Слово 70. О путях, приближающих к Богу и открывающихся человеку из приятности дел ночного бдения, и о том, что делатели оного все дни жизни своей питаются медом

Do not think, man, that in all monastic work there is any activity more important than night vigil. Truly, brother, it is both more important and necessary for the abstinent. If the ascetic is not distracted and disturbed by bodily affairs and concern for the transitory, but he keeps himself from the world and vigilantly guards himself, then his mind will soar in a short time, as if on wings, and will rise to the delight of God 554, will soon come to His glory, and by its ease of mobility and ease floats in knowledge that exceeds human thought. If a monk stays on vigil with prudence, then do not look at him as a flesh-bearer. For this is truly the work of the angelic order. It is impossible for those who spend their whole lives in this occupation to be left by God without great gifts for their sobriety, alertness of heart and caring aspiration of their thoughts towards Him. The soul that labors to remain in this vigil and lives decently will have cherubic eyes to constantly lift up its gaze and contemplate the heavenly spectacle. I think that with knowledge and prudence, he who has chosen this great and divine work and decided to bear this burden on himself, it is impossible not to strive in this glorified, chosen work 555 and not to protect himself during the day from the rebellion of the gatherings and from worrying about affairs, in fear of otherwise losing the wondrous fruit and great pleasure that he hopes to receive from this. Whoever is negligent about this, I will boldly say that he does not know why he is working, abstains from sleep, torments himself with prolonged poetry, straining his tongue and all-night standing, while his mind does not participate in psalmody and prayer, but, as if driven by habit, works recklessly. And if this is not so, as I said, then why is he deprived of the opportunity, with his constant sowing, on which he works, to reap the greatest benefits and fruit? For if, instead of these worries, he had exercised himself in reading the Divine Scriptures, which strengthens the mind, especially serves to irrigate prayer, helps vigil, with which it is closely connected, and gives light to understanding, then in this reading he would have found a leader on the right path, he would have found that which sows the substance that nourishes prayerful contemplation, and that keeps thoughts from soaring, does not allow them to spin and live in vain things, he constantly sows in the soul the remembrance of God, points out the paths of the saints who have pleased God, and makes it so that the mind acquires subtlety and wisdom - in a word, it would gain the mature fruit of such deeds. Why, man, do you dispose of yourself so unreasonably? At night you perform all-night vigils and tire yourself with psalmody, hymns and prayers - but does it really seem difficult and not small to you, through short-term diligence during the day, to be worthy of God’s grace for your suffering in another? Why do you bother yourself: you sow at night, and during the day you dissipate your labor - and you find yourself fruitless; Are you wasting the vigilance, sobriety and ardor that you have acquired - are you wasting your work in vain in rebellious relations with people and affairs, without any valid excuse? For if your nighttime exercise were consistent with your daytime activities and the fervor of your heartfelt conversation, and there was no gap between one and the other, then in a short time you could fall to the breasts of Jesus. But from this it is clear that you live unreasonably and do not know why monks need to stay awake. You think that this was established only so that you can work, and not for anything else that arises from here. But whoever has been vouchsafed by grace to understand that in the hope of which the ascetics resist sleep, force nature, and in the waking state of their body and thoughts bring their petitions every night, he knows the power that comes from daytime guarding, knows what help it gives the mind in the silence of the night, and what power over thoughts, what purity and care 556 it bestows on him spontaneously and without struggle, and allows him to freely experience the nobility of words. But I say that if the body, due to its weakness, were weakened and could not fast, then the mind with one vigil can acquire the structure of the soul and give insight to the heart to the knowledge of spiritual power, unless the daily reasons 558 are destroyed from entertainment. Therefore, I beg you, who wish to acquire a sober mind before God and the knowledge of a new life, not to be negligent in staying on vigil throughout your entire life. For through them your eyes will be opened to see all the glory of this life and the power of the path of righteousness. And if (which may not happen!) a thought of weakness appears in you again and perhaps begins to nest in you, because your Helper, who usually allows you to tempt you, will want to tempt you - in everything like this, whether in ardor or coldness, to change for any reason, or because of the weakness of the body, or because it is impossible for you to endure the labor of the long psalmody, zealous prayer, and numerous prayers you usually perform. kneeling, which you are accustomed to always perform, then I lovingly beg you: if this does not become in you and you are not able to do this, then, although sitting, stay awake and pray in your heart, but do not fall asleep, and use all measures to spend this night without sleep, sitting and thinking about good things. Do not harden your heart and do not darken it with sleep, and by grace the former ardor, lightness, and strength will come to you again, and, leaping, you will please God, thanking Him; because this coldness and such burden is allowed to fall on a person for testing and temptation. And if he arouses himself and shakes it off from himself with ardor and little compulsion, then grace approaches him, as it was before, and another power comes to him, in which all good and all kinds of help are hidden. And the man marvels in amazement, remembering the former burden and the lightness and strength that had come over him, and imagining this difference, and the ease of mobility, and how he suddenly accepted such a change within himself. And from now on he manages and, if such a burden comes upon him, he recognizes it from his previous experience. And if a person does not strive at first, he cannot acquire this experience. Do you see how smart a person is when he arouses himself somewhat and endures during the battle - unless his bodily nature is exhausted? But this is no longer a struggle, but a necessity of weakness: for in this case there is no benefit for nature to struggle; in all other cases, it is good for a person to force himself to do everything that is useful for him. So, constant silence together with reading, moderate eating and vigil soon arouses the thought to amazement, unless there is some reason that breaks the silence. Thoughts that arise in the silent ones by themselves, without deliberate effort, make both eyes, with tears flowing from them and washing their cheeks with their abundance, become like a baptismal font. When your body is tamed by abstinence, vigil and attentiveness of silence 559, but you feel that your body, without natural movement, is in the acuteness of lustful passion, then know that you are tempted by the thought of pride. Therefore, mix ashes into your food, stick your belly to the ground and examine what you have been thinking about, understand the change in your nature and your unnatural deeds, and then, perhaps, God will have mercy on you, send you light so that you can learn humility and your evil will not grow in you. Therefore, we will not stop striving and making efforts until we see repentance in ourselves, we gain humility and our heart rests in God. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. In the Syriac text: “he will ascend to God in his joy.” That is, due to failure to preserve oneself during the day. That is, attentive (diligent) silence. You might be interested in: