The Life and Teachings of Saint Syncletica of Alexandria

 

Part One

Blessed Syncletica was born in Alexandria. Her family, originally from Macedonia, was respected and wealthy. Hearing of the Alexandrians' exceptional piety, the saint's ancestors left Macedonia and moved to Alexandria, where they discovered sincere faith and true love for God.

In her parents' home, the saint received everything that could be called excellent and useful in this world. But this burdened the blessed one, for her heart was already ablaze with a desire for heavenly things and love for God. She was also distressed by the excessive care for the body, so common in wealthy homes and so despised by her. She considered her beautiful young body her most dangerous enemy and afflicted it in every way, humbling it with fasting, labors, and vigil.

Besides Syncletica, the family included two other sons and a daughter. The blessed one's younger brother died in childhood, her sister was blind, and her older brother, refusing to marry, went into the desert. Therefore, the parents' only hope for the preservation of their family line lay in Syncletica's marriage. Beautiful in appearance and noble in birth, she early saw suitors seeking her hand. Syncletica's parents rejoiced greatly at this and made every effort to prepare her for her marriage. But the prudent and courageous maiden was not at all persuaded by her parents' words. On the contrary, whenever she heard of carnal matrimony, her whole being abhorred it, lifting her thoughts to the Divine Marriage. She disdained earthly suitors and was interested only in the Heavenly Bridegroom, Christ, Whom she loved with all the strength of her soul, meditating on Him alone day and night. Therefore, nothing worldly—neither gold-embroidered garments, nor precious stones, nor passionate music, nor feasts, nor any other worldly pleasure—could entice her soul; and the tears of her parents and the entreaties of her relatives could not shake her in the least. On the contrary, her will was firm as a rock, and her mind never wavered in its striving for Christ. She closed her physical senses to external impressions and conversed with her Divine Bridegroom, uttering the words of the bride from the Song of Songs: "I am to my brother, and my brother to me" ( Song of Songs 6:2 ). She closed her ears to idle talk, but if soul-profiting conversations took place, she turned her full attention, seeking to understand what she heard and absorb it into her soul.

She loved abstinence so much that she considered no other virtue equal to fasting, which she believed to be the foundation and guardian of all virtues. She ate food at strictly set times, and if for any reason she had to deviate from the rule, her whole soul would languish, she would grow pale, and she would become ill—that is, she would feel the exact opposite of what those who lacked abstinence experience. Because her soul did not delight in eating at the right time, her body did not grow stronger, but rather grew thinner. After all, those who eat with passion have plump and full bodies, while those who eat without appetite have emaciated and skinny bodies. The truth of these words is confirmed by the sick, who, eating without appetite, have emaciated and weak bodies. Blessed Syncletica willingly emaciated her body, and her soul was strong, in the words of the apostle: "Though our outer man is perishing, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day" ( 2 Cor. 4:16 ). The blessed one kept her abstinence and labors secret. The death of her parents freed her from all earthly obligations, and the saint, having distributed her property to the poor, went with her blind sister to a place called Hero, not far from Alexandria, and settled in the tomb of one of her relatives. Her soul longed for complete renunciation of the world, and following this desire, Syncletica accomplished something that even outwardly separated her from her former life. Women of that time considered hair the chief adornment and dignity of their sex, and cutting their hair was a sign of shame and extreme dishonor. Knowing this, the saint summoned a priest, and he, at her request, cut her hair. This tonsure signified the complete liberation of her soul from worldly things. At that time, the saint said: "Great is the calling I have been granted, and I have nothing to repay the One who called me." People spend all their riches to acquire the temporary glory of this world, and how much more should I, who have been granted this great grace of being a nun, give to my Lord Christ my riches and my body. But why do I say, give to my Christ my riches and body, when all this has belonged to Him from the beginning? For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof" ( Psalm 24:1).). Having concealed her good deeds in these humble words, the saint began to live in silence. Even before, while living in her parents' home, she had labored in the good fight, but after becoming a nun, she intensified her efforts even more. This was familiar to her soul, which, while still living in the world, she had prepared for sacrifice, realizing that those who enter the divine mystery of monastic life without prior experience in asceticism and without reflection do not make any progress and do not achieve their desired goal, because they do not know what monastic life requires and what its purpose is. Just as those preparing to set sail first gather everything necessary for the journey, the saint prepared herself with ascetic labors and then fearlessly set out on her way to the heavenly abodes. Having previously provided herself with everything necessary for building a house of virtue, she erected a solid edifice of the soul. Visible houses are built from pre-prepared stones, mortar, logs, and other materials, but the spiritual home is built from virtues. The saint did not accumulate material possessions, but rather squandered them, distributing her wealth to the poor, thereby acquiring poverty. She also squandered her passions: anger and rancor, cast aside envy and vanity, and thus, according to the Gospel, built her house upon a rock. And thus, this house of hers became unshakable. But why the verbosity? With her great zeal and fervor of soul, Blessed Syncletica, at the very beginning of her ascetic life, surpassed many nuns who had matured in their struggles. However, we cannot recount her labors and sufferings, for she did not allow anyone to see them and did not wish to have witnesses or publicize her exploits. She was not so concerned with doing a good deed as with hiding it from people, and this was not because she despised others, but because the grace of God moved her not to seek human glory. She always kept in mind the words of the Lord: "Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing" ( Matthew 6:3).), and therefore performed all her ascetic labors in secret. From her early youth until her mature years, Saint Syncletica avoided conversations not only with men but also with women, lest they glorify her for excessive ascetic labors, and lest communication with the sisters and bodily needs hinder her from good works and quietude. Thus, she discerned demonic attacks and did not allow herself to be swayed by bodily desires. Like a gardener who prunes a tree of shoots that hinder abundant fruit-bearing, so the saint cut off the beginnings of passion from her mind through fasting and prayer. And if any passion took root and grew, the blessed one tore it out by the roots with merciless suffering and labors that tamed the body, tormenting herself not only with hunger but also with thirst. Whenever Saint Syncletica was subjected to any kind of conflict, she would first invoke Christ the Lord for help in prayer, not relying solely on her own struggles with the beast-like devil. At her prayer, the Lord would immediately send His aid, and the enemy would flee. But often the enemy would struggle with her for an extended period, and the Lord permitted this so that her spiritual experience in virtue might grow. Keeping in mind that the prolonged conflict would bestow upon her greater spiritual gifts, she fought the enemy even more courageously. The saint not only exhausted herself with fasting but also refused to allow herself to think of pleasant foods, subsisting on bran bread and often drinking no water at all, sleeping on the ground. Thus, when the conflict intensified, she used these weapons, donning prayer as a suit of mail, and, like a helmet, faith united with hope and love. She also strove to practice almsgiving—through prayer and free will. When the enemy was defeated by these means and the battle ceased, the saint would give herself a rest from excessive exertions. She did this so that her limbs would not weaken completely, which would have meant defeat. After all, when a warrior's armor is shattered, how can he hope to win the battle? Thus, those who rashly impose excessive fasts on themselves act foolishly, and as they feel relief from the battle, their pride grows. Blessed Syncletica did not act this way, for she did everything with discernment: she fought the enemy with prayer and asceticism, and when the battle passed, she again took care of her body. Thus, sailors caught in a fierce storm do not even think about food, but exert all their skill to save themselves from destruction; but when the storm passes, they rest, caring also for their bodies. But even then, they don't remain completely carefree or give in to laziness and indulgence, but prepare their gear for the next storm. After all, even if the storm has passed, the sea hasn't receded, and even though the waves have died down, the wind that raises them always blows. Something similar happens in the spiritual world: although the evil spirit of lust has been cast out by the ascetic, the devil, who stirs up lust, is always nearby. Therefore, it is necessary to pray constantly, fearing the fickleness of the sea and the ferocity of the devil. And the saint, well aware of the storms of this life and anticipating the attacks of evil spirits,She carefully steered the ship of her soul with the rudder of piety and brought it safely to the harbor of salvation, holding on to faith in God as the most reliable anchor.The saint's life was truly apostolic, founded on faith and non-covetousness, and radiant with love and humility. She fulfilled the words of the Psalmist in deed, trampling upon the asp and the basilisk and all the power of the enemy. And she undoubtedly heard the Lord's promise: "Good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a little, I will make you ruler over many. Enter into the joy of your Lord" ( Matthew 25:21 ). And although these words refer to heavenly blessings, they can also be understood in the following sense: "Since you, Syncletica, have emerged victorious in this material battle with the flesh and the world, you will also be victorious in the invisible battle with demons through My help and intercession, so that the principalities and powers of darkness will recognize the greatness of your faith, since, having conquered the opposing forces of demons, you will draw near to the beneficent Powers of the Angels." Thus the saint lived in solitude, striving for virtue. As time passed, her virtues blossomed, and the fragrance of her wondrous deeds reached many, for, according to the words of the Lord, "There is nothing secret that will not be revealed" ( Luke 8:17 ), since God is wont to glorify those who love Him in ways known to Him, for the sake of the correction of those who hear. Then, by God's guidance, nuns began to come to Syncletica for spiritual benefit, and, receiving great benefit, they came more and more often. One day, they asked her how they could obtain salvation. The saint sighed heavily and, shedding many tears, remained silent. But the sisters urged her to speak of the greatness of God, amazed even by her appearance. Since the sisters were pressuring the blessed one, she spoke the following words from Scripture: "Do not oppress the poor, for he is poor" ( Proverbs 22:22 ). But the sisters begged even more earnestly, saying to her: “The Lord said, ‘Freely you have received, freely you will give’” ( Matthew 10:8 ). Aren’t you afraid of being condemned with the servant who hid his talent?”

The saint replied, "Why, sisters, do you think that I, a sinner, can do or say anything worthy? We all have the Lord as our common Teacher, and we all listen to Holy Scripture ."

The sisters said, "We too know that the Lord is our Teacher, and we listen to Scripture, but you, through your vigilant study of Scripture, have perfected yourself in virtue. It is necessary for sisters who have advanced in goodness to advise the younger ones, for our Lord also commanded this." The blessed one, feeling compassion for them and knowing that what she would say would not lead her to pride, but would help the sisters, began to tell them the following: “My children, we all know how to be saved, but through our negligence we lose salvation, for we must first of all keep what the Lord commanded: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your soul, and your neighbor as yourself” (cf. Matt. 22:37, 39 ). In these two commandments is contained the whole law, and in them rests the fullness of grace. A few words, but their power is great and immeasurable, since all soul-profiting blessings are based on them. And the Apostle Paul assures us of the same when he says that “love is the fulfillment of the law” ( Rom. 13:10 ). Therefore, no matter what wise words people speak by the grace of the Holy Spirit, they all begin and end with love. But I must add “That which flows from love: that each of us strives for more.” The sisters were surprised by these words and asked what they meant, to which the saint replied:

"Do you not know the parable of the sower, spoken by the Lord, how one seed yielded a hundredfold, another sixtyfold, and another thirtyfold (see Matthew 13:3-9 )? A hundredfold is our monastic order, sixtyfold is for those who live in abstinence and are unmarried, and thirtyfold is for those who are married but live in chastity. From thirty it is good to rise to sixty, and from sixty to a hundred, for it is beneficial to ascend from the lesser to the greater. But to descend from the greater to the lesser is dangerous, for he who has once inclined toward the worse will not stop at the lesser, but will fall into the abyss of destruction. Thus, those who have promised to remain virgins but are weak in their intention say to themselves (or, more accurately, not to themselves, but with the devil): "If we marry and live chastely, we will be deemed worthy of being numbered thirtyfold, for the Old Testament does not forbid childbearing, but even encourages it." Those who think this way should know that this is from the devil, for those who descend from the highest to the lowest are possessed by the devil. Just as a soldier who leaves his place in the front ranks and moves to the last is not forgiven for it, but punished, so is he who descends from the highest rank of virgins to the lowest punished. Therefore, we must ascend from the lowest to the highest, as the apostle teaches us: "Forgetting what lies behind, reach forth to what lies ahead" (cf. Phil. 3:13 ). Therefore, we, who belong to a hundredfold rank, must always remember our calling and strive for the highest, never setting limits on achievement. For the Lord says, "When you have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants, for we have done only what was our duty'" ( Luke 17:10 ). Therefore, we who have chosen virginity must exercise particular vigilance. Women living in the world, for example, outwardly strive to behave with restraint, although along with prudence they also harbor foolishness and ignorance, because of which they mentally commit adultery with all their senses, often without even realizing it: they look disorderly, laugh inappropriately, and listen to foul speech. But we, monastics, must reject everything inappropriate even in our thoughts and succeed in virtues, and guard our eyes from unnecessary glances, for the Holy Scripture says: “Let your eyes see rightly” ( Prov. 4:25).We must restrain our tongues from shameful conversations, for it is unbecoming for our tongue, which sings and glorifies God, to utter shameless words. And we must not only refrain from saying such things, but also avoid listening to others speak. But this is impossible if we frequently leave our cell, for demons and passions enter us through the senses, even if we do not wish them to. And how is it possible for a house with open windows and doors not to fill with smoke from outside and become polluted?! Therefore, it is essential that we avoid cities and marketplaces. For if we consider it indecent to look at the naked bodies of our brothers and parents, how much more harmful and inappropriate is it for the soul to see immodestly dressed people on the street or in marketplaces and to hear their shameless and obscene conversations. Seeing and hearing such things brings shameful, defiling images into our souls. But even in our cells, we must not be carefree, but always be vigilant, for the Lord says, "Be vigilant" ( Matthew 24:42 ). The more we strive for sobriety and chastity, the more vile thoughts attack us, for Ecclesiastes says, "He who applies wisdom adds sorrow" ( Ecclesiastes 1:18 ). The more a wrestler succeeds in the struggle, the more powerful his opponents are. Consider how far you are from true chastity, and you will not be negligent in your battle with the enemy. After all, even if you have overcome bodily fornication and do not commit fornication with your body, Satan still tempts you to commit fornication through your senses. And if, having locked yourself in your cell and removed yourself from hearing and seeing improper things, you overcome the fornication that is committed through sensual gratification, then Satan will again incline you to fornication through the imagination, arousing vile images both while awake and in sleep. Therefore, we must not accept such images, for Ecclesiastes writes: "If the spirit of the ruler —that is, Satan— rises upon you, do not leave your place" ( Ecclesiastes 10:4 ). Do not accept this diabolical act, since the mere association with such fantasies in virgins is tantamount to fornication in laymen, for "the strong will be tormented more severely ," as Scripture says ( Wisdom 6:6 ). Therefore, the battle we wage with the demon of fornication is great and terrible, for it is the greatest evil the enemy uses to destroy the soul. Job described this mysteriously when he said of the devil: "...his strength is upon his loins..." ( Job 40:11 ).

The devil seeks to lure those who love the Lord into fornication in countless and varied ways. Often, the evil one even turns sisterly love in Christ into evil: he combats and seduces virgins who have renounced marriage and all thoughts of the world into fornication under the guise of sisterly love for men. Likewise, he seduces monks who have escaped all his shameless and obscene snares in open temptation, deceiving them into pious conversations with women, and ultimately plunges them into fornication. Such is the devil's cunning—clothing himself in false attire, using divine and spiritual concepts and pious objects to secretly sow his seed. Outwardly, this seed looks like a grain of wheat, but in reality, it is a ready-made trap. I think this is exactly what the Lord said: demons “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” ( Matthew 7:15 ).

What should we do to avoid these wiles of the devil? We must become "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" ( Matthew 10:16 ), that is, we must use prudence against the traps the devil sets for us. Christ commanded us to be wise as serpents so that we could discern all the devil's wiles. The simplicity of a dove indicates the purity of our deeds, for every good deed will cut off evil and not mingle with it. But how can we avoid that which we do not know? To do this, we must be extremely attentive to the enemy's evil and guard ourselves from his cunning wiles, for the Apostle Peter says: "The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" ( 1 Peter 5:8 ). Therefore, we must be vigilant and on guard at all times, for he watches us and wages war against us both through external things and, especially, through internal thoughts, and he comes to us invisibly both night and day. What do we need in this battle? Obviously, we need true asceticism and pure prayer . These two remedies are general and all-encompassing remedies that we must use against every destructive thought. But we must also employ other, more specific techniques in carnal warfare. Thus, when some shameless thought arises, we must counter it with another, powerful to the point of cruelty. And when the enemy conjures up a beautiful face in our imagination, we must combat it in a specific manner: we must mentally gouge out the eyes from this face, peel the skin from the cheeks, and cut off the lips, then the face will become a bare skull, repulsive and terrifying. Let us examine what previously aroused lust in us, and we will be able to protect ourselves from the enemy's malicious laughter, realizing that we were lusting after nothing other than a foul mess of blood and phlegm. With such thoughts, we must banish from our minds the shameful image of sin. Moreover, we must imagine the body of the one we were seduced by completely, imagining it filled with rot and stench—in short, we must see it as a corpse—and thus we will banish passionate feelings from our hearts. But the most powerful weapon we can employ in carnal warfare is the suppression of the stomach, for by mortifying it, we will also subdue the passions that operate beneath it. Blessed Syncletica instructed the sisters with such wise and soul-beneficial advice, and they rejoiced at her divine and spiritual words. Then one of them asked whether non-covetousness is a perfect good. The Reverend answered:

“This is truly good for those who are strong and courageous, since those who are self-denying suffer physically but receive spiritual consolation. Just as a new, durable garment becomes clean and white when it is beaten and battered, so a courageous soul becomes more strengthened and unwavering when it is crushed by voluntary poverty. But a weak-willed and unstable soul becomes even weaker and more hesitant, since when it happens to suffer poverty, it is worsened by the ‘washing’ that is self-denying; like an old garment that, unable to withstand washing, is torn to pieces. The bleaching agent for both a strong and a worn-out garment is the same, but the end result is different, since the strong one is cleansed and renewed, while the worn-out one is torn to pieces. Thus, it can be said that poverty is a precious treasure for a courageous soul, for it becomes a bridle restraining sin. But anyone who wishes to utilize it must first test themselves through fasting, repose, and other bodily sufferings. Only then should they begin to practice poverty. Those who do not do this, but immediately give away their money without first testing themselves, will usually later regret having given it away, for money is the foundation of an easy life. Therefore, first renounce sensuality, pleasant dishes, and all other bodily comforts, and through this you will easily overcome greed and avarice. The connection between them is the same as between tools and craft: without tools, it is impossible to practice a craft; likewise, having rejected the former, it is easy to neglect the latter. Therefore, in His conversation with the rich young man, the Lord did not immediately suggest that he renounce money, but first asked whether he had fulfilled the commandments of the Old Testament, just as a teacher asks a student whether he has learned the rudiments of reading and writing, whether he knows how to spell syllables, and whether he is familiar with the pronunciation of words and names, and only then commands him to read perfectly. When the rich young man said that he had fulfilled the commandments of the law, the Lord said, "Go, sell what you have and give to the poor... and come, follow Me" ( Matthew 19:21 ). It seems to me that if the young man had said that he had not fulfilled what Christ asked, the Lord would not have suggested non-covetousness. After all, how can someone who does not know how to pronounce syllables read well right away?! Therefore, non-covetousness is good for those who have already struggled to endure hardships and acquired the habit and skill of goodness, since they have renounced superfluous things and placed all their trust in God, singing the words of the psalm: "Our eyes look to You, and You give us our food in due season" (cf. Ps. 145:15 ). Those who are non-covetous also receive great benefit from the following: since their minds are not attached to earthly things, they are occupied only with heavenly things, and by caring for these, they clearly fulfill the word of David:"I was a beast to You , and I will always be with You" ( Psalm 73:22, 23 ). And just as domestic animals are completely content with the food given to them and do not seek another, so the non-covetous work only for their daily bread and disdain money as unnecessary. Non-covetous people firmly trust in the words of the Lord not to worry about the morrow, like the birds of the air, who "neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; and their heavenly Father feeds them" ( Matthew 6:26 ). They believe these words, for the Lord Himself spoke them, and boldly proclaim: "I believed, therefore I spoke..." ( Psalm 116:1 ). The devil is defeated more quickly by non-covetous people, since he cannot harm them as much. Most temptations and misfortunes that befall people occur because of lack and the search for material things. But what disaster can befall someone who has nothing? None, of course. What can the enemy do? Burn their fields? They have none. Destroy their livestock? Damage their other belongings? But they have abandoned all of that. Therefore, poverty is a great obstacle for the devil and a precious treasure for the soul. And just as poverty is a great and wonderful virtue, so, conversely, the love of money is a great evil and sin and the root of all evil, as the Apostle Paul says (see 1 Tim. 6:10 ). For the love of money gives birth to perjury, theft, embezzlement, avarice, envy, murder, brotherly hatred, wars, idolatry, and everything that follows from them: hypocrisy, laziness, and mockery. The self-loving are not only punished by God but also destroy themselves, for their desire for money is insatiable and their worries and troubles are endless. Their disease is incurable: the poor want little, but having received this little, they desire more. Having a hundred coins, they desire a thousand; having acquired a thousand, they desire countless more. So, the lovers of money, finding no end to their aspirations, are tormented by the impossibility of obtaining as much as they desire, and they always lament their apparent poverty. The love of money is always fostered by envy, which destroys the one who possesses it first. It would be of great benefit to us monastics if, in our desire to acquire the pearl of great price—the Kingdom of Heaven—were to endure the same unbearable toils as those who seek worldly riches: they suffer shipwrecks, encounter pirates, encounter robbers on land, endure storms and hurricanes. And when they acquire something, they call themselves poor, lest others envy them. But we monastics do not endure any of these dangers for the sake of acquiring truth and heavenly treasures. And when we acquire some minor virtue, we immediately exalt ourselves and show off our virtues to others.

We often boast not only of the virtues we possess, but also of those we have not acquired, and immediately the enemy robs us of even the little we had. Worldly greedy people, when they receive much, desire even more and despise what they already have, extending their desire to what they have not yet acquired and making every effort to ensure that no one knows how much they already have. But we monastics do the opposite: we possess nothing good, but are lazy in acquiring anything, and are poor in virtue, although we claim to be rich. Therefore, it would be good for someone who excels in good deeds not to allow anyone to know about it, otherwise he will suffer great harm, since even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him (cf. Matthew 13:12 ). Therefore, we should conceal our virtues as much as possible. Those who wish to display their virtues to others should display their faults and passions. For if they hide their faults to avoid ridicule, how much more should they conceal their virtues. But those who are truly virtuous do the opposite: they display their slightest faults, along with those misdeeds they never committed, to avoid public glory, while at the same time they conceal their virtues as best they can. For just as a treasure once found is stolen and lost, so virtue vanishes when it becomes known to others. And just as wax melts in fire, so the soul melts in praise and loses its strength. And again: just as heat softens wax and cold hardens it, so praise weakens the soul, while reproaches and insults strengthen it and lead it to greater virtue. The Lord says, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad when they revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake" (cf. Matt. 5:11, 12 ), and David exclaims, "You have made me very heavy with affliction" ( Ps. 4:2 ), and, "You... know my reproach, my shame, and my disgrace" ( Ps. 69:20 ). And one can find many similar statements in Holy Scripture . There is beneficial and harmful sorrow. Beneficial sorrow comes from regret for one's own sins and for the ignorance of one's neighbor, from the fear of losing the goodwill one has, from languor at the thought of acquiring coveted virtues. But there is also harmful sorrow, incited by Satan, which is causeless and foolish and is called by some despondency. Therefore, it is necessary to drive away this demon of sorrow with prayer and psalmody. We, monastics, having many worries and sorrows, should not think that those living in the world do not experience sorrows, for the prophet Isaiah says: “Every head is in sorrow, and every heart in sorrow” ( Is. 1:5With these words, the Holy Spirit points to monastic and secular life. Headache signifies monastic life, for just as the head is the ruling member of the human body, so the monastic path of life is superior to the secular. Scripture also speaks of pain to indicate that every virtue is acquired through labor and self-discipline. Sorrow of heart signifies the restless and sorrowful life of laypeople, for malice and grief accompany their lives: if they covet others' wealth, they languish; if they are poor, they suffer; if they are rich, they go mad and do not sleep, preoccupied with their acquisitions. Therefore, let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that laypeople live without cares and labors, for compared to us monastics, their labors are far greater. Women especially suffer greatly, giving birth in pain and with danger to life, raising children with many difficulties, enduring when children are sick, and enduring other endless sorrows. And children are often born sick, or crippled, or vicious, and they greatly vex their parents. So, knowing this, let us not succumb to the enemy's deception, thinking that married women live an easy and carefree life, for they either endure the pangs of childbirth or, if they are childless, suffer scorn and contempt.

Part two

I speak to you of the enemy's wiles, although what I say should be known only to monastics. Just as one kind of food is not suitable for all animals, so these words are not beneficial for everyone, according to the Lord's words: "They do not put new wine into old wineskins" ( Matthew 9:17 ). One should speak one way to those who have attained divine knowledge, another to those who strive to acquire virtue, and another to those in the world. And among animals, some live in the air, others in the water, others on the land. So it is with people: some, like birds, raise their eyes to the heavenly realms, others are in the middle rank, and finally, there are those who are immersed in sins like fish in water. We, monastics, must acquire eagle's wings, reach the heights, trample the lion and the serpent (see Psalm 90:13 ), and overcome those who once possessed us. We will achieve this if we ascend to Christ the Savior with all our minds and thoughts. But we must know that the higher we ascend, the more the enemy tries to ensnare us. And this is not surprising: if demons raise up envious people, thieves, and murderers, thus envying people even for their worthless earthly riches, is it surprising if they envy us, who desire to acquire heavenly treasures? Therefore, we must arm ourselves with all diligence against demons.

They attack us through both external impressions and thoughts. Even ships—some sink because of the waves raging outside, others because of cracks appearing within. So too, we sin, sometimes externally—through our actions, and sometimes internally—through our thoughts. Therefore, we must vigilantly guard against demonic warfare entering from without, root out the inner impurity of our thoughts, and always be vigilant, for thoughts constantly war against us. During a storm, when sailors call for help, they receive assistance from other ships and are saved. But they often perish, even when the sea is calm, because of internal cracks, unnoticed in time due to carelessness and inattention. For this reason, we must be more attentive to our inner thoughts, for the enemy, wishing to destroy the temple of the soul, either destroys its foundation, or dismantles the roof and descends, or climbs through the windows and binds the owner, then rules the house. The foundations of the soul's temple are good works, the roof is faith, and the windows are feelings. And the enemy wages war against us by attacking all of these. Therefore, anyone who wants to be saved must be many-eyed, as if having many eyes, for in this temporary life we ​​cannot remain carefree. And Scripture says, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" ( 1 Cor. 10:12 ).

We sail on a fickle sea: this sea is our spiritual life, and in some parts it conceals underwater rocks, in others, sea creatures, and in others, it is calm and tranquil. Clearly, we monastics sail through the quiet and peaceful places of this life, while laypeople sail through dangerous ones. We sail by day under the light of the spiritual Sun of Truth—Christ—while laypeople sail by night, driven by ignorance. But despite all this, it often happens that those sailing in darkness and through dangerous places remain vigilant and pray to God to save the vessel of their souls; while we monastics sail in silence and yet sink, relinquishing the helm of truth through our carelessness. Therefore, let him who stands beware lest he fall; the fallen is occupied only with getting up, while the standing must guard against falls, for there are many of them. Those who have fallen, although they lie face down, are not so badly hurt. But let the one who stands not judge the one who has fallen, but rather, let him fear for himself, lest he fall and be utterly broken and precipitate himself into the depths of the abyss, for then the depths will swallow up his voice, and he will find no help. Therefore David says: "Let not the depth devour me, nor let the equal of his lips turn away from me" ( Ps . 69:16 ). And he who fell first is not utterly lost; but you, take care lest you fall into the abyss and become food for the beasts. He who fell did not seal the doors of his house, that is, he did not pay attention to himself; You who stand, do not slumber, but sing continually the words of the psalm: "Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep unto death: lest mine enemy say, I have strengthened myself against him" ( Ps. 12:4, 5 ). Always be vigilant, for the mental lion roars beside you. These words are useful for those who stand, lest they become exalted. For he who has fallen, when he turns and mourns, will be saved. But let him who stands watch carefully, for he has a double fear: lest he return to his former passions, giving in to cowardice during the enemy's battle, and lest he be deceived and fall into pride from advancing in virtues. Our enemy, the devil, either attracts people to himself from the outside, if he sees a lazy and careless person, or, when he sees a diligent person and one who is successful in his endeavors, he enters his soul with pride and insidiously and passionately destroys it completely.

Pride is his final weapon, and greater than any other evil. It was because of pride that the devil fell from heaven, and with it he strives to overthrow those who excel in virtue. Just as experienced warriors, having expended all their arrows, if they see the enemy still in force, resort to the most powerful weapon—the sword—so the devil, having exhausted all his initial means, resorts to his final weapon—pride. These initial weapons and snares are gluttony, lust, and fornication, for these passions often arise especially in youth. They are followed by avarice, stinginess, and similar passions. When the soul conquers these passions, dominates the belly and all the sub-gastric lusts, when it disdains money, then the envious person, having lost all other means, will secretly instill in the soul an inappropriate pride in order to elevate it above other brothers.

Truly heavy and destructive is this poison of pride, which the devil gives the soul to drink, and he has poisoned many virtuous people with it and immediately destroyed them. He secretly implants false and deadly thoughts in the soul, and it imagines that it understands what others do not know, that it surpasses them in fasting and has more virtues. Moreover, Satan leads the soul into forgetfulness of its sins and exalts it above other brothers. By robbing it of the remembrance of its mistakes, he does not allow it to utter the humble words of David: "Against You only have I sinned... Have mercy on me" (cf. Ps. 51:5, 6 ), and thereby be healed. He also does not allow it to say: "I will confess to You... with my whole heart" ( Ps. 9:2 ); But the devil himself, who once said: "I will ascend above the clouds, I will be like the Most High" ( Isaiah 14:14 ), evokes in the proud thoughts of power, of teaching, of the gift of healing. And he whom Satan seduces with this perishes, since he receives an almost incurable wound. And therefore, he who has such proud thoughts must constantly repeat the divine words of David: "I am a worm, and not a man" ( Psalm 22:7 ), and Abraham: "I am dust and ashes" ( Gen. 18:27 ), and Isaiah: "All our righteousness is like the sea of ​​filth" ( Isaiah 64:6 ).

If proud thoughts plague a solitary nun, she should go to a communal monastery and force herself to eat even twice a day. If pride has overcome her because she has labored so diligently, she must be severely scolded by nuns her own age for not having done anything good. She must fulfill every obedience and listen to the lives of great ascetics. Moreover, her peers should increase their ascetic labors for several days, so that the proud woman, seeing their virtues, will humble herself, considering herself inferior. The cause of such pride lies in disobedience, and therefore this illness can be cured by obedience, for the prophet Samuel says, "Obedience is better than sacrifice" ( 1 Samuel 15:22 ). Therefore, the abbess must promptly root out vanity from the ailing soul.

But if a nun is careless, negligent, and lazy, failing to excel in good deeds, then the abbess must praise her. If such a nun does some insignificant good deed, the abbess must admire and extol it, and call her major mistakes trivial and insignificant. The devil, wishing to overthrow everything, tries to conceal the sins of virtuous ascetics in order to lead them into pride, while he exposes the sins of novices, driving them to despair. And he tells one nun that she cannot be forgiven for her fornication, another that she cannot be saved because of her greed, so the abbess must console those tempted by Satan in this way and tell them that Rahab was a harlot but was saved by faith, Paul was a persecutor but became a chosen vessel, Matthew was a publican but became an evangelist, and the thief stole and murdered but was the first to open the gates of paradise. Therefore, you, sister, remember them and do not despair of your salvation. Those souls that are overcome by pride must be corrected and healed in the following way: they must be told frankly: Why are you arrogant, unfortunate soul, because you do not eat meat? Others do not even see fish. Why do you not drink wine? Others do not even taste oil. Why are you proud because you fast until evening? Others fast for two or three days. Why do you think so highly of yourself that you don't wash? Many don't wash even because of bodily weakness. But are you surprised that you sleep on a hard bed covered with hair shirt? Others sleep on the bare ground. And if you sleep on the ground, it's no big deal, for some put stones under their feet so as not to sleep with pleasure, and there are even those who hang themselves by a rope all night. And even if you do all this and accomplish the greatest feats, don't think highly of yourself, for the demons have done and do even greater things than you: they don't sleep at all, don't eat, never drink, don't marry, and dwell in the desert. So even if you live in a cave, don't think you're doing anything great. Such thoughts can heal opposing passions—despair and pride. Just as fire, if blown too hard, dissipates and vanishes, and conversely, if not blown at all, it goes out, so too virtue, if founded on excessive asceticism, is destroyed by pride. If we neglect it, neglecting its acquisition and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, it dims and vanishes. A sharp and well-honed knife is easily dulled by a stone, so excessive asceticism is quickly destroyed by pride. Therefore, a person must guard his soul from all sides. When it is consumed by the fire of pride due to excessive asceticism, he must lead it into shady places, that is, humble it before the grace of God. Sometimes, it is necessary to prune the soul's excess, exceeding its established boundaries, so that the root may be strengthened and fruitful branches may sprout. He who is overcome by despair must compel himself to strive for the higher things and trust in the ineffable mercy of our merciful God, since his soul is too oppressed by sins. Experienced farmers,When they see a small and weak plant, they water it often and take great care of it so that it will grow; but if a strong plant produces an extra shoot, they cut it off, since it will soon wither; and doctors for some illnesses advise eating abundantly and walking, while for others they forbid both eating and moving; so should doctors of souls act.

Clearly, pride is above all evils, and humility is the greatest virtue. Therefore, it is difficult to acquire. Unless a person renounces all glory, he will not be able to attain the treasure of humility. It is so great that the devil, although he can imitate all other virtues, has no concept of humility. Therefore, the Apostle Peter, knowing how reliable and durable humility is, commands us to clothe ourselves in it (see 1 Peter 5:5 ) and desires that all who do good deeds wear it like clothing. After all, if you fast, if you give alms, if you teach, if you preserve virginity and chastity, if you are wise, then you must always possess humility, so that it will protect you like powerful armor and safeguard all your other virtues.

Have you not heard the hymn of the three holy youths, which they sang in the Babylonian furnace? There they mentioned no other virtuous ones and did not name the wise, nor the virgins, nor the self-sacrificing, but only the humble of heart they numbered among those who glorify the Lord (see: Dan. 3:87 ). And just as it is impossible to build a ship without nails, so it is impossible to be saved without humility. Therefore, the Lord, wishing to show how good and soul-profiting humility is, clothed Himself in it, becoming a man, and said: "Learn from Me , for I am meek and lowly in heart" ( Matt. 11:29 ). Consider Who said this, and become His perfect disciple and imitator of His humility, and may it be for you the beginning and end of all good things. By humility we mean a humble mind of soul, and not merely a humble appearance; for if the soul is humble, then the body will also become humble. Do you say that you have fulfilled all the commandments? The Lord knows, but He commands you to begin again in His service, saying, "When you have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants'" ( Luke 17:10 ). Humility is not achieved without abuse, reproaches, and wounds. When you hear yourself called foolish and mad, poor, sick and unworthy, unprofitable in your labors, foolish in your words, dishonorable in appearance, and weak in body—the power of humility lies in this, for our Lord heard and experienced the same thing—He was called a Samaritan and possessed by demons, He took the form of a slave, was slapped, and suffered wounds. So we too should imitate the Lord's active humility. There are some who hypocritically put on a mask of humility so that people will praise them, but such are known by the fruits of their deeds, for if they happen to be slightly humiliated, they cannot bear it and immediately spew out their venom, like a snake." The sisters listened to the blessed one with great joy, desiring to learn more and more from her soul-saving words. And the saint continued her speech: "Those who ascend to God in monastic life experience great struggle and labor at first, but then they experience indescribable joy." Just as those who wish to light a fire are first enveloped in smoke and weep, but then achieve their goal, so we nuns must labor and weep to kindle the Divine fire within ourselves, for the Lord says: "I came to cast fire on the earth" ( Luke 12:49 ). Some, however, through their cowardice, having experienced the smoke, did not light a fire, because they lacked patience, and especially because their love for the Lord was weak. The Apostle also speaks of this: "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love... I am become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal" (cf. 1 Cor. 13:3, 1 ). Love– this is a great good, while anger is a great evil, which darkens the soul and makes it bestial and insane. The Lord, concerned for our salvation, has left no part of our soul unprotected. Thus, if the enemy fights us with fornication, the Lord arms us with chastity; if he fights with pride, humility is nearby; if hatred arises, love is close by; and although the enemy uses many different battles against us, the Lord has protected us with a large number of weapons, both for our salvation and for victory over the enemy. And again, I say that anger is the greatest evil, "anger... does not work out the righteousness of God ," as the Apostle James says ( James 1:20 ). And we must overcome it, since it is necessary, but only at the right time. For it is useful for us to be angry with demons and not useful to be angry with people, and even if they offend us, we must bring them to repentance when the anger subsides. However, anger is a lesser evil than resentment, and resentment is more grievous than all other sins, for anger darkens the soul only for a short time, like smoke, and then disappears, but resentment pierces the soul and makes it worse than a beast. Consider: even a dog barking at a man leaves his rage when he gives him food, and other beasts are tamed with time; but he in whom resentment reigns cannot heal this passion either by persuasion or by length of time. Therefore, resentful people are more sinful and lawless than others, for they do not obey Christ the Savior, who commanded: "Go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" ( Matthew 5:24 ); and the Apostle says: "Let not the sun go down on your wrath" ( Eph. 4:26 ). Therefore, it is good not to be angry at all. If you become angry, then the divine Paul commands you not to remain in this passion for even a day, so as not to fall into resentment.

But why do you, nun, wait until your life is over to make peace with her who has angered you? Or do you not know the words of the Lord: "Sufficient for the day is its trouble" ( Matthew 6:34 )? Why do you hate the one who has grieved you? It was not she who caused you grief, but the devil. Therefore, hate the passion from which your sister suffers, but not the one who suffers. "Why do you boast in malice, O mighty one? " says David to you, you who bear a grudge. " Iniquity is your tongue all the day long, and iniquity is your tongue devised" ( Psalm 51:3, 4 ). That is, throughout your entire life you commit iniquity, since you violate God's commandment given through the Apostle Paul, lest the sun go down on your anger, and you continue to blaspheme and speak evil of your sister. Therefore, you will be justly punished by God, as David says through the Holy Spirit: "Therefore God will destroy you completely; He will take you away..." ( Psalm 51:7 ). He will uproot you, and exile you from your dwelling, and deprive you of the land of the living. Do you hear? Such is the retribution of the vindictive. Therefore, we must guard against vindictiveness, for it is followed by other vices: envy, grief, slander, the evil of which is deadly, even if they seem insignificant. After all, fornication, murder, and avarice—these great passions—are often cured by the saving medicine of repentance, but pride, rancor, and slander, seemingly small, kill the soul, piercing, like thorns, into the most vulnerable parts of the soul. And they kill the soul not by inflicting great wounds, but by the fact that people, through carelessness, disregard slander and other similar passions as insignificant minor faults, neglect to rid themselves of them, and are gradually consumed by them. Truly, the sin of slander is grave, but for some it is food and rest. But do not listen to empty talk, as the Lord commands, and do not listen to the sins of others, but guard your soul from this, for if you listen to the vile impurity of words, you will defile your soul and without reason hate those who associate with you. When your hearing is defiled by the condemnation of slanderers, you will not be able to judge sensibly, but will consider all people vile; just as the eye, when it sees the same color for a long time and becomes accustomed to it, later no longer distinguishes other colors, but sees everything visible in a single hue. Therefore, we must guard our tongue and hearing, so as not to condemn another and not to listen passionately to the slander uttered by others, for David says: “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I have driven away” ( Ps. 100:5 ), and in another place: “Lest my lips speak of the deeds of men” ( Ps. 16:4). This applies not only to the deeds a person has done, but also to those he has not done. Not only should we not believe what is said against others, but we should also not condemn those who speak, and let us do and speak as the Holy Scripture commands us: "But as for me, as for a deaf man, I did not hear, and as for a dumb man, he who does not open his mouth" ( Ps. 37:14 ). We should not rejoice at the misfortunes of others, even if they are great sinners, for some, seeing someone punished or thrown into prison, foolishly repeat the popular saying: "As you sow, so shall you reap." Do you, nun, expect to enjoy yourself all your life? And how can this be reconciled with the words of Holy Scripture that "there is but one chance for the righteous and the wicked" ( Eccl. 9:2 ) ? In this life, we all walk the same path, and although we live differently, we too do not avoid misfortunes. How can we then rejoice in the misfortunes of others? We must not hate our enemies. After all, the Lord Himself commands us: love not only those who love you, as the tax collectors and sinners do, but love your enemies also (see Matthew 5:44–46 ). Loving what is good requires neither labor nor effort, since it naturally draws people to love itself. But to destroy what is bad requires both divine teaching and much labor, for the Kingdom of Heaven is inherited not by the lazy and carefree, but by those who make an effort. And just as we should not hate our enemies, so too should we not avoid and humiliate the careless and lazy. And although some cite the prophetic words: "With the holy you will be holy... and with the perverse you will be perverted" ( 2 Samuel 22:26, ​​27 ), and say: "Therefore we avoid sinners, lest we ourselves be perverted by them and become sinners," they do the opposite of what the Holy Spirit commands through the prophet. He does not say that you should be perverted by sinners, but that you should correct their perversity, since the expression "be perverted" means that you will convert the perverted to your convictions, through communication you will lead him from evil to good. There are three kinds of disposition in people: some are completely mired in evil, others are in a middle state and are inclined to both good and evil, and others have ascended to great virtue and not only strive for good themselves, but seek every opportunity to lead to good even those who are completely mired in evil.

So, if those who remain in evil associate with those who are worse than themselves, then the evil in them will increase; those of average character strive to avoid the evil, since they are afraid of becoming evil themselves from associating with them; and the third, having a firmly established disposition towards good, associate with the evil in order to save them. And although they are despised and ridiculed by those who see them associating with the evil and negligent, they accept this human reproach as praise and fearlessly carry out God's work - the salvation of their brothers. Of them, the Lord also says: "Rejoice and be glad... when... people say all sorts of evil things against you " (cf. Matt. 5:12, 11), and what they do is the work of the Master Christ, for our Lord also ate with publicans and sinners. Their disposition is more brotherly than selfish, for they love their brothers more than themselves. Just as those who, seeing their neighbors' houses burning, abandon their own and run to save their neighbors from the flames, so these, seeing their brothers sin, neglect themselves, endure the reproach of others, and endure everything in order to save their brothers. Those in the middle, when they see a brother consumed by the fire of sin, flee, for they fear lest they too be consumed by the flames of sin. But the first, like bad neighbors, when they see their brothers on fire, fan it even more, bringing their own evil as firewood to utterly destroy them. And instead of putting out the sinful flames with water, they add more wood, that is, they allow them to sin even more. But others, good people, prefer the salvation of their brethren to their own well-being, which is evidence of their true love. And just as vices are linked to one another (for example, the love of money is followed by envy, deceit, perjury, wrath, and resentment), so virtues, such as meekness, patience, gentleness, and poverty, are linked to love. Therefore, love cannot be acquired without first acquiring poverty. For God commands us to love all people, not just one, and therefore we must not despise all those in need, but rather help them. And if we give not to all, but only to some, we lose love, since we do not love everyone. But it is impossible for man to give enough to all; this is God's work. If anyone says that the poor should labor to acquire something and give alms from it, let him know that this is commanded for laypeople, not monks, since charity is commanded by God not so much for the sake of the poor as for the sake of the love of those who show mercy to them, for God provides for both rich and poor. But perhaps you will say to this that charity is completely unnecessary? Far be it! But charity becomes the beginning of love for those who did not know how to acquire it. And just as circumcision for the uncircumcised was a symbol of circumcision of the heart, so charity becomes a teacher of love. For those who have been granted love by God's grace, charity is superfluous. I say this not to condemn charity, but to point out the purity of non-covetousness, so that the lesser good—charity—does not become an obstacle to the greater good—non-covetousness, which is love. You, nun, in a short time and with little effort achieved great good, since you immediately gave all your possessions to the poor. Strive to achieve something greater – love. You must pronounce those free words: “Behold, we have left everything and followed You” ( Matthew 19:27 ). You have been deemed worthy to imitate the bold words of the apostles Peter and John, saying: “Silver and gold I have none” ( Acts 3:6) .). Two apostles said this, but their faith was the same. But the charity of the laity should not be accidental, for David says: "Let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head" ( Ps. 140:5 ), so the one who shows mercy must have a disposition like Abraham's and do good in a righteous way. Let us recall: when righteous Abraham received strangers, he offered his own favor along with the food, and stood and served those dining himself, wishing to share with his servants the reward for their hospitality. And truly, those who thus receive strangers receive a reward for their mercy, although they belong to the second host; for the Lord, having created the universe, created in it two modes of existence: to those who live chastely, He granted marriage for the sake of procreation; and to those who live in purity, He commanded virginity, that they might become equal to the angels. And He gave laws to the married, and punishments to the lawless, but to virgins He says: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” ( Rom. 12:19 ). To the married He says: “Till the soil” (cf. Gen. 3:23 ), and to monks: “Do not worry about tomorrow” ( Matt. 6:34 ). To them He gave the law, but to us, nuns and monks, He revealed His commandments through grace. The cross is an instrument of victory for us, since our calling and our vow are nothing other than the renunciation of life and the reflection on death. And just as the dead can do nothing with their bodies, so we should not do anything with the body, for what we should have done with the body, we did when we were foolish children. Therefore the apostle says: “The world has been crucified to me , and I to the world” (cf. Gal. 6:14).We live only by the soul, and we must show virtue to it, be kind to it, for blessed are those who give alms with their souls. For the Lord says that he who is inflamed with lust for another's beauty, without committing a sin, sins secretly in his soul. Likewise, he who shows mercy and pity to the poor in his soul gives alms, for his disposition fulfills the action, even without money. We have been granted greater honor than laymen, for just as secular masters have different servants, sending some to till the land while keeping others, the better ones, at home to serve them, so the Lord sent all married men into the world, but kept those who are better and have a good disposition with Himself to serve Him. They are alien to all earthly things, having been deemed worthy to eat from the Lord's table; they care nothing for clothing, having clothed themselves in Christ. Yet over these two hosts, one Master, the Lord, rules. Just as wheat yields its chaff, leaves, and seeds, so too do both laypeople and monks come from God, and both are essential, for the leaves serve to preserve the seeds, while the seeds are necessary for planting and the future harvest. And just as it is impossible for both leaves and fruit to be ripe at the same time, so too we cannot bear any heavenly fruit if we care for worldly things. And just as, unless the leaves fall and the stalks dry, the ear of corn will be unfit for the harvest, so too, unless we cast aside earthly thoughts like leaves, unless we dry our bodies like stalks, and unless we lift our thoughts to God, we will not bear the seed that is the word of salvation.

Part three

It is a dangerous task to teach before one has walked the path of active virtue. Just as someone with a dilapidated house, if he takes in strangers, will only harm them when the house collapses, so too will someone who has not firmly fortified their spiritual home by learning virtue in action, destroy along with themselves those they teach. Such people guide others to salvation with words, but lead them away from it with their wicked deeds, for verbal teaching alone is like a painting painted with unstable colors, quickly washed away by torrents of rain and crumbled by gusts of wind. Only teaching combined with action cannot be erased, for the experienced word is firmly imprinted on the soul and imparts to listeners a constant and indelible likeness of Christ and His virtue. Therefore, we too must heal the soul not only externally, but adorn it from all sides, and especially take care to purify its inner depths. Have we cut the hair on our heads? Let us also cast aside the worms that lurk in our heads, for, left hairless, they will gnaw us even more. The hair we have cut off signifies worldly life with its honors, money, fine clothing, baths, and delicious dishes—all of which we have outwardly rejected. But let us also cast aside the soul-destroying worms: judgment, avarice, lies, swearing, and other passions that reside in the soul. While hidden beneath the hair—under the veil of worldly things—they were invisible, but now, stripped of their worldly substance, they have become evident. Just as in a clean house, the mere appearance of a mouse or a small insect is obvious to everyone, so every nun or monk is aware of even the smallest sins. Among laypeople, large, poisonous snakes dwell, as in filthy barns, and they are invisible because they are covered with a multitude of matter. So, we must cleanse the chambers of our souls and carefully watch that not a single soul-harming bug – passion – creeps into the hidden parts of the soul, and therefore let us shower our hearts with the Divine incense of prayer, knowing that just as pungent odors drive away poisonous animals, so does prayer Fasting drives out evil thoughts. Therefore, we nuns must watch the thoughts that come to us; so did that pious monk who, sitting in his cell, watched his thoughts and observed which thought came first, which last, and how long each one lingered in his soul. He also watched the next day, which thoughts entered first and which last, and through such observation he clearly recognized the grace of God, his own patience, and the strength and victory of the enemy. So let us do, for if sellers of the perishable things of this world count their profits every day, and when they make more, they rejoice, but when they suffer a loss, they lament, how much more should we, who buy true treasure, be vigilant and strive to acquire greater blessings? If the enemy steals even a little from us, we must lament and condemn ourselves, but not despair, for this fall happened involuntarily, because of temptation. Do you have ninety-nine sheep? Bring back even the one that has gone astray; do not fear because of the one you have lost, and do not hide from the Master Lord, and do not distance yourself from Him, lest the bloodsucker Satan take captive the whole flock of your labors and destroy it through your despair. Therefore, do not leave your position because of one lost sheep, for our Master is good; remember how David says: "Though he fall, he will not be broken, for the Lord strengthens his hand" ( Ps. 37:24 ). Everything that we have done and acquired in this world, we must consider small in comparison with the eternal wealth of the future life, for in this life we ​​are as if in another mother's womb; When we were in our mother's womb, we had no life here, did not eat solid food, and were unable to do what we do now. We saw neither the sun nor any other light. And just as then, in our mother's womb, we were deprived of many of this world's blessings, so now, when we are in this world, we are deprived of many of the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven. Having come to know worldly things, let us strive to enjoy heavenly blessings. Having seen this sensible light here, let us desire to behold the spiritual Sun of Righteousness. May the heavenly Jerusalem be our homeland and mother, and may we call God our Father. May we live here wisely and chastely, so as to attain eternal life. Just as infants in the womb of their mothers, when they become perfect and are born, are raised from the lesser food and life they had to greater food and a better life, so too the righteous depart from this worldly life and ascend to heaven to a better life, as it is written, rising “from strength to strength” ( Ps. 83:8). Sinners pass from the darkness of this world to the darkness of hell, like children who died in their mother's womb, for sinners are already here on earth, dead from the multitude of sins, and when they die, they descend into the dark dungeons of Tartarus. We are born three times in this life: once, when we leave our mother's womb, and from earth we return to earth; two other births lead us from earth to heaven, and the first of these occurs by the grace of God in holy baptism and is called rebirth and rebirth, and the third is that which happens to us through repentance and feats of virtue; in it we now find ourselves. We, who have drawn near to the true Bridegroom Christ, must adorn ourselves even more beautifully; And if worldly brides, destined to have a mortal husband, strive to wash themselves and anoint themselves with perfumes, and wear various adornments to please their husbands, then how much more should we, the betrothed of the Heavenly Bridegroom, adorn ourselves, wash ourselves clean of the filth of sin through ascetic labors, and clothe ourselves in spiritual garments. They adorn their bodies with earthly flowers, but let us enlighten our souls with virtues and place upon our heads a crown woven of faith, hope, and love; instead of precious stones, let us adorn our necks with humility, as with a precious necklace; and instead of a belt, let us gird ourselves with chastity, and let us wear poverty as bright garments; and at the table, let us offer incorruptible food, consisting of prayers and psalms; But as the apostle commands, let us not only move our tongues, but also understand with our minds what we utter, for very often, when the lips pray, the heart and mind are thinking of something else. We, who have come to the Divine Marriage, must be careful lest we find ourselves without lamps, that is, without virtues. For our Bridegroom, Christ, will hate us and will not accept us at all if we do not fulfill what we have promised Him. What promises have we made? To care less for the body and more for the soul, and to water it. It is impossible to draw two full tubs of water from a well with a wheel at once, since the wheel, turning, lowers the empty tub into the well and raises the full one. So it is impossible to care for both the soul and the body at the same time. When we direct all our care to the soul, and it, filled with virtues, strives upward, the body becomes light from its struggles and does not burden the soul with earthly cares. The apostle testifies to this, saying, "Though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day" ( 2 Cor. 4:16 ). If you are in a cenobitic monastery, do not change your location, otherwise you will suffer great harm: just as a bird that abandons its eggs makes them cold and barren, so a nun or monk who moves from place to place becomes cold and dead in faith. Do not be seduced by the abundance of riches and the variety of dishes in other places, as having some significance. Those who value the culinary art are those who prepare pleasant and tasty dishes themselves. You, however, overcome the abundance of delicacies with fasting and simple dishes, for Solomon says:“The soul that is full mocks the honeycomb: but the soul of poverty, and bitterness, is sweet” ( Proverbs 27:7 ) . Do not oversaturate yourself with bread, and then you will not desire wine. There are three chief and primary kinds of evil, from which all other evil comes: lust, pleasure, and sorrow, and they are connected one with another, and one follows the other. And it is possible to overcome pleasure, but it is impossible to overcome lust, since pleasure is accomplished through the body, and lust begins in the soul. Sorrow comes from both, and if you do not allow lust to act in you, you will cast out both pleasure and sorrow. But if you allow lust to act, it will bring pleasure, and pleasure will bring sorrow, and all of these will abide in you, not allowing your soul to return to vigilance, for Scripture says: “Do not let the waters run wild.” Not everything is useful for everyone, but let each person guide his own mind. For some, it is beneficial to live in communities, while for others, it is beneficial to remain alone. Just as some plants thrive in moist places, while others thrive in dry places, and just as some people thrive in the mountains, while others thrive in the lowlands, so let each monk or nun abide where it is most beneficial. For many, even in cities, have practiced hermitism, led virtuous lives, and were saved, while many, in the mountains, performed the deeds of laymen and perished. Therefore, it is possible to remain alone in one's thoughts even among many, and again, one who is alone can be with many in one's thoughts. The devil has many snares, and if he cannot harm a person with poverty, he sends wealth to entice and harm him; and if he cannot harm a person with reproaches and insults, he sends praise and glory. And if he is overcome by a person's health, he inflicts illness on him; for when he cannot harm the soul with joyful things, he seeks to harm it with sorrow and pain. He inflicts severe illnesses on a person, by God's permission, in order to lead him to faintheartedness and, thus, to eclipse his love for God; and therefore you, beloved, when your body is burning with heat and you feel an unbearable thirst, if you are sinful and suffer so, remember the eternal torments, and the unquenchable fire, and the unbearable tortures, and do not be fainthearted because of temporary sufferings, but rather rejoice that God has visited you , and give thanks to Him, uttering the laudatory words of David: "The Lord chastened me, but did not give me over to death" ( Psalm 118:18 ), for through illness you will be cleansed from the filth of sin, just as iron is cleansed from rust by fire. If you are righteous and ill, know that you will progress from lesser to greater good, and if you are golden, you will only become brighter from the fire of sorrows. If Satan's angel has been given to you incarnate, you have been granted the dignity of being like the Apostle Paul and should rejoice. If you are tormented by fever or trembling, then consolation and peace await you, as the Divine Scriptures say:"We have passed through fire and water, and You have brought us out into rest" ( Psalm 66:12 ). Have you experienced the first? Expect the second as well. If you are poor, and toiling, and suffering, then speak the words of the prophet: "I am poor and needy" ( Psalm 40:17 ), and through this you will become perfect, for the Psalmist says: "You have enlarged me in affliction" ( Psalm 4:2 ). Let us strive more in this way, for we see the enemy fighting against us. Let us not grieve that, due to bodily weakness, we cannot remain in prayer or read psalms aloud, for standing, fasting, lying down, and any other hardening of the body are undertaken because of vile lusts and pleasures. If illness has killed them, then the labor of fasting and other ascetic labors are superfluous. But what can we say—superfluous? Destructive passions disappear from illness, as from the most powerful medicine, and weakness is the greatest ascetic labor, and it is necessary to endure it, glorify it, and thank God. If we have lost our eyes, let us not despair, for we have been delivered from the organs of insatiable lust for visible things and see with spiritual eyes the glory of the Lord. If we have become deaf, let us thank God, for we have been freed from the hearing of vanity. Even if our hands are paralyzed by illness, our inner hands of the soul are prepared for the struggle with the enemy; Even if illness has overcome our entire body, our spiritual health nevertheless grows ever stronger. If we live in a community, let us prefer obedience to asceticism. For asceticism often produces pride, and obedience, humility. Excessive asceticism is the work of the enemy, for those who listen to the devil's teachings strive beyond their strength. And how can we distinguish divine and royal asceticism from demonic? Clearly, we recognize this by moderation. Throughout your life, keep one rule of fasting. Do not fast for four or five days and then indulge in a multitude of delicacies, for immoderation is destructive. Do not use all your weapons at once, lest you find yourself naked during battle and be defeated by the enemy. Our own weapons are our bodies, but the soul is a warrior. Therefore, take care of both as needed. And when you are young and healthy, fast, for old age and infirmity will come. Therefore, store up for yourself as much as you can, so as not to be in need during your time of exhaustion. Fast wisely and precisely, lest the enemy secretly infiltrate this practice and steal its fruits because of your foolishness. This, I believe, is what the Lord says: "Be ye skillful money changers. "That is, know the royal coin accurately; there are also counterfeit coins, and although their material is the same, they differ in the inscription and seal. The gold of which I speak is fasting, abstinence, and almsgiving, but both the Greeks and heretics used these virtues, placing their own seal on this gold. Therefore, we must be careful and avoid what is counterfeit, lest we make a mistake through inexperience and suffer harm. Therefore, we should use only those coins on which the Cross of Christ is imprinted along with the divine virtues—right faith and decent deeds. It is necessary for us nuns to govern our souls with all discernment, and if we are in a cenobitic monastery, then let us not seek our own will, nor follow our own reason, but let us submit to our spiritual mother, the abbess. We gave ourselves over to exile, since we went beyond the bounds of the things of this world, and let us not seek them again; There, in the world, we were glorified, here let us suffer reproach; there we had plenty of delicacies, here let us lack even bread; there, in the world, those who have sinned are placed in prison, and here let us voluntarily imprison ourselves for our sins, to avoid future torments. If you fast, do not break the fast under the pretext of weakness, for even those who do not fast fall into the same weaknesses. Have you begun to do good? Do not abandon it because of the enemy’s obstacles, but endure, so as to cast out the devil with your patience. For those who begin a journey when the wind blows favorably, spread the sails and set sail, but when the wind turns against them, they do not immediately lower the sails, but either endure or fight the storm and continue on their way. So too, when a storm arises, let us raise the Cross like sails and continue our journey fearlessly.” Such were the teachings, or rather, the deeds, of the blessed Syncletica. And we learned many other deeds and words from her, for the benefit of those who heard and saw them, so numerous that it would be impossible to recount them all.

The devil, a hater of goodness, unable to bear such an abundance of goodness, was consumed by the desire to eclipse the radiance of her struggles. Finally, by divine permission, he attacked this most courageous virgin with such force that he not only wounded her body, but, in doing so, inflicted upon her intense internal pain, which human means could not alleviate. First, he damaged her lungs—the most vital organ of life. A short time later, he vented his malice upon the saint through diseases so fatal that they could have quickly caused death. But the accursed bloodsucker raged, prolonging the illnesses and increasing the ulcers. He gradually wore down her lungs, so that she spat them out with blood. She also suffered from a severe fever that withered her entire body. She was eighty years old when she endured the sufferings of Job, but in a shorter time, and it was harder for her to bear them. Righteous Job suffered from plagues for thirty-five years , while the saint suffered for three and a half. While the devil tormented Job with external wounds, the saint suffered from within. I believe that even the courageous martyrs of Christ suffered less than the ever-memorable Syncletica. For the devil fought them from without, and although they were tormented with swords and fire, this was perhaps easier to bear than the saint's suffering. The enemy tormented her from within, through her own body, gradually, little by little, increasing the temperature within her, burning her over a slow fire, tormenting her incessantly day and night. The saint bore these sufferings magnanimously, without wavering or losing heart, but combating the enemy who fought her and healing those wounded by him with soul-beneficial teachings, so that she delivered their souls as if from the jaws of a lion. And many remained unharmed, because she showed them the snares of the enemy and made them free from sin.

The blessed one said that those souls dedicated to God should never be negligent, for when they dwell in solitude, the enemy gnashes his teeth and, vanquished by them, laments and retreats a little, but watches them. If they ever become negligent about anything, he comes and seduces them through the very thing they were not concerned about. And just as it is impossible for evil people not to have small glimmers of goodness, so too do good people have some flaws, and there is always a good side to the evil, and an evil side to the good. It often happens that a person filled with every vile passion is nevertheless merciful, while one who abides in fasting, chastity, and asceticism is both condemned and avaricious. Therefore, no one should be negligent or disdainful of small things, as if they could do no harm, for even a small drop, if persistent, wears away a stone. Great blessings come to people through Divine grace, while we are taught to overcome obvious petty passions with our own strength. He who resists great evil through God's grace but neglects little ones will suffer great harm. For our Lord, as our true Father, when we, His spiritual children, begin to walk, gives us His hand so that we do not fall, and, delivering us from great temptations, He leaves us in small ones, so that we too can demonstrate our free will and walk on our own two feet. After all, how can he who is overcome by little things protect himself from great ones? The hater of good, seeing that the saint had again turned against him, was displeased and wounded the saint's organs of speech, intending to prevent her from speaking for the benefit of the sisters and to deprive them of the word of God. But this brought them great benefit, for, seeing the saint's wounds, they were strengthened in virtue, and the saint's physical wounds healed their wounded souls. Satan, however, wounded her in the following way: the saint developed a toothache, which immediately caused her gums to rot, the tooth fell out, and the decay spread throughout her jaw. Within forty days, the bone had rotted, and within two months, a hole had formed, turning everything around black. A strong stench emanated from her entire body, so much so that the sisters who served the saint suffered from it more than she did, and for the most part, they hid from her, unable to bear the stench. When, however, they had to approach the saint, they lit a large quantity of incense and approached, and after ministering to her, they immediately departed. Saint Syncletica clearly saw the enemy fighting her, and therefore refused to allow any human medical assistance, in order to demonstrate her courage in this as well. The sisters asked permission to anoint the sore spots with oil, but she refused, believing that doing so would deprive her of the glorious battle she was waging against the enemy. The sisters sent for a physician to persuade her to take certain medications, but the saint refused, saying, "Why are you hindering me in this good battle I am waging against the enemy? Why do you look at the obvious and not see the hidden? Why do you examine what has happened and not see the one who did this?" The physician said to her:"We do not seek your healing or consolation, but only to bury, as prescribed, that member which has separated from the rest of your body and has rotted, becoming dead, so that the sisters who serve you will not suffer from the stench. For what is done to a dead body, that is what I do now: I add aloes, myrrh, and myrsine to wine and apply them to the rotten member." Hearing this, the saint followed his advice and consented, since the sisters who served her were saddened. And who would not tremble, seeing her unbearable sores? Who would not receive spiritual benefit, imagining the patience of the saint? And who would not be strengthened, understanding the defeat she inflicted on the devil? For he, the vile one, wounded the saint in that part of the body from which flowed the saving and sweetest source of words, and his excessive evil overcame all human help; Like a bloodthirsty animal, he pounced on his prey. But, wanting to devour it, he himself was caught, as if on a hook, by the weakness of his body. Seeing the saint as a weak woman, he disdained her as a frail vessel, and failed to discern in her a manly mind and the firmness of her thought. The saint spent three months in this struggle, strengthened by divine power, for here any natural strength would have failed, for she could neither eat due to the intense suppuration and stench, nor sleep due to the unbearable pain. And when the end of her struggle and the crowns of victory approached, she beheld a divine vision: angels, holy virgins, who urged her to ascend to heaven. She saw illuminations of divine light, and a paradise. She related this to the sisters, exhorting them to courageously endure temporary sorrows and not to lose heart. She also told them that in three days she would be separated from the body, and not only predicted the day, but also the hour of her departure.She could not sleep because of the unbearable pain. And when the end of her struggle and the crowns of victory approached, she saw a divine vision: angels, holy virgins, who urged her to ascend to heaven. She saw flashes of divine light and a paradise, and she told her sisters about this, exhorting them to endure temporary sorrows with fortitude and not to lose heart. She also told them that in three days she would be separated from her body, and she predicted not only the day but also the hour of her departure.She could not sleep because of the unbearable pain. And when the end of her struggle and the crowns of victory approached, she saw a divine vision: angels, holy virgins, who urged her to ascend to heaven. She saw flashes of divine light and a paradise, and she told her sisters about this, exhorting them to endure temporary sorrows with fortitude and not to lose heart. She also told them that in three days she would be separated from her body, and she predicted not only the day but also the hour of her departure.

And when the time came, blessed Syncletica departed to the Lord, having received the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward for her labors, to the glory and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.