Глава 1. Святого Василия Великого наставления о молитве и трезвении

1) Prayer is a request for benefits sent by the pious to God. – But it is necessary not to present prayer in words alone, but even more so in a spiritual disposition to pray. And you should always pray, in any case. Whether you are sitting at the table, pray; when you eat the bread, give thanks to Him who gave; strengthening the weakness of the body with wine, remember the One who gave you this gift to gladden your heart and relieve ailments. Whether the need for food has passed, let the remembrance of the Benefactor never cease. If you put on a tunic, thank the One who gave; if you put on clothes, deepen your love for God, who has given us coverings suitable for winter and summer, protecting our life and covering our ugliness. Has the day passed? Give thanks to Him who gave us the sun to carry out our daily affairs, and who gave us fire to illuminate the night and serve for other everyday needs. May the night give you other incentives to pray. When you look up to the sky and fix your gaze on the beauty of the stars, pray to the Lord of the visible, and worship the best Artist of all, God, who “made all things with wisdom” (Ps. 103:24). When you see that all animal nature is engulfed in sleep, again bow to the One who, through sleep and against our will, frees us from the continuity of labor, and through a little tranquility again brings us to the vigor of strength. Therefore, let not all of your night be the domain of sleep; do not allow half of your life to become useless from sleepy insensibility; on the contrary, let your night time be divided into sleep and prayer. In this way you will pray unceasingly, not concluding your prayer in words; but through the entire course of life, approaching God, so that your life is continuous and unceasing prayer (4, 68, 69). 2) Answer every call to prayer: “My heart is ready,” and be at the service until the last prayer, considering it a great loss to leave prayer. For if, having eaten food to strengthen your flesh, you remain hopelessly at the meal until you satisfy your needs, and without great need you cannot easily leave the table: then shouldn’t you, all the more, remain until the end during spiritual nourishment and strengthen your soul with prayer? For as much as there is a difference between heaven and earth and between heavenly and earthly things, there is just as much difference between the soul and the body. The soul is like heaven, because the Lord dwells in it; and the flesh comes from the earth, where mortal people and dumb animals live. Therefore, balance your bodily needs with your hours of prayer, and prepare not to listen to thoughts that distract you from general prayer. For it is the devil’s custom, during the hours of prayer, under the pretext of a plausible reason, of course, to encourage us to go away in order to plausibly distract us from prayer. Don’t say as an apology: I have a headache, my stomach hurts, imagining unknown witnesses of an unprecedented illness and, for peace of mind, weakening my efforts to stay vigil. On the contrary, also perform secret prayers, which God sees in secret, and for which He will reward you with “Java” (Matthew 6:6). 3) Let your whole life be a time of prayer. But since the intensity of psalmody and genuflection must be given rest with some breaks, then most of all we must take into account those hours that were used for prayer by the saints as a model for us. So the great David says: “At midnight I rose to confess to You about the destinies of Your righteousness” (Ps. 119:62). And, as we see, following him, Paul and Silas praise God in prison at midnight (Acts 16:25). Then the same prophet says: “I will proclaim the evening and the morning and the noon” (Ps. 54:18). But even at the third hour the coming of the Holy Spirit takes place, as you know from Acts (Acts 2:15). The ninth hour recalls the suffering of the Lord, accomplished for our sake of life. But since David says: “I praised you sevenfold during the day about the destinies of Your righteousness” (Ps. 119:164), and the mentioned times of prayer do not fill the sevenfold number of prayers; then the midday prayer should be divided into a prayer before eating food, and into a prayer after eating it, so that for us, at every turn of the day, this rule will serve as an example: “praise God during the day.” 4) For everything else there is a time, according to the words of Ecclesiastes: “a time for every thing” (Eccl. 3:1); but any time is suitable for prayers and psalmody. Why, and while you move your hand to work, “or” with your tongue, when this is possible, it is better to say, when it is useful for the creation of faith, “or” if this is impossible, with your heart “in psalms and songs and spiritual songs” sing to God, and in the meantime make a prayer, as thanks to the One who gave the strength of the hands for deeds, and the wisdom of the mind for the acquisition of knowledge, who gave the substance from which the tools are made, “so” praying to direct the works of our hands to the goal pleasing God. In this way, we will achieve composure when, as has been said, in every action we will ask God for success in action, give thanks to Him who gave active power, and observe the goal of pleasing Him. For if we do not use this method, then how can what is said by the Apostle be combined: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17), and: “working night and day” (2 Thess. 3:8)? 5) The established times of prayer should not be neglected, because each of them in a special way reminds of the benefits given by God. So we should not neglect the morning, so that the first movements of the soul and mind are dedicated to God, so that we are not preoccupied with anything else until we are rejoiced in the thought of God, according to what is written: “I remembered God and rejoiced” (Ps. 77:4), so that the body is not set in motion for work until we fulfill what was said: “In the morning, hear my voice: in the morning I will appear.” You, and see me” (Ps. 5:4). And at the third hour we must rise to prayer, remembering the gift of the Spirit given to the Apostles at the third hour, so that we too may become worthy of receiving what is sacred, and ask the Spirit for guidance and teaching for our benefit, imitating the one who said: “Create a pure heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from Me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit” (Ps. 51:12–14). Then get down to business again. At the sixth hour, we recognized it necessary, in imitation of the saints, to pray, saying: “Evening and morning and noon I will proclaim and proclaim, and he will hear my voice” (Ps. 54:18), and in order to get rid of the noonday demon, reading together the ninetieth psalm. The fact that we need the ninth hour for prayer was conveyed to us by the Apostles themselves in the book of Acts, where it is narrated that “Peter and John went up to the sanctuary to pray at the ninth hour” (Acts 3:1). And at the end of the day, we need both thanksgiving for what was given to us on this day, or was successfully accomplished by us, and confession of what we did not fulfill, whether our sin was voluntary, or involuntary, or even secret, whether it consisted of words, or in deeds, or was contained in the very heart; For everything we must appease God with prayer. For a review of the past is very useful, so that we do not fall into similar sins again, which is why it is said: “Whatever you say in your hearts, on your beds you will be moved” (Ps. 4:5). But again, even when night falls, we need to ask that our rest be undisturbed and free from dreams, reading the ninetieth psalm at this hour. And that we need midnight for prayer, this was conveyed by Paul and Silas, as the history of Acts tells us, saying: “At midnight Paul and Silas praying, the band of God” (Acts 16:25). And the Psalmist saying: “At midnight we will rise to confess to You the destinies of your righteousness” (Psalm 119:62). Again we must rise to prayer and before the morning, so that the day does not find us in sleep and on the bed, in the words of the one who said: “Prevent my eyes for the morning, to learn by your words” (Ps. 119:148). Those who have decided to live carefully for the glory of God and His Christ should not neglect any of these times. 6) How to achieve non-distraction in prayer? - Undoubtedly convinced that God is before our eyes. If one who sees a leader or superior before him and converses with him does not turn his gaze away from him, then how much more will he who prays to God (with demonstrated conviction) have a mind that does not deviate from the One who searches the heart and womb, fulfilling what is written: “lifting up holy hands without anger or reflection” (1 Tim. 2:8). 7) Is it possible to achieve non-distraction in everything and at all times - and how is this achieved? - That this is possible was shown by the one who said: “I will lift up my eyes to the Lord” (Ps. 25:15), and: “I will lift up the sight of the Lord before me, as if he is on my right hand, so that I will not move” (Ps. 15:8). And how this is possible is discussed above. - precisely, - for this purpose the soul should not be given time to be idle from thinking about God and about God's works and gifts, also from confession and thanksgiving for everything. (Ibid.). 8) What is this “cage” into which the Lord commands the one praying to enter (Matthew 6:6)? – “Cletia” is usually called an empty and separate church, in which we put what we want to keep, or in which we can hide. And the power of the commandment is explained by the very subject of speech, because it is addressed to those suffering from the disease of man-pleasing. Why, if anyone is bothered by this ailment, he does a great job by withdrawing and secluded himself in prayer until he is able to acquire the skill of not paying attention to human praise, but looking only to God, following the example of him who said: “Like the eyes of a servant in the hand of his masters, like the eyes of a servant in the hand of his mistress: so are our eyes to the Lord our God” (Ps. 122:2). – But if someone, by the grace of God, is clean from this illness, then there is no need for him to hide the beautiful; teaching what the Lord himself says: “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The same meaning of the commandments about mercy and fasting, which are spoken of in the same place, and in general about any act of piety. 9) What does it mean: “sing wisely” (Ps. 46:8)? As in the judgment of food there is a sense of the quality of each food, so in the judgment of the words of Scripture there is understanding. For it is said: “the larynx eats food, but the mind (in Slavic “ear”; but St. Chrysostom also reads: “mind.”) reasons words.” Therefore, if anyone’s soul is as sensitive to the power of each word, as the taste is sensitive to the quality of each food item; then he fulfilled the commandment that says: “Sing wisely” (5, 356). 10) For what reason does a person lose his constant remembrance of God? If he does not remember the good deeds of God and turns out to be unconscious before the benefactor (5, 364). 11) Prayer should be preferred to everything. Martha receives (takes care to treat) the Lord, and Mary sits at His feet. In both sisters one can see wonderful zeal; but you differentiate between things. The Lord approved of the zeal of both women: but he preferred Mary to Martha. Martha is an image of active service to others; Mary is an image of contemplative presence before God in prayer. Imitate whatever you want: you will gain the fruit of salvation with both; however, the latter is higher than the former. “Mary... the good part is chosen” (Luke 10:42). If you also want to be the secret one of Christ, sit at His feet and remain in prayerful contemplation of Him (5, 379–81). 12) Prayer has two types: the first is praise with humility, and the second lower one is petition. Therefore, when praying, do not suddenly begin to ask; Otherwise, you yourself let everyone know about your will that you are praying to God, forced by need. Therefore, when you begin your prayer, leave yourself, your wife, your children, part with the earth, pass through heaven, leave every creature visible and invisible, and begin by praising Him who created everything: and when you glorify Him, do not wander your mind here and there, do not speak pagan fabulousness, but choose words from the Holy Scriptures and say: I bless you, O Lord, the long-suffering and gentle. For this reason, Lord, You are silent and patient with us, so that we glorify You, Who builds the salvation of our race, and so on. When you finish your doxology, borrowed to the best of your ability from the Scriptures, and send up praise to God, then begin with humility and say: I am not worthy, Lord, to speak before You; because I am very sinful - I am more sinful than all sinners. So pray with fear and humility. When you have completed both of these parts of glorification and humility, then ask what you should ask, that is, not wealth, not earthly glory, not bodily health, because He Himself knows what is good for everyone: but, as you are commanded, ask for the Kingdom of God. Our King will change and be indignant if anyone asks Him for something small, if any of us asks Him for something unworthy. Therefore, do not bring indignation upon yourself with your prayer, but ask yourself what is worthy of the King of God (5, 381-3). 13) When asking for what is worthy of God, do not stop asking until you receive it. Suggesting this thought, the Lord told a parable about a man who begged bread from his friend at midnight by his persistence (Luke 11:5–7). The Lord presents us with this example to teach us to be unremitting and persistent in prayer with faith, without losing hope and not despairing if we do not suddenly receive what we ask for. Although a month, and a year, and three years, and more years will pass until you receive, do not give up, but ask in faith, constantly doing good (5, 384). 14) So constantly ask God for everything related to your salvation and success in goodness, and you will certainly receive. But at the same time, know that you, on your part, must do everything possible; cry out to God for help, so that He will be your helper. For if someone, due to inconstancy, gives himself over to lusts (against the commandments), then God does not help him and does not listen to his prayers, because he has previously made himself alien to God through sin. Whoever wants to have help from God does not change his duties; and whoever does not change his duties is never left without God’s help. Therefore, one should not bring oneself to the point where one’s own conscience condemns oneself for anything, and in such a state one should call on God’s help (5, 385). 15) One should call upon her not with negligence, not with a mind wandering here and there. Such a person will not only not receive what he asks for, but will upset the Lord even more. If the one who stands and speaks before the prince stands with great fear, not allowing both his outer eye and his inner soul to wander, so as not to be exposed to danger; Isn’t it all the more necessary to stand before God with fear and trembling, directing your whole mind to Him alone, and not to anything else? Because He not only sees the outer man like people, but also sees into the inner man. Therefore, if you stand before God as you should, and do everything on your part, then do not stop asking for what you ask, and you will undoubtedly receive it. (Ibid.). 16) If you are condemned by your conscience as a despiser of God’s commandments, and if you stand in prayer absent-mindedly, when you could stand without being absent-minded, then do not dare to stand before God, lest your prayer turn into sin. If you try, but do not have time to pray without entertainment, then force yourself as much as you can, and continue to stand before God, turning your mind to Him and collecting it within yourself, and God will forgive you; because not out of neglect, but out of weakness, you did not have the strength to stand before God as you should. Therefore, if you force yourself to do every good deed, do not stop asking until you receive what you ask for, but patiently push into His door, asking for what you ask for. “For everyone,” it is said, “whoever asks receives, and whoever seeks finds, and it will be opened to the one who interprets” (Luke 11:10). For what else do you want to be vouchsafed but one salvation in God? (5, 386). 17) But you say: I asked many times, and I did not receive what I asked. - Without a doubt, you did not receive it because you asked badly, with disbelief and absent-mindedly, or you asked for something that was not useful to you. And even if he asked for useful things, he did not have constancy. For it is written: “Through your patience you will gain your souls” (Luke 21:19), and: “he who endures... to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22). 18) God knows the heart of those who pray. Therefore you say: what need does God have of our petition? Doesn't He know what we need? Therefore, what is the need for petition? - God knows what we need, and generously supplies everything bodily for our pleasure, even before our request; being good, “He will rain on the righteous and the unjust, and His sun shines on the evil and the good” (Matthew 5:45). - But faith, virtue, worthy of this name, the kingdom of heaven, if you do not ask with difficulty and much patience, you will not receive, because you must first wish, and having wished to seek actively in faith and patience, using everything on your part, so that you do not condemn your own in anything conscience, as if you are asking either carelessly or lazily; and then you will receive it, if it pleases God. For He knows better than you what is good for you (Also). 19) And perhaps - for this reason He hesitates to grant you what you ask, in order to force you to remain more constantly before Him, and so that you, having learned what the gift of God is (how difficult it is to get), will guard it with fear. For everything that someone acquires with much labor, he tries to preserve, so that, having lost it, he does not lose his much labor, and, having rejected the grace of God, does not become unworthy of eternal life. Therefore, do not be faint-hearted if you do not receive what you ask for soon. For if the good Lord saw that you, having soon received the gift, would not lose it, then he would be ready to grant it even before your request. And now, out of concern for you, He does this (that is, He does not give). For if the one who accepted the talent and kept it intact is condemned for not putting it into circulation; then will not the one who loses it be all the more condemned? (5, 389). 20) Therefore, knowing this, whether we receive it faster or slower, let us remain grateful to the Lord: because everything that the Master does, he builds for our salvation: only let you not, out of cowardice, stop asking. For this is why the Lord spoke a parable about a widow who, with her persistence, bowed down the lawless judge, in order to teach us, through her persistence, to achieve receiving our petitions. This shows our faith and love for God, when, even when we receive it slowly, we remain grateful to Him. Let us always thank Him in order to become worthy to receive His eternal blessings. 21) First of all, we must restrain the thought by all means, establishing sober supervision of the mind over it, so as not to allow the soul to indulge in unbridled aspirations according to the attraction of the body. Just as bodily vision is in the eye, so the eye of the soul is in its innate mind. When the soul, setting in motion its mental power, which is naturally invested in it by the Holy Trinity that created it, desires what is due and proper, then it avoids the attacks of the body, providing for and curbing its disorderly movements, maintaining within itself the silence that is appropriate for it, and amid the silent abolition of everything, it is engaged in contemplations characteristic of it; and he does this, as far as possible, raising his attentive gaze to the venerable Trinity, and thinking about the inaccessibility of God’s glory, due to the abundance of its radiance, about the lightness of God’s Bliss, about His boundless wisdom, about the peace in Him deep and undisturbed by anything, about His dispassionate nature and not moved by anything. When the soul, maintaining its mental strength in sobriety and its characteristic activities, is established in the contemplations described by everyone, then it will strongly direct its character and aspirations towards what is right and righteous, beautiful and peaceful. As soon as she stops directing her mind to grief and delving deeper into proper contemplation, then the bodily passions, like dogs that pushed away the overseer, immediately rise up with force and attack the soul - and each passion intensifies to torment it. When the soul makes its contemplative and rational power always awake, it lulls the bodily passions in a twofold way, that is, by being occupied with the contemplation of what is best and related, and by overseeing the tranquility of the body, it disciplines and calms its passions. If, having loved laziness, he leaves the contemplative power inactive, then bodily passions easily drag the soul towards its aspirations and actions. 22) There are two ways in which obscene thoughts crowd out good thoughts: this happens either because the soul, out of its own negligence, begins to wander with thoughts around what is obscene, moving from some dreams to others, more meaningless; or this happens due to the slander of the devil, when he manages to present the mind with inappropriate objects and divert it from contemplation and careful consideration of praiseworthy objects. When the soul itself, having upset the composure and tension of thought, brings to mind all sorts of empty things, and leaves the thought to wander senselessly and unreasonably over those remembered things, and, having seen enough of them, moves on to further wanderings over things that are often inappropriate and shameful: then such dissoluteness and such dispersion of the soul must be corrected by strengthening the tension of the will, restoring the attention of the mind and forcing it to immediately engage in the contemplation of good objects. When the devil attempts to slander and intensely strains into the silent and peaceful soul to let in his thoughts, like kindled arrows, in order to suddenly burn it and force him to hold onto them longer and more irresistibly: then, repelling and preventing such attacks with intense attention and sobriety, like a wrestler who, with vigilant observation and agility of body movements, manages to avoid the blow, it is necessary to devote everything to prayer and invocation, collections from above, and the cessation of warfare and the repulsion of arrows. Paul teaches us this, saying: “Take up the shield of faith over all these, in which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16). Therefore, if even during the very prayers the enemy introduces crafty dreams, let the soul not cease to pray, and let it not regard as its own growths these crafty thoughts of the enemy, these fantasies of a miracle worker inexhaustible in the machinations; but having judged that the appearance of indecent thoughts occurs in us due to the relentlessness of the inventor of wickedness, let us fall all the more intensely to God, and let us pray to Him to scatter the evil mediastinum erected by the memory of inappropriate thoughts, so that the striving of our mind will always unhinderedly ascend to God, without being interrupted by the attacks of evil memories. If such violence of thoughts continues, recklessly fighting with us; even in this case, we should not fall into despair, and not leave the feat halfway through, but patiently remain in prayer until God, seeing our firmness, illuminates us with the grace of the Spirit, turning the attacker to flight, purifying and filling our mind with divine light, and giving our thoughts the strength to serve God in undisturbed silence. 23) By nature we have a lust for the beautiful. – But what is more wonderful than God’s beauty? What sight is more pleasing than God's beauty? What kind of spiritual desire is as alive and uncontrollable as the desire generated by God in a soul cleansed of all evil, which with true disposition says: “wounded by love” (Song. 2:5)? Truly indescribable and indescribable are the lightning-fast brilliances of God’s beauty; no word can express them, no hearing can contain them. Whether we call the brightness of the morning star, or the brightness of the moon, or the radiance of the sun, all this is unworthy of showing even a small semblance of the glory of God, and in comparison with the true Light, it is further removed from Him than deep night and the most terrible darkness from the midday clarity. If this beauty, invisible with bodily eyes, and comprehended only by the soul and thought, illuminated one of the saints, and left in him an uncontrollable sting of love: then, burdened by this life, they said: “Woe is me, for my coming will continue” (Ps. 119:5), “When will I come and appear to the face of God?” (Ps. 41:3), “My soul thirsts for the mighty God” (Ps. 42:3). So many were uncontrollable in their desire for God, those whose souls were touched by divine desire. Because of an insatiable desire to contemplate divine goodness, they prayed that the vision of God's beauty would extend throughout all eternity (Ps. 21:4). 24) We by nature have love and disposition towards benefactors and are ready to do any work in order to repay the benefit shown to us. -But what word can depict God’s gifts? They are so numerous that they exceed any number; they are so great and important in quality that even one is enough to oblige us to all gratitude to the Giver. I will keep silent about those of them that, although in themselves are excessive in grandeur and attractiveness, however, exceeded by the luminosity of large ones, like stars by the radiance of the sun's rays, do not so clearly demonstrate their beneficence. For there is no time, leaving the most excellent, to measure the goodness of the Benefactor by His lesser gifts. Therefore, let the rising of the sun, the revolution of the moon, the goodness of the air, the changes of the annual changes, the water from the clouds, the water from the earth, the sea itself and the whole earth, born from the earth, living in the waters, the kinds of living creatures in the air, the thousands of differences between animals, everything assigned to the service of our life, be given over to silence. - But one thing, even if someone wants, cannot be ignored, one thing is even completely impossible for someone who has a sound mind and a word to remain silent about - namely, that God - having created man in His image and likeness, deigning to know about Himself, adorning him in front of all animals with the gift of words, allowing him to enjoy the immeasurable beauties of paradise, placing him as a prince over everything on earth, and after being outwitted by the serpent, he fell into sin, and through sin into death and into everything that is worthy of death - he did not despise it, but first gave it the law, assigned angels to protect it and take care of it, sent prophets to expose vice and teach virtue, suppressed vicious aspirations with threats, aroused zeal for good deeds with promises - and then, when we, even with all such benefits, turned out to be incorrigible, he deigned to call us back from death and to revive in our Lord Jesus Christ by a certain wondrous economy. For He, “in the form of God, was not equal to God by admiration; but He made Himself of no reputation, and took on the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:6, 7), - took upon Himself our infirmities, bore sicknesses, was ulcerated for us so that we “were healed by His ulcer” (Isa. 53:5), “ransomed us to eat from the curse... becoming a curse against us” (Gal. 3:13), endured the most blasphemous death in order to lead us to a glorious life, and was not content with that, but also gave us dignity communion of the Divine, prepared eternal rest, the greatness of consolations exceeding any human thought - “What shall we render to the Lord for all that he has rendered to us?” (Ps. 115:3). – When I bring all this to my mind, then (I will open up in my weakness) I come into some kind of horror and terrible frenzy from fear, so that, through inattention of the mind or because of preoccupation with vain things, having fallen from the love of God, I might one day become a reproach to Christ. For the one who is now deceiving us, and with vile baits is trying in every possible way to bring about in us oblivion about the Benefactor to the destruction of our souls, then this oblivion of ours will turn into a reproach to the Lord, boasting of our disobedience and our apostasy; because he did not create us and did not die for us, yet he had us as his followers in disobedience and negligence of the commandments of God. This reproach to the Lord and this boast of the enemy seem to me worse than the torment of Gehenna - to serve as a reason for the enemy of Christ to exalt himself before the One who died and rose again for us. 25) We must guard our hearts with every care (Proverbs 4:23), so as not to lose the thought of God, and not to defile the remembrance of His miracles with vain ideas, but to carry the holy thought of God, imprinted in our souls with constant and pure remembrance, everywhere with us like an indelible seal. For in this way we acquire love for God, which arouses us to fulfill the commandments of the Lord, and at the same time is again observed by them, becoming continuous and unshakable. 26) In every task that lies ahead of us, we must set the will of the Commander for ourselves as a goal, and direct our thoroughness according to it, as the Lord says about Himself: “I came down from heaven, not that I should do My will, but the will of the Father who sent me” (John 6:38). For, as the arts necessary in life, having assumed certain goals inherent in them, private actions are directed towards them; Thus, since our affairs are given one limit and one rule - to fulfill the commandments pleasing to God, then we can succeed in our work with precision only by doing it according to the will of Him who gave the commandments. And with strict diligence, doing things according to the will of God will be possible, through mindfulness, to enter into unity with God. - A Christian must consider every action, unimportant and important, with the will of God, and at the same time keep the thought of the One who commanded to do so. And whoever in his deed violates the accuracy of the commandment obviously has little memory of God. - Therefore, remembering the words of Him who said: “I do not fill the heavens and the earth with food?” (Jer. 23:24), - and again: “I am a God who draws near... and not a God from afar” (Jer. 23:23), - one must do every deed as if it were done in the eyes of the Lord, and form every thought as if the Lord were watching it. In this case, there will always be fear, and love will be perfected. 27) Where do absent-mindedness and thoughts come from? And how to put them in order? – Absent-mindedness comes from idleness of the mind, not occupied with the necessary things. And the mind remains in idleness and carelessness from disbelief in the presence of God, testing hearts and wombs. For if anyone believes this, then, without a doubt, he will do what was said: “I have seen the Lord before me... as he is at my right hand, let me not move” (Ps. 15:8). And whoever has achieved this and similar things will never dare and will not have the leisure to think about anything that does not tend to build faith, even if it seems good, and not just something forbidden and displeasing to God. 28) How to succeed in not being distracted? - If anyone assimilates the thoughts of the chosen David, who said - sometimes: “I will lift up the Lord before me, for He is at my right hand, let me not move” (Ps. 15:8), - sometimes: “I will lift up my eyes to the Lord, for He will pluck my nose from the snare” (Ps. 24:15), - and sometimes: “Behold, like the eyes of a servant in the hand of his masters, like the eyes of a servant into the hand of her mistress: so are our eyes towards the Lord our God” (Ps. 123:2). And in order to motivate ourselves with a small example to carefully acquire the most important, let everyone reflect on himself how he behaves in the presence of others, even his equals, how he tries to ensure that they do not condemn anything in his ability to hold himself, in his gait, in the movement of each member and in his pronunciation. But just as we try to keep what is visible to people before people, so much more, who is undoubtedly sure that he has as spectators - God, according to what is written, “who searches the hearts and bowels” (Ps. 7:10) - and the only begotten Son of God, who fulfills the promise: “where... there are two or three congregations in My name, I am in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20), - and the Holy Spirit, who governs us, divides gifts and acts in us, - and the Guardian Angels of each of us, according to what the Lord said: “Take heed that you do not despise one [of] these little ones: for I say to you, for their angels in heaven always see the face of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10); he takes upon himself the most important and difficult feat, how to make his piety pleasing to God; and thus, non-distraction is strengthened stronger and more perfectly in him, especially if he tries to fulfill what has been said: “I will bless the Lord at all times; I will make His praise in my mouth” (Ps. 33:2), so that, with unremitting and unceasing contemplation of the glory of God, the mind does not find time to be distracted. 29) Why does it happen that the mind seems to become depleted of good thoughts and concerns pleasing to God? and how to protect yourself from this? - since David says: “My soul slumbers from despondency” (Ps. 119:28), it is clear from this that this happens from spiritual slumber and insensibility. For in a soul that is awake and sober, care pleasing to God and good thoughts do not fail, but on the contrary, it sees that it itself is insufficient for them; because if the bodily eye is not sufficient for the consideration of some few of God’s creatures, and does not get satiated, having looked at something once, but constantly looking at the same thing, it does not cease to look: then all the more the spiritual eye, if it is awake and sober, is not sufficient for the contemplation of God’s miracles and destinies. For it is said: “The depths of Your destiny are many” (Ps. 35:7), and in another place: “Your mind is amazed at Me; strengthened, I will not be able to do it” (Ps. 139:6), and much like this. If good thoughts become impoverished in the soul, then it is clear that enlightenment also becomes impoverished in it, not because of the impoverishment of what enlightens, but because of the slumber of that which should be enlightened. 30) Blessed is the soul that, day and night, has no other care except this one, as on that great day when all creation will appear before the Judge to give an account of their deeds, and it will not be difficult for her to answer for her life. Whoever has this day and hour before his eyes, and always thinks about justification at the infallible judgment seat, will either not sin at all, or will sin very little; because we sin due to the lack of fear of God in us. And in whom the expectation of the threatening is clearly imprinted, the fear living in him will not give him time to fall into rash actions or thoughts. So, remember God, have the fear of God in your heart and call everyone to be your companions and prayer companions, for great help comes from those who can appease God. And don't stop doing it. For their prayer will be to us, while we live, a good helper in this life, and when we depart from here, it will serve as a sufficient parting word for the next century. - But just as concern for a future answer is a good deed, so again cowardice and hopelessness belong to soul-destroying objects. Trust in the goodness of God, and expect God to intercede, knowing that if we turn to Him as we should and sincerely, then He will not only not reject us at all, but while we are still saying the words of prayer, He will say: “Behold!” 31) “Worship the Lord in His holy court” (Ps. 28:2). The courtyard of the Lord is the holy church. One must worship the Lord not outside this holy court, but while being inside it, so that by remaining outside and being carried away by the external, one does not turn one’s stay in the court of the Lord into nothing. For many outwardly stand in prayer, but are not in the courtyard, because their thoughts rush here and there, and their minds are distracted by vain worries. 32) “In His church everyone speaks glory” (Ps. 28:9). Let them hear these words, and let those who indulge in many words be ashamed. What does the Psalm say? He who is in the church of God does not slander, and does not bring words about vanity and shameful things out of his mouth, but “in His church everyone speaks glory.” Here are St. Angels write down your words; The Lord himself is here, and observes the disposition of those who enter. Everyone’s prayer is open before God: it is revealed to Him, who by disposition, who reasonably asks for heavenly things, who only for appearances, with the edges of his mouth, utters words, and his heart is far from God, who, although he prays, asks only for bodily health, material wealth, human glory. In the church of God, the glory of God should be spoken primarily. Praising God is the work of Angels. For the entire Heavenly Host, it is one thing to send glory to the Creator. Every creature, both silent and speaking, both worldly and earthly, glorifies the Creator. But pitiful people, having left their homes and flocked to churches, do not incline their ears to the words of God, do not fulfill the duty of nature (to praise), do not grieve that they are under the power of sin, do not lament when remembering sins, do not tremble at judgment; but with a smile stretching out their hands to each other, they make the house of prayer a place of long conversations, not heeding the Psalm, which testifies and says that “in the church of God everyone speaks glory.” And you not only do not speak glory, but you also serve as an obstacle to others, drawing their attention to yourself and drowning out the teaching of the Spirit with your noise. Be careful that instead of receiving a reward for your praise, you do not leave here condemned along with those who blaspheme the name of God. You have a psalm, you have a prophecy, you have the Gospel commandments and the Apostolic sermons. Let the tongue sing; let the mind seek the thought of what was said, so that it can sing to you in spirit, and sing with your mind too. God does not demand glory, but wants you to become worthy of glorification. “For if a man sows, that will he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). Sow praise so that you may reap crowns, honors, and praises in the Kingdom of Heaven. 33) “O Lord my God, I cried to You and You healed me” (Ps. 29:3). – Blessed is he who knows his inner ulcer, can come to the Doctor and say: “heal me, Lord... heal my soul, for those who have sinned against You” (Ps. 6:3, 40:5). - But here the Prophet also brings thanks for the healing given to him: “I called to You, and You healed me.” There was no gap between the cry and Your grace: as soon as I called, the healing came. Those who pray to God must say something important so that quick healing can come to us. 34) “Sing to the Lord, to His reverence” (Ps. 29:5). Not everyone sings to the Lord who pronounces the words of the Psalm with their lips, but only those who send up psalmody from a pure heart, all who are reverent and keep the truth before God, all such can sing to God, faithfully observing spiritual rhymes (spiritual mood). How many have come here - those who hide lies in their hearts? Such people cannot sing as they should. They imagine themselves singing, but do not actually sing: for the Psalm invites the monk to sing. “A tree... cannot produce evil the fruits of good” (Matthew 7:18), and a vicious heart cannot bring forth from itself the words of (spiritual) life. Purify your hearts in order to bear spiritual fruit, and then, having become saints, you will be able to sing to the Lord intelligently. 35) “You turned away... Your face, and I was confused” (Ps. 29:8). While the rays of Your visit, says the Prophet, shone upon me, I spent my life in an unshakable and serene state. But when “thou turned away thy face”; Then the passionate and confused state of my soul was revealed. – Let us continually pray that the face of God may shine upon us, so that we may be in a sacred state, quiet and untroubled by anything, according to our readiness for good. 36) “What is the use of my blood if it sometimes descends into decay?” (Ps. 29:10). What benefit does he say to me in the well-being of the flesh and the abundance of blood when it is given over to general destruction? “But I mortify my body and make it into slavery” (1 Cor. 9:27), so that the fatness of the flesh does not serve as a reason for sin. Do not please the flesh with sleep, baths, soft beds, constantly repeating this word: “What is the use of my blood if I ever descend into corruption?” Why do you worry about something that will soon fade away? Why do you fatten yourself and burden yourself with the flesh? Don’t you know that the more white you make your flesh, the more painful a prison you will prepare for your soul? 37) “Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord” (Ps. 32:1). “Rejoice... in the Lord” - not because your deeds are prosperous, not because you enjoy bodily health, not because your fields abound with all kinds of fruits; but because you have the Lord, who is so beautiful, so good, so wise. The psalm encourages the righteous to feel their dignity that they are honored to be the slaves of such a Master, and to admire their slavery to Him with indescribable joy and with leaping, as if their hearts were bursting with the delight of love for the Good. If at any time in your heart, as if a light had fallen, a sudden thought about God occurred and illuminated your soul so that you loved God, and despised the world and everything corporeal; then from this weak and small likeness, know the complete state of the righteous, who evenly and continuously increase in joy in God. This joy visits you from time to time and rarely, according to God’s will, so that a small taste of it brings to your memory how great a good you lack. And in the righteous there is constant divine and heavenly joy, because the Spirit undoubtedly dwells in him. For the righteous, the Lord is like a place that contains them - a place into which one who enters cannot help but be content and rejoice. And the righteous becomes a place for the Lord, receiving Him into himself: but the sinner gives a place to the devil in himself (Eph. 4:27). Therefore, abiding in the Lord himself, and contemplating His miracles as much as we can, from contemplation of this we will gain joy for our hearts. 38) If someone, led by the Holy and man-loving Spirit, not dreaming about himself, but humiliating himself in order to exalt others, cries out in the spirit, asking for something great, and does not utter anything unworthy and low, expressing a search for earthly and worldly things, then the cry of this one asking will be heard by the Lord. 39) “God is our refuge and strength” (Ps. 45:2). Don’t run away from what you shouldn’t and don’t run to someone you shouldn’t. But let you have one thing to avoid - sin, and one refuge - God. Many say: God is our refuge; but very few say this with the same disposition as the Prophet: for not everyone surrenders to God in everything, not everyone breathes in Him alone, not everyone in Him alone has hope and confidence. And our very deeds convict us when, in our sorrows, we rather resort to everything else, but not to God. Is your child hurt? You are looking for a fortune teller, or one who hangs empty inscriptions on the necks of innocent babies. Did the dream upset you? You run to dream interpreters. Are you afraid of the enemy? You are looking for an intercessor in one of the people. In general, in every need, you expose yourself, which in the words of God you call refuge, but in reality you seek help from the useless and vain. But the true help of the righteous is God. Just as a military leader, having brave warriors, is always ready to help the weak: so God, our helper and supporter of everyone fighting against the wiles of the devil, sends ministering spirits to those in need of salvation. 40) The Prophet said: “Incline your ear” (Ps. 114:2), not so that you form some sensual concept about God, as if He has ears and inclines them because of a quiet voice, as we do, bringing our hearing closer to those who speak weakly, in order to better hear what is being said. He said, “incline,” to show his own weakness, that is, out of love for humanity, descend upon my lying valley, like a philanthropic doctor, inclining your ear to a sick person who, due to great exhaustion, cannot speak clearly, so that up close you can more clearly recognize the needs of the sufferer. God's ear does not need the sound of a voice to hear. God knows what is asked by the movements of the heart. Or don’t you hear how Moses, who says nothing, but prays to the Lord in wordless groans, was heard by the Lord, who said to him: “Why are you crying to Me?” (Ex. 14:15). The original title of this collection: “Patristic instructions on prayer and sobriety or attention in the heart to God.” To the author's text of the collection (from St. Basil the Great to St. Barsanuphius and John inclusive), the publishers added quotes about prayer from the letters of St. himself. Feofan. You might be interested in: