Instructions in spiritual life

Saint Theophan the Recluse (1815–1894) left an extensive and truly precious spiritual and literary heritage: numerous works on Christian morality, works outlining the foundations of patristic psychology, translations of ascetic writing (including a translation of the Philokalia), the deepest interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, which significantly enriched Russian biblical studies. He accomplished a real creative feat, and one of his biographers could rightfully claim that in its fruitfulness the works of St. Theophan are comparable to the works of the holy fathers of the 4th century - the golden age of Byzantium. At the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', Theophan the Recluse was canonized. The decision of the Council noted: “A deep theological understanding of Christian teaching, as well as its experienced implementation, and as a consequence of this, the height and holiness of the saint’s life allow us to look at his writings as the development of patristic teaching while maintaining the same Orthodox purity and enlightenment.” A special place in the spiritual and literary heritage of Saint Theophan is occupied by his letters to various persons who asked him for advice or spiritual help, solutions to perplexed questions, consolation in sorrow, relief in troubles... From all sides of Russia, these requests flocked to the Vyshinsky hermitage, where His Grace Theophan remained 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. Saint Theophan was born, in the world Georgy Vasilyevich Govorov, on January 10, 1815 in the village of Chernavskoye, Yeletsk district, Oryol province, in the family of a priest. He studied at the Livensky Theological School, the Oryol Seminary, and the Kyiv Theological Academy. In 1841, in Kyiv, he took monastic vows with the name Theophan, and in the same year he was ordained as hierodeacon and hieromonk. Then he served as an inspector in several theological educational institutions, as rector at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; trips to Palestine as part of the Russian spiritual mission and to Constantinople as rector of the embassy church (during these trips there is an in-depth study of the ascetic writing of the Orthodox East). On June 1, 1859, in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the consecration and naming of St. Theophan as bishop of the Tambov diocese took place, followed by a transfer to the ancient, more extensive Vladimir See... This is a brief outline of his external life path, full of tireless, versatile and always successful and fruitful activities for the benefit of the Church and the Fatherland. The inner path that followed the hidden spiritual life of the saint led to the fact that in 1866, being at the seemingly “takeoff” of practical activity, Bishop Theophan unexpectedly submitted to the Holy Synod a petition for his dismissal with the right to remain in the Vyshinsky hermitage of the Tambov diocese. The request was granted, and he finally received what he had long felt his main spiritual calling to: complete detachment from everyday affairs, solitude, undistracted “inner work.” In his letters, he testified that he was truly happy in Vysha: “Vysha can only be exchanged for the Kingdom of Heaven.” Having gone into seclusion, he built a small church in his cells in the name of the Baptism of the Lord and spent his life in worship and prayer, in physical and spiritual exploits, in careful self-observation, in sobriety and wakefulness, in intense reading and contemplation of God, in the works of writing... All this greatest and truly invaluable experience, accumulated in various fields of life, and especially during the years of seclusion, was mobilized by the saint in his enormous 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 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 and wise things. Here, for example, are just some of the diamonds of theological thought that can be found in abundance in the inexhaustible treasury of his correspondence: “God leaves no one. He has all the children. No stepchildren. And difficult accidents and conditions - all are sent to us for good.” “Attention to what happens in the heart and comes from it is the main task of a Christian good life...” “We must take care of ourselves...” “... Pay attention to your heart, stand there before the Lord and do not allow anything sinful there. This is the whole point of internal warfare.” “Ruthlessness towards oneself, readiness for any service to others and surrendering oneself entirely to the Lord with prayerful abiding in Him - these are the producers of spiritual life...” “The selfishness (of the villain) must be killed. If you don’t kill yourself, then the Lord will send hammer after hammer (all sorts of failures) to break this stone.” “Self-indulgence and self-pity testify that it is I, and not the Lord, who dwells in the heart.” “It is not the deeds that constitute the practice, but the manner in which they are performed. When one thing is being done, and hundreds are crowding in your head. We need to drive away all those things, and do one thing, and, moreover, do it with our hands, but with our minds be in the right place.” The saint spoke about spiritual zeal this way: “She is fire. The fire is fueled by wood. Spiritual firewood is prayers...” In the letters of the saint there is not even a shadow of boring edification or dry moralism. They are warmed by selfless love, heartfelt attention to people - and that is why they are written in such a lively, figurative, artless style. You can often find sparkles of light humor in the saint’s letters. So, for example, he notes with a playful sigh the frequent attempts of the arrogant human mind to penetrate the ineffable and unsearchable secrets of Divine life: “Nowadays there is no restraint from questioning. Our mind is like a mosquito, but everything squeaks!” But here is how our unbridled language is characterized in one of Bishop Theophan’s letters: “Language?! There is no more evil thing under heaven. It would be desirable to arrange it in such a way that for every impermissibility on his part, something would prick him (even a pin). Then he would have been more quiet, otherwise he’s like a machine that sings songs... how they started it up and let it go and... it started to chat.” As you know, a good joke in a battle situation can lift the spirit of soldiers and strengthen their will to win. No less important is a cheerful, invigorating word on the field of the most difficult and severe spiritual battle... Saint Theophan the Recluse, translator of the remarkable work “The Invisible War,” and in his extensive correspondence did not leave without attention a single area of ​​the spiritual struggle of a person who set foot on the narrow and thorny, but saving path leading to the Kingdom of Heaven. What topics, what questions does he not consider and reveal in spiritual conversations with his correspondents! Here are everyday troubles, and illnesses, and family and civil life, the true purpose of art, and the correct attitude in relation to various circumstances of external life, and the endless problems of internal life: the struggle with thoughts, with self-indulgence, with despondency, the acquisition of humility and patience, crying and warmth of heart, and guidance in the thought of God, and the teaching about correct prayer, about the various stages of prayer (he devoted to prayer The saint paid special attention in his letters, since he considered her the queen of spiritual life, whose fulcrum is humility). All these and many other important topics, depending on the questions and spiritual needs of the addressees, are dispersed across different letters, inevitably repeating, varying, and combining with each other in different ways. And so, in order to orient modern Orthodox people in this truly boundless epistolary heritage of St. Theophan the Recluse, His Grace Bishop John, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, carried out significant and extremely useful work, the need for which is undoubtedly ripe: he identified and titled the main topics of correspondence, highlighted the main, most capacious and complete statements of St. Theophan on these topics and systematized them, arranging the names of the topics in alphabetical order. Thus, a kind of guide to the collection of letters of the saint has been created. But in the broadest and deepest sense, it is also a guide to spiritual life. Now everyone can easily find St. Theophan’s answer to a problem that interests him, and in one particular case or another, resort to the wise guidance of an experienced elder. As one of the saint’s contemporaries wrote, “only a person who has himself suffered a lot, who has himself burned out in the crucible of spiritual experience, can speak to people about spiritual life with such all-conquering power, stimulating spiritual energy and generating readiness for spiritual exploits” (“Soulful Reading,” 1894, vol. 2, p. 260). I would like to hope that this work, brought to the attention of the reader, will help him find the right and accurate guidelines on the path of salvation and will contribute to the great cause of the spiritual revival of Russia. In the extracts from the letters below, the following are used: Collection of letters of St. Theophan, published by the Athos Russian Panteleimon Monastery; issues 1, II, III: M., 1898; issues V, VI: M., 1899; issue VIII: M., 1901. Instructions in spiritual life The hallmark of spiritual life Christian life is zeal and strength to remain in active communion with God, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, with the help of the grace of God, by fulfilling His holy will, to the glory of His Most Holy Name. The essence of Christian life consists in communion with God about Christ Jesus - in communion with God, which at first is usually hidden not only from others, but also from oneself. The visible, or felt within us, evidence of it is the heat of active zeal, exclusively about Christian pleasing to God, with complete self-sacrifice and hatred of everything contrary to that. Thus, when this heat of jealousy begins, then the beginning of Christian life is laid: and in whom it constantly acts, he lives like a Christian. Do not quench the Spirit, the apostle commands: be on fire with the Spirit; Serve the Lord. It is clear that the cold fulfillment of the statutes of the Church, regularity in affairs established by a prudent mind, serviceability, sedateness and honesty in behavior are not yet decisive indicators of what constitutes a truly Christian life in us. All this is good, but since it does not carry within itself the spirit of life about Christ Jesus, it has no value before God. Things of this kind will then be like soulless idols. And the good watch goes well; but who can say that there is life in them? So it is here. This integrity of behavior can lead into seduction more than anything else. Its true meaning depends on the internal arrangements. Just as, by outwardly refraining from sinful deeds, one can have affection or co-delight for them in the heart, so doing the right things outwardly, one can not have a heartfelt disposition towards them. Only true zeal and goodness wants to accomplish in all its fullness and purity, and sin pursues to its smallest shades. She seeks the former as her daily bread; she treats the latter as if she were a mortal enemy. The work of piety and communion with God is a difficult and painful task, especially at first. Where can I get the strength to carry out this work? With the help of God's grace in animated zeal. A merchant, a warrior, a judge, a scientist go through a laborious and laborious service. How do they support themselves in their labors? Inspiration and love for your work. There is no other way to support yourself on the path of piety. Without this, we will find darkness, burdensomeness, boredom, and lethargy in serving God. Zealous pleasing to God is a joyful, spirit-inspiring procession towards God. We must do everything for the glory of God, contrary to the spirit living in us. It is clear that without zeal a Christian is a bad Christian - lethargic, relaxed, lifeless, neither warm nor cold - and life is not life. So, true testimony about Christian life is the fire of active zeal for pleasing God. How is this fire kindled? Such zeal is produced by the action of grace, but not without the participation of our free will. One must pray for the sending of grace and one must be ready to receive it. The Spirit of God, descending into the heart, begins to act in it not only with consuming, but with all-pervasive jealousy. A distinctive feature of a sinner is not always obvious depravity, but actually the absence of inspired, self-sacrificing zeal for pleasing God, with a decisive aversion to everything sinful - that for him piety is not the main subject of care and work, that he, caring about many other things, is completely indifferent to his acquisitions, does not feel the danger he is in, is careless about a good life and leads a life cold to faith, although sometimes serviceable and impeccable from the outside. Having turned away from God, a person stops at himself and makes himself the main goal of his entire life and activity. This is also because after God there is nothing higher for him than himself; especially because, having previously received all fullness from God, and now being empty from Him, he hurries and worries about how and with what to fill himself. The emptiness that has formed in him, through falling away from God, constantly kindles in him an unsatisfied thirst - indefinite, but incessant. Man has become a bottomless abyss; He strives with all his might to fill this abyss, but he does not see, does not feel the filling. That is why he spends his entire life in sweat, labor and great troubles: he is busy with various objects in which he hopes to find quenching the thirst that consumes him. These objects absorb his attention, all his time and all his activities. They are the first good in which he lives with his heart. From this it is clear why a person, setting himself exclusively as a goal, is never in himself, but everything is outside himself, in things created or invented by vanity. He fell away from God, who is the fullness of everything; itself is empty; It remains, as it were, to spill over into infinitely varied things and live in them. So the sinner thirsts, fusses, worries about objects outside himself and God, about many and varied things. Why is it that a characteristic feature of a sinful life is, with carelessness about salvation, concern about many things, a lot of care. The shades and differences of this multi-care depend on the properties of the voids formed in the soul. The emptiness of the mind, having forgotten about the One, Who is everything, gives rise to concern for much knowledge, exploration, torture, inquisitiveness. The emptiness of the will, deprived of possession of the One, Who is everything, forms a thirst for many and varied pleasures, or the search for those countless objects in which to find the delight of one’s internal and external feelings. Thus, the sinner is constantly concerned about much knowledge, much possession, and much pleasure; enjoys, possesses, tortures. This is the circle in which he spins throughout his entire life. Inquisitiveness beckons, the heart yearns to taste sweets and captivates the will. That this is so, anyone can check for themselves by observing the movements of their soul for at least one day. Awakening a sinner from a sinful sleep The awakening of a sinner is such an action of God's grace in his heart, as a result of which he, as if awakened from a dream, sees his sinfulness, feels the danger of his situation, begins to fear for himself and worry about how to get rid of his misfortune and be saved. Previously, he was blind, insensitive and careless in relation to salvation; now he sees, and feels, and cares. But this is not yet a change, but only the possibility of change and a calling for it. Grace only says to the sinner: “See where you have gone; look, take measures for salvation.” She only removes him from his eternal bonds, places him and holds him outside of them, giving him the opportunity to choose a completely new life and determine himself to it. If he takes advantage of this, it will be good for him; If he doesn’t take advantage of it, he will be abandoned again, again he will plunge into the same sleep and the same abyss of destruction. A common feature of repentant excitations under the influence of God’s grace is the sinner’s dissatisfaction with himself and everything he owns, and he is anxious about something. A person becomes dissatisfied with nothing that surrounds him - neither with his perfections, nor with what he has, even if it were countless treasures, and walks as if killed by grief. Not finding joy in anything visible, he turns to the invisible, and accepts it readily and sincerely appropriates it to himself, and himself to it. In extreme cases, the grace of God exerts its effect quickly and decisively, as we see, for example, on the Apostle Paul, Mary of Egypt, etc. But in the ordinary course of conversions, for the most part it happens that only the thought comes to a person - to change his life and become better in his deeds and internal dispositions. A thought comes, but how much must be given to it so that it prevails over the soul! For the most part, good thoughts of this kind remain fruitless, not through their own fault, however, but due to the inappropriate attitude towards them of those whose souls they visit. The first and main mistake in relation to them is that they are put off unfulfilled. Procrastination is a common disease and the first cause of imprudence. Everyone says: “I still have time,” and remains in the old order of the usual unkind life. So, a good thought has come to correct yourself - grab onto it, do what it was sent to you for; and for this purpose, banish procrastination. Banish procrastination. Don’t allow yourself to say: “I’ll do this tomorrow, after that,” but get down to business now. Imagine more vividly the unreasonableness, ugliness and danger of your condition. Afterwards you will become more accustomed to sin. If you realize that you cannot remain like this, what are you like now, why are you delaying? Then you can go beyond the point of no return, and you will die. First of all, take hold of the body. Deny him pleasures and pleasures, restrict the satisfaction of his most natural needs; extend the hour of vigil, reduce the usual amount of food, add new labor to the work. The main thing is to lighten the flesh as you want and as best you can, refine its plumpness. In this way the soul will be freed from being bound by matter, it will become more mobile, lighter, and more receptive to good impressions. The body, dominating the soul, imparts immobility and coldness to it. True, not every sinner lives intemperately and indulges the body, but there is hardly a person among the ordinary people who would not have something to refuse the body when the desire for salvation sets in the heart. Physical exploits loosen the bonds of the body and eliminate their consequences. The body burdens the soul externally, worries torment it internally. So, put aside your worries for a while, all without exception, put them aside only for a while; then you will take up your usual affairs again, only now stop them, throw them out of your hands, throw them out of your thoughts. Now you are standing next to your heart. Before you is your inner man, immersed in a deep sleep of carelessness, insensibility and blindness. Start waking him up. Begin to bring to the forefront the various thoughts that keep you blind, and subject them to strict judgment: a) “I am a Christian,” you say and calm down on this. But understand for yourself what it means to be a Christian, and not to appear to be only one; Understand for yourself the duties of a Christian placed on us by the Holy Gospel, compare yourself with this ideal, and you will see how unfounded the support of your delusion is. b) But we are not one of the last. So others are seduced by their spiritual perfections. But natural perfections have no moral value, because they are not our acquisition, but are given to us by God. But have you done everything that you can and should do according to your gifts? You are more subject to an answer, because more has been given to you. Tell me, how much benefit have you brought to your neighbor through your gifts? c) We are not so bad yet: there are even worse people than us. But there is no need to look at others, everyone will give an account for himself. Look at yourself and, cutting yourself off from others, judge yourself alone without comparing yourself with others. Better compare yourself with saints. They are the living Christian law, or the living example of those who are being saved. d) As if I’m the only one like this. But the multitude of sinners does not change the law of righteousness and does not relieve anyone from responsibility. God doesn't look at numbers. Everyone sins, everyone will be punished, as in the waters of the flood in the time of Noah. “Remember your last one.” Tell yourself: “Alas, death is coming soon.” One, another dies near you; now, your hour will strike. Turn to God and place yourself, defiled and burdened with many sins, before the face of Him, the Omniscient, Omnipresent. Will you still offend the eye of God with your vile appearance of sin? Ascend mentally to Golgotha ​​and understand what your sins are worth. Will you still wound the head of the Lord with the thorns of your sins? Will you still nail Him to the cross, pierce His ribs and mock His long-suffering? Or don’t you know that, by sinning, you are participating in the torment of the Savior and for that you will share the fate of the tormentors? After all, one of two things: either perish forever if you remain like this, or repent and turn to the Lord. Look! everyone has already gone to the Lord... and he turned, and another, and a third... Why are you standing and delaying? Pray that God will illuminate your work on your hardened heart, that He Himself will come, soften and awaken your sleeping soul. In this prayer, pray yourself; express what is in your soul, and reveal your deepest need in a simple, childish, meek word. Don't get smart, don't make up prayers. Approach in simplicity with your one need, like a sick person to a doctor, like a bound person to a liberator, with a sincere confession of your weakness and powerlessness to overcome yourself and with surrendering yourself to God’s all-action. Fall on your face, bow down - many, many. And do not leave prayer while prayer is moving. If prayer cools down, take up meditation again, and from this again move on to prayer. And for prayer, collect short appeals to God: “Spare Your creation, Master! God, be merciful to me a sinner! Oh Lord, save me! Oh Lord, hurry up!” Remember the church songs: “Behold the Bridegroom is coming...”, “My soul, my soul, arise, that thou hast written down...” and the like. Thus laboring yourself, continually strike at the door of God’s mercy. Collection of teachers of the law M., 1903 About the eternity of torment. Letters to various persons on various subjects of faith and life You were occupied with the question of the eternity of torment. Good deed! But you began to talk about this and accumulated bewilderments, not being able to solve which, and began to waver in your very belief in this dogma. You think that since there is confusion against any dogma of faith, then there is nothing to believe in it, because otherwise faith will not be rational, but blind - it will not be faith, but superstition. For this reason, there is a lot of noise in your head. Not wanting to sin in any way against the faith, you seek admonition. With pleasure I am ready to fulfill your desire - and how your confusion arose because, fearing exposure to blind faith, you took up reasoning, which led you into the fog that covered you; Then first I’ll tell you a word or two about blind and non-blind faith, and about the extent to which you need to trust your mind in objects of faith. The opposite of blind faith is seeing faith. Which one is it? – Seeing faith is that which clearly sees what it believes in and why it believes. A clear vision of what he believes in embraces the entire content of faith - that God is one in essence and threefold in persons, that He created the whole world with His word and provides for it, both in general and in particular, that we were created for a better life, but fell in our ancestors, and here we are languishing in exile, that we brought this trouble upon ourselves, but we ourselves did not have the opportunity to free ourselves from it, why the Son of God became incarnate and delivered us from everything that we suffered as a result of the fall, through His suffering, death, resurrection, ascension into heaven and sitting at the right hand of God the Father - this is so that each of us would become a participant in the blessings of salvation perfected by the Lord, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and through them founded the Holy Church on earth, in which the Church remains, reviving all believers through the holy Sacraments to new life, strengthening for all good, cleansing from all evil and sanctifying, and through all this preparing for eternal life and making the Kingdom of Heaven heirs - and that all who remain faithful sons and daughters of the Church of God to the end will undoubtedly inherit the Kingdom of God, and those who are unfaithful to it will fall into eternal torment. All this is clearly seen and known by a definitely seeing faith. She sees clearly and definitely the reason why she believes so. But she does not have many of these reasons, but one - because she believes that God Himself commanded to believe this way and not otherwise - the most reasonable basis, more reasonable and firmer than which there is nothing. For what God said is, of course, already the most perfect truth, against which objections are inappropriate. In the full sense, real faith is that when someone believes only because God commanded so, and when, in order to believe, he seeks nothing more than to find out how God commanded, and as soon as he learns that God commanded to believe this way and that, he calms down with complete peace, not allowing any hesitation. Behold, childlike faith, unquestioningly believing God - your Father! This is what the Lord demanded when he said: unless you are like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3). From this you can conclude for yourself that whoever believes in any other way cannot help but doubt whether he will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Such childish faith is not blind, but seeing, and seeing everything with clean eyes, not dusted with anything. She just doesn’t indulge in mental research, but when she finds out that God said so, she calms down. This is her truest, most solid and most reasonable basis for all her beliefs. Blind faith is that which does not know what it should believe, or if it knows, it is not completely, somehow; He equally does not know why he should believe, and does not care to find out either one or the other. This is for the most part the faith of our simple people, but not exclusively; for among persons of the highest and educated circle there are very many of them, if not the largest part. And among the common people it is not uncommon to have a strong, childlike faith that sees, for which our scientific faith should not be pursued?! It has become our custom to contrast blind faith with rational faith, and by rational faith to mean scientific faith, which is not content with the mere reason that “God commanded it and I believe it,” but mixes in everything with considerations of his own mind, and when he begins to talk about objects of faith, he speaks about them as if it were the comprehension of his mind, ashamed even to mention that God commanded this, seeing in this a humiliation to his mind. For others, it comes to the point that they do not want to believe anything at all that they cannot bring under the principles of their mind and reconcile with the sum of the concepts they have acquired and with the views on existence established in their heads. To this I will say: there is no sin in seeking certain mental considerations in order to clarify and fully understand the objects of faith. The holy fathers often did this. But it should be noted that this does not add anything to the essence of faith, and is a completely secondary or additional matter. Whether this is the case or not, faith that believes in God, as has been said, does not lose anything because of it. Whoever has acquired such considerations for himself has no advantage with God over those who do not have them, but sincerely and clearly believes in everything that is believed, for the sole reason that God has commanded it. This remark must be kept firmly in mind, so that the evil one does not give rise to a preference in the heart for one’s own considerations over the only solid foundation: God commanded it so, and I believe. For in this case, a person comes out of childhood and exposes himself to the danger that those who do not have childish faith are in: “Unless you are like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” No matter how wise the mind is, it must ultimately stand on the fact that God commanded it so, and I believe. But it goes without saying that as preference is given to one’s own considerations, faith weakens and loses its meaning, and where one believes only in one’s own considerations, there is no faith at all, but only speculations about the objects of faith. When mental considerations about objects of faith are built in the mind, then perplexities most often arise that shake faith. It is true that they creep into the soul of childish faith. But here they are usually not given any move, they are immediately driven away, in the certainty that this is probably some kind of misunderstanding. But those who are not content and do not know how to be content with simple faith must do the same. Perplexities against faith are the same in the area of ​​faith as bad thoughts and impulses that are contrary to good morals and commandments in the area of ​​life. How do we meet the latter? We push away - and that’s the end. The same should be done with the first ones. Perplexities come, drive them away with the sword of faith, and that’s the end. And this will be the most reasonable action. When it is clearly known how God commanded to believe, is it reasonable to allow objections against it, and not just argue? When God speaks, the creature must listen and obey. This is the first act - to fight off bewilderment, remaining on the side of faith without hesitation. When this is done, and the peace of faith is returned to the heart, then anyone can seek clarification against any confusion. And this is no wonder. They can always be found in the restoration of the exact teaching of an article of faith that has been attacked by perplexities. All bewilderment comes from the fact that some object of faith is obscured, and a clear representation of it is not contemplated. As soon as this deficiency is filled, bewilderment will immediately dissipate by itself. Those who sin against this a lot are those who, as soon as some kind of bewilderment is born, immediately go over to its side, and are ready to oppose the faith with hostility, dreaming at the same time that they begin to act in some sublime way - not like other ignoramuses, blind people, and so on. – Is he doing well who, as soon as a bad desire comes, immediately goes over to his side and fulfills it? - Of course it’s bad. The one who, as soon as bewilderment is born, immediately begins to take up arms against faith along with it, also does a bad thing. When bewilderment concerns an object about which God’s definition is known, then this kind of action is fighting against God. The legal way of acting should be this: perplexities have come - do not allow them to reach your heart and do not disturb the peace of faith with them; push them away, standing with your heart on the side of faith, and then seek clarification. An explanation will come - good; If he doesn’t come, the trouble is not great. The peace of faith is complete - not the blind one, but the one who sees and knows, as God commanded. The false God commands, but he forges bewilderment into our little minds - perky, but blind. I will now limit myself to these explanations. I’ll put off dispelling your confusion until next time. With God’s help, I will begin to restore your shaken faith in an eternity of torment and calm your soul. Your bewilderment is this: how is it possible for future torment to be eternal?! No way. This is contrary to the goodness of God. First of all, ask your childhood faith - does it know that God has determined this way? - And if she doesn’t know, enlighten her by showing her direct Divine definitions about this. The Lord, in clear words that do not allow any interpretation, says: “These are going into eternal torment.” This is said by the Lord, who for our sake and for our salvation became incarnate, suffered, died, rose again, ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father, so that there he could always intercede for the salvation of each and every one. If He, to whom our salvation cost so much, says so, and Who desires nothing more than for everyone to be saved; true, it cannot be otherwise. It seems that such a conclusion is so true and immutable that it cannot allow any hesitation. What have we done to you? - They were so carried away by bewilderment that they suspected both the authenticity of Scripture and the correctness of the interpretation, saying: either it is not written in the original, or it is not interpreted correctly. We liked our bewilderment so much that we are ready to turn everything upside down for the sake of it. But we have the authentic New Testament Scriptures. It says: “These go into eternal torment.” Then, no matter how many translations of the New Testament there are, they all say: “these go into eternal torment.” And no translators came up with any translation, and it didn’t occur to them to translate these terrible words in any other way: “into eternal torment.” Therefore, there can be no doubt that the Lord said exactly this. There is nothing to be interpreted here - the words are clear without interpretation. They tried to give the word “eternal” a crooked interpretation, not by believers, but by non-believers, as if “eternal” here means relative eternity: a long, long time, but not without end, so long that this duration will seem like an eternity, but still there will be an end. That this interpretation is crooked is demonstrated by another word immediately standing out: “into the eternal belly.” The eternal life is understood by misconceptions as having to be without end. This is how we must understand eternal torment. Both sayings stand in the same conditions. What is obvious about one cannot be denied about the other. If the stomach is endless, then the torment is endless. Now please ask your childish faith: does it see that God Himself said that torment is eternal? Well, how can you not see it?! And if he sees, let him believe so with all his soul, and drive away any bewilderment contrary to this, without surrendering to him indiscriminately. But let’s give way to your bewilderment for a while and interrogate him: “What rights can you claim for your existence?” “I’m perplexed,” he says, “how can eternal torment be reconciled with the goodness of God, with God’s boundless mercy. After all, passion shows what torment! An unquenchable fire, an everlasting worm, pitch darkness, gnashing of teeth! Lord my father! – How will the gracious Lord look at such torture?! The Lord commanded us to forgive. Will he not forgive himself? He prayed on the Cross for those who had sinned against Him with the most terrible sin - one that no longer exists and cannot be greater. Is it really impossible to forgive Him in the future life?” What can we say to such bewilderment?! You stand for the goodness and mercy of God. But your speech would make sense if the eternity of torment were determined by people - ruthless and inexorable rigorists. Then it would be reasonable to object to them: your position cannot be accepted, because it is contrary to the goodness of God. But when such a definition was decreed by the Lord Himself, the all-good and all-merciful, is it appropriate to say to Him, as it were, to His face: this cannot be, this is contrary to Your goodness? - as if He were saying something unknown? Did He cease to be good when He said this? - Of course not. And if he did not cease to be good, then there is no doubt that such a definition is completely in accordance with His goodness. For God never does or says anything that would be contrary to His properties. For children's faith, this explanation is completely sufficient. And I rely on it more than on any other explanations - which I advise you too. You say: The Lord prayed on the Cross for the crucifiers - is it possible for Him to execute any of the sinners with eternal torment? The Lord prayed, and His prayer immediately bore fruit. The robber repented and, believing in the Lord, opened the entrance to heaven for himself. The centurion confessed the Lord as the Son of God and, having been sanctified by faith, is among the saints. It’s true, and all those who left Golgotha, beating themselves in the chest, did not lose their good honor. Likewise, everyone who, having sinned before God, turns to Him in tears of repentance, always receives forgiveness, and the door of heaven is not locked against them. If all people guilty of sins did this, everyone would enter heaven, and hell would remain occupied only by the spirits of evil - bitter and unrepentant. You rely on merciful forgiveness. But forgiveness is not unconditional: repent and you will receive forgiveness. How can you forgive someone who is unrepentant? The merciful Lord is ready to forgive everyone, just repent and resort to His mercy. If the demons had repented, they too would have been pardoned. But since they have become ossified in stubborn resistance to God, there is no mercy for them. The same is true in relation to people. It is impossible to pardon those who stubbornly resist God. That there are such people, I think you know. That many of these go to the next world as God-fighters and God-haters, and I believe you cannot deny this. What awaits them there? You can see that! Just as they didn’t want to know God, God will tell them: we don’t know you, go away. – And when such a decision comes from God, who will cancel it? - This is eternal rejection - the seal of hell! All that remains is to build hope, is there any repentance beyond the grave? - Oh, when would this be possible?! What a relief for us sinners! The Lord is so merciful that if you repent, even if it is beyond the grave, He will certainly forgive. But it is our grief that there is nothing to base such hopes on. The law of life is such that as soon as someone plants the seed of repentance here, even with his last breath, he will no longer perish. This seed will grow and bear fruit - eternal salvation. And if someone here does not plant the seed of repentance and moves there with the spirit of unrepentant persistence in sins, then there he will forever remain with the same spirit, and the fruit from him will be reaped forever by his kind, God’s eternal rejection. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Abraham answers the rich man: a great chasm has established itself between us and you, for whoever wants to pass from here to you will not be able to, nor will those from there pass to us (Luke 16:26). What a decisive separation of one from the other! I take here from the parable only this one feature: as soon as someone, having passed on to another life, ends up on the left, then there is no longer any way for him to go to the right. But this parable also reveals the idea that in the next world, even if it were possible for someone to give up their sinful stubbornness, it would no longer bring him any benefit. So according to the law of righteousness: you received good things in this life, but be patient there (Luke 16:25). Alas for us sinners! Let us hasten to repent here as quickly as possible and receive permission, allowing forever not only for earth, but also for heaven. So you see what's the matter! Therefore, either let your compassion make all sinners repent, or let you agree that there may be some people who will not receive forgiveness and will be condemned due to unrepentant stubbornness. Are you the bearers of such aspiration—that God, by His sovereign power, will forgive sinners and bring them into paradise? I ask you to judge whether this is beautiful and whether such faces are fit for heaven? Sin is not something external, but internal and passing through. When someone sins, sin perverts his entire composition, defiles and darkens him. If you forgive a sinner with an external sentence, but leave everything inside him as it was, without cleaning him up, then even after such forgiveness he will remain all filthy and gloomy. Such will be the one whom God would forgive by His sovereign power, without his internal purification. Imagine that one, unclean and gloomy, enters heaven. What will it be? An Ethiopian among the whitewashed. Is it appropriate? “And in our country, when such societies are built, they are usually composed of homogeneous people—persons of a different sort themselves will not want to join it, and if for some reason they want to, they will not be accepted.” It’s the same with heaven; it will accept only what is homogeneous, pure and pure, and everything that does not fit this standard cannot enter there. Let us even assume that by some fate a sinner is drawn into heaven, what will he do there?! For him, heaven will turn into hell. He does not have the organ to taste the sweets of heaven, and due to the fact that everything there is opposite to his mood, he will be cramped and oppressed, so that he will not find room. If you introduce a simple person into the circle of people of the highest tone, for him being among them will be real torture. A sinner should experience the same thing if he is dragged into heaven unpurified. You say: well, then clean it up. Isn’t this again the sovereign power of a merciful God! - If it were possible, then there would not have been a single sinner here on earth long ago. God would say: let all be holy. But the fact of the matter is that purification cannot be accomplished without the participation of will, which, if it was lacking on earth, will be even more lacking in the next world. Yes, even if it appeared, there was nothing for it to put its hands on. The beginning of purification is Repentance; but in the next world there is no place for him; and if it were, there is no way for it to be completed and sealed with a mysterious resolution; for this is only possible here. After Repentance, purification continues and is completed through deeds of self-mortification and charity, fasting, alms, and prayers. All this is inapplicable in the next world. There is, therefore, no need to expect purification there. So, whether you want it or not, you must agree that it is inevitable that some part of people will remain outside the doors of heaven. I believe that hearing this: behind the doors of heaven, your compassion calms down somewhat: even if it’s outside the doors of heaven, these tortures and torments - an unquenchable fire, an undying worm, the gnashing of teeth, pitch darkness - how terrifying they are. - But what is there?! – Behind the doors of heaven is hell. And hell, no matter how you soften the words, is a place of torment. The foolish maidens remained right outside the doors of the Bridegroom's palace and seemed to have not been subjected to any torment. But we must judge not by this external thing, but by what is in their souls, how they began to feel after listening to the voice of the Suitors forever rejecting them. Degrees - both in heaven of bliss and in hell of torment, of course, there will be, but at every degree, just as in heaven the saints will drink bliss with full lips, so in hell sinners will endure torment to the last measure of patience - such that if you add a little more, then the whole nature will scatter into dust - but it will still not scatter, but will continue to suffer and suffer, and this without end. The expressions - never-ending worm, never-quenching fire, etc., mean only this extreme measure of torment for everyone, and perhaps that is not what they will consist of. Just as the Apostle said about the bliss of the righteous that there is something prepared for them that the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard and has not entered the heart of man: so it must be said about the torments of sinners that although it is certain that they will be to the extreme for everyone, and will be both mental and physical, what exactly they will consist of cannot be said definitively. In the Word of God, to designate this, what is most painful on earth is taken, just as to designate bliss, it is taken to be what is considered the greatest and most joyful on earth, but it cannot be said that exactly in both one and the other this is the same thing. Everything will be new there - new heaven and new earth, new joys and torments. Of course, all this strikes with fear. But then it is open, so that, striking with fear, to admonish and calm sinners. He would not have revealed about hell, but since he does not want the sinner to die eternally, he revealed what awaits the sinner, so that, knowing this, the sinner would not give himself free rein, and if he happened to sin, he would quickly turn again to the Lord and repent. I knew one person who had the custom of saying: what a wise thing the Lord came up with - death and hell! If it weren’t for them, I would have gone all out. They tell him: close your eyes and don’t look at these passions, or drive that belief out of your heart. He answers: I would be glad to close my eyes, but you can’t close them: all they see is death and hell. As for driving away faith, I tried everything to drive it away, and made all sorts of tunnels under it, no, everything is sluggish and rotten, no matter what you can think of. Just as the truth of death is irresistible, so the truth of eternal hell stands indestructible. No, it’s better to tie up your wings and somehow keep yourself quiet. You are being compassionate. But isn’t the Lord compassionate?! His final rejection: “go away,” do you think He will say that, for no reason or reason?! No, He will say this after testing all possible means to defeat the stubbornness of unrepentant sinners. How many worries He surrounds every sinner in order to bring him to his senses! And when he has tried everything and nothing can overcome him, he says to him: well, stay! - It is here, and at the Judgment it will say to him, along with others like him: “Get away!” We see it in Israel. God fought and fought with him, and finally decided: “your house is being left to you empty.” This happens with every rejected sinner. His final rejection is decided after nothing can be done about him, as he becomes ossified in his stubbornness. You decide one thing: is it possible for a person to become demonized? – Of course, it’s possible. And if it is possible, then where should he be put, if not placed with the demons to whom he has become like? You all rely on the goodness of God, but forget about the truth of God, while the Lord is “good and righteous.” The truth of God comes into force when goodness has already exhausted all means. Spiritualists came up with the idea of ​​replacing hell with many births of the sinner. Very unfortunate. Because whoever remained faulty in one birth can continue it in the second, and not only continue, but also deepen it, or inevitably deepen it in order to continue. But what happened in the second birth may also happen in the third birth, and so on, until the point of insanity. And for such people, hell is certainly inevitable. Others think that, of course, sinners cannot be left without punishment and torment, but these torments will not last forever: the outcasts will suffer and suffer, and then go to heaven. How passionately we want to seem more merciful than the Lord Himself! But this invention is also untenable: for hell is not a place of purification, but a place of execution, tormenting without purifying. No matter how much hell burns someone, the burned one will still be just as unclean, worthy of the same burning, and not of heaven. That’s why there will be no end to the burning. But even if it were so, let’s give in to the absurd. For you and I, who are discussing this, if we are sinners, what benefit does it have? - None! There will still be flour, but who knows what it will be like? Maybe it will hurt so much that one minute will seem like a hundred years. I remember one legend about this. Someone, a reverent layman, it seems, did a lot of good, but sins also slipped through. To cleanse him from these sins, the Lord sent him a disease that did not respond to the art of medicine. He endured and became faint-hearted, and began to cry before the Lord. The Lord sent an Angel to him, who appeared and said to him: “Why are you complaining? For your own good, the Lord sent you this disease to cleanse you from your sins. Cleanse yourself, and the disease will end. For if you don’t cleanse yourself here, you will burn in the next world.” He said with extreme grief: “It would be better to suffer in the next world!” (This seems to play into the hands of those who think that torment is temporary, but that is not the purpose of the story.) “Okay,” said the Angel. - Want? You should have been sick for another three weeks, or three months. There you will have to suffer for this for three seconds.” “Three seconds,” the patient thinks to himself, “what’s going on here?!” And he agreed. As he agreed, he measured it. An angel took his soul and carried it to the place of torment. “Three seconds,” he said to the patient, “be patient. I’ll come as soon as they pass,” and disappeared. How this poor thing began to burn, how it began to burn, horror, how painful; but he endured it, thinking: three seconds... this moment will end. But the pain is getting worse and worse, and it seems like it’s time for the Angel to come, but he’s still not there. It seemed to him that a week had passed, a year had passed, ten years had passed, and still there was no Angel. There was finally no more urine. How he will scream! - The angel immediately appeared and asked: “What do you want?” - “Yes, you said that you would suffer for three seconds, but now ten years have passed.” - “What ten years? Just ten thirds.” - "Oh! Ouch! Ouch! - Father, you are mine! If so, take me back from here as soon as possible. I’m ready to lie in that disease for thirty years, just take it from here.” “Okay,” said the Angel; brought him back into the body, and he came to life. And he no longer stammered about the burden of his illness. This legend has been preserved to instill in us sinners the main thing: to complacently endure the sorrows sent for our cleansing from sins. And I take from it, regarding our speech, only the measurement of the duration of hellish torment. Do you see what passion? – One third seemed like a year. What will the year look like? Than tens, hundreds of years? This is terrible! - No! Let’s better give up all sin and, believing the Lord without sophistication in every word of His, repent and begin to live holy, as much as we have the strength to do so, without deceiving ourselves with the empty hope that we will have to suffer a little - nothing! Our wisdom does not give us anything good, but only arrogance breeds and relaxes our arms and legs to do good and avoid evil. Let's leave him! You'll get along well with him. To our minds everything seems so smooth and broad. Live your life as you want: nature! - You will die, - God is merciful! If you get a little, it’s okay, it will pass. “You should drink honey through his lips.” And then, when you die, the sudari will grab you, throw you into a warm place and lock you up with strong locks; shout, don’t shout, no one will care about us: these have already been assigned to the place. So you will stay there forever. So I got it wrong. Let us banish this wisdom and submit wholeheartedly to simple faith. If there were no revelation, there would be nothing to do - be wise. And in the event of revelation, who should become wise? We really can’t think of anything better than what the Lord has decreed. We are becoming wise, therefore, in vain, and not only in vain, but also to no avail, because we know that we do not only need to be wise, but also to bring it into action, but power and strength, apparently, are not in our hands. It’s the enemy who puts such clever ideas into our ears, and especially now multiplies them. Nothing calms you down more than the fear of hellish torment. And how much does the memory of this save from sin, or lead to repentance! So the enemy is trying in every possible way to remove this prejudice. After all, how cunning! Stands for God, protects the goodness of God; and yet he arms people against God and makes them fighters against God. He says that you are a smart guy or a smart girl... live as you want. And what about hell and torment - there is nothing there. Priests and monks made this up, crookedly interpreting the Word of God. What! “Our handsome men and beauties opened their ears and went into all sorts of troubles.” And the enemy stands there, bares his teeth and hits his palms. How much booty did he take into his hell in this way?! You also have it written: “How will the righteous enjoy undisturbed happiness, knowing that somewhere living beings are suffering and will certainly suffer? If they were able to be happy, then they would cease to be righteous, and such indifference to their neighbors in heaven would plunge them into the same hell from which they got rid of by practicing compassion and love for the suffering on earth.” This is a purely lawyerly technique - to show off with sophistry. If the righteous are condemned to hell for lack of compassion for the outcast, then where is God who judges?! – You all forget that hell is not a human invention, but was established by God, and by God’s judgment it will be filled. This is what He revealed to us in His Word. If so, then, therefore, such an action is not contrary to God and does not violate, let’s say, the internal harmony of divine properties, but, on the contrary, is required by it. If this is so in God, then how can this upset the blissful well-being of the righteous, when they are one spirit with the Lord? What the Lord considers right and proper, then so do they. If the Lord deems it necessary to send the unrepentant to hell, they will also be aware of this. And there is no place for compassion here. For those rejected by God will be rejected by them too; the feeling of affinity with them will be suppressed. And on earth, spiritual kinship is completely different from natural, and as soon as the latter does not agree with the first, it cools and completely disappears: relatives become alien to each other by blood. The Lord suggested this when He said: Who is My mother and brother? And he answered: He who does the will of My Father. If this is so on earth, then in heaven it will be revealed in extreme force, and especially after the last Judgment. The rejected will be present equally with those to whose place they will go, for whom eternal fire is prepared. You continue: “Will I really die for thinking about this dilemma and saying to myself: something is wrong here: either it was translated incorrectly, or the words of the Savior were interpreted incorrectly?” Whether you will perish because of this bewilderment is not for me to decide, but for the Searcher of hearts. Who sees everything, sees how and why thoughts arise, and blames or blames accordingly. But I must tell you that it is not safe to contradict the obvious definition of God, in favor of your own wisdom, the sophistic structure of which is so obvious. That perplexity comes is not always a sin, but when, when they appear, someone immediately takes their side, then there is the deceit of a weak-faithful and unloving heart. I already mentioned at the beginning that bewilderment should not be allowed to reach the heart, but as soon as it appears, fight it off, and then, giving peace to the faith of the heart, calmly seek clarification, without worrying too much, even if we do not have to immediately find it, for our faith stands on solid rock: this is how God commanded to believe. But this has already been written; I quoted your speech to qualify the following phrase: “Either they translated it wrong, or they interpreted it wrong.” This means that you think it is possible to think that we do not have the authentic Word of God and do not have the correct interpretation of it. Where did you get such a wise thought?! Here is the Greek original of the New Testament; Here is our Slavic translation, which completely agrees with it, as well as the Russian one. Read there, read here, everywhere you will read the true word of the Lord our Savior. And that this word is truly understood and correctly interpreted, the Holy Church guarantees you, which the Lord Himself set to be the pillar and affirmation of the truth. Here is our security! And deliver us, Lord, from allowing thoughts contrary to this! If we allow such thoughts (i.e., either there is no original, or the interpretation is not correct), then where do we stop and on what do we base our thoughts? It will be necessary either to leave the Word of God completely, as suspected of inauthenticity, or, holding it in your hands, search through guesses for what can be considered authentic, and this is the same as making up the Word of God for yourself. Behold the path of the Strauss and Renans! Both of these methods are worth each other. For the agent here and here is still the same mind. But look at history, how much this mind has messed up?! - And you will have to get lost. God forbid! Here among our neighbors (in the west) the mind operates on matters of faith. And what didn’t they say there?! Deliver us, Lord, from such trouble! Let's break away from the shore, and the waves of the mind's wisdom will begin to throw us hither and thither. And we'll disappear. You conclude: “If you answer that it is not my place to reason, I must believe blindly, then you will simply have to remain silent, remaining, however, unfortunately, in your bewilderment.” No, I will not say that it is not for anyone to talk about matters of faith. Where should we put our minds? But I will say that reasoning is different, and even if it’s different. Reason, reason, but do not weaken or shake your obedience to faith, because this is obedience to God, against whom you cannot argue. In your opinion, it turns out: if you don’t judge, faith is blind. But in fact, as I already wrote, it is true that faith is not blind, but seeing, not that which argues about the objects of faith, but which sincerely and unshakably believes, based on the conviction that God commanded to believe, like a child without reasoning believes the word of his father and mother. Reasoning comes to faith, and let him reason according to faith, without, however, assigning much weight to himself. We usually, when we think about what, we believe that we don’t even know what great deed we did, we rendered a service to faith, reinforced and supported it. But in the essence of the matter, reasoning does not add anything to the strength and significance of faith. On the contrary, whoever in the matter of faith begins to give more weight to his consideration and reasoning will thereby diminish the significance of his faith before God, just as one diminishes the power of wine by adding water to it. He who gives much weight to his reasoning believes in his own reason and not in God. And actually there is no longer any faith. So: to reason - why not reason, only in the area of ​​​​faith one must always reason according to the principles of faith and with submission to faith greater than attention to one’s reasoning. It seems that now I have already told you everything that I considered necessary to say based on your letter. And I finish. God bless you! Ep. Feofan. Letters to various persons on various subjects of faith and life. Ed. 2nd. M., 1892, p. 3–23 How Christians begin in us How does Christian life begin in us? We need to understand for ourselves when and how a truly Christian life begins in order to see whether the beginning of this life has been laid in us, and, if it is not, to know how to lay it, to what extent it depends on us. It is not yet a decisive sign of true life in Christ if someone is called a Christian and belongs to the Church of Christ. Not everyone who says to Me: Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom (Matthew 7:21). And he who is not of Israel is not Israel (Rom. 9:6). You can be among the Christians and not be a Christian. Everyone knows this. There is a moment, and a very noticeable moment, sharply marked throughout our lives, when someone begins to live like a Christian. This is the moment when the distinctive features of the Christian life begin to emerge in him. Christian life is zeal and strength to remain in active communion with God, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, with the help of God’s grace, by fulfilling His holy will, for the glory of His most holy name. The essence of Christian life consists in communion with God about Christ Jesus our Lord - in communion with God, which at the beginning is usually hidden not only from others, but also from oneself. The visible or felt evidence of it within us is the heat of active zeal, exclusively about Christian pleasing to God, with complete self-sacrifice and hatred of everything contrary to this. So, when this heat of jealousy begins, then the Christian life begins; and in whom it constantly acts, he lives like a Christian. We need to focus our attention a little longer on this distinctive feature. “Fire came to the earth,” says the Savior, “and how I wish it would burn (Luke 12:49). He says this about Christian life, and he says it because its visible evidence is zeal for pleasing God, kindled in the heart by the Spirit of God, similar to fire, for just as fire consumes the substance in which it is embedded, so zeal for life according to Christ consumes the soul that has received it. And just as during a fire the flames engulf the entire building, so the perceived fire of jealousy embraces and fills the entire being of a person. Elsewhere the Lord says: everyone will be salted with fire (Mark 9:49). And this is an indication of the fire of the spirit, which permeates our entire being with jealousy. Just as salt, penetrating a decomposable substance, protects it from rotting, so the spirit of jealousy, penetrating our entire being, drives out sin, which corrupts our nature both in soul and body, from all even the smallest of its containers and repositories, and thereby saves us from moral corruption and corruption. The Apostle Paul commands: not to quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19), not to be lazy with diligence, but to be on fire in the spirit (Rom. 12:II) - he commands this to all Christians, so that they remember that burning spirit, or non-slothful diligence, is an integral property of Christian life. In another place he says about himself: forgetting the things that are behind, but reaching out to the things that are before, I pursue with zeal for the honor of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13,14); and he instills in others: tetzite thus, that ye may comprehend (1 Cor. 9:24). This means that in Christian life, as a result of the heat of jealousy, there is a certain speed and spiritual vitality with which they take on works pleasing to God, trampling on themselves and willingly sacrificing all kinds of work to God, without self-pity. Establishing this concept, one can easily conclude that the cold fulfillment of the statutes of the Church, as well as regularity in affairs established by a prudent mind, serviceability, sedateness and honesty in behavior are not yet decisive indicators of what constitutes a truly Christian life in us. All this is good, but since it does not carry within itself the spirit of life about Christ Jesus, it has no value before God. Things of this kind will then be like soulless idols. And the good watch goes well; but who can say that there is life in them?! So it is here: often they only have a name that they are alive, while in reality they are dead (Apoc. 3:1). This integrity of behavior most of all leads to seduction. Its true meaning depends on the internal dispositions in which significant deviations from the essential truth are possible in the affairs of the right. Just as, by outwardly abstaining from sinful deeds, one can have attachment or co-delight for them in the heart, so, in the same way, by doing outwardly right deeds, one can have no heartfelt disposition towards them. Only true zeal wants to do good in all its fullness and purity, and pursues sin to its smallest shades. She seeks the former as her daily bread, but treats the latter as a mortal enemy. The enemy hates the enemy not only in his own person, but he hates his relatives and those he knows, even his things, his favorite color, in general, everything that in any way reminds him of him. The same is true zeal for pleasing God: it pursues sin in the slightest reminders or hints of it; for he is jealous of decisive purity. Without this, how much uncleanness can lie in the heart! And what kind of success can one expect when there is no impetuous zeal for Christian God-pleasing? What there is no labor will still be accomplished; but as soon as intense labor or any kind of self-sacrifice is required in something, refusal will immediately follow due to the inability to control oneself. For then there will be nothing to rely on to motivate oneself to a good deed: self-pity will undermine all supports. If any other impulse besides the one indicated is mixed in, then it will turn a good deed into an evil one. The spies under Moses were afraid because they felt sorry for themselves. The martyrs willingly went to their death because they were burned by an internal fire. A true zealot not only does what is lawful, but also advice and every good suggestion, secretly imprinted in the soul; He does what he imagines, but he is inventive for good, entirely concerned with one lasting, true, eternal good. “Everywhere we need,” says Saint John Chrysostom (discourse 31 on Acts), “zeal and much kindling of the soul, ready to take up arms against death itself; for otherwise it is impossible to receive the Kingdom.” The work of piety and communion with God is a difficult and painful task; especially at first. Where can I get the strength to carry out all this work? With the help of God's grace - in animated zeal. A merchant, a warrior, a judge, a scientist go through a laborious and laborious service. How do they support themselves in their labors? - Inspiration and love for your work. There is no other way to support yourself on the path of piety. And without this, we will find languor, burden, boredom, and lethargy in serving God. And the slug goes, but with illness, while for the fast chamois or the agile squirrel, movement and transition are pleasure. Zealous pleasing to God is a joyful, spirit-inspiring procession towards God. Without it, you can ruin the whole thing. We must do everything for the glory of God, in spite of the sin living in us; and without this we will do everything only out of habit, according to the demands of decency, because this has been done for a long time, and this is what others do. We must do everything; Otherwise, we will do something else, and not another, and, moreover, without any contrition or even memory of the omissions. Everything must be done with attention and prudence as the main thing; otherwise we will do as we had to. So, it is clear that without zeal a Christian is a bad Christian - lethargic, relaxed, lifeless, neither warm nor cold - and life is not life. Knowing this, we strive to show ourselves to be true zealots of good deeds, in order to be truly pleasing to God, having no filth or vice, or anything from such. So, true testimony about Christian life is the fire of active zeal for pleasing God. The question now is, how is this fire kindled? Who are its manufacturers? Such zeal is produced by the action of grace, but not without the participation of our free will. The Christian life is not a natural life. This must also be its beginning, or its first awakening. Just as plant life awakens in a seed when moisture and warmth penetrate to the sprout hidden in it, and through them the all-restoring power of life, so Divine life awakens in us when the Spirit of God penetrates the heart and lays there the beginning of life in the spirit, purifies and gathers together the darkened and broken features of the image of God. Desire and free search are awakened (by external action), then grace descends (through the Sacraments) and, combined with freedom, gives rise to powerful jealousy. And no one should think of giving birth to such a force of life on his own; one must pray for it and be ready to receive it. The fire of jealousy with power is the grace of the Lord. The Spirit of God, descending into the heart, begins to act in it not only with consuming, but also with all-pervasive jealousy. Others come to the thought: why is this an act of grace? Can't we do good deeds ourselves? So we did this and that good deed. We'll live and do something else. Rarely, perhaps, did not dwell on this issue. Others say that we cannot do anything good on our own. But here the matter is not about individual good deeds, but about the rebirth of all life, about new life, about life as a whole - one that leads to salvation. Given the opportunity, it is not difficult to do something even very good, just as the pagans did. But let someone deliberately determine himself to do unforgiving good deeds, determine its order according to the instructions of the Word of God - and this is not for one month or year, but for the whole life - and resolve to remain unswervingly in this order, and then, when he remains faithful to it, let him boast of his strength; But without this, wouldn’t it be better to stop your mouth? How many experiences have there been and are there of self-made beginnings and organization of Christian life? And they all ended and end in nothing. The person stands for a while in the newly chosen order and then gives up. How else? No strength. Only the eternal power of God is capable of maintaining us unchanged in our disposition amid the continuous tides of temporary changes. Therefore, we must be filled with this power, ask for it and accept it according to rank - and it will lift us up and get us out of this temporary unrest. Turn to experience and see when such thoughts of self-satisfaction come? When a person is in a calm state, when nothing bothers him, nothing seduces him or attracts him to sin, then he is ready for the most holy and pure life. But a little movement of passion or temptation - where are all the vows?! Doesn’t a person who leads an intemperate life often say to himself: now I won’t do it again. But the saturation of passion has passed, a new urge arises, and he again appears in sins. It’s good to talk about suffering grievances when everything goes according to our will and not contrary to pride. Here, perhaps, the feeling of insult or anger that others indulge in will seem strange. But if you happen to be in a similar position, then one look, not just a word, will drive you crazy. So one can, in arrogance, dream of the possibility of oneself, without higher help, leading a Christian life when the spirit is at peace. But when the evil that has settled at the bottom of the heart is disturbed like dust by the wind, then in their own experience everyone will find condemnation of their arrogance. When thought after thought, desire after desire - one worse than the other - begins to disturb the soul, then everyone will forget about himself and involuntarily cry out with the Prophet: waters have come down into my soul: a coal miner in the depths of the depths (Ps. 68:2). Oh, Lord, hurry up! (Ps. 117:25). Doesn’t it often happen like this: someone dreams of being in goodness in self-confidence. But then a person or thing is imagined, a desire is born, a passion is aroused: a person is carried away and falls. After this, all that would be left to do is look at yourself and say: how bad this is! But then an opportunity for entertainment presented itself, and he was ready to forget himself again. Next, someone insulted: abuse, reproaches, and judgment began; an unfair but profitable deal presented itself, and he takes it upon himself: he humiliated one, shared with another, pushed a third out of his place, and all this after he boasted of the ability to behave holy himself, without much help from above. Where is the strength? – The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). You see good and do evil: I want to do good, for evil is present with me (Rom. 7:21). We are in captivity: redeem us, Lord! One of the first enemy slander against us is the thought of arrogance, i.e. if not rejection, then lack of feeling the need for grace-filled help. The enemy seems to be saying this: “Don’t go there - to the light, where they want to give you some new strength! “You’re already good enough for me.” The person surrenders to peace. Meanwhile, the enemy - where he will throw a stone (trouble), where he will lead you to a slippery place (the delights of passions), where he will strew closed snares with flowers (a bright environment). Without looking back, a person strives further and further, and does not realize that he is falling lower and lower, until, finally, he descends to the very bottom of evil - to the threshold of hell. Isn’t it necessary in this case to shout to him, like the first Adam: “Man, where are you? Where did you go? This appeal is the action of grace, which forces the sinner to look at himself for the first time. So, if you want to start living like a Christian, seek grace. The minute when grace descends and combines with your will will be the minute of the birth of Christian life - strong, solid, fruitful. Where to find and how to receive the grace that begins life? The acquisition of grace and the sanctification of our nature by it is accomplished in the Sacraments. Here we offer God’s action, or we present our obscene nature to God, and He transforms it through His action. It pleased God, in order to defeat our proud mind, at the very beginning of true life, to hide His power under the canopy of simple matter. We do not understand how this happens, but the experience of all Christianity testifies that it cannot be otherwise. There are two sacraments, mainly related to the beginning of Christian life: Baptism and Repentance. That is why the rules regarding the beginning of a truly Christian life are gathered around Baptism, and others around Repentance. Ep. Feofan. The path to salvation. Third part. M., 1899. Guide to spiritual life (According to the letters of Bishop Theophan) Trouble and - deliverance! The Lord reminded you that we are surrounded by troubles, and deliverance is near. Glory to God's love for mankind! You always have plenty of opportunities to be patient. Be grateful and patient. And it is the mercy of God that He will arrange for you a narrow and sorrowful path leading to life, if you meet and see off these cases properly. Grant you, Lord, such an attitude towards them! (Issue 8, letter 1395, p. 137) A blessed state of mind The good state that you experienced is the fruit of the grace of God that has overshadowed you. It is given to everyone who sincerely turns to the Lord. This is what Saint Macarius of Egypt says about it. And it is given at the beginning, and then it is hidden. The Lord only makes it clear by this that there is something to work for and to pursue after Him. This state cannot be equal to any natural delight. It is exclusive, and is experienced only by the touch of the Lord in the soul. Did you notice the place where it felt? You need to notice this well so that you can pay attention to that place later. It's in the heart. It is not in our power to prolong this state, but it is possible to produce something similar to it through sobriety. God bless you! (Issue 8, letter 1463, p. 216) God's grace. How to warm it up in ourselves The grace of the Holy Spirit is with us from the moment of Baptism and Confirmation. Church prayers, home prayers, labors of asceticism and good deeds develop this gift and give it scope to act in us. The best means for this is heartfelt prayer, which itself should be considered the fruit of the Spirit and at the same time the attractor of the Spirit. In this sense, church prayer for the Holy Spirit is attractive to the Spirit. (Issue 2, letter 342, p. 211) God's Grace and Sin's Attacks Are internal temptations or external sorrows and hardships not approaching ahead? This is the thought of Saint Isaac. You will feel, he says, the special effect of grace - look strictly in all directions - no misfortune would burden you. But closer than sorrowful misfortunes are fits of self-praise... Then collect everything from your previous life that, in good conscience, you cannot praise, and cover up rebellious thoughts with this, just as sometimes a flash of fire is covered up with earth, so that a small fire does not start from a small one. Self-praise and self-worth are followed by sinful thoughts and movements, and many other things. Save you from all this, Lord! (Issue 3, letter 531, p. 227) Grace from above. Its effect on the soul What Saint Simeon says, that grace makes one despise and forget everything earthly and heavenly, temporary and eternal, by this he means everything created, every creature. For when grace is kindled, then the heart is filled with love for God, and true love for God makes there is nothing for the soul except it and God. This is what Saint Simeon says. (Issue 8, letter 1252, p. 27) You are doing charity work. Help you, Lord. This is the most difficult and anxious work, although it is always accompanied by deep consolation. They say about some paint that it penetrates so deeply and tenaciously into the substance being painted that it remains forever... This is how charity colors the soul! It reflects the light of Godlikeness most of all. Help you, Lord! (Issue 2, letter 300, p. 158) God. How to Represent God During Prayer God has no form and is invisible. God the Son is seen in human nature, since He took on this nature in His person... Therefore, He can be imagined as a man in all cases that are described in the Holy Gospel. This will be a historical imagination. His divine nature is invisible and has no image. The Holy Trinity exists outside of creation and how it exists is unthinkable for us. When praying to God, it is better not to imagine Him in any way, but only to believe that He exists, is nearby... and sees and hears everything... We must pray to Him for this. (Issue 3, letter 500, p. 177) I believe that you often have the question: what to do, what to do? I also believe that the answer to this is also given in your heart - what to do other than save your soul. And this is the answer to all accidents. When the soul is saved, everything else be gone, or whatever it may be, the salvation of the soul is reconciled with all orders, and not only reconciled, but revives and sanctifies them all. You must surrender your life into the hands of God. And He will arrange everything in the best possible way. But He is already building. And everything that has happened to you so far is His providence for you... whether you believe it or not, if God builds everything about you, and you don’t believe, don’t confess, then you see for yourself that holding yourself in this way in relation to God is a very wrong thing. We must accept everything from the hand of the Lord and give thanks for everything. Please write this in your heart. And the first thing to do is to make sure of this. Review all the accidents of your life - and in everything you will see the beneficial finger of God, and thank the Lord. (Issue 8, letter 1415, p. 153) It grieves you to see the violation of God’s commandments. But how does the most pure, omnipresent, all-seeing God bear our sins? On the outside we all look like something, but on the inside... alas! And yet the Lord endures, waiting for us to come to our senses someday and begin to correct our souls. (Issue 8, letter 1237, p. 17) God's provision and bitterness. How to understand them You ask - how is it that those who were ordained believed?.. Therefore, those who did not believe were not ordained? Why are they to blame? Your bewilderment stems from the idea that some believe because they were provided for, while others do not believe because they were not provided for. The thought is wrong; for the opposite happens: provision comes from believing, and failure to provide from disbelief. God sees in advance the life of a person as a whole... and decides: this one should be among the believers and saved, and this one should not be... The definition of God is a conclusion from the whole life of a person; life itself flows both according to the inclinations of will, and according to the influence of Divine Providence on it, both inside and outside... God does everything to enlighten man. If, after all the care for him, he sees him not wanting to improve, then he leaves him, as if saying: well, there’s nothing to do, stay. God does not want the death of the sinner, but he does not force the will either, and only does everything to incline the will towards good. He foresees all such things about everyone, and as He foresees, so He determines. In the same way, it is decided how God closes his ears so that they do not hear... and also - how he hardens... God uses everything to bring a person to his senses: one thing does not humble him, another he does for him, another unsuccessfully, a third he uses... so on to the end. He who submits is saved; and whoever does not obey, from the first admonition to the last, becomes more and more hardened and, finally, becomes worthless and incorrigible. This is the result that is meant by the words: God has closed your ears, or hardened... This is an image of God’s definition: there is nothing more I can do for you so that you can hear - you will not hear anything anymore, remain as if deaf... The same goes for hardness... Make it a rule for yourself - in such perplexities, remind your mind that the predestination of God, whether in relation to each person individually, or in relation to entire nations, are the hidden advice of God, completely incomprehensible to us. In that which is incomprehensible, one must immediately force one’s mind to bow under the yoke of faith, or to flee under the shelter of faith. There is no doubt that the Providences of God are as distant from human thoughts as heaven from earth. If we cannot reach the sky with our hands in order to touch the Divine things there, there is no point in staring there with our minds in order to tangibly know how things are. It is enough to know that this is what God said: “No one knows the message of God, but the Spirit of God living in Him.” There is no point in attempting to comprehend what is proclaimed incomprehensible. Nowadays there is no restraint from interrogation. Everything needs to be brought to a clear understanding. And they don’t want to listen to anything... take it out and put it down. How is God one and threefold? How did God the Son become incarnate, being infinite? How is the Ever-Virgin Mother of God? Like bread and wine - the Body and Blood of the Lord?.. And the whole structure of our faith and the Church is mysterious... and give and explain all this... Our little mind is like a mosquito, but everything squeaks! The Savior said: No one knows that there is a Son, except the Father; and no one knows what the Father is, except the Son. The same should be understood about the Holy Spirit. Why strive, since God is one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit? The Apostle says: The great mystery of piety is God appearing in the flesh. Why come here with your wisdom? The same applies to everything: one must humbly submit to the definitions of faith that came from the mouth of God, although this is incomprehensible to the mind. What is the worship of the mind to God? - in the humble acceptance of His verbs, as the truest. If someone told you: put your shoulder against the house and push it down the hill. Would you do this? Of course not, knowing that this is impossible. And if you did, wouldn’t those who see it have the right to think that your head is not right? This is the verdict deserved by everyone who is trying to unravel the mysteries of God, which God Himself said were incomprehensible. Today we walk by faith and not by sight. There is no sin in trying to bring the mysteries of God closer to our understanding with obedience to faith, but blessed are those who, without seeing, believe. I think that's the mood you're in. (Issue 6, pas. 959, p. 60) God's truths and their effects What's a winning thought? When someone turns to God, there is struggle, self-love and peace on the one hand, and God’s truths on the other. A person goes through these truths and overcomes the self and the world, but not all of these truths have the same effect on everyone: one has more effect on one, and another on another. But among them there is one for everyone, which, as soon as it comes into consciousness, immediately inclines a person to the side of God. This truth ends in victory in the first struggle, and in private struggles it also drives away enemies. What are these truths? Please read the second part of the book “The Path to Salvation” - about confession and repentance - and you will see. (Issue 8, letter 1344, p. 98) God's penance. What is its characteristic feature Pray to the Lord not to deprive you of your former mercy and help. And it won’t deprive you. But there will be penance. The Lord has his own penance imposed on every guilty person, which consists in the fact that He immediately accepts the repentant person into mercy, but does not return the former to him immediately, but waits for contrition and humility to approach. If someone torments himself mercilessly, he will soon return, but if he gives himself some indulgence, then not soon. Here's the program for you. Please keep all this in mind... and work... Above all, keep yourself in humility and in faith and surrender to the Lord. And everything will come to its order. (Issue 8, letter 1461, p. 201) One could find a reason for abandonment - a preference for internal work over this external one - this is a very compelling reason: for internal work has no price, and nothing should be preferred to it, but for the sake of it, you could leave the labors that lie and are imposed on you in such a case when these labors would interfere with him and ruin him. But this cannot be said. You have an unceasing prayer to the Lord. Didn't current affairs interfere with her formation? One must assume that they will not interfere if a small fraction is added to them. These things are only seemingly mundane, but in essence they are not of an earthly nature. The soul's being with the Lord, which is the whole essence of internal activity, does not depend on us. The Lord visits the soul, it is with Him, and plays before Him, and is warmed by Him. As soon as the Lord departs, the soul becomes empty and it is not at all in its power to bring back the Good Visitor of souls to itself. But the Lord departs, torturing the soul, and sometimes He departs, punishing not for external deeds, but for something accepted by the soul within. When the Lord departs, torturing the soul, then when it screams, He soon turns back. And when he departs, punishing, it is not soon, until the soul recognizes the sin, and repents, and mourns, and suffers penance. Now, if you leave the matter and thereby go against the will of the Lord, do you think that He will remain with your soul? If it is a sin against Him, and He becomes angry, He will go away and not return. And it will happen that what is done for the benefit of internal work will turn to its detriment, and even to its complete destruction. (Issue 1, pas. 1, p. 5) 1. They serve us both for salvation and for destruction. Enduring illness is martyrdom Your health has deteriorated. Shaky health can also shake salvation when grumbling speeches and cries of despair are heard from the lips of the sick person. May God help you get rid of this and that trouble!.. Do you see where I’m going with this?! Such speeches erupt from you, and speeches, of course, come from feelings and thoughts; these latter are of such a kind that with them the work of salvation is not valid. Please heed this and get better... Health and illness in the hands of God's Providence for us are means to salvation when they use both in the spirit of faith... But they also lead to destruction when they are treated capriciously. What you especially need is patience that is complacent and submissive to God. As soon as such a disposition appears in your soul, you will immediately enter the path of salvation - to heaven. And look, then be inspired!.. You had surgery. Grant, Lord, that she will do the work for which she was adopted. May the Lord have mercy and save you!.. You have another pain from your daughter’s illnesses... I’ll tell you what... Since you have already tried all possible means, then there is only one thing left for you - to make peace with this grief and bear it with obedience to God, believing that all this illness is necessary for the salvation of you and your daughter..., as well as her husband. Having made peace in this way, keep yourself calm and lend the same calm to your daughter. Remember the position of the martyrs, who sometimes, being tortured, were left in prison for several years - 5, 10, 20. But they humbly endured and were complacent, having heaven before their eyes... for their patience. (Issue 3, pas. 470, p. 113) 2. Their moral significance Endure your soreness complacently and thank God for it... because if it weren’t for it, you might be walking upside down, but now you’re sitting and walking as you should. Another benefit is that if you were healthy, you should, if you decided to actively work for your salvation, keep strict fasts, vigils, long prayers, stand for general church services and other works. Now this is replaced by the patience of pain. Be patient and don’t worry about anything else. Just hold your soul as it should. Your spiritual side is intact. Consequently, with this you must serve God in all its fullness: be sober and watchful, have a contrite and humble spirit, remain in prayer (mindful and heartfelt, contemplating the Lord before you), drive away thoughts, nourish humility, not condemn, rejoice with those who rejoice, grieve with those who mourn, remember God and the hour of death, and so on... Here is salvation for you! (Issue 1, letter 33, p. 35) Everyone needs to keep in mind the law according to which the Lord measures our fate on earth. Everything here is from the Lord, from small to large, and this is a means of preparing for the future life. The meaning of illness and health is the same; This is the meaning of your illness N. On the road to the future blissful life, she certainly, according to God’s wise and good Judgment, must endure what she endures. Assimilate this view and instill the same in her, and what is painful in this illness will cease to burden the soul and will calm it down. Faith is a healer of the soul, inspired by hope and warmed by love. Having established yourself in this conviction, have all your care and heartfelt concern for treatment, but with peace of mind and surrendering everything to the will of God. Let N. settle down this way too. Earthly happiness is also good in its own way. But if the Lord finds that it is better for me not to have that part of this happiness that depends on health, God’s will be done! The love of my husband, mother, father, and relatives is enough for me. I give thanks to the Lord for this and for what is given and what is not given. May the Lord only give me complacency and patience and such a mood of spirit with which I am not ashamed to appear before the Lord. (Issue 3, pas. 466, p. 109) Turn to the doctor, but at the same time, pray more than the Lord and His saints to enlighten him to guess the medicine. And run to the holy saints, and do everything that pious people do in such cases (just don’t know the healers). For you do not know where God’s help is hidden for her. May be. God judged her to be like this because it was saving for her. And she will remain like this throughout her life for the sake of her salvation. Or God sent this illness for a while to test the faith of her and her parents. God alone knows all this. Illness is not a shame and is not a sign of God’s rejection. On the contrary, and this is the mercy of God. Everything is mercy from God: even illness, even poverty, even misfortune. Let the sister pray more earnestly to God, but while praying, let her not say: “Give me health,” but “Thy will be done, Lord!” Glory to Thee, Lord! If it pleases You, Lord, deliver, and if it does not please, be Your will. I believe that this (illness) is good, just like good health. I thank You, merciful Creator!” (Issue 1, pas. 38, p. 39) Everything is from God: illness, health, and everything that is from God is given to us for our salvation. So you, too, accept your illness and thank God for the fact that he cares about your salvation. What exactly is sent by God that serves for salvation, you don’t have to look for it, because maybe you won’t know. God sends something as a punishment, as penance, another as a discipline, so that a person comes to his senses, and another, to save him from the trouble that a person would get into if he were healthy; another thing is for a person to show patience and thereby deserve a greater reward; other, in order to cleanse me from all passion, and for other reasons... You, when you remember your sins, say: “Glory to You, Lord, that You imposed penance on me as punishment!” When you remember that before you did not always remember God, say: “Glory to You, Lord, that You have given me the reason and the knowledge to remember You more often!” When the thought comes to you that if you were healthy, you would do something different and not good, say: “Glory to Thee, Lord, that you do not allow me to sin,” and so on... So be complacent! There is no sin in being treated, even though the illness comes from God; for God gives healing intelligence, and God created medicines. Therefore, when resorting to a doctor and medicine, you will not resort to what is outside of God’s ways and institutions. These conspiracies are not God’s, there is no point in going there. (Issue 1, pas. 42, p. 41) In illness, learn humility, patience, complacency and gratitude to God. That intolerance comes is a human matter. If he comes, he needs to drive him away. That's why there is a feeling of hardship, so that there is something to endure. If the burden is not felt, then there is no patience. But when a feeling of burden comes and is accompanied by a desire to throw it off, then there is nothing sinful here. This is a natural feeling! Sin will begin when, as a result of this feeling, the soul succumbs to impatience and begins to incline toward grumbling. A feeling has come, we need to drive it away. Thank God. (Issue 8, letter 1343, p. 97) God sent the disease. Give thanks to the Lord, because everything that comes from the Lord is for good. If you feel and see that you yourself are to blame, then start with repentance and regret before God for not taking care of the gift of health given by Him. And then, nevertheless, reduce it to the fact that illness is from the Lord, for every constraint of circumstances is from the Lord, and nothing happens by chance. And after this, thank the Lord again. Illness humbles, softens the soul and eases its usual heaviness from many worries. (Issue 8, letter 1298, p. 61) 5. How to pray during illnesses There is no sin in praying for recovery. But we must add: if you will, Lord! Complete submission to the Lord, with obedient acceptance of what is sent as good from the Good Lord, and gives peace to the soul... and appeases the Lord... And He will either heal you or fill you with consolation, despite the deplorability of the situation. (Issue 1, letter 35, p. 37) 6. There are those whose healing the Lord prohibits There are diseases, the healing of which is prohibited by the Lord when He sees that illness is more necessary for salvation than health. (Issue 6, letter 1018, p. 167) Fighting earthly desires Our spirit is restored by the grace of God in the strength to resist attractions to the earth from the soul and body. He has already been restored among Christians. But inattention to him and his work means that earthly things manage to carry us away and, like fog, obscure the sky. The best way to strengthen our spirit in its struggle with soul and body - with an attraction to earthly things, is the memory of the exodus and the subsequent Judgment and predetermination of our fate. Take the trouble to put yourself in the state of someone who is dying - now, - and now has to stand before the Judgment - and at the same time arouse the corresponding feelings - see what will happen? I believe that all earthly threads will be torn by this, and only one perception will remain in the heart: O Lord! save me! Nothing revives the fear of God with all its fruits more than putting oneself in this state and feeling it. You need to tease your heart with various stimulating thoughts. And if you leave it like that, it will become overgrown with thorns and thistles - insensibility, negligence, inattention. (Issue 8, letter 1341, p. 95) Don’t look at the fact that there is such instability everywhere. There is an immutable truth in faith - and here is proof for you... Just as faith was instilled in the beginning through preaching, I hasten the Lord and confirm the word with subsequent signs; so after that it was supported and is still supported by the tangible presence of the power of God among the believers, in the Holy Church, testified by signs. Here the Lord says: “Behold, I am with you,” as He promised to be with us until the end of the age. If the Lord is with us, who can be against us? God promised of old: “I will dwell in them (those who believe His word), and I will go forth, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” And we see this being fulfilled on us today. In our memory, there have already been many certificates of this. Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God! And the Lord inspires those who are mistaken: “Why are you tossed about by every wind of doctrine? This is where the pillar and foundation of My truth is. Like a finger I show you the right and unforgettable path. Cling to the Church, in which I demonstrate My power, and get rid of the destruction into which your empty wisdom will plunge you.” (Issue 2, letter 273, p. 125) Why and by whom are they sent? You always do your own thing, and what you encounter from outside is not from you. God sends, and God sends this to the exam. Having sent, he watches how you act. If you act wisely and fairly. He gives you the best points, and if otherwise, he gives you different points. Then a summary of points will be made... And what turns out to be in the end, that’s why you will be issued a certificate. The certificate is written not on paper, but on the forehead. In the other world, the gatekeepers will immediately see where you should go... This is not the place for you... it will be sad to hear. (Issue 8, letter 1419, p. 157) Paying attention to yourself in family life What could we do wrong in paying attention to ourselves? What should we do? The Lord sees that this is not so much from negligence as from your circumstances... and forgives you for the sake of your grief about it. One cannot demand from everyday people such concentration as is obligatory for those who have left everyday orders. It can be hard, such is earthly life! Who is free from this?! But manage to fill all hours of the day with your activities, so that you don’t have time for everything... and there will be less boredom. Otherwise, get used to being with the Lord... This is the highest way not to notice the flow of life. May the Lord arrange your inner life! (Issue 8, letter 1310, p. 70) Attention to the internal movement of the heart Bless you, Lord, to stand patiently in your chosen order of life. Attention to what happens in the heart and comes from it is the main thing in a Christian life. This puts both the internal and external in proper order. But reasoning must always be applied to attention in order to examine as it should; what happens inside and what is required by the outside. Without reasoning and attention to nothing. Where can I get the reasoning? In a conscience enlightened by the knowledge of the Divine will spoken in the Gospel and the Apostolic Epistles. This way very successfully determines what can and cannot be allowed in actions, words and undertakings. May the Lord make you wise. (Issue 5, issue 764, p. 17) Why does it happen and how to deal with it You ask: “What should you do when there is a split inside?” First of all, know that this is not a bad thing, but a normal turn of spiritual life. When our spirit awakens through the action of grace, then it rushes to God, and directs everything there. Even after this, the egoistic disposition still remains and asserts its rights, attracting both feeling and will to itself, according to the old custom. That is why everyone experiences, like the Apostle: “I want to do good with me, but I see that evil is present to me.” Here is the split. What can I do here? Always take the side of the spirit, and drive away and suppress the demands of the egoistic carnal man. This is spiritual warfare. It is short... As soon as you notice a movement inside that is contrary to the spirit... reject it with your heart, strike this movement with some kind of hostility - and immediately turn to the Lord in prayer, and He will help. Sincere rejection of evil and sincere prayer to the Lord always win and internal division is stopped... That's all that is needed. (Issue 6, letter 958, p. 58) "Disturbance within." You correctly determined that it has its own value. From self-worth, self-conceit, for the sake of self-conceit, grace departs; For anyone who is high-hearted is an abomination to the Lord. And without grace, what are we?! - That's the trouble. She is an admonishing scourge, and without saying anything she says: stop, where are you going, you insignificant creature?! And you still ask: “Can humility really be learned only through falling?!” Thank God that there are such intelligible retreats of grace! If even with them we are complacent and superior, what would happen without them? (Issue 6, letter 967, p. 80) The will of God is the norm of life, the guiding principle, and the first motivator for action. How to find out the will of God? Much in life is determined by direct commandments. In this case, there is nothing to think about, but just do it directly. When it happens that although God’s commandment is clear, but its application is unclear, then the question cannot be avoided: what to do? Sometimes this is decided by one’s own past experiences, sometimes by the experiences of others, sometimes by asking those who live good, sometimes by guidance and conclusions from what is known from the Word of God, sometimes by prayer, according to the action of which God decides on the heart what to do. The latter would be the most reliable. But our inner being is not always such that the inspiration of God is clearly heard in our hearts. – The fathers have a rule: pray up to three times, and wherever your heart inclines, do so. Having learned the will of God, we must pray for help in carrying it out... Deliver you, Lord, from arrogance. We ourselves must exert ourselves with all our might, but always expect successful completion from the Lord, remembering His word: “Without Me you cannot do anything.” Here we must be wary lest a thought creep in, and even more so a feeling: “I am not like the others...” And we must also be wary of dreamy hopes: oh, now everything will work out for me... this way and that... “a miracle, how good.” Such dreams always end in shame... Beware of all this, so be careful and you will comprehend it. (Issue 6, letter 959, p. 60) The power of the Resurrection of Christ is inexpressibly great! We must not only have a bright understanding of him, but also enter into sympathy with him: for Christ was risen not for Himself, but for us; co-resurrected us. To see this co-resurrection by faith, and to receive joy from it - grant, Lord! (Issue 8, letter 1346, p. 100) “After a good deed there is vanity, after a bad one there is hopelessness of salvation...” These are the usual attacks of the enemy. Against the first, expose your sins and mistakes. Against the second is the confidence that there is no sin that overcomes God’s mercy. The death of the Lord was the price for all sins, no exceptions... (You have noticed the power of the good army with prayer and deign to hold them and renew and strengthen them in every possible way.) (Issue 3, letter 499, p. 175) Often accompanied by temptation What happens to you during fasting... fear, excitement... it must be assumed that it comes from the enemy. He's probably getting something from you. Confession and Communion scorch him and drive him away. So he, foreseeing this, raises the alarm. Try not to depart from the memory of God and the memory of death. Not only during fasting, but also at all times, they drive him away and scorch him, and will not give you an attack. You see for yourself how soul-saving fasting is for you... and you can command yourself to fast more often. (Issue 3, letter 474, p. 117) You also wrote about hearing certain voices - the thought of the ancient fathers - do not pay attention to this, without delving into the reasons. Think this way yourself and teach others... Inattention will shame your enemies, and they will stop performing such miracles. (Issue 5, letter 932, p. 220) Pride, anger, condemnation You complain about pride, anger, condemnation. The last two are from the first. Seek humility, and anger and condemnation will go away by themselves. Against anger - clench your teeth and remain silent. This is the first, initial reception. The second, when he takes it away, is to move away a little so as not to see the one who arouses anger. When this doesn’t make your anger go away, and you have to say stupid things and wrongs, find a rope - a thick one - and go to your sister. Having bowed to her, say: good sister, do me a service, with this rope give me a good blow. You can prescribe a measure - five, ten blows, as long as it is sensitive. Do this after every angry outburst. This technique is also good against pride. Against condemnation, quickly remember your sins and keep them before your consciousness, and condemnation will go away. Fight in every possible way against these and other passions, driving away their very beginnings and pursuing their movements, with prayer to the Lord. (Issue 5, letter 833, p. 117) Spirit burning and cooling How to support the first and not allow the other God begins life, God leads in it. Therefore, we must resort to Him and always resort and wait for a decision from Him. How He decides, and how His decision reaches the heart, you cannot understand, but it is certain that every deed pleasing to Him is aroused by Him and brought to completion by Him. “Without Me you can do nothing,” says the Lord (John 15:5). And this is how it happens. And none of those who please Him of their own accord does what pleases Him. Our relationship with God is all marked by prayer. The whole point, therefore, is in prayer. Lean on it. When there is jealousy, there will be life, and life never stands in one place, therefore there will be prosperity. But you cannot notice it, just as you cannot notice the growth of children, who are always in front of your eyes. This zeal is the fruit of grace. The Lord has called you. Always confess this with full thanksgiving. If He called, He will not abandon Him, just do not shrink away from Him. For not everything is from the Lord, but some is also from us. What from us? All-powerful action to please God. It will be as long as there is jealousy; it is evidenced by a burning concern for salvation. You have to run in every possible way to cool down. Cooling happens like this: it begins with oblivion... The good deeds of God are forgotten, and God Himself, and one’s salvation in Him, the danger of being without God, and mortal memory fades away - in a word, the entire spiritual realm is closed. If you don’t want to fall into this abyss, then beware of the first step - oblivion. Therefore, always walk in the remembrance of God, i.e. about God and God's things. This will maintain sympathy for them, and from both of them jealousy will constantly simmer. And behold life! (Issue 2, letter 255, p. 84) There are more sorrows on earth than joys. God sends this and that: now for arousal from moral lull, now for the suppression of wrongs and sins, now for their repentant cleansing, now for the exaltation of obedience to God, who arranges everything for alms to show courage and patience for the glory of God and other high virtues. Any of these intentions of God is applicable to you. Pay attention to yourself and, having decided not to deviate from what God has judged, rest in the will of God, always wise and good. (Issue 3, letter 469, p. 112) What can we say about the bitter state of the world? From time immemorial he is like this and will remain so until the end of the century. But no matter how cunning or malicious he may be, he cannot stop the true flow of those who are sincerely zealous for salvation. For there is more in us than in the world. (Issue 8, letter 1363, p. 115) 1. Those who are confessed and mourned are not remembered at the Judgment Remember your sin and consider yourself worthy of punishment for it. And the Apostle Paul did not forget throughout his life that he was a persecutor of the Church, even though through his labors for the Church he could atone for the sins of ten persecutors. But take the other side from St. Paul as an imitation: the fact that even though he recognized himself as a former persecutor of the Church, he did not consider himself alien to salvation and said with confidence: “I have a crown... I wish to be separated from the body and be with Christ.” Sin, confessed, watered, hated, is blotted out from all the books in which it is written - the book of God's truth, from the book of our nature, from the book of our contacts with the visible and invisible world. Thus, he will no longer be remembered at the Judgment. With this in mind, it is necessary, without diminishing the sense of sinfulness, to always shower your soul with the hope of salvation. The Lord bore all our sins in His Body onto the Tree and there tore up their handwriting. We assimilate this through good faith, contrite confession, labor to blot out sins and hatred of them. (Issue 1, letter 118, p. 122) 2. Those who have confessed should not be commemorated in the spirit. Should we remember sins confessed and forsaken by God’s grace? There is no point in remembering them in spirit when they are already allowed... And in your prayer it is good to remember them, as the Holy Apostle Paul teaches. (Issue 1, letter 174, p. 197) 3. They leave a mark on a person’s soul You wrote that you get up at night and pray... This is very good... Pray with contrition and crying. That's when crying and tears are beautiful... but in church, suppress tears and only hold on to a broken spirit. Work in matters of salvation—work in every possible way, but place all your hope of salvation in the Lord the Savior. This point is very important... As soon as you deviate a little from the Lord in your trust, the whole matter is then distorted; for then the Lord retreats, as if saying: well, stay with what you place your trust in. And this, whatever it is, is completely insignificant. You are all mourning your sins... not being sure that God has forgiven you for them. Sins are immediately forgiven under the permission of the spiritual father. But their trace remains in the soul, and it languishes. With the progress of deeds in resisting sinful urges, these traces are erased, and at the same time the languor is diminished. When the traces are completely erased, then the languor will end. The soul will be confident of remission of sins. For this reason - a contrite spirit, a contrite and humble heart - form the basis of the feelings of the current path of salvation. “The further I go, the more shortcomings I discover.” Say: thank God! This is a sign that you are good... As soon as thoughts begin to appear that you are good... know that you are going astray... And take care and correct yourself. (Issue 3, letter 499, pp. 171, 175) Sins, repentance and God's mercy Your sins are great, and very great. But there is no sin that overcomes the mercy of God. Forgiveness of sins is given not according to our merits, but according to the mercy of a humane God, always ready to forgive as soon as someone turns to Him with repentance. And it is not the greatness and multitude of sins that makes one unworthy of forgiveness, but one impenitence. Once you have broken down and repented, forgiveness is already awarded to you in heaven, and at the moment of confession this heavenly decision is announced to you. The Lord Savior carried the handwriting of all the sins of people on His Body to the Cross and there tore it apart. The application of this action of boundless mercy to everyone is performed in the Sacrament of Repentance and happens in reality. He who has received permission from his spiritual father stands innocent before the face of God’s truth. The weakness of faith in this and the poverty of the hope of pardon are caused by our enemy. Sins do not happen without his suggestion. From them he creates a barrier between us and God. Repentance and Confession destroy this barrier. Knowing the power of this Sacrament, that it destroys all his labors and worries about the destruction of sinners, he tries in every possible way to stop its fruitfulness - either completely rejects it, or induces disbelief in its power and hopelessness of receiving forgiveness through it. Your lack of faith and hopelessness are his intrigues. Arm yourself against this and drive away the enemy and his suggestions. The Lord wants everyone to be saved, and therefore you too. According to the arrangement of our salvation through the incarnate economy, the Lord now has one concern - to attract everyone to Himself to grant them salvation. And He really attracts. Not a single sinner exists without this. And it attracts and calls us. What does your current concern for the salvation of the soul mean? It means the call of the Lord: come to Me, you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest! Is this concern your business? No! It was the Lord who gave her all. If the Lord has everything, then can there be any doubt that He will give you salvation? He encourages you to seek forgiveness of sins from Himself, of course, being ready to grant this forgiveness. Go to Him with full faith and do not let the enemy destroy your faith and hope of salvation. Saint Tikhon asserts that the enemy, when he inclines to sin, inspires: do not be afraid, God is merciful, and when he brings you to sin, then he troubles and twists the soul with fear, inspiring: there is no salvation for you. With such thoughts and others like them, work to restore your faith and hope of salvation. Bring to mind the prodigal son more often. The father did not wait for the prodigal son to reach him, but went out to meet him and, without waiting for his word, embraced him in his arms. Only, it turns out, God has a desire for the salvation of everyone; all God’s cares are directed here. Heavenly Father assures: I do not want the death of a sinner; What is the Son of God doing at the right hand of the Father? He always intercedes for us. What about the Holy Spirit? And He also intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered... So this is how things are in heaven. But the enemy wants to assure you that there is no mercy or salvation for you from God, who is angry with you. And you believe him... For God has no thought of not having mercy, but only one thought and one desire - to have mercy and to have mercy... Everyone come. You said that you had already abandoned your sins, and probably confessed and received permission. The enemy torments you only with lack of faith and weak hope. Reason and pray, stir up your faith and hope... Hope and faith cannot be strong without deeds and labors in the cause of salvation. If you please, apply these active labors, and faith and hope will immediately begin to come to life. What kind of affairs and works?.. 1st. Have an aversion to all sins - not only to deeds, but also to thoughts and sympathies for them. 2nd. Determine yourself to do things that are opposite to them. You must find and establish this for yourself, 3rd. The main thing is for the flesh to run away... It must be severely punished - put to death, 4th. Establish a prayer order at home and church... 5th. External relations should be streamlined and avoid cases that can excite movements of passions. I guess that you have strong pride and rebellion. Seek humility and obedience... Keep the memory of God and the memory of death, and do not let go of the thought that God sees you, you are under His eye, and be guarded from everything that is displeasing to Him. To help remember God and the work of salvation, memorize the 24 prayers of St. Chrysostom and read them more often. They are among the prayers for the future sleep. God bless you! Remember that no one can do for you what is needed for salvation. You must do this yourself. Help from the Lord is always ready, but it does not come to the one who does nothing, but only to the one who does, works, but cannot complete the task. (Issue 3, pas. 387, pp. 30–33) The Lord has mercy on the sinner when he brings Repentance You say that for you now there is only one God - all hope. This is how you should always feel; for without the will of God even thousands of human helpers will not help. And then they added that she is a sinner, and where should I dare to pray - this is sinful speech. The Lord turns away from sinners when they sin and remain in sin, without thinking of correcting themselves. And when they turn to Him with repentance and a desire to improve and a promise, and begin to do this, then the Lord leaves all the righteous and turns to sinners who turn to Him, and has mercy on them. You will act according to this order. Although I do not believe that there are outstanding sinners, but since there is no one without sin, then, of course, you are not alien to this common destiny... Therefore, please, do not refuse prayer with sinfulness and thereby cover up your laziness. In addition, know that someone else’s prayer can only help your own, and not replace it. This is our common limit - to pray ourselves and ask others for prayer. And the Savior promised that prayers together are always heard... (Issue 3, letter 468, p. 111) Good deeds and sinful ones. Attitude towards them When things saved us, then, of course, the points would be on the spot, like the students’ answers. But what is the salvation from works? If not from them, what is the need to write them down and remember them? In the matter of salvation, mathematical calculations are of no use, and they should have no application. Regarding what is good with us, or happens, there is one law: forget it. Does anyone remember that they are breathing? No, because it is in the order of things. So it is in moral life. What should be done, what should be remembered? This is in the order of things right. But as soon as something unkind is admitted, remember about it and sharpen your conscience so that it notices well, but why? To get better quickly. And this is how it happens. There is nothing to say about mortal sins: they are completely inappropriate for those who are zealous for salvation. Sins remain by chance - a word will break through, a thought will slip through, a feeling will stir - all this in such a way that conscience later finds it unkind and undue. Here is the rule about this: as soon as they are noticed, immediately cleanse them with internal repentance before the face of the Lord. You can limit yourself to this, and if your conscience is not satisfied, then at evening prayer you can remember this with contrition... and that’s the end. All such sins are cleansed by this act of internal repentance. (Issue 5, pas. 768, p. 21) How to do them so that there is no fuss You need to adjust yourself in such a way that you can do what’s possible without fuss... and, while doing one thing, don’t get ahead of yourself and take dozens of other things into your head. When the matter is determined, then you can take your attention away from it and keep it where it should, while the matter is in progress and comes to an end. When it ends and you need to start something else, then think about it... and, having thought it over and put it into action, again distract attention from it and keep it at home. And so on. Matins has begun... Well, let your soul be at Matins, don’t let it outside the church. After Matins, lunch must be ordered! Ordered, and that's the end... That's it. It is not the deeds that constitute mastery, but the manner in which they are performed. When one thing is being done, and hundreds are crowding in your head... You need to drive away all those things, and do one thing, and, moreover, do it with your hands, but keep your mind in its place. You need to learn all this and, it seems, you can learn it. (Issue 1, letter 13, p. 19) Annoyance and anger when someone violates your privacy are no good... This is the fruit of conceit: don’t you dare disturb me. This is where the enemy makes his living near you. Try not to give in to this feeling. Hostility and anger are permissible only when their subject is bad thoughts and feelings. (Issue 3, letter 476, p. 120) How does she heal? The mercy of God does not leave those who fall and get up Spiritual weakness is cleansed by confession, which is the beginning of its healing. The same healing continues... then ends with exploits against it (infirmity). The healing will end when passion becomes disgusting and ceases to attract. While this procedure is being carried out, the fighter is in mercy, although he receives sensitive wounds, falls and gets up. This mercy retreats only when someone has fallen and does not get up - he lies around. And if he falls and immediately gets up and again takes up arms to fight, the mercy does not leave. By doing this, dissolve the bitterness of your conscience. (Issue 1, pas. 88, p. 71) Should it be changed? Do not change your confessor... Even if he was on his deathbed and was in his memory... and then you can confess and this confession does not lose one iota of its power. When he himself does not refuse, why leave him. Should I talk? Yes, we’ve all talked about tea ten times... Now it’s enough for both you and him to say one word each. That's how you know each other. When there is a need to talk, then he will not refuse to say what is due, even with a sigh. (Issue 1, pas. 50, p. 47) How to be guided when he is not there 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 Nyametsky 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. (Issue 5, letter 917, p. 208) Spiritual attitude towards spiritual children The fact that you look harshly on those confessing is nothing, it’s okay. But don’t allow anything humorous in your behavior... Be cordial, friendly - in word, look, and manner... but without jokes. Otherwise, they will think that you are cutting corners. Love your students, that’s how it should be. 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 people 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. Left on your own, confess everything to God and ask for His admonition in all cases. (Issue 5, letter 924, p. 208) Spiritual Exaltation of the Cross And now the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Then they erected the Cross on a platform so that all the people could see and honor it. В воспоминание о сем ныне в храмах воздвигается Крест в монастырях. But all this is external. Есть духовное воздвижение креста в сердце. It happens when someone firmly decides on self-crucifixion or the mortification of their passions, which is so essential in Christians that, according to the Apostle, they alone are Christ’s who have crucified their flesh with passions and lusts. Having erected this cross within themselves, Christians keep it erected throughout their lives. Is this so, let every Christian soul ask itself and listen to what answer its conscience gives in its heart. Oh, don’t let us hear: “You only create pleasure for the flesh in lusts; your cross is not erected, it is thrown into the pit of passions, and there it rots in neglect and contempt!” When the Lord was taken down from the Cross, the Cross remained on Golgotha, and then it was thrown into the pit that was there, where these instruments of execution were thrown along with all other rubbish. Скоро Иерусалим был разорен и все здания его сравнены с землею. The hole where the Cross of the Lord was thrown was also filled up. When the city was being restored by the pagans (the Jews were forbidden to approach the place where it was), it so happened that in the place where the Cross of the Lord was hidden, they erected an idol of Venus, the pagan goddess of fornication and all lusts. The enemy told them so. The same thing happens with our inner cross. When the enemy destroys the spiritual structure in the soul, this mental Jerusalem of ours, then the spiritual cross is thrown off the Calvary of the heart and is covered with rubbish of pleasures and lusts, and lustful self-indulgence, like a tower, rises above our entire inner world, and everything in us worships him and follows his wave until grace illuminates and inspires us to overthrow this idol and erect a cross self-crucifixion. (Issue 3, letter 493, p. 165) Spiritual cooling or dryness Why is it allowed to a person? “A dull insensibility attacks you,” you feel like an automaton, “no thoughts, no feelings.” Such states sometimes occur as punishment for attempting something unkind with thoughts or sympathy, and sometimes as training, mainly as teaching humility, so that a person learns not to expect anything from his own strength, but everything from God alone. Several such experiences undermine self-confidence, but getting rid of hardship shows where help comes from and who you need to rely on in everything. This condition is difficult, but we must endure it with the thought that we are not worth better, that it is deserved. There are no remedies against it; its passing is in the will of God. We must, however, stand and cry out to the Lord: Thy will be done! Have mercy! Make it easy! But do not give in to any concessions; for it is ruinous and destructive. You do well to grieve over this and try in every possible way to free yourself from it. But your fortune-telling that this will be eternal torment is incorrect. Eternal, both bliss and torment, are unimaginable, and they cannot be compared with anything that happens in this life. Both are so immeasurably higher than everything here. The holy fathers call such states coldness, dryness, and everyone considers them inevitable in life according to God; for without them we will soon become arrogant. (Issue 1, letter 187, pp. 216–217) Spiritual techniques against temptations Self-care or staying awake The Lord is always a helper to good decisions and undertakings. And here it will help. Experience has taught us how evil this pleasure is... And there is no need to teach us that we must keep our eyes open in the future. It holds on by itself, especially at first... Doesn’t it hurt to remind you that a new temptation will appear again and pull you... So you need to watch out for yourself. The enemy arranges everything... Therefore, when this comes, you must quickly remember at the very first appearance that the enemy is offering the enemy here... and reflect it with anger and now turn to God... and the matter will be over... This is the main technique against all temptations. (Issue 8, letter 1426, p. 162) How to deal with it. Self The spirit of blasphemy and doubt lurks, but do not think that it will leave you so soon. Accustomed to finding access to you, he will keep approaching you, to see if he can somehow confuse you even more. Everyone experiences this. That’s why they write that in the fight against the enemy you should never lay down your arms and always be ready to confront him. The elders write that when temptation strikes, one must fight it off from the heart with hostility toward it, and then, or at the same time, turn to the Lord in prayer. Hostility is the same as punching an enemy in the chest. This is a powerful and unpleasant remedy for the enemy. We must prepare for it in a peaceful state. We must truly arouse in ourselves hatred against the enemy and his creation. What you do not understand about the method by which the truth should be carried out in the heart, you will understand when you experience it. Here's how to do it! Take any truth and understand it more fully in your consciousness, as it is confessed, and then pray to the Lord, may He write it in your heart, as it is confessed. This is a simple matter! It’s also not difficult to compose prayers from the truth. Our prayers all come from dogmas. The Lord came to earth for our salvation. Confessing this truth, pray: Lord! just as then, walking on earth, You healed all sorts of ailments, cleansed lepers, gave sight to the blind, come now to me and enlighten the eyes of my mind: and take away the leprosy of sins from me. This is true in relation to all truth. When all the truths enter the heart, then all doubts will end. They themselves will bounce off like arrows from someone who is covered in armor. Help you, Lord, to achieve this. No matter how strong the excitement, the entire decision of the matter belongs to the person acting, and everyone is aware of the moment when he says inside: this and that must be done. This is the essence of freedom. And no force can wrest this from the soul. Your dreams are very comforting. They mean that the Lord is watching over you and is working to drive the enemy away from you. What they didn’t skip further means either the degree that someone is awarded, for not everyone is the same; or is it given to see this as an incentive that one should not stop halfway, but should seek and seek, or, like the Apostle, drive everything forward. And that the one who saw this dream was accepted into the house of God is obvious. If he had not been accepted, the servants would have driven him away from the gate. So, God's mercy meets you and embraces you. Please stand complacently in the truth and, following its direction, stretch forward. God bless you. What the Mother of God told you is the height of consolation and inspiration! She is the Mother of us all, Christians. And just as we are all dear to the Lord, who died for us, so are we to Her. Replay these comforting messages from above in your mind more often. What other shortcomings do you have, what’s amazing, and who doesn’t have them? But the spirit of blasphemy and doubt, one must assume, is the main one. Because it interferes with doing things for others. Blame and doubt are the same as when the ground shakes under your feet: the one who feels it immediately falls from dizziness. When is there anything else here? You try to overcome this one and drive him away, then the others will give in too. Selfishness is the root of sins. He who falls away from God can stop at what else if not at himself? And he stops. Here is the self. Perhaps the spirit of blasphemy is given to bother you so much for the reason that there is selfhood - with excesses. So start fighting it now. Humility is the root of all good things, for all good things come from God, and He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Here is tactile proof that the spirit of blasphemy in you is the enemy. With what hostility does he treat the Lord Savior?! This is natural to him, for the Lord has destroyed their power, so that His name alone is terrible for them. Why should we listen to these infusions of evil potions from the enemy! Pray that the Lord will remove from your heart the very possibility of such thoughts. (Issue 8, pas. 1465, pp. 220–222) With God the soul is enlightened When we are with the Lord, then the Lord is with us. And everything is light. In the room, when all the windows are open and the sun is shining, it is light and bright. But close one window, it will get dark, and when they all close, it will become completely dark. So it is with the soul. When she turns to the Lord with all her strength and feelings, everything in her is light, joyful and calm. When he turns his attention and feeling to something other than the Lord, this lordship is diminished. More things occupy the soul, greater darkness enters... And there it is completely dark. Thoughts do not darken so much as feelings; a one-time passion for feelings is not so much as an addiction to something. What darkens sin most of all is deeds. (Issue 3, pas. 519, p. 210) How is it different from the soul of animals? These are all abnormal conditions. Nothing can be deduced from them against the soul. Likewise, nothing can be deduced from the fact that animals have other actions similar to the actions of our soul, and we have other actions similar to the actions of animals. Animals have a soul, but an animal one. But a person has a human soul, higher, like the person himself. Animals have their own rank, and humans have their own. The creations of God are so arranged that every higher class combines in itself the powers of the lower classes and, in addition to them, has its own powers assigned to its class and characterizing it. In the world or its composition, it is necessary to distinguish, in addition to the elements, a system of forces arranged in a ladder, going from lower to higher. The lower force is the one that acts in dead nature, and whose higher products are phenomena of chemical combinations and crystallization (for example, snowflakes-stains on windows in winter, etc.). Above this force stands the plant force, which in its power holds both the crystallizing force and the force of chemical combinations. Above the plant force is the animal force, which in its power holds both the plant force, the crystallizing force, and the force of chemical combinations. Above animal-spiritual power is the power of human nature, which contains all the forces lower than it, in its power and acts by them. Is it surprising that we have something similar to animals? There are similarities with plants; for the nutrition and growth of the body is a plant matter, but what can be deduced from this? Nothing is possible, except that to each there is a rank. In a person it is necessary to distinguish between soul and spirit. The Spirit contains a sense of Divinity - conscience and dissatisfaction with nothing. He is the power that was breathed into the face of man at creation. The soul is a lower force, or a part of the same force, assigned to conduct the affairs of earthly life. It is of the same order as the soul of animals, but exalted for the sake of combining the spirit with it. The spirit from God, combined with the soul of animals, raised it to the level of the human soul. And the man became twofold. One thing drags him down, the other drags him down. When a person maintains his rank, he lives in spirit, i.e. He is guided by the fear of God, listens to conscience, and seeks things above. And when he succumbs to the desires of the soul below, he leaves his rank, and what the spirit wants, he thinks to get among creatures. He fails to do this, and he languishes and collapses. The spirit here, like a prisoner in chains, is in the service of barbarians, lustful passions. He himself is not satisfied and makes passions unsatisfactory, giving them a boundless overflow. Why do animals have animal needs in their own measure, but in a person, when he indulges in sensuality, the sensual needs have no limit and measure? This immensity is communicated to them by the spirit that has been captured by them, and the spirit with this immensity wants to quench its thirst for the infinite, in whose image it was created, and in whom alone it is good. So you see that we also have animal functions, and in their very movement something completely unusual for animals is manifested. No matter what you think about, you will always come to the conclusion that man has a spirit, whose true life is life in God. There only he finds peace, there is his paradise and the promised land. (Issue 8, letter 1462, pp. 211–213) I am very sorry that you are embarrassed, and especially since there is no reason to be embarrassed. If I said that you have a soul inside you, and that’s all, and then added that it is of the same origin as the soul of animals, then you should be embarrassed. And I say that within us the soul constitutes the lower side of the inner life there, and the highest is the spirit that is from God - a God-like, equal-angelic force, which constitutes the characteristic feature of man. Consequently, there is nothing to be embarrassed about for fear of relegating man to the ranks of animals. Usually we say: soul-soul. But in essence, one should say: soul-spirit, or spirit-soul. Taking the word soul, as a spirit-soul, I will not say that it is of the same origin as the soul of animals; for the spirit is from God, and taking it separately from the spirit, I say this. When God created man, he first formed a body from dust. What was this body? Clay grouse or living body? It was a living body - it was an animal in the form of a man, with an animal soul. Then God breathed His spirit into him, and from an animal he became a man - an angel in the form of a man. As it was then, so people are now. Souls are born from parents, or are implanted through natural birth, and the spirit is inhaled by God, Who is everywhere. And I don’t understand why there’s anything to be embarrassed about?! Yes, when you say that man is an animal, do you mean meat alone or all animal life? Of course, all animal life and with the animal soul. And adding to this: reasonable, what does it mean? The fact that although a person, on the one hand, is the same as an animal with an animal soul, but on the other hand, he is incomparably higher than an animal, for he has a mind, which completely corresponds to the word - spirit. To say - a rational animal - is the same as saying: an inspired animal. The Holy Fathers distinguish between spirit, soul and body - Anthony the Great, Isaac the Syrian, Ephraim the Syrian and others. They do not say what properties our souls are. But, comparing what Saint Anthony writes about the genera of living creatures, I find that according to his reason, our soul is of the same nature as the soul of animals. Please read his 166th paragraph out of number 170. Here is the summary of everything: there are four types of living beings: People who have: mind, soul, breath. Animals that have soul and breath. Plants have breath and life. Please bring it together. Breathing, respiration, life... These are all in different classes of creatures: plants, animals and people, but there are one kind and properties of nature. Let's call it organic life. The soul, the soul, is also of the same order, although it is located in different classes of beings - in animals and in people, but it also exists of the same nature. Then the mind - angelic power is also of the same nature. I conclude that according to Saint Anthony, our soul is of the same rank as the soul of animals. What distinguishes us is the mind, what I call spirit. Review all the points of Saint Anthony, where he talks about the mind, I refer to the spirit... and I express it in almost the same words, affirming with him that he is a real person who lives according to the spirit, which Saint Anthony expresses: according to the mind. So there is absolutely no reason for you to be embarrassed. And what is said: by one degree, so you are free to understand this as a line on a thermometer. How much higher are angels than us? Per degree. How we are one degree higher than animals. Replace degree with the word degree, it will be one degree. Who finds fault with words, losing attention to the thought?! What the learned writer told you, that if materialists and Darwinists use this word, they will not succeed. Why are humans produced from animals (monkeys)? Because they do not distinguish between the soul and the spirit in a person. Noticing that our soul is similar to the soul of animals, they rave: “But the soul is one, so the whole person has degenerated from them.” And when we insist on the difference between the spirit and the soul and transfer the characteristics of man to the spirit, then Darwin’s entire theory will fall by itself. For in the origin of man it is necessary to explain not just how his animal life occurs, but even more so how he, as a spiritual person in an animal body, occurs with his animal life and soul. (Issue 1, pas. 106, pp. 97–100) "My heart is heavy." Such is the lot on earth, sometimes the weather, sometimes bad weather, sometimes light, sometimes cloudy. No one can change or cancel this. Our job is only to use both for the salvation of the soul. One thing is to endure and lament, another is to be consoled with thanksgiving, without however forgetting. (Issue 8, pas. 1391, p. 134) The only thing that is needed must be planted in the mind and heart: faith and life by faith in the hope of eternal life. (Issue 8, pas. 1266, p. 36) Daily confession of sins and drinking of holy water You must mentally confess your sins to the Lord every day... and make every prayer in general a repentance. Review the litany of petition. It says: forgiveness and remission of sins... we ask. In response, one should remember one’s sins, and with this recollection cry out: grant, Lord! And you can drink Epiphany water, even every day. I saw in the monastery of St. Savva, which is near Jerusalem, that after each liturgy the brethren receive an antidoron and drink it with holy water, which always stands in its place in the church in a holy vase. (Issue 3, pas. 523, p. 217) Who should it be performed on? The priest speaks the truth about the Blessing of Anointing... But I don’t remember if there are any exceptions... For those departing, it is not so much the Blessing of Anointing that is needed as Confession and Communion. The Blessing of Oil goes to a sick person who is hoping for recovery. It is not a parting word for the next world, but a healing for this life, so that one can live in repentance. (Issue 8, letter 1329, p. 85) Life spiritual, mental and carnal “How to control yourself?” As you master yourself in one thing, try to control yourself in everything. Surely you are not so disorganized that you cannot control yourself in anything? So... just as you control yourself in something, act in everything... You need to force yourself. This is what the Lord said, assuring that only those who force themselves delight in the Kingdom of God. Do you want the Kingdom... force yourself, i.e. overcome yourself and forcefully pull yourself into the Kingdom of God. You have portrayed yourself as such a lazy person that it is out of your hands. Of course, you are lazy only for spiritual things: praying, listening to yourself, remembering God, death, and so on. You once wrote that you were reading the book “What is Spiritual Life.” It shows that we have three tiers of life: spiritual life, mental and carnal... The last two are selfish. The first requires self-sacrifice both at the beginning and in the continuation, and in every task. Why does mental and physical life go on without much sacrifice? (Because their needs, desires and objects of satisfaction are visual, tactile... Having become accustomed to this tactility, we become motionless towards detached objects. The soul is cold towards them, and even more so the flesh, and towards their objects they are hot, burning with lust. However, the procedure of desire is the same, and in the spirit as with them... The soul knows that this or that object will bring it, and is drawn to it, wanting to taste the sweetness from it... Transfer this to the spiritual. You need to see and at least presumably be convinced that such good, comfort, pleasure will come from this or that spiritual object or deed. If this good has been experienced at least once, then the confidence will not be conjectural, but real, true, based on experience. You, I believe, have this latter. If you please, now stand firmly on this every time laziness overcomes, and this is the same as wanting the spiritual and the carnal, but not the spiritual, and try a little to restore the feeling of the already experienced benefit from the spiritual matter, from which laziness is now distracting. As soon as you manage to do this, the soul will give in, for it is powerless to stand against the spirit. If you remember spiritual sensations, you cannot help but realize that these sensations, like heaven from earth, stand above mental-physical ones. Because of this superiority, already experienced, even a faint trace of spiritual sensation repels everything spiritual and is strong to attract our consciousness and will... You depict in this way that your lower side takes over the higher, as if by some kind of necessity... If it takes, you are guilty because you do not do what you should, or do nothing so that it does not take over, but leave the mother-in-law to your dispositions, as they flow, without control (remember the fable Krylov “Vaska listens and eats”) and, moreover, remaining on their side with his wills. So take it into law - as soon as laziness attacks the spiritual, restore the feeling of good from it and go over to its side with a decisive will, merciless towards yourself in the conviction that otherwise you will not get into the Kingdom. A small struggle is required, but everyone is capable of it, and you are more than many... So don’t be so kind as to wag: the spirit is vigorous, the flesh is weak... Give up the flesh and go to the vigorous spirit... And everything will go well... Please take into account what I am writing. If you do everything as you write, you will fall into indifference to the matter of salvation... The Lord said about such souls: the imam will vomit... Save you, Lord. (Issue 6, letter 952, pp. 41–43) Life situation and divine providence If you believe in the Providence of God, which determines the earthly fate for everyone in the way that is most convenient for him to be saved, then you must also believe that your entire everyday situation is the most suitable for you to arrange your salvation. As far as I can see, it gives you complete freedom to engage with your soul. This is a big advantage! Convinced of this, thank God for everything, both pleasant and unpleasant. By graciously enduring the unpleasant, you get a little closer to some of the martyrs. But if you grumble, you will not only be far from this part, you will also give an answer. (Issue 8, pas. 1344, p. 98) 1. How to direct them to spiritual matters Now let's get down to business. To those who are worldly - for worldly things, and to those who have renounced worldly things - for heavenly things. You are half worldly and half worldly. How to walk along this middle? A friend of the world is an enemy of God. There is no middle ground. Meanwhile, it is impossible to live without everyday and worldly affairs. How can this be? It is necessary to touch one side only visibly, without the heart. Which side should I choose for this? Of course, everyday and worldly. And then she ceases to be like that in spirit. (Issue 8, letter 1388, pp. 131–132) 2. They can be directed towards acts of love. There are no everyday affairs without hassle and confusion. But they can almost always be turned into acts of love, patience and submission to the will of God. And prayer can be kept in the soul even in the very performance of troublesome tasks. Pay attention and be patient! (Issue 8, letter 1361, p. 113) 1. What needs to be done so that everyday worries do not suppress our religious feelings The greatest danger from tireless efforts is the suppression of religious feelings. You seem to be experiencing this. And it’s a shame, it’s very possible to become completely cold, as you fear. But this is not due to the nature of everyday affairs, but because of our oversight, due to which we allow ourselves to get bogged down with thoughts, feelings, desires, and worries in only everyday things. But this may not happen. Begin everything with prayer, continue with hope, end with thanksgiving. Every deed will be shrouded in the Divine robe, and will not knock God out of the soul... Then, moving from deed to deed, at the transition, drive out everything worldly from the soul and be with God with attention and feeling, or repeat some verse from the psalms. The extinction of prayer is a very sad thing... Whenever you feel it, do not ignore it. Take a book about prayer and read in depth. Little by little, the ascent to God in prayer will come to life. Remember to take care of this and pray to the Lord so that He does not deprive you of the consolations of prayer. Nothing in human affairs is achieved without labor. Spiritual endeavors require the most intense labor, and continuous one at that. (Issue 2, letter 275, p. 128) In general, how can you live without hassle? And there is no such law. The biggest hermits started vegetable gardens and, of course, fussed around them. You just need to conduct business so that troubles do not consume you, and go into them not as the main thing, but as an afterthought. (Issue 8, letter 1322, p. 79) h4. 3. How to maintain inner unamusement in front of them How to maintain inner uninterruption during troubles? Do things diligently, carefully, constantly and without fuss. Accept every work that is assigned to you as entrusted by God Himself, and do it as God’s... The thought will be with God. This can be learned with the help of God. (Issue 3, letter 531, p. 228) It is not sinful in itself, but being overly concerned is sinful. The cares of life weigh you down to the point that they don’t even allow you to pray. This is an enemy's obsession. Just as we need shelter, clothing, food and other things, we also need to get them: that’s why we need to think about it and try. And there is nothing wrong with this. This is how God was pleased to arrange our lives. But the enemy, creeping up on this sinless person, instills a sinful thing - this is an incessant worry that weighs on both the head and the heart. All the Savior’s instructions about neglect are directed against this disease: do not worry about the morning, for the morning one cares about himself... etc. (Matthew 6:34). This does not mean doing nothing, but so that, while doing everything, you should not be tormented by excessive care, which does not add anything, but only languishes... Much care is sinful because it wants to arrange everything itself and get it without God; by the fact that after that he teaches us to rely on hope on what we have gained and on our other ways exclusively without God’s Providence, and through both of these, we instruct us to consider the blessings of life as our main goal and our present life as our ultimate goal, without extending our thoughts to the future life. See what a God-fighting spirit moves in this multi-concern! Take from this the motivation to fight this evil, as you would fight if the enemy approached and instilled murder in you. If you don’t fight, worry will completely eat you up, but if you fight, it will go away, like any other mental illness when you fight it. How to fight? Begin and learn... First of all, begin by praying to clear away this worry, and then cleanse all your affairs, so that your affairs will go on as usual, and there will be no worry. How can prayer be cleared of worries? As soon as worries come during prayer, drive them away; will come again, drive away again... And it’s always like this... Never keep worries during prayer as soon as you realize that it has come. This is the struggle! And you will see the fruit. Even before prayer, decide not to indulge in worries if it comes during prayer, and protect this, confirm this intention with various thoughts... You will see the fruit, just don’t give up, but pray! (Issue 2, pas. 287, p. 139) Will it exist forever? Is evil eternal or will it be defeated? Read what is written in the Gospel. The Second Coming, the Lord, will come and create Judgment: He will lead the righteous into eternal bliss, and drive the sinners into hell to eternal torment. Good will triumph, but evil will not turn into good and will receive its due reward. Since we cannot know anything about the future with our little minds, there is no point in meddling with it. God alone, the Lord of the ages, knows this. He says or will say: these go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. That’s what God said, so there’s no need to rack your brains. The issue has been resolved authoritatively. They cry out: how is it possible, eternal torment for those who have sinned temporarily? They want to be more philanthropic than God Himself, who suffered and died on the Cross for sinners. If we humans invented a doctrine, it would be appropriate to object. But when God Himself, who died for sinners, ordained it this way, we must humbly accept it and believe it, no matter how fidgety our minds may be. Freedom is given the will to do both good and evil. Decide whether this freedom can become embittered towards evil to the point that it will never agree to leave it behind, knowing that this is its destruction? What can - Satan is an example to you... Decide again, can human freedom be Satanized? How many examples of unrepentant sinners?! What to do now with these demonic ones?! The wicked cannot be accepted into heaven, but they do not want to change. All that remains is: either remake them creatively, or destroy them. There is no need to redo it. And without them there are many saints, and besides, the material is completely spoiled. It remains to be destroyed. But God's gifts are indestructible. He does not know how to destroy. I will also add that the Angel said to Saint Anthony the Great: “Anthony! Pay attention to yourself, this is God’s work!” (Issue 2, letter 266, pp. 117–118) The yoke of Christ, how to bear it If you have taken the yoke, pull on, inspired by sure hope. Ahead is the Kingdom, the door to the Kingdom of purity; All prescribed works and deeds are means to purify the heart. And it turns out that our immediate goal is the purification of the heart, and beyond that is the Kingdom of God, for nothing unclean will enter there. This must certainly be kept in mind so as not to ruin your work by mixing something unclean into it. For example, to fast and be angry; pray and think highly; to do good to show humanity, and the like. You take up work - “not always out of desire, but more out of compulsion.” This is the law - to resist yourself in the bad and force yourself to do the good. This is what the Lord’s words mean, that the Kingdom of God is in need and its needs delight it. Because of this, following the Lord is a yoke. If everything were done according to desire, what kind of yoke would there be in this? In the end, however, it comes that everything is done willingly and easily. (Issue 1, pas. 187, pp. 215–216) Idiots! - Yes, they are idiots only for us, and not for themselves and not for God. Their spirit grows in its own way. It may happen that we, the wise, will turn out to be worse than idiots. (Issue 8, pas. 1463, p. 217) It is useless to admonish those who have committed a perversion of mind. Those with a perverted mind cannot be reasoned with. I fully share the sorrow and tightness of your heart. May the Lord comfort you. He alone is able to avert that which so burdens you. And pray to Him. This alone remains. He will transfer your pain into the hearts of those who inflict it on you. And then, if they do not fall into despair before that time, they will wake up and correct themselves. There is no point in reasoning with them, because their minds are perverted. While a person still holds sound concepts, one can still act on him, and when he loses them and accepts false ones, there is nothing to act on them, because against sound concepts they have unhealthy ones, which, however, they like better because they indulge their sensual passions. (Issue 8, letter 1411, p. 150) Variability of internal state Our second wrong is complaining about the variability of the internal state... sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not good. It cannot be otherwise; All this has been and is being experienced in different forms. You must experience this humbly and complacently, without giving up, however, and without slackening your efforts in performing ordinary activities associated with spiritual life, which is what you are doing. Good things come to you and go away, bad things find and pass away. This cannot be changed. But you just need to always be on the side of good with desire and search. If everything was always fine with us, we would fall asleep. (Issue 6, pas. 962, p. 69) Explanation of difficult passages from the Gospel No one puts patches of unbleached cloth on old clothes... no one puts new wine into old wineskins... What does the Savior want to say with this comparison? With these comparisons, the Lord showed that strict exploits without the spirit of true life... do not bring benefit to the moral attitude, but frustration and destruction. The repentant is given grace, which forms in him the determination to please the Lord, not sparing life. Whoever has such determination will benefit from all his exploits... And whoever doesn’t, when he sometimes takes up, for example, a strict fast, he drags and pulls and gives up... And his life after that is even worse. (Issue 2, letter 358, p. 227) How to understand the words of the Savior: “He who is the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist”? Answer. By less, all the fathers mean the Savior Himself; for who among those born of women can be greater than all but Him? He called Himself lesser according to the degree of humiliation He suffered according to the incarnate economy. Why does the Apostle say: He humbled himself... Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit not forgiven, but against the Son of God will be forgiven? Answer. It is impossible to blaspheme God as God. This happens only due to the eclipse of the thought of God as God. The humiliation of God our Son for the sake of salvation can interfere with seeing God in Him and blaspheme Him not as God, but as every man. The Spirit of God, when He revealed Himself, manifested itself tangibly through divine works, and it is impossible not to see God in Him. Why does anyone blaspheme Him, blaspheme Him as God, and have no excuse for it? The Lord spoke these words after healing a deaf-mute man, in which the finger of God was revealed. And those who spoke about Beelzebub expel... blasphemed unapologetically. Why could not the Holy Spirit descend during the Savior’s stay on earth, and why was it better for people that the Holy Spirit descended and the Son of God ascended (John 16:7)? Answer. This is the mystery of the economy of our salvation. And where can we understand it? It is better for us to reason this way: the Lord said so, it was so, and it cannot be true otherwise. In the Gospel of John, before this it was said: for the Holy Spirit was not, for Jesus was not glorified (John 7:39). The descent of the Holy Spirit is dependent on the glorification of the Son of God. Why? This is how it is laid down in the advice of the Trinitarian God regarding the arrangement of our salvation. Let us bow before this Sacrament! And that's enough for us. Why did the Lord say that from the time of John the Baptist the Kingdom of God would be taken by force, but before John, was it not taken by force? Answer. Take by force - the translation is not accurate. For you cannot take anything by force in the divine order. The Slavic translation is more precise: it is forced, with need, with self-coercion, with effort, it is sought. In Greek, that's what it means to be forced. The thought is that one is squeezing through to the Kingdom, just as one is squeezing through a crowd. In practice, this is true: self-coercion and self-resistance are integral features of the search for salvation and the Kingdom of God. And only those who are like this achieve the Kingdom. It is not given to anyone at ease. Why is this from the days of John... or as in another place... after the law and the prophets... you don’t have to look for it, admitting your powerlessness to explain it. (Issue 2, letter 360, pp. 230–231) There will be two on the field: one is taken and the other is left. In what sense are these words understood? Answer. It will be at the end of the century... and it is difficult to understand where one will go and where the other will be left. But now the effects of grace are as follows: in the same circumstances, grace takes one from the bonds of sin, and leaves another, who is at his side. Remember Athens and the sermon of the Apostle Paul... Dionysius believes, but others say: “What is this vain person interpreting?” Applying this to the end of the age... one will be taken, it must be understood, into the Kingdom, and the other will be left... to his fate. Or in general this is expressed ... then something will happen to everyone that is not expected and what cannot be expected. (Issue 2, pas. 358, pp. 227–228) What is a sin that does not lead to death? Answer. Mortal sin - which kills the soul, depriving it of grace. But there is a sin that does not lead to death, which does not kill, but torments or clogs the soul. It is hardly possible to determine exactly what sins of one or another kind. This is how it is necessary in life: as soon as your conscience denounces you, repent quickly, and the power of sin, destroyed by this, will be stopped. And there is no sin that could resist the action of sincere repentance... And be content with that. How to understand the words of the Apostle Paul in Chapter 2. Colossians, v. 16–23? Isn't this being said against monasticism? Answer. No. These were heretics who considered eating meat and getting married a sin. And we have them: Bespopovtsy, Khlysty, Skoptsy, Doukhobortsy, etc. The Lord says that “the Kingdom of God is in need and the needy delights it,” and in the Apostle Paul we find that the matter of salvation does not depend on us at all (v. 16), and God determined one or another fate before our birth. What is the relationship between God's purpose and our free will? Answer. What the Kingdom of God requires requires one’s own efforts. And when the Apostle Paul says: this is not from us, it means that our efforts do not produce what we are looking for. We need to combine both: to strengthen ourselves... and expect everything from grace. Neither our efforts bring us to the goal, because without grace they do not go far, nor does grace give us what we expect without effort, because grace works in us and for us through our efforts. Both move a person forward and lead him to his goal. Predestination is incomprehensible. It is enough for us to believe with all our hearts that in no case is it contrary to God’s grace and truth and does not violate human freedom. It is usually decided this way: God foresees how a person will freely act, and determines accordingly, so that God’s determination is based on human life, and not life on determination. Wouldn’t it be cruel to do good to our enemies, knowing that by doing this we are heaping burning coals on their heads? Answer. We do charity not for the purpose of heaping coals on their heads, but according to the commandment. And this is the inevitable consequence of this... In order to avoid such a nuisance for evildoers, one cannot violate God’s commandment and put coals on one’s head for this violation. (Issue 2, letter 361, pp. 231–233) What do the words mean: Anyone who falls on that stone will be broken, and whoever it falls on will be crushed. Answer. An unbeliever, a blasphemer, a doubter will fall on this stone... As the Lord promised forgiveness to the blasphemer of the Son of Man..., even though he is deeply upset, if he repents, he will be saved. So are all the same. And on whomever the stone falls, whoever is worthy of the full wrath of God is lost, there is no hope... Such are the desperate, the God-fighters, the satanically stubborn and the like. Woe to you when all people speak well of you! Why did the Lord say so, while we know that the fame of good people spreads far, and there are those whom everyone bows to. Answer. That’s why he said so, that a true believer cannot achieve this. About such the Lord said: chosen out of the world... for this reason the world hates you. For everyone to speak well, it is impossible without people-pleasing and concessions. What you say about the glory of some... is true only about many, that is, many speak well, or very many and very many. The meaning of the parable of the unfaithful steward Confirm your thought in advance that in parables it is not necessary to look for meaning in every feature, but to keep only the main idea of ​​the parable, which is almost always indicated by the Lord Himself. For example, the Lord calls himself tatem in the only sense that He will come unexpectedly and unnoticed. All other features that distinguish Tatya should not be taken into account. So in this parable, the Lord had only one feature in mind to point out, namely, how the unfaithful bailiff, having heard that resignation awaited him, did not yawn, but immediately got down to business and provided for himself for the future. The application is this: we, knowing for sure that the deprivation of the Kingdom awaits us, do not lead with our ears - we live as we live, as if no trouble awaits us. The Lord expressed this thought when he said: the sons of the age are wiser than the sons of light. We must confine ourselves to this thought, without trying to interpret other features of the parable, although something could be said. “I can’t understand verse 9 at all. This verse says: Make for yourself a friend from the mammon of unrighteousness.” Mammon is the god of wealth. He is called unrighteous because he is based on deception and lies. It promises prosperity and those who are addicted rely on it. But the wind blew and everything flew apart. To create a friend... from “this mammon” - it is advised to outwit him... His promises are not strong, not reliable, if you use wealth for pomp and pleasure. Everything will go to dust... Start using wealth for the glory of God... then you will be exhausted here, and in another life you will receive eternal prosperity, you will receive what wealth here promises and does not deliver, i.e. acting contrary to what Mammon is leading towards. How are “friends made”? Through the distribution of wealth to the poor. As the parable progresses, the thought is given: the poor will be taken into eternal shelter. You need to understand: the Lord will take you into eternal shelter, for He said: before you have created one of these..., you have created for me. You can also see a lesson here - what to do when you begin to repent of the injustice of your acquisitions. In approval of Zacchaeus, the Lord indicated: “Return...” But when cannot be returned? “Then give it to the poor.” (Issue 6, letter 962, p. 71) Why did the Savior, after His resurrection, say to the weeping Mary Magdalene: “Do not touch Me”? Answer. As this is not indicated, we are allowed to decide this: it is true that Mary’s mood either always demanded it, or was present at that moment. For touching itself is not forbidden, as the Lord showed with other wives. And we’ll limit ourselves to this. (Issue 2, letter 359, pp. 228–229) Should it be forced? You should not be forced to take this difficult road. Let her voluntarily enter upon it out of the deepest conviction of the superiority of this road and its suitability for her. If you want to devote yourself to the Lord, then there is no need for you to deal with a world in which there is no spirit of Christ. If you don't want it, whatever you want. The Lord loves brides who come to Him willingly. How long have you been tempted? And she hasn’t wasted away yet - again in this stupefying haze! Say this and come up with something else. Then, goodbye: as you wish. (Issue 8, pas. 1316, pp. 74–75) What art is useful for a Christian and what is not? You expressed a desire to be imbued with the thought that you are a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom... The arts can best help you and everyone who wishes to do this - by presenting and reminding the heavenly to your eyes, ears and imagination... All works of art that do not fulfill this, and especially those that arouse thoughts and feelings contrary to this, should not be considered practical. Here are some examples. The picture is a boy on his knees in a prayer position, the expression of his face, eyes... lips express prayer. An old woman is sitting, the Bible is in front of her, her granddaughter is standing nearby - both the old woman and the child are apparently imbued with what they have read. These and similar ones are the real essence of the picture... But here are three friends, comrades in childhood and youth, and now with gray hair, a priest, a military man and a civilian, sitting at the table; a civilian is reading something... he himself laughs, and others roll their eyes... This is an empty picture. And here: the beauty sits at the piano, her hand on the keys and... kisses the teacher... This passionate, sinful woman should not be in front of Christians. It’s the same in music: everything passionate and stimulating passions is not beautiful, although it is euphonious. (Issue 6, pas. 956, p. 53) 1. Is it possible to confess by note? To make confession proceed and be performed more satisfactorily, try to write down everything that lies on your conscience, and, when you approach your spiritual father, ask him to retell everything to him from the record. After that, if he wants to ask you anything else, he will ask, or you yourself will invite him to do it. By acting this way, you will always move away from the lectern, like someone who has thrown off all the knitting clothes. (Issue 3, pas. 386, p. 28) 2. Should you be embarrassed if, due to the priest’s negligence, you don’t reveal everything during confession? The priest acted badly in spirit. But you could also ask him to wait a minute. However, don't be embarrassed. What they did not say is not a concealment of sin, therefore the Lord will not place those sins in such a way that you should be considered to have received communion unworthily, for the sake of your intention to confess everything. Next time, don’t indulge the priest and tell everything; tell us what you wanted to say but couldn’t. (Issue 8, letter 1419, p. 157) 3. It should not be revealed to others. 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 try to forget it yourself. (Issue 5, letter 931, p. 218) 4. Strictness and leniency 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 a good life of the penitents, and sometimes the opposite effect occurs. (Issue 5, letter 930, p. 217) The Lord sometimes tests the sincerity of serving Him, taking away the spiritual consolations that accompany spiritual exercises. And when he sees that the soul, deprived of these consolations, does not spare itself and diligently serves God, it returns those consolations to it. The elders say that one should not become addicted to these consolations, or consider them an inalienable property of one’s labors, but surrender them to the will of God, accept them when the Lord gives them, and endure their deprivation when he takes them away. (Issue 6, letter 981, p. 109) Cemetery or burial place Do you need to take care of your burial place? Cemetery!.. What is the need to bother about it? Wherever they bury it, it’s all the same. What help is there for the soul from the place where the body is buried? Remember the legend that they were leaving the church... Well, there you go! If something is wrong in the soul, you can’t spice it up with a funeral. (Issue 3, letter 433, p. 75) “They slandered you”..., even though it’s not your fault. We must be patient. And this will take the place of penance for what you consider yourself guilty of... Slander is therefore the mercy of God for you... You must certainly make peace with those who slandered you, no matter how difficult it may be. You cannot be saved with hostile feelings, just like with lustful ones. We must stand firm in self-sacrifice and resistance to our unkind feelings. Then there will be no sorrow. And as long as you indulge, the sorrow will not cease. (Issue 3, letter 549, p. 251) I know a little how hard it is to endure slander. She is mud, but mud is healing. Be patient, the time will come... The Doctor of Souls will remove this mustard. And they reviled the Lord... “a poisoner and a drinker..., a friend of tax collectors and sinners... having a demon...” To be a participant in the reproaches of the Lord is great glory! Humble yourself with this, but do not lose your moral strength of spirit and keep in mind that without being condemned by your conscience, you can always boldly look up to the Lord or boldly stand before His face. What is more valuable than this?.. Do your own thing, and don’t consider how others look at you as important. For only God's judgment is true. People don’t know themselves well, much less others. (Issue 6, letter 1046, p. 212) I partly understand your grief about the inconveniences of living in a foreign land. Have you heard Job's patience? Well, then apply yourself to him. What to do? Everyone has their own cross. You got this one, take it. And your work will be the same as that of Simon of Cyrene! What is the purpose of life? So that the Lord will put the labors we carry into something. Glory to Thee, Lord, that there is something to bear! If it weren’t for this, how could we at least show something pleasing to God?.. Where everything flows like butter, it’s difficult to save your soul. Get inspired! (Issue 2, pas. 209, p. 8) Smoking is a stupid thing; there is as much moral here as there is empty bias and perceived harm. The last two features are difficult for smokers to recognize and difficult to explain to non-smokers. It is strongly indecent, but decency and indecency, the same as people, change. Tolerate a bad habit, but don’t turn it into a sin. Praying for your daughter to lose the habit is a good thing. But there is no need to put this in a special form. Whenever you pray, cry out to God. And He will arrange it as His holy will pleases. (Issue 8, letter 1230, p. 12) It's good to quit smoking. It is not only empty, but little by little it undermines your health, spoiling your blood and clogging your lungs. This is a gradual poisoning of oneself. But there is no advice for this and there is no advice, except to make a stronger decision. There is no other way. To smoke or not to smoke is a matter of indifference, at least our and common conscience considers it so. But when non-smoking is bound by a promise, then it enters into the moral order and becomes a matter of conscience, the failure of which cannot but trouble it. So the enemy has spoiled you. That's right, you had a good talk. The enemy advised you to make a decision, and then led you to break your word. That's the whole story! Please learn and continue to keep your eyes open. Why commit yourself to a vow? You have to say: wait, let me try to quit. God willing, I will do it. Have you ever heard advice from the holy elders: not to bind yourself to a vow? This is exactly the kind of thing it concerns. (Issue 2, letter 369, p. 240) Laziness overcomes. How can this be? Manage to cheer yourself up. This weakness will not happen to anyone! You have to break yourself, and then, seeing that nothing will take you, endure this state. The Lord will give you consolation and movement, your soul will come to life. Try something to do that would require work and sacrifice... and maybe your soul will begin to play. Otherwise, endure it, there’s nothing to do. This is temporary. Sometimes from physical weakness, sometimes from being tired of waiting. Revive us, Mother of God... How is it that the elders, sitting in one place, in one cell, seeing no one and hearing nothing, constantly burned in spirit? There was the grace of the Lord. When the ability to attract God's grace weakened, they came up with a mechanical method, prescribed in the Philokalia, an artistic action of the Jesus Prayer... This can be even more useful. But many thoughts and deviations are attached to this, so confused that others consider this very art to be charming. So we became like a stranded cancer. We didn’t observe grace... we don’t know this art, and deadness has set in in everything - I understand about art... after all, the way we all usually say the Jesus Prayer is not at all what is prescribed there. And it may indeed be strong, but there is no one to learn from. (Issue 3, letter 391, p. 36) By divine and human means I’ve also heard about the healing properties of artos with Epiphany water. However, be the will of God. Don’t you take medications?! Both can be used – both Divine and human... And in human means the healing effect is from God. According to this faith, the human also passes into the Divine... or the Divine comes through the human. (Issue 6, letter 994, p. 128) Is it sinful for a Christian to undergo medical treatment? But prayer is prayer, and doctors are doctors. God gave doctors, and it is God’s will to turn to them. The Lord comes with His help when the natural means He provided for us are not enough. Therefore, we will pray, but we should not neglect natural means. Seek and you will find! (Issue 3, letter 455, p. 97) Why is it necessary to undergo treatment? Your resistance to the doctor’s instructions is hardly worthy of praise... And God created the doctor and the medicine not so that only they would exist, but so that the sick would use them. Everything is from Him; He allows us to get sick, and He has surrounded us with healing methods. If there is a duty to guard God’s gift of life, then to be treated when there is an illness. You may not undergo treatment in the expectation that God will heal, but this is very courageous. You don’t have to undergo treatment to exercise patience and devotion to the will of God, but this is very high, and at the same time every “oh!” will be blamed, but only grateful joy is appropriate... May the Lord guide you in the best way to be in the mood! Besides, do you have anything to endure?! (Issue 6, section 1012, p. 156) As I have already written and now prescribe that there is no sin in turning to medicine, for the doctor is God, and the medicines are God, and the prescriptions are God. Ask the humble doctors. They will openly say that they themselves do not know how healing recipes are written. So, if you, trusting in God and expecting help from Him, and not from a doctor and drugs, turn to natural means of healing, then there is no sin. When God has given these means, then one must turn to them. God was pleased to surround us with supernatural and natural means. And no one is denied access to these sources. The key to them is faith. And God, when He wants to heal in this way, He Himself also invests the power of faith and draws us to where He deigns to give healing. We are blind. And not knowing where healing is hidden by God for us, we go through all the means given by God, both natural and supernatural, all trusting in Him alone and betraying to Him the fate of ourselves and those we care about. (Issue 3, letter 459, p. 101) I don’t have any illness, but I drink milk and, apart from milk, I don’t even take water into my mouth. Somehow my pulse was intermittent. I asked a doctor friend. He said that it was not a problem, but it could be a problem, and advised him to drink milk. I've had it before - six weeks. Skim milk, and nothing else besides it. Start with two glasses a day and work your way up to sixteen. The first days are a little difficult, but then... it’s bearable and even fatty. The fruit of this is the purification of the blood... And drink Wednesday and Friday... (Issue 8, letter 1408, pp. 147–148) Love for all laws and virtues, not only the gospel, but also human and civil, is the basis. Consequently, every action that is consistent with the law is also consistent with love, and every evaluation of an action that is consistent with the law or justice is also consistent with love. But love is higher and broader than the law. There are acts of love that are not determined by positive law, and they are not at all illegal; but actions determined by law and not performed by a person under the law are lawless and contrary to love, even if they tend to benefit someone. This is especially important in a legal sense. If a judge acquits a guilty person against the law or rewards someone unworthy of a reward, then, although good, apparently, he will do good to the guilty and unworthy, but will do more evil than good, violating the love of the common good, power and rules. Praise, you say, mercy in court... So, I will act laudably if I can show mercy without violating the truth of the court, otherwise my mercy is worth beating with batogs. Mercy must be combined with truth. In a word, and the basis, and the motivation, and the goal of justice should be love. Isn’t this controversial issue best resolved by the Cross of Christ?.. What infinitely great love there is, and together what infinitely great justice! (Issue 2, letter 325, pp. 197–198) You invite me to see what you will build regarding the solution to the question that interests you about the unity of matter and forces on the basis of chemical laws, with the goal of explaining everything through movement. I’m very glad to see... Although I’m not strong in natural sciences, especially in chemistry, you can see the generalities. Whether it works or not from a Christian point of view. And we can say in advance that as long as you are going to educate the world on its own (bummer, the ship has sailed), then, of course, this is illegal. Even that is illegal if you limit yourself only to forces and laws, without showing where the forces came from and who is the successor and guardian of the laws. For this too is a silent theory of the self-education of the world. I have come across talk somewhere about the unity of matter and forces and about the derivation or explanation of everything from motion. Everything there seemed dreamy to me. We do not know what matter is. We know only the elements or indecomposable elements. They are composed and decomposed, as a result of which different things appear. Composition and decomposition are a chemical process. The visible side of the process is movement. Matter—inners—immovable. For her to move, there is a completely legitimate requirement of strength. Thus, you take away everything that inevitably appears in the material world. But see what can lead you to the heart of the matter. Movement is a completely external matter. It can't lead to anything. And I don’t understand how they present him as an actor when he is an action? Someone asked: “Explain to me how we walk?” And he received the answer: “He doesn’t know!” - “We step from foot to foot and walk.” Here the whole essence of the movement is expressed, i.e. that it gives nothing more than the visible side of the production of things. The force is not in the movement, but in the driving force. The direction of movement is addition and decomposition - a chemical process. This is true in the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms. But addition and decomposition are also external forms. Tell me, who adds and decomposes?.. And how? And why is this so?.. This will give real knowledge of the form of addition and decomposition. Chemistry has brought it under the laws and boasts: know us, this is what we have come to!.. In reality, we have not come to anything. This is the same - we step from foot to foot and walk. What they say: this is akin to this and is connected, but this is not akin to this and is not connected, the same expression is only in a different form. So, chemical decomposition and addition itself also does not explain anything, but requires explanation. Moreover, in addition to the composition of material things, the entire initial part of physical phenomena comes out of the domain of chemistry. This is explained by other sayings, most of all by the laws of gravity. But that's not all. There is also a part of the weightless... for which something else is required. How can we explain everything now on the basis of chemical processes?! Is it possible to put the question this way: in your own area, i.e. in the composition of things...material. This will be the case. But even here, is the chemical process independent? The chemical process itself is the same everywhere. How does it happen that in one case a dead thing comes out of it, in another a plant thing, in a third an animal? Chemistry suggests that the chemical process consists of an external, higher power, which commands it, and it does so. In the formation of things of dead nature, the chemical process is under one power, in the plant kingdom - under another, in the animal kingdom - under a third. Therefore, you must ascend to these authorities. Otherwise, everything will remain as before - unclear. Who are these authorities? Immaterial forces of a spiritual nature with an instinct to produce this and that according to the norm placed in them by God, accompanied by a certain dark instinct. These are Leibnizian monads. Subject to any such force are: light, heaviness, warmth, electricity, magnetism and your chemistry, through which it brings the elements into motion as it pleases and builds a thing that carries the norm within itself. Look here. On one inch of earth there is grass, lily of the valley, some weed... Air, earth with elements, etc. are all the same. How does it happen that from identical plants, using the same chemical process, different plants are produced, and then the boogers are also different? Do not explain this without allowing for the forces of a spiritual nature he identified. By limiting yourself to one chemical process and not yet defined indications of the laws of nature, you will not explain anything. Recently, some German put will at the basis of all phenomena. And who the Leader did not indicate. And his theory remained in the air. The will, for sure, is visible everywhere and the will is intelligent and understands its work well. But without indicating who the Willer is, we indicate only a fact without explaining it. And what I said also suggests freedom. But then there is also the Willer - an invisible, immaterial force of a spiritual nature. But even this theory, if accepted, does not complete the matter. Where does this power come from? God created. There are countless of them. Just as every person has his own soul, so every thing has its own immaterial force, which forms and holds it, as it was intended by God when it was created. That in every thing - in a plant, in an animal... there is such an immaterial force that controls natural forces and elements, and through them builds things and holds them to their due date, this is tangibly visible! Who is this force? Or fate, or God, or a force created by God? Fatum is a stupid thing. Among the materialists it reigns, because to them the question: why this and that, this and that, there is always one answer: “yet-yet”... This is expressed by the phrase: the laws are like this... If God is everything, pantheism is no less absurd. The last thing remains. And this is my theory. There are many of these forces. As they are not original, they need supports - a substrate on which to rest. A common ruler is also needed. Both can be attributed to God like this: these powers are held by the will of God; God wants, and they exist and act according to the norm embedded in them. They are guided by the same will; for, having the ability of instinctive sense, they can perceive the beckons of the all-ruling will of God and carry it out. But I think it is much more convenient for them to put the soul of the world, also immaterial, of a spiritual nature, as a substrate. She manages those small forces and directs them according to the norm invested in her. God also comes here directly when according to His plans this is necessary. And lo and behold, a miracle! The world cannot stand without a miracle. This is also the law of Industry. Everything goes as planned and under the influence of forces created by God. But God, the Almighty, holds everything, and enters everywhere when necessary, through His actions and direction of forces. This is my philosophy!.. With it I explain everything that geology asks, and everything that experience represents. There is nothing mentally here. Everything is factual, like the very existence of the world. I was forced to write everything down by the desire to pave the way for you, so that you would go to the end and not give up your theory... hang in the air... I told you all this in the heat of the moment yesterday. Now I was thinking about throwing it into the oven, but changed my mind, just to tell you that believers have every right to push the spiritual into the realm of the material, when materialists climb with their matter without a twinge of conscience into the realm of the spiritual. And on our side is rationality, and on theirs is stupidity. And this is not because every sandpiper praises his swamp, but on the merits of the matter. The material cannot be either a force or a goal. Both are outside of him. It is only a means and a field for spiritual forces, according to the actions of the spiritual principle (Creator) of all kinds. Turn from earth to sky and it’s easy for your favorite, chemistry, otherwise she has her nose buried in the ground and is rummaging around in it, like some creature with her snout. (Issue 2, pas. 266, pp. 112–117) 1. How it should be done The work of prayer is the first task in Christian life. Prayer is the breath of the spirit. There is prayer - the spirit lives; no prayer - no life in the spirit. Standing in front of an icon and bowing down is not prayer, but only an accessory to prayer; reading prayers from memory, or from a book, or listening to them is not yet prayer, but only an instrument of prayer or a way of discovering or inciting it. Prayer itself is the emergence in our hearts of one after another reverent feelings towards God - feelings of self-abasement, devotion, thanksgiving, glorification, petition, contrition, submission to the will of God, diligent prostration, and so on. All our concern here should be that during our prayer these and similar feelings fill our soul, so that our heart is not empty. When he has all these feelings or any one of them directed towards God, then our prayer is prayer, and when not, it is not yet prayer. Prayer or the aspiration of the heart to God must be aroused and the excited one strengthened, or, what is the same, one must cultivate a prayerful spirit in oneself. The first way to do this is by reading or listening to our prayers. Read or listen to the prayer book properly and you will certainly arouse and strengthen the ascent in your heart to God, i.e. you will enter into a prayerful spirit. Great prayer power moves in the prayers of the holy fathers, and whoever penetrates them with all attention and zeal will, by virtue of the law of interaction, certainly taste the power of prayer as his mood approaches the content of the prayer. In order to make our prayer book an effective means of cultivating prayer, it is necessary to perform it in such a way that both the thought and the heart perceive the content of the prayers that make up the prayer book. Here are the three simplest techniques for this: do not start praying without proper preparation, do not do it haphazardly, but with attention and feeling; Do not immediately after finishing your prayers go on to your usual activities. a) Preparation for prayer Whenever you begin to pray, wait a little, or sit, or walk, and try at this time to sober your thoughts, distracting them from all earthly affairs and objects. Then think about who is the One to whom you turn in prayer, and who you are who now has to begin this prayerful appeal to Him, and arouse in your soul the corresponding mood of self-abasement and reverent fear of standing before God in your heart. This is all a small, but not insignificant preparation: to stand reverently before God in your heart. Here is the beginning of prayer, and a good beginning is half the battle. b) The actual performance of the Prayer Book Having established yourself in this way internally, stand in front of the icons, cross yourself, bow and begin the usual prayer. Read slowly, delve into every word; bring the thought of every word to the heart, accompanying it with bows with a cross. This is the whole point of pleasing to God and fruitful reading of prayer. Listen to every word and bring the thought of the word to your heart, otherwise: understand what you read, and feel what you understand. You read: “Cleanse me from all filth,” feel your filth, desire purity and with full hope ask it from the Lord. You read: “Thy will be done,” and in your heart you completely commit your fate to the Lord, with full readiness to graciously meet everything that the Lord sends you. You read: “and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors,” and in your soul forgive everyone everything, and thus ask yourself forgiveness from the Lord. If you act this way with every verse of your prayer, then you will have proper prayer. And in order for you to do it this way more successfully, here’s what you need to do: 1. Have a well-known prayer rule - a small one, so that during your ordinary affairs you can fulfill it slowly; 2. in your free time, read the prayers of your rule, understand every word of the prayer and feel it, so that you know in advance what should happen in your soul and heart at any word; so that during prayer it would be easy for you to understand and feel; 3. If your flying thought during prayer runs off to other objects, strain to maintain your attention and return your thought to the subject of prayer; runs away again - come back again; repeat the reading until you read every word of the prayer with understanding and feeling. By this you will wean your thoughts from distraction in prayer; 4. if any word of prayer has a strong effect on the soul, stop on it and do not read further, stand in this place with attention and feeling, saturate your soul with it, or with the thoughts that it will produce, do not ruin this state until it passes by itself - this is a sign that the spirit of prayer is beginning to take root in you, and this state is the most reliable means of nurturing and strengthening the spirit of prayer in us. c) What to do after prayer When you finish your prayer, do not immediately move on to any activities, but also wait at least a little and think that you have done this, and what it obliges you to, keeping after prayer especially what had a strong effect on you. The very property of prayer is such that if you pray well, as you should, you will not want to quickly worry about business: whoever tastes sweet will not want bitter; and tasting this sweetness of prayer is the goal of prayer, and through this tasting the sweetness of prayer, a prayerful spirit is cultivated in prayer. By following these few rules, you will soon see the fruits of your prayer work. Any prayer will leave a trace of prayer in the soul - its continuous continuation in the same order will root it, and patience in this work will instill a spirit of prayer. Here is the first - the initial way to cultivate the spirit of prayer in us! This is the performance of our prayers in accordance with their purpose. But that's not all. Here lies only the beginning of the science of prayer. We need to go further. Having become accustomed with your mind and heart to turn to God with outside help, according to prayer books, you must then make experiments in your own ascension to God - to reach the point where the soul itself, so to speak, with its own speech, enters into a prayerful conversation with God; she herself ascended to Him and revealed herself to Him and confessed what was in her and what she desired. And the soul must be taught this. What should one do to succeed in this science? And the skill of praying according to prayer books with reverence, attention and feeling leads to the same thing, for from a heart filled with holy feelings through prayers, its own prayer to God will begin to flow out of itself. But there are also special rules for this that lead to proper success in prayer. The first way of teaching the soul to frequently turn to God is contemplation of God, or reverent reflection on the divine properties and actions - reflection on the goodness of God, justice, wisdom, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, on creation and Providence, on the arrangement of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ; about grace and the word of God and about the Holy Sacraments, about the Kingdom of Heaven. Whichever of these objects you begin to reflect on, this reflection will certainly fill the soul with a reverent feeling for God - it directly directs the whole being of a person to God and therefore is the most direct means of accustoming the soul to ascend to God. Having finished your prayer, especially in the morning, sit down and begin to think - now about one thing, tomorrow about another of God's properties and actions, and create a disposition in your soul corresponding to this. Speak to Saint Demetrius of Rostov: “Go, holy thought of God, and let us immerse ourselves in meditation on the great deeds of God,” thereby touching your heart and you will begin to pour out your soul in prayer. There is little labor, but much fruit. All you need is desire and determination. For example, begin to reflect on the goodness of God, you will see that you are surrounded by God’s mercies both physically and spiritually, and you will fall before God in an outpouring of feelings of gratitude; begin to reflect on the omnipresence of God, you will understand that you are everywhere before God, and God is before you, and you cannot help but be filled with reverent fear; begin to reason about the truth of God, and you will be convinced that not a single bad deed will go unpunished, and you will certainly decide to cleanse all your sins with heartfelt contrition before God and repentance; begin to reflect on the omniscience of God, you will realize that nothing in you is hidden from the eye of God, and you will certainly love to be strict with yourself and attentive in everything, so as not to somehow offend the all-seeing God. The second way of teaching the soul to frequently turn to God is to turn every deed, big and small, to the glory of God. For if we make it a rule, according to the commandment of the Apostle (1 Cor. 10:31), to do everything, even eat and drink, for the glory of God, then we will certainly remember God in every deed, and we will remember not just, but with fear lest we act wrongly and offend God in some way. This will force you to turn to God with fear and prayerfully ask for help and admonition. And since we are almost constantly doing something, we will almost constantly turn to God in prayer, therefore, we will almost constantly go through the science of lifting up to God in prayer in our souls. In this way we will teach the soul to turn to God as often as possible throughout the day. The third way of teaching the soul to turn to God frequently is to cry out from the heart to God frequently throughout the day in short words, judging by the needs of the soul and current affairs. When you start, say: Lord, bless! When you finish the job, say not only with your tongue, but with the feeling of your heart: glory to You, Lord! What passion will arise, say: save me, Lord, I am perishing! The darkness of confusing thoughts finds itself, cry out: bring my soul out of prison! Wrong deeds are coming, and sin leads to them, pray: guide me, Lord, on the path, or: do not let my feet become confused. Sins suppress and lead to despair - cry out in a publican’s voice: God, be merciful to me a sinner. So anyway. Or just say more often: Lord, have mercy! Lady Theotokos, save me! Angel of God, my holy Guardian, protect me! Or in some other word, cry out. Just make these appeals as often as possible, trying in every possible way so that they come out of the heart, as if squeezed out of it. When we do this, we will experience frequent mental ascents from the heart to God, frequent appeals to God, frequent prayer, and this frequency will give us the skill of intelligent conversation with God. So, in addition to the prayer rule - to teach the soul to ascend to God in prayer - there are three more ways to introduce one into the spirit of prayer. This means devoting some time in the morning to contemplation of God; turn every deed to the glory of God and often turn to God with short appeals. When the thought of God is well accomplished in the morning, it will leave a deep mood for thinking about God. Thinking about God will force the soul to carefully carry out every action - both internal and external - and turn it to the glory of God, and both will put the soul in such a position that short prayerful appeals to God will often come out of it. These three: thinking about God, creating everything for the glory of God and frequent appeals are the most effective tools of mental and heartfelt prayer. Each of them lifts the soul to God. Whoever sets out to practice them will soon acquire the skill of believing in ascension to God in his heart. Having been torn away from the earth, the soul will enter its own region and will sweetly dwell in grief - here heartily and mentally, and there - and will essentially be honored to dwell before the face of God. (Issue 2, letter 227, pp. 33–40) 2. Cooling. Reasons for cooling The cooling off that you are talking about comes either from spiritual fatigue, or from the fact that the soul has been fed too much of what is spiritual (see the book “What is Spiritual Life” about this), or from the fact that too much peace and all contentment has been given to the body, or from conceit and other passions that agitate and occupy the soul. All this is contrary to spiritual life (in which prayer is the queen), it clogs and blocks the key to prayer. But it happens both by God’s permission and by the withdrawal of grace. When your soul burns with zeal, this is the action of grace, God’s touch on the soul. It happens that when it lasts for a long time, the soul begins to think what a master of prayer she is, forgetting that the liveliness of the prayer movement is not her business, but the work of God’s grace inherent in us. For such thinking, grace withdraws and leaves the soul alone... and it itself is motionless towards the spiritual..., so there is cooling and laziness... What can be done? The main thing is to try to eliminate the causes of this condition. And then act as you act: fulfill the rule, despite the disintegration, trying to collect thoughts and reproduce feelings for God. For patience and humility, grace will return... and will immediately disperse corruption, just as the wind disperses darkness. (Issue 6, letter 947, pp. 22–23) 3. How to warm it up at all times A prayer that is not collected and the soul is cold should have no limit or end. Like the fallen, we have grown cold, and we need to endure ourselves for a long time in order to warm ourselves up. Labor is therefore inevitable. And if it continues constantly and wisely, then it is always crowned with success, not from us, from the mercy of God, of which there is no end. The Jesus Prayer or any other short prayer is a good thing if it sticks on the tongue. Just take care not to pay attention in your head, but in your heart, and do so not only while standing in prayer, but at all times. Take the trouble to create something like a sore in your heart... Constant work will soon do this... There is nothing special here. It’s a natural thing that the sore will appear. But this will also make you more focused. And the main thing is that the Lord, seeing the work, then grants His grace-filled prayer. Then things will come to their own hearts. (Issue 8, letter 1233, p. 14) What does it mean to “pray without ceasing”? Be constantly in a prayerful mood. A prayerful mood is a thought about God and a feeling for God together. The thought of God is the thought of His omnipresence, that He is everywhere, sees everything and contains everything. Feelings for God - fear of God, love for God, a zealous desire to please Him alone by everyone, with the same desire to avoid everything displeasing to Him, and most importantly, surrendering oneself to His holy will unquestioningly, and accepting everything that happens as if from His hands directly. A feeling for God can occur in all your affairs, activities and circumstances, if it is not only sought, but is already planted in the heart. The thought may be distracted by various objects, but here the skill is possible not to deviate from God, but to do everything in the light of remembrance of God. It’s about these two – thoughts and feelings towards God – that we need to take all care. When they exist, there is prayer, although there are no prayer words. (Issue 6, pas. 947, p. 20) 5. Prayerful feeling. It should be warmed up When a prayerful feeling comes to you, dwell on it and warm it up while it lingers in your soul. Call another when it moves away. So all day long. This will be unceasing prayer. Sometimes the feeling comes by itself, and sometimes it needs to be called upon. How? By thinking about God or thinking about all the mysteries of faith, especially about the economy of salvation... and the end of everything. Frequently think about all these subjects and something will certainly strike your soul. That's the feeling. God bless you. (Issue 6, letter 1025, p. 178) 6. How it should be done in the evening, when you are physically tired, and what to pray for How can you be bored with the Lord? And how can one even desire any entertainment? And don't pray? So they were angry with the Lord... or did they become complacent? Full! - And you don’t want to ask. When you get tired in the evening..., start praying on your knees, or even sitting, then standing. And everyone needs to pray. Thank the Lord for the day, ask for good night, repent of the bad. (Issue 8, letter 1269, p. 38) 7. It must be accompanied by a feeling of repentance That you have repentant feelings in prayer and tears is a real thing. Without repentant feelings, prayer is not prayer. So write her as not an ex. Prayer without these feelings is the same as a dead miscarriage. So do the holy fathers. And blow away your tears... Get used to howling over yourself as if over a dead person - and with lamentations... For the main thought, or the place where you should hold yourself mentally, is part of the Judgment, or the moment when God is ready to say: “Come” or “Depart”! Oh Lord, save me! And how can you not cry, not being able to say affirmatively that He will not say “Go away”?! (Issue 2, letter 256, p. 94) 8. Haste in prayer. How to get rid of it Your conscience is disturbed by hasty prayers... And righteously. Why are you listening to the enemy? It is the enemy who is driving you... quickly, quickly... As a result, you don’t feel any fruit from prayer... But make it a law for yourself not to rush... But say your prayers in such a way that not a single word is pronounced without awareness of the meaning and, if possible, feeling... Take on this work with the determination of a commander-in-chief, so that no objections to this are generated at all... The enemy inspires: this is necessary and the other is necessary, but you answer: without you I know, go away... Look how the prayer goes... Otherwise, you only have a prayer book, but no prayer. Prayer alone nourishes the soul... So you feel unsatisfied... Check the clock to see how much time will pass if you don’t rush... and you will see that it’s a few minutes. And the damage from haste... what!!? (Issue 5, letter 763, p. 16) 9. Absent-mindedness during prayer and struggle with it 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 in the sense 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 one improves in virtue, prayer also improves. The most important ones are: 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 care more about attention?” Without attention, prayer is not prayer. Therefore, 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 in the “Philokalia” at the legend about Maximus Kapsokalivite and imitate him. When you receive what he received, then you will have a real prayer. Lying on your side, you won’t gain anything... (Issue 5, letter 898, p. 168) The thought that not everything has been done regarding the matter of prayer is painful. This happens from the consciousness that it was not performed properly: thoughts ran away, unnecessary feelings came in, and worries about something. You must immediately repent of this, scold yourself and set the intention to be good. We must try to acquire the skill of not considering the end of prayer the end of prayer..., and even after that consider it a duty to be in prayer. This is fulfilled by constant remembrance of God, with reverence and surrender of oneself to the will of God. Then you will feel in your soul that when you leave prayer, you do not leave prayer, but only change one form of it to another. (Issue 1, letter 198, p. 248) Having learned to pray according to ready-made prayers, you must begin to pray little by little in your own word, according to your needs - spiritual or external. Spiritual needs, as soon as they awaken, immediately direct to God. The urge to turn to God sometimes happens without a specific need, but simply because of the thirst for God. To whatever extent and in whatever form this urge manifests itself, one should never leave it unsatisfied, but immediately turn to prayer and pray in the position in which the urge occurs; if there is something to do, then pray for it; if while reading, pray in the middle of it; if while walking, walk and pray. But, of course, it is better and more fruitful to stand in a prayer place and take a prayer position, if possible. The more diligently these appeals to God are fulfilled, the more often they will appear, the longer they will last, and the deeper they will take root. Don't forget this point. This technique is the best for improving prayer. Prayer is the main thing in our work. (Issue 1, letter 187, p. 219) 11. How to learn to pray smartly They wanted to learn mental prayer. Good! What kind of prayer did you have before?! Prayer is essentially a mental action, and if you didn’t pray smartly, then you didn’t pray at all. And I will tell you that there is no one who does not pray intelligently. Everyone is praying smartly. When everyone prays, they mentally imagine God as present and express their needs to Him. Even though they read prayers, everyone tries to mentally ascend to God. If anything should be said, it is that they do this imperfectly, not continuously, even during prayer, and most importantly, without feelings. Thus, your desire will be: how to achieve perfection in prayer, raised intelligently to God? The answer to this is: seek and you will find. How did you learn to write?! The labor of writing with the desire to write correctly according to samples. Do this in prayer and you will learn. She won’t come on her own, she needs to study. 1. Get used to walking in the presence of God, before the eyes of God, with the corresponding feelings. 2. As soon as there is freedom, bow down in feelings of contrition and humility. 3. Read books all about prayer and meditate on it. 4. Above all, try with all your might to conduct church services in the memory of God, and then as a rule at home. You need to rub your soul and get warm. When the warmth comes, then your thoughts will subside and your prayer will become pure. Still by the grace of God. That’s why we need to pray to the Lord to give us prayer. (Issue 8, letter 1457, pp. 194–195) 12. What to do when prayer doesn’t come to mind What to do when prayer doesn't come to mind? If this is prayer at home, then you can put it off a little, for a few minutes... If even then it doesn’t work... force yourself to fulfill the prayer rule by forcefully straining, and understand what is being said, and feel... similar to how when a child does not want to bow, they take him by the forelock and bend him over. The monastery and tonsure greatly excite, but not in themselves, but with those thoughts that are inevitable... For them, both do not leave any trace. In church, sometimes neither what is sung nor read is heard or understood; in this case, stand before the Lord and say the Jesus Prayer... In the church, every action has its own meaning. Whoever follows this meaning with his mind and understanding will constantly receive nourishing influences for the spirit from another world... and at the end of the Divine service he will leave the church as if he were leaving a table richly and variedly served. Bows during the Jesus Prayer are left to arbitrariness and zeal... On small knots, make a waist bow, and on large knots, bow to the ground. How many? As much as your heart desires, however, having determined it once and for all... It is better to determine the time for this prayer: a quarter of an hour, or more, or less. Night is the best time for prayer, especially midnight. You can refuse to eat meat, but you can also limit yourself to eating less. Akathists and canons are good to read as expected. Look in the Followed Psalter, at the end. The psalmist will help you. But don't type too much. You can replace them with bows and the Jesus Prayer. And look at this too. And it happens better. You can, as a rule, pray with short prayers to St. Chrysostom, which stand in a row of prayers for sleep, saying each 5–10–15 or more times. You can read the Gospel while sitting, but without diminishing reverence. How long to read the Psalter? As much as your heart desires... One kathisma, two, three... or several psalms... To sing psalms means to read them in a chant, as, for example, in church they sing after “I have cried to the Lord” at Vespers. It is very good to fast more often, but see for yourself how to do it. Which church services your gymnasium service allows you to go to, go to, and which ones you cannot go to, for those at home, correct your bows with the Jesus Prayer, as also prescribed in the Following Psalter. To read, subscribe to the magazine “Soulful Reading.” A very useful magazine and cheap - 4 rubles. with delivery. The Trinity and Athos leaflets are good. From my books, you have everything related to spiritual life... Read “The Path to Salvation” more often, especially the 3rd part. What does it mean to have a clear conscience in relation to things? Do not abuse them, but use them wisely, storing them as long as possible. This is a monastic rule. It’s good to talk during the Nativity Fast. God bless. You can attend church at Vespers, All-Night Vigil or Matins and then take communion at Mass... And on other days of fasting you can replace all services with bows with the Jesus Prayer... Look in the Following Psalter and write it down for yourself. Read the lives of the saints every day. What sins have already been confessed and resolved, about those you say: they happened, but they repented and received permission. Thought on God can be replaced by the Jesus Prayer, but what is the need for this? They are one and the same essence. God-thinking is the holding of some truth in thought: the incarnation, death on the cross, resurrection, omnipresence, etc. without any direction of thought. (Issue 1, letter 113, pp. 112–114) 13. How to do it so that it pleases God. Akathists Remember that the point is not in words and bows, but in lifting the mind and heart to God. You can say everything that you have written and put down all the indicated bows, but not remember God at all, or somehow with absent-minded thoughts and wandering of the mind. And, therefore, without praying, fulfill the prayer rule. It turns out that prayer is a sin before God. Deliver, Lord! We must do God’s work with fear and trembling; keep this in mind. Try in every possible way so that where there is a word, there is a mind, or, as Saint Climacus says, enclose the mind in the words of prayer. When starting to pray, one must establish one’s attention before God and not depart from Him. “Reading” prayers from a book dispels a lot. It's better to memorize them. Flipping through the pages to find this or that ikos and kontakion should also distract attention. Try to do this: memorize the morning and evening prayers, understanding them and feeling what they say. Then read them as if they came from the heart. From the Psalter, also choose which psalms are understandable and closest to your heart and memorize them... Read them in order, too, from memory. Read them this way - going where and doing what... Read the day's Gospel after prayer with reflection and conclusions for yourself. Compose the memorial according to the model printed (in the Followed Psalter), according to your needs and circumstances, and say it from memory. Akathists turn everything into bows..., don’t read from a book, but mentally address those to whom you are supposed to... and bow. If you don't read the words, add a fan. Everything else is fine. The less you need a prayer book, the better. Learn, above all, to be in mortal memory. Sacrifice to God - the spirit is crushed. Then consider that you have prayed well when you leave prayer with contrition and complete self-abasement. And during the day, instead of fingering your rosary, try to be smart before God with the Jesus Prayer. Just as angels are always before the face of God, so we must try. They offer the sacrifice of praise, and we offer the sacrifice of contrition. (Issue 1, pas. 89, pp. 71–73) 14. How to pray so that the prayer is infallible and heard by God But behind all of them there is one sin... they will bow, then another... and give them what you want... take it out and put it in. If it is not given according to their desire, they raise a murmur and blaspheme God’s Providence. So they don't get anything. This “take it out and put it down” means commanding God. It doesn’t need to be like this, but like this: “Lord, You see that I need this and that, that this and that weighs on me. Help me and arrange me as Your holy will pleases, and not as my will desires!”... Having set yourself up in this way, you need to pray for a long time, not for a long time at a time, but for a long time over time... now, tomorrow..., a week, a month, a year. Everyone is screaming and shouting: “Lord, deliver me! Lord help me! However, not mine, but Your will be done!..” So the Lord spoke in the garden of Gethsemane, and the widow (in the parable) pestered the judge and received what she asked for. The saints have this word: we must bother the Lord and His saints. (Issue 8, letter 1428, pp. 163–164) 15. What is its strength: in external form, or in the spirit of prayer? In prayer, the power is not in the form, but in the spirit of prayer. What you try to feel in prayer is the most useful thing for prayer. One of the fathers put the feeling of being condemned at the hour of prayer into the essence of prayer. Somewhere, I don’t remember, the question is written: what is the best way to stand in prayer? And the answer: stand, as at the Judgment, fixing your gaze on the mouth of the Lord, from which the final decision is ready to come to you: “Come” or “Depart.” And cry out: “Lord, have mercy!” That's what's happening to you. It also seems to me that with a single Jesus Prayer you can fulfill all sorts of rules, just so that it is not only in word, but also in deed (in the mind and heart). (Issue 1, pas. 1, pp. 6–7) The essence of prayer is mental standing before the Lord with an invocation to Him in a feeling of 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. In the heart one must pay attention, but not before the heart, but before God. If the Lord is not in your attention, then there is no prayer. 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, the heart is contrite and humble, God will not despise.” 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! (Issue 5, letter 899, p. 169) 17. The fruit of prayer. What does it consist of The monk of 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. (Issue 5, letter 902, p. 175) 18. Prayer at night, when we wake up, can be done while lying down When I wrote to you to pray more at night, I meant prayer before going to bed, and when you wake up and pray while lying down, this is not a bad thing, but a good replacement for empty dreams in the intervals of sleep. It is good to know a few psalms by heart so that you can read them at this time. (Issue 8, letter 1378, p. 124) 19. Why the Lord does not always fulfill our prayers Prayer is never wasted, whether the Lord grants the request or not. Out of ignorance, we often ask for unhelpful and harmful things. Without doing it. For the work of prayer, God will give something else, unbeknownst to us. Therefore, the speech: “So you pray to God, but what did you get?” - clueless. The person praying asks for a benefit for himself, pointing to it. Seeing that what is asked will not lead to good, God does not fulfill the request and thereby creates good; for if he did, it would be bad for the petitioner. Behold how dangerously you walk in the midst of this evil age! (Issue 8, letter 1406, p. 146) About the frustration of your Prayer. I wrote to you about short prayers, and you replied that you typed them, as I indicated. So, if you please, pray only with these prayers both in the morning and in the evening. In the morning, read with full attention “Arise from Sleep...” and so on. thanksgiving to the Holy Trinity. Then do those prayers, repeating each one at least three times (and if more, it doesn’t interfere), slowly, all with thought and feeling. Conclude an appeal to all the saints whom you commemorate... and by remembering your living and dead... and that’s enough. Do the same at night. And sometimes during the day, read everything at once..., especially when you go somewhere. Nothing contributes more to gathering attention before the face of God than these short prayers. Insert the Jesus Prayer into their midst, as you find convenient... - after three and five prayers. (Issue 1, pas. 194, p. 239) 21. Composure of the mind in prayer and means for this So that the mind does not run away during prayer, we must try to remember God all the time, both at work, and while walking, and at home, and outside, and alone, and with sisters. When this happens, then during prayer the mind will stick to the work being done..., remember God and reverently ascend to Him. (Issue 8, pas. 1442, p. 172) It pleases God if done with diligence If you don't go to church, don't worry. For God, every prayer is of equal value, no matter where it is offered. Only one habit makes a difference here. And you can get used to churchless prayer. Read less from prayer books. Pray more like this, on your own... and you can get by with just “Lord, have mercy.” Shift the services to bows and be satisfied through them. All hermits and solitaries did this. And it's much better than reading. You won’t be able to do without reading at all, but you can do something as a keepsake, without a book. (Issue 3, letter 417, p. 61) 1. The Jesus Prayer and its significance for prayer skills. Warmth is carnal and spiritual. Their signs Some special movements in the body and spirit come from prayer, but not all prayer books are the same, some have these, and others have different ones, therefore, there is no point in dwelling on them. Others have no peculiarities at all, but pray quietly, even with all their might. And this is the best and safest destiny! What is prayer? Mentally standing before God in the heart with praise, thanksgiving, petition and contrite repentance. Everything here is spiritual. The root of everything is the reverent fear of God, from which faith in God and in God, surrender of oneself to God, hope, clinging to God in a feeling of love with oblivion of all created things... When prayer is in power, all these feelings and spiritual movements are inherent in the heart in corresponding strength. Read the prayers of the saints that have come down to us, delve deeply - and you will see that all this in them is an outpouring of their complete prayerful mood. I repeat again: everything here is spiritual, it comes from God and ascends to God. How does this happen? The holy father enters the heart, deepens into the contemplation of the Sacraments of faith, or all of them, or just one delight, sets in motion the above-mentioned feelings and pours them out in prayer... We read these prayers, we come into a mood similar to them, either partially or completely, and we are in the proper mood. Through frequent repetition of this, constant spiritual prayer is cultivated in us and a constant prayerful mood is established, which is unceasing prayer. Everything here is spiritual, intelligent and comes down from top to bottom. How does the Jesus Prayer, which is a verbal prayer, relate to this? Just like the warmth that spreads inside and around the heart from the action of this prayer. The skill of prayer is not formed suddenly... but requires long work and self-exertion. It is in this work of developing the skill of prayer that the Jesus Prayer and the warmth that accompanies it help best. Notice, father, that they are means, and not the thing itself. Perhaps there is a Jesus Prayer, but there is no real prayer. Strange as it may seem, but it happens!.. When we pray, we must stand with our minds before God and think about Him alone. Meanwhile, various thoughts are constantly interfering in the voice and distracting the mind from God. In order to teach the mind to stand on one thing, the holy fathers used prayers and learned to pronounce them incessantly... This constant repetition of prayer kept the mind thinking about God and dispersed all extraneous thoughts. These short prayers were different. Saint Cassian said that in Egypt everyone had this sentiment: “God, seek my help, Lord, strive for my help.” Saint Ioannikios continually wrote: “My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.” Someone else: “I, as a man who has sinned, You, as a generous God, have mercy on me.” There is no doubt that other prayers were also used; Among us, the Jesus Prayer has especially become established and has become a common custom: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” So this is what the Jesus Prayer is. It is one of the short verbal prayers, like all other short prayers. It is prescribed to keep the mind on one thought about God. One who has become accustomed to this prayer and acts by it properly, indeed, is constantly in the memory of God. Since the memory of God in a sincerely believing heart is naturally accompanied by religious feelings of reverence, hope, thanksgiving, devotion to the will of God and others, which are spiritual, we call the Jesus Prayer, which produces and preserves the memory of God, spiritual prayer. And this is true when she is surrounded by those spiritual feelings. But when it is not accompanied by such actions, it remains verbal, like any other similar one. This is how you should think about the Jesus Prayer. Now, what does the warmth that accompanies the use of this prayer mean? In order for the mind to stay on one thing when using a short prayer, it is necessary to bring it together with attention in the heart, because, remaining in the head, where the jostling of thoughts occurs, it does not have time to concentrate on one thing... When attention descends into the heart, it will attract all the forces of the soul and body there to one point... This concentration of all human life in one place immediately responds with that special sensation; this feeling is the beginning of future warmth... This feeling, at first light, intensifies, becomes stronger, deepens, and from the cold, as it is at the beginning, turns into a warm feeling and holds attention. And it happens in such a way that at first attention is held in the heart by tension of the will, and by its force it generates warmth in the heart. This warmth then holds attention without much strain. They then support each other and must remain inseparable, because distraction of attention cools warmth, and diminishing warmth weakens attention. Hence the law of spiritual life: keep your heart in feeling towards God, you will always be in the memory of God. It was expressed somewhere by Saint John Climacus. Now the question is – is this spiritual warmth? - No, not spiritual! And ordinary, blood. But as it holds the attention of the mind in the heart and through this contributes to the development there of the spiritual movements mentioned above, then it is called spiritual, however, in the case if it is not accompanied by lustful pleasure, even lightly, but keeps the soul and body in a sober mood. It follows from this: as soon as the warmth that accompanies the Jesus Prayer is not accompanied by spiritual feelings, then it should not be called spiritual, but simply blood warmth; and, being such, it is not bad if it is not connected with lustful pleasure, although light, and if it is, then it is bad and should be subject to expulsion. This wrongness happens when warmth goes below the heart. The second wrong is when, having fallen in love with this warmth, you limit everything to it alone, not caring about spiritual feelings, even about the memory of God, but only about the existence of this warmth. This wrongness is possible, although not for everyone and not always, but from time to time. This must be noticed and corrected, because in this case, only blood warmth, animal, will remain... This warmth should not be considered spiritual or grace-filled... This warmth can be called spiritual only when it is accompanied by spiritual prayerful movements... Whoever calls it spiritual without them is committing a mistake. Whoever calls her grace-filled is even more wrong... There is a special warmth of grace, and, accordingly, it is spiritual... It is detached from the flesh and does not produce noticeable changes in the body, and is evidenced by a subtle, sweet feeling. By these feelings, anyone can easily identify and distinguish warmth... Everyone should do this: there is no business or place for an outsider here. If sometimes there are bodily movements or sensations of any kind during prayer and warmth, do not pay attention to them; they do not relate to the essence of the matter and vary from person to person. Still, pay attention to spiritual actions and feelings. They will pass through your soul and body, like a pleasant morning coolness. (Issue 2, letter 244, pp. 61–66) 2. How it should be done If your heart warms up when reading ordinary prayers, then in this way kindle the warmth of your heart towards God. The Jesus Prayer, if done mechanically, gives nothing, like any other prayer that is only spoken with the tongue. During the Jesus Prayer, try to think more vividly that the Lord Himself is near and present to your soul and is listening to what is happening in it. At the same time, awaken in your soul a thirst for salvation and the confidence that, except for the Lord, we have nowhere to expect salvation from. Then cry out to Him, mentally visible before you: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” or: “Merciful Lord, save me in the image of your destinies.” It’s not a matter of words at all, but of feelings for the Lord. The spiritual burning of the heart towards the Lord is love for Him. It lights up at the touch of the Lord on the heart. Since He is all love, His touch on the heart immediately kindles love for Him. And from love the burning of the heart for Him. This is what you should be looking for. The creation of the Jesus Prayer is only a tool for this, or better, only a work that shows the strong desire of the soul to find the Lord. Let there be the Jesus Prayer on your tongue, in your mind - contemplation of the Lord before you, in your heart - thirst for God, or communication with the Lord. When all this is constant, then the Lord, seeing how you force yourself, will give you what you ask for. Please understand all this and take it as a guide, and read it more often in order to refresh your memory of how you should act. (Issue 8, letter 1338, pp. 93–94) 3. What is the most important thing about her? You have a good idea of ​​doing the Jesus Prayer properly. Diligence and work will overcome everything. Pray to the Lord to help you with this. You yourself, through your own efforts, can only learn to constantly repeat this prayer. And the Lord will introduce it into the very heart. This last is the main thing, and the first is only the threshold. (Issue 8, letter 1265, p. 35) 4. Her assessment by Bishop Feofan The prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” is a verbal prayer, like any other. In itself, it has nothing special, but borrows all its power from the mood with which it is created. All the techniques that are written about (sit down, bend over), ... or the artistic creation of this prayer are not suitable for everyone and are dangerous without a mentor. It’s better not to take on all that. One technique is universally obligatory: “stay with attention in the heart.” The other is all extraneous and not leading to the matter. They say so much about the fruits of this prayer that there is nothing higher than this in the world. Illegal. The talisman has been found! Of the fruits, nothing belongs to the verbal composition of prayer and its speaking. All fruits can be obtained without this prayer, and even without any verbal prayer, through one aspiration of the mind and heart towards God. The essence of the matter is “to be established in the memory of God or to walk in the presence of God.” You can say to everyone: whatever you want, just achieve it... Whether it’s to say the Jesus Prayer, bow down, or go to church, do whatever you want, just achieve it to always be in the memory of God. I remember in Kyiv I met a man who said: “I didn’t use any techniques and didn’t know the Jesus Prayer, but everything that is written here was and is. How? I don't know that myself. God gave!..” This - what God has given or will give - must be kept in mind so as not to confuse self-made work with the gift of grace. Artistically doing the Jesus Prayer, doing it simply, with attention in the heart, or walking in the memory of God, is our work, and in itself has its own natural, ungraceful fruit. This fruit is: a collection of thoughts, reverence and fear of God, mortal memory, pacification of thoughts and some warmth of heart. All this is the natural fruit of inner prayer. You need to solidify this well so that you don’t blow your trumpet in front of yourself and don’t exalt yourself in front of others. As long as we have only natural fruits, we are not worth a penny, both in the essence of the matter and in the Judgment of God. Price for us when grace comes. For when she comes, it will mean that God has looked upon us with a merciful eye. Until he comes, no matter what we do, no matter what feats we perform, it means that we are worthless individuals that God doesn’t even want to look at. In what exactly this effect of grace is revealed, I cannot tell you, but it is certain that it cannot come before all the above-mentioned fruits of inner prayer appear. The word “inner prayer” came to me by chance, but it expresses the matter very well. And it must be placed where they began to say the Jesus Prayer. They say: “Acquire the Jesus Prayer,” i.e. inner prayer. The Jesus Prayer is a good means of internal prayer, but in itself it is not internal, external prayer. Those who get used to it do it well. But if they stop at one point and don’t go further, then they stop halfway. Reading the rules of Saint Anthony and many others, memorize the psalms and whether you go somewhere or sit at work, read them. This means that when we read the psalms, we reflected and developed inner prayer. Nowadays they say: “Whatever you do, say the Jesus Prayer and you will achieve the same.” During the Jesus Prayer, contemplation of God is still necessary, otherwise it is dry food. It’s good for anyone who has the name of Jesus stuck on their tongue. But at the same time, you can not remember the Lord at all and even hold thoughts that are contrary to Him. Consequently, everything depends on a conscious and free turn to God and the work of maintaining oneself in this with reasoning. (Issue 1, pas. 12, pp. 17–19) 5. Artificial doing leads to delusion 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 also lies in the fact 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. (Issue 5, letter 921, p. 204) Spiritual prayer does not depend on any physical tension, such as pressure of attention to 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 surrendered 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 that when you imagine the Lord as present, things get better, so always do it. (Issue 5, letter 906, p. 181) At prayer services, proskomedia and liturgy It is necessary for those who order to participate in prayer You kindly organized a prayer for your daughter. Two prayer services a week and a commemoration at the proskomedia. It would seem quite enough. But who is praying painfully here? God listens to prayer when one prays with an aching soul about something. If no one takes a deep breath, then the prayer services will crackle, but there will be no prayer for the sick. The same is the proskomedia, the same is the mass. There is only your faith and hope here, the sign of which is your orders. But do you yourself attend prayer services? If not, then your faith is silent... You ordered, but, having given money so that others would pray, you yourself have thrown all worries off your shoulders... There is no one who cares about the sick one. It doesn’t even occur to those serving the prayer service to feel pain in their souls before the Lord for those who are remembered at the prayer service... And where can they feel pain for everyone?! It’s another matter when you yourself are at a prayer service or in church at a liturgy, when N. is remembered at a proskomedia... Then your illness is taken up by the prayer of the Church and quickly ascends to the Throne of God... and the very prayer of the Church makes it painful, although the servants are not sick. So you see what the power is?! Attend prayer services yourself and ache with your soul for the sick... And it will happen. In church during the liturgy, you feel pain during the proskomedia and especially when, after “We sing to you...” the hymn “It is worthy to eat” is sung to the Mother of God. Here the living and the dead are remembered again for the perfect sacrifice. Mass is stronger than commemoration only at proskomedia, because it expresses your strongest condolences for the sick person and the strongest faith and hope that the Lord will not abandon us with His help. The main thing is to care for the sick yourself... And help the poor more, not just those who walk... Make it easier for the family burdened by poverty. His prayer will ease your heartache. (Issue 3, letter 460, pp. 102–103) I believe that all the saints in heaven are one body. They all pray for us together, although we extend our prayers to one or the other. And the Mother of God with everyone stands before God for us. When you ask the saints to add their intercession before the Lord to the prayer of the Mother of God, you do nothing special. This is always the case in heaven. (Issue 1, letter 1, p. 7) Your grief for your relatives who are dying and your prayer for them are pleasing to God. If everything has not gone out for them and there is something to instill in them, both your prayer and God’s favor towards them, then they will come to their senses, see the light of God and follow the path of God. Pray more heartily... Your benevolent prayer will resonate in their souls and awaken crushing thoughts. For there is communion of souls. (Issue 3, letter 382, pp. 21–22) Others prayed for death and were heard. But it is better for us to accept from the Lord with humility what he gives - whether life or death; health or illness; wealth or poverty. And give thanks for everything. (Issue 8, letter 1250, p. 25) What happens, as if the service was soon over or its rule was completely unnoticeable, as if... This is the fruit of attentive standing in church and the home rule of fulfillment - with attention and feeling. God grant that it will always be like this... But avoid self-esteem... (Issue 3, letter 476, p. 121) Church and home prayer Church prayer is higher than home prayer The Church is your consolation. Thanks be to the Lord, who allows you to experience the benefits of being in church. Saint Chrysostom often mentions that you can pray at home (to pray), but you cannot pray at home like in church. (Issue 3, pas. 448, p. 90) 1. What it should be As for the rule, I think this way: whatever rule anyone chooses for himself, everything is good, as long as it keeps the soul in reverence before God. Also: read prayers and psalms until your soul stirs, and then pray yourself, outlining your needs, or without everything: “God, be merciful...” Also: sometimes all the time assigned to the rule can be spent reading one psalm for memory, making up your own prayer from each verse. Also: sometimes you can carry out the entire rule in the Jesus Prayer with bows... Otherwise, take a little from this, that, and the third. God needs the heart (Prov. 23:26), and as long as it stands in reverence before Him, then that is enough. This is what unceasing prayer consists of: always standing reverently before God. And in this case, the rule is only heating, or adding firewood to the stove. (Issue 1, letter 2, p. 9) Would you like to have a prayer rule? In the evening and morning, perform morning prayers and bedtime prayers... Attach short prayers to them - 24 St. St. John Chrysostom o that are among the prayers for sleep, repeating each 5 times. Then call on all the saints: apostles, prophets, saints, martyrs, martyrs, reverend fathers and reverend mothers, and all those who please God in every way. This is in general, but by name: the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, the saint whose name you bear, the saints whose thrones are in the monastery, the saints you honor according to your circumstances, such as St. Tikhon... and others. Conclude by remembering the living and the dead for whom you pray. Never pronounce prayers hastily, but not in a hurry, with thoughts and feelings that are expressed in the prayers being read. Before starting prayer, always prepare a little, collecting your thoughts and trying to pay attention to the Lord, to whom you are beginning to pray. Let the main attitude of prayer be one of repentance, for we all sin a lot... The spirit is contrite, God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. According to every rule, pray for your sins, in which you sin... What should we try to achieve through prayer? So that the heart warms with love for God and the feeling for God does not leave... For this purpose the Jesus Prayer is prescribed: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Repeat this prayer more often and you will achieve the skill so that your tongue repeats it by itself. Please know that to succeed in prayer, you must try to decorate your heart with all the virtues, especially humility, obedience and rejection of your own will. We must establish faith that God sees and hears everything, and knows all our secrets. Why is it necessary to pay attention to yourself and rip out all the bad things, and as soon as they appear in thoughts or feelings, immediately spew them out and immediately repent and ask for forgiveness. (Issue 3, pas. 377, pp. 10–11) 2. They can’t tie themselves down. Never commit yourself to a rule or think that there is anything valuable in having such a rule or always following it. The whole price is in heartfelt surrender before God. The saints write that if someone does not leave prayer as a condemned man, worthy of all punishment from the Lord, then he leaves it as a Pharisee. Another said: “When standing in prayer, stand as if at the Last Judgment, when God’s decisive decree about you is ready to come: “Go away” or “Come.” Formality and mechanism in prayer must be avoided in every possible way. Be the mistress of the rule, not the slave. She is only a servant of God, obligated to devote all the minutes of her life to pleasing Him. (Issue 2, issue 249, p. 77) 3. It can be shortened and added to When things do not allow you to fully complete the prayer rule, then perform it abbreviated. And you should never rush. God is everywhere. Say thanks to Him in the morning and ask for a blessing in your own words, a few bows and that’s enough! Never approach God haphazardly, but always with great reverence. He does not need our bows, nor our verbose prayers... A cry from the heart is short and strong - that’s what is profitable!.. And this can be done casually... And, therefore, you can pray unceasingly. Take care of this and direct everything here... At St. Basil the Great was asked: how to pray unceasingly? He answered: have a prayerful disposition in your heart and you will pray unceasingly. Work with your hands, and lift your mind to God. The apostles walked around the whole earth, how much work?! Meanwhile, they prayed incessantly. And they wrote this commandment. The spirit of faith, trust and devotion to the will of God - this is what needs to be warmed in the heart. You can figure out the prayer rule yourself, judging by what I wrote to your wife. Memorize the prayers you read and read them from memory with understanding and feeling. Insert your own prayer here and there; The less you depend on the book, the better. Memorize a few psalms, and when you go somewhere or do something else, but your head is not busy, read them... This is a conversation with God. The rule must be in your free will. Don't be his slave. (Issue 2, letter 250, pp. 78–79) 4. It can be replaced with short prayers Should the Guardian Angel read the canon? Read. And when there is weakness or a lot of work - instead of “reading” the canon, offer a short prayer to it: “My holy Guardian Angel of God, pray to God for me, a sinner,” - 50 with bows as desired (i.e. bow to the ground or from the waist). This can (i.e., short prayers) replace all canons. But attention must be kept not on words alone, but with corresponding thoughts and feelings. Work in prayer. She is a source of consolation, enlightened thoughts and affirmation of good character. (Issue 3, letter 378, pp. 12–13) 5. How to do it during physical fatigue After tiredness, you don’t do the evening rule well... First, walk around the rules a little, even outside, if it’s convenient, and lie down for a while until your head rests and the impressions you’ve experienced dissipate... Then become a rule... Never give yourself the freedom to follow the rules somehow. If necessary, come up with this abbreviation yourself and be blessed to have it fulfilled by your spiritual father. Or, having shortened it as needed, then fill in what was missing if it is of a general nature in content. Keep in mind and feeling that every compulsion and will for the work of God is seen by the omnipresent God and blesses the one who does it. (Issue 3, issue 477, p. 125) When I pray, thoughts creep in. You have to drive them away, they climb in again, you have to drive them away again... and so on. Just don’t indulge him, but as soon as you notice him, drive him away. This is the feat of sobriety. Work to ensure that your heart is in some kind of religious feeling... when your heart is in feeling, thoughts do not bother you and everything goes around feelings. (Issue 3, letter 489, p. 159) Prayer arrangement at the beginning of the day Try to do this: in the morning, during your prayer rule, try to establish your attention before God so that then you can be before Him all day, no matter what happens. If you arrange yourself this way and begin with the prophet to always contemplate the Lord before you, with the corresponding feelings, of course, then you will always pray unceasingly. And then you won't be bored. Do not depart from the prayer-rule until contrition is reborn in your heart in devotion to God. You are a wife, mother, housewife. The responsibilities related here are your salvation. Reading the Gospel and the Psalter is a good deed. Do not leave the books until you have learned some lesson or rules for life. (Issue 8, section 1220, p. 4) Mercy and mercy of the heart There are works of mercy and mercy of the heart. The former receive a price from the latter, but it is also possible without it, and then they do not have a real price. The Apostle has this last case in mind. Whether we apply it to you, see for yourself. It's no wonder to see this. Whether your actions come from the heart or are done according to some third-party movements, your consciousness cannot make a mistake in determining this. Then look, is your mercy a natural disposition or does it come spontaneously out of love for God and submission to His will? And it is God-pleasing to satisfy a good natural disposition, because it is from God, but if you are guided by it alone, then such an order of affairs will be of lesser quality. In order for this to receive real goodness, you must sanctify your compassion with love of God and obedience to the will of God or the commandments, doing every task as if it was directly entrusted to you by God himself. (Issue 1, letter 114, p. 115) Almsgiving and piety in the matter of our salvation Almsgiving as an auxiliary means, and piety as the main and fundamental You envied those who, after their death, have the opportunity to win over many to pray to God for themselves by richly distributing benefits to those in need. Are you seriously saying this and thinking so?! In fact, all that can be said about these orders is that they are not nothing, but have their own force, but not unconditional. It is an auxiliary means, not the main thing, and therefore strong, since strength is the main thing. The main thing is deeds of piety, truth and love with selflessness and sincere repentance, making up for everything that is lacking in these deeds and making up for everything that is opposite to them, with full faith in the Lord Savior and in the entire economy of salvation. When this main thing is there, the work of salvation is safe, but when not, it is in extreme danger, and what you envied will turn out to be a belated remedy. Now we need to stock up on such things, or it’s better to acquire the good mood that is usually expressed in such things. (Issue 3, item 467, p. 110) How to use them amid everyday worries Minutes of solitude must be used, turning them exclusively to the work of God - prayer and contemplation of God. These same classes, as long as they go at least a little smoothly, will not let you get bored. For they exude spiritual consolation, which nothing on earth can give. I mean when, while reading, for example, the Gospel, questions arise, and when, after proper deepening, the soul finds a satisfactory solution to them. There is a lot of spiritual consolation in this. And it’s all the more pleasant because one success irritates you even more, and then comes the skill for such activities. The soul will then become broad, fast-flying and thoughtful. (Issue 8, letter 1223, pp. 6–7) The soul of animals and humans. Their relationship and difference This is how I think about the world. The basis of the material world is atoms. But atoms are not all the same, they are different, like different elements. However, they themselves cannot move or have mutual connections. Everything produces active forces in them. What are these forces? I admit a ladder of immaterial forces of a spiritual nature. Mutual attraction, chemical affinity, crystallization, plants, animals - everything is produced by corresponding immaterial forces that proceed, rising gradually. The substrate of all forces is the soul of the world. God, having created this immaterial soul, put into it the ideas of all creatures, and it instinctively, as they say, produces them at the beck and excitement of God. The soul is created along with the words “Let there be light!” This light is ether, it is the shell of the soul. With the words “Let there be” something new was created... On the second day - the firmament. When God said: “Let the earth bring forth...”, then the soul of the world listened to Him and fulfilled what was commanded. She separated from herself all kinds of plant souls, which gave rise to diverse plants and then began to reproduce them according to their kind. “Also according to the word of God: “Let the earth destroy every living soul,” the soul singled out the soul of animals, which produced different kinds of animals. When it was necessary to create man, the command was not given to the earth: “Let him bring forth,” but in the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity it was said: “Let us create...” The body is especially created from dust. It was not a dead body, but a living one with an animal soul. A spirit will be breathed into this soul, God’s spirit, destined to know God, to honor God, to seek and listen to God, and to have all one’s dignity in Him, and in nothing but Him. This spirit, uniting with the soul of an animal, raised it above the soul of animals by a whole stage, and we see in man that, to a certain extent, everything goes on with him, like with animals... to intelligence, and then begins a series of forces, although of a spiritual nature, but higher than the soul..., reason, will, taste. Even further: fear of God, conscience, dissatisfaction with created things, desire for God. These are spiritual manifestations completely detached from the soul. You can also place soul-spirituality between soul and spirit: an idealizing mind, a will that rebuilds everything anew, and creativity (in the arts). This is genius from the mental, practical and artistic side. Spirit in the soul or soul in the spirit. These are all natural manifestations. They do not appear in their present form in experience, due to the breakdown of strength in the fall. Graceful actions reveal spirit and spirituality in their true form. Souls lower than spirit and man are immersed in the soul of the world. But a person’s soul cannot plunge there, but the spirit is carried away by grief—this is after death. So this is where your chemistry comes from. In some kind of chemical soul. In this soul there is an instinctively felt image of what needs to be made from the elements. She takes them and builds her own. The plant also has a chemical soul. But she is in the service of the plant soul. In an animal they both exist, but they serve in the service of the animal’s soul. Or this: the soul of animals, being able to act like an animal, is also able to produce that which is characteristic of the plant and chemical soul. Equally, the plant soul, knowing how to do its own thing, also knows how to do chemical things... Here is the unity of nature. Both the fall and the redemption are easily reconciled with this. We know less about the material world than about the spiritual. And God does not give and will not give, because it is not necessary for us. In this regard, we always remain on the surface... Mastery of the elements and forces acting on earth will expand, but this is not knowledge, but only the ability to use what is revealed by itself. The essence of the matter is forever hidden from us. (Issue 2, letter 264, pp. 107–110) Ordeal is an image of a private Judgment after death, at which the entire life of the deceased is reviewed with all sins and good deeds. Sins are recognized as atoned for by opposite good deeds or corresponding repentance. All the dead, unjustified sinners in life, go through ordeals. Only perfect Christians do not linger at ordeals, but ascend straight to heaven like a bright streak. (Issue 3, letter 479, p. 130) What do unbelievers bring for believers? (Life among unbelievers is a martyrdom) The Apostle said about Saint Lot that he was tormented in soul, looking at the wickedness of the Sodomites, and counted him among the host of martyrs. This is your rank. Tormenting your soul at the meeting of rude unbelievers, you partake of the grace of martyrdom. Unbelievers usually raise their noses high, thereby expressing their triumph over the faithful. But faith stands, and the faithful, in their humility, do not lose at all the faithful promises of God in their aspirations. And now it is clear on whose side the truth is... But there will be a day when this will be solemnly announced before all creation... for the endless consolation of believers and for the irreparable eternal destruction of unbelievers. (Issue 8, letter 1359, pp. 110–111) This is what you do when internal bad movements that confuse you come: immediately pay attention to your heart and stand there, pushing away the attacking bad movements both by exerting your will, and especially by prayer to the Lord. That there are attacks, it is not your fault, but when you do not push them away, and deal with them, and allow sympathy, then it is your fault. This makes the heart unclean and loses boldness before the Lord. Watch your heart. (Issue 6, letter 971, p. 90) And children are all angels of God. The unbaptized, like everyone outside the faith, must be left to God's mercy. They are not stepsons or stepdaughters of God, therefore He knows what and how to establish in relation to them. The ways of God are endless! (Issue 8, letter 1463, p. 217) Infirmities, spiritual weaknesses, passions Seeing your weaknesses, regretting them and resorting to God because of them is the beginning of a good path. When this is present, maintain these dispositions - fear for yourself everywhere, fear of falling and caution. Trouble, when the soul comes to the insolence of “I’m not afraid of anything”... is the beginning of the fall and all destruction. But even with this good disposition, you need to protect yourself from excess, you need to know the limits of this too, otherwise you will fall into despondency, and then into despair. Despite all our weaknesses, we believe that the Lord does not want the death of a sinner and that, therefore, when we do not willingly surrender to weaknesses, He will not allow us to fall. A strong wind will bend another tree all the way to the ground, but the tree will still remain on the root, and as soon as the storm subsides, it will straighten up. This happens from passions... Let them rage, but you just need to arrange the root... the root is the decision not to succumb to sin by inclining towards it, even death. That there is little patience may be a consequence of poor health and impressionability. And this must be endured, i.e. that there is little patience. But it will get stronger over time, just don’t give in to impatience. (Issue 1, letter 14, p. 21) 1. She provokes the wrath of God There are two things that bring upon us the wrath of God, oppressive and oppressive: hostility towards others and lust, and the first is great space. Please take the trouble to find out everything that she revealed herself to be in you and put a stop to it without hesitation, no matter how plausible it may seem. Instead of people, turn hostility now to what it was in you and throw it out. Have you ever read or heard the words of the Apostle: “My heart has expanded toward you”? So spread your heart and in return you will receive what you seek and desire. (Issue 3, letter 484, pp. 150–151) Having undertaken to please God, one must, firstly, accept everything calmly and endure complacently, and, secondly, be able to behave and act in this regard. The first is easy - you grit your teeth and remain silent, but the second is very difficult, especially because a restless spirit immediately creeps out through words, and through deeds, and through movement, and through a face. This circumstance spoils everything, as you can see for yourself. But if you have experience, please study, the science is simple, but difficult to learn. Namely: in unpleasant cases that give rise to unpleasant feelings against others, one should not speak or act. You need to calm down first and completely remove the trouble from your heart so that there is no trace of it. Nothing more is required. Then both speech and business will go well. You can then speak sternly and strictly, even scoldingly, and the speech will not produce a bad effect; for the spirit in her will not be irritable, but peaceful and loving. Let me now take a lesson from that incident. Sit down and look at what you should think about in order to erase the unpleasant feeling... And then act on it. You think badly about those... This is the source of unpleasant feelings towards them. Learn to think well of them and arouse in yourself feelings of respect for them. Be sure to do this - bring yourself to the same feeling for them that you have for any respected person, and keep this feeling... and walk with it. Then there will be no troubles. That’s how you should be disposed. What do you care about their behavior?! The authorities are there, and read them. (Issue 8, vol. 1459, pp. 198–199) Not only surrender everything into the hands of the Lord, but also be complacent, rejoice, and give thanks. It’s true that there is something to knock out of you, and now the Lord has directed so many hammers at you, which are hitting you from all sides. Do not disturb them with your anger, resistance, discontent. Give them freedom, let them, without being constrained by anything, do the work of God over you and in you, to which the Lord has assigned you for your salvation. The Lord loves you and has taken you into his hands to push out everything worthless from you. As a washerwoman crumples, rubs and beats your linen to make it white, just as the Lord rubs, crumples and beats you to make you white and to prepare you for the inheritance of His Kingdom, where nothing unclean will enter. So look at your position and confirm yourself in it, and pray to the Lord that He will confirm such a view in you and deepen it. Then joyfully accept every trouble as a medicine offered by the Lord Himself. Look at those around you as instruments of God for your good, and behind them always see the hand of God that benefits you. And for everything you say: glory to You, Lord! But try to make sure that it is not only in the language and in thought, but also in feeling. Pray that the Lord will allow you to feel this way. And he will. 1. Expect trouble every minute and when it comes, greet it like an expected guest. 2. When something is given that is contrary to the will, ready to upset and irritate, quickly run your attention to your heart and strain as much as you can to prevent those feelings from being reborn, strain and pray. If you don’t allow those feelings to arise, everything will end, because everything comes from feelings; if even a small thing is born, decide, if possible, not to say or do anything until those feelings have been driven out, but if it is impossible not to speak and not to do, try to speak and do not according to those feelings, but according to the commandment, as God commands: meekly, quietly, as if nothing had happened. 3. Throw out any expectation of an end to this order from your mind, and set yourself up for trouble for the rest of your life. Don't forget! This is very important. If this does not happen, patience cannot be established. 4. Apply this to all hammers - keep a loving gaze, a loving tone of speech, a loving address and, most importantly, avoid in every way possible to remind them of their injustices. Act as if there was nothing from them. (Issue 1, letter 115, pp. 116–117) Confusion in thoughts and feelings The troubles in thoughts and feelings that you experience will all subside over time, if, despite them, you do not stop being jealous with all your zeal for one thing that pleases God. To this end, there is one sure way - to have the memory of God and the memory of death. They will instill the fear of God, which will be both a stimulant to everything pleasing to God and a turner away from everything that angers God, and a guardian of good things within, and a destroyer of everything bad that lies there. The memory of God sees the Lord before itself and in itself, and immediately notices evil arising from the heart, and suppresses them. And that’s the whole point. Don't say I can't. This word is not Christian. Christian word: I can do anything. But not in itself, but about the Lord who strengthens us, as the Apostle assures. Of course, establishing ourselves in the memory of God requires work. And take it on. At first you will remember the Lord only 10 times, and in the end you will forget about Him only 10 times. And finally. The Sun of Truth, Christ the Lord, will shine on the firmament of your soul and will shine there, not dimming for a single moment. Seek and you will find. (Issue 1, letter 193, p. 237) Insensibility confuses you. I think this is a consequence of painful exhaustion. Recover completely and all your strength, and, consequently, your feelings, will enter into their next action. You already felt something when you heard “On the Rivers of Babylon.” Go to church, rub yourself with spiritual friction, and the numbness of your heart will go away. Add to this a reflection on the comforting properties and actions of God, which reveal in Him the most protective Father. Otherwise, take the trouble to intimidate yourself. For death is just around the corner, and there is a report. Lord, have mercy and mercy, abundantly merciful! (Issue 5, letter 785, p. 46) 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 bodily or mental lust, 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. Enough to lament heartily 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. (Issue 5, letter 925, p. 210) Image of God during prayer “How to imagine the Lord—either sitting on the Throne or crucified?” When you think about the divine, then you can imagine the Lord as needed. But during prayer you should not hold any images. The Lord is everywhere. Stand in this conviction that He is everywhere, therefore, in you, and not just around you, and sees and hears everything. Call upon Him, who is omnipresent, all-seeing and desiring our salvation, prayerfully, without any image, without imagining Him in any way. One must be confirmed in such a conviction by constant thinking about it. And he will come. “Stand above the heart,” - become the mind in the heart, “go from the head into the heart,” - all this is one and the same. The essence of the matter is to concentrate attention and stand before the invisible Lord, but not in the head, but inside the chest, towards the heart and in the heart. When God's warmth comes, then all this will become clear. “Sometimes attention goes to the heart, but I’m afraid to keep it here.” On the contrary, you need to hold it, and the longer the better..., not allowing yourself to be entertained by any thoughts. (Issue 8, letter 1461, p. 203) Communication with people (neighbors) who think little about God It is difficult to tell you anything decisive about how to deal with your neighbors. There is only one law for this: to communicate with those of like mind for mutual support in action on the path of salvation. Therefore, if you happen to recoil from those who think little about God and salvation, there is nothing to regret about it. Communication with them remains only in everyday life... But if you have enough courage, then they too must be sacrificed... Consider these principles... (Issue 8, letter 1312, p. 71) Stoned insensibility or spiritual dryness Remedies against it and reasons for its manifestation I thought you were constantly cold... or dry and numb. But you don’t have this, but there is something that happens to everyone from time to time. Almost everyone who has written about spiritual life remembers this. Saint Mark, the ascetic, exposes three enemies of this kind: ignorance with oblivion, laziness with negligence, and petrified insensibility. “Some kind of paralysis of all mental strength.” Saint Chrysostom did not forget them in his short prayers: “Deliver me from ignorance, oblivion, despondency (this is laziness with negligence) and petrified insensibility.” The remedies indicated are not complex - endure and pray. Tolerate. It is possible that God Himself sends this to teach us not to rely on ourselves. Sometimes we take on a lot and expect a lot from our efforts, techniques and labors. So the Lord takes grace and leaves one, as if saying, try as much as you have the strength. The more natural talents there are, the more necessary such training is. Having realized this, we will endure. This is also sent as punishment - for outbursts of passions that were allowed and not condemned, and not covered by repentance. These outbreaks are the same for the soul as bad food is for the body, which aggravates or weakens, or dulls... It is necessary, it turns out, to look around when there is dryness, whether there is anything like this in the soul, and repent before the Lord, and put forward to beware. This happens most of all for anger, untruth, annoyance, condemnation, arrogance and the like. Healing is the return of a state of grace again. As grace in the will of God, we can only pray... for deliverance from this very dryness... and from petrified insensibility. There are such lessons: do not abandon the usual prayer rule, but follow it exactly, trying in every possible way so that the thought accompanies the words of the prayer, straining and stirring the feeling... Let the feeling be a stone, but the thought will be - even if it is half a prayer, there will still be a prayer; for there must be complete prayer with thought and feeling. When you are cold and insensible, it will be difficult to keep your thoughts in the words of prayer, but it is still possible. You must do it in defiance of yourself... This overexertion of yourself will be the means to bend the Lord to mercy and return grace. But you shouldn’t give up prayer. Saint Macarius says: the Lord will see how sincerely we wish for the good of this... and he will send it. Send a prayer against cooling in your word before the rule and after the rule... and in continuation of it cry out to the Lord, as if presenting a dead soul before His face: see, Lord, what it is like! But the word will heal. With this word, throughout the day, often turn to the Lord. (Issue 1, pas. 190, pp. 230–231) Weakening of good mood after fasting and communion You regret that the good mood acquired by fasting, Confession and Communion soon weakens. This is both worthy of regret, and all the more worthy because it is in our power to avoid it... There is no need to surrender oneself to the victim of external impressions; they take attention away from the heart and make it wander to the side, far from itself. You should not allow yourself to eat mental and physical sweets. We have two tastes: one is spiritual, the other is mental and physical. They chase each other away. When there is a taste of the spiritual, everything else is grass, but when you have to taste the spiritual and physical, then the taste for the spiritual diminishes. From this you see for yourself what should be done in order to preserve the enjoyment of spiritual blessings. (Issue 6, letter 955, pp. 48–49) You ask regarding excommunication from Holy Communion. It seems to me that as soon as the person confessing shows contrition and sets an unfeigned intention to abstain from the sin that exposes him to excommunication, then this can not be done 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 they mostly 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 - his betrayal into the claws 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. Detachment from the whole heart is possible for everyone and, as can be seen from the Savior’s Discourse on the Mount, obligatory for everyone, but renunciation by deed is not the property of everyone. Free your heart from sinful attachments. Enough. These are the signs of this feat: if there is no hope in one’s own wealth, if there is a readiness to calmly endure, whenever the Lord would like to take everything, if the hand is pliable for help without stopping, coming from the heart... and so on. When it will be in search and feasible feat and enough is enough for us!.. Suddenly we can’t control our hearts. (Issue 2, letter 253, pp. 81–82) How grateful is the Holy Father for Gehenna?! - According to our consciousness, how great a good it is for us in the fact that God revealed to us about Gehenna. Even if, knowing that Gehenna exists, we sin so carelessly, what would happen if we did not know about it? Now, nevertheless, someone else sins - he sins - and becomes thoughtful. Is it in our power to renounce? - In ours. If you want, you will ask for it; having sought, you will pray; If you pray, you will receive help, and with this help, everything is possible. Thus says the Apostle: I can do all things through Christ the Lord who strengthens me. But, of course, one must not ask weakly and not somehow hope, but both strongly, deeply, whole-heartedly. (Issue 8, letter 1342, p. 96) Cooling down in spiritual life Its danger and remedies The main thing is cooling. This is a bitter and dangerous state. With the Lord it consists of guiding, intelligible and corrective means. But sometimes it can also be a kind of punishment. The reason for this is obvious sin, but since you don’t see it, the reasons must be sought in inner feelings and dispositions. Has the conceit crept in that you are not like others? Don't you think that you yourself will walk along the path of salvation and ascend the mountain using your own means? Don't you become complacent in the order of life that you have established... and settle down to sleep in the thought that there is nothing more to worry about? Such and similar thoughts lead to carelessness, and carelessness is the first step towards cooling down. Therefore, take the trouble to collect more thoughts, because you have not yet begun work, what seemed spiritual before was only a calling to work, and not fruit. Apply the conviction that even though you have reached high levels, you are not safe from falls, the path to which is paved for the enemy by carelessness and negligence - the companions of cooling. When collecting such motivating thoughts, do not think that you will warm yourself... The Lord will warm you when the time comes. Your business is labor and labor. In addition to this mental work, add a prayer to the Lord specifically for deliverance from this ulcer. Leave all other items, keep this one prayer against cooling. Whether you stand at prayer, whether you read, whether you stand in church, or whether you are doing some work, keep one thing in mind: Lord, deliver me from this coldness. And don't give yourself any rest until you get warm. Warmth is the Lord's touch to the heart, and constant warmth is the Lord's dwelling in the heart... Grant it to you. Lord, this is good! Don't be lazy and don't give up! (Issue 1, letter 113, pp. 110–111) That it is. Its signs What is a fall, you ask? “The fall is a matter of doing something bad, something repugnant to God, with the consciousness of the evil and the repugnance of it and with a repressed conscience. The fall is caused by a sinful act. An act is sinful when there is arbitrary permission to do something bad. Thoughts are sinful when you arbitrarily give them a place in the soul. But when thoughts creep in on their own, but the soul does not want them and resists them, there is no sin, but the struggle is good. A feeling is sinful when one deigns to express it, restrains it and kindles it, but when it involuntarily bursts into the soul, the soul does not want it and strains to push it out, there is no sin here, but the struggle is good. It happens that along with feeling, sympathy suddenly arises; the soul, as soon as it notices it, arms itself against it, there is no sin here. Sympathy is sinful when it is allowed to reign in the soul, knowing that it is bad. A sinful deed goes like this: thought, feeling and sympathy, permission, decision or election and - deed. Whoever drives away a thought remains clean. Sinfulness begins with feeling and sympathy as permissible. Where there is no permission, there is no sin. In my words “cooling” - is it clear what it is? It happens involuntarily, but it also happens from arbitrary actions... from external entertainment, random conversations, satiety, excessive sleep... and much more... There is guilt here. Bad movements in the body, as long as there is no accompaniment and permission, are sinless. Compassion and connivance makes them sinners. There is, of course, a penalty against passions when one does not fight them off, but allows them to enter the heart and create a riot there. By these signs, condemn or blame yours: anger, malice, conceit, harsh angry speeches, condemnation of others, exaltation, carelessness about God and indifference to spiritual things, selfishness - all these are great sinful acts, but one becomes sinful from one’s permission for them. Stand at the door of your heart, and when you notice something bad breaking through or approaching, drive away mercilessly... and deliver them from sin. The way to do this is to pay attention to yourself while paying attention to God. If you behave this way, you will get rid of the sins of thought and feeling. (Issue 6, letter 970, pp. 85–87) They fell... They stood up. Thank you to the merciful Lord for accepting and giving evidence that He returns His favor to you in those good spiritual states that you experience after fervent prayer. They are from the Lord and stand in the order of Christian life... But watch how dangerously you walk. The Lord returns His mercies to the repentant, so that those who sin do not fall into despair, and the enemy turns this into a temptation to new falls, inspiring: nothing... you fell..., but God returned everything to you, sin and more... nothing, you will repent and everything will return... This flattery is the most seductive of all... and seems unimportant, and yet its fulfillment is an extreme sin, crying out to heaven, namely: sinning in the hope of mercy God's God's mercy is immeasurable, but we are measured... and we can reach the point where we stop repenting and lamenting from frequent falls, and without this there will be no vessel in us to receive mercy. Remember this in thought and feeling, and work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Remember what relapses in bodily illnesses mean. The second relapse, it seems, is still being healed, although with difficulty, and the third... marks the end of life. Look what caused the fall. Suddenly, a fall rarely happens, usually it begins quickly - with thoughts, light sympathies and slowness in thoughts... more and more... until the lust for sin, after which the fall does not slow down. The main thing here is never to leave a trace not only of sympathy produced by thoughts, but also of the thought itself, so that disgust and disgust with sin remains in the soul. (Issue 3, pas. 477, pp. 123–124) A change in spirit is our common destiny. You must endure, handing over your fate into the hands of God. Let us be concerned about one thing, to always be with the Lord. In all cases, turn directly to Him, reveal to Him the burdens of your soul and pray that He will deliver you if He wills. Joy and consolation are not the final evidence of a good mood. The main thing is determination and zeal to please God, a broken spirit and a contrite and humble heart, and surrender of oneself to the will of God. When this is there, it’s good. (Issue 2, pas. 340, p. 210) About food... Make it a law to leave the table a little hungry. The evil slave - the flesh - will feel that there is a powerful hand over it... And that drinking wine has stopped, great... This is the best help to ensure that the body is always cheerful, sober and fresh. This is a great thing! (Issue 1, issue 187, p. 220) It is not at all unnecessary to grieve and cry for the rest of your life about your sins. Keep this fear of God and protect yourself with it. A stubborn sinner is disgusting to God, but a repentant sinner is pleasing to Him. Always approach Him with a publican’s voice, plunging the sea of ​​your sins into the abyss of His mercy. When there is hostility and aversion to sin with a readiness to resist it even to the point of life, then God does not see him as a sinner. So don't be embarrassed! Take more care of your inner mood and only get ready to run when it is impossible to preserve this inner mood. Take care of it by not having fun and not cooling down. (Issue 1, pas. 5, p. II) That you are being dishonored is a good sign. So, you have annoyed a certain artist... Be grateful. This is healing mud! But are you sure that without this you would not have flown high on the wings of self-conceit?! This is how the Lord, who loves you, arranges it. (Issue 6, letter 1011, p. 154) Do you think that in order to destroy the evil caused by 47 years of debauchery, you need to work just as hard in the good order of life... No, this is not at all true. Everything is counted as soiled by disgust from it and merciless opposition to it with faith, hope and love for the Lord. There are these dispositions in such strength that in an instant everything is cleaned out. So it was with the thief on the cross. Today you will be with Me in paradise,” the Lord promised him. And nothing unclean will enter heaven. For others, however, this cleansing takes a long time - most of all from self-indulgence and concessions to their desires. (Issue 1, letter 187, pp. 220–221) 2. What and when to repent of. And how to protect yourself from falls As soon as you see a wrong thought, feeling or word, repent immediately. Add to this an observation of how the fall proceeds, and from this inspection learn a lesson on how to overcome yourself in such encounters. Experiences in abstinence will give you experience in self-control, and falls will be less and less frequent. God will help. We need more humility. Speeches or outbursts of words that are upsetting to others, are they not from the nobility? The consciousness of lordship is pride, a thing very displeasing to God and the most harmful to moral life. Delve into and pull out this root of sorrow, if there is one. If you cannot abstain, eat fish, but not during fasting. And at other times, sometimes deprive yourself of this sweetness. (Issue 8, letter 1228, pp. 10–11) Bows and Jesus Prayer You yourself have a head; prevents you from bowing, pray without bowing; bowing is an accessory to the helping prayer, not the prayer itself. Prayer is what the mind and heart have towards God. Bow occasionally. When praying, stand on your feet, then on your knees. If you say the Jesus Prayer, then start not with 3000, but with 1000 and even 500, and then add. Don't go beyond 3000 unless there is a need. But it’s better to do everything at once, and at night. During the day it’s so interspersed... it doesn’t count to often do the same prayer. (Issue 8, letter 1337, p. 92) You ask why we remember the dead? Because that is what we are commanded to do. And what is commanded is clear from the fact that there was no time in the Church of God when this commemoration was not performed. This means that this comes from the apostles and the Lord Himself. But our little mind pokes its nose everywhere, shouting: why and why? The best thing to do is give him a sincere click on the nose with faith, and he will sit down. After this, you can tell this brawler: listen, fool, those who left are alive, and our communication with them is not interrupted. Just as we pray for the living, without distinguishing whether someone follows the righteous path or another, so we pray for those who have departed, without searching to see whether they are numbered among the righteous or among the sinners. This is a duty of brotherly love. Until the last Judgment separates the believers, all of them, both living and dead, constitute one Church. And we should all relate to each other as members of one body, in the spirit of goodwill and loving communication, both living and dead, not being divided in half by dying. “Their fate is decided.” The fate of those who have departed is not considered decided until the general Judgment. Until then, we cannot consider anyone completely condemned, and on this basis we pray, strengthened by the hope of God’s immeasurable mercy. The deceased do not suddenly get used to their new life. Even saints retain an earthiness for some time. Until it wears off, it will take more or less time, judging by the degree of earthiness and attachment to the earthly. Tretins, nines and sorochins indicate the degree of purification from earthiness. There is a guess that these 3-9-40 correspond to some turns in the education of babies in the mother’s womb. There were visions... and they are more reliable in definition than our guesses. Guessing is a shaky business. I think that the visions only confirmed, but the matter was already in progress in the Church of God - and it was from the apostles. (Issue 6, pas. 948, pp. 25–26) 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. Individuals, relatives, and friends can pray for them at home, doing this as a work of love, and relying on something worthy in those being remembered. (Issue 5, letter 903, p. 180) Under what conditions are they imputed to us? Here I will tell you only a little about my thoughts. When sinful deeds are stopped, the struggle moves inwards, into the heart... The main thing here is thoughts; Behind the thoughts are sympathies, behind these are wishes; behind these are inclinations to action, agreements, decisions... These are the last to commit internal sin. Not all of these internal movements are sinners. Sin begins where willfulness is visible. Thoughts are not sinful when a person himself does not arouse them and does not restrain those aroused against his will. There is sinful impurity here. But when sympathy and pleasure are attached to this, lustful sweetness is not driven away, but restrained, then there is half an internal sin; if someone himself holds back this passion and kindles it, then the whole soul is in a prodigal state. Real internal sin is inclination, consent and decision. Thoughts must be driven away, not retained arbitrarily. Sympathy or sweetness, as soon as it appears, must be suppressed with all your might... This is the main point of internal warfare. Question: how? - is solved as follows: pay attention to your heart, stand there before the Lord and do not allow anything sinful there. This is the whole point of internal warfare. (Issue 3, letter 475, pp. 119–120) 1. Dairy nutrition during fasting. Who is it allowed to? You ask about mammals. There is no sin in using during fasting when your health requires it. You can even use broth. 2. Post sizes for adults and children Fasting on Wednesday and Friday is enough. There is no need to add anything else to this. Put more effort into organizing your thoughts and feelings. It is enough to keep the body in abstinence. Fasting children, if health does not allow it, is not necessary. But it’s a pity that, having gotten used to it from childhood, they won’t be able to fit into the post later. (Issue 1, letter 89, p. 73) Installed for our benefit I also congratulate you on the beginning of your soul-saving fast. This is a great good time. God, through the Holy Church, beneficially established it for us who are weak, who cannot and do not know how to fast well all the time of our lives, although we realize that all of it, not excluding a moment, must belong to the Lord and be turned into glory. This is due to the very creation of us, and even more so due to redemption, in which we are bought at a price beyond price, which is why we should not belong to ourselves, but to the One who bought us, who by His power became our Master, legally demanding that we surrender ourselves to Him and not bring other masters upon us, who, due to our negligence, are innumerable. (Issue 2, letter 341, p. 211) She is the forerunner of the Kingdom of God The truth you are asking about means nothing more than what truth means—a righteous life, pure and holy, without which no one will see the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is behind, and in front of it is truth. We must first take possession of the truth, and then the Kingdom of God will fall into our hands by itself. (Issue 8, letter 1257, p. 30) The sight of the Lord is always It’s good that you read spiritual books willingly... But usually a lot is written, but there is only one need - to unite heartily with the Lord and not depart from Him either in thought or feeling. Imitate the holy Prophet, who says: “I have seen the Lord before me, as he is at my right hand, so that I will not be moved.” See the eye of God, established over your heart, and seeing everything in it... From here will come reverent fear of God, attention to yourself, rejection of all unkind thoughts and feelings, and staying in sobriety. If the Lord allows you to become accustomed to this standing before God, then you will not need any lessons. This alone will teach you everything. (Issue 3, letter 382, p. 21) Internal and external seduction The fear of seduction is also true... there is mental seduction - this is conceit; sometimes external - these are lights, sounds, some figures. Never mind all this... There is the enemy. The demon appeared to one, and well, shout: “Christ is coming, Christ is coming!” He told him: “Get away, you wicked charm, Christ will not come to me, for I am extremely sinful.” And the demon disappeared. (Issue 2, letter 256, p. 93) Preparing yourself for God's judgment Let's get ready too... There will be an exam. Let's review the program, and what we didn't teach, we'll relearn what we forgot, we'll remember what we don't know for sure, we'll confirm it. And let’s hasten to settle this... For who knows, maybe they’ll click: Feofan Vyshensky,... or N. Tambovskaya,.. or someone else,.. and go out... There are no notebooks, no books... and there is no one to tell. Each one... is like a finger with only his own means. (Issue 3, letter 406, p. 51) Adaptation to life circumstances Regarding the course of life, let us know that it is not up to us to change it. Our entire wisdom should consist in adapting to every system of life that the Lord sends, so that we are as calm as possible. This is our task in the current situation. Look around and choose activities that do not displease you, but that give you some pleasure, and, having established yourself in this way, wait patiently. It is impossible to live without patience, and there is no one in the world who does not constantly endure something. So keep in mind that the most fortunate ones, apparently filled with happiness, endure, why shouldn’t I endure? What to do with yourself? The main thing is to always have a job. Then read. Also: learn to enjoy nature - every season has its charms. Be able to find them and feel them. This is wisdom. Do you want to be wise? If you please, manage to do this. What else is possible? Make yourself a sister of mercy for your village: go where there is poverty, illness, sorrow... and help as much and as you can. This is the most rewarding activity! Are you the only one who is a seasoned egoist?! But if you are exactly like that, then don’t expect happiness, even if you were showered with gold and silver. This selfish villain must be killed. If you do not kill yourself, then the Lord will send hammer after hammer (all sorts of failures) to break this stone. (Issue 8, pas. 1416, pp. 154–155) The parable of the unrighteous steward You and I are not the first and we are not the last to stumble before the parable of the unrighteous steward. But the matter can be very simple... Only God does not give the vision of the intelligent. Remaining with only our means, we turn and turn the difficulties, now from one side, now from the other... and we are left with almost nothing, with the thought, however, that everything possible has been done for us, and that’s enough for us. You are struck with bewilderment by the words of the Lord: Make for yourself a friend from the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when you become poor, you will be received into eternal shelter (Luke 16:9). It is no wonder to create others in this way, but for the sake of this it is hardly possible to get into eternal blood. For everything there is from the Lord, and He will not tolerate even the slightest shadow of untruth. And the work of making friends through the mammon of unrighteousness will be in vain. But in the text there is still a mammon of untruth..., as a means to acquiring eternal shelter... Obviously, the point is to understand who the mammon of untruth is, who gives fruit not at all according to her nature. You heard in Moscow that this bewilderment is resolved by assuming that the translation here is incorrect. But the translation is correct and never presented any difficulties. All translations contain mammon of untruth. And you rightly noted that this way does not eliminate the difficulty, but at the same time gives rise to the idea of ​​​​inaccuracy of translation, which is very dangerous. It is necessary to restrain the mammon of untruth, and to recognize the accuracy of the translation, and to find an idea in solving the bewilderment that satisfies at least a little. You suggested a thought: didn’t the Savior understand the tax collectors who acquired wealth through obvious untruths, recognized by everyone, and in His saying suggested a way for them to get rid of eternal destruction? This thought is permissible, although the parable and all the speech about it were addressed to the disciples (Luke 16:1). For everyone listened to the Lord. Let us accept that thought, and, expanding its application, let us assume that the Savior did not have specific individuals in mind, but meant everyone in general, of every kind and time, rich, who realize that their wealth is either all, or in some parts, unrighteous. A general way is proposed to avoid eternal disaster for all unrighteous rich people. This is how it will stand during the Savior's speech. The unrighteous bailiff, seeing that he had been convicted and was in extreme trouble to fall into a poor state, managed to get out of this trouble, in a way that was, however, wrong. But his owner, having learned this trick, praised him for cleverly managing his business. The Savior explained that there was nothing to marvel at. This is how light stands, that the sons of this age are wiser than the sons of light, in their generation, in the circle of their deeds, in their spirit. But He immediately turned His thoughts to the sons of light, who still have to be such, without actually being in their family. Among these seekers, others may be in a similar comparative position as the unrighteous overseer, i.e. in the position of those who have unjustly acquired property, realizing that in this case there is no salvation for them and wanting to know how to escape from the misfortune of condemnation for unjust wealth. This is the method that the Savior shows them, saying: “And I say to you...” That unjust overseer managed to get rid of trouble according to the spirit and methods of this age... And I offer you a way to get rid of trouble not according to this spirit of the age, but according to other laws: “Make for yourselves friends from the mammon of unrighteousness.” Turn unjust wealth into a way of acquiring friends not of this century, but of the next, and they will accept you into eternal shelter... The wrong steward in this century acquired friends for himself with wrong wealth, and you will gain friends for the century to come, but that steward acquired shelter only for this age, and you will receive shelter for eternal ages. He acquired friends in the wrong way, but you acquire them in the right way, blessed from above, and therefore valuable from the Lord Himself - the distributor of eternal blood. Zacchaeus later, acting in this way, was recognized by the Lord as a child of Abraham. It seems that one can reconcile with such an explanation. Here all the words remain in their meaning, and allegory is not introduced into interpretation. It seems that this was the very purpose of the parable. You can also accept this idea: in the words of the Savior, wealth itself is called mammon of untruth, despite the method of acquiring it. Wealth is a mammon of untruth because it itself is wrong in its nature: it lives by deceit, deceives with false hopes, and most importantly, by deceiving in the eyes... It offers huge amounts of benefits, but... you look around, nothing remains, everything, like dust, scatters. The Savior proposes to turn the impermanence of wealth into something eternally valuable and obtainable: give it to the poor, through this it will become your eternal property and will constitute your eternal wealth... High minds adhered to this idea of ​​wealth: Blessed Augustine, Ambrose of Milan, it seems, and Gregory the Great. I promised to write you something and I did. (Issue 3, letter 380, pp. 15, 16–18) 1. How to start Communion In order not to be in sin, you must cleanse your sins with Repentance, and, when approaching, approach with faith and fear in contrition of heart, without dreams of any advantages over other non-communicants, but always with humble and self-abasing feelings. The main thing is to have a desire and zeal to please God, and not yourself. For by doing good, you can please yourself. (Issue 8, pas. 1339, p. 94) 2. His hidden action in us Thank God we took communion. That the beneficial effect of this Sacrament was not witnessed in the senses must be attributed to ill health, and as a result, perhaps, to a lack of spiritual tension. But the effect of the Sacraments is not always reflected in the feeling, but acts secretly, which, of course, was the case with you. (Issue 8, pas. 1376, p. 123) 3. How to look at the departure of fiery feelings after Communion “After Communion it was good, but then the fiery feelings began to dry up.” Please remember that spiritual consolations in life according to God are an appendage, and not the main essence. Its essence is the strength and strength to maintain good order both internally and externally. The only consolations and delights sound: work, there is something to do. Therefore, when they depart, one must not move toward despair, but rather take on the ordinary labors of a God-pleasing life—both internal and external—more diligently. (Issue 6, letter 967, p. 80) How often can I join? How to confess? It seems that I have already written to you that it is enough to talk and take communion in each of the four major fasts. And in the fasts before Easter and Christmas - twice. And look no more. Try to better organize and perfect your inner self. You also notice that during confession you read sins written in a notebook... which priests don’t like... If they don’t like it, then stop doing it. It’s true, you write down common sins of which no one is guilty?.. And you write down the deeds. For example, don’t write: I’m quarrelsome, but write down the matter in which my quarrelsomeness was revealed... So, my sister said an unpleasant word, I got angry and scolded... And if you get along, add: we got along, thank God, or: we forcibly got along... Also: I liked the face of one person... and that impression remained. Realizing that this was bad, I tried to fight and erase the impression... (don’t say faces). Same with everything. (Issue 3, paper 500, pp. 177–178) The Coming of the Lord and false predictions about it There have been many predictions that the end of summer is just around the corner. And everything is out of place. The Savior said that no one knows the time. Therefore, there is no point in guessing and being embarrassed by the fortune-telling of others. That there will be a Second Coming, there is no doubt that it will be sudden, with all the great omens. All that remains for us is to continually wait for the Lord and prepare for the meeting, without guessing about the time. (Issue 8, letter 1299, p. 62) The path of life, or the narrow path The Christian life encounters many obstacles from the first steps, and the further it goes, the more. Those who embark on this path of life must arm themselves with strong courage in order to walk without timidity in the ongoing struggles with obstacles. And if you please, put on courage and vigor, and flow steadily, imitating the holy Apostle Paul, who said about himself: so I flow that I may comprehend. And you will achieve it. What? – You may not be worthy to see Christ the Lord, for this is not universal, but you will achieve deep communion with God, for this is our goal and the main promise of the Lord. He who courageously struggles with passions, strictly fulfilling the commandments of the Lord, as he succeeds, becomes purified in his heart, and as his heart is pure, he draws closer to the Lord, Who promised such: we will come to him and make our abode with him. (Issue 3, letter 492, pp. 164–165) The path of salvation, of course, is known to you. Having repented and set the intention to live properly, one must, without any concessions, bear the fruits of Repentance in fasting, prayer and helping others. One must love solitude, silence and work, so that less thoughts are scattered. Mind wandering weakens good intentions. It is inadmissible to go to services and bother yourself with bows at home. It’s good to read soul-saving things, but not a lot. It is necessary to remember a little of what you read so as not to read in vain. Have a constant conversation with the Lord Savior. Know your corner and the Lord, and nothing more. (Issue 8, letter 1441, pp. 170–171) 2. God's mercy be with you! You have already received great mercy when God gave you to come to your senses and take the right path. You are wrong to think that this was a simple matter. It seems that you want to show humility by this, and yet you attribute to yourself a work that cannot be accomplished otherwise than by the grace of God. This is a great pride. Please confess that the Lord called you to life according to God, thereby showing that He chooses you for the Kingdom of Heaven. Confessing this, thank the Lord and work out your salvation with fear and trembling, fearing that, having fallen away again, you might rebuke the Spirit of grace and trample on the Blood of the Son of God. You have already been called through birth, baptism and upbringing and stood on the good path, but you deviated, trampling on the grace of holy Baptism. Now they are called again. Be afraid to step away from God again. Grace acts in two ways - from the outside, when it calls, and - it is universal grace, no one is excluded; for the Lord wants everyone to be saved and to come into the mind of truth, when someone, having heeded the calling, is converted, then grace, through the Sacrament of Baptism or Repentance, dwells within and there creates salvation, or forms from the elements of good, natural to man, a new man, the heir of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven, not in a powerful way, but in a guiding and helpful way, i.e. pointing out good and helping to do it. You are in this last rank. It is suggested to you: “Let me walk well, that I may comprehend,” imitating the Apostle Paul, who says about himself: “Even so I will strive, that I may comprehend.” The goal is the Kingdom of Heaven, but in order to be worthy of entering the Kingdom, you must cleanse yourself of passions and everything bad. Just as the door to the Kingdom will not open without this cleansing, it should be your immediate goal. Direct everything towards him now. The program here is simple: understand for yourself everything passionate and sinful that exists in you, and wage war against it; Also understand everything good that exists or should be in you, and cultivate it in yourself through grace-filled means - prayer in church and at home, reading holy books with thoughts of God and doing good deeds, Confession and Communion. All this in two words: turn away from evil and do good. This procedure has already been established with you from the very beginning of the appeal and is now being carried out. If I have to order anything, it is only so that you do not make concessions or omissions on either side. If you let go of nourishing the good side, it will become sick; if you give in to the evil one, she will come to life, like worms, almost withered, when a little rain sprinkles them. You have a prayer book. I don’t see God-thinking, i.e. reflections on divine truths with conclusions of lessons for oneself; there is good doing, but with resting one’s feet; There is Confession and Holy Communion. Everything is there for the good side, the pasture is plentiful, juicy, feed your soul on it like a lamb. If all this happens as it should, then your soul should jump and play in the pasture, like lambs in the pastures in the spring. Make sure that when praying, prayer comes from the heart. Prayer, in fact, is a sigh of the heart to God. If this is not there, there is no prayer. Your prayers are measured, you don’t need to type a lot, but it’s better to fulfill a little with attention and feeling. Between the rule of morning and evening prayer, during the day, sigh more often to God from the heart, or even stand at your usual place of prayer and pray for the present need. When reading, keep your heart unoccupied, open to the truth, and, embracing what you read with understanding, put it into your heart, while one or another verse will touch the heart, and another very much. Notice these poems that touch you, and remember them more often during the day, especially the one that touched you the most. This will renew the revival of the heart - this work is very fruitful. It is better to read a little, but with assimilation and feeling, than a lot without it. Without this, reading will be a sowing on the road. Godly thinking is to take any Divine truth, understand it in its composition and foundations, carry it through to feeling and draw lessons for oneself. What truths should we take? Everything, starting with the Divine properties, passing through creation, redemption and general Providence, until the Last Judgment and eternal life. This is according to the catechism. Take one. Poems that fall on the heart when reading are the best subject for contemplation of God. Time... how free... Good deeds... Commandments are the norm; practice - presenting cases: it is better not to invent cases, but to do what presents itself. It seems like one thing to do and another not to do. Both rarely do without a struggle with what rebels inside and what is encountered outside. It is a big mistake to consider obstacles or resistance to doing as impossible. “I can’t” should not come from the lips of a zealot. Doing business is great wisdom, a gift from God. We need to pray about this. Confession and Holy Communion are inevitably necessary: ​​one cleanses, the other – bath, plaster and food. One must take communion during all four fasts. You can add it by taking Holy Communion twice and on Holy Communion twice... You can add more, but not too much, so as not to be indifferent. Everything written down feeds the good side. The bad side will naturally weaken if the good side feeds well. But our misfortune is that the bad side does not allow the good to do what the good side feeds on; she interferes everywhere and makes her claims, and it happens that what the good side feeds on is either not done, or is not done properly, which is why she starves, or eats spoiled food... So that nothing like this happens, i.e. neither hindrances to the nourishment of the good side, nor damage to what it feeds on, the zealot of salvation must face a continuous struggle with his bad side. The form of the fight is very simple: as soon as you notice the approaches, demands, attacks of your bad side, get up, take up a weapon and drive the enemy until there is no trace of him left. Everyone knows what the bad side is. This is egoism, selfishness, self-indulgence, self-pity - doing everything for yourself, for your own pleasure, for your own benefit and in your honor. There is no estimate for the actions in which this is performed. And there is no need for that, for an estimate. He who decides to live as he should immediately recognizes the bad, no matter in what form it appears... Sometimes it manifests itself only by thinking about the bad, when an object appears bad to the mind, sometimes by a feeling of bad, sometimes by a urge to do bad, sometimes together with an attraction to it, more or less strong. Sometimes all this manifests itself nearby: a bad object appears, evokes a feeling, from the feeling an urge is born, and then an attraction... All this is unclean for the soul, but not yet sinful. Sinfulness begins with consent to bad things, which turns into a decision to do bad things - this is an internal matter; after which methods, times, places are invented... Then comes a sinful deed, from which slavery to sin and spiritual death follow. But no matter what form the bad appears, as soon as it is noticed, one must stand up and fight. Here are the main methods of struggle: to recognize the enemy in the faintness that has appeared, become angry with him and, straining, drive him away, calling on the Lord Savior for help; and then repeat these acts until the badness disappears and the soul calms down. With these three acts, all sickness can be driven away and overcome. It takes energy, courage and patience. This is enough to provide general guidance for all cases. And all this, of course, was and is being practiced by you. But reconsider yourself even more mercifully... and fill in what is missing, correct what is wrong, and improve what is imperfect. For everyone who wants to be saved, the Lord be your helper! You have described some defects in doing the work of salvation. Take a closer look, you will find even more. If you please, wake up, because this is a matter of life and death. The main producers of life in Christ Jesus are: ardent, energetic, merciless zeal towards oneself, furiously angry at one’s bad side in all its manifestations, without any condescension, and Divine grace, attracted and called upon by zeal and always helping when zeal acts as it should. How are you doing? The grace of God is always ready and in all its strength, but zeal is not always correct, is not always in the proper tension, weakens, approaches indifference, grows cold. In this state, a person resembles the one about whom the Lord said in the Apocalypse: “Thou art neither warm nor cold...” and added a very terrible sentence. Your jealousy has subsided. You describe this weakening in very strong terms. Although she has not weakened to that extent, this is a very dangerous matter. The enemy usually does not approach the zealot while jealousy is strong, but when jealousy is a little saturated and its heat subsides, he will begin to approach, and the main thing for him is to completely cool the jealousy. He's already had a fair amount of success in this with you. As jealousy cools, grace recedes. Both life producers are not in normal strength. The danger of falling is imminent. The enemy will begin to cause attraction to previous bad deeds. And as soon as he manages to plunge him into some sin, he will sit down and begin to persecute in revenge for this year of resistance to him... If you please, perk up. We are commanded to work out salvation with fear and trembling, for we walk in the midst of nets, walking along a perch over an abyss, or along a narrow path with an abyss on both sides. Hurry up to set fire to jealousy, then everything will go well again. How? How to revive a numb member of the body? - Friction. Start rubbing your soul. How? - With everything that pious people usually exercise themselves with: contemplation of God, increased self-mortification, or severity towards themselves, towards their flesh, and especially through prayer. Please go through the entire series of Divine truths of the eternal existence of God to the end and stop at this last one, namely, on your death and the subsequent decision, unchanged for all eternity. But stop not with bare thought, but with full feeling and as if all this had actually happened to you. Here you are on your deathbed, Angels come to take your soul... What will they say? The demons will also approach... and what will they scream? How will their mutual bickering end? The path to the Throne of the Judge - God - will begin. You have to go through the ordeal, the seducing demons will take out their notes and begin to paint their deeds... What will be revealed here?.. When we were punished for our sins, they patted us on the head... it’s nothing, and the other thing doesn’t matter, but then they will begin to denounce and condemn and tear us out of the hands of the Angels. So until the very entrance to the Judgment Seat. And there is nothing more terrible than these ordeals. Angels protect, but sometimes there is nothing left to protect. St. Anthony the Great saw a certain terrible giant stretching above the clouds, with outstretched arms across the entire horizon... The souls of the dead rose to heaven. Those that rose above his hands, on those he gnashed his teeth in frustration, and those that stopped below his hands, he struck them with his hand, and they fell into the abyss... Alas! And who will count all the fears that exist then to meet!.. And there is Judgment. What can we say in justification or at least a slight apology? What will happen when we hear: guilty... bind... and cast down...? Please instill this more deeply in your heart and remember it more often... If this happens, if there is a possibility that the verdict “guilty” will be pronounced, then how can you be careless and indulge in indulgences?.. There is a lot of evil from the thought that death is just around the corner. Please bring her closer and remember that it doesn’t cost her anything to jump up from behind the mountains... She’s about to jump up and knock her down... Ah! Oh! - nothing will help. Take a look at all the types of sudden deaths and decide which of them cannot happen to you this very hour when you are reading these lines? There is no more exciting thought from carelessness than the thought of sudden death. But not a single thought is further from us than this one. Everything here is an enemy - it obscures death... Please tie more knots as a reminder of it. We have two weights - spirit and flesh - one pulls the other. The flesh is for destruction; spirit - for salvation. I think that the flesh is not innocent in your cooling. I don't expect excess, but I'm happy. But this contentment dulls the spiritual feeling and relaxes the energy. Take the trouble to tighten up this slave so that she doesn’t interfere with the mistress. How?.. I think you know! This applies to food, sleep, and other benefits. Make the flesh feel like there is a heavy hand on it. As soon as the flesh weakens, the spiritual feeling will come to life... It means a lot in this regard - not to let it fall apart, to keep all the limbs in line through the internal tension of the muscles. This greatly supports the cheerfulness of the spirit and helps the soul to stand in a sober mood. Prayer is the most effective means in spiritual life and at the same time its measure. The way you describe your prayer, it is very faulty. Try to do this: before praying, always think about prayer, what it is, and to whom it relates, and what it should be, think and draw the feeling of your heart into the prayer area - reverence, hope and devotion to God. You read morning and evening prayers. Wonderful. But perform your prayers slowly, always accompanying the words with the thoughts they express, and the tension of the feelings of the heart. You often make a concession on this. From now on, don’t give up even an inch and force yourself in every possible way, so that thought and feeling follow the word. Without this, prayer has no taste and is not attractive. How, when reading a book, you follow with your thoughts what you read and assimilate with pleasure what you encounter, how quickly the thought will run away, reading is grass. The same thing happens with prayer. If the thought runs away and the feeling moves back, force yourself. Your rule is small, therefore it is a shame to rush, and to run away in thought, and to give preference to feeling. See how sweetly the prayer will go if you take it in your hands and do not indulge yourself, or not yourself, but the enemy, who, as soon as you move into the prayer corner, follows on your heels... and besieges you with various reminders. But when you listen, he will retreat, because your struggle against his suggestions is preparing your crown, and he doesn’t want that. When the work of prayer goes smoothly, you want to pray, and you don’t want to give up prayer. Then continue your prayer, praying in your word or your thought about what is most needed in your spiritual life... I believe that in this way your prayer will come to life, and laziness towards it will disappear... It is necessary to make prayer appeals as often as possible, until incessantly. Choose verses from the psalms that touch your heart, memorize them and often repeat one or the other... Memorize the short prayers of St. Chrysostom - 12 during the day and 12 at night, and also repeat often. More usually, the Jesus Prayer is repeated: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!” The work of self-compulsion overcomes everything. You too will overcome the cold. Have you heard that there is unceasing prayer? Desire and seek. You will search and you will find. You already have the germs of it - this feeling for God, which happens from time to time. You had it in force, but you allowed it to grow cold. And it comes from time to time. Try to make this feeling permanent, and it will be unceasing prayer. Have you ever loved someone deeply? Remember how your beloved face did not leave your heart, and the feeling was still there, and the thought did not leave, and everything you did, you thought that that face was seeing, and you tried to do what you did well, so as not to deserve disapproval from that person. Continuous prayer is similar to this, only it takes place in a different area. Help you, Lord, to find such a feeling for Him. Then all the mistakes, lethargy and laziness will end!!! It remains for me to tell you about the spirit of blasphemy that sometimes attacks you. It is truly the spirit of blasphemy that troubles you. Not only do blasphemous thoughts occur and amaze, but words are heard in the ears. The demon is their producer. He does this in order to confuse you and deprive you of the courage to pray. And what he means is whether you will agree to some kind of blasphemy, in order to plunge you into the sin of blasphemy, and then into despair. Against this demon: the first thing is not to be embarrassed and not at all to think that these are your thoughts, but directly attribute them to the demon. Then, against thoughts and words, think and say the opposite. He inspires bad things about the saint, and you say: you’re lying, you sly man, that’s what he is like... So against everything, and you keep saying it until they leave. Conclude this way: be cursed, blasphemer, and let the words of blasphemy be directed at your head... Turn to the Lord with the following prayer: “I open my soul before You, Lord! You see that I do not want such thoughts and do not favor them. The enemy is in control. Drive him away from me." Saint Niphon was tormented for four years by this spirit, which buzzed in his ears: there is no God, there is no Christ, and so on. ... He said: there is God, and there is Christ... and I worship Him and serve with all my soul... God finally delivered him. (Issue 1, letter 185, pp. 203–213) Differences in church orders Some differences in church orders are nothing to be embarrassed about. They have always been permissible and that is essentially the case. Sin is only lack of reverence, and the rites themselves can be changed - everything except the essential in the holy Sacraments. (Issue 2, letter 214, p. 14) The disposition of the soul towards life and death The desire to live is naturally alive. And there is no sin here. But the real disposition in this regard is: “God’s will be done!” Whether to live or die, let it be as God pleases. This disposition must be strengthened and brought to the point that it does not allow any anxiety about oneself to arise. What should I come with? It is best to appear before God with this lack of anything. If only everything was purified by repentance and feelings and dispositions, both religious and moral, were in motion in the heart - especially the fear of God, filial, surrender of oneself to the will of God, trust in His mercy, humility and the like... In your (painful) state, the reproduction of such feelings replaces the deeds of virtues. (Issue 1, letter 22, p. 28) She hastens to our salvation. How to support it The Lord has begun the work of spiritual renewal in you. Believe and trust that the one who begins... and will accomplish it (Phil. 1:6), if you maintain a living zeal and do not neglect the corresponding labors. Zeal is a work of grace and evidence that this grace is persistently present in you and produces a gracious life... As long as there is zeal, the grace of the Holy Spirit is also present. She is fire. The fire is fueled by wood. Spiritual firewood is prayer... As soon as grace touches the heart, a turning of the mind and heart to God is immediately generated - the seed of prayer. Then comes the thought of God. The grace of God draws the attention of the mind and heart to God and keeps it on Him. Just as the mind does not stand without action, then, being turned to God, it thinks about God. Hence, the memory of God is an ever-present companion of a state of grace... The memory of God is never idle, it certainly leads into the contemplation of the perfections of God and God’s deeds: goodness, truth, creation, Providence, redemption, Judgment and retribution. All this together is the world of God or the spiritual realm. A jealous person invariably remains in this area. Such is the property of jealousy. From here back, staying in this area supports and vitalizes jealousy. Do you want to observe jealousy? Keep all the prescribed moods... Memory is spiritual firewood... Always have such firewood at hand and as soon as you notice that the fire of jealousy is weakening, take some log from your spiritual firewood and renew the spiritual fire. And everything will go well. From the totality of such spiritual movements comes the fear of God, reverent standing before God in the heart. Behold the guardian and protection of the state of grace... Delve into this thoroughly and think it over, instill it in your consciousness and heart... and constantly revive it in yourself... and you will live... You have been resurrected, as you say, but here you will always be in the state of a newly resurrected person. (Issue 3, pas. 384, pp. 24–25) Guide to Spiritual Life The body must be constantly kept in line, like a soldier on parade, not allowing oneself to loosen the limbs, not only when walking and sitting, but also when standing and lying down. Do all things - both big and small - as if the eye of God were watching how things are done. Everyone who comes or everyone you meet must be accepted as a messenger of God. The first question will be within you: What does the Lord want me to do with this or for this person? Accept everyone as the image of God, with respect, and desire to do good to him. When it comes to eating, reduce your nutrition a little, and also take away something from sleep. Whatever, see for yourself. 5. Freedom to act There is no need to bind yourself, but to act freely, sometimes this way, sometimes that way; keeping one thing in mind - not to please the flesh and not to be self-pleasing in anything. And you can sleep or stay awake in different ways, having one measure - not to fall asleep soundly. 6. Tears external and internal God gave you tears. This is good! But temporary tears are not everything. There needs to be permanent ones. There are tears in the heart that are better than those flowing from the eyes... Flowing from the eyes feeds the worm of vanity, and those tears from the heart are known to God alone. In public, it is better to hold back tears, remaining with heartfelt contrition. Read Barsanuphius and John. All contingencies are defined there, and you can find an indication of everything you need. 7. Good thoughts during meditation or bowing Please keep in mind that the teacher of all good is the Lord, our Savior. In an hour of meditation, or while bowing, saving, or guiding, or explanatory thoughts will suddenly appear - you need to notice them and write them down. If you surrender yourself wholeheartedly to the Lord, then He himself will teach, or through the Guardian Angel, all Christian science. 8. Developing a Prayerful Spirit Learn a few psalms from memory, those that are more to your heart. And then, during bows, you can read them and from each verse make up your own prayer to the Lord. One person told me this, who began at the beginning of Matins, “Have mercy on me, O God,” and did not have time to finish it until the end of Matins. This method, more than any other, develops the spirit of prayer. Compassion for oneself, readiness for any service to others and surrendering oneself entirely to the Lord with prayerful abiding in him - these are the producers of spiritual life. (Issue 8, letter 1458, pp. 196–198) Means to combat it What you have (in the inner man), and here, too, you need to take your time. You thought that you started and are immediately on the third heaven... You must first put in the work and sweat, then the fruits will begin to show. But the urgent condition is not to feel sorry for yourself. Not feeling sorry for yourself does not mean heaping mountains on yourself, but sticking to the same ordinary monastic life, not allowing any weakening in anything. They call in the morning. Self-pity says: lie down for a minute... Don’t listen - and that’s a blow to self-pity. Standing in church, you feel the urge to open your legs and lean against the wall. Refuse and stand in line - still a blow. The thought occurred to me: let me go out and get some air. Refuse - and another blow. I came home from Matins: let me go to bed. Don't give it. Give me a book while I lie down and read it, don’t give it to me. Sit tight and read. So every single step will be a blow to self-pity. And any excessive feats are not our business. The general rules of the monastery, if carried out properly, will provide an unceasing opportunity for the exercise of non-self-pity. And prayer does not come suddenly, you have to work, forcing yourself without indulgence to pay attention and not wander in your thoughts, and the skill of sobriety will come. You must not hang your arms and head and not bend your knees, but stand cheerfully... If you don’t get on the road... you need to take courage, you will get there... We have the Savior God... He speaks - and everything will be! (Issue 2, letter 317, pp. 189–190) Their danger and detrimental nature to salvation And the self-pity that you complain about is already dangerous and harmful. If you have to indulge yourself due to illness, then that’s okay. And if under the pretext of illness, then it’s bad. Here you can see deceit in front of oneself - the most evil of all deceits. You seem to look at self-pity very lightly, considering cases of yielding to it as unimportant actions. You have a big mistake here. Cases of self-pity are definitely the most insignificant, but the presence of this self-pity in the soul is not insignificant. Because what does it mean? This means that self-pleasure in you and I is stronger than pleasing God. Let us do this and that, realizing that it is necessary in the matter of establishing a saving life and therefore pleasing to God, and then we refuse this for no other reason than because this refusal is more pleasant to us, body or soul. This means that this time we are moving from pleasing God to self-pleasing. Conscience sees our wrongness and worries. She's right. I shouldn’t have tied myself down: I would do this and that in forms of asceticism when I didn’t have the confidence to overcome myself every time. For example, they decided not to drink tea, and then drank a cup. And you worry. It’s not a big deal to drink a cup, but the big thing is that your conscience is offended and that things are allowed to happen that violate your previous decisions and consciousness. This destroys the internal structure and develops the habit of not listening to conscience when it indicates what is due. And then fearlessness will come... and complete indifference to pleasing God. It is better not to bind yourself to the smallest detail with rules, but to have one thing in common - to act contrary to the demands of self-indulgence every time. And if you allow some benefit to the body, then you can drink a cup. So it should be put: I will abstain from tea from time to time. Because sometimes it's very easy to get around. Otherwise, it’s best not to bog yourself down with such details. And the general thing to keep is not to please the flesh and act in this spirit, making decisions every time. I used tea as an example, but you need to act this way in relation to everything: food, sleep, walks, rest, etc. Anything that interferes with the internal order should not be allowed under any circumstances. This is what the confessor comes for. Whenever you come across something, ask immediately. Your conscience will be calm. Otherwise she will be legally teasing. No success, you say. And it won’t happen as long as there is self-indulgence and self-pity. Self-indulgence and self-pity directly indicate that I, and not the Lord, predominates in the heart. Self-love is the sin that lives in us, from which all sinfulness arises, and which makes the whole person sinful from head to toe, as long as it exists in the soul. And when the whole person is sinful, how will grace come to him? It will not come, just as a bee will not go to where there is smoke. The presence of self-love is a sign that the first decision to work for the Lord was formed incompletely and unsuccessfully. This decision has two ends: one - let him deny himself... and the second - let him come after Me. The first requires the complete suppression of egoism or self-love and, therefore, the prevention of self-indulgence and self-pity, neither great nor small. Consequently, in whomever they are, the solution was incomplete. Such a decision makes a person similar to those persons about whom the Apocalypse says: neither warm, nor cold... neither this nor that. – I want to be saved, but self-resistance is not allowed. God and mammon cannot work. I bring all this to your mind, so that you censor yourself and carefully determine what is in your heart - me or the Lord. Then sit down and decide what to do. You write to ask me to pray to deliver you from self-indulgence. What should we pray about? God won't hear. He will hear prayer only for those who are not self-pleasing. And God hears every man himself only when he does not suffer from these firstborn daughters of sin. For lack of self-pity and self-indulgence, the Lord only gives grace and prosperity. He does not give them himself, but demands... that the person himself take them, as a deposit that he should be shown mercy. (Issue 8, letter 1454, pp. 188–191) It prevents salvation. How to defeat him Self-indulgence reigns in you. Meanwhile, you verbally express your desire for salvation and ask for advice on how to lead your life in order to be saved. You see for yourselves that for your salvation you need to overcome self-indulgence, just as the Savior commanded: “If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself...” When you do this, then you will not have a question: how to live in order to be saved! For it will be clear and realized that you cannot be saved except by following the path of self-sacrifice... This is the narrow path leading to life... Then I ask you: do you know the commandments? I hear the answer: I know. So fulfill the commandments and you will be saved! There is no other way, and this is the word of the Savior. Ask for forgiveness of all sins. Your spiritual father will pronounce this good for you. Consider your whole life, check for yourself all your sins, according to the instructions of the commandments, and sincerely confess them to your spiritual father, with contrition and tears and a vow to abstain from all sin, big and small... How to overcome self-indulgence and decide to take the path of self-sacrifice? If you do not deny yourself and continue to follow the broad path, then, as the Savior said, you will fall through the wide gates to hell... This is inevitable. Then put yourself at the moment of dying, when only death remains for you, and then the Judgment of your life. Just imagine what word you will hear (from the Judge God): come or go. If you truly feel this, then you will rise up as if scorched by fire, and there will be no room for self-indulgence. But you have to keep yourself in such fear constantly. (Issue 3, letter 371, pp. 4–5) You shouldn't be too busy with yourself. The holy fathers say: “Do not measure yourself!.. The best measure: “There is nothing”... Lord, let me make a good beginning!.. Lord, who weighs the destinies, save me!.. And drive away every thought about measuring yourself, and, forgetting the back, completely as if it did not exist, stretch into the front. The enemy forces you to measure yourself in order to arouse your conceit and ruin the whole thing. Always tell yourself: “There is nothing, there is nothing to measure.” (Issue 2, letter 256, p. 93) Self-worth and the retreat of grace are always inseparable. The Lord turns His eyes away from the arrogant... And the retreat of grace does not always follow a fall. What follows is only cooling, bad movements and a penalty against passions, not in the sense of falling into passionate affairs, but in the sense of heart confusion. For example, someone will say an unpleasant word... and the heart will burn with anger and... (Issue 6, letter 969, p. 84) Well-being or self-enhancement Its a danger to the soul. What does it consist of Irritability, anger, impatience, fussiness - of course, all these are not good deeds. But it’s good that you recognize their unkindness. Find their parents and strangle them. Then the children will disappear on their own. See if you have a sense of well-being, that is, a sense of your importance, or negatively - a lack of feeling that you are nothing. This is the most intimate feeling, but it turns everything around in life. The first requirement from him is that everything be our way, and if this does not happen, then we murmur at God and are angry with people. From him is the confidence that we can do and arrange everything ourselves, using invented means, we expect that everything will be as we thought. Because you start a task without diligent prayer, and continue the same, and end again with grumbling, if something is not our way, and a feeling of complacency, if it is our way. In all this you think of God as a third party, and not as an active person. So take a closer look to see if this is there, and if it is not there at least to a large extent, take care to restore the feeling of your insignificance in all respects. And always pray to the Lord for this. And generally deepen the conviction and feeling that the Lord arranges everything in both external and internal life. Nothing essentially good takes root in us without Him. If so, then you should surrender yourself to Him. However, do not stop your labors and efforts, just do not place your trust in them and do not expect anything from them unless God blesses them. (Issue 1, pas. 120, pp. 127–128) 1. Human freedom and God's grace. Their relationship for good All good is created in us by the interaction of freedom and grace. In general, it is expressed this way: start working on something and work... God will see that you sincerely desire what you are looking for, and will give it... If you want to acquire prayer, work in prayer... and the Lord will give prayer... If you want to get rid of anger, work on it... and God, seeing your diligence, will give you freedom from anger... Man by himself will not create anything good in himself if grace does not come; and grace does not give anything to a person if the person himself does not work... Memorize this point. (Issue 6, pas. 957, p. 57) 2. Determination and permission of God You attack freedom, as if everything is built in such a way that you want it or not, do it. You just have to take a closer look at your affairs, even in one day, or half a day, and you will see that we do everything ourselves, and we do it because we want to. Who brought you to Vysha? Who brought you tied up, or did you decide and come? What you call compulsion is an impulse without which free deeds cannot be done. But the incentive is not a necessity - to do, but a proposal to do something. A deed is proposed, the soul discusses whether to do it, and decides whether to do it or not. No one can force this decision from the soul. She decides for herself. Divine power does not come here and does not bind the freedom of the soul with any wave. The ancestors have fallen. Why? They found that it was better not to fulfill the commandments, and they broke them. The serpent suggested. Eve reasoned and found that he was not offering a bad idea, and according to her intelligence, she decided to pick the fruit and taste it. No one forced this decision. The spirits also fell, of course, as a result of reasoning and a personal decision that it was better not to listen to God, but to live according to one’s own understanding. They thought so and fell away from God. No one forced a decision. This is how every soul acts. There can be many motives, the most powerful and compelling ones, but the decision always depends on the will of the soul. She can decide in defiance of all compulsory impulses. Take the martyrs! Instruments of torment are presented, a peaceful life is promised, sometimes the mother and father stand at the side and persuade him to throw some incense into the brazier in front of the idol, sometimes, in addition to this, a young, beloved wife, and also with a child. How many compulsions! And the martyr decides completely contrary to them. – Isn’t he free?! And the one who falls falls by free decision. Having thus realized that a free decision is always from us, you must assume that the omniscience of God has no definite influence on it. Yes, this issue was resolved long ago and very satisfactorily. Precisely, God foresees because he sees the free decisions of the will. These decisions constitute the subject of omniscience and constitute it in the form in which they are, namely, as free decisions. Not everything that God foresees is what God determines. Theologians distinguish in God - determination and permission. What God determines happens as He determines, and what God allows may not happen as it happens, although God foresees this happening. Such is the fall of the ancestors and spirits. They fell freely, although God foresaw it. Everything has been done on God’s part so that we don’t fall. He clearly told his ancestors: do not eat. And he indicated the consequences. Something similar must be assumed among fallen spirits. Didn't listen, who's to blame? Why did God allow it? - Because otherwise it would be necessary to take away freedom, or destroy the free creature in the world. But without this, the world would be much lower than it is now. And God allowed him to fall, creating an image of rebellion from the fall. We are moving toward rebellion by fighting opposition. This is the law! “And everyone who follows it is crowned with success.” Please act as prescribed at the beginning. When doubts arise and persist, sit down and describe them in detail. I'm sure they will dissipate immediately. You're fine. The enemy creates empty ghosts. (Issue 8, letter 1462, pp. 213–216) A change of priest, although not always pleasant, does not cause too much trouble. The Lord rules the Church and everything in it. Priests are His instruments. Whatever is needed for anyone, the Lord will give through the priest, whatever he may be, as long as the seeker comes with full faith and diligence. (Issue 8, letter 1391, p. 134) Family and civil life In itself is not worldly life Family and civil life is not in itself worldly, but happens when passions and their satisfaction are squeezed into the order of such a life. There are commandments for family and civil life. If you lead this life in such a way that the commandments dominate in it, driving away everything passionate, then it will not be a worldly life, but a holy life, blessed by God. According to our usage of words, a layman does not mean a person who lives in a worldly way, but a person who does not belong to the clergy and monasticism. (Issue 3, pas. 385, p. 28) The warmth of the heart that you are talking about is a good state. And we must guard and support it. When it weakens, warm it up as you do - gather inside as hard as you can and cry out to the Lord. In order not to wander away, we must avoid dispersing thoughts and impressions into feelings that do not agree with this state, avoid letting the heart rest on anything visible (not only bad things, but everything in general), and no concern absorbing all attention. May there be constant attention to God and unrelenting tension in the body - in order, like a soldier in formation. The main thing is to pray to the Lord to extend this mercy. As for “is it”? - then once and for all, make it a rule to drive away such questions without pity as soon as they arise. This is the enemy's creation. If you dwell on this question, the enemy will immediately give a solution: oh, of course, this. You're great, after all. Then the young man will rise on stilts, begin to dream about himself, and put others at nothing. And grace will depart. But the enemy will keep him thinking that she is with him. And this is - to pretend to have, when there is nothing. The Holy Fathers wrote: do not measure yourself. And to undertake to solve this question means to begin to measure yourself, how much you have grown. So please run from this like from fire. May God's mercy be with you. It’s good to memorize psalms. Choose which ones suit you best and memorize them. Then, as you walk, read them thoughtfully. From the Gospels it is good to memorize the words of the Lord word for word, and remember the rest. (Issue 8, letter 1460, pp. 199–200) Heartbreak and self-reproach The measure is contrition and self-accusation Heartfelt contrition and merciless self-accusation always suit us, but we must not forget about measures. You go beyond what is proper when you use such speech: “hopeless melancholy torments you from sinfulness... you feel the impossibility of being saved...” and the like. The feeling of powerlessness to save oneself is in the order of things, but the hopelessness of salvation should be thrown out of the Christian vocabulary... For we have the Lord the Savior, who cares about our salvation, disposing and strengthening us in every possible way. Don’t say that... the enemy will overhear and start building his batteries at these points. Go ahead and shoot back then. (Issue 2, letter 199, pp. 249–250) The influence of heartache on thinking After all, it is not so much the deepening of the mind that torments the head, as it is the anxiety that destroys and torments the heart, and from the heart the languor passes into the head. My second recipe is aimed at this - namely: not to torment the heart with grief and care, but to transfer all sadness and care into the hands of God, so that the heart remains completely free. Then the head, no matter how deep you go, will endure everything without exhaustion. In establishing such a mood, the work is moral, with reflection that would revive trust in God. (Issue 3, letter 463, p. 106) The human heart and the Lord No one has the power to control the heart. It lives a special life. In itself it rejoices, in itself it saddens. And there's nothing you can do about it. Only the Lord of all, who contains everything in His right hand, has the power to enter into it and put feelings into it, regardless of the natural course of its changes. (Issue 8, pas. 1229, p. II) God is everywhere, and as soon as he finds a heart that does not resist Him, he enters it and makes it glad. It rejoices and, clinging to Him, does not want to leave Him. A heart plugged up by selfishness spoils inside, and everything goes wrong. We turn to the Lord - a hole is drilled in it by the labors of a new life, the unclean inner comes out, and something else, pure, comes in its place. This is the Divine spiritual element - the Lord Himself. Feeling this, the heart rejoices in the joy of life drawn from the Lord. The Lord is called the Visitor of souls... When he visits, the soul plays. And this is not from us - God’s gift! If it is a gift, you must thank the Giver and humble yourself... Humility is the basis of everything! As humility passes, the heart will close and all the good in it will suffocate. May your heart always be contrite and humble. Don’t lose, but even more and more develop this feeling. Our normal attitude towards God is a painful falling into His heart with contrition, with appeals: “In the image of fate, save me!” We must place ourselves in the hands of the Lord, so that He can do in us and with us whatever His holy will pleases, just to save us... The work of prayer is not only the work of the silent, but of all Christians, and this is to its highest degrees. All degrees of prayer are God’s work. With God, everyone is equal, and He looks only at the heart. As the heart is to Him, so He is to the heart, no matter whose heart it is. The Lord said: “For You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us...” This is about all Christians. The Apostle says: “Our life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Issue 2, pas. 256, pp. 87–89) Get along with the anger little by little. Fight as much as you have the strength... Perhaps the Lord will have mercy and take away these weaknesses. And he will leave it behind you, and give thanks for that - it leads to humility. It’s not good, of course, to be angry, but when this is a consequence of temperament, then guilt here only embraces that part in which the consciousness is indifferent to these impulses. Sigh and repent every time. This is one of the daily sins. (Issue 2, letter 253, pp. 81–82) How to endure the sorrows you encounter It’s hard to endure everything, no matter what happens to endure, but the heaviness is felt during times of vain or misfortune. Afterwards everything smooths out. What you now endure will also be smoothed out. Be encouraged, everything will pass. Meanwhile, strengthen your faith that everything is from the Lord. It’s not just a major disaster, but every meeting is from Him. He has one thing in mind - our salvation. Accept everything as life-giving medicine, although bitter, but useful. When the Lord strikes, isn’t it righteous to think that there must be a reason? So, look at what is there, why they beat you, and correct it. Sorrows are sent to the righteous to test them, but to us – rather as punishment and a call to Repentance. If you believe that the Lord is a doctor, and a doctor who will not waste medicine, then when what is wrong not only in deeds, but in feelings and thoughts is turned away, then sorrows will also cease. (Issue 8, letter 1227, pp. 9–10) You have a lot of sorrows. I regret that this is the case. But there is nothing to help this except patience and trust in the mercy of God. Everything is from God - both pleasant and unpleasant. We must give thanks for everything. For even unpleasant things are sent for good: for purification, to strengthen good character and trust in God. There is no need to grumble. Endure this time, brighter days will come. (Issue 3, letter 378, p. 12) You have all the regrets and regrets! These are God’s saving medicines and evidence of God’s attention to you. Be grateful. Thank the Lord - get medical help - or do not interfere with the healing effect of these medicines by any grumbling. (Issue 8, letter 1313, pp. 72–73) With sorrows found, what else can you do, no matter how much you endure? Establish yourself in the thought that without God nothing happens, and that therefore everything happens for our good. It is up to us to take proper advantage of everything that happens. But if we show only patience, then good self-control is self-control before God. (Issue 8, letter 1238, p. 17) Continue to cope with sorrowful feelings with patience, and even more so by surrendering to the Lord all your fate, drawing consolation from the confidence that everything happens according to God’s will, and everything is for our good - the present. (Issue 8, letter 1241, pp. 19–20) Sorrowful and comforting things in our lives This is what earthly life is designed for, so that the sorrowful in it will tear you away from inappropriate attachments, and the comforting will nourish hope for the desired better. So they alternate almost every day. (Issue 8, letter 1255, p. 28) She shouldn't be allowed in What to miss? The Lord is near. It’s all the same to be with Him, be it in this world or in the next world. If only He would be pleased to keep from everything unrelated to Him, both inside and outside. It’s easier to be correct outside. Shame in front of people helps. And inside - maybe, I suppose. And bad thoughts and desires take their course. And there is no way to protect yourself. God, be merciful to us sinners!.. (Issue 3, letter 431, p. 74) Are they always useful to us? You want to drown yourself in spiritual sweets... It relaxes and softens... you must always keep the sobering as well as the uplifting. Love and fear must both be in force... The angels stand before God with fear and trembling... and the Apostle commanded us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling... Deliver you, Lord, from spiritual lust. Love the sobering... The heart is contrite and humble... (Issue 6, letter 969, p. 84) Tears are God's great mercy. Between Chrysostom’s prayers there is: “Lord, give me tears, mortal memory and tenderness.” They deepened their sinfulness and worthlessness into the feeling... There is no charm here. It is a delight when someone feels like something... worthless (Gal. 6:3). (Issue 4, letter 476, p. 122) Should they be hidden during prayer in church? Tears during prayer, both in church and at home, are beneficial, but there is no need to show them. These are spiritual Margaritas... but when shown they fade... and lose their shine and their value. But it’s better to cry at home, and hide your tears in church, leaving a tearful mood in your heart... or a broken spirit and a contrite and humble heart. Always try to have this. It is good to be transported to heaven and hold contemplation there in church, during services, and at home. It is inspiring and invigorating. (Issue 3, letter 489, p. 159) Death of minors and relatives The daughter died, she was good and kind. We must say: glory to You, Lord, for removing her as quickly as possible, not allowing her to become entangled in the temptations and seductive pleasures of the world. And you grieve - why did God deliver her from these hobbies and take her into His holy Kingdom, pure and immaculate. It turns out that it would be better if she grew up and went all out, which is very surprising nowadays, especially for someone as pretty as, as you say, the deceased was. Here is a wise mother, regretting that her daughter was saved and not destroyed. (Issue 8, letter 1273, p. 41) May the Lord direct your way there, where the Lord is seated at the right hand of God. The surest path to the inheritance of the Kingdom is humility. When it takes root in the soul, it will bring the hope of salvation. (Issue 8, letter 1236, p. 16) Until they are there, nothing will happen. The spiritual is born and grows along with their birth and growth. They are the same for the soul as oppression of the flesh is for the body... Humility is acquired by deeds of humility, love by deeds of love. Please do so. (Issue 8, letter 1461, p. 203) It remains to tell you something about the prophetic meaning of the curse of the fig tree. This fig tree represents the Jewish church authorities of that time. Their duty was to feed the people and lead, but they used power, but did not do what the power was given to them for. The Lord, presenting the face of the people, came up to satisfy their hunger, and found nothing, and cursed the fig tree. This abolished the sacred Jewish rite. After cursing the fig tree, the Lord entered Jerusalem and the church and taught all day. Several parables are told here, including the parable of the winegrowers. The wrongfulness of these workers was so obvious that when the Lord asked what the owner would do with such workers, everyone answered: “He will destroy the wicked and give the grapes to other workers.” And so it soon came true. The apostles rebuilt everything again and established a new priesthood, which feeds the believers with the word of life. This parable clarifies the matter with the fig tree. How did it happen that there was no time for fruit yet, and the Lord cursed the fig tree for not having fruit. The leaves on a fig tree, like any tree, correspond to the state of the fruit, and from the leaves you can guess when the fruit has just set and when it is ripe. The fig tree we are talking about had leaves from which fruit should have been expected, but there was none. This is her punishment. (Issue 6, letter 966, pp. 77–78) Are you asking if dreams can be trusted? It’s better not to believe, because even in reality the enemy brings a lot of trifles to mind, but in a dream it’s even more convenient for him. If any dreams come true, then after they come true, thank the Lord for his mercy. And give thanks for pleasant and edifying dreams. Quickly cleanse your soul and memory from seductive dreams upon awakening. The best way to do this is prayer and bringing to memory good events, especially from gospel history. Then put a stronger impression on these events in your head and don’t take your mental eyes off them. Keep your full attention on them. Bad thoughts will immediately begin to weaken and go away. (Issue 3, letter 472, p. 116) How should she be educated and why? If you always decide in your heart to listen to the Lord, who is inherent in you and in you, and direct everything to please Him alone, and then turn to Him with every bewilderment, every spiritual need, with faith and complete devotion to Him, then be sure: all your affairs - both internal and external - will go in the most successful way. It is a great thing to realize that we can do nothing without Him, and even greater is to only resort to Him with faith, expecting undoubtedly help. May your conscience always be clear. But the conscience must be enlightened with the light of God, otherwise it often worries that one should not intervene. To do this, you need to read the Gospel and from there draw rules by which your conscience should then be guided. (Issue 8, letter 1219, p. 3) Is it useful to seek advice from one or the other? It is frowned upon to seek advice here and there. The adviser to everyone is a God-determined confessor, who is usually a parish priest. (Issue 3, letter 370, p. 3) What is salt? There's a parable word there. Since the Savior Himself did not give an interpretation, everyone is free to understand this as he or she judges for his own edification. I think that this love for God destroys everything sinful and disgusting. Salt penetrates the salty; and love penetrates all mental, spiritual, and physical components, and imparts strength and integrity to everything. (Issue 8, letter 1344, pp. 98–99) Its manifestation and the fight against it Almost everyone has doubts, but they come and go. You can always find thoughts that conquer doubts and drive them away. The works of God must be looked at from all sides: they have a bright and bright side, and there is a dark, hidden side. On the last side are all the doubts. This is how God arranged it to test the sincere search for Him and the humility with which one approaches this task. It seems to you that you think that as soon as God and His truth are there, everything should be brilliant there - striking brightly in the eyes and loudly instilling in everyone - this is what is Divine! Don't you notice that by thinking this way, you are prescribing to God how He should conduct His affairs? And this, as you yourself will agree, is not in the order of things. The works of God in themselves are exactly like this, but outwardly they are covered with plainness, so to speak. Why is this so? There is nothing to say to this except: it pleases God. But that it is definitely true, that beauty is hidden beneath the plainness and light is hidden beneath the darkness, there is no doubt about it. Only evidence of this must be sought not from unbelievers, but from believers, and not only from believers, but also from those living by faith. Break into a nut and you will find the kernel – tasty and nutritious. God does not scatter beads at random. The Savior spoke secretly to the people about His Kingdom, in parables. Those who had the inclination of spiritual intelligence immediately penetrated inside and understood the truth. So it is in everything. Take this, how a plant emerges from a seed. The seed will become limp, decompose and seem to rot, but meanwhile, the embryo opens inside, gradually grows stronger, sprouts, comes out of the ground, etc. And what he should be becomes narrower when everything around him is so gloomy, if you look from the outside. In fact, there is the bright guidance of God, with which He leads each and every one to the final end. No one is forgotten. The father of all is God. How unfortunate is our race when, in order to save it, it was necessary for God Himself to descend to it, take on its nature and in this nature pave the way for it to ascend to where He Himself is at the right hand of the Father. The fact that not everyone believes does not diminish the importance of faith. We must look at those who sincerely believe and at what is given to them through faith. The Christian faith is not a system of teaching, but an image of the restoration of the God-man who fell through death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Take one of those who followed the Lord and see how he little by little grows in spirit and becomes great despite all his outward inconspicuousness. Here is Father Seraphim. Simple, unlearned - what have you come to? He blocked the lips of the learned unbelievers with a single word. That's power. What is his life like, and his character? So grace transforms everyone who surrenders to it. Look at this. And that there are gloom and homeliness here and there, what is there to look at? The Lord is calling you to faith. He wants you to be saved, and you will be saved if you obey His voice. For the sake of God, who loves you so much, suppress your doubts. By doing this you will make a sacrifice to the Lord, for which He will not remain in debt. Doubts on you come from your mind. The enemy comes and sows tares among the wheat. If this is so, then what is the point of listening to the enemy, who is arranging our destruction, and moving away from the Lord, who is giving us the hand of salvation? Humble yourself and pray. The Lord is near and watching. But the sincerity of the appeal is conditional. (Issue 1, letter 135, pp. 146–148) Make it a law to never accept any doubts or bewilderments, but to drive them away from their first appearance, without talking, no matter how thorough and no matter how impressionable they may be. This will put an end to all enemy approaches. Get used to prayer so that you pray not only at the time when you are standing in prayer, but as often as possible - by raising your mind to God and His saints. And this prayer will be a fence protecting you from the attacks of the enemy. Compose a prayer from our dogmas, and repeat it more often, at least in this form: Glory to Thee, our God, worshiped in the Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Soul. Glory to You, who created everything with a word and provides for everything. Glory to You, who has honored us with Your image. Glory to Thee, who taught us in our fall. Glory to You, the Son of God, who deigned to be incarnate, suffer, die, rise, sit at the right hand of the Father, and send down the Holy Spirit to us. Glory to You, God, Holy Soul, who built the Church of God through the apostles and gathered all languages ​​into it, and who populated heaven with chosen saints. Glory to Thee, O God, who called our (Russian) people into Thy Kingdom. Glory to You, who has favored me to be born among the believers. Glory to You, who has repeatedly shown me Your mercies... Glory to You, who has arranged the path of repentance and conversion for me. Glory to You for everything... With the skill of this prayer, the very dogmas will descend into the heart. (Issue 8, letter 1464, p. 218) How to overcome it. Techniques or methods of fighting So this is where the source of all our gloom is! - “Thoughts that are not your own, but someone else’s, appear in your sleep, and darken your spiritual serenity.” This is the main feature of your current state. It is not your mind that gives birth to nonsense thoughts, it is someone from outside who creates them. Your mind is intact and sound, and everything, presumably, is in its own form. It is to this awareness that you now need to turn your attention. Consider yourself such a person as one who experiences suggestions for some sinful deed or evil lust. And learn to act in the same way in relation to doubts as he acts in relation to lusts. The first method for one experiencing evil inclinations is not to consider the suggestions as one’s own, but as the all-born, to put a separation between oneself and this all-everything and, recognizing it as alien, to treat it not as one’s own creation, but as an enemy’s creation. Hence the compulsion in the soul is not immediately weakened, but completely departs from it - to do according to the inspiration experienced. They usually believe: one’s nature demands, how can one not satisfy? But whoever immediately recognizes the born wish as an alien creation, it is not this situation that comes to mind, but something completely different. He turns to desire with questions and subjects it to analysis and criticism. This simplest technique dispels temptation; it disappears like smoke from the wind. This is exactly what you should do whenever you have doubts. With each of its creations, do not formulate it in your mind, as if it already exists in reality, as it suggests, but stop it at the very entrance, like an uninvited guest, and subject it to inspection. Just as in wishes, not to deal with them with the heart is the first thing, so in doubts, not to deal with them with the mind, is the first thing. You will say that they suddenly hug and embrace the entire mind. It's nothing. And it also happens in desires that they suddenly embrace the whole heart. But this does not mean that they have already won, but only means that the attacker is callous. If someone accidentally rushes at you and grabs you with his hands, you do not surrender to his power, but push him away, and so it is here. Let doubt engulf your entire mind, strain to push it away so that it becomes external and you can deal with it as with another alien person. If you begin to act this way, many doubts will immediately disappear as soon as you tear them away from your mind and demand them to be judged. If they persist, start driving them away. In relation to wishes, according to the consciousness of the enemy in them approaching you, all saints rely on the second method - instead of fighting it on their own, turn to the Lord Savior, and they disappear. I think that the same should be done in relation to doubts. Contact the Lord intelligently and pray to Him to drive away temptation and the tempter. And it will be. The third technique is to restore the good in yourself to its usual strength. Your mind and heart are intact. Don't slander them. What happens happens from the enemy. Now you have something to take on within yourself. And take it upon yourself. Whatever good thoughts and feelings you experience, you rush to restore. It seems to me that all the trouble you have is because you accept the doubts that arise as friends and let them in, and cherish them, taking their side. This means, without raising your hands, surrendering to the enemy in full power. And you hold the conviction in advance that doubts do not represent anything true, and when they are born, drive them away, straining in every possible way to remain on the side of the good and truth that you have experienced. When you restore your good state, then you can analyze doubt. Here it will be very weak, and victory will always remain yours. I’m going on about this on purpose, because I think this is the main point of your infirmity. You seem to have begun to think that you have no faith left at all, for you write about it as if it were a thing of the past. Empty. This is what the enemy is telling you to do: lower your hands and not rebel against him. You have everything intact: faith, conviction, and a good conscience. And the Lord is near you and is preparing salvation for you. You just need to be inspired and stand in the face of the enemy in the position not of a humble servant, but of a brave opponent. And that's it. You have heard, of course, that everyone has a Guardian Angel, and so does the enemy, the tempter. There truly is. The enemy constantly slips in thoughts and desires of his own kind. Don’t listen to yourself and watch out, you’ll be lost. It will make you foggy and dizzy. Everyone has a special enemy: some are lustful, some are selfish, others are proud – with different shades. You have a spirit of blasphemy and doubt. There is an enemy nearby not so that you can subjugate him, but in order to fight him and through the struggle develop in yourself the opposite good; instead of lust - chastity; instead of pride - humility... Instead of doubts, you have sincere, firm and reasonable faith. This is the task of your life. Please do it. Doubts! - Who doesn’t experience them? And I tested them. But if you start to take it apart, it will fall apart. Doubt is the same as objection. An objection may suddenly confuse you, but after looking closely and thinking about it, it is refuted. It's the same with doubts. You will begin to think about it and come to a decision: no, this is empty, there is nothing solid, everything is only apparent, illusory, like everything enemy. But there is a way to get to the point where doubts are not born at all. One told me how someone taught him how to achieve this. Imagine, he says, the truth, and pray about it, or during prayer, rotate it in your mind and compose prayers from it. The moment will come when this truth will enter the heart and embrace the entire being of the soul, feeding it and making it happy. This is the affinity of the soul with the truth, and after this doubts can no longer shake it. They may come to mind, but they are far from the soul, like talking or whispering behind a wall. Someone taught me how to create this way. I began to do this and, by the grace of God, although I am a sinner, my mind floats calmly in the realm of truth and is consoled by it. What prevents you from doing this, especially in view of the enemy who is tempting you so much? I’m writing all about this because I don’t see any certain doubts in you and I think that when you write, you don’t have them. They come and go. And get out of your head that you doubt the way inveterate unbelievers doubt. The enemy convinced you that you have it, and you believed it. Stop believing the enemy, and peace will begin to settle in. I asked you questions: what is the soul, why does everyone know and seek God and are tormented by doubt and unbelief, so that, having thought everything over properly, you would come to the following conclusion: the soul is a spiritual being, is not a manifestation of some other force, like a rainbow, but is an independent, special personality, freely rational, the normal state of which is life in communion with God, who honored it in creation with His image. Therefore, it is desirable that in this position the basis of faith and life. And first of all, try to root and strengthen this truth in yourself. You have no doubts about the soul. You have it and it reveals higher aspirations that are not satisfied by anything earthly. That's good! – Stop at this and develop your thought further. If the soul is not satisfied with earthly things, then it should be satisfied with non-earthly things. And look around to see if there were before, and still are, people who find their highest aspirations satisfied. If you see such people, figure out what satisfies their insatiable soul. I tell you in advance that you will find and make sure that they have a satisfied soul because they believe in God, seek Him and have evidence that God graciously accepted their search and communicates with them. In fact, everyone is looking for God, therefore, being with God is the norm of life of our soul. It is so tangible that it is impossible to argue against it. The unbelievers tried to either reject the commonality of the feeling of the Divine or explain it in a wrong way, but unsuccessfully. Believing in God and being in communion with Him is a man. And whoever deviates from this does not think and be determined like a human being. Established in this thought, you will find God within yourself. And having gone outside with this truth, you will see Him outside. God's creatures proclaim God. If there is rationality in the structure of things, then there is also a rational being who arranged them. This is an irresistible conclusion, the power of which all minds experience, not excluding those who are puffed up not to believe. So you will have God both inside and outside. And you will understand the need to be in communication with God, for your highest aspirations express precisely this need. All you have to do is figure out how to enter into communication with God and be in Him. Here is Christ the Lord, Who said: “I am in the Father, you are in Me, and I am in you.” – This is the chain that connects us with God. That's the whole system of faith. (Issue 8, letter 1462, pp. 206–211) The salvation of the soul is the main thing. But it is the Savior who saves souls, not us. We only testify to our faith, our devotion to Him, and He, as we cleave to Him, gives us everything we need for salvation. Don’t think about what you deserve through hard work; you deserve it through faith, contrition and devotion to God. Do more good, help those in need. Faith in God!.. But deists believe in God and Providence,.. and go no further... they stopped halfway. God created us and honored us in His image, so that we could live in God. We were in living union with Him. That's how it was in heaven. The fall of the ancestors dissolved this union. But God took pity on us and did not want us to be outside of Him, to remain in falling away, but was pleased to invent a way of reunification, which consists in the fact that the Son of God and God came to earth and became incarnate, and in His person united humanity with the Divine, and through this gave us all the opportunity to unite through Him with God. Those who believe, are baptized and others accept the Sacraments are united alive with the Savior, and through Him with God. And this is salvation! Our goal is life in God, but there is no other way to God than the Lord Jesus Christ. There is One God and One intercessor for God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). So one must believe in Christ the Savior, accept the Sacrament, fulfill the commandments and everything that the Holy Church contains and prescribes. He who is with the Church is with the Lord. Be like this, without any extravagance, and you will be on the saved path. (Issue 1, letter 89, pp. 74–75) 2. You should not pray for the Lord to reveal where it is better to be saved. You ask me to tell you where it is better to be saved. And God doesn't say. If he doesn’t tell you, it means he’s letting you know that there’s no point in praying about it... Because in the present situation there is nothing that could interfere with salvation. It's all about good will and the saving mood of the heart. Be careful about this!.. What you have, keep it; what is missing, then add... According to what program? - According to the beatitudes... What is written in the beatitudes, you must take everything into your heart, and - to heaven!.. (Issue 3, letter 422, pp. 65–66) 3. Does it depend on the location or setting? You can be saved everywhere, and salvation does not come from a place or from the external environment, but from your inner mood. If faith is alive, if there are no sins that separate you from God and extinguish the grace of God, if communion with the Holy Church and the fulfillment of everything churchly is strong and faithful and zealous, then your saved state, all that remains for you is to observe and preserve yourself in this order of life, remaining in the memory of God and death and always holding in your soul a contrite and humble feeling. (Issue 3, letter 375, pp. 8–9) Salvation is not from a place, but from a spiritual mood. Everywhere you can be saved and everywhere you can die. The first angel among angels died. The apostle among the apostles died in the presence of the Lord Himself. And the thief was saved on the cross! Are you looking for salvation? Good! Search! Salvation is convenient for us. For we have the Lord Savior, who desires nothing more and cares about nothing more than our salvation. Run to Him and pray earnestly, that your salvation may be secured. (Issue 1, letter 46, p. 44) Are you looking for saving lessons or an answer on how to save your soul? The Savior was asked this question, and He answered: “If you want to be saved, keep the commandments.” This is what I offer you. What are the commandments? - All. Read the Gospel, read the Apostle... and notice what applies to you there, take it as a rule for yourself, and since you cannot have success in anything without God’s help, then most of all, pray. If you are free to go to church, go as soon as possible. And if every day is possible, go every day. Give alms... Be humble, meek, respectful to everyone, do not argue or scold, do not judge anyone. Be compliant... Have a contrite spirit, a contrite and humble heart. (Issue 8, letter 1433, p. 167) Fear God and fulfill His commandments... For this is salvation. Love the Church of God. Be on good terms with everyone... do not forget to give alms within your means... Be patient with whatever God sends you to endure. (Issue 8, letter 1439, p. 169) If you are looking for salvation, you are looking for a good deed; the soul is more valuable than the whole world. But nothing is easier than finding salvation; for we have a Savior, all-wise, all-good and all-powerful, who desires nothing more than the salvation of each of us. Turn to Him, ask and pray to Him alone, and He will bring you to salvation, which is the message of destinies. Seeking salvation is the same as seeking the Lord. But the Lord is everywhere and wherever he is who seeks Him... Open the door of your heart to Him, and He will enter... This is the finding of the Lord and with Him salvation... Know this... and seek this. The Lord Himself will teach you everything. God help you! Don't sleep!.. You're crying in your cell. Cry, it's good, but don't show it to anyone. You say that when you leave your cells to do the work of obedience, everything falls apart. Pay attention to yourself and try not to leave your heart; for the Lord is there. Seek this and work on it. You will find it and see how precious it is. (Issue 8, letter 1449, pp. 181–182) Salvation of the soul in the midst of family life Looking for salvation? - good deed. Seek and you will find. Repentance, of course, is in action for you. What else do you need? – Avoid sins and do every good thing you encounter along the course of your life, not only with your body, but with your soul and heart, not only externally, but also internally, i.e. so that both thoughts and feelings are always pleasing to God. What else besides a good life?! The prophet says: “I will seek my face for You; I will seek Your face, O Lord.” This expressed the unceasing memory of God, with unceasing zeal to please Him with all. This is the prayer system inside. Ask for a prayer rule. What was said before this is the first point of the prayer rule. Try to always keep your inner self in such a way that it is always turned towards God and always stands before His face and acts, as if on His behalf, so that this is done with the body, externally, in the ordinary course of everyday affairs. The second point of prayer is to always pray from the heart - not only to utter prayer words, but to bring out prayerful sighs to God from the heart. They constitute the actual prayer. From this you see that it is always better to pray in your own words, and not in someone else’s, not verbosely, but heartily. You need to acquire the skill for this. It is acquired through the labors of prayer. Prayer is the fulfillment of the rule of prayer. You must have a rule and always follow it. Perform morning prayers in the morning, and bedtime prayers in the evening, slowly, with appropriate thoughts and feelings. Throughout the day, between times, sigh to the Lord, Who is everywhere, as often as possible. If you find the opportunity, go to church. On Sundays and holidays - immediately, or even throughout the week, as soon as you manage, go, first once a week, then two, three or more... And every day is possible. Perfection can be achieved even in the midst of family life... You just need to extinguish and eradicate passions. Pay all your attention to this. (Issue 1, letter 131, pp. 137–139) 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 that there would be eldership and the opening of thoughts with questioning. It is the enemy who acts evilly, for questioning and advice, and revealing thoughts to the enemy are terrible. However, although it has not been formally introduced, in fact it exists and is being carried out everywhere. Little by little there is need, now those in need go to those from whom they expect to receive satisfaction. (Issue 5, letter 914, pp. 194–195) How is it supported in our hearts? The fear of God is the main thing. When he comes, like a good master, he arranges everything in his soul in his own way. Do you have it? If there is, thank God and keep it, and if not, wake it up, for it is contained in our spirit and, if it does not manifest itself, it is due to our inattention. From the fear of God - the first child - the spirit is broken, the heart is contrite and humble. Let the feeling of contrition never leave your heart! To maintain the fear of God, one must keep the constant memory of death and Judgment. As soon as you wake up, call on this memory and be in partnership with it all day long, as your first advisor. To this add the awareness of the presence of the Lord near you and in you, so that He sees everything, even the most intimate. This consciousness and the inseparable memory of death have the fear of God. When this trinity settles in your heart, then prayer will begin from your heart, with constant appeals to the Lord Savior. That's all! If you have this to any extent, then the work of your salvation is in progress, and if not, you need to raise everything in your heart. For if this does not exist, then everything else is nothing... (Issue 3, letter 550, pp. 251–252) Nothing will support the fear of God as strongly as the memory of the Last Judgment. One should not succumb to the spirit of despondency because of this. You just need to take a good look around, and whatever turns out to be displeasing to God, immediately eliminate it and, if necessary, cleanse it with Repentance. Then, relying on God’s mercy in everything, all that remains is to be complacent. Even at the Last Judgment, the Lord will not only seek how to condemn, but how to justify everyone. And he will justify anyone, as long as there is even a small opportunity. (Issue 3, letter 392, p. 38) He is saving when accompanied by hope The fear of death is a saving fear, but for you this saving power is destroyed by the absence of the hope of salvation. Hope in the Lord the Savior, without destroying the fear of death, destroys its murderous morbidity, dissolving its sobering effect on the soul with devotion to the will of God. Think more often about death and everything that accompanies it and what will follow it, and, borrowing lessons from everything, nourish your heartfelt devotion to the will of God. At the same time, try in every possible way to ensure that during your affairs you always do things according to the commandments, consciously dedicated to God. From this you will feel that you are God’s servant and God’s own... Just as God never leaves his own... then from here will be born the confidence that He will not leave you either. (Issue 3, letter 386, p. 29) How to distinguish vanity from ordinary affairs They began to fast, but were unable to free themselves from vanity... As an example, give the fact that many come on business required by your service. Works of service are not vanity - these are God's works. Just always do them for God, and not for anything else. Likewise, in your family life you have a duty... Fulfilling it is not vanity. Just do such things with the consciousness that you are doing the will of God. Vanity – activities to satisfy passions, also unnecessary and useless. Calculate and separate the vanity from the non-vanity in your life and you will see that among them you can do the will of God every minute. Add: create them for the glory of God. So you will be a saint, or one seeking holiness. (Issue 1, letter 198, p. 247) 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 change how much you think about it. These are the thoughts you should fill your head with when rumors reach you that they want to kidnap you. First thought: others want it, not you yourself. It became that it is not your need that is meant, but something besides you. Let these others be officials, 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 to say when asked? 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 zealously desire it and are ready to do anything for it, then this will indicate that you are ready for the schema. This will solve the issue. But if you have not yet been crucified, and your desire to crucify yourself is twofold, then it is better to wait a while to become smug. Time passes... You are not old... But here's how you can turn things around. Self-crucifixion is an internal matter. It doesn’t matter whether there is an external indication of it or not. 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, the slaughter?!! Comedy is for laughter. People may 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 this, 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 is much safer to be crucified first, and then to undergo chemicals. 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, the task will be to arrange yourself in such a way that your contacts do not interfere with the maturation of your self-crucifixion. (Issue 5, pas. 927, pp. 212–213) “Make a servant of the Light of the Son.” The Light of the Son is salvation, arranged by the Lord and given to all of us for the sake of faith and life by faith. A servant of this light is one who diligently serves the Lord with faith and every good deed. The strength to be such is given by the Lord, in Whom we put on ourselves in Baptism, and with Whom we sincerely unite in Holy Communion. Make a servant of the Light of the Son - there will be Holy Communion, fill me with strength to believe and live, as the Lord and Savior has legitimized, so that I may be worthy of salvation. (Issue 8, issue 1248, p. 24) We were dancing... The sky didn't fall on you?! Therefore, it is tolerable in some sense. But what you added to this regarding the rights of youth, I don’t know if it can stand firmly. Can youth say to death: don’t come near! And she can come during the dances and... decide everything,... for she decides everything... The soul will appear from the dances to the next world. -Who's there? - they will ask. - Dancer! Well, throw it there. You measure youth by youth... You can’t do that. We must measure everything by the ultimate goal. Why do we live? – To prepare for eternal life... How can you fit dancing into this?! and much more. It's good to be in society. There is a science of self-knowledge here... But still, a choice must be made... The society you visit is good, as you write... And thank God. (Issue 6, pas. 957, p. 55) Bodily powers. To what extent are they given from the Lord? “I would like to have more strength, but God does not give it.” And don't wait for him to give it. Strength has already been given in the body, soul, and spirit. But they are not entirely strong and require assistance. This allowance and help is given by God, but not as a reserve, but for every current matter. A person tries to do something, not being able to overcome it, he calls for help, and help comes, but having helped, it goes away again, and the person remains the same, powerless. Again help was needed, again the man called out, received it... and after the deed again... he remained the same powerless. From here it follows that whoever does not do, and does not use all his strength, and does not work until he feels powerless, and in this feeling does not cry out for help, will not receive it... and let him not wait; equally, whoever, having done it, takes credit for the task, deceives himself the next time, rushing to the same task with the thought: this is worth nothing to us, we are not strong enough to do it, and, although he finally calls out for help, he does not always receive it as punishment and teaching. If you please, act this way: in a feeling of powerlessness, cry out for help and... having done something, remain in the same feeling of powerlessness. (Issue 6, pas. 956, p. 52) Body. He needs to be bothered “I sleep a lot, eat a lot.” Sybaritism, it turns out, is Mohammedanism. No, the body must be constrained by little sleep, and little food, and overexertion. Which of our fathers had success without constraint of the flesh? I think I wrote to you that the body must be kept in order,... like a soldier at the front. This is what I am saying now. While you are resting the body, do not expect anything good. Executing yourself by will is required, but this will not bring you the desired benefit. What did Saint Meletius say to Simeon the Stylite when he, still young, chained himself to a stone? - The same goes for you. It doesn’t hurt, however, to have a rougher rosary in your hands, and as soon as your body desires indulgence - to sleep, or eat, or lounge on armchairs and the sofa - treat it with such rosary beads on its shoulders until it sobers up. (Issue 8, pas. 1461, pp. 202–203) Spiritual warmth and carnal warmth. What is their difference and what are their signs Warmth should always be maintained as much as possible. But there is nothing to listen or look closely at. This speaks for itself. Both external cold and internal cooling are felt directly. When this is felt, you need to warm yourself up by deepening your attention and intensifying your cry to the Lord: “Do not forsake me. Lord, do not leave me." To this we must also think about the amazing truths... the fall, the dispensation of salvation, death, Judgment, retribution, etc. Real warmth is a gift from God. But there is an unnatural warmth, the fruit of one’s own efforts and free moods. They are separated from each other like heaven from earth. Which one you have, it’s not visible. Afterwards it will open. “Thoughts tire us and do not allow us to pay attention before God.” This is a sign that your warmth is not God’s, but your own. The first fruit of God's warmth is the collection of thoughts together and their persistent aspiration towards God. The same thing happens here as with bleeding. That one “has a hundred blood flowing”, but here the current of thoughts stops. What is needed? Holding your natural warmth, do not impute it to anything, but only honor it as a preparation for God’s warmth; then to be sick about the poverty of God’s action in the heart and in illness to pray to the Lord unceasingly: “Be merciful! - Do not turn away Your face! “Illuminate Your face!” To this aggravate bodily deprivations: in food, sleep, work, etc. Still, put the matter into the hands of God. (Issue 8, letter 1461, pp. 201–202) Patience. What is its perfection? Patience is absolutely a matter of necessity, i.e. it must be maintained as it should, so that it is not lacking in anything. The perfection of patience is to endure complacently, and even more so with joy, and to thank God for the circumstances that force one to endure, as for a direct and essential good. Restore the faith that by suffering in vain, you become partakers of the rank of martyrs and rejoice in this. For it is so truly. And by allowing grief and self-pity to appear as if it were sealed, you belittle the value of what the Lord gives to you. There will be judgment for everyone, but for those who are worthy of justification, the Judgment will be such that as if it were not there, it will be joyfully greeted, as if it were not the Judgment at all, but the embrace of the Lord; joyfully passed, and in joy after it... Those who believe in the Lord as they should, and who live according to His will, will be honored with this. Not everyone says: Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of God, but do the will of the Heavenly Father. (Issue 2, pas. 346, pp. 213–214) It is not in vain that Saint Paul says: “I will require patience.” And be patient. Through patience the soul is acquired, as if it were bought at a bargain. (Issue 8, letter 1240, p. 19) Be patient, be patient! And one more thing: be grateful! Restore faith that everything is from God and everything is for our good, even though we don’t see it clearly. The invisible requires faith, but the visible - why faith? May the Lord have mercy on you! May the Lord comfort you with inner, invisible consolation. May the Lord and His Most Merciful Mother and Guardian Angel heal you. Remember those who suffer and take comfort in their patience. Remember those who are persecuted, tormented and oppressed, and be inspired by their patience. (Issue 1, letter 30, p. 32) When you endure, it means you endure. And why does it hurt, how could it be otherwise? If it weren't for the pain, there would be nothing to endure. It’s true, your heart is very impressionable and deeply affected by what happens. This is not due to arbitrariness, because it is not blamed. Guilt will come from what happens as a result of feelings. If you are angry, annoyed, scolding, complaining. If, even though it hurts, you endure it without grumbling, then it’s impossible to do otherwise, depending on your mood. Most of all, practice love - in deeds and feelings, without excluding anyone from those who come into contact with you, no matter how insignificant someone may be. (Issue 8, letter 1267, p. 37) Say: thank God for everything! Glory to God that he sends us something to endure, for this is the same as providing an opportunity to deserve the Kingdom of God, which is promised to those who endure and who are content with patience. Be patient, but also add complacency... This is from God, and this is from you; and you will have a point of contact with the Lord. (Issue 8, letter 1325, p. 81) A narrow path. Why do we need it? The attitude of believers and non-believers towards him We don't like the narrow path... Give us breadth and space. Doesn't the Lord hear these cries? He hears, but does not want to change the structure of our life, because it would not be good for us. Our situation is so arranged that only cramped conditions keep us in the present order... As soon as we enter the wideness, we blur and perish. So cramped conditions reign on earth as the best situation for us. The apostolic mind sees in general, in cramped conditions and in special cramped cases, the fatherly love of God for us, and judges those in cramped conditions as sons close to God. Today's wise men cannot comprehend this word and thereby plunge themselves into the impenetrable darkness that seems to stretch over our earthly life. Hence the pain, despondency, hopelessness, languor and suicide. The starting point of their darkness is that our last goal seems to be on earth... But it is not on earth. On earth there is the beginning of life, its preparatory period, and real life will begin after death... And a special, exceptional method of preparation is complacent patience with crowds, deprivations and sorrows. Whoever looks or will look at earthly life with such eyes will not be killed, not seeing breadth and spaciousness in his life... but will be jealous of one thing: how to make tightness bear the best fruit, the tasting of which is delayed until the future life. The inventors of a gloomy view of real life are Buddhists... From the Buddha... It is currently being spread among us by the white-fever L. Tolstoy, the madman of madmen... This is the real end to which those who rely on their own personal comprehension of the truth rest... The truth of God about life abides on earth in all faiths and among all peoples. Non-believers are degenerates,.. the most unfortunate of the unfortunate!.. (Issue 1, letter 186, pp. 214–215) Longing and boredom. How to defeat them You write that melancholy and boredom are tormenting. There is no visible, external trouble?! So this is the enemy's business. The enemy does not like peaceful hearts... And so he somehow manages to squeeze the heart and drive out the sweet peace from it. Pray to the Lord and the Mother of God and... it will pass. Just don’t complain or be annoyed about this, but say: on business, on business! And add: forgive, Lord, my known and unknown sins. The enemy languishes to no avail, and you, turning this languor into languor for sins, outwit him, making him an instrument of a good spiritual feeling... (Issue 3, letter 451, p. 93) Solitude for those living in the world The urge for solitude and silence... and even the impulses you experience are not of good quality. Therefore, it is better to drive them away, and put them in their place or create in the soul the desire to work - to overwork oneself. From time to time you have privacy and that’s enough. At all other times, try to retire to your heart and there establish your consciousness before the face of God, which is walking before God. (Issue 1, letter 198, p. 248) Solitude in a worldly setting The urge to solitude indicates a good mood in your heart, but you can satisfy it every day. As soon as you have freedom from business, retreat to your room... and try to be with the One Lord, go with your mind to your heart and there stand before the face of the Lord, praising Him, and thanking and asking Him for beneficial spiritual benefits. By doing this, you will become accustomed to walking before the Lord. That's solitude, but why are you thinking of retiring into the wilderness... this is not a suitable business for you. (Issue 3, letter 489, pp. 159–160) Those who died in sectarianism or unbelief You ask how to remember your parents who died in sectarianism. In your private prayer, remember them and pray for them, turning to the infinite mercy of God, and commit their fate to it. There is no point in commemorating them in church. The Church prays for her children, that they may preserve their faith and succeed in it, but to pray for those outside the Church - to convert them to the faith and join them to the Church. Since this conversion must take place here on earth, the power of this prayer is limited by the presence on earth of those for whom the prayer is being made. The Church is a living union of all believers, all of whom, united together under one head - Christ the Lord, form one body. It is made up of believers, living and dead. Unbelievers - living and dead - are outside it and outside the Lord Savior - its head. The local unbelievers are called and if they take advantage of this and enter the Church here, then they will be the same there too, i.e. children of the Church. The Savior says: “Whoever has faith and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not have faith will be condemned.” And again: “Whoever is not baptized with water and the Spirit will not enter the Kingdom of God...”, and this must happen on earth. And one more thing: in heaven only that which is permitted on earth will be permitted. There were such experiences that when one of those worthy of the Kingdom died with some unresolved sin, the Lord condemned him to return to earth to complete the unfinished work. Those who die outside the faith and the Church are like suicides... The Church does not pray for suicides, for they die in mortal sin and unresolved, not purified by repentance... It is bitter for your love to hear about your parents, but you can apply to them what is required for infants who died without Baptism. The latter surrender to the boundless mercy of God. And you commit to God the fate of your parents and pray for them in your private prayer - to do with them according to this mercy and according to your faith in this mercy. (Issue 3, letter 479, pp. 128–129) Where are the souls of sinners who did not have time to justify themselves here? In some place designated for them by the righteous Judge. After death there is a private Judgment, at which the fate of sinners is determined... But the final decision of their fate will follow at the general Last Judgment. Until then, they are only waiting for this terrible moment... they are horrified and suffer from it. (Issue 3, letter 479, pp. 129–130) God builds everything independently according to His all-good and wise goodwill towards us. Say that you have found peace here (on V...). May the Lord aggravate and deepen it in you! What despondency happens now is because of bodily weakness. Incessant infirmity sometimes produces a feeling of abandonment by everyone, hence self-pity and this pitiful feeling that seems to be despondency or accompanies it. God leaves no one. He has all the children. No stepchildren. Even the most difficult accidents and conditions - everything is directed to our good. If you could see this, there would be no difficulty in anything. But you, it seems, “saw this” - you decided to surrender all of yourself and everything to the will of God. Help you. Lord, stay like this. And when the burden begins to overcome, evoke this feeling and establish it in the middle between you and the burden, and the feeling of this latter will either calm down or completely disappear. He who trusts in God will receive mercy. Hope will not put you to shame... Sing: “To the zealous intercessor...”, “Blessed are you who give birth...”, “An insurmountable wall for you...” (Issue 1, letter 26, pp. 30–31) Should I grieve or grieve for them? I do not know how to grieve for those who depart when I am sure that they are departing to the Lord. How can we grieve for them when they rejoice? If they see us (and they certainly do), then how unpleasant it is for them to see our tears! We would say that we are crying for ourselves, that we are losing them, and this is not okay. For they do not cease to be close to us and do good to us, only invisibly instead of visible... They become even closer to us. For visible existence is divided by space, and the invisible reduces the separation, so remember the Lord (only with your heart - with a living memory), He is here... Understanding things this way, I never cry or grieve for the dead... This has been since the death of my father and mother. They died two weeks apart... When I found out about this, what a heavy and gloomy cloud fell over me! But at the same moment, non-gloomy thoughts came and dispersed all the darkness... I was comforted, and not a tear... I believe that the Guardian Angel inspired this in me. Since then I have been sharing this faith with everyone. (Issue 3, letter 423, pp. 66–67) The Lord knows what he is doing. But since we believe that everything He does is directed towards our spiritual salvation, then although it is impossible not to grieve when exposed to sorrows, we cannot help but draw consolation from the faith in such mercy of our Lord to us and thereby pour out the fire of sorrow. Servant of God N., dead in body, is alive in spirit, with whom he abides with you. Imagine him not in a grave, but in a better place and in a better form than you usually saw him. And this will prevent grief from spreading widely. (Issue 3, pas. 446, p. 88) We, those who remain, cry for those who have departed, but it is immediately easier for them: that state is more joyful. Those who died and were then introduced into the body found it a very uncomfortable place to live. Those who have departed soon begin the feat of crossing through the ordeal. They need help here! Stand then in this thought and you will hear its cry to you: “Help!” This is where you should direct all your attention and all your love for her. I think the most real testimony of love will be if, from the moment your soul departs, you, leaving the worries about the body to others, step away yourself and, secluded where possible, immerse yourself in prayer for it in its new state and new unexpected needs. Having started this way, be in constant cries to God for help for her for six weeks, and beyond. In Theodora’s story, the bag from which the Angels took to get rid of the publicans—these were the prayers of her elder. Your prayers will be there too... Don’t forget to do this... Behold love! (Issue 1, pas. 159, p. 181) Why are we not given the opportunity to notice it in ourselves? The benefits of ignorance. What is the law of spiritual life Whether anyone succeeds in life and to what extent he succeeds is not possible to notice, because otherwise everyone would eat himself out of sight. Ignorance of this keeps oneself in fear and constantly renews jealousy, assuring that nothing has been done yet and that, therefore, one must begin again. To begin again - this is the law of spiritual life... Every day must be considered the first day of life in the fear of God, forgetting everything behind, except for sins, for which we must always repent. Difficulties of the path, obstacles, relaxation, despondency - all these are accidents that come and go. There is nothing to pay attention to them. We must contrast them with the conviction that the goal ahead is true and that the means we have been given reliably lead to it. From this, all worries will go away, filling the soul with trustworthiness. (Issue 8, letter 1225, p. 8) The Lord is the Father of joy. And since He is everywhere, then everywhere, therefore, consolation is ready from Him. It's up to the receiver, not the Giver. True, in order to accept, one must learn from Him. But He is ready to tell everyone this too. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted. The child keeps crying until he finds his mother's breasts. As soon as he finds it, he will immediately shut up. Let us, Lord, find and shut up! (Issue 2, letter 210, p. 10) Because of the troubles for Dunya, you do not fully comply with the rule. There is no need to worry about this. These troubles will replace the rule; for both are one kind of labor, work for one owner. Pleasant to him. When prayer inside is intact and stays with the very deeds, then prayers and work are two currents in the same river, in the same bed and in the same direction. We can also say that here action and reason go together. Reason is contemplation. Therefore, you have nothing to grieve because there is no contemplation. Inner prayer does not exist without contemplation, which in fact is the contemplation of God always before oneself. It is also combined with God-thinking. He is - God's revealed to us His holy mysteries of the world, the preservation of the world, providence, incarnate economy, the salvation of everyone and the demise of everything - sometimes viewed with reasoning and reflection, and sometimes simply. (Issue 6, letter 1006, pp. 145–146) “The Most Holy Theotokos Intercessor... And there is only one Intercessor.” Remember that the Lord commanded: do not call anyone father... One Father. And don’t call anyone a teacher,... only Teacher. Meanwhile, in Scripture certain relationships between us and our physical and spiritual fathers and teachers are presented as obligatory. How to make peace? So: there are aspects of this matter such that no one can be called a father and teacher. And there are those in which one can have and honor many fathers and teachers... Inexact fatherland and teaching are one - in God, but there can be many side ones. These are the conductors and disseminators of God's fatherland and teaching. The same applies to petitions. There is one intercession, and without it no other intercession is strong... The intercession of the Lord Savior. And there can be many side intercessors, conductors of that intercession,... multipliers... Here is the Mother of God, the Intercessor, acting by virtue of the intercession of Her Son... Moreover, the Lord the Savior is the Intercessor to God the Father. And if the Savior Himself was angered, who will intercede with Him? But we anger him, because we trample His Blood with our sins. This is where the Mother of God is... and we say to Her: more motherly than Thy boldness are those who use prayers... But the main thing is this. In the matter of our salvation, please distinguish two sides: the arrangement of salvation by the Lord the Savior, or the economy of salvation, and then the application of this to the salvation of everyone, or the accomplishment of salvation by everyone. In the first, everything is from the Lord the Savior, but in the second, our participation is there, and it is so important that it is a condition for salvation. Here, in addition to our personal action, the assistance of others is also appropriate, and not only appropriate, but also inevitable, for we, as Christians, are one body... we are in a necessary connection and interaction. This is where teachers, helpers, intercessors, help and intercession are effective for us. And yet this should in no way be considered as anything that diminishes the power of the first Divine teaching, assistance and intercession. But, on the contrary, to have this as a channel and conductor to us of his first. Hence - “all hope in Thee...” is expressed in this secondary dependent relation - all hope is after God... Also “through the prayers of the Mother of God and the saints...” If God deigned that we would call upon the saints in prayer, so that they would pray for us, then he thereby declared that he would hear their prayers for us. Therefore, there is nothing contrary to Him in the words “through the prayers of the saints...”, this means. You have deigned that we ask the saints to pray for us. Here we pray, save us through their prayers. You agreed that praying to the saints is understandable. But prayer without hope, what kind of prayer is it? Please extend your consent to this as well. And decide that relying on them, to some extent, is understandable. Regarding the Mother of God, please confirm this thought. The arrangement of salvation through the incarnation is the work of the One God. The creatures had no place here. But the Mother of God was given a part in this too, for from Her human nature was taken by the God-Man. This participation is essential, internal. Therefore She is the highest of all... and Her power before the Lord is exceptional, special. Her Sonship of the God-Man and Her Motherhood to Him remain to this day... What will such a Son not do for such a Mother!? And what would such a Mother not ask from such a Son? Therefore, it is reasonable for us to say: “All hope is in You... be the Intercessor!” (Issue 6, pas. 942, pp. 3–5) How and with what should they be limited? You allow some small-scale actions, for which your conscience later denounces you. No matter how hard you try, you have to prevent this from happening. Peace of conscience is the first condition for a peaceful relationship with God, and these latter constitute the conditions for spiritual success in the inner life. To conquer your desires, knowing that it is better to refuse them than to obey them, is a sacrifice pleasing to God, for which He will reward with inner consolation. And to lower these cases to victory over oneself means to place pleasing God below self-pleasing. When the enemy tells you ahead: “Make such and such an order,” do not listen to him, but having driven him away with hostility towards him and his lessons, continue your prayer without interruption. When a thought says: “Pray again,” why not do this if the fatigue is not insurmountable? Saint Simeon the New Theologian writes how an elder gave a rule to a certain George, a young man, and added: “Look, if your thought tells you: repeat what is prescribed for the rule, do not refuse it, but do it,” so he did so... and received extraordinary enlightenment. The thought says: pray until midnight, and pray; if fatigue is great, rest a little and do what is suggested. If the fatigue is such that, without rest, business cannot be carried out as it should be, then by reasoning you need to determine your rest, and not by desire alone. It’s not good to let feeling and desire go ahead... but it is necessary for reasoning to go ahead. At confession, you should not limit yourself to what the confessor asks, but after answering his questions, express your own comments on matters of conscience. (Issue 3, letter 534, pp. 231–232) How to arrange it in yourself Help you. Lord, instead of a church made with hands, build a spiritual church in yourself and from yourself, a holy sanctuary, so that in it you can offer sacrifices to God, living from the heart, acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). For this purpose there will then be no need (and sorrow due to illness) to go... (to the church), for everything will be accomplished without external movements... (Lie down and pray with all your soul)... We all, according to our purpose, should be churches, as the holy Apostle Paul teaches: “Do you not know that you are the church of God,” and not only does this affirm, but also that the Spirit of God lives in you (1 Cor. 3:16). The laity, fussing about, forget this or drown it out in themselves, but monks and nuns enter into a special kind of life in order to reveal such an apostolic definition about us. You personally are called to this in a special way (by a painful state in which spiritual prayer must especially develop). Close your eyes... and your mind will have nothing to see except God, the Omnipresent and All-Seeing... So you will become a church where God dwells... The walls of this church of yours are patience; the throne is a heart grateful to God; songs - all religious feelings towards God: faith, hope, devotion to the holy will His and every prayer; The regent of this choir is a prudent spirit who composes songs and performs them in unceasing contemplation of God. (Issue 2, issue 368, pp. 238–239) Regarding blasphemous thoughts, one must regret and repent before the Lord, but not lose heart and not think that this is harmful. Because you don’t want such thoughts and turn away from them, God is not angry with you. The thoughts are not from you, but the enemy does. And the blame is on him. Read Saint Demetrius of Rostov’s article about this in the first volume of his works. Pray to God to drive the enemy away. Tell your confessor often. And the enemy will run away. He pesters you with such pestering when he sees that your soul is timid. And when he sees that the soul is courageous and understands his machinations, he immediately lags behind. (Issue 1, pas. 49, p. 46) Church prayer or prayer in church In church, pray well and don’t notice how the service is going on. Be good! If you can, go to church as often as possible. She is the true House of God, even though she is made of bricks and mortar. The heart feels that it is in the Father’s House, and it is sweet to it... To cultivate prayer, it is best to go to church. At home laziness overcomes, but there is no place for laziness, for what else can one do but pray. (Issue 2, pas. 256, pp. 92–93) Its usefulness for revealing smart-heart prayer All church services must be maintained. And I’ll tell you that there is no better way to discover mental-heart prayer than to be in church, at church services. In church services the spirit is prayerful. Anyone who sits through the service with attention to everything read and sung cannot help but warm up in a prayerful mood. If this is the case today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, etc., then finally the prayer fire will light up in the heart. But when God gives it, then you will run to church, as if to a royal feast, and nothing will stop you, just try to listen to church singing and readings, and without attention nothing will happen. Bowing must be done urgently during the Jesus Prayer, and the more, the better. Take bows more often and do them as much as you want with the Jesus Prayer. Put more of them in the morning and evening. (Issue 2, pas. 241, p. 58) Purgatory is an article of Catholic faith. This is the place where unrefined sinners are purified. Purification is accomplished through torment corresponding to sins. Everyone who has any sinful impurity enters it. In the Orthodox Church there is no such teaching, but there is a belief according to which those who died with Repentance and Communion, but did not have time to undergo corrective labors or penances, do this with the Church’s prayers for them and alms for them and, of course, with their own prayers there. They live in hope and do not suffer; they are not in torment. It's similar to purgatory, but not the same. (Issue 3, letter 479, p. 130) Regarding reading. Reading for knowledge is one thing, but reading for edification is another. With the first, you read a lot, but with the second, you don’t need to read a lot, but as soon as something from what you read falls on your heart, stop and think, trying to both clarify and further deepen this thought into your heart. This is the same as turning this into an object of thought about God. This way you will feed the soul and grow it, and not fill it up like a sack. (Issue 1, letter 187, p. 220) Sense of Righteousness and Sense of Sinfulness The first is dangerous, the second is beneficial Most of all, we need to be wary of deviations into righteousness. As soon as you start to dodge into it, know that you have started to walk crookedly. Then grab yourself by the feet and mercilessly drag yourself back into sin. Of course, a sense of righteousness and a sense of sinfulness. The Lord only accepts those who come with a sense of sinfulness. From the one who comes to Him in a sense of righteousness, He turns away. He came to save sinners, not the righteous. God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. The most evil thing is satiety. He's full, he's collapsed, and he's puffing. Spiritually it happens. Never contradict the movements of prayer and do not prefer anything to it; on the contrary, always be ready to sacrifice everything to her. For she is a queen. And its fulcrum is a broken spirit. Someone had the custom of asking: when you go to prayer, are you going to receive a pension or to ask for alms? A very clear question. (Issue 2, pas. 261, pp. 102–103) 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 or in the people who come running, but in God’s mercy... As the Lord of everything, God can turn every thing into an instrument of His mercy. (Issue 5, letter 935, p. 224) It's a great thing to curb it You complain, feeling that you are weakened in spirit, that you lack sufficient sobriety, self-control and self-control. You are too demanding. You have just escaped from the whirlpool of P. and you want your soul to have such powerful tools for living according to God. Little by little everything will be restored. Have you noticed?.. Now begin to little by little restore what has fallen. Language?! There is no more evil thing under heaven. It would be desirable to arrange it in such a way that for every impermissibility on his part, something would prick him... (even a pin). Then he would have been more subdued, otherwise he was like a machine that sings songs... when they started it up and let it go, and... it started to chatter. The late Metropolitan Isidore had a gift - now he acquired such a skill that his tongue was always on a leash... (Issue 2, pas. 308, p. 169) </p