The path to eternal life

Contents About patience About prayer About love About faith and hope The commandments of God Angels About the passions The fear of God About the virtues About fasting About repentance The torment of Gehenna About humility About sorrows About temptations About God and man About tears About gratitude About the resurrection Isaac the Syrian (Bishop of Nineveh) was a great ascetic who lived in Syria in the 7th century. He left many works in which he talks about the art of spiritual life, about the dangers that await a Christian on the path to perfection, about ways to overcome them, about the joy of getting rid of passions. There is very little information about the life of St. Isaac the Syrian. It is known that he labored in a monastery near Nineveh. Isaac's learning was noticed, and he was offered leadership of the monastery. But the monk, striving for silence, left the monastery and went into seclusion. However, when the fame of the holy life of the Monk Isaac spread everywhere, he was made bishop of the city of Nineveh, but not for long, since he needed the silence of the hermit’s life. Life in the city burdened the holy man, and he, leaving the bishopric, retired into the desert. Here he lived in a monastery until his death, achieving high spiritual perfection. It is also known that at the end of his life the monk lost his sight, and his disciples wrote down his instructions for him. The memory takes place on January 28/February 10. Patience is the mother of consolation and a certain strength, usually generated by the breadth of the heart. It is difficult for a person to find this strength in his sorrows without the Divine gift acquired by the persistence of prayer. The Lord tolerates all sorts of human infirmities, but does not tolerate a person who always grumbles, and does not leave him without admonition. Endure your thirst for Christ’s sake, may He intoxicate you with His love. If patience increases in our souls, this is a sign that we have secretly received the grace of consolation. Every care of a good mind about God, every reflection on the spiritual becomes prayer, and is called the name of prayer, and under this name it is brought together, whether you mean various readings, or praising God, or caring sorrow for the Lord, or bodily prostrations, or psalmody in poetry, or everything else, from which the entire teaching of pure prayer is made up, from which the love of God is born; because love comes from prayer. Being vindictive and praying is the same as sowing in the sea and waiting for the harvest. Just as it is impossible to put a barrier to the lordship of fire so that it does not ascend upward, so nothing prevents the prayers of the merciful from ascending to heaven. Undistracted prayer produces in the soul a clear thought about God. The work of the heart (heartfelt prayer) serves as a bond for the outer members. Do not be senseless in your petitions, so as not to offend God through your foolishness. Be wise in your prayers so that you may receive glory. Ask what is right for you from the Giver without envy, so that you may receive honor from Him for your wise desire. Bring your petitions to God in accordance with His glory, so that your dignity will be magnified before Him and He will rejoice over you. If someone asks the king for a little manure, he will not only dishonor himself by the unimportance of his request, as having shown great foolishness, but he will also insult the king with his request. If your deeds are displeasing to God, do not seek glorification from Him, lest you become like a man who tempts God. Your prayer should also be consistent with your life. Pray not to fall into spiritual temptations, but prepare for bodily temptations with all your strength. For without them you will not be able to approach God, because through them Divine peace is prepared. He who runs from temptations runs from virtue. I mean temptation not by lusts, but by sorrows. Prayerful pleasure is another thing, and prayerful contemplation is another. The latter is superior to the former to the same extent that a perfect man is superior to an imperfect youth. Prayer is another thing, and contemplation in prayer is another, although prayer and contemplation have their beginning in each other. Prayer is sowing, and contemplation is the gathering of sheaves. Every prayer performed is a prayer that contains either petition, or repentance, or thanksgiving, or praise. Prayer is supplication and care for something and a desire for something, for example: deliverance from present or future temptations or the desire for the inheritance of the holy fathers; Prayer is how a person obtains help from God. The purity and impurity of prayer depend on the following: if at the very time the mind is preparing for it, some extraneous thought or worry about something is mixed in with it, then the prayer is not called pure. Because he did not bring his mind from clean animals to the altar of the Lord, that is, to the heart - this spiritual altar of God. Kneeling prayer is lower than spiritual prayer. All spiritual prayer is free from movement. And if hardly anyone prays with pure prayer, then what can we say about spiritual prayer? So-called spiritual prayer is called the path in one place, knowledge in another, and mental vision in another. Just as all the power of the laws and commandments that God has given to people, according to the word of the holy fathers, has its limit in purity of heart, so all kinds and types of prayer that people pray to God have their limit in pure prayer. The saints in the age to come, when their minds are absorbed in the Spirit, do not pray in prayer, but abide with amazement in the glory that pleases them. Purity of mind is the soaring of the mental. It is likened to a heavenly color; during prayer, the light of the Holy Trinity begins to shine in it. When the body becomes weak in fasting and humility, then the soul is strengthened by prayer. Those in whom the light of faith has shone no longer reach such shamelessness as to again ask God in prayers: “Give us this” or: “Take that from us,” and they do not care at all about themselves, because with the spiritual eyes of faith they hourly see the Fatherly Providence, with which that true Father overshadows them, Who with His immeasurably great love surpasses all fatherly love, has the power above all others. help us to a greater extent than we ask, think and imagine. He who unnecessarily prays to God and desires to have miracles and powers in his hands is tempted in his mind by the scolding demon and turns out to be boastful and weak in his conscience. For in sorrow we need to ask for God’s help. It is dangerous to tempt God unnecessarily. Pride precedes destruction, says the Wise One (Proverbs 16:18), and before gift there must be humility. In proportion to the degree of pride visible in the soul, there is also a degree of contrition with which God admonishes the soul. I don’t mean pride when a thought appears in the mind or when a person is temporarily overcome by it, but pride that constantly resides in a person. A proud thought will be followed by contrition, and when a person has loved pride, he no longer knows contrition. He who cares about bodily things beyond his needs unwittingly falls away from God. The way of God is the daily cross. No one ascended to heaven living a cool life. As for the cool path, we know where it ends. God is not pleased that those who have devoted themselves to Him with all their hearts should be careless. His concern should be about the truth. And from this it is known that he is under God’s Providence, when God constantly sends him sorrows. The righteous not only strive in good deeds of their own free will, but also involuntarily endure strong struggles with temptations to test their patience. True righteous people always remember that they are unworthy of God. And that they are truly righteous is recognized by the fact that they recognize themselves as damned and unworthy of God’s care, and confess this secretly and openly, and are empowered to do so by the Holy Spirit, so as not to be left without the care and labor appropriate to them while they are in this life. God determined the time of rest for them in the next century. And those who have the living Lord within themselves for this very reason do not want to be at peace and free from sorrows, although sometimes they are given consolation in the spiritual. This is the will of the Spirit that His beloved should remain in labor. There is no person who would not grieve during training, and there is no person who would not find the time bitter when he drinks the poison of temptation. Without them it is impossible to acquire a strong will. If we humbly ask with unceasing desire and submit to God with patience, then we will receive everything about Christ Jesus our Lord. The joy of God is stronger than this life, and whoever has found it will not only not look at suffering, but will not even look at his life, and there will be no other feeling there, if this joy really existed. Love is sweeter than life, and the understanding of God, from which love is born, is sweeter than honey. It is no sorrow for love to accept a hard death for those who love. Love is a product of knowledge, and knowledge is a product of mental health, and mental health is strength that comes from prolonged patience. If we train ourselves to think well, we will be ashamed of passions as soon as we encounter them. The future life is like manuscripts inscribed on blank scrolls, sealed with the royal seal, in which nothing can be added or subtracted. Therefore, while we are in the midst of change, we will be attentive to ourselves, and while we have power over the handwriting of our life, which we write with our own hands, we will try to make additions to it with a good life, we will begin to correct in it the shortcomings of the previous life. Love for God comes from conversation with Him, and prayerful meditation and teaching are achieved by silence, silence by non-covetousness, non-covetousness by patience, patience by hatred of lusts, and hatred of lusts by the fear of Gehenna and the hope of bliss. He hates lusts who knows their fruit, and what they prepare for a person, and what bliss he is not allowed to achieve for the sake of lusts. Keep yourself from conceit during good changes in you. Diligently reveal your weakness and ignorance regarding the subtlety of this conceit to the Lord in prayer, so as not to be abandoned and not to be tempted in anything shameful, because fornication follows pride, and deception follows conceit. Let alms always take precedence over you until you feel in yourself the alms that God has for the world. Let our mercy be a mirror so that we can see in ourselves the likeness and true image that exists in God’s nature and in the essence of God. Let us be enlightened by this and the like so that with an enlightened will we may strive to live according to God. A cruel and unmerciful heart will never be cleansed. A merciful person is the doctor of his soul, because, as if with a strong wind, he disperses the darkness of passions from his heart. The spiritual feeling is of such a quality that it absorbs contemplative power, like the apple of the body’s eyes, which have sensual light within it. Purity is the lightness of the mental air, the depths of which inspire our inner nature. Love is the fruit of prayer and from its contemplation it raises the mind to its insatiable desire, when the mind remains in prayer without despondency, and a person prays with his mind, only in silent thoughts, ardently and with ardor. Prayer is the mortification of thoughts of lust of carnal life. For one who prays diligently is the same as one who dies for the world, and to patiently remain in prayer means for a person to deny himself. Therefore, in the selflessness of the soul, the love of God is found. Prayer is freedom and the abolition of the mind from everything here, a heart that completely turns its gaze to the desire of what is hoped for in the future. Just as a child is amazed by a terrible sight and, having run away from it, holds on to the edges of his parents’ clothes, calling on them for help, so the soul, to the extent that it is oppressed and crushed by the fear of temptation, hastens to cleave to God, calling on Him in unceasing prayer. And while temptations continue to attack her one after another, prayer increases; and, on the contrary, when he receives liberation, he indulges in soaring thoughts. Whoever does not consider himself a sinner, his prayer is not accepted by the Lord. Unrighteous lips are stopped from praying; because the condemnation of conscience makes a person lacking boldness. A good heart joyfully sheds tears in prayer. Prayer is a refuge of help, a source of salvation, a treasure of hope, a haven that saves from anxiety, a light to those in darkness, a support for the weak, a cover during temptations, help in a decisive moment of illness, a shield of deliverance in battle, an arrow sharpened against enemies, and, simply to say: it is revealed that the whole multitude of these benefits has access through prayer. Prayer is joy that brings thanksgiving. Good things are born in a person from the knowledge of his own weakness. For, out of a great desire for God’s help, he approaches God, remaining in prayer. And to the extent that he approaches God with his intention, to the extent that God approaches him with His gifts. That is why the Lord leaves the saints reasons for humility and contrition of heart in intense prayer, so that those who love Him will draw closer to Him through humility. Paradise is the love of God, in which there is enjoyment of all the blessings, where blessed Paul was fed with supernatural food and, as soon as he ate there from the tree of life, he exclaimed, saying: Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and it has not entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). The tree of life is the love of God from which Adam fell away; and from then on joy no longer greeted him, but he worked and labored in the land of thorns. Until we find love, our work on earth is thorns; and although our sowing is the sowing of righteousness, we both sow and reap among thorns, and are wounded by them every hour, and, no matter what we do to justify ourselves, we live by the sweat of our brow. Love is the kingdom; The Lord mysteriously promised the apostles about her that they would taste her in His kingdom. For what is said: let you eat and drink at My table in My kingdom (Luke 22:30), what else does it mean if not love? God's love for a person is known when he finds himself in circumstances that destroy his hope. This is where God shows His power in saving him. The soul that loves God, in God and in Him alone, has its rest. Love, aroused by something material, is like a small lamp fed by oil, which maintains its light, or a stream flooded with rain, the flow of which ceases with the depletion of its constituent substance. Love, which has God as its cause, is like a spring gushing out of the earth; its flows never cease (for God is the only source of love), and its substance does not become scarce. Love for God arouses in a person a love for doing virtues, and through this strives for doing good. The indication of love is humility, which is born from a good conscience about Christ Jesus our Lord. He who loves everyone equally with compassion and without discrimination has achieved perfection. In all the paths that people walk in the world, they do not find peace in their souls until they come closer to hope in God. The heart is not pacified by labor and stumbling, until hope comes into it and pacifies the heart, and sheds joy into it. Hope in God lifts the heart, but fear of Gehenna crushes it. The light of the mind produces faith, and faith produces the consolation of hope; hope strengthens the heart. Faith is a revelation of the understanding, and when the mind is darkened, faith hides, fear dominates us and cuts off our hope. Faith, which comes from teaching, does not free a person from pride and doubt; The one that liberates is the one that is seen by the understanding and shines in the mind, and is called the knowledge and manifestation of truth. Doubt in the heart brings fear into the soul. And faith can make the will firm even when members are cut off. Without experiencing the clear protection of God, the heart is unable to hope in God. Neither earth nor heaven can contain the treasures of faith. The one whose heart is strengthened by the hope of faith never loses anything. And when he has nothing, he possesses everything by faith, as it is written: And whatever you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive (Matthew 21:22), and also: The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything (Phil. 4:5-6). Everything is possible for a believer (Mark 9:23), because for God nothing is impossible. What ineffable wealth, what a sea of ​​wealth - in the waves of faith and in the wonderful treasures poured out by its power! What boldness, what sweetness and hope is filled with the procession in faith! How light is her burden! And how much sweetness there is in making it! Faith sees its works as being accomplished by the grace of God, and therefore cannot be exalted, as it is written: I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13); and one more thing: not I, however, but the grace of God, which is with me (1 Cor. 15:10). For a person, during his prayerful request, to be confirmed in his trust in God - this is the best part of the grace of faith. Firmness of faith in God is not the same as sound confession, although it is the mother of faith; on the contrary, the soul sees the truth of God through the power of life. The certainty of faith in people who are lofty in soul is revealed as they conform their morals in life to the commandments of the Lord. Faith is the door of the sacraments. Just as physical eyes see sensual objects, so faith looks at the hidden with spiritual eyes. The purpose of the Savior’s coming, when He gave us His life-giving commandments as cleansing medicines in our passionate state, was to cleanse the soul from the evil produced by Adam’s first crime and restore it to its original state. What medicine is for a sick body, the commandments are for a passionate soul. And it is clear that the commandments were given against passions, for the healing of a criminal soul, as the Lord clearly says to His disciples: He who has My commandments and keeps them, he loves Me; and whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father; and I will love him and appear to him Myself... And We will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14, 21, 23). And one more thing: By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). It is clear that love can be acquired after mental health; and a soul that has not kept the commandments is not healthy. Keeping the commandments is lower than spiritual love. And since there are many who keep the commandments out of fear or for the sake of reward in the future, and not out of love, the Lord urges many to keep the commandments out of love, which give light to the soul. And one more thing: So that people see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father (Matthew 5:16). But good deeds, as the Lord taught, cannot be visible in the soul if the commandments are not kept. And that the commandments are not heavy for those who love the truth, the Lord said about this: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... for My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28,30). You know that evil came to us from the transgression of the commandments. So, it is clear that health is restored to a person by observing them. And without doing the commandments, until we first of all follow the path leading to spiritual purity, we do not need to expect the purification of the soul. And do not say that God, even without doing the commandments, can by grace grant us spiritual cleansing, for these are the Lord’s judgments, and the Church does not command us to ask for anything like that. Not one, without being nourished by the milk of the commandments, succeeded, conquered passions and was granted purity. By faith we confess that God is Lord, Master, Creator and Creator of all things, and by knowledge we decide that we need to keep His commandments and understand that the Old Testament commandments are kept by fear, as He Himself said, but the life-giving commandments of Christ are kept by love, according to what was said: I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love (John 15:10). Christ does not demand the making of commandments, but the correction of the soul, for which he legitimized the commandments. He who leads life in the image of the Lawmaker and is guided by His commandments, it is impossible for sin to remain in him. Therefore, the Lord promised in the Gospel to the one who kept the commandments to create a monastery with him (see John 14:23). The commandments of God are higher than all the treasures of the world. Whoever acquires them finds God within himself. The Divine Scripture called spiritual entities by nine spiritual names and divided them into three degrees; and divides the first into great, high and holy thrones, many-eyed cherubim and six-winged seraphim; the second degree - for dominions, powers and powers, and the third - for principles, archangels and angels. These ranks are translated from Hebrew as follows: seraphim - warming and burning; cherubim - abundant in knowledge and wisdom; thrones are God’s support and God’s peace; These names are used to name the ranks according to their actions. Thrones are named as honorable, dominions as having power over every kingdom, principles as those who organize the ether, powers as ruling over nations and over every person, powers as strong in strength and terrible in their vision, seraphim as sanctifying, cherubim as bearers, archangels as vigilant guards, angels as sent. Passions are attacks that are produced by the things of this world, prompting the body to satisfy its unnecessary needs; and these battles do not cease as long as this world stands. Just as children are not born without a mother, so passions are not born without the soaring (dispersion) of the mind, and the commission of sin does not happen without the assistance of passions. For the soul to be accessible to passions is useful for wounding the conscience; to be in passions is bold and shameless. Rest and idleness are the death of the soul, and more demons can harm it. If the passionate part of the soul is not healed, is not renewed, is not sanctified in secret, and is not bound by the life of the Spirit, then the soul will not acquire health. What is the flow of water in a mountain river, such is the power of irritability when it finds access to our mind. The word “world” (that surrounds us) is a collective name that combines the so-called passions. When we want to name passions in general, we call them the world, and when we want to distinguish them by the difference in their names, we call them passions. Passions are something additional, and the soul itself is guilty of them. For by nature the soul is dispassionate. When you hear in Scripture about mental and physical passions, let it be known to you that this is said in relation to the causes of passions, for the soul is by nature impassive. Passions are uprooted and put to flight by the constant immersion of thought in God. He who, in soul and body, is always given over to vanity and wanderings of the mind, is a fornicator; whoever agrees and participates with him in this is an adulterer; and whoever communicates with him is an idolater. While we carry the image of Adam, we inevitably carry Adam’s passions within us. For it is impossible for the earth not to grow sprouts characteristic of its nature. The passions hidden in the soul are not corrected by physical labor alone. There are passions that show only sorrow to the soul: negligence, despondency, sadness do not attack with thoughts and pleasure, but only impose heaviness on the soul. Conceit is the waste of the soul in its daydreaming, which leads it to soar and does not prevent it from soaring in the clouds of its thoughts, so that it whirls around the whole world. Sleepy passions awaken as soon as a reason for them to come into action is encountered. The passion of vanity forces the lustful passion to give way to it, and again the lustful passion tames the passion of the love of glory. Vanity is the servant of fornication and the work of pride. Just as rebellion of thoughts is born from gluttony, so from verbosity and shameless conversations - foolishness and frenzy of the mind. He who does not voluntarily withdraw from the causes of passions is involuntarily drawn into sin. It is better to ward off passions through the memory of virtues than through resistance, because passions, when they emerge from their domain and are raised up for battle, imprint their images and likenesses on the mind. Until someone truly hates the causes of sin from the heart, he is not freed from the pleasure produced by the action of sin. He who loves reasons for passions, unwittingly and reluctantly becomes an assistant and enslaves to passions. The fear of God is the beginning of virtue. He is the product of faith and dwells in the heart when the mind is removed from worldly worries, so that he can gather his thoughts, whirling from distraction, in thinking about the future resurrection. A soul that has the fear of God in itself is not afraid of anything that harms it physically, because it trusts in God from now on and forever and ever. Doing good is caring for the spiritual, and not for the vain. Not every good desire enters the heart from God, but only that which is useful. The virtue that someone does through others cannot purify the soul, because it is imputed before God only as a reward for deeds. The virtue that a person creates in himself is imputed to perfect virtue and achieves both, that is, it is imputed to reward and produces purification. Not the lover of virtue who strives to do good, but the one who joyfully accepts the misfortunes that follow. Cover the sinner from punishment, if there is no harm to you from this: you will give him courage, and you will be supported by the mercy of your Master. Strengthen the weak and sorrowful in heart with words and everything as far as your hand can, and the Almighty right hand will strengthen you. Help those who are sad at heart, both through prayerful work and heartfelt condolences - and a source of mercy will be opened to your petitions. Above all virtue is prudence. Do not interrupt your speech when another is speaking; and do not answer as an ignoramus, but be firm as a wise man. These are the works of righteousness: fasting, almsgiving, vigil, shrine and everything else done bodily; love for one's neighbor, humility of heart, forgiveness of transgressions, contemplation of good things, study of the sacraments hidden in the Holy Scriptures, reflection of the mind on the most perfect deeds, how to maintain the limits of spiritual movements, and other virtues performed in the soul. Sometimes a person desires good, but God does not help, because some desire similar to this comes from the devil and is considered to serve to help, and yet it is often not according to a person’s measure. The devil himself intends to do harm to a person and forces him to seek what he wants, when either he has not yet achieved a life corresponding to it, or the desire is alien to his way of life, or the time has not yet come when it is possible to fulfill this or begin to fulfill it, or the person is not strong enough in deed, or knowledge, or body, or the circumstances do not support us in this. And the devil in every way, as if under the guise of this good deed, either confuses a person, or harms his body, or hides snares in his mind. This is the custom of those who wish well - when reasoning the mind, to use prayer to help them do and acquire wisdom to distinguish truth from false. If you work in beautiful virtue and do not feel that you are receiving help from it, then do not be surprised. For until a person humbles himself, he does not receive a reward for his work. The reward is given not for doing, but for humility. He who offends the latter loses the former. Whoever has previously accepted the reward for good deeds has an advantage over those who practice virtue. Virtue is the mother of sorrow for God, and from such sorrow humility is born, and grace is given to humility. The reward is no longer for virtue and labor for its sake, but for the humility that is born from them. If it becomes scarce, then the first will be in vain. The practice of virtue is keeping the commandments of the Lord. Abundance of doing is a good state of mind. In others, who protect themselves from sin, even shortcomings become guardians of the truth. Through labor and self-preservation, purity of thoughts exudes, and purity of thoughts exudes the light of thinking. Whoever has good desires cannot be prevented from fulfilling them by opposition, unless the evil one finds a place for a bad pretext in those who want good. To prefer a good will is the business of the wisher; to complete the choice of good will is God’s work. For this, a person needs God's help. A soul that has taken upon itself the care of virtue and lives with caution and in the fear of God cannot be without sorrow every day, because virtues are associated with sorrows. Bodily work precedes spiritual work, just as dust preceded the soul blown into Adam. He who has not achieved bodily work cannot have spiritual work, because the latter is born from the first, like an ear from a grain of wheat. And whoever does not have spiritual activity is deprived of spiritual gifts. Blessed is the man who recognizes his weakness, because this knowledge becomes for him the foundation, root and beginning of every good improvement. When a person recognizes and truly feels his weakness, then he raises his soul from relaxation. Fasting is the guardianship of all virtue, the beginning of achievement, the crown of abstinence, the beauty of virginity and holiness, the lordship of chastity, the beginning of the Christian path, the mother of prayer, the source of chastity and reason, the teacher of silence, the predecessor of all good deeds. Just as healthy eyes are characterized by a desire for light, so a fast observed with prudence is characterized by a desire for prayer. Fasting with prudence is a vast abode for all good things. Whoever is negligent about fasting causes all that is good to waver, because fasting was a commandment initially given to our nature as a warning against eating food, and the beginning of our creation fell by violating fasting. Do not burden your belly, so that your mind does not become clouded and you are not in confusion from soaring thoughts. Just as from the seed of the sweat of fasting the ear of chastity grows, so from satiety - debauchery and from satiety - uncleanness. With a hungry and humble belly, shameful thoughts cannot penetrate into the soul. Fasting is a weapon prepared by God. How many times do others every day break the law and heal their souls through repentance, and grace accepts them, because in every rational nature change occurs in an indefinable way and changes occur with every person hourly. The meaning of the word “repentance,” as we have learned from the actual properties of things, is this: it is, with a prayer filled with contrition, an unrelenting petition to God for forgiveness (forgiveness) of the past and a plea for the preservation of the future. Therefore, our Lord indicated the support of our weakness in prayer, saying: wake up, watch and pray, so as not to fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41). Pray and be not lazy, watch and pray at all times (see Luke 21:36; Col. 4:2). Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8). God especially confirmed His word and prompted us to greater zeal with the parable of a friend who came to his friend at midnight and asked him for bread. The Lord says: If, I tell you, he does not get up and give him out of friendship with him, then, because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he asks (Luke 11:8). And you pray and do not be careless. What an unspeakable encouragement to boldness! The Giver encourages us to ask Him to give us His Divine gifts. And although He Himself, as He knows, arranges everything that is beneficial for us, these words of His are filled with great power to arouse boldness and hope in us. The perfection of the path to God lies in the following three things: repentance, purity and self-improvement. What is repentance? Leaving the past and sadness about it. What is purity? Briefly put: a heart that has mercy on all created nature. What is self improvement? The depth of humility, that is, the abandonment of everything visible and invisible and care about it. As grace upon grace, people are given repentance after baptism. For repentance is the second regeneration from God. And that gift, which we received as a pledge from faith, we accept through repentance. Repentance is the door of mercy, open to those who earnestly seek it; through this door we enter into God's mercy; Apart from this entrance, we will not find mercy, because, according to the word of Divine Scripture, all have sinned... receiving justification freely, by His grace (Rom. 3:23-24). He who hates his sins stops sinning; and whoever confesses them will receive remission. Remember the grave falls of those who fell in ancient times and repented, as well as the height and honor that they were awarded after, and you will take courage in your repentance. It is impossible for a person to leave a sinful habit if he does not first acquire hostility towards sin; and it is impossible to obtain remission before confessing sins. For confession of sins is the cause of true humility; humility is the cause of contrition that follows in the heart from shame. If we are all sinners and no one is above temptation, then none of the virtues is above repentance, because the work of repentance can never be perfect. Repentance is always appropriate for all sinners and righteous people who desire salvation. And there is no limit to perfection, because perfection and the most perfect are truly imperfect. That is why repentance until death is determined neither by time nor by deeds. Remember that with every pleasure comes disgust and bitterness. Above all passions is self-love; above all virtues is disdain for peace. Purity of the soul is the original gift to our nature. Without purity from passions, the soul cannot be cured of the ailments of sin. We taste the sweetness hidden in truth not when we do the truth, but when love for truth permeates our heart; and we become sinners not when we commit sin, but when we do not hate it and do not repent of it. Cleanse your soul, man, cast off concern for what is outside your nature, and hang the veil of chastity and humility over your thoughts and movements, and through this you will find what is inside your nature, because secrets are revealed to the humble. Like a handful of sand thrown into the great sea is the same fall of all flesh in comparison with Providence and God's mercy. And just as a source of abundant water is not blocked by a handful of dust, so the mercy of the Creator is not defeated by the vices of creatures. Those tormented in Gehenna are struck by the scourge of love. And how bitter and cruel is this torment of love! For those who feel that they have sinned against love suffer torment that is greater than any possible punishment. It is inappropriate for anyone to think that sinners in Gehenna are deprived of God’s love. Love is a product of the knowledge of truth, which (as everyone agrees) is given to everyone in general. According to my reasoning, the torment of Gehenna is repentance. There is humility from the fear of God, and there is humility out of love for God: some are humble out of fear of God, others out of joy. And the one who is humble through the fear of God is accompanied at all times by modesty in all members, the orderliness of feelings and a contrite heart, and the one who is humble through joy is accompanied by great simplicity, a growing and uncontrollable heart. Only one who has humility is intelligent, and one who does not have humility will not be intelligent. The humble is only peaceful, and the non-peaceful is not humble; and peaceful - only rejoicing. Remember the fall of the strong - and you will humble yourself in your virtues. Love humility in all your affairs in order to get rid of inconspicuous snares, which are always outside the path of the humble. The treasure of the humble man is within him, and this is the Lord. Humility and doing nothing makes many sins forgivable. On the contrary, without humility, deeds are useless, and they even prepare a lot of bad things for us. Just as the soul is unknowable and invisible with bodily eyes, so the humble person is not known among people. And just as the soul inside the body is hidden from sight and from communication with all people, so a truly humble person, due to his separation from everyone and deprivation in everything, not only does not want to be seen and known by people, but even this is his will: if possible, to plunge into himself from himself, enter into silence and dwell in it, completely leaving all his previous thoughts and feelings, to become something as if it does not exist, has not yet come into being, at all. unknown even to your very soul. And while such a person is hidden, enclosed in himself and separated from the world, he remains entirely in his Master. In a humble person there is never fussiness, haste, confusion, hot and light thoughts, but at all times he remains at peace. Even if the sky falls to earth, the humble man will not be horrified. Humility is followed by meekness and self-collection, that is, chastity of feelings. The humble man never encounters such a need that would lead him to confusion or embarrassment. Do you, little man, want to find life? Keep faith and humility in yourself, because with them you will find mercy and help. As the shadow follows the body, so mercy follows humility. Truly, Lord, if we do not humble ourselves, You never cease to humble us. Where humility grows, God's glory flows out. A little sorrow for the sake of God is better than a great deed done without sorrow, because voluntary sorrow gives proof of faith through love, and a work of peace is a consequence of satiation of consciousness. Through the cruel sorrows sent to you by God's Providence, your soul comprehends what honor it has received from the greatness of God. For as much as there is sorrow there is also consolation. Always remember those who surpass you in virtue, so that you constantly see in yourself a deficiency against their measure; always keep in your mind the gravest sorrows of the grieving and embittered, so that you yourself can give due thanks for the small and insignificant sorrows that happen to you, and be able to endure them with joy. Do not turn away from sorrows, because through them you enter into the knowledge of the truth, and do not be afraid of temptations, because through them you gain a well-deserved reward. He is stronger than all who is not faint-hearted in temporary sorrows, in which his salvation is hidden, and who does not desire the broad path (sin), in which the stench of shame is hidden and which leads the traveler to sorrows and sighs. It is impossible to approach God without sorrow; without it, human righteousness does not remain unchanged. And if a person abandons deeds that increase righteousness, then he also abandons deeds that protect it. Whoever avoids sorrows is, undoubtedly, completely separated from virtue. If you desire virtue, then surrender yourself to all sorrow. For sorrows give birth to humility. He who abides in his virtue without sorrow, the door of pride is open to him. Just as medicine destroys the impurity of bad juices in the body, so the cruelty of sorrows cleanses the heart from evil passions. Without allowing temptations, it is impossible for us to know the truth. The temptations that happen by God's permission to shameless people, who in their thoughts exalt themselves before the goodness of God and insult God's goodness with their pride, are the following: obvious demonic temptations that exceed the limits of spiritual strength; taking away the power of wisdom that people have; a burning sensation within oneself of a lustful thought, allowed to affect them in order to humble their exaltation; rapid irritability; the desire to arrange everything according to one’s will, to argue in words, to blame; contempt of the heart; a complete delusion of the mind; blasphemy against the name of God; ugly thoughts worthy of laughter, or better yet, tears; and the fact that people neglect them, their honor turns into nothing, and secretly and openly, in various ways, shame and reproach are inflicted on them from demons; the desire to be in communication and dealing with the world, to constantly talk and recklessly talk idle, to always look for news, as well as false prophecies; promise much beyond one's strength. And this is the essence of spiritual temptation. Temptations of the body include: painful, constant, confusing, intractable incidents, constant encounters with bad and godless people; either a person falls into the hands of rapists, or his heart is suddenly and always without reason set in motion by fear; or he often suffers terrible, body-crushing falls from cliffs, from high places and from something similar; or, finally, he feels impoverished in what helps the heart with Divine power and the hope of faith; in short, everything impossible and beyond their strength befalls both themselves and those close to them. Outside of temptations, the Providence of God is not seen, it is impossible to acquire boldness before God, it is impossible to learn the wisdom of the Spirit, and there is also no possibility for Divine love to be established in your soul. The body, which is afraid of temptations, becomes a friend of sin, lest it go to extremes and lose its life. Gift without temptation is destruction for those who receive it. If you do good before God and He gives you a gift, beg Him to give you knowledge of how much it is appropriate for you to humble yourself, or to assign a guard to you over the gift, or to take it from you, so that it will not be the cause of your destruction. For it is not harmless for everyone to keep wealth. As a result of the love that the saints showed for God by suffering for His name, when He contains them in cramped conditions, but does not depart from those whom He loves, the heart of the saints acquires boldness to look at God with an uncovered face and ask Him with hope. Great is the power of bold prayer. Therefore, God allows His saints to be tempted by all kinds of sorrow - and, on the other hand, to receive through experience proof of His help and how much God provides for them, because as a result of temptation they acquire wisdom. In temptations, repeatedly experiencing God's help, a person acquires firm faith. Ascetics are tempted in order to increase their spiritual wealth; relaxed - to protect themselves from harm; immersed in sleep - to prepare them for awakening; far away - to bring them closer to God; theirs to God - so that they can rejoice in them with boldness. Every untrained son receives wealth from his father's house to his own detriment. That is why God first tempts and torments, and then reveals the gift. Glory to the Lord, Who through bitter medicine brings us to the opportunity to enjoy health! The Lord, in order to make us like the Heavenly Father, appointed us mercy, because it brings those who do it closer to God. He who desires the fulfillment of God's will will have heavenly angels as guides. There are three ways in which every rational soul can approach God: either by the fervor of faith, or by fear, or by the admonition of the Lord. A person who doubts that God is a helper in good deeds is afraid even of his own shadow, and in times of prosperity and abundance he languishes with hunger, and in the silence that surrounds him, he is filled with storms. But whoever trusts in God is strong in heart, and his honor is evident to all people and his praise is before all his enemies. Bodily living according to God refers to bodily deeds that are performed to cleanse the flesh through virtuous activity through obvious deeds by which a person is cleansed from carnal impurity. Purification of the body means immunity from carnal defilement. Purification of the soul is liberation from secret passions arising in the mind. Purification of the mind is accomplished by the revelation of secrets. For he is cleansed of everything that, due to its belonging to the flesh, is subject to feeling. Just as the soul is by nature better than the body, so the soul is better than the body. And just as the original creation of the body preceded the inspiration of life into it, so physical deeds precede spiritual deeds. Dejection comes from a soaring mind, and a soaring mind comes from idleness, empty reading and vain conversations, or from a satiated belly. If someone does not contradict the thoughts secretly implanted in us by the enemy, but through prayer to God cuts off conversation with them, then this serves as a sign that his mind has acquired wisdom by grace. The kingdom of the mind is the crucifixion of the body, and the mind does not submit to God if freedom is not subjugated to the mind. Heartfelt boldness and disregard for dangers occur for one of two reasons: either because of hardness of heart, or because of great faith in God. Hardness of heart is followed by pride, and faith is followed by humility of heart. A person cannot gain hope in God if he has not previously fulfilled His will to a large extent. For hope in God and courage of the heart are born from the testimony of conscience, and only with the true testimony of our mind do we have hope in God. Do not ask for advice from a person who does not lead the same lifestyle as you, although he is very wise. Not everyone who gives advice is worthy of trust, but only those who have previously managed their freedom well and are not afraid of condemnation and slander. Just as a person is made up of two parts, that is, from soul and body, so everything in him requires double care, in accordance with the duality of his composition. Christ, through His Hypostasis, made the renewal of our nature; we are clothed in Him with water and the Spirit, and in an ineffable sacrament He united us with Himself and made us members of His body. Whoever turns his face away from someone who mourns, his day will be darkened. And whoever neglects the request of the suffering one, his sons in blindness will grope for the way to his house. Evil is a disease of the soul, and charm is the death of truth. Contemplation is the feeling of the Divine secrets hidden in things and in their causes. The suffering endured in this age for the sake of the truth cannot be compared with the consolation that is prepared for those who suffer for the sake of good. Do not think that only the acquisition of gold and silver is covetousness (greed), but also anything else to which your will is attached. If you want to give to the poor, then give from your own. And if you intend to donate what belongs to others, then know: this is the worst weed before God. Acquire purity in your deeds, so that your soul is illuminated in prayer and the remembrance of death sparks joy in your mind. Do not bind your freedom to what serves for pleasure, lest you become a slave of slaves. It is better for you to make peace with your soul in the unanimity of the threefold composition within you, that is, body, soul and spirit, than to try to teach and pacify those who have different opinions. It is more useful for you to take care of resurrecting the deadness of your soul from passions by moving your thoughts towards the Divine than to resurrect the dead. It is as indecent for carnalists and gluttons to enter into the study of spiritual subjects as it is for a harlot to talk about chastity. Fire does not ignite in damp wood, and Divine ardor does not kindle in a heart that loves peace. The harlot does not abide in the love of one, and the soul attached to many things does not abide in the Divine teachings. When you want to begin good deeds, first prepare for the temptations that will befall you, and do not doubt the truth. Whoever considers his sins to be small will fall into something worse than before and will suffer greater punishment. Give alms in humility, and you will reap mercy in judgment. Without silence of thoughts, the mind will not move into the hidden mysteries. Without the trust of faith, the soul cannot boldly resist temptations. Before sorrow comes upon you, pray to God - and during sorrow you will find Him and He will hear you. Get close to the righteous, and through them you will get closer to God. Communicate with those who have humility, and you will learn their morals. Love sinners, but hate their deeds and do not despise sinners for their shortcomings, so that you yourself do not fall into the temptation in which they are. Do not reproach those who demand your prayer and do not deprive them of kind words of consolation, so that they do not perish and you are not required to answer for their souls. Do not irritate anyone and do not hate anyone either for their faith or for their bad deeds, but beware of reproaching or reproaching anyone for anything, because we have an impartial Judge in heaven. If you want to convert someone to the truth, then grieve for him and, with tears and love, say a word or two to him, and do not become angry with him, and let him not see a sign of enmity in you. For love does not know how to be angry and irritated or to reproach someone with passion. He is merciful who in his thoughts does not distinguish one person from another, but has mercy on everyone. If you are truly merciful, then when what you have is unjustly taken from you, do not grieve internally and do not tell about the damage to outsiders. As long as a person serves the Lord with something sensual, the images of this sensual are imprinted in his thoughts and he represents the Divine in bodily images. When he receives a sense of the inner, then, as he senses it, the mind will gradually rise above the images of things. If you have no business, do not talk about virtues. More precious than any prayer and sacrifice before the Lord are sorrow for Him and for His sake. Wine warms the body, but the word of God warms the mind. Begin every good deed with courage, and do not approach such deeds with double-mindedness; Do not waver in your heart in trusting in God, lest your labor become useless. No one can feel his weakness unless even a small temptation is allowed upon him by something that tires either the body or the soul. Then, comparing his weakness with God’s help, he immediately recognizes its greatness. But he who knows that he needs God’s help makes many prayers. And to the extent that he multiplies them, the heart is humbled. For everyone who prays and asks cannot help but humble himself. But you will not despise a contrite and humble heart, O God (Ps. 50:19). Therefore, the heart, until it reconciles itself, cannot stop dissipating; humility brings it together. Where there are worries about business, do not multiply your worries - and you will not be distracted in your mind or in your prayer. Self-justification is not a matter of Christian living; there is not even a hint of this in the teachings of Christ. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, for this is a sign of purity. Be sick with the sick, shed tears with the sinners, rejoice with the repentant. Be friendly with all people, but remain alone in your thoughts. Take part in the suffering of everyone, but with your body be far from everyone. If you cannot keep your thoughts in order, then at least make your feelings well-ordered. If you are not a peacemaker, then at least do not be a lover of rebellion. If you cannot become zealous, at least in your way of thinking, be not like a lazy one. If you are not able to stop the mouth of someone slandering your friend, then at least beware of communicating with him. Humility gathers the soul into silence, and it concentrates within itself. Dispassion does not consist in not feeling passions, but in not accepting them into oneself. As a result of the many and various virtues, obvious and hidden, acquired by the saints, the passions are exhausted in them and cannot easily rise up in the soul, and the mind does not need to constantly be attentive to them, because at all times it is filled with its thoughts as a result of reflection and conversation about the best images that are consciously aroused in the mind. And as soon as passions begin to be aroused, the mind suddenly moves away from approaching them through some understanding that has arisen in the mind, and the passions remain inactive in it. A good thought does not sink into the heart if it is not from Divine grace; an evil thought does not approach the soul, except for temptation and testing. The resurrection of the soul should be called the coming out of oldness, precisely so that a new man may arise, in whom there is nothing of the old man, according to what was said: And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you (Ezek. 36:26). For then Christ is sealed in us by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Him. The Providence of God always happens to the saints, protecting and strengthening them. Every person wins through it if he endures ascetic deeds and suffers as martyrs, and in other disasters that befall those who suffer for God and for His sake. As numerous and varied are God's gifts to the human race, there is just as much variation in the acceptable gifts and, accordingly, in the degree of those who accept these gifts. There are smaller and greater gifts of God; although they are all lofty and wonderful, one surpasses the other in glory and honor, and the degree of degree is higher. If someone wants the Lord to dwell in him, then he forces his body to serve the Lord, works in the commandments of the Spirit, written by the Apostle, and keeps his soul from the deeds of the flesh, described by the Apostle (see Gal. 5:19). Continuous study of Scripture is light for the soul, because it shows the soul useful reminders to beware of passions and to remain in the love of God through purity of prayer, and also outlines before us a peaceful path in the footsteps of the saints. A merciful heart is the kindling of a person’s heart for all creation, for people, for birds, for animals and for every creature. There is no person who, with a change in circumstances, would not feel in his mind a change in attitude towards the upcoming task. If desire, as they say, is a product of feelings, then let those who assert about themselves that they maintain peace of mind even during entertainment be silent. Chaste is not the one who in work, during struggle and feat says about himself that then shameful thoughts cease in him, but who through the truth of his heart makes the contemplation of his mind chaste. In everything that you encounter in the Scriptures, seek the purpose of the word, so that you can penetrate into the depths of the thoughts of the saints and understand them with great accuracy. Every thing is beautiful in measure. Without measure, even what is considered beautiful turns into harm. The word from activity is a treasury of hope; and wisdom not justified by activity is a guarantee of shame. Every person who lives uncleanly desires this temporary life. For every good work done in you, consciously or unconsciously, your mediators were baptism and faith, through which you were called by our Lord Jesus Christ to His good works. Make peace with yourself, and heaven and earth will make peace with you. Try to enter your inner cage - and you will see the heavenly cage, because both are one and the same, and when you enter one, you see both. The natural state of the soul is the knowledge of God's creatures, sensory and mental. The supernatural state is an arousal to the contemplation of the all-essential Divinity. An unnatural state is a movement of the soul in people troubled by passions. Purity of mind is enlightenment by the Divine as a result of active exercise in virtues. The movement of thoughts in a person occurs for four reasons: firstly, from natural carnal lust; secondly, from the sensory representation of worldly objects that a person hears and sees; thirdly, from acquired concepts and from the spiritual inclination that a person has in his mind; fourthly, from the attack of demons who fight with us, involving us in all passions, for the reasons mentioned above. Therefore, a person, even before death, while he is in the life of this flesh, cannot help but have thoughts and battles. One is purity of mind, and another is purity of heart. For the mind is one of the spiritual feelings, and the heart contains and holds in its power the inner feelings. Close your eyes to the pleasures of life, may God grant you His peace to reign in your heart. Refrain from what your eyes see, so that you will be rewarded with spiritual joy. If you love purity, in which the Lord can be seen, then do not slander anyone and do not listen to the one who slanderes his brother. He who watches his tongue will never be robbed by it. Silent lips interpret the mysteries of God, but those who are quick to speak withdraw from their Creator. Whoever follows the one who loves God will be enriched in the mysteries of God, and whoever follows the unrighteous and proud will withdraw from God and be hated by his friends. Simple bread at the table of the immaculate cleanses the soul of the eater from all passion. Keep yourself from verbosity, for it extinguishes the mental movements in the heart that come from God. Whoever begins a task ahead of time that is beyond his measure, gains nothing, but only aggravates harm to himself. Souls, when they achieve purity, see not physically, but spiritually, because bodily vision is accomplished openly and sees what is before the eyes, but distant things require a different vision. When the mind puts off the old man and puts on the new, grace-filled man, then it will see its purity, like the flower of heaven, which the elders of the children of Israel called the place of God when God appeared to them on the mountain (see Ex. 24:10). Do not, man, give freedom to any of your feelings, so as not to reach the point where it is impossible to return to freedom again. Do not hate the sinner, because we are all guilty; and if you rebel against him for God’s sake, then weep for him. And why do you hate him? Hate his sins and pray for himself, in order to become like Christ, Who had no indignation against sinners, but prayed for them. The path of wisdom has no end; she moves higher and higher until she unites her follower with God. This is its sign that its comprehension is limitless, because Wisdom is God Himself. He is wise who truly understands that there is a limit to this life. He can put a limit to his sins. The cross is the will, ready for any sorrow. And the Lord, when he wanted to teach why this is so, said: “Whoever wants to live in this world will destroy himself for the true life; and whoever destroys himself here for My sake will find himself there” (see Matt. 10:39), that is, he who walks the path of the cross and establishes his feet on it will find himself. If in his mind a person loses his soul for the sake of the Lord, out of love for the Lord, he will be preserved blameless and unharmed into eternal life. The body does not agree to live without satisfying its needs while it is surrounded by that which serves for pleasure and relaxation, and the mind cannot keep it from this until the body is removed from everything that produces relaxation. Humility precedes grace, and conceit precedes punishment. He who is proud is allowed to fall into blasphemy, and he who exalts himself in the goodness of his deeds is allowed to fall into fornication, and he who exalts himself in his wisdom is allowed to fall into the dark nets of ignorance. A person, far from any remembrance of God, carries in his heart a thought against his neighbor, troubled by an evil memory. Whoever, while remembering God, honors every person, by the wave of God secretly finds help for himself from every person. He who defends the offended finds God as his champion. He who stretches out his hand to help his neighbor receives God’s power to help himself. Whoever accuses his brother of his vice finds an accuser in God. He who corrects his brother secretly heals his own vice; and whoever accuses someone before the assembly increases the soreness of his own ulcers. He who heals his brother in secret makes the power of his love obvious; and whoever puts him to shame before the eyes of his friends shows the power of envy in himself. A friend who reproaches in secret is a wise physician, but the one who heals before the eyes of many is in reality a scolder. A sign of compassion is forgiveness of any debt, and a sign of an evil disposition is bickering with someone who has sinned. He who admonishes with the aim of making him healthy, admonishes with love; and whoever seeks revenge has no love in him. Do not approach the words of the sacraments contained in Divine Scripture without prayer and asking God for help. Darkness of the soul comes from disorder in life. Moderation and certain rules of life enlighten the mind and drive away confusion. Confusion of the mind from disorder produces darkness in the soul, and darkness produces confusion. He who forbids his lips to slander keeps his heart from passions. And whoever keeps his heart from passions sees the Lord every hour. He who always thinks about God drives away demons and eradicates the seed of their malice. Whoever watches his soul hourly, his heart rejoices at revelations. He who concentrates the vision of his mind within himself sees the dawn of the Spirit within himself. He who abhors all soaring of the mind sees his Lord within his heart. When the soul is intoxicated with the joy of its hope and the joy of God, then the body does not feel sorrows, although it is weak, for it bears an extreme burden - and does not faint, but enjoys and contributes to the pleasure of the soul, although weak. This happens when the soul enters into the joy of the Spirit. If you keep your tongue, then God will give you, brother, the grace of heartfelt tenderness, so that with its help you can see your soul and through it enter into the joy of the Spirit. If your tongue overcomes you, then believe me when I tell you: you will never be able to get rid of the delusion. If your heart is unclean, let your lips be pure. When you want to instruct someone to do good, first repose him physically and almost with a word of love. For nothing brings a person to shame and forces him to give up his vice and change for the better, like bodily goods and the honor that he sees from you. A jealous person never achieves peace of mind, and someone who is alien to spiritual peace is alien to joy. It seems to you that you, a man, are revealing your jealousy against other people’s illnesses, but in reality you have deprived your soul of health. If you want to heal the weak, then know that the sick need more care for them than reproach. He who grieves at heart and gives freedom to his feelings is like a sick person who suffers physically, but whose mouth is open to any food that is harmful to him. Mercy and justice in one soul are the same as a person who worships God and idols in the same house. Mercy is the opposite of justice. Justice is an equalization of the exact measure, because it gives everyone what they deserve, and when rewarding, it does not allow inclination to one side or partiality. But mercy is sadness, aroused by grace, and compassionately bows to everyone: whoever is worthy of evil is not rewarded with evil, and whoever is worthy of good is filled with abundance. The righteous man who is unwise is a lamp in the light of the sun. The prayer of the vindictive is sowing on a stone. An unmerciful ascetic is a barren tree. Reproof from envy is a poisonous arrow. The flatterer's praise is a hidden network. A stupid advisor is a blind guardian. Staying with the foolish is a wound to the heart. Conversation with intelligent people is a sweet source. A wise counselor is a wall of hope. A stupid and unreasonable friend is a repository of harm. Tears during prayer are a sign of God’s mercy, which the soul has received in its repentance, a sign that the prayer has been accepted and has begun to enter the field of purity with tears. For if thoughts about the transitory are not taken away from people, and they do not reject worldly hope from themselves, and disdain for the world is not aroused in them, and they do not begin to prepare a good farewell for their departure to another world, and thoughts about what will happen there do not begin to arise in their souls, then the eyes cannot shed tears, because tears are the result of the unalloyed and low-flown reflection of many frequent and steadily abiding thoughts, the memory of something subtle happening in the mind, and with this memory bringing the heart into sadness. This is why the tears multiply and intensify. The gifts of God attract a person to a heart that is stirred to unceasing thanksgiving. The lips that always give thanks receive blessings from God; and if the heart remains in gratitude, grace descends into it. The gratitude of the receiver motivates the giver to give more gifts than before. He who is ungrateful for little is also deceitful and unrighteous for more. The sinner is not able to imagine the grace of his resurrection. Where is Gehenna that could make us sad? Where is the torment that frightens us in various ways and conquers the joy of His love? And what is Gehenna before the grace of His resurrection, when it will raise us from hell, cause the corruptible to be clothed with incorruptibility, and raise the one who has fallen into hell in glory? It is mercy to raise us up after we have sinned; beyond mercy is to bring us into being when we did not exist. You might be interested in: