Поучение 65 75 . В пяток ваий. О том, что нам должно блюстись от козней диавольских.

Brothers and Fathers! The Lord says in the Holy Gospel to the Supreme Apostle Peter: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asks you, that he might sow you like wheat: I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32); that is, Satan wants to sow you like wheat, but I prayed for you, so that you would not destroy the faith that you have in Me. Something similar happened to us, the humble; but the all-merciful God did not allow us to be subjected to confusion and sorrow beyond our strength; but as the temptations afflicted us, he granted us patience; and the temptation was over. You know what I'm talking about; and I praised your philanthropic disposition, that you showed condolences, and everyone grieved together. Truly, this is the property of sincere brethren, as the Apostle says: “if one heart hurts... all the hearts sympathize, and if... one heart is glorified, all the hearts rejoice” (1 Cor. 12:26). However, you see, brethren, what diligence and concern the enemy has for the destruction of people, and how he, like some hungry lion, walks around, looking for someone to devour, someone to catch in his net, either partially or completely. When the devil deceives a person and catches him in his net, although partly, he does not rest on this; but it draws the damned soul to the worse until it plunges it into sinful death and gives it over to final torment. In order for you to understand what has been said more clearly, let’s talk about this in more detail. First, the devil tempts us to accept a sinful thought, and then utter in our hearts a certain word of lawlessness; and thus, as soon as he defiles and deceives the soul with sinful thoughts and evil thoughts, he removes it from its natural state and brings it to the point where it becomes senseless, blind and insane, and desires what constitutes evil for it - instead of the light of darkness, instead of the sweetness of bitterness, instead of life, death. This is the wiles of the devil. But we, brothers, will guard our souls with great care, so that he cannot find any place in us. As soon as we feel the first pretext and arrival of a sinful thought, we will immediately drive it away with prayer and close the doors of the heart against it. If we are defeated and accept it, then let our minds not be confused with it; and if we are subjected to this, then we will not allow it to slow down in us, so that it does not finally involve us in sin. And this happens to us from a long-standing bad habit in our sinful thoughts. But let us shun our bad habits, let us avoid the thoughts and deeds of our youth. For if we leave our minds to dwell in these inappropriate things, what else will we hear but that we have again turned back to the world, just as the Jews turned back by desire - to Egypt? For this reason, let us take care both internally in soul and externally in body; Let us remember the commandment of the Apostle, who says: “Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but let it be a good word for the benefit and correction of those who hear. And do not offend the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were marked with Holy Baptism on the day of deliverance” (Eph. 4:29,30). But let only good, useful and worthy words be heard from us, so that those who hear may receive grace, and may the Holy Spirit of God not be grieved. And he also says: “Let all grief, and anger, and rage, and crying, and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all malice” (Eph. 4:31). Do you see what caution in virtue the Divine Paul demands from worldly people; Isn’t it even more so from us monks? Then he says: “Be kind to each other, i.e. sweet-spoken, merciful, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave us” (Eph. 4:32). That is, we will show each other love and mercy, having a great example in God, who, out of love for us, sent His Only Begotten Son into the world, who accepted death for the salvation of people. In addition, let us take heed so as not to separate ourselves from fraternal cohabitation and not to live according to our own will, because from this a lot of evil and great sins befall us. What are you doing, man? Your brothers are silent, and you talk idle talk? Your brothers are at rest, but you go here and there to inappropriate and spiritually harmful places. Woe to such, for from them temptations arise, from them great iniquities are born. What happens to a sheep that is separated from the flock? Are the animals eating her? The same thing happens to a monk who separates from the brotherhood: he suffers a lot of evil and is finally subjected to torture. May this not happen to us, my brothers; but all our deeds, words and thoughts, as the Apostle says, should be done decently and in order, and all with reasoning, as before God, who conducts our secret and open, day and night affairs of our body and the thoughts of our soul. He knows everything, both good and evil, and nothing is hidden from Him. So He wants us to spend our lives with fear and attention, and not serve as a stumbling block and a temptation either for the unbelievers or for the faithful. But enough of that; for the Pentecost with God has also reached its end. Let us give glory to the One who made us worthy to accomplish it and strengthened us in the labors of fasting. The labor has passed, but the reward remains eternal; the body was exhausted and emaciated, but the soul strengthened and became courageous. Oh, that it may be more and more strengthened and illuminated, and that the spirit, soul and body may be preserved intact and pure at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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. Vol. 99. Page 604. You might be interested in: