Слово 14. Об одном укоренном брате

Once a certain brother was reproached for not giving alms; and he boldly and proudly answered the one who reproached him: “Monks are not required to give alms.” But the one who reproached him objected: “The monk who is not required to give alms is visible and visible. For it is not assigned to the one who with an open face can say to Christ, as it is written: “Behold, we have left everything and are dead after You” (Matthew 19:27), i.e., who has nothing on earth, is not engaged in bodily things, does not think about anything visible, does not care about any acquisition, but even if someone gives him something, he takes only what he needs, and what is beyond his needs, he puts it at nothing and lives just like bird. Such a person is not obliged to give alms. For how can he give to another what he himself is free from? But whoever is busy with the affairs of life, works with his own hands and takes from others, is all the more obligated to give alms. And if he neglects to give alms, then this lack of mercy is opposition to the Lord’s commandment. For if someone does not approach God in secret 101 and does not know how to serve Him in spirit, but does not care about the obvious deeds that are possible for him, then what other hope will he have of acquiring life for himself? This is meaningless." Another elder said: “I marvel at those who embarrass themselves in the matter of silence in order to calm others in the physical.” And he also said: “We do not need to mix concern for anything else with the matter of silence: let every deed be honored in its place, so that our behavior does not become confused 102. For he who cares for many is the servant of many. And whoever has left everything and cares about the order of his soul is a friend of God. Look, those who give alms and fulfill love in relation to their neighbors by satisfying bodily needs, there are many of them in the world; and workers of complete and beautiful silence, occupied with God, are barely found and rare. Who of those who give alms in the world or observe righteousness in regard to the body could achieve at least one of those gifts that are granted by God to those who remain in silence? And he also said: “If you are a layman, then spend your time doing good worldly deeds. And if you are a monk, then become famous for the deeds that distinguish monks. If you intend to do both, then you will lose both 103. The deeds of a monk are the following: freedom from bodily 104, bodily labor in prayer and unceasing heartfelt remembrance of God. Judge for yourself: can you be satisfied with worldly virtues without these things?” Question. Couldn't a monk who suffers in silence acquire two types of occupations, that is, think about God and have another concern in his heart? Answer. I think that one who intends to remain in silence, when he leaves everything and takes care of his own soul, will not be able to manage the matter of silence without failure, even if he places himself outside of everyday care; and even more so if he takes care of others. The Lord left Himself in the world those who work for Him and care for His children, and He chose for Himself those who would serve before Him. For it is not only among earthly kings that one can notice the difference in ranks and see that those who always stand before the king and participate in his secrets are more glorious than those who are engaged in external affairs; but one can see the same in the deeds of the Heavenly King, namely: what boldness those acquired, whom constant presence in prayer made His interlocutors and mysteries; what kind of wealth they are honored with, both heavenly and earthly, and to what extent they reveal their power over every creature, more than those who serve God with their property and worldly goods and please Him by doing good deeds, which is also very important and wonderful. Therefore, we should take as a model not the last ones, who are still insufficient in the works of God, but those ascetics and holy warriors who completed their lives beautifully, abandoned everything worldly and cultivated the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, once forever abandoned earthly things and stretched out their hands to the gates of heaven. How did the ancient saints, who paved the way for us to live this life, please God? Like the saints, John of Thebes, this treasure of virtues, this source of prophecy, pleased God by the fact that he gave rest to his brothers in their bodily needs inside his seclusion, or by prayer and silence? I do not argue that many of the first also pleased God, but those who were less pleased by prayer and abandonment of everything. For from those who live in silence and are glorified by it, there is clearly some kind of help to their brethren. I understand that in times of need they help us with words or bring prayers for us. And what besides this (if remembrance or concern for something worldly is hidden in the heart of those who remain silent), then this is not a matter of spiritual wisdom. For it is said not to those who are silent, but to those who live outside of silence: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and the things that are God’s to the Gods” (Matthew 22:21), that is, to each his own, what is his neighbor’s is his neighbor’s, and what is God’s is what is God’s. Those who live in the angelic rank, that is, have care for the soul, are not commanded to please God with anything worldly, that is, to take care of handicrafts or take from one and give to another. Therefore, a monk should not have concern for anything that shakes and raises his mind from standing before the face of God. If anyone, contradicting him, mentions the divine Apostle Paul, that he worked with his own hands and gave alms, then we will tell him that Paul alone could do everything; We don’t know that there was another Paul, capable of anything like him. For show me another such Paul, and I will believe you. Moreover, what happens according to God’s will, do not expose it to public affairs. For one thing is the work of the gospel, and another is the work of silence. But if you intend to remain silent, be like the Cherubim, who do not care about anything worldly. And do not think that besides you and God there is anyone else on earth for whom you should take care, as you were taught by the former fathers before you. If someone does not harden his own heart, and does not forcefully hold back his mercy so as to become far from caring for everything below, both for the sake of God, and for the sake of anything in life, and does not remain in prayer alone at certain times, then he cannot be free from confusion and care and remain in silence. Therefore, when the thought comes to you to take care of something under the pretext of virtue and thereby disturb the silence that is in your heart, then say to that thought: “Beautiful is the path of love, wonderful is the work of mercy for the sake of God; but for God’s sake I don’t want this.” “Stop, father,” said one monk, “for God’s sake I am hurrying after you,” and he answered: “And for God’s sake I am running from you.” Abba Arseny, for God’s sake, did not talk to anyone about spiritual benefits or anything else. Another, for God's sake, spoke all day and received all the strangers who came; but instead he chose silence and stillness, and for this reason, in the midst of the sea of ​​real life, he talked with the Divine Spirit, and in the greatest silence he sailed on the ship of silence, as the ascetics clearly saw this, having inquired about this from God. And here is the law of silence: to remain silent for everything. And if even in silence you find yourself filled with confusion and you confuse your body with handicrafts and your soul with caring for someone, then judge for yourself what kind of silence you spend then, caring for many, in order to please God? For it is shameful to say that without abandoning everything, without removing oneself from all care, one can succeed in a silent life. Glory to our God! You won't have time in either one or the other. You might be interested in: