Гимн 26. О том, что лучше быть хорошим пасомым, чем быть пастырем над не желающими; ибо не будет никакой пользы тому, кто, стараясь других спасти, сам себя погубит чрез предстоятельство над ними 239 .

Say, O Christ, to Thy servant, say, Light of the world, say, knowledge of the whole (universe), say, to the Word - Wisdom, foreknowing everything, foreknowing everything and teaching us useful things without envy. Tell and teach me, O Savior, the saving ways of Your will and Divine (Your) commands. Tell me and do not despise me, and do not hide, O my God, from Your unworthy servant Your Divine will. Tell me. Lover of mankind - to the Savior, which is better before You, which of the two is pleasing to You: should I take care of monastic affairs and disinterestedly take care of bodily needs, exacting for everything with enmity and quarrel, or always remain in one silence and keep an unperturbed mind and heart, perceiving the insights of Your grace, and always be illuminated in spiritual feelings and, mysteriously resounding with Divine verbs, meekly teach others and also learn yourself. For whoever teaches (others) teaches himself (also) the same, and the first, of course, must do it. So, of these two (positions), tell me, O my God and Creator, which is better and more useful for me and which is pleasing and perfect before You? O do not hide (this) from me, O all-merciful Word! Listen to what you are asking and write down what you hear. I am God from the beginning, I am the Lord by nature, the King of heaven and hell, and everyone (even) those who do not want to are My slaves. For I am the Creator of all, the Judge and the Lord, and now I am and will be forever and ever. But I never force anyone who does not want to, but I want the service of those who obey (Me) to be free and spontaneous, performed with fear and love. For I desire that such are My servants, such are my hired servants, and such are My friends. I have not known the rest, nor am I known by them. Therefore, they call Me cruel, merciless and unjust, and the sons of unrighteousness speak about Me. So, those who insult Me, slander Me, revile Me, how will they submit to you, or how, tell me, will they accept you (as a) teacher? how will wolves consider you a shepherd, or how, being (wild) beasts, will they follow your voice? Go away, run and get away from the environment of such people. For it is enough for you if you save yourself. After all, if you saved the world and destroyed yourself, then what benefit would you have from the world you saved? I don't want you to be a shepherd over anyone who doesn't want to. Look, this is what I have kept in the world. For for those who wish, I am the Shepherd and the Master, for others I am the Creator, of course, and God by nature, but in no way the King and not the Leader (and Leader) of those who have not taken up (their) cross and will not follow Me, for they are children, slaves and vessels of the devil. See the terrible mystery, see the insensibility, and mourn them, if you can, (at least) hourly. For, called from darkness to the unevening light, from death to life, from hell to heaven, from the temporary and corruptible to eternal glory, they are angry and raging against their teachers, plotting all sorts of intrigues against them and preferring to die rather than leave darkness and the works of darkness and follow Me. Tell me, how will you be their shepherd? How will you act as abbess over them? Well, tell Me, how will you lead those who voluntarily run over into the fire, joining the enemy and diligently doing with him the opposite of My commands? How will you feed them like sheep? How, tell Me, will you lead them into the pastures of My commandments and to the water of My desires? (how) will you lead them to the mental mountains of mysterious contemplations of My ineffable glory, for the sake of which those who see it despise earthly glory, and forgetting everything sensory, consider it all as if it were shadow and smoke? Tell me, how will you acquire a rival as your defender? How can you convince an enemy who is hostile to you to be your friend? For rather, friends easily become enemies, finding an insignificant reason; but enemies cannot easily become friends, even if they have been favored and received honorable and great gifts. Having hidden poison in their hearts, they, finding a convenient time, suddenly vomit it, and do not tremble to mercilessly and mercilessly kill their benefactors. O extreme madness! Such are imitators of Cain, they are worse than Lamech, they are equal to Saul, imitators of the Jews, competitors of Judah and heirs of (his) strangulation. If you are looking for abbess over such people, then watch where you descend; for they will not turn wherever you wish, but they will force you to go your own way and fall into destruction before them, descending even lower (them) to the bottom of hell, since you have them, of course, following you (behind you). If you do not want to completely become like them, not wanting to join their plans and join in their evil deeds, then you will have indignation, abuse and irreconcilable war. What will happen from here, or what will happen to you and what will you gain? - Listen, and I will tell you briefly. First of all, you absolutely cannot (then) be My servant, for I in no way want My servant to be boiled. With unbridled hatred for you, they will openly and secretly strive to kill you, and when they are (called) to trial, you will give an account. For your death will bring no benefit to others, just as My death was the life of the world. But for them too you will become the cause of condemnation and you yourself will depart from this life without boldness. So, it is better to be a flock, and not at all a shepherd over them; but it is best to take care of our own and pray for them and for all people, so that everyone will turn and come to the knowledge [of the truth], and teach and instruct those who wish to be (the principles of piety) 240. Do not force them to do what you teach, but proclaim My words to them and exhort them to keep them, since they bring eternal life. These very words will appear (to them) when I come to judge, and each of them will be judged according to his merits. And you will not be responsible, and you will remain completely uncondemned, since you did not hide the silver of My words, but you paid as much as you yourself received to everyone. This is pleasing to Me, this, according to My commandment, was the work of My Apostles and My disciples: to preach Me as God throughout the entire universe, to teach My will and My commandments, and to leave it written down for the human race. Do and teach this way and strive. To those who do not want to listen to My words at all, speak as I answered those who once said: “This word is cruel, and who can hear it” (John 6:60). I precisely said: if you don’t want to, go and do whatever you want, leaving everything to their power and will - to choose death or life. For no one has ever become good involuntarily, no one who is unfaithful will ever be faithful, no one who loves peace will ever be a lover of God, no one who is bad without will will change his thoughts and become completely good. For no one has become evil by nature, but by will and intention (everyone) can become, if he wishes, both evil and good; if he doesn’t want to, then he won’t do it in any way. No one in the world, although, has committed virtue; no one, though, is saved. Don't ask about this again. Try to save yourself and those who listen to you, if only you find a person on earth who has ears to hear and obeys your words. So I will do, Master, as You commanded me. But grant to me, Thy unworthy servant, Thy help (and Thy grace), 241, O Lord and my God, so that I may always glorify Thee and glorify Thy power with unceasing voices forever and ever. Amen. In l. paragraph 30 chapter; in P. same r. This hymn is known only by the table of contents, as the 43rd word. ...καὶ κατηχεῖν, in l. n. ac pietatis rudimentis imbuere. tuam gratiam; in the published Greek. this is not in the text. You might be interested in: