Глава 23. О том, что подвижнику и низкие работы должно брать на себя с великим усердием

The ascetic must also undertake lowly tasks with great diligence and diligence, knowing that everything done for the sake of God is not unimportant, but great, spiritual, worthy of heaven and attracts us there rewards. Therefore, at least it was necessary to go after the beasts of burden, which carry burdens for common needs, we should not resist, imagining in our minds with what zeal the Apostles obeyed the Lord, who commanded to bring the lot, and reasoning that those for whom we took upon ourselves the care of the beasts of burden are the brothers of the Savior and that the favor towards them and care for them is transferred to the Lord Himself, who said: “before You have created one and the least of these brothers of mine, you have created one for me” (Matthew 25:40). If He appropriates to Himself what is done for these lesser ones, then all the more will He appropriate to Himself what is done more for the elect, unless the worker does not recognize his service as a reason for carelessness, but protects himself with all sobriety, so that both himself and those who are with him benefit from this. If he must perform some lowly work, then he needs to know that the Savior also served the disciples and did not hesitate to perform unimportant tasks; but for a person it is a great thing to be an imitator of God and through these low works to be raised to the height of that imitation. And who would call low what God touched through His activity? You might be interested in: