Поучение 51 59 . В пяток второй недели. О единомыслии и любви, и о том, чтобы мужественно претерпевать труды добродетели, дабы получить небесное царство.

Brothers and Fathers! I rejoice, the humble one, seeing your peaceful state and prosperity, especially in the unanimity and love that you have among each other, and that you patiently spend the time of fasting. You do this for the sake of the salvation of your souls and for the sake of the good hope of eternal life. For of all the virtues there is none better than peace and unanimity among the community of brethren. And this is the fruit of abstinence; and where abstinence appears and is found, there all evil and wickedness disappears; so now disorder, disorder, discord, slander, disobedience, pride and all other evils have disappeared among us. Those of you, brethren, who are careful, let it be known that they not only benefit themselves, but also incite other brethren to goodness by the good example they set for others, for which they will receive great reward from God; and those who create temptations are the culprits of the most severe torment for themselves because they set a bad example. So again there are friends of God, companions of the holy Angels and heirs of blessing, those who instruct with words and encourage the brethren to virtue according to God. May we always be in such a praiseworthy state and dispensation! So, let God’s love in us never cease and never fail; for Christ says: “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy heart... and with all thy mind” (Luke 10:27). If someone loves God in this way, he is never satisfied with His love, does not become tired, does not become lazy, but still adds warmth to warmth, ignites zeal with zeal, creating and increasing the ascent of virtues in his heart, succeeding and coming from strength to spiritual strength; and this is constant and always. Don’t you see how worldly people work day and night for perishable things and are subjected to suffering? Don’t you see how those who are building the ship here in front of us work and toil every day and have no peace at all? What is this for, and for what reason? In order to acquire some means to support themselves and their household. And for the sake of acquiring divine wealth, for the sake of obtaining the kingdom of heaven, for the sake of enjoying these eternal blessings, for the sake of deliverance from these endless executions of eternal torment, will we not endure labor and suffering with all joy and zeal? By this, brothers, truly, if the time comes, we will shed our very blood for the Name and love of Christ. So, I beg you, let us become courageous, rejoicing in hope, enduring in sorrow, enduring in prayer, singing, poetry and reading, so that through such doing we can concentrate our minds in God and in ourselves, and free it from unhelpful thoughts; because idleness and laziness are the causes of every bad deed, and work and diligence protect our mind from this. Above all, let us take care of obedience; Let everyone perform his ministry without grumbling and with the fear of God; Let our deeds be done orderly, without embarrassment and with reverence; Let us love the peace of our brother; Let us have zeal for everything that is useful and contributes to the salvation of our souls. In addition, we will also pray to God for our brothers who are undergoing their obedience in different places, so that God will cover them; I am sick and concerned about them, because they are not with me, and I do not see how they live. Pray also for me, the humble one, that a word of benefit may be given to my lips, and that I may lead a right and Orthodox life, so that with your love I, the least and the lowest, may find the salvation of my soul in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongs glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. See Patrol. volume. 99th, p. 586. You might be interested in: