Interviews about the life of the Italian fathers and the immortality of the soul

Composition by St. Gregory the Great (Dvoeslova) “Conversations on the life of the Italian fathers and on the immortality of the soul” (another name is “Dialogues”) written in 593-594. This is one of the most significant works of early Christian hagiographic and theological literature. The work consists of 4 books and is written in the form of a lively conversation between St. Gregory himself and his deacon Peter. Books 1-3 are devoted to stories about the lives, exploits and miracles of Italian saints and devotees of piety, contemporaries of the author or who lived shortly before him. A special place among them is occupied by the 2nd book, which is entirely devoted to the life of the Venerable Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Western monasticism, and is the only early source of information about this saint. These narratives, full of examples of Christian virtue, asceticism and divine intervention, were intended to strengthen faith and teach moral lessons to readers in a difficult era of barbarian invasions and decline. The 4th book is theological in nature and focuses on issues of the immortality of the soul, the posthumous fate of man, visions of the afterlife (heaven, hell and purifying suffering). St. Gregory provides evidence and reasoning confirming the reality of the spiritual world and the importance of a righteous life for eternal salvation. Despite the high merits of the “Conversations”, simultaneously in them St. Gregory expounds the erroneous doctrine of purgatory, which many centuries later was declared by Catholics to be a dogma of faith. *The title of the work in Latin is Dialogi de vita et miraculis patrum Italicorum et de aeternitate animarum. Contents Book 1 Chapter One. About Honorata, abbot of the Fundis monastery. Chapter two. About Libertina, the steward of the same monastery. Chapter three. About a monk, a gardener of the same monastery. Chapter Four. About Equitius, abbot of the monastery in the Valerian region. Chapter five. About Constantine, paramonar of the Church of St. Stefan. Chapter six. About Marcellinus, Bishop of Ancona. Chapter seven. About Nonnoza, the steward of the monastery on Mount Saraktova. Chapter eight. About Anastasia, abbot of the Suppenton Monastery. Chapter Nine. About Boniface, Bishop of Ferentino. Chapter ten. About Fortunatus, Bishop of Tuderta. Chapter Eleven. About Martyria, monk of the Valerian region. Chapter twelve. About Severus, a presbyter from the same region. Book 2 Chapter One. About the miracle that St. Benedict over a broken sieve. Second chapter. About defeating the temptation of the flesh. Chapter three. About a glass vessel destroyed by the sign of the cross. Chapter Four. About a monk with a scattered mind, returned to the path of salvation. Chapter five. About the water brought out by the prayer of Benedict from the rock on the top of the mountain. Chapter six. About iron returned from the depths of the water to the handle. Chapter seven. About Moor, the disciple of Benedict, who walked unharmed on the waters. Chapter eight. About how a raven carried away bread baked with poison. Chapter Nine. About the big stone raised by the prayer of St. husband Chapter ten. About an imaginary fire. Chapter Eleven. About a novice who was crushed when the wall fell and was brought back to life by the prayer of St. Venedicta. Chapter Twelve. About monks who ate food outside their cells. Chapter thirteen. About the brother of the monk Valentinian, about whom St. the husband found out that he had eaten food on the way. Chapter fourteen. About the hypocrisy of King Totila, which the saint exposed. Chapter fifteen. About the prediction made to the same king Totila and the bishop of the city of Canusina. Chapter sixteen. About a cleric who was temporarily cured of a demon. Chapter seventeen. The prophecy about the destruction of the monastery, uttered by St. husband. Chapter Eighteen. About the hidden vessel, about which St. the husband found out in spirit. Chapter nineteen. About the hiding of napkins, discovered by Saint Benedict. Chapter twenty. About the proud thought of the monk, which St. recognized. husband. Chapter twenty one. About two hundred measures of flour found during the famine at the cell of St. husband Chapter twenty two. About the establishment of the Terratsinsky monastery, as indicated in the vision of St. Benedict. Chapter twenty-three. About the nuns, after their death, returned to communion with the Church, through the prayers of Benedict, at the Eucharist. Chapter twenty-four. About a youth monk who was cast out by the earth after his burial. Chapter twenty-five. About a monk who, leaving the monastery, met a dragon on the way. Chapter twenty-six. About a boy healed of leprosy. Chapter twenty-seven. About gold coins miraculously found by a debtor. Chapter twenty-eight. About a glass vessel thrown onto stones and not breaking. Chapter twenty-nine. About an empty barrel filled with oil. Chapter Thirty. About a monk delivered from a demon. Chapter thirty-one. About the bound villager who was released with one glance from St. husband Chapter thirty two. About the resurrection of the dead. Chapter thirty-three. About the miracle of Venedikt's sister, Scholastica. Chapter thirty-four. About the soul of his sister, which he saw when she left her body. Chapter thirty-five. About the whole world gathered before his eyes, and about the soul of Herman, bishop of the city of Capua. Chapter thirty-six. About the fact that St. Benedict wrote rules for monks. Chapter thirty-seven. About the death of Benedict, which he himself predicted to the brethren. Chapter thirty-eight. About a mad woman healed in his cave. Book 3 Chapter One. About Pavlin, Bishop of Polanski. Chapter two. About Saint Pope John. Chapter three. About Saint Pope Agapit. Chapter Four. About Datius, Bishop of Milan. Chapter five. About Sabinus, Bishop of Canusia. Chapter six. About Cassius, Bishop of Parnassus. Chapter seven. About Andrew, Bishop of Funda. Chapter eight. About Constantius, Bishop of Aquinas. Chapter Nine. About Frigdian, Bishop of Lucca. Chapter ten. About Sabina, bishop of the city of Piacenza. Chapter Eleven. About Kerbonius, Bishop of Populene. Chapter twelve. About Fulgentius, Bishop of Utrikul. Chapter thirteen. About Herculanus, Bishop of Perusia. Chapter fourteen. About God's servant Isaac. Chapter fifteen. About the servants of God Eutychius and Florence. Chapter sixteen. About Martin, a monk from Mount Mars. Chapter seventeen. About a monk from Mount Argentaria who raised the dead. Chapter Eighteen. About the monk Benedikt. Chapter nineteen. About the church of the holy martyr Zeno of Verona. Chapter twenty. About Stefan, presbyter of the Valerian region. Chapter twenty one. About a nun girl who freed a person from an evil spirit with one word. Chapter twenty two. About the presbyter of the Valeria region who stopped a thief at his grave. Chapter twenty-three. About the abbot from Mount Praeneste and his presbyter. Chapter twenty-four. About Theodore, Paramonar at the Church of St. Apostle Peter in Rome. Chapter twenty-five. About Acontius, paramonar of the same church of St. Apostle Peter. Chapter twenty-six. About the hermit Mina. Chapter twenty-seven. About forty villagers killed by the Longobards for refusing to eat food sacrificed to idols. Chapter twenty-eight. About many captives who were beaten for refusing to bow to the goat's head. Chapter twenty-nine. About the Arian blind bishop. Chapter Thirty. About the Arian church in Rome, illuminated for the Orthodox. Chapter thirty-one. About King Herminigild, the son of the Visigothic king Luvigild, killed by his father for the Catholic faith. Chapter thirty two. About African bishops who spoke freely, despite the fact that the Vandal Arians cut off their tongues for their Catholic faith. Chapter thirty-three. About God's servant Eleutherius. Chapter thirty-four. How many types of heartbreak are there? Chapter thirty-five. About Amantius, presbyter of the Tuscia region. Chapter thirty-six. About Maximian, Bishop of Syracuse. Chapter thirty-seven. About Sanctul, presbyter of the Nursi region. Chapter thirty-eight. About the vision of Redempt, Bishop of Ferenta. Book 4 Chapter One. Carnal people do not believe in the eternal and spiritual, because they do not know from experience what they hear about the spiritual. Chapter two. That even an unbeliever has faith. Chapter three. That three kinds of spirits of life were created. Chapter Four. About the words of Solomon: the case (end) of the sons of men and the case of bestiality, the case is one for them. Chapter five. Does the soul exist when it cannot be seen upon leaving the body? Chapter six. Just as the life of the soul located in the body is known from the movement of the members, so the life of the soul after the death of the body of saints is known from miracles. Chapter seven. About the outcome of the soul. Chapter eight. About the outcome of the soul of the monk Speciosa. Chapter Nine. About the soul of a certain prisoner. Chapter ten. About the outcome of the soul of Abbot Spes. Chapter Eleven. About the outcome of the soul of the Nursi presbyter. Chapter twelve. About the soul of Probus, bishop of the city of Reata. Chapter thirteen. About the death of Galla, the servant of God. Chapter fourteen. About the death of Servul, broken by paralysis. Chapter fifteen. About the death of Romula, servant of God. Chapter sixteen. About the death of the nun Tarsilla. Chapter seventeen. About the death of the youth Muse. Chapter Eighteen. About the fact that some children's parents close the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven with bad upbringing, and about the blasphemous youth. Chapter nineteen. About the death of the pious husband Stephen. Chapter twenty. That the merits of the soul are sometimes revealed more clearly not at the time of death, but after death. Chapter twenty one. About two monks of Abbot Valentius. Chapter twenty two. About the death of Abbot Suran. Chapter twenty-three. On the death of a deacon of the Church of Mars. Chapter twenty-four. About the death of the holy man who was sent to Bethel. Chapter twenty-five. Are the souls of the righteous received in heaven before the resurrection of their bodies? Chapter twenty-six. How do dying people predict something? About the monks Gerontius and Mellitus and the youth Armentarius. Chapter twenty-seven. About the death of ruler Feofan. Chapter twenty-eight. One must believe that just as the souls of the perfect are in heaven, so the souls of sinners, after separation from the body, are in hell. Chapter twenty-nine. How can one imagine that disembodied souls can be contained in material fire? Chapter Thirty. About the death of Tsar Theodoric the Arian. Chapter thirty-one. About the death of Reparat. Chapter thirty two. About the death of a curial whose grave was burned. Chapter thirty-three. Will the good recognize the good in the Kingdom of Heaven and the evil recognize the evil in hell? Chapter thirty-four. About one pious man who saw the prophets at his death. Chapter thirty-five. The fact that even souls unknown to one another, but having received either the same punishment for sins, or the same rewards for virtues, recognize each other at death; also about the death of John and Ursus, Eumorphius and Stephen. Chapter thirty-six. About those souls that seem to only be removed from the body; about the dormition and revival of the monk Peter, about the death and resurrection of Stephen, also about the vision of a certain warrior. Chapter thirty-seven. What does it mean to build a house in beautiful places. About Deusdedite, whose house, according to the vision, was built only on the Sabbath, and about the execution of the Sodomites. Chapter thirty-eight. About souls that, while still in the body, see part of future punishments; about the youth Theodore; about the death of Chrysaorius and one Iconian monk. Chapter thirty-nine. Is there a purifying fire after death? Chapter forty. About the soul of Deacon Paskhazia. Chapter forty-one. Why has so much been discovered lately about souls that was previously unknown? Chapter forty-two. Where should hell be located? Chapter forty-three. One hellfire or several different ones? Chapter forty-four. Will sinners cast into fiery Gehenna always burn? Chapter forty-five. How is the soul called immortal when it is known that it is condemned to death? Chapter forty-six. About one holy man who trembled at death. Chapter forty-seven. That some revelations strengthen them against the fear of death; also about the monks Anthony, Merula and John. Chapter forty-eight. Should one observe dreams and how many types of dreams are there? Chapter forty-nine. About one husband, who was promised a long life in a dream, but was soon interrupted by death. Chapter fiftieth. Is it good for souls if the bodies of the dead are buried in a church? Chapter fifty one. About one nun buried in the Church of St. Lawrence, half of whose body appeared burned in a vision. Chapter fifty two. About the burial of the patrician Valerian. Chapter fifty three. About the body of Valentine, taken out of the church after burial. Chapter fifty-four. About the body of a dyer, buried in a church and never found. Chapter fifty-five. What can benefit the souls of the dead? About the presbyter of Centumcellen and about the soul of the monk Justus. Chapter fifty-six. About the life and death of Cassius, Bishop of Narn. Chapter fifty-seven. About a certain man taken prisoner by enemies, whose shackles fell off at the hour of sacrifice for him; and about the helmsman Barak, who escaped from a shipwreck through the Saving Sacrifice. Chapter fifty-eight. About the power and mystery of the Saving Sacrifice. Chapter fifty nine. About contrition of the heart during the Holy Sacrament and about the wakefulness of the mind after Communion. Chapter sixty. About the forgiveness of others' sins, so that ours may be forgiven to us. One day, too burdened with anxiety from worldly affairs, which often force us to abandon our own affairs, which should not be the case, I retired to a solitary place, consoling for a grieving soul. There, in freedom, I could more easily make out the unpleasant impressions that were weighing me down, and take a closer look at everything that usually made me sad. When, therefore, I had spent a lot of time in solitude, in deep sadness, my beloved son, Deacon Peter, came to me. From the first blooming years of our youth the closest friendship united us; Together with him we usually delved into the word of God. Seeing that I was suffering from severe heart exhaustion, he asked me: “Has anything new happened to you that you are sadder than usual?” “No, beloved Peter,” I answered him, “the sorrow that I endure every day is always old for me, because it is common, and always new, because it is increasing. Now my soul grieves because the troubles of the affairs that lie upon me evoke in it memories of my former monastic life; about that life when she knew how to cope with all accidents, to rise above everything fleeting, because her thought was constantly directed towards the heavenly; when even the bonds of the flesh could not serve as an obstacle for her to lead a contemplative life, for death itself, which for almost everyone is a bogeyman and horror, was desired for her as a transition to life, as a reward for deeds. And now, out of the duty of pastoral service, I must engage in worldly affairs and, leaving my former beautiful and serene life, defile my soul with the mire of earthly cares. For as soon as, through condescension towards others, the attention of the soul begins to be scattered on external objects, then, undoubtedly, the strongest attraction to spiritual objects will weaken in it. That's why I consider what I gain and what I lose. And considering my losses, I see that what I lost is more important than what I have. For now I am overwhelmed by the waves of the great sea, and the ship of my mind is shaken by the disturbances of a strong storm; and when I remember my previous life, then, turning my gaze back, it’s as if I see the shore and sigh. And what is even more painful, in the anxiety of immense excitement, I can hardly even see the haven I left, for it happens to our soul that at first, when the soul loses the good it once owned, it still retains the memory of the loss, but then, as time goes on, it forgets about the lost good itself, and thus, finally, it does not even retain in memory what it actually owned before. Therefore, as I said, with the continuation of the voyage we completely lose sight of the serene refuge we left behind. Sometimes, to further intensify my grief, the lives of people who have left the world entirely in their souls come to my mind. One glance at the height of their angelic life shows me how low I myself remain. Most of these holy men pleased their Creator, leading a life hidden from the world, and the Almighty Lord, not wanting their renewed spirit to become worn out by human affairs, removed all worldly cares from them. However, in order to better convey everything that we said to each other, I will present it in the form of a conversation, in questions and answers - with our names indicated. Peter. I know little about the deeds of men who became famous for the sanctity of life in Italy. Therefore, I don’t understand who you are talking about with such passion, comparing your life with theirs. Of course, I have no doubt that there really were holy men in Italy, but their virtues and miracles are either completely unknown to me, or at least so little has been said about them until now that this silence can lead to doubt. Grigory. If, beloved Peter, I had decided to convey to you only that information about the lives of these holy and glorious men that I, an insignificant person, could have learned from the words of good and faithful witnesses or myself, then I think that there would not be enough time for this. Peter. I beg you, Holy Father, tell me at least something. And, it seems to me, it cannot serve as an important obstacle to the narration that an extensive story should be compiled from the memories of the lives of holy men. For the story of the lives of the saints will already show how we need to acquire and preserve virtue, and the story of their miracles will show how acquired and preserved virtue is glorified. And there are people in whose souls the flame of love for the heavenly fatherland can be kindled not so much by instructions as by examples. For he who listens to the stories about the lives of the holy fathers receives a double benefit from this: firstly, the examples of their lives as people who preceded us on the path to salvation arouse love for the future life; secondly, if someone has hitherto been accustomed to seeing some virtues in himself, he will humble himself when he realizes that the exploits of the saints were higher. Grigory. I am ready to immediately tell you everything that I learned about these men from conversations with pious people, following in this sacred and high example, shining brighter than the sun for me - the example of Mark and Luke, who wrote their gospels not on the basis of what they saw, but what they heard. However, so that future readers of my story do not have the slightest reason to doubt the truth of my story, for each of the events described I will indicate the source from which I borrowed them. I just warn you that when describing some events I will retain one thought of the source, and when describing others - both the thought and the expressions themselves. For if I began to tell everything in the own words of those who conveyed it to me, in my style, as a writer, there would be unevenness due to the introduction of a simple, artless story of some people. However, the story that I intend to offer now is borrowed from the lips of the most venerable elders. Chapter one. About Honorata, abbot of the Fundis monastery. A certain patrician Venantius had an estate in the Samnian region. One villager who lived on this estate had a son named Honorat. From his adolescence, love for abstinence kindled in him love for the heavenly fatherland. For a long time he led such a way of life that he abstained from every idle word, he humbled his flesh a lot with abstinence, as one day his parents arranged a feast for their neighbors. Among other dishes, meat was also prepared for the table. But Honorat, out of love for abstinence, did not even want to touch this dish. His parents began to laugh at him and said to him: “Eat, do you really think that we will go fishing for you in these mountains?” “In that direction they really only knew about fish by hearsay.” Meanwhile, while they were laughing at Honorat in this way, suddenly at the feast, due to various needs, there was a shortage of water. Immediately the servant set out, as was the custom there, with a wooden vessel to fetch water, and while he was drawing water, a fish fell into the vessel. Returning to the house, the servant, in full view of everyone who was at the feast, poured out the water in which there was fish, and such a size that it would have been enough for Honoratus to eat for the whole day. Everyone was surprised, and Honorat's parents had to abandon their ridicule. Thus, the boy’s abstinence, hitherto ridiculed, became an object of respect, and the fish caught in the mountains freed the virtue of the man of God from caustic ridicule. As soon as the fame of Honorat's virtuous life began to increase, he was released by his master and founded a monastery in a place called Funda. Here he was the leader of almost two hundred hermits, here his life became for everyone a model of the highest life. – One day it happened that a huge rock broke off from the mountain towering above the monastery, which, descending along the steepness of the mountain, threatened the final destruction of the monastery and the death of all the brethren. As soon as the holy man Honorat saw this, he immediately, repeatedly calling on the name of the Savior, made the sign of the cross with his right hand towards the descending rock, and it, already ready to collapse, immediately stopped on the very cliff of the mountain. This is how someone pious Lavrenty told me about it. And just as the cliff of the mountain on which the rock stopped was extremely steep, even today, they say, if you look at the mountain, it seems that the rock seems to be threatening to fall. Peter. I think, holy father, that this wonderful man could not have become a leader of others if he himself had not previously received instructions from someone? Grigory. I have not heard at all that he was anyone’s disciple, but you need to know that the gifts of the grace of the Holy Spirit are sometimes communicated to people in an unusual manner. According to the usual order, it would follow that one cannot be a boss who has not learned to obey, and one who does not know how to obey his superiors cannot instill obedience in his subordinates. But there are people who receive such inner enlightenment from the Holy Spirit that although they do not use external human guidance, an internal mentor is constantly present in their spirit - the Holy Spirit. Only people who are not strong in virtue should not take the lives of holy men as a model for this, which is higher than ordinary laws, because otherwise someone can easily imagine that he too is filled with the Holy Spirit, begin to neglect human instruction and thus fall into error. However, a soul filled with the Holy Spirit has in itself the most obvious signs of this advantage, namely: high virtue combined with humility, so that if the soul perfectly possesses these qualities, then this serves as the most obvious evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in it. For example, the Holy Scriptures do not say that St. John the Baptist had a teacher, even Christ, the Truth itself, during his visible stay on earth, instructing the apostles, did not visibly add John to the ranks of His disciples; but whom He taught internally, He left externally to live as if according to His own will. So Moses was led in the desert by an Angel (Ex. 23:20ff.), and not by a man. But all this for people who have not yet established themselves in virtue should, as I said, be a subject not of imitation, but of veneration. Peter. Enough. But please tell me now: did this holy father Honorat leave behind him any follower from among his disciples? Chapter two. About Libertina, the steward of the same monastery. Grigory. During the time of Totila, the Gothic king, in the same monastery there was a pious man named Libertinus as steward. He lived and was raised under the guidance of Father Honorat. There were many reliable stories circulating among the people about his great virtues, but the previously mentioned pious Lawrence, who is still alive and at that time was very close to Father Libertino, spoke to me especially often and a lot about him. I will now try to tell you briefly what I remember from these conversations. One day, the pious Libertine, in his position as a steward, set off for monastic needs somewhere on a journey through the aforementioned Samnian region. At the same time and along the same road, Dardanus, one of the Gothic leaders, passed with his army. His soldiers attacked the man of God, threw him to the ground and took possession of his horse. Having graciously endured this loss, the saint gave the scourge itself to the robbers, saying: “Take this too, so that you have something to urge my horse on.” Having said this, the saint began to pray. Meanwhile, Dardanus' army went further and soon reached the Vulturna River. To cross it, the horsemen began to hit their spears and urge their horses; but no matter how they beat or tortured the horses, they stubbornly remained in one place; it seemed that they were as afraid to touch the water as to throw themselves off the steepest cliff. When, having thus tormented the horses for a long time, the riders themselves were tired, one of them said: “We suffer such misfortune because we offended the man of God on the way.” Immediately some of them returned and found Libertinus in the same place in a position of prayer. “Get up,” they told him, “and take your horse.” “Go with God,” answered the saint, “I don’t need a horse.” Then the riders themselves dismounted, forcibly placed Libertin on his horse, and immediately went back. Upon arrival at the place, their horses swam across the river with such swiftness, which they had not been able to swim in until now, as if there was no water at all in that place. Thus, according to God’s dispensation, as soon as the horse was returned to the saint, the horses began to obey the riders. Around the same time, a Frankish army led by Bucellinus passed through the Campanian region. There was a general rumor that the monastery, ruled by Honoratus, owned great treasures. The ferocious Franks, bursting into the church, began to search there and call for the steward Libertin: and at that time he was praying, prostrate on the ground. And - a wonderful thing - no matter how much the Franks searched for Libertin, no matter how furious they were, they could not see him, although they often even touched his body with their feet. Thus, deceived by their blindness, they had to leave the monastery with nothing. At another time, Libertin received an order from the abbot (already the successor of Libertinov’s teacher, Honoratus) to go to Ravenna for the needs of the monastery. Out of love for Saint Honoratus, Libertinus had the habit of taking his shoes with him wherever he went. As he rode in this way, he came across a woman carrying the body of her dead son in her arms. Seeing the man of God, she stopped Libertinov’s horse by the bridle and swore to the saint: “You will not leave here until you resurrect my son.” Libertin, realizing what an extraordinary miracle was being demanded of him, was horrified when he heard the request coupled with a spell. He tried to remove the woman from himself, but being unable to do this, he remained indecisive. One must imagine what a strong struggle was taking place in his soul at that time. His own humility fought in him with compassion for the unfortunate mother, the fear of starting to perform an extraordinary miracle - with a sorrowful feeling of refusing to help the orphaned woman. Finally, to the greatest glory of God, compassion defeated the firm virtue of humility, firm because it was defeated by compassion, for that virtue cannot be called firm which remains unyielding in the face of the suffering of others. So, the saint got off his horse, knelt down - and, after prayerfully raising his hands to heaven, taking out the shoes of the saint. Honorat, assigned it to the deceased youth. Through the prayer of the holy man, the soul returned to the deceased. Having hugged the revived one, he handed him over to his crying mother and continued on his way. Peter. Well, tell me, father: was it the power of the virtues of Saint Honoratus that produced such a miracle, or the prayer of Saint Libertine? Grigory. To perform such an extraordinary miracle, they united: the faith of the wife and the strength of the virtues of both saints; and I think that Libertinus was able to perform this miracle because he relied more on the strength of his mentor’s virtues than on the strength of his own. For he believed that the soul of the one whose shoes were placed on the chest of the deceased would hear his prayer. Just as Elisha could not, by simply throwing down the mantle of his teacher, which he carried with him, divide the waters of the Jordan on both sides when he approached this river. But how soon did he say: “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah, He Himself?” (2 Kings 2:14) And he struck the water, and it parted this way and that, and Elisha crossed over and threw Elijah’s mantle into the river, the water parted and opened a free path for him. Do you see, beloved Peter, what power humility has in performing miracles? Then he was able to discover a power similar to that which the mentor possessed when he called on his name and he did the same as the mentor, because he imitated his humility. Peter. I am pleased to listen to you, all-honorable father! Tell me, please, do you know anything else similar about this man for our edification? Grigory. Yes, I know, but only for those who want to imitate. For I consider the virtue of humility to be superior to all signs and wonders. This is what happened: one day the abbot, who after the death of Honoratus took his place in the management of the monastery, was so angry with the virtuous Libertino that he was ready to hit him. And since he could not find a stick for this, he grabbed the footstool and beat Libertino so severely that his entire head and face were covered with tumors and blue spots. Having endured these terrible beatings, Libertin calmly retired to his cell. Soon it became clear that Libertine needed to go somewhere to meet the needs of the monastery. So, having completed the morning rule, he goes to the abbot’s cell to humbly ask him for prayers and blessings. The abbot, knowing with what respect and love everyone looked at Libertin after the unjust insult inflicted on him and thinking that he wanted to leave the monastery completely, turned to Libertin with the question: “Where are you planning to go?” “For the sake of the urgent needs of the monastery, father,” answered Libertin, “yesterday I promised to be in such and such a place, and now I want to go there.” Then the abbot, realizing in the depths of his soul, on the one hand, how harshly and cruelly he had treated Libertino, on the other, how meek and humble the offended one was, left his cell, threw himself at the feet of Libertino, and admitted that he was gravely guilty and sinful, daring to inflict a cruel insult on such a virtuous husband. Libertin, for his part, also threw himself to the ground and, falling at the feet of the abbot, assured that the reason for the insult he inflicted was not in the abbot’s irritability, but in his, Libertin’s, guilt. After this incident, the abbot became extremely meek in his behavior and, thus, the student’s humility enlightened the teacher himself. - When Libertine went about his business for the needs of the monastery, some of the noble nobles, who respected him extremely, met with extraordinary amazement and sympathy and began to ask what had happened to him, that his whole face was swollen and covered with blue spots? “Late yesterday evening,” answered Libertin, “due to my sins, I stumbled over a bench and hurt myself so badly.” Thus, this holy man, in his answer, spoke the truth, did not disclose the abbot’s offense, and avoided the sin of lying. Peter. I would like to know, all-honorable father, whether such a God-fearing man as Libertin, about whom you tell so many wonderful things, did not leave followers of his virtues in the monastery? Chapter three. About a monk, a gardener of the same monastery. Grigory. Felix, nicknamed Kurvus, a man known to you and who was recently a steward in the same monastery, told me a lot of amazing things about the brethren of his monastery. I won’t tell you everything I remember from his stories, because I want to talk about something else. But here is one incident I heard from him, about which I consider it even impossible to keep silent. In the Fundis monastery there was one monk, a gardener by occupation, a man of high life. A thief was used to visiting him in the garden. Climbing over the fence, he secretly carried away the vegetables. The gardener soon noticed that he had planted a lot of vegetables, but there were very few left, some were trampled, others were torn. Having walked around the entire garden, he finally discovered the place through which the thief usually made his way into the garden. When after this he walked through the garden again, he saw a snake and commandingly said to it: “Crawl after me,” and, approaching the place where the thief was passing, he also commandingly said to the snake: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to take care of this passage and not allow the thief to enter the garden.” The snake immediately stretched across the road, and the monk returned to his cell. At noon, when all the brothers were resting, the thief comes, as usual, and begins to climb over the fence; but as soon as he moved his foot into the garden, he suddenly saw that a snake was blocking his path. The thief, greatly frightened, fell back, but his leg got stuck in the fence stakes, and in this position, with his head thrown back, he remained until the gardener arrived. – At the appointed hour, the gardener comes, sees that the thief is hanging on the fence, and says to the snake: “I thank God, you did what was ordered to you; now it’s gone.” The snake disappeared. Then the gardener, turning to the thief, said: “What, brother? God has given you into my hands. How did you dare to steal the labors of monastic hands so many times?” After these words, the gardener freed the thief’s stuck leg, calmly removed him from the fence and invited him to follow him. With great pleasure, having provided the thief with the vegetables that he usually stole, the gardener led him to the garden gate and said: “Go, and after that do not steal, and when you are in need, it is better to come here to me; I will gladly give you what you have previously acquired through sin.” Peter. Now I see that it was in vain to think that in Italy there were no saints famous for miracles. Chapter Four. About Equitius, abbot of the monastery in the Valerian region. Grigory. Now I will tell you what I heard from Fortunatus, a venerable man - the abbot of the Puteoli monastery, as well as from other venerable persons. In the province of Valeria there lived a certain Equitius, a man of unusually holy life. The abbot Fortunatus knew him closely, and in general, for everyone, the spiritual exploits of Equitius were a subject of reverence. Equitius, as a man of highly holy life, ruled many monasteries in that region. In his youth, he was greatly tormented by a difficult struggle with the lusts of the flesh; but the very severity of the temptation forced him to be all the more diligent in prayer. Thus, in unceasing prayer, asking Almighty God for a cure against temptation, Equitius finally felt that all lust of the flesh had disappeared in him, and became as far from temptation as if he had no body. Having been strengthened by the help of God's grace in virtue, Equitius, just as he had previously ruled only male monasteries, so from now on began to rule women's monasteries as well. However, he constantly inspired his students not to be frivolously carried away by his example and, if they did not rely on their own strength, not to attempt to strive to acquire a gift that they did not have. While wizards were captured in Rome, a certain Vasily, who was the first expert in magic, changed into a monastic dress and fled to the Valerian region. Appearing to the venerable Bishop of Amiterna Castorius, Basil asked to be placed in a monastery ruled by Equitius, imagining that he could be useful to the monastery with his medical art. The bishop immediately went to the monastery together with the false monk Vasily and asked the saint of God Equitius to accept the petitioner into the ranks of the brotherhood. Looking at Vasily, the saint said to the bishop: “Behold, you are ordering me to accept not a monk, but a devil.” “You are only looking for an excuse not to fulfill my will,” the bishop objected to the abbot. “I say what I see in him,” answered the saint of God, “but so that you do not think that I am shirking obedience, I will do according to your will.” Vasily was accepted into the monastery. A few days later, the saint of God withdrew from the monastery for quite a long time to edify with the word of truth those who thirsted for spiritual consolation. After the departure of St. Equitius happened that in a convent, which was also under his care, one nun, who had preserved traces of beauty on her mortal body, fell ill and in terrible agony, screaming and screaming, repeated: “I will certainly die if the monk Vasily does not come and restore me to health with the help of his art.” But in the absence of the abbot, none of the monks dared to enter the nunnery, especially Vasily, who had recently joined the brotherhood and was not yet known to anyone by his behavior. They immediately ordered that Equitia be sent to the saint of God with the news that such and such a nun was suffering terribly from illness and persistently demanded that the monk Vasily visit her. Hearing this, the holy man said with a bitter smile: “Did I not say that this is not a man, but a demon? Go and drive him out of the monastery. And don’t worry anymore about the servant of God who is suffering from a serious illness; her illness will pass, and she will not demand Vasily for herself.” The messengers returned and learned that, indeed, the sick woman received healing at the very time when the saint of God Equitius told them about this, being away from the monastery. So the righteous man performed a miracle, following the example of his Teacher and Lord Jesus Christ, who, having been called to the house of a courtier to heal his son (John 4:46), with one word granted him healing, so that upon returning to the house, the father learned that his son had recovered precisely at the time when he heard about his healing from the lips of the Truth Itself. All the monks, fulfilling the command of their abbot, expelled the false monk Vasily from their monastery. When he was expelled, he confessed that he had often, through his magical art, lifted the cell of Saint Equitius into the air, but could not do any harm to it. A short time later, this wizard, due to the jealousy of the local people, was burned at the stake in Rome. It also happened that one servant of God, from the same women’s monastery, one day went to the monastery garden. Seeing vegetables there, she began to eat them greedily, forgetting to first protect herself with the sign of the cross; Suddenly an evil spirit grabbed her and threw her to the ground. When they saw her in terrible agony, they immediately asked Father Equitius to hasten to heal the sick woman with his prayer. As soon as I entered the garden of St. Equitius, an unclean spirit that entered the nun, began to shout through her lips, as if asking for mercy: “What have I done, what have I done? I was in vegetables, when she came and took me into her with them.” But the man of God with great anger commanded the unclean spirit to leave the nun and never return to the servant of Almighty God. The spirit immediately left and after that did not even dare to touch her. A certain Felix, a nobleman of the Nursia region, the father of Castorius, who now lives in Rome, having learned that the pious Equitius did not yet have holy orders, and meanwhile went everywhere for the zealous edification of others with words, one day turned to him in a friendly manner with the question: “How do you, father, dare to preach when you have neither holy orders, nor permission from the Roman bishop, in whose jurisdiction you are? preach?" Hearing such a question, the holy man explained his boldness to preach in the following way: “What you asked me about now, I was thinking about this with myself. But one day a beautiful young man appeared to me in a vision at night and touched my tongue with an instrument that doctors use for bloodletting, saying: “Behold, I put my word in your mouth, go and preach.” From that time on, even if I wanted to, I cannot remain silent, forced by the power of God.” Peter. I would like, Father, to know what kind of deeds this holy man went through, who, according to the general assurance, received from God such gifts of grace. Grigory. Deed, beloved Peter, depends on the gift of grace, and not grace on deed, otherwise grace will not be grace. For every exploit is preceded by a gift of grace, although afterwards the gifts of grace increase in proportion as the exploits increase. But if you want to collect true information about the life of this saint, turn to the venerable bishop of the Reatina Church, Albin - he knew St. well. Equity; Yes, there are many other people who knew him. And why should you look for even greater feat in him, when you know that in this saint, an immaculate life was combined with zeal for the edification of others? He burned with such zeal to win souls for the Lord that, while managing several monasteries, he at the same time went everywhere, to churches, cities, villages, even to the private homes of Christians, and kindled love for the heavenly fatherland in the hearts of his listeners. His clothes were very poor and his appearance was so modest that if he happened to meet and bow to a stranger, he would consider it low to return his bow. He usually went to some places on horseback, choosing the worst horse that could be found in the monastery, and instead of a bridle he always used a halter, and instead of a saddle, sheepskin. Wherever he went, he took with him the books of the Holy Scriptures, putting them in leather bags that hung on his right and left sides, so that, by opening the sources of the word of God, he would water spiritual pastures. The rumor about his preaching reached Rome, and immediately from the clergy of the Bishop of Rome some flatterers (who usually first catch with their tongues and then destroy the soul of the listener) approached their shepherd with complaints. “Here,” they said, “most holy father, some man, deprived of all education, illegally arrogated to himself the right to preach, an uneducated person anticipated the duty that actually belongs to your holiness. Would it please you to send for him, bring him here and instill in him the concept of church order?” It usually happens that someone who is very zealous in fulfilling his duties is more accessible than flattery if he does not have time to reflect it at the very beginning from the doors of his heart. The Bishop of Rome agreed to the persuasion of his clergy to bring St. Equition to instill in him the proper concepts of his duties. However, not wanting such an order to offend the saint of God in any way, the pope ordered his ambassador Defensor Julian (who later was the bishop of the Sabine Church) to bring St. Equisition to Rome with possible honors. Encouraged by the insistence of the clergy to fulfill this order as soon as possible, Julian hastily went to the monastery of St. Equitius, where he found some monks who were copying books, and asked them: “Where is your abbot?” (And St. Equitius was not at home.) “Here, not far, in the monastery meadows, he is mowing hay,” answered the monks. With Julian was a servant, very proud and impudent, whom he himself could hardly curb. Julian sent him to quickly bring the abbot to him. The servant set off, quickly reached the meadows and, turning to everyone who was mowing hay, rudely asked: “Where is Equitius?” It was pointed out to him; Seeing the abbot from afar, the servant fell into extraordinary fear: trembling and trembling, he could hardly walk. In trepidation, he approached the man of God, prostrated himself before him, humbly hugging his knees, and announced the coming of his master. After the greeting, the saint of God said to him: “Here, take some fresh hay and take it to feed the horses you came on; I, a little later, having completed my task, will come after you.” Meanwhile, the pope's envoy, Defensor Julian, wondered a lot: why did his servant take so long to come? As soon as he saw that he was returning from the meadows with a bundle of hay on his shoulders, in great anger he began to shout at him: “What does this mean? I sent you to bring the abbot to me, not to carry hay.” “He will come now,” answered the servant. Meanwhile, the man of God, having dressed and putting a bundle of hay on his shoulders, went to the monastery. While he was still at a distance, the servant pointed out to his master that this was the very man for whom they had been sent. As soon as Julian saw the saint of God, judging by his humiliated appearance, he prepared to speak to him, i.e. strictly and commandingly. But as soon as the saint of God approached, an extraordinary timidity took possession of Julian’s heart, so that he trembled all over and was barely able to convey to the saint the reason for his arrival. Having humbly fallen at the feet of the saint of God, Julian asked for his prayers for himself and announced that the Holy Pope wanted to see him. Saint Equitius from the fullness of his heart thanked Almighty God that through the Supreme Hierarch the Lord visited him from above with grace. He immediately ordered some of the brethren to prepare horses for the journey and urgently demanded that the papal envoy prepare to leave immediately. “This is completely impossible, holy father,” answered Julian. “Tired from the long journey, I am not able to go again today.” “I regret this, my son,” answered St. Equition. “If we don’t go today, then we won’t go tomorrow either.” Thus, the saint of God, tolerating the fatigue of the messenger, spent the next night in the monastery. At the very dawn of the next day, a new papal ambassador, a youth, arrived at Julian, and his hasty riding almost tortured his horse. He brought Julian a letter from the pope, in which he commanded the latter not to dare to disturb the saint of God by leaving the monastery. When Julian asked the messenger what made the pope change his order, he received the answer that on the very night that Julian went to the monastery, the pope had some terrible vision with a reproach for why he dared to demand the saint of God from the monastery. Julian immediately went to St. Equitius and, committing himself to his prayers, announced that the pope had ordered him not to be disturbed by leaving the monastery. Hearing this, the saint of God became sad and said: “Didn’t I tell you yesterday that if we don’t go now, we won’t go at all.” Then, wanting to express his love for the little (second) papal ambassador, he took him to his cell and decently rewarded him for his work, although the messenger refused and did not want to take it. Learn from this, beloved Peter, how the Lord protects those who humble themselves in this life; how those who are not ashamed of contempt from people are considered fellow citizens of the heavenly fatherland; How, ? on the contrary, arrogant seekers of vain glory are despicable in the eyes of God before themselves and before their neighbors. That is why the Truth itself tells us: you show yourself to be righteous before people, but God knows your hearts, for what is high among people is an abomination to God. Peter. It’s very surprising to me, Father, how could such a great man be slandered before the Pope? Grigory. Why marvel, beloved Peter? Are we not all subject to sin as humans? Don’t you know that David, this man filled with the prophetic spirit, condemned Jonathan’s son based on the slander of a servant? (2 Samuel 16:3-4). After all, we believe that the order of King David, according to the unknown judgment of God, was fair, but at the same time we do not know how to reconcile this act with justice according to human concepts. After this, what is surprising is that we, not being prophets, sometimes allow the tongue of flatterers to lead us into sin? It is all the more surprising if one of the high shepherds, who has so many worries, is tempted. Attention scattered over many objects is less likely to focus on any one thing; and the wider the range of subjects for our studies, the easier it is to deceive our mind in relation to any one of them. Peter. Your words are absolutely true, holy father. Grigory. I also cannot help but tell you what I learned from the stories of a certain venerable man, Valentine, about this holy abbot. According to Valentine, the body of St. The equitation was laid in the church of the blessed martyr Lawrence. It happened one day that a villager placed a vessel with bread on the tomb of this saint, for he did not bother to find out which great saint was buried here, nor to bow to his tomb. Then suddenly a strong wind arose and, while everything else in the church remained motionless in its place, the vessel placed on the tomb was thrown down and thrown far away, so that it became obvious to everyone how great a saint of God the body was resting in that place. I will also tell you something that I learned from a conversation with the previously mentioned venerable Fortunatus, whom I fully respect both for his age and for his spiritual exploits and simplicity of heart. The Valerian province was attacked by the Longobards; then the monks of the monastery of St. Equitia hid in the mentioned church to the saint’s tomb. When the frantic Longobards invaded the church and dragged the monks out to give them over to torture and death, one of the brethren cried out with a cry and deep sorrow: “O Saint Equitius! Do you really want to leave us to the tormentors?” Immediately after this prayer, the unclean spirit attacked the frantic Longobards, threw them to the ground and tormented them until this became known to the other Longobards who were outside the church. After this, not one of them dared to attack the holy place so brazenly. St. Equitius, who protected his disciples in this way, and after that provided assistance to many who ran to his tomb. Chapter five. About Constantine, paramonar of the Church of St. Stefan. Now I’ll tell you what I learned from a conversation with a bishop I know. He spent many years living a monastic and, moreover, very pious life in the city of Ancona. His stories are confirmed by other elderly acquaintances who lived in that country. – Near the city of Ancona there was a church in the name of St. Martyr Stephen. Under her, the position of paramonar was filled by a person respected in life, Konstantin. The rumor about his holy life spread very far, for this man, completely despising everything earthly, clung with all his soul only to heavenly things. One day there was not enough oil in this church and the servant of God Constantine did not have anything to light the lamps with; but he, without being embarrassed, poured water into the lamps and lowered the lamp; Then, when he brought the fire and lit it, the water began to burn as if oil had been poured into the lamps. Think, beloved Peter, what a great ascetic this Constantine was when, to the extreme, he could change the properties of the elements. Peter. Your stories are truly amazing, father. But I would like to know at what level of inner humility did this man stand, who did such extraordinary things on the outside? Grigory. It is good that in working miracles you try to understand the spiritual properties of a person, for external miraculous actions lead his spirit into strong temptation. But what humility did St. Konstantin, you will immediately see how soon you will listen to the story of only one of his deeds. Peter. Yes, after telling about such a great miracle, you can only tell me about his spiritual humility for my edification. Grigory. As soon as the rumor about Constantine's holiness spread far, many people from different regions began to come with an impatient desire to see the saint. One day a villager came from a distant country to look at him. At that time St. Konstantin, standing on a wooden bench, adjusted the lamps. The saint was very small in stature, thin in appearance and very plain in appearance. Meanwhile, the one who came to look at the saint asked everyone where he was and impatiently asked to point to him. Those who knew the saint fulfilled the villager’s wish. But just as ignorant people often judge spiritual virtues by appearance, the villager, seeing this short and unsightly servant in front of him, did not want to think that he was a saint. It seemed to the villager that what he had heard about the saint contradicted what he now saw himself. It cannot be, he thought, that a man who, according to general rumor, is so famous, could be so insignificant in appearance. When many confirmed to him that this was indeed a famous saint, he said disrespectfully and mockingly: “I thought I was seeing an important person, but this one doesn’t even look like a person.” As soon as I heard these words of St. Constantine immediately left the lamps that he was straightening, quickly and with a joyful look approached the villager, took him into his arms, began to kiss him with extraordinary love and from the fullness of his heart thanked him that the villager made such a review about him: “You alone,” said the saint, “made a fair review about me!” - From this we can conclude how deep the saint’s humility was when he showed so much love to the villager, despite the unfavorable review of himself. The spiritual qualities of a person are most likely learned from how he endures insults from others. For just as the proud love honor from others, so the humble rejoice in their humiliation. They remain calm when others despise them, because they see that the opinion they form about themselves is confirmed by others. Peter. Now I see that no matter how great this saint was in his miracles, he was even greater in his humility. Chapter six. About Marcellinus, Bishop of Ancona. In the same city of Ancona there was a bishop named Marcellinus, a man of strict life. A serious illness in his legs made it impossible for him to walk, so when he needed to go somewhere, servants had to carry him on a stretcher. One day, due to someone's negligence, a fire broke out in Ancona. As soon as the flames grew significantly stronger, everyone came running to put it out. But no matter how diligently they poured out the fire, the fire spread more and more, so that it threatened to destroy the entire city. When the flames of the fire engulfed the nearest buildings and destroyed a large part of the city, and no one was able to stop its spread, at that time the bishop was carried out. Moved by the general disaster, he ordered his bearers to place himself on a stretcher against the flames. When this was done and the stretcher was placed opposite the place where the fire was most raging, the fire, to everyone's surprise, stopped spreading further and thereby seemed to announce to everyone that it could not cross the place where the bishop was. Thus, the flame of the fire, stopped at a certain place, went out by itself and not a single building was damaged by it. Think, beloved Peter, what holiness this weak man possessed when through his prayer he was able to extinguish the terrible flame. Peter. I think about it and am amazed! Chapter seven. About Nonnoza, the steward of the monastery on Mount Saraktova. Grigory. Now I will tell you something about a place neighboring Ancona, where I learned from conversations with people known to you: the venerable Bishop Maximin and the elder monk Lavrion. Both of them are still alive. The elderly Lavrion in the Suppenton monastery, near the city of Nemesa, was under the care of a certain Anastasius, a man of the most holy life. Not far from the Suppenton monastery there was another one - on Mount Soraktovo; There was one venerable man in it, the steward Nonnoz, who was famous for his high and strictly ascetic life. These reasons, as well as the proximity of the place, prompted Anastasia to frequently visit Nonnosa. The head of the monastery in which Nonnoz lived was a man of the coolest character. But Nonnoz always endured his irritation with amazing calm. In meekness he surpassed all the brethren and often softened the abbot’s anger with his deep humility. Since the monastery was located at the very top of the mountain, the brethren could not find a convenient place there to plant even a small garden. On the slope of the mountain, however, there was one small place, but it was completely closed by a huge rock jutting out from the mountain. One day St. Nonnozu had the idea that this place could have been used for a vegetable garden if the rock had not interfered. But realizing that the stone was so large that even fifty pairs of oxen could not move it, and that, consequently, all human strength would be insignificant for this task, the saint turned to Divine help and, in the silence of the night, plunged into prayer. In the morning, the brethren, having come to that place, saw that a huge stone had fallen far from its original place and left them a vast space to build a vegetable garden. At another time, this saint cleaned glass lamps in the vestibule of the church. One fell out of his hands and broke into pieces. Frightened by the abbot's anger, Nonnoz immediately collected all the fragments, and, placing them before the altar, began to pray with great lamentation. As soon as he got up from prayer, he saw that the lamp, the fragments of which he had collected with such fear, was intact. Thus, having performed these two miracles, he became like the two saints. to the fathers: after the tearing away of the rock - St. Gregory, who moved an entire mountain with his words, and after restoring the lamp - St. Donat, who also restored the broken vessel to its original form. Peter. Now I see that the miracles that were performed in the past are being repeated now. Grigory. Wouldn’t you like, I’ll also tell you what St. Nonnos in imitation of the prophet Elisha. Peter. I look forward to listening. Grigory. One day there was a shortage of oil in the monastery; Meanwhile, although the time had already arrived to gather olives, there were no fruits at all on the trees of the monastery garden. The abbot of the monastery ordered that the brethren be sent to the surrounding areas to help in the collection of olive trees for the owners, in whose gardens there were fruits, so that with the money earned from their labor they could buy some oil for the monastery. But the man of God Nonnoz, with great meekness, however, opposed this, fearing that one of the brethren, having left the monastery in order to acquire oil, would suffer some kind of spiritual harm. And as olive trees could be seen here and there on the trees in the monastery garden, St. Nonnoz ordered them to be collected, the juice squeezed out of them, and how much oil was thus obtained, brought to him. The order was carried out and the brethren brought the squeezed oil to the saint in a small vessel. When everyone left, St. Nonnoz placed the vessel of oil before the altar and prayed to God. Then, when the brethren came to him again, he ordered them to pour a little from the brought vessel into all the vessels available in the monastery, so that each one contained a few of this blessed oil. Despite this, the vessels were almost empty; then the saint ordered them to be closed; when they later opened them again, they found that they were full of oil. Peter. Now it is obvious how the words of the Truth itself are constantly being fulfilled: “My Father works until now, and I work” (John 5.17). Chapter eight. About Anastasia, abbot of the Suppenton Monastery. Grigory. At the same time, the Venerable Anastasius, whom I mentioned before, was a notary in the Roman Church, which, by the grace of God, I now serve. Wanting to devote his life to the one God, he abandoned his writing studies and chose the same Suppenton monastery as his place of residence, which I spoke about before. There, managing the monastery as a caring shepherd, he spent many years in holy deeds. From the top of the mountain in that place a huge rock jutted out, so that a terrible rapids opened down from it. When, by the will of Almighty God, the time of St. Anastasia to receive reward for the exploits of earthly life, one night a voice was heard from this high rock, accompanied by a strong noise: “Come, Anastasy!” After this, the other seven brethren were also called by name. Then the voice died down for a while, but soon called the eighth brother. The entire brotherhood heard this voice and no one doubted that this foreshadowed the imminent death of those to whom the voice referred. Indeed, a few days later, St. died first. Anastasy, then others in order, as their voice called. The brother whose name was uttered by the calling voice after some silence outlived all the others for several days and then also died. From this it is obvious that the silence of the voice meant several days of life. But here’s a miracle that happened: when St. Anastasius was approaching his death; one of the monastery brethren came to him, who did not want to outlive his abbot. Falling at the saint’s feet, he began to beg him with tears: “I adjure you by God, to whom you are going, do not allow me to remain here after you for more than seven days.” And indeed, not even seven days had passed after the death of Anastasius, when this brother died, although the voice did not call him along with the others that night. Obviously, only the prayer of St. Anastasia could have given him his death. Peter. If, father, this brother came from this world only for the prayers of St. Anastasia, although he was not called to this by voice, is it not possible to conclude from this that the great saints of God can sometimes, through their prayer, receive even what is not predetermined by God? Grigory. No; What is not predetermined by God, they cannot receive in any way; but what they receive through their prayer is predetermined, i.e., this is how it should happen through prayer. Even the very inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven is so predetermined by Almighty God that the elect receive it for their deeds, depending on how they are able through prayer to acquire for themselves the gifts predetermined for them by Almighty God. Peter. I ask you, Father, explain to me completely: how can prayer contribute to predestination? Grigory. I can explain to you, beloved Peter, what I said in brief words. You, without a doubt, know that God once said to Abraham: “For your seed will be called Isaac” (Gen. 21:12); and in another place: “for I will make you the father of many nations” (Gen. 17:5). The following promise was also given to him: “By blessing I will bless you and by multiplying I will multiply your seed like the stars of heaven and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed will take possession of the cities of their enemies” (Gen. 22:17). These promises clearly show that Almighty God has predestined to spread the seed of Abraham through Isaac; and meanwhile, here is what we read in another place: “And Isaac prayed to the Lord for [Rebekah] his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord heard him, and Rebekah his wife conceived” (Gen. 25:21). If it was predestined that Abraham's descendants would spread through Isaac, then why was his wife barren? But this is what shows that predestination is accomplished by prayer: for the one who was predestined to spread the seed of Abraham received children only through prayer. Peter. Your words, father, revealed the secret to me, and now no doubt bothers me. Grigory. Would you like me to tell you about St. fathers who lived in Tuscia so that you know what kind of ascetics there were and how they approached God with their knowledge. Peter. I earnestly ask you to tell me about this. Chapter Nine. About Boniface, Bishop of Ferentino. In the city of Ferente there was a certain Boniface, a virtuous man, who adorned the episcopal see with his life. Presbyter Gaudentius, who is still alive, told me a lot about his miracles. Having been brought up under the leadership of Boniface, Gaudentius was all the more able to provide true information about him because he himself was an eyewitness to his deeds. The Ferentino Church was at that time in extreme poverty (poverty for good people usually serves as a guardian of humility): all the means for its support lay in only one vineyard. But one day there was such strong hail that in the whole vineyard only grape branches were visible here and there. When after this the mentioned saint of God, Bishop Boniface, entered the garden, he gave heartfelt thanks to the Almighty Lord for having visited them with sorrow in their very poverty. When the time approached for the grapes to ripen on the remaining branches, according to custom, the bishop ordered a guard to be assigned to the vineyard and ordered him to guard what was entrusted to him as vigilantly as possible. Then he ordered his grandson, Presbyter Constantine, to prepare for wine all the vessels and barrels previously used for this purpose in the bishopric, tarring them properly. The grandson presbyter, having heard such an order, was extremely amazed; It seemed very strange to him: why did the bishop order all the vessels to be prepared for wine, when there could be almost no wine at all? However, he did not ask about the reasons why such an order was given, but, according to the order, he carried out everything as it should. After this, the saint of God Boniface went to the vineyard, collected the remaining branches of the grapes, took them to the winepress and, ordering everyone to leave, he himself remained in the vineyard with a young child, ordered him to go to the winepress and trample the collected branches, of which there were very few. As soon as a small amount of wine was squeezed out of these branches, the man of God collected it with his own hands into a small vessel and began to pour it with a blessing into all the prepared vessels and barrels, so that some vessels barely contained any wine. When in this way several wines had been poured into all the vessels, the bishop ordered the presbyter to immediately gather and bring the poor. As soon as this was done, there was so much wine in the winepress that all the vessels brought by the poor were filled with it. After which, seeing that the needs of everyone were sufficiently satisfied, the saint ordered the child to leave the winepress, locked the cellar and, having strengthened the entrance to it with his seal, returned home. On the third day he called the presbyter to him; Constantine and, having prayed, opened the cellar. It turned out that all the vessels into which he had poured several drops of wine were now overflowing with it, so that if the bishop had delayed his arrival a little more, the entire floor of the cellar would have been flooded with wine. Then he strictly commanded the presbyter not to tell anyone about this miracle while he, Boniface, was alive; The saint feared that the worldly fame of the miracle he had performed, which would have elevated him before people, would not serve to harm his soul. Thus he imitated the example of the Teacher, who, instructing us by His example on the path of humility, commanded the disciples not to tell anyone about His miracles, “until the Son of Man rises from the dead” (Matthew 17:9). Peter. Now that an opportunity has presented itself, I will ask you, Father, why did our Redeemer, having restored sight to two blind men, forbade them to tell anyone about it, and they spread the word about the miracle throughout the whole country (Matthew 9:27-31)? Did the Only Begotten Son, co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, want that which could not be fulfilled, i.e. so that they don’t talk about a miracle that could not be hidden in any way? Grigory. Everything that our Savior did in this mortal body was all in order to give us an example to follow, so that we, to the best of our ability, walking in His footsteps, would unfailingly complete the difficult path of real life. He performed a miracle and forbade it to be disclosed, although this was impossible; by this He wanted to show that God’s chosen ones, if they wish to follow His example and teaching, must, having created something great, in their souls nourish the desire for this deed to remain unknown, even if, contrary to this desire, the deed was revealed for the benefit of their neighbors. For just as the desire for great things to remain unknown is a sign of deep humility, so the impossibility of hiding these things brings great benefit to others. Therefore, the Lord did not want the impossible to be fulfilled, but only wanted, for our teaching, to show in His example what the members of His (mysterious) body should desire and what could happen contrary to their desire. Peter. I am completely satisfied, Father, with your explanation. Grigory. How we started talking about St. Boniface, then it remains to tell about some of his miracles. – Some year the day of remembrance of the blessed martyr Proculus was approaching. At that time, there lived in Ferente a certain Fortunatus, an eminent man. He earnestly asked the Venerable Boniface, after the solemn service in honor of the blessed martyr, to visit his house for a blessing. The saint of God could not refuse what was offered to him by the affection of Fortunatus. Therefore, having performed the solemn service, he comes to the house of the mentioned Fortunatus at the time of eating the meal. But before he performed the usual pre-meal prayer, a man appeared at the door of the house with musical instruments and began to beat the cymbal (as some have the custom of eating food to the sound of music). Listening with displeasure to the sounds of this music, the saint said: “Oh, this unfortunate man is dying, he is dying! I came to this pleasant meal and had not yet had time to open my lips to the praise of God when he had already begun to practice his music.” Then he added: “Go and lovingly offer him food and drink, but know that he is a dead man.” Indeed, as soon as bread and wine were taken out of the house for this unfortunate man and he went back, suddenly a huge stone fell from the roof of the house and hit him in the very crown. After this blow, he was raised half-dead from the ground and the next day, according to the saint’s prediction, he completely said goodbye to life. Judge now, beloved Peter, what reverent fear we should have for holy people, in whom God apparently dwells! And how soon is anger aroused in a holy person for something, to whom should we attribute this if not to the One who invisibly dwells in the soul of the saint? Therefore, we should be all the more afraid not to arouse anger in the righteous, the more certain it is that He always dwells in his heart, Who is always able to give us vengeance, according to his desire. It also happened one day that the mentioned presbyter, the grandson of St. Boniface - Constantine, sold his horse for twelve gold coins and, putting them in; his little ark, went on some business. At this very time, beggars come to the bishop’s house and persistently ask St. Boniface give them something to alleviate their poverty. But since the man of God had nothing to give, he began to grieve mentally that the poor would leave him without help. Suddenly he remembered that his grandson, Presbyter Constantine, had sold his horse and that the proceeds were in his little chest. So, despite the fact that his grandson was not at home, the saint found the reliquary, broke off the lock for his holy purpose, took out twelve gold coins and divided them, at his discretion, among the poor. Afterwards, Presbyter Konstantin returns and sees that his reliquary has been broken into and that the money due for the sale of the horse is no longer in it. Then, in great anger, he began to shout loudly: “Everyone here lives properly, I’m the only one who can’t live!” Hearing these exclamations, the bishop comes, and everyone who lived in the bishopric also gathers. The saint began to meekly reassure the presbyter, but he continued to shout in irritation: “Everyone lives in your monastery calmly, but I can’t live from you! Give me the money!” Saddened by these offensive cries, the bishop goes to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, puts on sacred clothes and, raising his hands to the sky, begins to pray to the Mother of God to help him tame the presbyter’s insane irritability. Suddenly, at the end of the prayer, looking at his clothes, the bishop sees that he has twelve gold medals in his bosom, shining so brightly, as if they had just been minted. He immediately goes from the church to the angry presbyter, returns the money, with the words: “Here is your money, but know what kind of stinginess it would be for you not to be a bishop here after my death!” From the words of the saint it is clear that the presbyter prepared this money in case he achieved the episcopacy. But the saint’s prediction came true: Constantine ended his life in the rank of presbyter. At another time we went to the monastery of St. Boniface and two Gotfs said that they were hurrying to Ravenna. The saint himself poured them a small vessel of wine so that they would have something to refresh themselves on the road. But the Goths did not run out of wine from this small vessel until Ravenna itself. Then they stayed in Ravenna for several more days, drank wine every day, and it did not become scarce; Finally, along the same road they returned to the holy father in Ferent, continued to drink wine every day, but the wine did not decrease from the vessel: not that the wine in the vessel given to them by the bishop increased, but just did not decrease. Just recently, an old cleric came to me from those places. I can't help but tell you what he told me about St. Boniface. One day St. Boniface went to the monastery garden and saw that all the plants were covered with a worm; especially vegetable plants completely disappeared. Then he said to the worm: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave the plants and not destroy the vegetables!” The worm immediately disappeared, according to the word of the saint, so that not a trace of it remained in the whole garden. But these miracles performed by St. Boniface in the rank of bishop, when, along with the grace of this rank, moral progress grew in him in the face of Almighty God, are not yet as amazing as those that he created, according to the same old cleric, while still in his adolescence. At this age, when he still lived with his mother, he often returned home without outer clothing, or even without underwear. For, visiting different houses, as soon as he saw some poor man uncovered, he took off his clothes and gave them to him, nourishing the hope that the Lord Himself, in whose eyes he did good, would reward him. His mother often scolded him and reprimanded him for wanting to give clothes to others when he himself was poor. But then one day she went to her granary, where the bread stored for the year’s maintenance was stored, and saw that her son had distributed almost all the wheat to the poor. The mother fell into despair, began to be tormented and cry that a year’s supply of them had disappeared. The pious youth Boniface comes and, as best he can, begins to console her. But as his consolations did not have any effect, he asked his mother to leave the granary, in which they had so little wheat left from their entire annual supply. Then he prostrated himself before God in prayer; and a little later he invited his mother back to the granary. There was now such a quantity of wheat that there was not so much even when the mother had collected a supply for the whole year. The mother was amazed to see this miracle and, having learned how effective the boy’s prayer was, from that time on she herself forced him to distribute bread. – Mother usually always kept several poultry in her house; but the fox from the neighboring field got used to following them. One day, when the youth Boniface was in the countryside where the birds were kept, a fox grabbed one in front of his eyes. He immediately went to church and there, prostrated in prayer before God, he cried out: “Lord, do You really want me not to even taste what my mother prepares for me as food? So she fattens the birds, and the fox devours them!” Having finished the prayer, he left the church and suddenly saw: the fox had returned and was carrying a stolen bird in its mouth; Having released her, the fox immediately went on her own; died on the spot in front of Boniface's eyes. Peter. It’s amazing how the Lord fulfills the prayers of those who trust in Him even regarding such insignificant objects. Grigory. All this is happening, beloved Peter, according to the wise intention of our Creator - so that, having received little, we cultivate in ourselves the hope of receiving more. The innocent and pious child saw the fulfillment of his childhood desire, and this should have taught him what boldness he could have before God, asking for more. Peter. Yes, your words are true, father. Chapter ten. About Fortunatus, Bishop of Tuderta. Grigory. In the same countries, in the city of Tuderte, there was a bishop named Fortunatus, a man of pious life. He received from God an extraordinary gift - to cast out unclean spirits, so that sometimes whole legions of demons, by the power of his prayer, had to leave those possessed by them. Also, by the power of strong prayer, he repelled hordes of demons from himself. To St. Fortunatus was very close to the defender of our Church, Julian, who had recently died in Rome. It was from his words that I now want to tell you something, because Julian, due to his closeness to St. Fortunatus was often an eyewitness to his deeds, and it was so pleasant for us to listen to his edifying memories of the saint, as if honey were dripping from his lips. A noble lady, not far from Tuscia, had a daughter-in-law who had recently married her son. One day, her mother-in-law invited her and her husband to go together to the consecration of a church in the name of the holy martyr Sebastian. On the night before leaving for the consecration of the mentioned church, the daughter-in-law could not refrain from carnal pleasure with her husband. Although in the morning her conscience strongly reproached her for this satisfaction of the lusts of the flesh, she was at the same time ashamed to refuse this promise. So, more out of false shame before people than out of fear of God, she went with her mother-in-law to the consecration of the church. When the relics of the holy martyr Sebastian were brought into the church, an evil spirit attacked the daughter-in-law and began to torment her in front of everyone. One of the presbyters of this church, seeing her terrible torment, immediately took the sindon out of the altar and placed it on the demon, but the unclean spirit immediately attacked him. This could be concluded from the fact that the presbyter detected signs of indomitable strength in his fits. Some of those present carried the woman out of the church into her own home. From time immemorial, the murderer never ceased to constantly plunge her into terrible torment. The relatives of the woman who was possessed, out of love for her (however, not spiritual, but carnal), used all sorts of means to restore her health, and finally handed her over to some healers: as if they wanted, having cured the sick woman’s body with the help of some magical potions, to completely destroy her soul. So, the healers took her to the river, immersed her in the water, and they began long-lasting conspiracies to drive out the unclean spirit. But, by the inscrutable will of almighty God, as soon as one demon came out of her with the help of magical art, a whole legion entered in his place. After this, the patient began to beat as hard and scream as furiously as could be expected from a whole legion of demons. Seeing the unfortunate fruits of their superstition, the patient’s parents, after consulting with each other, brought her to St. Bishop Fortunatus and entrusted to his care. He did not refuse to accept it, and prayed for a long time day and night, intensifying his prayers with greater zeal, the more obvious it was that he had to drive out a whole legion of demons from one person. And indeed, a few days later Fortunatus returned her to her parents in such health and tranquility, as if the unclean spirit had never touched her. Another time, the saint of God also expelled an unclean spirit from a man. And then one day at dusk, when everything was quiet in the city, the expelled unclean spirit, taking on the image of some wanderer, began to walk through the streets of the city and shout: “This is what the holy Bishop Fortunatus did! I drove the stranger out of my house! And now I’m looking around the city for an overnight stay and can’t find it!” This voice was heard by one father of a family from his house, where he was sitting in front of the fireplace with his wife and young son. After asking what the bishop had done, he invited the wanderer to his house and sat him with him in front of the fireplace. As soon as they exchanged a few words with each other, an unclean spirit suddenly attacked the owner’s young son, threw him into the fire and strangled him there. The unfortunate father immediately guessed who the bishop had expelled from himself and whom he accepted into his home. Peter. How, father, could a primordial misanthrope commit murder in the house of one who accepted him as a stranger for shelter? Grigory. Many things, beloved Peter, seem good to us, although in reality they are not, because they are not done with a good purpose. That is why in the Gospel the Truth says: “If your eye is evil, then your whole body will be dark” (Matthew 6:23). If the intention preceding the action is unclean, then the action itself will be bad, even if it seems good. So it is here - the subsequent punishment revealed that the deed was undertaken for an unclean purpose. And I think that this man, who lost his son for his hospitality, suffered punishment because he undertook a good deed not out of motives of piety, but out of a desire to humiliate the bishop. For there are people who try to do good only in order to humiliate the value of the good deeds of another: it is not pleasant for them to do good, but to humiliate another with the glory of their virtues. Therefore, I think that the person who showed hospitality to the unclean spirit was driven more by pride than by the desire to do good; he wanted everyone to know that he had surpassed the bishop in virtue, that he had accepted the one whom the saint of God Fortunatus had expelled. Peter. Yes, your words are true. From the consequences of the case it is obvious that an impure thought lay at its basis. Grigory. Another time, this is what happened: a man who had completely lost his sight turned to the same saint with a request for help and received it. For as soon as the man of God, having made a prayer, crossed his eyes with the sign of the cross, the darkness of blindness immediately disappeared and his sight returned. One warrior’s horse fell into a rage, so that several people could hardly restrain him, and he cruelly bit everyone who approached this horse. Finally they tied him up and brought him to Saint Fortunatus. As soon as the saint made the sign of the cross over the horse, all rage disappeared and the horse became more obedient than it had been before the seizure. The warrior, seeing that his horse was so quickly healed of rabies by miraculous power, decided to give it to the saint. The saint refused to accept the gift; but as the warrior urgently asked not to despise his gift, the holy man chose the middle between two extremes. He accepted the warrior’s request, but, not wanting a reward for the good he had done, he did not agree to take the horse before paying the proper price for it. The saint did not want to offend the donor by refusing, and so, out of love, he buys something completely unnecessary for himself. I also cannot help but tell you that I heard about this saint twelve days ago. “Some poor old man came to me, and as I especially love talking with elders, I began to ask him where he was from, and found out that he was from the city of Tuderta. “So tell me, do you know Bishop Fortunatus,” I asked. “I knew it very well,” answered the elder. “Please tell me,” I continued, “if you know any of his miracles and describe this holy man to me.” “This was,” answered the elder, “not at all the kind of person we are used to always seeing. Whatever he asked from Almighty God, his request was always fulfilled. I’ll tell you only about one miracle that now comes to mind. One day the Goths, traveling to Ravenna, passed through the city of Tudert. They kidnapped two boys from a village near the town of Tuderta. As Saint Fortunatus was soon told about this, he immediately called the Goths to him. When they appeared, the saint began to talk to them meekly and tried to soften their ferocity with affection. Then he addressed them with the following question: “What ransom do you want to receive for these kidnapped boys? I will give you a ransom, and you, as a sign of your favor towards me, return the children to me.” To this the goth, who seemed to be the first among the others, answered: “Ask for something else, we are ready to do everything for you, but we will not give up these boys at any price.” The saint said to him with a gentle threat: “It is in vain, my son, that you grieve your father; Don’t cause me grief, so that something unpleasant doesn’t happen to you.” But the Goth, due to the hardness of his heart, refused the saint and left. The next day, before setting off, the same Goth again comes to the saint and the saint again begins to beg him, as before, for the return of the little ones. Gotf again refused to satisfy his request. “Know that you will not have happiness on the road when you have saddened me,” said the saint in displeasure. Gotf ignored these words and, returning to the house where he was staying, put the mentioned little ones on a horse and sent them off with his comrades, and he himself rode on a horse after them. When he drove past the Church of St. Paul, his horse stumbled, the rider fell and broke his leg in half. They picked him up and took him back; The sick man immediately sent to bring back the children and asked St. Fortunatus sent his servant to him. As soon as the minister arrived, the sick man, who had first refused to return the children, immediately handed them over to the messenger, saying: “Go and tell my lord the bishop: you did not bless him and so he suffered; now accept the children you asked for and help him.” The minister immediately led the children to the bishop; and blessed Fortunatus gave him holy water so that he could quickly sprinkle it on the sick person. The minister again went to the sick Goth and poured holy water on his body. An amazing and incomprehensible thing! As soon as the water touched the sore spot, the illness passed and the bone returned to its previous position, so the Gotf immediately got out of bed and continued his journey, as if he had never been exposed to any illness. Thus, the Goth, who did not want to obey the saint and return the children for money, was forced by God’s punishment to return them without ransom.” “Besides this incident, the elder told me about some other miracles of St. Fortunata. But since at the same time there were some people waiting for me who wanted to receive spiritual instruction, and it was already very late, I could not listen to his stories for a long time, although, if possible, I am always ready to listen to them with pleasure. On another visit, the elder spoke about St. Fortunate is something even more amazing. “In the city of Tuderte,” he said, “a certain Markell, a man of good life, lived with his two sisters. He was unwell and died on the evening of the great day of Easter Saturday. Since it was a long way to carry him to the cemetery, he remained unburied that day. But when the time came for the burial, the sisters of Marcellus, grieving over his loss, resorted to St. Fortunata began to beg him with tears and cries. “We know,” they said, “that you perform apostolic miracles: you heal lepers, restore sight to the blind - come and resurrect our dead brother.” The saint, as soon as he heard about the death of their brother, he himself shed tears and said to the sisters: “Go, and don’t ask for it; everything is the will of almighty God, no one can resist it.” They left, but the bishop did not cease to mourn the death of their brother. The next Sunday, before dawn, accompanied by two servants, he went to the house of the deceased and, approaching the bed on which the soulless body lay, prostrated himself in prayer before God; then, having prayed, he sat down near the deceased and quietly called him by name: “Brother Markell!” No matter how quietly these words were spoken, the deceased, as if in a light sleep, heard them, opened his eyes and, looking at the bishop, said: “Oh, what happened to me! What happened to me! - “What happened to you?” - asked the bishop. “Yesterday,” answered the deceased, “two came for me and, separating me from the body, took me to some beautiful place, and now one of them came again and said: “Take him back, because Bishop Fortunatus has come to his house.” Having said this, the deceased immediately stood up, and lived for a long time after that. However, one should not think that he would lose the bliss that he received after his first death; for, if even before his first death he pleased Almighty God, then, without a doubt, strengthened by the prayers of the saint, he began to live even more piously after the resurrection. – But why do we need to talk a lot about the godly life of St. Fortunatus, when do we have proof of the greatness of his virtues constantly before our eyes in his incorruptible relics? Just as during his life he always drove away demons and healed every sick person who came to him in faith, so after death he does the same through his incorruptible remains. “However, beloved Peter, I need to tell you about the great miracles of the saints who lived in the Valerian province, which the aforementioned venerable Fortunatus told me about. Even now he often visits me and, telling me about the deeds of holy men, always gives me new pleasure. Chapter Eleven. About Martyria, monk of the Valerian region. In the Valerian province there lived a certain Martyrius, a great saint of God, and this is what he did as a sign of his great holiness. One day, the brothers who lived with him were putting bread in the oven and forgot to depict the sign of the cross on it, as was usually done in that country on the dough, which seemed to be divided into four parts. The saint was right there and noticed that the sign of the cross was not depicted on the bread. When the bread was placed in the oven and covered with coals and ashes, the saint asked: “Why didn’t you depict the sign of the cross on the dough?” And he immediately made the sign of the cross with his finger towards the place where the bread was planted under the coals. This caused the bread to make the kind of cracking sound that would be heard if a large earthenware vessel burst on fire. When they took the finished bread out of the oven, they saw on it an image of the sign of the cross, made not by touch, but by faith. Chapter twelve. About Severus, a presbyter from the same region. In the same area there is a valley known as Interorinskaya, and in common parlance - Interokrinskaya. On it stood a church in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Ever-Virgin Mary, and at the church the presbyter was a certain Sever, a man of a wonderful life. One day they sent for a presbyter with a request to visit, as soon as possible, a house where the father of the family was dying. The dying man asked the priest to come to clear his conscience with the sacrament of repentance, to pray to God for his sins and peaceful death. When the messengers arrived, the presbyter was in the garden clearing the trees and, upon request, promised to come immediately. But seeing that there was little left to finish in the garden, the presbyter hesitated a little to finish what he had started; Having finished, he went to the patient. On the road, his former ambassadors met him with the words: “Why did you slow down, father? Now don’t worry, the patient is dead.” Hearing this, the presbyter was greatly frightened and loudly called himself the murderer of the sick man. In tears, he came to the bed of the deceased and, sobbing, threw himself to the ground before him. When in this way he cried inconsolably, beat his head on the ground and called himself the culprit of his death, suddenly the soul returned to the deceased. Those present (there were many of them), seeing this, cried out in surprise and cried for joy more than before from sorrow. They began to question the resurrected man: where was he and how did his soul return to him? “Three people,” answered the resurrected one, “took my soul from my body and led it away; from their nostrils and lips came a flame intolerable to me; they led me to dark places; but suddenly a handsome-looking young man appears towards us. Turning to those who were leading me, he said: “Bring him back, because Presbyter Severus is weeping tearfully for him, and the Lord gave this soul to his tears.” Severus, having heard this, immediately stood up, taught him the Sacrament of repentance and prayed to God for him. Over the course of seven days, the revived one atoned for his sins through repentance, and on the eighth he joyfully gave up his spirit to God. Think now, beloved Peter, with what love the Lord heeded the prayer of Presbyter Severus when he did not want to leave him in sorrow. Peter. Truly, this is a very amazing thing! I didn't know anything like that until now. But they say that today there are no such great saints! Grigory. I think, beloved Peter, that there are many such people even today. Just because they do not perform such miracles does not mean that they are not like that in reality. Life should be judged not by external signs, but by the importance of deeds. For there are many people who, although they do not perform miracles, are no less than those who do. Peter. Tell me, please, how can I be sure that those who do not perform miracles are sometimes no lower than those who do. Grigory. For example, don’t you know that the apostles Peter and Paul are both supreme apostles? Peter. I know and am absolutely sure that although Paul called himself an “opinor” among the apostles, he worked harder than anyone else. Grigory. Remember now: Peter walked on the waters (Matt. 14:29), and Paul was shipwrecked at sea (2 Cor. 11:25); here in relation to the same element - Paul could not sail on a ship, but Peter walked on the sea as if on dry land. Now isn’t it obvious that although both of them showed unequal power in performing miracles, their merits before God are completely equal. Peter. Your explanation is completely sufficient. Now I clearly see that you need to look at life, and not at miracles. But just as miracles serve as proof of a holy life, then, I ask you, tell me something else - feed my hungry soul with good examples. Grigory. For the glory of our Redeemer, I will tell you about some of the miracles of St. Benedict. But now I don’t have free time, let’s talk about this another time. There was a man of venerable life, Benedict by name and grace, who from his very boyhood kept a purity of heart. By his purity of morals he rose above his years and did not subordinate his soul to any passion; but while still on this earth, he already despised the world with its delights as barren, although due to circumstances he could have freely enjoyed its benefits. St. Benedict came from noble parents from the region of Nursia, and in Rome he was sent to study the liberal sciences. But when he realized that many people fall into vices from the sciences, he immediately left the school, so that after studying the sciences he himself would not fall into the abyss. So, despising the pursuit of science, he left his home and parental heritage, wished to please the only God and sought the shelter of a holy monastery. However, although he did not study science, he remained an unlearned sage. I do not know all the circumstances of his life, but the little that I will tell you I learned from four of his disciples who spoke about him, namely: from Constantine, a very venerable man, who succeeded him in the management of the monastery; Valentinian, who was abbot of the Lateran monastery for many years; Simplicius, the third abbot after him over his hostel; and from Honorat, who is still the abbot of that monastery, and was formerly one of the brethren. Chapter one. About the miracle that St. Benedict over a broken sieve. When Benedict, having already abandoned his studies, decided to retire into the desert, only his nurse followed him, who loved him very much. He chose a place to live called Enfide, and many famous men, attracted there by zeal (for salvation), settled with him in the church of the blessed Apostle Peter. One day, his mentioned nurse begged a sieve from the neighboring women and somehow carelessly put it on the table, causing it to fall off the table and break into two parts. The nurse, who returned home, saw the broken sieve, which she took intact, and began to cry bitterly. Benedict, a pious and pious youth, seeing his nurse in tears, took pity on her. He folded the halves of the broken sieve and began to pray with tears. At the end of the prayer, Benedict saw the sieve so intact that no traces of damage could be seen in it; then, comforting his nurse with kind words, he returned to her intact the sieve, which he had accepted as broken. This miracle in that place was recognized by everyone and caused such surprise that the inhabitants of that place hung a sieve at the entrance to the church, so that everyone entering and leaving the church would know what great grace the monastic youth Benedict had received. The sieve remained there for many years in front of everyone’s eyes, and even before the real invasion of the Longobards it hung at the church doors. But Benedict, desiring better to endure the evils of the world than to praise, and better to tire himself with labors for God than to be puffed up by the favor of other people, secretly fled from his nurse and rushed to a more secluded place in this desert, called Subiaco, which is nearly forty miles from Rome. In this place there is an abundance of cold and clear waters: they are first collected in a wide lake, from which they then flow as a river. When Benedict fled, a monk named Roman met him on the way, asked him where he was going, and, having learned his desire, not only kept his secret, but also helped him - he gave him monastic clothes and then delivered everything he needed. And the man of God, having come to this place, locked himself in the narrowest cave and lived for three years unknown to anyone except the monk Roman. This Romanus lived not far from the cave, in a monastery ruled by Adeodate; Out of pious motives, Romanus, secretly from his abbot, on certain days delivered to Benedict part of the bread he received for food for himself. But since there was no passage to the cave from Romanov’s monastery, because it was located high above the rocks, Roman had the habit of tying bread to a long rope stretched from this rock; There was also a small bell tied to the rope, which with its sound let the man of God know when Roman brought him bread. When the bell rang, Venedikt came out of the cave and accepted the bread. Only once did the ancient enemy, jealous of the love of one and the consolation of the other, when the bread was tied to the rope, throw a stone at it and break it with a stone. However, Roman did not stop serving Benedict as much as possible. But soon Almighty God wanted to calm Roman from his labors, and in the life of Benedict to set an example for people, so that the lamp would burn on the candlestick and shine for everyone in the house of God. To one presbyter who lived far from that place, who was preparing food for himself on Easter, God appeared in a vision and said: “You are preparing consolation for yourself, but My servant is dying of hunger in such and such a place.” The presbyter immediately got up and on the brightest Resurrection of Christ, with food prepared for himself, rushed to that place: he crossed mountain rocks, high hills, earthly abysses and finally found the man of God hiding in a cave. After completing the prayer, they sat down, blessing Almighty God, and after a sweet conversation, the presbyter who came said: “Get up, let’s eat food, because today is Easter.” The holy man answered him: “Truly it is Easter, because I was worthy to see you.” Being away from people, Benedict did not even know that Easter was celebrated on that day; but the venerable presbyter again confirmed, saying: “Truly today is the day of the bright Resurrection of Christ; You should not abstain, because I was sent to taste with you the gifts of Almighty God.” So, blessing the Lord, they took food; and when they were satisfied with conversation and food, the presbyter returned to his church. At the same time, the shepherds found Benedict hiding in a cave. At first, when they saw him among the bushes, dressed in skins, they considered him to be an animal; but when they recognized him as a servant of God, they changed their brutal thoughts to sympathy for him. Thus, his name became known to everyone who lived in neighboring places; from that time on, many began to visit him and, bringing him bodily food, received from his mouth animal bread for their souls. Second chapter. About defeating the temptation of the flesh. One day, when St. Benedict was in solitude, the tempter approached him: a small black bird, popularly called a thrush, began to fly right in front of his face, and spun so close in front of him that he could have reached it with his hand if St. the husband wanted to catch her; but he made the sign of the cross - and the bird flew away. When this bird flew away, such a temptation of the flesh followed that the holy man had never experienced. Suddenly he sees a woman whom the evil spirit brought before the eyes of his mind: at the sight of her, the heart of God’s servant burned with such a fire that the flame of passion barely fit into this heart, and, carried away by passion, he almost wanted to leave the desert. But soon, by the grace of God, he turned his gaze to himself and, seeing the seed of passions in himself, took off his clothes, threw himself naked on pine needles and nettles, lay in them for a long time, and only when he had wounded his whole body did he stand up. But through the wounds of the body, he healed sensual impulses in the body, because he weakened voluptuousness: having caused inflammation on the outside with such punishment, he destroyed what was burning inside, and thus defeated sin, because he changed the place of the flame. From that time on, as he later told his disciples, the temptation of the flesh was so tamed in him that after that he did not feel anything like it in himself. Then many had already begun to leave the world and were in a hurry to come under his leadership. Free from temptation to vice, he rightfully became a teacher of others in virtue. That is why Moses prescribes (Num. 8:24-26) that the Levites enter into the ministry at twenty-five years of age and above, and only in the fiftieth year become custodians of the sacred vessels. Peter. The meaning of the above evidence is already becoming somewhat clear to me, but I ask you to state it even more clearly. Grigory. It is known, Peter, that in youth the temptation of the flesh is rampant, and from the fiftieth year the bodily heat cools; the sacred vessels are the minds of the faithful. Therefore, when the elect are still subject to temptation, it is necessary to subordinate them to others and force them to serve, tire them out with obedience and labor; when, at a calm age of mind, the heat of temptation subsides, they become guardians of vessels - they become teachers of souls. Peter. I confess that I like your speech, but as you have already explained the meaning of the testimony given, I ask you to continue the story you started about the life of the righteous. Chapter three. About a glass vessel destroyed by the sign of the cross. Grigory. After defeating temptation, the man of God, like cultivated land when weeds are pulled out of it, began to bear abundant fruits in the harvest of virtues. His famous name became famous because of his extraordinary monastic feats. Not far from there there was a monastery, the abbot of which died; all the brethren who remained after him came to the venerable Benedict and earnestly asked him to be their superior. He did not agree for a long time, representing to them that with his rules he could not please the morals of all the brethren: but, overcome by pleas, he agreed. When he introduced strict rules of life in this monastery and did not allow anyone to deviate by unauthorized actions from the path of monasticism, either to the right or to the left (which happened before), the insanely hardened brethren at first began to reproach each other for asking such a strict abbot for themselves, because their free life did not agree with his holy rules. Then, when they saw that he would not allow them freedom, and it was difficult to give up their habits and occupy their dilapidated mind with new objects, some of them hastened to make an attempt on his life and, after consulting with each other, one day mixed poison into the wine. So hard is the life of the virtuous for people with corrupt morals! According to the monastic custom, they brought a glass vessel containing this deadly drink for the abbot’s blessing. St. Benedict, stretching out his hand, made the sign of the cross over the vessel, and the vessel, which had been in use for a long time until that time, cracked under this sign as if, instead of the cross, the holy man had thrown a stone at it. From the fact that the vessel could not bear the sign of life, the man of God immediately realized that the vessel contained a deadly drink, immediately stood up and with a cheerful face, with a calm spirit, spoke to the assembled brothers: “May Almighty God have mercy on you, brothers! Why did you want to do this to me? Didn't I tell you before that my customs are not similar to yours? Go and look for an abbot according to your customs, because after this you cannot have me as your abbot.” Then he returned to his favorite deserted place and began to live alone, with himself in the eyes of the All-Seeing God. Peter. I don’t understand clearly what “began to live with myself” means. Grigory. If the holy man had wanted to rule longer over people who unanimously hated him and were far from agreeing with his way of life, then perhaps he would have lost his vigor and calmness and would have turned his eye away from self-contemplation; then, tired of their daily incorrigibility, he would have cared less about himself - and he would probably have abandoned himself and not acquired them. Always, from strong tension of thought, we lose our temper and, being the same, are not with ourselves; because, without seeing ourselves, our thoughts wander to other subjects. We do not say that there was with him that man who went to a distant country, squandered his property, then stuck to one of the inhabitants of that country, grazed his pigs, saw how they were fed with faces, and he melted from hunger; about him later, when he began to reflect on the lost blessings, it is written: “When he came to himself, he said: How many of my father’s hired servants have bread to spare” (Luke 15:17). If he were with himself, then where would he return to himself from? This is the sense in which I said about this venerable man (Benedict) that he began to live with himself: being constantly on his own guard, always putting himself before the eyes of the Creator, always testing himself, he no longer turned the eye of his mind away from himself. Peter. What does it mean that it was written about the Apostle Peter when he was led out of prison by an Angel? He, “being in himself,” said: “Now I see in truth that the Lord sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from everything that the people of Judah were waiting for” (Acts 12:11). Grigory. In two ways, Peter, we are outside ourselves: either through the fall of thought we sink below ourselves, or through the grace of contemplation we rise above ourselves. The man who tended the pigs fell below himself through wandering of mind and impurity; and, tormented by the Angel and delighted with his mind, although he was also beside himself, he was above himself. Both of them returned to themselves when one’s conscience began to speak after sinful deeds, and the other returned to his ordinary state from the height of contemplation. So, the venerable Benedict began to live in that desert with himself, since he protected himself by meditation, but whenever the love of contemplation raised him to a height, he was, without a doubt, beside himself. Peter. This is true, but tell me, please, was it really necessary to leave the brethren whom Benedict once took under his leadership? Grigory. It seems to me, Peter, that there must be prudently enduring the combined attacks of the evil ones, where there are some good ones who will help. And where it is absolutely impossible to expect good fruit, there is sometimes unnecessary effort about the evil, especially if there are circumstances in mind that will help bring the best fruit to God. So, for whom would St. try? husband, when he found out that everyone was unanimously pursuing him? And it often happens with the souls of the perfect (which should not be passed in silence) that when they see their labors fruitless, they move to another place where they hope to work with fruit. Therefore, that eminent man who: “I have a desire to be resolved and to be with Christ, for for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21,23), who not only sought suffering himself, but also encouraged others to endure it - and he even, in order to avoid persecution in Damascus, used a wall, a rope and a basket (Acts 9:23-25), and wanted to leave secretly. Shall we really say that the Apostle Paul was afraid of death when he thirsted for it out of love for Jesus, as he himself testifies (2 Cor. 11:22)? No! but when he saw that in that place he had a lot of labor and little fruit, he saved himself for fruitful labor in another place. As a strong warrior of God, he did not want to remain in prison and went to look for the battlefield. Therefore, if you listened carefully, you can see that the venerable Benedict not only here left the brethren uneducated, but in other places he resurrected them from spiritual death. Peter. You speak rightly and the evidence you have given clearly confirms your words; but continue in order the story about the life of the great father. Grigory. Meanwhile, St. the husband constantly grew in virtues and miracles, many gathered in this desert to serve the almighty God, so that Benedict, with the help of the almighty Lord Jesus Christ, built twelve monasteries there, in which he appointed abbots and placed twelve monks, and kept with himself a few whom he considered best to form in his presence. Then even the nobles and pious men of Rome began to come to him and give him their children to be raised in the fear of God. Then they entrusted him with their sons, who showed excellent hopes, Equitius - Moor, and Tertullus Patricius - Placidus, of whom the youngest Moor became an assistant to his mentor, since he was distinguished by good morality, and Placidus, while still a youth, indulged in ascetic labors. Chapter Four. About a monk with a scattered mind, returned to the path of salvation. In one of the monasteries built by Benedict near his in all directions, there was a certain monk who could not stand to pray; but as soon as the brethren began the prayer exercise, he went out and, with an absent-minded mind, occupied himself with something earthly and empty. The abbot often admonished him and, seeing no success, finally brought him to the man of God, who also strongly reproached him for his stupidity. But, having returned to the monastery, the monk was obedient to the admonition of the man of God for only two days, and on the third day he again turned to his previous habit: he began to wander during prayer. When the abbot of the monastery reported this to the servant of God, he said: “I will come and correct him myself.” Benedict came to that monastery and at the appointed hour, after singing the psalm, the brethren gave themselves up to prayer. The holy man immediately saw that the monk, who could not stand to pray, was being dragged by the hem of his robe by some black boy. Then he secretly said to the abbot of the monastery, named Pompeian, and the servant of God Maurus: “Can’t you see who is dragging this monk out?” “No,” they answered. “Let us pray,” he said, “so that you too can see who this monk is following.” After two days of prayer, the monk Maurus saw, but the abbot of the monastery Pompeian could not see. The next day, at the end of the prayer, the man of God found that monk standing outside the meeting and struck him with a rod for the blindness of his heart. From that day on, the monk did not experience any temptation from the black boy, but stood motionless in a prayer exercise. Thus, the ancient enemy did not dare to rule over his thoughts and, as it were, was himself struck with a rod. Chapter five. About the water brought out by the prayer of Benedict from the rock on the top of the mountain. Of the monasteries he built in that place, three were on mountain peaks, and it was very difficult for the brethren to go to the lake every time to draw water for themselves, and it was especially scary and dangerous to go down from the overhanging cliff. Therefore, all the brethren of those three monasteries, having come to the servant of God Benedict, said: “It is difficult for us to go to the lake every day for water; it is necessary to move the monasteries from this place.” He dismissed them with consolation, and that same night, with a boy named Placidus, whom I mentioned above, he climbed to the top of the mountain and prayed there for a long time. After completing the prayer, he marked that place with three stones placed on it, and returned to his monastery unnoticed by anyone. When the next day the mentioned brothers again came to him to talk about water, he said: “Go and dig a little deeper into that rock, on which you will find three stones laid one on top of the other: Almighty God is strong and can bring water from this mountain top to save you from such difficult journeys.” When they arrived at the rock of the mountain indicated by Benedict, they saw that it was already leaking water. When they dug out a reservoir in it, it immediately filled with water, which flowed out in such abundance that even now it pours out in large quantities and flows down from the top of the mountain. Chapter six. About iron returned from the depths of the water to the handle. At another time, a certain Goth, poor in spirit, came to live in the monastery and was received by Benedict with love. One day he was ordered to give him an iron tool, called a scythe, after its resemblance to a scythe, to cut down thistles in a certain place, because it was planned to plant a garden there. And the place that the Goth had to cleanse was located on the very shore of the lake. When the Goth hit one thick top with all his might, the iron jumped off the handle and fell into the lake, which was so deep that there was no hope of getting the iron. So, having lost the iron, the Goth ran with trepidation to the monk Maurus, told him about the loss and repented of his guilt. The monk Maurus immediately told the servant of God Benedict about this. The husband of the Lord Benedict, having heard about this, went to the lake, took the hilt from the hand of the Goth and threw it into the lake: the iron floated up from the depths and naturally applied itself to the hilt. He immediately gave the iron tool to the Gotf, saying: “Take it, work and don’t be sad.” Chapter seven. About Moor, the disciple of Benedict, who walked unharmed on the waters. One day, when the venerable Benedict was in his cell, the aforementioned youth Placidus went to draw water from the lake. Having carelessly lowered the vessel into the water, he himself fell after it. As soon as he fell, the water immediately carried him away from the shore for the entire flight of an arrow. Benedict, who was in his cell, now found out about this, immediately called the Moor and said: “Brother, Moor, run - the youth who went to fetch water fell into the lake, and the wave had already carried him far away.” An amazing incident and unprecedented since the time of the Apostle Peter! Having asked for and received a blessing, the Moor, by order of his abbot, immediately ran and ran across the water to the very place where the boy was, imagining that he was walking on land, grabbed him and returned at a quick run. As soon as he touched the ground, he came to his senses, looked back and realized that he was running on water and that before he could not even dream of such a thing; Therefore, I was horrified by what happened. Returning to the abbot, he told about this incident. The venerable husband Benedict began to attribute what happened not to his own merits, but to his obedience; and the Moor, on the contrary, attributed it only to the command of the abbot and said that he was not the culprit of the feat that he did unconsciously. During this courteous dispute, imbued with mutual humility, the youth taken out of the water came to reconcile them. He said: “When they took me out of the water, I saw the abbot’s mantle above my head and himself, taking me out of the water.” Peter. You tell great things, they will be edifying for many; as for me, the more I listen about the miracles of St. husband, the more I long to hear about them. Chapter eight. About how a raven carried away bread baked with poison. Soon those places were filled with people burning with love for the Lord our God, Jesus Christ: many left worldly life and bowed their hearts under the light burden of the Savior. But since the vicious usually hate in others the benefit of virtue, which they themselves do not want to have, the presbyter of a neighboring church named Florence, the grandfather of our subdeacon Florence, aroused by the malice of the ancient enemy, began to imitate the activities of the holy man, to disparage his behavior and thus prevent those who could from visiting him. When he saw that he could not prevent Benedict’s successes, that the glory of his monastery was growing and many were encouraged by this glory to move into a state of better life, he became even more inflamed with hatred and became angrier; because he wanted to receive the praise that was given to the behavior of St. husband, but did not want to lead a commendable life. Blinded by the darkness of his hatred, he went so far as to send the servant of Almighty God, as if for a blessing, bread baked with poison. The man of God accepted it with gratitude, but the poison hidden in the bread did not hide from him. At lunchtime, a raven used to fly to him from the neighboring forest and receive bread from his hand. When the raven flew in as usual, the man of God laid before him the bread sent by the elder and gave the following order: “In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, take this bread and take it to a place where no man can find it.” The raven, opening its beak and spreading its wings, began to fly over him from side to side, cawing and as if clearly saying that it wanted to obey, but could not, however, carry out orders. The man of God commanded him again and again, saying: “Take it, don’t be afraid, take it and throw it where it cannot be found.” After hesitating, the raven grabbed the bread, picked it up, flew away and threw it, as ordered; three hours later he returned and received the usual portion of bread from the hands of the man of God. And the venerable father, seeing the presbyter’s attempts on his life, pitied him more than himself. But the above-mentioned Florence, being unable to kill the body of the teacher, decided to destroy the souls of the disciples: for this purpose he sent seven naked girls into the garden of the monastery in which Benedict was, so that they, holding hands, would play in front of the eyes of the disciples and thereby inflame their thoughts with evil lust. Benedict saw them from his cell and was afraid of the fall of his still young disciples, but, explaining all this only as enmity against himself alone, he gave in to hatred, put in order the monasteries he had built, installed abbots over the brothers, and he and a few monks changed their place of residence. And as soon as the man of God humbly avoided the presbyter’s hatred, Almighty God terribly punished the latter. When the presbyter, standing in the greenhouse, learned that Venedikt had left the monastery and rejoiced at his success, this greenhouse fell (while the entire building of the house remained motionless) and crushed Venediktov’s enemy to death. A disciple of the servant of God, named Maurus, immediately considered it necessary to announce this to the venerable Benedict, who was still only ten miles from that place. “Return,” the disciple told him, “because the presbyter who persecuted you has died.” Hearing this, the man of God Benedict wept bitterly both because the enemy had died and because the disciple rejoiced over the death of the enemy. He imposed repentance on his disciple because he rejoiced over the death of the enemy. Peter. You tell amazing things. Bringing water out of a rock reminds me of Moses (Num. 20:7-11); iron floating up from the depths - Elisha (2 Kings 6:5–7); procession on the waters - Peter (Matthew 14:29); obedience of the raven - Elijah (1 Kings 17:6); lamentation over the death of the enemy - David (2 Samuel 1:11, 18:33). It seems that this man was filled with the spirit of all the righteous. Grigory. Benedict had the spirit of God, which, by the grace of the accomplished redemption, fills the hearts of all the elect. John says about him: “There was the true Light, which enlightens every man who comes into the world” (John 1:9). It is also written about him: “And of His fullness we have all received” (John 1:16). Holy men of God could receive powers from God, but could not transfer them to others. And He gave signs of power to the faithful disciples, He Who promised to betray Himself under the sign of Jonah to the enemies (Matthew 12:39), when He showed His death to the proud, He deigned to accept it before their eyes, and to the humble His resurrection, also before them, so that they would see what they despised, and they would see that they loved with reverence. Therefore, the proud look only at what is despicable in death, but the humble have received power over death. Peter. Tell us now in what places St. lived after this. husband and what miracles he performed in them. Grigory. The holy man, changing places, did not avoid enemies, because even after this he endured a fierce struggle with the inventor of evil himself, who openly rebelled against him. That monastery, called Cassino, was built on a high mountain and precisely on one spacious bend of it; but the mountain still towered three miles above him, as if raising its peak to the stars. At the very top there was an ancient temple, in which, according to the custom of the ancient pagans, the stupid people worshiped Apollo. And near every sanctuary of demons there were groves in which, even at that time, a mad crowd of infidels made numerous sacrifices. Arriving there, the holy man crushed the idol, overthrew the altar, burned out the groves, and turned the very church of Apollo into a prayer church for St. Martin, and on the site of the Altar of Apollo he built a church to St. John, and the crowd gathering there was called to faith by constant preaching. But the ancient enemy could not calmly bear this: he did not secretly, not in a dream, but openly appear before the eyes of this father and mourned his loss with a loud voice, so that the brothers heard his voice, although they did not see his image. This enemy, as the venerable father told his disciples, appeared before his bodily eyes, terrible and flaming, and rushed at him with an open mouth and fiery eyes. Everyone heard what the devil said. First of all, he called St. husband by name; when he did not answer the enemy, the devil immediately began to spew blasphemy against him. For shouting: “Benedict, Benedict!” - and not hearing any answer from him, he immediately shouted: “Cursed and not blessed, what do you have in common with me?” But now it is time to remember other cases of the struggle of the ancient enemy with the servant of God, to whom he declared war willingly, but did not willingly concede victory. Chapter Nine. About the big stone raised by the prayer of St. husband Once the brethren of this monastery built dwellings for themselves in it; in the middle of it lay a stone that they decided to raise for the building. Two and three could not lift it; Many others joined in, but the stone was as motionless as if it were being held in the ground by its roots. It became clear that the ancient enemy himself was sitting on it, whom the hands of so many men could not move. Having encountered this obstacle, they asked St. husband to come and drive away the enemy with prayer so that the stone can be lifted. As soon as he arrived and, having said a prayer and gave a blessing, the stone was lifted with such speed as if it had no weight at all. Chapter ten. About an imaginary fire. Then it pleased the holy man to dig up the earth in the place where the stone lay. The brothers dug a fairly deep hole and found a copper idol there. As soon as they threw him into the bakery, fire immediately appeared and in the eyes of all the monks it was as if the whole building was on fire. When everyone rushed to pour water and put out the imaginary fire, St. came to this noise. husband. Not seeing the fire that appeared to the eyes of the brethren, he immediately began to pray and commanded the brothers, deceived by the imaginary fire, to cross their eyes so that they would see the bakery building unharmed and not see the flame that the ancient enemy had invented. Chapter Eleven. About a novice who was crushed when the wall fell and was brought back to life by the prayer of St. Venedicta. Once again, the brethren raised the walls of the monastery as far as necessary, and St. The husband at that time was practicing prayer inside his cell. A malicious ancient enemy appeared to him and urged him to go to his working brothers. The holy man immediately announced this to the brothers through a messenger, saying: “Brothers, work more carefully, because an evil spirit will now come to you.” The messenger barely had time to pronounce this order when an evil spirit overturned that part of the wall that was being erected, and crushed with it one monastic novice, the son of a certain curial. Everyone was saddened and greatly shocked, not by the fall of the wall, but by the death of their brother, and immediately, with bitter weeping, hastened to announce what had happened to Benedict. Then Benedict ordered the broken youth to be brought to him. There was no other way to convey him than by wrapping him in outer clothing, because the stones of the fallen wall crushed not only his limbs, but even his bones. The holy man immediately ordered him to be placed in his cell on the matting, on which he himself usually prayed, sent the brethren out, locked the door and began to pray even more intensely than usual. Wonderful thing! At the same hour he sent the novice, unharmed and healthy, still to that same work, i.e. finish the wall with my brothers. Thus was the ancient enemy put to shame, who thought to mock Benedict by destroying the youth. Chapter Twelve. About monks who ate food outside their cells. Among other gifts of God, St. the husband also received the spirit of prophecy and began to predict the future and tell those present about what was happening in the distance. Meanwhile, in the monastery there was a rule that the brethren who went out for some business should not take food or drink outside the cell, and this rule was strictly observed. But one day the brethren, having left the monastery for obedience, were forced to slow down too much; They learned that they were not far from a certain pious woman, entered her home and took food. Having returned to the monastery late, they asked, as usual, for their father’s blessing. He immediately began to test them, asking: “Where did you eat?” They answered: “Nowhere.” To this the father said to them: “Why are you lying like that? Didn't you go into the house of such and such a woman? Didn’t they accept such and such write? Haven’t you drunk so many cups?” When in this way the venerable father told them about the hospitality of his wife and about the kinds of food and about the number of cups of drinking, they confessed everything that they had done, fell with trepidation at his feet and confessed their sin. He immediately forgave them for their guilt and gave instructions that in his absence they should do the same as in his presence, knowing that he was always with them in spirit. Chapter thirteen. About the brother of the monk Valentinian, about whom St. the husband found out that he had eaten food on the way. The brother of that monk Valentinian, whom I mentioned above, was a worldly man, but devout. He used to go every year from his place of residence to the monastery of Benedict to listen to the speeches of the servant of God and see his brother, and never took food on the way. One day, when he was going to the monastery, another traveler joined him, carrying food with him to eat on the way. At an already late hour, the latter said: “Come on, brother, let’s taste the food so that we don’t weaken on the way.” He answered him: “No, brother, I won’t, because I am in the habit of coming to the venerable Father Benedict without ever eating food on the way.” Having received such an answer, the companion fell silent for a while; but then, having walked some more distance, he again began to convince them to taste the food. The one who decided to go all the way in fasting did not want to agree; the companion fell silent again and decided to continue the journey with him in fasting for a while. When they went even further, and the long journey tired them, they found on the way a meadow, a spring and everything that could strengthen their weakened body. Then the companion said: “Here is water, a meadow, here is a pleasant place where we can rest and calm down a little in order to be able to continue our journey.” And the words thus caressed the ear, and the place pleased the eyes; Valentinian's brother agreed to the third conviction of his companion and tasted the food; then in the evening I reached the monastery. Having introduced himself to the venerable Benedict, he asked him for guidance; but St. the husband immediately reproached him for what he had done on the way, saying: “How is it, brother, that the evil enemy, who talked with you through your companion, could not convince you either the first or the second, but convinced you the third time and thus defeated you, as he wanted?” Then the stranger saw the weakness of his will and, throwing himself at the feet of the saint, began to mourn his guilt and be ashamed of it all the more, since even in his absence he had sinned before the eyes of Benedict. Peter. I see that in the holy man there was the spirit of knowledge of Elisha (2 Kings 5:25–26), who learned what his disciple had done in his absence, as if he himself had been present at this matter. Chapter fourteen. About the hypocrisy of King Totila, which the saint exposed. Grigory. Shut up, Peter, you will find out even more. During the time of the Goths, their king Totila, hearing that St. The husband has the gift of prophecy, went to his monastery, stopped not far from him and sent to say that he was going to the saint. The saint sent to tell him to go, and he himself stood up to meet him. Meanwhile, the king, out of incredulity, dared to test in the following way whether the man of God really had the gift of prophecy. The king gave his sandals to one of his sword-bearers, named Riggo, dressed him in royal clothes and ordered him to go to St. to her husband under the guise of a king. He sent three of his retinue as his companions, namely: Vult, Ruderic and Blindin, so that they would walk on the sides of Riggo, who was supposed to represent King Totila in the eyes of the servant of God; in addition, he gave him other servants and sword-bearers, so that both by these servants and by the royal clothes, he would seem like a real king. When Riggo, adorned with robes and accompanied by many servants, entered the monastery, St. The husband immediately sat down and, allowing the walker to come to such a distance that he could hear, exclaimed: “Put it down, my son, put it aside, what you are carrying: it is not yours.” Riggo immediately fell to the ground and was horrified that he had dared to deceive such a man; and all those who came with him to the man of God lay prostrate on the ground. Having risen, they did not dare to approach him, but returned to their king and, trembling with fear, told how they were quickly exposed in deception. Chapter fifteen. About the prediction made to the same king Totila and the bishop of the city of Canusina. Then Totila himself went to St. to her husband and, recognizing him sitting from afar, did not dare to approach and threw himself to the ground. The man of God said to him two, three times: “Get up”; but he did not dare to rise from the ground before him. Then Benedict, a servant of Jesus Christ, himself approached the prostrate king, raised him from the ground, reproaching him for his bad deeds, and in a few words predicted his entire future. “You do a lot of evil,” he told him, “you have done a lot of evil, although you will someday repent of your wickedness. True, you will enter Rome, cross the sea, reign for nine years, but die on the tenth.” From these words the king fell into great fear and, having asked for prayers for himself, left, and from that time on he was less cruel. A little later he attacked Rome, then headed to Sicily; and in the tenth year of his reign, by the will of almighty God, he lost his kingdom along with his life. The primate of the Canusinian Church, whom Benedict loved very much during his life, also used to go to this servant of God. In a conversation with Benedict about the invasion of King Totila and the destruction of Rome, the primate said: “This king will so destroy the city that no one will live in it.” The holy man answered him: “Rome will not be destroyed by the pagans; but having endured severe storms, misfortunes and earthquakes, it will wither on its own.” The secrets of this prophecy have already become clearer than light to us: in this city we see destroyed walls, overturned houses, overthrown churches, we see how more and more often the oldest buildings fall into ruins. Although Benedict's student, Honoratus, from whom I heard about this, assures that he did not hear from his own lips; however, he testifies that the brethren told him about this. Chapter sixteen. About a cleric who was temporarily cured of a demon. At the same time, one cleric of the Aquinas Church was possessed by a demon. The venerable husband Constantine, the leader of this church, sent him for healing to many places of the martyrs. But St. The martyrs of God did not want to grant him healing in order to show what grace was in Benedict. Therefore, the cleric was brought to the servant of Almighty God Benedict, who, through prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, immediately expelled the ancient enemy from the man he possessed. He gave the healed man a commandment, saying: “Go and after this do not eat meat and never take holy orders, because on the same day on which you foolishly dare to take on holy orders, you will again fall under the power of the devil.” The cleric came out healthy and, since new punishment usually frightens the soul, for some time he observed the will of the man of God. When, after many years, all his elders retired from this world, he decided to surpass his younger self in sacred degrees, as if, due to a long time, he had forgotten the words of the man of God and entered the sacred class; the devil, who had previously abandoned him, immediately took possession of him again and did not cease to torment him until he gave up the ghost. Peter. This St. the husband, it seems, penetrated into the secrets of the Divinity Himself, because he foresaw that this cleric would be betrayed to the devil if he dared to enter the sacred class. Grigory. How can one who has kept the commandments of God not know the secrets of the Divine, when it is written (by the Apostle Paul): “But he who is united with the Lord is one spirit with the Lord.” (1 Cor. 6:17). Peter. If there is one spirit with the Lord, clinging to the Lord, then why does the same glorious preacher say in another place: “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who was His adviser?” (Rom.11:34). It seems incongruous to become one with someone and not understand his mind. Grigory. Holy men, since they are one with God, do not misunderstand the mind of the Lord. For the same apostle says: “For what man knoweth the things that are in a man, except the spirit of man which dwelleth in him? Likewise, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” And to show that he knows God, he added: “we have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit from God” (1 Cor. 2:12). Therefore he also says: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him. God has revealed this to us by His Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:9–10). Peter. So, if the Spirit of God revealed to this apostle the very essence of God, then how does he say above the words I cited: “Oh, the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are His destinies and unsearchable His ways!” (Rom.11:33). And again, with these words, a new question arises in me. The prophet David speaks to the Lord: “With my lips I have proclaimed all the judgments of Your mouth” (Ps. 119:13). If it were less difficult to know than to proclaim, then why St. Paul claims that God’s judgment was untested, and David testifies that he not only knew all the destinies of God, but also proclaimed them with his mouth? Grigory. I have already answered you briefly above both, saying that St. men, since they are one with the Lord, do not understand the mind of the Lord. For all those who follow the Lord through piety are united with Him on this path; but because they are still burdened with the weight of the flesh, they cannot be constantly with God. Therefore, insofar as they are united with Him, they know the hidden judgments of God; but they don’t know how far they are separated. Since they do not yet completely penetrate into His mysteries, they testify that “His judgment is unsearchable,” because they cleave to Him with their minds and in this unity through the sacred verbs of Scripture or secret revelations, they understand, then they know the judgments of God and proclaim. So, they do not know the destinies about which God Himself is silent, but those announced by God know. Therefore, David the prophet, when he said: “I will proclaim all destinies with my mouth,” immediately added: “Thy mouth,” as if he were saying: I was able to recognize and proclaim those destinies that I learned about from Your mouth. For what you yourself do not speak about, you undoubtedly hide from our understanding. Therefore, both the prophet and the apostle agree in their thoughts, and the fate of God is incomprehensible; however, those about whom will be spoken by His mouth are proclaimed by the mouth of men; for destinies revealed by God can be known by people, but hidden ones cannot. Peter. Thus, the words of my objection already contained a method for solving it. But please tell me, if you know anything else, about the miracles of this man. Chapter seventeen. The prophecy about the destruction of the monastery, uttered by St. husband. One eminent man, named Theoprobus, who lived under the leadership of Benedict, enjoyed great power of attorney from him during his good life. Having once entered Benedict’s cell, Theoprobus found him in bitter tears. He stood for a long time and, seeing that St. The husband does not stop shedding tears, and not the kind he usually shed in prayer, but painful ones, and asked what was the reason for such heavy crying. The man of God immediately answered him: “This entire monastery, built by me, and everything prepared for the brethren, according to the determination of Almighty God, will be handed over to the pagans. I could hardly ask that the souls of the brethren living here be given to me.” Only Theoprobus heard this prediction at that time; but we see its fulfillment, because we know how the monastery was destroyed by the Longobards. At night, when the brethren were sleeping, the Longobards entered the monastery; plundering everything, they could not take a single person from it: Almighty God fulfilled what he promised to His faithful servant Benedict, i.e. He gave his property to the pagans, but saved his souls. In this case with St. With Benedict, as I see, the same thing happened as with the Apostle Paul (Acts 27:22-44), who, during a storm at sea, received the lives of all his companions as his consolation, although the ship with all its property was wrecked. Chapter Eighteen. About the hidden vessel, about which St. the husband found out in spirit. One day our Exilarat, whose conversion you yourself know, was sent by his abbot to bring to the monastery two clay vessels filled with wine, which are popularly called vials: he brought one, and hid the other on the road. But St. the husband, from whom even what was done in his absence could not be hidden, accepted the brought vessel with gratitude and admonished the departing youth with these words: “See, my son, do not drink from the vessel that you hid, but tilt it carefully and you will see what is in it.” He left the man of God in great confusion and, wanting to further experience what he had heard, he went and tilted the vessel, from which a snake immediately crawled out. Then the mentioned youth Exilarat, admonished by what he found in the wine, was horrified by the offense he had committed. Chapter nineteen. About the hiding of napkins, discovered by Saint Benedict. Not far from the monastery there was a village in which many inhabitants were converted from idolatry to faith in God by the admonition of St. Venedicta. Some holy women also lived there, and often the servant of God Benedict tried to send his brethren there for the edification of souls. One day he sent as usual, but the sent monk, having delivered instructions, at the request of the nuns, accepted napkins from them and hid them in his bosom. As soon as he returned, the servant of God began to reproach him with great grief, saying: “How did wickedness enter your bosom?” But he seemed to have become dumb, forgot what he had done and did not know why they reproached him. Benedict said to him: “Was I really not there when you took napkins from God’s servants and put them in your bosom?” The culprit immediately fell at his feet, repented of his sin and threw away the napkins that he had hidden in his bosom. Chapter twenty. About the proud thought of the monk, which St. recognized. husband. One day, when the venerable father was already eating bodily food in the evening hour, his monk, the son of one intercessor on business, held a lamp in front of him at the table. When St. the husband was eating, and he stood in front of him with a lamp to serve, then, at the instigation of the spirit of malice, the monk began to silently reflect and mentally say to himself: “Who is he that I stand in front of him while he eats, hold the lamp, serve? Who am I to serve him? The man of God, immediately turning to him, began to strongly rebuke him, saying: “Cross your heart, brother, what are you saying? Cross your heart." And immediately calling the brethren, he ordered the lamp to be taken from his hands, and he himself commanded him to withdraw from service and sit quietly in his cell at that hour. When asked by the brethren what he had in his heart, he told in order what spirit of pride had taken possession of him and what words he mentally spoke to himself against the saint. husband Then it became clear to everyone that nothing could hide from the venerable Benedict and that even the words of secret thoughts sounded in his ears. Chapter twenty one. About two hundred measures of flour found during the famine at the cell of St. husband At another time, famine was raging in that part of Campania, and everyone felt a great lack of provisions. Even in the monastery of Benedict there was no wheat: and all the loaves were almost eaten, so that by the time of the meal no more than five loaves could be found for the brethren. When the venerable father saw them sad, he tried to correct their cowardice with a gentle rebuke and inspire them with a promise, saying: “Why is your spirit troubled because of the lack of bread? Although there is little today, tomorrow you will have plenty.” The next day, two hundred measures of flour in bags were found at the door of his cell: it remains unknown to this day through which donors Almighty God sent them. When the brethren learned about this, they, giving thanks to the Lord, learned not to doubt abundance even in the face of shortages. Peter. Tell me, please, was the spirit of insight always present in this servant of God, or at times only his mind was filled with the spirit of insight? Grigory. The spirit of insight, Peter, does not always illuminate the minds of the prophets, because, as it is written about the Holy Spirit: “the spirit breathes where it wants” (John 3:8), so one must know that it breathes - when and why it wants. So Nathan (2 Sam. 7:3–17), asked by King David whether he (David) could build a church, first answered in the affirmative, and then in the negative. So Elisha, when he saw a woman crying and did not know the reason for the crying, said to the youth who forbade her to cry: “Leave her, her soul is sad, but the Lord hid it from me and did not tell me” (2 Kings 4:27). In this case, Almighty God acts according to His great mercy: sometimes by bestowing the prophetic spirit, sometimes by taking away, He raises through this the mind of the prophets to a height, and preserves them in humility, so that those who receive the spirit see what they are doing from God, and those who do not have the prophetic spirit realize what they are with their own strength alone. Peter. That this is so, as you claim, I am absolutely sure. But I ask you, tell me more, if you remember, something about the venerable Benedict. Chapter twenty two. About the establishment of the Terratsinsky monastery, as indicated in the vision of St. Benedict. Grigory. One pious man asked St. Benedict to send his disciples to establish a monastery on his estate near the city of Terracina. Benedict agreed to his request, sent some of the brethren, appointed an abbot over them and ordered who should be second in line (vicar). Sending them out, he made a solemn promise in the following words: “Go, I will come on such and such a day and show you on which place a church should be built, on which a meal for the brethren, on which a hotel for receiving visitors, and in general everything necessary.” They accepted the blessing, went to the place, began to look forward to the appointed day and prepared everything necessary for the establishment of the monastery. On the night before the appointed day, that servant of God, whom he appointed abbot there, and his deputy, St. the husband appeared in a dream and accurately marked all the places where something was to be built. Rising from sleep, they told each other what they had seen. Not entirely, however, they believed this dream and began to wait for the man of God, since he promised to come. And when on the appointed day St. the husband did not come, they turned to him with sorrow and said: “We were waiting, father, for you to come, as promised, and show us where to arrange things, but you did not come.” He answered them: “Why, brothers, why are you saying this? Didn’t I come as promised?” To their question: “When did you come?” - he answered: “Didn’t I appear to both of you in a dream and indicate all the places? Go and, as you heard in the vision, build all the monastery buildings.” With great surprise they listened to these words, returned to the mentioned estate and arranged all the monastery buildings as shown in the dream. Peter. I would like to understand how it could happen that the saint, being far away, gave the sleeping order, which they saw in a dream and understood. Grigory. Why do you doubt, Peter, testing the image of completing this work? It is absolutely clear that the spirit has a more flexible nature than the body. We undoubtedly know, according to the testimony of Scripture, that the prophet (Habakkuk), raptured from Judea (Dan. 14:33-39), was suddenly supplied with food in Chaldea, with which he fed the prophet (Daniel), and then again suddenly saw himself in Judea. So, if Habakkuk could physically travel so far in an instant and carry food, what is surprising if Benedict reached the place where he strove in spirit, and said what was necessary to the souls of the sleeping brethren? Just as he achieved it physically to saturate the body, so this one achieved it spiritually for the organization of spiritual life. Peter. Your speech, I confess, removed the veil of doubt from me; but I would like to know what this husband was like in an ordinary conversation? Chapter twenty-three. About the nuns, after their death, returned to communion with the Church, through the prayers of Benedict, at the Eucharist. Grigory. It is unlikely, Peter, that his most ordinary speech was devoid of spiritual power: whose heart ascended to the heights, words never came out of his mouth in vain. If he ever uttered anything hesitantly, only in the form of a threat, and then his speech had such force, as if he had pronounced it decisively, in the form of a final sentence. For example, not far from his monastery, two pious wives, descended from a noble family, were saved in their own house; To support their external life, one pious man provided them with services. But just as in some the loftiness of the race sometimes produces a humiliation of the spirit, and they consider themselves great in this world only because they remember their higher origin than others, so the above-mentioned nuns have not yet completely bridled their tongues under the outer cover of piety, and that pious man who provided them with the means of life was often provoked to anger by careless speeches. For a long time he endured such speeches, but then he went to the man of God and told him what insults he had verbally suffered from the nuns. St. the husband, having heard this about them, immediately gave them the following commandment: “Brain your tongue; If you do not correct yourself, I will excommunicate you from the Church.” He obviously did not pronounce this idea of ​​excommunication decisively, but in the form of a threat. The wives, having not at all corrected their shortcomings, died a few days later and were buried in the church. When the Divine Eucharist was celebrated in that church and the deacon, according to custom, exclaimed: “You who are deprived of fellowship, come forth,” the nurse of those wives, who was in the habit of giving an offering for them to the Lord, saw them rise from their graves and leave the church. Seeing more and more often how, at the deacon’s call, they went out and could not stay in the church, the nurse remembered what the man of God had commanded them while still alive. The nuns, she decided, were deprived of communion with the Church because they had not corrected their morals and language. Then, with great sorrow, she told the servant of God about this. St. Benedict immediately gave her the prosphora from his hands, saying: “Go, bring this prosphora to the Lord for them, and they will no longer be excommunicated.” When this offering was made for them and the deacon announced, as usual, that the excommunicated should leave the church, it was no longer visible that the nuns would leave the church. From this it is clearly clear that those deprived of communion could not leave the ranks of the excommunicated until they were rewarded by the Lord with communion with the Church through the servant of God. Peter. It is very surprising how a respected and holy man, who still lived in this corruptible flesh, could resolve souls that were already subject to another, invisible judgment. Grigory. Is it really true, Peter, that he who heard the promise was not in this flesh: “And whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19)? Regarding binding and loosening, those who, by faith and morality, receive sacred power, succeed him. But so that earthly man could do such things, for this purpose the Creator of heaven and earth came down from heaven to earth, and so that the flesh could judge even spirits, God vouchsafed it such grace, becoming flesh for the sake of people, because our weakness became higher than itself when the Power of God was clothed in it. Peter. The truth of words is justified by the power of signs. Chapter twenty-four. About a youth monk who was cast out by the earth after his burial. Grigory. One day, a youth monk who loved his parents more than he should have, went to their house, but left the monastery without a blessing, and on the same day, as soon as he came to them, he died. He was buried, but the next day his body was thrown out of the ground; They hastened to bury him again, but the next day they again found him erupted. Then they immediately turned to St. They prayed to Benedictus with bitter tears that he would grant the youth the grace of forgiveness. The holy man immediately gave them from his hands a piece of the Body of the Lord, saying: “Go, and place this part of the Body of the Lord on the boy’s chest with reverence, and thus give him up for burial.” When the command was fulfilled, the earth held the buried body and did not spew out any more. Note, Peter, what grace this man was awarded by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: even the earth spewed up the body of the one who did not receive forgiveness from Benedict. Peter. I see clearly and am extremely amazed. Chapter twenty-five. About a monk who, leaving the monastery, met a dragon on the way. Grigory. A certain monk indulged in absent-mindedness and did not want to live in a monastery. The holy man carefully admonished him and often exhorted him; but he did not agree to remain among the brotherhood and bothered him so much with untimely requests to let him go that one day the venerable father, tired of his excessive pestering, became angry and ordered him to leave the monastery. As soon as the monk left the monastery, he met on the way, right in front of him, a dragon with an open mouth. When the dragon wanted to devour him, he, trembling with fear, began to shout in a loud voice: “Hurry, help, the dragon wants to eat me.” The brothers who came running did not see the dragon, but they brought the trembling monk back to the monastery. He immediately made a promise never to leave the monastery and firmly kept his promise. Thus, through the prayers of the holy man, he saw the dragon sitting opposite him, whom he had previously followed without seeing him. Chapter twenty-six. About a boy healed of leprosy. I should not, I think, remain silent about what I heard from the famous husband Anthony, who said that his father’s boy was stricken with such leprosy that his hair all came out, and his skin was swollen and could no longer cover the accumulating pus. His father sent him to St. Benedict, and the youth immediately received healing. Chapter twenty-seven. About gold coins miraculously found by a debtor. I will not keep silent about what Benedict’s student named Peregrinus usually told. One day an honest man, suffering from debts, came up with one means of salvation for himself - to go to St. husband and tell him how his debts were weighing him down. He came to the monastery, found the servant of Almighty God and announced how strictly the lender demanded twelve gold coins from him. The respected father answered him that he did not have so much gold, but he consoled the poor man with a friendly word and said: “Come in two days, because now there is nothing to give you.” On these two days, St. The husband, as usual, was engaged in prayer. When the debt-stricken man returned on the third day, thirteen gold coins were immediately found near the monastery cell filled with bread. The holy man ordered them to be brought and given to the oppressed debtor, telling him to give twelve to the lender and use one for his expenses. But let us return to what I learned from the disciples of St. Benedict, named at the beginning of this book. One man suffered from the cruel hatred of his enemy, which even extended to the point that the latter secretly mixed poison in his drink. Although the poison could not take his life, it did change the color of his skin, so that the multicolored color that spread over his body looked like leprosy. But brought to the man of God, he immediately regained his former health: as soon as Benedict touched him, all the colors disappeared from his skin and it took on its former appearance. Chapter twenty-eight. About a glass vessel thrown onto stones and not breaking. At the very time when a severe famine was raging throughout Campania, St. the husband distributed everything from his monastery to the poor, so that there was almost nothing left in the pantry except a small amount of oil stored in a glass vessel. Then one subdeacon, named Agapit, approached with an insistent request that they give him some oil. The holy man, who decided to give away everything on earth in order to preserve everything in heaven, ordered that the petitioner be given the small amount of oil that remained. The monk overseeing the storeroom, although he heard the order, did not carry it out. When, after a little time, they asked him whether he had fulfilled the order, the monk replied that he did not give the oil, because if he had given it to the petitioner, there would have been nothing left for the brethren. Then the angry St. Benedict ordered others to throw out the window the glass vessel in which there was a little oil, so that nothing would remain in the monastery due to disobedience. And so it was done. And under this window there was a large cliff strewn with piles of sharp stones. Thus, the thrown glass vessel fell on the stones, but it remained completely unharmed, as if it had not been thrown at all, so it itself did not break and the oil did not spill. The holy husband ordered the vessel to be raised and, since it was unharmed, he gave it to the petitioner. Then, having gathered the brethren, he exposed the disobedient monk in front of everyone of his mistrust and pride. Chapter twenty-nine. About an empty barrel filled with oil. Having made such a denunciation, St. Benedict and all his brothers began to pray. And in the place where he and his brothers prayed, there was an empty, closed barrel. When the holy man continued to pray, the lid of the barrel began to lift because there was oil in it and suddenly began to flow. They moved and removed the lid, but the rising oil began to pour over the edges of the barrel and poured onto the floor on which it stood. As soon as God's servant Benedict saw this, he immediately stopped praying and the oil stopped pouring onto the floor. Then he gave a new admonition to the unbelieving and disobedient brother so that he would learn to have faith and humility. And the brother, saved from salvation, was ashamed, because the venerable father proved with miracles the power of Almighty God, which he spoke about in his instructions. From then on, no one could doubt the promises of the one who in one minute could deliver, instead of an almost empty glass vessel, a full barrel of oil. Chapter Thirty. About a monk delivered from a demon. One day, when the holy man was going to the church of Blessed John, built at the very top of the mountain, on the way he met an ancient enemy in the form of a horse farrier who carried a horn and a tripod. When the holy man asked him: “Where are you going?” - he answered: “I’m going to the brothers to give them something to drink.” Then the venerable Father Benedict went to prayer, after which he immediately returned. And the evil spirit saw one old monk drawing water, immediately entered him, threw him to the ground and began to terribly torment him. When St. The husband, returning from prayer, saw how cruelly the evil spirit was tormenting him, gave only a light blow to the monk and immediately drove the evil spirit out of him, so that he no longer dared to return to the monk. Peter. I would like to know whether Benedict always performed such miracles by the power of prayer or sometimes with one wave of his will. Grigory. Those who, with good will, cling to God when need demands, can perform miracles in one way or another, so that sometimes they perform them by prayer, sometimes by their own power. Yes, St. John says: “And to those who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12). If there are those who have the power to be children of God, is it surprising that such people can perform miracles with their power? That they perform miracles in one way or another is proven by the example of the Apostle Peter (Acts 9:39–41), who resurrected the dead Tabitha through prayer, and put the liars Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–10) to death by reproof. It is not said that he prayed to kill them, but only exposed the wrongdoing they had committed. So it is clear that saints sometimes perform miracles by power, sometimes by prayer, just as Peter took the life of Ananias and Sapphira by reproof, and returned it to Tabitha through prayer. Now I remember two miracles performed by the faithful servant of God Benedict, one of which was performed by divinely received power, and the other by prayer. Chapter thirty-one. About the bound villager who was released with one glance from St. husband One Goth, named Tsalla, who adhered to the Arian heresy, during the time of their king Totila, burned with the most ferocious hatred against the spiritual men of the Orthodox Church, so that any of the clerics or monks who came into his sight never left his hands alive. One day, motivated by greed and carried away by robbery, the Goth began to cruelly torture one villager and subjected him to various tortures. The villager, overcome by torment, said that he gave his property to the servant of God Benedict, in order to gain time to save his life if the tormentor believed. Then Tsalla stopped torturing the villager with torture, but, tying his hands with strong belts, he drove his horse ahead so that the villager could show who this Benedict was who had taken the estate from him. The villager led the Goth, walking ahead with his hands tied, to the monastery of the holy man and found Benedict sitting and reading in front of the entrance to the monastery. Turning to the fierce Zalla who followed him, the villager said: “This is the Benedict I told you about.” Tsalla, in the madness of a depraved mind, cast a fierce glance at the saint, thinking thereby to frighten him like others, and began to shout in a loud voice: “Get up, get up, give back this villager’s things that you took.” To the voice of his St. the husband immediately took his eyes away from reading and, looking around him, barely noticed the villager who was standing there tied up; but when I focused my eyes on his bound hands, immediately the straps that bound his hands began to miraculously untie with such speed that no human efficiency could untie them so quickly. When the villager, previously bound, in an instant became untied, Tsalla, trembling from the power of such power, fell to the ground and, bending his cruel neck at the feet of the saint, devoted himself to his prayers. And the holy man, calling the brethren, ordered him to be brought inside so that he could receive the blessing. When Tsalla was again brought to him, he exhorted him to abandon such insane cruelty. Gotf, leaving with contrition of heart, did not ask anything more from the villager, whom St. The husband untied it without touching, with just one glance. This is what I said, Peter, that those who boldly serve Almighty God can sometimes perform miracles even by their own power. For whoever, while sitting, tamed the ferocity of the terrible Goth, and untied the bonds of the belts that tied the hands of the innocent with the power of his gaze, shows by the very speed of the miracle that he had the power to do what he did. I will also add what a great miracle he could accomplish through prayer. Chapter thirty two. About the resurrection of the dead. One day the saint went out with his brothers to work in the fields. At that time, a certain villager, carrying the body of his dead son in his arms and bitterly mourning his loss, came to the monastery and looked for St. Venedicta. When they told him that this father was with his brothers in the field, the villager immediately threw the body of his dead son at the monastery door and, in great grief, immediately ran to look for his venerable father. At that time St. The husband was already returning with his brothers from field work. As soon as the orphaned villager saw him, he began to shout: “Return my son, return my son.” The holy husband objected to him: “Did I take your son from you?” The villager answered him: “He died, go and resurrect him.” Hearing this, the servant of God became greatly saddened and said: “Go away, brothers, go away; this is not our business, but that of the holy apostles. Why do you want to place burdens on us that we cannot bear?” But he, who was consumed by excessive grief, insisted in his request, swearing that he would not leave unless Benedict resurrected his son. After that, the servant of God asked: “Where is he?” The villager answered: “Here his body lies at the monastery gate.” The holy man approached that place with the brethren, knelt down, lay down on the body of the youth and, straightening up, stretched out his hands to heaven with the prayer: “Lord, regardless of my sins, look upon the faith of this man who asks to resurrect his son, and return to this body the soul that You took from him.” As soon as he uttered the words of prayer, the whole body of the boy began to shake from the entry of the soul into him, so that the eyes of all those present saw how wonderfully it shook and trembled. Then the saint took the boy by the hand and gave him to his father alive and well. It is clear, Peter, that he did not have the power to perform this miracle, but he prayed prostrately that God would give him the power to perform it. Peter. I clearly see that what you say is true, because you confirm your words with experiments. But, please tell me, can all holy men do whatever they want, and do everyone get what they want? Chapter thirty-three. About the miracle of Venedikt's sister, Scholastica. Grigory. Who in this life is higher than Paul, who three times prayed to the Lord for “the evildoer of his flesh” to depart from him, and yet could not get what he wanted? On this occasion, I consider it necessary to tell you about the venerable Benedict, that there was something that he wanted, but could not fulfill. The saint's sister, named Scholastica, dedicated to Almighty God from infancy, used to come to Benedict once a year. The holy husband came out to meet her not far beyond the gates of the monastery, on the estate. One day she came, as usual, and her respected brother came out to her with his disciples; They spent the whole day praising God and in holy conversations, and when night began to fall, they ate food together. They were still sitting at the table, and between holy conversations time seemed slower, when the holy woman, Sister Benedicta, began to beg him: “Please don’t leave me this night; Let’s talk until the morning about the joys of heavenly life.” He answered her: “What are you saying, sister? There is no way I can stay outside the monastery.” And the sky was so clear that not a single cloud was visible in the air. The pious wife, hearing her brother’s refusal, placed her folded hands on the table and bowed her head in her hands to pray to Almighty God. When she raised her head from the table, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and rain poured down in such abundance that neither the venerable Benedict nor the brethren who were with him could move their legs from the place where they were sitting. So the pious wife, bowing her head, shed streams of tears that made the clear sky rainy. And it was not that the flood followed even a little later after the prayer, no, the prayer and the flood were so simultaneous that when she raised her head from the table, thunder was already thundering, and at the same instant she raised her head and brought down the rain. Then St. the husband, seeing that under lightning, thunder and pouring rain it was impossible for him to return to the monastery, began to complain with sorrow: “May Almighty God have mercy on you, sister; what did you do? She answered him: “I asked you, but you didn’t want to listen to me; I asked my Lord - and He heard me. If you can, come out and, after letting me go, return to the monastery.” But he could not get out from under the roof and thus remained in place against his will when he did not want to stay of his own free will. So, they spent the whole night in wakefulness, in holy conversations about spiritual life and fed each other with mutual conversations. That's why I said that there was something that he wanted, but could not get. For if we consider the thoughts of the venerable husband, there will be no doubt that he desired the same clarity of the sky in which he met his sister; but it happened contrary to his wishes, the woman’s soul performed a miracle by the power of almighty God. And it is not surprising that at that time a woman who had long wanted to see her brother could do more, because, according to St. John: “God is love” (1 John 4:16); According to this righteous judgment, she who had more love could do more. Peter. I confess that I am extremely interested in what you say. Chapter thirty-four. About the soul of his sister, which he saw when she left her body. Grigory. When the next day this venerable woman went back to her cell, St. the husband returned to the monastery. And then, three days later, sitting in the monastery, Benedict raised his eyes into the air and saw how the soul of this very sister of his, leaving her body, flew in the form of a dove into the sky. Rejoicing at her such glory, he gave thanks to Almighty God in hymns and praises and announced her death to the brethren. Then he immediately sent them to bring her body to the monastery and put it in the coffin that he had prepared for himself. Thus, it happened that the bodies of those whose minds were always united in God were not separated by burial. Chapter thirty-five. About the whole world gathered before his eyes, and about the soul of Herman, bishop of the city of Capua. Servand, a deacon and abbot of a monastery founded in the region of Campania by one patrician Liverius, used to often visit Benedict's monastery to talk with him. And that man exuded the teaching of heavenly grace, and thus they fed each other with sweet conversations about eternal life, so that, at least, they ate with their hearts the pleasant food of the heavenly fatherland, which they could not yet fully enjoy. When the hour of rest came, the venerable Benedict went to the upper part of the monastery tower, and Deacon Servand was placed in the lower parts; in this place there was a passage staircase from the upper parts to the lower ones. And then in front of this tower there was a dwelling in which the disciples of both rested. One day, while the brethren were still sleeping, Benedict stood up for night prayer and prayed at the window to Almighty God; Suddenly, at the deepest midnight, he saw a light that illuminated the entire darkness of the night, which sparkled so much that the night became brighter than the day. An extremely amazing event followed this illumination: the whole world, as he himself said later, was gathered before his eyes, as if under one ray of the sun. The venerable father fixed his attentive gaze on this brilliance of heavenly light and saw in the fiery radiance the soul of Herman, Bishop of Capua, carried by the Angels to heaven. Then he wished to have a witness to such a miracle for himself and called Deacon Servand in a loud voice, repeating his name two or three times. Servand was immediately awakened by the unusual cry of this man, went upstairs, looked and saw only a small part of the world. He was amazed at the miracle, and St. the husband told him in order what was happening, and immediately sent a command to the pious husband Theoprobus to the Cassino monastery, so that he would send that same night to Capua to find out what was happening with Bishop Germanus, and then notify. The messenger found the most venerable husband, Bishop Herman, already dead and, questioning in detail, learned that he died at the very moment in which St. the husband saw him ascend to heaven. Peter. A wonderful and very amazing event for me. But your words that before the eyes of Benedict the whole world was gathered as if under one ray of the sun are incomprehensible to me, since no one has ever experienced this; those. I cannot understand how one person could see the whole world. Grigory. Believe firmly, Peter, what I say: for the soul that sees the Creator, all creation is small. Therefore, whoever sees a small part of the Creator’s light, everything created becomes small for him: because the very light of inner vision expands the horizons of the mind and so expands in God that the mind becomes higher than the world; the soul of the seer is even higher than itself. And when in the light of God she is caught above herself, at that time her power expands more than anything below her; and when the admiring one contemplates everything beneath her, she understands how insignificant everything is that she could not understand in a state of humiliation. So, St. the man who, looking at the ball of fire, saw even Angels ascending into heaven, without a doubt, could see this only in the light of God. What is surprising if he who was outside the world, being caught up in mental light, saw the world gathered before him? And if it is said that the world was gathered before his eyes, it does not mean that heaven and earth were, so to speak, compressed, but that the expanded spirit of the seer, being caught up in God, could easily see what was lower than God. So, in the light that shone before external eyes was the inner light of the mind, which, when it delighted the spirit of the seer to the highest limits, showed him how cramped everything was below. Peter. I see that there is benefit for me not to understand what you say: because of my lack of understanding, your speech has taken on such extensive dimensions. But since you have made all this completely clear to my understanding, I ask you to return to the order of the story. Chapter thirty-six. About the fact that St. Benedict wrote rules for monks. Grigory. I would like, Peter, to tell a lot more about this venerable father, but I’m omitting some of his deeds, because I’m in a hurry to talk about the deeds of other men. However, I don’t want to hide from you the fact that St. the man, famous for so many miracles in the world, also shone with the light of teaching. For he wrote rules for the monks, distinguished by certainty and elegance of speech. If anyone wants to know his customs and life in more detail, he can find in this outline of the rules all the ways of his teaching, because the holy man could not teach otherwise than how he himself lived. Chapter thirty-seven. About the death of Benedict, which he himself predicted to the brethren. In the year in which St. Benedict was about to die, he announced the day of his death to some of the disciples who lived with him, and to some who were far away - commanding those present to keep what they heard in silence, and declaring to those absent what a sign would be for them when his soul left his body. Six days before his death, he ordered the tomb to be opened for himself. Then he began to suffer from a fever. A few days later the weakness worsened; on the sixth day, he ordered his disciples to carry himself to the church, there he prepared for death by communion with the Body and Blood of the Lord and, leaning his weak limbs on the hands of his disciples, stood up with his hands raised to heaven and breathed his last in the words of prayer. On this very day, two of his disciples: one who remained in the monastery, and the other who was away, had exactly the same vision. They saw how the road stretched, covered with clothes and illuminated by countless shining lamps, towards the east of the monastery, up to the sky. A husband in light clothes appeared before each of them from above and asked whose road it was that they saw. They replied that they did not know. The husband who appeared said: “This is the path along which Benedict, beloved of the Lord, ascends to heaven.” Then the absent disciples, from this sign that had been predicted to them, learned about the death of the holy man in the same way as the present disciples saw it. Benedict was buried in the Church of Blessed John the Baptist, which he himself built on the site of the Altar of Apollo that he destroyed. In the cave under the lake in which he previously lived, great miracles are still performed for those who come and pray with faith. Chapter thirty-eight. About a mad woman healed in his cave. So, recently one incident happened that I will tell you about. One woman lost her mind and, completely losing sense, wandered day and night through mountains and hills, forests and fields, and rested there when fatigue required. One day, wandering around a lot, she entered the cave of the blessed husband Benedict and remained there, unaware of anything. In the morning she came out with such common sense, as if she had never been overcome by madness, and so for the rest of her life the woman remained in the same health that she received in the cave. Peter. What does it mean that the holy martyrs, as we sometimes notice in their miracles, perform lesser benefits through their bodies than through the things left after them, and perform great miracles there where their holy bodies are not? Grigory. Where is St. The martyrs lie with their bodies, there is no doubt that they can perform great miracles, as they do: for those who come with a pure mind, they perform countless miracles. But since weak minds may doubt whether the martyrs are ready to listen to those praying where their bodies are not located, it is necessary that they perform great miracles where a weak mind may doubt their presence. And whose mind is established in God, those people deserve the benefits of their faith all the more, the more they know that although there are no bodies of martyrs here, they are ready to listen to those who pray. Therefore, the Truth itself, in order to increase the faith of the disciples, said: “for if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you” (John 16:7). For if it is known that the Holy Spirit always proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son, why does the Son say that He will depart in order for the Spirit to come, Who has never been separated from the Son? Since the disciples, seeing the Lord in the flesh, always longed to see Him with their bodily eyes, it is rightly said: “for if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you”; to say more clearly: “If I do not hide my body, I will not show what love for the Spirit should be; and if you do not stop seeing Me physically, you will never learn to love Me spiritually.” Peter. I agree with what you are saying. Grigory. But let’s stop talking for a while in order to gather strength in silence to talk about the miracles of other men. Chapter one. About Pavlin, Bishop of Polanski. Having paid attention to the fathers closest to us in time, I seemed to completely forget about the deeds of other famous saints, such as, for example, the miracle of St. Paulinus, Bishop of Polanski, who surpassed many saints known to me in his virtues and is older than them in time. Therefore, I will return to the story of the ancient saints and convey what I can in a short story. Just as the deeds of virtuous men are usually most likely to become known to people like them, so our elders, who imitate the examples of holy men, are well aware of the glorious name of the pious Bishop of Polanski. The amazing feats of this husband serve as a model for them to organize their own lives. Therefore, I consider it my duty to believe them completely, as if I had seen what they told me myself. During the invasion of the fierce Vandals in Italy, when Campania was devastated by them and many of the inhabitants of this country were taken to Africa, the servant of God Paulinus generously distributed all the property of his bishopric to the poor and captives. One day, when there was absolutely nothing left that he could give to those in need, some widow came to him and, telling him that the son-in-law of the Vandal king had taken her son captive, begged the man of God to give her a ransom for her son, so that the master, if only he agreed to accept the ransom, would allow her son to return home. The man of God, looking for something to give to the persistently asking woman, however, found nothing but himself, and said to the petitioner: “I have nothing to give you, but take me myself, say that I am your own slave and, so that your son will be returned to you, give me into slavery instead.” The woman took these words from the bishop more as mockery than as an expression of compassion. But Peacock, as a man possessed of eloquence and, moreover, well-educated in secular sciences, soon convinced the distrustful woman of the truth of his words and convinced her, without any doubt, to give the bishop into slavery to ransom her son. So they went to Africa. There the widow, having met the son-in-law of the Vandal king, who had her son in captivity, began to beg him first to return her son. But the proud barbarian, arrogant with his temporary happiness, not only did not want to fulfill her requests, but even to listen to her. Then the widow added: “Here, I will give you this man instead of the prisoner, just show me mercy - return my only son to me.” Looking at the face of the elderly Peacock, the barbarian asked him if he knew what art. “I don’t know any art,” answered Peacock, “but I know how to cultivate gardens well.” The barbarian was pleased to hear that Peacock was experienced in cultivating gardens, and after that he took him into his ranks of slaves, and returned his son to the widow-petitioner. Having received her son, the woman left Africa, and Peacock began to tend to his master’s garden. The king's son-in-law often came to the garden and, asking his gardener about various subjects, found in him a very wise man, so that, finding special pleasure in conversations with him, the gentleman often left his friends and close acquaintances to talk with the gardener. The peacock usually delivered fragrant and fresh plants to his master’s table every day and, having received his daily food, returned to his studies. Much time passed like this. One day, in a sincere conversation, Peacock said to his master: “Soon, and even very soon, the Vandal king will die. You need to think in advance what to do then and how to dispose of the kingdom.” Since the master enjoyed the royal favor above all the nobles, he did not hide from the king what he heard, but conveyed everything that the wise gardener said to the king. After listening to the story, the king said to his son-in-law: “I would like to see for myself the person you are talking about.” “He usually delivers fresh herbs to my table,” answered the royal son-in-law, temporary master of Pavlina. “So that you can see him, I will order him to deliver the greens to your table.” And so it was done. During the royal dinner, Peacock brought fresh vegetables from his garden that he had cultivated. As soon as the king saw Peacock, he was overcome with trepidation and, calling on his son-in-law, Mr. Peacock, the king revealed to him a secret that he had not discovered before. “You heard the truth from this man,” said the king, “because last night I saw that judges had gathered in the courtroom to accuse me, among whom was this man (Peacock). According to their definition, the scourge that had previously been handed to me was taken away from me. But ask him who he is: I do not think that he is any simple person, as he seems to be from his appearance.” The royal son-in-law called Peacock to him and secretly began to ask him who he was. “I am your servant, whom you took instead of the widow’s son,” answered the man of God. When the master began to urgently ask that Peacock tell him not who he was now, but who he was in his homeland, and when these requests and questions were constantly repeated, the servant of God, forced by the terrible spells of his master, could not hide who he was, and confessed that he was a bishop. Having learned this, the gentleman was terribly frightened and humbly asked Peacock to demand everything that could serve for his return to his homeland with due honor. “You can only show me one benefit,” said God’s servant Peacock, “let go with me all my captive fellow citizens.” Immediately, to fulfill the wishes of the venerable Peacock, captives were found throughout Africa and released along with Peacock on ships heavily laden with grain. A few days later the Vandal king also died; and the scourge, which was given to him, by order of God, for his own destruction and for the admonition of the believers, passed from him to another. Thus, everything was fulfilled as the servant of almighty God, Peacock, predicted. And he, having given himself alone into voluntary captivity, brought with him from slavery to freedom many, imitating the One who took upon Himself the form of a slave in order to free us from slavery to sin. Following His footsteps, Peacock voluntarily became a slave for a while, so that later he and many would receive freedom. Peter. Having heard from you about the life of a person whom I cannot imitate, I can only cry and not speak. Grigory. Written information about the death of Peacock has been preserved in his Church. When the illness took a strong hold of him, and he was already in his last minutes, suddenly an earthquake occurred, and the bed on which the sick man was reclining shook; meanwhile, the house itself remained unshakable. All those present were overwhelmed with extraordinary fear. It was the holy soul of Peacock that was separated from the body. Then great fear fell upon all the eyewitnesses of the death of Peacock. But just as everything that I have so far told you about Peacock depicts the more internal virtues of the saints, now, if you wish, let us move on to the story of external miracles, known to many, about which I also heard from the stories of people so pious that I cannot in any way doubt the truth of their words. Chapter two. About Saint Pope John. During the reign of the Goths, Blessed John, the high priest of the Roman Church, once went to the Emperor Justinian the Elder. Within the Corinthian borders, the high priest found it necessary to find himself a riding horse to continue his journey. As soon as one nobleman heard about this, he immediately offered John a horse, so tame that the nobleman’s wife usually always rode on it, but with the condition that as soon as the high priest arrived in some place where another horse could be found, this horse would be returned as needed for the nobleman’s wife. And indeed, when John reached a certain place on this horse, they immediately found another horse for him, and sent the first one back. The wife of the aforementioned nobleman, as usual, wanted to mount her horse, but could not do this, because the horse did not want to carry a woman after carrying such a high priest: the horse neighed terribly, thrashed and constantly tore, as if clearly expressing that it did not want to carry a woman after the high priest. Having thought about this matter carefully, the nobleman immediately ordered the horse to be taken again to the high priest and earnestly asked John to take it as his own, to which he acquired the right by riding himself. “Our elders tell another miracle about John. When he approached the so-called golden gates of Constantinople, and a multitude of people met him, in full view of everyone, by laying on his hand, he restored sight to one blind man and drove away the darkness from his eyes. Chapter three. About Saint Pope Agapit. A few years later, it also happened to blessed Agapit, the high priest of the Roman Church, which, by the will of God, I now serve, to go, on Gothic affairs, to the Emperor Justinian. Once, when Agapit was already crossing through Greece, they brought to him for healing a paralyzed mute who could neither say anything nor rise from the ground. When the relatives tearfully presented the sick man to the high priest, the servant of God Agapit asked them if they had firm faith that the sick man would be healed. How quickly they confessed that they firmly believed in the healing of the sick by the power of God and the intercession of St. Apostle Peter, blessed Agapit immediately began fervent prayer and celebrated the Liturgy. At the end of the Divine service, leaving the church, he took the paralytic by the hand and, in front of all the people who were there, immediately raised him from the ground and put him on his feet; and when he put the Body of Christ into the sick man’s mouth, his silent tongue immediately opened up. All who saw the miracle that Agapit performed by the power of God and the intercession of St. Apostle Peter, were amazed: their souls were seized by reverent fear and tears were an expression of their joy. Chapter Four. About Datius, Bishop of Milan. During the reign of the same emperor, Datius, Bishop of Milan, went to Constantinople on matters of faith, and had already reached Corinth. Here he was looking for a spacious house to relax in, which could accommodate his entire retinue. They could not find it for a long time, but Dacius from a distance saw one house of apparently sufficient size and ordered it to be prepared for himself and his retinue. But the residents of the city said that it was impossible to fit in this house, because an unclean spirit had settled in it for several years and therefore it still stood empty. “That is why we must settle in this house,” said the Venerable Dacius, “because an unclean spirit has settled in it and does not allow anyone to live there.” He ordered this house to be prepared for himself and calmly entered it to fight the ancient enemy. Thus, when everything was quiet at night and the servant of God was at rest, the primordial enemy began to imitate the terrible cry of animals in different voices: the roar of lions, the bleating of sheep, the lowing of donkeys, the hissing of snakes, the squealing of pigs and the squeaking of mice. Awakened by these animal voices, Datius immediately stood up, and in great anger spoke loudly, turning to the devil: “It has rightly happened to you, cursed one, that you, who said: I will set my throne to the north and will be like the Most High, now for your pride you have become like pigs and mice, and you, who wickedly dared to become like God, now worthily imitate the beasts.” After these words, the unclean spirit seemed to be ashamed of his unworthiness: because if he had not been ashamed, he would not have completely left the house in which he usually imagined various monsters? Thus, after one truly believing man entered this house, the unclean and lying spirit immediately left him, and from then on Christians began to live in the house. However, leaving the story of what happened in former times, let’s move on to what happened in our times. Chapter five. About Sabinus, Bishop of Canusia. Some pious people, known throughout the Apulian region, talk about Sabinus, Bishop of Canusia (which also became known to many residents of other, distant regions), that from extreme old age he lost his sight, so that he could absolutely not see anything. The Gothic king Totila, having heard that Sabin had the gift of prophecy, however, not believing this at all, decided to see for himself what he had heard. One day he passed through the region where Sabinus was a bishop. The servant of God Sabin invited the king to his table. When it was time to sit down at the table, the king did not want to recline, but sat down at the right hand of the venerable Sabinus. When Sabina's servant, as usual, began to bring a cup of wine, the king quietly took it from the servant's hands and instead brought the cup to the bishop, wanting to see if the bishop, by the gift of vision, recognized who was bringing the cup to him. "Long live this hand!" - said the servant of God, taking the cup, but not seeing who brought it. The words of the saint both shamed the king, because they served as a denunciation of his unbelief, and at the same time they rejoiced, because they revealed to him in the man of God what he was looking for. The life of the pious Sabin lasted until he was very old. This prompted one of his archdeacons, incited by the ambitious thought of occupying the episcopal see after Sabinus, to end the bishop’s life with poison. Having bribed the cupbearer, he persuaded him to serve the bishop wine laced with poison. When dinner time arrived and the bishop was reclining at the table, a bribed servant brought him a cup of poison prepared by the archdeacon. “Drink what you have prepared for me,” the pious bishop said to the one who offered it. The servant trembled, seeing that he had been exposed; he decided to drink poison and die rather than be punished for deliberate murder. But as soon as he raised the cup to his lips, the servant of God restrained him, saying: “Don’t drink, let me drink; and you go tell the one who gave you the poison that I drank the poison, but he will not be a bishop,” and, having made the sign of the cross, the bishop calmly drank the cup. At the same hour, the archdeacon, who was in another place, died, as if the poison taken by the lips of the bishop had passed into the womb of the guilty man. But it was not the visible poison that caused death to the archdeacon, but the poison of his own malice struck him in the face of the Eternal Judge. Peter. Such things are wonderful and very amazing in our time. But the very life of this holy man shows that, having examined it, one cannot help but be surprised at the greatness of his deeds. Chapter six. About Cassius, Bishop of Parnassus. Grigory. I cannot keep silent, Peter, about what several people who have now come from the city of Narn claim. Also during the reign of the Goths, the previously mentioned king Totila, while in Narn, met with Cassius, the bishop of this city, a man of pious life. Cassius always had a red face by nature. But King Totila assumed that this redness was not natural, but came from constant drunkenness, and began to treat the bishop with contempt. Then Almighty God, wishing to show what kind of man was subjected to contempt, allowed the following. On the Narnian field, in the presence of the king and in full view of the entire army, an evil spirit attacked one of the king’s squires and began to cruelly torment him. In the presence of the king, they brought the suffering man to the pious Cassius, and the servant of God, having made a prayer and the sign of the cross, expelled the unclean spirit so that he never returned to him. From that time on, the king began to sincerely respect the saint of God, whom he had hitherto considered worthy of all contempt for his appearance alone. For, as soon as the king saw such great virtues in Cassius, his soul, hitherto proud and fierce, humbled itself. Chapter seven. About Andrew, Bishop of Funda. When I talk about the deeds of great men, the actions of Divine mercy towards Andrew, Bishop of Funda, always come to mind. To those of my readers who dedicate their bodies to abstinence, I would especially advise not to dare to live together with the female sex, for fear that spiritual decline will occur the sooner, the more incitement to sinful lust from the proximity of persons of this sex. My story is undeniable, because the number of witnesses to its truth is almost equal to the number of inhabitants of that country. The life of the pious Andrew was filled with many deeds of virtue; maintaining strict chastity was for him a subject of sacred vigilance. Having become a bishop, he did not want to deprive one nun, who had previously lived with him, of his care, but, firmly confident in his and her chastity, he allowed her to live with him. The primordial enemy wanted to take advantage of this in order to open access to temptation into his soul. He began to constantly imagine the image of this woman in the bishop’s imagination, so that unclean thoughts did not leave him even on his bed. One day a Jew, traveling from Campania to Rome, passed through Appia. Having reached Mount Fundus, when the day was already approaching evening, and not seeing shelter anywhere, he stopped at the church of Apollo, whom he passed by. Fearing this demonic dwelling, he protected himself with the sign of the cross, although he did not believe in the cross at all. At midnight, when the very silence of the night inspired fear and he could not sleep, suddenly he saw that many evil spirits had come to the church, who, in the form of a retinue, followed their boss. The one who seemed to be in charge sat down among the church and began to question each of the spirits accompanying him about his actions and activities, wanting to know how much evil each of them had done. Each spirit he asked told how he seduced virtuous people. Then the one who aroused carnal lust in Bishop Andrei through imagining a nun who lived in the bishopric came forward with a report. The eldest of the evil spirits listened to this story with greed and considered such an acquisition all the more important for himself, since the spirit inclined the soul of a holy man to a fatal fall. Meanwhile, the spirit admitted that hitherto he could not do anything except that last night he persuaded the bishop to touch the nun with a passionate thought. Then the evil spirit, the primordial enemy of the human race, began to flatteringly convince the speaker to complete what he had begun, assuring him that for the destruction of such a soul he would receive the palm of precedence over all spirits. A Jew who was here and did not sleep saw this clearly. But a thrill of fear and horror overwhelmed him when the commanding spirit ordered his subordinates to find out who dared to spend the night in their church. Evil spirits approached the Jew and, looking carefully, saw that he was protected by the sign of the cross, and exclaimed in fear: “Oh, this is an empty sealed vessel!” After these words, the entire multitude of evil spirits disappeared. Seeing this, the Jew immediately stood up and hurried to the bishop. He found the bishop in the church, he took him aside and began to ask what temptation especially tormented him. The bishop was ashamed to admit it. When the Jew said that the bishop was tormented by unclean love for the nun, and the bishop did not confess, the Jew added: “Why don’t you confess what I’m asking you about? Wasn’t it you last night that you were brought to such a temptation that you allowed yourself to passionately touch the nun?” Seeing himself convicted by these words, the bishop humbly confessed to everything that he had hitherto persistently denied. The Jew, wanting to protect the bishop's chastity from falling, told him how he learned about this matter and what he had heard about the bishop in the meeting of evil spirits. Then, with a feeling of repentance and prayer, the bishop threw himself to the ground and immediately removed from his home not only that nun, but also all the other women who were in his obedience. Having built the church of St. in the church of Apollo. to the Apostle Andrew, he was completely freed from carnal temptation. The Jew, who convicted and saved him with his vision, attracted him to eternal salvation, because, having washed him in the waters of baptism and granted him the Holy Sacraments, he accepted him into the bosom of the Holy Church. Thus, this Jew, by caring for the salvation of another, acquired salvation for himself, and Almighty God attracted one to a virtuous life, thereby serving to preserve the virtue of the other. Peter. What I heard from you arouses both fear and hope in me. Grigory. So we should always hope for God’s mercy towards us and tremble for our weakness. So we heard how the cedar of paradise shook, but was not uprooted, so that in us, unconfirmed, both fear for its hesitation and hope for its firmness would be revived. Chapter eight. About Constantius, Bishop of Aquinas. In the city of Aquinas there was a certain Constantius, a highly respected man in life, who was bishop. He died shortly before the accession to the throne of my predecessor, Pope John of blessed memory. Many who had the opportunity to know Constantius well say that he had the gift of prophecy. By the way, this is what eyewitnesses, pious and truthful people, say about him. On the day of the death of Constantius, when citizens crowded around him with deep sorrow, like children deprived of a dearly beloved father, some of them asked him with tears: “Who will replace you, father?” “After me,” Constantius answered in a prophetic spirit, “a cattle driver will be your bishop, and then a clothier. Woe to you, Aquina, that you should be subjected to this!” Having uttered these prophetic words, Constantius died. Indeed, after his death, the pastoral care of the Church was taken over by his deacon, Andrei, who had once been a horse driver, and after the death of Andrei, the episcopal dignity passed to Jovinus, who was once a cloth maker in the same city. During the reign of Jobin in Aquina, so many inhabitants died from the sword of the barbarians and from the raging pestilence that, after his death, there was not a single person to be elected bishop and there was no one to choose for. Thus the prophecy of the saint of God was fulfilled that, after the death of two successors, his Church would be left without a shepherd at all. Chapter Nine. About Frigdian, Bishop of Lucca. I will also tell you what two days ago I happened to learn from the stories of the venerable Venantius, Bishop of Luni. In the Church of Lucca, adjacent to his region, he said, there was a bishop named Frigdian, a man of amazing virtue. All the inhabitants of that country remember one very remarkable miracle performed by him. The Avser River, flowing near the walls of the city of Lucca, often overflowed its banks during floods and, spilling over the fields, destroyed everything sown and planted. This happened often. The inhabitants of the country suffered great losses, and this forced them to try to divert the flow of the river to other places. But no matter how long they worked, they could not remove the river from its original channel. Then the saint of God Frigdian, having made a small rake, went with them to the river and, after a solitary prayer, ordered the river to follow him, and meanwhile, dragged the rake to the places where he wanted. The entire river, leaving its bed, flowed after him, so that the place of its usual flow became completely dry. A new channel was formed in the direction that the saint of God pointed to the river with his rake. And since then, the river has not brought any harm to the plants that were sown and planted in the fields. Chapter ten. About Sabina, bishop of the city of Piacenza. The same venerable Bishop Venantius told me about another miracle that happened in the city of Piacenza. The reality of this incident is also assured by John, the current Roman prefect, a most truthful man, who was born and raised in Piacenza, as Venantius also remembers. In this city, they say, there was a bishop named Sabinus, a man of a wonderful life. One day the deacon informed him that the Po River, having risen from its banks, flooded the church fields with everything sown on them for food. “Go and tell this river,” answered the pious Sabinus. “The bishop commands you to humble yourself and return to your normal course.” The bishop's words seemed strange and funny to the deacon. Then the saint of God, calling his scribe, ordered him to write the following: “Command to the river Po Sabina, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I command you never to leave your channel in these places and not to devastate the church fields.” “Having written this,” added the bishop, “go and throw it into the river.” As soon as the scribe fulfilled the bishop's order, the river waters, obeying the command of the man of God, immediately left the church lands, and the river, returning to its own channel, never again flooded those places. In this incident, when by the power of Jesus even the unreasonable elements obeyed the command of the holy man, what else is expressed if not the condemnation of the stubbornness of disobedient people? Chapter Eleven. About Kerbonius, Bishop of Populene. In our time, the pious Cerbonius, Bishop of Populenes, became famous for his great holiness of life. He was especially distinguished by his love of hospitality. Once he took in warrior wanderers and, by sheltering them, saved them from the danger of losing their lives during the invasion of the ferocious Goths. The wicked Gothic king Totila, as he soon learned of this, in a fit of ferocious and indomitable bloodthirstiness, ordered the bishop to be brought to his military camp at the town of Merula, eight miles from the episcopal city, in order to throw Cerbonius here at a public spectacle to be torn to pieces by bears. Many people flocked to the spectacle, and the wicked king himself was present to enjoy the spectacle of the death of the bishop. The bishop was taken to the middle and the fiercest bear was released to tear him to pieces. The cruel Totila watched with particular pleasure when this bear savagely tore the man to pieces. With greed and frenzy, the bear rushed from his cage at the bishop, but suddenly, as if forgetting his ferocity, he bowed his head low and, approaching the bishop, began to lick his feet, as if clearly letting everyone know that in relation to this saint of God, the hearts of animals changed into human hearts, and the hearts of people, on the contrary, into beasts. Then the people, who had gathered for the mortal disgrace, began to express their surprise and awe with a loud cry. The king himself involuntarily felt reverence for the saint, because just as before he had godlessly wanted to take the life of the bishop, so now, by order of God, he learned meekness from the example of the beast. At present, some of the eyewitnesses of this incident are still alive, and they testify that they themselves saw it along with others. The Bishop of Lyons told me about another miracle performed by the same saint. During his bishopric in Populene, Cerbonius ordered that a grave be prepared for himself. But during the devastating invasion of the Longobards in Italy, Cerbonius retired to the island of Elba. There, when a serious illness brought him closer to death, he ordered his clergy and everyone around him to bury him in the grave he had prepared in Populen. They objected to the bishop: “The Longobards scattered throughout that country and completely took possession of it; how will we transport your body there?” “Don’t be afraid of anything,” said the bishop. - Take my body there without fear; but try to bury me as quickly as possible, and as soon as you bury me, immediately, without any delay, return back.” So, when the bishop died, his body was placed on the ship. During the voyage, clouds gathered and the heaviest rain began to fall. And, as if to demonstrate how great a saint the body was on the ship, throughout the entire sea route from Elbe to Populene, a distance of twelve miles, not a single drop of rain fell on the ship, while it was sailing through a storm and the heaviest rain. Thus the clergy reached Populene and interred the body of their bishop and, as he commanded, returned to the ship without any delay. As soon as they entered the ship, the fierce leader of the Longobards, Gummarit, arrived at the place where the saint of God was buried. Thus, the bishop's command to his clergy to return without any delay from the place of burial showed that he possessed the gift of prophecy. Chapter twelve. About Fulgentius, Bishop of Utrikul. The miracle that I told about the divided rain happened under another pious bishop. This is what one elderly cleric (he is still alive) told me about the incident, which he himself was an eyewitness. The ferocious king Totila had strong displeasure against Fulgentius, bishop of Utricul. When one day he was approaching this country with his troops, the bishop sent him gifts with his clergy, in order at least with gifts to tame his insane rage. But Totila contemptuously rejected the gifts and, burning with anger, ordered his soldiers, mercilessly seizing the bishop, to bring him before him for trial. The ferocious Goths, executors of the inhuman commands of their master, seized the bishop and, drawing a circle on the ground, placed Fulgentius in it and forbade him the slightest movement from this place. When in this way the saint of God, under the guard of the Goths in a certain circle, was languishing in the heat of the sun, suddenly, with a flash of lightning and thunderclaps, it began to rain so heavily that the guards surrounding the saint could not bear it. Meanwhile, with this unusually heavy rain, not a single drop fell into the circle in which the saint was located. As soon as the hard-hearted king was told about this, deep respect for the bishop, whose death he desired with such indomitable fury, awoke in his proud soul. Thus Almighty God humbles the proud carnal minds with the miraculous manifestations of His power in His meek servants! Thus, the Truth, acting in humble people, subjugates people who proudly rise up against its commandments. Chapter thirteen. About Herculanus, Bishop of Perusia. Recently the pious Bishop Florid told me about one very remarkable miracle. In the city of Perusia, he said, the most holy Herculanus, my teacher, was bishop. He was elevated to the sacred rank of bishop from the monastery abbots. During the time of the wicked king Totila, the Gothic army besieged this city for almost seven years. Many citizens fled, unable to bear the pangs of hunger. At the end of the seventh year, the Goths finally took possession of the besieged city. Then the commander of the besieging army sent to ask King Totila what he should do with the bishop and the people. “From the body of the bishop,” answered Totila, “cut a belt length from head to toe, and then cut off his head, and put all the inhabitants to the sword.” The military commander, having brought the pious Bishop Herculanes to the city wall, beheaded him and, already dead, ordered to remove the skin in order to cut a belt from it, and then threw his body over the wall. Then some pious and compassionate people, placing the truncated head of the bishop with the body, buried along with the corpse of one murdered youth found near the wall. Forty days after the bloodshed, King Totila declared that all the inhabitants of that city, scattered across different countries, should return without any fear. Taking advantage of the permission, the citizens who fled the city during the siege returned. Remembering what their bishop was like in life, they began to look for his burial place in order to transfer his body with due honor for burial at the church of St. Apostle Peter. When they came to the grave and dug up the ground, they found that the body of the youth, buried with the bishop, since forty days had already passed, was damaged by rotting and covered with worms, but the body of the bishop remained intact, as if it had been buried on that very day. And what is more amazing: the bishop’s head has grown so tightly to the body, as if it had never been truncated; There weren't even any traces of truncation visible. When they turned the body around to see if there were any signs of torment left on the other side, they found the body so whole and complete, as if the sword had not touched it. Peter. Who would not be amazed at such miracles performed on the dead to enlighten the living? Chapter fourteen. About God's servant Isaac. Near the city of Spoletto, from the first and almost to the last times of the Gothic rule, there lived a certain Isaac, a pious man. Many know him, and especially the pious virgin Gregory, who now lives in our Rome at the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. Even in her young years, she hid in the church under the protection of Isaac when they wanted to marry her off. She wanted to devote herself to monastic life and, with the help of God, she achieved what she wanted. Because she hid from the earthly bridegroom, she was honored to have a Groom in heaven. I also learned a lot about Isaac from the stories of the venerable Father Eleutherius. He knew Isaac briefly, and his piety vouches for the accuracy of his story. The pious Isaac was not an Italian by birth, but I will tell you about his miracles that he performed while in Italy. When he came to Spoletto from the borders of Syria for the first time, he entered the church and asked the church guards for permission to pray as much as he pleased and not to be expelled during the rite. Having started to pray, he spent the whole day and the whole next night in it. He also spent the second day and night in constant prayer, and finally the third day. One of the church guards, inflated by the spirit of pride, instead of benefiting from this, only suffered disastrous harm. He began to interpret and boldly divulge about the saint, that he was a hypocrite and a deceiver, who wanted to show off to others with his three-day and three-night prayer; then he rushed at the servant of God and began to beat him in order to expel him from the church with dishonor, like a hypocritical saint. But suddenly an evil spirit attacked the guard, threw him at the feet of the saint of God, and through his mouth began to shout: “Isaac will drive me out.” Until now, no one had known the name of the alien; the evil spirit, who was shouting that Isaac could cast him out, discovered the name. The servant of God immediately prostrated himself over the body of the demon-possessed one, and the evil spirit that had entered came out. What happened in the church immediately became known throughout the city. Simple and noble women began to flock in and vied with one another, trying to take the saint into their home. Some offered estates, others - money, others - other help, whatever they could, and begged the saint to accept all this for the establishment of monasteries. But the servant of Almighty God, not accepting anything offered, left the city and, not far away, finding a secluded place, built himself a modest dwelling. Many began to come to him and, inspired by his example to seek eternal life, surrendered to the obedience and guidance of the servant of Almighty God. The disciples often persistently, albeit humbly, asked Isaac to accept the offerings made for the benefit of the monastery, but he, as a vigilant guardian of non-covetousness, always answered firmly: “He is not a monk who seeks earthly acquisitions.” He tried with the same care to preserve his non-covetousness with which stingy rich people usually preserve their perishing treasures. During his stay in this monastery, the fame of the gift of prophecy and his great miracles spread even to the most distant countries. One evening he gave the order to throw iron tools, which we usually call spades, into the monastery garden. “Throw so many spades into the garden and quickly return back,” he told his students. That same night, having risen with the brethren for the usual praise of God, he gave them the order: “Go, cook some stew for our workers so that it will be ready by early morning.” In the morning, he ordered the prepared stew to be carried and, entering the garden with the brethren, he found as many workers working there as he ordered to leave the spades. These were thieves. When they entered the garden, their intention, by the action of God, changed: having found spades in the garden, they took them and, without ceasing, worked from the time of their arrival until the arrival of the saint of God and cultivated all the places in the garden that had not yet been cultivated. “Hello, brothers! You've already worked hard. It’s time to rest,” the saint of God told them, entering the garden. Then he offered them the food he had brought to strengthen them after such hard work. When they had sufficiently refreshed themselves, the saint said to them: “Do not do evil, and when you need something from the garden, come to the gate, calmly ask and receive with a blessing, and refrain from criminal theft.” Then he immediately ordered to give them as many vegetables as possible. Thus, those who came to the garden with the intention of harm returned harmlessly and received a generous reward for their work. At another time, some strangers in torn clothes and rags, almost naked, came to Isaac for alms. When they began to ask the saint for clothes, he silently listened to them. Then, calling one of the disciples to him, he gave him a secret order: “Go into this forest, and there, in such and such a place, you will see a tree hollow: bring here the clothes that you find there.” The student went, found the indicated tree, took clothes from it and secretly brought it to the teacher. The saint of God, taking it, gave it to the naked foreign petitioners, adding: “You are almost naked: take these clothes and put on them.” Looking at the clothes, the petitioners immediately recognized that it was their clothes that had been left in the forest, and they were greatly embarrassed from shame. Thus, those who wished to obtain someone else's clothes by deception received their own again with shame. At another time, someone, asking for the saint’s prayers, sent him through his slave as a gift two full baskets of food. The servant hid one basket and hid it on the road, and brought the other to the saint of God and laid out before him the request of the one who had sent him with gifts. The saint of God lovingly accepted the gift and thanked him, but said to the slave: “See, be careful when you take that basket that you hid on the road: a snake crawled into it, so be careful that if you touch it carelessly, the snake does not bite you.” These words caused the slave great confusion. On the one hand, he was extremely glad that he had escaped death, on the other, he was greatly saddened. But he suffered his shame as a saving punishment. Returning to the basket, he quietly and carefully took it and found in it, as the saint of God had predicted, a snake. Thus, this saint combined with the virtue of abstinence, contempt for everything fleeting, with the gift of prophecy an extraordinary diligence in prayer. One thing seemed strange. Sometimes he became so cheerful that, without knowing him in advance, it would be impossible to believe that he possessed great virtues. Peter. Please tell me what does this mean? Whether he indulged in such joy of his own free will, or whether his soul, possessing great virtues, was sometimes involuntarily delighted to the point of real joy. Grigory. Great, Peter, is the economy of the almighty God, and for the most part it happens that those to whom God bestows the highest blessings, he deprives the lower ones, so that their soul can always be humbled by something, so that, striving for complete perfection and not achieving it, working on what they did not accept, and not acquiring with their labor, they would not be at all proud of what they have, but let them learn that they, who are powerless, destroy in themselves and small, insignificant shortcomings, do not of themselves have the highest perfections. Therefore, the Lord, when he brought his people into the promised land, having destroyed all their strong and mighty enemies, preserved the Philistines and Canaanites longer, so that he might tempt Israel with them (Judges 3:4), as the Scripture says. Thus, as I said, sometimes the Lord allows some small shortcomings to remain in those to whom he bestows great perfections, so that they have something to fight with and would not become proud after defeating strong enemies, when they are still bothered by the weakest enemies. So miraculously, one and the same soul both grows stronger in virtue and languishes in weakness, so that, seeing in itself on the one hand good order, and on the other, disorder, and not satisfied in its desire to obtain the missing good, it humbly preserves what it has. But is this surprising in a person, when some of the citizens of the highest region fell, and the other remained firm, so that the chosen angelic spirits, seeing the fall of their brethren through pride, were all the more firmly established in humility. And just as in that area the loss brought benefit because its very disorder served to greater strengthening and to its eternal steadfastness, so it happens in every soul: an insignificant flaw, like a guardian of humility, preserves it for higher acquisitions. Peter. I'm happy with your explanation. Chapter fifteen. About the servants of God Eutychius and Florence. Grigory. I will also tell you what I learned from the stories of the venerable Sanctul, presbyter of the same region. You will not doubt his story: because you know his piety and truthfulness. At the same time, two monks lived within the Nursia region: the name of the first was Eutyches, and the second was Florence. Eutyches was distinguished by spiritual zeal and ardent love for virtue. Therefore, his main concern was to convert as many people as possible with words to the path of a godly life. Florence led a simple life; His main occupation was prayer. It happened that not far from them, in one monastery, the abbot died. The monastic brethren wished to have Eutyches in his place. Eutychius accepted their request and ruled the monastery for several years, guiding the souls of his disciples in the exploits of monastic life. But not wanting the cell in which he had previously lived to remain empty, he allowed the pious Florence to settle in it. Living in this solitary dwelling, Florence one day prostrated himself before the almighty God with a prayer: may some help be granted to him for his stay in this dwelling. At the end of the prayer, the saint left the cell and saw that a bear was standing at the door. By bowing its head to the ground and in its movements not revealing any signs of brutality, the bear thereby made it clear that it had come to obey the saint of God, and the saint immediately knew this. At the same cell there were four or five sheep left, but there was no one to herd them. “Go, drive these sheep out to pasture,” the saint said to the bear, “and at the sixth hour return here with them again.” From now on, the bear constantly performed the position of a shepherd; and this bloodthirsty beast tended the sheep that it had previously devoured. When the saint of God fasted, he commanded the bear to return with the sheep at the ninth hour, and on other days - at the sixth. And the bear always obeyed the command of the saint of God: having received an order to appear at the ninth hour, he did not return at six, and having received an order to appear at six, he did not return at nine. So a lot of time passed, and the fame of this miracle began to spread far. But the primordial enemy, by the very thing that serves to advance the virtuous person in glory, tries to plunge evil people into destructive envy. Four of the disciples of the pious Eutyches greatly hated Florence because he, living in solitude, gained fame through miracles that their teacher Eutyches did not perform, and, having secretly agreed, they killed the bear. When after this the bear did not return to Florence at a certain hour, he began to wait for him. Finally, when evening came, the saint became very worried that the beast was not returning, and the next day he himself went into the field to look for the bear and sheep, and found the first killed. After a thorough search, he found out who killed the bear. Then the saint began to cry, grieving more for the malice of the monastery brethren than for the killing of the bear. The pious Eutyches, calling Florence to himself, tried to console him. But the saint of God, overwhelmed by deep sorrow, before Eutyches prayerfully uttered the following words: “I am sure that Almighty God, in the eyes of everyone, will reward them for their malice in this life: they killed a bear that did them no harm.” These words were immediately followed by Divine vengeance. The four monks who killed the bear were immediately stricken with leprosy and died from rotting members. When this happened, the saint of God Florence was greatly frightened: he was frightened by the condemnation he pronounced on the brethren. All his life he cried that God heard him - he called himself cruel, blamed himself for the death of his brothers. “I think that Almighty God allowed this to happen in order to show Florence, an extremely simple man, that even in great sorrow it is not always possible to extend one’s condemnation far to others. Peter. Is the sin of condemnation really so grave when we pronounce condemnation in a fit of anger? Grigory. Why are you asking me about the severity of this sin, when the Apostle Paul said: slanderers will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:10)? Therefore, consider how serious sin is when it separates you from the kingdom of life. Peter. What if someone, not out of malice, but out of intemperance of the tongue, utters a word of condemnation against his neighbor? Grigory. If, Peter, the Terrible Judge condemns for every idle word, then how much more for a harmful word? Therefore, think: if punishment is imposed for every idle word, then how much more condemnation will a word spoken out of malice be subject to? Grigory. The same saint did something else that cannot be kept silent about. When the great fame of Florence spread to distant countries, one deacon from afar undertook a journey to the saint to ask his prayers. Being already not far from the saint’s cell, the deacon saw that the entire space surrounding the cell was covered with countless snakes. In terrible fright, he shouted: “Pray, servant of God!” The time was extremely quiet then. Florence came out and, raising his hands and eyes to heaven, prayed to the Lord that He, as it pleased Him, would destroy these reptiles. Through the saint’s prayer, thunder immediately struck, and all the reptiles who were in that place were killed. Seeing them dead, the saint of God cried out: “Lord! You have struck down the bastards. But who will clear the place of them?” Immediately, through the prayer of the saint, many birds flew in, according to the number of dead reptiles, and, each of them taking a snake, carried them to a long distance and thus completely cleared the vicinity of Florence’s dwelling from reptiles. Peter. How virtuous and how great this holy man must be, when Almighty God so quickly heeded his prayer! Grigory. Before the Almighty One God, a naturally pure Being, great power, Peter, has the purity and simplicity of the human heart. Just because his servants, having renounced earthly cares, do not know idle talk and do not allow their house to be scattered or desecrated by it, their prayers, before all people, are heard primarily by the Creator, to Whom they are close, becoming like Him to some extent, as far as possible, in the very purity and simplicity of the spirit. And we, constant participants in human concerns, say a lot of idle, sometimes even extremely harmful. Therefore, our word is as far from almighty God as it is close to this world. Our constant ranting binds us to the temporary and takes us far from God. And Isaiah justly condemned this in himself and repented when, seeing the Lord of hosts, he exclaimed: And I said: Woe is me! I'm dead! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people also of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Is. 6:5). Then, adding: I live among people who have unclean lips, he explained why I had unclean lips. He grieved over the uncleanness of his lips, but by saying that he lived among a people who had unclean lips, he showed where he borrowed his uncleanness from. For it is difficult for talking about worldly things not to defile our mind with its touch. At first, carried away only by a weak habit, we allow ourselves to talk a little about worldly things. Then, with some pleasure, we support this talkativeness unworthy of us, so that, finally, we cannot renounce what we previously allowed ourselves out of passion, as if out of condescension. Thus, from idle talk we move on to harmful words, from the easy to the heaviest, and prayer from our lips is the less accepted by Almighty God, the more they are defiled by unreasonable idle talk, because the Scripture says: whoever turns away his ear from hearing the law, his prayer is an abomination (Proverbs 28:9). Is it surprising if our prayers do not quickly reach God, when we ourselves lazily fulfill the Lord’s commandments or even do not fulfill them at all? And is it surprising that Florence’s prayer was soon heard by God, when the saint himself constantly listened to the commandments of the Lord? Peter. Nothing can be objected to your explanations. Grigory. Eutyches, the companion of the aforementioned Florence on the path of the Lord, gained great glory for his miracles after death. His fellow citizens tell many miracles; but what is especially remarkable is the miracle that the Almighty Lord was pleased to constantly perform during the time of the Longobards through the clothes of the saint. For whenever there was a lack of rain in that country and the land was subjected to prolonged drought due to intense heat, the saint’s fellow citizens, having gathered together, usually took his clothes and offered them with prayers before God. And when they walked through the fields with these clothes and prayer, rain suddenly fell in an amount completely sufficient to water the earth. From this we can conclude how great were the spiritual virtues and merits of the saint, when one wear of his clothes averted the wrath of the Creator. Chapter sixteen. About Martin, a monk from Mount Mars. Until recently, in the Campanian region, on Mount Mars, a certain Martin, a very virtuous man, lived a solitary life. For many years he remained in seclusion in the cramped cave. Many of us know him, they even witnessed his exploits. I myself learned a lot about him from my predecessor, Pope Pelagius of blessed memory, and from the stories of other, very pious people. His first miracle was that as soon as he was imprisoned in the cave of the said mountain, a spring emerged from the very stone that enclosed the cave recess, supplying the servant of God Martin with no more or less water than was necessary to satisfy his daily needs. This shows how the Almighty Lord cares for His servant, for whom, as in ancient times (Num. 20:7-11), He issued water in the desert from the stone. But the primordial enemy of the human race, envious of the saint’s virtues, tried to expel the saint from the cave with his usual means. The serpent crawled into the cave to the lonely recluse, and when the saint prayed, he prostrated himself before him; when the saint was thrown to the ground, the serpent also lay next to him. The holy man, without any fear, raised his hand or foot to the serpent’s mouth and said: “If you dare to bite me, then I allow it.” This happened continuously for three days. Finally, the ancient enemy, defeated by the saint’s firmness, withdrew from the cave with a howl: the serpent descended along the slope of the mountain into the abyss, burning all the plants along the way with flames emanating from its mouth. So the devil, according to God’s dispensation, had to involuntarily, by the very burning of plants along the slope of the mountain, show how great of virtue was the man who defeated him: Think how high in soul was the man who lived harmlessly for three days with the serpent. Grigory. This pious man, at the first time of his seclusion, decided not to see a woman’s face again, not because he despised this sex, but for fear of falling into temptation from looking at a woman. One woman found out about this and shamelessly ventured up the mountain to the cave itself. But the saint saw her in the distance and, recognizing by her dress that it was a woman, began to pray and, bowing his face to the ground, remained prostrate until the shameless woman, tired of waiting, moved away from the window of his cell. This woman died on the same day, as soon as she came down from the mountain, showing by her death that Almighty God was terribly angry for insulting the saint with His shameless insolence. Many came to the saint on pious vows. But since the road leading along the slope of the mountain to his cell was very narrow, it happened one day that the young boy carelessly stumbled and fell from the mountain into the deep valley adjacent to it. And in that place the mountain was so high that the huge trees growing in the valley seemed like small twigs from the mountain. All the travelers were horrified and very diligently began to look for the place where the boy was supposed to fall. Didn't each of them think to find him no other way than dead? Not everyone even assumed that it was unlikely that his body would reach the ground intact, because it could have been torn into pieces by the rocks scattered everywhere. But the boy was found in the valley not only alive, but even completely intact. Then everyone realized that he remained unharmed because Martin offered a prayer for him when he fell. Above the saint’s cave, from above, a huge rock jutted out. Only a small part of it was attached to the mountain and, protruding above Martin’s cell, it daily threatened to destroy the saint with its fall. One day, a certain Mercator, the grandson of the eminent Armentarius, appeared at a cave with many villagers and asked the servant of God to leave the cave so that the rock that threatened to fall could be thrown down from the mountain and so that afterward the saint of God could safely remain in his cave. The Man of God did not agree to this in any way and, allowing Mercator to do whatever he wanted, he himself imprisoned himself in the remotest part of his cave, although there was no doubt that if a huge rock had come off, it would have destroyed the cave and at the same time would have killed Martin. When the crowd of people who arrived began to move the overhanging rock, trying, if possible, to do this without danger to the saint, an amazing thing happened in front of everyone. The rock near which they were working, having already been moved by the workers, suddenly bounced off the mountain at such a distance that, having passed the top of the cave and without causing any harm to the servant of God, it fell in the distance. Anyone who undoubtedly believes that everything is arranged by Divine Providence will understand that what is described was accomplished with the assistance of Angels, at the command of God. When Martin first settled on the mountain, and his cave was not yet closed, then he tied his legs with one end of an iron chain, and fixed the other end in the rock so that he could not walk further than the length of the chain allowed. The pious Benedict, about whom I spoke before, having heard about this, sent to Martin through his disciple: “If you are a servant of God, you must bind yourself not with iron bonds, but with the bonds of Christ.” Hearing this, Martin immediately freed himself from the shackles, but even in freedom he never stretched his legs beyond the place to which the chained one usually reached, and without bonds he was limited to the space in which he had previously been in chains. Afterwards, when he was imprisoned in this cave, students who settled separately from his cave began to come to him. The disciples usually drew water from the well for their needs. But the rope to which the vessel for drawing water was attached often broke. Therefore, the disciples asked the man of God for the chain he had taken off himself and, tying it with a rope, attached the vessel to it. After this, the same rope was never broken, although it was daily lowered into the water, because the chain of the saint of God, tied to the rope, imparted to the latter the hardness of the iron when drawing water. Peter. It is gratifying to hear about these miracles because they are amazing, and even more so because they are recent. Chapter seventeen. About a monk from Mount Argentaria who raised the dead. Grigory. In our times, under the Vuxent Church, there was a certain Quadragezim who was a subdeacon. In the Aurelian region he usually tended his own flock of sheep. This extremely truthful man told one very remarkable circumstance that happened unknown to anyone. At the time when, as I said, he was grazing his sheep in the Aurelian region, on Mount Argentaria there lived someone, a pious man, a monk in appearance and life. From Mount Argentaria he used to come annually to the church of St. the supreme apostle Peter and enjoyed the hospitality of the aforementioned subdeacon Quadragesimus, as he himself said. Quadragesim's house was located not far from the church. One day, when a visitor was visiting the subdeacon, one poor woman’s husband, who lived next to him, died. According to custom, she had already washed him, dressed him and covered him with a shroud, but when evening came, she had not yet had time to bury him. The widowed woman spent the whole night in bitter tears near the body of the deceased; in constant sobs she sought, as it were, quenching her sadness. This lasted a long time: the woman could not refrain from crying. Touched by her plight, the servant of God, who was in the house of Quadragesim, said to him: “I sincerely sympathize with the sorrow of this woman. Get up and let’s go pray.” So they went to a nearby church and both began to pray together. After a long prayer, the servant of God asked Subdeacon Quadragesim to give him leave. After the release, the servant of God collected dust at the foot of the Holy See and, together with Quadragesim, went to the house of the deceased. There the monk again remained in prayer for a long time and no longer asked, as before, the subdeacon to perform the dismissal, but he himself blessed and immediately stood up. In his right hand he held the dust he had collected, and with his left he began to remove the cloth that covered the face of the deceased. Seeing this, the woman strongly objected, wondering what he wanted to do. But the monk, having taken off the cloth, rubbed the face of the deceased for a long time with the dust he had collected, after which the soul returned to the deceased; he opened his lips and eyes and, getting up, sat down and, as if awakening from the deepest sleep, looked with surprise at what was happening around him. The woman, exhausted with tears, as soon as she saw this, began to cry and sob with joy even more than before. The servant of God meekly persuaded her to stop and be silent. “If anyone asks you,” he added, “how this happened, just say: the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished this by His power.” Having said this, he left the house, immediately left the subdeacon Quadragesimus, and from that time on he no longer appeared in those places. For, avoiding temporary glory, he tried to never see the people who were witnesses of such a great miracle again in this life! Peter. I don’t know what others think, but above all miracles I consider the miracle of the resurrection of the dead, when their souls return to their bodies. Grigory. If you look at the external side of the miracle, then, without a doubt, so; and if you pay attention to the inner side, then, of course, the miracle of the conversion of a sinner with a word of edification and consolation will be higher than the miracle of the resurrection of someone who died in the flesh. For in the latter case, the flesh is resurrected, which will one day die again, and in the first, the soul is destined for eternal life. I will offer you two examples: which of them, in your opinion, expressed the highest miracle? The Lord raised Lazarus, who, of course, was one of the believers, according to the flesh, and Saul according to his soul. The virtues of Lazarus after his resurrection according to the flesh are kept silent. But what does it say in St. The Scriptures about the virtues of Paul after his spiritual resurrection cannot even be grasped by our weak imagination: namely, that from his preaching the most cruel souls were inclined to the path of piety; that he wanted to die for the brothers, whose death he had previously rejoiced at; that, having complete knowledge of all Scripture, he admitted that he knew nothing, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified; that for Christ, Whom he pursued with the sword before his conversion, after his conversion he joyfully endured beating with clubs; that as an apostle he is high, but he recognized himself as the least among the number of disciples; that he admires the contemplation of the mysteries of the third heaven, however, moved by love, he turns his intelligent eyes to the arrangement of marital relations, saying: let the husband render due love to his wife, and so should the wife to her husband; is involved in contemplation together with hosts of Angels, and, however, does not neglect thinking and ordering about monastic affairs; rejoices in weaknesses and takes pleasure in troubles; for him Christ is the hedgehog to live, and the hedgehog is gain to die; living in the flesh, he is, however, entirely outside the flesh. This is how he lived who turned from a sensual life to a life of piety! So, the resurrection of someone dead in the flesh is a lesser miracle, unless through the resurrection of the flesh the soul also comes to life, so that through a visible miracle a person also comes to life internally, as if after conversion. Peter. Just as I previously considered the resurrection of the dead to be a miracle incomparably superior to all, so now I am convinced that it is much lower than conversion to salvation. But I ask you to continue the story you started, so that your free time is not left without edification. Chapter Eighteen. About the monk Benedikt. Grigory. One brother lived with me in the monastery, very well read in the Holy Scriptures. He was older than me in age and taught me sense in many things that I did not know. From his stories I learned that in the Campanian region, forty miles from Rome, there lived a man named Benedict. Young in age, he was old in life and strictly fulfilled the vows of monastic life. During the time of Totila, the Goths found him and decided to burn him along with his cell. Therefore, they lit a fire, but the fire burned everything that was near the cell, but the cell could not burn. After this, the Goths became even more furious and, seeing not far away a lit oven that was being prepared for baking bread, they took the monk out of his cell and, throwing him into the oven, closed it. But the next day the monk was found completely unharmed, so that not only his body was not damaged by the fire, but even his outer clothing was not damaged at all. Peter. This reminds me of the miracle of the three youths who were once thrown into the fire and remained unharmed. Grigory. This miracle, it seems to me, happened a little differently. Then the three youths were thrown into the cave, bound hand and foot, and the next day the king found them walking into the cave with their clothes intact. From this we can conclude that the fire into which they were plunged, without touching their clothes, burned their bonds, so that at the same time the flame that served the righteous retained its power to help them, and did not have it to torment them. Chapter nineteen. About the church of the holy martyr Zeno of Verona. A miracle similar to that ancient miracle happened in our time, only over the opposite element. Recently Tribune John told me about this miracle. And he himself, as he says, learned about it from Count Pronulf, who, together with King Atalarich, was in the place where this amazing incident happened. Tribune John specifically told me the following: “Almost five years ago in Rome, the Tiber River overflowed its banks. The water rose so much that it began to overflow the city walls and flooded vast areas. In the city of Verona, the Atez River also overflowed its banks and overflowed to the church of the holy martyr Zeno. Despite the fact that the church doors were open, no water flowed into the church. Rising little by little, the water finally rose to the church windows, which were almost under the roof itself. Thus, the water blocked the church doors, and the liquid element seemed to be transformed into a solid substance, like stone. There were a lot of people inside the church, and when water surrounded the church on all sides and made exit impossible, those in the church began to fear starvation. Approaching the church doors, they scooped up water to drink, which, as I said, rose to the church windows and, however, did not flow into the church at all. It could be scooped up like water; but it did not spread throughout the church like water. Stopping at the church doors to testify to everyone the righteousness of the martyr, like water it was fit for use, but did not flood the place, as if it were not water. That is why I said that this miracle is like the above-mentioned ancient miracle with fire, which consumed the bonds of the three youths, leaving their clothes untouched. Peter. The deeds of the saints you narrate are very wonderful and amazing for the natural weakness of man. But hearing from you about men of such amazing virtue who recently lived in Italy, I would like to know: were they really not subject to the machinations of the ancient enemy, and how did they overcome them? Grigory. Without a difficult struggle, a crown of victory is not given. Why are they the winners if not because they overcame the machinations of the primordial enemy. For the evil spirit is constantly present in our thoughts, our words and actions, in order to find something in us with which it could appear before the test of the Supreme Judge as an accuser. Do you want to know how it is always inherent in us out of a desire to catch us? Chapter twenty. About Stefan, presbyter of the Valerian region. Our contemporaries told me the following circumstance. In the Valerian province there was a presbyter named Stephen, a man of pious life, a close relative of Boniface, our deacon and steward. One day, Stephen, returning home from a trip, said to his absent-minded servant: “Go, devil, take off my shoes.” After these words, the straps of his shoes began to untie with extraordinary force and speed. It is obvious that the devil, who was called to remove his shoes, obeyed. The presbyter, seeing this, was greatly frightened and began to exclaim loudly: “Get away, damned, get away: I didn’t say this to you, but to my servant.” After this, the devil immediately retreated, and the belts, as they were almost completely unraveled by him, remained there. From this we can understand that if the primordial enemy so closely monitors our every external action, then how carefully he arranges countless intrigues for our soul! Peter. It is very difficult and even scary to be always vigilant to the machinations of the enemy and constantly remain, as it were, on guard. Grigory. It will not be difficult if we entrust the protection of ourselves not to ourselves, but to the highest grace, however, so that we ourselves, if possible, remain awake under its cover. When we begin to drive out the primordial enemy from our soul, then, by divine goodness, for the most part it happens that the devil not only becomes no longer afraid, but even fears those who live piously. Chapter twenty one. About a nun girl who freed a person from an evil spirit with one word. I learned the following circumstance from the stories of an eyewitness, the aforementioned holy elder Eleutherius. In the city of Spoletto, one girl, the daughter of some noble nobleman, had a fiery desire to devote herself to a life equal to the angels. The father tried to keep her from this way of life, but the daughter, despite him, accepted the monastic image. For this, her father excluded her from the full inheritance of his estate and refused her nothing except the sixth part of some small property. Many other noble maidens began to come to this nun, carried away by her example: devoting themselves to the almighty God, they remained in virginity. One day, the above-mentioned pious elder Eleutherius came to the nun for an interview and edification. While they were engaged in a conversation about the word of God, suddenly a villager came with a gift from the estate denied to the nun by his father. As soon as he appeared before the interviewees, an evil spirit attacked him, threw him to the ground and began to torment him with terrible snoring and bleating. Then the nun stood up and, with an angry look, loudly uttered a command to the devil: “Leave him, you damned one, leave him!” To this command, the devil, through the mouth of the one possessed by him, immediately answered: “And if I come out of him, then into whom should I enter?” A pig happened to be walking nearby. “Leave this and go into that pig,” the nun said commandingly. The devil immediately left the man, entered the indicated pig, killed it and left. Peter. I would like to know if it was possible to allow an unclean spirit to pass into a pig? Grigory. The acts of the Truth-Christ must be the rules for our activities. The legion of demons that possessed a man said to our Redeemer himself: if you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine (Matthew 8:31). Having expelled the legion from man, the Savior allowed him to enter the pigs and drown them in the sea. From this it is clear that if an evil spirit cannot enter pigs without permission from Almighty God, then even more so without permission it cannot have any power over a person. So, we must willingly submit to Him, Whom the enemy also involuntarily obeys, so that we can be stronger than our enemies, the closer we are to the Creator of all things with our humility. But what is surprising if the chosen ones of God, while still living in the flesh, can perform many miracles, when for the most part their very bones seem to be alive, according to the many miracles that happen from them. Chapter twenty two. About the presbyter of the Valeria region who stopped a thief at his grave. The following circumstance happened in the Valerian region and was told to me by Abbot Valentin, of blessed memory. In that region there lived one venerable priest, who, with constant zeal for Divine service and virtue, led a life of holy asceticism. When the time came for him to be called out of this life, he died and was buried at the church. Not far from this church there were sheep stables, and the place where the priest was buried was on the way to these stables. One night, when the clergy was performing divine services in the church, some man with the idea of ​​stealing entered the barns, took a ram and hurriedly left. When he reached the place where the servant of the Lord was buried, he suddenly stopped and could not move. He took the ram off his shoulders and wanted to let it go, but he could not untangle his hand. The unfortunate thief remained in this position, tied to his prey. He wanted to let the ram go, but he couldn’t; I wanted to carry the ram away, but I didn’t have the strength. So amazingly, the thief, who was afraid that the living would not see him, was detained dead and, as if tied hand and foot, stood motionless. In the morning, having performed the Divine Service, the clergy left the church and saw: a man standing with a ram in his hands. They wondered whether he took the ram from the sheepfold or brought it. But the culprit immediately confessed to his crime. Everyone was amazed that by the power of the man of God the thief was detained along with his prey. They immediately began to pray for him and could hardly beg the saint so that the one who had come with predatory intentions could leave, at least on his own, without prey. Thus, the thief, who had been in captivity for a long time with his loot, was released without it. Peter. From this we can see how loving the Almighty God is towards us, performing such wondrous miracles for us. Chapter twenty-three. About the abbot from Mount Praeneste and his presbyter. Grigory. Near the city of Praeneste there is a mountain on which there is a monastery with a church in the name of St. Apostle Peter. While I was in this monastery, from the monks living in it, I happened to listen to a story about the following miracle, which they, according to them, themselves witnessed. The abbot of this monastery was a highly respected man in life. A monk lived with him, whom he himself guided in a pious life. Seeing that the monk was confirmed in the fear of God, the abbot petitioned him for the rank of priesthood. After the initiation, the monk had a revelation that his death was approaching. Therefore, he began to ask the abbot for permission to prepare a grave for himself. “I will die before you,” the abbot told him, “however, go and, according to your desire, prepare a grave for yourself.” The monk went and prepared. A few days later, the elderly abbot, tormented by illness and already in the last minutes of his life, gave the order to the presbyter who was with him to bury him in the grave he had prepared for himself. “You know,” the presbyter objected, “that I will soon follow you, and the grave cannot accommodate two.” “Do as I tell you,” the elder said again. “Your grave will accommodate both of us.” So the elder died and was buried in the grave that the presbyter had prepared for himself. Immediately after this, the presbyter began to weaken in bodily strength and, as this weakness increased, he soon died. When the brethren brought the body of the presbyter for burial to the grave that he had prepared in the past and dug it up, all those present saw that there was no place in it for the burial of the presbyter, for the body of the monastery abbot, previously buried in it, occupied all the space. While the brethren who brought the presbyter’s body were at a loss as to how to bury him in this grave, one of them exclaimed: “Father! How did you say that the grave would contain both of you?” After this appeal, before the eyes of everyone, the body of the previously buried abbot, lying on its back, turned on its side and made room in the grave for the burial of the presbyter’s body. Thus, the elder, as he predicted during his lifetime that the grave would accommodate both of them, also fulfilled this after death. This happened, as I said, not far from the city of Praeneste, in the monastery of St. Apostle Peter. But would you like to know what happened to the church guard in the city itself, where the holy relics of the Apostle Peter are located? Peter. I wish and most earnestly ask you to tell me. Chapter twenty-four. About Theodore, Paramonar at the Church of St. Apostle Peter in Rome. Grigory. Some people who knew Theodore, the guard at the church of St., are still alive today. Apostle Peter. Theodore told them the following, a very remarkable incident that happened to him. “One night he got up earlier than usual to cleanse the censers hanging by the door. And when, as usual, he stood on the wooden stairs under the censer and cleaned it, suddenly behind him, on the floor, the holy Apostle Peter appeared in white clothes and said to him: “Friend! Why did you get up so early? Having said this, the apostle became invisible. Theodore was seized with such fear that all his physical strength left him and for several days he could not get out of bed. Isn’t it obvious that the holy apostle wanted to express with this phenomenon that he is always inherent in those who serve him, that everything they do in his honor he always sees for himself and immediately rewards? Peter. It is not so much surprising to me that the apostle appeared, but that the one who saw him fell ill, although he was healthy. Grigory. Why are you surprised at this, Peter? Is there anything incomprehensible in this, when the prophet Daniel, having described the well-known great and terrible vision that brought him into awe, immediately added: I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for several days (Dan. 8:27). The flesh cannot contain the spiritual, and therefore often, when the human soul admires outside the body for contemplation, its fleshly vessel faints, because it cannot bear this great gift. Peter. Your words resolved my confusion. Chapter twenty-five. About Acontius, paramonar of the same church of St. Apostle Peter. Grigory. According to the stories of our elders, not long ago, at the same church, there was a church watchman named Acontius, a very sedate and humble man. He served God with such faith that the holy Apostle Peter apparently showed his favor towards him. There was a young woman at the church who suffered from paralysis. She crawled on the ground on her hands because her legs were affected by the disease. She prayed for a long time to St. to the Apostle Peter about healing, and then one night he appeared to her in a vision and said: “Go to the paramonar Acontius, ask him, and he will grant you healing.” Believing in this vision, but not yet knowing who Acontius was, she began to crawl back and forth around the church to find out who Acontius was. Suddenly the one she was looking for comes towards her. “I beg you, father,” the sick woman cried, “tell me, who is the guardian of Acontius here?” “I am Acontius,” said the man he met. “Our shepherd and father, the holy Apostle Peter, sent me to you so that you free me from weakness.” - “If he sent you, then get up.” Having said this, Acontius took her hand and immediately raised her to her feet. From that moment on, all the nerves and limbs in the girl’s body became so strong that there were no longer any signs of relaxation. “But if we want to talk about all the miracles that happened in this church, then, without a doubt, we will have to keep silent about all other stories. Therefore, let us return to the story of the fathers who recently became famous in Italy for their lives. Chapter twenty-six. About the hermit Mina. Grigory. Recently, in the Samnian region, one venerable man named Mina lived a hermit life. He died about ten years ago; many of our people knew him. I will not point to just one narrator about his deeds; there are as many witnesses to his life as there are people who know the Samnian region. All the property that Mina owned consisted of only a few hives of bees. One day, some Longobard decided to rob his hives. Mina verbally forbade him to do this, and suddenly an evil spirit took possession of the longbard and threw him at Mina’s feet. After this incident, the name of Mina became famous both among all the inhabitants of that country and among the barbarian Longobards, and no one dared to enter his cell except with fear. Bears often came out of the neighboring forest and tried to get honey from the hives, but the saint caught them and beat them with the staff with which he usually walked. Terrible animals ran away from his beatings with a growl: they did not tremble at the sword as much as they feared his staff. The rule of this saint was: to have nothing and to seek nothing in this world; in all those who came to him out of love, to kindle the desire for eternal life, and for those whose sins he knew, not to spare reproof, but, as his ardent love demanded, to strike them with all severity with his word. Residents of near and far places established the custom of daily taking turns sending various offerings to the saint for distribution to everyone who came to him. One day, some rich man named Carterius, obsessed with unclean lust, kidnapped a nun and had an unlawful marriage with her. Having learned about this, the man of God, through whomever he could, sent Carterius the necessary reproofs. This one recognized his crime with fear, but did not dare to appear to the man of God, so as not to hear from him those strict denunciations that he usually made to those who sinned, but sent him gifts from himself, along with the offerings of others, so that the saint, out of ignorance, would at least accept them. But when they brought all these gifts to Mina, he sat down and silently began to examine each of them separately. Having selected and put aside all other offerings, he, by revelation, recognized the gifts sent by Carterius, and, throwing them away with contempt, said: “Go and tell him: you have stolen the gift of God, and you are sending it to me! I do not accept offerings from you, because you have stolen a gift from God.” These words, which showed what precise understanding the man of God had about the absent, brought everyone here into great fear. Peter. I thought that many of these saints would have been martyrs if they had lived during times of persecution. Grigory. There are two kinds of martyrdom, Peter: one is internal, the other is external, and if there is no external persecution, there may be hidden martyrdom, when the soul burns with readiness for torment. That martyrdom can occur without visible suffering, this was testified by the Lord himself in the Gospel, when the sons of Zebedee, who, due to the weakness of their minds, asked him for higher places, asked: “Can you drink the cup that I will drink?” They say to Him: We can. The Lord said to both: You will drink my cup, but to let you sit on my right side and on my left does not depend on me, but for whom it has been prepared by my Father (Matthew 20:22-23). What does the Lord mean here by the cup, if not the cup of suffering? Therefore, knowing for sure that James ended his life as a martyr, and John died when there was no persecution of the Church, we undoubtedly conclude that there is martyrdom without open suffering, since it was said about the one who died not from persecution that he would drink the cup of the Lord. But why do we examine whether those men I mentioned could have been martyrs during the persecution, who constantly suffered from the machinations of the invisible enemy and in this world loved their enemies, fought against all lust of the flesh and thereby sacrificed themselves in spirit as a sacrifice to God, and became martyrs during the world, when even in our times the simplest and most worldly people, about whose heavenly glorification it was apparently impossible to even think, as soon as the opportunity opened, acquired for themselves martyr's crowns? Chapter twenty-seven. About forty villagers killed by the Longobards for refusing to eat food sacrificed to idols. For example, about fifteen years ago, according to eyewitnesses, forty villagers, taken captive by the Longobards, were forced by them to eat food sacrificed to idols. When they strongly opposed this and did not want to touch the bad food, the Longobard captors began to threaten them with death if they did not eat. But the captives, having loved eternal life more than the present, temporary one, remained faithful, and for their steadfastness they were all beaten. These people, who decided it was better to die than to offend their Creator by eating something forbidden, were they not real martyrs for the truth? Chapter twenty-eight. About many captives who were beaten for refusing to bow to the goat's head. At the same time, there were another four hundred people captured by the Longobards. The Longobards had a custom of sacrificing a goat's head to the devil; The sacrifice was accompanied by running around and singing obscene songs. So, having themselves worshiped the goat's head, they forced their captives to the same worship. But most of the captives, preferring the acquisition of immortal life through death to the preservation of temporary life through idolatry, refused to fulfill the wicked command, and did not want to bow their head, which they always bowed before the Creator, before the creation. For this refusal, the cruelly embittered enemy captors flogged with the sword all the captives who did not take part in their delusion. So, if during an accidental persecution even those who, apparently, during the time of the peace of the Church, walked the broad path of peace, received the crown of martyrdom, is it surprising that during the opening persecution, those who even during the time of the peace of the Church, constantly exhausting themselves, walked the narrow path of martyrdom could become martyrs? However, this, which I said about the chosen men, should not be taken as a general rule for all, because when obvious persecution occurs, many of those who would have seemed unreliable during the peace of the Church can endure torment, and on the contrary, those who seemed firm in the faith during the peace of the Church sometimes waver out of fear. But I am undoubtedly sure that all the saints about whom I spoke could become martyrs - this can be seen already at the end of their lives. For those who are known to have remained steadfast in hidden spiritual virtue until the end of their lives could not fall even under obvious persecution. Peter. Your words are true. But in relation to us, unworthy, I am amazed by the dispensation of God’s mercy, which limits the fury of the Longobards to such an extent that they do not allow their wicked clergy, apparently triumphant over us, to persecute Orthodox believers. Chapter twenty-nine. About the Arian blind bishop. Grigory. Peter, they often tried to do this, but Divine miracles stopped their malice. I’ll tell you about one miracle, which I myself learned about only three days ago from Bonifatius, a monk from my monastery, who four years before was with the Longobards. One day an Arian bishop, a Longobard, arrived in the city of Spoletto, and not having a church in which he could perform his ministry, he began to ask the city bishop for a church for his heretical ministry. When the bishop resolutely refused this, the Arian stranger threatened the next day to forcibly occupy the nearby church of St. Apostle Paul. The church guard, having learned about this, hurried to the church, closed it and locked it; and when evening came, he extinguished all the lamps and disappeared into the interior. At dawn, the Arian bishop arrives with a crowd of people, intending to break down the church doors. But suddenly, by Divine power, all the doors shook, the locks were thrown far away, and with a loud noise, all the church doors and shutters opened; Light descended from above and all the extinguished lamps began to glow. The Arian, who came with the intention of forcibly taking possession of the church, was struck by blindness and returned to his home with the help of others. When the Longobards who were in that country found out about this, none of them dared ever enter Orthodox churches. So, when the lamps in the church of St. Paul were extinguished for the sake of the Arian bishop, by one and the same miraculous action, the bishop was deprived of light, and the light returned to the church. Chapter Thirty. About the Arian church in Rome, illuminated for the Orthodox. I will also tell you about what signs two years ago Divine Mercy showed in our city in condemnation of the same Arian heresy. These circumstances are partly known to the people, and partly confirmed by the priest and church guards as eyewitnesses and witnesses. In that part of Rome called Subura, there was an Arian church. Since it had been locked for two years already, the Orthodox decided to consecrate it for themselves by bringing in the relics of St. Martyr Sebastian and Martyr Agatha. And so it was done. Accompanied by a large crowd and singing hymns of praise to Almighty God, we entered this church. And while the Liturgy was being solemnly celebrated in the church and, due to the smallness of the space, the people were crowded together, some of those standing outside the sanctuary suddenly felt that a pig was running back and forth between their legs. Everyone who felt it reported it to those standing nearby; the pig ran away from the church; everyone between whom she passed was amazed, because although they could feel that she was coming, no one saw her. Divine mercy allowed this to happen so that it would be obvious to everyone that an unclean inhabitant had come out of that place. Having performed the Liturgy, we retired; but that same night a strong knocking sound was heard on the church roof, as if someone was running back and forth across it. The next night the noise intensified and finally erupted with such a crash, as if the whole church had been moved from its foundations; and suddenly everything calmed down again, and the rebellion of the primordial enemy no longer manifested itself in anything there. For the terrible noise he made showed that he had involuntarily left the place that he had owned for a long time. A few days later, when the air was extremely clear, a cloud descended from the sky onto the altar of that church and overshadowed it as if with a covering, and the whole church was filled with such a fragrance and fear that even with the open gates no one dared to enter it. The priest and guards, as well as those who came to the Liturgy, seeing the phenomenon and smelling the wonderful fragrance, did not dare to enter the church. The next day, the lamps that hung unlit in that church were kindled by fire that descended from heaven. Also, a few days later, when the guard, after the Liturgy, had extinguished the lamps, left the church and returned a little later, he found the extinguished lamps burning. Thinking that this was due to inattention when extinguishing the lamps, the guard extinguished them with all care and just as carefully locked the church. But returning three hours later, he again found the lamps he had extinguished burning: that light clearly showed that the church had passed from darkness to light. Peter. The amazing miracles you tell testify that although we live in great sorrows, we have not yet been completely abandoned by our Creator. Grigory. Although I had the intention of telling you only about Italian events, would you like, to expose the Arian heresy, let us transfer the story to Spain, and from there through Africa we will return to Italy again. Peter. Carry your story anywhere: I will gladly follow you and joyfully return with you. Chapter thirty-one. About King Herminigild, the son of the Visigothic king Luvigild, killed by his father for the Catholic faith. Grigory. From the stories of many Spanish newcomers, I learned that recently Herminigild, the son of the Visigothic king Luvigild, was converted from the Arian heresy to the Catholic faith by the preaching of the most venerable Leander, an Italian bishop, with whom I had once been on short friendly terms. The Arian father tried to return his son to heresy with both the promise of rewards and the fear of punishment. But as the son firmly answered that he would never leave the true faith he had once known, the angry father deprived him of his kingdom and took away all his property. But when this could not shake the spiritual strength of his son, his father put him under strong guard, and placed iron bonds on his neck and hands. Here the royal youth Herminigild, burdened with shackles, in a hair shirt, reflecting on the insignificance of the earthly kingdom, directed all the strength of his soul towards the Kingdom of Heaven. In pouring out prayers before Almighty God, he sought approval for himself and the more he despised the glory of the transitory world, the clearer it became to him that even in freedom he could not take anything with him. At the approach of Easter, the wicked father, during the serene silence of the night, sent an Arian bishop to his son, so that Herminigild would partake of their unclean sacrament from his hands and thereby regain his father’s favor. But the young man devoted to God met the Arian bishop with reproach and, having fully exposed his wickedness, drove him away from him. For although outwardly he lay bound, in his soul he remained extremely firm. So, when the bishop returned, the Arian father became furious and immediately sent his bodyguards to kill the unshakable confessor of God at the place of detention, which was done. Entering the prison, they immediately struck him in the head with a sword and thus deprived him of bodily life: they killed in him what the dead man himself completely despised. But to reveal his true glory, the Lord performed many miracles. So, in the silence of the night, near the body of this king and martyr (truly a king, for the very reason that he was a martyr), psalmody was heard. And some say that at night lighted lamps appeared with the body. Therefore, it is fair that all believers should honor his body as the body of a martyr. The wicked and child-killer father repented and grieved for his act, however, did not want to inherit salvation, for although he knew that the Catholic faith was true, he, fearing his subjects, did not dare to accept it. When his illness brought him closer to death, he entrusted Bishop Leander, whom he had hitherto strongly persecuted, with his son Rehared, who remained in heresy, and asked him with his suggestions to bring about the same change in him that he had made in his brother. Having made this will, he died. After his death, King Rechared, imitating not his wicked father, but his martyr brother, converted himself from the evil Arian heresy and then, not allowing anyone in his kingdom to enter the military rank who did not fear, as an ungodly heretic, to remain an enemy of the Kingdom of God, he led the entire Visigothic people to the true faith. And it is not surprising that the brother of the martyr became a preacher of the true faith, whose merits helped him convert so many to the Church of Almighty God. What is worthy of full attention in this event is that all this would not have happened if King Herminigild had not died for the truth, as it is written: if a grain of wheat, falling into the ground, does not die, then only one will remain; and if he dies, he will bear much fruit (John 12:24). As we see, the same thing happens in the members as in the Head (Christ). For one of the Visigothic people died so that many might live: one grain fell faithfully for the restoration of spiritual life and produced a great harvest. Peter. Wonderful things and amazing for our time! Chapter thirty two. About African bishops who spoke freely, despite the fact that the Vandal Arians cut off their tongues for their Catholic faith. Grigory. During the time of Justinian Augustus, when a strong persecution of the Catholic faith was raging in Africa from the Arian Vandals, some bishops who defended the truth with unyielding firmness were brought to trial. Not having time to persuade them to change their faith with words and gifts, the Vandal king decided to crush their firmness with torture. He ordered them to remain silent, but they defended the truth and did not want to remain silent in the face of wickedness, so as not to show their agreement with their silence. The king became furious and ordered their tongues to be cut out to the very roots. But a wonderful thing! Many elders testify that even without the tongue they began to speak in defense of the truth in the same way as they had spoken before with the tongue. Peter. A wonderful and extremely amazing thing! Grigory. About the Only Begotten, the Son of the Father Without Beginning, it is written: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1); about His power it was added: all things came into being through Him, and without Him nothing came into being that was made (John 1:3). What wonder, Peter, if the Word Himself, who created language, spoke in them without tongue? Peter. Yes, your point is correct. Grigory. These bishops were then expelled from their fatherland and retired to Constantinople. While I was sent to the emperor on church matters, I met there an elder bishop who testified that he himself saw how their lips spoke without a tongue. Even when they opened their mouths, they said loudly: “Look, we speak, although we have no tongues!” And, according to him, those who wished saw that in place of the tongues cut out to the root, there remained, as it were, a deep depression in the throat; and despite the fact that the lips were empty, the words were completely formed. But as soon as one of them indulged in luxury, he lost his wonderful gift. Thus Almighty God judged righteously, so that a person who was careless about maintaining carnal abstinence could not even speak without a carnal tongue. - These stories about the condemnation of the Arian heresy are enough, now let us return to the miracles that recently occurred in Italy. Chapter thirty-three. About God's servant Eleutherius. The aforementioned Eleutherius, abbot of the monastery of St. Evangelist Mark, located in the vicinity of the city of Spoletto, lived with me for a long time in my local city monastery, but died in his monastery. His disciples say that through his prayer he resurrected the dead. He possessed such humility and contrition of heart that the tears coming from the eyes of such a meek and simple man had great power before God. I will now tell you about one of his miracles, which he himself innocently admitted to me. Once during the journey, when evening fell there was no place to spend the night, he entered a nunnery. There was a young boy in the monastery who was usually tormented by an evil spirit every night. The nuns received the servant of God and asked him to take this boy with him for the night. Eleutherius readily agreed and allowed the youth to spend that night with him. In the morning, the nuns began to carefully ask their father if the boy they had given him had done anything to him during the night. He answered their question with surprise: “Nothing.” Then they explained to him about the boy that the evil spirit did not leave him on a single night, and persistently asked him to take the boy with him to the monastery, because they could no longer look at his torment. The elder agreed and took the boy with him to the monastery. When the youth had spent a considerable time in the monastery, and the age-old enemy did not dare to approach him, the elder surrendered in his soul to his extraordinary joy because he had saved the youth. “Behold, brothers,” he said to the entire monastery brethren, “there the devil cursed at the sisters, but as soon as the boy came to the servants of God, the devil no longer dared to approach him.” Suddenly, after these words, the devil, in front of all the brethren, attacked the boy and began to torment him. The elder wept when he saw this. For a long time the brothers tried to console him in his sorrow. Finally, he said to them: “Believe me, not one of you will taste bread today until the boy is delivered from the devil.” Then he and his brothers plunged into prayer: they prayed until the boy was freed from torment. The healing that followed was so complete that the evil spirit never again dared to approach the boy. Peter. I think that a little pride crept into the soul of the elder and therefore Almighty God was pleased to make his disciples also participants in the miracle. Grigory. Yes, he alone could not bear such an important miracle, but sharing it with his brethren, he carried it. I myself experienced the power of this man’s prayer. Once, while still in the monastery, I fell ill with weakening vital forces and from frequent painful attacks I was getting closer and closer to death. If the brothers had not constantly supported me with food, the life force in me would have been completely depleted. Easter day was approaching. On Holy Saturday, when everyone, even young children, fasts, I could not fast and began to weaken even more from grief than from illness. But my sorrowful soul soon found consolation. I decided to secretly invite God’s servant Eleutherius with me to the prayer room and ask him to pray that the Almighty Lord would grant me strength to fast that day. So I did. As soon as we entered the prayer room and I humbly asked him, he began to pray with tears and after a short prayer he left. But when he said the blessing, my belly became so strong that all thoughts of food and illness completely disappeared. And I was surprised, knowing what I was and what I had become, for when exhaustion touched my soul, I could not remember anything that I knew before, and when my thought was occupied with monastic affairs, the illness was completely forgotten. When, as I said, I remembered my illness, and yet felt strong, I was surprised that I had not yet tasted it. Returning in the evening (to the monastery), I felt so strong in myself that if I wanted, I could extend my fast the next day. So, although I did not witness what was said about the elder, I experienced for myself that all this was true. Peter. You said that this man had deep contrition of heart. I would like to understand more fully the power of tears. Please tell me: how many types of heartfelt contrition are there? Chapter thirty-four. How many types of heartbreak are there? Grigory. There are several types of heartfelt contrition, when the penitent mourns each of his sins. Therefore, Jeremiah speaks on behalf of the repentant: my eye pours out streams of water (Lam. 3:48). But mainly there are two types of heartfelt contrition: firstly, when the heart, thirsting for God, is crushed by fear, and secondly, when it is crushed by love. In the first case, the soul grieves bitterly when, remembering its sins, it fears being subjected to eternal torment for them. But when prolonged sorrow and anxiety erase this fear, a certain calmness settles in the soul from the premonition of deliverance, and love for heavenly joys kindles in it: and just as before it cried out of fear of torment, so afterwards it mourns with even greater sorrow that it is outside the Kingdom. For the soul contemplates the faces of Angels, and the mutual communion of blessed souls, and the greatness of the eternal sight of God, and weeps even more over its separation from eternal blessings than before it wept when it feared eternal torment. Thus, complete contrition for fear leads the soul to contrition for love. This is beautifully presented in that true, sacred historical story. And Othniel the [younger] son ​​of Kenaz the brother of Caleb took him, and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. When she had to go, she was taught to ask her father for her field, and she got off the donkey. Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” (Joshua 15:17–19). Ashan sitting on a donkey is an image of the soul with its unreasonable carnal aspirations. Just as she, with a sigh, asks her father for wet earth: so we, with great groaning, must ask the Lord for the gift of tears. For some have received the gift of freely defending the truth, protecting the oppressed, providing assistance to the poor, and being zealots of the faith, but they do not yet have the gift of tears. They possess a midday and dry land and still need wet land. Let them zealously do good deeds that exalt them: they need, they need, whether out of fear of torment, or out of love for the Kingdom of Heaven, to mourn the sins they have previously committed. But, as I said, there are two kinds of contrition; the father gives them wet soil, above and below. The soul acquires the highest earth when the desire for the Kingdom of Heaven arouses sorrowful tears in it. The soul acquires the lower earth when it cries, trembling through the torments of hell. However, the lower land is given first, and then the upper land. But since the contrition of love is higher in dignity, it was necessary to mention first the earth above, and then the earth below. Peter. I'm happy with your explanation. But after you have said what perfections the pious Eleutherius possessed, I would like to know whether there are such people in this world today. Chapter thirty-five. About Amantius, presbyter of the Tuscia region. Grigory. Floridus, bishop of the Church of Tibur, whose holiness and love of truth are known to your love, told me that he had one presbyter, Shenham Amantius, a man distinguished by especially simplicity and possessed, according to him, of such a gift that, following the example of the apostles, he laid hands on the sick and healed them: and no matter how severe the illness was, it disappeared at his touch. He also told about him the miracle that wherever he found the most fierce serpent, he struck him with one sign of the cross, so that by the power of the cross depicted by the man of God, the serpent died from the rupture of his entrails. When the snake wanted to hide from him in a cave, he made the sign of the cross over the cave, and the snake was immediately taken out of the cave dead. I myself tried to see a person who possessed such power; and when they brought him to me, I wished that he would stay for a few days at the hospital, so that we could quickly find out whether he had any gift of healing. Among the other patients there was a madman. One night, in a fit of his illness, he screamed loudly and with his terrible cry of all the sick so that none of them could fall asleep. So, to our greatest regret, what was bad for one was even worse for everyone. But both first from the venerable Bishop Florida, who was then also with the aforementioned presbyter, and then from the youth who was ministering to the sick that night, I learned with certainty that the venerable presbyter, rising from his bed, silently approached the bed of the insane man and, laying his hand on him, began to pray. Then, when the sick man felt better, he took him to the upper part of the house, to the prayer room, where he prayed even more fervently for him, and, already healthy, brought him to his bed, so that after this he no longer shouted or disturbed any of the sick with his cries, and, having received full knowledge of it, no longer increased the illness of others. - Based on this miracle alone, we must consider everything that was said about St. Eleutheria. Peter. There is much edification for life to see such great miracle workers on earth and to contemplate the Heavenly Jerusalem in one’s fellow citizens. Chapter thirty-six. About Maximian, Bishop of Syracuse. Grigory. I will also tell you about the miracle that Almighty God once deigned to perform on His servant Maximian, now the Bishop of Sirius, and formerly the abbot of my monastery. When, by order of my archpastor, I was at the court of Constantinople in the position of church apocrisiary, there, out of his good will, the venerable Maximian and his brethren came to me. When he went to Rome to my monastery, a terrible storm overtook him on the Adriatic Sea and, together with all his companions, he experienced the wrath and mercy of Almighty God in an unusually miraculous and supernatural way. For the furious waves raised by the strong felt threatened them with death; the ship's helm was torn off, the mast was knocked down, the sails floated in the water and the entire ship, overwhelmed by terrible waves, was damaged in all its parts. Through the opened cracks, sea water flowed into it and filled the ship to the very top deck so that the ship on the water was not so much visible as the water in the ship. Then everyone on the ship, fearing no longer imminent, but real and visible death, said goodbye to each other, partook of the Body and Blood of the Redeemer, and everyone prayed to God to graciously accept their souls after their bodies were condemned to such a terrible death. But Almighty God, who struck them with such great fear, miraculously saved their lives. For eight days, their ship, filled to the very top with water, continued to sail on its way, and on the ninth day it landed at the Croton pier. All who sailed with the aforementioned venerable Maximian left the ship unharmed. But as soon as he himself disembarked after them, the ship immediately sank to the bottom of that pier, as if, when they left it, it had lost not its weight, but its lightness. The ship, when it was filled with water and people, rushed and sailed on the sea, and as soon as Maximian and his brothers left it, it could not keep water at the pier without people. By this, Almighty God showed that He supported this ship with His hand when it was loaded, and when people got off it and it remained empty, then why did it need to stay on the water? Chapter thirty-seven. About Sanctul, presbyter of the Nursi region. About forty days ago you saw with me the pious presbyter Sanctulus whom I mentioned before, who usually came to me every year from the Nursia province. Three days ago a monk came to me from the same province with the sad news that struck me that this husband had already died. Although I cannot even remember this meek man without tears, however, now, without fear, I can tell about his miracles, which I heard about from the priests neighboring him, people who were extremely truth-loving and sincere. And just as between mutually located persons the shortness of address allows for more boldness, so I often defeated his humility, so that he himself spoke about some of the last miracles he performed. One day the Longobards pressed olives with a vice to squeeze out the oil. The sanktul, who had a pleasant appearance and the same character, approached the scene of action with an empty skin and, greeting the working Longobards with a joyful look, invited them, more imperiously than as a petitioner, to fill his skin with oil. But the pagans, having worked all day in vain (because, with all their efforts, they could not squeeze the oil out of the olives), listened to him with annoyance and began to revile him with insulting words. Then the man of God answered them with an even more joyful look: “So, pray for me, fill this bottle with Sanctula, and it will leave you.” Meanwhile, the Longobards, not receiving oil from the olive trees and hearing urgent demands from the man of God to fill his skin with oil, became very indignant and began to revile him with even more shameful words. The man of God, seeing that they could not get oil, asked for water, blessed it in front of everyone and began to pour it from his hands onto the vice. Due to the power of this blessing, oil immediately poured out of the clutch in such abundance that the Longobards, who had hitherto labored for a long time in vain, not only filled all their vessels, but also the bottle brought by the man of God, and thanked the one who, having come to ask for oil, gave with his blessing what he asked for. At another time, when severe famine was raging everywhere, the Longobards burned the church of St. Martyr Lawrence. Wanting to restore it, the man of God invited many craftsmen and workers. It was necessary to unreasonably remunerate their expenses every day. But as there was a severe famine, there was a shortage of bread, and the workers, due to the scarcity of food, not having the strength to work, began to persistently ask for bread. The man of God outwardly tried to encourage them and promised to deliver what was missing, but inwardly he suffered greatly because he could not deliver the promised food. As he paced back and forth restlessly, he came to the oven in which the neighboring women had baked bread the day before, and, bending down, began to inspect whether they had left any bread. And suddenly he sees bread of wonderful size and extraordinary whiteness. He took it, but did not dare take it to the workers, thinking that if it was someone else’s bread, then out of a desire to do good he would fall into sin. So, he brought bread to the neighboring women and, showing it to everyone, asked if any of them had left this bread in the oven. All the women who had baked bread the day before said that this was not their bread, that they had taken every single one of their loaves out of the oven. Then the servant of God joyfully hurried to the multitude of workers with one loaf of bread and, showing it, offered to thank Almighty God; then, offering them the bread he found, he invited them to immediately reinforce their strength. When they were completely satisfied, the saint collected the remains, which turned out to be more than the bread itself. He brought these remnants to them for reinforcement the next day. But what was left after consumption always exceeded the leftovers offered. Thus, for ten days, all the craftsmen and workers ate this one bread every day and were full, and from what they ate daily, the next day there were leftovers, as if the amount of bread increased by consumption itself and food multiplied in the mouths of those who ate. Peter. The phenomenon is wonderful and amazing, reminiscent of a miracle performed by the Lord! Grigory. He Himself, Who fed five thousand people with five loaves, Who from a small seed brings back countless fruits for the harvest, Who brings up the very seeds from the ground and creates everything together out of nothing, He Himself fed here through His servant with one bread many. But lest the outward deeds of the venerable Sankgul, accomplished by him by the power of God, seem surprising to you, listen to what he was like in himself, by the same power. – One day the Longobards captured a deacon, held him in bonds and finally decided to kill him. When the day began to turn towards evening, the servant of God Sanctulus came and began to ask the Longobards to free the deacon from his shackles and give him life. They completely refused to fulfill the request. Finally, seeing that they were determined to kill the deacon, he began to ask that they give him to him for safekeeping. “We will give him to you for safekeeping,” answered the Longobards, “but under the indispensable condition that if he runs away, then you yourself will have to die for him.” The man of God willingly agreed and took the deacon into his own responsibility. But at midnight, seeing that all the Longobards were immersed in deep sleep, he woke up the deacon and told him: “Get up and run quickly. May Almighty God save you!” But the deacon, remembering Sankgul’s promise, objected to him: “I cannot run, father, because in this case you will undoubtedly perish.” But the man of God Sanctul forced him to flee: “Get up and run, may Almighty God deliver you; and I am in His power: they will do to me what He allows them.” The deacon fled, and the guarantor, as if deceived by him, was left alone. The next morning the Longobards, who had entrusted the deacon to the Sanctula, approached him with a demand for their captive. But the pious presbyter answered them that the deacon had run away. “You know what must follow,” said the Longobards. “I know,” the servant of God answered firmly. “You are a kind person,” the Longobards told him. - We will not bring you to death with various tortures. Choose whatever kind of death you want!” “I am in the power of God,” answered the saint. “Give me over to the death that He allows you to be put to death.” Then all the assembled Longobards, in order to end Sankgul’s life quickly and without severe torment, decided to behead him. All the Longobards who were in that place, having learned of the condemnation to death of Sanctulus, who for his holiness enjoyed great respect and honor among them, gathered in order, due to their extraordinary cruelty, to enjoy the spectacle of his death. When everyone had taken their places in order, and from among the strongest one had been chosen, who could undoubtedly cut off the head with one blow, the man of God was led into the middle. Being among armed men, the saint turned to his weapon: he asked to be allowed to pray a little, and, having received permission, prostrated himself on the ground in prayer. Some time passed and the chosen executioner, pushing him with his foot to get up, said: “Get up, kneel and stretch out your neck.” The servant of God stood up, knelt and stretched out his neck. But, looking at the sword taken against him, he said, they say, out loud only the following: “Saint John! Hold him." Then the chosen executioner, holding a naked sword, raised his hand upward with a strong swing to strike, but his hand suddenly straightened, and he could not lower it, and thus his hand with the sword remained straight outstretched to the sky. Then the whole multitude of Longobards who had gathered for the death spectacle turned in amazement to the man of God with caresses, praises and signs of reverent respect, because everyone clearly saw how holy he was who stopped the hand of his executioner in the air. Then the saint stood up at their request. But when they began to ask the saint to heal the executioner’s hand, he refused: “I will not pray for him,” he said, “if he does not swear that he will not kill a single Christian with this hand.” Longobard, who continued, so to speak, to keep his hand outstretched against God, forced by his sad situation, had to swear that he would never kill Christians. Then the servant of the Lord said: “Lower your hand.” And the warrior immediately lowered it. Then the saint added: “Put the sword in its sheath.” And he immediately invested. All the Longobards, having recognized such a holy man in Sanctul, vying with each other, began to offer him the oxen and horses they had stolen as gifts; but the man of God refused to accept such gifts and asked them for a better reward: “If you are disposed to give me anything, then give me all your captives, so that I will have something to pray to God for you.” His desire was fulfilled: all the captives were released with him, and thus, according to the dispensation of God's mercy, one who doomed himself to death for another freed many from death. Peter. A wonderful event! Although I myself have heard about it from others, I confess that every time they talk about it, I listen with new attention. Grigory. Do not be surprised at this miracle of Sanctul, but think, if you can, what inspired him, who had such simplicity and stood at such a height of virtue? Where was his thought when he decided with such firmness to die for his neighbor, to preserve the temporary life of his brother, he despised his own life and stretched out his neck under the sword? What power of love inspired his heart when he was not afraid to redeem his neighbor’s salvation with his death? It is truly known that the venerable Sanctul could not even read well. He did not study the law in a book, but, since love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10), then in love for God and neighbor he fulfilled the whole law, and what, apparently, he did not learn by science, lived and acted in him through his love. And the one who, perhaps, has never read the following words of the Apostle John about the Redeemer: In this we know love, that He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers (1 John 3:16), he showed not in word, but in deed, that he knows this high commandment of the Apostle. Let us compare, if you like, his enlightened ignorance with our learned knowledge. Where our knowledge is dead, there his knowledge is effective. We talk indifferently about virtue and, being among fruit-bearing trees, we only seem to smell the smell of the fruits, but do not taste them; and he knew how to use the very fruits of virtues, although he did not know how to sweeten them with words. Peter. Why do you think the number of virtuous people is constantly decreasing? Why are those who should live for the edification of many others either not to be found at all, or are they becoming more and more rare! Grigory. The depravity of people requires that pious people be removed from their midst, and when the end of the world approaches, the elect will be raptured so that they will not see anything vile. Therefore, the prophet says: The righteous perish, and no one accepts it in his heart, and the righteous man is taken down and no one understands (Is. 57:1). And Solomon says: There is a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones (Eccl. 3:5). Therefore, the more the end of the world approaches, the more necessary it is that living stones be gathered up for the heavenly building, until the building of our Jerusalem reaches its measure. However, we believe that not all the elect will fly off the earth, so that only the vicious will remain in the world, because sinners would never turn to tearful repentance if there were no examples of virtue that would captivate their souls. Peter. So, in vain do I complain that the virtuous are diminished, when I see that the wicked perish in large numbers. Chapter thirty-eight. About the vision of Redempt, Bishop of Ferenta. Grigory. Don’t be at all surprised by this, Peter. Known to your love was Redempt, Bishop of Ferenta, a venerable man in life, who emigrated from this world almost seven years ago. Since he had a very short relationship with me when I was still living in the monastery, he himself, at my request, told me that even during the time of my predecessor, Pope John the Younger, he learned about the end of the world. Many people know about this fact. He said the following. One day, as usual, he visited his parishes and stopped at the church of St. Martyr Eutyches. When it began to be supper, he ordered a bed to be prepared for himself near the martyr’s grave, and here he lay down after his labors for peace of mind. But until midnight he was neither sleepy nor completely awake; fatigue tended to make him sleepy, as usual, but his soul, as if oppressed by some weight, remained awake. In this state St. appeared to him. Martyr Eutyches and said: “Redempt, are you not sleeping?” “I’m not sleeping,” he answered. “The end of all flesh is approaching,” continued the one who appeared, “the end of all flesh is approaching, the end of all flesh is approaching!” After this threefold exclamation, the vision of the martyr, which appeared to the spiritual eyes of Redempt, disappeared. The servant of God stood up and began to pray with tears. Soon terrible signs appeared in the sky; fiery spears and arrows were visible from the north. Then the terrible Longobard people came out of their homes and attacked us; The human race, in extraordinary numbers, like ears of corn in the harvest, who lived on earth, was beaten and destroyed. Cities were devastated, fortresses were destroyed, churches were burned, monasteries and monasteries were destroyed, villages were abandoned by the people, fields remained uncultivated, the land turned into a desert, not a single inhabitant remained on it, wild animals began to live where many people had previously lived. “I don’t know what’s happening in other parts of the world, but on this land where we live, the end of the world is not only close, but has already arrived. Therefore, we need to seek the eternal with greater firmness, the faster the temporary disappears from us. We should despise this world, even if it caresses us or seduces us with happiness; but if he is struck by such a scourge, suppressed by such a calamity, daily gives birth to so many sorrows for us, what else is he preaching, if not that we do not love him? Much more could be said about the actions of the chosen men, but I am silent about this because I am in a hurry to move on to the story of something else. Peter. Since, according to my remark, many who are in the depths of the Holy Church doubt the life after death, I ask you, either from the arguments of reason, or from examples that can come to mind, to show for the edification of those who doubt that the soul does not die with the body. Grigory. This is a very difficult matter, especially for a busy person who has another subject in mind. But if there are people for whom it can be useful, I, without any hesitation, prefer the benefit of my neighbors to my own desire and, as much as the grace of God helps me, in the next, fourth, book I will show that the soul lives even after bodily Death. Chapter one. Carnal people do not believe in the eternal and spiritual, because they do not know from experience what they hear about the spiritual. Grigory. The forefather of the human race, deprived of heavenly pleasures for his guilt, began to endure the misfortune of blindness and exile, in which we now find ourselves; through sin he has gone out of himself and cannot taste those joys of the heavenly fatherland that he previously enjoyed. In paradise, a person is accustomed to listening to the words of God Himself; due to the purity of his heart and the height of contemplation, he was in the circle of blessed spirits - Angels; but after he fell here, he lost the mental light with which he was filled. Born of his flesh, in the darkness of this exile, although we hear about the heavenly fatherland, about its citizens - the Angels of God, we hear about the cohabitants of the Angels - the souls of the righteous and perfect, but since invisible things cannot be known by experience, carnal people doubt whether in reality there is something that they do not see with their bodily eyes. Of course, this doubt could not have existed in our ancestor; deprived of the pleasures of heaven, he retained the memory of what he had lost because he saw it. Carnal people cannot feel or remember what they hear; they do not know this from experience, as the ancestor knew, at least as the past. If, for example, a pregnant woman was imprisoned and gave birth to a son there, who was then raised in prison and grew up, and the mother began to tell her son about the sun, the moon, the stars and fields, about flying birds and running horses, the son, born and raised in prison, who saw nothing but the darkness of the prison, would probably not believe what he heard, because he would not know this from experience. Likewise, people born in the darkness of their exile, when they hear about higher and invisible objects, do not trust whether they really exist, because they know only the lower, visible objects, among which they were born. That is why the Creator Himself of the visible and invisible, the Only Begotten Son of the Father, came for the redemption of the human race and sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts, so that, quickened by Him, we would believe what we cannot yet know by experience. Therefore, if we receive this Spirit in any way, “the earnest of our inheritance” (Eph 1.14), then we no longer doubt the existence of the invisible. And whoever is not yet firm in this confidence, without a doubt, must believe the words of the most perfect people, who already know from experience about the invisible, through the Holy Spirit, just as that youth would be unreasonable who would consider his mother’s stories about the light to be false, on the basis that he himself saw nothing but the darkness of prison. Peter. I agree with what you are saying. But whoever does not believe the invisible is a complete unbeliever; and whoever is a complete unbeliever seeks not faith in what he doubts, but evidence of it. Chapter two. That even an unbeliever has faith. Grigory. I can boldly say that even an unbeliever has faith. If I ask this unbeliever who his father is, who his mother is, he will, without a doubt, answer one and the other. If I later ask him if he knows when he was conceived, if he saw, when he was born, he will admit that he does not know and has not seen; however, he believes what he has not seen, because, without doubt, he indicates who his father is and who his mother is. Peter. I confess that until now I did not know that even an unbeliever has faith. Grigory. And unbelievers have faith, but, oh, if only they had faith in God! If they had this faith, they would not be unbelievers. But this very thing condemns their unbelief, and this very thing calls them to faith, that they believe about their visible body what they have not seen, and do not believe the invisible, which they cannot see with their bodily eyes. Chapter three. That three kinds of spirits of life were created. The fact that the soul lives after the death of the body is evidenced by reason, but in conjunction with faith. Almighty God created three kinds of spirits of life: one of them does not mate with the flesh; the other mates with the flesh, but does not die with it; the third finally mates with the flesh and dies with it. The spirit that does not mate with the flesh is the spirit of the Angels; the spirit that mates with the flesh, but does not die with it, is the spirit of men; finally, the spirit that mates with the flesh and dies with it is the spirit of cattle and all animals. So, man is placed, as it were, in the middle; lower than the Angel and higher than the cattle, has something in common with the higher and something in common with the lower, i.e. the immortality of the spirit with the Angel and the corruption of the flesh with cattle, until the glory of the resurrection takes away corruption from the flesh itself, when the flesh coupled with the spirit will forever be preserved from incorruption, just as the spirit itself, coupled with the flesh, is preserved in God. Therefore, even the most torment will not destroy that flesh (resurrected) even in the rejected; it will exist in eternal torment, so that those who have sinned in spirit and flesh will endlessly die in both spirit and flesh, always remaining alive (in existence). Peter. The minds of believers understand what you are saying. But if you make such a distinction between the souls of people and animals, then please tell me what Solomon’s words mean: “I spoke in my heart about the sons of men, so that God might test them, and so that they would see that they are animals in themselves; because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is one fate” (Eccl. 3:18-19), for the subtlest definition of his thought, he adds: “as they die, so these die, and they all have one breath, and man has no advantage over cattle; And then he adds a general explanation to his words: “because everything is vanity! Everything goes to one place: everything came from dust and everything will return to dust” (Eccl. 3:19-20). Chapter Four. About the words of Solomon: the case (end) of the sons of men and the case of bestiality, the case is one for them. Grigory. The book of Solomon in which these words are written is called Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes actually means “preacher.” A sermon usually offers a thought that stops the excitement of a noisy crowd. The preacher's word brings to one mind many who think differently. And this book is called a preacher because in it Solomon, as it were, assimilates the thoughts of the agitating crowd, so that after considering them he can say what even an inexperienced crowd, having delved into, would agree to. For as many thoughts as the preacher sets in motion through consideration, so many different persons does he represent in his person. And a true preacher, as if with an outstretched hand, stops everyone’s excitement and forces them to agree on one thought; just as he says at the end of this book: “end of the word, listen to everyone: Fear God and keep His commandments, as every man does” (Eccl. 12:13). For if in the speech contained in this book he does not represent many in his person, then why does he call everyone along with him to listen to the end of the speech? So, whoever says at the end of the book: “we will all listen,” he himself testifies that, imagining many faces in himself, he seems to be not alone in speaking. Therefore, in this book, some thoughts are expressed only for consideration, others satisfy the mind; some belong to the spirit of a man who is hesitant and still devoted to the pleasures of this world; others, in agreement with the mind, are offered in order to keep the soul from these pleasures. So, Solomon says in this book: here’s something else that I found good and pleasant: “to eat and drink and enjoy good things in all my labors” (Eccl. 5:17); and much lower he adds: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting” (Eccl. 7:2). If it is good to eat and drink, then it seems better to go to a feasting house than to a mourning house. From this it is clear that the first is spoken on behalf of the imperfect, and the last is added from reason. Setting out reasonable reasons, he further shows the benefit that a person receives in the house of mourning: “mourning is better than laughter; because with a sad face the heart becomes better; for this is the end of every man, and the living will give good to his heart” (Eccl. 7:2,3), i.e. in the house of mourning the end of all people is indicated, and the living will ponder what will happen to him. Again it is written there: “Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart taste joy in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart and according to the vision of your eyes; just know that for all this God will bring you to judgment.” (Eccl. 11:9), and a little later it was added: “for childhood and youth are vanity, just as youth and madness are vanity with pleasure” (Eccl. 11:10). If he denounces as vanity what he previously apparently encouraged, then he clearly shows that the first words were spoken as if from the person of a carnal man, and the last were added according to the judgment of truth. Thus, first expressing the pleasure of carnal people devoted to cares, he proclaims that it is good to eat and drink, but then, according to the judgment of reason, he rejects the same thing when he says that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting; He also speaks about the joy of a young man in his youth, as if on behalf of carnal people, and then, after explaining the thought, he calls both youth and joy vanity. In the same way, our preacher offers a thought on behalf of the imperfect in mind when he says: “because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is the same fate: as they die, so these die, and they all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over cattle, because everything is vanity!” (Eccl. 3:19), for, according to reason, he proposes another thought, saying: “What is the advantage of the wise over the fool, what is the poor man who knows how to walk over the living?” (Eccl.6:1,8). So, he says: “what is more unnecessary for a man to have than cattle,” and then he himself explains that a wise man has something more than only cattle, but also a foolish man: namely, that he strives to where there is life. With these words, first of all, he shows that human life itself is not here, but in another place. This means that man has something more than cattle, because animals do not live after death, but man begins to live when he ends this visible life with the death of the flesh. He says even lower: “Whatever your hand can do, do it with your strength; for in the grave, where you are going, there is no work, no meditation, no knowledge, no wisdom” (Eccl. 9:10). How then is there one end for man and beast, and the same purpose for both? How can a person have nothing more than cattle, when animals do not live after the death of the flesh, and human souls, relegated to hell for their evil deeds after the death of the flesh, do not die in death itself? Such opposing thoughts show that a true preacher speaks one thing on behalf of wavering carnal people, and another on behalf of spiritual truth. Peter. It's good that I asked about something I didn't know; Now I was able to understand with such precision what I did not know before. But I ask you, be patient generously if I, following the example of our Ecclesiastes, take upon myself the face of the imperfect, so that I can benefit them more than I could bring through my own research. Grigory. Why not generously tolerate you, who condescend to the weakness of your neighbors, when the Apostle Paul says: “I have become all things to all, so that I may save at least some” (1 Cor. 9:22). But as you make condescension out of love, you deserve even more respect, because you imitate the eminent preacher. Chapter five. Does the soul exist when it cannot be seen upon leaving the body? Peter. I was near the death of one brother. He suddenly, during a conversation, gave up the ghost, and I suddenly saw the one who I saw talking to me dead. But whether his soul came out or not, I did not see, and it seems very difficult to believe the existence of a creature that no one can see. Grigory. What is surprising, Peter, if you have not seen the outgoing soul, which you do not see even while it is in you? Is it possible that when you talk to me, you consider me soulless on the grounds that you cannot see my soul in me? The essence of the soul is invisible and comes from the body just as invisible as it is invisible in it. Chapter six. Just as the life of the soul located in the body is known from the movement of the members, so the life of the soul after the death of the body of saints is known from miracles. Peter. But I can learn the life of the soul residing in the body from the very movements of the body, because if there were no soul in the body, the members of the body could not move; In what movements and in what actions can I see the life of the soul after the death of the body, in order to understand from visible objects the existence of that which I cannot see? Grigory. I will say, although not an entirely exact similarity: just as the power of the soul animates and moves the body, so the power of God fills everything that it has created: it animates some with its breath, in others it promotes life, and in others it only gives existence with its presence. Since you have no doubt that there is a God who creates and rules, who fills and embraces everything, who exceeds and supports everything, who is indescribable and invisible, then you should also not doubt that He has invisible servants. And it is proper for those who serve to strive to become like the one they serve, so there can be no doubt that the invisible is served by invisible servants, in whose existence we believe. Who are these invisible servants if not the holy Angels and the souls of the righteous? And just as, seeing the movement of a body, you infer from the lower about the life of the soul residing in the body, so from the higher you must infer about the life of the soul leaving the body, because a soul can live invisibly, obligated to remain in the service of the invisible Creator. Peter. Everything is rightly said; but the mind refuses to believe what cannot be seen with bodily eyes; Grigory. When Paul says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1), he indicates that we must believe what cannot be seen. To quickly destroy your doubt, I will say that nothing visible can be seen without the invisible. For example, your bodily eye sees everything corporeal, but your bodily eye would not see anything corporeal if an incorporeal being did not refine its vision. Take away the mind that cannot be seen, and it will be in vain to open the eye that has seen. Let the soul leave the body, your bodily eyes will, without a doubt, close. So, if they saw by themselves, then why don’t they see anything after the soul leaves the body? From this you conclude that everything visible can be seen only through the invisible. Let us also imagine that a house is being built, huge weights are being lifted, large pillars are supported by machines: who, I ask you, does this work, a visible body that moves these weights with its arms, or an invisible soul that animates the body? Take away the invisible in the body - and immediately all the visible piles of metals that you see moving will remain motionless. From this we must conclude that in this visible world nothing can be organized without an invisible creative force. For just as Almighty God, by His breath and penetration, animates and moves invisible beings, so invisible beings, by penetration, animate and animate visible bodies. Peter. I confess, defeated by these proofs, I must consider everything visible (without the invisible) as nothing, although previously I expressed doubt about the invisible, representing in my person those who are not confirmed (in faith). So, I agree with everything you say; however, just as I learn the life of the soul residing in the body from the movement of the body, I also want to learn about the life of the soul after the death of the body from the evidence of some visible phenomena. Gregory. If you have a special love for this subject, then it is not difficult to find evidence. Is it really St. Would the apostles and martyrs of Christ begin to despise real life and give themselves up to death if they were not firmly convinced that life of the soul would follow? You yourself say that you learn the life of the soul, which is in the body, from the movements of the body, and those who gave themselves up to death and believed in the life of the soul after the death of the body, shine with daily miracles. Living sick people come to their dead bodies and receive healing; oathbreakers come and demons take possession of them; those possessed by demons come and are freed (from demons); the lepers go and are cleansed; the dead are brought up and raised. From this you conclude that somewhere live the souls of those whose dead bodies perform such miracles here. So, if you recognize the life of the soul in the body from the movement of the members, then why don’t you want to see the life of the soul after the death of the body in miracles performed even through dead bones? Peter. No mind, it seems, can resist this evidence: with visible objects it encourages us to believe what we do not see. Chapter seven. About the outcome of the soul. Grigory. A little earlier you said that you did not see how the soul came out of your dying brother; but the reason for this was precisely that you wanted to see an invisible being with your bodily eyes. Many of those who purified the eye of their minds with pure faith and fruitful prayer often saw souls coming out of the flesh. I consider it necessary to tell first how many times the departing souls were visible and how many different objects they themselves saw during their departure from the body, in order to convince with examples a weak mind that is not convinced by evidence. In the second book of this work, I have already told that the venerable man Benedict, according to the testimony of his faithful disciples, being far from the city of Capua, saw the soul of the bishop of this city carried by Angels to heaven in a ball of fire. Looking at this rising soul, he saw with the expanded eye of his mind the whole world, gathered in his eyes as if under one ray of the sun. Chapter eight. About the outcome of the soul of the monk Speciosa. From the same disciples of St. Benedict I heard a story that two famous men, educated in worldly sciences, two brothers, one of whom was called Speziozo, and the other Gregory, entered under his leadership in the holy monastic life. This venerable father placed them in a monastery, which he built near the city of Tarracina. The brothers owned great wealth in the world, but they gave it all to the poor to save their souls, while they themselves remained to live in the monastery. One of them, namely Spezioz, was sent to the city of Capua to meet the needs of the monastery. One day, his brother Gregory, sitting with the brethren at a common meal, delighted in spirit, saw the soul of his brother Spezioz, who was so far from him, leaving the body; He immediately told the brethren about his vision, and he hastily ran and found his brother already buried. His death followed precisely at that hour in which Gregory saw the departure of his soul from his body. Chapter Nine. About the soul of a certain prisoner. When I was still in the monastery, one pious and most worthy man of faith told me that some travelers, sailing on a ship from Sicily to Rome, while on the Mediterranean Sea, saw the soul of one servant of God, imprisoned in Samnium, ascending to heaven. Having gone ashore and asking how it was, they learned that the servant of God died on the very day on which they saw him ascending to the heavenly dwellings. Chapter ten. About the outcome of the soul of Abbot Spes. While I was still in the monastery, I heard a story from one venerable man, which I will now convey. He said that a venerable father named Spes built a monastery at a place called Kample, which is almost six miles from the ancient city of Nursia. The Almighty and Merciful God saved him from eternal torment by punishment and showed him in His Providence both severity and kindness: as before he expressed love for him with punishment, so later he showed it with perfect healing. For forty years God kept his eyes blind, not showing any external light. But in God's punishments no one is left behind by grace. If the Merciful Father, who imposes punishment, did not show leniency, then the very correction of sins would only increase our sins through our impatience and, thus, instead of reducing the guilt that one could hope for, the guilt would increase. Therefore, God, who knows our weaknesses, combines care with His blows, and in the punishment itself is mercifully fair to the chosen children, so that later he can make them such as should be shown mercy in justice. So it was here: while punishing the venerable elder with darkness, God never deprived him of his inner light; during his physical suffering, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, he felt the consolation of his heart. When forty years of blindness were completed, God returned the light to him and announced his imminent death; but first he commanded him to preach the word of life in the monasteries built around him, so that when he visited the brethren, the light of the heart would be revealed to them by the one to whom bodily sight had been restored. Obeying this command, the elder immediately began to go around the monasteries of the brothers and preach the rules of life, which he himself had learned in practice. On the fifteenth day, after finishing the sermon, he returned to his monastery. Being among the brethren whom he had convened, he communed with the Body and Blood of the Lord, then began the mysterious singing of psalms with them, and while the brethren were singing, they gave up their spirit to God with prayer. All the brethren present saw a dove fly out of his mouth, which immediately, through the hole in the roof of the church, in full view of the brethren, flew to heaven. One must believe that his soul appeared in the form of a dove, and by this very appearance God showed with what simplicity the departed husband served Him. Chapter Eleven. About the outcome of the soul of the Nursi presbyter. I will not keep silent about one more event that happened in the same city of Nursia. The venerable husband Stefan, who was buried in this city shortly before this time and whom I myself knew well, told me about him. He said that there a certain presbyter ruled the church entrusted to him with great fear of God. From the time he received the presbytery position, he began to love his wife only as a sister, but feared her as an enemy: he never allowed her to come close to him and, in no case allowing her to come close to him, he decisively broke off marital ties with her. St. also have this property. men: in order to forever avoid what is prohibited, they forbid themselves many things that are permitted. So the presbyter, in order not to fall into any sin from his wife, refused to accept even the necessary services from her. This venerable presbyter lived in this way for many years; In the fortieth year of his ministry, he fell ill with a severe fever and became close to death. When his wife saw that his limbs had died and he stretched out as if dead, putting her ear to his nostrils, she tried to find out whether there was still vital breath in him. He felt this and, although he had the faintest breath, he made some effort to pronounce the word, gathered his courage and said loudly: “Get away from me, woman, the light is still alive, remove the straw.” When she walked away, his bodily strength seemed to have become somewhat stronger, and he began to shout with great joy: “Welcome, my lords; welcome, my gentlemen; How did you deign to visit such an insignificant servant of yours? I’m coming, I’m coming, thank you, thank you.” Many times he repeated these words in a rapid voice; Those around him asked who he was talking to. The dying man answered them in surprise, saying: “Don’t you see the saints who came here? apostles? Don’t you really notice the first apostles Peter and Paul?” Then, turning to the apostles, he again said: “I’m coming, I’m coming,” and with these words he gave up his spirit to God. Thus, the procession for St. the apostles testified that he really saw them. It often happens to the righteous that at the time of their death they see the saints who preceded them, so that the painful thought of death does not frighten them; so that they can painlessly and fearlessly be released from the bonds of their flesh, at that time the society of heavenly citizens appears before their mental eyes. Chapter twelve. About the soul of Probus, bishop of the city of Reata. I will not keep silent about what the servant of the almighty God, Probus, who now in this city is abbot of a monastery called Renata, used to tell about his uncle Probus, the bishop of the city of Reata. When the end of the bishop's life approached, he was overcome by a serious illness. His father, named Maxim, sent slaves everywhere to gather doctors in the hope that they might cure his illness. But the doctors gathered from everywhere from neighboring places announced by the beating of his pulse that his end would soon come. When it was time for lunch and the day began to lean towards evening, the venerable bishop, caring more about the health of those around him than about his own, asked them to go with his father to the upper rooms of the bishop's house and, after labors, refresh themselves with food. Everyone went to the upper rooms, and only the youth remained with him, who, according to the aforementioned Probus, is still alive. While at the bedside of a sick man, he suddenly sees two men in white robes approaching the man of God, who with the light of their faces darkened even the whiteness of their clothes. Struck by fear from this brilliance, the youth began to shout in a loud voice: “Who are they?” Bishop Probus, alarmed by this cry, looked at the entering men, recognized them and began to console the restlessly screaming youth: “Do not be afraid, my son, it was the saints who came to me. Juvenal and St. Eleutherius - martyrs." The boy, unable to bear such an unprecedented vision, ran out of the door and told his father and doctors about the men he had seen. They immediately went down, but the sick man, whom they had left shortly thereafter, was found already dead; he was taken with them by those whose visions the youth who was there could not bear. Chapter thirteen. About the death of Galla, the servant of God. I consider it necessary to tell another event that I heard about from important and trustworthy people. During the time of the Goths, a noble young woman of this city, Galla, the daughter of the consul and patrician Symmachus, was given in marriage in her youth and then a year later became a widow. And the pleasures of the world, and wealth, and youth called her to a second marriage, but she wished to be better united with Christ in a spiritual union, which begins with tears, and ends with eternal joys, than to tie herself in a carnal marriage, which always begins with fun and ends with tears. When Galla began to experience fiery irritation in her body, the doctors began to assure her that if she did not enter into marriage, then due to excessive heat, contrary to nature itself, she would have a beard (which later happened). But St. the wife was not afraid of external ugliness, loving with all her heart the Heavenly Bridegroom, Who seeks inner beauty in us. Therefore, immediately after the death of her husband, having taken off her worldly clothes, she devoted herself to the service of Almighty God in the monastery at the Church of St. Apostle Peter and there, adorning herself for many years with simplicity of heart and prayer, she distributed alms to the poor with a generous hand. When Almighty God determined to give Halle an eternal reward for her exploits, her breast was affected by cancer (disease). At night, two lamps usually burned at her bedside, because the friend of light hated not only spiritual, but also material darkness. One day, tired of her illness, Galla was lying in bed, and suddenly she saw St. Apostle Peter standing between the lamps. She was not afraid, on the contrary, in love she found the courage to greet him and asked: “What, my lord, have my sins been forgiven me?” The apostle with a friendly face nodded to her with his head bowed and said: “You have been released, go.” But Galla, loving one nun more than anyone else in the monastery, added: “I pray that Sister Benedicta will go with me.” “No,” the apostle answered her, so-and-so will go with you; and the one you ask for will follow you on the thirtieth day.” After these words, the apostle standing near her and speaking became invisible. Galla immediately called the abbess of the monastery and told her what she saw and what she heard. On the third day she was buried with that sister about whom the apostle spoke; and the one she herself asked for followed them on the thirtieth day. This event is still memorable in that monastery, and the young nuns of the monastery so thoroughly convey the story they heard from their elders about this, as if they themselves were present at that time at such a great miracle. Chapter fourteen. About the death of Servul, broken by paralysis. It should also be noted that the departing souls of the elect often hear sweet heavenly chants, so that, listening to them with rapture, they do not feel the separation of the soul from the body. Even in conversations on the Gospel, I remember, I said that in the gallery through which those going to the church of Blessed Clement pass, there was someone named Servul, whom you probably remember. He was poor in property, but rich in merit, and suffered from illness for a long time. He could be recognized by the fact that for the rest of his life he lay paralyzed. It’s not enough to say that he couldn’t stand, he couldn’t even get up in bed or sit; could not raise his hand to his lips; could not turn to the other side. His mother and brother were with him to serve; The alms he received he distributed to the poor with his own hands. He never learned to read and write, but he bought himself a Bible and, admitting pious people to the hospital, constantly forced them to read in front of him. Thus, he studied all the Holy Scriptures, although he was decidedly unable to read and write, as I said. Servul, when ill, always sang hymns and songs of thanksgiving to God, day and night. But when the time had come for him to be rewarded for such suffering, the members of his body came to life. Having learned that his death was near, Servul asked visitors and those living in the hospital to stand and sing psalms with him in anticipation of his death. During this dying singing with them, he suddenly, with a great cry and horror, interrupted the voices of those singing, saying: “Be silent! Do you not hear what praises are sung in heaven? At the very time when he directed the ear of his heart to the songs of praise that he heard within himself, his holy soul was released from his body. As it departed, such a fragrance spread around that those present felt an inexpressible sweetness, and through this they clearly learned that Servul’s soul had been received in heaven with songs of praise. At this event there was our monk, who is still alive and testifies with great tears that until the body of the deceased was buried, the fragrance did not stop coming from his nostrils. Chapter fifteen. About the death of Romula, servant of God. In the same conversations, I remember, I told one event, which was witnessed during my story by my presbyter Spezioz, who knew this event. At the time when I entered the monastery, a certain old woman named Redempta, ordained as a monk in this city, lived near the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. She was a student of Gerundina, who, adorned with many virtues, spent, they say, a desert life on the Prepestinsky mountains. This Redempta had two disciples as a monk: one named Romula, and the other, who is now still alive, is familiar to me by sight, but not known by name. These three women, living in the same house, led a life poor in external means, but rich in virtues. Romula, whom I mentioned, surpassed her other fellow student in the great merits of her life. She was amazingly patient, extremely obedient, silent and very diligent in prayer. But very often those whom people consider to be already perfect still have some imperfections in the eyes of the Heavenly Creator, just as often we, inexperienced people, look at seals that are not yet completely finished and praise them as if they were already finished, while the artist, although he hears praise for them, still does not stop finishing and perfecting them. Something similar happened to Romulus. She was stricken with a physical illness, which doctors call paralysis. For many years Romula lay in bed, deprived of almost any movement of her limbs; but even such suffering did not bring her to impatience. On the contrary, the very illnesses of the body served for her as a means to increase virtues; the more diligently she prayed, the less strength she had to do anything else. One night she suddenly began calling the aforementioned Redempta, who was raising both of her students instead of her daughters: “Mother, come, mother, come here.” Redempta immediately got up and went with her other disciple, as both of them and many told about this event, and at the same time I heard about it. At midnight they were at Romulus's bedside; suddenly the light that descended from heaven filled her entire cell and shone with such brilliance that it struck the hearts of those present with inexpressible fear; Their whole body, as they themselves said later, was numb with horror, and they remained motionless. Then a rustling sound was heard, as if from some large crowd of people; the door of the cell began to shake, as if a crowd of people were pushing into it; they felt, as they said, the presence of those who entered; but from extraordinary fear they could not see the light, because both fear and the very clarity of such light amazed and covered their eyes. Behind this light an extraordinary fragrance immediately spread, so that the pleasantness of the smell calmed their souls, struck by the radiance of the light. But when they could not bear the power of such light, Romula began in a gentle voice to console Redempta, who was with her and trembling, her mentor in virtues, saying: “Do not be afraid, mother, I am not dying yet.” She repeated these words many times, and the light that descended from heaven began to disappear little by little, but the smell that appeared after it remained. So another and a third day passed, and the smell that spread into the cell still remained. On the fourth night, she again called her mentor and, upon her arrival, asked for and received Holy Communion. Neither Redempta herself nor the patient’s other fellow student left her bedside, and suddenly, on the platform in front of the door of her cell, two choirs of singers settled down and, as they said, from the sound of the voices one could recognize two different sexes: the men sang psalms, and the women echoed. During the heavenly funeral service in front of the doors of St. Romula's soul was separated from his body. When she ascended to heaven, the higher the choirs of singers flew, the weaker the psalmody was heard, until the sounds of psalmody and the fragrance finally disappeared. Chapter sixteen. About the death of the nun Tarsilla. Sometimes the Author and Distributor of life himself appears to console the outgoing soul. Here I will repeat what I told, I remember, in conversations on the Gospel about Tarsilla, my aunt. Between her two other sisters, she was distinguished by constant prayer, sober life, extraordinary abstinence, and with these virtues she achieved high holiness. My great-great-grandfather Felix, the primate of the Roman Church, appeared to her in a vision and, showing her the dwelling of eternal light, said: “Go, I will take you into this dwelling of light.” Immediately after this, Tarsilla fell ill with a fever and approached death. And just as usually, at the death of noble wives and husbands, many gather to console their relatives, so at the hour of her death, many husbands and wives surrounded her bed. Suddenly she looked up, saw Jesus walking and in a loud voice began to shout to those around her: “Get away, get away! Jesus is coming." And while she fixed her eyes on the One who appeared, her holy soul left her body. Suddenly such an amazing fragrance spread, which with its sweetness proved to everyone that the Originator of the sweetness had definitely come there. When her body, as usual, was undressed for washing, they saw wild growths on her elbows and knees, similar to the growths on camels, formed from prolonged kneeling prayers, and the dead flesh testified what her soul had always done during life. Chapter seventeen. About the death of the youth Muse. I will not keep silent about what the aforementioned servant of God Probus told about his sister named Muse, a little girl. One night, the Most Holy Theotokos and the Ever-Virgin Mary appeared to her in a vision and showed young women equal in age to her in white robes. The Muse wanted to join them, but did not dare; The Blessed Virgin Mary asked her if she wanted to be with them and spend her life serving Her. The young woman said to the Mother of God: “I wish,” and immediately received a commandment from Her, so that from now on she should not do anything childish or frivolous, refrain from laughter and games, knowing that on the thirtieth day she would come to serve Her along with those girls whom she saw. After this vision, the young woman completely changed in her entire behavior, gave up childish pranks and began to lead a strict life. The parents were surprised at this change and asked about the reason for it. The Muse told what the Mother of God commanded her, and announced on what day she would depart to serve Her. After the twenty-fifth day she fell ill. On the thirtieth day, when the hour of her death approached, Muse saw the Mother of God coming to her with those young women who appeared to her in a vision. She responded to the call of the Mother of God with reverently downcast eyes and in a loud voice: “I’m coming, my Lady, I’m coming, my Lady.” With these words, she gave up her ghost and left her virgin body to live with St. maidens. Peter. How the human race is given over to many, countless vices; then the Heavenly Jerusalem, I think, for the most part, is filled with small children and babies. Chapter Eighteen. About the fact that some children's parents close the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven with bad upbringing, and about the blasphemous youth. Grigory. True, one must believe that all baptized infants and those dying in infancy enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but one must also believe that not all small children who can already speak enter the Kingdom of Heaven. For some children, their parents enter into it when they raise them poorly. One husband, known to everyone in our city, three years before this had a son, about five years old, it seems, whom, due to excessive carnal love, he raised poorly. This boy, as soon as he encountered something contrary to himself, had the habit (it’s hard to say) to blaspheme the Majesty of God. Three years before this, he became seriously ill and approached death. When his father held him in his arms, the boy, trembling with horror, saw, as those who were near his death testified, evil spirits coming to him and began to shout: “Protect, father, protect, father.” While screaming, he lowered his face to hide from them on his father's chest. The father asked him, trembling, what he saw, the boy answered: “Black people have come, they want to take me away.” Having said this, he immediately blasphemed the name of the Majesty of God and gave up the ghost. Almighty God, in order to show for what guilt he was betrayed to such tormentors, allowed the dying man to repeat what his father did not want to correct during his life, allowed him, who had lived for a long time, according to the long-suffering of God, as a blasphemer, to utter blasphemy at death, so that his father would recognize his guilt and see that by neglecting the soul of his little son, he had raised a considerable sinner for the fire of Gehenna. But let’s leave this sad story and begin to tell the comforting events as we began. Chapter nineteen. About the death of the pious husband Stephen. From the stories of the aforementioned Probus and other pious men, I learned what I conveyed to the listeners in conversations on the Gospel about the venerable Father Stephen. He was a man, according to Probus and other witnesses, who had nothing in this world, acquired nothing; loved only poverty for God's sake; in misfortune he was always patient, avoided worldly gatherings and longed to constantly engage in prayer. Of his virtues, I will tell you about one that can be used to infer many. One day he took to the threshing floor the harvested bread that he had sowed with his own hand; Besides this bread, he had nothing else to support his disciples for a whole year. One evil man, excited by an ancient enemy, put fire under the bread that was on the threshing floor and lit it. Another, when he saw what had happened, ran to tell the servant of God. After the story, he added: “Alas, grief, oh. Stefan, what happened to you! Stefan immediately answered with a bright face and voice: “Woe to the one who did this; what happened to me?” From these words it is clear at what height of virtue stood the one who, with such a calm spirit, lost everything he had for his annual maintenance, and more regretted the one who committed the sin than about himself, although he suffered harm from his sin; he did not value what he lost outside, but regretted what the author of evil lost inside. When the day of his death arrived, many came together to entrust their souls to the prayers of such a holy soul departing from this world. The crowd surrounded his bed; some of those who entered saw Angels, but could not speak, while others saw nothing at all; but everyone who was here was struck by such strong fear that no one could stand there at the exodus of this holy soul. Both those who saw and those who saw nothing at all were struck with the same fear and fled in horror, so that one could clearly understand what force received the departing soul, the descent of which no mortal could bear. Chapter twenty. That the merits of the soul are sometimes revealed more clearly not at the time of death, but after death. But you should know that sometimes the merits of the soul are revealed more clearly not at the time of death, but after death. Yes, St. The martyrs, who endured much suffering from the infidels, with their dead bones, as we said above, work signs and wonders every day. Chapter twenty one. About two monks of Abbot Valentius. Valentius, a venerable man in life, who was, as you know, the abbot of mine and my monastery, previously ruled his monastery in the region of Valeria. The ferocious Longobards then came to his monastery and, as he himself told me, hanged two of his monks on the branches of one tree, who were buried that same day. When evening came, the souls of the hanged began to sing in that place with clear and loud voices, so that their killers themselves, when they heard the voices of the singers, were extremely surprised and frightened. All the prisoners who were here heard these voices, and then testified to the psalmody of the murdered. Almighty God made the voices of these souls audible to the bodily ear, so that those living in the flesh would learn that if they serve God, even after the death of the flesh they will live true life. Chapter twenty two. About the death of Abbot Suran. From the stories of some pious men, while still in the monastery, I learned that during the time of the Longobards, in the region called Sura, there was one abbot of the monastery named Suran, who gave everything that was in the monastery to those who came to him captive and fled from the robbery of the Longobards. He gave them all his clothes, his and his brothers' clothes, the monastic supplies, and then he gave them everything he had in the garden, and thus distributed all the property. Soon after, the Longobards came, seized him and began to demand gold from him. When he said that he had absolutely nothing, he was taken by them to a neighboring mountain, on which there was a forest of immeasurable size. There, one escaped prisoner was hiding in a hollow tree; Near this tree, the Longobard killed the above-mentioned famous man with a sword. When his body fell to the ground, the whole mountain and forest immediately shook. The trembling earth seemed to express that it could not bear the greatness of his holiness. Chapter twenty-three. On the death of a deacon of the Church of Mars. There was also in the region of Mars a deacon of very venerable life; he was captured by the Longobards, one of whom cut off his head with a sword. But when his body fell to the ground, an unclean spirit took possession of the murderer himself, threw him to the ground and showed that he who killed the friend of God was betrayed to the enemy of God. Peter. Why, please tell me, does Almighty God allow people to die such a death, whose great holiness He Himself does not hide after their death? Chapter twenty-four. About the death of the holy man who was sent to Bethel. Grigory. When it is written: “But the righteous, even if he dies early, will be at rest” (Wis. 4:7), then what harm is there for the elect, who, without a doubt, strive for eternal life, if they sometimes die a bitter death? Perhaps they sometimes have a sin, albeit a small one, which must be cleansed by such a death. Therefore, it happens that the outcasts receive power over the righteous when they are alive, but after their death, the more cruelly the outcasts are avenged for the fact that they used their power with cruelty. Thus the murderer, who was allowed to rage against the aforementioned venerable deacon while he was alive, was not allowed to rejoice over his death. The Holy Scripture confirms the same. The man sent to Samaria disobeyed God by eating on the road, and a lion killed him on that very road. But it is immediately written there: “The donkey and the lion stood near the body; the lion did not eat the body and did not break the donkey” (1 Kings 13:28). From this it is clear that the sin of disobedience was cleansed by death itself: the same lion that decided to kill him alive did not dare to touch the dead one. He had permission to kill, but did not receive permission to devour the corpse, because the one who was guilty in life, after the punishment of disobedience, was already righteous in death. Therefore, the lion, which had previously taken the life of a sinner, then guarded the corpse of the righteous. Peter. I like what you're saying; but I would like to know whether the souls of the righteous can be received in heaven before the resurrection of their bodies? Chapter twenty-five. Are the souls of the righteous received in heaven before the resurrection of their bodies? Grigory. We cannot say this about all the righteous, nor can we deny it. For there are the souls of some righteous people who are separated by several abodes from the Kingdom of Heaven. What else is expressed in this distance, if not that they had a righteousness that was not yet completely perfect? However, it is clearer than light that the souls of the perfect righteous, as soon as they leave the shackles of this flesh, are accepted into heavenly dwellings, as the Truth Itself testifies with Her lips, saying: “Where the corpse is, there the eagles will be gathered” (Luke 17:37). Where our Redeemer Himself is in body, there, without a doubt, the souls of the righteous are gathered. And Paul wants to “be separated and be with Christ,” because this is incomparable (Phil. 1:23): Therefore, whoever does not doubt that Christ is in heaven will not deny that Paul’s soul is in heaven. He speaks about leaving his body and settling in the heavenly fatherland: “For we know that when our earthly house, this hut, is destroyed, we have from God a dwelling in heaven, a house not made with hands, eternal” (2 Cor. 5:1). Peter. So, if the souls of the righteous are now in heaven, what will they receive as a reward for their righteousness on the day of judgment? Grigory. The reward will miraculously increase for them on the day of judgment: now they are blissful only in their souls, and after the judgment they will also be blissful in their bodies, in which they endured illness and suffering for the Lord. About this growing glory of theirs it is written: “for in their land they will receive double” (Is. 61:7). Even before the day of resurrection it was written about the souls of the saints: “And white garments were given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest for a little while, while their fellow servants and their brethren also” (Rev. 6:11). So, if they have now received a robe, then on the day of judgment they will have two robe; because now they enjoy only the glory of souls, but then they will enjoy the glory of souls and bodies. Peter. Agree; Now I would like to know how dying people often predict many things? Chapter twenty-six. How do dying people predict something? About the monks Gerontius and Mellitus and the youth Armentarius. Grigory. Sometimes the souls themselves, in their subtlety, foresee something; sometimes souls leaving the body learn the future by revelation; sometimes, shortly before death, those inspired from above see heavenly mysteries with the disembodied eye of the mind. That the soul, by its subtlety, sometimes recognizes the future, can be seen from the following event. One lawyer, who died in our city two years ago from an illness in his side, shortly before his death called his slave and ordered him to prepare clothes for him to go out. The youth thought that he was delusional and did not carry out the order; then the sick man stood up, put on his clothes and said that he would go along the Appian Way to the church of Blessed Sixtus. A short time later he died from worsening illness. It was necessary to bury his body on the Prenestine road near the church of the blessed martyr Januarius. But to those who carried his ashes, this path seemed long; Therefore, those carrying his ashes suddenly decided to walk along the Appian Way and, not knowing what he said before his death, buried him in the very church about which he had predicted. We know that this man was busy with worldly concerns and, moreover, partial to earthly gain; with what power could he predict? Obviously, his very soul, in its subtlety, foresaw what would happen to his body. And how the dying know the future by revelation, we can conclude from what happened in our monastery. In my monastery, ten years before this, there was one brother named Gerontius. Being overcome by a serious illness of the body, he once saw in a night vision white-faced men who descended from heaven in light robes to this very monastery. When they came to the patient’s bedside, one of these men said: “We came then to take some brothers from the Grigoriev monastery into the service,” and, turning to another, added: “Write down: Marcella, Valentinian, Agnell.” He listed others that I don’t remember now. After this he added: “Write down this one who is looking at us.” Convinced by this vision, the aforementioned brother in the morning notified the brethren of this monastery, who were soon to die; He also announced that he himself would follow them. From the next day, the mentioned brothers began to die, and exactly in the order in which they were recorded. Finally, he who foresaw the death of these brothers himself died. At the time of this death, which greatly devastated this city three years ago (i.e. in 590), in the monastery of the city of Porta there was a monk named Mellitus, tonsured in his youth, but possessed of amazing simplicity and humility; When the day of his Angel arrived, he was struck by the same plague and was approaching death. Bishop Felix of this city, a man of venerable life, from whom I heard about this, hastened to come to the sick man and began to encourage him with consolations so that he would not be afraid of death; He even began to promise him many years of life in the name of God’s mercy. But the dying man answered that his course was over; told how a young man appeared to him and brought him a letter with the words: “Print it out and read it.” Having opened the letter, the patient found, as he himself said, himself and everyone who was baptized at that time by the aforementioned bishop on Easter, written in it in gold letters. The first name, as he said, he found his own, and then the names of everyone who was baptized at that time. From this letter, Mellitus was convinced that both he and they would soon pass from this life. And so it happened. He died that same day, and all who were baptized followed him, so that after a few days not one of them was alive. From this it is obvious that this servant of God saw their names written in golden letters because these names were illuminated by eternal radiance. Just as these could know the future by revelation, so sometimes outgoing souls can foreknow heavenly mysteries not even in a dream, but in a waking state. You know Ammonius well, a monk from my monastery. When he was still in the world, he betrothed his own daughter Valerian, the lawyer of our city; he constantly used his services, so he knew everything that was happening in his house. Having already lived in the monastery, he told me that during the death that greatly devastated Rome under the patrician Narsus, in the house of the mentioned Valerian there was a youth Armentarius, with extraordinary simplicity and humility. When the lawyer's house was struck by the same ulcer, this youth also fell ill and approached death. He was suddenly delighted by those present, then returned to himself, called his master and said: “I was in heaven and found out who would die from this house. This one, that one and that one will die, but don’t be afraid, you won’t die at this time. And that I am telling the truth that I was in heaven, you can learn from the fact that there I received the gift of speaking in all languages. You know that I did not know the Greek language at all; and now I will speak Greek, so that you can be convinced of the truth that I have truly received the gift of speaking in all languages.” Then his master began to speak to him in Greek, and he answered in this language in such a way that all those present were amazed. In the house of the mentioned Valerian lived a Bulgarian pharmacist; he was immediately brought to the sick man and began to talk to him in Bulgarian - and the youth, born and raised in Italy, answered him in this language as if he himself came from the same people. Everyone who heard was surprised, and from the experience of two languages, which, as they knew, he did not know before, they were convinced of everything else that they could not verify by experience. Two days later signs of death began to show; but on the third day, it is not known by what secret judgment, he tore his arms and shoulders with his teeth and then gave up the ghost. After his death, everyone about whom he predicted was soon taken from this world; but in that house no one died from that ulcer whose name the sick person did not pronounce. Peter. The terrible thing is that the one who was worthy to receive such a gift was later struck by such an execution. Grigory. Who knows the hidden judgments of God? What we cannot understand in the judgment of God, we should tremble rather than investigate. Chapter twenty-seven. About the death of ruler Feofan. If we have already begun to talk about outgoing souls who foreknow many things, we cannot remain silent about what I learned from many witnesses about Theophanes, the ruler of the city of Centumcella. He was a merciful man, zealous for good deeds and especially for hospitality. While engaged in the affairs of governing the country, Theophanes performed earthly and temporary affairs, but, as it was revealed at his death, more out of a sense of duty than out of temporary calculations. With the onset of his death, the greatest bad weather became in the air, so that it would be impossible to carry out his body for burial. The patient’s wife began to complain with bitter tears, saying: “What will I do? How can I bury you when it is impossible to leave the doors of the house due to the greatest bad weather? Then he answered: “Don’t cry, wife; As soon as I die, the air will become clear.” These words were immediately followed by death, and death by clear weather. This miracle was accompanied by other miracles. His hands and feet, swollen from gout, were all covered with wounds and began to stink from the leaking purulent matter. But when his body was undressed for the usual ablution, his arms and legs turned out to be as healthy as if they had never had a single wound. Then he was taken to the cemetery and buried. On the fourth day, his wife decided to change the marble laid on the grave. When the marble placed over his body was removed, such a fragrance came out of the grave, as if aromas were coming from his rotting body instead of worms. Some who were not firm (in faith), who heard my story about this event in conversations, doubted. But one day I was sitting in a meeting of noble men; the same craftsmen who changed the marble on his grave came there to ask me something about their own business. Then I asked them about this miracle in the presence of the clergy, noble men and people. They testified that the grave was miraculously filled with fragrance; They also told me something else about his coffin, even more wonderful, which, in my opinion, would now take a long time to talk about. Peter. My inquisitiveness seems to have been satisfied enough already; but one more question occupies my mind. If, as was said above, the souls of the saints are in heaven, then, without a doubt, the souls of the wicked, we must believe, are in no other place than in hell. But I don’t know what to say positively about this subject, because human judgment does not allow the souls of sinners to be tormented before judgment. Chapter twenty-eight. One must believe that just as the souls of the perfect are in heaven, so the souls of sinners, after separation from the body, are in hell. Grigory. If pious conversation has fully convinced you that the souls of the saints are in heaven, then it is absolutely necessary to believe that the souls of the wicked are in hell. According to the judgment of eternal righteousness, it is necessary that just as the righteous are glorified, so the sinners are tormented. Just as bliss consoles the elect, so, we must believe, the rejected burn in fire from the day of their death. Peter. How can one imagine that material fire can contain an incorporeal being? Chapter twenty-nine. How can one imagine that disembodied souls can be contained in material fire? Grigory. If the immaterial spirit of a living person is contained in the body, then why, after death, cannot the immaterial spirit be possessed by material fire? Peter. In a living being, the immaterial spirit is contained in the body because it animates the body. Grigory. If, Peter, the immaterial spirit can be contained in that which gives life, then why cannot it be contained for punishment where death reigns? We affirm that the spirit is kept in fire so that it can be tormented by seeing and feeling the fire. He suffers from the very thing that he sees this fire, he is burned through the very thing that he sees himself being burned. And thus the corporeal substance burns the incorporeal being, when from the visible fire an invisible heat is extracted, causing pain, so that through the fire the material incorporeal mind is tormented by the immaterial flame. From the Gospel story we can conclude that the soul suffers from fire not only by vision, but also by sensation. According to the word of Truth, the deceased rich man was cast into hell. That the rich man’s soul was contained in the fire is shown by his following words, with which he begged Abraham: “Send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). So, if the Truth Itself asserts that the sinful rich man was condemned to torment in fire, then which intelligent person would deny that the souls of sinners are kept in fire? Peter. True, both by reason and by the testimony of the Truth the soul is encouraged to believe, but when it comes to thought, it again hesitates to be convinced. For how can an incorporeal being be contained and tormented by a material force? Grigory. Tell me, please, do you consider the fallen spirits, deprived of heavenly glory, to be corporeal or incorporeal? Peter. What sane person would call spirits corporeal? Grigory. Do you recognize the fire of hell as immaterial or material? Peter. I have no doubt that the fire of Gehenna is material and bodies will certainly be tormented in it. Grigory. Truth will truly say to the rejected on the last day: “go... into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angel” (Matthew 25:41). So, if the devil and his angels, being incorporeal, are condemned to torment in material fire, is it surprising if souls, even before uniting with bodies, can feel material torment? Peter. The truth is obvious, and the mind should no longer doubt this subject. Chapter Thirty. About the death of Tsar Theodoric the Arian. Grigory. If you have been convinced with such difficulty, then I hope, as a reward for your work, to increase your faith when I tell you what I myself heard from people worthy of trust. Julian, the second apocrisiary of the Roman Church, which I serve by the will of God, who died almost seven years ago, often came to me when I was still in the monastery, and usually talked with me about soul-saving subjects. One day he told me the following: “During the reign of King Theodoric, my father-in-law’s father served in Sicily as a tax collector and was already returning to Italy. His ship landed on an island called Liparis. There lived one hermit, a man adorned with great virtues. While the shipbuilders were preparing the ship's rigging, the aforementioned father of my father-in-law took it into his head (with his companions) to go to this man of God and entrust himself to his prayers. The holy man received them and, between other conversations, said: “Do you know that King Theodoric died?” The visitors immediately answered him: “No, we left him alive, and we have never heard anything like that about him before.” The servant of God again told them: “He really died: yesterday he, undressed and barefoot, with his hands tied, was taken away at the ninth hour by Pope John and Symmachus the patrician and thrown into this nearby volcano crater.” Having heard about this, they accurately wrote down the day and upon returning to Italy they learned that King Theodoric died on the very day on which the servant of God was shown his death and punishment.” Because Theodoric tortured Pope John in prison, and beheaded the patrician Symmachus with a sword, he was in truth thrown into the fire, as shown in the vision, by those whom he unjustly judged in this life. Chapter thirty-one. About the death of Reparat. At a time when I was just beginning to crave a solitary life, one venerable old man named Deusdedit, a friend of the noble people of our city, was especially connected with me by bonds of friendship. He told me the following: during the time of the Goths, one famous man (senator), named Reparat, came close to death. For a long time he lay there, speechless and numb, so that it seemed that the breath of life had completely left him and his body lay lifeless. Many who came and his family were already mourning him as if he were dead; suddenly he came to life, and the tears of all those crying turned into surprise. Returning to life, he said: “Quickly send a slave to the church of the blessed martyr Lawrence, which is called by the name of its builder Damasus, so that he finds out and notifies what is happening with the presbyter Tiburtius.” Tiburtius, they say, was then devoted to carnal desires; Florence, the current presbyter of that church, also remembers his life and morals well. The slave set off, and Reparat, who returned to life, said that he learned about him where he was taken, namely: “A large fire was prepared; Presbyter Tiburtius was elevated to him and installed; then they put on some fire and lit the fire. Another fire was also being prepared, the height of which apparently extended from the earth to the sky.” Hearing this, the listeners cried out: “For whom?” But Reparat died immediately after these words; and the slave who was sent to Tiburtius found him already dead. Obviously, Reparat was taken to the place of torment, saw it, returned to life, told it, and then died not for himself, but for us, so that we, while we are still in this world, would lag behind bad deeds. Reparat saw the preparation of fires not because wood was burning in hell, but for the sake of a more convenient story for the living, he saw in the burning of sinners what is usually used to maintain the material fire of the living, so that when they hear about what is known, they learn to fear what is not yet known to them. Chapter thirty two. About the death of a curial whose grave was burned. The husband of the venerable life, Maximian, Bishop of Syracuse, who for a long time presided over my monastery in Rome, used to tell a terrible incident that happened in the region of Valeria. There, on Holy Saturday, one curial received a young maiden in the Sacrament of Baptism. Returning home after fasting and drinking too much wine, he begged this (adopted) daughter to stay with him and that same night (to say the least) he molested her. He got up in the morning and the unclean one began to get ready for the bath, as if the bath water was washing away sinful stains. He went to the bathhouse, washed himself and began to think with fear about how he would go to church: not to go to church on such a day - he was ashamed of people, but to go - he was afraid of God's judgment. Shame before people won, and he went to church, but stood with fear and trembling, waiting every minute for the unclean spirit to take possession of him and begin to torment him in front of all the people. However, contrary to strong fears, no such misfortune happened to him during the Liturgy. He left with joy, and the next day, already carefree, went to church; and thus he went to church all six days, cheerful and carefree, imagining that God either did not see his atrocity, or, out of mercy, forgave him. But on the seventh day he died a sudden death and was buried. After a long time, in full view of everyone, his flame appeared from the coffin and burned his bones until it burned the entire coffin and the earth that was poured over it. By this action, Almighty God showed what the soul of that man suffered in secret, whose body was destroyed by fire before human eyes. He gave us, listening about this event, a terrible lesson about what a living and sensual soul endures for its sins, if insentient bones are also burned with such fire. Peter. I would like to know whether the good will recognize the good in the Kingdom of Heaven and the evil will recognize the evil in Hell? Chapter thirty-three. Will the good recognize the good in the Kingdom of Heaven and the evil recognize the evil in hell? Grigory. The answer to this question is given more clearly than light in the words of the Lord, which we have already cited. It says: “A certain man was rich, dressed in purple and fine linen, and feasted brilliantly every day. There was also a certain beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate covered with scabs and wanted to feed on the crumbs falling from the rich man’s table, and the dogs came and licked his scabs” (Luke 16:19-21). Then it is added that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell, being in torment, he raised his eyes, saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his bosom and, crying out, said: Father Abraham! have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said: “Child! remember that you have already received your good in your life, and Lazarus received your evil; but now he is comforted here, but you suffer” (Luke 16:22–25). The rich man, no longer having hope for his salvation, turns to concern for the salvation of his relatives, saying: “Then he said: so I ask you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers; let him testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment” (Luke 16:27–28). These words make it clear that both the good recognize the good and the evil recognize the evil. If Abraham had not known Lazarus at all, he could not have spoken to the rich man, plunged into torment, about his past sufferings, claiming that Lazarus had received evil in his stomach. And if the wicked did not recognize the wicked, then the rich man, plunged into torment, would not mention his brothers, who were still absent: why would he not recognize them when they met, if he prays for them, the absent ones, by memory? Here you can even see something that you didn’t ask about, namely: that the good recognize the evil, and the evil recognize the good. Abraham recognizes the rich man when he says to him: “Thou hast received good things in thy belly”; and the rejected rich man recognizes the chosen Lazarus when he begs Abraham to send him, calling him by name: “Send for Lazarus, let him dip the tip of his finger in water and make my tongue cold.” From this recognition, on both sides, the measure of retribution increases: the good rejoice more when they see those they loved blissful with them, and the evil ones, when those they loved in this world suffer with them, having forgotten God, suffer not only from their own, but also from their torment. Something even more wonderful happens among the chosen ones: they recognize not only those whom they knew in this world, but they recognize, as well-known and well-known, such good ones as they have never seen. For when they see the ancient fathers in eternal inheritance, they will not be unknown to those whom they always knew in deeds. If everyone there contemplates God in the general light, then what cannot they know where they know the All-Knowing One? Chapter thirty-four. About one pious man who saw the prophets at his death. One of ours, a man of a very venerable, pious life, who died four years before this, according to the testimony of other pious men who were at his death, at the hour of his death saw the prophets Jonah, Ezekiel and Daniel and called them by name his masters. He told those around him about the arrival of the prophets, expressed reverence for them with his humble glances and then gave up his spirit to God. From this circumstance, one can clearly understand what kind of knowledge will be in that incorruptible life, if this man, while still in corruptible flesh, recognized the holy prophets, whom he had never seen. Chapter thirty-five. The fact that even souls unknown to one another, but having received either the same punishment for sins, or the same rewards for virtues, recognize each other at death; also about the death of John and Ursus, Eumorphius and Stephen. It often happens that the outgoing soul recognizes even those with whom it will be condemned to live in the same place for the same sins or virtues. Elder Eleutherius, a man of venerable life, about whom I spoke a lot in the previous book, had in his monastery a brother named John, who, according to him, predicted his death to his brothers forty days in advance. Every day John counted the decreasing days of his life, and three days before his death he fell ill. At the approach of his death, he accepted the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Then he forced the convened brethren to sing psalms and he himself answered them with an antiphon: “Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will enter into them and glorify the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter into them" (Ps. 118:19-20). While the brethren surrounding John were singing, he suddenly raised his voice and cried out: “Ursus, go.” After these words, he immediately ended his mortal life. The brothers were surprised because they did not know to whom the dying brother cried out. His death caused great sadness in the monastery. On the fourth day, the brethren needed to send for something to a monastery that was located far from this monastery. The brethren sent there found all the monks of that monastery very sad. To the question: “What is the reason for your such bitter sadness?” - the monks answered: “We mourn the loss of the monastery: one of our brothers, whose life supported us in this monastery, has now passed from this world for the fourth day.” The brothers who came carefully asked what the name of the deceased was, and they were answered: “Urs.” Questioning in detail about the hour of his death, they learned that Ursus died at the very moment at which he was called by John, who died among them. From this circumstance it is clear that the merits of the dead were equal, and those who died at the same time were given the reward of living in the same place. I will not keep silent about what happened to me to learn from some of my neighbors when I was still a layman; I lived in my own house, which I inherited from my father in Rome. A widow named Galla lived near me. She had a young son named Eumorphius; and not far from them lived a certain Stefan, who held the position of optionist. When the death of Eumorphius occurred, he called his slave and gave the following order: “Go quickly, tell Stephen the option to go immediately, because the ship on which we need to go to Sicily is already ready.” The slave thought that he was delusional and did not want to carry out the orders. Then Eumorphius, with a strong threat, said: “Go and tell him what I say; I'm not delirious." The slave went, but halfway along the road someone met him and asked: “Where are you going?” The slave answered him: “I was sent by my master to Stephen the option.” But he immediately said to him: “I am coming from Stephen; he died in front of me now.” The slave returned to his master Eumorphius, but found him already dead. Thus, if a slave met a messenger in the middle of the path and returned, then from the space traveled we can conclude that the dead were called (from this world) at the same moment. Peter. Your story is very scary; but please tell me why a ship appeared to the departing soul, or why the dying man predicted that he would be taken to Sicily? Grigory. The soul does not need a charioteer, but it is not surprising if a person who is still in the body sees what he is accustomed to seeing with his bodily eyes, so that through this he can understand how the soul can be conveyed spiritually. The testimony of the dying man that he will be taken to Sicily may mean that on these islands, especially before other places, the fire erupting from mountain vents is prepared for torment. These vents, as those who have seen them say, daily expand in their volume, so that the more sinners appointed for torment in the fire gather there, as the end of the world approaches, the wider the places of torment themselves open. And that the chosen, as well as the rejected, who have earned the same fate by the same deeds, are taken to the same places, the words of the Truth Itself can assure us, even if examples were lacking. Christ says in the Gospel, referring to the elect: “in My Father’s house are many mansions” (John 14:2). If reward in eternal life were equal for everyone, then there would rather be one monastery, and not many. So, there are many abodes in which the good dwell in degrees. Because of their participation in merit, they are blessed together, and all those who worked receive at least one penalty (Matthew 20:9); but the blessed ones are distinguished by many abodes; the same bliss they enjoy there, but different measures of reward follow for different deeds. The Lord, announcing the day of His judgment, says: “At the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather first the tares and bind them in sheaves to burn them, and put the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:30). Those. inhabitants - Angels bind tares into sheaves for burning, or unite equals with equals in the same torment: the proud, for example, will burn with the proud, the luxurious with the luxurious, the stingy with the stingy, the deceivers with the deceivers, the envious with the envious, the infidels with the infidels. When the Angels distribute those guilty of the same crimes to places of punishment and give them over to the same torments, it is as if they were binding the tares into sheaves for burning. Peter. The idea behind my question is fully explained by the satisfactory answer. But please tell me what it means that some souls seem to be only taken out of the body, so that they return again to bodies that were lifeless, and who of these (those who died) will say that they heard about themselves, if not the one who was ordered to be taken away (from this world)? Chapter thirty-six. About those souls that seem to only be removed from the body; about the dormition and revival of the monk Peter, about the death and resurrection of Stephen, also about the vision of a certain warrior. Grigory. This is not only an appearance, Peter, but a warning, if understood well. God, in His goodness and ineffable mercy, arranges it in such a way that some, even after actual death, suddenly come to life and begin to fear the hellish torments that they saw, but which they did not believe when they first heard about them. One Illyrian monk, who lived in this city with me in a monastery, told me an event that happened to a certain monk Peter, a native of Iberia. When the Illyrian monk lived in the desert, this Peter joined him in a deserted place called Evaza, and he told the following about himself: even before leaving for the desert, after a severe physical illness, Peter died, but soon life returned to the body. He said that he saw hellish torments and countless places filled with flames; I saw some of the noble people of this world thrown into the fire. When he himself was being led to the fire to be thrown into it, an Angel suddenly appeared in shining clothes, who forbade him to be thrown into the fire. The angel said to Peter; “Go back and think more carefully about how you should live after this.” After these words, the members of the body gradually began to warm up; he woke up from the sleep of eternal death and told everything that happened to him. Enlightened by the terrible event, he indulged in such fasting and vigil that even if his tongue did not speak, life itself showed that he had seen hellish torment and trembled at it. So the mercy of almighty God through death ensured that he did not die forever. But just as the human heart can sometimes be too hard, the very demonstration of torment is not equally useful for everyone. The famous husband Stefan, whom you know well, used to tell about himself that, having remained in Constantinople on some business, he died from a physical illness that occurred. On the day of death, a doctor and a seller of ointments were not found to open and embalm his body; therefore the body lay unburied the next night. He was brought to hell and saw many things there that he had not believed before when he heard. There Stefan was presented to the presiding judge; but the judge did not accept him and said: “I did not order him to be brought, but Stepan, who is engaged in forging iron.” He was immediately returned to his body, and Stepan, the other one who lived next to him, died at the same hour. Thus, Stepan’s very death proved that the words he heard were true. You know that this Stephen died three years before this, during that plague that caused terrible devastation in our city, during which arrows flew from the sky even in sight of bodily eyes and threatened to strike everyone to one. One warrior in this very city of ours was struck by the same plague and died. His body, after the departure of his soul, lay lifeless, but his soul soon returned, and he told what had happened to him. Many then knew, as he said, that he saw a bridge under which a river flowed, black and foggy, emitting an unbearable smell and darkness. Behind the bridge there was a wide green meadow, decorated with flowers of fragrant herbs, on which one could see gatherings of people dressed in white clothes. There was such a pleasant smell in this place that the very pleasantness of the smell saturated those living and walking there. There were various dwellings there, filled with light; a house of amazing beauty was erected there, which, apparently, was built from golden bricks; but whose house it was he could not find out. There were dwellings on the banks of the said river; some of them were penetrated by the stench and darkness emanating from the river, but in others this was not the case. There was this kind of test on the bridge: whoever of the wicked wanted to cross it fell into a gloomy and stinking river; the righteous, on whom there was no guilt, freely and safely crossed through it to beautiful places. He admitted that he also saw Peter there, an elder of the church rank, who died four years ago; he was hanged upside down in these terrible places and shackled with heavy irons. When he asked why Peter was suffering so much, he heard what we, who knew him in the church house, remember, knowing his actions. It was precisely said: “For this reason he suffers so much that when he received an order to punish someone, he struck blows not so much out of obedience as out of passion for cruelty.” That this really happened, everyone knows who knew him. There, he said, he saw another foreign presbyter, who, approaching the mentioned bridge, crossed it with such courage as the sincerity with which he lived here. On the same bridge, as he said, he recognized Stefan, whom we talked about above. When Stefan wanted to cross the bridge, his foot slipped, and he had already descended halfway from the bridge, when some terrible people, leaning out of the river, began to drag him down by his legs, and others, dressed in white clothes and handsome-looking men, began to drag him up by his shoulders. During the struggle itself, i.e. when good spirits pulled him up and evil spirits down, he who saw this returned to his body and did not know anything about what happened next to Stefan. From this incident with Stephen it can be understood that in his life the evil of the flesh struggled with the works of mercy. The fact that they pulled him down by his legs and up by his shoulders clearly shows that he loved mercy and did not completely resist the vices of the flesh that dragged him down. But what will prevail in him during this test of secret thoughts is known neither to us nor to those who saw and returned to life again. It is only clear that Stefan, even after he saw hellish places and returned to the body again, as I told above, did not completely correct his life when, many years later, he died for a new struggle between life and death (eternal). From here it is also clear that the demonstration of hellish torment brings benefit to others, but is detrimental to others: some, seeing evil, fear it, while others are condemned all the more severely because they did not want to avoid the already seen and known torments of hell. Peter. What does it mean, please tell me, that in beautiful places you could see someone’s house built from golden bricks? It seems funny to me to believe that in that life we ​​will have a need for such metals. Chapter thirty-seven. What does it mean to build a house in beautiful places. About Deusdedite, whose house, according to the vision, was built only on the Sabbath, and about the execution of the Sodomites. Grigory. Who will understand this if they have common sense? From what is shown there it is clear what the one for whom this dwelling is being built there is doing here. Whoever earns the reward of eternal light here with generous alms will, without a doubt, build himself a dwelling there from gold. I’ll say what previously escaped my memory: the warrior who saw the construction said that the golden bricks for building the house were carried by elders and youths, maidens and youths. From this it is clear that those who were shown love here were builders of a house (for the merciful). Here next to us lived a pious man named Deusdedit, who was engaged in sewing shoes. Someone else had the following vision about him: a house was being built for him, but the builders of the house appeared working only on the Sabbath day. Afterwards, examining in detail the life of Deusdedit, the one who had the revelation found that he had the custom of taking Blessed Peter to the church on Saturday and distributing to the poor what was left of food and clothing from what he had earned on other days. From this we can understand that it was not in vain that his house seemed to be built only on Saturday. "Peter", Regarding this subject, I am quite intelligent; but tell me, please, why the foul haze penetrated into some homes, but could not touch others? And also, what kind of bridge is this, what is this river that the dying man saw? Grigory. From figurative phenomena, we can, Peter, guess about the merits of individuals. He saw the righteous crossing the bridge to beautiful places because “strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:14). Below I saw a flowing river with a bad smell because every day the uncleanness of carnal vices flows from this world into the underworld. The foul mist penetrated into some dwellings, but could not touch others: this means that there are many people who do very many good deeds, but they also touch carnal vices through the pleasure of the imagination. And quite rightly, a stinking haze penetrates into the homes of those who are delighted by the smell of flesh here. Why did blessed Job, looking at the pleasure of the flesh under the image of the smell, say the following words about a luxurious and voluptuous person: “let the worm feast on it” (Job 24:20). Those who completely keep their hearts away from all pleasures of the flesh, without a doubt, no stinking smell penetrates into their homes. It should also be noted that he saw a stinking darkness for understanding how carnal pleasures darken the mind of a person devoted to him to such an extent that he does not see the radiance of the true light, but the lower his pleasures, the greater the darkness the higher objects are covered for him. Peter. Is it possible to prove from the testimony of Holy Scripture that the sins of carnal people are punished by a stinking smell? Grigory. Can. From the testimony of the book of Genesis, we know that “the Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah” (Gen. 19:24), so that the inhabitants of these cities would be scorched by fire and tormented by the smell of sulfur. They burned with a criminal love for corruptible flesh, and therefore they died from flame and stench, so that in their execution they would know that they were condemned to eternal death for enjoying the stench of their passions: Peter. I admit that now I have nothing to object to what I previously doubted. Chapter thirty-eight. About souls that, while still in the body, see part of future punishments; about the youth Theodore; about the death of Chrysaorius and one Iconian monk. Grigory. You should also know that sometimes souls, while still in bodies, see part of the punishments assigned to souls. This happens to some of them, sometimes for their own edification, sometimes for the edification of those who hear. Following his brother, more out of necessity than by choice, one very restless youth named Theodore, about whom, I remember, I told the people in conversations, came to my monastery. It was hard for him if anyone said anything about his salvation, because he not only could not do good, but also hear about it. Theodore testified with oaths, anger and ridicule that he never wanted to lead a holy monastic life. During the plague, which destroyed a significant part of the population of this city, he fell ill and approached death. At Theodore’s last breath, the brethren gathered to accompany his exodus with prayer. The body had already begun to grow cold in the extremities and only the chest retained its vital warmth. The more zealously the brethren began to pray, the more clearly they saw his approaching end. Suddenly he shouted to the approaching brothers, interrupting their prayer with a loud voice: “Go away, go away; I was given to the dragon to be devoured, but he cannot devour me because of your presence. He has already swallowed my head; give him space so that he doesn’t torment me anymore, but does what he wants with me. If I am given to him to be devoured, then why am I being delayed because of you?” Then the brothers began to say to him: “What are you saying, brother? Put on yourself the sign of the holy cross." With a great cry he answered: “I want to cross myself, but the scales of the dragon prevent me.” Hearing about this, the brethren prostrated themselves to the ground with tears and began to pray even more fervently for his deliverance. Suddenly the patient felt better, and he exclaimed in a loud voice: “Thanks be to God! The dragon that intended to devour me fled. Driven away by your prayers, he could not stand here. Pray only for my sins, because I am ready to repent and completely leave worldly life.” Thus, the man who, as was said, had already begun to grow cold in the extremities of his body, preserved for life, turned to God with all his heart; after that, having changed his thoughts, he labored for a long time with contrition of heart, and only then his soul was freed from his body. On the contrary, Chrysaorius, as Probus told about him, whom I already mentioned above, was a very rich man in this world, but possessed as much of vices as property, arrogant and proud, devoted to the desires of his flesh, selfish and greedy for acquiring wealth. But the Lord determined to put an end to such vices and struck him with a physical illness. Chrysaorius approached death and just before the soul left the body, with open eyes he saw black and terrible spirits who stood in front of him and were ready to grab his soul and take him to hellish prison. He trembled, turned pale, loudly began to ask for a reprieve and in a strange and embarrassed voice called to his son Maxim, whom I, being already a monk, saw as a monk: “Maxim, run, I have never done anything bad to you, support me with your faith.” Alarmed Maxim immediately came running; The whole family gathered, crying and trembling. The family could not see the evil spirits from which he suffered so much, but they learned of their presence from the patient’s confusion, pallor and trembling. Out of fear from their black faces, Chrysaorius turned back and forth on his bed; lay on his left side, and could not help but see them; turned to the wall, and there they were. Extremely constrained by them, he despaired of his liberation from them and began to shout in a loud voice: “Delay at least until the morning! At least until the morning!” But during this very cry his soul was taken from his body. From this it is obvious that he had such a vision not for him, but for us, so that his vision would benefit us, whom God’s long-suffering still awaits. For what benefit did it bring him that he saw dark spirits before his death and asked for a reprieve when he did not receive the reprieve he asked for? We also have Athanasius, an Isaurian presbyter, who tells a terrible event that happened while he was still in Iconium. There is a monastery there, he says, called the Monastery of Galatians, in which one monk was held in great esteem by others. In appearance he was of good conduct and seemed pious in all his actions; but in reality he lived not at all as it seemed. This showed the end of his life. He appeared to the brethren fasting, but had the habit of eating in secret; the brethren did not know such a vice in him at all. Due to the illness that occurred in his body, he came close to death. At the very end of his life, he called to him all the brethren who lived in the monastery. The brethren hoped to hear something great and comforting from such, in their opinion, a great dying man. But in confusion and trembling he had to confess to which enemy he was betrayed at the point of death. The dying man said: “When you thought that I was fasting with you, I ate secretly, and now I am handed over to the dragon to be devoured, who entangled my knees and legs with his tail, and stuck his head into my mouth and is sucking the soul out of me.” With these words he died. The dragon he saw did not wait for him to free himself from it through repentance. Evidently he had a vision only for the benefit of the hearers; he did not escape the enemy to whom he was so clearly devoted. Chapter thirty-nine. Is there a purifying fire after death? * Grigory. The Lord says in the Gospel: “Walk while there is light” (John 12:35). And through the prophet he says: “In an acceptable time I heard You, and on the day of salvation I helped You” (Is. 49:8). The Apostle Paul, explaining these words, says: “Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). And Solomon says: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your strength; for in the grave, where you are going, there is no work, no meditation, no knowledge, no wisdom” (Eccl. 9:10). David also says: “For His mercy endures forever” (Ps. 118:1). From these testimonies it is clear that the same person who dies here is the same person at the Judgment. One must, however, believe that there is a purifying fire until the time of Judgment for some minor sins, because the Truth says that if anyone blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, “it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:32). These words make it clear that some guilt can be forgiven in this age, and some in the future, for if not everything is denied, then by inference it follows that something is affirmed. However, as I said above, this should be understood about small and insignificant sins, such as, for example, incessant idle talk, immoderate laughter, excessive care for family, which happens innocently to those who know how to avoid guilt in this case; also the sin of ignorance about unimportant subjects, which all increases guilt after death if it has not been cleared in this life. The Apostle Paul, saying that Christ is the foundation, adds: “Whether anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, everyone’s work will be revealed; for the day will show it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will try everyone’s work, what kind it is. Whoever's work that he built survives will receive a reward. And whoever’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; however, he himself will be saved, but as if from fire” (1 Cor. 3:12–15). Although these words can be understood about the fire of torment that is used for us in this life, however, if anyone understands them about the future cleansing fire, one must certainly keep in mind that through fire, not the one who edifies on this basis iron, copper or lead, i.e. sins that are important, grave and therefore insoluble in that life, can be saved, but who edifies wood, hay, reeds, i.e. sins of little importance and lightness, which fire can conveniently destroy. It should be noted that those who have not earned it through good deeds in this life will not receive cleansing from minor sins. Chapter forty. About the soul of Deacon Paskhazia. When I was still a youth and in secular clothes, I heard a story from older and knowledgeable people that Paschasius, the deacon of our apostolic seat, from whom we have books about the Holy Spirit, filled with light and truth, was a man of amazing holiness, devoted to works of mercy, a feeder of the poor to the point of neglecting himself. Paschasius, in the dispute that the believers waged with ardent jealousy regarding Symmachus and Lawrence, elected to the high priestly throne, took the side of the latter. Defeated by the unanimous resistance of others, he, however, remained in his opinion until the end of his life, loved and preferred Lawrence, whom the court of bishops did not honor to preside over the Church. So he died during the administration of the apostolic throne by the high priest Symmachus. When the body of Paschasius was being carried for burial, one demoniac touched the cover placed on the coffin and immediately received healing. After a long time, Herman, the Bishop of Capua, whom I mentioned above, was advised by doctors to wash in the Angulan baths to cure his illness. Entering the baths, he saw the mentioned deacon Paschasius, who stood here and served. Herman was extremely amazed at his presence and asked what such a husband was doing here. Paschasius answered him: “It is not for any other crime that I was put in this place of punishment, but only for the fact that I took the side of Lawrence against Symmachus. But I ask you, pray to the Lord for me; and you will know that your prayer will be accepted when, coming here again, you will not find me here.” The holy husband Germanus prayed for him with contrition of heart, and a few days later, coming again to the baths, he no longer found Deacon Paschasius in them. He could be cleansed of his sin after death, because he sinned not out of malice, but out of error. One must, however, believe that by his mercy towards the poor Paskhasius earned the opportunity to receive forgiveness when he could no longer do anything. Peter. Why, please tell me, has recently been revealed so much about souls that was not known before, so that with these revelations and indications, apparently, the future world opens up before us? Chapter forty-one. Why has so much been discovered lately about souls that was previously unknown? Grigory. This is true. The more the present age approaches its end, the closer the future age becomes and reveals itself in clearer signs. If in the present century we do not see each other’s mutual thoughts, but in the future we will begin to look into each other’s hearts, then what should we call the present century if not at night, and the future if not during the day? But just as with the end of the night and the onset of day, before the sun rises, darkness is in some way mixed with light, until the remnants of the previous night are completely absorbed by the light of the day following it, so at the time when the west of this world is mixed with the east of the future, the very remnants of the darkness of this world will disappear from the union with the light of the spiritual world. Therefore, although we understand a lot from what belongs to that world, we do not comprehend it entirely clearly; because we see it as if in some dawn before sunrise. Peter. I like what you say. But regarding Paschasius, such a holy man, the question involuntarily arises: how was such a man taken after death to the place of punishment, whose cover, placed on the bed, had the power to drive away the evil spirit from the possessed? Grigory. In this matter one can learn how varied the economy of Almighty God is. By His judgment He determined: Paschasius, such a holy man, suffered punishment for some time for what he sinned, and at the same time, through his body after death, he performed miracles in the eyes of people who knew the pious deeds he performed before death, so that those who saw his good deeds would understand the dignity of his mercy, and he himself would not remain without punishment for guilt, which he did not consider guilt and therefore did not wash away with tears. Peter. I weigh your words and are prompted by your argument to fear not only those sins that I know, but also those that I do not understand. But please tell me, since we were talking a little higher about places of hellish torment, where should we put hell, on this earth or underground? Chapter forty-two. Where should hell be located? Grigory. I do not dare to imprudently say anything definite about this subject. Some have believed that hell is on some part of the earth, while others think that it is underground. However, it should be noted that if we call hell the underworld because it is below, then hell in relation to earth will be the same as earth in relation to heaven. Therefore, perhaps, the psalmist says: “I delivered my soul from the grave of hell” (Ps. 85:13), to show that the earth is, as it were, the upper hell, and under the earth there is the lowest hell. The words of John also agree with this opinion when he says that he saw a book sealed with seven seals, and no one was found worthy - neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth - to open the book and break its seals; “And I wept much” (Rev. 5:4). However, he goes on to say that the book was opened by Leo “from the tribe of Judah.” What is meant by this book if not Holy Scripture? It was revealed by our one Redeemer, Who through the incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension revealed all the secrets contained in the Holy Scriptures and no one in heaven could open the book, i.e. neither Angels, nor anyone on earth, i.e. neither people still living in the body, nor underground, i.e. not even the souls that left the body, no one except the Lord, could reveal to us the secrets of Holy Scripture. When it is said that no one under the earth was found worthy to open the book, then I do not find anything contrary to the word of God to lay hell under the earth. Peter. Tell me, please, is there one fire of Gehenna, or how many different sins are there, so many different fires prepared? Chapter forty-three. One hellfire or several different ones? Grigory. Although there is one fire of Gehenna, it will not burn all sinners in the same way. Everyone suffers punishment there according to the degree of their guilt. Just as in this world many live under the same sun and, however, do not feel the warmth of the sun in the same way: one is warmed more, and another less - so there: in the same fire, not everyone experiences the same degrees of torment. What makes a difference in bodies here, makes a difference in sins there: although the fire is the same for all sinners, it will not burn each of them equally. Peter. Tell me again, will those who will one day be thrown there really burn forever? Chapter forty-four. Will sinners cast into fiery Gehenna always burn? Grigory. It is obvious and undoubtedly true that just as there will be no end to the bliss of the good, so there will be no end to the torment of the evil. For the Truth Itself says: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46); and if what God promises is true, then, without a doubt, what he threatens will not be false. Peter. What if someone says: “God only threatens sinners with eternal torment in order to keep them from committing sins”? Grigory. If what God threatened to keep sinners from iniquity is false, what He promised to awaken to righteousness is also false. But who but a madman would dare to say this? And if He threatened something that He would not fulfill, then before we want to recognize Him as merciful, we must call Him (which is scary to say) deceitful. Peter. I would like to know how to agree with justice that for guilt that has an end, they will suffer endless punishment? Grigory. It would be fair to be bewildered if the irritated Judge considered not the hearts of people, but only cases. The wicked had the end of their sins because they had the end of their lives. They would like, if they could, to live endlessly so as to be able to sin endlessly. Those who never stop sinning during their lives show that they are willing to live in sin forever. Therefore, it is great justice on the part of the judge that those who in this life never wanted to give up sin will be punished forever. Peter. But the truthful master does not judge a single faithful slave with excessive severity and orders the crafty slave to be beaten only in order to correct his vices: blows are dealt to him in the hope of correction. If the wicked, consigned to the fire of Gehenna, do not achieve correction, then for what purpose will they burn forever? Grigory. Almighty God, as the Merciful, governs good people without cruelty; but as the Just One he will never cease to punish the wicked. However, wicked people, destined for eternal torment, although they are punished for their wickedness, will burn for another purpose. All the righteous will see both the bliss in God that they will receive, and the torment of sinners that they have escaped. And the more clearly they see the eternal punishment for sins that they have overcome with the help of God, the more they will recognize themselves as eternal debtors of Divine grace. Peter. How can we consider people holy who will not pray for their enemies when they see them on fire, when it is said: “Pray for those who oppress you” (Matthew 5:44)? Grigory. They pray for their enemies at a time when they can turn their hearts to fruitful repentance and save them through this conversion. For what else should one pray for one’s enemies if not, according to the apostle’s testament, “to instruct those who oppose them with meekness, lest God give them repentance to the knowledge of the truth, so that they may be freed from the snare of the devil, who has ensnared them in his will” (2 Tim. 2:25–26)? How then can we pray for sinners when they will in no way be able to change their wickedness into works of righteousness? This means that the reason why then they will not pray for people condemned to eternal fire is the same as now the reason why they will not pray for the devil and his angels, condemned to eternal punishment. What is the reason now that holy people do not pray for dead infidel and wicked people, if not the fact that they learned about them as condemned to eternal punishment, and therefore do not want to offer a vain prayer in the face of the Righteous Judge? If the righteous living today do not sympathize with the dead and condemned wicked, when they themselves recognize something worthy of condemnation in their flesh, the more strictly they will look at the torment of the wicked when, free from all corruptible passion, they embrace holiness even more firmly and fully. The judgment, which belongs to the Most Just Judge, is so in accordance with their spirit that it absolutely does not allow them to differ in any way from the definitions of His eternal truth. Peter. I find nothing to say against a clear argument. But now the next question occupies my mind: how is the soul called immortal when it is known that it is condemned to death in eternal fire? Chapter forty-five. How is the soul called immortal when it is known that it is condemned to death? Grigory. Just as the word life has two meanings, so the word death has two meanings. It is another matter when we live in God, and another matter when we live simply as created or born into the world; those. it is another thing to live blissfully, another thing to exist, to have being. Therefore, the soul can be called mortal and immortal. The soul is mortal when it loses the blissful life; immortal because it never ceases to exist, cannot lose the life inherent in its nature, and unless, moreover, it is condemned to eternal death. Subject to condemnation, she loses her blissful life, but does not lose her existence. From this it follows that she undergoes death without death, deprivation without deprivation, end without end, so that her death would be immortal, and deprivation inexhaustible, and end endless. Peter. Who, at death, will not be afraid of such an inexplicable judgment, no matter what his deeds may be, when, although he knows what he is doing, he does not know how in detail his deeds will be examined? Chapter forty-six. About one holy man who trembled at death. Grigory. Indeed, Peter, as you claim. But this very fear already purifies the departing souls of the righteous, as is proven by the story about one holy man, which you often heard with me. He trembled greatly at death, but after death he appeared to the disciples in white clothes and thereby showed how well he was received there. Chapter forty-seven. That some revelations strengthen them against the fear of death; also about the monks Anthony, Merula and John. Sometimes Almighty God first strengthens trembling minds with some revelations so that they do not fear death. One brother named Anthony lived with me in the monastery, and with many daily tears he expressed his thirst for the joys of the heavenly fatherland. When he studied the Holy Scripture with special diligence and great thirst, he sought in it not objects for knowledge, but tears for heartfelt contrition, so that the mind excited by them would inflame and, leaving earthly things, fly in contemplation to the land of the heavenly fatherland. He was told in a night vision: “Be ready and set out on the journey according to the command of the Lord.” When he said that he did not have what he needed for the journey, he immediately received the answer: “If this concerns your sins, then they are forgiven.” However, he was still in great fear after the first notification of death; and the next night I received a new revelation in the same words. Five days later he fell ill and died among all the brothers praying and crying. There was another brother in the same monastery, named Merul; he constantly cried and prayed; Psalmody almost never stopped coming from his lips, except perhaps during meals and sleep. He had this vision at night: a wreath of white flowers descended from the sky onto his head. Soon after this he fell ill and died with a clear and calm spirit. Fourteen years later, when the current abbot of the monastery, Peter, wanted to make a grave for himself next to his coffin, then, according to him, such a fragrance flowed from Merul’s grave, as if the fragrances of all flowers were collected there. From this it became clear that his night vision was true. In the same monastery there was someone else, named John, a young man with great natural gifts, who surpassed his years in prudence, humility, pleasant behavior and asceticism. When he became sick and was close to death, an old man appeared to him in a night vision, hit him with a vine and said: “Get up, you will not die from this disease, but be ready, because you will not work here for long.” After this, he immediately recovered, although the doctors already despaired of his life. He told his vision and for another two years he devoted himself beyond his years, as I said, to the service of God. Three years before this, one brother died and was buried by us in the monastery cemetery. When we left the cemetery, John, as he himself later said, pale and trembling, remained there after we left and was called from the grave by his dead brother. This voice served as news for him of his imminent death. Ten days later he was released from the bonds of the flesh, exhausted by illness. Peter. I would like to know whether it is necessary to observe what appears in night visions? Chapter forty-eight. Should one observe dreams and how many types of dreams are there? Grigory. You should know, Peter, that for six reasons the images of dreams enter the soul. Sometimes dreams are born from the fullness of the stomach, sometimes from its emptiness, sometimes from delusion (diabolical), sometimes from reflection and obsession together, sometimes from revelation, sometimes from reflection and revelation together. We know the dreams of the first two births from experience; and we find examples of dreams of the other four kinds in the books of Holy Scripture. If dreams did not often occur from the obsession of a secret enemy, then the wise man would never have indicated this with the words: “many have gone astray, and those who trusted in them have fallen” (Sir.34:7). Also: “do not cast spells, do not guess from dreams” (Lev.19:26). These words clearly show that dreams that are connected with fortune-telling should be averted. Again, if dreams did not sometimes occur from reflection and delusion together, then the wise man would not have said: “dreams happen with a lot of worries” (Eccl. 5:2). If dreams were not sometimes born from secret revelations, then Joseph would not have seen in a dream his exaltation over his brothers (Gen. 37:1); and the Angel would not have inspired Mary’s betrothed in a dream to flee to Egypt, taking the Child (Matthew 2:1). Again, if dreams had not sometimes occurred from reflection and revelation together, then the prophet Daniel, speaking about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, would not have given him the basis for thinking: “Have you, O king, on your bed thought about what will happen after this? and He who reveals secrets showed you what will happen” (Dan. 2:29), and a little lower: “you, king, had such a vision: behold, some kind of large idol; This image was huge, it stood before you in extreme splendor, and its appearance was terrible” (Dan. 2:31), etc. So, when Daniel reverently examines the dream and its meaning and explains from what reflection it came, he clearly shows that dreams very often come from reflection and revelation together. But if dreams are distinguished by such heterogeneity, then, obviously, the less one should believe them, the more difficult it is to understand from what source they come. However, holy men in obsessions and revelations, with some inner feeling, distinguish the very voice and image of the visions, so that they know what they perceive from a good spirit, and what they suffer from the obsession of the devil. If the mind is not careful in relation to dreams, then through the seducing spirit it will fall into many dreams: it has the habit of predicting many things that are true, in order to later entangle the soul with some kind of lie. Chapter forty-nine. About one husband, who was promised a long life in a dream, but was soon interrupted by death. This recently happened, as you know, to one of our citizens who trusted dreams too much. He was promised a long life in a dream. When he had collected a lot of wealth to spend a long life, he died so suddenly that he left all his property untouched, and he did not take any good deed with him. Chapter fiftieth. Is it good for souls if the bodies of the dead are buried in a church? Peter. I remember who he was. But let's look at what we started. Is it of any benefit to souls if the bodies of the dead are buried in a church? Grigory. It is beneficial for those of the dead to be buried in churches who are not burdened with important sins, because their relatives gather every day in these sacred places and, looking at their tombs, remember them and pray to the Lord for them. On the contrary, if the bodies of people who are burdened with important sins are placed in churches, then not only do they not receive remission of sins, but they incur even greater condemnation. To show this more clearly, we will briefly relate an incident that happened in our day. Chapter fifty one. About one nun buried in the Church of St. Lawrence, half of whose body appeared burned in a vision. The husband of the venerable life, Felix, Bishop of Portuena, born and raised in the Sabine region, spoke of a certain nun who lived in that place, who, although she indulged in abstinence of the flesh, could not restrain her tongue from insolence and idle talk. She died and was buried in the church. That same night, the watchman of that church saw in a revelation how she, brought to the holy altar, was cut into two parts, of which one part was burned by fire, and the other remained intact. Getting up in the morning, he told his brothers about this and wanted to show the place where she was burned by fire. The burning of the flame was so imprinted on the marble in front of the altar, as if this woman had been burned there by material fire. This vision makes it clear that sacred places do not help those whose sins will not be forgiven avoid judgment after death. Chapter fifty two. About the burial of the patrician Valerian. We know with what dignity and truthfulness the eminent man John, viceroy of the prefects in Rome, is distinguished. He told me about the patrician Valerian, who died in the city of Brix. The bishop of this city, having accepted the payment, set aside a place in the church for the burial of his body. Until his death, Valerian led an absent-minded and sinful life, and did not care about cleansing his vices. On the very night of his burial, the blessed martyr Favstinus, in whose church his body was buried, appeared to the church watchman and said: “Go and tell the bishop to throw away the stinking body that he placed here; if he does not do this, he himself will die on the thirtieth day.” The watchman was afraid to tell the bishop about this vision even after a second reminder. On the thirtieth day, the bishop, completely healthy and unharmed, went to bed in the evening and was struck by sudden death. Chapter fifty three. About the body of Valentine, taken out of the church after burial. The venerable brother Venantius, Bishop of Lunisia, and the eminent Liverius, a most noble and trustworthy man, are still alive. They talk about an event known to them that happened in Genoa, at which, according to their testimony, their servants were present. There, they say, died Valentin, a lawyer of the Church of Milan, a very frivolous man and subject to all weaknesses. His body was buried in the church of the blessed martyr Sir. At midnight voices were heard in this church, as if someone was being forcibly driven out of it or dragged out. The church watchmen came running to these voices and saw two terrible spirits who tied the legs of this Valentine with fetters and dragged him out; he screamed loudly and tore. The frightened guards returned to their places. Having opened the coffin in which Valentine was laid in the morning, they did not find his body; they began to look near the church where it had been thrown, and finally found it in another coffin, with its legs still tied, just as the spirits had dragged it out of the church. Understand from this event, Peter, that if those burdened with grave sins force themselves to be buried in a sacred place, they will also be judged for their insolence; sacred places do not purify them, and reckless pride exposes them to even greater condemnation. Chapter fifty-four. About the body of a dyer, buried in a church and never found. Many of the dyers living here testify to what happened in this city. One of the best masters of their craft died and was buried by his wife in the church of the blessed martyr Januarius, near the gate of St. Lawrence. The next night, the church watchman heard his spirit begin to scream from his coffin: “I’m burning, I’m burning.” He listened to this cry for a long time and then informed the wife of the deceased about it. The dyer's wife, wanting to find out what condition the body was in, about which his soul was crying out so much, sent people of the same craft to take a closer look. They opened the coffin and did not find the body of the deceased at all, as if he had not been placed in this coffin, although the clothes turned out to be untouched and are still kept in this church as evidence of such an event. From this we can understand what kind of condemnation his soul was subjected to if his body was thrown out of the church. So, what benefit do sacred places bring to those unworthily buried if their bodies, by the Divine will, are ejected from these sacred places? Chapter fifty-five. What can benefit the souls of the dead? About the presbyter of Centumcellen and about the soul of the monk Justus. Peter. So, what can benefit the souls of the dead? Grigory. If sins are not very important and can be forgiven after death, then the sacred offering of the Saving Sacrifice helps souls a lot even after death, so that sometimes the souls of the dead themselves ask for it. The above-mentioned Bishop Felix heard a story from a presbyter of venerable life, who two years ago was still alive, lived in the district of the city of Centumcella and was the rector of the church of Blessed John, built in a place called Tavrania. This presbyter, at the request of a physical illness, was in the habit of bathing in a place where the warm waters produce particularly strong evaporation. Having entered there one day, he found some unknown husband ready to serve. The stranger took off the shoes from his feet, accepted his clothes, offered him a towel upon leaving the bathhouse, and provided all services with great courtesy. Since this often happened, the presbyter, one day getting ready to go to the baths, began to reason with himself: “I should not remain ungrateful to that person who usually serves me with such diligence during ablutions: I must take him something as a gift”; then he took two prosphora with him and carried them away. As soon as he arrived at the place, he immediately found the man and, as usual, used his services in everything. So, he washed himself and, when he was already dressed and wanted to go out, he took the prosphora he had brought with him and offered it instead of a blessing to the person serving him, asking him to graciously accept the gift of love offered to him. The stranger pitifully and with tears answered the presbyter: “Why are you giving them to me, father? This is holy bread, I cannot eat it. You see before you the former owner of this place, but for my sins I am condemned to serve here after death. If you want to reward me, offer this bread for my sins as a sacrifice to Almighty God. And when you come here to wash and don’t find me, know that your prayer has been heard by God.” With these words he disappeared, and the seemingly human being, turning invisible, made it known that he was a spirit. The presbyter prayed for him for a whole week with tears, offered the Saving Sacrifice every day, and, after returning to the baths, he no longer found him. From this we can see how beneficial the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice is to souls, when the spirits of the dead themselves ask for it from the living and indicate signs indicating resolution from sins through it. It is impossible, I think, to remain silent about what happened, I remember, three years before this in my monastery. One monk named Just knew the science of medicine well; he usually served me when I lived in the monastery, and carefully treated me in my constant illnesses. When he himself fell into illness and approached death, his brother named Copioz, who now earns his living through medical science, helped him in his illness. When the aforementioned Justus felt that he was already close to death, he told his brother Kopioz that he had three hidden gold coins. This could not be hidden from the brethren. After carefully searching and carefully reviewing all his medicines, they found three gold coins hidden in the medicine. When I was informed of such a sin by a brother who lived with us, I could not bear it with indifference, because in our monastery it was always a rule that all the brethren should live in community, and that none of them in particular should be allowed to have anything of their own. Greatly distressed, I began to ponder what to do: should I pray for the cleansing of my brother’s sin or show my living brothers an example of severity? I called Prezios, the governor of the monastery, to me and said: “Go and do not order any of the brethren to approach the dying man, so that he does not receive words of consolation from anyone’s mouth; when, feeling the approach of death, he begins to call the brethren, let his own brother tell him that all the brethren despised him for the gold coins that he hid, so that at least at the time of death, contrition for the crime would penetrate his soul and cleanse it of the sin he had committed. And when he dies, do not bury his body along with the bodies of the brethren, but dig a hole in some dung heap, throw his body into it and there put on it the three gold coins he left, exclaiming with one voice: “Let your money be with you in destruction” (Acts 8:20); and then bury it.” With these orders, I wanted to bring a double benefit - both to the dying man and to the living brothers, so that the bitterness of death would make him free from guilt, and such a sentence over selfishness would prevent the brothers from falling into such a sin. And so it happened. When this monk was approaching death and sadly called to the brethren to entrust himself to their prayers, and none of the brethren wanted to come up and talk to him, then his brother explained why he had been abandoned by everyone. He immediately sighed greatly over his sin and died in this state of contrition. Then he was buried as I ordered. All the brethren, frightened by such a sentence against him, each began to take out the most insignificant and cheap things that they were usually always allowed to have, and were afraid to leave anything with them for which they could be condemned. When thirty days passed after his death, my soul began to grieve for my dead brother, reflect with great sorrow on his punishment and seek a means to save him from torment. Then I again called the same Prezios, the governor of our monastery, and said with sadness: “Our long-dead brother is suffering in the fire; we must show him love and try as much as we can to save him from suffering. Go and from this very day perform a sacrifice for him for thirty days in a row, not omitting a single day on which the Saving Sacrifice was not offered for his liberation.” He immediately went and began to carry out the order. While worrying about other matters, we did not even count the passing days; Suddenly, one night, the deceased brother appeared in a dream to his brother Kopioz. Seeing him, Kopioz asked: “What, brother, what condition are you in?” The deceased answered him: “Before I felt bad, but now I feel good, because today I received communion.” Kopioz went and immediately told the brothers in the monastery about this. The brothers carefully counted the days; it turned out to be the same day on which the thirtieth sacrifice was made for the deceased. And Kopioz did not know what was being done to save his dead brother, and the brethren did not know what vision Kopioz had; at the same time he finds out what the brothers were doing, and they find out what Kopioz saw; from such agreement between the vision and the sacrifice, it is clearly seen that the deceased brother was delivered from torment through the Saving Sacrifice. Peter. I listen to amazing and very comforting stories. Chapter fifty-six. About the life and death of Cassius, Bishop of Narn. Grigory. So that the words of the dead do not fall into oblivion, they are confirmed by the deeds of the living. Bishop Cassius of Narn, a man of venerable life, was in the habit of making a daily sacrifice to God and shed tears during the very celebration of the Eucharist. Through a vision of one of his elders, he received the following commandment: “Do what you do; do what you do; Let not your foot fail, let not your hand fail; On the Feast of the Apostles you will come to me, and I will give you your reward.” Seven years later he died on the very feast of St. apostles, when he performed the Divine Liturgy and partook of the Holy Mysteries. Chapter fifty-seven. About a certain man taken prisoner by enemies, whose shackles fell off at the hour of sacrifice for him; and about the helmsman Barak, who escaped from a shipwreck through the Saving Sacrifice. We also heard how someone was taken prisoner by the enemy and put in chains. In certain days, his wife used to make sacrifices for him. After a long time, he returned to his wife and said that on some days his shackles fell off; she learned that it was precisely on those days on which she made a sacrifice for him. This is confirmed by another event that happened seven years before this. Faithful and pious men told me and now testify that when Agathon, Bishop of Panorma, went to Rome by order of my predecessor of blessed memory, he suffered a severe storm, so that he despaired of being saved from such a movement of the waves. His helmsman, named Barak, who now serves as a cleric in the same church, was steering the boat behind the ship. The rope broke, and he suddenly disappeared into the waves along with the boat he was driving. And the ship on which the bishop was, after many dangers, was washed up by the waves on the island of Ustica. When on the third day, on one side of the sea, the bishop saw a helmsman appear in a boat, who had been torn from his ship, then in great grief he considered him dead and did what could benefit the deceased - he commanded that a Saving Sacrifice be offered to Almighty God for the salvation of his soul. After the sacrifice was completed, the ship was prepared and sailed to Italy. Having sailed to the Roman port, the bishop found there a helmsman, whom he considered dead. He was delighted with unexpected joy and began to ask the helmsman how he could live at sea for so many days and in such danger. The helmsman told how long he swam in the stormy waves on the boat that he steered, how he swam in it when it was filled with water, and how he sat on the lower part of the boat when it capsized; and then he told in order how Divine Providence saved him when, after spending several days and nights in a row in this way, he was completely exhausted in his strength from hunger and labor. And to this day he still tells the following: “In the fight against the waves, I weakened; suddenly my head became so heavy that I couldn’t feel whether I was awake or asleep; and so, when I was in the middle of the sea, someone appeared and gave me bread to satisfy my hunger. As soon as I ate it, I regained strength. Not far behind sailed a ship that saved me from a dangerous storm and brought me to the shore.” Hearing this, the bishop asked about the day and found that salvation happened precisely on the day on which the presbyter of the island of Ustica offered the Bloodless Sacrifice to Almighty God for him. Peter. What you are telling me, I heard myself when I was in Sicily. Grigory. I believe that this is clearly done with the living and those who do not know in order to show everyone who makes the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice and does not know its power, what benefit it can provide in resolving sins for the dead, unless the sins are insoluble. But one must know that the Holy Sacrifice benefits only those dead who in this life deserve to be helped after death by good deeds done for them by others here. Chapter fifty-eight. About the power and mystery of the Saving Sacrifice. Meanwhile, one should always think that it is safer to do good oneself while still alive than to hope to do it through others after death. It is more blessed to depart from this world free than to seek freedom when bound. Therefore, the more clearly we see the exhaustion of the present age, the more we must despise it with all our souls, make a daily sacrifice of tears to God, offer every day the Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ. For this Sacrifice alone saves the soul from eternal destruction; it mysteriously renews for us the death of the Only Begotten, Who, “knowing that Christ, having risen from the dead, dies no more: death no longer has power over Him” (Rom. 6:9), however, being immortal and incorruptible in Himself, is again slain for us in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. For in him His Body is received, His Flesh is divided for the salvation of the people, His Blood is no longer shed on the hands of unbelievers, but on the lips of believers. Let us consider what the Sacrament should be, which always reminds us of the suffering of the Only Begotten Son for our salvation. Who among the believers can doubt that at the very hour of the Sacrifice, at the voice of the priest, the heavens are opened, the faces of Angels are present at this Sacrament of Jesus Christ, the highest is united with the lower, the earthly with the heavenly, and from the union of the visible and the invisible comes a single whole? Chapter fifty nine. About contrition of the heart during the Holy Sacrament and about the wakefulness of the mind after Communion. But it is necessary, when we perform the Sacrament, to sacrifice ourselves to God with contrition of heart; When performing the Sacrament of the Passion of the Lord, we must imitate what we do. Then only the Sacrament will be a true sacrifice to God for us, when we make ourselves a sacrifice. But we must try, even after prayer, to preserve, as much as we can by the grace of God, our soul in His strength and strength, so that even after frivolity does not destroy the strength, so that vain self-delusion does not creep into the heart and so that the soul does not lose the benefits of communion through careless frivolity. So Anna was honored to receive what she asked because after crying she retained the same spiritual strength. It is written about her: “and her face was no longer sad as before” (1 Samuel 1:18). Therefore God did not forget what she asked and did not deprive her of the gift she desired. Chapter sixty. About the forgiveness of others' sins, so that ours may be forgiven to us. One must also know that he only justly asks for remission of sins who first forgives the sins committed against him. For, according to the word of Truth, a gift is not accepted unless enmity is first driven out of the soul: “So if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). From this we can understand that if guilt is forgiven for a gift, then how grave is the sin of enmity, for which the gift itself is not accepted. So, we must turn in spirit to our neighbor, no matter how far he is from us and no matter what he has on us, submit to him in soul, appease him with humility and benevolence, so that our Creator, who accepts the gift of guilt, forgives us our sins, seeing such good will in our hearts (Matthew 18:27). We are taught by the words of the Truth, which testifies that the slave who owed ten thousand talents, when he repented, received from his master forgiveness of the entire debt; but because he did not forgive the debt of another slave, who owed him a hundred denarii, he was ordered to take from him the debt that had been forgiven him. From these words it is clearly clear that if we do not forgive with all our hearts the sins committed against us, then they will again demand from us what, to our great joy, was forgiven us for repentance. So, while time still permits, while the Judge endures and the one who tests our hearts expects our conversion, let us soften our hard hearts with tears and nourish benevolent love for our neighbors. And I will say with confidence that we would not need the Saving Sacrifice after death if we had made ourselves a sacrifice to God even before death. Speaking about which metals symbolize grave sins, Gregory for the second time uses images not from 1 Cor., but from Ezekiel 24.12. The doctrine of purifying fire in the future life until the time of the general Judgment and final retribution belongs to the Western Church, and is not allowed by the Eastern Church. You might be interested in: