About the Jesus Prayer, in letters to Schema-Hegumen Herman and Schemamonk Agapius

Contents Preface Initial letter sent by Schema-Abbot Herman to Episcopal Theophan Letters to Schema-Abbot German Letters to Schemamonk Agapius Letters from Schemamonk Agapius to Schema-Abbot Herman Bibliography Appendix I. About the Jesus Prayer performed verbally, mentally and heartily Appendix II The outstanding saint Theophan the Recluse left an extensive and precious spiritual and literary heritage. A special place in it is occupied by his answers to various people who asked him for advice or spiritual help, solutions to perplexed questions, consolation in sorrows, relief in troubles... These requests flocked from all sides of Russia to the Vyshenskaya hermitage, where the Right Reverend Theophan stayed for the last 28 years of his life, and for 22 of them he was in strict seclusion. Before this, they had already traveled a significant life and spiritual path, devoted to serving the Church of God in various fields and in different places. The saint used all the greatest and invaluable experience accumulated over the years of his life, and especially during the years of seclusion, in his extensive correspondence with numerous correspondents, among whom were representatives of all classes, from dignitaries to peasants. Every day the mail brought from 20 to 40 letters, and Bishop Theophan always answered each of them, sensitively guessing the spiritual state and needs of the writer and finding for each the necessary word that went straight to the heart. He had the rare gift of speaking simply, clearly, concisely about the most complex subjects, about the most profound things. In the 80s of the last century, the confessor of the Gethsemane monastery at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, later abbot of the Zosima Monastery, Fr. Hermann. The reason that prompted Fr. Herman turned to the saint because he wanted to learn the Jesus Prayer, which he strove to acquire throughout his entire ascetic life. He did not have time to learn prayer from his first mentor, Hieroschemamonk Alexander, due to the latter’s imminent death, and even more because this elder, out of humility, did not undertake to teach others. Left to his own devices, oh. Herman “began little by little to deviate into the breadth of the vast path,” as he wrote in a letter to the saint, “at first he began to follow the events of the life of the world with great interest, then, prompted by the desire to convey his impressions to others, he could no longer resist lengthy conversations and gossip; Finally, I became attached even to the temporary, perishable... An emptiness has taken root in my soul, my heart has grown cold to prayer, and the memory of my former life stings me and prompts me to seek guidance again.” I had to o. Herman should seek advice from the Optina and especially the Valaam monks. However, they were all inclined to the so-called “artistic production” of prayer. According to their instructions and Fr. Herman began to resort to it, but his inner feeling always told him that the said technique was imperfect and dangerous. The Lord, seeing from the side about. Herman's sincere and diligent search inspired him to turn for clarification to the Most Reverend Theophan, the great teacher of monasticism of our time. “To you, Vladyka, I turn to you for help, I throw myself at your feet in the hope that you will not refuse to teach me how to avoid attachment to the world, to cleave to God with all my soul,” he wrote to the saint. A correspondence began between them. Reading it, one cannot help but notice how at the beginning Fr. Herman diligently focused on external methods of prayer; he not only asked about them, but even defended them. ABOUT. Herman informs the saint about various forms and types of artistic techniques. In his response letters, Saint Theophan mentions in passing the external methods of prayer, as having some significance only for individuals, subject, however, to the indispensable condition of their subordination to internal work, and positively does not advise Fr. Herman resorts to them, considering them to be of secondary importance and even dangerous in the absence of an experienced leader, and ironically calls the ascetics who use them whisperers, sniffers, cliques and similar names. As for the pleasant sensations and the sweetness that supposedly appears during these techniques, he recognizes all this as spiritual voluptuousness and finds it “empty,” “tinsel,” meaning nothing, stemming from the blood warmth of the heart and often leading to self-delusion and charm. At the same time, Saint Theophan gives Fr. Herman has a lot of useful instructions. Subsequently, Fr. Herman was so imbued with the Vyshensky recluse’s thoughts about prayer that he spoke about it no other way than in the words of his great mentor, whose memory he revered. He later testified his love for him by installing an unquenchable lamp on his tomb. Above we mentioned that Fr. Herman turned for guidance to the Valaam monks who were engaged in the “artistic practice” of prayer. These monks were Schemamonk Agapius, Archimandrite Agafangel and Schemamonk Nikita. Schemamonk Agapius had previously been trained by his mentor Hieroschemamonk Antipas, who passed on to him the Athonite tradition of hesychiasm in inner work of the heart, that is, the skill of unceasing Jesus Prayer. But this science of sciences and art of arts requires great caution and its training must necessarily be done under the guidance of those who have succeeded in it. Having lost the above-mentioned mentor, Fr. Agapius was left entirely to his own devices and, together with his disciples, fell into error or, as St. Theophan put it, into delusion. Soon after the death of his mentor, Hieroschemamonk Alexander († 1878), Fr. Herman arrived at the Valaam Monastery to meet Fr. Agapeem. In a conversation with him, Fr. It seemed to Herman that Fr. Agapius attached excessive importance to external methods of prayer. They had long conversations about this subject. Seeing the many works and jealousy of Fr. Agapius about gaining this treasure - the Jesus Prayer - and his great experience, he asked Fr. Herman to give him written instructions about this work, which he received (see Appendix I, About the Jesus Prayer). Out of deep humility, Fr. Herman did not dare to draw his conclusion on this written instruction, but sent it to Saint Theophan, asking for an explanation. Saint Theophan found that “artistic work” was being done by the elder Fr. Agapiem did not explain exactly why exactly. Schema-abbot Herman reported this to Fr. Agapius, who lovingly accepted this as a fatherly instruction, and literally grabbed the Vyshensky recluse with both hands; A lively correspondence began between them, which soon led to good results. Archbishop Sylvester of Omsk and Semipalatinsk, who published this correspondence, writes in his final word: “In the letters one is equally struck by the humility and depth of understanding of the innermost high movements of the spirit in one, the height of the spirit together with childish simplicity in the other.” Thus, what was planted by Hieroschemamonk Antipas was again revived by Saint Theophan and grew into a great tree. Father Agapius was so successful in this spiritual art that he was an experienced pilot for others. Under the wise and experienced leadership of Saint Theophan, a small circle of practitioners of the Jesus Prayer was formed, who, having themselves achieved great success, became mentors for others. In this collection we offer the God-loving reader letters from St. Theophan, written by him to Schema-Abbot Herman and previously unpublished letters to Schemamonk Agapius. The collection concludes with letters from Fr. Agapius to Schema-Hegumen Herman. In the letters, some names remained hidden under letters, and we did not dare to reveal them, not having the originals at hand. We hope that the reader himself will guess from the above about whom the saint is writing. This correspondence is of enduring importance for the modern reader, since it captures the spiritual experience of the ascetics of Russian Orthodoxy. Initial letter sent by Schema-Hegumen Herman to Bishop Theophan Your Eminence Vladyka, Rumors about your kindness and readiness to provide everyone with all possible help gave me the courage to fall at the feet of Your Eminence and ask for guidance on how to learn from the memory of God, which has long been the desire of my heart. Having enjoyed for 10 years the spiritual care of an elder who devoted himself entirely to the feat of prayer, I had the opportunity to see what benefits the participants in this wonderful work were awarded, and I had the desire to always carry the most gracious and sweet name of our Lord Jesus Christ in my heart. Although my work was accompanied by some kind of dryness of heart, the example of the old man, who was inflamed with such strong love for him that even the presence of people was a burden to him, and the charms of the world had lost their charm for him, in every possible way encouraged me to force myself to prayer. After the death of my mentor, left to my own devices, I began to gradually deviate into the breadth of the vast path: at first I began to follow the events of the life of the world with great interest; then, prompted by the desire to convey his impressions to others, he could no longer resist lengthy conversations and gossip; finally, I became attached even to the temporary, perishable... Emptiness took root in my soul, my heart grew cold towards prayer, and the memory of my former life, like butts, stung me and prompted me to seek guidance again. I look around and see no one: for my sin, I cannot know the hidden servants of God! To you, Master, I turn for help, at your feet I throw myself in the hope that you will not refuse to teach me how, having avoided addiction to the world, cleave to God with all my soul. Forgive me, Gracious Father and Archpastor, that I dare to bother you with a request, but some confidence that it will be fulfilled and I will hear from you what the Lord God says about me, gave me the courage to decide on this. Then, having asked for your archpastoral blessing and holy prayers, I have the honor to be. Your Eminence, the lowest novice, Letters to Schema-Hegumen Herman God's mercy be with you, Having spent so much time under the leadership of the elder, you, of course, heard everything that was required. – Remember and implement, without putting it off until tomorrow. The Athos people have books: “The Path to Salvation” (essay on Asceticism); “What is spiritual life”; "Letters on Spiritual Life"; “Invisible warfare...” Acquire them and learn from them... not to know, but to do. Anything else that disturbs the conscience must be abandoned immediately. I think everything that you imposed on yourself after the death of the elder belongs to this category. What is considered necessary in the matter of salvation and prosperity cannot be avoided in any way, no matter how you cover it up, it must be fulfilled. The Jesus Prayer, in its power, appears not at the beginning, but at the end of prosperity, like flower and fruit. It is preceded by an inward gravitational pull. Please pray for my many sins. God's mercy be with you! Prayer is an internal matter. Everything that is done externally does not belong to the essence of the matter, but is an external situation. Everything that appears to be good from this appearance only seems good, but is not. Therefore, no attention should be paid to this. It's better to stop what you're doing. The main thing you need to practice is the memory of God, or walking in the presence of God. Try to acquire the skill of always being aware and feeling that you are under the eye of God, penetrating the entire depth of your heart and seeing all your inner movements. The Jesus Prayer is among the means to success in the skill of walking with God. Everything you need to know about the production of this prayer is in the book on invisible warfare. Look there. The main thing here is to become attentive in your heart and cry out to the Lord, who is omnipresent. It's better to stand than sit. It’s better not to think at all about breathing, head position, etc. And pay all your attention to your inner structure. The root of a good inner order is the fear of God. It must be made non-waste... It will keep everything in tension and will not allow either members or thoughts to dissolve, creating a cheerful heart and a sober thought. But we must always remember and feel that success in spiritual life and in all its manifestations is the fruit of God’s grace. Spiritual life is all from the Most Holy Spirit of God. We have our own spirit, but it is powerless. It comes into force when grace overshadows it. Seek and you will find, the Lord promised. You are looking, and be sure that you will find. What should you look for? Living tangible communication with the Lord. The grace of God gives this, but we need to work for it ourselves. Where should the labor be directed? To always remember the Lord, as if he is near and even in the heart. In order to succeed in this, it is advised to become accustomed to the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, repeating it constantly with the thought of the Lord as existing in the heart or near the heart. Become attentive in your heart before the face of the Lord and say: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. “That’s the whole point, and essentially nothing more is required.” Everything that is invented besides this is invented only as an aid to this main thing. The elders say: keep your attention in your heart or at the end of your tongue and keep your hand at your chest; the old woman says, imagine the Crucified Lord and, as if alive, say your prayer to Him. If it helps them, let them do it for themselves, just don’t consider it the main thing. Others did this: he sits on a small chair that is placed under his feet, presses his head to his chest, bends down to his knees and breathes, he says one half of the prayer, inhaling the air, and the other - exhaling... Working like this, they get used to prayer, and then they advise others to do the same... And let them not think that this is the whole point. - But all this and the like is not business, but an addition. The point: to stand with your mind in your heart before the face of the Lord and say a prayer to Him. At the same time, know that mental prayer is standing with the mind before the Lord with sighs to Him, and the Jesus prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me... is verbal, external prayer. In this way, the memory of God will be established in the mind, and the face of God will be in the soul, like the sun. Put a cold thing in the sun and it will warm up. Thus the soul will also be warmed by the memory of the Lord, who is the intelligent sun. And you will see what happens later. The first work is the skill of constantly repeating the Jesus Prayer... And begin, repeat and repeat, but always with the thought of the Lord. Where is the heart? – Where sadness, joy, anger, etc. responds and is felt, there is the heart. Stand there and pay attention... The bodily heart is a muscular serchak - meat... but it is not the meat that feels, but the soul, for the feeling of which the meat heart serves only as a tool, just as the brain serves as a tool for the mind. Don't judge the elders. – It’s true that they start by keeping attention at the end of the tongue, and then move to the heart. Well, let them; If only they would not consider this a smart activity, just like saying the Jesus Prayer. Both are external, bodily matters... The mental matter is one thing: to ascend to the Lord with the mind and heart. Is the imagination of the Crucified Christ an essential matter? – No, and it is also helpful, not the main thing. – The old lady says the truth that in order to keep the mind from wandering, it is good to imagine an object figuratively... This is possible... But there is no reason to become attached to one image. The Lord is now in glory, sitting at the right hand, and all the saints are around Him. - And so you can imagine. But it’s better to do without images, because imagination is brute force. It is better to stand in faith alone, that the Lord is near, than to imagine. “The old woman got used to it, and the image of the Crucified Lord merged with her heartfelt prayer, which is what it’s all about.” - That the old woman goes deep into prayer until she forgets everything, this, truly, is the mercy of God, for the sake of her humility, without which this would not have been possible... It is not in delusion, but in truth. You can't stop talking idle talk. Idle talk is the most ruinous thing. Equally evil is when they walk around without respecting their feelings... Both of these greatly interfere with success in prayer. When the Jesus Prayer begins to take hold in the heart, then the tongue will be bound... It will be bound by reverence for the Present Lord. Know also that you must conduct your affairs in such a way that your conscience does not condemn you in anything, and if it does, you must immediately pacify it with repentance. – And the body must be lightened with little food, and little sleep, and overexertion... R.S. Do you have the book “Invisible Warfare”? The matter of prayer is described in detail there... Please read and delve into it. I am very glad that your confusion has been clarified. Place more emphasis on presenting yourself mentally to the Lord than on your physical activities and positions. God's mercy be with you! What the old woman said about visible objects being necessary during prayer, I think you misunderstood. When thinking about God, we must try in every possible way to think about Him as the purest Spirit, having no form or image. But having such a thought gives only grace when a feeling for God is formed in the heart. Until then, our thoughts about God are not complete, they are mixed with some form. For example, the Prophet says: I will foresee the Lord before me, as he is at my right hand 1 . This is an image. Another similar one: How can I walk away from Your Spirit and whence will I flee from Your presence? Even if I ascend to heaven, You are there; Even if I go to hell, there you are; If I take my wings early and dwell in the last seas, then Thy hand will guide me and Thy right hand will hold me. 2 And this is the image of the omnipresence of God... So with any other thought about God and divine things... The thought of the old woman is that it is difficult for us to free ourselves from images when thinking about God; but you understood that you must always have an image, and that without such an image you cannot pray. It's your fault, not the old woman's. Please try in every possible way to pray without images of God... Stand in your heart with faith that God is right there, but don’t imagine how He is. Pray and seek so that the grace of God will finally give you a feeling for God. Who came up with this: keep attention on the lips or on the end of the tongue?! Bad idea: give it up. Try to be attentive in your heart, and nowhere else. – That the mind, after several prayers, runs away from the heart and lags behind the memory of God, is due to weakness of attention and indifference to prayer. The soul does not value prayer and is in a hurry to get rid of it as quickly as possible, muttering it somehow. – Seek the fear of God and with it begin to pray and pray, keeping your attention on the meaning of the words of prayer. – Then short prayers and the Jesus Prayer are used to instill in the heart a feeling for God and thereby attract attention. But if we are careless about prayer, we will never succeed in it. Remember also that prayer alone is not perfect, but together with all the virtues. As virtues improve, prayer also improves. The most important essence: fear of God, chastity, humility, contrition, mortification of the flesh, patience, love... When they are there, all the others will appear, and with them prayer. “Should I define myself by the number of prayers and bows or should I be more concerned about attention?” – Without attention, prayer is not prayer. Next, this is the main thing. But at the same time, it is necessary to determine the number of prayers and bows as a rule. This is for home prayer. The best way to succeed in prayer is to go to church for all services and try to be in reverent prayer there. Look at Slav. The Philokalia legend about Maxim Kapsokalivite and imitate him. When you receive what he received, then you will have a real prayer. – Lying on your side won’t gain anything... You are asking about a certain brother. Tell him everything that is written here, and that’s enough... Let him leave his lips and tongue, but do as it is written in the Fathers, that is, stand with attention in the heart. We can advise him: leave all these extras, just be in your heart and with feeling, falling to the ground, crying out: Lord have mercy! This is how Maxim Kapsokalivit. - And let everyone work like that. Let him go to church without hesitation, at home make more bows, and let him constantly repeat some prayer verse with attention and reverence, especially the Jesus Prayer. – The limit of labor is a persistent feeling for God, or what Maxim Kapsokalivit received. – It is especially necessary to refine the flesh through fasting, vigil and physical labor, and constantly keep it in tension, like a soldier on guard. Yes, distraction, running around, idle talk and laughter, and empty reading. And everything will go well. You need to work hard and overwork yourself without pity. You did well to send me a letter from *** people. I didn't understand them before. Now I understand well and see that they consider it essential to keep attention on the end of the tongue, lips and fingers pressed to the chest above the left nipple, and therefore they are in delusion. This is a dangerous situation. But what’s even worse is that they teach others the same thing as something of urgent importance. There is no importance in this. The essence of prayer is in the mental presence of the Lord with an invocation to Him, in the feeling of either thanksgiving, or glorification, or petition, or contrition, or fear, or hope, or some other feeling related to the Lord, so if there is no feeling for the Lord, then prayer is not prayer. When someone is feeling, he has no time to pay attention to the external position of both the whole body and its different parts - lips, tongue, fingers. – You must pay attention in your heart, but not before your heart, but before the Lord. If the Lord is not in your attention, then there is no prayer. * * *they claim that when they pray according to their newly invented method, they feel something in their hearts, probably pleasantness and warmth... This does not prove anything: this pleasantness and warmth is tawdry, empty... Once upon a time there were fellows who focused their attention on the navel; That's why they were called navels. Of course, they felt something too. - One told me that he feels something when he stands with his attention on the ridge, against the chest, behind... So, should we recognize this matter as right because he feels something? – We need to justify our actions not by the fact that we feel something from them, but by the fact that they were indicated to us by the ancient Fathers. The *** people cannot refer to this, because their method is their invention, as they themselves admit. Yes, they did not say anything to your question whether such a technique agrees with the instructions of the Fathers, but began, without knowing what, to weave about which members pronounce the syllables in the words: Lord, have mercy. Why this speech or this sophisticated idle talk? Seeing now that the *** people are delusional and are trying to push others into the same place, I am forced to tell you: before I told you: listen to them, but now I say: do not listen, because they have lost their way from the straight path. You bow a lot. This is good; but try to have both attention to the Lord and feeling. The most fitting feeling for us is contrition: the spirit is contrite - God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. 3 – This happens from the fear of God, and the fear of God comes to life from the memory of death and the judgment of God. – Every time you begin to pray, restore the fear of God and contrition in yourself and then pray, not allowing these feelings to weaken. The most comfortable place to be in the fear of God and contrition is in the church. Take care to always be in church with these feelings. – And then you’ll wear them at home too... And good for you! I reviewed the letter of the elders and their answer to your question. – There are good thoughts in letter 4, you can keep them in mind. What you shouldn’t agree with, I crossed out. Did you respond to their response? - If not, answer this way: since you could not justify your prayerful approach with fatherly instructions, then I refuse to follow you, fearing to fall on the wrong path: innovations are harmful. With them the enemy is digging a hole for us. Tell that young brother to whom you passed on the old man's treatment to leave him. Let him arouse in himself a spirit of contrition and humility and with these feelings pray to the Lord, standing with attention in the heart and always walking in the presence of God and the memory of death. – Let him search and pray for what Maxim Kapsokalivit was looking for and what he found. This is the direct path. He did not seem to have any special techniques, but only a thirst for the good that he finally received. Good, that is, spiritual light and warmth. But they are completely different from those that are generated by senile or other methods. – When the Lord gives that gift, then everything will go differently, and the Jesus Prayer will sound differently. God bless you! (Question: Is this how I understand about prayer: if I ask you for something, will you require me to keep my mind on my lips or at the end of my tongue, or to take a breath and so on, perhaps just to pay attention to your person? - So is my Lord). I see that you understand what prayer is about. If you please, act like this now. - In the morning, when you wake up, mentally go through all the divine truths, according to the symbol of faith, about the consubstantial Trinity and the limitless properties and perfections of the Divine, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, etc., about creation, providence, the incarnation of God the Word for our salvation and redemption, about His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension... about the descent of the Holy Spirit, about the foundation of the Holy Spirit. Church of God through St. The Apostles, about the end of the world and the judgment of God and about the eternal fate of everyone according to his deeds, about the mercy of God towards us, that we belong to the one true Church and through it we have hope to be worthy of the promises of God both here, and in death, and after death. – This revision will give rise to a feeling for God and corresponding appeals to God. Here is the prayer. Then, throughout the day, try to be in this feeling, whether you are at home or in church, constantly standing in your heart before the Lord. – More effective than all other thoughts is the thought of death, of judgment and the final decision of our eternal fate. - Hold on to this thought. - From this a contrite spirit will be born, and the heart will be contrite and humble, which God will never humiliate. - Here is the whole program of internal affairs. - Be like that. What books should I read? – Buy from the Athosians a Collection on sobriety and prayer... There are a lot of paternal teachings on prayer collected here, and read a little every day in order to maintain a prayerful mood through it. Take from them also the Psalter of St. Ephraim, where his cries of prayer to God are collected. Re-read the book more often: What is spiritual life? – and chapters about prayer in the book Invisible Warfare... Russian Philokalia. These are books compiled by me, but there is nothing of mine in them: everything is fatherly. Only the book: What spiritual life is, is all mine, but the teaching in it is not mine, only my words, and in the other books named here the words are not mine: everything is fatherly. “Whoever wants to become proficient in prayer should only read about prayer.” It’s better to separate completely from the *** people: there’s no reason to go to them; and do not answer their questions, and do not forward letters. They wrote to me about the end of the tongue and lips, and I wrote to them the same as I wrote to you. Therefore, they ask you if anyone is writing to me from your monastery, and by people with higher education, who, in their opinion, are not capable of following the traditions, they mean me... I adhere to the traditions of the ancient fathers, but I cannot accept newly invented techniques. About the midnight office after the all-night vigil, you need to look at the rules. - I think it’s better to read it with heartfelt attention... Instead of kathisma, you can bow with the Jesus Prayer - a hundred. Your humble feelings that, having lived so much in the world and in the monastery, you don’t see any success, as if you didn’t start, be blessed, and always be in them, and when you wake up, let your first word to God be: let me, Lord, make a good beginning! This is what they say in general about everything, but you need to take a closer look at what exactly is missing, and try to acquire it. You are, after all, not a thief, not a robber, not a drunkard, not a fornicator, not a fighter... and in general - your behavior is good. What is missing? And why is the conscience not calm and content? Answer right away: because I don’t remember God. – It’s true: without the memory of God, without the fear of God, without feeling for God, it is impossible to make the soul content. - If so, then now we need to take all care about it. Prayer, which we talk about all the time, is the direct path to this. You work in this. May the Lord bless your work. The idea that it is not yet time for you to engage in prayer is not true. Everyone should pray with heart and mind. Any other prayer is not prayer. Please work hard and don't be lazy. Do you have Simeon - the New Theologian? – Take it and read it again, if you have read it. If not, buy it from Afontsev and read at least the first volume. “He really teaches the fear of God.” Send letters from the elders. I would like to know how they think about prayer. Are you asking whether to pray for people of other faiths? For suicides?.. Do as the Church orders. So answer those who ask about this. (Question. Tell me, for the Lord’s sake, do I continue to pray this way: being in a church, cell, or wherever it happens, I try to collect my feelings and imagine the Lord before me in an unimaginable way, while my lips close, my tongue remains motionless, and I say the prayer only with my mind and heart; then all my bodily members come into order, a feeling of reverence for the Lord takes possession of me, and I clearly see my insignificance?!) I owe you answers. I apologize. I undertake to correct this omission. I don’t remember whether I answered your letter where you remember the elder of the monastery P... - But I will write an answer to it. Let there be repetition. Letter dated August 9. First, you depict how intelligently you pray and with what feelings, and ask, is this possible? – I answer: It’s possible. God bless you to always pray like this, if you remember what you wrote. - Then you add: “I grieve that I rarely pray such a prayer... the prayer fades away, and I am scattered again”... It is very necessary to grieve about this. But you shouldn’t blame anyone else: it’s your own fault. To strengthen yourself in such prayer, firstly, pray to the Lord, the bestower of every good thing, to grant you to pray like this, and, secondly, begin such prayer more often. The skill will come, by the grace of God. I'm getting distracted... Who's to blame? - Don't get distracted. And as soon as you notice that your thoughts have begun to wander, immediately turn them around again. Get used to being in the memory of God and the memory of death. There will be contrition and will not allow thoughts to dissipate. Following this, you ask: “Should I continue this prayer, or should I go with my mind into my heart?” - And this is what you said, where does it happen? There is nowhere for this to be, so inside. Stand before the Lord, without images, in the presence of the Lord... and experience good feelings. What else? Everything is here. Are you the only one doing this in your head?!! - No, you have to stand in your heart. But do not remember the heart, but only contemplate the Lord. – Everything can be expressed this way: “stand in your heart with your mind before the Lord and pray.” Question: when I stand in the heart, do I need to depict any images there: the Trinity or something else? - decides on its own. If you stand before the Lord without His image, then what other images are appropriate here? – They cannot even appear: God the Trinity has no image. It is impossible and should not be represented figuratively. According to the incarnate economy, the Lord Savior has the image of a man; but He must appear without an image, in the mere consciousness of His presence. The monk from the monastery P... does well by working in the Jesus Prayer. But doesn’t he forget that the point is not in words or the number of Jesus prayers, but in the skill of always being in memory of the Lord. It’s good to maintain the quantity so as not to become lazy, but the main thing is that your thoughts and feelings should be holy. The main fruit of prayer is not warmth and sweetness, but the fear of God and contrition. They must be constantly warmed up, lived with, and breathed in. This monk sees the Holy Trinity figuratively in the heart. – The Holy Trinity-God is invisible, hidden and has no image. We must stand in the consciousness of the omnipresence of God, but we must not build images. He says that he found the idea about this from the Fathers. Ask him which ones? I don’t remember any of them mentioning this. Those who construct their thoughts about spiritual matters in order to give them everything, refer to the Fathers. Without verification, one cannot accept such words as truth. This brother said that he did not even understand what kind of reverence and fear of God this was. This is very bad. Who can stand before the King without fear?! Isn’t it even more so before God?! - In Kyiv, in the Lavra, there was a brother who used to say: “Look, don’t become friendly with God.” Is this not the problem with that brother? “It’s not surprising when the fruit of his prayer is defined only by warmth and sweetness.” This is spiritual voluptuousness. The main thing is the fear of God and a broken spirit... warmth and sweetness are good in spiritual matters; but it is not by them that the price of spiritual works should be determined. You say that you sometimes forget the count of your rosary prayers. The trouble is not great. When one falls before the Lord, who is present with fear and hope, this is better than any number of prayers. Is it possible for you to sometimes follow the rule of St. Pachomius prayer? - And it’s very possible. I don’t have anything else useful to tell you, as you ask. “Seek always to be with the Lord, and you will find.” The letter of September 9 again speaks of P... brother, who figuratively sees the Holy Trinity in his heart. – Evidence of it is given from the Fathers. 1st from Abba Dorotheus the Russian. This is not the Father, and his book is prohibited. It contains a lot of edifying things, but it also has disapproving thoughts, including the fact that the Holy Trinity does not suddenly move into a person, but over the years: in the 1st year the Holy Spirit moves in, in the 2nd year the Son of God, in the 3rd year God the Father. There is something else too. At the end of the book he lists the dark days, which is empty superstition... But he does not talk about the image of the Holy Trinity, but only that the faces of the Holy Trinity inhabit one after another, every other year. His sin is that he separates the persons of the Holy Trinity, and they are confessed to be inseparable. - Also in Barsanuphius, Rev. 121, it does not say about the image, but only that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit inseparably inhabit a pure heart. - It turns out that your brother does not prove his wisdom in any way, but arbitrarily imagines it this way. Remind him that he angers God. I read a notebook about the smart doing of *** cunning people. This one is better than the first one. But there are many inaccuracies in the words... Therefore, it is better not to read it. About prayer, read the collection On Sobriety and Prayer: everything that the fathers said about this is collected there. It’s not bad to look through those chapters in the book about spiritual warfare that talk about prayer... And this is quite a lot. – It is better to work in doing prayer than to philosophize about it and read wisdom. It's very simple... (Question. Until now, I understood the expression of the fathers that the mind must stand in the heart in the sense that when praying one must remember only the heart, and I was perplexed as to what kind of external object should be given to the mind. Now I explain it to myself this way: when I stand with the mind before the Lord, outside of any images, but only in the consciousness of His presence, then my mind is in the heart. - And so, when I pay all my attention to being in a sense of omnipresence God, and, having delved into the meaning of the sayings of David: Where will I go from Your Spirit and from Your face? 5 And I will foresee the Lord before me, 6 - stand wisely before Him, I feel some special liveliness of the spirit, in contrast to the deadness that possessed me when I tried to remember one heart and bring the mind to such a position that it was, according to the expression of the Fathers, above or above. heart, thinking that this is the only real prayer... I ask you, explain to me whether my concepts are correct and whether this is how I pray?) Congratulations on the holiday. May the Lord fill your soul with all kinds of spiritual consolations. Everything that you wrote about the image with which you are trying to pray is good. Keep working like this. Keep the memory of God and the memory of death. From them the fear of God will be in force. From fear - attention to yourself and all your affairs, thoughts and feelings. From this comes a sober, reverent life. This causes suppression of passions. This is where purity comes from. From purity - being with God, not only with thoughts, but also with feelings. Work hard. Labor overcomes everything with God's help. When you fulfill the rule of St. Pachomius, then just do this at home, but in church there is already a rule, that is, service. And there’s no reason to mix it with your own. In church, pay attention to what is read and sung, and keep your thoughts and feelings in accordance with this. When they read it illegibly, say your prayer to the Lord or just mentally ascend to Him with reverence, with bows. Try to warm up your heart during every service, and guard it after leaving church. You are already doing all this. I'm just reminding you, saying that this is how it should be. You mention bows. Bows must be made. They need to warm up the heart when it begins to cool. Bowing is bodily work. With them we must combine the thought of God and the feeling for Him. The image of abstinence that you have when preparing for service is not bad. But don’t forget to prepare your soul even more: faith, fear of God, a contrite spirit, surrendering yourself to the Lord and expecting help from Him for this matter... it’s appropriate to be adorned with this. You mention laziness. Where there is zeal for salvation and fear of God, there cannot be laziness: there is no place for it. Tell me, whoever sees that there is a fire in the house will lie sprawled on the stove?!.. So the one who has the fear of God and the fear of death cannot be lazy and careless. - This is how you drive away laziness. The Holy Church does not know people of other faiths and does not remember them, but while they are alive, it prays in general for their conversion. Gentiles have their own memorials. Let anyone who wants to remember them go there. Private individuals - relatives, friends - can pray for them at home, doing this as a work of love, and relying on anything worthy in those being remembered. * * *they have taken the wrong road, and do not want to listen to anyone, but want to impose their wisdom, like a fatherly tradition. “It’s better to hand them over to God’s mercy.” May the Lord direct your path! I didn’t have time to answer the first letter, this and the second... Thank you for your memory, and I would be ready to answer you, but I don’t have time. There is so much to do! Meanwhile, I need to write to you with all the important discussions... Wait a little while I clean up. Then we will begin our reasoning. I can only work in the morning. In the evening, my head is only fit for cockroaching about simple things. I did not write to you because I was in a hurry to finish the Philokalia; and at the end of it I rest. Please repeat your questions that were left unresolved. And I solve the newly proposed one like this. Nothing prevents you from having a brother and keeping your thoughts open with him. Confession must be kept according to monastic order. From time to time, however, you can confess to anyone. Spiritual prayer does not depend on any physical tension, such as pressure on the heart or tightness of breathing and the like. It is created in a smart way. It must begin by placing oneself in the presence of the Lord, and then, having devoted oneself entirely to the Lord, and being inspired by faith and hope, turn one’s prayer to Him, simply, like a child. Whatever feelings God sends, be content with those. The spiritual matter is not about ecstasy: its best manifestation is “a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart.” As you wrote, when you imagine the Lord being dried, it’s better: always do that. There is nothing sinful in the fact that you confessed to the novices. In the letter to the priest, upon their dedication, it is written that he is given the power to confess and absolve the repentant, as well as to perform all other church functions. This power was given to you in initiation itself. But its use in a monastery is subject to monastic regulations. In our monastery, anyone can confess to anyone, although there is a specific confessor. Isn't it better to quietly ask the abbot? God bless you! Save yourself! (Question: When I mentally go through the symbol of faith, images are reluctantly drawn in my mind, and since, despite all my efforts, I cannot free myself from them, I am embarrassed and afraid that in this way I will end up in delusion? How can I understand everything that is written about prayer by Simeon the New Theologian in words 8 and 9?) I had been planning to write for a whole month, and I had to force myself to do it. Are you afraid of images? One should not be afraid of all images, but only dreamy ones and, moreover, those that relate to the Divine being, which is invisible and alien to all imagery. Everything related to creatures is figurative and can be imagined. And the Lord Savior, according to His human economy, can be imagined. It is also necessary during prayer not to keep images in the mind, but, mentally presenting ourselves to the invisible God, uttering a reverent word to Him. This must be sought and it will be found. According to the following Psalter, you can rule the service, and when it is required to serve. And you can shorten it by putting, for example, instead of kathismas, putting bows, as indicated in the same Psalter. You can also bow all services, as again indicated in the same Psalter... There are two measures indicated there: for laity and lazy monks and for zealous monks. If the last measure seems too large, you can take the middle between it and the first. There is no need to indulge laziness. Fervent prayer is never long, that is, it does not seem long. It is possible to go through the Jesus Prayer with your mind in your heart, without moving your tongue. This is better than pagan prayer. Let pagan prayer be a help to the intelligent... Sometimes pagan prayer is required for mental firmness. When, after praying with attention and feeling, the mind moves away from prayer and is entertained, one must return it to its place, scold oneself, lament before the Lord, and pray again with attention and feeling. Good prayer is always the mercy of God and the gift of grace... You must not blow the trumpet and thank the Lord. What is written by St. Simeon the New Theologian about faulty prayer, then absolutely right... What to do? – We must pray regularly, driving away inattention, indifference and carelessness: for it is in our hands. I loved your bows... And kindness. But do not forget that under bows there should be prayer from the heart - to praise God from the heart, to thank God from the heart, to ask from the heart, whether in your own word - which is better - or memorized, just so that the heart is everywhere... If you want the Psalms not to entertain, read their interpretation and understand their meaning... Then, never read too much... and read slowly, thinking about every word. When your heart warms up from this, you can leave the Psalms... Remember the legend about a certain old man, that he read only one glory, and then went into his heart and contemplation... and so he prayed. About bows - whether to bow from the waist or to the ground - what is to be interpreted? But as well as you do: ten waist and one ground... You can freely put it, sometimes in the belt, sometimes to the ground. Bows with bows, and most importantly - life is good. A good life comes with fear and trembling, which does not depart from the memory of God and accompanies every step. Hence the sobriety. But above all is zeal for salvation, strong and merciless. The fourth volume of the Philokalia is entirely addressed to the Cenobites, 7 and there is no discussion of prayer. Volume five is about the silent 8 more, and there is about prayer. But throughout the Philokalia there are no explanations of mine: all the Father’s Scriptures. I think that you should not alienate your brother who is a scientist. But what you know, tell him simply, and what you don’t know, say: I don’t know. Whether any of this will happen or not, this can be ignored. Fasting is a saving work, and the service of liturgies is beneficial. - What will they say to N... if nothing comes of it, or if something bad comes out... N is not responsible for this. How God bless. God loves workers, as long as they are humble and don’t think too much about themselves. We cannot do anything truly good without the Lord and His grace. The nun’s question o N 9 is resolved with the first words: “pray sometimes with words, sometimes with the mind.” “You just need to explain that you cannot pray with your mind without words, only these words are not heard, but inside, in the heart, they are spoken mentally. It’s better to say it this way: sometimes pray with sonorous words, and sometimes with silent, inaudible words. You only need to take care that both sonorous and silent prayer comes from the heart. Other things added here are jokes, namely: “close your eyes, clenching your lips and teeth, pronounce the words of prayer without touching your tongue to your teeth... hold your breath... through nostril breathing this is even better”... These and similar applications are of no use... When there is prayer from the heart, then everything is forgotten. And the inexperienced will read this and begin to do so and believe that this is real prayer. The question correctly related to the Jesus Prayer. – How many jokes have been added to this holy prayer?!! – But the point is simple: do you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is your only Savior? – If you believe, cry to Him: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. But the wise men forgot about faith, and focused all their attention on words; here they started telling tales about the tongue, and about the lips, and about breathing, and about the head with a beard, and about sitting. It’s not just prayer that is needed, but also a strong zeal for salvation... When this zeal is there, it will teach you what to do. And you must maintain a clear conscience: this is the main thing... Your brother came to you for advice and something bad happened to him. You sent him to ο. Ν, and from that he benefited. If he is more useful, let him go to him. Another brother like him still comes to you and doesn’t leave. - And let him walk. And always tell him useful things with humility and love. And then, when he leaves, stand and pray for him warmly. Remember the word of the Apostle: “If a person falls into any sin, you who are spiritual correct him in the spirit of meekness.” 10 You are contemplating leaving your eldership. Ο. N told you well - not to send anyone away from you. It’s good that they come and repent. – And do not send away anyone, even if 70 times seven times 11, who came and repented of the same sin. - Receive everyone cordially, fatherly, like the Father in the parable. – Don’t frown, don’t accept stern speech, feel sorry and lament with them. Do not reproach or condemn, but consider them sick and raped by the enemy. Inspire them to fight with the promise of pardon and deliverance from passion if they strictly behave themselves and use the means that you offer. Against lustful passion - fasting and prayer, and the persistent memory of God with the fear that the arrow of God's truth may strike in a truly sinful matter, and so on. – Physical labor is good until you get tired... But the main thing is a firm determination to resist sinful urges. There is a proverb: if you take up the tug, don’t say it’s not strong. “And bear this brotherly burden without backing away.” Should we read the writings of Rev. Ignatius? - Read... Just don’t read the article on death, and not the whole thing, but only a few pages, it seems, at the beginning, where he says that the soul and the Angel are corporeal, and proves it. It is better to tear these sheets out of the book. The whole article is very edifying, but these sheets spoil it. The enemy egged him on. One can think (and I think so) that the soul and the Angel are spiritual by nature, but are clothed with a subtle etheric body, and that they are a body by nature, one cannot think like that. Προ lessons ο. N, - what I called jokes - they appear in your scrap - here: close your eyes, press your lips and lips, pronounce the words of prayer without touching your teeth, hold your breath, the nostril breath is higher, whoever is stronger, let him pronounce the words of the prayer stronger, so that the heart feels. Please accept my congratulations on the holidays and the new year. May everything be for your salvation. What was written about O. N from the words of strangers, then I think it’s better to consign it to oblivion. The transmitter brought in something of her own here, and it is difficult to separate it from the words ο. N is impossible. Nowadays I don’t know how to handle the Jesus Prayer. How many jokes they came up with! - And they completely forget about the essence of the matter. That is why it turns out that they stop at words alone, repeating: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, but without any thought or feeling. I call them whisperers, or whisperers. Others stop breathing through their nostrils and sniffle. These are sniffers. Some others appeared who, as if unable to stop the internal movement, began to shout: Jesus... Jesus... Ee... Ee... These are whoopers. But the point of this prayer is simple: stand with your mind in your heart before the face of the Lord and cry: Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, or only: Lord have mercy... merciful Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner... or in other words. Strength is not at all in words, but in thoughts and feelings... Stand on this, and reject all jokes, teach yourself and others this. That you have freed yourself, at least not completely, from worries is the grace of God. Use it and take care to improve your inner life, to walk unceasingly in the memory of God and the memory of death, and thereby arouse a cheerful and jealous thought about salvation. I ask you to pray to the Lord for this good thing for me too. I said what I said about prayer, because I don’t know what they did from the Jesus Prayer. They think that as soon as someone began to say this prayer, then by this alone they had already done everything. This prayer became like some kind of conspiracy among them: do it, adding to it those bodily positions that are spoken about elsewhere, and you will receive everything. So they purr, but the heart remains empty, and thoughts wander, even shameful movements come, but they don’t care, as if everything is in the order of things. - For others, a little warmth comes at this, and they shout: here is grace, here is grace! “And they won’t remember what the experienced say: look, a slight warmth will come, don’t be surprised, it’s from nature, and not from grace.” What are they looking for through the Jesus Prayer? - So that the fire of grace sank into the heart, and unceasing prayer began, which determines the state of grace. It is fitting to know that the Jesus Prayer, when a spark of God falls into the heart, fans it into flame; but she herself does not give this spark, but only contributes to its acceptance. – What does it contribute to? By gathering thoughts together and giving the soul the opportunity to stand before the Lord and walk in His presence. – The main thing is standing and walking before God, crying out to Him from the heart. This is what Maxim Kapsokalivit did... So let everyone who seeks the Holy Fire do this, but do not worry about words and body positions. God looks at the heart. I say against this that others completely forget about crying out from the heart... Their whole concern is about the words and the position of the body, and having read a certain number of Jesus prayers in this position, with bows, they rest on this, with a certain conceit and condemnation of those who go to church for the general statutory prayer. Others live like this all their lives, and are empty of grace. If someone asked me how I should carry out the work of prayer, and would tell him: get used to walking in the presence of God or keep the memory of God and be reverent; To maintain this memory, choose several short prayers or directly take 24 prayers of Chrysostom and repeat them often with appropriate thoughts and feelings. As you become more proficient, your head will be enlightened by the memory of God and your heart will be warmed. In this situation, the spark of God will finally sink into the heart - a ray of grace. You can’t produce it with anything, it comes straight from God... Then you can stay with the Jesus Prayer alone and use it to fan the prayer spark into a flame. As for ο. Ν, I can’t tell you anything. Handle it as God instructs you. Everything you wrote in your last letter (February 18) was well written. The Jesus Prayer, done with faith in the simplicity of the heart, is always soul-saving. “The art that is associated with it can be harmful.” We must guard against this... You can’t suddenly lean into this prayer, but first let everyone get used to praying from the heart with the prescribed prayers and prayers in church. Then, when you notice that someone begins to go deeper into prayer, you can invite him to say the Jesus Prayer unceasingly, and at the same time guard the memory of God with fear and reverence. – Prayer is the first thing. The main thing that is sought through prayer is the receipt of that light that was given to Maxim Kapsokalivit... This light is not attracted by any art, but is given freely by the grace of God. Why is prayer work required, as St. writes? Macarius... If you want to acquire prayer, he says, work in prayer... God, seeing how diligently you seek prayer, will give prayer. 12 This is the path of Maxim... For two years he beat with his heart, seeking prayer, and received the gift of prayer... Teach this to everyone... But add that the house of prayer is a pure heart, a calm conscience and zeal for all virtues and seeding them in the heart. Don't be embarrassed that you are being reproached. For this, God will give strength to your lessons. Just humble yourself and do everything in the simplicity of your heart. An elder or brother who told you: morning and evening prayers are enough. Of course, this is a cell rule, with attendance at all services. - Of course, that's enough. It is only necessary that both church and home prayers be performed with attention and from the heart. Everything in between must be filled with the memory of God - with fear and contrition of heart. - But with all this, one should remember - or keep in mind the last goal - receiving that light that was given to Maxim Kapsokalivit ... Opening your thoughts, as you know from experience, is very beneficial. – Reading books is also good; and this can, on occasion, provide admonition. But general instructions are written there; and in special cases it is better to seek an explanation from a living expert on the matter... It is bad to be addicted to reading. This does not lead to good, and it restores a certain wall between the heart and God. At the same time, curiosity and destructive questioning develops. Madness from the Jesus Prayer can occur when, while doing this prayer, one does not lag behind any sins and habits of sinners, which the conscience condemns. At the same time, a deep discord occurs inside, driving away all peacefulness of the heart... From here the head can become clouded, and concepts can become confused and confused. Take courage - and conduct your business with fear and strong trust in God’s help, which is always ready. – When they come to you, you can’t kick them out with a stick. They come for no harm and no harm. To refuse them a word when you know what to say is just as bad as not to give alms when you have something to give. I forgot to congratulate you on your soul-saving post. Congratulations and I wish you to spend it all as it should, so that you can celebrate Easter Sunday more joyfully. I am late in answering you: I apologize. Your first word about the light... what is it? – Answer. - When God gives, then you will know. Without tasting the sweetness of honey, you cannot know what kind of sweetness it is. So it is here! – This is revealed by a constant feeling for God. With a burning glass you explained well how the inner fire is ignited. So do it. – How to stand before the Lord with your mind and heart? – As they stand before the Emperor: so it is necessary here. The Prophet says: I have seen the Lord before me, as He is at my right hand, and so on. 13 This vision appears in its present form after receiving the fire. “It is not contrary to God to ask for this gift.” That for some this matter ended badly, it is not grace that is to blame, but the one who received and did not keep. About money. When you have a need, satisfy it, and give the rest to the poor, and be left with nothing. – The main thing is not to rely on money. The monasteries will survive, but it’s hard for the poor. You ask: “Isn’t it like a light when you stand in prayer with reverence and a feeling of your insignificance?” – It is connected with the light; but with him it does not waste. The light comes without discretion. And always through the sacraments of confession and St. Participles. What the *** people have doesn’t concern us. Help them, Lord, not to stray from the right path. - Ο. N cannot write himself. Writes X. - He described to me the image of the artistic performance of prayer - it is not good at all. Art in prayer is the last thing, but for them it is the first... And they don’t want to listen. “He writes that this is what the Fathers teach... but the Fathers don’t say this... everything is their invention,” and, it seems, this X. He has an unkind odor. Save him, Lord, and make him comfortable. It is better to pray for them rather than condemn them. May God prosper them. The artistic image of doing prayer is depicted in the Fathers as an external aid and is subordinate to internal work. But now, for the most part, they assimilate only the external side, not caring about the internal. – As soon as some warm movement appears in the heart, they decide: God gave it... and indulge in daydreaming about themselves. Then they condemn everyone who does not adhere to the artistic image of prayer, and not only this, but also church prayers, and those who strictly adhere to it, trying not to omit it. – Because of this, their progress in internal prayer ceases and they are left with only external work. – And spiritual life ceases. Please be more concerned about internal prayer, diverting attention from external... Prayer work leads to receiving the gift of prayer. Everything you have said and done regarding those who come to you for advice is absolutely correct. And there is nothing to add to that. It is written: He who does good shall do good, and he who does not commit sin shall eat 14. – Is it good to give necessary advice when you know what is required? Of course - good. Next, and we must act like this. When taking tonsure, there are guarantors. These are the elders for those being tonsured. It is a pity that in our monasteries we have not introduced as a statutory matter... such leadership, so that there is eldership and the opening of thoughts with questioning. - It is the enemy who is evil: for questioning and advice, and revealing thoughts to the enemy are terrible. However, although this has not been formally introduced, in reality it exists and is being carried out everywhere. Little by little there is need, now those in need go to those from whom they hope to receive satisfaction. Let the novice be patient, otherwise he will get used to staggering and it won’t do any good. I don’t interfere in monastic affairs. O. Archimandrite conducts affairs according to his own understanding. He is a wise steward. God bless you with every blessing. For guidance, always keep at hand the book of Barsanuphius and John, the Ladder, and the Writings of Abba Dorotheus. Many cases are resolved there... Others can be resolved based on them. I didn’t answer two of your letters out of laziness. Please excuse me - and don't scold me. In your first letter, you write well about prayer, namely, that techniques during prayer, how to maintain attention and what position to give to the body and some of its members, are not an essential matter in prayer... but as for someone who is better, let him control himself. The main concern about prayer is that it comes from the heart. True heartfelt prayer is a gift of grace given through the sacraments of Confession or Communion. And after sending such a gift, it is fueled by the same sacraments. A distinctive feature of this gift is the continuity of prayer, which is expressed by feelings towards God, sometimes with words of prayer, and sometimes without words. What grace gives, labor cannot give. He only prepares for the acceptance of the gift - and upon receiving it, he warms it up - along with the sacraments. At St. It was the law of the fathers: to force yourself to pray - at home, in church, and while doing business, and on walks, and during free time from everything. That's all you need to know about prayer. Should young people – beginners – be prescribed smart prayer? Prayer without an intelligent and heartfelt appeal to God is not prayer. This needs to be explained to the beginner. Let him perform the prayer according to the prayer book, trying in every possible way so that thoughts and feelings go with the words. With this difficulty, the beginner will become accustomed to prayerful turns of speech... and then he himself will begin to pray with his own speech when it moves from the heart. And a new leader should not be left without a prayer book... except in the case where, before he became a new leader, he became familiar with the mental prayer to God. The second letter is more about a certain young brother... and falling. Do as the Lord directs: forgiving and resolving 70 times seven times. Isn’t it the Lord who says: He who comes to Me will not be put to death? Therefore, accept everyone who comes with repentance... comfort, inspire... and impose penance - small according to your strength... frequent, even if few, bows... with the publican’s prayer: God be merciful to me who has fallen! Merciful Lord, have mercy on me, fallen. And I forgot about clergy. If you are better off that it has passed you by, then there is nothing to think about it. The Lord knows what he is doing. May God bless you to guide such a son as Fr. N... The work of salvation is the same for everyone - sincere repentance and determination, strong as death - to walk the other way, in thoughts, in feelings, and in deeds... May the Lord direct his path! Let him read the book The Path to Salvation, and What is Spiritual Life. How you decide to prepare for prayer is the real deal. There are three words about prayer - from Athos. There, by the way, there is talk about what you came up with for yourself. Memorize the 24 prayers of St. Chrysostom... And you can start your prayers with them. - And so - throughout the day, repeat them often. They contain everything they should. Through them it is more convenient to move on to unceasing prayer with the Jesus Prayer. This is especially useful for beginners. - The whole point is to learn to always keep your attention on the omnipresent and all-seeing Lord, and for everyone to be saved who wants and is ready to contribute to this. This skill will not allow you to grieve - whether internal or external sorrow bothers you: for it gives the soul complete satisfaction, which, satiating the soul, will not give room to any feeling of poverty and insufficiency, plunging oneself and everything one’s own into the hands of the Lord and generating a feeling of His constant intercession and help. You are a confessor. Buy a sharp, sharp knife - place it before your eyes - and look at it often, always bringing to mind the law according to which a confessor is supposed to cut off his tongue if he reveals to anyone the sins he is confessing, or gives any hint to guess about them. I have reason to think that confessors do this... They don’t remember what evil comes from this, that is, if the idea spreads that confessors are not modest: confessions will be incomplete, and then they will stop completely. I don’t remember on what occasion I wrote to you about prayer for beginners. It’s true that some words in your letter gave rise to this. My idea is that beginners must first be taught to pray properly with ready-made prayers, so that they can internalize the thoughts, feelings, and words of prayer. For the divine word must also be addressed to God. When the Teacher notices that they have done enough in this, then let him tell them how to pray not in other people’s words, but in their own words - prayerfully offering up their personal spiritual needs to God, and begging Him to be merciful to him and help him. At the same time, you can invite them to pray with short prayers, indicating a sample of them in the 24 prayers of St. Chrysostom, and allowing him to collect and other similar prayers from the Psalms, from church prayers, and compose them himself. With these short prayers, they will become well accustomed to keeping their attention not distracted during prayer. Here, finally, we can teach them lessons about the Jesus Prayer, without surrounding it with any external techniques, and only instilling one thing: to say this prayer from the heart. Every prayer must come from the heart, and any other prayer is not a prayer. And prayers according to the prayer book, and your own prayers, and short prayers - all must come from the heart to the Lord foreseeable before you. Moreover, this should be the Jesus Prayer. I mean the exercise in prayer in private. – Let church prayer flow according to what is read and sung in church. In this environment, you can insert your own prayer and short prayers, especially during litanies or when what is being read and sung is not heard or understood. For this reason, solve all your questions about prayer as you wish. Just ask that you not be lazy and that prayer always come from the heart. Never allow anyone to sit in prayer. Let them stand reverently. Sitting with the Jesus Prayer is a bad custom. With a brother who falls and falls, and meanwhile sometimes experiences spiritual movements, manage as you know. Pray for him and force him to pray for himself, sometimes showing him mercy, sometimes severity. The book of Barsanuphius and John is very necessary for confessors and leaders. Read and learn. N is telling the truth that today there are no real leaders. – However, one should not remain with Scripture and fatherly lessons alone. – Questioning is necessary. Paisius the German decided this: let two or three like-minded people form an alliance and guide each other or question each other, leading a life of mutual obedience, with the fear of God and prayer in moderate ascetic severity. I think you are very surprised that there has been no letter from me for so long. The reason is this: I was ill with a cold for seven weeks; but there is no time for correspondence here. Now it’s all gone, a little sickness remains. I am writing to you just to tell you about this and to satisfy your concern about my lack of response, if there is any. I don’t undertake to answer your letters. We need to re-read your letters, and this is hard work, because you usually write a lot, and your handwriting is very unpicturesque. - Please forgive me for this laziness. I wish you all the best, both externally and especially internally. May the Lord preserve your good monastic mood. May the Lord grant you to spend it fasting and spiritually, in repentance and contrition. I don’t mind receiving letters from you and answering you, but your questions are not always within my power, because I haven’t had any practice, and your questions are all practical. So in your last letter you ask about the child’s word during confession and about the cross over what is resolved. – You need to ask the elder and reverent confessors about this, who have seen and heard a lot. However, I will say what I think: we must act as shown in the rite of confession: for it is written for everyone. If, however, the child’s word sometimes confuses him, say: servant of God. As for the cross, it should be urgently assumed: for in its name and by its power permission is given and is effective. You write: “I work like a beginner with novices.” – I don’t understand what this work is about? - It can only be a good or disapproving deed depending on the spirit with which it is done. Look at this and behave accordingly. When you see that you are being blackened, accept it as healing mud. You do well that you do not lose your brotherly disposition towards those who apply this healing to you. My illness is almost gone; There is still a little bit of dizziness left, which will also hopefully go away. God bless your clergy. – The Lord has placed this yoke on you. He will give strength to carry it, and wisdom to act on it expediently. If you should always have been in prayer, then even more so now. The souls that come to you for confession will be brought to you by God. In this sense, accept everyone as sent by God, and take care to fulfill what they were sent for. What are they sent for? So that you heal them, or rather, communicate to them the Lord’s healing: for the doctor of souls is the Lord alone. Medicines are all in your spirit and heart. The Lord will set them in motion or make them. Instead of hands that take and apply healing, you have a tongue, or words. When sending the apostles to preach, the Lord said: do not worry about what you say or what you say. 15 And this applies to you. Surrender yourself to the Lord and believe that when you need a particularly healing word, it will flow uncontrollably and formulate in the most healing way. – Compose yourself a prayer or several short prayers, which would express the needs of your present rank, and pray with them, repeating them often. You ask regarding excommunication from St. Participles. “It seems to me that as long as the person confessing shows contrition and sets an unfeigned intention to abstain from the sin that subjects him to excommunication, then this can be avoided, not out of indulgence, but out of fear that this might make things worse. In the first times, they received communion often... and then the excommunication lasted weeks, months, rarely years... But now, most people receive communion once a year... and the excommunication will be long. – Where will the repentant and seeker of correction find strength?! - And there will be excommunication - delivery into the clutches of the enemy. “Therefore, I believe that it is better to limit ourselves to the imposition of penance, only with caution and in relation to the case.” - Experience will teach you. R.S. This letter has not yet been sent, when I receive another. - But there is nothing to add in response to him. You act well in the sense in which you receive those who come, and how you confess, and impose penances. God bless your works. Pray a lot and earnestly so that the Lord does not leave you with suggestions on how to deal with those who repent. You write that you purchased the book: The Soul and the Angel are not the body, but the spirit. - Good! Read it and give it to others or advise them to buy it. The plain truth is stated here; but there are people who adhere to the opposite of this lie - unsafe: for if the soul is a body, then why should we abstain from bodily things? Eat, drink and be merry! 16 But you would be wrong if about all the works of the Reverend. Ignatius will think badly. They set forth the direct truth about spiritual life, and all in the words of the Fathers, although it is not always indicated where the thoughts were taken. Therefore, it should be read without wincing. Place a wet towel on the chest...someone makes it out of those currently struggling. And he wrote to me. This does not apply to the matter of prayer, but to those cases when the blood of the heart heats up during artificial prayer in order to diminish the heat of the blood. This heat is not a spiritual phenomenon, but a blood one, and comes from the excessive use of artificial techniques during the Jesus Prayer. It is hidden in this that they consider the artificial performance of the Jesus Prayer to be the main thing, and the bloody warmth of the heart with this real spiritual Jesus Prayer. Anyone who thinks so is delusional. The fact that you were dismissed from the line means that you are ranked among the elders. However, this is not done to indulge laziness, but so that you more diligently indulge in spiritual works and sacred acts in your heart that are intelligent before God. – Your wish that you rarely serve is in vain; for it was not chosen by you, and the brethren in vain prick your eyes because you do not correct the course. Tell them: my friends, it is not my will; for the fact that I humbly submit to the orders of our Fathers, I should not be reproached. It’s better not to think about privacy. If you need it, God will arrange it for you when the time comes. – It must be preceded by a strong inward pull. I ask for your prayers. Save yourself! May God help you in your clergy! As you act when confessing and giving communion to sick and elderly alms-goers, do so. Advise alms-goers and the sick to pray to the Lord mentally from the heart. What you wrote about certain performers of the Jesus Prayer, who place their hand on the table and gather attention under their fingers, these are inappropriate quirks. Another quirk is that someone struck the palm of his left hand with the fingers of his right hand, and thus collected his mind and prayed. “You are asking me to explain the matter of prayer... But there is nothing to explain here.” Stand with your mind in your heart before the face of the Lord and cry out to Him: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! – This will be a prayerful work. Depending on how hard someone works, the Lord, seeing the work, will give him spiritual prayer, which is the fruit of the grace of the Holy Spirit. That's all that needs to be said and understood about the Jesus Prayer. Still, everything else that can be invented is not relevant. – It is the enemy who distracts from real prayer. An old man who hears noise and feels touches... has nothing more to say except what you said: not to pay attention. Let him add the prayer every time: Our Father... can with faith pronounce the prohibition on behalf of the Lord over his enemies! That his forehead was red was probably because he was slamming it on the floor. Let him stop doing this... It’s good to bow down... All prayer books advise doing this, but there is no need to hit the floor. I hasten to write to you - regarding your desire to stop by at the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, where I live, in order to talk with me face to face - that you can stop by, but you won’t have to talk to me, because I haven’t received anyone for a long, long time. I have good reasons for doing this. I cannot express them, but I must admit that they are not of an ascetic nature. It’s not my shutter, it’s constipation. Therefore, if you have no other reason to stop by the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, then don’t bother stopping by. Your clergy, judging by what you write, is going well. May the Lord help you and give you reason and reasoning, pray about this, and when you have to act, act in a prayerful mood, not allowing your will and indiscriminate authority. The cell rules you give to newcomers are good. Tell them more so that they learn to preserve the memory of God and death, and walk in a contrite and humble spirit. That you allow everyone to visit St. secrets, I think, are not bad... But demand firm determination - to abstain from other sins. This determination is a real treasury for holy and divine secrets. - And impose penance and strictly demand fulfillment... Those who sin again, rebuke without anger, but with regret - and after encouraging, allow... with a small increase in penance. Prayer is undistracted when there is a feeling for God in the heart. Teach everyone to kindle this feeling - through prayer, contemplation of God, and through acts of charity according to your strength. I was surprised by your desire to have some of my clothes. If you were my enemy, and I wanted to do you harm, then I could not come up with anything more convenient than this. Demons bustle around me and often get hold of something little, sometimes more. I sent you clothes - just as they know them, they will immediately rush to your cell, and not just one legion, but counting. So for this reason I can’t decide to send you what you want, because I am not your enemy. What stupid students they are for believing L. Tolstoy, who doesn’t believe in anything. He has no God, no soul, and nothing sacred. He writes nonsense only to confuse believers, and interprets everything crookedly. – In warriors and wars, God often showed a visible blessing, both in the Old and New Testaments. And how many of our princes are glorified by their relics?.. who nevertheless fought. In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra there are relics of warriors in the caves. They fight out of love for their own, so that they are not subjected to captivity and enemy violence. What were the French doing in Russia?.. and how could one not fight with them... Is it possible that their beliefs also waver about the worship of icons? This doesn’t look like anything... Be merciless towards those. – Don’t allow it unless they promise to change their thoughts. That they mistakenly look at you, considering you a saint, is not a great sin for them. But if you really think of yourself as a saint, then this is not a safe matter. Deign with yourself about this before the face of God... and manage to humble your thoughts. Yes, you do have healers. These are those who do not praise you, but blame you. They truly wash over you... and even if you even slightly think that you are one of the saints. Yes - it’s worth trying to find out why others excommunicate themselves from Communion; Maybe after confession their conscience told them something that binds them, despite your permission. The fact that you don’t look harshly on those confessing is okay. But don’t allow anything humorous in your behavior... Be hospitable, friendly - both in word, and in look, and in demeanor..., but without jokes. Otherwise, they will think that you are cutting corners. Love your students; it should be so. But is there no carnal love? – See for yourself... and don’t let her be. It seems that this is not entirely difficult to distinguish. It is good that you have the door open in the evening for those who need your word. I heard that in Optina Hermitage the confessor does not close the door for a long time... and sometimes they resort to him at midnight. Those novices who go almost every day, if they come for spiritual needs, let them go. But always talk to them only about spiritual things, and having said what is due, let them go. When you remain, confess everything to God yourself, and ask for His admonition in all cases. Bless you, Lord, with every blessing. And do not forget to pray for me, for I am burdened with many infirmities; especially love for the deceased life and arrogance. I think that I am a know-it-all... and such a scribbler that there is nothing like this in the whole world... and there never was before, and there is unlikely to be. Regarding night desecrations, one cannot adhere to one rule, because there are different circumstances here. There is an outflow of moisture that is completely unconscious... and other times it happens with consciousness, but without any lust, both physical and mental, and even with resistance to it in a dream. These two cases do not pose an obstacle to anything... not even to the reception of the mysteries and the service of the liturgy. It’s enough to be heartily contrite and tell your confessor. But when there are shameful dreams with lust, consent and desire, then, having confessed this to the confessor, it is better to abstain from what you said, and from everything else that requires special purity, until all the bad things evaporate from the soul and body. - However, the confessor, looking at his face, can resolve everything... for there are extreme needs. – Look in the book of Barsanuphius and John... it seems to be there; St. seems to have it too. Climacus and especially Cassian. You asked about those being tonsured: will you listen to me? “It seems to me that you can’t say that... you have to obey the abbot or the boss.” What should an old man do if he is plagued by demons at night? - So be it as it is, without adding anything. – Let him cast aside all fear and face this without embarrassment and timidity. Let him protect himself with the sign of the cross and prayer... let him spit on them, scold them and send them to hell. In the life of St. Antonia has lessons for this. Find and read to the elder. – The main thing is not to be timid, and to drive them away with a feeling of strength in the Lord. I received both of your letters. I was going to answer the first one... and then the second one came up. – In both letters, the main subject is whether a certain novice who has newly identified himself with you, who learned it from the stories of a wanderer, performs the Jesus Prayer well. - I think it's good. If he had been delusional, it would have been immediately revealed in his somewhat wild gaze, and especially in his stubbornness to stand his ground. If this is not the case, then you can calmly allow that novice to continue his work. Just instill in him that when he prays he should have the fear of God and the undying memory of God, especially that he should immediately say when something special happens in this work of his. Your second subject is how you conduct the matter of confession and resolution. – I think it’s not bad. But among your small prayers, include a prayer so that the Lord Himself, by His mercy, gives you inspiration and guidance on what to do. Never act with impudence and self-will (that’s what I want), but always with humility and fear of God. That your brothers do not favor you and your way of acting, and even distract others from you, do not look at that. Whoever God sends to you will not be distracted by anyone, and no one will be prevented from getting to you. If you were released from the line, then when will you serve? - It’s true that when he decides to serve you, no one in turn will refuse you, and he will be glad, receiving through it some relief in his work. I owe you more than one answer - but nothing, I think, because you are talking about something about which I have nothing to say, except - settle down as you know. – But in your last letter you are talking about a serious matter - about the schema. “You can laugh jokingly, and there’s nothing to think about.” But if you take on the schema as you should, you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. These are the thoughts you should fill your head with when rumors reach you that they want to kidnap you. – The first thought is that others want it, not you yourself. It is no longer your need that is taken into account, but something besides you. - Let these others be authorities; but in such an important matter as the schema, they should not act according to their own will, but should also take into account those whom they want to deceive. “And they must ask you if they want to do things according to God.” – Here’s your second thought: what should you say when they ask? - And think about it. – You ask me what you should do. I can't say anything decisive. Decide for yourself. – The schema indicates that the wearer is dead or is dead, but alive. Dead to this life, but living another life. There are many crosses on the schema. This means that the schema-monk is crucified, hanging on the cross and cannot move. – If you have this self-crucifixion, or you fervently desire it, and are ready to do anything for it; then this will indicate that you are ready for schema. - Now solve the problem. But if you have not yet been crucified, and your desire to crucify yourself is doubled... then it is better to wait a while to become selfish. Time passes... You are not old... But this is how you can turn things around. Self-crucifixion is an internal matter. An external indication of him by the schema - be it or not, it doesn’t matter. It will not add anything to the inner. But here’s what can happen: there will be a testimony of self-crucifixion, but there will be no self-crucifixion. – What will happen in this case, abduction?!! Comedy is for laughter. People might. they will not laugh, and the Angels will not laugh, but rather cry. The laughter will be raised only by demons, and such that if our ears were opened to hear it, we would all go deaf. “Of course, the missing self-crucifixion during the exchange can be adjusted later, but who knows what will happen then?” “No, it’s much safer to be crucified first and then to become absconded.” One can be content with the beginnings of self-crucifixion, with a strong will to urgently continue it and bring it to maturity. In this case, you will have to work on how to arrange yourself so that your contacts do not interfere with the maturation of your self-crucifixion. If you ask, would I advise you to get wet, apart from any reasoning? - No, I wouldn’t recommend it. Why? I don’t know why; but I wouldn't recommend it. I have greatly offended you. I ask you to forgive, forgive and resolve this sin. You have written down your exploits - from waking up in the morning to falling asleep at night. This is the ordinary life of all decent people. Its price depends not on what is done, but on the spirit in which it is done. If the fear of God passes through all these actions, and the commandment of St. is fulfilled. Paul: Do not please the flesh in lust, then everything is in order - and even more orderly if the satisfaction of needs is done with a grumble, imitating that old man who scolded the body as he moved towards sleep. Ο. N lover of money. A lover of money is an idolater, and you so easily pronounce such judgment about yourself. If, when you distribute, you do not feel sorry for the money, then there is no passion for love of money, but only covetousness. The desire to have money so that it is at hand just in case - your own need or the need of your neighbor. Although in this case there is a tying thread, it is a cobweb. Having nothing is the goal. And blessed are those who managed to arrange their life according to this principle. But the demand of this beginning is so broad that there is no litter left in the cell. What should we do with you? There is a rug, a sofa, armchairs, chairs, everything is soft... and pleasing to the eye. And boots, and stockings, and a cassock, and a cassock... and so on. and so on... Where is the disconnection from the world... The world is in our arms... with kisses and cuddles!! – I write this off myself. It’s better not to accumulate money, but like this: one hand takes, and the other gives. Let the money sit until the opportunity to give it away. And quite... O. John of Kronstadt is a man of God. His prayer to God is successful because of his great faith. May the Lord keep him in humility and devotion to His holy will, and in self-sacrifice. – He doesn’t have just one book, but up to 15 or more. Try to buy it. They are all small... like the one you have... The image of confession that they know is probably kept with the blessing of the Metropolitan... But Fr. John confesses privately... and then all those who do not have anything special to say or ask. – There are not up to 200 people, but 2000 people. I haven't answered you for a long time. Guilty! – Meanwhile, you asked very important questions. – The first one is about the Jesus Prayer. - I think that the *** people are doing a good thing by not imposing this rule of prayer on beginners. We must wait until the one who started the work labors in church and home prayer; and just inspire him to always pray from the heart with remembrance of the Omnipresent God to whom he prays, and with an understanding of the prayer words, believing that the Lord is nearby, listens to his prayer, and is ready to fulfill his request if he prays properly... Keep him in this order for a longer time. Then, when he gets used to praying attentively in this way, pass on to him the rule of the Jesus Prayer. In creating this prayer, teach students not to limit themselves to memorizing words alone, but to always have the Lord before their mental eyes, and when turning the words of the prayer to Him, they behave as they would behave if they stood before the Emperor and asked him for something. – May your spirit be contrite and your heart contrite and humble. The novice who wrote the Jesus Prayer on his heart apparently placed all the power of the prayer in the words. – Let him get used to walking in the presence of God and do every work of obedience in the best possible way, knowing that the Lord is looking at him... and for good performance of obedience he prepares a reward for him, and for careless obedience (as long as it gets out of hand), either nothing, or something punitive... In this way he will get used to praying intelligently and collectedly. What one should seek through prayer is the planting in the heart of a quiet but warm feeling for God that does not go away; not to seek delights and special movements, but when God sends special prayerful feelings to thank for them, and not to appropriate them to oneself, and not to regret when they leave, as if about some great loss, but always humbly descend from them to a quiet feeling for the Lord. The second is about permission. You do well that you allow the lamenting person directly, without imposing penance; but say to him: brother, preserve this broken spirit and renew it when it weakens. - And to the one who coldly confesses, to him, having allowed him, say: brother, take care to acquire and strengthen the contrite spirit in yourself, and for this, make three prostrations to the ground in church or at home, with the prayer: a contrite spirit, a contrite heart and humbly grant me, Lord! You are embarrassed about your spiritual ministry. “You can’t help but be embarrassed: this is a matter of great importance.” But pray that the Lord will admonish you every time. Introduce this prayer into your prayer rule, and at any other time, if your mind ascends to God, add a prayer word about your spirituality... This appeal to God with fear will attract help from the Lord. Take the example of Ap. Pavel... how strictly he treated the incestuous man; and then, when he sincerely repented, he immediately forgave him everything and began to intercede for him before the Church. Sincere repentance opened the way for the sinner to obtain pardon. Look at those approaching confession, and as soon as you see repentance, allow it. “But rules cannot be made for all contingencies in the matter of confession.” Pray that God will admonish you. Regarding bowing in the dining room, you yourself said that you should not interfere with the orders of the rector. Well, there’s nothing to say. - That those who fall under this penance are embarrassed... that’s why penance is given, so that the one who has sinned will be sensitive... There is no humiliation for prayer here... the sick person is healed... bows, so that the one who has sinned will pray. · About clergy - talk there with your confessors. You have a lot of them there. So, interpret, confide in each other your difficulties... and decide together what to do. Strictness is a good thing... It is sobering. But it happens that it discourages you from confession and plunges you into despair. Condescension weakens the resolve for the good life of the penitents... and sometimes the opposite effect occurs. Find out how God will help you. Violators of the 7th commandment are multiplying and diversifying. What are we going to do? The roots of these deeds lie too deep in our nature... and they fall as if against our will. This struggle is harder than all others. But inspire them to fight, and others will find the strength to withstand these attacks. They made you a confessor, and bear this obedience. If there are any perplexities regarding this matter, consult with your elders, or ask the abbot, without saying the names of the persons involved. You answered well to the abbot that you do not find it convenient to tell him about the affairs of the penitents. No one should know this - even you yourself try to forget. The thought comes to shy away from accepting the repentant... Now this is not in your power. It was possible not to accept clergy; and now it’s too late to think about it. – But accepting everyone graciously, demand from everyone contrition, repentance and a firm intention to abstain from sins. If someone calmly tells you that he has done this and that... - you can say to such a person: go to church for a week and pray that a spirit of contrition and determination not to sin will come to you. And then come, I'll take a look. To the one who says that a seraphim is always with him, order this seraphim to be tested, namely... whether he believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and let him put the sign of the cross on himself. “It’s written like this in Fatherland books,” and the Angels, who were tortured in this way, praised those who tortured them. The enemy cannot tolerate the sign of the cross. “There are no obstacles for him to receive communion.” Those who know the prayers by heart - morning and night, and do it well. And let them read... only slowly, with thoughts and feelings that are expressed in the words of prayer. It’s better to pray this way than from a prayer book. – And learning the Gospel from memory is a good thing... and the psalms. Bless everyone for this. Regarding the fact that he went to the village and wants to get married, we have the words of the Apostle: it is better to get married than to become liquefied. 17 If he overcomes, he will do better; and if he doesn’t hope to overcome it, let him get married. In your previous letter, you mentioned several brothers... that they reveal everything to you. This is a good thing. Accept it, and tell them the truth. One of them, you say, creates mental prayer, similar to how Simeon the New Theologian describes a not real image of prayer. – I don’t know how to say what to do with such people. – I think that we can tell them: the main thing is to stand in the faith that the Lord Jesus Christ exists - and is nearby... everyone sees what is in your soul. And with this faith cry out to Him. – Do not consider such imaginations as they are to express the truth – that is, that in reality everything in heaven is as you imagine. For no one knows this... Let the imagination itself remain for the time being. Just don’t assume that they are true. You congratulated me on the beginning of Lent, and I congratulate you on its end. - So passionate! – May the passions of the Lord be imprinted on your heart, causing corresponding feelings of contrition and humility. In your previous letter, in January, you wrote that you were allowing everyone to start visiting St. secrets... This is very merciful and, I think, not contrary to the all-merciful Lord. But, I also think, it wouldn’t help to relax those who come. Sincere repentance is always worthy of leniency; but those who come to confession indifferently can somehow be stirred up... Ask someone else, is it possible to postpone the resolution for some time?.. Will this not complicate him in any way?.. If possible; then put it off, imposing penance for this time - bowing, abstaining from food, and sleep... and even more so, contrition. When he sincerely fulfills it, then allow it - and exhort him to abstain from sins. You also wrote about certain voices being heard. – The idea of ​​the Ancient Fathers was not to pay attention to this, without delving into the reasons. Think this way yourself and teach others... Shame your enemies by inattention, and they will stop performing such miracles. What books are recommended for beginners to read? – Which ones are public? These are: St. Chrysostom, Ephraim the Syrian, Abba Dorotheus, St. Tikhon. – Can I be allowed to read any stories? Can. Let them read the Chet-Minea. Stories and novels are also stories. But everything is of an everyday nature. It's better not to touch them. – You can attack the tempting ones. When you are tired of conversations with those who come, then after they leave, do not suddenly stand up for prayer, but calm down in spirit in advance... then fulfill your prayers... and drive away laziness... This is a bad guest... and one does not come. From the fact that the Jesus Prayer is not mentioned, one cannot conclude that it was not in use. It's not a matter of words, but a short prayer. This was not the only one in use. St. Cassian writes that in Egypt they used the following prayer: God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help. - In other places, other prayers were in use, such as: my hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit... Also: As a man who has sinned, You, as a generous God, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul. – Between them is the Jesus Prayer. – But then – priority is given to the Jesus Prayer. The purpose of short prayers is to promote the collection of thoughts and sobriety. Strength is not in words, but in feeling for God. It will soon be formed among those who work on prayer. This is mental prayer. The mind, standing in the heart, sees God and intelligently confesses to Him by calling upon Him... Feeling for God is unceasing prayer without words. I’m sorry I haven’t written to you for so long. Please excuse me and forgive me. I assumed that everything was fine with you, so I wasn’t worried. But in fact this is how it was and is. All you can do is thank God. The questions for which you are asking for solutions... are definitely difficult... But apply them to those cases in which the last hour lies ahead. - In these cases, everyone can receive communion. Give communion to those you are talking about. - In addition, one can take into account the previous state of those persons, that they are believers, that they always confessed and received communion... reverently. “Then the Lord will apply the former to the latter... and grace will undoubtedly result.” Congratulations on the successful completion of your holy journey and on the good fruits collected from the elders who have matured in the spirit of life. * * * the old man, praying until he sweats, seems to be asking you a question: is it possible, is it good, is it permissible to do this. If he receives a tangible benefit from this, then it is good for him to act this way. But that he attempts to impose on everyone the same way of correcting his prayer rule is unfair and unsafe. Because not everyone has the same warehouse, but everyone has their own. Also: if he thinks he should oblige everyone to pray like this, then he considers the image of his prayer to be essential, but it cannot be such, as it is external and bodily. If the elder receives benefit from his bows until he sweats... then it is not because of this, but because of what is internal - with his mind and heart he ascends to God in the proper way, and not because he gets tired and sweats. – Among other elders, prayer is high and strong not from such bowing, but from internal prayerful dispositions. For others, it was inimitably high even without bowing... There was an old man - and he was probably not the only one - who, raising his hands to the sky, before eating food... at 3 o'clock - began to pray and prayed like that, standing until the morning, when the sun rose, and his action awakened him. That the elder reproached N for something, this is healing medicine for N... And let him use it. In all the cases that you prescribed, on the one hand, there is the will of the abbot, and on the other, the legal form of the case. I think it is better to always obey the abbot. The commanding abbot takes responsibility for what he commands in some respect is not entirely right, and you can carry it out without fear of an answer before God. The prayer of permission should be read over the funeral service by the one who confessed him before death and gave him communion. But for the sake of obedience, every one of those attending the funeral service can do this when ordered. Here, one might say, everyone is allowed to attend the funeral service. Read the permission without thinking, only praying that the Lord forgives the deceased. It is also possible to receive unknown tonsures from the Gospel after hearing their beautiful vows. They made vows, and the chief trustee, the abbot, and all the brethren should take care of this to ensure that they are fulfilled by those who made them. What's the point of brotherhood? – You write down those whom you are an adoptive Father and pray for them fervently, entrusting their further success in monasticism to the Lord, the most merciful. Obedience in the hospital and almshouse is spiritual, the most fruitful for you. Any consolation that you provide to the persons of these institutions, the Lord will accept for Himself... and He will reward you with consolation. Maybe this is a little difficult... But the Lord is near and sees the work... Apply your whole heart to this obedience. What the *** N told you was kind words. Let us better direct the severity of the rules to ourselves, and leave others to the Lord, who sees the weaknesses of the weak and has mercy on them. Permission to confession is more likely to incite the person being allowed to be in good order than the most just penance. Why are some icons miraculous? - Because God wants it that way. – Miracles do not come from anyone other than God. The power here is not in the icons, and not in the people who come running, but in God’s mercy... As the Lord of everything, God can turn every thing into a weapon of his mercy. Your pilgrimage, I believe, has taught you a lot. – There are many God-wise people scattered throughout the world, especially in monasteries, who can understand the will of God in all circumstances. God bless you and all your works! I ask for your prayers - many sinners and many weaknesses You waited - you waited for an answer - but you didn’t get it. And he was already at the gate. If only I had waited a little longer, he would have been in your hands, to save you the trouble of reminding me of my laziness. You still have a lot of questions. I will answer with pleasure; but I don’t give up laziness. Therefore, there will still be some temptation to your patience. Your questions are all practical, and answering them is not puzzling. I received what you sent... The icon of the saint is magnificent... Paste it on a board, and it will be an icon, like the others... Just cover it with varnish, alcohol, painting. First glue the canvas onto the board, and the paper icon onto the canvas... then cover it with varnish. - I'll do it. Calendars are all good. But best of all is Gatsuka, who was the first to invent calendars of this type. They have everything - no matter what you need help with; and this is the first advantage of calendars. God has opened the way for you to work on those who are sick in soul and body. The most necessary and precious matter, in the correction of which human wisdom alone is not enough, even if you have seven spans in your forehead... God alone is the real Teacher here. The Savior said regarding all Christian life that for this we must have one Teacher - Christ... but in the work of your work this primarily takes place. May the Lord not leave you with his admonition and help! Letters to Schemamonk Agapius Most Honorable Fr. Agapius! Besides what you see in the book you mentioned about the Jesus Prayer, I can’t add anything to you. If this is not enough for you, then take the trouble to look it up yourself in the book to which that book points. And what will seem insufficient even later, ask your God-given leaders: the abbot of the monastery, your spiritual Father, your adopted Father, and like-minded brethren. I will only say that strength is not in the words of prayer, but in the spiritual mood - the fear of God and devotion to God, and in constant attention to God, and in his mental presence. The Jesus Prayer is only a guide, and not the very essence of the matter. Commit yourself to live in the memory of God and walk in the presence of God, and this alone will lead you to a good end. Nevertheless, from the grace of God, without the grace of God, nothing spiritual can be acquired by any other means. As soon as grace sinks into the heart, then everything will go as it should. We have the Lord Savior, who wants to save everything. He needs to be bothered. And he will give it. We read in the Philokalia how one person struggled for two years... and achieved that the fire in his heart was lit. Most Honorable Fr. Agapius! The state in which you feel during St. post, one cannot help but rejoice. Bless you, Lord, and always remain so. Accept a humble nonprescription of anything about yourself, a vision of only your shortcomings, errors, and omissions, and a painful cry from the heart: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And the grace of God will never remove its shadow and covering from you! - Amen. – The obedience imposed on you must be carried out. It is the enemy who is bothering you. And all your famous words are his products. It is shameful to be in a monastery without obedience. And you have been given obedience to avoid this shame - and, moreover, one that is more convenient than anyone else... You perform it while sitting, in a word. What is easier than words? And how much good does he come from?! – You say: I’m not capable. – It’s not for you to judge this, but for Fr. abbot. Yes, you shouldn’t even think about ability or inability, but you are ordered to do it and do it without reasoning. – Mark was reasoning, it seems, when Abba ordered him to move a large stone?! - So should you. - “I have neither mind nor life suitable for such obedience,” you say... If this was not in you, to any extent, - Fr. The abbot, of course, would not have touched you. Is he an enemy of the brothers whom he assigned to your lot... - “The disciples are a hindrance in prayer.” – No good deed can be an obstacle in prayer: good deeds and prayer are sisters... and one shakes hands with the other... It’s most obvious, from this suggestion you can guess what the enemy is confusing you with. - “Seniorism is difficult now.” And when was it free from difficulty? By its very nature it is difficult. But he always has help from above. – And a direct suggestion of what to say... Insert into your daily prayer a call for help for your obedience and it will come... - “Old age is unfruitful.” It's not fair. No word will remain fruitless. Only the fruit does not appear immediately... Yes, how do you judge the fruits?! If you were commanded to make everyone saints, it would be a different matter. But you are only told: the brothers will come, say what God will send. "Responsible for them." - If you don’t answer, and how quickly you say everything that’s due with love, you’ve done your job... and there’s nothing to answer for. - “They don’t enter a monastery for the sake of salvation.” Since someone came to the monastery, it means he has a spiritual sweetheart... At first it is weak. You have to develop it and strengthen it. And work hard. Work with God's help overcomes everything. – Remember how neglected fields become fruitful. – Pray for everyone who was handed to you with tears, asking each for something beneficial... and asking for admonition for yourself. And then don't worry about what else to say, or what comes of it... – Has God abandoned your disciples?! They are His essence and you cannot care about them as much as He does. – Remember that lack of success sometimes causes grief because the senile ambition suffers from it. And beware of this. – Read Barsanuphius and John, Ladder, Cassian. I am sending you the Philokalia, volume 2. We had Fr. Mikhail delivered your letter to me. You reproach me for not answering your two letters. I answered one letter in detail. But then I received a second one, where you write that I did not answer you to the first. From this I concluded that the letter did not reach you. Why, considering writing useless when letters do not arrive, did he not answer the second. If I did something wrong, I apologize. It is not unpleasant for me to have a conversation with you, in the hope of learning spiritual work from you. You have found a precious bead. God bless!. Now keep it, and by some mistake do not sell it or exchange it for clay grouse. Stay in what is, painfully falling to the Lord, so that He will keep this great gift in you unlost. I have nothing to say to you, and I am writing to enclose a petition - pray that the most merciful Lord will grant me this bead... and first of all, that he will grant me the spirit of repentance and confirm it in it: for without this no gift is given and does not bring any benefit. You mentioned something about the order in the monastery... What do you and I have to do with those orders? They are not on our necks. Let him groan from them to whom they are entrusted... I received your last letter. Thank you that you are not angry with me for not writing. You all ask and want to hear about spiritual things; and I’m undereducated in this area. That’s why I find it better to remain silent than to speak without knowing the matter. It would be very bad if someone asked: where is the road to Valaam? - and I would show him one along which he would go without knowing where. In spiritual life, these inappropriate pointers are even more harmful. The memory of God, the memory of death, a broken spirit and a painful fall to God: O Lord, save me! O Lord, be good to you! This is the straight road! This is not my word, but all the elders who are looking straight at the matter. Whoever falls for this... has nothing to groan about! I am sending you books - “Invisible Warfare! - To you, - oh. Alexander, who is now a schema monk, and Fr. Agathangel... I wish you to find everything you need in this book. God bless you all! I am very glad to start talking with you again. – May God bless your brotherly love in the Lord! It is very comforting to see that your zeal for doing internal things resides in you and occupies your attention. According to my strength, I will resolve your perplexities and questions: “Is it possible, when praying to the Mother of God, the Angels and Saints to stand with attention in the heart?” - Can. Where should we stand if not there? Every prayer must come from the heart. Track. there should be attention there. The difference in prayer lies only in the meaning and faith with which we pray. Everything is the same as a bow, - we bow before the icon of the Savior - to the Savior, - before the icon of the Mother of God, a bow, like a bow, has no difference: the difference is all in the spirit and meaning of the bow. “Is there any difference to pray with attention inside the heart or with the lips, listening to the words of the prayer (with a humble and repentant feeling, with constant remembrance of God, who is omnipresent and all-seeing with fear and reverence).” – The last words constitute the spirit of prayer. He who has this stands in his heart; He has no time to think about words or lips, and it doesn’t come to mind. These words: with your lips listening, are a new invention, nowhere in St. Fathers are not met. Someone else comes up with the idea of ​​keeping your attention on the end of your tongue; before, there were once smart people who kept their attention on their navel and they were called navel-makers; and these, our fashionistas, should be called pagans and lippers... These are your words, crossed out, that constitute the essence of the prayer; all other bowing of the head, constriction of breathing, sitting on a chair, introducing the words of prayer through nostril breathing - and these - the end of the tongue and lips - be it; it is a simple setting with nothing significant. A model for prayer work was given by Maxim Kapsokalivit (about him, see the Slavic Philokalia). I prayed for two years until the fire sank into my heart. – It was a gift of grace; and from now on he began to pray unceasingly, truly spiritual. Until now he had had a warm and earnest prayer, but real prayer began after the light. Fathers and brothers should pay attention, care and concern to this. The atmosphere of prayer work is an unimportant matter. And in this situation, a certain warmth comes to the heart; but this is our labor, not grace. Considering this grace too is a charm. So says Nikephoros, so does Ignatius and Callistus... and others. I don't understand the second question. Say something about the help of lips and tongue, but meanwhile the words are spoken in the heart... If in the heart... then why is there a thought about lips and tongue? You need to throw away everything external... Have what is crossed out, and that’s it. Stand like this and bow down, crying out: Lord have mercy! – and others... 3 vops. - “Is it possible to say: G.I.X. Mother of God have mercy on us.” - Can. But where did the question come from? – Doesn’t the Church cry out: Holy, Holy, Holy are you God, Mother of God have mercy on us? – Is it possible to say: us instead of the word: me? - Can. When praying for yourself: me; when about all or many: us. The thought of silence and solitude is a good thought. – But you’re already sitting alone, who should you talk to? “Sometimes it’s so good to talk to a like-minded brother.” - Besides, you go to Church. If, as you leave, your brother asks you something, should you roar at him like a lion? So, I think, here’s how you can do it: The Church and the cell are an urgent law; do not go anywhere unless absolutely necessary; You don’t have to walk around the fraternal cells, but you can walk through the forest so that you can praise the Lord with every breath; especially to test whether the soul stands firmly in the heart with attention. And it's not bad for your health. – Don’t force yourself into a conversation, but when someone in spiritual need starts talking, you need to talk to him kindly. This is the same as putting capital into circulation; and everyone to remain silent when they even ask, there is also something to hide the money in a chest and take care of without any profit from it. When tears come naturally during tenderness, let them come; and when they don’t come, even heartfelt tenderness is enough. – You can tease yourself into tears and cry, but you shouldn’t consider it anything, although tears always soften the heart. – Revelation of thoughts is one thing, and confession is another. – The first is the ascetic rule, the senile rule, the second is the sacrament of the Church. In what sense are the disciples assigned to you - is it so that you confess them, resolve them and impose penances on them, or so that only after listening to their revelation, you give them guidance, so that they dispel confusion, clarify bewilderment, console them? - Only in the last sense. According to the legends of the Fathers, revelation itself, as revelation, without any additions, is soul-saving. He who receives revelation can say: well, nothing, God will forgive, and adds: I’ll bow a little... But this is not what happens in the sacrament of confession. - This is fatherly benevolence. Such proceedings concern venial sins; here revelation itself gives forgiveness. An obvious violation of the commandment is resolved through the sacrament of confession. Which sins can be limited to one revelation, which require confession. “Let the elders resolve this among themselves,” with general advice. You, as a hieromonk, can perform the sacrament of confession for your students, and this will be a real permission and penance; if you impose it, it will be cleansing. – But should I do it on my own or ask the abbot? The monastery has a common confessor - a confessor. - Apart from this, confession is news in the monastery. But no one in the monastery can introduce anything new without the will of the abbot. Therefore, you should ask the abbot. - But if you sometimes find it convenient to perform the sacrament of confession, then there will be no sin: for you have the power to do so, but it will only be a violation of the monastic order. “What should you do?” see for yourself. – I would say: if there is no disorder in the monastery, perform the sacrament of confession over your students when necessary... according to the missal. “But it’s better to ask the abbot for permission.” Save yourself! I ask for prayers! That's good! – God bless you, to be as you wrote. And completely forget the tip of your tongue and your holy lips. And be executors of the rule, spoken by Philotheus of Sinai: “In the morning, stand near the heart and beat the warriors in the name of Jesus.” – In prayer, why care a lot about words and their pronunciation? Everything should be absorbed by feeling towards God, or contrition, or thanksgiving, or glorification, or asking for what is needed for the soul and for the body, and for the external situation, with faith and hope. Such feelings and similar ones give rise to a cry to God, and this cry will be real prayer - and, I will say, the only true one. – Before starting prayer, these feelings must be revived by reflection, internal tension on them, and prayer for them; and then stay with them all day. And this will be unceasing prayer. Seeking the Lord with faith and hope and contrition brings every spiritual good out of the hands of God. And ask for the worthy prayer. Keep Maxim Kapsokalivit in your thoughts. He cried out with all his soul and with all his thoughts, and the Lord gave him... And this gift became for him a source of spiritual life. Seek this and cry out for this. Do not seek spiritual sweetness, but rather to stand before the Lord with fear and trembling, offering divine worship to him. This will be done to you according to the riches of the Lord’s mercy. Speaking about the states of your prayer, in third place you put an unkind state, which you depict as follows: “it happens that you are so embarrassed that neither the mind nor the heart can utter prayer words, but, as if tortured and killed, they are standing motionless inside, in a feeling of their insignificance and repentance...” I don’t know how to understand why you call such a state unkind? – Standing motionless inside, and of course before the Lord, is a good state. If at the same time there is still a feeling of one’s insignificance and repentance, then one cannot wish for anything better. And stand like that, without leaving the Lord, all day long. A broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise. The feeling of insignificance is the publican’s saving voice; the feeling of repentance is the door to the Kingdom. If this is exactly your condition, then there is nothing to be burdened with, but you need to develop a feeling of insignificance and repentance, and warm it up to ardor. Perhaps you did not accurately describe him, and judging by your words, he should not be considered thin. - In any case, there is no need to turn to the lips and the end of the tongue for help. The spiritual cannot be obtained by anything material or corporeal. Rather, one should turn to God-thinking and reflect on God’s properties, deeds and sacraments. If this is difficult, read some prayers for memory, or some psalm, or compose your own prayer according to your condition: for the Lord is near. And this will most likely improve your condition if it is really bad. Further write: “I had some doubt, thinking that mental prayer is higher than oral prayer before God,” but my previous letter assured you otherwise. You can’t say that without some explanation. I don’t remember what train of thoughts led me to say that. – I will repeat to you the statement about prayer. Prayer is an uplifting of the mind and heart to God, or a cry from the heart to God. This uplifting and this cry can take place in the soul and be ejected from the heart, without words, that is, without being clothed in words, or, as is more usual, they are clothed in words and are expressed by them. In the first case, prayer is wordless, and in the second, verbal. Such a word, expressing prayer, is either internal, there, in the heart, formed, or not internal only, and external, pronounced with the tongue and larynx. The first is smart, mental, and the second is oral. – Verbal prayer can be your own, spoken in your own word, or someone else’s, memorized, or read from a prayer book. Any verbal prayer, internal or oral, expressed in one’s own or someone else’s word, has the same value before God, as long as it expresses prayerful feelings and thoughts towards God, or is accompanied by them. One’s inner word always comes from the heart and mind, therefore prayer with one’s inner word is always real prayer. Prayer in a memorized word may not be accompanied by corresponding thoughts and feelings and therefore may not be a prayer, but only a prayerful sound. – According to these definitions, please distinguish when mental prayer can be lower than oral prayer. Firstly, this can only be with a verbal prayer, not one’s own, but someone else’s memorized word, mentally pronounced; and secondly, there are no corresponding prayerful feelings in the soul. After such an explanation, I believe you will not be mistaken in distinguishing prayer from prayer, although in my letter it is not so clear what is said. Attached are the answers to your questions: 1) It is enough to be in the Church alone at the Liturgy, and it, like the evening rule, can be replaced by cell prayer. Regarding the latter, it seems that you need to ask permission from the abbot. Yes, and about the first one, if you have a requirement for people like these to be present at every church meeting. – 2) Is it better to say prayers soon, or not soon? This issue has been resolved for you. You say: “I try to bring every word of prayer to the senses, and I feel great benefit from this.” Try to always do this, and the question - soon or slowly - will not arise at all. 3) “I love to read, but I doubt giving up prayer for the sake of reading.” – Prayer is higher than reading; therefore, leaving prayer for the sake of reading is illegal. – So that these spiritual works do not interfere with one another, it is necessary to accurately determine the prayer cell rule in measure and number, and always fulfill it in a real prayerful spirit, without abandoning, without diminishing, and without hastening its fulfillment for the sake of anything... Also: whether while reading, or while doing something else the prayerful spirit finds itself, one must leave every task and pray. You can do this while sitting or walking, but it is better to stand in your usual place and bow until your soul is satisfied. Our main task is to draw closer to God, which happens mainly in prayer. Therefore, everything must yield to prayer. 4) “What is prayer without words?” – There is a motionless stay in prayerful feelings to God, without uttering any words either in the mind or with the lips. This is the highest level of prayer. Only such prayer can be unceasing prayer. What you called an unkind state of prayer comes close to this. Let your spirit be contrite, your heart contrite and humble... and let there be prayer in your soul. O. Agafangelou. That you, after the hassle of looking after the buildings, take up reading, is good when your thoughts are scattered and your soul is empty. Reading will gather them and occupy the soul with Divine objects. But then we must repay our debt to prayer. Pray harder and more concentrated in the Church. Having established yourself there, be mindful of God and His presence with appropriate feelings, and at all times while supervising the buildings. Prayer in this way will not be suppressed, but perhaps only stopped a little... And it will be good. – Determine the time for cell prayer and perform it urgently. Distribute other cell affairs as you know, including reading in this order. About those elected to the rectorship. Who can safely say that he is fit to be an abbot? - Therefore, it is better not to look at the matter of election to the rector from this side. But one should look at it as the purpose of obedience. Let them accept this as an appointment in the monastery for gatekeeping, water-carrying, bread-baking... and any monastic obedience in general. And they fulfill it diligently, with all consideration and attention. There is no sin in saying that it is worthless and asking to be dismissed from it. But you shouldn’t persist. That's all that needed to be explained to you. Please fulfill my most humble request: rewrite this letter and all previous letters, and send copies so that I know what was written to you. My memory is weak. – God bless you! Save yourself! Honorable Fr. Agapius! I thank you for your memory and prayers about my many sins, may the Lord hear them and heal my infirmities. – If you ask how to treat illnesses, treat them the same way as you treat blindness, that is, just as you rejoice over blindness, so rejoice over other illnesses, and thank God sincerely, for from God and everything is for our good. Should I undergo treatment? Why not get treatment! God created both the doctor and the medicine; was it unnecessary for him to create them? No; And then, so that they heal illnesses, aversion from the doctor and medicine is a reproach to God. You can choose not to undergo treatment, determining yourself to be patient, but you must be afraid that the arrogance “let the weak be treated... But we are strong” creeps in – for thinking about yourself this way – and finds grumbling. It’s better this way: an illness has come, get treatment; The pain from the medicine will go away - thank God. If it doesn’t work, endure it and thank God. I can’t, you say, stay sober and stay awake. – If, as you write, it finds and goes away, then it’s nothing... But if it drags on for a long time, we need to cheer ourselves up with thoughts of God or contemplation of the mystery of our faith, especially death, judgment, heaven and hell. The fear of God must be warmed up; it has great stimulating power. From weakening he finds laziness, negligence and drowsiness. We have a doctor of soul and body. - It is appropriate to resort to him with all your needs, for he himself calls: come to me, all of you... You yourself say that internal prayer helps, lean on it. – What is this: intemperance in food and delicacy? - I believe that you are slandering yourself: what a delicacy you have there! Cabbage soup and porridge or bread and water. – And how do you cope with mental weaknesses, thoughts... I can’t think of anything better than this. Bless, Lord, so should you pray internally with your own prayer, or listen to what is read and sung? Warm up your inner prayer, and listen while you do it... prayer inside is a stove, and listening is like throwing wood into the stove: with us, everything prayerful is sung and read. But if listening breaks your inner prayer, then it is better to remain with your prayer; but during the liturgy one must follow the service with one’s thoughts and feelings. Here’s another thing to remember: we gather in Church for common prayer, so that everyone has the same thought, feeling, and word; otherwise we will not receive what the Lord has promised when two or three pray. I received both your letters at once, and I offer my gratitude and best wishes. I ask you not to forget me in your prayers. You said so much about yourself in the letter that, not being able to believe it, I found it best to understand it in the opposite sense exactly this way: when you say that you don’t have something, I mean it myself: you have something and I say: thank God... All the infirmities that you wrote, I have too... I see them and try to overcome them and heal them. Sometimes there is success, and then the same old thing happens again. I will tell you, however, what I do. My main concern with you is about sobriety and mental prayer, they go together, and one cannot happen without the other. Mental prayer is very simple in form and, it seems, very accessible: descending with your mind into your heart, and standing there before the face of the Lord, cry out for what you are looking for. Are you looking for prayer, cry out, Lord! grant me prayer; If you are looking for sobriety, cry out, Lord! grant me sobriety; If you are looking for patience, cry out, Lord! grant me patience... and so on and so on... The best cry is: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner... Do this and you will have mental prayer. But our trouble is that our thoughts scatter, attention goes with them, and the mind begins to wander outside and we don’t know where it goes. Prayer is stopped, even though we stand in prayer. How can this be? I don't see any instructions anywhere; Everyone says one thing: when you come to your senses, return to your heart again, and begin to cry out from your heart again, cry out so that your mind does not run away outside. The mind will run away again, turn it back again, begin to cry out again, and so on... What will happen? Will there be an end to this runaway? He should be; but things are not going well for you and me. It seems to me that if we add self-reproach to ourselves and asking the Lord for sobriety to this struggle, then the Lord, seeing our patient search and sincere desire for sobriety, will give us His mercy. Sobriety is a gift of grace and it is impossible to achieve it on your own, but you just have to work to find it and pray to the Lord for it with the hope of God's satiation. How to search? Do you notice that when there is a feeling in the heart, then attention does not leave the heart: therefore I conclude that if you do so in order to begin mental prayer only by first arousing some holy feeling in the heart, then attention will not leave the heart; with attention there will be mind and mental prayer. Try this, maybe things will work out. What feeling? everything sacred. Doxology, thanksgiving, contrition, fear of God, self-abasement and so on... Having prayed like this, sit down and read something spiritual - best of all about sobriety and prayer, then walk around and think, otherwise talk to someone about the same thing. What about mind wandering? When there is a feeling in the heart, they will not wander. When you turn on the tap in the samovar, the water flows uncontrollably, and when you turn on the tap, the water stops; It’s the same with thoughts, everything flows and flows, you turn off the tap and it stops. This turning on of the tap is the arousal of a holy feeling in the heart and its maintenance. This will be all a search; the Lord will see and give what is sought. You must put on the clothes of humility, and maintain a deep feeling of your insignificance and poverty in everything... when there is no such feeling, the Lord will not give the gift of sobriety. I don't know what else to say about this. You also complain about a lack of patience; patience will never be established in you if you do not maintain a deep feeling that everything that happens to you happens according to the will of God; Therefore, meet it with complete submission to the will of God, as if God were standing before you and commanding you to endure. When such confidence is established in you, then heaven will be in your soul, even if you were burning in fire. – Immediately humility and spiritual poverty will come... and all worries will cease. Reading memorized prayers quickly is, of course, not good; but this is in your own power; When you notice this, stop and start reading slowly. A measure for those who read prayers from a prayer book or from memory - have an understanding and awareness of what you are reading, so read so that everything you read is conscious. This determines the speed. Do you remember the 24 prayers of St. Chrysostom? Read them more often, add to them other psalms or church hymns, and also solidify them - read with appropriate thoughts and feelings. You can replace the entire prayer rule with them, but for you there is no need for this. You mentioned something about your relationship to the monastery, you don’t care about it, there is an abbot there, there are enough other officials; as God instructs them, so they do. You just pray: God help them! enlighten, strengthen!!!... Take it upon yourself to read my books. I'm always pleased to hear that someone is reading my books. I think he will, and if he finds something, the admirer will ask for pardon, for I am a great sinner. I will be amazed if you find anything suitable for you from me. You are a ripe berry, and my writings are all new leaders. Pray that God will sometimes give me the wisdom to write something useful to someone. . It is a great mercy to you that your prayer is never wasted. But say that it happens to suffer from cooling. – Where do you get cooling from? It comes when you eat too much, sleep for an extra hour, loose your feelings, listen too much, and especially when you talk a lot... I don’t think you have all this. Where does your cooling come from? From something bad inside. It happens from complacency. To satisfy the dispute, the soul is complacent - and it does not need anything else; That’s why prayer is cold. – Awareness of one’s spiritual needs gives rise to a feeling of spiritual poverty, and then the soul involuntarily begins to cry out to the Lord: Lord help, Lord give understanding, Lord strengthen and comfort! I think that you have this too, that is, spiritual poverty... So you should be cooled by the fact that your soul, day, second, third, fifth, tenth, having worked hard in prayer, reading and contemplation of God, all with attention and feeling, finally requires rest... a pause, a break from intense activity. In this case, I think, nothing can be done... All that remains is to endure it... everything usual, according to the rules, to do... and endure the cooling, begging the Lord to have mercy and return the appropriate feeling. - And it will pass... Because this state is transitory. After all, you go to church?! Going to church with patience and attention will also stir the soul. Constant cooling occurs only with constant love of sin and sinfulness... and without this it is always transitory. All Fathers mention cooling... and everyone gives lessons on what to do in this case. Learn from them. Letters from Schemamonk Agapius to Schema-Hegumen Herman My most venerable father, Fr. Hermann! With all my heart I wish you all the best and useful things, including life and Christian piety, I bow with love and great respect, I received your letter on December 31, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You require from me something insufficient: spiritual advice about the Jesus Prayer. When praying verbally and publicly, try your best to keep your attention, and keep your mind in the understanding of the prayer words, also with mental prayer, and with heart prayer, a little higher than the left nipple and do not lower your mind at all, be it somewhere near the heart, whether from below or from the side. This is very dangerous, and if attention is not concentrated in the upper part of the heart, then it is much safer to practice verbal prayer and... ... for this reason I am writing this to you, so that it would be more convenient for you to know what kind of spirit they possess, God’s or flattering, and whether they have the fruits of the spirit. Love for God and for everyone, unfeigned love, spiritual joy, arising from a clear conscience, long-suffering in all sorrowful circumstances, kindness and mercy towards others, sincerity of spirit, heartfelt simplicity, undoubted faith in God's providence, meekness and humility, lack of confidence in oneself and in one's spiritual gifts, cutting off one's will and one's own reasoning, poverty of spirit, crying of the heart from the constant visible and invisible sinfulness, abstinence in everything and without partiality to everything; Here, father, is the true spirit of the correct prayer book, but the wrong prayer book has the opposite of everything. And in prayer one must observe not just quantity, but more quality, and the quality of true prayers is “sincere” self-abasement, heartfelt tenderness, an undistracted mind, faith, fear of God and humility; God will not disparage such a prayer book and will not reject him from His mercy. Basil the Great writes about the cell rule with bows: “if any monk does not fulfill the cell rule, he is considered dead and invalid by God, and if any monk does not read for every day 1. 3. 6. and 9 hours that day below bread and meat.” The goal and intention of all our labors and spiritual exploits must certainly be the following: 1) by always mentally keeping and doing the Lord’s commandments, to eradicate mental and physical passions and bad habits; 2) and instill true virtues in the spirit, soul and body; finally, in 3, with the good hope of communion with a not shameful conscience, the ripe fruits of St. Life-Giving Spirit, which are mentioned above. And if not so, my beloved, oh. Herman, then there will be no benefit from our labors and exploits, and we may even be damaged. A truly repentant sinner is better before God than a vain and proud righteous person, according to the general opinion of St. Fathers. Delightful vanity wants and loves to boast of even the most radiant virtues, the following: family humility, patience, obedience, non-covetousness, high fasting and vigil, prudence, tenderness and heartfelt repentance, purity and intelligent heartfelt prayer - this is where our main spiritual feat is, to this lofty and subtle subject all our efforts, constant attention and heartfelt attention should be sobriety, which is why it is said: “watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune.” We, honest father, must practice virtues not for their beauty, sweetness or spirituality, but according to our duty to God and for His Divine commandments. The first punishment for man from God is lack of reasoning and blindness of the mind, and the first gift of the Holy Spirit, right reasoning and enlightenment of the mind, and constant attention, standing in the heart. Dreaming and imagining different pictures that happen in the night, according to the wise, happens in a person for the sake of the innermost passions of the soul, mainly these three: Vanity, High Wisdom and Self-Indulgence... Our most God-loving father, Fr. Hermann! We all, your spiritual friends, zealously, with great heart, bow to you from afar and humbly ask with earthly worship your fatherly blessing and St. prayers, and with the help of God for the intercession of the Mother of God, we wish you temporal and eternal good from the Lord God, even to life and piety and to the success of Christian perfection... There is nothing special to tell you about the manuscript of your elder... there is nothing harmful or dangerous in it, but everything is stated from experience and simplicity. Only about the cell rule he writes does not agree with the reason of the saint. Fathers, and says: “Why give a rule?... It is written: watch and pray, and also: pray unceasingly.” And St. Our fathers say this: only those who are perfect in spiritual life do not require a rule, but everyone else needs to have a rule, only so that it is in accordance with the mental and physical strength, according to the mental ability of each, with which God has awarded whom, as He Himself did in St. He explained in his Gospel: one tapant was given to one, two to another, five to another, to each according to his strength, but he did not command anyone to bury a talent in the ground through negligence and insensitivity, and even severely punishes for this. We, father, do not define the rules for you, but you set them for yourself with prudence. The point is not in the quantity of the rule, but in the quality of it, and for others, quantity leads to quality, and among those who are successful, it is the quality of the quantity that leads to more. We don’t know your structure well; You can arrange this better for yourself, just do everything according to the mind of God, and according to the will of God, and for the glory of God, and not for your own, and avoid idleness, verbosity and long-sleeping in every possible way - these are the most evil enemies of prayer success. When the Lord gives you quiet and attentive prayer, stick to it most of all. Prayer does not consist in words and not in the number of words, but in attention and heartfelt humility, a feeling of repentance, faith, fear of God, love for God and neighbor. All our salvation is based on God’s spiritual love, both for God and for neighbor. All laws and prophets are based on these two commandments. John Chrysostom writes this way: what we do without love for God and neighbor, Christ no longer has where to bow his head, and love is recognized in the fulfillment of the Lord’s commandments. “He,” he says, “loves Me who keeps My word, but whoever does not love Me will not keep My words... You write about chest tightness and pain. Pay full attention to this, do you have any immoderate jealousy and fervor - to quickly develop mental-heart prayer? This, father, is very harmful, but during prayer, in its initial stages, one should unite the mind with the heart through attention and prayer, without one’s own heat, with quietness and tranquility of spirit, without special carnal and blood tension. It is impossible to acquire a truly spiritual prayer through a forced mental and physical feeling. It is bestowed by God in due time not for our carnal zeal, but for a spiritual sense of humility and constant repentance, and feasible diligent exercise, and from immoderation and blood fever many have been damaged and are being harmed...” We wholeheartedly wish you all God's mercy and spiritual success in everything, and from afar we bow to you with heartfelt love, and intelligently fall at your feet, and with living faith we ask for your fatherly blessing and St. prayers. We received a letter from you, for which we thank you very much; We don’t know for what reason we asked you, what we asked you for, you didn’t answer us anything, namely, we asked for an explanation for our spiritual benefit about mental attention and about the objects of spiritual memory during prayer, but we will wait patiently, but still we ask for an explanation, and create love - describe something to us about this subject: from the beginning we had such an intention to edify each other spiritually, and to prevent harmful things. And we are not ashamed of our feeble-mindedness: it is very decent for us in terms of our upbringing and our moral life, and we, Father Fr. Herman, are spiritually disposed to be edified rather than to edify, and true love, appropriated by God’s grace, does not seek its own, but strives for the common good. We would like to explain to you a little about memory and objects for your spiritual verification, and we are writing to you not so much from our own experience as from the hearing of true and unfalse lips. During pure mental prayer, and especially when the mind is worthy of non-vapority and attention cleaves to the heart in prayer with an inexhaustible abiding, then in a purified memory, alien to any daydreaming and various material objects, this is what the memory is occupied with: 1) with its insignificance before God and the sight of its incessant sinfulness, in a feeling of unceasing repentance and in the everlasting expectation of death, after death, a strict test from evil demons and the unknown definition in eternity, the second Christ and the terrible coming and the final, unwashed and eternal definition from God to every rational being; 2) the memory of the most pure suffering of Christ and His entire earthly life, and of His Divine saying, written in the Old and New Testaments, St. Apostles and St. The Fathers explained what is related to our salvation and His Divine economy for us; 3) about Divine properties: first - about God's omniscience, o His omnipotence and wisdom, o His omnipotence, goodness and love for mankind, justice and long-suffering. Here, Father Fr. Herman, all these Divine and spiritual objects grow so closely with our memory in pure, intelligent-hearted prayer, and they do not interfere with pure conversation with God, but rather excite us to spiritual zeal, even for God. Pure prayer is called a conversation with God, and memory and reflection on spiritual and divine objects, which constantly arise of themselves in a pure mind and heart, are called thoughts of God; they can only be clearly understood by one’s own experience, and before experience one must use spiritual and living faith, which flows from constant mental activity and fulfillment of the Lord’s commandments. Only, father, we also add to you: the above-mentioned spiritual objects act on the soul and body, and on our spirit to the extent of mental, heartfelt and true work and constant exercise in it, and they act on the heart and on our memory not all at once, but alternately, but incessantly: sometimes mortal memory acts strongly; sometimes the Judgment of God and the eternal unknown determination are more effective; sometimes the memory of the Kingdom of Heaven, and sometimes of hellish eternal torment; sometimes the suffering of the Lord and the earthly life of our Savior, His crucifixion and death for the sake of our salvation, the resurrection and ascension to heaven, and His second terrible coming have a powerful effect; sometimes the memory of Christ’s true ascetics, who endured everything for the love of Christ until their death, has a strong effect on us; sometimes the fear of God acts inexplicably on our entire sinful being from living faith in His presence with us, if we only deepen into our mind and heart that we stand, walk, do, sit, eat, drink, speak, look, hear everything as if before the eyes of God, with His omniscience, omnipotence and omnipotence, wisdom and goodness. It is about these last things that the memory constantly planted in the mind and heart can most of all lead us to true mind-hearted, pure prayer and to spiritual perfect success, and not only our words of prayer can bring us true and unceasing prayer. And you should know this, Father Fr. Herman: during mental prayer, collected and non-vague, the above-mentioned spiritual objects are in memory without imagination, formless, non-quantitative, but only in one pure memory without any images, in our memory acting together with the memory of God. In addition to mental prayer, one can exercise the thought of God and subtle reflection about all Divine destinies and His Divine properties, to the extent that God’s grace will enlighten our mind and heart about Divine truths. Here, Father Fr. Herman, to the extent of our feeble-mindedness and spiritual love, we partially explained to you about memory and spiritual objects that are born from unceasing mental prayer and God’s memory, and if we wrote something wrong, for God’s sake we ask for correction: we believe that you can correct it, and for God’s sake forgive us for our mistakes... We also add, from the abundance of our spiritual love for you and for your and our prosperity, that the above about spiritual objects and Divine properties does not affect everyone with the same feeling: on others, the memory of death affects more, on others, the judgment of God and the unknown eternal determination, on others, the saving suffering of Christ, on others, the fear of God and the unceasing memory of God’s presence, all-vision, omnipotence and omnipotence, on For others, God’s benevolence and long-suffering have a powerful effect. And here’s what we need to notice here with our mental attention and spiritual feeling: whichever of the objects we have designated on whom more often and more strongly affects the burning of our spirit and zeal for piety, we must appropriate it more strongly for ourselves and strengthen it more firmly in all our spiritual feelings. One spiritual feeling, gravitating in our mind and heart and in unforgettable memory, is quite capable of moving us to spiritual zeal, and awakening our spiritual feelings from spiritual slumber and our negligence, and bringing other spiritual objects to our memory. Only for this, father, does it require self-sacrifice of your mind and your will, and to take up the cross - that is, mortification from everything passionate and lustful, and to follow the path of the Lord's commandments and living faith without any doubt and arrogance, with the assistance of God's grace in us, until the last breath of our life. He who endures to the end will be saved. Bless us, Holy Father, and pray for us, and forgive us... Saint Theophan the Recluse “Instruction in Spiritual Life.” M., 1994. pp. 3–6. Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky). Memories. M., 1995. pp. 66–96. The builder of the Zosimova Hermitage is schema-abbot Herman. Manuscript “Materials on the history of the Valaam Monastery” - Biography of Schemamonk Agapius. pp. 10–11. Archive of the New Valaam Monastery (Finland), Ea-154. LETTERS TO THE 19th Abbot Herman The text of the letters is printed according to the publication: “Answers of Bishop Theophan, a recluse of the Vyshenskaya Hermitage, to the monk’s questions regarding various activities of monastic life.” Tambov, 1894. LETTERS TO THE MONK AGAPIUS The text of the letters is printed according to the edition: “In memory of the Right Reverend Theophan, the recluse of Vyshensky.” Poltava, 1905. LETTERS OF THE MONK AGAPIO TO THE 19TH ABIGUMEN GERMAN Manuscript “Extracts from Father Agapius...”. pp. 10 vol.–17 vol. Archive of the New Valaam Monastery (Finland), No. 8270. “Collection of the Jesus Prayer,” M., 1994, pp. 491–495. Appendix I. About the Jesus Prayer performed verbally, mentally and heartily Compiled by Schemamonk Agapius and his associates, reviewed and corrected by Saint Theophan. 1. ABOUT ORAL PRAYER. In the abbreviated word it says: Lord have mercy, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner, and in the full word it says: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. At the beginning, it is pronounced mostly forced and reluctantly, and as you practice and force yourself to it, if only there is a decisive intention through prayer with the help of God's grace to diminish all-round passions, it will be made easier, more pleasant and more desirable from time to time by frequent exercise in it, as the passions are diminished. When praying verbally, you should try your best to keep your mind in the words of the prayer, speak slowly, concentrating all your attention on the thoughts expressed in words, and when the mind gets carried away into extraneous thoughts, without embarrassment bring it back into the words of the prayer 18 . Distraction of the mind is not given quickly and not when we want, but when we humble ourselves and when God favors. This gift of God is not determined by time, nor by the number of prayers, but by heartfelt humility and Christ’s grace and by always compelling oneself to it. From oral, attentive prayer there is a transition to mental prayer, which is so called when we rush to God with one mind or see God... 2. ABOUT SMART PRAYER. When praying mentally, you must keep your attention in your heart before the Lord. To the extent of our zeal and humble diligence in prayer, God grants the first gift to our mind - composure and concentration in prayer. When attention to the Lord becomes persistent, then it is grace-filled attention, but our own attention is always forced. From such mental prayer there is a transition to heartfelt inner prayer, if only there is an experienced teacher, very convenient and free. When we are with God through the feelings of the heart, and the heart fills with love for God, then such prayer is called heartfelt prayer. 3. ABOUT INNER HEART PRAYER. The Gospel says: if anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross. 19 If we apply these words to the work of prayer, they will mean the following: whoever wants to legally strive in the feat of prayer, let him first renounce his own will and his own understandings, and then bear the cross, that is, the mental and physical labor that is inevitable in this feat. Having devoted ourselves entirely to the vigilant care of God, we must humbly and complacently endure this work for the sake of true good, which is given to the zealous prayer book from God in his own time, when God, by His grace, sets limits to our mind and sets it motionless with the memory of God in the heart. When such a state of mind becomes something natural and permanent, it is called by the Fathers the CONNECTION OF THE MIND WITH THE HEART; with such a structure, the mind no longer has a desire to be outside the heart; on the contrary, if due to some circumstances or a lot of conversation it is kept out of the heart’s attention, then it has an uncontrollable desire to return inside itself again with some kind of spiritual thirst and, with new zeal, again begin to create its inner home. With such a heart structure in a person, everything moves from the head into the heart, and then, as if some intelligent light illuminates his entire inside, and whatever he does, says, or thinks, everything is done with full consciousness and attention. He can then clearly see what thoughts, intentions and desires come to him and willingly compels his mind, heart and will to obey Christ, to fulfill every God’s and father’s commandment; any deviation from them is smoothed over by a feeling of heartfelt repentance and contrition with unfeigned pity and with a painful, humble fall to God, asking and expecting help from above for one’s weakness. And God, looking at his humility, does not deprive him of His grace. Let you know that heartfelt prayer comes to the heart of some quickly, and not so quickly of others. I know three people: one came as soon as it was said at this very hour; another one arrived in six months; the third - after ten months; and to one great elder - in two years. And why this happens - only God knows. Also know that before the destruction of passions there is a different prayer, and another after the heart is cleansed from passions: the first is an assistant in cleansing the heart from passions; and the second is, as it were, a kind of spiritual guarantee of future bliss. Do this: when you feel the entry of the mind into the heart and the impact of prayer, then give complete freedom to such prayer, removing everything unfavorable to it; and while it is there, don’t do anything else. When you do not feel such an attraction, then pray verbally with bows, trying in every possible way to keep your attention in your heart before the face of the Lord. This way of praying will also warm your heart. Be sober and vigilant, especially during mental-heart prayer. No one is more pleasing to God than the one who engages in correct prayer with the mind and heart. When it is inconvenient for you or there is no time to practice prayer, then do your best to keep the spirit of prayer within yourself in every activity, that is, keep God in mind and strain your mind in every possible way to see Him before you with fear and love, and, feeling Him existing before you, with reverent submission in all your affairs, surrender yourself to His omnipotence, omnipotence, omniscience and omniscience so that in every deed, word and thought you remember God and His holy will. This is what the spirit of prayer consists of in short! It is necessary for a lover of prayer to have this spirit, and, as far as possible, with constant heartfelt attention, bring his understanding under God’s understanding and humbly and reverently submit to Him; also bring your wants and desires under God’s will and completely surrender yourself to God’s mind and God’s will. – In every possible way we must stand against the spirit of arbitrariness or desire and urge to act without being embarrassed by anything. This spirit whispers: I can’t do this, I don’t have enough time for this, or it’s not time for me to take on this, I have to wait, or the duties of obedience are hindering me, and much more like that. Whoever listens to him will never learn to pray. – In collaboration with this spirit is the spirit of self-justification, which begins and begins to act after someone, carried away by the spirit of arbitrary self-indulgence, does something for which his conscience bothers him. Then the spirit of self-justification uses various twists and turns to deceive the conscience and make its wrongness appear to be right. – May God protect you from these evil spirits. Saint Theophan the Recluse (Georgy Vasilyevich Govorov, 10.1.1815. † 6.1.1894) - born into the family of a priest in the village. Chernavsky Eletsk district, Oryol province. He graduated from the Livensky Theological School, the Oryol Seminary (1837) and the Kyiv Theological Academy. In Kyiv, he took monastic vows (1841) with the name Theophanes, and was ordained as hierodeacon and hieromonk. Inspector of theological educational institutions, rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. Made trips to the Holy Land and Constantinople. Hirotonisan (ordained) Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk (June 1, 1859). Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal (1863–1866). Striving for solitude, he submitted a petition to the Holy Synod for his retirement with the right to stay in the Vyshenskaya hermitage in the Tambov province (1866). Having established a small church in his cells in the name of the Baptism of the Lord, the saint remained in divine services, prayer, contemplation and writing. His pen includes interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, works on Christian morality and the foundations of patristic psychology, translations of ascetic works, including the Philokalia. Of the 28 years of his stay in the desert, 22 years were in complete seclusion. Glorified at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'. Memory January 10. Hieroschemamonk Alexander (Alexander Dimitrievich Strygin, 1810 † 9. 2. 1878) - born in Kozelsk, Kaluga province. in a pious Cossack family. He was married, from this marriage a son was born. He joined the brethren of Optina Hermitage (in 1838, on the 1st week of Lent). In 1843, after the death of his mentor (hieroschemamonk Lev, 1841), having lived in the monastery for 5 and a half years, he moved, at the suggestion of Abbot Anthony, to the Nikolo-Chernoostrovsky monastery in the city of Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga province. Here he was tonsured first into the ryassophore, and then into the mantle with the name Agapit. In 1849 Fr. Agapit moved to Kharkov to the bishop's house. Here he was ordained a hierodeacon, and a year later - a hieromonk. In 1851 he entered the Gethsemane monastery at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In 1858, for greater silence, he moved deep into the forest, five miles from the monastery, to the town of Torobeevskaya. Subsequently, a church was built here in the name of St. Spirit of the Paraclete, with a chapel in the name of St. John the Baptist of the Lord. He was tonsured into the great angelic image - he took the schema on the day of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos (November 21), in the Assumption Church, with the name Alexander. In 1861 Fr. Alexander went back to the monastery. Many of the brethren of the monastery went to him for advice or to find consolation in sorrows, and those who had a disposition towards him received relief and consolation from his conversation, since the elder was a wise mentor. In 1862, on November 23, with the blessing of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, he went into complete seclusion, into a cave, where he remained until March 9, 1865. In 1871, on August 1, Fr. Alexander, having served the early liturgy in the Assumption Church, moved to a cell at the church cemetery, to a monastery, and shut himself up in it. Here he lived until his death. Schemamonk Nikita (Nikolai Evdokimovich Filin, 1832 † 21.4.1907) - was born in the village of Grigoryevka, Shuletskaya volost, Rostov district, Yaroslavl province. in a peasant family. He joined the brethren of the Valaam Monastery (10/5/1874). He was tonsured a monk (May 12, 1884) with the name Nifont. He went through various obediences and was a hotel attendant for 4 years. The brethren loved him for his affectionate character, friendliness and concern for everyone. Asceticizing in the Konevsky monastery, Fr. Nikita studied the science of smart work with schemamonk Agapius the blind, who corresponded with St. Theophan, the recluse of Vyshensky († 1894). His spiritual associates were: Archimandrite Agafangel, Hieromonk Clement and Schemamonk John the Silent († 1894). For his truly ascetic life, he was awarded monastic vows (January 16, 1892), with the name Nikita, in honor of Saint Nikita of Novgorod. In the same year Fr. Nikita moved to live in the monastery of St. John the Baptist. He carried the feat of old age. He had the gift of foresight, as evidenced by Metropolitan Benjamin in his book “God’s People.” Hieroschemamonk Antipas I, Athonite (Alexander Georgievich Likian, 1816. † 10. 1. 1882) - was born in the village of Kalapodeshti, Tekunch district in Moldova in a pious family of a deacon. In Wallachia he joined the brotherhood of a small monastery. Here he lived for about 2 years, learning mental prayer from schemamonk Gideon. Archimandrite Dimitri, abbot of the Moldavian monastery, was tonsured a monk with the name Alimpia. Soon Fr. Antipas joined the brotherhood of the Athonite Greek monastery “Esphigmen”. He worked here in the cookery for about 4 years. Subsequently, he was tonsured into the schema with the name Antipas and retired to live in the desert. His spiritual leader was the hermit, Schemamonk Leonty, who taught him inner heart work. Then Fr. Antipas moved to the Moldavian monastery, here he was ordained a hierodeacon, and then a hieromonk, and served as a cellarer. Soon, on the affairs of the monastery, Fr. Antipas was sent to Russia to collect alms. Here, in the first year of his stay, he visited the Valaam monastery. And as soon as his work of collecting alms for the benefit of the Moldavian monastery ended, with the blessing of his Moldavian elders (11/6/1865), he arrived on the Valaam Island and settled in the monastery of All Saints. He was the spiritual leader and elder for many brothers, among his students were Schemamonk Agapius the Blind and Hieroschemamonk Antipas II. Archimandrite Agafangel (Alexey Ivanovich Amosov, 1841 † 12/31/1909) - was born in the village of Alekseevskaya, Solvychegodsk district, Vologda province. in a family of wealthy villagers. He joined the brethren of the Valaam Monastery (1868), and was enrolled as a novice (1872). He was tonsured a monk (April 17, 1880) with the name Agathangel. He was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon (1882), and hieromonk (1885). Passed the sacristan's obedience. Its spiritual leader was Abbot Damaskin himself (Kononov, 1882), a disciple of the elder, Hieroschemamonk Euthymius, who was under the leadership of schemamonk Theodore of Svirsky. His closest friends were monks who succeeded in spiritual life: Cyriacus, John the Silent, Nikita, Antipas, Agapius, who corresponded with St. Theophan the Recluse and sat whole nights at spiritual speeches, and Hieroschemamonk Alexy. Lately Fr. Agafangel, who succeeded in doing the Jesus Prayer, was himself elected one of the elders - leaders in spiritual life. The abbot of the Valaam monastery, Elder Mauritius (1918), was his student. By decree of the Holy Synod (December 31, 1891) Fr. Agathangel was appointed rector of the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, and at the Svirsky Metochion in St. Petersburg (January 30, 1892) he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. For eighteen years he was the rector of the Alexander-Svirsky monastery, Fr. Archimandrite Agathangel and during this time he brought the monastery, which had previously fallen into great disarray and desolation, into complete internal and external improvement. Taking care of the monastery Fr. Agathangel, true disciple of Fr. Damascus, was at the same time the true leader of the brethren in spiritual life. From the very beginning he introduced a dormitory and elder leadership of the novices. He arranged the service according to the rite of Valaam. Having fallen ill with a volvulus, he already told everyone that he would not recover. Before his death, he was honored with communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. He was buried opposite the altar of the Transfiguration Cathedral, his grave has survived to this day. Schema-Hegumen German (Gavriil Simeonovich Gomzin, 20. March 1844 † 17. January 1923) - was born in Zvenigorod, Moscow province, into a pious family of a glazier (his father, Simeon Matveevich Gomzin, ended his days as a ryasophore monk of the Gethsemane monastery). He studied painting with the famous artist I. I. Ivanov. He joined the brethren of the Gethsemane skete (February 20, 1868, during the 1st week of Lent). He was tonsured into the ryassophore (June 25, 1870), and then into the mantle (Nov. 29, 1877) with the name Herman - in honor of St. Herman, Archbishop of Kazan. Along with others, he underwent icon painting obedience. He owned the Chernigov and Sorrowful icons of the Mother of God. He renewed almost all the icons of the cave church, as well as the images and wall paintings of the Iverskaya Chapel, and painted portraits of his confessor, Elder Alexander (Strygina, † 1878) and the monastery’s leader, Archimandrite Anthony (Medvedeva, † 1877). His correspondence with Saint Theophan the Recluse dates back to this time. He was ordained a hierodeacon (July 5, 1880) and a hieromonk (August 17, 1885). Brotherly confessor of the Gethsemane skete (March 13, 1892), confessor of the hospital and almshouse (1893). Among his spiritual children were the future Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky), Abbess Ioanna - abbess of the Boris and Gleb Anosin Hermitage: With the blessing of Elder Barnabas of Gethsemane, with 12 disciples he moved to the Zosima Hermitage, accepting the abbotship (September 26, 1897). Icons of his writing (24 in total) decorated the cathedral church of the desert and the cells of the monks. Among them were images of the Savior Not Made by Hands, the Dormition of the Mother of God, the Chernigov and Tikhvin icons of the Mother of God, and the image of the founder of the desert, schemamonk Zosima. From the many monastic charters, he chose the charter of the Sarov monastery (the same as on Valaam). Trying to organize the internal spiritual life of the monastery on the basis of the eldership that flourished in the Optina Hermitage, Fr. Herman helped ensure that the characteristic feature of the Zosima Hermitage was the revelation of thoughts and complete obedience to the elder spiritual father. Bishop Seraphim (Chichagov) wrote: “Fr. Abbot Herman experimentally studied monastic life under the guidance of the famous elder of the Gethsemane skete, Hieroschemamonk Alexander, a pupil of the founder of the eldership in Optina Hermitage, Fr. Hieroschemamonk Leo, and was in spiritual communion with the famous reclusive saint Theophan. Spiritual experience of Fr. Herman and his knowledge of all aspects of monasticism contribute to the saving structure of monastic life in the Zosima Hermitage, which has a characteristic feature of monasticism - eldership. As is known, the founder of the desert, Schemamonk Zosima, possessed this gift of grace...” As a result of slander, he was briefly transferred to the Makhrishche Monastery (14.9 – 4.11. 1909). He was tonsured into the great schema by Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky) (July 28, 1916). Schema-abbot German died shortly before the monastery was closed. Buried in the desert. Schemamonk Agapius (Alexander Andreevich Molodyashin, 1838 † April 7, 1905) was born in the village of Utkino, Rostov district, Yaroslavl province, into a peasant family. From a young age he suffered from an eye disease, and this disease eventually led him to complete blindness. He joined the brethren of the Valaam Monastery (May 22, 1864). He was tonsured into the mantle (4/4/1870), with the name Agapius. He completed his obedience as a farmer in the monastery garden. His spiritual leader, the elder, was Hieroschemamonk Antipas (tonsure of Mount Athos, † 1882). They are about. Agapius was tonsured into the great schema in private (at the age of 40). Due to eye disease Fr. Agapius was completely blind and was dismissed from the staff (August 26, 1883). Left without spiritual guidance, he deviated from the right path; his acquaintance with Schema-Hegumen Herman dates back to this same time, and through him he entered into correspondence with Saint Theophan. Correspondence of Saint Theophan with Fr. Agapius was published by Archpriest Justin Olshevsky (later Sylvester, Archbishop of Omsk and Semipalatinsk). Upon leaving the state on the island. Agapius was entrusted with the obedience of eldership. Soon rumors about the high spiritual experience of Fr. Agapia flew over the walls of the Valaam monastery. The persistent tearful requests of the pilgrims forced the abbot of the monastery to bless Fr. Agapius opened the doors of his cell to lay people who wanted to receive spiritual advice from him. He died at the age of 67 years. Burial of Fr. Agapia took place on Lazarus Saturday at the fraternal cemetery. Monks living in a communal monastery. Those who have taken a vow of silence, the silent ones. We are talking about a postscript that reported how a certain elder answered the nun’s question: “What is the best way to pray - with your lips or with your mind?”