574. Монашеское зеркало – это внимание своему спасению. Зрение чужих недостатков бывает от гордости. Господь на смиренных призирает

Lord, let me see my sins. Venerable in the Lord, M. Agrippina! I received your letter, in which you describe your mental and physical weaknesses. When a person looks in the mirror, he can see all the dirt on his face. So the monks have a kind of mirror, through which he can see all the dirt not only outside, but also inside his heart. The monastic mirror is about paying attention to your salvation, that is, seeing your sins and shortcomings. When you were tonsured, you looked a little in your mirror, and then you say how many of your shortcomings you saw, and even more so, someone who is always looking and who is always busy with himself has no time to look after people or listen to how Mother Abbess deals with the dean in church, because you won’t teach her, and you shouldn’t, but you can only always upset yourself. I repeat to you, my child, pay attention to yourself, humble yourself more. Seeing other people's shortcomings comes from pride, but you seem to have accumulated quite a bit of it. Just as clothes are cleaned of dust, first they shake them enough, then they beat them with a stick, so you try to cleanse your soul, which is not only dusty, but, it seems, covered in dirt. They remember the dirt, and remember yourself with patience, beat yourself with abstinence like a stick, and shake it with humility, and put on it - then you will be a nun not only in clothes, but in the spirit of Christ. The Lord looks upon the humble. Asking for you peace and God's blessing, I remain with sincere goodwill towards you. You might be interested in: