§ 163. Учение Великого Макария.

The subject of conversations and instructions of St. Macaria is the inner spiritual life and mainly in the form in which it occurs on the path of contemplative solitude. Despite the deep and obscure subject, the conversations and instructions of an experienced teacher are clear and intelligible; the spiritual, so little known to some of us, in the mouth of the spirit-bearing Macarius is close to both the heart and the mind; What would be dark in spiritual sublimity, in Macarius, comes closer to understanding with comparisons and images, which are always simple and all the more amazing. His thoughts in this or that conversation are not arranged according to the law of logical order, but they follow the natural course of sincere feelings; Often a series of thoughts is interrupted by questions that were probably proposed by the students either during the conversations themselves, or before. That is why, in order to touch upon the gracious spirit of Makariev, we do not need to consider in order the content of each conversation and instruction, but let us imagine what most filled the soul of Makari and what should fill the soul of everyone. 1) Placing the idea of ​​the corruption of nature as the basis for moral deeds, St. Macarius depicts this corruption in the following way: “How Adam, having violated the commandment, took into himself the brew of evil passions; so, by participation, those born from him and the entire race of Adam became participants in the same kvass 849. The evil prince clothed the soul and its entire being with sin, desecrated it all, subjugated it all to the kingdom of darkness and did not leave free a single member of it, nor thoughts, nor mind, nor body, and clothed it with the purple of darkness” 850. 2) However, a person has not become so corrupt that there is nothing good left in him. “Whoever is willing obeys God and follows the path of righteousness and overcomes lusts. For this mind is able to fight (ὁ γὰρ νοῦς οὗτος ἀντίμαχος ἔστι), can, with a strengthened thought, defeat the aspirations of evil and shameful lusts” 851. The state of the natural man St. Macarius beautifully compares it to the state of a baby. “It is not true when they say that a person is completely dead and cannot do anything good. The baby cannot approach its mother on its own legs; however, he moves, screams, cries, looking for his mother; the mother takes pity on him and is consoled by the fact that her child is looking for her with such effort and cries; the child cannot reach her: but since it is already looking for its mother, the mother comes up to it, carried away by the love of the child, takes it in her arms, presses it to her breast, feeds it with great tenderness. The man-loving God does the same with the soul that strives for Him and seeks Him” 852. 3) When human nature is disordered, grace-filled help on the path to heaven is absolutely necessary; a person is not able to heal on his own. “It is impossible to free the soul from sin if God himself does not tame and stop that evil wind that dwells in the soul and body.... So, let us pray to God to give us the wings of the dove of the Holy Spirit, may we fly to Him and calm down, may He separate the harmful wind from the soul and body; those. sin living in the members of the soul and body" 853. “A soul that is not salted by the Holy Spirit, that has not become a partaker of the power of God, rots and is filled with the stench of evil thoughts... When it runs to God, believes and asks for the salt of life of the good and man-loving Spirit: then the heavenly salt, descending, consumes those black worms and drives away the stench, destroying it with the action of its power” 854. 4) “How can there be two faces in the heart - grace and sin? The fire is outside the copper vessel; but if you add wood, it lights up, and what is in the vessel cooks, boils from the ignited external fire. If someone is careless and does not add firewood, the fire begins to grow cold and is gradually destroyed. So grace, this heavenly fire, is inside you. If you have prayed and directed your thoughts towards the love of Christ: look - add wood and your thoughts will be on fire and immersed in the Love of God. Even if the Spirit existing outside of you recedes, nevertheless it is also in you and is revealed outside of you” 855. 5) Grace descends on the soul when the soul seeks it; but against our will she neither begins nor accomplishes salvation in us. “Human nature is capable of accepting good and evil, divine power and evil power; but she cannot be forced to do so. Human nature is such that, even being in the abyss of evil, it can turn to good; likewise, one who has received the grace of the Holy Spirit and is filled with heavenly gifts can turn to evil” 856. Grace does not destroy in us our natural qualities, severity or meekness, simplicity or intelligence. “It happens that a simple person, having been spiritually reborn, becomes wise and hidden secrets are revealed to him: but by nature he remains simple. Willow, being harsh by nature, betrays his will to please Begu and God accepts him: but his nature remains harsh, despite all the fact that God favors him” 857. Thus, in order to succeed in spiritual life, it is necessary to distract your spirit from external and perishable things; strive in virtues, especially in humility and love, learn to distinguish between bad and good thoughts, natural and grace-filled ones, and most of all, practice prayer 858. 6) The soul, purified by long-term deeds and attention to oneself, comes closer and closer to its Lord. “The more you gather your spirit in order to seek Him, the more it is prompted by its own mercy and goodness to come to you and reassure you” 859. 7) At no level of spiritual perfection should one indulge in carelessness. “Grace allows even the most perfect spiritual ones to have their own desires, leaves the power to do whatever they want and to bend wherever they want. Weak human nature, although there is good in it, still has the power to change” 860. “I have not yet seen a single Christian who is perfect or free from sin: for although another is calmed by grace, receives mysterious revelations, tastes the sweetness of grace; but despite all this, sin is still in him” 861. 8) The highest degree of spiritual perfection of the soul of St. Macarius calls it either the dissolution of the soul with the Lord (μίαν κρασιν), or the abiding of the whole mind in heavenly Jerusalem 862. The very action of grace in such a soul is described as follows: “This action is illumination by heavenly light in revelation and the power of the Spirit. Let no one mistakenly think that the enlightenment of the Spirit is nothing more than enlightenment produced by the action of reason: with ignorance and laziness, such a person may find himself far from the perfect sacrament of grace” 863. “If God desires to become like any creature for the glorification and consolation of rational creatures, then everything is easy and possible for Him; He will be transformed into such an image as he wants, for souls worthy and faithful; just look - be worthy and acceptable - in fact, with your very feeling you will see heavenly blessings, unspeakable consolations, immeasurable riches of the Divine” 864. Here, speaking about the appearance of spirits in visible images, St. Macarius calls each created spirit a subtle body: but he actually calls it this in comparison of the finite spirit with the infinite 865. 9) “Some say that there is one kingdom and one Gehenna: but we affirm that there are many degrees, there is a difference and measure not only in the kingdom, but also in Gehenna.... Since some pray, not knowing what they are looking for, others fast, others stay in the monastery; God the righteous Judge gives reward according to the measure of faith. Such, whatever they do, they do out of the fear of God: but they are not all sons, or kings, or heirs” 866. This is the teaching of the great Abba about the salvation of the soul! Demon. 24. r. 349. seq. ed. 1714. Demon. 2. rub. 2. ac. r. 25–27. Sl. Demon. 5. rub. 73–76. A Word about Patience and Distinction R. 73. Demon. 15. rub. 206. Demon. 16. r. 240, 241. ff. a word about keeping the heart. Bes, 2. b. 24. 25. ff. Demon. 44. rub. 508. About love 136. r. s. about patience and discernment r. 70.s. about R.'s prayer 50.s. about the elevation of the mind of r. 108, f. Demon. 25. rub. 359. Demon. 46. ​​r. 526.sl. about the rise of the river 415. Demon. about freedom of mind r. 211. Demon. 4. r. 50. 51. words. words about the elevation of the mind of r. 113–116. Chr. Thurs. 1821 Demon. 5, 10. Instruction. 5, 33–39. You might be interested in: