Авва Филимон

At what time our most reverend father Philemon lived, the most sober and most tearfully contrite of our God-bearing fathers, the fathers did not tell us what they remember. But that he was a most reverent and experienced man, and loved silence more than any other of the elders, as an exact imitator of the great Arseny, this can be seen from the present word. For in prayers and supplications, day and night, patiently remaining in his deserted cave, as in some kind of palace, and washing himself with ever-flowing sources of tears and sweetest crying, he lovingly rose not only above all (όλα) evil (κακά), but even that which is good (καλά), surpassing everything mental (νοητά) and sensual (αισθητά, visible), like a deaf and dumb man, he always stood before God, and was honored with the wondrous enlightenment of His Divine grace, from which, as from the radiance of the sun, this ever-memorable Philemon, in his extreme silence and silence, was enriched with the gift of research and reasoning, insight and foresight. A faithful witness to this is the word presented about him, in which, more than in any other, his most judicious teaching on sacred sobriety is offered, like embroidered and God-worn (θεοΰφαντη) purple (πορφύρα), [with (με) power (δύναμη) discrimination (διακρίσεως),] kindness is stitched into an elegant one, both from the active (πράξη) ero side and the contemplative (θεωρία), and inspires (παρέχει) trust (αξιοπιστία), being based on many years of experience. So, whoever wants to throw off the nasty and vile clothing of passions, or, what is the same, put off the old man, and put on the bright robe of dispassion and grace, which is the new man in Jesus Christ, he, often learning from this teaching of the elder and putting into action what he learns according to his strength, will conveniently achieve what he wants. A very useful word about Abba Philemon They said about Abba Philemon the hermit that he imprisoned himself in a certain cave, not far from the Lavra, called Romieva, and devoted himself to ascetic labors, mentally repeating to himself the same thing that, as they say, the great Arsenius said to himself: Philemon, why did you come here? He stayed in this cave for quite some time. His job was to twist ropes and weave spears, which he gave to the steward, and from him he received small loaves of bread, which he ate. He ate nothing but bread and salt, and not every day. Apparently, he had no care at all about the body, but, practicing in contemplation, he was overshadowed by Divine enlightenment and, being granted the ineffable secret wisdom, he remained in spiritual joy. Going to church on Saturdays and Sundays, he always walked alone in self-absorption, not allowing anyone to approach him, so that his mind would not be distracted from what he was doing. In the church, standing in the corner and lowering his face to the ground, he let out fountains of tears, constantly lamenting and turning in his mind the memory of death and the image of St. fathers, especially Arseny the Great, in whose footsteps he tried in every possible way to follow. When heresy appeared in Alexandria and its environs, he withdrew from there and went to the Nikanor Lavra. Having received him, the most God-loving Peacock gave him his secluded place and arranged for him complete silence. For a whole year he did not allow anyone to see him, and he himself did not bother him in the least, except at the time when he served him the necessary bread. The Holy Resurrection of Christ has arrived. When, during a meeting, they began to talk among themselves, and the conversation touched upon the life of the desert; Then, Philemon realizing that this most reverent brother Paulinus also harbors a wonderful intention [to live in the desert], he richly infuses him with ascetic words, from the Holy Scriptures and from the Fathers, showing everyone that without perfect solitude it is impossible to please God, just as Moses, the God-enlightened father, is nowhere wise, that silence gives birth to feat, and feat gives birth to crying, crying - fear, fear - humility, humility is insight, insight is love, but love makes the soul healthy and dispassionate, and then a person realizes that he is not far from God. He (Philemon) told him: “You must, through silence, completely cleanse your mind and give it unceasing spiritual activity. Just as the eye, turning to the sensual, peers into the visible, so the pure mind, turning to the mental, admires what is spiritually contemplated, so that you cannot tear it away from it. And to the extent that through silence he is stripped of passions and purified, to the extent that he is granted knowledge [of these spiritual things]. The mind becomes perfect when it enters the realm of essential knowledge and unites with God. Then he, having royal dignity, no longer feels poverty and is not carried away by false wishes, even if you offered him all the kingdoms. So, if you want to achieve such goodness, run away from the world and diligently follow the path of the saints, give up worrying about your appearance, have poor clothes and humble attire. Keep your character simple, your speech simple, your steps unconceited, your voice unfeigned. Love to live in poverty and be careless of everyone. Most of all, take care of keeping your mind and sobriety, be patient in all kinds of difficulties and in every possible way keep the spiritual benefits you have already acquired intact and unchanged. Pay close attention to yourself and do not accept any of the secretly sneaking sweets. For, although silence tames spiritual passions, if you allow them to flare up and become intense, they usually become even more furious, and those who allow this are drawn even more forcefully to sin. Likewise, bodily wounds, being rubbed and torn, are inhealable. Even one word can distance the mind from the memory of God, when the demons compel it, and the feelings agree with them. Great is the feat and fear of preserving the soul. So, you must completely withdraw from the world and, having torn your soul away from all compassion for the body, become selfless, homeless, ownerless, unmercenary, moneyless, trouble-free, unaccomplice, ignorant of human affairs, humble, compassionate, kind, meek, quiet, ready to receive intelligible impressions on the heart from Divine knowledge. For it is impossible to write on wax without first erasing the letters inscribed on it, as the great Basil teaches us this. Such was the face of the saints who, having completely removed themselves from all worldly customs and keeping within themselves undisturbed heavenly wisdom, were enlightened by Divine laws and shone with pious deeds and words, mortifying their earthly members (Col. 3:5), abstinence, God's fear and love. For through unceasing prayer and teaching in the Divine Scriptures, the intelligent eyes of the heart are opened and they see the King of Powers, and there is great joy, and the uncontrollable Divine desire is greatly ignited in the soul, and the flesh is also enraptured there by the action of the Spirit, and the whole person becomes spiritual. This is what the workers of blissful silence and the closest ascetic life are honored with, who, having removed themselves from all human consolation, are alone with the One, the Lord existing in heaven, incessantly conversing! Having heard this, that God-loving brother, stung by the Divine in his soul, [leaves his place] and together with him (Philemon) reaches the monastery, where the greatest of the fathers walked the path of piety. They settled in the Lavra of St. John Kolov, transferring care of himself to the steward of the Lavra, since they wanted to remain in silence. And they remained here by the grace of God in complete silence, going out to general church meetings on Saturdays and Sundays, and remaining at home on other days; and each performed prayers and services separately. The elder saint (Philemon) had the following rule of service: at night he sang the entire Psalter and songs (9 included in the Psalter), slowly, without fuss, read one beginning of the Gospel, then sat down and sat, saying to himself: Lord, have mercy! with all attention and for quite a long time, until he could no longer proclaim this proclamation; and finally allowed myself to sleep (take a nap). Then again at dawn he sang for the first hour and, sitting on his seat facing the east, alternately sang [psalms] and then read, at will, from the Apostle and the Gospel. So he spent the whole day, constantly singing, praying and enjoying the contemplation of heavenly things; his mind was often so carried away into contemplation that he did not know whether he was on earth. The brother, seeing that he was so diligently diligent in prayer services and sometimes completely changed by Divine thoughts, said to him: “Is it difficult for you, father, in such an old age to mortify and enslave your body like this?” He answered him: “Believe me, God has placed such zeal and such love for the service of prayer in my soul that I am not able to fully satisfy its desire for that; But bodily weakness is overcome by love for God and the hope of future blessings.” So all his desires were cleverly shouted into the heavens, and this even during meals, and not just at other times. One day a certain brother who lived with him asked him: “What are the secrets of contemplation?” And he, seeing his persistence and the fact that he was sincerely seeking edification, said to him: “I tell you, child, that to the one whose mind has been completely cleansed, God reveals visions of the most ministering powers and ranks [of angels].” He also asked him the following: “Why, father, do you delight in the Psalter more than any Divine Scripture, and why, while singing quietly, do you seem to be talking to someone?” To this he said to him: “God has imprinted on my soul the power of the psalms, as in the prophet David himself, and I cannot tear myself away from the delight of all sorts of contemplations hidden in them; for they embrace the whole of Divine Scripture.” He confessed this to the questioner with great humility, for the sake of benefit and after long persistent entreaty. A certain brother named John, rushing from the seaside, came to this holy and great father Philemon, and hugging his legs, said to him: “What will I do, father, so that I can be saved? For my mind rushes and floats here and there where it shouldn’t.” And he, after being silent for a while, said: “This illness [mental] is the property of those who are external, and it abides in them. And it is in you, because you have not yet acquired perfect love for God, the warmth of love and knowledge of Him has not yet come to you.” His brother says to him: “What should I do, father?” He said to him: “Go, take the hidden teaching in your heart, and it will cleanse your mind from this.” The brother, not being privy to what this meant, says to the elder: “What kind of secret teaching is this, father?” And he said to him: “Go, be sober in your heart and in your thoughts soberly, with fear and trembling, say: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me! “This is how the blessed Diadochos teaches beginners. The brother went and, with the help of God through the prayers of his father, calmed down and enjoyed this teaching a little. But then this pleasure left him, and he could no longer soberly perform such work and pray. Why did he go to the elder again and tell him about what had happened? The elder tells him: “Now you have already learned the path of silence and intelligent action and have tasted the sweetness that comes from it. Always have this in your heart - whether you eat, drink, talk with someone, whether you are on the road or sitting in a cell, do not stop praying with such a prayer with a sober thought and a non-wandering mind, singing and studying in prayers and psalms; Even when correcting your most necessary needs, do not let your mind be idle, but force it to study and pray in secret. So you can understand the depths of Divine Scripture and the power hidden in it and give your mind unceasing activity, so that you may fulfill the Apostolic word commanding: pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Pay close attention to yourself and guard your heart from accepting evil thoughts, or any vain and useless ones; but always, when you sleep, and when you get up, and when you eat, and when you drink, and when you carry on a conversation, let your heart secretly study in the psalms, then pray: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! Also, when you sing psalms with your tongue, pay attention so that you do not speak with one mouth and soar in another with your thoughts.” His brother also asked him: “I see many vain dreams during sleep.” The elder told him: “Do not be lazy and do not be cowardly; but before you fall asleep, make many prayers in your heart and resist with your thoughts the attempts of the devil to lead you according to his will, so that God will accept you. As much as you have the strength to take care to fall asleep with psalms in your mouth and intelligent teaching, and do not, through negligence, allow your mind to accept alien thoughts, but with whatever thoughts you prayed, learn from them, bend over and onto your bed, so that when you sleep, they will remain in you, and when you awaken, they will talk with you. Also recite the holy Symbol of the Orthodox Faith before you fall asleep; for being Orthodox about God is the source and protection of all good things.” His brother also asked: “Create love, father, tell me, what is your mind doing? Teach me so that I too may be saved.” He said to him: “Why are you curious to know?” He stood up, hugging the saint’s feet and, kissing them, begged him to tell him this. After some time, the elder said: “You still cannot bear this. Giving every feeling a suitable task is characteristic of a husband accustomed to revolving in the blessings of truth; and it is impossible for someone to be granted this gift who has not become completely pure from the vain thoughts of the world. Therefore, if you truly desire this, keep the hidden teaching in a pure heart. For if prayer and teaching in the Scriptures remain in you unceasingly, then the eyes of your soul will be opened and there will be great joy in it, and some inexpressible and hot feeling, warmed by the Spirit and the flesh, so that the whole person will become spiritual. So, whether at night or during the day God vouchsafes you to pray undistractedly with a pure mind, leave your prayer rule and, as much as you have the strength, stretch to cleave to God with your mind. And He will enlighten your heart in the spiritual work that you have undertaken.” To this he added: “Once upon a time an elder came to me, and when I asked him about the structure of his mind, he told me: I spent two years in prayer before God, diligently beseeching Him with all my heart, that He would grant me that the prayer that He gave to His disciples would be continually and undistractedly imprinted in my heart, and the most gifted Lord, seeing my labor and patience, would grant me what I asked.” And here’s what he also told him: “Thoughts about vain things that happen in the soul are the illness of an idle soul that has given itself over to negligence; why, according to Scripture, we must guard our minds with all care, sing wisely without distraction, and pray with a pure mind. So, brother, God wants us to show our zeal for Him, firstly, through labors [asceticism and good deeds], then through love and unceasing prayer, and He will give us the path of salvation. It is obvious that there is no other path that leads to heaven except complete removal from all evil, the acquisition of all good, perfect love for God and abiding with Him in honor and truth, so that when someone has this, he will soon ascend to the heavenly face. But at the same time, everyone who wants to ascend to heights must urgently kill the uds (members) that exist on the earth. For when our soul delights in the contemplation of true good, it no longer returns to any of the passions excited by sinful sweetness; but having turned away from all bodily sensuality, he accepts the appearance of God with pure and undefiled thought. So, we need great self-care, a lot of bodily labor and purification of the soul, so that we may infuse God into our hearts, so that we may otherwise sinlessly fulfill His Divine commandments, and so that He Himself teaches us to firmly observe His laws, emitting, like His sun rays, upon us the influence of the grace of the Spirit implanted in us. Through labors and temptations we must purify the image according to which we were created rational and capable of perceiving all understanding and likeness to God, bearing feelings pure from all defilement through their melting somehow (somehow) in the furnace of temptations, and being transformed into royal dignity. God created human nature to be partakers of all good, able to mentally contemplate the rejoicing of the Angels of glory, Dominion, Strength, Origin, Authority, the unapproachable light, the most radiant glory. But when you correct any virtue, be careful that your thoughts do not become exalted over your brother, because you corrected it, but he was neglectful; for this is the beginning of pride. When you fight against any passion, be careful not to become discouraged and not faint-hearted because the battle is persistent; but having risen, cast yourself before the face of God, speaking with all your heart to the prophet: judge, O Lord, those who offend me (Ps. 34:1), for I am not strong against them. And He, seeing your humility, will soon send you His help. When you walk with someone on the road, do not accept vain conversation, but give the mind the spiritual activity that it had, so that this good habit and oblivion of worldly pleasures may remain in it, and it will not depart from the haven of dispassion.” Having spoken to his brother with these and many other words, the elder released him. But after a little time he came again and, starting his speech, asked: “What should I do, father? In my night service, sleep weighs me down and does not allow me to pray soberly and keep more vigil; and I want to take the work into my hands when I sing.” To this the elder said: “When you can pray soberly, do not touch needlework; when you are overcome by drowsiness, then, having moved a little against the thought, disgusted by it, touch handicrafts.” He asked again: “Are you, Father, not burdened with sleep during your ministry?” The elder said: “It’s not so easy; however, when drowsiness sometimes sets in, I move a little; but I begin to read the Gospel of John from the beginning, raising the eye of my mind to God, and it immediately disappears. It seems that I do the same in relation to thoughts, just when one of them finds me, I meet it like fire with tears, and it disappears. You can’t yet arm yourself against them like that; but above all, keep the secret teaching and diligently perform the daily prayers established by the holy fathers, such as the hours: third, sixth, ninth and vespers, and night services. And try with all your might not to do anything to please mankind, and beware of having enmity with any of the brethren, so as not to alienate yourself from your God. Try also to keep your thoughts undistracted, diligently listening to your inner thoughts. When you are in church and intend to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, do not leave it until you receive perfect peace. Having stood in one place, do not retreat from there until your departure; Think within yourself that you are in heaven and with the holy Angels you stand before God, having the ability to perceive Him in your heart; “Prepare for this with fear and trembling, so that you do not unworthily be a partaker of the Holy Powers.” Having thus well armed his brother and commended him to the Lord and the Spirit of His grace, the elder let him go. In addition, the brother who lived with him also told the following. Sitting next to him one day, I asked him: “Was he tempted by demonic slander while living in the desert?” He said: “Forgive me, brother, if God allows temptations from the devil to come upon you, such as I was subject to, then I don’t think that you could endure their bitterness. I am seventy years old, or more, and I have endured many temptations, living in various deserts in complete silence; What I experienced and suffered from these demons, it is not useful to tell about the bitterness of those who have not yet been tempted by silence. In such temptations, I always did this: I placed all my trust in God, to whom I also made vows of renunciation, and He soon delivered me from all need. Why, brother, now I don’t create any industry for myself; but knowing that He cares about me, I very easily endure the temptations that come upon me. And I bring only one thing to Him from myself, so that I can pray unceasingly. The hope that the greater the sorrows and troubles attack, the greater they prepare crowns for the one who endures, helps a lot in this regard: for with the Righteous Judge both of them balance themselves mutually. Knowing this, brother, do not give in to cowardice. You have entered into the midst of battle to fight, and fight, inspired by the fact that there are very many of those who fight for us against the enemy of God, more than the enemy hordes. And how could we dare to resist such a terrible adversary of our race if the sovereign right hand of God the Word did not embrace us, protect us and cover us? How could human nature withstand his slander? For as Job says, who will reveal the outer part of his garment? who will enter the curves of his chest? From his mouth come out like burning lamps and scatter like fiery sparks. Smoke comes out of his nostrils, as if from a furnace filled with burning coals. His breath {soul} is like burning coals and like a flame coming out of his mouth. Power dwells on his neck; destruction hurries before him. His heart is hard as a stone and elastic as an immovable anvil. He kindles the abyss like a copper furnace, considers the sea as a peacemaker, and the underworld of the abyss as a prisoner. He looks at everything that is high: he himself is king over everything that is in the waters (Job 41:4, 11–14, 16, 23, 24, 26). That's who we're fighting against, brother! This is how colic the word of this tyrant depicted! With all this, however, victory over him is convenient for those who, as it should be, go through a solitary life, because they have nothing in themselves that belongs to him, because of their renunciation of the world, because of their high virtues and because we have one who combats us. For who, tell me, having approached the Lord and accepting His fear into the mind, has not become transformed by nature and, having illuminated himself with Divine laws and deeds, has not made his soul bright and capable of shining with Divine understandings and thoughts? He never allows her to be idle, having God within him, Who arouses the mind to insatiably strive for light. And the soul, thus continuously influenced, is not allowed by the spirit to be indulged by passions; but like some king, breathing terrible anger and rebuke, he mercilessly flogs them. Such a one never returns back, but by the practice [of virtues] with the raising of hands to heaven and mental prayer, he wins victory in battle.” The brother also said that, despite other virtues, Abba Philemon also had this: he could not stand to hear an idle word, and if someone, having forgotten himself, told something that was not related to the benefit of the soul, then he did not respond to it at all. Also, when I left on some business, he did not ask: “Why did you leave?” And when he returned, he did not say: “Where have you been? Or what and how did you do it?” So one day I sailed to Alexandria due to a necessary need, and from there on one church matter I went to Constantinople, without letting the servant of God know about it; then, having spent quite some time there, visiting the reverent brothers there, he finally returned to his monastery. Seeing me, the elder was delighted and, following the usual greeting, said a prayer and sat down; but he didn’t ask me anything at all, but remained busy with his usual clever work. Once, wanting to test him, I did not give him bread to eat for several days. He didn’t ask for bread and didn’t say anything to it. Then, making a bow, I asked: “Create love, father, and tell me whether you were offended that I did not bring you food as usual.” He said: “Sorry, brother! If you do not give me bread to eat for twenty days, I will not ask you for it; For as long as I endure in soul, I also endure in body.” So he was busy contemplating the true good. He said: “Since I came to the monastery, I did not allow my thoughts to go beyond the walls of the cell; but I did not take into my thought any other thought than the fear of God and the judgment seats of the future century, keeping in mind the judgment threatening sinners, and eternal fire, and total darkness, and how the souls of sinners and righteous people live, and what blessings are prepared for the righteous, and how everyone receives their reward according to their labor: one for the labors of asceticism, the other for alms and unfeigned love, the other for non-covetousness and complete renunciation of the world, another for humility and complete silence, one for extreme obedience, one for pilgrimage. Containing all this in my thoughts, I do not allow another thought to act in me and I can no longer be with people or occupy my mind with them, so as not to move away from Divine thoughts.” To this he added the legend about a certain solitary, saying that he had already achieved dispassion and received bread for food from the hand of an Angel, but due to laziness (weakening of attention) he lost such an honor. For when the soul weakens the careful and intense attention of the mind, then night embraces that soul. Where God does not shine, everything is spread out as if in darkness; and then the soul cannot look up to the One God and tremble at His words. I am the God who is near, says the Lord, and not the God who is far away. Can someone hide in secret [places] so that I do not see him? Am I not the one who fills heaven and earth? ( Jer. 23:23, 24 ). And he recalled many other similar victims. He also brought the fall of Solomon, who, he says, received such wisdom and was thus glorified by everyone - because, like the morning star rising in the morning, he illuminated everyone with the lightness of wisdom, but for a small sweetness he lost such glory. So, it is terrible to indulge laziness; but we must constantly pray so that another thought, having found it, does not separate us from God, and instead of Him, something else does not appear in our minds. Only a pure heart, having become the receptacle of the Holy Spirit, purely sees in itself, as in a mirror, the very God of all things. “Hearing this,” says the brother who lived with Abba Philemon, “and looking at his deeds, I realized that bodily passions had completely ceased to act in him, and that he was a zealous lover of all perfection, so that he was always seen as being transformed by the Divine Spirit [from glory to glory] and sighing with unutterable sighs, turning to himself with himself and weighing himself (or holding himself evenly, as on the scales), and struggling in every possible way, so that something, coming, does not disturb the purity of his mind and some kind of filth does not secretly attack him.” Seeing this, he says, and aroused by jealousy for such a way of life, I fervently turned to him with a petition, saying: “How could I acquire purity of mind like you?” He said: “Go and work, for this requires labor and heart disease. Spiritual blessings, worthy of diligent search and labor, will not come to us if we lie on our beds and sleep. And no one gets earthly blessings without difficulty. Anyone who wants to achieve prosperity must, first of all, renounce his desires and acquire incessant weeping and non-covetousness, not heeding the sins of others, but only his own, and for them alone, crying day and night, and not having vain friendship with any of the people: for a soul that grieves over its plight and is wounded by the memory of previous sins is dead. to the world, just as the world dies for it, that is, then carnal passions are ineffective, and man is ineffective to these passions. Moreover, he who has renounced the world and united with Christ, and remains in silence, loves God, preserves His image and is rich in His likeness; for from above he receives the gift of the Spirit from Him and becomes the house of God, and not of demons, and presents righteous deeds to God. Thus, the soul, having become pure in life, free from the defilements of the flesh and having no filth or vice, will finally be clothed with the crown of truth and shine with the beauty of virtues. In whom, at the beginning of renunciation, weeping, nor spiritual tears, nor the memory of endless torments, nor true silence, nor unceasing prayer, nor psalmody and teaching in the Divine Scriptures, does not settle in the heart, in whom this has not turned into a habit, so that, due to the continuity of this sitting, he is forced and reluctant to do it from the mind - and the fear of God does not dominate in his soul, he still rests on fellowship with the world and cannot have a pure mind in prayer; for only piety and fear of God cleanse the soul from passions and, making the mind free, introduce it into contemplation that is natural to it and allow it to touch theology, which it accepts in the form of beatitude (blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God); which for those who are worthy of this still serves as a guarantee [of the future] and keeps [their spiritual structure] unshakable. So, with all our might we strive for the practical doing [of virtues and deeds], which leads us to piety, that is, to mental (spiritual) purity, the fruit of which is natural theological contemplation. For action is an ascent to contemplation, as [says] the insightful and most theological mind [of Gregory the Theologian]. Why, if we are careless about doing this, then we will be alien to all wisdom; for even if someone has reached the very top of virtue, he still needs the work of asceticism, curbing the disorderly aspirations of the body, and strict guarding of thoughts. And in this way we can hardly improve the indwelling of Christ. For the more our righteousness increases, the more our spiritual maturity increases; and, finally, the mind, having come to perfection, cleaves entirely to God and is illuminated by the Divine light - and the ineffable sacraments are revealed to it. Then he will truly know where wisdom is, where there is strength, where there is reason to know everything, where there is longevity and life, where there is light of the eyes and peace. For while he is busy fighting passions, he still does not have the opportunity to enjoy this; since both virtues and vices make the mind blind: those, so that you don’t see virtues, and these, so that you don’t see vices. But when he receives peace from battle and is granted spiritual gifts, then, constantly being influenced by grace, the whole becomes light-like and becomes inexorable from the contemplation of spiritual things. Such a person is not attached to anything here; but came from death to the stomach. Anyone who embraces an honorable life and is jealous of approaching God must have an immaculate heart and pure lips, so that the word, coming from pure, pure lips, can worthily praise God, since the soul, clinging to God, constantly converses with Him. Let us desire, brothers, to reach such a height of virtues and let us stop groveling on the earth, clinging to passions. He who strives and has achieved closeness to God, who has partaken of His holy light and has been wounded by love for Him, enjoys the Lord’s certain and incomprehensible spiritual joy, as the Divine Psalm says: Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will fulfill the requests of your heart for You; and he will bring out your righteousness like the light and your destiny like the noonday (Ps. 37:4, 6). And what kind of love is so strong and so uncontrollable as that which is poured from God into a soul that has been cleansed of all evil? Such a soul, from the true disposition of the heart, says: I am wounded by love (Song. 2:5). Inexpressible and inexplicable are the brilliance of Divine beauty! The word cannot depict them, nor can the ear contain them. Whether you point to the brightness of the morning star, or the brightness of the moon, or the light of the sun, all this is disrespectful in comparison with its glory, and more meager in the face of the true light than the deepest night or the darkest darkness before the purest noon. So Vasily, marvelous among teachers, betrayed us, knowing this from experience and learning this.” This and more was told by the brother who lived with Abba. But who would not marvel at the following in him, as proof of his great humility? Having been honored with the presbytery a long, long time ago, and having so sincerely touched the heavenly, both in life and in mind, he in every possible way avoided Divine sacred rites as a burden, so that during the many years of his asceticism he very rarely agreed to begin the holy meal [for sacred rites]. But he did not partake of the Divine Mysteries, despite such a constantly cautious life, when he happened to enter into communication and talk with people; although at the same time they did not say anything earthly, but only one thing that was spiritually beneficial for those who were looking for a conversation with him. And when he intended to partake of the Divine Mysteries, before this he pestered God for a long time, placating Him with prayers, psalmody and confessions. He was horrified by the voice of the priest, who cried out to everyone, saying: Holy to holies. For at this time, he said, the whole Church is full of holy Angels, and the King of Powers Himself, having performed a mysterious sacred act, and transformed bread and wine into His Body and Blood, through Holy Communion dwells in our hearts. Why, he added, we must only, immaculately and purely, and as if outside the flesh, without any doubt or hesitation, dare to partake of the Holy Communion of the Most Pure Mysteries of Christ, in order to become partakers of the enlightenment that comes from them. Many of St. Fathers were seen by Sts. Angels who guarded them [from everything inappropriate]; why they themselves kept themselves in deep silence, not speaking to anyone. And here’s what [that brother] said: when the old man needed to sell his handicrafts himself, so that some kind of lie, or an oath by God, or an extra word, or some other type of sin would not arise, he stood, pretending to be a holy fool; and everyone who wanted to buy his handicraft took it from him and gave it for what he wanted. He made small baskets; and what was given for them was accepted with gratitude, without saying anything at all, by this truly wise man. The text is provided only in Russian, see the source for the original. – Editorial of the ABC of Faith