Поучение 16. О том, чтобы быть нам внимательными к заповедям и учению Св. Отцев наших.

Since my work and service consists in the word of teaching, I should not be lazy and careless about my service, on the one hand, so that this may serve you, God’s chosen ones, as a reminder, consolation and encouragement for your spiritual salvation, and on the other, so that I, the accursed one, can save my soul from condemnation through the proclamation of what is due to you. For my soul is horrified and frightened when I hear the Divine teacher of the universe, Paul, saying: “I am pure from the blood of all, for I did not hesitate to tell you the whole will of God” (Acts 20, 26, 27). If I, the accursed one, do not speak to you according to my strength and proclaim to you what is necessary, then how will I avoid the necessary condemnation for silence? Therefore, let me be forgiven if I denounced you a lot in the previous teaching, not in order to recklessly sadden you, let it not be, and not in order to satisfy my passion, but so that I, faulty and unconfirmed, could lead you into fear and strengthen you. So, listen, children, and understand what the Saints tell us and command. What they say and what they cry in our ears every day, I will now give you two as a reminder. One, frighteningly, says this: “Do not flatter yourselves: neither harlots, nor adulterers, nor fools, nor idolaters, nor sodomites, nor the covetous, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, nor molesters, will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9, 10). And in another place he says: “Let all sorrow, and rage, and anger... and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all malice: be kind to one another, have mercy, forgive one another, as God... forgave you” (Eph. 4:31, 32). Another, calling, says the following: “Come, let us worship and fall down to him, and let us mourn before the Lord who created us” (Ps. 95:6). And in another place he says: “Enter into His gates in confession, into His courts in song” (Ps. 99:4). Now, my children and brothers, let us strengthen ourselves from these fears and preserve the teaching. Come all together, let us worship Him, and let us weep over our past life, over those deeds, words and thoughts in which we daily find ourselves in debt, in knowledge and ignorance, and let us enter His village with songs and praise, and not with vile thoughts, rancor, disobedience and pride. For it is said: whoever murmurs, it is counted as sin to him. So, let us not grumble, nor be offended, nor make our own deliberations, nor be proud; for we are earth, soot, dust and ashes, and especially those who consider themselves glorious in bodily or spiritual work. I see that the image of this world has become alien to us; for we are completely different from the worldly: we have clothed ourselves with some strange attire and lifestyle, without wives, without acquisitions, without inheritance, even more - we are incorporeal; - for “those who are... in the flesh,” it is said, “cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8); – we have been crucified to the world. Having chosen such a residence, it will be worthy of the name to show the properties of such a residence, so that we may be called in truth and not falsely by what we are called. Let us be obedient, submissive, God-fearing, reverent, Christ-loving and self-confident. Let us love each other; let us be unenvious, let us avoid strife, let us be silent, industrious; They are frank, submissive and patient before their spiritual father. Let us be grateful for everything that is given to us, whether it be food, or drink, or clothing, or shoes, or anything else, so that by doing good, we may be heirs of the desired and sought-after Kingdom of Heaven, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: