Поучение 1. О том, чтобы со страхом Божиим, а не по страсти какой-либо проходить свои послушания уставщику, пономарю и попечителю о больных.

Brothers and Fathers! As when I was with you, so now I offer you my humble word. So listen carefully. And let our words not seem idle, but as if we were speaking into the ears of those who listen, so that we can see your success for the better through this instruction. I recently separated from you, and I don’t know if you are the same as I left you; for I know that the devil does not sleep and does not neglect the destruction of your souls, but strives and is awake and “sows tares” in those who sleep spiritually, as the Divine and Holy Gospel says (Matthew 13:25). So, be vigilant and attentive, my children, the God-Called 1, so that none of you happens to fall into the snare of the devil. I love to hear about the success of each of you. I am delighted in one thing by obedience, in another by humility, in another by diligence; and your confusion and outrages offend and upset you. My soul hates the son of disobedience, rejects the murmurer and the proud; he turns away from the idle, because he is not even worthy to eat (food). The slanderer 2 does not accept any idle talk at all, he drives away the lazy. However, I wonder, am I not susceptible to all this? For who am I, the accursed one, daily overcome by such (passions)? But they are turned away by our Lord and God Himself, Who turns us away from all evil with His Divine Scriptures, and encourages us to all virtue. I cannot have peace and remain without care about such a great and dangerous task of feeding your souls, because I am a shepherd, although not a good one, but still I am a shepherd, and I don’t know how this happened to me. And you are my sheep, whom God has gathered, well-obedient, walking daily in the royal way, according to the word of the Lord. So, all of you, my children, feed and walk according to the will of God; and do not lag behind, some of the sheep, carried away by gluttony, from those who follow the good path; but be content with the common food; because the enemy of your souls, the devil, is watching you, and for a little green grass he snatches away the lost sheep. Listen to the voice of me, your shepherd, and do not despise my words; for the sheep that lags behind goes astray, goes completely astray, and perishes in various ways. Understand what I am telling you; for I know that you are prudent. It's a difficult thing to escape. The path is narrow, sorrowful and difficult, and it is necessary to work, watch, fast, abstain and be in arbitrary poverty until we achieve virtue, accomplished without difficulty and with peace 3 and live with joy. You see, my children, that of your other brothers, you are the only one who stays here, and everyone praises you as living in a place protected by God, and considers you to be making up for the poverty of your virtues; Therefore, justice requires that you perform Church services more carefully, and observe silence and all decorum. Depending on the intention of each, the Lord our God will give the reward, and crowns will be prepared for the working people every day. Therefore, you, my child, guide, stay awake and observe, as the first in the great work of the Divine service and psalmody: be attentive and considerate regarding the time of psalmody; wake up the singers, and perform exactly what is required, sedals and stichera, and be careful not to tempt anyone. If anyone is able to sing, let him sing, and not be despised out of envy; and whoever is able to read, appoint him. It often happens that not out of envy, but simply out of negligence, laziness and thoughtlessness, the charterer violates the rank, and causes great temptation to others. Woe to him! Oh, let this not happen to you, my child, because you will have to give an answer to God. So, be attentive and observe the celebrations of Divine services and holidays and weekdays, and choosing worthy brethren; on this day they told one to read, and on another day to another, taking into account the good voice of the singer, the clarity and speed of the reader’s pronunciation. Also look at what kind of visitors there will be; You will use this and a lot of them. Everything is beautiful and in order, so that, if you are worthy to have such a dispensation, you will rejoice with the saints and brotherhood in heaven. See that the versification of the psalms is done without confusion; choose, appoint them and sing them according to order; and let everything be sung one tune at a time, in the proper voice, neither higher nor lower than what is proper, but must stay in the middle, because the Holy Fathers command us to do so. Be diligent in teaching the brethren the stichera and sedals laid down (in the charter), especially those who are capable and come to you with much humility, in order to multiply the talent that God has given you, and to hear that blessed voice: “Good, good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few, I will make you over many” (Matthew 25:21). And you, sexton, with fear and great diligence, carry out the obedience that is entrusted to you, because it is entrusted to you from God, and is Divine. Observe the lighting of the church as if it were your two eyes, for it is the light that shines before God. And if the one who lights a candle before the earthly king has great care to please the king; much more so, my child, so that you may please the King of all and God, worshiped and glorified by all creation. You must light the lamps with fear and diligence: clean them, adjust the lamps, and give them moderate light. The lamp must be among the lamp so that the lamp does not burst. Use the oil left over from the lamps as it should; if possible, light it again; if not, at least use it for other pure needs. Of all the lamps, pay special attention to the unquenchable ones, because they serve as an image of the Old Testament unquenchable lamp, which was in the altar, in the Holy of Holies, and burned incessantly. Always clean the church twice a week, and watch the church icons so that they don’t gather dust. Be careful not to damage anything of the Church, even the smallest thing. All brethren, be careful that even an idle word does not come out of your mouth. My hands are those that work: labor, then, my hands, and do not tire of having them stretched out to what is due, because the hand of the Lord strengthens you, both on this side and on the other; and do not oppose the other members, for you fulfill the needs of the rest of the body. My eyes, you are overseers: look to the right, providing and warning against the fall of those who sin, and you will be worthy of the fact that God will look at you too. I also have feet: my feet, stand in righteousness, in the commandments of God. These are those who courageously and joyfully “bear the burdens” (Gal. 6:2) of the brethren; if they continue in this good dispensation, they will be carried in eternal peace. With this idle talk of mine, I do not want to amuse you, but to encourage the careless among you to be thorough, the lazy to be diligent, and the cowardly to be courageous. Why should we be cowardly? Shall we leave here soon? Will not all that remains of our bodily composition, as Basil the Great says, be only a few bones? Therefore, rejoice, be glad and take comfort in your zeal; Do not turn away from anything, neither mental nor physical labor; because even our bodily, when it happens according to God, is imputed to the spiritual. Now it's time to pick olives. The Provider sent fertility; Let us not neglect this, lest it be wasted; for it is known that whoever is careful in the physical is also careful in the spiritual. Encourage and encourage each other to prayer, obedience and humility. While working, still work and try, each according to his own strength, all together collecting olive berries and helping the weakest, so that these too work willingly and without burden. And whoever is idle and lazy here, and lags behind others, is also cold and unsuccessful in the spiritual. You, farmers, my consolation, everything is monotonous, cut all the furrows equally, and do not leave a whole space, but lay them closer to one another, so that the grain of wheat will enter the bowels of the earth and bear abundant fruit. Encourage each other and encourage one another to do good, acting decently and decorously in everything. Follow the leading tiller; again let this one in turn govern the others; and everyone, following one after another, help each other. Thus, according to the Word of God, you will be “children of Christ, and children in part” (1 Cor. 12:27). And I believe that Christ will be your head. And when you have Christ as your head, whom will you fear? Or what benefits will you not receive from it? You will possess heaven and earth and become heirs of all the promised blessings. And to you, my child, cook, my word. Every day you are burned by fire, you work, heating wood, cooking food, carrying water, washing and peeling vegetables; your face turns black from the smoke, your clothes become dirty, and your whole body is covered with soot; you sweat and burn from labor, cooking and preparing food to offer to the brethren at the table: you will have a part with the saints, and you will rest in the bosom of Abraham; Just be patient and spend your days in joy; and so be diligent in your work, so that even in your sleep your obedience does not leave your thoughts. Your cauldrons and other similar vessels should not stand in extreme heat, having little water; also, tagans should not stand on the fire unnecessarily when the food is cooked. Wash your dishes so that they are not permeated with odors, and so that the food for the brethren is not tasteless. Your food must be well cooked, as well as your vegetables; Boil red onions in food so that they do not remain raw and are not useless. From the very morning, strive for your obedience like fire, and you will emerge victorious, having done your job well. To put it briefly, all of your good currents flow along one path and in one Divine mind; and I am always with you mentally, although physically I am separated from you for a short time, because circumstances require it. The Lord God of my father, who brings me out and raises me up every day from the den of my sins through your holy prayers. May He cover you, may He strengthen you, may He bless you, may He heal you mentally and physically, and may He grant you the kingdom of heaven in Christ our Lord. To him be glory and power from St. By the Spirit now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. In Slav. God comforts, in Greek. θεοπαρἀκλητα. According to the meaning of the patristic writings, a slanderer is one who, while expressing what is real, expresses the shortcomings and infirmities of his neighbor out of partiality, or out of envy and memory, or simply unnecessarily, who should not. In Slav. let us ascend to the main and not doubtful (in hand, not doubtful) virtue. In Greek εὶς τὴν ὁμαλην´ (smooth, even) καὶ ἀτάραχονἀρετὴν. You might be interested in: