Поучение 21. О том, чтобы произволять благое, и воздерживаться от противного сему. К Трипилианским братиям.

Brothers and fathers! At all times we see you in our humble soul, but now especially; for you are in great labor and bodily suffering for the sake of the harvest time. May God strengthen you in your inner and outer man to endure everything, visible and invisible, that happens to you; for there are many cases, and who can understand the wiles of the devil, snares and temptations? But we ask and implore you: let us live in accordance with our rite, so that, being outside the world, we do not commit worldly things, and having avoided carnal deeds, we do not live according to the flesh. And this is what happens to us, as you know; you know this, even if we didn’t tell you. For if we love pleasures and passions, if we fulfill our will, if we love primacy, if we argue over robes and clothes, over embroidered dolls, over icons, over paintings, and over any other small or great things; then are we not carnal, and is our life not worldly? No, no, my brothers, let us not humiliate our holy order with such laughable and childish deeds. The glory of a monk consists in dishonor, to be reviled and dishonored, and he endures reproach courageously for the sake of God, but does not do worthy reproach. If someone does something worthy of reproach, it is required that he at least endure the reproach; but to do it and not endure it is not in accordance with anything. The decoration of a monk is to avoid decoration; the glory of a monk does not consist in being magnified, vainglorious, proud, frequently washing handkerchiefs, and having them in double quantities, being like harlots in girdles, clothes, and shoes; but to always have humble actions of the soul, so as not to be indignant at indecent wishes, so as not to worry about inappropriate cleanliness, washing, and excessive neatness, to wear thin clothes, robes with patches and kukul, similar to other clothes. And to covet new clothes, the finest and most beautiful, this is the attire of fornication and uncleanness. Truly, it is great if someone, after moving away from all this, escapes the devil’s snares; and if he has this, then how can he not fall into the rapids and not be immersed in passions. I ask and beseech you, for the love of the Lord, have mercy on me, the accursed one, and do not consign me to eternal fire, so that I may not also be condemned for your bad life; on the contrary, by your kind and virtuous life, deliver me from my sinful debt, and lead me from death to life. Observe what is prescribed by the charter, do not forget the commandments of your fathers, do not despise the words of the Saints; do not be insensitive and completely deaf, like those who have damaged their hearing by sin, do not love real blessings, so as not to lose eternal ones. For, my children, He will come, He who wants to judge everyone will come and will not delay, and before the common death a terrible angel will come who will separate the soul from the body; a year and a time of weakness and death will come. The illness before death is terrible and incurable to such an extent that, unable to bear it, we die. And what will happen after separation, when the angels come? Which side will prevail to take us? Here I will tell you a short story; Although I am talking about a worldly person, I will tell you for your benefit. They say that when the famous Stavrakiy 27 began to die, at his very last breath he languished greatly, trembled, gnashed his teeth and screamed very terribly, saying: “Help, have mercy on me! Lord have mercy! About how many people come out of the sea, black, ugly, like demons, and come to me.” And he was lying on the seashore. Many were there, but did not see anything; and he saw and understood - he who judged many. So, who, as I said, will prevail to take us, the angelic or demonic face? For we will be greeted immediately by those whom we have loved. If we have loved virginity, obedience, humility and other virtues, we know that the angels will receive us; if it is vanity, insolence, bickering, idle talk, laughter, pride, then without a doubt it is demons. For passions are from demons, and virtues are from angels. So who will be able to take my soul? Have mercy on me. Let us love all the virtues together, so that the angels will accept us, and they will overcome us, and the demons will not defeat us and take us. Woe, woe! It would be better for me not to be a monk, and it would be better for us not to be born at all; for “the stronger... the more severe the torment will be” (Wis. 6, 6), especially those who are in this rank, and especially if they are abbots or other leaders. Do not be burdened by my word, for I do not try to frighten you beyond measure. But this is my duty, I love you, I desire my children, and therefore I proclaim to you what is due in advance; so that I may see you, if God pleases, all healthy, all well-behaved, or not falling into obscene deeds: if you have fallen, then willingly accepting penance for failure to complete any work, or for omitting a Church service or hymn, or for falling into the sin of disobedience, for grumbling, for slander, for breaking a vessel, and in general for the loss of anything. For by accepting penance, you become healthy again, and you will not be condemned for anything, either before God or before me; Only obey your leaders, and the elders one another. The Lord of peace, for the prayers of my father and your father, may he be with you, my beloved children, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen. Son and successor of King Nikephoros (803–811). You might be interested in: