Поучение 28. О том, чтобы проводить время в трудах и делах подвижнических, ради получения вечных благ.

My fathers, brothers and children! Due to leg illness, I cannot participate with you and help you in the upcoming bodily labors in which you are; and I greatly mourn this. True, even if I were with you, I would not bring you any benefit; but then I would see you and rejoice at the diligence, good obedience, patience and thoroughness of each of you, I would rejoice that I would see and observe everyone working with zeal and helping each other in spiritual and physical labor. And moreover, I pray to God, so that your faith does not become weak, and your spiritual love that you have for me, the humble one, does not grow cold, and that you may be established in one mind and in the same love and fulfill the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that you are in cramped conditions, in labor, suffering and sweat. But I ask you, be courageous for the love of the Lord; endure, fighting the good fight, so that you may be crowned and rejoice in heaven. Oh, so that I, my child, can work together with you! Oh, so that I, too, can go out with you to work, to humble my body through labor. Blessed is he who, according to his strength, works together with his brethren, and is venerable who participates in bodily labor. With such labors you sanctify your bodies and make your souls more dispassionate, as truly the workers of the Lord, if only you fulfill what is commanded as you should, that is, when the stewards and their assistants give commands with the fear of God and compassion, and those who obey show obedience to their superiors. Look, my child, under-economist, you are my beloved Zosima, my venerable Ephraim, and also you, my illustrious Pimen and Lucian, one under-cellarer, and the other a gardener and the first in everything, watch how you give orders, how you command. Do not command with violence, without pity, and carelessly, but with attention, brotherly love and prudence, since the brethren are not all equal in mind, morals and strength. With this only condition, you have been entrusted with power over the brotherhood; and if you do so, then blessed are you and you will be heirs of eternal blessings. Look, too, my children, who are in obedience, my venerable Nil, Dositheus, Typhoi, Afre and you Diy - there is not enough time to name everyone by name - look at how you accept the commands of the stewards, how you obey, how you live. Do not laugh, my children, for by doing this you grieve the Lord. Do not talk idlely, for by doing so you offend the Holy Spirit. The Apostle says: “Let all grief, wrath, and anger... be taken away from you, along with all malice” (Eph. 4:31). And again: “let not every corrupt word come out of your mouth, but let it be good for the building of what is needed, so that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph. 4:29). Be kind to one another, meek, brotherly; bear with one another out of love; Bear each other's burdens, forgive, give preference to one another and reverence one another, with the fear of God. If you do this and lead your life like this, then you will be my beloved, and even more so the saints of God, His earthly angels, admirers of His power, servants of His glory and heirs of the heavenly kingdom: you will be cohabitants of the saints, inhabitants of paradise and partakers of eternal and inscrutable blessings. Therefore, I pray for this, an unworthy one, for this I ask a sinner, for this I beseech a humble one, that your feet may always be directed towards God, that you may be strengthened by the help of His strength, and that for my sinner’s sake there will not be any temptation or stumbling block, nor disastrous murmuring, nor deadly insolence, nor slander in any bad deed, nor anything else that is forbidden and sinful, but in every deed and movement, yes The light of God's mind will come before you, so that you may remain in a peaceful dispensation and in the silence of brotherly love. May the Lord our God send us a faithful angel, a mentor, guardian of your souls and bodies, so that he may drive away evil demons and help you in every good deed and in a good life. May the Lord our God open the door of truth and the path of truth to you, may he receive you, warm you, may he make you an organ and a psalter red with joy, may he make you all churches of the living God, may he dwell in you, and may he also give you the betrothal of the bliss there. What I told you now, as always, is small and insignificant. But imitating Christ, accept, like two mites to a widow, the seed of our poverty, and reward us by doing what was told to you. For if this does not exist, we do not demand praise; But if we speak repeatedly, do not be surprised; for although we have heard the same commandments so many times, we have not fulfilled them. Oh, so that while we are alive and breathing, I may speak and you may listen! May the Lord our God preserve and strengthen you, may he correct your path and deeds, may he please you, may he delight you, and may he make you worthy of the heavenly kingdom, in Christ our Lord, to Him belongs glory and power with the Father and the Holy. Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: