Гимн 11. О том, что для всякого человека, досаждаемого и злостраждущего ради заповеди Божией, (само) это бесчестие за заповедь Божию является славою и честью; и диалог (разговор) ко своей душе, научающий неисчерпаемому богатству Духа 166 .

Give me, Christ, the feeling that You once gave me. Cover me with him, the Savior, and hide all of me within him, not allowing worldly feelings to come close to me, nor to enter into me, nor to offend all of me, Your humble servant, whom You alone had mercy on. For worldly feeling, suddenly creeping into laudable care (τῇ μερίμνῃ), immediately produces evil desires in my pitiful soul. For it shows me glory, reminds me of wealth, encourages me to approach kings, saying that this is great happiness. So, from these thoughts, just as the wind inflates the fur, and the fire flares up into a flame, so that soul, arrogant, becomes pompous and is greatly dissipated by the desire for fame, wealth and relaxing peace - things that drag down. (Then) she, together with those who enjoy fame, strives to be in glory, with the famous - to appear famous and with the rich to own wealth. And the one whom You glorified with Your ineffable light, whom You Yourself clothed with Your ineffable glory and showed (in the image) of Your Divine Lordship, 167 worldly feeling, captivating her mind and showing her kings, reminding her of the glory and offering the riches of this world, prompts her in one imagination to passionately desire all this. O darkness and blindness! O vain thoughts, dirty intentions and insensitive will! for, having abandoned the contemplation of the ineffable and imperishable, I think and think about earthly things. Do not kings die and glory pass away? Isn't wealth scattered like dust in the wind? don't bodies rot in graves? and will not others (lords) own earthly property, and after them others, and after those others? And to whom, tell me, my soul, did this wealth belong before? or who in (this) world could acquire even a small thing, which after death, just as during life, he would take with him? Of course, you absolutely cannot point out anyone to me except the merciful ones, who, having acquired nothing, gave everything away to the poor. For they are the reliable owners of the distributed (properties), since they gave them into the hands of the Lord. All others who put aside (and accumulate) wealth are beggars and even worse than all beggars, for naked, like discarded carrion, they (throw themselves) into their graves, being both in this life unhappy and in the future - wanderers (and strangers) 168 . So, what good is it that you, my soul, see in these things? or which of them do you consider worthy of making it the object of your desires? - Of course, you can’t say anything (to this), you can’t answer anything. Woe to those who multiply wealth and store up treasures. Woe to those who want to receive glory from people. Woe to those who associate themselves with the rich, but do not desire the glory of God and His riches, and (do not seek) to be with Him alone. For the world is vanity, and everything that is in the world is vanity of vanities, for everything will pass away; God alone will always remain eternal and incorruptible, and with Him will be those who have now sought Him and loved Him alone instead of everything. Woe then will be those who love this world now, because they will be condemned forever. Woe, soul, to those who thirst for human glory, because they will then be deprived of the glory of God. Woe, soul, to those who have collected riches, because they will desire there to receive a drop (of water). Woe, soul, to those who place their hopes on a person, because along with his death their hopes also crumble, and they will turn out to be hopeless. Woe, soul, to those who have peace here, because there they will suffer eternal torment. Tell me, my soul, what are you sad about? What of the things of this life do you desire? Tell me and I will show you the necessity and benefit of each of them 169. And you understand and know what good is in every thing. Tell me: do you want to enjoy fame and praise? - so listen to what honor is and what dishonor is. Honor consists in honoring everyone, God first of all, and acquiring His commandments for oneself as wealth, enduring insults, slander and reproach of all kinds for their sake. For when you, soul, undertake some work for the sake of the honor and glory of God, and for it they inflict insults and humiliation on you, then you have achieved lasting honor and glory, because [here], of course, the glory of God will come to you; then all the Angels will praise you, since you have honored God, Whom they also glorify. Do you want, my soul, to own clothes and wealth? - Listen, I will show you eternal wealth now. Repent with tears, despise everything, be poor in spirit and heart, be uncovetous in money and a wanderer in the world, be an opponent of your nasty desires and, (resting) in the will of your only Master, zealously follow His footsteps. And then He, slowing down in the procession, will allow you to catch Him pathetically. But when you see Him, cry out and shout loudly. And He, turning around, will look at you with a merciful eye, and let you look at Him a little, and, hiding from your eyes, will leave you again. Then you, poor thing, will weep bitterly and weep, then you will begin to ask (for yourself) for death, not enduring sorrow and not enduring separation from the sweet Lord. He, seeing you in extreme need and very constant in crying and lamentation, will again suddenly appear and illuminate you, again show you inexhaustible wealth - the unfading glory of the Father's face, and, filling you with joy, will rejoice you, as before, and thus leave you full of joy. The same joy that comes from worldly words and thoughts will little by little leave you and sadness will come to you. And so again, as before, you will weep bitterly, and weep, and you will seek Him - the Author of joy, the Giver of joy, Who is lasting and truly ever-present wealth. When He tests your will in this way, look, soul, do not weaken, do not turn back, do not say: how long will He be elusive to me? don’t say: why, having appeared, does He immediately hide again? and how long will He give me (only) labor instead of mercy? Don't say: how can I be so tense until I die? and do not be lazy, O soul, to seek the Lord! but, as one who once gave herself up to death (and dedicated herself to God) 170, do not taste indulgence (and peace) 171, do not seek either glory, or bodily consolation, or the favor of relatives. Do not look at all to the right or to the left; as you began, it’s better to flow even more diligently, always trying to catch the Lord, to take hold of Him. And even if He disappeared thousands of times and appeared to you just as many times, becoming elusive, (only) in this way will He be retained by you. Tens of thousands of times, better yet, while you are still breathing, seek Him even more diligently and run to Him. For He will not leave you nor forget you; but appearing to you little by little more and more and more often, staying with you, the soul, the Lord, when you are finally purified by the radiance of light, He Himself, having come, will dwell in you entirely, and He who created the world will abide with you; and you will possess true wealth, which the world does not have, but (only) the sky and those who are inscribed there. If this is possible for you to achieve, then - tell me - what more do you desire? Tell me, ungrateful, unreasonable soul, tell me, my humble soul, what is more than this in heaven or on earth that you should seek? The Creator of heaven and the Lord of the earth and everything that is in heaven and that is in the world, He, being the one Creator, Judge and King, Himself dwells in you, revealing himself entirely to you, illuminating you entirely with light, and showing (you) the beauty of (His) face, and giving you (the opportunity) to see Him more clearly, and making you a partaker of His own glory - tell me, what is more excellent than this? - Nothing, of course, you will answer me. I will say again: Having received such glory, why do you, O soul, still strive for earth? Why are you deluded by these things? Having received the imperishable, why do you cling to the perishable? Having found the future, why do you cling to the present? Try, soul, to constantly possess them, cling entirely to them, my soul, so that even after death you will be in those eternal blessings that you acquired from here, and with them you will appear to the Creator and Master, rejoicing with Him forever and ever. Amen. In l. This is chapter 35. In P. same r. According to the table of contents, this hymn should be 48, but it is also lost. ...παρέδειξας λαμπρότητά σου θείαν; in l. p.: quam tu exemplum claritatis et fulgoris tui exhibuisti. ξένοι; l. p.: hospites ac peregrini. ἑνὸς έκάστου χρείαν, in l. p.: necessitatem et usum. et consecraris is an insertion from l. p. ἄνεσιν; in l. p.: quietem et remissionem. You might be interested in: