Поучение 39. О том, что братия должны пребывать в мире и единомыслии.

My fathers, brothers and children! I see that you, by the grace of Christ, our true God, who gives life to everything, with the assistance of the prayer of our father, have achieved some other praiseworthy and blameless dispensation. For in some way, the roots of contentiousness, jealousy and proud vanity, which grew in you from my sins, and the destructive inclination towards Jewish division that comes from here, have been plucked out. And all this, as I said, is the gift of God and the fruit of your labors, and not of my humility, which (as you progress) has more zeal to preside over you, help you and direct you to the divine and venerable. So, this is what kind of dispensation, children, you have been brought into by the fact that you all together have obedience and are gradually forcing yourself. And what benefits came from this? Peace, joy, pure faith, indissoluble unity, saving sorrow, favorable response, divine tenderness, prudent humility, brotherly love, sincere love of love, unrepentant repentance. “In everything,” as the Apostle says, imagine being pure in proper things” (2 Cor. 7:11). “Blessed is the Lord... for you have visited and brought deliverance to your people” (Luke 1:68); for you are His people, and a chosen people; “And raise up the horn of salvation for us” (Luke 1:69) through your renewed good dispensation. In this, children, lies your joy, your joy, your glory and honor; in this is wisdom, joy, knowledge and perfect understanding, so that you may have a praiseworthy and pure life according to God, as some Greek sage speaks of this (for their sayings are sometimes useful to us in some cases). Here he says: “I call him wise who leads a pure and impeccable life, even if he is unfamiliar with the coveted learning.” So, if this seems excellent even to those who cared about nothing else but speaking and listening; then would we prefer any other rule to this? Therefore, my children, be wise to fear and tremble God, and to keep His commandments, so that His grace may make you chosen vessels of His Holy Spirit, perfect for every good work. For in whom will the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Himself dwell for the sake of spiritual purity, what good, wisdom, warmth, what will not be useful, instructive and reasonable? And without this, everything is cold floridity, delusion, lies, madness and all kinds of evil. Be careful as you read, so as not to let slip a word of Scripture to you, not for the sake of vanity, but for the sake of your salvation; not for the sake of crime; but for the sake of keeping the commandments. Understand what I am telling you, for you have understanding, keep your tongue from evil, and especially you, young shamers and slanderers, and all of you who cannot restrain your uncontrollable tongue, full of deadly poison, from which many always easily fall into sin. Do not make any more harmful meetings, do not form more harmful friendships and congregations of the Jews, let there be no more theft and appropriation of things from your obediences and the posts you perform, as Ananias and Sapphira did; do not build secret intrigues and slander, like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Let us no longer say: “mine and yours,” from which thousands of evils are born. “The ancient mimoidosha, behold, it was all new” (2 Cor. 5:17); and therefore let us not bring the past to our minds, so as not to fall into the same passions again, and let us not kindle the fire of thoughts in one another. I hope, my children, for you in everything that is best and salutary for your souls. Perhaps this is why we fell into previous sins, so that, as if from the abyss, noise, misfortune and great storm, we could rush into a quiet and peaceful haven and no longer be subjected to disasters from the storm, but peacefully remain silent in the haven of humility all the days of our lives in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom befits glory with the beginningless Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, unto the ages. centuries. Amen. You might be interested in: