274. Вступающие в брак по влечению страсти чаще всего бывают несчастливы в жизни. Окружающие нас обстоятельства устраиваются не случайно, но по Божиему Промыслу

I received your letter dated June 13th. – In every letter you write everything: I look forward to the answer. And I’ll tell you: if you want to treat me, you must learn patience. For, in addition to your letters, I have hundreds of letters from other people, patiently awaiting an answer. You ask from me, a sinner, a blessing to treat my badness. But you are not forbidden to write letters to me; and when the opportunity arises, although not soon, I will not refuse to answer you. This is a spiritual relationship for which it is already too late to ask permission, as it continues anyway. You write that due to strong temptation you almost left the monastery. But I don't understand this temptation well. Perhaps you understand that at one time you insisted that your younger sister marry a husband whom she now does not like. But why doesn’t she like him? What's wrong with it? After all, he is a priest and often prays to the Lord for himself and for his wife. If at the same time he lives carefully, in a Christian way, then what other husband could she want? And if she did not have to choose a husband out of passion or carnal love, then she should thank God for this, because those who marry out of passion are most often unhappy in life. And let her not think of leaving her husband, for through this she will accept great sin on her soul. And if your sister is prudent, then she should always remember the wise proverb: “Live not as you want, but as God commands.” How circumstances are arranged is how we should live, because the circumstances around us are arranged not simply, by chance, as many of our modern, new-fangled wise men think, but everything is done to us by the Providence of God, constantly caring for our spiritual salvation. And if your sister wants to lead as quiet and serene a life as possible (since perfect peace is impossible in this temporary life), then she must first of all and for everything reproach and blame herself, and not her husband, and repent before God and before her spiritual father in her hostile relationship with her husband, and pray for him with this prayer: “Save, Lord, and have mercy on your most dear servant.” my husband, priest (name), and for the sake of his holy prayers, have mercy on me, the most damned sinner.” So I wrote what you should do to appease your sister, and you write to her. Don’t go to her yourself, because your presence won’t help her at all, and you’ll upset yourself. You wrote before that you have an attachment to M. Treasurer. If this attachment is pure, due to the fact that you receive spiritual benefit from it, then this is nothing. If carnal passion is mixed in here, then it’s bad - you should beware. If the treasurer's mother treats the teacher well, it becomes unpleasant for you. - This is jealousy. Reproach yourself for this. You should not let others read my letters, but you can say what you find necessary. Peace and God's blessing to you! You might be interested in: