Teachings I-VIII

Greek texts of the works of St. Macarius the Great has come down to us in the form of 4 collections (types). "Teachings I-VIII" belong to type III (epistles preserved in 3 manuscripts, the earliest of which dates back to the 11th century). The third type of messages from St. Macarius represents a collection of 43 Words, the first eight of which are contained in this publication and are presented in translation by A.I. Sidorov (with extensive comments). The Teachings touch on questions about Christianity, the resurrection of the dead and the heavenly state of Christians, the suffering of Christ on the Cross, patience, who is a perfect Christian, etc. Contents Teaching 1. What is the structure of Christianity Teaching 2. About the resurrection of the dead; about the fact that what is the acquisition of the soul here on earth, darkness or light of grace, will clearly embrace it at the resurrection Lecture 3. About the crucifixion of the Lord and about patience Lecture 4. About the heavenly state of Christians Lecture 5 Lecture 6. About the fact that what is here is subject to destruction, but the future is indissoluble Lecture 7. That a Christian must die for the evil deeds of the world Lecture 8. Who there is a perfect Christian Lesson 1. What is the structure of Christianity 1. QUESTION. Why does Paul say: The Gentiles, who do not have the law, ...are a law unto themselves (Rom. 2:14)? If they did not have a (natural) law, then how did they become a law unto themselves? ANSWER. This saying requires analysis: the inner man (ours) was darkened (by sin) and was not darkened, he became blind and partially remained with open eyes, he is dead and lives in nature. No one can enter into (eternal) life (Matthew 18:8, 19:17) apart from many trials, temptations and reproaches. Thus, our church must enter the Kingdom (Heavenly) (Matthew 19:24), only by being subjected to temptation - none of the unskilled enters there. Here, for example, is hard clay: the potter puts it into the fire, then takes it out, taps it with a hammer and puts it back into the fire until it becomes soft and can be made into a valuable vessel suitable for serving the ruler. Or wax: in cold air it is hard, but when placed in the fire it begins to soften and become pliable - then it takes on the imprint and perfect image of the seal. Likewise, the soul itself needs abundant education - many times it (should) be brought into the fire and subjected to trials, so that the perfect image of Christ and the heavenly seal can be imprinted on it. And the potter (more than once) plunges clay vessels (2 Tim. 2:20) into fire and water - there some of them become suitable for use, while others are dissolved and destroyed. So, for those who enter into trials and temptations of battle, one of two things awaits them: either they win, or they fall and perish, move away from God and become alien to (eternal) life. Those who withstand trials and sorrows fall and rise again, remain unbending and invincible to the end and receive the crowns of winners. Such is the skillful soul: it falls and rises, builds (its church), is overcome (by demons), and so on until it receives its reward. After all, if we turn to visible things, then (we will see) that many children go to school at the same time, but some of them are undisciplined, others are actors, others are unbridled, fourths are dodgy, and only a fifth are diligent in their studies and obligatory. So it is in monasteries: there are many brethren living in them together, but some of them, thanks to free will, enter into (eternal) life, while others do not. Or, for example, a plant: while it is young, it is weak and cannot take root in the ground and, when harsh winds blow, it suffers; when the winds become stronger and shake it, it overturns. But if it takes root deep into the ground, then neither winds nor winter storms can harm it, since this plant is strong and deeply rooted. Brothers, who are still children and infants in need of much education, are like such a plant. For those who are taught of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:52) always need leaders to show them the way (to salvation), until they are strengthened in grace and become steadfast and immovable. 2. After all, Christians are above passions and demons, they are masters over unclean spirits (Matthew 10:1), sons of the bridal chamber (Matthew 9:15) of Christ and heirs of God (Rom. 8:17); they have reached the perfection of Christ, have come to a perfect man, to the measure of full stature (Eph. 4:13), so that neither physical labor, nor heat, nor demons (no longer) can harm them, for they are the rulers of all (creatures) and (even) poisonous animals are subject to them. And the first man himself (1 Cor. 15:45), being the ruler over creatures, ruled over the passions, but after transgressing (the commandments) he became a slave of the passions, demons, fire and sword. After the coming of Christ, people again, thanks to the power of baptism, achieve the previous state of Adam, become the masters of the passions and demons, and the last enemy - death, under Adam's feet (1 Cor. 15:26-27) submitted. Therefore, a Christian must stand beyond the reach of the arrows of vice, seek salvation (of the soul) and take part in all (spiritual) struggles. If (someone) has healthy eyes and a (good-looking) appearance, but his arms or legs are damaged, then two members of his (body) are healthy, and the rest are weak. A Christian should have all his members healthy and unharmed. The war chariots and armor of Christianity, as well as its unity and way of life, do not belong to this world, and therefore many people do not know what they are looking for. They become artisans of the earth and do not look to heaven: they do not seek art that can lead to heaven. And if you meet merchants or philosophers, you will in many cases find that they belong to this age. The mystery of Christianity is great (Eph. 5:32) and desired only by those who are outside this world. (Let’s imagine) a big city and that in this city everyone is noble, everyone is kings, everyone is priests and everyone is rich. And if they happen to disperse to different countries, then the inhabitants of these countries, when they meet them, will seem to be barbarians and foreigners, and they, in turn, will seem such to these inhabitants. Only by seeing each other do they understand that they speak the same language and belong to the same city. For they belong to another world, they are citizens of another city - the city of saints; another age - after all, those who are in Christ are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17); they are partakers of another Wisdom, another Spirit (Heb. 6:4), another praise, another wealth, another dignity and another will; have a different mind - the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16); They are the sons of Light (Luke 16:8; John 12:36), the sons of the bridal chamber (Matthew 9:15), the sons of consolation (Acts 4:36) and the sons of the New Testament. 3. Many do not have true knowledge of the incorruptible and imperishable things that are in heaven. Can you imagine that there is a king who does not belong to this age? Or the rhetorician and the philosopher, who also do not belong to him? But if (one of them) belongs to that age, then he knows that language and is a partaker of that Wisdom: for they are not found either from heaven or from earth; are not and cannot really be known through force or action, because all revealed (things) are a ghost and a delusion of the eyes. How many (temptations) must one go through to achieve (eternal) life? - Through many trials. For you cannot enter eternal life (Matthew 18:8) unless you go through the thorny path (Luke 3:5) and overcome terrible places. Just as darkness falls on the air, so the power of Satan filled the hearts of Adam, and the smoke (of this power) enveloped all their wills. However, there are also those who love the Truth, who, despite this smoke, diligently try to resist (the evil one) and strive; but they do not immediately reach the good part, but only after having overcome a long list and many struggles. And such (ascetics) are more worthy (before God) than those who do not engage in spiritual warfare. In the same way, many (brothers), having achieved a short rest (from warfare) and grown in grace, are exalted and filled with arrogance; They believe that they have already achieved freedom and call themselves perfect - it is they who are abducted by vice in such a way that they do not know about it. For nothing destroys the Christian race more than exaltation: after all, the serpent misled Adam, (promising him that people) would be like gods (Gen. 3:1-5). But the Divine is incompatible with exaltation. Therefore, the distinctive sign of Christianity is the following: when you see (a person) hungry, thirsty, toiling, poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), humbled before his face, seeking (God) unceasingly night and day - (then know that) such a person stood in the truth (John 8:44). On the contrary, if someone is full and needs nothing, or if someone is rich, then he belongs to a lie, as the Apostle says: You are already full, you are already rich (1 Cor. 4:8). And it also says: Woe to you, you who are full (Luke 6:25) of this world - this is also said to those who consider themselves to be something (Gal. 6:3). Glory to God! Lesson 2. About the resurrection of the dead; about the fact that what is the acquisition of the soul here on earth, darkness or light of grace, will embrace it in reality at the resurrection 1. QUESTION. The resurrected bodies of Adam are resurrected naked before the Divine, or do they have covers on them and feed on other food, protected by clothes and being satisfied in the same way as here (for the men and women living in this age are forced by need to put on clothes, cover their shame and be satisfied with rotting food)? Already co-resurrected (with Christ, freed) from earthly corruption and returned to their original integrity (their own), do they need this? ANSWER. (The comparison with earthly life) seems to me inappropriate and unreasonable, for we know that all the beauty and well-being of creation is destroyed and dissolved, and the earth no longer bears fruit to satisfy the body and heaven passes away with all its world. Where will food be delivered to people and from what will clothes for them be made during the Judgment of the Lord, when (even now) visible (things) are dissolved? Isn’t it clear that the future is given (to us) as something different and superior to these visible (things)? However, (even there) one must be clothed (in clothes) and be satisfied. If the Israelites were given manna in the desert, unusual and alien to nature, since it is written: The bread of angels is for man (Ps. 77:25), then how much more will God give people in the next century food and coverings that are unusual for their nature. Hence those who receive the deposit of the Spirit into their hearts (2 Cor. 1:22) and heavenly treasure; those who (already) now wear glorious and heavenly garments; those who sow heavenly and spiritual seed into the soil of (their) heart—they, undoubtedly, also (in this life) partake of the glory of the body. For the beauty of God, now hidden and dwelling in the soul, will appear at the Resurrection, cover and glorify the outer body with eternal Light. It is necessary that the mind, (which has shown itself) here to be venerable, hears the good news and the Spirit of God is revealed to it, and after this the body will be glorified (with it). After all, God, already in this life covering the soul with glory and making it (ready) to be consumed by His fire at the appointed time, covers (with glory) the body; He will reveal this body to be consistent with His glorious body (Phil. 3:21), giving it there, finally, peace, heavenly food and clothing, and incorruptible angelic activity. 2. (Turning) to visible things, (one can say) that the night has its own business and the day has its own. The deeds of the night are crafty: at night the evildoers commit lawlessness, for under the cover of darkness they fearlessly plot their intrigues, steal, fornicate and commit adultery, without being exposed by anyone. Daytime deeds are light and are righteous and pious deeds, for everything done in the light is light (Eph. 5:13) and is done before God. Therefore, those who are now committing much iniquity are hidden (here) as if in the night, but then whatever is revealed is made clear from the light (Eph. 5:13). After all, now those who reap the harvest of the evil one in their hearts and combine their minds with his shameful deeds, hasten to hide and conceal their evil deeds, but cannot escape from the (eye) of God, for everything is naked and open to God and we will give an account to Him (Heb. 4:13). The darkness that now covers the soul and heart, on that (Judgment) day will darken and cover the body as well, since it will be swallowed up in the dark bosom of the evil one; and the good deeds of the righteous will shine like the sun (Matthew 13:43), for nothing can hide them. Just as fruitful trees, having conceived fruits within themselves according to the passage of time, can no longer hide what is contained in them at the appropriate time and, thanks to a certain attractive and vital force, produce fruits (suitable) for saturation; as a seed planted before in the invisible womb of the earth takes root, conceives and, having grown in this way, breaks out and appears on the surface of the earth, grows, rises as a stem, ripens into a full ear and produces (again) seed; and just as the young shoot of the vine, first set in motion within (it), conceives, reveals the conceived fruit and gives wine at the (proper) season - so Christians, now sown and now nurtured in the heavenly vineyard, having sent down the sweetest roots into the earth of the heart, will not be able to hide (their) fruits, but what is conceived within them on the day of Resurrection will illuminate the body, will rejoice and rejoice it. And the deeds of sinners (also) become clear. Just as a chaste virgin who has fallen into fornication, conceived and tries to hide it, cannot hide her fetid debauchery, for the embryo growing in her womb, having reached the perfection of uterine growth, is born into the world, exposing the iniquity of the woman in labor, so those who conceive sin in their hearts, who are to give birth to children of iniquity, cannot avoid on that (Judgment) day the terrible and indescribable fire, for their souls and bodies are doomed to condemnation. 3. Therefore, the subject of (our) aspirations (should be) the following: in this short time we must zealously strive to be worthy to receive into our hearts and gather in them the Holy Spirit of God, and so that through Him our bodies on that day would be clothed in glory and peace; so that He would restore them in a new and incorruptible age, creating for them a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1) and new lights, and give them (their) own image and all the promised inheritance (Heb. 9:15). Those who are worthy of this are precious stones (1 Cor. 3:12) and choice pearls in the presence of the Divine, for genuine stones are called precious, as well as eagles (Matthew 24:28) and doves (Matthew 10:16). And the Builder-Christ destroys the dark structures of evil thoughts, about which it is said: We cast down ideas and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:4-5) - for they roar into our hearts, as if into the desert. Having destroyed them, (the Lord) places His stone as the foundation and, rolling in other stones (I mean the thoughts of nature), erects (His) building up to the heights of heaven, connecting (it) with the Body of Christ and combining it with the structure of the holy apostles. God's building is made up of two essences: first, the Lord raises our inner man into the structure of His Body, Angels, saints and perfect spirits, and then He descends down to earthly things, takes refuge in the (temporary) tabernacle put together here for Him, choosing the place where He happens to be. 4. Just as sensual eyes see the visible sun, so the eyes of the soul must see the intelligent Light of the Sun of Truth (Mal. 4:2). Just as swallows sometimes take refuge in winter, unable to endure the evil winds and severe cold, and in the spring, when the soft and calm air warms the entire earth with its warmth, they return, fly into their own abodes, into people’s houses, fearlessly settle in them, build nests here, hatch chicks and fill them with the chirping of their natural voices - so the Lord, coming into the homes of our hearts, delights peace and lives there, and when storms come, fierce winter and darkness, then the rays of His sweetest Sun shine there, filling everything, and then deep peace inhabits this dwelling. So, in the spring, when the warmth of the sun approaches the earth and lingers on it longer, the earth blooms and awakens along with all the fruits and plants. Vineyards, oak groves and fields are covered with fresh green leaves and bright flowers. Dumb animals also bear fruit, they give birth to young from their wombs, this is how lambs are born and children appear in other creatures with good-natured and simple-minded hearts. And everything that shortly before was in sadness and despondency, motionless and barren, is transformed and begins to move, bears fruit and feeds. For the earth is freed from the cold that binds it, glows with a variety of plants and herbs; the desert mountains are clothed in fresh greenery, losing their wildness, all the springs are filled with an influx of (new) water, pouring out sweet and transparent moisture; every kind of bird and four-legged animal is joyfully and with delight transformed into this pleasant and blissful time and, generously fed, rejoices. 5. All these are reflections of spiritual and mental things. For the mind is sterile, bound and shackled by terrible darkness and harsh winds, and thoughts that have fallen into the slavery of sorrow are strong; many thoughts alien to nature enter such a mind, and every thought of it is evil, being from Satan. But during the visit (Jer. 10:15) of the Holy Spirit, transformation and transformation occurs - the mind begins to generate and bear spiritual fruits from the soil of the heart, and thorny plants, fences and crafty demons are dissolved by the power of the Holy Spirit. And the heart itself begins to awaken, conceive the heavenly seed and be cultivated by a true Farmer. Much peace and tranquility (reign) there, and blessed are those who are looked after and cultivated by the Holy Spirit. Just as doves circle around the windows and find (there) a nest for themselves, so the righteous circle around the glory of the Body of Christ to find peace - for where the corpse is, there the eagles will gather (Matthew 24:28). Glory to the Lord! Lesson 3. On the Crucifixion of the Lord and on patience 1. The unarmed tree, the Cross without iron and the dead body defeated and killed the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41), for the Strongest One (Luke 11:21–22), having defeated the strong warrior, put him to death with his own weapon. And now (the Lord) comes to every soul that truly seeks Him, and, approaching it, crushes and destroys the power of darkness that fetters and guards the soul. The soul must have such an attraction and love for the Bridegroom-Christ betrothed to it, which (encourages) a chaste and loving wife, when she sees her husband many times (thrown) into prison, (shackled) or (subject to) other punishment, to sympathize with him: she, because of her love (for her husband), seems to be in bonds with him and her soul undergoes even greater torment than the prisoner himself. And just as Mary, standing next to the crucified Lord (John 19:25), sobbed and shed tears, wounded by the anguish of love, and (herself) seemed to be crucified (with the Lord), in the same way the soul that loves the Lord, which has received into itself the zealous ardor of loving delight and hastens to truly unite with its Bridegroom-Christ, must sympathize with His passions, always remembering and having before our eyes His wounds received because of her; (she must see) how much the Impassive One endured for her sake and how He Who is above all punishment was punished because of her; how he who was in the image of God took on the form of a servant (Phil. 2:6–7), - the soul must endure (with the Lord) in everything and be bound in bonds with Him, for in this way it will be glorified with Him (Rom. 8:17). And just as once by the power of God the stone was rolled away from the tomb (Matthew 28:2) and Mary saw the Lord (John 20:14), so (now) by the power and visitation of the Holy Spirit the stone placed on the soul, the veil (2 Cor. 3:15–16) of sin, falls off and the mediastinum is removed, the soul is worthy to see the face of Christ and find peace in His Spirit, having been delivered and freed from the stone of sin placed (on her). For every soul that loves the Lord is oppressed by demons, who wage war with it and do not allow it to approach the life-giving Christ. This happens with the consent and permission of God; after all, He tests the soul: does it truly love the Lord, does it remain firm in (its) intention, despite (all) painful labors; will she ever refuse, out of fear, and ask to be freed from her hard path; whether he will not flee from the (field) of battle against the spirits of evil (Eph. 6:12); does she remain unshakable, tested for many years by evil temptations and trustingly surrendering herself, abandoned and not worthy of any help, to the judgment of the Lord. 2. The Lord, seeing the courage and perseverance in the temptations of the soul, as well as the fact that, subjected to temptations, it has proven its impeccability, appears in His goodness, revealing Himself and illuminating it with His super-radiant Light. Calling the soul to Himself, He says to it: Come in peace, My neighbor (Song. 2:10, 13); She, approaching Him, complains and says: “Why, Lord, have You abandoned me for such a long time, leaving me to endure many sufferings and reproaches from enemies? After all, when I was looking for You, the guards of the night, who went around in the city, found me (Song. 5:7), and tormented me.” The Lord, filled with indescribable Light, answers her, convincing, admonishing and addressing her like this: “You speak correctly, come in peace, My neighbor, My good one, My dove” (Song. 2:10, 14). Then the Lord explains to the soul, showing it the marks of the nails: “Do you see these marks, see the ulcers, see the spitting, see the wounds? “I endured all this for the sake of you, who was wounded with many wounds and dragged by many enemies into heavy slavery. And out of My love for mankind I came to you, who sought (Me), in order to free you, for from the beginning I created you as My image and as My bride. For your sake, I, the impassive one, suffered, and for the sake of your redemption, I, the spotless one, suffered many insults. And shouldn’t you, because of yourself, being plunged into such great evil and immersed in such great darkness, suffer and be oppressed?” Peacefully discussing and conversing with the soul, (the Lord) shows that it was He who gave it (the strength) to withstand the torment, He strengthened it in temptations and secretly encouraged it. 3. Having heard all this, the soul recognizes that it has nothing of its own, but that everything belongs to the Lord, the beautiful and comely Bridegroom. Understanding with all his heart the favor, love and (good) will shown to her (by the Lord), he answers (Him): “Behold, Lord, here is an immaculate body and a pure soul; embrace me entirely, protected by Your right hand (Song. 2:6) and finding peace in Your bosom.” And the Lord reveals Himself to the soul in two faces: in His ulcers and in the glory of His Light. The soul sees both the passions (of the Lord) that He endured for its sake, and the most radiant glory of His Divine Light; she is transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Lord's Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18), succeeding according to both faces (of Christ): according to the face of passion (His) and according to the face of the glorious Light (His); in some way she forgets (even about her own) nature, (entirely) embraced by God, merging and mingling with the Heavenly Man (1 Cor. 15:47-48) and with the Holy Spirit and herself becoming a spirit. After all, like a certain beggar, very needy and wandering from door to door in search of daily food (Jas. 2:15), and then immediately and suddenly becoming a king, having found prosperity, forgets his former poverty, just as the soul, enriched with heavenly riches, no longer remembers its former poverty. For if Christ, being by nature the image of God, forgot in some way (His Divine) dignity, taking the form of a servant and becoming like men (Phil. 2:6-7), then much more the soul, having accepted into itself the essence, power and nature of God, forgets about its former ugliness. 4. Therefore, let us cry out to the Lord and expect that He, out of (His) love (for us), will appear and henceforth free us from darkness, so that thus, at the Resurrection, (our) weak body will be enlightened by the light that exists in the soul, and will be glorified with the soul. The Lord is close (Phil. 4:5) to us if we seek Him with a sincere heart. After all, let everyone who listens to (these) words trust that he receives the Word existing in hypostasis and learns from Him all truth. See, you who hope to be an heir of God and to mix (your) soul with the Spirit of the Lord, what kind of life and what holiness of life you should accept, what way of being you should turn to and how to behave. For you must do and demonstrate all this to the best of your ability. Amen. Lesson 4. On the heavenly state of Christians There is an imperfect world and there is a perfect world. The imperfect and transitory world has many species similar to the perfect and eternal world. There is a palace and a king (who lives in it), dressed in purple and crowned with precious stones; there are his servants and bodyguards: some are in the palace, others are comites and (many) others having different ranks - all of them are also dressed in bright and valuable clothes. In heaven there is also a palace and the King Christ, dressed in royal purple. Courtiers serve there, there are comites and (other) officials, majestic and crowned with crowns of precious stones: for thou hast placed on his head a crown of honorable stones (Ps. 20:4). On this land there are warriors and generals who have gone through many battles, defeated the darkness of enemies and erected countless monuments to victory over them. Here too there are many brave men and warriors who have overcome the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) and have advanced in (spiritual) prosperity. In the visible palace of the Romans there are noble men, removed from all disputes and vanity, who are not forced by anyone to bear arms or become warriors. They are called the royal eunuchs, revered by every person and beloved by the king himself; some of them are entrusted with purple, and they carry it, others (carry) a diadem, and still others carry (other) signs of royal dignity. And in heaven there are also men honored by the Heavenly King - true eunuchs who have castrated (themselves) (Matthew 19:12) and have been cleansed from warfare with sin. They were entrusted with blessed homelands, filled with peace and tranquility, they were appointed (superiors) over the royal purple and heavenly treasures; they are completely freed from the hardships of war, spending their lives in carelessness. There are craftsmen and sages there. And here there are wise men, wise with spiritual wisdom from the all-wise Christ: they are dressed in luminous clothes and possess enduring spiritual wealth. Therefore, the work of Christians is more honorable than any carnal invention or (worldly) occupation. For they are doing a Divine work, about which the world does not know. 2. One mind is different from another, and one person is more worthy of respect than another. All visible things seem to me to be opposite and alien to intuited things. For there is a mind that marches and aspires to heaven, walking along the path of its pure thoughts and through this path reaching the paths and paths prepared for the saints in heaven. And there is another mind crawling on the earth and wallowing in the mud of the paths of lust. Therefore, there is a carnal mind and a spiritual mind, and one differs from the other in many ways. For just as birds, carried by light wings, cut through the air with their help and rise with the air itself (after all, by flapping their wings, they seem to attract to themselves a certain wind that supports them and promotes flight), but wingless living beings tied to the earth, even if a desire arises in them to soar, are not able to do this; - so the mind, purified and acquiring spiritual wings, with the help of (its) ardent aspiration (for the heavenly), soars to heaven, received by the air of the Divine. And the animal-like, wild and material mind becomes rigid (in the mud) and crawls on the ground, looking for deserted places for itself, unable to comprehend the mind that strives for the heavenly. There are types of trees that do not shed their leaves either in summer or winter, but are always covered and decorated with the freshness of greenery: for example, olive, cypress and the like. But there are others (trees) that become bare and shed their leaves in winter. This example is suitable for Christians, for in Scripture they are called “trees” (Matt. 7:17, 12:33) and never shed the decoration and beauty of their leaves (Ps. 1:3): even under the pressure of winter’s evil winds and dry winds, they always remain clothed in the glory of the Spirit. This is what the Scripture says: The hedgehog will yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf will not fall away (Ps. 1:3). But there are others (Christians) whose minds are lighter and who, when temptations, cold and (evil) winds come, cannot resist them and remain unshakable, due to the weakness that envelops them. 3. Spiritual (people), in their internal structure, are the enemies of carnal (people). (Living creatures) that live and feed in water do not survive life on land, but die when removed from the water; and the (creatures) inhabiting the earth avoid being in water, because life in the (water) depths is disgusting to them. In the same way, Christians, concerned and involved in the affairs of this age, are depressed by them and seem in some way stifled. And (people) carnal, moving away from material (concerns) and forced to make efforts towards the spiritual, experience dizziness, constraint and suffocation. Therefore, (true) men are very rare who patiently bring their work to the end (Heb. 3:14). They need great boldness and (spiritual) determination to make prayerful requests to God at this time (Rom. 3:26). For just as the most swift of birds, thanks to the lightness of their wings, find themselves above the snares, laughing at the tricks of the hunters, so (man) with a discerning and swift mind avoids the snares and snares of the devil. After all, many spirits (malice) oppress the soul and attract everything that creeps on the earth, occupy and circle the mind. Therefore, a Christian should be like an athlete and a fighter. When a stranger, inexperienced in public affairs, arrives in a certain city filled with crowds of restless people, he does not trust his inexperience and weakness, but turns to the help of some prostate, experienced and able to protect him from the violence of the crowd. If he immediately falls at the feet of this influential person without hesitation, he will successfully complete his journey. But if, surrounded by a crowd, he becomes confused and leaves, he will be deprived of help. But even in this case, if he nevertheless makes an effort, despises difficulties and, having girded his loins (Eph. 6:14) with force, breaks the squeezing embrace of the crowd and reaches the prostate, then he will be worthy of his support. This is how things are with the souls of people, who are called the city of God (Matt. 5:14; Rev. 3:12); their squares are now crowded with (dark) spirits, and the streets of the mind and heart are filled with a mass of thoughts, but they turn their gaze to their Lord and Patron, Jesus Christ, the prudent Giver of great honors. Therefore, they must, filled with daring and despair, scatter and break the chain of the noisy crowd squeezing them. For only in this way can they break out of it and fall into the blessed bosom of Christ, to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. 1. Those who have withdrawn from the world, who have heeded the Word of God with a pure heart and lead a life of holiness, but are still under the cover of passions, which everyone acquired through the disobedience of Adam - for this cover is the carnal mind of evil thoughts, called by the Apostle “death”, since he says: To be carnally minded is death (Rom. 8:6), - such (anchorites) are like people wandering in darkness night. Illuminated by the twinkling of the stars, that is, by the commandments of the Holy Scriptures, they are still in the night, that is, in the invisible action of the passions, they stumble and cannot clearly distinguish all (things) due to the active darkness of the passions. Therefore, they should, spending their lives in the works of virtue and much faith, often turn to the Heavenly Lord with a request, so that the day of the Sun of Truth will sparkle in their hearts and they will be able to accurately know both the diverse and varied harm (caused by) spiritual beasts, and the ineffable, extraordinary and manifold beauty of the blessings tasted in the imperishable world. Spiritual and perfect men, whose hearts are truly illuminated by intelligent Light, (with their inherent) true ability of discrimination, recognize both the virtues of the best and the terrible power of the worst by the different actions of each. Blessed Paul also speaks about this: Solid food is characteristic of the perfect, whose senses are accustomed by skill to distinguish between good and evil (Heb. 5:14), and Blessed Peter: And we have a prophetic word; and you do well to look to him as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Pet. 1:19). And in another place (the Scriptures say): And the Sun of Righteousness will shine upon you who fear the Lord, and healing will be upon His wings (Mal. 4:2). And those who are mixed with the world (this) seem to be people wandering in the night, gloomy from dark clouds and filled with darkness - not the slightest twinkling of a star breaks through (through this darkness), that is, there is not a single ray of God the Word illuminating the soul, and therefore such people look like blind people. Having completely merged in their embrace with material things, they (do not know) the fear of God, do not fulfill the commandments and do not do any good deeds, but, misled by (vain) heavy troubles, they indulge in the vanity of the world. On the contrary, those who live according to God’s commandments seem to be illuminated by the twinkling of stars; abiding in faith and fear of God, they do not plunge entirely into the darkness and darkness of the night, and therefore can have hope of salvation. 2. Just as people in this world collect property by engaging in various crafts and activities, how they acquire wealth for themselves by performing military service in various ranks, and just as gold for the homeowner is collected from property, animals and other things, so also from various gifts - after all, it is said: By the grace given to us, we have various gifts (Rom. 12:6), - from various exploits, justifications and virtues performed for the sake of God, each according to a good life, zeal and faith, acquires heavenly gold, that is, the heavenly wealth of the spirit of eternal life. And for his sake, one cannot judge, blame or despise any rich person, but let everyone only strive with faith for the sake of God and strive to acquire spiritual benefits. 3. Having set themselves the highest goal of hastening towards perfection, those who unwaveringly and incessantly rush towards it seem like gold diggers looking for gold-bearing veins. For (and among gold miners) some, with (great) long-suffering and endurance, develop skillful techniques of their craft, without losing hope, they dig into the earth and gradually become rich and famous in the world; others, being timid mercenary helots, work carelessly, immediately eat up the gold they accidentally find (they) and always remain naked and poor. Likewise, those who with hope and zeal, stocked with long-suffering and endurance, do works of virtue, who with faith expect heavenly hope and (always) have before their eyes the grace that strengthens them - such, thanks to their endurance, long-suffering, work and prayer, truly accumulate the wealth of the Spirit, and therefore will be glorious before God in that age. On the contrary, those who are impatient, ready only to grab grace, but are not stocked with endurance and long-suffering in order to work hard and please God in everything, are deprived of the grace that they have already acquired. For a weak and fearful will is always inconsistent with grace, it is devoid of good deeds and poor in virtues, and therefore will appear before God in that age as worthless and inglorious. Lesson 6. That what is here is subject to destruction, but the future is indissoluble 1. Those who have left the world (1 Cor. 5:10), who have loved poverty, who have become alien to carnal communication and all things revealed (in the world), who have despised glory and (all) those who seem great in (this) life, and who have devoted themselves entirely to the Lord, appear as noble speculators, striving for a good and virtuous goal. They devote themselves to entering the glorious city of saints, the heavenly homeland, the habitation and house not made with hands (2 Cor. 5:1). And since their mind remains in grief, as if they had already entered (the Kingdom of Heaven), become glorified and become His heirs, then within themselves they already become heavenly thanks to their wonderful goal and intention, although they live in the flesh; staying in this age, they yearn to enter the city, the Artist and Builder of which is God (Heb. 11:10). For the buildings of this age are old and do not have a strong foundation: at the end of the age (Matthew 13:40, 49) all its works and buildings will be destroyed. For the heavens will be rolled up like a book, and the earth will pass away (Matthew 24:35). Where will the glorious and great ones be in this life when the time comes that dissolves them? Collect for me wealth, gold, silver, wealth and all the beauty and confidence bestowed by wealth, and begin to build a city from them: wisdom, glory, titles, influence and every adornment of this age - build city walls from them. And when you build it, it will be devoid of foundation and strength. After all, you see, the foundations of the walls are dilapidated and they are crumbling, and everything in the city is subject to decay and destruction. Thus, all the (colorful) diversity of this age is perishable and destructible. 2. But you do right by erecting buildings that are indestructible and not subject to decay, for you are striving to lay a foundation on a rock, and a house founded on a rock will never fall down (Luke 6:48). For the Scripture says: The kingdom of heaven is like a wise man (Matthew 13:31, 7:24), who dug, went deep and laid a foundation on a rock; when the flood happened (Luke 6:48) and the winds blew, then (the house) did not fall, because it was founded on stone (Matthew 7:25). – What is a house not made by hands? – He is the souls who believe and love the Lord. For it is built by the wise Builder (1 Cor. 3:10) Jesus Christ, (founded) on rock (Matthew 7:25), on the Lord Himself, on His life-giving Word, on God’s Power, on the Holy Spirit. -What are stones? – They are the pure and good thoughts of Adam’s nature. For they are similar to the heavenly Stone and, commensurate with It, are used for the construction (of a house not made by hands). What does Scripture say? – Until we come to a perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13). But there is another house (built) on sand (Matthew 7:26); he is the worldly mind, sinful souls descended into carnal passions. They build (their house) on an evil thought, on the spirit of the devil. What are the stones? – Evil thoughts that love sinful pleasures. And this house, built on sand, perishes and collapses. 3. Those who currently shut their doors (Luke 13:25) and consider the future to be the present are very prudent. For, reflecting on the corruption and fragility of this age, they despise carnal intercourse, knowing that bodies will be dissolved after this existence. Further, reflecting on the fact that apparent (earthly) wealth is subject to corruption and nakedness, they despise all visible (things); Remembering the punishments inevitable for sinners and the punishments falling upon them, they do not allow themselves to hesitate and strengthen their souls in the fear (of God) so as not to end up in torment in Gehenna. They also reflect on the city of saints, on its glorious inhabitants, our fathers, prophets, apostles, martyrs; about heavenly blessings and Divine glory, in which the saints will be clothed for their good will, for although they remain in this age, they live in it as if they were already tasting heavenly blessings. By laboring in this way, they become like their Heavenly Father. For since after the crime (commandments) from within the person himself (Mk. 7:20–23) both good and evil are poured out, then they forestall (the evil one), enter into battle with vice and ask for armor from their Heavenly Father; armed, they fight, win and extinguish the fiery arrows (Eph. 6:16) of sin. And therefore they enter where the Angels want to penetrate (1 Pet. 1:12), and golden crowns are placed on their heads (Rev. 4:4). And the Angels begin to say to each other: “Who are they that they have been awarded such glory and crowns, that they are being introduced into places more venerable than us?” And the Lord answers them: “In justice they are preferred to you, for for My name’s sake (Matthew 24:9) and according to My commandment they came out of the world and despised that age; they became poor, were subjected to reproach and ridicule in that century, Satan fought with them, they labored and fought against him and were not defeated by him; they endured labors, their eyes were filled with tears as they served Me day and night; they carried My cross on their shoulders and My passion in their bodies.” Therefore, the Lord accepts such souls and presents them to the Father with the words: “Behold, the pure virgins who have obeyed Your commandments. Receive them into the depths of Your Spirit and into the blessed bosom of Your Light. After all, for their sake I bowed my knees on earth and for their sake My eyes filled with tears when I said: Holy Father! Sanctify them and save them from the evil one (John 17:11, 15), so that they may unite with Us into one Body and into one Spirit. And not only at this time, and not only for them, I ask and pray to You, but also for the entire Church of the Saints.” For through the longsuffering of God this age (this) exists to this day - for the sake of those who in the future will become His servants and saints, and His peaceful Kingdom will be filled with their Heavenly Church. And the Father, rejoicing in them, says: Inherit the kingdom prepared for you (Matthew 25:34). I and My Son will be one Spirit (1 Cor. 6:17) and will enter into fellowship with you.” And He leads such souls to (places of) peace and joy, to glorious thrones. The angelic army accompanying them testifies that they (genuinely) labored, steadfastly withstood the struggle, offering their prayers, fasts and vigils to the Lord. 4. Remaining steadfast in poverty, through it you acquire heavenly wealth. For by exercising your bodies (here) by sleeping on the bare ground, kneeling and praying, you will become (there) more worthy than those who wear purple (in this life). After all, while they live in luxury, they do not serve the Lord, but you have embarked on the path of severe asceticism in order to worship God and glorify Him. But, being in such poverty and poverty, do not lose (spiritual) zeal, having before you as an example and goal the Lord, who has so (zealously) walked (His) path. When the body suffers and languishes in labor, remember the body of the Lord: how it was beaten by Pilate (Mark 15:15) and weary from the journey (John 4:6). When you have no home, remember that the Lord of creatures, coming to earth, said: Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58) and rest. When you walk, remember that the Lord’s feet were covered with dust throughout His earthly existence, and only once, for the sake of prophecy, did He ride on a donkey (Matthew 21:5–10). When your eyes fill with tears, remember that the Lord mourned your fall, offering prayers (Heb. 5:7) to the Father with a strong cry and many tears, so that He would save you from death. When people mock you, turn your thoughts to the spitting and strangling to which the Lord was subjected (Mark 14:65), and you will strengthen yourself in humility. In the same way, your couch on the earth will not (seem to you) harsh if (you remember) the crown of thorns placed on His head (Mark 15:17). Thus, all the Angels and the army of saints rejoice at (the sight of) the Bridegroom and Bride, (singing them with the voice of) trumpets and citharas. Just as in the visible (world) the whole city gathers for the wedding of (some) rich man, and the intermediaries sit next to the bride and groom, so the entire Heavenly Church gathers for (the celebration of) the union of the soul with the Heavenly Bridegroom. Just as in the summer season, everyone who sowed before it expects the harvest and the receipt of fruits from the earth, so everyone who has worked any amount at the present time (Rom. 3:26) prepares in advance for himself a harvest in the Kingdom of Heaven. After all, there are Christians in words and there are Christians in deeds. So let us pray that what we say will be carried out in practice, to the best of our ability and fully verified. For experience is more reliable than persistence in words alone. Glory to the compassion and boundless mercy of Christ forever and ever. Amen. Lesson 7. That a Christian must die to the evil deeds of the world 1. Just as an animal destined for food for people must first be slaughtered, then its skin and hair must be torn off and then, having cut the carcass, it must wash out the impurities in the stomach (Lev. 4:11, 8:17), and also thoroughly wash all the branches of the second stomach, and only after that the meat, put on fire and fried little by little, becomes tasty and (maybe) brought to the table for eating by the owner of the house; Likewise, a Christian who has withdrawn from the world, as if dying for his former vicious life and stripping off the world like a skin with wool and blood, still has within himself the fetid impurities of evil thoughts and memories of bad deeds, passions that are clearly vile, as well as passions that are more subtle, hidden and difficult to comprehend. Therefore, whoever wants to become a perfect Christian should mortify himself for the evil deeds of the world, which he committed before, and, like skin and wool, strip off this age from himself and leave it outside through complete removal and renunciation (of it), and then, through dissection (that is, through the visitation of Divine grace), wash away the impurities of evil thoughts in two ways: (first) obvious passions, (and then) more subtle passions and difficult to comprehend. Then, devoted to the fire of the Holy Spirit, he puts aside all dampness of will and, having completely changed, becomes tasty and fit for consumption at the heavenly table, for eating the King of Heaven, and (appears) as the heir of the Kingdom, as the Lord says in the Gospel: My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to do His work (John 4:34). 2. And just as previously in the law a sheep was carefully examined (Lev. 22:20–26), only after which it was sacrificed, anointed with lard and given over to the fire as a burnt offering to God and as a fragrant aroma (Lev. 8:21), so here now the Heavenly High Priest Christ carefully examines the soul that wants to offer itself and its body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (Rom. 12:1). (He looks) whether she has the (proper) fatness of spirit acquired by her through the good laws of grace-filled teachings and virtues; (and then) she is truly offered in spiritual fire, as fruitfulness and a living sacrifice, by the true High Priest Christ the Heavenly Father in the living Kingdom of Heaven, for she has been worthy to become the heir of eternal blessings. Therefore, everyone should always and in everything examine and test himself: whether he lives in accordance with the word of truth and whether he follows the footsteps of the Lord (1 Pet. 2:21), or choose to be tested by spiritual men; and always look for preachers of the word of truth, acquiring Christianity by deed and truth. For just as when many drinking cups are offered to people, those in which the sweetest wine is mixed and those filled only with water become distinguishable (because (cups) containing mixed wine give the drinker a feeling of sweetness, strength and joy). In the same way, in the world, of the many who feed people with various words and wisdom, only those who delight souls with heavenly joy and lead to good change are those who speak by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21) and are seasoned with grace (Col. 4:6); who speaks with a living voice of the heart, and does not chatter and slap his lips just to stupefy the crowd; who imparts strength and heavenly joy to the listening soul through the grace spoken in him and transforms people into a similar holiness of grace. It is precisely such (people), as we have already said, that we should look for and look for - those who speak with a living heart in the Spirit; remain devoted to them, because from them you can get real benefit according to God. After all, about them, truly wise in the Lord, and not in the world, it is said: If you see understanding, morning to him, and let your foot rub the degrees of his doors (Sir. 6:36). Those who listen to them over time can become like them, constantly being with them. 3. For just as in this world there are many people who have acquired a large amount of gold, but not everyone knows this, since in comparison with many they live modestly, not boasting of property, houses, various utensils, servants or animals. And thus they possess their hidden treasure in complete safety. But there are many other people who have not acquired gold at all, but they, thanks to their ardent imagination and (tales about supposedly belonging to them) many houses and various utensils, make one think of them as possessors of great wealth. Thus, deceiving many with outward boasting, they are considered rich, although they are (in reality) poor and needy (Prov. 13:7). – In the same way, among Christians there are those who have acquired within themselves the heavenly treasure of the Spirit; They are not obvious to everyone, but they hide themselves, live modestly and do not want it to be known who they are. However, there are others who, through a few visible virtues - fasting, vigils, silence, words of wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8) or something similar - they want to be considered spiritual, not possessing the action and power of the Spirit. Continuing our example, (we can say that) if someone who has great hidden wealth wants to take out part of his gold, then for little money he will buy all the property of someone posing as a rich man and wanting to be considered as such. But if he reveals his wealth and makes it obvious to everyone, then many will flare up with envy of him, amazed that someone recognized by everyone as a beggar suddenly turned out to be such a rich man; he will begin to be burdened with many public services and expenses. Thieves and robbers will watch him night and day in order to kill him and take away his wealth. He will be surrounded by dangers on all sides, he will fall into losses and unexpected sorrows, since he has never been granted any rank or power by the king. Therefore, a wise man, who has a lot of hidden gold, but has not yet been granted rank, hides his wealth with every precaution so as not to become known to many and, being subjected to envy and slander from people, not to lose his life along with his wealth. But if he receives rank, any kind of leadership or power from the royal hand, then, having discovered the wealth of his treasure, he will not be afraid. On the contrary, he will become famous thanks to it - buying large estates, building famous houses and acquiring with his treasure many servants and tens of thousands of animals. He will not be afraid of attacks from robbers, since he will receive from the king the power of the sword against the plotting attackers. Thus, thanks to his position, he adds more and more to wealth and, through all kinds of acquisitions, adds gold to gold until he becomes so rich that he hardly knows how much he owns. 4. Likewise, a Christian who has found spiritual charisma in himself and rejoices in the consolation of Divine grace, let him reliably hide in himself the consolation of the Spirit or the knowledge of heavenly secrets, without boasting or showing himself off to his neighbors, so that, falling under the power of envious malice, he will not be imperceptibly robbed by invisible thieves under plausible pretexts and not be completely robbed even before the Heavenly King will appoint him to some service and (grant) him spiritual rank. For the stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1), who can really benefit souls and are appointed for this by the Spirit, they are the ones who continually acquire heavenly treasure and speak their words with authority (Luke 4:32), without boastfulness and without conceit. After all (the Apostle) it is said: Thus we speak, pleasing not men, but God, who tests our hearts (1 Thess. 2:4). And again: Before God, in Christ we speak (2 Cor. 2:17). Therefore, Christians should strive with great desire for the best and greater gifts (1 Cor. 12:31) of the Spirit, be insatiable in (acquiring) heavenly riches and (always) hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt. 5:6), - and this is the perfect and immutable love of the Spirit (Rom. 15:30). And Blessed Paul convinces and exhorts those who have great charisms (to strive) for it, not to be satisfied with the already acquired gifts of the Spirit, but with every prayer to try to acquire that which makes it impossible to fall - the perfect and immutable love of the Spirit, which contains all the charisms. Moreover, the Apostle reveals to (his) disciples that it is an even more excellent way (1 Cor. 12:31). For those who have reached such degrees (spiritual success) and vicious passions are abolished according to the words: Love does not envy, does not boast, does not act outrageously, does not seek its own, does not think evil (1 Cor. 13:4-5) and so on; in them the living source of the Spirit continuously and unceasingly pours out from the abyss of the Divine, as it is said: And whoever drinks the water that I will give him, (then this water) will become in him a source of water flowing into eternal life (John 4:14), always delighting the mind into the heavenly ineffable mysteries (2 Cor. 2:14), inspiring him from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18), from centuries to centuries, from the sacraments of sacraments, from strength to strength (Ps. 83:8), from rests to unspeakable rests, from virtues to virtues, from supermundane lights to supermundane lights. 5. The thought of such a soul, completely occupied with Divine and better (things), is kindled with spiritual love and a noble desire for the more glorious and brighter beauties of the Spirit, is wounded by an insatiable lust (Song. 2:5) for the Heavenly Bridegroom and, if I may say so, already sated with lower (things), is kindled with desire for better and higher (things), which cannot be a word uttered, nor revealed by human thought. This is similar to how a king’s son or daughter, having had enough, rejects his parents’ jewelry and seeks something more valuable; for example, instead of silver dishes he chooses gold ones, instead of light and expensive silk clothes he chooses those covered with precious stones and embroidered with gold, instead of old and good wine he wants older and more valuable wine. He humiliates all these valuable objects by wanting better things and, as it were, degrades them by asking his parents for something better. In the same way, truly royal souls, worthy to receive the Royal and Sovereign Spirit, having received into themselves the immutable power of love and wounded by perfect love for the Heavenly Bridegroom, no longer waste their time on vicious passions. For through much labor, exertion and perfect feat over a (long) time, they, through faith, have been freed from them by the Spirit, are always delighted in the heavenly mysteries of the Spirit and devote themselves to the various beauties of the Divine, seeking with all the desire the best and highest. For the Divinity of the Spirit has various diverse beauties, inexpressible and inconceivable, which reveal themselves to souls worthy of pleasure, joy, life and rest. And then the holy soul, always wounded by an increasingly strong and fiery love for the Heavenly Bridegroom, no longer looks back at earthly things, but is completely absorbed in His lust. 6. Therefore, the Christian soul, which has become a participant in grace, should not stop and be filled with satisfaction, as if it had already achieved something (Phil. 3:12), but, looking at the goal that the Apostle spoke about, (should) always try through many struggles and labor to find through faith the perfect love of the Spirit promised (to us), which, as John said, casts out fear (1 John 4:18) it should always hunger and always thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). The soul must be so internally disposed that it always considers itself to be new, due to the abundant riches (Eph. 2:7) of the Spirit that are promised to believers. And a reverent soul thus disposed will not lose its strong desire for the best, will not lose the benefits it has already acquired, but, on the contrary, will add to them those that it has not yet had. A Christian should not, like a hireling or a slave, look for an opportunity to shirk hard work, but, like a son and heir (Gal. 4:7), with good disposition and zeal he should serve (his) Father to the end, in order to then become the heir of his father’s property. For in this age, everyone, from the king to the beggar, seems to be enjoying life and everyone is confident that he is living. But if you compare the life and luxury of the rich with the life of the poor, you will find a great difference. Compared to the bliss of luxury, the varied dishes, various wines, numerous garments, gold, silver and other property of a rich man, the life of a poor man will seem like death to you. After all, a rich man only touches gold with his hands and counts (his) gold coins, but a poor man, even if he finds a copper penny in the dung, will not be ashamed to bend down and pick it up, because of his extreme need. Therefore, if you compare the life of a poor man with the life of a rich man, you will find it as if non-existent in comparison with the existing one, and (him) himself as if dead in comparison with the living. So it is in the spiritual. Everyone considers themselves Christians because of their profession of faith in Christ or because of some few virtues. But there are very few true Christians, rich in the Holy Spirit, tasting the exquisite dishes of grace, rejoicing in the heavenly lust of the Spirit, adorning the soul with various heavenly vestments of charisms, acquiring Christianity not (alone) by confession and simple faith, but by the power and action of the Spirit, constantly touching in the mind with the hands of the soul the heavenly gold, that is, the knowledge and interpretation of the mysteries of the Spirit. These are true Christians. If you compare their way of thinking and the life of their souls with the lives of others, you will find a difference as great as the difference between the living and the dead. Because others, being in terrible poverty of the worldly spirit, deprived of the power of heavenly wealth and having mixed (their) mind with passions, when they find in themselves one good thought out of many evil ones, they calm down; although they are persecuted by poverty, but, not having the various actions of the Spirit (manifested) in the Divine virtues, they are filled with confidence, putting on the meager clothes of small virtues. And the Lord showed how great the difference is between those who in the future will become true worshipers, and those many who only seem to be such, worshiping not in spirit and truth, but only in a superficial and external way: But the time will come, and has already come, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father seeks such worshipers for Himself. God is spirit—and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24). He distinguishes the heavenly courtiers and those rich in the Spirit from those living in the terrible poverty of sin, who think that they live through the (outward) profession of faith in Christ, but have not acquired the (spiritually) rich life exercised in the power of the Spirit. 7. After all, everyone has (one) image of the body, but in some it is healthy and intact, while in others it is painful and crippled. There is also a great difference in bodily suffering, for some suffer from obvious injuries; others, not having any, feel a terrible chill in their body, so that they cannot move, and although outwardly their body seems healthy, suffering and excitement with (any) effort show that their illness is much worse and more difficult to cure than that of the clearly crippled. A person who has visible wounds, when he goes to a doctor, is more likely to receive healing than someone who suffers from secret diseases of the body, because they are worse than obvious ones and are difficult to treat. So are Christians. Many are considered healthy (that is, spiritual) due to some superficial and physical virtues, but inside they are possessed by terrible secret passions. Others, being in the power of obvious sins and being despised and rejected by the majority - like the publican for the Pharisee (Luke 18:11), - if they turn to the true Physician - Christ, then, having approached Him, they receive faster healing than the above-mentioned (Christians), just as the publican received forgiveness faster than the Pharisee, for it is said that he went justified ( Luke 18:14). After all, they, in (their) inner man (Rom. 7:22), are not as (sick) as those struck by secret passions - conceit, conceit, arrogance, unbelief, pride, boasting, hypocrisy, vanity, cowardice, shameful thoughts and the like. For (Scripture) says: As man sees on the outward appearance, God sees on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). However, one thing is required: for a person to become healthy both outside and inside, through God’s grace and through the feat of his own free will - and then he is worthy to become an heir of the Kingdom in Christ Jesus, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Lesson 8. Who is a perfect Christian? 1. This is the New Testament (Luke 22:20), this is the law of the Spirit (Rom. 8:2) - the one that is inscribed in hearts (Rom. 2:15) and foretold by the prophets (Rom. 3:21); in this law the soul bears the fruits of righteousness (Phil. 1:11) and lives eternal life in God. And if anyone did not accept grace from God, did not hope and did not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, he rejected the will of God (Luke 7:30) and in fact renounced all the Scriptures. If he has not accepted the action (of God), then he becomes a victim of dreamy thoughts, being alien to the heavenly Church of the firstborn, not entering into communion with the spirits of the righteous who have achieved perfection (Heb. 12:23), and not becoming the highest Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26). Such a person does not worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:23). God does not dwell in him, and he has not known God. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God (John 17:3). That which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6) and that which is born of God keeps itself, and the evil one does not touch it (1 John 5:18). Such people want to cover a house with a roof without laying its foundation. Without a mother, a son is not born and without carnal intercourse a child is not born - so without birth from the Holy Spirit, no son of God is born, and without being a son of God, no one enters eternal life. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Rom. 8:14). For a house under construction needs a foundation. It is not just built on sand, but all the sand is taken out, a depression is made and then a stone is placed in the foundation so that (the house) remains unshakable when bad weather comes, the winds blow and the rivers overflow (Matthew 7:24–27; Luke 6:47–49). But those who build (their) dwellings simply labor in vain on the sand (Ps. 127:1), for it will immediately fall and collapse. Likewise, a God-loving soul, desiring to build its house according to the word of the Lord, does not build it on the sand of the evil thoughts of sin, but takes it out and deepens it (a place for the foundation), cutting off from itself, as far as possible, the evil thoughts of wickedness that are like sand. (And so) until she finds the firm and unshakable thoughts of the faith of Christ, until she finds Christ - the true stone, which the gates of hell will not overcome (Matthew 16:18). In a similar way (the soul) builds (its house), thanks to a good life, having a pure heart, a good conscience and an unfeigned faith (1 Tim. 1:5), according to the Apostle. Thus she completes the spiritual construction of the house of God, which is clean on the inside and even purer on the outside. Before, before this mystery of the Spirit of Christ was revealed, before His coming and manifestation, all the beauty of righteousness was external: the law, and circumcision, and cleansing, and sacrifices, and offerings, and services. But from the time the saving Word of Christ appeared and gave the Holy Spirit into the hearts of people, a word not written in ink (2 Cor. 3:3), - from that time everything is found within: service (became) internal from a clear conscience and internal (became) sacrifice, for the Psalmist says: The lifting up of my hand is an evening sacrifice (Ps. 141:2). And in general, (God) requires the inner purity and beauty of the soul, and thus the outer can be truly pure, as the Lord says: Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, so that their outside may also be clean (Matthew 23:26). For He who created the internal also created the external (Luke 11:40). For if earlier people, lacking inner purity, were adorned through the righteousness of the law, (now), when the soul, having the true Christ in itself, has been cleansed from darkness, much more (than before), the body is also sanctified and adorned in the fullness of (its) reality. 2. The great, valuable and royal pearl, suitable for a royal crown, belongs only to the king, and only he can wear it - no other person is allowed to wear such a pearl. In the same way, if someone was not born of the Royal and Divine Spirit, who did not become a heavenly and royal race and a child of God, according to what is written: And to those who received Him He gave the power to become children of God (John 1:12), he cannot wear the heavenly and costly pearl - the image of the True Light, which is the Lord, since he (man) did not become the son of the Kingdom (Heavenly). And those who have and wear this pearl will live and reign with Christ (2 Tim. 2:12) forever. For this is what the Apostle said: And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Cor. 15:49). Christ is the One who moves in the soul, in the ineffable light; He is truly known and seen by the eyes of the soul only of those who carry Him (within themselves). It is impossible for the uninitiated to know what is of the Spirit (of God) (1 Cor. 2:14), but it is only possible to accept faith in oneself - and this until the heavenly image of Christ is born in him and then he experiences the goodness of the Lord. Glory to Him, Who so loved the human race that He deigned to be partakers of His essence. For (Apostle) Peter says: That we may become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Since such great benefits and Divine charisms are promised (to us), we too will try and ask (from God for mercy) to become partakers, as the Apostle says: My little children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is formed in you (Gal. 4:19). Woe to him who does not seek and find spiritual and unspeakable blessings, because he who is not born of the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom (of God) (John 3:3-5), for so said the Lord. 3. Initially, man, fashioned by the hands of God, remained in great purity and meekness, but when he transgressed the commandment of God, he found himself under sentence. Being under the dominion of the evil one, he joined his bestial desires, and the entire race descended from him, not submitting to the yoke of righteousness, began to be governed by the bestial (laws) of the desert. Therefore, when the Word of Life again calls (this race to Himself), then it, accustomed to living in savagery, finds it difficult to return under the yoke of meekness and kindness. An ox, caught from a wild herd in order to walk under the yoke and plow the land, at first rages and hates the yoke, but then, tamed and tamed by the plowman, little by little, together with the working ox, it begins to freely and willingly come under the yoke to work the land. – In the same way, the soul that believes in God, but is still under the power of sin and lives as if in the desert, fiercely resists the true yoke. But if it is paired with holy souls, knowledgeable in the good work of cultivating the true land, then it is ennobled by the grace of the Spirit and is led little by little to the truth until it is completely handmade and accepts with joy the good yoke of the Lord (Matthew 11:30); she cultivates the soil of the heart so that it produces the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22); driven and lashed by the sharp blows of temptation, the (soul) quickly and with great zeal accomplishes the Divine work. Or again: a horse grazing in a herd and leading a wild life along with other wild animals is disobedient to people. Then, when he is caught from the herd, he is at first extremely tormented until his savagery is moderated; a heavy bridle is placed on him until he learns to walk orderly and straight; an experienced rider trains him so that he becomes fit for battle. Then they put weapons on him, that is, a breastplate, a visor, and so on, and they hang the old bridle and shake it in front of his eyes, so that he gets used to it and is not afraid. Trained in this way by a horseman, he learns to fight with enemies (for without a rider and breastplate a horse cannot fight). And when he learns and gets used to fighting, he barely senses and hears the sounds of battle, then he willingly goes at his enemies and instills fear in them with his neighing. In the same way, the soul, since the time of the crime (commandments), being wild and obstinate, wanders in the desert of the world along with wild beasts - the spirits of evil (Eph. 6:12) and lives in the service of sin. When she hears the Word of God and believes, then, bridled by the Spirit, she puts aside the (former) wild disposition and carnal wisdom, controlled by the horseman - Christ. Then she comes into sorrow, undergoes the training and constraint necessary for her testing in order to be gradually tamed by the Spirit. And when little by little sin leaves it and disappears in it, the soul, clothed in the breastplate of righteousness and the visor of salvation, taking the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:14–17), learns to wage war with its enemies; Thus, armed with the Spirit of the Lord, she fights against the spirits of evil and extinguishes the fiery arrows of the evil one (Eph. 6:16). For without spiritual weapons, sin is not destroyed, but if the soul has the weapon of the Lord, then, as soon as it hears the strong noise of battle, it comes out jumping and neighing, as Job says (Job 39:25), so that from the very voice of prayer (Ps. 5:3, 115:1) its enemies fall. By struggling in this way, the soul gains victory with the help of the Spirit, puts on itself crowns of victory with great boldness and is united with the Heavenly King forever and ever. Amen.