Поучение 5. О живущих в общежитии, что они подражают житию, т. е. правилам и образу жизни Христовых Апостолов.

My fathers, brothers and children! I would like to teach you with love in deeds, as I teach in word, so as to mutually attract you to virtue and to Divine life; but since I am poor in both, I grieve and grieve, and wonder what to do. In truth, my humble soul desires and thirsts, children, for you to be saved, for you to walk on the path of truth, and to prosper every day. For seeing the obedience of all of you, the renunciation and withdrawal from the world, the irrevocable abandonment of those close to you, the renunciation of all your possessions, the mortification of your very will, and that you are all one, you all have one heart, and you all live in unanimity: I am afraid; lest you, as a result of my accursed life, be seduced and lose your hoped-for blessings; for it is necessary for you to be the same as me; since every student looks at his mentor and is usually like him, and tries to imitate him, and through him he knows and comprehends good deeds and virtues. But I, passionate and darkened, what good can I show you, and what virtue can I lead you to, or how can I instruct you and lead you to this heavenly promise? However, I see that our faith is fuller and firmer than mine, your confession of faith is unshakable, and the warmth of love even to death. Therefore, I think, and even am confident, that you will achieve your intention. Therefore, let each of you, my beloved brethren, do good for the edification of yourself and your neighbor without stumbling or temptation, showing yourself every day before God and your brethren not by contentiousness and destructive grumbling, not by pride contrary to God, and not by slavish passion, but by obedience, quietness and peace, without vanity and ambition, without temptation, and with a clear conscience for the sake of the very good, for the sake of the Divine commandment itself and our abbot’s instruction, and briefly, for the sake of your salvation, working every day and forcing ourselves to do good until the time of our return comes, that is, departure from this life. And it’s quickly approaching, my dear, and it’s almost here. Let us fear it as something that has already come, and not as something expected; let it remove and cleanse us from all evil and all deceit, i.e. so that you can live with reverence, silence and good attention; and to this will be added teaching in the Divine Scriptures, pure prayer and doing according to strength. Fasting is also a bodily instrument (of virtue), however, if it is combined with holy humility. We have not yet achieved (the measure of) the deeds of our fathers, but it is not useful for us to desire what is above nature; because, as the Greek sages say, insatiability of desires eats great hunger. And we will observe what I spoke about before, and, without shying away from obedience, we will willingly accept everything that comes our way, we will observe the Divine rules that have been established for us. That is, whether we eat or drink, once or twice, we eat not only bread and vegetables, but also wine and oil, sometimes fish and cheese with appropriate abstinence, and not according to the desire and decision of our will (since this is also counted as sin), but as you received from us; whether we sleep, rest, sit, talk, get together, or celebrate: let everything be wise and reasonable; whether we plant, sow, build, cultivate fields, or do anything else according to our strength and need: then we will not lose the greatness of these Our Fathers, and perhaps this is one of the great miracles and miracles, similar to what if a saint cast out demons, or healed the blind, cleansed lepers, raised the dead, commanded the elements, moved mountains from one place to another, dried up the sea, brought forth water in a waterless land, or something similar. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, what is happening is that people from different places and countries, different tribes and ages gather, form one society and assembly, unite and copulate into one whole body, for one service and action, and become, as it were, one body, many-souled and many-hearted, like-minded and like-hearted, not for the sake of any bad deed, but for the sake of one Divine intention and worship of the Holy Trinity. This (society) cannot be destroyed not only by a simple person, but neither by the principalities, powers and mighty of the earth, nor by the leader of the demons himself; for you know what was said to our great father Pachomius about his monastery 13 . So great is our rank, and is revered on a par with great miracles. We ourselves will enjoy our lives if we spend them with attention. Aren't demons cast out here too? How not to be expelled? And not only on some days, but every day and every hour they are driven out, scorched, shouted, and cry out loudly. Each of us works miracles and casts out a demon or fornication, or despondency, rage, resentment, condemnation, grumbling, and other passions. So, if you want, you and miracle workers. And the Lord God accepts such a feat of your life as the feat of the hermits and pillars, who performed many miracles and signs; and there is no difference, no change, no shadow of difference in this 14. If I lie, because I am crafty, flattering and skilled in words, but saints do not lie. For if only I praise and extol the community, then I will remain silent, and let no blasphemy be uttered; and if Christ Himself indicated the community with twelve of His disciples, and after the Divine Apostles with three and five thousand (Acts 2:41, 4:4, 32), and I’m not talking about those who came after them: then how can you, children, not agree with me and not confess the same thing? So, we have what we were looking for, because we have found the truth, that is, what is the essence of the matter; and in accordance with this we will conduct our lives, as if by the grace of God and spend it, doing everything that should be done and correcting ourselves (in what should be done), and above all others, I am more faulty than anyone else. May Christ God strengthen you with His fear and lead you to perfection; for He is our life and strength, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Your spiritual seed will not fail until the end of the age.” (History of Rights, monasticism in the east. Moscow. 1854, p. 191). In Slav. It is impossible below the change (let there be) or the overshadowing. According to Greek δὲν εἲναι τρὁπος ούδὲ παραλλαγὴ ​​ἢ τροπῆς ὰποσκίασμα . You might be interested in: