Духовное руководство

...The Holy Apostle Paul says: Try to have peace with everyone and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). And again: It has become known to me about you, my brothers, that there are disputes between you. I mean what you say: “I am Pavlov”; “I am Apollosov”; “I am Kifin”; “And I am Christ’s.” Was Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Cor. 1:11-13). With these words, the Apostle Paul reproaches both those who reject a spiritual relationship with mentors and directly want to relate to Christ, and those who, in a spiritual relationship, are divided into parties, thereby violating the mutual peace and unanimity, and unanimity commanded by the Lord Himself and the apostles, who, eliminating the mutual grumbling of both those who share and those who do not share and preventing the general spiritual harm resulting from this, exhort everyone to mutual love (2, part 2, p. 14). If your mentors themselves are weak and faulty and treat their spiritual children poorly, then try to be firm, have the fear of God and keep your conscience in all your deeds and actions, and most of all, humble yourself (2, part 2, p. 23). Without support, i.e. You cannot live in a monastery without the spiritual guidance of an elder. You told others about me. Whatever I tell you, don’t tell others. And if you do things your own way, then don’t come to me (1, part 2, p. 2). [...Upset by the disobedience of some of the sisters of the monastery, the elder said with sorrow: “God has taken away my hearing and voice, so as not to hear how you ask for blessings to live according to your will, and so as not to speak, because you do not obey” (1, part 2, p. 125).] Presenting the face of a spiritual father in church and during cell prayer is not only untimely, but also illegal and harmful. This is simply a plausible temptation from the enemy, which must be avoided in every possible way. The first and main commandment of the Gospel: love the Lord God with all your heart and soul and mind (see Luke 10:27). This commandment must be adhered to in every possible way. Regarding spiritual fathers, the commandment is different, since they watch over our souls, we must obey them, and not represent them during prayer. This is not only unnecessary, but also harmful, especially for those who have not yet freed themselves from the earthly feelings of the old man (2, part 2, pp. 86–87). It’s better, instead of going to our home, to take care of those mental infirmities that you wrote to me about, praying with faith and humility to the Doctor of souls and bodies, may he heal our internal and invisible infirmities. He alone is Omnipotent to heal our secret passions. Because the hater of kindness has placed secret networks in the path of spiritual relationship in order to cause spiritual harm instead of benefit. But may the Omniscient and Omnipotent Lord abolish all this with His wave. However, we ourselves, understanding the machinations of the enemy, let us reject what is harmful and harmful to the soul, and let us contain what is useful. You can remember your spiritual father, but not in church or during a prayer rule, when the whole mind should be turned to the One God. And at other times, remembrance should be cleansed of unhealthy impurities by turning to God, and calling on His all-powerful help and mercy and deliverance from harmful impurities (2, part 2, p. 87). Although O... rightly says about your spiritual father that he is a man of many sins, you should not listen to this in silence. Theodore of Edessa writes: “Everyone who blasphemes your spiritual father is to be blamed,” i.e. Stop everyone’s mouth like that; let him interpret this wherever he wants and with whomever he wants, but don’t allow it to be interpreted in front of you, repeating: “Explain about this wherever you want, but it’s indecent to tell you this in front of me, and it won’t cost you yourself without mental harm and responsibility” (2, part 3, pp. 46–47). You write: “Forgive me that I don’t write anything joyful to you: all sins and infirmities; I will never console you for any correction.” Write about your weaknesses, this will comfort me most of all. Any high corrections are not your measure; repentance is the highest and most necessary for every person and more comforting for others than stories about one’s own imaginary virtues (2, part 3, p. 94). [Question: “How I would like to live closer to you!”] No, it’s better further away, otherwise you will begin to judge the old man, who is not doing as he seems to you (1, part 2, p. 15). [Question: “I would be happy with everything, but you, father, are far from me.”] My neighbors have become farther from me (see Ps. 37:12). Close and slimy, far and deep (1, part 2, p. 60). If you cannot have a complete spiritual relationship, then adhere to the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments of Christ, and this will be enough for you. Also adhere to the advice of Barsanuphius the Great: “If you leave your will behind, you will find peace in every place.” Finally, adhere to the ancient church word: “Let him who is being saved save his soul.” Pay attention to yourself, and it will be done for you. And others - as they want. Matters that do not depend on you, leave everyone to their own will and submit all this to the judgment of God (2, part 2, p. 185). Although the enemy, apparently, is telling you the truth that I have not experienced anything, and I explain things only according to what I read in spiritual books, you need to reject this imaginary demonic truth, firstly, because the Lord Himself commands us to test the scriptures, saying in the Gospel: Search the Scriptures, for through them you think to have eternal life (John 5:39). And the Monk Nil of Sorsky advises not to do anything for which we do not find evidence in the Holy Scriptures, nor in the writings of the patristic people, even if it seemed very useful to us. Secondly, demonic verisimilitude must be rejected because apparently demonic 37 truth is more harmful than the lie itself, just as the best drink, dissolved with poison, is more harmful than spoiled water. The demon, no matter how plausible he suggests, suggests it with cunning in order to confuse and confuse a Christian person, and the demonic plausible suggestion is always dissolved by the poison of malice and envy. For this reason, the Apostle Paul rejected the apparently just words of the inquisitive spirit, as indicated in Acts. Thirdly, one must reject demonic suggestions regarding one’s spiritual attitude because nothing can quench enemy thoughts more than by confessing them to one’s spiritual father. And that the worst sometimes correct the best themselves, we see an example of this in the “Prologue,” how an ordinary deacon corrected the mistakes out of ignorance of such a holy presbyter, who apparently had an Angel of God’s purity in his service for his sake. To tell the truth, I should not have taught my better self for the sake of my spiritual lewdness, but I feel sorry for you when I see that the enemy is very annoying you with his evil machinations, and with this pity I am overcome and convinced to explain to you such things that are above me (2, part 3, p. 17). ...To the girl you are asking about, you can best read your father’s books, and interpret less. First you can give her Abba Dorotheus, and then Mark the Ascetic. You can accept it on condition, just don’t say it: if he listens to you. But say this: if she wants to accept the teachings of the fathers, then she can come, but if she does not want to accept the teachings of the holy fathers and if she continues to argue, then she should not come, because such empty disputes waste your time, upset you, and are useless to her... (2, part 3, pp. 27-28). ...More about the girl coming to you. When dealing with her, adhere to the experienced patristic advice: do not give a hand to a drowning man, but only give him a staff; if you are able to pull him out of the depths, then good, but if your strength is not enough, then leave your staff in his hands, and save yourself from drowning. Understand the verb. If you get upset from talking to her, then move away as much as possible, refraining from controversial conversation in every possible way. Anyone who does not want to listen to the words of Holy Scripture cannot be convinced by argument, but will only harm and upset himself. The Apostle says: If anyone wants to argue, then we do not have such a custom, nor do the churches of God (see 1 Cor. 11:16) (2, part 3, p. 28). ...What should I advise you when you and besides me have many advisors? You ask about little things, but you hide important matters and decide for yourself, so all I can do is speculate (2, part 3, p. 99). Closest of all, vainglorious jealousy nestles in her, so that you deal with her more than with others. This kind of stupidity occurs most often. And you try to despise such things; Accept the service you need, but don’t pay attention to anything else (2, part 3, p. 84). You ask whether you should live with an old nun, so that you can ask her what to do, and read the rule with her, and you think that then you will calm down. But this is a misconception. Human ways are different, and if we look at others, how they live, and imitate them, then what will come out of this is confusion, leading to condemnation, and everyone must ask his spiritual father about himself, to whom he belongs, and act in accordance with this. The nun with whom you would live does not know me, and you treated and treat my badness - what would come of your life together 38? She would confuse you, and you would annoy her. We need to be with others not in order to consult with everyone and imitate them, but in order to, in dealing with them, recognize our spiritual weaknesses and humble ourselves before our neighbors. And you can do this without living with the old woman: even without this, you can learn about your weaknesses from different cases and from different people and learn meekness, humility, and patience (2, part 3, p. 101). I received your letters and, having read the last one, I was quite surprised by you. You yourself resolutely do not want to accept G.’s offer; You write that no one’s health in her house can stand, that your presence there will lead to nothing, that you have neither the strength nor the patience to live with her, and meanwhile she answered that you cannot agree to her proposal without asking my advice or blessing. I can’t go to G. to bless you, because you yourself don’t want this, and to say that I don’t bless you means taking on her displeasure for refusing, whereas this is your own will. Therefore, you referred to my blessing only as an excuse. Is there a spiritual attitude for this? If you do this, then all that will come out of it is confusion and criticism of your spiritual attitude. Here's a warning to you in advance: don't do that. If you don’t want to go where to go, then find your own excuses, without referring to outside blessings, which are asked when a person does not dare to do something or is perplexed about something and asks for advice on what to do (2, part. 1, p. 181–182). You cannot avoid your (spiritual) mother at all, since you are connected to her by tonsure. Go to her with humility, no matter how much she receives you, at least for a while, but you can explain at the right opportunity that everyone grumbled together (without listing who), and you were the only one to blame, because you didn’t want to expose others. If the old lady asked who, then answer with humility that now it is too late and will not lead to anything good, but only to greater confusion and to greater unworldliness 39 , let me be the only one to blame, and others - as they know. Go and ask. He will say: “As you know,” and do as you know. But still ask. Maybe sometimes they will say it directly. Know that humility overcomes everything and can blot out and equalize everything, as the spirit-bearing fathers unanimously testify to this. Try to have the fear of God and act according to your conscience. Then the Lord is able to make known the hearts of those who rebel. Although we may be right before people in something, but when we are wrong before God, we must endure without self-justification all suffering, all inconvenience and all oppression, not blaming any people for this, but accepting all sorrows as sent from the hand of God for the cleansing of our sins, for our correction and, most of all, for the humility of our exalted wisdom. Therefore, I repeat to you that you go to your mother with humility, at least from time to time, with humility tell her what is needed, with humility accept what is said to you from her, no matter how it is said. Humility and fear of God overcome all inconveniences, even if they are greater than those that you expressed (2, part 2, p. 120). You doubt accepting one sister who already has a spiritual mother. It is true that this is not entirely convenient. But you can’t refuse completely, you just need to act more skillfully; explain in detail, send again so that she relates to her mother and submits to her in what is not an obvious sin and a clear violation of the commandment of God. And if any sorrow arises, then you must endure both for the commandment of God and for the love of your neighbor. You just need to tell this sister to come to you less often, and not to go for small things and unnecessarily (2, part 3, p. 105). It was in vain that you took my remarks to heart; I simply wrote what I thought needed to be said. There was not an iota of displeasure here. You were wrongly advised to write to your mentor under the influence of the feelings of the actor; It’s a different matter with other people, but the mentor should describe the actions discussed, especially his mistakes, or actions of anger, or in general the movements of the old man and insults to pride. Know that characters matter only in human judgment and therefore are either praised or blamed; but at the judgment of God, characters, as natural properties, are neither approved nor condemned. The Lord looks at good intentions and compulsion to do good and values ​​resistance to passions, even if a person is sometimes overcome by weakness. And, again, the negligence of this is judged by the One who knows the secret of the heart, and the conscience of a person, and his natural power for good, and the circumstances surrounding him (16, pp. 222–223). When you write to me about any of your spiritual weaknesses, then later it seems to you that this produces disgust in me! On the contrary, I always appease those people who sincerely confess their mistakes and openly reveal their weaknesses and shortcomings. Do not strongly reproach yourself for your coldness, especially do not be embarrassed by this, firstly, you are a human being and, naturally, are subject to change in your mental structure, and secondly, this is also providentially allowed, so that you do not condemn others for coldness and indifference in such cases (16, p. 223). You might be interested in: