Поучение 6. О высокотворном смирении, чтобы тщательный в делах более и более просиявал чрез смиренное мудрование.

Brothers, fathers and children! The debt that I owe you, that is, reminding you of everything that is appropriate, I am paying you now. Oh, if only this word were spiritual, active and abundant, and not careless and alien to actions, which is why they neglect me, accursed and cold-hearted; however, if a good soul accepts the word, it will bear the abundant fruit of righteousness. So, receive, beloved children, and now the seed of teaching, grow, bring flower, and be for me fields, whitened by the light of the mind of Christ, so that you can become his pure wheat. How can this be? If, as you began, so you will finish, so that not only you do not become poor in good deeds, but also grow more in them, strive with zeal, be renewed and ascend to heavenly heights with a pure life. Thus, the obedient one, in order to reap more fruits of obedience, let him obey not only his superiors, but also his inferiors, no matter what he is called to do, as long as he does not do something disorderly. The humble empty one is more humble, so that he obeys and listens to everyone in humility of heart, is silent and laconic, respectful to everyone, and would not think that he is of noble birth, or has been a monk for many years, or holds a higher degree, or has worked harder than others, or that he is smart and prudent, learned and capable of anything, or has any other advantage, let him not be vain and proud, and not covet with reprehensible verbal justification of this or that, which we should not even think about. He who is careful in his deeds and diligent in the obedience entrusted to him, let him strive even more, as if he were serving the Lord, and not men, in order to show himself to be a most skillful worker, choosing the more difficult, rejoicing and working in the service of his neighbor, knowing that a great reward is prepared for him in the kingdom of heaven. And just to say, all together, a cellarer, a caregiver for the sick, a painter, a vine grower, a gardener, a shoemaker, a cook, a housekeeper, an artist, a dean, a wake-up caller, a registrant, a sexton, a baker, a carpenter, a carpenter, or anyone else who has little or great obedience, we will endure everything courageously, constantly striving forward, and ardently desiring eternal blessings; Let us endure everything willingly and do everything according to God, 15 using ourselves and nourishing such love for each other that everyone is ready to lay down his soul for his brother, both spiritually and physically. If you do this, then you will be comforted by the Son of God, who for the sake of obedience exhausted Himself to an infinite measure of humility, so that He, the Lord of all, became a slave and tasted death, the death of the cross. Joy to me, a sinner and desperate, and insatiable and inexpressible joy; joy to you too, the fulfillers of the Lord’s commandments and endless joy, not only because all the people here loudly praise you who look at your exploits, the fight against the enemy and the resistance to his excuses and intrigues; but because in the next century, before the face of the glory of Christ God, you will rejoice, you will be numbered among the angelic ceremonies and assemblies of the venerables, where the dwelling of all those who rejoice is. Here, my most honest brothers, is our reminder, here is my humble teaching, here is the work and feat brought by me to the accursed; This is the expression of my desires from my spiritual love for you, but you grant your salvation, which is dear to me. O my beloved children, men of desire, workers of the Lord, truly purified children, the people of Israel, the servants and ministers of the church of the Lord, the sons of Kohath and Merarin, 16 bearing the most honorable vessels of the true tabernacle. May Christ save you, may Christ preserve you, so that you may complete your journey and feat, for to Him belongs honor and glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. In glory abie, in Greek same ἐνθὲως, (and not εὐθὲως). The tribe of Kohath was entrusted with guarding the sacred vessels that belonged to the Old Testament tabernacle, and the descendants of Merari were obliged to carry its pillars and other parts. (See Numbers 1, Numbers 2). You might be interested in: