Беседа 30. О славных и избранных 1053 путях к Богу в безмолвии.

1. Just as nothing compares to God, so there is no service or work that compares to talking with God in silence. 2. What is an interview with God? There are many paths for this reflection and conversation with God, and for each person - the path to which his knowledge is capable, in which he succeeds and along which he draws ever closer to God through everyday experience. And in accordance with his measure, a person walks along one of these paths, so that he can find pleasure in God and so that his mind and reflection are filled with memory for every moment. 3. So, as I said, there are many ways for this conversation with God in silence, and each person, as consciously 1054 approaches Him, 1055 chooses the path corresponding to his measure. And not every path is successful for every person, but to every person, as he grows internally in asceticism, conscience shows him - without instruction from anyone else, by grace, which awakens testimony in him from within; she 1056 instructs him and shows him his path in a hidden way. And thus, every person, according to his measure, chooses his work, with the help of which he will have a favorable 1057 conversation and amazement with God. 4. For one spends the whole day in prayer and reading and only devotes a small part to standing at psalmody; and thus he increases in his soul 1058 the constant memory of God. 5. Another is busy only with psalmody the whole day, without devoting much time to prayer. Another one is busy night and day with frequent genuflections, so that he no longer counts the time for prayers, due to the abundance of genuflections, which have no number. 1059 Such a person truly crucified the world within himself and was himself crucified to the world: 1060 he nailed himself to the cross, 1061 abandoning everything. 6. Therefore, as I said, when a person has achieved this 1062 in his soul without limitations, having been crucified in body and mind, he spends his days in life with Christ. And sometimes, getting up for a while, with peace in his heart, he briefly devotes himself to meditation on the Scriptures. 7. Another person, again, reads all day long, and his goal is to forget this transitory world and die with his mind to remember its transitory affairs and to talk with passionate thoughts that act boldly through the vision and imagination of the mind: and this is the totality of exploits. Thus, when, with the help of this conscious effort, 1063 he closes the door of his mind in relation to the world through the constant enjoyment of reading, he corrects his path, 1064 moving towards God in his thoughts 1065 without darkness. 1066 And so enjoying the insights of the mysteries and the amazement of the economy for every moment, he devotes himself only to standing for a short time in prayer and psalmody. And the time for reading it is longer than for prayer. 8. Speaking about prayer, I stand or worship of a certain kind, for during my reading he is never, not for a single moment, deprived of prayerful ascents. For there is no reading that is performed with a spiritual purpose and is devoid of the source of prayer, for truly 1067 a person is intoxicated by the mysteries that he encounters. And deep prayers miraculously and unexpectedly arise in him, without preparation or will. Why do I call this frequent intoxication of insight prayer, if there is not even room in it for the movement of prayer or remembrance? This is something much more beautiful - as far as it is possible to say so - than even the rite of prayer. 9 . But prayer is lower in order than spiritual excitement; and there can be no dispute about this, since prayer is lower than this mystery. Many times, when the mind is excited by any insight into actions that are either in the natural or in the Scriptures, their spiritual meaning 1068 and when it looks, thanks to the grace that accompanies them, at the holy of holy mysteries, then it does not even have the strength to pray or thought, for it becomes silent in body and soul. 10. Every action, nature and word in this creation 1069 has a sanctuary and holy of holies. And when the mind is allowed to enter there and strength is given to it, no force, movement or activity remains in the senses at such times. 11. There is a man among those gathered here, 1070 who is always like this: I know that his heart immediately begins to pound when he encounters this reading; and this comes from experience and from those things mentioned above. And since I am still talking about small parts of 1071 spiritual service, I will remain silent about the greater. 12. So the thoughtful monks follow these different paths, 1072 enjoying conversation with God in silence. 13. Choose, man, one of these paths, corresponding to your measure and knowledge. Walk along it and do not look at anyone, but turn away all your sight from the world, people and human beings. Show that your thought 1073 is entirely directed towards God alone, and follow the path that leads to Him. As far as you can, remain in unceasing memory of Him, easy and unfailing, while you continually implore Him: 14. "Show me, O Lord, Thy ways, and teach me in spirit so many and ineffable Thy ways. Guide me on the path of truth 1074 and teach me 1075 perfect knowledge of You, 1076 which is found in the saints who have left the world. O Christ, the goal of the path of 1077 saints, show me the path of truth in my heart through the sweetness of the thought of You, so that I may walk along him and draw near to You until I see Your face.” Var. "to His presence." Or “useful” (mawtrana). A literal translation of this phrase is difficult. The meaning of the phrase: a person constantly bows, and this replaces him with reading the established hours and prayer rules. Lit. "hanged himself on the cross." Var. “this invention (contrivance) of knowledge.” Or “he makes his path smooth.” Or “with your thought”, “with your thinking”. Lit. "for the most part." Rev. Isaac is obviously talking about himself in the third person. That is about specific details. Lit. “your intention”, “your goal”. Lit. “direct me towards them with true purpose (with true intention).” Or “Thy perfect knowledge.” Or “the top (set) of the path.” You might be interested in: