthew 16:26 ). And these are the words spoken by the Lord: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" ( Matthew 6:33 ). The ears of a money-lover who has completely enslaved himself to the worship of the golden calf are foreign. He who cares to please the Lord will be inspired even by the heart of the unbeliever to render aid in times of need; but he who trusts in his wealth perishes with it. The heart of a money-lover is constantly tormented by anger, fear, and sorrow, like the waves of the sea. Love of money and extortion, as Saint Tikhon teaches, are insatiable passions: the more a money-lover accumulates wealth, the more his desire and lust for wealth increase. Love of money is an insatiable drunkenness; just as drunkards feel thirstier the more wine they drink, so money-lovers are unable to quench their excessive desire. Peace exists for a money-lover; they fear everything and everyone, and within them they harbor a tormentor, whom they toil diligently to satisfy, and from whom they are constantly tormented. A lover of money is only a Christian in name, but in reality he is an idolater ( Eph. 5:5) and will be condemned with those who do not believe in God. St. Chrysostom says that nothing enslaves a person to the devil more than insatiable love of money. Just as the sea can never be without waves, so the heart of a money-loving person cannot be without sorrow, worry, fear, and rebellion. For a money-lover, wealth is like a sword for a fool. A money-lover prepares food for the undying worm. A money-lover is always in fear and sorrow, in fear for what he has, and in sorrow for what he does not have. Not the one who has nothing is poor, continues St. Chrysostom, but the one who desires much; not the one who has much is rich, but the one who demands nothing. Not the one who has much is rich, but the one who gives much. If you want to get rich, have God as your friend, and you will be the richest of all.
God's judgment is terrible for the lovers of money. The merciful inherit God's blessing, but the selfish lovers of money, like Judas, will receive condemnation.
The love of money is terrible, truly terrible. It closes both eyes and ears, makes you more ferocious than beasts, does not allow you to think about conscience, friendship, fellowship, or the salvation of your own soul, but, having immediately turned you away from everything, it makes captives its slaves, like the most cruel tyrant (Chronicle Reading, 1855, p. 418).
St. Basil the Great exclaims to the lovers of money: “Has death ever spared anyone for the sake of wealth? Has illness ever passed anyone by for the sake of money? How long will gold remain a snare for souls, a hook for death, a bait for sin? What is happening to us, people? Who has turned your property into a means of ensnaring you? Property was given to you as a means of life, and not as a guide to evil, for the redemption of the soul, and not as an excuse for destruction” (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1846, p. 114). If, in relation to laymen, the love of money is considered a pernicious passion, then what can be said of monastics who have renounced the world and all its good things? What justification can they offer if they prove addicted to the love of money?” Truly, none, for any attachment to anything earthly is a violation of the monastic vow. Monastics should also not desire good clothing and shoes, but be content with what is generally used in monasteries, because whoever is concerned with clothes falls into pride, vanity and self-love.
Those who spend much time on their clothes probably care little about their soul. Why do you want to dress up? To please! But to whom? God looks at the heart, not at clothes. At people?
But this is also characteristic of those living in the world, only not of the chaste. And you are not only a virgin, but an example of virginity. Listen to what St. Ephraim the Syrian tells you: strive, sister, to be an imitator of the life and virtue of the holy mothers: follow the path of their life, strive like them, strive with your mind, strive with your spirit, strive with your body, be an ascetic in clothing, be an ascetic in food, be an ascetic in your tongue, be an ascetic in your gaze, be an ascetic in thought, be an ascetic in abstaining from laughter? So that you may prove perfect in everything (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1850, p. 34).
The Holy Apostle Paul says: " But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into troubles and snares and many lusts, foolish and warring, which plunge a man into destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all evil, which some coveting have erred from the faith and have nailed themselves to many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things" ( 1 Tim. 6:8-11 ).
On condemnation and slander
No one should be judged, and the Lord will not judge us, according to His word: " Judge not, and ye shall not be judged" ( Matthew 7:1 ). Our Lord, the righteous Judge, Himself demonstrated an example of non-judgment: when an obvious sinner, mentioned in the Holy Gospel, was brought to Him, He did not condemn her either.
By judging someone, we become guilty of their sin, taking their sin upon ourselves . Having our own heavy sinful burden, why add to it with the sins of others? What business is it of ours? He who sins is responsible; and how often do we err, and the enemy, taking advantage of our tendency to judge others, magnifies the sins of others in our eyes while concealing our own. Therefore, St. Ephraim the Syrian beautifully says in his prayer: " Lord, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother ."
He who condemns others, let him know that he has already been condemned by God, for his lips, spewing out condemnation, are stinking and vile before God; he is an adversary of God – an antichrist, for he dared to appropriate to himself the right of judgment that belongs to the only Lord – the Judge of the living and the dead.
You must not steal the honor of the Only Begotten Son of God; the throne of judgment is reserved for Him alone. What good is it that we abstain from meat and fish when we bite and devour one another? Every slanderer and slanderer bites and devours his neighbor's flesh. We must not only slander our neighbor, but also listen to others who slander him. Even if we ate ashes, such a strict life would bring us no benefit if we did not refrain from slander, for it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth.
The slanderer and the slanderer often grieve, fear, repent, and bite their own tongue, fearing that a spoken word might sometimes bring them great harm; but he who refrains from slander always lives in great peace and joy.
Slanderers are like flies; just as flies fly to the wounds of others, so slanderers seek out the faults of others in order to spread them.
It is not only arrows that wound a man; the most cruel abusive words inflict even more wounds on him than arrows.
He who loves slander serves the devil.
We should not be embittered against those who oppress us and slander us, but we must patiently endure everything, knowing that the Lord will not despise us, according to what He said: Vengeance I will give to Me ( Rom. 12:19 ).
Even if someone uses slander justly, his truth is full of untruth.
If one word deprived Moses of the promised land, how much more will our sophisticated and tense language deprive us of the kingdom.
Do not disdain condemnation as something insignificant. The Apostle condemned slanderers to the same condemnation as murderers ( 1 Cor. 6:9–10 ). Just as two mites could save a soul, so two slanderous words can destroy a soul. Holy fire consumed two hundred consecrated priests. They were holy in their deeds, but defiled by their words. And if such men are consumed by fire, can you speak boldly? If you keep your members pure from fornication, then guard your lips from slander.
The mouth cannot commit adultery, but it can lie and slander.
If one member of your body is pure from sin, while another is deadened by sin, then the one deadened by sin will cause your death. Therefore, close your ears with a double door, lest slander finds entry. Do not think that slander, no matter how small or insignificant, will not destroy you.
The blessed Apostle places murderers and revilers, lovers of money and adulterers, on a par with them, saying that they will not inherit the kingdom of God ( 1 Cor. 6:9–10 ). The Apostle gave them all equal weight on the scales of God's righteousness.
If the evil one inspires you to laugh under the guise of love, then consider that Ham, too, laughed while rejoicing, and received a curse as his inheritance.
He who mocks a work mocks the artist himself. He who scolds a man provokes his Maker ( Proverbs 17:5 ).
He who mocks the creation of the Omniscient One unknowingly mocks the Creator. Beware of sinful words, for even words are counted as deeds.
The prayer, fasting, and almsgiving of a slanderer are an abomination before God, because they are not done cleanly.
The more honorable and exalted the person being reviled, as St. Tikhon teaches, the greater the sin of the revilee . When a superior is condemned and maligned, the respect he receives from his subordinates diminishes, and from this follows contempt, and from contempt comes disobedience, all sorts of disorder and confusion in society.
We must avoid slanderers as if they were an infectious plague, for it often happens that slanderers form false opinions; they judge and slander the innocent, or God-justified repentant sinners; for such, they will give a double answer to the righteous Judge, but the Holy Gospel blesses those who are unjustly judged ( Matthew 5:11 ).
St. Chrysostom frightens those who condemn and slander with the judgment of God, saying this: even if they did not commit any other iniquity, this alone could plunge them into the abyss of Gehenna, because they, not feeling the heavy logs in their eyes, always pass strict judgment on the faults of others, and spend their whole lives in curiously reviewing and judging other people's deeds, without considering what Christ threatens: with what judgment you judge, it is judged to you: and with what measure you mete, it will be measured to you ( Matt. 7:2 ).
Even if you condemn your neighbor, even if you speak righteously against him, and even if you denigrate his known deeds, you will not escape punishment for this, for God will judge you not by his deeds, but by your words, for He says, " By your words you will be condemned ." The Pharisee spoke righteously and what was known to all, yet he was condemned for it. If one should not speak of known deeds in rebuke of others, then how much more so of doubtful ones.
St. Ephraim the Syrian calls blessed and most blessed those who have not corrupted their tongue with slander, who have not defiled their heart and mind with their tongue. He who is not prone to slander has avoided fratricide; he who has not poisoned his ears and tongue with slander is filled with love, and his lips are fragrant with the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
About envy
Saint Ephraim the Syrian speaks of the envious as the devil's accomplices, for whom death entered the world. He who harbors envy and rivalry is an enemy of all, for he does not wish to be preferred to another. He disparages those deserving of approval, places temptations on those who follow the good path, criticizes those who live as they should, disdains those who are pious, calls those who fast vain, those who are diligent—show-offs, those who are quick to render services—people-pleasers, those who are diligent in their affairs—glorious, those who diligently study books—idle-goers, and so on. The envious never rejoice at the success of another; if they see one who is negligent in their work, they will not reassure them, but rather incline them to worse things; those who have fallen he denigrates before all. Woe to the envious! Their heart is always weakened by sorrow, their body is consumed by pallor, and their strength is exhausted. He is unbearable to everyone, everyone's enemy, he hates everyone, he plays the hypocrite, he plots against everyone, one day he befriends one, the next another, his disposition toward everyone fluctuates, he adapts to everyone's wishes and after a while he condemns everyone, denigrates one to another, and seeks to create discord among everyone. Envy and rivalry are terrible poisons; they give birth to slander, hatred, and so on. It is better to die than to succumb to envy. Do not allow the passion of envy to engulf you, lest the devil consume you alive, but rather confess and pray to God to deliver you from such danger. St. Basil the Great says: no other passion more pernicious than envy is born in human souls—it causes the most grievous harm to those who possess it. As rust corrodes iron, so does envy the soul in which it resides (Works of the Holy Fathers, 1846, p. 579). St. John Chrysostom speaks of the envious person as being, as it were, a common enemy of human nature. A demon envies people, and certainly not another demon; but you, a human, envy another, rebelling against one of your own kind and kin, something which even a demon does not do.
He who lives piously will not feel envy toward anyone, for the spiritual riches of Christ are more than sufficient for everyone, both God's and ours. Therefore let us not become vain, envying one another ( Gal. 5:26 ).
Likewise, those who have not received monastic vows should not envy those who have, but rather wait patiently, and when the Lord grants them this holy rank, they should not envy those who, by God's will, have been chosen as abbesses, but should rejoice in them as intercessors for the monastery, and desire only to be numbered among the angelic host of monastics in the next age. Many strive to receive tonsure but neglect the necessary preparation: the cassock and kamilavka will not save us, but will serve to bring us an even greater answer before God if we fail to keep our vows. Much has been given to them, and much will be required, says Holy Scripture. We see this from the life of St. Pimen of the Caves, that when, according to his prophecy, the coffins of the deceased brothers were opened, a wondrous miracle occurred: one of the brothers, although tonsured into monasticism, but not living in a monastic manner, was deprived of it; the clothes taken from him were placed on a novice buried nearby, who had lived a God-pleasing life and sincerely desired tonsure, but was not granted it; and when a third coffin was opened, the one buried in it was found to be decayed, but his schema did not decay, which, as was revealed to St. Pimen, will appear with the deceased monk at the Last Judgment of God as a denunciation of his un-God-pleasing life.
How terrifying it is to accept monasticism and find yourself unworthy of it! Therefore, let us not envy or grieve that we are not soon granted this important gift.
About anger, irritability and rancor
The angry man, as St. Ephraim the Syrian says, ruins his soul, throws his entire life into turmoil, is alien to peace and quiet, is far from healthy, his body wastes away, his soul grieves, his flesh withers, his face grows pale, wild thoughts and words flow like a river, and he is hated by all. Irritability and rancor are like the venom of asps. The serpent and the basilisk are fierce, but their wrath is far more vicious. When we see a snake, we flee from it, lest it sting, but we allow anger, filled with deadly poison, to linger in our hearts! If a snake crawls into your bosom, trembling grips all your limbs, and your heart is a den filled with basilisks! Do you fear the sting of a snake and the bite of a scorpion, but do you not fear the sting of anger? Are you not afraid of the sting of enmity? If you cannot tolerate these vile reptiles, then why do you tolerate those within yourself who are even more vicious? Why do you tolerate anger that is more vicious than a basilisk? Why do you tolerate enmity that is more vicious than a snake? For a thoughtless word, spoken at the prompting of a spirit of malice, you open wide the doors to anger, so that it may enter and settle in your soul. When rage, like a mad dog, barks and spews its saliva within you, throw peace at it instead of a stone and forbid anger from barking.
Drive away malice with a clear brow, appear cheerful rather than vexing, and you will prevent anger from destroying two souls. For the evil one, says Saint Tikhon, his very malice is his punishment; in the heart of an evil person is hellish torment. Evil people darken and wither.
O fierce passion, when not nipped in the bud, causes great harm, just as a fire, when it grows stronger, consumes many homes. No matter how many troubles, misfortunes, and evils there are in the world, malice is the cause of them all. Woe to the world from malice, but greater woe to the malice itself! For he who hates his brother is a murderer ( 1 John 3:15 ).
What could be more terrible than malice? For the devil is called the spirit of malice. The evil one bears upon himself this hellish seal.
Those who have mutual love are called Christ's beloved disciples, while those who dwell in malice are children of darkness, the offspring of vipers. When St. Paisios the Great, having been granted an appearance by the Lord, asked to be freed from anger, the Savior said to him: "If you wish to conquer anger and wrath together, covet nothing, neither hate nor despise anyone ."
The Holy Gospel says that whoever calls his brother a freak is guilty of hellfire ( Matthew 5:22 ), so what can we say about those who are angry with their neighbors?
A heart filled with anger is like a boiling cauldron; the eyes become red and flash like sparks, the veins stand on end, the eyebrows and hair stand on end, the teeth grind, the lips foam, the head nods, twists, turns, the arms and legs do the same, the face darkens: in a word, in anger the whole person changes, the whole appearance becomes demonic.
If the body is so ugly from anger, what must be happening inside the heart? Words cannot describe how vile and ugly the soul of the angry person is. We must continually sigh and pray to God that He will correct and renew our hearts, so cruelly corrupted. " Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" ( Psalm 51:12 ).
The beginning of anger is self-love. A self-lover seeks fulfillment of their desires in everything, and when faced with an obstacle, they become embarrassed, saddened, and angry, seeking revenge. Anger turns into malice and resentment when it lingers in the heart for too long.
Many evil people keep fasts, but are ready to devour their own kind alive. Many eat nothing on Wednesdays and Fridays, but are unwilling to refrain from malice for even a minute.
The poison of malice is hidden in the heart of the wicked, and various cunning schemes are secretly woven against the one they bear malice against. Nothing destroys a person like malice; no matter what virtues they may possess, malice destroys them all. And it happens that the wicked themselves fall into the pit they dig for their neighbors, and the psalmist's words come true for them: " When you have dug and dug, and fallen into the pit which you have made, then sorrow will return upon his head, and his iniquity will come down upon his head" ( Psalm 7:16-17 ).
Anyone who bears a grudge against someone is excommunicated from the Holy Mysteries of Christ until they are reconciled. It is hard to die with malice within; such a person's soul will be bound by the bonds of this cruel sin and will never see the face of God. With malice in our hearts, how can we read the Lord's Prayer, " Our Father ," which says, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors?" What forgiveness can we receive from God if we ourselves do not forgive our neighbor? Some say they are not to blame for the quarrel that occurred; but even if this were really the case, both the guilty and the innocent must take care of reconciliation according to the word of the Apostle: let not the sun go down on your wrath : when the innocent is the first to take care of reconciliation, he receives a great reward from God, as it is said in the Holy Gospel: blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God .
A spiteful person refuses to yield to anyone in any way, but strives by all means to destroy the one he bears malice against. In doing so, he sharpens the sword against himself, inflicting wounds far greater on himself than on his neighbor. Such is malice, says St. John Chrysostom, that it cannot be corrected by any word or deed, but always contains its own poison, and nothing drives people more insane than malice (Discourse 41).
He who has malice in his heart, then none of his virtues are pleasing to God, and his prayer does not reach Him, as it is said in the Holy Gospel: When you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses ( Mark 11:25,26 ).
About pride
Pride is, as St. John Climacus says, a departure from God, a demonic invention that destroys its inventor, a banishment of God's help, a source of wrath, a door to hypocrisy, a keeper of sins, a root of blasphemy, and stubbornness in one's own opinions. He who is possessed by this God-defying passion often loses all other passions, for pride alone replaces them all.
He who exalts himself and puffs himself up with the idea of being a partaker of grace, even if he has raised the dead, if he does not acknowledge his soul as dishonorable and debased, and himself as poor and vile in spirit, he is robbed by malice, without even realizing it. St. John Climacus says that such people are beholden to obedience, a harsh and dishonorable life, and the reading of the Holy Fathers' supernatural corrections. Perhaps, even through this, these afflicted will have some small hope of salvation. Contrition of heart, and especially self-reproach, resists pride. It is extreme folly to boast of God's gifts; such people, being unworthy, are deprived of them.
A proud ascetic is like an apple, shining with beauty on the outside, but rotten on the inside.
The devil has no need to tempt the proud, because he has become his own enemy and adversary. Just as darkness is alien to light, so the proud is alien to virtue.
Others, blinded by pride, consider themselves saints, and only at the hour of death do the unfortunate realize their doom.
Someone, overcome by thoughts of pride, wrote on the wall the names of the highest virtues, and reading them, sighed about his wretchedness.
Until the end of one's life, one must remember one's sins, without dwelling on the details of their commission, especially carnal sins. Remembering one's sins reflects thoughts of pride.
People correct the prodigal, angels correct the wicked, but God alone corrects the proud . Those who lack obedience, who do not cut off their own will, who do not tolerate reproach, dishonor, and abuse, will not be able to attain true humility. Just as fire does not produce snow, so those who seek earthly glory will not enjoy heavenly glory. Saint Ephraim the Syrian said of pride: "Whoever is filled with it, the evil one invisibly abides within them."
Do not allow the disease of pride to take hold, lest the enemy suddenly steal your reason. Purify your mind of this deadly poison with humility.
The beginning and end of evil is arrogance. This unclean spirit is cunning and multifaceted, using every effort to gain control over everyone, laying a snare for everyone, no matter what path they take. He ensnares the wise with wisdom, the rich with wealth, the comely with beauty, the eloquent with eloquence, the pleasant-spoken with the sweetness of their voice, the artist with art, the resourceful with resourcefulness. In like manner, the devil never ceases to tempt and ensnare those pursuing the spiritual life: the renouncer of the world into renunciation, the abstinent with abstinence, the solitary with silence, the non-covetous with non-covetousness, the learned with learning, the reverent with reverence, the learned with knowledge. Thus, arrogance strives to sow its tares in everyone. Therefore, where this cruel passion takes root, it renders a person and all their labors worthless. To overcome pride, the Lord gave us humility, which consists of considering ourselves worthless slaves, no matter what we do.
Pride is the loss of love for God and neighbors, apostasy, clouding of the mind, false philosophy, death of the soul.
Pride, as St. Chrysostom says, makes our whole life impure, even if we practice purity, virginity, fasting, prayer, almsgiving and other virtues.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk calls to the proud: peer into the tombs and discern there the king from the warrior, the glorious from the dishonorable, the rich from the beggar, the strong from the feeble, the noble from the base. Here boast of your nobility, here exalt your intelligence, here glory in beauty, here flaunt your wealth, here puff yourself up with honor, here count your titles. O poor creature, poor in beginning, poor in life, poor in end. Remember again who you are? A creature created in the image of God, but having lost the image of God, fallen, corrupted, having become a senseless beast, but restored by God's mercy, the Son of God redeemed by suffering and death. He humbled himself for you, should you be proud? For you, He took the form of a slave, should you seek dominion? For your sake he became poor; should you pursue wealth? He accepted dishonor; should you seek honor? He had no place to lay his head; should you expand magnificent buildings? He washed His disciples' feet; should you be ashamed to serve your neighbors? He endured guiltlessly for you; should you, the guilty, not endure? Have not your sins deserved this? The Son of God prayed for those who crucified him: "Father, forgive them!" Are you angry with those who offended you, resentful, seeking vengeance? Who are you that your ears cannot tolerate even the slightest insult? A wretched, feeble, naked, passionate, lost creature, subject to every misfortune, surrounded by every calamity, grass, hay, mist, appearing and vanishing. – But if you accept the Son of God as your Savior, Redeemer, Guide, and Teacher, then accept His teaching and follow His teaching. If you follow His teaching, follow the humility He taught you above all else, both in word and deed: “ Learn from Me , for I am meek and lowly in heart” ( Matthew 11:29 ). Are you not ashamed, a servant, to be proud when your Lord humbles Himself? How can you be called His servant when you do not obey Him? How can you be called His disciple when you do not listen to His teaching? He will not recognize you as His own when He sees the seal of demonic pride on your forehead; He will not recognize you as His servant when He does not see humility and obedience in you; He will not recognize you as His disciple when He does not see His teaching. You are ashamed of His humility, and He will be ashamed of you. For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels ( Mark 8:39 ).
He who refused to share in His humility will not share with Him in His glory. There is nothing more dangerous or hidden than pride, continues Saint Tikhon. Hidden pride lies deep within our hearts, and we cannot discern it without the help of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and we recognize it better in our neighbors than in ourselves. Other vices, such as drunkenness, fornication, theft, and so on, we see, for we often feel sorry and ashamed for them, but pride we do not see. No one who has ever admitted to being proud from the heart has ever witnessed such a thing. Many call themselves sinners, but do not tolerate being called such by others, thus demonstrating that they call themselves sinners only with their tongues, not with their hearts; they display humility on their lips, but do not possess it in their hearts. The truly humble cannot be upset or angry at reproach, for they consider themselves worthy of any humiliation. There is nothing more difficult than getting rid of pride. It requires special help from God and great efforts to overcome it, for we carry this evil within ourselves. Are we in prosperity? It sits upon us with pomp and circumstance, with contempt and humiliation for our neighbors. Are we falling into misfortune? This serpent reveals itself through indignation, grumbling, and blasphemy. Do we want to learn patience, meekness, and other virtues? It rises up against us with pharisaical arrogance. We can find no way to rid ourselves of it; it always follows us, always seeking to dominate and possess us.
How God resists the proud is shown by the terrible judgments of God, which the Holy Scripture presents to us, so that, looking at them, we should with all our might guard against this vile, soul-destroying vice, heeding the words of the Savior: for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted ( Luke 18:14 ). Pride is pompous, high-flown, and talkative; it seeks glory, honor, and praise in every way; it exalts itself and its deeds, despises and destroys others, seeks to show off, shamelessly praises itself, and attributes any good it has to itself, and not to God; It boasts of the good it does not possess, hides its shortcomings and vices, does not tolerate contempt and humiliation, does not accept admonitions, rebukes, or advice, interferes in other people's affairs without permission, grumbles in misfortune, becomes indignant, and often blasphemes. Pride is angry and envious; it does not want anyone to be equal or above it, but rather to surpass everyone.
Pride is hateful and is the beginning and root of all sin. It soars high, but falls very low. The devil invisibly dwells in the proud ; where there is arrogance, there is the dwelling of demons. Pride is a thousand-headed serpent.
Moses, who was honored to be God's interlocutor: he was exceedingly meek, more than all men that were upon the earth ( Num. 12:3 ).
Where there is meekness and humility, there is the grace of the Holy Spirit and the abode of the Holy Angels. You consider yourself wise or an ascetic, but you have not yet compared yourself to the three youths and the prophet Daniel, one of whom said: "To you, Lord, is righteousness, but to us is shame of face" ( Dan. 9:7 ).
Anyone who exalts himself in anything is an enemy of God, for the Lord gave us an image of the deepest humility, girding himself with a ribbon, washing the feet of His disciples.
Pride clouds the mind and plunges one into the abyss of evil. It is the fiercest of all passions and complements all of them, which is why one can often see in those possessed by this passion a strict life and asceticism. For the devil, having captured a person with this passion, no longer hinders them in their supposed exploits, but even helps them, so that, having become arrogant, he can then cast them into the deepest abyss of destruction. Pride prevents a person from seeing their own shortcomings.
The devil rejoices over no passion as much as over pride; the arrogant bear his mark on their foreheads. The devil strives to sow the tares of pride in our very virtues. He ensnares those who pray with their prayers, instilling in them a high opinion of themselves, the ascetic with his struggles, the reverent with reverence, the faster with abstinence, the merciful with his charity, the solitary with silence, the non-covetous with non-covetousness, and so on. He sows thoughts of self-conceit in each one, however and in whatever way he can, but in order to root them out at their very roots, our All-Good Savior uttered these divine words: If ye have done all these things which are commanded you, say that we are unprofitable servants: for we have done what we ought to have done ( Luke 17:10 ).
Many great ascetics, having given themselves over to negligence and, especially, conceit, fell cruelly and ended their lives in disaster, while other obvious sinners arose and shone forth like the sun. Examples of both are countless.
About deceit
St. Ephraim the Syrian, a chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit, says that we must weep and shed tears for those who have entered into an alliance with evil, for they are subject to a grave sentence. For the wicked , as it is said, will be consumed ( Psalm 37:9 ). The demon of evil is terrible, therefore beware lest any of you fall into it and lose your soul. Saint Tikhon says the following about the evil ones: many wolves walk in sheep's clothing: by their fruits , says the Lord, you will know them ( Matthew 7:16 ). Many are silent, many fast and say many prayers, but inside they are evil, bitter, and rotten, like apples that are red on the outside but rotten and wormy on the inside. Know for sure that when there is no piety within, then in fact there is none, and external, visible piety without internal piety is hypocrisy and deception. The golden-tongued teacher of repentance, denouncing deceit, teaches that there is no temptation more cruel than falling for a flattering person; a flattering person is more terrible than any beast. A beast, being what it is, presents itself as such, but a flatterer often conceals his poison under the guise of humility and virtue, so that it is very difficult to recognize and guard against his treachery.
A treacherous person is a wolf in sheep's clothing, disguising his wickedness with benevolent words; while being spiteful and hostile, he poses as a friend; while flattering, he praises what is destructive; while constantly in a state of anxiety, he displays a semblance of holiness; he disguises pride with humility, and envy with respect. Woe to the wicked, for they are abhorrent in the eyes of God's truth. We daily say in the Lord's Prayer: "Deliver us from the evil one," and therefore we must flee from the wicked, as being of one mind with the demons.
About lies
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord ( Prov. 12:22 ). Thou shalt destroy all them that speak lies: the Lord abhorreth a bloody and deceitful man ( Psalm 5:7 ). Unlucky and pitiful is he who abides in lies, as St. Ephraim the Syrian teaches, for the devil has always been a liar ( John 8:14 ). He who abides in lies is hateful to both God and man, deserves no approval in any deed, is suspicious in every word, and in society he is like rust in iron, striving with his tongue to bring down even those who stand firm in goodness; he says nothing without an oath and thinks to convince with many words. The liar is inventive and cunning. There is no ulcer deeper than this, no shame higher than this. The liar is vile and disgusting to all. Flee lies like a snake, and you will enter paradise. If a liar speaks to you and you incline your ear to him, death flows from his lips and flows into the depths of your hearing. The speaker's deadly venom is transmitted to the listener, just as death passed from the serpent who spoke to Eve. A snake, eating sweet food, turns it into bitterness, and when it vomits it, woe to the one who took it in. So too, the truth that comes from a liar's mouth is deadly poison, for poison is hidden in his sweet words.
If someone serves you a drink in a vile and detestable vessel, the drink itself will become vile to you, for the vessel itself is vile, even though the drink itself may be pleasant, but it is the vessel that makes it vile. Who is more vile than a liar? Perhaps the one who willingly listens to him? Who is more vile than a deceiver? Perhaps the one who listens to him, who loves vile speech, is already defiled in his soul.
It must be remembered that people don't believe liars even when they tell the truth, so no matter what awaits you, always speak the truth. Lying, even if it's limited to idle talk or a flattering greeting, should be alien to those deemed worthy to be called to the ranks of Christ's brides.
About grumbling
Just as rust corrodes even metals, so grumbling destroys all that is good in us. He who grumbles against anyone, even himself, is fainthearted and forgets the good promises he made to the Lord in the secret of his heart upon entering the monastery. You grumble that the food is not good for you; but you did not come to the monastery to appreciate the taste of food; many living in the world do not even have such a taste. You grumble that you have not been given the obedience you would like; but obedience has been assigned to you by your mother, the abbess, and you must know that there is no authority except from God; therefore, discern God's will in the obedience given to you. You grumble that the abbess pays no attention to you and does not distinguish you from the other sisters as especially zealous in obedience, but in fulfilling your obedience, keep in mind not the distinction, but the will of God. for here self-love already appears, and while fulfilling all that is commanded, consider yourself the last and worst of the sisters, and then you will attract the attention of not only your mother, the abbess, but the Angels and even the Lord of Angels himself.
On polyphony, blasphemy, laughter and blissful silence
A fool is a great talker ( Sir. 22:12 ), but he who spares his lips is prudent ( Prov. 10:19 ). Do not be hasty with your tongue ( Sir. 4:33 ). A garden without a fence, as St. Ephraim the Syrian teaches, will be trampled and become desolate; and he who does not guard his lips will ruin its fruit. Much talking darkens the mind, and a darkened mind leads to shamelessness; and shamelessness is the mother of lust. He who loves silence remains serene and does not upset his neighbor. Love silence, so that reverence may dwell within you; preserve reverence, so that it may keep you from lust. Those who are verbose are not only worthy of censure, but even produce disgust in those who wish to spend time with them and become close to them. The mouth from which cometh forth both good and evil is an unbridled horse: therefore they have need of a bridle; otherwise their passion will carry them away to the pit, for their way is among pits.
Death and life are in the hand of the tongue ( Prov. 18:21 )! Fear idle talk, for you will have to answer to God for every idle word on the day of judgment. Do not take God's name in vain, lest the Lord's commandment be made void. Do not swear, do not blaspheme, lest the wrath of God strike you.
Our enemy the devil harms us in every way, but especially through the tongue and lips, for no other member is so suitable for him to seduce and destroy people as an intemperate tongue and unprotected lips.
When it is necessary to certify the truth of something, one should never say, "By God," and certainly not swear, but simply say, "By God," or "Neither," and that is sufficient. St. Chrysostom says: "Truly a grave, and very grave, sin is swearing."
Idle talk ruins monastic life; it breeds free speech, laughter, jokes, and blasphemy, that deadly plague; the hearts of such become the abode of unclean spirits. Just as bees cannot tolerate smoke and fly away, so too do idle talkers and blasphemers drive away their Guardian Angels.
It is a God-pleasing thing to talk about the salvation of the soul, but it must be done only with the blessing of the abbess, or spiritual elder, and at the same time one should not want to be a teacher, which is very dangerous, except in those cases when others, especially beginners, need to say something for the sake of understanding, but one must always speak with kindness, meekness and love, and most importantly, having asked for God's help internally.
Let us also mention the blessed virtue of silence. The silent one is close to God and the Angels, while the talkative one is distant from them. The tongue is a small thing, but it causes great harm, just as a moth damages and even destroys large objects. From talkativeness, says St. John Chrysostom, countless evils have arisen: families have been broken, bonds of friendship have been severed, and thousands of other calamities have occurred (from the 21st Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews). Prudent silence, says St. John Climacus, is the mother of prayer, the call from mental captivity, the repository of divine fire, the overseer of thoughts, the spy of enemies, the prison of weeping, the friend of tears, the maker of the memory of death, the painter of torment in the age to come, the lover of the coming judgment, the helper of saving sorrow, the enemy of insolence, the spouse of silence, the opponent of love of teaching, the increase of reason, the creator of visions, imperceptible success, secret ascent (Homily 11:3).
O lenities
Laziness is the mother of all vices; it weakens a person and makes them the most miserable of creatures, for the lazy are unbearable even to themselves. All vile sins and passions are born of laziness and indolence. Just as a worm gnaws at a tree, so laziness corrupts and destroys the soul, or just as stagnant water, overgrown with unwholesome weeds, breeds only harmful insects, so vile passions are born in an idle and lazy person. There is nothing more shameful than idleness and inaction, says St. Chrysostom (from the 35th homily on Acts of the Apostles), and St. Tikhon teaches: idleness is to blame for all evil, and he who lives in idleness sins continually (Vol. 1, p. 162).
Woe to the lazy if they do not correct themselves. Those who work are rewarded, but the lazy face a bleak future; according to the Apostle Paul, they should not even eat: "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat ," he said ( 2 Thessalonians 3:10 ). "Go to the sluggard," says the Wise Man, " and emulate him, seeing his ways, and become wiser than he" ( Proverbs 6:6 ).
Upon rising in the morning, and in the evening before going to bed, one must pray to God in one's cell, as much as one can. But those who, out of laziness, rise in the morning and dare to do anything without praying to God, sin gravely and ruin their efforts; they have evidently forgotten that there is a God who will not hesitate to punish such negligence.
About voluptuous desires
We must fear lustful desires for anyone as if they were the fires of Gehenna. Therefore, we must flee and avoid speaking to those for whom we feel passion. We must also fear any passionate pleasures of our own, and banish any thought of them from our very inception, as the product of the devil, like a deadly snake venom that, spreading through all the structures of the human body, kills both body and soul. Anyone who fails to refrain from this sin will inevitably perish.
Through lust, the demon plunges a person into despair, from one abyss to another, even more dire. Saint John Climacus says that demons rejoice over nothing more than the defilement of lustful sin. He who wishes to avoid it, yet satiates and indulges his belly, is like one who extinguishes a fire with oil, while he who seeks to conquer this passion through abstinence alone is like one who strives to swim out of the sea with one hand. Combine abstinence with humility and keep the memory of death as your spouse, otherwise all your efforts are in vain.
Those prone to lustful sin are compassionate, affectionate, and quick to shed tears, but all this is demonic, designed to delud the senses and further drown the unfortunate. The enemy also instills in them an excessive reliance on God's mercy. The Lord is truly merciful, but also just.
Saint Sigelita advises to preserve one's sight and not to look at beautiful faces to which one feels drawn, for this is the beginning of a vile passion, and when the beginning is destroyed, then there will be no continuation, but it also happened that those carried away by this passion later felt mutual hatred, which is how this fierce illness was stopped.
No struggle, no reward; he who is not wounded by the enemy will not be crowned. He who does not lose heart during demonic attacks will be praised by the angels as a courageous warrior.
If those living in monasteries indulge in impure thoughts, or, worse, indulge in passionate desires, then the Lord will judge them more than all the harlots in the world. The fire will never be quenched for them, and the worm gnawing in joyless Tartarus will never die. The Philokalia states that no soul departs from the body with such difficulty as the voluptuous one.
For those wishing to avoid this most vile sin, the following is suggested: 1) Never be in very close relationships with anyone where this danger exists. 2) Carefully avoid seductive private encounters. 3) At the first, seemingly innocent, sensation of attraction or pleasure, it must be suppressed at the very outset, otherwise you will fan the spark that could start a fire, and then you will no longer be able to extinguish it, for we are weak people. 4) If lustful thoughts enter your head on their own, and you do not desire them in the least, but even fear them, then do not despair, but pray and ask God to drive them away. Our entire struggle lies in not allowing them to be indulged. 5) But if you have already allowed these thoughts through negligence, and you feel a passionate attraction to someone, then mentally imagine the object you like as vile and disgusting, ugly to look at, and at the same time remember the hour of death, which often suddenly overtakes a person, and you will gradually cool down, and most importantly ask for God's help, fervently and tearfully pray to God for deliverance, and without any delay reveal your wound to anyone in spirit, and the longer it remains hidden, the more difficult it will be to heal.
Extract from the Mytericon of the monk Isaiah
The first monasteries, both for men and women, arose in Egypt. The first hesychasts also appeared there, not only in monasteries but also in private homes, especially near Alexandria and along the banks of the Nile. They had their own teaching, which many noble and distinguished women readily accepted and justified in their lives. Zealous preachers of this teaching in the fourth Christian century were Abba Anthony the Great, his contemporary Isaiah, and Isaiah's disciple Theodora. Their sayings and teachings were passed down orally and in writing from generation to generation, forming the so-called spectacles, patericons, and myterics. A certain Isaiah, who lived in the ninth century and called himself a sinful monk, made use of these ancient monuments. He expounded this teaching very simply, clearly, and in detail in two books for the Venerable Hesychast Theodora Angelina Fokaltissa. From these manuscripts, which clearly reflect the tenth century, with its icon veneration, its beliefs and visions of the afterlife of righteous and sinful people, I, Isaiah, borrow this teaching, knowing that it was exactly the same with all the Athonite hesychasts, beginning with Peter.
Abba Anthony spoke to the monks: "Having the fear of God within us, let us always remember that we are mortal. Let us hate the world and everything in it. Let us hate all carnal indulgence. Let us renounce this life, that we may live for God alone, for this is what He will demand of us on the day of judgment. Let us be silent. Let us hunger, thirst, fast, keep vigil, weep, fast, and groan heartily. Let us love sorrows, that we may find God. Let us despise the flesh, that our soul may be saved."
Blessed Theodora the Great asked Antony: "Tell me, Father, how can I, a woman, be saved?" The elder replied: "God knows the salvation of all people, but I tell you that neither women nor men can please God and be saved unless they free themselves from all worldly lusts and practice silence. Go then, if you wish to be obedient to me, sit in your cell and collect your mind—remember the day of your death, imagine the deadness of your body then. Condemn the vanity of the world; fast, watch, and pray diligently, that you may be able to draw near to Christ—through virtue." Remember hell and imagine how souls abide there, how bitter they are; what a deathly silence surrounds them, while they alone groan, tremble, languish, awaiting endless torment, ceaseless tears, and the general resurrection of the bodies. Remember and imagine that terrible and dreadful judgment, and what is prepared for sinners: shame before God, angels, archangels, authorities, and all people, eternal fire, the undying worm, darkness, Tartarus, gnashing of teeth, terror, and torment. Imagine also the blessings that are prepared for the righteous: closeness to God, the joy of angels, archangels, and authorities, the kingdom of heaven and its comforts, joy, and bliss. Keep the memory of these and other souls in your heart, and at the thought of the condemnation of sinners, groan, weep, and grieve in your heart, fearing for your soul, lest it too end up among them; and remembering the righteous, rejoice and be glad, and try to be worthy of the blessings prepared for them, and wherever you are, in your cell, or in church, or on the road, keep all this in your heart.
Blessed Theodora said: This is what my Abba Isaiah taught me! It is good to practice silence, especially for the young. A wise man leads a life of silence. But know, my daughter, that when someone decides to practice silence, the evil one immediately arrives with all his demonic host, burdening the soul with lethargy and carelessness, suffocating it with shameful and vain thoughts, and burdening the body with grave ailments—fatigue, weakening of the knees and all the limbs, so that the solitary, at the devil's prompting, says to himself: I am weak, I cannot stand for long, it is difficult for me to make the usual prostrations, and so on.
Abba Isaiah said to Blessed Theodora : I command you, my daughter: love God alone, do not become close to a man; do not leave your cell. By observing these three rules, you will find peace .
Blessed Sarah said: If a person remembers the sayings of Holy Scripture - your word will justify you, and your word will condemn you - then it is better to decide to remain silent.
A certain nun asked blessed Sarah: How can I be saved? And the saint answered her: Be as dead, do not care about honor or dishonor from people, remain silent in your cell, remember God and death, do not get close to men.
They asked blessed Sarah: What is the narrow and sorrowful path? She answered: This is the sorrowful path: to rest from the vanities of the world, to fast, to remain silent, to keep vigil, to read, to make many prostrations, to leave one's cell for nowhere except church, and to cut off one's will for God. Then you can say to Christ and Peter: " Behold, we have left all and followed You ."
Blessed Theodora asked St. Sarah: What should I do when I am overcome by many thoughts? The saint replied: Fight not against all of them, but against the one main thought, upon which all monastic thoughts depend. Crush this head; then all other thoughts will subside. And the weapons that defeat this head are: silence, fasting, prostration, all-night vigil, overcoming sleep, reading, heartfelt tears, many prostrations, beating the chest, and humility. Such are the monk's weapons against the main thought, with which he conquers all thoughts by the grace of Christ; otherwise, he cannot conquer them.
Blessed Sarah said: If we diligently seek the Lord through virtues, then He will appear to us; and when we remain in silence, then He will remain with us.
Blessed Sigkletikia said: Great labor and struggle come to those who first approach God, having calmed themselves from vanity and begun to be silent, and then comes inexpressible joy. Just as those who wish to light a fire first smoke and shed tears, and thus obtain what they need; so too, those who wish to kindle the divine fire within themselves must weep and labor, having calmed themselves from vanity and become silent.
Saint Sigkletikia would say to herself whenever a lustful thought arose within her: Do you want to be saved in bed? Impossible! Escape from the hustle and bustle, be silent, be vigilant, fast, weep; then God will have mercy on you. But whoever does not labor here will have to labor in the unquenchable fire, alongside the demons.
Saint Sigkletikia said: Just as neither grass nor trees can grow in the sand, so it is impossible for one preoccupied with worldly cares to grow heavenly fruit. – For God says: it is impossible to serve two masters; for we will love one and hate the other.
Another time, St. Sigkletikia said: If, by the grace of God, you succeed in all virtues, do not be arrogant in your heart and say, "I have acquired virtues," but say instead, "I, as God's servant, have done what He commanded." Then the Lord will send you help from a saint and deliver you from the enemy's snares.
A nun came to St. Pelagia and asked her, "What should I do with my sins?" The nun replied, "He who desires to be freed from sins is freed from them by resting from vanity, silence, and weeping."
Blessed Matrona said: My Lord said to me: Do My work, and I will provide for you. How so? Don't ask whether I have provisions or not, whether I have or don't, or whether I am borrowing alms—don't ask about that, just do it, and I will provide for you. And what is God's work? First, peace from all worldly things; second, silence; third, prayer, psalmody, and genuflection; fourth, reading; fifth, weeping; sixth, remembrance of God and death; seventh, blessed humility. You cannot have a single such virtue unless you are at peace from all worldly cares, even if you raise the dead.
She also said that the nun's patience was proven by her calm and silence. "But he who endures to the end will be saved," said the Lord.
A sister repeatedly begged Blessed Matrona to tell her how to be saved. She tearfully replied, "It is very difficult to be saved these days, because we leave our cells and go wherever the devil tells us. If you want your soul to be saved, then listen to me, go back and sit in your cell silently, pray, and commend your soul and body to God with many tears. Then He, who teaches man knowledge, will teach you how to pray."
Saint Melania spoke to Saint Matrona: "I wish to guard my heart, but I cannot," the saint replied. "I am amazed at how you said this. Don't you know that he who is not silent cannot acquire a single virtue?" "How can you guard your heart when your lips are open?" "If you want to guard your heart, and fulfill all the commandments, and acquire virtues, then sit and be silent in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything."
Blessed Theodora asked Saint Matrona: "Tell me, how can I acquire all the virtues and save my soul?" The saint replied: "If you calm yourself from vanity, remain silent, and never converse with a man, and if you endure all this with abstinence and trust in God's mercy, then on the Day of Judgment you will be found among the saved."
Blessed Theodora said: Love silence more than talk, it is the treasure of monks! But talk squanders a monk's wealth.
Another time she said, the wealth of the soul consists of peace from vanity, silence, and abstinence. – Let us master these three virtues, that our soul may be saved.
Blessed Theodora said: peace from cares, silence, and the hidden soaring of the mind give birth to the fear of God and chastity. The hidden soaring of the mind is unceasing mental prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me; Son of God, help me.
A sister once came to the Venerable and Blessed Theodora for spiritual benefit and asked her what silence is. The Venerable One, sighing and shedding tears, replied, "Oh, sister! You asked us about the angelic life! To remain silent means to dwell in one's cell, with a contrite heart and the fear of God, without rancor or vanity. Such silence gives birth to all virtues and protects the sister who loves it from the fiery arrows of the enemy!" And again, sighing, she said, "Oh! Silence and stillness—they are the mother of tenderness and the mirror of sins; they incline one to repentance, draw forth tears and sighs; humility coexists with them; the soul is enlightened by them; they converse with angels, give birth to meekness, and give peace to man."
O, stillness and silence! It is a lamp for the mind, a spy for thoughts, an assistant to self-knowledge, the mother of prayer, leisure for reading, a reinforcement for fasting, a restraint for the tongue, a renunciation of gluttony. O, stillness and silence! It chastes the soul and heart, promotes self-knowledge, converses unceasingly with Christ, and remembers death. It awaits Him alone day and night with a burning lamp; It loves Him alone, and sings to Him unceasingly: My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready. O, stillness and silence! It is the end of effeminacy, the estrangement of laughter, and its replacement by weeping, the enemy of shamelessness, the hostility of liberty, the bridle of passions. O, stillness and silence! It is the mother of piety, the recipient of God's grace, the tree of life filled with good fruits.
Blessed Theodora said that a monk must fast with self-control, sing intelligently, pray attentively, ask God with fear, do nothing earthly that is unnecessary, do everything spiritual, and above all, practice constant silence. This is what monastic life consists of.
She also said that Satan weaves ropes, and that the more strands you give him, the more he weaves; but if we stop preparing them for him, then he will have nothing to do.
She also said: a hesychast is one who does not allow his mind to wander into the realm of vain thoughts and shameful lusts. A hesychast is the earthly likeness of an angel. Keeping silent for God's sake, he constantly loves to read, drink, be silent, and pray. A hesychast is one who, from the depths of his soul, cries out to the Lord: "My heart is ready, O God!" A hesychast is one who says: "I sleep, but my heart is awake."
Another time, Blessed Theodora said that he who desires to practice silence for the Lord's sake must lock not only the door of his cell, but also his lips and mind, lest he dwell on vanity and endure all sorrows for the Lord's sake. He must also cleanse his cell of food, so that, even against his will, it would direct him to virtue. She also said: the signs of saving silence are: serenity of mind, striving for the Lord, unceasing remembrance of death and eternal torment, insatiable prayer, many prostrations, constant remembrance of God, mortification of lustful lust, non-existence for the world, reluctance to indulge the belly, diligence in reading and psalmody, an abundance of tears, renunciation of verbosity, profound silence, and vigilance. He who possesses all this truly practices silence for the sake of God.
A small hair hurts the eye; a small care about worldly things disturbs silence; for it is the deposit of evil thoughts, desires, and unblessed cares. He who loves silence for God's sake does not even care about his own body.
All these sayings and teachings of the Egyptian ascetics give us a true and complete understanding of silence. I extracted them from the mytericon as a novelty, a rarity, and the mytericon itself is a book unheard of. Its compiler, the sinful monk Isaiah, said this about it: "In all ages, no one has compiled such a book for women as I have dared to compose for you, 'Fokaltissas.'"
Soul-beneficial sayings of the Holy Fathers
The silent one is close to God and the Angels. A bad word is more harmful than any poison.
Having rested after work, if you do not immediately take up work, although you could do so, you will not receive the reward of those who worked with patience.
Many paths seem right to people, but the latter see them at the bottom of hell, that is, many things seem useful to you at the beginning, but later turn out to be harmful, which is why it is necessary in spiritual life to ask experienced people, and to be guided not by your own mind, but by their advice.
One disciple asked the elder to pray for him, the elder answered him: neither I nor God will have mercy on you if you do not take care of yourself and pray to God.
Expect temptations until your last breath, without them no one will enter the kingdom of heaven.
No one can have true humility of heart unless his soul looks to the Lord as the image of perfect humility.
Although the Lord has forgiven man's sins, He desires that people always mourn them, remember them, and strive to give an account of them. " I will not remember your sins ," said the Lord, " but remember them, that thou mayest be justified ." Man should not forgive himself his sins, but rather, through constant repentance, recall them, except for carnal sins, the recollection of which in detail defiles a person's thoughts.
He who knows how to do good and whoever does not do good, it is a sin for him.
A thought that is not preceded by silence and humility is not from God.
Excessive bodily rest is abominable to God, for He Himself said: " The way that leads to life is narrow and strait ." Choosing this path is our free will. As bodily rest increases, so does the decline of the soul.
Thanksgiving intercedes before God for human weakness, it dulls the sting of sorrow, and heals the illness of the heart and body.
No one can acquire anything good except with great difficulty.
The remembrance of death is most useful: Remember your last and you will never sin .
When in doubt about what to do, pray up to 3 times, following the example of the Savior Himself, and sometimes this must be continued for up to 3 days with self-reproach, and wherever the thought deviates even by a hair, follow that.
We must always think and reproach ourselves for a good deed like this: I do not know whether it is pleasing to God, for human judgment is one thing, and God’s judgment is another. In this way we will avoid pharisaical arrogance.
Barsanuphius the Great said and confirmed that one must reproach and humiliate oneself day and night, so that in one's thoughts one sees oneself as worse than any creature, and that there is no other path to salvation, and that the mind should remain in heaven, that is, should be exercised in contemplation of God.
Jesus will not betray the right of the believer and the one striving for piety to the passions and into the hands of demons.
If a person does not recognize himself as a sinner in his heart, God will not hear him; such a person, feeling the weight of his sins, does not look at the sins of his neighbor; we see an example of this in the repentance of the publican.
David, wrestling with a lion, grabbed him by the throat and immediately overpowered him. So too, by controlling our throat and stomach, with God's help we will conquer the invisible lion. Don't get too full of bread, and you won't desire anything else.
Reason is the highest, patience is the most necessary, silence is the best, verbosity is the worst.
The loss of grace is the most terrible of all losses; there is no more disastrous state than that of a person who has lost grace. Very few have ever regained it through the greatest feats. One must be constantly vigilant to preserve it.
The closer you get to God, the more the enemy will grasp you.
Solitude and prayer are above all good. Love for God can be kindled in the soul only through unceasing prayer.
The slightest attachment to anything earthly brings about the wrath of God and provides a place for the action of the spirit of malice.
He who has not attained perfection to the fullest extent himself, and begins to teach others, destroys what he has.
With human help, God's help is distanced.
God's providence for us knows no bounds; He guides us invisibly. Nothing happens without God's will; everything has its appointed day and hour. Place your trust in God, and He will provide for you. But take care of yourself; He will help you, but His all-acting providence will depart from you.
For a monastic, mocking, beating, and slapping are gifts from God and grace from above; the saints are perfected through sorrows.
A monk who is negligent about his salvation is a blasphemer of God.
A strange monk and a dead man.
The fear of God, more than fasting and all other feats, exhausts the flesh; for one who has acquired it, there is neither sorrow nor joy on earth.
The righteous soul, having flown out of the body, will shine like the sun, and will look with surprise at the stinking prison it has left behind, that is, the body that it loved and cherished in life.
How can we acquire the fear of God when our belly is like a vessel filled with cheese and like a barrel with salted provisions.
Greed and sleep prevent us from seeing even what is easy to see.
There is no need to look for a task that is pleasant for us.
Don't relax in indulging your body, or it will bring you down. Undoubtedly, even great ascetics are brought down by it if they don't pay attention to themselves.
Beware lest the hater of goodness draw you into ingratitude or grumbling, then you will lose everything.
Do not think evil of anyone, otherwise you yourself will become evil.
When a demon tempts a soul, one must cry out loudly and with tears to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother, asking for help so that the soul does not perish.
Human effort, and feat, and art, and devotion to God, then become visible when, upon the retreat of grace, a person will take courage and cry out to God.
Despair, cowardice and despondency in temptation are the destruction of the soul, the joy of the devil.
About the eternal bliss prepared for the righteous and about the hellish torments awaiting sinners
Souls who have pleased God will be clothed with spiritual bodies, luminous and incorruptible ( 1 Cor. 15:40–45 ). They will forget their first sorrow, and it will not enter their hearts. A new heaven and a new earth will be created, and they will not remember the former, nor will it enter their hearts. All blessings will be there, just as the ancient earthly paradise was filled with them; it will include all that is best and most precious, and there will be the closest communion with the angels and all the saints. But all these blessings are small in comparison to the supreme bliss that the righteous will derive from contemplation and intimate communion with the Lord Jesus Christ, and through Him with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Lord Himself will be an eternal light for the righteous: they will be taken up on their shoulders and comforted on their knees, and as if a mother comforted someone , so the Lord will comfort them ( Is. 66:12-13 ).
The fate of sinners is indescribable. St. John the Theologian in his Revelation mentions that they will be tormented day and night forever and ever, and the smoke of their torment will ascend to heaven, and they will have no rest day or night. They will be tormented by an unbearable, scorching thirst with no hope of quenching it, bitter remorse for the past, a heavy sense of God's wrath, an unbearable stench, darkness, cries of despair, visions of demonic monsters, blasphemy, gnashing of teeth, the indescribable agony of hellfire, and much more. This is a brief depiction of the future eternal torment awaiting sinners. When they recall the ineffable beauty of paradise and the vision of the Lord, which they are deprived of for endless ages, the torment of these unfortunates will be indescribable, indescribable, for there are no words that can explain it.
Monastic vows
Those who have been granted monastic or angelic status should consider this the greatest blessing from God, always remembering the purpose for which they renounced worldly life and the vows they made to God before beginning their new life, in the gathering of all the brothers and in the invisible presence of angels. The rewards promised to the monastic order are indescribably great, but the punishments for breaking the vows made to God are also severe.
The most important vows of monastic life are the following: renunciation of the world and everything in it, a promise to remain in the monastery in fasting until the last breath, patience with all sorrows and hardships of monastic life, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, keeping oneself in virginity, chastity, obedience and reverence, until the end of life.
When we made our vows, angels stood invisibly by, recording them, and we will answer for them at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have renounced our parents, relatives, and neighbors in this world, worldly vanity, possessions, acquisitions, vain glory, and all worldly pleasures that war against the soul, and in general, everything that could occupy us on the path to salvation. We have renounced worldly gossip, having, in our own judgment, chosen a better life, apostolic ( 1 Cor. 7:7 ) and angelic. Let us be vigilant over ourselves, lest we flee from the camp of heavenly pilgrims again to the land of slavery through the desire for worldly lures and pleasures.
In beginning to serve the Lord God, we must cleanse ourselves of all defilement of flesh and spirit, acquire the fear of God and humility, abandon worldly insolence, be obedient in everything to the Abbot and to the entire brotherhood in Christ; be diligent and uncomplaining in the appointed services, patient in prayer, tireless in vigils, not be sad or despondent in temptations, not weaken in fasting, and know that through prayer and fasting we must strengthen ourselves and implore God to give us the sense to discern evil thoughts, for the enemy will not cease to remind us of our former life and instill disgust for a virtuous life. Having set out on the path that leads to the kingdom of heaven, let us not turn back, lest we perish like Lot's wife. Let us love no one more than God: neither our father nor our mother according to the flesh, nor any of our neighbors. Let us not prefer any of the creatures to the Creator. And if we truly want to be disciples of Christ, then, according to the commandment of the Lord, let us deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ, preparing ourselves to endure all sorrows and temptations. For we must hunger and thirst and be naked, be driven out, be vexed, reproached and humbled, and be burdened with many other sorrows, by which life, which is according to God, is inscribed. Let us put aside the evil habits of the old man: disobedience, contradiction, pride, envy, anger, evil lust, grumbling, blasphemy, etc., and in their place let us strive to have the habits befitting the saints: love, meekness, humility, obedience, abstinence, service and reverence, for now we receive a second baptism, and cleansing from all sins, and Christ our God Himself makes us sons of light, and His All-chanted Mother rejoices with the holy angels over our repentance.
So, let us rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has chosen us to serve Him, having separated us from the rebellious world and placed us before His face in the army of the angelic monastic order, so that from now on we may serve Him alone, to philosophize on the heights and seek the heights, for our dwelling, according to the Apostle, is in heaven.
And if we remain firm and unwavering in the vows we made to God until the end of our lives, then we will rejoice, for our reward is great in heaven . Our portion (as monks) is with the holy Venerables Anthony, Euthymius, and Sava, (as nuns) with the Venerables Siklitikeia, Maria, Pelagia, and others, with whom we inherit the Kingdom of Heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion forever. Amen.
These vows must be recited at least once a week, on Sunday or any other day, so that they are remembered and we fear breaking them, for they were given not to man, but to God Himself. For failure to fulfill our vows, as mentioned above, we will be severely tormented on the Day of God's Dread Judgment. Saint Basil the Great writes of this: those who break vows become liars, sacrileges, and thieves of the sacred from God Himself, for the vow is given to the Most Great Being, before whom heaven and earth tremble—to the Most Holy One, who hates lies and deceit, to the Righteous One, who has mercy on His faithful and severely punishes those who break vows.
Our renowned ascetic, Schemamonk Parthenius, expressed the following about negligent monks: "It would be better for such to rot in their mother's womb." And Father Seraphim of Sarov said the following about this: "The stench of worldly sins is vile in the eyes of God, but the negligence of monks is even more disgusting. A wife who has not remained faithful to her husband becomes hateful to him, so too the soul that has betrothed itself to the Heavenly Bridegroom and then neglects Him, trampling on its vows, will share the same fate as Judas the traitor."
How great the monastic order is in the eyes of God is seen in the countless hosts of monks and nuns who have walked the narrow path and were granted special gifts of God's grace even in this life. Even the most outward monastic appearance—clothing—was indicated from above to St. Pachomius the Great in the appearance of an angel clothed in the schema and other monastic attire. The incident described in the prologue is worthy of note: the Orthodox Emperor Elesboos, having learned of the apostasy of King Dunaan and the persecution he had instigated against Christians, gathered a large army and set out with it to take vengeance on the impious Dunaan. Not only was he unsuccessful, but he suffered countless disasters with his army. Then, on the advice of a certain saint, A hermit, he vowed monastic life to God, then won a brilliant victory over Dunaan, and then, leaving the earthly kingdom, accepted the good yoke of Christ. This incident clearly demonstrates how great the monastic order is before God.
Blessed and most blessed are those who strive to fulfill their vows. They, among the wise virgins of the Gospel, will be deemed worthy to meet the Heavenly Bridegroom. Adorned with the wedding garment of the soul, with burning lamps, they will enter with great glory into the not-made-with-hands chamber of the King of Glory, and their bliss will have no end. The beauties of Paradise, indescribable by any human word, will be their eternal destiny. We will cite here several passages from the Apocalypse, partly depicting the indescribable heavenly reward prepared for the conquerors of passions, the warriors of the Heavenly King.
To him who overcomes , says the Lord, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of paradise ! (27).
The conqueror will not be harmed by a second death (11)
To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except he who receives it ( Rev. 17:5 ).
To him who overcomes and keeps My works until the end, I will give him power among the nations; I will give him the morning star ( Rev. 26:28 ).
He who overcomes will be clothed in white garments, and I will not be able to wash his name from the books of animals, and we will confess his name before My Father and before His angels ( Rev. 3:5 ).
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the church of my God, and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and I will write on him my new name ( Rev. 3:21 ).
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne ( Rev. 3:21 ).
He who conquers shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son ( Rev. 21:7 ).
Reading about God's promises, which surpass our understanding, who will not strive to be worthy of them? Who will not be inflamed with love for the Heavenly?
To attain this ineffable, divine, and eternal glory, let us base ourselves on the holy virtues, foremost among them: love, humility, and patience, acquired through self-control with God's help. Those who possess these virtues will undoubtedly be received into the embrace of the Heavenly Father and called His beloved sons and daughters, and their bliss will be endless. May all of us who have dedicated ourselves to the service of the All-Good, Lover of Mankind, Lord, be granted this, to whom be due all glory and honor, forever and ever. Amen.