Letters to the ryassophore monk of Optina Pustyn Peter (Grigorov)

Contents Letter No. 105 Letter No. 106 Letter from Monk Peter (Grigorov) to St. Ignatius Letter No. 107 Beloved in the Lord Fr. Peter! I have not yet received the 50 copies you promised, but many subscribers are already asking, and there are still quite a few people willing to buy. Take advantage of summer time when we have a crowd of people. Arch Ignatius June 12 (1839). Your most pleasant letter and with it I received a parcel with books. Thank you very much for the books. That is why I disturbed you with a humble request to deliver me several copies, because, having read the book you sent, I saw its spirituality and wished that such a useful book would be known to my dear Brotherhood. I very earnestly wish to read the life of St. George; - this manuscript is now under consideration by the Kyiv Metropolitan, who took it with him to Kyiv and upon his return, no earlier, will present it to the Holy Synod. I am delivering the book to Count Nikolai Alexandrovich. You did it wisely, not deciding to write to him: for he is very burdened with affairs, which is why, with all his kindness and goodwill, he does not have time to deal with all the requests of which thousands come to him. I am able to help you to the best of my ability, but I refuse to help you beyond my strength. I am disposed, if the Lord pleases, to ask the Metropolitan of Kyiv about the life, to present a copy to His Highness, and I leave the submission to the Academy Conference for a competition about the prize and some of your other assumptions to your own care. Do circumstances not allow you to do this? But I’m also afraid of getting completely bogged down in a sea of ​​worries, of which I have a lot. If you want to know my opinion about whether the book of letters of the Holy Recluse can receive a prize, then I tell you my opinion: it cannot: having significant Spiritual dignity and not having a carnal one: for the letters were spoken by grace, not having the improvement of the human word. The Word of grace cannot be cognized by a carnal man, who looks only at the appearance of the word, and if this external word does not have an external structure, then he is [unknown] to everything: for he has foolishness. Please accept the enclosed 50 rubles as an insignificant contribution for the new edition; instead of the Demidov Prize you desired. I ask for your holy prayers Arch Ignatius Augusta 7 days 1839. To the Rassophore Monk Fr. Petra Optina Hermitage, in Kozelsky district Letter from Monk Peter (Grigorov) to St. Ignatius 2 Most Reverend Father Archimandrite! Our brother Fr. Joseph informed me that you are taking the trouble to fulfill my poor request with love - for which I offer my sincere gratitude! May the Lord God reward you with His holy mercy. An announcement will come from the Moscow Censorship Committee in your name, order it to be given to the Shchetnaya Expedition and ask that this announcement be printed in additions, but in the place where political news is printed. What it will cost, I will send it immediately upon your notification. Let me ask you and find out if you can take the trouble to deliver books to some persons present at the Synod; If you take on this responsibility, you will oblige me a lot; but I must deliver it to them, because the matter about the life of the Recluse was carried out at the Synod and they advise me to deliver it without fail, so as not to be considered ignorant. To do this, I ordered several copies to be printed on vellum paper. However, if this burdens you, I can do it by mail; but it will be more pleasant for me if you don’t refuse. Let me also ask you not to leave your petition to His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony about my new request: I presented the Akathist of St. to the Censorship Committee. Great Martyr George, compiled by the late Recluse. Review Committee approved for publication; but without bringing this into execution, he asks for the blessing of the Synod. According to timing, he must certainly be in the Synod; then if you don’t bother with a lot of cases, it will lie dormant until the day of judgment, or, in order to quickly resolve the case, they will refuse. And so in the name of St. Be an intercessor for the Great Martyr; and also, if you know Vasily Ivanovich Kutevoev, it’s not a bad idea to ask him. Golubinsky is married to his own sister and promised to write to him; and Golubinsky is my sincere benefactor. I hope that in the new form the publication will console many - the previous letters are all included in the publication; but not in the order they were. Now the names of all persons will be printed in the title not only in capital titles, but the name, fatherland and surname of each. I asked permission from some for this; and I printed others like that - I think they won’t be offended when the Most Reverend. Anthony allowed his name to be published and several of his letters written to the Recluse to be published. The publication was very expensive - about 6,000 rubles, and there was not a penny; but my dear sister Elizabeth Alek. Kutuzova gave me a thousand rubles - and Marya Petrovna Kolycheva the same - borrowed the rest until the proceeds; but the revenue will be bad - hardly 400 copies will be sold; and those will all go towards gifts, which are impossible to do without. To one o. Nathanael of Zadonsk the Schema-monk and the Recluse, the former cell attendant of the Recluse, needs 200 copies to distribute the cash-strapped; and even half that is not enough for me; but not profits; and only to pay the debt and do the common good; Maybe someone will gain spiritual salvation and pray for me. Having wished you God's mercy, I ask St. prayers and blessings - throwing myself at your feet - I kiss them in spirit and remain Bogomolets and servant of God [nrzb.] chernorisets Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod N. A. Protasov RSL OR. F. 425. K. 3. No. 40 RSL OR. F. 425. K. 3. No. 17. Here and below the letter numbers are given in the original numbering. ed. ABC of Faith portal