Поучение 26. О том, чтобы не давать и не брать что-либо из пищи в братстве без благословения.

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Israel’s sake I will not keep silent,” says the Divine Scripture (Is. 62:1). And I, a sinner, for the sake of the salvation of your souls, am not lazy in teaching you lessons of piety, but always instructing you in all truth. If the students are obedient, neither I nor they will be condemned; and if they disobey, then I will receive my reward and will not be condemned, but the disobedient will see for themselves. It is unfair for everyone to look only at his own benefit and despise the benefit of his neighbor. He who sows tares among pure wheat suffers great deprivation and great calamity, as the Psalmist says: “If you saw the thief, you flowed with him, and you shared your share with the adulterer” (Ps. 49:18). And: “Do not live in the midst of your house and create pride: you speak unrighteously, and do not correct before my eyes” (Ps. 100:7). Therefore, my most honest children, do not want to resist each other, but show good competition and proper brotherly love to one another, even to the one who is cold towards me and does not listen to my words. I say this so that we can all be saved. For our Lord Jesus Christ says: “It is not the will of My Father who is in heaven, that anyone should perish” (Matthew 18:14). So, all of you be saved, all of you are forced to present yourselves to God as pure, as you were created from the beginning, in the likeness of the Divine image, knowing neither enmity nor temptation. Don’t get together in the evenings, don’t talk idle talk and don’t laugh; Do not do this even when practicing together, and do not drag one another into the abyss. – “My heart hurts... and the feelings of my heart are troubled” (Jer. 4:19), says the loud Jeremiah in his God-inspired words. But I, unclean and accursed, tell you: sorrow overwhelms me, and the arrows of thoughts pierce me when I hear that you live badly. Fear, my children, the terrible God, and do not ruin your great feat and work with a little negligence. We have crossed the great sea, why should we be exposed to disaster at the harbour? We walked the blissful path; Why doze when you have not yet reached the peace of the Divine abodes? Understand what I am talking about, for you have been given understanding by God. “Take courage and let your heart be strong” (Ps. 30:25), strive and be established in humility. Do not be arbitrary, otherwise you will not fulfill my commands with joy. For if someone mortifies his will, then no matter how difficult the commandment given to him is, he is not tempted, but accepts it with joy, obeys, walks and does not argue, like a dumb animal that does not contradict the one who knits it, as the Divine Scripture says. Let each of you watch yourself, how he lives and how he obeys. For I, too, infer from external actions what is within you. Those who do not have their own will, says St. Dorotheos, no matter what happens in the monastery, everything happens in accordance with his will, and such a person is always at peace. And whoever adheres to his own will grieves, is confused, is carried away in many ways and is deceived by his thoughts, makes excuses and is a hypocrite, one way or another. Oh, let none of you be such, and if he deviates, let him not remain so! But let us all serve God in purity. And if I am one thing, and you are another, then this will already be discord and resistance. If you all prove that you are seeking God’s will, and I am the devil’s, then let yours remain, and mine be abolished. If you know that everything I tell you is good, then why do you resist me? Why do you cause me sorrow and toil? You who consider yourselves to be careful, take heed: good soil, if left uncultivated for a long time, will produce thorns, as Scripture says. Therefore, when I subject such people to penances, I benefit both myself and them. For I do and say everything in order to save both you and myself, the accursed one. This is what I reminded you of, and I will not cease to remind you of this as long as there is breath in my nostrils. I have something else to remind you, my brothers. Why don’t you fulfill this commandment like the others? Although it seems small, it also destroys your great virtues. And what am I saying: “small or great”? It is necessary that every commandment of God be fulfilled, for every disobedience rightly deserves punishment. Many times I told you and forbade you not to give anyone food or drink on your own; for only the housekeeper, sub-housekeeper, cellarer and other stewards can do this without asking, as I commanded and am commanding. And therefore, from now on, I command that no one should do this, otherwise he will be subject to penance for secret eating. You are falsely ashamed of each other, and you are afraid there, “where there is no fear” (Ps. 13:5), and not wanting, as you say, to offend your brother, you offend God and me, the unworthy. Woe to your conscience; for this is madness, hatred of God; self-indulgence and carnality. I dare say that even if there was an Angel, do not accept anything from him. You often receive fruits with blessing; let everyone eat them; and if someone does not want them, as happens, due to weakness or other motives, then let him either give them to the cellarer, or explain the reason to the one who distributes them. Then he will not be condemned. Don't you know that this leads to shameful friendship? For it happens that you give to those for whom you have impure love. However, even if this did not happen, does not this result in temptations, criticism and embarrassment, when one accepts, and the other stands and watches? In every possible way he will think that he is not loved. If you say that you don’t give anything to someone else, then you need to wait for a convenient hour, time and place; and from this will come private friendships and meetings. What does Basil the Great say? That signs given by the eyes and whispering in the ear give reason to suspect some evil deed 28. “Why,” you say, “is my freedom judged by another conscience?” (1 Cor. 10:29). Is it not from me your father, if you do not obey me? Because this also happens. If from me, much more from others. But someone will say: in order to show the enemy love, I give him only very little, talk to him in a friendly manner and leave. You have no right to do this, except for the stewards, unless on their orders. And if anyone turns out to be disobedient, he will certainly undergo penance. “Whom... the Lord loves, he punishes: he beats... his son, but he accepts him” (Heb. 12:6). And whoever is glad to me, says the Divine Apostle, accept sorrow from Me (2 Cor. 2:2). Rejoice in accepting penance from me, and know that I do this out of love for you, even though I am a sinner. I accept your labors and sweat as valuable ointment and fragrance that you bring to God. Remember about death, about the separation of the soul from the body, about the coming of the Angels, about the long journey, about alienation from everyone, about the appearance in the face of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, about the terrible and undeceiving answer in all our affairs, about the terrible and terrible torment, about the Kingdom of Heaven and the invisible and ineffable blessings promised there. Oh, that we may all inherit these, but to the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom befits the Father with the Holy Spirit glory and power, honor and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Creations of Vasily V. 5th part. Sermon 3 on asceticism, p. 82. Moscow. 1847 You might be interested in: