35. Суетная настоятельская жизнь есть святое послушание. О борьбе с помыслами во время молитвы

Your Reverence, most honorable in the Lord Mother Abbess Lyudmila! I received your letter dated December 20 and transferred 15 rubles and I express my deep gratitude to you for your diligence. The money was spent for your intended purpose. I also thank you for congratulating me, a sinner, on the Nativity of Christ and the New Year and for your well wishes. Mutually, I have the honor to congratulate you on the same holidays and wish you God’s mercy. Complain about the fuss. - What to do? Such an abbot's life is vain. But in this case, it should comfort you that you are fussing for holy obedience, and obedience, as the fathers experienced in spiritual life say, is better than fasting and prayer. The fact that during prayer you are confused by thoughts about where to get what from, this is simply a temptation from the enemy. Don’t give in to these thoughts, especially since you won’t come up with anything useful in the middle of prayer. Say to yourself mentally: “The Lord has helped us and will always help us.” Then guard yourself with the sign of the cross and say the Jesus Prayer with attention. May the Lord bless Mother Paphnutia and your other cell attendants: Mother Hilarion, Zosima and novices Olga and Maria, and may he strengthen them in goodness. Asking for you and your entire monastery for peace and God's blessing, I remain with sincere goodwill. You might be interested in: