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“And I am ready for this, and I will not be lazy to explain the essence of the matter as best I can, because after baptism, repentance is the main thing of salvation for all the faithful, and the second cleansing, and the second baptism, performed through confession and contrition, with all possible labor and tears. The leaders of repentance are publicans and sinners and harlots who came to Christ in repentance and were not rejected by Him; likewise the thief on the cross, who believed and confessed Christ and cried out: Remember me; as well as the first of the disciples, who wept bitterly after he fell through renunciation, and was pardoned, and after being questioned three times, was restored to what he was, or even more - appointed shepherd of the sheep of Christ, in order to shepherd the sheep with attentiveness and condescension, having learned from the fact that he fell and was again accepted by Christ, appointed to receive the repentant fallen. But there is no one who has fallen among people at all, and the first to fall, and most of all the faithful, is me, and I ask for mercy and salvation. – Truly, Vladyka, we all need this, because we all constantly sin. 215. That repentance consists in constantly lamenting, calling and considering oneself a sinner, and resorting to confession, and that among people no one is pure - True, brother. For who can boast of having a pure heart? Or who is pure from filth, as it is written, “even if he lived one day on earth” (Job 14:4-5), while everyone is sinful either from original sin, or, after enlightenment through baptism, immediately and involuntarily somehow falling into sin, for for this it is enough to sin accidentally in relation to someone: a parent, or a friend, or a relative, which is impossible not to happen. And even if this happens to an unreasonable baby, it still becomes the cause of sin, and defilement and sin are immediately communicated to him. And this is every person, even though he has received grace. As soon as he is born, he desires the things of the flesh unreasonably and unconsciously, and this is a consequence of the crime of his ancestors, which is why he sins as soon as he is born and does not yet understand. For, as David said, it is conceived in sins (Ps. 50:7). So, if it is impossible for some sin not to nest in a newborn and newly enlightened baby, then even more so in all of us, both voluntarily and involuntarily. And especially freely - in all, as in verbal beings who voluntarily do not care about the fact that we constantly sin. The very sins of oblivion and ignorance are from our negligence, and it is impossible to find justification for them. 216. That everyone must repent: both the sanctified and the laity So, you need to repent, as the Baptist, the Lord, and His disciples preached. And everyone needs to repent: laymen and monastics, clergy and priests, and bishops, and no one should be excluded from repentance, because we have all sinned and are sinning, and everyone must repent. Often both our Savior and His Baptist said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2; Matt. 4:17), that is, the Heavenly King Himself, who is close to those who repent, because “the Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth” (Ps. 145:18). And I cry loudly, turning this to myself: let us repent according to the grace of our Savior in order to be saved, for the Kingdom of God is near. I will say with the most divine Paul: “And now salvation is closer to us” (Rom. 13:11), because our Savior and Judge is coming. “Let us cast aside the works of darkness and put on the weapons of light” (Rom. 13:12). And that confession and repentance are necessary for priests just as for monks and laity, the apostle testifies to this, saying: “Confess your faults to each other and pray for each other in order to be healed” (James 5:16), and teaching how everyone needs confession and repentance for what they have fallen into. Repentance was preached by the Baptist, as we have already said, and performed by the Savior when he accepted the confession of sinners, especially the tax collector, the prodigal, the harlot and the thief on the cross, and the confession of very many other sinners. He inspires the same with parables, and especially with the parable of the prodigal son, who fulfilled everything related to repentance. Saying: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you” (Luke 15:18), he makes a confession, and with the words: “and I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:19), he reveals contrition and self-punishment with self-reproach. Saying: “Take me as one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:19), a humble prayer combined with hope, for no one should despair. But, according to the Gospel, here are the fruits of repentance, which the Baptist requires (Matthew 3:8): this is a turning away from sin, for the pardoned prodigal son also did so. Leaving debauchery, he came to the Father with confession: “I have sinned,” he says frankly, and not just “sinned,” but: “into heaven and before you.” “To heaven” - because he did lawless and hostile deeds to Heaven; “and before you” - because I despised You and was not at all afraid, was not afraid and was not ashamed of You, my Holy Creator. Then we see true self-condemnation: “I am not worthy,” he says, “to be called your son.” Next is prayer and striving for deeds that are characteristic of the humiliated, guilty and debtors: “Take me as one of your hired servants.” The Council of the Apostles did the same and taught the same thing, and even more: despite their fatigue, they went preaching repentance. And even when they were dying, they sought to convert sinners. They punished them, and consoled them, and excommunicated them when necessary, and accepted them, and were ready to serve everyone for salvation. 217. That preaching repentance was, in fact, the work of the Savior and the apostles and that this is primarily the duty of bishops and priests We, the sanctified, should also be concerned about preaching repentance. And about this I appeal to both my soul and the hierarchs who are with me. I cry out that we, more than anyone else, are obliged to do this wonderful work, that is, to lead to repentance, and that this is a ministry of preaching, just like converting the godless to faith. For this is the wonderful work of the Savior and His apostles - to attract unbelievers to faith. But now it is rare, both because the zeal of the apostolic men has ceased, and because recently there have been great persecutions 20 . After him, the most beautiful thing and equal to him is to protect the faithful 21 and with all his strength and with all his zeal to turn to repentance. Therefore, one should not leave them and wait until they come with an appeal. No, the performers of the Sacrament of repentance must, wherever possible, peer and look for the falling one, by all means convince him to hasten to God, lead him away from sin and bring him to God. 218. That the work of urging the faithful to repentance is true preaching And let this be for the hierarch instead of preaching the Gospel, or better to say, the sermon itself. For what other purpose does preaching have than the salvation of the lost, the awakening of the fallen and the turning to something better for those who have wandered away from this better? Thus, he who turned to God those who erred in the faith is, in relation to them, like the mouth of God, since he made the unworthy worthy. The same applies to the conversion of a sinner. For he who turns a sinner from the false path to the true one is also, as it were, the mouth of God, and is himself worthy of Christ, and, according to Scripture, “saved a soul from death and covered a multitude of sins” (James 5:20). Therefore, the word of the teaching of the Spirit must be preached in the Church, and it is commanded to the hierarch, and it is necessary for him, and it is his duty - only the word is not highly intelligent and flowery, composed of sayings invented by external art, but simple, aimed at the restoration of souls, towards the correction of morals and to a good state, towards the support of those standing, to the inspiration of the fallen, to the return of those who have estranged, to the affirmation of the confused, to all things possible for all. benefit. For the arts and various methods did not appear along with nature, but were subsequently invented by nature, and God, who corrects nature, corrects it with simple and artless means given to nature. That is why He became incarnate, again forming and recreating our nature through our own nature. Therefore, the teacher should teach in simple words and mainly filled with the Spirit, in order to both correct others and benefit himself, being humble, not vainglorious with flowery words, not being useless to the hearers and satisfying their spiritual needs, and considering this the goal of all preaching and teaching. “Woe is me,” says Paul, “if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16). We often see that the apostle does not so much perform sacred acts and Sacraments, and even baptism itself, as he preaches in order to convert more, and says: “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 1:17). Of course, he baptized: he baptized Timothy and the house of Stephen, and quite many others, but he prefers preaching to this. Why? Because first you need to convert the infidel to the faith and then baptize him. To baptize is the job of every priest, and to convert is the job of a teacher. And now - alas! - I see that many do not care about the sacred Sacraments, nor about the word of God-inspired and saving preaching. And in general, they perform sacred acts in a showy manner and with some kind of vanity, they rarely pray and never preach, but they sit magnificently, worry about worldly judgments, from which discord and all kinds of unrest, enmity and useless, even more soul-destroying disputes are born. They care about perishable acquisitions, but they have no talk at all about their own spiritual life, to which they are called as more enlightened, and about the lives of those entrusted to them. They do not care about studying the Holy Scriptures, nor about observing the rules of the church, or about any other sacred activity that the fathers point to. They have no concern at all for the churches and the spiritual flock of our Savior. And this despite the fact that Paul says: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of the Lord and God, which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts. 20:28), and this is when the wolves not only intend to come, but are already here. Many talk a lot about income and property, but little talk about the treasures of saved souls in Heaven. I do not separate myself from such people, because I, who am careless with the careless, will give an answer for this. Therefore, reflecting on my own duty, I weep for myself and my brothers. And since it is necessary to talk about our duty, I speak about it because we have an inevitable need to hasten to bring our brothers to repentance. For repentance is one of the Sacraments, and it is the duty of bishops to perform it for the faithful. You need to strive for this. And together with the bishops, let those who have received such ministry with the episcopal permission strive for this. And let no one have in mind (for I am not talking about everyone, just as I am not talking about all bishops) about carnal profit, which is damage and, in fact, loss. And let them not judge contrary to the rules, so that the one who acts against the rules does not bring upon himself the sins of another. In addition, let no one fall into error and take it as a rule to be stricter than the fathers themselves, for who is more blameless than them in such matters, who is more attentive and purer? Let him not fall into self-deception and imagine that he can be more lenient than them, being weak and silently falling along with those who fall. And who is so brave as to dare to be more humane than fathers? And where will he get the power to do this if he rejects his fathers and does not act within the boundaries set by them? He will inevitably act on his own, and what he has done will not be lasting, because it is not by succession from the fathers. So, let everyone firmly decide not to do anything contrary to the definitions and rules of the fathers. For they were compiled by various God-bearing men, and are faithful, as in agreement with the Spirit, and are very capable of healing any passion, and are completely healing. It is unnecessary to tell us about them, since they are very clear and are in many books, and have been explained by many for a greater understanding of them. So, everyone must judge by church rules and not listen to any others that are not compiled according to the definitions of these rules, because grace is by succession, for from the source of grace - our Lord and Savior it passed to His apostles, from the apostles - to the fathers, and from our fathers - to us. Thus, if we keep the rules of the fathers, then the succession of grace will be in us, and our word will be firm. Otherwise, if you do not act according to what they have determined, then your word will not be firm. And what forces us to act not according to the definitions of our fathers? If you see someone’s sincere repentance, pure confession of falls, contrition from the depths of the soul and humiliation, true abstinence from evil deeds, and from the bottom of the heart hatred of sin, and removal from it, and zeal for works of repentance, which are revealed in abstinence and mercy, then this is wonderful, and the fathers teach how to act in such a case. Accept him, establish love in him, support your brother, explore repentance more carefully, test the repentant. And if, with true repentance, he wishes to shorten the time of penance and somehow soften it, then do not stop sharing the Good with him, because the whole goal is for everyone to unite with the Good. And if this is so, then do not be afraid to allow him to join, because you will find instructions for such permission from the fathers, and from them you will receive the power to do this. This is your colleague and competitor. Approve the one who shows more zeal, and accept him with open arms, and serve, as much as you can, according to the zeal of the repentant. 219. About the fact that one must be attentive to those who say that they repent, and accept those who come sincerely, and test those who do it hypocritically If one of the repentants is cold and double-minded and his conversion is only in words, but not at all in deeds, and if he not only does not have the zeal to do anything useful, but is also ready to turn back, like “a dog to his vomit” (2 Pet. 2:22), for example, he laughs and mocks the shrine, or with outward humility and zeal, having been slightly tested, becomes indifferent and cold upon receiving the Gifts and again indulges in the former, then let no such thing be with you, so that you too do not become a participant in the sins of others. One should not pour myrrh into a dirty vessel and should not - we have received instructions - throwing pearls before swine and giving holy things to dogs (Matthew 7:6), who seem friendly and acting for the good of the master. But, meanwhile, one should not despair regarding such people and one should not turn away from any of them. But we must accept them and try, as we said, to bring them to a consciousness of sinfulness, and encourage them to repentance, and always expect that they will come to it (because there must be hope to the end), although not to vouchsafe the Holy, so that it would not be a condemnation both for them and for those who foolishly teach it. 220. About confession: how it should be performed Confession should not be done simply, but as the Savior indicated when he accepted Zacchaeus and the harlot. The first solemnly and with contrition expressed everything he had sinned, and promised to correct the grievances and begin to do divine deeds. “Lord!” he says, “I will give half of my property to the poor, and if I have offended anyone in any way, I will repay him fourfold” (Luke 19:8). And the second, taking “the alabaster of myrrh and standing behind (for she did not dare to stand before Him) at His feet and weeping, began to wet His feet with tears and wipe them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet and anointed them with myrrh” (Luke 7:37, 38). That is why Jesus said: “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven because she loved much, but he who is forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47). He said to Zacchaeus: “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). Do you see that for zeal and striving for the truth upon conversion, remission of sins with salvation is immediately granted? And to the unrepentant the Savior says: “Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). And he said to those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit: “whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but he will be subject to eternal condemnation” (Mark 3:29). And to those who did not want to forgive the sins of others, he said that they would not be forgiven either. And “if you do not repent,” he says, “you will all perish in the same way” (Luke 13:3). And to those who did not believe in Him he said: “Behold, your house is left to you empty” (Matthew 23:38). Therefore, one must truly repent, and moreover, with humility, and not as some claim (which is worthy of laughter), - as if when you eat and drink, the heart opens to confess sins, and therefore, with a hangover (to say the least) they dare to fulfill the Christian duty of repentance, doing the opposite of repentance and going against Him who said: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be burdened.” overeating and drunkenness and the cares of this life, lest that day come upon you suddenly” (Luke 21:34). How can someone whose heart is in such a state become contrite? How will one grieve? With what attention and humility will he fulfill the duty of confession? 221. How should one sit and hold oneself when receiving confession, and how should one doing confession? So, it should not be higher than this. The one receiving confession must, in a proper and sacred place, alone and without noise, sit with reverence, be cheerful and with meekness in soul and look, and Divine love must be expressed in his actions. And the one who confesses, with boldness, and the fear of God, and with reverence, must stand before the one receiving the confession, as before Christ Himself, because through the one who accepts sins, he confesses them to Christ, Who gives forgiveness. And he must answer the confessor’s questions without doubt, humbly and truthfully, and not hide anything. 222. That we have three forces, by the action of which we do good or sin: verbal, irritable and desirable - and which together are called the tripartite soul Since three forces operate in us: verbal, irritable and desirable, the person confessing must confess in detail the failures in all of them. If he does not know what they are, then the confessor is obliged to remind him and ask. For in accordance with these three forces, as the great Gregory of Nyssa says, 22 we either live well or we sin. In the verbal lies faith and everything that belongs to the mind. And therefore it is necessary to ask about faith, whether the repentant has wavered in it, or whether he has blasphemed? 223. That there are three other forces in us, in relation to which we do either good or bad: the mind, the spoken word and bodily movements This happens both in the mind and in the word, for we have also received three other forces, in relation to which we either do well or fall: the mind and that which relates to the mind, the word and that which relates to the word, actions and the belonging of actions; and in all this, verbal, irritable, and desirable power operates. 224. About what good things happen through the mind in the verbal, irritable and desirable powers of those who exercise them, and what, on the contrary, happens to those who are inattentive to them Firstly, the mind, acting in the heart, gives rise to either good thoughts (with attention) or evil ones (with inattention). Hence, in those who pay attention to themselves, the mind generates the memory of God and right faith, prayer and attention, praise and thanksgiving to God, which, as we said, is the action of the power of the mind. And from the irritable force, through the mediation of the mind, fiery and intense zeal and desire for piety, and sacred songs, and thanksgiving to God are generated. From the power of desire, through the mind, true and sincere love for God and neighbor, and heartfelt attachment to divine objects, and good and spiritual thoughts are born. The exact opposite happens to someone who is not alert in mind. The power of words produces in him that he thinks incorrectly about pious faith and about the One God in the Trinity, about the incarnation of the Word and about other things related to God. In addition, ingratitude, blasphemy, and apostate and demonic dreams are generated in it. And the irritable force prompts him to evil deeds, plans against his brother, to envy, slander, fury and vindictiveness, and very much more, to the extent of irritation. What is generated by desire is that a person loves glory, loves money in his heart and desires what belongs to his neighbor. He is partial to other people's goods or to the fading beauty of the flesh, thinks about passionate things, and nurtures uncleanness and all kinds of filth in his soul, and is like cattle, and through thoughts even worse than cattle. This and the like is accomplished by the mind in these three forces. 225. What good does a person do with words in relation to the three-part power of the soul and what, through negligence, does he sin? Further, in the word a person reveals the virtues of the mind when he piously and reverently speaks about faith, boldly confesses God in an Orthodox manner and glorifies Him, and thanks and sings praises, studies and explains divine objects, and speaks the truth in everything, judges righteous judgment, and in general speaks only about the good and the divine. And in relation to the irritable force, he does good when, with zeal, he encourages with words to virtues, stands for God and for his neighbor, objects to those who oppose God, denounces the wicked and lawless, speaks with boldness and without fear in the face of kings and leaders, and fights for the truth. In relation to the desired power - when he praises God, talks about the deeds of God and exalts them, speaks about what is saving, praises and exalts his neighbors, prays for them, pacifies them, reconciles them with each other, intercedes for them before kings and rulers, and says everything for their benefit. A person sins in his words in relation to the mind with evil movements of the heart, when he blasphemes God in his speeches, renounces Him, is ungrateful, does not say anything in conscience, swears falsely, lies and says nothing useful. In relation to the power of irritability, he sins by verbally blaspheming others, offending, lying, betraying his word, giving false witness, slandering, dishonoring, humiliating, and when he speaks, he speaks only evil for his neighbor. In relation to the desired power, he sins in words if he has a passion for lewd songs, foul language, bad speech, chatter that arouses lust, idle talk and fabulous talk, and is quick to use every unclean word. These are the actions of the word. 226. What good deeds are accomplished by the tripartite power of the soul when a person pays attention to himself, and what evil ones - when he does not pay attention The good deeds of a person who pays attention to himself are: • in relation to the mind - prolonged chants, intense praise, attentiveness to oneself, concentration of the mind in oneself, unceasing prayer, readiness to work or even suffer for the Orthodox faith in God, honoring and glorifying Him and unfailingly remaining in good and godly deeds; • in relation to the irritable force, in the external activity of a person the following are revealed: courage in virtues, a just course of action, suffering for the truth, zeal for the fulfillment of the commandments, generous alms from one’s property, poverty for Christ’s sake, neglect of carnal desires, withdrawal from the world and contempt for what is in the world, service to others, vigil, nakedness, prostration on the earth, wakefulness, standing, kneeling, fasting, bodily sorrows for Christ's sake, and often martyrdom, which is the highest of Christ's deeds; • in relation to the desired strength - chastity for the sake of Christ, virginity, mercy and love for the poor, visiting hospitals and prisons for the sake of Christ, intercession for orphans and widows, sacrificing property to help a brother and, finally, out of love, sometimes giving up oneself for the brothers, as Christ did for us. On the contrary, when a person sins, then in his actions in relation to the power of the mind it is revealed that he does not visit Divine churches, does not care about worship of God, does not work for God and divine things, and, even worse, steals the divine and does the like; blasphemes and attacks the servants of God, slandering them and doing evil to them. And in relation to the irritable force, he beats his neighbors, kills, imprisons them and harms them in all ways. In relation to what is desirable, he commits fornication, commits adultery and does everything related to uncleanness, incest and debauchery, and in addition, he offends and kidnaps out of greed, steals, gets drunk, overeats and does many other terrible things through the actions of desire. 227. About the fact that confession is necessary for everyone, because we all sin In everything that we have said, everyone who confesses must test himself, and the one accepting confession must ask about each matter. And if the person confessing has done something good, then praise him and strengthen him in this, and if he finds that he has sinned in something, then through confession and repentance, correct him as much as possible and raise the fallen one to God, following the rules of the fathers and their spiritual reasoning. However, those who think that they have not fallen (which, I believe, is impossible) must all repent. 228. That he who lives reverently needs to live under guidance, and accept spiritual penance from his father, and not rely on himself To think that you have not fallen means to fall, and this is the greatest of all sins, of which, out of their madness, those who stand on their feet are guilty, saying: “When did we see You...?” (Matthew 25:41, 44) - that is: “we have not sinned.” And that this is a grave sin, the beloved disciple of Christ and virgin John the Theologian testifies, saying: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Do you see the power of confession? Let us all hasten to her, because we all need her. And God’s brother James testifies: “Confess your faults to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (James 5:16), for everyone is wounded and covered with marks of blows and there is no one who does not need healing. Only one is sinless - He who, coming in humiliation, healed us and in humility gave us medicine, commanding us to fall down and humble ourselves before each other and be mutually healed. But even the one who, having already been healed, is zealous about success in virtue, should not strive for this on his own, but act with the blessing of his spiritual father and keep not his own canon, but accept it through the living voice of his confessor and live under the latter’s guidance. And no one should in any way, relying on himself, govern himself, because this is not in accordance with Christian life, for living arbitrarily is not an institution of Christ, since Christ was obedient to His Father until death on the cross. So, if He did this, who is greater than Him? And how will he be Christ’s who does not live according to the example of Christ? For Christ is one who, following the example of Christ, lives humbly, does nothing of his own, but fulfills only the Divine will and remains in obedience, like the Savior, who prayed: “Nevertheless not My will, - that is, the will of man, - but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). And the Divine will is both His will with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Thus, being dual by nature and having two natural wills, the one God-man, with human immaculate and pure will, obeyed the Father, erasing the voluntary disobedience of Adam and Eve. And possessing two natural actions, He, being (which is beyond any description) one perfect in hypostasis and two in nature, having completely renewed us through them, deified us. The angelic image of repentance, which we talked about earlier, also refers to repentance. However, again we need to consider how it is performed and what concerns its rituals. 229. Why is the image of a monk called angelic? Maybe someone will say: why is the image of repentance called angelic, since Angels do not fall, since it is not in their nature to fall? Let such a one know that immutability and the impossibility of falling are characteristic only of God, who always exists and remains unchangeable, and that all who have received being and are created are characterized by changeability. It is known that some of the Angels have fallen, and to be Angels means to pay attention to oneself, to be humble and obedient to God, His pure servants and to do His will, as it is written. For the Angel (άγγελος) is the messenger (αναγγέλλων) of God. Likewise, a monk, although he has a human nature prone to falling, but, in his courage, accepts the power of stepping on snakes and scorpions, and all the power of the enemy, and nothing will harm him. Moving away from everyday worries and leaving the world, relatives, wife, children and brothers, he imitates the life of the Angels, for they are not tied to earthly things and do not have carnal offspring. And to make a vow to accept the cross of Christ, to follow in His footsteps, to be obedient to Him, to renounce everything and not to do one’s will is an angelic thing. “Bless,” says the Scripture, “the Lord, all His angels, mighty in strength, who do His word, to hear the voice of His words. Bless the Lord, all your might, your servants who do His will” (Ps. 102:20–21). Do you see? Here is the likeness of the image of an angel and even of Jesus Christ Himself, praying to the Father: “not my will, but yours be done.” That is why Dionysius says that this image is purer than life and the bishops living in the world. 230. Why those now elevated to the episcopacy must be monks The Church of Christ adorns most of those who are elevated to the episcopacy with a divine monastic image even before consecration and only then appoints them as bishops, protecting the great and holy of holies with this all-holy and sacred image. See how the divine sacred act of initiation into the monastic form is performed in Christ. 231. About monastic initiation Anyone who wants to be a monk comes voluntarily and, having made a vow to live according to God, is tested for a certain time. And when he proves his faith by his life and begins to seek initiation into the monastic image, so that it does not seem that he is doing this under duress and force, then he is brought to the church, because, removing himself from the world, he is offered to God like a gift. He stops in front of the gates, since he does not yet belong to the number of Angels and people equal to the angels, but like a penitent he stands before Paradise and Heaven, begging for entry. And as soon as the sacred Mystery of the liturgy begins, then after the first entrance into the Holy of Holies, indicating the introduction of us, people by nature, into the heavenly world, he too is brought into this world, like a sheep that was lost and found by the Lord, which He accepted and brought on its shoulders into His flock. 232. What does it mean that the person being tonsured must be barefoot and naked, without coverings? The tonsured person is deprived of worldly clothes, barefoot and not covered for the following reasons: firstly, because he has thrown off everything superfluous and worldly, and secondly, because he is poor and destitute, as if deprived of wealth by robbers, terribly beaten and wounded, left naked and lying half-dead, and, moreover, deprived of property by evil citizens and withered from hunger and unkind food from horns (Luke 15:13–16). 233. Why is a person being tonsured a monk naked, held in their arms, and what do his prostrations mean, etc. When the good servants of God, like Angels and leading a life equal to the angels, bring the tonsured man, deprived of his coverings, then the following is loudly sung: “Open the Father’s embrace with me,” and the lamps are lit, depicting the bestowed grace, and enlightenment, and Heavenly joy. Brought three times, in honor of the Trinity and as evidence of the determination to become a monk, he makes three prostrations and also stands up three times, in commemoration of his uprising from the fall. Approaching the sacred gates, as the gates to Heaven, he falls before the abbot as before the Heavenly Father and is joyfully accepted by him, like a lost son. Then he stands up and bows to the brothers, asking forgiveness for offending them with his life, like dumb creatures, and begging them, as the eldest son (Luke 15:12-32), not to be angry with him, and together with them he turns to the Heavenly Father. 234. Why does one take vows in the form of questions and answers, while they are a voluntary matter? Then he is commanded to open his ears and lips and unfeignedly and without pretense, but sincerely confess true repentance. To the question “why did he come,” he replies that he desires an ascetic life and wants to join the ranks of the monastics, and that he begins of his own free will, and not under compulsion. The tonsured person promises to observe himself in virginity, chastity and abstinence, and to remain obedient to the abbot until death, to endure all sorrow and oppression for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to remain in the monastery and asceticism until his last breath. When he pronounces such vows before God and people, then he is announced as having made a voluntary sacrifice, living and verbal, to the Creator. The priest explains to him the most perfect way of life: that he will have to hunger, thirst and endure nakedness for the sake of Christ, who suffered this for us, endure insults, ridicule, persecution, and all for His sake, and, moreover, rejoice that he endured everything for the sake of Christ, because this is the greatest gift. Becoming a monk, he receives a second baptism, is cleansed of sins and becomes a son of light. And our Lord rejoices over him with His Angels, slaying for him a well-fed calf, which is His Body and Blood. The priest instructs him to avoid bickering, disobedience, arrogance and all other vicious inclinations, and to excel in humility, obedience, brotherly love, due diligence, reading the Divine word, keeping the heart away from evil thoughts and, in addition, in doing what is possible externally and in confessing the innermost movements of the heart, as the sacred and Divine covenants inspire. From this we can see how correctly it is said that the holy image of a monk consists of repentance. 235. What does cutting hair mean? So, when a person being ordained as a monk confesses all this in the hope of the power of Christ and decides to remain in this until the end of his life, since he voluntarily devotes himself to Christ, then the hair on his head is cut crosswise in the name of the Trinity. He is sanctified by the Trinity, and through the cross he shows that he died for the world, and is signified by the Crucified for us. And the fact that by tonsure the hair that is part of the body is removed means that the one who is tonsured brings the first fruits of the body to the Lord as a sacrifice, for he offers and devotes himself entirely to Christ, and rejects everything unnecessary and worldly. 236. What is the power of prayers read before cutting hair Before cutting his hair, after pronouncing his vows, the tonsured person receives sacred prayers from the priest. Firstly, the priest prays that the All-Bountiful God will accept the initiate as a convert and embrace him as a prodigal, and protect him from ever-warring enemies, and remain with him always, cheering and delighting his heart with the consolation of the Divine Spirit, making him worthy of the part of the saints in whose image he is clothed. And so that the one who is tonsured, like them, will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven in Christ Himself, in whose name, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the priest blesses the one being initiated. Such an invocation gives him all the Divine gifts and sanctifies him. Then, having overshadowed him with a cross and turning to the east, the priest pronounces the most perfect prayer, while the dedicatee lies down: “This Master, Lord, with Your Living and Hypostatic Word and the Spirit of truth proceeding from You,” the priest calls the Lord and God of the Angels, “before whom the Seraphim, singing songs, stand, testifies that God is the true Light, enlightening all and everything, and that the whole Heavenly Church of the firstborn in Heaven implores Him.” The priest prays that the Lord will look upon the humility of the initiate, who has confessed his vows before people; and so that through this angelic image he would impart to him the gift of sonhood given in holy baptism; so that the initiate is preserved in it and strengthened for battle against the invisible enemy, by the power of the Spirit he overthrows the rebellions of the flesh and, leaving the old man, puts on the new. He prays that the one who is tonsured, strengthened in everything, and through prayer acquiring strength to live in honor and righteousness, and having become an instrument of God and the dwelling of the Spirit, together with all the elect, will be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven. Then, in an exclamation, he glorifies the Trinity, Who gives us every perfect gift. And when the priest exclaims: “Peace to all,” and also: “Bow your heads,” everyone bows them as a sign of submission, together with the ordained monk, on whom, during the reading of sacred prayers, the hand of the hierarch is not extended (since he is not accepting consecration), but on his head rests only a prayer book. Then the priest reads another prayer: “Holy Lord of hosts, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, receive Thy servant (name of the rivers),” and seals it three times as a sign of his dedication and to the glory of the Trinity. Having sanctified him with this sign and having said the rest of the prayer, the priest again exclaims and glorifies and, turning to the one lying down, raises him, showing by this that he has risen from sin and received forgiveness and that the Father has accepted him and is adopting him again, returning him to his former clothes of purity and introducing him to the Angels. Therefore, taking him by the right hand and pointing to the Gospel, as the image of the Savior Himself, the priest commands the initiate to kiss this holy Book, which shows that he came into the arms of the Father and kissed Him. Then the priest says: “Behold, Christ stands invisibly here,” and instructs the initiate to be careful not to fall, since no one forces him to go against his will, but he comes of his own free will. The initiate confesses that he is going according to his own will. Then the priest again says: “Behold, Christ stands invisibly here,” that is, look who you approach—Christ, and with whom you unite—Christ Himself. And remember what you turn away from - the world and what is in the world. And giving him the scissors, the priest said: “Take it and give it to me,” so that he would show his will. If the tonsured priest is also the receiving father, then he himself takes the scissors from the tonsured monk, who first kisses them. And if another recipient takes them, then he gives them to the priest. And the priest again gives them to the initiate, who again kisses them and gives them to the recipient, and he again gives them to the priest. And so on up to three times - in honor of the Holy Trinity and in confirmation of what is happening. Giving for the third time, the priest says: “Behold, I have accepted from the hand of Christ!” Terrible words that make those who hear them tremble! Then, taking the scissors, he adds: “Blessed is God, that everyone may be saved,” and so on, for one must thank God for all saving deeds. Following this, the priest tonsures the initiate in the name of the Trinity, cutting off the top in a cross shape, and places the hair on the altar, thereby expressing that it is the beginning and a gift to God, just like the initiate, who has offered himself entirely to God as a living and godly sacrifice. Next, the priest puts on the dedicatee the accessories of the monastic image, sealing each with the sign of the cross and saying: “The servant of God is clothed, and: girded, and: covered, etc. - in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and: We say about him: Lord, have mercy,” which is said by everyone three times each time as a sign that the dedicatee finds protection for himself in the Trinity, and that on him is the mercy of God, and that it is this prayer that is especially befitting of a monk, since it asks for mercy from Jesus Christ. 237. What do the robes of the sacred image of a monk mean? He puts on, says the priest, first of all the robe of truth and joy, instead of the former nakedness and shame, and the corruption that followed disobedience and sin, instead of death and sorrow, which the holy monastic image casts down through obedience and incorruptible life. Then - into the pallium of the great image, into clothing, says the priest, of incorruptibility and purity, as a sign of God’s protection, giving eternal life to those who accept it for holiness, and as a sign of the divine robe, which the grace of the Spirit gives in exchange for leather vestments. Then - into the kukul of kindness, the helmet of saving hope, for the sake of the overshadowing of God's grace and the predominance of the sovereign power (i.e., the mind) through humility and the kindness characteristic of innocent babies, as a sign of God's protection and overshadowing of the head with all the senses. The kukul also descends on the front of the chest - for the sake of the strength of thought and heart, and also on the back. It is lined around with scarlet crosses in order to use this royal and terrible sign to drive away the enemies attacking us in front and behind. Then he puts on a lehenga, made of leather, to commemorate death to the world, and has the signs of the cross in front and behind the shoulders, or, better said, depicting the cross itself. The priest says: “Take up your cross and follow the Lady,” as the initiate himself confessed. Then the one who is tonsured puts on a leather belt over these clothes - he girdles, says the priest, his loins - for the mortification of the flesh and for the renewal of the spirit, for the sake of chastity and purity, and for the mortification, as far as possible, of the movements of the flesh, as well as for strengthening against passions and for strengthening in the fulfillment of the commandments. Then the initiate puts on sandals in preparation for the gospel of peace, so that he does not damage the mental feet of his soul and is not wounded by mental serpents in the heel of his thoughts, but so that he steps on them and tramples the lion and the serpent, invisible and destructive evil beasts, so that he steadily hurries along the path of the gospel, constantly ascending the mountain where life is prepared for us Heavenly. And finally, he dresses in a mantle, in which the whole person is clothed, and the priest loudly says: “Our brother (name of the rivers) has received a great and angelic image in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” since the mantle is a sacred garment. It embraces everyone who is tonsured and expresses and means the protective and providential power of God, as well as the severity, reverence and humility of monastic life, and the fact that a monk’s hands and other organs are not free for worldly activity and do not belong to it, but are all dead to the world. Only the head is free, looking to God - the Head of everyone and thinking about the divine, and striving only for God. But it is also covered with a cuculum as a sign of humility and does not have the sense organs located in it open. 238. About the fact that a monk imitates the death of Christ in appearance Since the monk is considered dead to worldly life and seems to already be in the coffin, the mantle is, as it were, a coffin, and the funeral accessories are the lower robe and other clothing. The Analav and other clothes depict the suffering of the cross, because the monk was crucified for the world and made a vow to this. The kukulem is depicted as the head sir, and the entire monk is likened to the Lord who was crucified for us, who died and was wrapped in funeral shrouds and sir. All this is so that, having been crucified with Him for worldly life and having died, the monk would rise up, be exalted and become a joint heir of His Father’s Kingdom, and become a sharer of those blessings that were prepared for us before the foundation of the world. This is what the priest prays over him after he has accepted the holy image. For he immediately adds the prayer again and prays that the Good God, faithful in his promises and unfaithful in his gifts, would give him a good life, a virtuous and blameless life, so that, having lived in sanctification, he would keep undefiled the image in which he had put on. Therefore, the priest lists the power and meaning of each garment. With a tunic, the monk put on Divine truth instead of crime. Along with the girdle, he girded himself with mortification and chastity, since he tied himself around the loins in order to be dead to lusts and courageous in virtue. With the kukul, he imposed upon himself humility for salvation, so that with the sovereign power (mind) he could humble himself and correctly control his feelings, which is why the one who tonsured him calls the kukul the helmet of salvation. With the analav, says the priest, he was adorned with the cross and faith, since the analav has the appearance of a cross, which testifies to faith in Christ and deadness to the world. With a pallium and mantle, he put on incorruptible clothes and, as it were, strong armor, and instead of leather vestments, he was decorated and sanctified by Divine grace. With sandals, he received the strength to walk along the path leading to salvation and peace, being obliged, according to the Gospel, to walk and strive along the paths of peacemaking and evangelize peace. For he too became a disciple of Christ, a disciple who left everything and followed Christ. And our peace, the way to the Father, and the truth, life and light is Christ. And he who follows in His footsteps will receive the animal light and achieve life. In addition, the monk is called in prayer an imitator of Elijah and the Baptist, as the leaders of the hermit life; it says that he will be clothed with the incorruptibility of angels, will be worthy to stand at the right hand of Christ and will hear His blessed voice: “Come, ye blessed of My Father” (Matthew 25:34), while the priest asks that everyone will be worthy to hear this voice. Upon the proclamation, he pronounces, as usual, the doxology of the Trinity and, saying: “Peace to all,” and commanding them to bow their heads to the Lord, as those who serve Him, in order to receive a blessing from above, again prays to God, may He introduce the person being tonsured into His Divine and spiritual court, that is, may He make him His own, count him among His friends and to His Face, and may He make his thoughts the purest and highest of all things of life, To constantly remember the good things that are due to those who have crucified themselves in this life for the sake of Christ. And again with a cry he glorifies God in the Trinity as the Shepherd and Visitor of our souls, because from Him comes for us both guidance for the better, and providence, and governance. Then the priest takes the Holy Gospel from the deacon and says: “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). And he invites him, if he is sanctified, to take the cross himself, and if not, then he gives it to him. And he, accepting, bows and kisses the cross, showing by this that he followed Christ and accepts this following as a duty. Then the priest gives him a candle to commemorate the light that the initiate has received, giving it to him as if he is obligated to lead a pure life. Therefore, the priest tells him the words of the Savior: “So let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Then he places him before the holy doors as one approaching the gates of Heaven and reconciled with the Lord, and the dedicatee holds the Gospel and a lighted candle, since he must live in the Gospel and purely for the glory of God, Who called him into His wonderful light. Immediately after this, the priest, having kissed him for the sake of love and unity in Christ and in commemoration of the kiss of the Heavenly Father - after He had found his lost son and rejoiced greatly - stands close to him, since he became close to God. And all the brethren, together with the Father Superior, holding candles in their hands as a sign of joy, and God’s grace, and the joy of the Angels, depart and, in turn, kissing the sacred Gospel and the priest bearing the image of Christ, and His cross, and kissing the one who has taken on the monastic image, they chant in joy: “Let us know, brethren, the power of the sacraments.” What is this power? In the fact that from sin to the Father’s house the good Father will forewarn him and kiss him and, having returned him to his former dignity, rejoice and rejoice with the highest Powers, having slaughtered the well-fed calf. 239. That after the kiss and all the rites of initiation, Communion follows, as the completion of all blessings Finally, after the kiss, the sacred rite of the Living Taurus is performed and the conception of the Apostle and the Divine Gospel is read according to the rite. The one who has taken the monastic form walks with a candle in front of the one who bears the Gospel and the Holy Gifts, since he has become a warrior and servant of Christ and is honored with mention in petitions, for his name is written in Heaven and he is numbered among the brethren. Then he is honored to receive communion of the Most Divine Gifts, since he has become a partaker of the heavenly and living Table. After which he joyfully begins a sensual meal, sharing this joy with those of his own rank, and everyone sings and prays that he has clung to the vineyard of the Lord. From that day on, he practices prayer, obedience and labor, and in humility he walks the path of life, and follows in the footsteps of Christ, so that we all, by His mercy, may be worthy of His glory and communication with Him. So, we have outlined, as best we could, the rituals of the Sacrament of repentance and initiation into the monastic order, although angelic, but at the same time an image of repentance. Next, we will briefly talk about the other two Sacraments of the Church in order to fulfill our promise, and we will bring the speech to an end. “It is good for us, His Holiness, to learn about these Sacraments, as well as about others.” Let us not forget that this was written in the 15th century, when the Eastern Church was subjected to severe persecution by the Mohammedans and when piety was weakened due to suffering, as St. Simeon testifies in many other places of his “Conversation” (translator’s note). From the influence of heretics and atheists (editor's note). Canonical Epistle to Litoy, Bishop of Melitino, rule 1 (translator's note). You might be interested in: