Послание 9. К Геласию-ученику

My son, Abba Gelasius! How did Satan, the culprit of evil, expel you from the communal paradise, like Adam once did from Eden - you, who followed the advice of the serpentine Ammon? And now you live in places that God does not look upon, you give birth to thorns and cultivate dishonorable passions by the sweat of your brow. For what good have you done or are you doing since you left there? Or rather, what did you not do that was bad and hateful? The guiding light of your mind has become impoverished, the spark of spiritual love has gone out; Your “friends” and your “neighbors” - I’m talking not only about your beloved brothers, but also about the Angels of God - “have become far” from you, and demons have “approached”, “seeking” to destroy your previously accomplished ascetic labors (Ps. 37:12-13). Where is your prayer, once pure? Where is your confession, once unshakable, and luminous preaching, angelic rejoicing, God-like obedience, Christ-bearing humility, and that “good” and “pleasant” that the hymnist David sings - “to live” for you with the brethren “together” (Ps. 132:1)? Since you have lost all this, my son, in return you have the opposite of this settled in you: darkening of the mind, hardening of the soul, blindness of the heart, unbelief, despair, cowardice, fear of death, fear of judgment. Why do you need to list everything separately if you live just like Cain, “groaning” and “shaking” (Gen. 4:12)? I’m not talking about the multitude of carnal passions that agitate your insides and ignite sin. Therefore, my son, having learned the truth through my humble letter, turning your gaze to the light, surrendering to divine contrition, imbued with love, remembering and understanding where you fell from, and what troubles you are in, and where you live, so to speak, behind the “tents of Kedar” (Song. 1: 4), come to your senses, arise, awaken, renew and ignite yourself and, without delay, an hour, not a day, not a week, rather leaving everything, come courageously and confidently to me, your unfortunate father, and to your good brotherhood, to my great father and your father. In addition, when I learned that you were expelled from there, I decided to send my brother to you with a letter so that he would return you. But since the presbyter who delivered the letter assured me that you would certainly come based on this letter alone, I was content with it. So, my son, as it has been said, not only I, the unfortunate one, and my father, but also my lords John the Baptist and John the Theologian certainly command you to leave quickly before unexpected death befalls you. If, which I do not think, you have become hardened and persist, then know that you are excommunicated from society, and from all the saints, and from us sinners, until you see our face. And if you leave from there, as we advised, and return, then you are already allowed to participate in the Divine Gifts and in other foods. You might be interested in: