Книга III. Письма

1. Referendarium Theoktistus Luke writes about the false prophet: And suddenly darkness and darkness fell upon him, and he, turning hither and thither, sought a guide (Acts 13:11). Therefore, be careful that, when you become angry, you do not become a participant in darkness and darkness in your mind. You need to find divine mentors who would lead you from an angry disposition to meekness and generosity, enlightening the mind. He who calls on God first says: I cry during the day, and You do not listen to me (Ps. 21:3), and then: for He did not despise or neglect the sorrow of the sufferer and did not hide His face from him, but heard him when he called to Him (Ps. 21:25). God sometimes hesitates to help, providing something better for us and wisely arranging our fate. Therefore, it is for our benefit, and does not suddenly grant what we ask for. There are times when God listens to us, and sometimes He doesn’t. For the time has come (Ps. 101:14) to hear the soul crying out to God. And he will bring out your righteousness like the light and your justice like the noonday. Submit to the Lord and trust in Him (Ps. 36:6–7). In the darkness of sorrows that suppress thought, with a sudden change the Lord brings about a constant noon, and in storms and unrest, a smiling silence. As another prophet says: although I am in darkness, the Lord is light to me (Mic. 7:8), that is, the light expected even in darkness. 4. To the elderly and fornicating rich man Martin Our sons are like overgrown plants in their youth (Ps. 143:12). Since, having left the literal meaning, you ask for the intelligible meaning of these words to be presented to you, find out it. Perhaps you would not have called me to reproach, expecting that I would give some other interpretation, but not this. The sons of demons are called bad thoughts and bad character, turning those who love sin to vicious deeds. Vices are like plants planted in your youth. Although you are old in body, you are still strong in abominations - like a youth, obsessed with lust. From youth to old age you remain insatiable in frantic fornication, and the proverb is fulfilled in you that evil passion in the soul never grows old. Therefore, even now, if you are ashamed of these words, exclaim bitterly, having sobered up from long-term intoxication, beg God, who can work every miracle in you, to shake these worthless plantings, shake them and uproot them. So that you can finally give up fornication and calm down, so that you can say: my soul is shaken to the core, so I will calm down, thinking about the end. The sons of men are but vanity; sons of husbands - lies; if you put them on the scales, all together they are lighter than emptiness (Ps. 61:10). What scales are we talking about? Not everyone understands scales 111, since not everyone trades wool, sells gold or silver and other similar things that merchants sell by weight and measure. Many crafts do not need scales, such as navigation, or judicial affairs, or positions of authority, and in all of them lies are encountered, but deception cannot be measured with a yardstick. What is the prophet talking about? That each of us has hidden scales, arranged by the One who created us, and on these scales our deeds can be weighed. Therefore, those who have damaged the judging power of the soul and whom the prophet mourns are deceitful, saying: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (Is. 5:20). That is, woe to the liars, the crooked, those who distort the truth, and those who praise the unrighteous. They say: I need to live now, but who knows the future. You weigh incorrectly when you praise the evil instead of the good, when you prefer the vain and deceitful to the true, when you put the temporary above the eternal, when you choose transitory joy instead of eternal and lasting joy. Those who do this do evil, first of all, to themselves, and then to all their neighbors, being crafty advisers in business and setting a bad example for those around them. On the day of the last Judgment, you will not be able to say that you did not know what good is - you will be shown the standard of your soul, which is enough to distinguish between good and evil. Just as weight is determined by the swing of the scale, so we distinguish what we choose by the free will of the soul, which, like scales, can assume an equal inclination towards one or another. Therefore, do not rely on untruth, do not set your heart on wealth, do not choose vain things, and let the judging power of the soul not be damaged. God is strong and merciful, therefore fear His power and do not despair of His love for mankind. For in order not to commit injustice, fear is useful, and in order for the sinner not to destroy himself with despair, hope for mercy is useful. Then at the end of the psalm the prophet says: You, Lord, have mercy, for You will reward everyone according to his deeds (Ps. 61:13), that is, with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:38). Did you insult your brother? Expect the same for yourself. Did he take away what belonged to the lower, offended the poor, called him insulting names, slandered, lied, changed the boundaries of hereditary possessions, appropriated the property of orphans, upset widows, preferred temporary pleasures to higher goods? Expect your own retribution for this: Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Gal. 6:7). Also, if you have done anything good, expect a much greater reward for that: and then he will reward everyone according to his deeds (Matthew 16:27). Remember this all your life and you will avoid many sins. I wrote all this to you from what was written by the holy fathers who labored before us, at the request of your compatriot Anthony; I think I reminded you of something useful. 6. Gigantius, intercessor for church affairs If you are confident in yourself that you have become above carnal pleasures, and pretend that you are struggling in fasting, then what benefit does the ancient gold left over from your ancestors, carefully preserved by you, bring you? Do you really, like the mythical dragons, enjoy vigilantly guarding treasures buried in the ground? It is written: May God spread Japheth (Gen. 9:27). We wish the same for you, man of God. May the Lord expand and multiply, glorify and magnify your house, may God make it brilliant and fill it with a thousand blessings, may He grant it glory and make it famous. May the Lord be with you, because your profits bring benefits to those in need, your fruit is good - our Savior Christ often eats from it. Because when His needy servants receive food, then the Lord Christ Himself eats with them. Therefore, do not be sad or grieve that some godly men and women bring many things at your disposal. There will be no harm to you and no obstacle to heavenly rewards when, along with your property, you transfer other people’s offerings. By this you multiply, and do not diminish God's reward. The Lord, seeing the sincere disposition of your heart, inspires those worthy to give to you generously during life and to leave you generously after death - by this they too will be pardoned, and you will become glorified and crowned. Desiring and loving something, a person constantly talks about it. Likewise, your vanity and conceit, having been baptized with water, outwardly left behind pagan extravagances. But, not being enlightened by the Holy Spirit, you are silent about the sacrifice of Christ, about the exploits of Christ’s disciples; on the contrary, in your conversations you constantly talk about Hellenic philosophers, extol them, and condemn Christian priests, condemn them as ignoramuses, even though they are known for a virtuous life. And when, at a meal or in the square, someone wants to say a word about some philosophical work, you praise and accept it, and when they start talking about some Christian dogma, you either ridicule it, or turn away and take on a sullen appearance. However, almost everyone, according to God’s Providence, turns away from you and your pagan speeches, willingly and joyfully listening to church sermons. Because in the common words of the venerable mentors they hope to find something useful for themselves - to acquire an impeccable way of thinking, while those who study Hellenic teachings furiously indulge in lewdness and impurity. For worse than any baseness are Philistion’s senseless speeches, which he, to the detriment of those listening, constantly repeats both at home and at public spectacles. In this you are not ashamed to be zealous, burying in silence the saying of the Scriptures by which we are raised to heaven. But you did not hide, sorcerer! I will tell you, this is what fools say about you, talking about by what spells the moon is stolen when it turns red or is eclipsed. With one voice both men and women cry out for you. You haven't hidden yourself, sorcerer! Nikotikh did not hide from us, although he thought of hiding by resorting to hypocrisy and hiding behind the holy name of a Christian. You have not hidden from us, you are a pagan professing vain pagan teachings. 9. To the venerable Plutarch It is said that in ancient times the Athenians prayed so as not to see any of their close friends elevated to leadership. Because the one who receives power, firstly, falls into pride, then is forced to not know either himself or his friends, no longer in control of his own thoughts, evading and rushing here and there, often doing useless things. He is often hated by many, everyone plots intrigues for him and easily catches him, he is close to every misfortune and misfortune. Therefore, I now pray that you do not receive the position of authority that you are seeking, and that I do not lose a sincere and good friend. You diligently make gold jewelry for others, but you do not want to make jewelry of virtues for yourself. For, having received from God a golden thing - the soul, through his negligence he turned it into stone and lead, plunging it into the crucible of a useless life. It follows from this that, of your own free will, you will drown in the sea of ​​delusions and disappear into the abyss of sin. Your absurd deeds have become known, so at least now listen to the words of Moses about the Egyptians who did not correct their bad morals and drowned in the abyss: they sank like lead in great waters (Ex. 15:10). I praise you for your devotion to God, for your uncorrupted heavenly love, because you ask us for words of heartfelt contrition. Such a petition serves as a sign of spiritual purity. For it is impossible to desire these words without first purifying yourself as you should and without becoming above everything worldly. This is not difficult to notice in people who have only been embraced by heavenly love for a short time; such a change suddenly occurs in them that they immediately move to heaven and the spirit moves towards God. Therefore, having willingly accepted your command, I composed a whole book about heartfelt contrition, and sent it to you and to your pious friends. I ask and beg you, who have boldness towards God, to reward us for our work with your holy prayers, since I know well that you can beg God for us. Do not be surprised to see that your pious relative Pisimius, adorned with great virtue, often suffers sorrows and temptations from the devil and from people who serve his will. Just as robbers dig not where there is hay and straw, but where there is gold and silver, so the enemies of truth and righteousness attack and plot against those who strive in virtue and try to succeed with the help of God. Since you love the writings of the venerable and God-bearing John, Bishop of Constantinople, from them I will write you an answer to what you asked me. We should not be upset by the temptations of virtuous people, we should not be bewildered and embarrassed by this, but let us instruct our souls and teach others the same. If you see that a virtuous person suffers thousands of evils, do not be tempted. For as far as I know, many people often ask about this. They say: so-and-so set off on a journey, taking with him money for the poor to the martyrdom church, suffered a shipwreck and lost everything; the other, having done the same, was caught by robbers and barely escaped, returning from there naked. What can I say to this? The fact that you shouldn’t be upset and indignant because of this. Although that man was shipwrecked, he received spiritual fruit as if from alms given. Because he did everything in his power - he collected money and, intending to distribute it, undertook a difficult journey. The shipwreck did not depend on his will. But why did God allow this? To improve it. You will say: the beggars have lost their money. But you do not think so much about the poor as God who created them. If they have lost this money, God can open for them another - an abundant source. Therefore, we should not demand an account from God for what is being done, but let us thank Him for everything. It is not in vain that He allows something like this to happen; often, instead of this money, God gives the poor another means of subsistence. He makes the one who suffered from a shipwreck experienced in the highest virtue and prepares for him a great reward. Because thanking God when in distress is much higher than giving alms. Not only does alms given voluntarily bring spiritual fruit, but what is taken from us, if we endure it courageously, also brings great fruit. So that you understand how much more important the latter is than the former, remember what happened to Job. His house, when he was rich, was always open to the poor, to whom he distributed his property. But he had never been so righteous before, when he learned that his house was destroyed, he became despondent about it. Clothing the poor with wool shorn from sheep, he was not as virtuous and worthy of respect as when, having learned that fire had come from heaven and destroyed all his flocks, he gave thanks to God. Before he was humane, but now he has become reasonable. Then he had mercy on the poor, and now he thanks the Lord. He didn’t think: what is this? The herds from which thousands of beggars fed were destroyed; if I was not worthy to enjoy all this wealth, then it was necessary to spare them for the sake of the beggars who received their share. On the contrary, Job did not say or think anything like that; he knew that God was doing this for his good. With this he dealt a powerful blow to the devil. Because when Job was rich, the devil could have expressed some false suspicion: is Job fearing God for nothing? (Job 1:9). But when God took everything from Job and deprived him of everything, and Job was still devoted to God, then there was nothing to say to the devil. Giving alms while living in wealth is not as great a thing as courageously and with gratitude to God enduring the loss of everything. This is what defines righteousness. Previously, Job’s goodwill towards those like him was great, but now great love for God was revealed in him. God could have put out the fire in the Babylonian furnace, 112 but did not do so in order to instill greater fear in the wicked, surprise them and soften the hard heart of Nebuchadnezzar. God did what was more wonderful than the extinguishing flame, for, leaving it burning, He showed His power by taking away the power of the enemy’s tricks. So that those who saw the young men who survived the flames could be convinced that this was not a ghost, not a ghost, but a real flame that burned the brushwood and scorched to death those who lit the stove. There is nothing stronger than God’s will; all nature is subjugated to the One who brought it from non-existence into existence. Therefore, the flame, having taken into itself corruptible bodies, did not touch them as incorruptible. As if from a royal palace, the young men emerged from a fiery furnace, surprising and astonishing everyone. The spectacle of the faithful emerging unharmed from the fire attracted such attention also because not only their bodies, but also their hair and clothes became harder than diamond. Divine thoughts are meat-eating, for it is said: My flesh is truly food (John 6:55). Therefore, you always willingly partake of this, as Paul says, solid food (Heb. 5:14). Are you not ashamed to call Diogenes, Pythagoras and Plato wise and temperate, who reached such folly that they worshiped inanimate idols? Do not remain insensitive and unreasonable in the sorrows that befall your home, do not add new sins to your previous ones. Understand that God is punishing you, a proud person, so that, realizing your sins, you will change for the better. If you become hardened, showing your violence and destroying yourself, the blows sent by God will increase many times over. You will achieve an increase in troubles and misfortunes in your home. If our sins are thoroughly examined, so that we receive reward for both words and thoughts, then even more so for good deeds, whether they are great or small, the Lord will reward us. Therefore, do not be discouraged and do not be lazy, but do good to the best of your ability. You ask me why virtuous men fall into unbearable disasters. For example, they suffer to death from bodily illnesses or go crazy, like Selentarius Callitichus; or they are possessed by demons, like Stagirius, the son of an arrogant rich man, himself a modest and reverent man; others were captured by barbarians, others were buried under the ruins of a house during an earthquake, others were burned in a fire or suffered some other unexpected disaster. Know, firstly, all this happens to the righteous, so that those who are careless, seeing, will know the fear of God and moderate their pride. And also those who do evil left such deeds, repenting and caring for spiritual benefit. In addition, note that the sorrows and troubles that happen to the righteous do not harm their souls at all, but serve to increase heavenly reward. Why does Abraham, intending to sacrifice his son to God, say to the slaves: you stay here with the donkey, and my son and I will go there and worship, and we will return to you (Gen. 22:5). Because he believed that God, after sacrificing his son, would resurrect him and return him alive to the one who offered him. Therefore, we too will believe that in this still life we ​​will be able to rise from a passionate to a dispassionate state. Imagine our world as a kind of cave in which the righteous live like earthly angels, and evil people, nesting in the same cave like reptiles, offend and create many obstacles to blessed men. Therefore, if, from communication with the righteous, from their patience and admonitions, the villains eventually change their atrocity to human existence - good. If they remain incorrigible to the end, then in the next century they will suffer severe punishment both for the fact that instead of virtue they loved vice, and for the fact that they did not want to become better from communication with the righteous and from their admonitions. Virtue is not an independent entity, just as vice is not a living, rational being, as some people think. Both vice and virtue usually appear or are lost as a result of thoughts and deeds or evasion from deeds. That both king and commoner, sinner and righteous, strong and weak will be fed by one faith, says the prophet Isaiah, namely, after the Coming of Christ: Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the ox will be together (Isa. 11:6). The prophet also says that by simple-minded people, by children in spite of evil, by people who are kind and blessed because of their active life, but free from everyday worries and because of unceasing prayer, opposing forces are overcome: And the baby will play over the asp’s hole, and the child will stretch out his hand to the snake’s nest. They will not do evil or harm in all My holy mountain (Isa. 11:8–9). By mountain we should understand the Church of Christ according to the height of faith. Before doing good deeds, you should not study useless and insoluble questions, like the weak-minded, subject to delusions and the devil’s machinations. For everyone’s time is short, and we are judged by our works, and not by our knowledge of the unknown. Therefore, we should continually seek knowledge about what we must do in order to inherit eternal life. If we spend all the days of this life, dealing with insoluble and useless questions, then, having become entangled in them, we will leave here empty-handed - the prophet will rightly say about us: How accidentally they came to ruin, disappeared, perished from horrors! Like a dream upon awakening (Ps. 72:19–20). And before this lamentable song can be applied to you, leave the crazy questions appropriate for amused youths, listen to the great true Teacher, who calls: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). For everything has its time: here the time is to do righteous deeds, and in the future life to accept reward for them. Therefore, in order not to get entangled in the devil’s machinations, let us explore and do the truth, so that, like travelers, carrying with us the guidance of good deeds, how to enter the Kingdom of God into the city. Do not let yourself be deceived by becoming alien to eternal life and forgetting God, His commandments and Judgment, engaging in unimportant issues and useless speeches as if it were something great and important. The soul, previously desolate from negligence and becoming barren, now, having beautifully changed, can become meek, virtuous, beautiful, transformed for the better. For it is written: He turns the desert into a lake and the parched land into springs of water; and he settles the hungry there, and they build a city to dwell in; they sow fields and plant vineyards, which bring them abundant fruit. He blesses them (Ps. 107:35–38). And the fact that this is not said about an inanimate field, but about a rational soul, is clear from the final verse: He who is wise will notice this and understand the mercy of the Lord (Ps. 106:43). Therefore, do not despair of yourself, who are desolate for the truth, but just wish to change your disposition. For Moses, having established the tabernacle of God in the wilderness, thereby indicates that even a desolate soul can receive the tabernacle of the Lord. For it is said: And all those who trust in You will rejoice, they will rejoice forever, and You will protect them; and those who love Your name will boast in You (Ps. 5:12). You should not be discouraged by everything that happens in life, because even with sober people temptations from both their own and others are inseparable. Therefore, the apostle, foreseeing the coming storms and fearing that some of the disciples would be confused, said in his letter: we have sent Timothy, our brother and servant of God and our fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to confirm you and comfort you in your faith, so that no one will waver in these tribulations: for you yourselves know that this is how we are destined (1 Thessalonians 2:3). This means that this is our life and this is the path of apostolic ministry - to endure thousands of evils. We are destined, says the apostle, to endure slander, to suffer, to have no rest. Therefore, for those who are sober, there is no great harm in patience - they gain even greater benefit from it. It is said: I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise is continually in my mouth (Ps. 33:2). For it is a shame for us to thank God when things are good and to remain silent when things are sad. On the contrary, we should thank God most of all when we suffer, knowing: my son! do not despise the Lord’s punishment, and do not lose heart when He reproaches you. For the Lord punishes whomever he loves; He beats every son he receives. If you endure punishment, then God treats you as sons (Heb. 12:5–7). But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God, and I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever (Ps. 51:10), that is, I never lose blessed hope. So let us become a fruitful olive tree, not in paganism, not in Judaism, not in harmful heresy, or in any other place, but in the “house of God” - that is, in faith and piety, because the wicked outside the Church bear fruit in vain. Just as Joseph 113 had difficulties at the beginning, for a long time things went contrary to the promise, but later his success exceeded all expectations, so in the matter of the crucifixion of the Lord, the temptation at first grows, although something little was accomplished to admonish those who dared to crucify the Lord, but it passed unnoticed and when the curtain in the church was torn from top to bottom, the stones disintegrated and the sun darkened, because all this was the work of one day and many soon forgotten. Soon after this, the apostles were forced to flee, subjected to persecution, attacks and intrigues of the Jews. And the Lord, seeing all this, endures. But look how after this the Church shone brighter than the sun and embraced the entire universe. Your love for God asked me what it means, written by the apostle to the Galatians, that the circumcised must fulfill the whole law of Moses 114. After accepting faith in Christ, the Galatians, out of simplicity and frivolity, having believed some insidious and spiritually harmful people, came to the point that they were ready to be circumcised and accept Judaism, because: A little leaven leavens the whole lump (Gal. 5:9). But blessed Paul, wanting not to destroy them, but to save them, stops the deceived from their harmful plans, as if saying: if you want to be circumcised, then keep the Sabbath, make sacrifices, blow the horn, beware of unclean animals and build again what the Lord has destroyed. Renew the painful law that was given for a time, applying the mind to the state of infancy. Moreover, Christ the Savior made the law powerless, giving perfect and lofty dogmas of piety. Therefore, if you want to be circumcised, then know that you have no part in Christ, violating the Lord’s will. That is why the apostle says: Oh, that those who trouble you were removed! (Gal. 5:12). 31. To the noble official Pontius Since you are the son of my sincere friend, blessed Eucarpius, then, caring for your salvation and good glory, I am writing something useful for you. Therefore, leave the gold rings and bracelets that you wear on your hands, and give them better to your future legal wife. And if your wife is well-behaved and chaste, then I think she won’t wear them either. They say about a monk that he is the altar of the Lord. An altar on which and at which pure prayers are offered to God. An altar, spiritually created and founded on the place where, as David says: His footstool (Ps. 132:7). What did you expect when you chose hermitage and silence? Of course, sorrows and temptations, countless ambushes and attacks of evil demons. Why are you now indignant at the fact that temptations bite you from everywhere, the fiery wheels of the demonic chariot tear your soul to pieces, burning it like straw? Endure with gratitude and generosity, be firm in thoughts and unceasing prayer, do not weaken in vigil and good abstinence, do not retreat from the Almighty, and you will be worthy of the end. The end of those who strive for Christ is salvation, but the end of demons is eternal destruction. Then those who torment you now will be wounded: and you will trample on the wicked, for they will be dust under the soles of your feet (Mal. 4:3). Sometimes demonic thoughts hide inside us, sometimes they come out and encourage us to sin. But if we call on God for help, He scatters and drives them away from us. And then we, having sobered up, collect ourselves, as if resurrected from the dead, and are encouraged in spirit. God raises us to the heights of dispassion, and we glorify the Lord, ending our lives with a good and godly death. I think this is what David is talking about: the workers of iniquity bloom to disappear forever - You, Lord, are exalted forever! For behold, Thy enemies, O Lord, behold, Thy enemies perish, and all the workers of iniquity are scattered; and You exalt my horn like the horn of a unicorn, and I am anointed with fresh oil (Ps. 92:8-11). That is, the All-Perfect One fattens the ascetic with spiritual oil, who was exhausted and exhausted by the multitude of passions disturbing him. Therefore, let us not be embarrassed by temptations if they do not immediately stop, but let us leave it to God, the only one who has the power to stop them. Because when He hesitates, He rewards the ascetic with greater grace. Therefore, let us thank God most of all when He delays in fulfilling what is asked, until the time comes, without bowing to the request, without a doubt, preserving the requested grace for greater gifts. Since all the sorrows that befall us increase our hope in God. As it is written: for yet a little, very little, and the Coming One will come and will not tarry (Heb. 10:37), and: When my sorrows multiply in my heart, Your consolations delight my soul (Ps. 93:19). For as the sorrows befall us, we find equal consolation from God. And when the soul is openly and secretly crushed by various temptations, then the heavenly priests - that is, the Angels - console it. They restore the soul with the hot sweetness of tears, good thoughts and the power of virtues. Look, beloved brother, what the Lord says: Comfort, comfort my people, says your God; speak to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to it that the time of its struggle is fulfilled (Isa. 40:1-2). Finally, in all circumstances one must give thanks to Christ: I will bless the Lord at all times (Ps. 33:2), as David said. God accepts our gratitude in sorrows in exchange for righteousness. Therefore, we need to imitate Abraham and bring tithes of our spoils to the Lord. And let this tithe be the most important of the ten commandments, namely the one on which the law and the prophets are based, that is, to love God with all your soul and all your strength. As the divine apostle defines it: love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10). Righteousness is our desire to act in everything exactly, according to the most just decision of the heart, without deviating from the goal. Likewise, the righteous Judge from above assigns us a reward that is incomprehensible to us due to the height of the definitions hidden in it: Your truth is like the mountains of God, and Your destinies are like a great abyss! (Ps. 36:7). Therefore, let us pray that the Lord of all, God, will bring our souls and bodies to a better state. Therefore, let us not be careless and lazy in taking care of ourselves. For if we have fallen into the very depths of vice, we can rise again, become better and shake off all evil, because evil is not immovable, as the Manichaeans claim. And do not think that repentance and sorrow for your sins are a small gift from God. No, this is the greatest grace given to believers by the Cross of Christ. Think about it, before the Jews, denounced by the prophets, were too lazy to even utter the words: we have sinned, forgive us; on the contrary, falling into thousands of sins, they claimed that they had sinned nothing. We are illuminated by the light of Christ in such a way that we, without even having sinned in practice, but only having entered into a conversation with evil thoughts, immediately condemn ourselves, grieve, blaspheme our life, even though we have nothing to convict it of, subjecting ourselves to grave punishments. Therefore, may the memory of our Savior Jesus Christ and unceasing prayer become for you an ethereal shield against the invisible enemy. The apostle writes about this: and above all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery arrows of the evil one (Eph. 6:16). Whatever the enemy of our life encroaches on you: whether with the arrows of evil lust, envy or memory of malice, or with the help of any other vice, he begins to fight against your soul, he will undoubtedly be defeated and weakened by the power of faith and the invocation of the name of Christ 115. Demons envy those who love chastity and therefore inspire bad and illicit wishes in the ascetics. But you shouldn’t lose your vigor at the same time. Then it is all the more necessary to exert all our strength when demons bother us. Then let us be confirmed in the hope of the promised blessings when we are tempted by the demons of lust. The enemies know that the Lord has promised us great blessings, therefore, being angry, out of envy they attack us with shameless and base passions, trying to the extreme to weaken all those striving for virtue. And our mind, having fallen away from the contemplation of God, in its thoughts becomes a demon or a beast. Because the human mind, having fallen away from the contemplation of the Divine, necessarily falls under the power of the demon of lust, leading to intemperance, or is overcome by an evil irritable spirit. One of the fathers called intemperate lust bestial, and irritability a demonic movement. But no matter what the soul is carried away by, only with a pious thought does it undoubtedly unite with God. Therefore, whoever wants to be adorned with many virtues does not need to seek fame, nor meetings with many people, nor often leave the monastery. A virtuous person should not reproach anyone, even if those being reproached are worthy of it; he should not have long conversations, even about good and useful things, because immoderate chatter betrays the ascetic into the power of the demons of sadness and anger. The ascetic must be engaged in keeping the commandments and remembering the Lord Jesus. For it is said: He who keeps the commandment will not experience any evil (Eccl. 8:5), that is, he will not turn to evil and empty words. Because spiritual purity does not consist only in not doing anything bad, but also in carefully decorating the soul and using all our might to destroy evil in it. Usually from habit comes skill, and skill becomes nature, and it is almost impossible to change nature. However, everything is possible with God, even nature does not resist God. It is said: Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they will be as white as wool (Isa. 1:18). Therefore, there is no need to despair - the God who created us is stronger than a bad habit. If you have acquired a vicious skill or even entered the very depths of vice, do not despair, but resort to repentance and you will be saved. Therefore, God, speaking through the prophet, gives the example of the colors crimson and purple, which, ingrained in the fabric, do not fade, in order to give people hope that He can turn such a sin into the opposite virtue. The power of repentance is great if it makes us white like snow and waves, even though previous sin for a long time denigrated and changed the soul with worthless deeds. For the Lord seems to say to those who repent: stand as the condemned, exposing your hearts, and I will give boldness to your sorrow, and you will be crowned as the righteous. Because: The Lord is good to everyone, and His compassion is in all His works (Ps. 144:9). We also cry out to God and say: we are Your creation, Lord, do not destroy Your creation. And the Lord of the sinner bowed down in repentance and great humility, just as he saved the publican, who did not dare to raise his eyes to heaven and cried out: God! be merciful to me, a sinner! (Luke 18:13), so he also saves him, having bowed his soul before God, not for virtue, not for doing great deeds, but according to God’s love for mankind, for the awareness of his sins, confessed with great humility and contrition of heart. But you also save yourself by virtues, calling on God: save, Lord Christ, so that the devil does not deceive me, removing me from the truth, so that I do not become like those who descend into the grave (Ps. 27:1), here the prophet means hell and sinful darkness. Therefore, constantly beg the Savior Christ, saying: save, O Master, Thy servant who trusts in You and does not despair, and grant Him incorruptible and eternal gifts. As it is written: for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12). That is, a fight with one’s own body should become a fight with the voluptuousness kindled in it, with the passions of the heart and with destructive thoughts arising from various reasons. Even if lust and unclean desires of voluptuousness are kindled, if the flesh is agitated with excitement, every devilish thought tempts us - we will overcome all this through faith, hope, patience, vigilance, prayer, reading, humility and other deeds, and especially by calling on the name of Jesus Christ, the man-loving God and our Savior. Demons cannot win unless we first neglect the fear of God, out of lack of faith, and begin to neglect the commandments of the Lord. There are some demons that enter the body, weakening all its powers, making us weak and relaxed, without any disease or illness, plunging the soul into great despair and the mind into coldness. But we, having driven them away courageously and soberly, will cleave to God with our minds and hearts through prayer, crying out: Take my soul away from their wickedness (Ps. 54:17). Once upon a time, Samson, out of voluptuousness, happened to fall into the hands of foreigners and suffer from them, as it is written about him, and now it happens to a soul caught on the hook of pleasure. And as soon as the thoughts that arose as a result of the attack of the evil demon follow him, the grace that protects the soul retreats from the person. The demons, having taken the captured one, eradicate in him every chaste thought, bind him with inextricable bonds of excitement and lust and, introducing 116 vices into Gaza, force him to turn the millstones of a bad habit, serving the devil all day and night. But if the soul caught in sinful nets comes to its senses, it will be able to sigh to God with heartache and prayer. Then the Lord, like Elisha about the Shunammite 117, will say to the Angels: leave her (2 Kings 4:27), let her come to Me, do not drive her away, although she has not acquired any virtue or any boldness, but since her heart grieves and relentlessly falls to Me with tears, I accept and save her. We need the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, which we must earnestly strive to acquire. Because then the power of evil demons, striking us with voluptuous thoughts like fiery arrows, will be exhausted. And the faithful, previously weak in heart, will strengthen themselves to destroy their opponents. As Samuel's mother prophesied about this 118: The bow of the mighty is broken, but the weak are girded with strength (1 Samuel 2:4). The devil does not know whether the Lord Christ is in the house of the heart or whether He is not there. Therefore, when the enemy sees that you are angry, or swearing, or chatting about shameless and empty things, then he understands that there is no God in your soul, protecting you, caring for you and protecting the house of your soul. Then the evil one, having entered as a thief, sees that there is no lamp in your heart, and robs the house of your soul. But not only sinners, but also those who strive zealously are often abandoned by God so that they can learn patience and steadfastness, and also overcome pride in themselves. For, having in the hidden corners of our souls the great ailments of contempt, pride and conceit, we often hide them not only from people, but also from ourselves. But the great Physician of our souls knows what medicine to apply to the hidden ailments of the soul. Therefore, let us not be indignant, faint-hearted, or lose heart when the Lord sends us what we need. In the hospitals of this century there are many sick people and those with ulcers, not everyone can benefit from the same medicine, and not everyone can benefit from the same food. The doctor prescribes a special method of treatment for each person, a special way of life. Let this patient, he says, enjoy honey more often, and let another wince at the bitterness of wormwood, and let another taste the tasteless hellebore. So God takes care of each of us, as it is useful for whom. The goal of the demon, this culprit and artist of vice, is to plunge every person into grave and inconsolable despondency and make him far from faith, hope and from the love of God, that is, from the main thing in piety. Often demons drive the faithful to the point where even in church they are tormented by lustful thoughts and thereby plunge into despondency and despair. Therefore, the one who enters into confrontation with this demon, in accordance with the cunning of the enemy, must arm himself with patience, courage, prayer, fasting, hope and love for God. So he will be able to defeat this unclean demon with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ. As it is said: Some with chariots, some with horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God: they wavered and fell, but we rose up and stand upright (Ps. 19:8-9). That is, they - demons - arm themselves against us with irritation, vanity, envy and other passions, but the name of Jesus Christ is enough for us. Therefore, one should constantly pray to God so as not to fall away from virtue. Otherwise, it is possible to fall from righteousness into sin and from a dispassionate state to be transformed into a passionate one, as it is written in the prophecy: We have become such over whom You never had dominion and over whom Your name was not named (Isa. 63:19). But it is possible, even after a complete fall, to achieve dispassion and the former grace through repentance. For everyone who asks God with repentance and prayer will, at the appropriate time, again be granted power from above and dispassion. Because in difficult circumstances, even a small good is great. If we have angered God with our sins, then He will love us again for repentance. About the fact that the merciful Master will receive us again, delighting us with His love, He speaks in a prophecy to the mental Jerusalem - our soul: I will make you greatness forever, joy throughout all generations (Isa. 60:15). Don't doubt it. God, when it pleases Him, changes the worst for the better, and nothing can resist His command. Therefore, it is not difficult for the Lord to transform a person, just as he commanded Aaron’s whittled and dry rod to bear fruit. And if plants rooted in the ground bear fruit after many years of growth, then Aaron’s rod produced leaves, flowers, and fruits in one night. In the same way, coarsened and petrified human hearts, having tasted spiritual knowledge, become fertile soil. Therefore, let us not hesitate, but let us turn with all our hearts to God. By doing this we will be doing a great favor to ourselves. Each of us benefits by doing good. When we sin, we fall from our natural heights; Having become despicable, they became like those thrown to the ground. But if we have the intention to turn again to goodness, then obviously we will again ascend to our characteristic heights, if only we are reasonable, generous, submitting to the word of God, and running away from the impermanent - we will soberly and diligently turn to eternal blessings. The Law of Moses also commands to beware of mice and lizards (see Lev. 11:29). This allegorically means a ban on consent and conversation with shameless thoughts. For passions, habits and morals prohibited by law precede and give rise to each other. Thus, people-pleasing and vanity are followed by pride and arrogance. Lust digs a hole of lust, into which a shameless demon immediately enters, leading a person to sin. For, as the Lord Jesus said: But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). Also, behind hatred and anger come villainy and harmfulness. For first the mouse gnaws a hole in the wall, into which lizards and snakes enter and nest there. During temptations, patience in God is a great support. For the Lord says: through your patience save your souls (Luke 21:19). Notice that He did not say: by your fasting, or by your silence, or by your psalmody, although all this contributes to the salvation of the soul, but by “your patience.” Saving patience in every temptation, in sorrow, whether it be insult, or humiliation, or dishonor, from every person, higher or lower, in bodily weakness, in spiritual warfare, from people or demons. When it is said: through your patience save your souls (Luke 21:19), this means not just patience, but patience with gratitude, prayer and humility. Bless our Savior God, who arranges everything for our benefit, be it well-being or anything else. The apostle also writes about this: let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Heb. 12:1). For which virtue is greater? What is harder and stronger than patience, here I mean patience in God - this queen of virtues, the foundation of exploits, a quiet haven. Because it is peace during war, silence during a storm, security among slander and danger. He who succeeds in patience is harder than a diamond. No demonic weapons and demonic hordes, nor the devil himself can harm the one who has acquired patience in Christ. We please Christ when we ask Him to be with us. Since the light of virtue has dimmed in us, let us ask Him, like Cleopas, to remain with us in our wretchedness, with our humility and, having broken the divine bread, give it to our souls. There is nothing stronger than prayer - it overcomes space and time. Seeing that prayer is omnipotent and irresistible, the devil tries to hinder it with all serious and unbearable temptations, so that we do not receive any benefit from it and put off saving prayer to Christ. Out of unbelief, you demand the fruit of prayer from clergy and monks who fear God, but you do not think that God also demands the fruit of fulfilling the commandments. When you pray, you want to be heard, but you yourself do not obey God’s commandments. If you listen, you will be heard. Accept the Lawgiver God - He will accept your prayer. If you neglect the will of the Lord of all, then the prayer of the righteous for you will not be heard. The high mountains are sernam (Ps. 103:18). Therefore, if, by God’s will and vows of asceticism, you have become like a chamois, having destroyed the oak forest of vice within yourself, and dared to step on mental snakes and destroy them, then do not stop there. Improve yourself with psalmody and contemplation, climbing the mental mountain, because: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8). And then the Lord: places me on my heights; teaches my hands to fight (Ps. 17:34-35), that is, to fight with the devil. For the Gospel also says: then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:16), that is, let those enlightened by the light of Truth in the Church rise to the heights of virtue and heavenly contemplation, since both are similar. Let us not approach the bread of the Sacrament as simple bread, because it is life-giving Flesh, which gives life to souls deadened by sins. Ordinary flesh cannot revive souls. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ speaks about in the Gospel: the Spirit gives life; the flesh does not profit the least (John 6:63), here the Lord means ordinary flesh. We must partake of the Flesh and Blood of God the Word with reverence and love, and then we will be worthy to inherit eternal life. For those who eat with a pure heart receive grace. Sometimes the soul of a person who is ready to fall into despair is consoled by the prevenient grace of the Holy Spirit, filling it with heartfelt joy and calming it, delighting in crying 119 . Then he leaves, allowing the enemy to tempt, upset and disturb the soul. And then she remains in grief, in fear, in irritation, in bad thoughts, in indecent actions, in heartbreak, in short, in countless disasters. Then, when the enemy overcomes a person in everything, he loses heart, despairing, then God’s grace descends again, putting the demon to flight and encouraging the ascetic who has labored in many ways. Like a mother hugging and comforting and feeding her baby, grace restores human strength. All this happens in order to hinder the wickedness of Satan and make his work in vain, both by the preliminary visitation of grace and the subsequent consolation. It happens that after doing a good deed, or taking communion, or praying diligently, or doing something else good, you are exposed to the strongest temptation. Know that a defeated enemy swiftly attacks you, never ceasing to sting you with mental spears. But if we do not stop and weaken in warfare, if we do not give up the fight, then we will undoubtedly achieve victory over the hordes of demons. Don’t worry that you, who have suffered a severe illness and are physically weakened, are being fought by a shameless beast of voluptuousness. After consulting with many reverent men, I learned that the demons who lead pleasures are willingly helped and assisted by other demons, who are entrusted by the devil with sorrow and illness 120 . Also, with the demons of sorrows and illnesses, the demons of pleasure act at the same time in order to overcome a person, moving him away from thanksgiving to God, patience and courage. For demons help each other, trying to destroy a person, so that he despairs of his own salvation, becomes confused in his mind and stops calling on God. But, having learned about this, never cease to call on God who created and provides for you. 43. To Chairman Domnin the Younger What you asked me about recently, I’ll tell you my thoughts, and you, being forgetful, write it down in your memory. Don't ask me to talk about complete indifference to pleasure. For there are few who, like inanimate stones, are completely insensitive to lustful passion, so that even in their sleep they do not have passionate thoughts. This is God's gift when a person is like a eunuch from birth. The reasons for such a gift are known only to God, who gives this gift to some who have not struggled or worked. I’ll tell you, my valiant son, about what happens in thoughts, with various body movements and fiery desires of the body. And you protect your youth, most of all bridling it with the fear of God and thoughts of eternal torment. Because if you try to strengthen yourself against sin, fighting against the shameless thoughts and heat of the flesh that appear to you, then you will gain glory for your courage and chaste mind, you will earn approval and praise, and you will walk the path of life in joy. But if, having relaxed a little, you allow your mind to be captivated by the pleasures of short-term and vain pleasure, yielding to frantic passion, then, saddened by the reproaches of your conscience, you will reproach yourself many times. The nasty and varied demon of fornication tempts everyone in different ways, bringing special excitement to everyone. He defeats some quickly, others more slowly. Some are taught corruption for about twelve years, others are captured by passion when they have already reached eighteen years of age, and some who have survived the age of thirty, beyond their aspirations, are carried into the abyss of shame. Look how the damned demon teaches fornication to the innocent. Often he approaches youths lying on their beds at midday 121, mentally imagines a man's or woman's face and from this face talks to them, inciting them to vile passion. He drives away sleep so that, while awake and having nothing else to do, the youth becomes occupied with unclean thoughts, indulging in shameless thoughts, and easily learns fornication. If the young person is immersed in sleep, then the demon influences him with dreams, accurately and vividly representing sin, exciting and inflaming the flesh. For others, it evokes in a dream female and male faces, not showing fornication, but only affection and friendship, while the demon’s intentions are to bring this not to a good, but to a bad end. The demon relentlessly inspires some to fulfill the desires of their hearts, others are drawn into voluptuousness by conversation with peers, and some are carried away by lawlessness, trying to deprive them of chastity. Therefore, seeing how others are caught to destruction by the demon of fornication, protect yourself with all your might with integrity, so that the words of the prophet, who speaks on behalf of those who are tempted, do not come true on you: I am moved by what I hear; I am confused by what I see (Isa. 21:3). For every person who does not listen to the words of the Lord is drawn into blindness by a shameless demon, and does not see virtue, blinded by lustful passion. So a person finds himself in the power of the flesh and the demon. Therefore, in Scripture, the Word of integrity spoke to those who strive: you will be scattered, every one to his own, and you will leave Me alone (John 16:32). For a person easily departs from an honest and pious life, delving into nasty and shameful deeds. Leaving Jerusalem, he descends to Jericho, meets robbers - demons, who strip him of the severity of morals and holiness, strike him with blows of uncleanness and intemperance, leaving him half-dead before God. Only memory of sin and repentance with a change for the better allow us to hope for eternal life. Over time, this leads to a life filled with diligence and fruits worthy of great repentance. But you do not need great suffering, sackcloth, ashes, tearing of clothes, bitter crying and cries, all that those who reap the fruits of repentance have to endure. You will stand above the snares of the enemy if you try never to go beyond the walls of Jerusalem. Jerusalem means “mountain of peace,” that is, a godly and blameless life. In contrast, carnal pleasure is a mountain of struggle, confusion, disorder, gossip, storms, the pursuit of passions and intentions. Voluptuousness can never satisfy and calm those who are subject to it. Like a ruler, it demands tribute from those who fall into it, striking them with the scourge of lust and not giving them time to come to their senses. As the Lord said: My time has not yet come, but for you there is always time (John 7:6), that is, freedom is not acquired easily. Therefore, people easily give in to corruption, loving the poison of voluptuousness, and are always ready to serve evil. Many people may never have even thought about the kingdom and dominion of virtue, being in the frantic passion of voluptuousness. But you, child, avoid the snares of the enemy. For your entire family is famous for chastity and you, by your own choice, remain chaste, imitating your fathers and grandfathers, trying to abide in God, neglecting the beauties of the world, fasting, praying, giving alms and maintaining purity amid countless opportunities to defile yourself. When engaged in public affairs and reporting to clerks, you do not forget about reading church books. You have fallen in love with humility and, with a comprehensive education, having studied philosophy, you are not ashamed to obey the monks, among whom there are many simple peasants, but from them you also accept guidance for spiritual salvation. As I said earlier, protect yourself from the tricks of deceit. Because the demon not only arouses indecent passions in us in a dream, but also in waking life often presents the mind with shameless visions. Sometimes even during church prayer, a demon tempts a person, inflaming the body and wounding the heart with obscene thoughts. Some are most tempted by the terrible and shameless enemy during sacred holidays. Here is a little of the many things I told you about the cunning of unclean demons. If you get rid of the clerks and find free time, come to me, then in a personal conversation I will describe to you more fully what happens in prodigal warfare. Be healthy in the Lord, beloved son. Patient Job says about some of those in need that even without shelter, they huddle close to the rock (Job 24:8). The rock here should be understood to mean Christ, who is called a stone in many places in Scripture. Therefore, let those who do not have good deeds, with great humility and prayer, take refuge in Christ and put on the glory of the Lord for salvation. The prudent thief was promised paradise, but the apostles were promised the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the thief who repented on the cross, instead of the first thief - Adam - was awarded heaven. Crafty demons seduce not only through gluttony. Sometimes they advise strict abstinence and excessive fasting, and these have two purposes. Firstly, so that the deluded one, drunk with pride, should think of himself that he is higher in life than the brothers who struggle with him, and, like a vulture, soars upward through abstinence. Or he has brought his body to such weakness that he will not be able to benefit either himself or others. Then, when the illness intensifies, that person will wallow in unbelief, hopelessness and blasphemy. Beware of both excesses and shortcomings. Every virtue is true and is called truth. Eat the inexpensive food offered to the brethren at the common meal without pretense. Because if you gave them up soon, you wouldn’t have to change your lifestyle due to weakness. Then you will need all sorts of expensive dishes that are not available at meals. The more good deeds a person does, the more he is insulted, because evil spirits and unrighteous people rise up against him. God allows the righteous to be insulted, giving him the opportunity to acquire eternal glory, rewarded for enduring sorrows. Therefore, when the righteous man says to God in bewilderment: why, my Lord, have all my enemies taken up arms against me? Why, Lord, do you stand afar off and hide Yourself during sorrow? (Ps. 9:22), when I am a thousand times offended and tired; Why did I expose myself to wounds every day (Ps. 72:14) of my miserable life - then God will answer him, saying through the prophet: you will call, and the Lord will hear (Is. 58:9). He will answer the faithful servant who cried out from the bottom of his heart and say: For this reason I have allowed you to grieve and suffer, for our momentary, slight suffering produces eternal glory in immeasurable abundance (2 Cor. 4:17). That is why it is said: Many are the sorrows of the righteous (Ps. 33:20). What is surprising if you, having acquired every virtue, are devoted to the spirit of timidity for greater achievement? It is said: he turned his fortress into ruins (Ps. 89:41) and exalted the right hand of his opponents (Ps. 89:43). But be patient a little, and you will see that the Angel will crush the enemies who crushed you. So you will look for where the demon of fear is, and you will not find him. Then you will see with your own eyes that those pursuing you have fled. Whoever does not care about good deeds and does not want to imitate Christ, but tries to excel in eloquence, is like a person who prefers stone bread, on which he breaks his teeth. Many who had some virtues relied on their own strength and thought highly of themselves. But they did not expect that besieging and soul-plundering demons would burst into their midst. However, suddenly changing for the worse, they learned from experience the enemies who invaded through the bodily senses and led to desolation of the soul. That is why it is written: The kings of the earth and all those living in the world did not believe that the enemy and enemy would enter the gates of Jerusalem (Lam. 4:12). And after a chaste life, those who become weak in virtue and strengthened in vice after unclean thoughts can fall into bodily impurity. As the prophet says: They wandered the streets like blind people, defiled with blood, so that it was impossible to touch their clothes (Lam. 4:14). If you do not want to fall into all sins, then overthrow and completely crush and eradicate vain arrogance in yourself. If you see that another is worse than all the unclean and more crafty than all the evil ones, then do not condemn him and you will not be abandoned by God. It is permissible to judge by the most glorious and pure of the shepherds, to whom are entrusted the keys of the kingdom, and not by the flock who bear traces of sinful filth. If we are initially in the monastery, laboring in silence, prayer, psalmody, and do not disturb the laity, then God, providing and caring for us, brings the laity to us, forcing them to satisfy our bodily needs. Therefore, when we care about spiritual work, God cares about us. And while inflicting pain and soothing, the doctor does all this according to science, taking care of the cure of the patient. You, if you don’t want to be punished either here or there, demand an account from yourself. For if we condemn ourselves, we will not be condemned. You will say: how can I subject myself to torture? I will answer: humble yourself, mourn your sins. Because it is no small punishment for the soul to reflect and cry over its own stumblings - this is great pain and torment. Therefore, God will reward the person who tortures himself with repentance. Let another judge you first, so that you may become righteous. Before the Lord's Day, try to precede the Heavenly Judge and tear yourself out of Gehenna. If you want the Most High Lord to forgive you thousands of talents 122, forgive your fellow servant one hundred denarii 123. I call your servant your fellow servant, because he also has a Lord in heaven. There is no need to despair and lose hope whenever you fall into sin; you must admit your sin and confess. Because the desperate make themselves wicked. The heart is called the hidden chamber of the soul; there are many such iniquities in it that one watchful Eye sees. Therefore, priests often commit lawlessness in their hearts. Be careful that you do not place idols of shameless passions in the secret house of the mind, do not deify them and do not serve them. As the prophet says: And I entered, and saw, and behold, all kinds of images of creeping things and unclean animals and all kinds of idols of the house of Israel stood before them (Ezek. 8:10). Do not wish to spend the short days of this miserable life calmly and carefree. Because living carefree, having fun and not experiencing sorrows is not characteristic of us - those who strive in the field of confrontation with demons, but of those who do not care and do not care about eternal life. Still, those who want to live godly with illness eat the bread of knowledge and drink the mental water, wounded by the edges of temptation day and night. As it is written in the prophet Ezekiel: son of man! Eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with trembling and sorrow (Ezek. 12:18). Save your souls with your patience (Luke 21:19), says the Savior. Because in patience, where we do not expect, we will receive consolation. Unexpectedly for all people, the Lord providentially grants consolation to those who endure with faith and hope. Jeremiah speaks about this: The Lord is good to those who hope in Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good for him who patiently waits for salvation from the Lord (Lam. 3:25–26). By sinning, we bring upon ourselves God's punishment and admonition. That is why the Lord says: Behold, I am setting up stumbling blocks for this people, and the fathers and the children together will stumble because of them (Jer. 6:21). And if at the same time we add sins to sins, then God will send us death. Therefore, He adds to what has been said: his neighbor and his friend, and they will perish (Jer. 6:21). So let us be afraid and not be careless. It is not in vain that prophetic books are read in churches; the prophets call on us so that we, being afraid, will stop sinning. But since you resisted the Lord and did not repent, it is said: the Lord opened His storehouse and took from it the vessels of His wrath (Jer. 50:25), in order to destroy all who despise the holy words. 67. Decemvir Farismanimu Let no pagan persecutor torment you; still be prepared for torment, so as not to lose your zeal. If there is no persecution that you would like, then you will still have something to do. Better to say, persecution and testing will last a lifetime. You have irritability, you have lust, you are tormented by displeasure, sadness, despondency, empty fear is near you, envy is with you, the demon of vanity, gluttony, drunkenness and other passions is with you. Each of them persecutes the human soul, not allowing it to eternal life. Therefore, take courage, fighting them as a warrior of Christ. Whoever wants to strive and practice spiritual work should live in a monastery with the brethren. You should not simply choose solitude for luck, recklessly, out of self-indulgence and stubbornness, so that evil spirits do not steal your soul, because the enemy threatens from everywhere. Whoever says: I became a hermit so that there would be no one to arouse anger in me, he is no different from a dumb beast. Because we see that animals are quiet and not ferocious unless a person irritates them. Why is it written: Submitting yourself to one another in the fear of God (Eph. 5:21), and: Serve one another, each with the gift that you have received (1 Pet. 4:10), and: Therefore, be subject to every human authority for the Lord (1 Pet. 2:13), and: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vainglory, but in humility, consider each other better than yourself. Not only should each one take care of himself, but each one also of others (Phil. 2:3-4), and: Whether any of you is wise and understanding, prove this by actually good behavior with wise meekness (James 3:13). Don't you know that passionate thoughts inspired by demons breed like hares? An evil thought placed in the soul gives rise to others (see Ps. 143:11–13). It is said that Sodom was proud in its satiety 124 . That is, the defiled soul, having become saturated with knowledge, becomes indomitable and unbearable. Knowledge easily makes a person arrogant. Therefore, the apostle says: And so that I would not become exalted by the extraordinaryness of revelations, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, an angel of Satan (2 Cor. 12:7). Everyone despises the vain. Therefore, the lover of fame is like a public whore who chases her lovers, but they despise her more and more. You say that after you dried up your body by fasting, the evil demon began to strongly arouse lust in you, penetrating inside, lighting a voluptuous flame, so that you are very embarrassed. Don’t be embarrassed, this often happens due to the devil’s envy, so read carefully. As Ezekiel says, referring to the enemy of our life: he wounded all his loins (Ezekiel 29:7), that is, he dared to defile those who struggle, bringing them down with carnal lusts and excitement. Also, Jeremiah says that the Lord sometimes allows the devil to penetrate into the hidden to test us: is there a sickness like mine, which befell me, which the Lord sent upon me on the day of His fiery wrath? (Lam. 1:12). Because ascetics have to endure many sorrows, undergo trials, darkness, go through fire and water, through darkness and storm from demons who hate virginity. So that in the end you can enter into joy, into coolness, breathe in the air of freedom and see the light of bliss. The speed of a horse is unknown if there is no competition, the strength of a wrestler is unknown if there is no opponent, and gold can be doubtful unless it has been tried in fire. Saints Job and Joseph were tested in the same way. If there were no persecutions, there would be no martyrs. If there were no Satan to tempt us, it would not be clear who is diligent and who is lazy. The life of one who does not stop at unclean thoughts and does not agree to accept obscenities is carefree. That is why God says about him: he will live peacefully in his place, and will no longer worry, and wicked people will no longer oppress him as before (2 Samuel 7:10). The sword of the devil is sometimes a bad thought, sometimes worldly affairs, sometimes a sin committed, sometimes the body; acting with all this as a weapon, he kills the soul, previously fascinated by thoughts. Sometimes the demons themselves, serving a person according to his will, become a sword. By Samaria 125 in Scripture one should understand false knowledge, and by Sodom knowledge, always seeking something new, is a disposition of the spirit carried away by temporary and corrupt pleasure. Due to extreme excess and luxury, it sees everything perverted and looks for a woman in a man. While we are children in mind, the Kingdom of Heaven has not yet approached us. When we succeed in spiritual wisdom and, having grown, are ready to accept the divine wisdom hidden in the teacher law, then we will no longer be under the command of the law 126. Then the Lord says: Am I God only near, and not God also far away? (Jer. 23:23). For the saint, by virtue and by the knowledge of a perfect man, the Kingdom of Heaven has already arrived, as Christ said: The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21), that is, it dwells in you with power and action. Some, not having the boldness acquired by a righteous life, but being in the darkness of passions and sins, sighed for themselves and opened their misfortunes to God, thereby being granted the mercy of God, freed from all evil. For it is characteristic of a man-loving God to raise the dead, to console the faint-hearted, and to exalt the humble. Therefore, even if you pray often and do not receive what you ask for, do not lose heart, hope for God’s help. Because the omniscient God delays in fulfilling what is asked in order to give you great benefits. Likewise, the Jews, having once sinned, were handed over into the hands of their enemies, so that, having suffered oppression, they could appeal to God and receive help. So abandonment by God and sorrow were turned into benefit and gain. 79. To Chairman Filagrius The works of the flesh - fornication, debauchery and the like - are dead works, they perish and disappear. If the fornicator, having changed, acquires abstinence, then the flesh is no longer called flesh, but is transformed into spirit. And such a person becomes spiritual. Therefore, he who cleaves to a harlot is called flesh, but he who cleaves to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). The mother of all virtues is prayer. It not only cleanses and nourishes, but also enlightens, making those who sincerely pray like the sun. 81. To the noble official Vivian And after his incarnation from the Virgin, the Only Begotten Son of God remains God. Because there is One Lord Jesus Christ - one Hypostasis and one Person. He, Whom the heavenly powers worship, is God equal to the power of the Father, and He dwelt on earth as a man, compassionate with publicans and sinners, eating with them, not pleasing the stomach, but correcting them. He seasoned the meal with His wisdom. Eliminate the reasons for enmity, and wild animals will be peaceful with you, and you will rest under your vine, when the Lord gives sleep to your beloved (see Ps. 127:2), mortifying God-hating passions, and there will be no fear (Mic. 4:4). Sometimes it seems as if the demon is defeating the demon. For example, the demon of fornication - a subtle and secretive demon of vanity, easily ascending. Sometimes, just as a nail is knocked out with a nail, the first temptation is reflected by the second temptation. So be humble and don't be impatient. If you honor God, then honor those who gave birth to you. If you have the fear of God, then throughout your life be afraid to upset your father and mother. For in the law the Lord says: Fear every one his mother and his father (Lev. 19:3). If you train yourself not to look at the face that attracts you, then without a doubt you will extinguish the flame of unlawful love and cure this ulcer with prayer and fasting. 88. To the monks Lawrence, Favst and Epinik Do not be afraid and do not be horrified by the insurance of crafty demons who frighten you with voices, shaking of the house, lightning, sparks, attacks of snakes and camels, sudden night invasions of barbarians, knocking, whistling, laughter, dancing and other intrigues. Each of you wrote to me that they tolerate this kind of thing from them in the local monasteries. Read everything I have written together and, as said above, do not be afraid or horrified. We have been subjected to all this and more than once, and we know that others before us have experienced the same thing. Therefore, do not let your hearts be distressed, do not fall into timidity and do not lose courage - all these fears are nothing. Take courage, trust in the Lord, be strong, work with all your might, be sober. Resort with faith and patience to prayer, psalms, kneeling, vigil, reclining on bare ground, reading, silence, humility, the sign of the cross and you will see that your enemies will disappear like smoke. These days, as you say, you have been greatly troubled by blasphemous and unreasonable thoughts inspired by demons. This is not surprising, because, having been defeated in their previous attacks, they began to fight with you in this way. For this reason, they are condemned to suffer in an unknown fire, which can also touch the incorporeal nature, then they will groan and mourn, and we will rejoice because we were humiliated and subjected to attacks by evil forces. The demons who are trying to deprive us of salvation will be deprived of everything and disappear. This is stated in the prophetic words: I live! - says the Lord God, I will deal with you according to your hatred and your envy, which you expressed out of your hatred towards them (Ezek. 55:11), that is, the Lord will say to them: just as you hated the monks, you persecuted the broken-hearted people in order to kill them, because: he loved the curse, and it will come to him; did not want the blessing, it will move away from him (Ps. 109:17) - you, who exalt yourself to the sky with malice, I will bring down with punitive fire, you will be in misery and will not stand. Remembering such sayings of the Holy Scriptures, comfort your heart. I tell you with complete confidence, brothers, everyone who suffers abuse from the devil should resort to the Savior Christ - with Him the enemy of our life will not be able to overtake us. It is said: Be for me a firm refuge, where I could always hide (Ps. 70:3). But let us not be careless about handicrafts, because the glorious Paul also boasted of labor and the fact that with his own hands he earned what he needed for himself. You write that you were freed from emotional sorrow and felt joy by telling me about everything that you experienced. I knew that you would feel relief and consolation by revealing what happened to you to one who himself suffered abuse and attack from demons a thousand times. Thus, someone who has been bitten by a snake, when he meets another who has been bitten before and tells about the misfortune that befell him, will receive relief. A Christian who has learned the highest wisdom should not observe months, years and weeks, but should celebrate all the time, illuminated by good deeds and enriched by a righteous life. His whole life should be a holy holiday. Such a person, in my opinion, is more royal than kings; he always spiritually celebrates the Feast of Feasts 127. It is said: For the Lord punishes whomever he loves; he beats every son whom he receives. If you endure punishment, then God deals with you as with sons (Heb. 12:6-7), and also, one of the saints said: and subjected himself to wounds every day (Ps. 73:14). So why are you surprised when you see that saints suffer from various diseases, suffer poverty, sorrow and are humiliated? Indulging in sin and encouraging oneself to commit it is suicide and the most bitter death. Because sin, like a poisonous snake, creeps in quietly, and when it intensifies and bites inside, it cries out in the heart: wonderful! I have achieved my goal! Anyone who, during the war of fornication, indulges in satiety and drunkenness, adding brine and pepper to the seasonings, contributes to the excitement of this war. As the Scripture says, such a person is a stumbling block in the house of his God (Hos. 9:8). Is it possible for someone who acquires and saturates internal enemies to drive out external enemies? Get away from the corrupt world. Perhaps you heard Christ calling to us: Arise, let us go from here (John 14:31), that is, from the thing that creeps on the earth, to the heavenly. 96. To Archimandrite Lamprotichus Having become the abbot of the monastery, you were delighted, thinking that you enjoyed great authority. And now, when some of the brethren, by God’s Providence - since everything is fulfilled and curbed providentially, have rebelled and insulted you, you complain and murmur against the Provider. Stop being childish and straying from the path of God. You have not yet been spat upon by those who have been saved and benefited by you; acting justly, you have not been called an ungodly villain, have not been given vinegar to drink, or have been condemned to a shameful death. You have not yet become like the Lord Jesus, Who endured all this from His servants, whom He favored, but was not angry with them, but, on the contrary, prayed to the Father for them. If you are content with little, without excess, becoming free from many worldly worries, then you are blessed, for: A man born of a woman is short-lived (Job 14:1). Blessed is not the one who is bogged down in many worries, the unfaithful and worthy of damnation, but the carefree one who has only the most necessary things. You are unfair when you talk about your neighbor’s sin with bad thoughts and malice. You will have to answer for the lies. Because justice requires not to disclose, but to hide as much as possible, correcting the fallen with compassion and good advice. Repeatedly defeated and trampled underfoot by sin, you have grown old in sin and vanity through foolishness. Sober up, realizing this, strengthen yourself, calling on the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Take care of yourself before you die, crush the devil who crushed and defeated you. For Isaac first gave birth to the vain Esau, and then to Jacob, who conquered passions. Let a good state of mind defeat the evil thought that preceded it. 100. To Presbyter Anastasius The superiors who did not give instructions to those who demanded the word will be punished for the death of those under them. Look what the Lord says about this: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel, and you will hear the word from My mouth, and you will admonish them from Me. When I say to the wicked man, “You will surely die!”, and you do not admonish him and speak to warn the wicked man from his wicked way so that he may live, then that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will require his blood at your hands (Ezek. 3:17–18). Carelessly and imprudently participating in various companies and being carried away by temporary pleasures, we fall into thoughts of irritability, displeasure and lust. No one denies that repentance is God's gift. We are ashamed of our falls, recognizing every shameless act of ours as vile. That is why God says in prophecy: Then remember your evil ways and your unkind deeds, and you will feel disgusted with yourself for your iniquities and your abominations (Ezek. 36:31). Just as Abraham was called a king for his virtue, for the foreigners said to him: You are king in us (Gen. 23:6), so the sons of Israel for their piety were called Angels of God by Moses: When the Most High... scattered the sons of men, then he set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the Angels of God (Deut. 32:8). Since the sons of Jacob turned out to be seventy (Gen. 46:27), it is said that the nations of the whole earth were distributed according to their number. For some say that there are seventy nations in the whole world. Always, especially when we stand before God in prayer and psalmody, we should direct our thoughts to heaven and not remember anything sensual. In every sad event for us, it is both useful and necessary to thank God the Provider and the Judge of our lives. For if, under all sad circumstances, we turn out to be grateful, then without a doubt we will be worthy of the rewards prepared for the martyrs. The life of monastics, previously desirable and praiseworthy, now, as you see, is disgusting. All cities and villages are burdened with false monks who wander in vain and aimlessly, meeting with contempt. All the inhabitants are embarrassed and upset when they see that the monks are more shameless than beggars and do not leave their doors. Because of them, the prudence and lifestyle of those who live righteously and virtuously are now considered deception and deceit. Is there any new Jeremiah now who can properly mourn our situation? I'm ashamed to write anything more. You wonder what is written about the appearance of the risen Lord to Cleopas: But He became invisible to them (Luke 24:31). But you have read what Moses said about the sinners of Sodom: and the people who were at the entrance to the house were struck with blindness, from the smallest to the greatest, so that they were tormented while looking for the entrance. (Gen. 19:11). It is clear that the righteous man had doors; this is not a mirage, not a dream, but actually existing doors that could be seen, but for the Sodomites they became invisible and intangible. Likewise, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to some after His resurrection, but others could not see Him. The Lord, who died for our sins, truly rose from the dead, and His flesh became incorruptible, so that it could be both visible and invisible according to the will of the Lord. That is why it is written: “He became invisible” - this should not be understood as if the Lord disappeared or that the Risen One became a ghost, or a cloud, or a dream. Otherwise, why is it said: touch Me and look at Me (Luke 24:39)? For pious and righteous people, when they are weakened in body, our enemies, demons, not only bring suffering, but also instill in them blasphemous thoughts and murmuring against God. In the same way, outwardly, under the pretext of visiting, they send various people, including unrighteous ones, who, while comforting the suffering, tell them something bad or funny or even pleasant, but distract the mind from God. Therefore, if you are subject to many bodily ailments, sorrows and various needs, then, as a courageous ascetic, do not be faint-hearted, but increase your gratitude to God many times over. Accept only those who talk to you about patience, kindness and the manifold Providence of God, ask them to talk to you about this more often. Those who dare to talk about anything worldly, perishable, and earthly—unhealthy for the soul—drive and send away from you. So that they do not ensnare your soul with their wicked speeches and cause great harm to you, who is struggling with illness. Nothing will make us as joyful and complacent as the knowledge of true philosophy, which teaches us to despise the visible and strive for the eternal - that is, for future benefits. The knowledge of true philosophy does not recognize anything inherent in man as durable - neither health, nor vigor and bodily strength, nor carnal pleasures, nor wealth, nor power, nor honors, nor pleasures and all the like. It is not good that you engage in profitable art to entertain your soul. It is dangerous that over time you will not have or find time to remember the Lord your God. 111. Selentiarius Gaudentius It is said: He gathered the waters of the sea like heaps (Ps. 32:7), that is, God, like heaps, gathers the sea into designated limits and holds the waters, and does not allow them to step over the weak substance - sand and cover the face of the earth. This is what the holy prophet wanted to say, adding: He placed deeps in storehouses (Ps. 33:7), that is, he contains an immeasurable amount of water in these receptacles. 112. Archimandrite Epictitus In petitions and prayers to the Almighty, one should not cry out following the example of the ignorant, but cry out with one’s thoughts from the bottom of one’s heart. It is wonderful to sing with your brothers, glorifying the Lord, as David says (Ps. 91:1; 135:3). But those who established the rite of prayer consider it unreasonable and indecent for an ascetic to exclaim loudly. Because the Lord does not expect from us thoughts expressed through the mouth and loud exclamations. He knows what we need before we speak about it with fleshly lips and tongue. On the contrary, He listens to the unentertained mind, the inaudible voice and the silent exclamations of the heart. If you pray like this, then: you will call, and the Lord will hear (Isa. 58:9). And about Moses we know that he who was oppressed on the seashore and was silent with his bodily lips, but who cried out with his mind was heard: And the Lord said to Moses: Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go, and you lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it (Ex. 14:15–16). Therefore, after singing psalms, let us not exclaim loudly, praying as if out of obligation, but if we pray with our bodies, let us try to pray with our minds as well (1 Cor. 14:15). For blessed Anna, the mother of the prophet Samuel, prayed: her lips only moved, and her voice was not heard (1 Sam. 1:13). And because she prayed from her heart, she was heard and, after so many years of infertility, became the mother of many children. Because everything is possible for someone who believes and prays as it should. I ask you, mortify your bodily members, if possible, give everything to your soul, hasten to enter the narrow path traversed by few. Become humble and exalted, mortal and immortal, earthly and heavenly, heir to God and joint heir with Christ. Pray unceasingly, sing psalms gracefully and unremittingly, study the word of God, kneel, stay alert in soul and body, cleanse with your tears the filth brought in by your feelings. Help the tired, take care of the poor, give them clothes and food. If you have all this and multiply, then you will not appear idle and fruitless before Christ, the God of all, on the day of reward. Christ, the Lord of all, wishing to teach us vigil and prayer, spent the whole night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12). Also: Around midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God (Acts 16:25). And the prophet says: At midnight I rose to praise You for Your righteous judgments (Ps. 119:62). But I wonder how it is that you, sleeping and snoring all night, do not feel remorse? Therefore, at least now deign to shake off the deadening sleep and reverently listen to prayer and psalmody. Accept everything that is regrettable and sorrowful that happens to you without any murmur, worshiping the All-Perfect. Because without God’s judgment no illness, sorrow or anything that debilitates us will befall us. For it is said: If You punish a person for his crimes with reproofs, then his beauty will crumble like moths (Ps. 39:12). One who, repenting of sins, strikes his chest 129, we can say that he praises God with a tympanum and faces (Ps. 151:4). Because in contrition, striking the heart, it makes a whole face of tearful thoughts an accomplice in prayer. Dipping the reed of repentance into a vessel with tears bitter from grief and sadness, writing a petition on the outstretched charter of the heart and submitting it to the Lord, will not be rejected by Jesus Christ, who died for sinners. When a snake crawls into a hole, it is easier to tear it apart than to pull it out, because it resists with all its skin. So is the passion for pleasure. Various types of pleasure, through the senses, take root in human life, are like the scales of a snake, speckled with a variety of passions. Therefore, if you want to avoid cooperation with a mental reptile, beware of the head - that is, the first attack of evil. 118. I intercede in the affairs of Ursachius On Sunday we pray standing upright, thereby depicting the constancy of the future century. And on other days we kneel, thereby depicting the fall of the human race. Rising from kneeling, we proclaim the Resurrection of Christ that took place on Sunday, which has been given to us all. On the day of the future universal judgment, they will demand from you an account not only for idle talk, but also for hearing idle words. For it is said: Do not listen to empty rumors (Ex. 23:1). Therefore, you should not readily believe those who slander. 120. To the scholastic Alcibiades You write to me that you love humility and want to know how to achieve this grace. Therefore, if you want to avoid pride and become the owner of a blessed gift, do not neglect anything that contributes to it. The soul usually becomes like what it is busy with - it imprints on itself what it does. Therefore, appearance, clothing, gait, food, and everything else should be moderate. Also, speech and behavior in conversation with others should be modest, and not arrogant. Be kind and meek with your brother, gentle in front of your opponents, philanthropic and compassionate towards the downtrodden, ready to help and comfort the sick, visit everyone who is suffering and grieving, do not despise anyone, be benevolent and open to everyone. Although you say that you do not have boldness, being unclean, do not fall into hopelessness, because you have boldness in the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He accepted death for the ungodly, the unclean, the people without boldness. He promises, speaking in the prophet Isaiah: And it will happen on that day: when the Lord restores you from your sorrow and from fear and from the heavy slavery to which you were enslaved (Is. 14:3), that is, the good God will help you, confessing with tears, will cleanse you from your sins and from slavery to shameless demons. And He also says: dead bodies will rise (Is. 26:19), - this can be understood both in relation to the general resurrection and spiritually. When will those buried in various vices be resurrected here? For we ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, awaiting adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23), when all creation will be freed for incorruptibility and eternity. If you do not fear God, then the consequence of this is bitterness and insensibility. And if you fear the Lord, then this gives rise to good feelings and promotes repentance. Therefore it is written: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The wise Solomon says in common words that the drunkard and the satiated one will become poor and sleepiness will be dressed in rags (see Proverbs 23:21), calling sleepy one who is slow and lazy in every good deed. But he who despises God’s decrees leaves the robe of holy knowledge, as the Evangelist John writes (John 19:23), and the bright robe of incorruptibility, and puts on the ugly rags of angry and useless questions, shame and evil spirits. One of the prophets exclaimed: And the bravest of the brave will flee naked on that day (Amos 2:16). Because he who is stripped of all temporary and vain care will undoubtedly avoid the enemy’s traps. He will run away naked from the machinations and tricks of the enemy, but subsequently, strengthened by assistance and help from above, he will resist his opponents. And, trusting in God’s grace, he himself will attack those who persecuted him before, so that the very demons whom you feared will fear you and flee, persecuted by you, although they first came and robbed you. Trust the wise Solomon and do not frequently enter your friend’s house, lest he become bored with you and hate you (Proverbs 25:17). Arrange so that your friend comes to you less often, so that he also “doesn’t hate you.” Occasionally, from time to time, communicating safely with friends makes mutual affection stronger. Likewise, what is said to each other seems more and more useful over time, preserving the honor and respect inherent in true friendship. If you are not able to give an account to God for yourself, then how do you try to gain authority and care over the souls of others? 127. To Presbyter Polychronia In the letter and through those who submitted the letter, you asked for advice on how to destroy the despondency and sadness sown by demons in your God-loving heart. I will immediately give you consolation, so be careful what I say. The sea waters, at the command of God, rise up and transform into clouds, turning from salty to sweet. So we too, when by God’s will and God’s power we rise, we become righteous and free from the salt of sin. Then those who consume you will depart from you (Isa. 49:19), according to prophecy. For, according to the prophecy: we will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Then we will no longer agree to move away from the true Lord and Shepherd and move away from His grace, but we will follow Him throughout all eternal life. Therefore, let us take comfort in these words and, without a doubt, overcome the sorrowful feelings sown in us by unclean spirits who want to weaken us and deprive us of our faith in the resurrection. So why should we become discouraged or lose heart, after the Lord clearly said in the Gospel: And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Me (John 12:32). In the same way, the prophet strengthens and encourages everyone: Trust in the Lord and keep to His way: He will exalt you to inherit the earth (Ps. 36:34). Knowing this, let us not despair of our salvation. On the contrary, let us work with great reverence, without indulging in hopelessness, negligence and contempt. The demon, a nasty inventor and teacher of fornication, shows the soul of the ascetic beautiful women and pretty boys, inclining the mind to dream about them and encouraging him to sin. It often happens that such dreams can plunge the mind into shameless passion. You know that the Holy Scripture reproaches those who are in too much of a hurry, without waiting for God’s will. Therefore, it is better to always be patient and pray. Read about the fact that we must wait with prayer and hope for what the Lord will do in Acts, where Luke speaks of being in Philippi: We stayed in this city for several days (Acts 16:12). Thus, from small accidents, with the help of ordinary people, God's Providence can arrange great things: On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the river, where, as usual, there was a house of prayer, and, sitting down, we talked with the women who had gathered there. And a certain woman from the city of Thyatira, named Lydia, a merchant of purple, who worshiped God, listened; and the Lord opened her heart (Acts 16:13–14). Remember also about the Samaritan woman, the Canaanite woman, the bleeding woman, and Simon the leper mentioned in the Gospel. Remember also about Simon the tanner, who received the Apostle Peter into his home, which served as the reason for preaching in Jopia before in the great Caesarea of ​​Palestine. He is honored with praise as having opened the path of salvation to many. The Lord Christ speaks to His disciples about the fact that before testing one should not force God to rush to perform a miracle, but to endure and wait for favor from above: And having gathered them, He commanded them: do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for what was promised from the Father, which you heard from Me (Acts 1:4), and when you are worthy, then lay the foundation for teaching and signs. Likewise those who were with the holy Apostle Paul: they were not allowed by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia (Acts 16:6). It is impossible for one who is instructed by temptations to complete the journey without sorrow. But when temptations pass and demons are removed, then all those who have cultivated saving sorrows in their hearts will be filled with great joy, sweet tears and divine thoughts. For it is said: When my sorrows multiply in my heart, Your consolations delight my soul (Ps. 93:19). A great feat, a lot of care, sober and undistracted prayer are required in order to find and acquire the undisturbed state of mind in which the Lord Christ dwells, according to the word of the Apostle. In this state, some other heart sky will open, illuminated by God’s grace. David, who has greatly succeeded, gives great gratitude to God who chose him and in conclusion says: Your servant has prepared his heart to pray to You with such a prayer (2 Sam. 7:27). By this he designates that holy, peaceful and luminous state in which there are no longer any memories of the temporal and sensory. A monk should not look at women’s faces even in his sleep. He should neither eat, nor drink, nor laugh, nor spend nights with women, nor should he fill his senses with the corrupting sensation of women. What can I tell you to put an end to your lewdness? What can I offer you that is useful and suitable for saving your soul, how can I keep you from vice? What bridle of admonition should you put on the horse of your voluptuousness? What can I do with you to free you from passion for women and how can I bind you with the bonds of chastity? You have many proofs of God's care for you. Even before taking on the monastic image, when you had not yet performed a single good deed, you were favored a thousandfold, comforted and preserved by God. With this in mind, humble your self-esteem. Avoid communication with those who, having entered into monastic life, love pride, spend time in courts, chatter about everyday things - their bad deeds are worse than anything they have done before. They attract to themselves many evil spirits, so that the last thing for that person is worse than the first (Matthew 12:45). Therefore, break your own heart, as David said: I have humbled myself before the Lord my God and before the people who believe in Him. For my heart was not lifted up and my eyes were not lifted up, and I did not enter into great things beyond my reach (Ps. 130:1), fearing to become like stiff-necked and ignorant people who have forgotten the Lord. According to your scholarship, some lay people are so righteous that they always fast, do not wash, sleep on bare ground, devote themselves to vigil, prayer, and defense of the oppressed, without experiencing demonic temptations. This is because the devil does not care about them; he sharpens his two-edged sword of countless temptations on those who have chosen the monastic and silent life. For this reason, they have not yet experienced the demonic warfare raised against us, have not felt the attack of the spiritual army, and have not been invaded by spiritual barbarians. They were not tested, nor shaken, nor straitened. There are certain men full of virtue and divine knowledge. The devil who attacks them throws them into confusion, shakes them, bites them with his mouth and beats them with his tail, so that they suffer thousands of insults from him. He brings them to gloomy thoughts of leaving the tabernacles, breaking the union of soul and flesh, through which the enemy takes up arms against them. Can we say more? The same laymen have not yet heard of virtue, but think of themselves as perfect ascetics, conquerors of opposing forces, fulfillers of the Gospel commandments, versed in all spiritual wisdom, so that they have no need for teachers. Therefore, they begin to blame and slander the leaders of the Church, ridicule and denigrate the monks, happily talking about other people's affairs. But this is a great sin - being wounded by many iniquities, not paying attention to your sins, but being curious and gossiping about what you found bad in others. They are dissatisfied with everything, they humiliate everyone. They interfere where they are not asked, and begin to teach without learning themselves. These people can be likened to foolish children who are ready to beat all the barbarians with a wooden sword, as you yourself have repeatedly said. They seem to me like a stupid child who boasts that he has learned all the art of agriculture. Because in the courtyard of his parents’ house he took a large pot, put earth with manure in it, sowed some seeds and, watering it abundantly, after a while he saw that the seeds had sprouted and the pot was covered with greenery. This makes the child happy and happy and says to everyone: I am experienced in field work. At the same time, he has no idea about the labor with which farmers fertilize and plow the fields, he does not know the theft of seeds by birds, he does not know about the sorrows of lack of rain and drought that befall farmers. He also does not know about the invasion of livestock and wild donkeys when the seed has sprouted, about human theft, and about hail that breaks the ears of corn. The child does not have the knowledge that he needs to stay awake and sober in the field, guarding his field; he does not know about locusts, aphids and caterpillars. Even such childishly reasoning men are like a child who has a boat and sails on it along the shore and at the same time boasts like those who sailed through dangerous seas. Having said this, I think I have seriously affected your ego. May your enemies not weaken your zeal, striking your soul with various temptations. From many indescribable sorrows a crown is woven for you, and according to the apostle, in weakness the power of Christ is perfected 130 and in difficult circumstances the grace of the Holy Spirit flourishes. As it is said: Light rises in darkness for the upright (Ps. 111:4), if they have maintained firm boldness and trust to the end. It is impossible to touch an iron heated in a fire, just as pure intensified prayer, igniting and strengthening the mind of a monk, makes it inaccessible to invisible enemies. Therefore, worthless demons try in every way to awaken laziness in the ascetic to constantly and patiently remain in prayer, knowing that it reflects the opposing force, protecting and strengthening the ascetic. 139. To Presbyter Xenophon Do not undertake, out of ambition, to proclaim 131 and lead others before you have improved yourself in virtue. First, devote yourself to good asceticism, and only after you have become perfect, having entered, according to the Divine law, into the land of promise and having accepted the inheritance of the fathers, boldly form and teach others. Then you will become a planter of spiritual trees, according to what is written in the book of Leviticus: When you come to the land [which the Lord God will give you], and plant some fruit tree (Lev. 19:23). I gave you this advice so that you would not hear from anyone else: doctor, first heal yourself from your serious illnesses, and then take care of souls and heal others. Do not be upset by what happens, but be content in many sorrows. For this reason God says: He humbled you, tormented you with hunger, and fed you with manna, which you did not know and your fathers did not know (Deut. 8:3), in order to finally show you a good deed. If a strong wind does not blow on the sea, waves will not appear. And if the evil demon does not attack us, neither the soul nor the body will be overwhelmed by bad passions. It is never untimely to breathe, and even until your last breath you must never stop asking God for mercy. It is said: Lord, God of my salvation! I cry by day and by night before You (Ps. 87:2). Look how the godly David gives you a model, following which you should pray unceasingly and not become discouraged. Indeed, if we receive benefit by talking with some reverent man, then how much benefit will we receive by talking day and night in prayer with the Lord of all. Are you surprised when even like-minded people and formerly close friends blame and reproach you? Remember righteous Job, remember all the saints who endured every sorrow. What to talk about? Remember that the Lord Christ Himself suffered so many insults from His own servants: contempt, abuse, ridicule, spitting, humiliation, outrages, slaps and thousands of other insults, and finally, shameful death. Remember Him, who possessed Divine wisdom, and stop grieving. Know that the one whom God wants to save, He will frighten and plunge into horror and various sorrows, so that there is no time to succumb to pride. This is how the gracious and experienced Sirach speaks about this: He who loves his son, let him punish him more often (Sir. 30:1). We, by our sincere faith, are without a doubt the sons of the Most High, and He punishes, but does not destroy us, because even the bush that burned in the fire did not burn up 132. One should never be idle. Therefore, do not stop studying Scripture, praying and doing other luminous activities. So that otherwise, without caring about yourself, with a relaxation of the spirit, you do not lose the warmth of grace. This is what the divine apostle commands us, crying: Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19). And in the Old Testament law, as you have heard many times, it is written: let the fire on the altar burn [and] not go out (Lev. 6:12). Let not the excitement of the flesh frighten you, who loves abstinence, prayer and silence. For it is said: we will not fear, even if the earth shakes (Ps. 45:3), that is, when the flesh boils from the confusion and excitement of hostile passions. Let us not be afraid, calling on the Lord of all for help. We will also not be afraid of demonic obsessions, which from the outside mix in with human impulses and drive nature into a frenzy. As blessed David tells us: I trust in God and am not afraid, what will the flesh do to me? (Ps. 56:5). Because every believer, raising his mind to the Almighty and unwaveringly trusting in Him, will overcome and bring into inaction the excitement of the flesh and reject with contempt monstrous and shameless thoughts. So why are you afraid of the excitement of the flesh and evil thoughts? Think about whether this is due to lack of faith. And call to the Doctor of souls: I believe, Lord! help my unbelief (Mark 9:24), or repeat also what is written: increase our faith (Luke 17:5). For you, no doubt, remember Saint James, who wrote about those who hesitate in prayer: But let him ask in faith, without doubting in the least, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, tossed and tossed by the wind. Let such a person not think of receiving anything from the Lord (James 1:6–7). 147. I intercede in the affairs of Parnassius Will you ever rise, lulled by fruitless amusements? Will you understand that you were created to be a living, intelligent being? Will you hate the enemy of your soul, the devil - the culprit of all inappropriate fun? Think about the Last Judgment! Therefore, condemn yourself by abhorring evil deeds, and hate this stench. Turn away from what is pleasing to demons. Think about God, looking up to the sky with tears. And listen to blessed Paul: Therefore let not sin reign in your mortal body, so that you should obey it in its lusts; And do not yield up your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:12–13). Even lovers do not lust for each other as much as God turns to a soul ready to repent that has sinned before Him. He calls again and again through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah - come, return to your Lord and Savior. Come, do not delay, return to Me, and I will deliver you from shame and give you righteous boldness. Because I do not turn away from anyone who turns to Me with tears and resorts to My mercy. Sometimes the Lord sends sorrow and bodily suffering to those who do not want to repent of their sins. So that, seeing their suffering, diligent people correct themselves before they suffer anything sorrowful, and do not become stagnant in their shortcomings. 150. To the fallen subdeacon Quintus It would be wonderful not to desecrate the purity of the tunic at all. It would be great not to darken the light. It would be wonderful to remain unhurt and not need a Doctor. It would be wonderful if the heart, sprinkled with the blood of Christ and blooming like a rose, was not plunged into the mud of voluptuousness. But even now, having become lazy and not caring about salvation, you have given in to victory over yourself to dirty and bitter sin. Defeated by the devil, you have become his prisoner, but do not despair. Having repented, resort to the philanthropic Christ, and you can return to better things. He will favorably accept your repentance, brought through prayers, fasting, crying, confession, vigil. Do not lose hope of salvation through the mercy of Christ. So now Christ speaks through the mouth of the prophet: I do not want the death of the sinner, but that the sinner should turn from his way and live (Ezek. 33:11). Therefore we will rise. We should always raise our minds to heaven, and especially when we are in difficult circumstances, we should thank God, who strengthens our strength. For blessed David also says: I will bless the Lord at all times (Ps. 33:2). And Saint Isaiah cries out on our behalf: I praise You, Lord; You were angry with me, but you turned away your anger and comforted me (Isa. 12:1). Because the Lord knows and sees exactly how much evil unclean demons inspire us with. So, he says to Moses: I have seen the suffering of My people in Egypt (Ex. 3:7). But He waits and is patient for our benefit. Waiting to multiply the reward for our patience. He is waiting for His generosity towards us, the unfortunate, to increase and increase. By this He encourages us to persistent prayers before Him, so that we do not turn our eyes away from Him. They did not forget about God even in a carefree, peaceful state and not excited by passions. So that in sorrow we turn to the Benefactor, resorting to the philanthropic Christ for consolation. So that, tired, they approach Him, turning for help to the One who can give it. Therefore, with all our hearts, with zeal, we run to God without complaints or murmuring, in any sorrow, maintaining good hope. When you reach the highest level, when you renounce the earth, abhorring earthly things, when you destroy everything visible in yourself, when you truly love heavenly blessings, when you gain the wings of spiritual eagles, easily ascending to heaven, then you will recognize terrible temptations, experience terrible warfare, and begin to pray to be freed from this life. Not yet fifteen years old, you are asceticizing in the monastic life. You consider yourself more perfect than the elders who labored for a long time: like sparks to rush upward (Job 5:7)! You think that you have already defeated all temptations, but you have not yet seen even a shadow of temptation, you do not know what it is to fight demons. Having not yet begun the fight against demons, you dare to despise and condemn experienced brothers. You need to know that you will appear at the Last Judgment, where there is no one strong enough to give help, where the power of words and the resourcefulness of the tongue mean nothing, where there will not be a single defender or supplicant. Since your soul will need to go through the terrible eternal fire, do not be careless - repent while there is time. Know your sins while you're alive. Weep for yourself as if you were dead and imprisoned in a tomb. Send this dew into the eternal flame, giving flow to the sources of tears. Sorrow with good and saving sorrow and repent as you sin, shedding tears. 155. To Chairman Venustru Sweet is the sleep of the worker (Eccl. 5:11), says the Divine Scripture. Because sleep is truly sweet and pleasant when the sleeper is at rest and silent, when the soul that has taken possession of the body eats food in moderation, with the goal of nourishing and covering the body. Then sleep becomes sweet for the slave too. And those who are mired in luxury and immoderately irritate the body, natural sleep is not sweet, as it does not give peace to the soul. One who is satiated with expensive dishes considers himself free and, rebelling against his nature, incites many obscenities. Thus, one who enters the field of various pleasures competes in the most vile passions, seeking the rewards of infamy. He who trusts in God will not be left without help, Blessed Paul also speaks about this (see Rom. 5:5). Because to the one who trusts, God will in due time give what he asks for in frequent prayer, even making the non-existent exist. As it is said, blessed are those who wait for the Lord in prayer and hope (see Luke 12:38). The Lord will hear and be merciful to the voice of your cry and will heal the contrition of your soul. The prophet Isaiah calls out to us: Lord! have mercy on us; We trust in You (Isa. 33:2), because You are our Savior. On the day of trouble let us cry: Lord! You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things... for You were the refuge of the poor, the refuge of the needy in his time of need, a protection from the storm, a shadow from the heat (Isa. 25:1, Isa. 25:4). Understand this, Bishop, because I wrote intelligently to the intelligent one. You will eat your bread to the full, and you will live safely on the land (Lev. 26:5), says the Lord through the mouth of Moses. Do you know what divine bread is and what security is? I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness (Isa. 41:10), as the Lord said, and: I will send peace to the land [yours], you will lie down, and no one will disturb you forever (Lev. 26:6). This means freedom from vile passions, rest from the surrounding evil. “You filled my heart with joy from the time that their bread and wine and [oil] multiplied. I lie down calmly and sleep, for You, Lord, alone allow me to live in safety.” Joy is not in the mouth, but in the heart - eternal joy, and calm sleep from all sin - this is the treasure of the Lord prepared for ascetics. It is said: I will drive out fierce beasts from the land [yours] (Lev. 26:6), that is, fierce demons and their plans from the souls of those who struggle. And you will drive out your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword; five of you will drive out a hundred, and a hundred of you will drive out darkness (Lev. 26:7–8). Because the five senses, protected by the height of the spirit and the strength given from God - a strength that exceeds nature, having acquired which, the mind drives away hundreds of opponents. And one hundred of our most perfect thoughts and good deeds captivate and conquer the darkness of evil tormentors. Tier 133 - means difficulty or sorrow. But after the difficulties and sorrow brought upon us by demons, if we endure them complacently, we will achieve the peace given to us by God. The words of the psalm speak about this: And the daughter of Tyre with gifts (Ps. 44:13), because most of the divine gifts arise in the soul after difficulty and sorrow. He who saves his soul will lose it; but he who loses his life for My sake will save it (Matthew 10:39). Do you understand what a beautiful loss and a good saving mean? Therefore, when, delving deeper into your soul, you find it in some sin, hasten to lose it to this disastrous state in order to find it returned to its original good state, that is, to a virtuous life. Virtues are called the face of the soul, and vices of all kinds are called the backside. The face of the soul is its godlike image, that is, the purity of mind and the lightness of a holy and immaculate nature. The spine is a depravity that comes from laziness. That is why those who turn their backs to God are condemned. It is necessary to defeat vice so that we do not remain unhealed, as it is said: and he struck his enemies in the rear (Ps. 77:66), to eternal benefit and good. It is said about manna: The properties of Your food showed Your love for children and, to satisfy the desire of the eater, it changed according to the taste of each (Wis. 16:21). Likewise, in the word of God there is the quality of all spiritual food. For those reborn by water and spirit it is pure milk of the word (1 Peter 2:2), for the weak it is a vegetable, for those who have reason it is solid food. We can say about him: I have become everything to everyone (1 Cor. 9:22), so that man may be saved and be worthy of eternal life. Do not be calm and insensitive to what happened to you. Because through your negligence the invasion of the king of Egypt came upon your soul, and he took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house [and the golden shields that David took from the servants of Hadadazar] (1 Kings 14:26). However, you yourself are pleased with what you should have moaned and cried about. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you, for it is better for you that one of your members should perish (Matthew 5:29), and Moses said the same thing about those who distract you from the Lord God: If your brother, [your father's son or] your mother's son, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife in your bosom, or the friend who is like your life to you, persuades you in secret, saying: “Let us go and serve other gods” ( Deut. 13:6), also does not command to spare them. You say that you are immensely sad and lament because you do not have wealth that you could distribute to everyone in need. But I tell you that the commandment does not require this from the poor. You have possessions in your soul that you can squander and throw away. These are irritability, stubbornness, envy, bickering, vanity, verbosity, cruelty, hypocrisy, curiosity, disobedience. It is said: My soul is weary, longing for the courts of the Lord (Ps. 83:3). By God's courts, Scripture understands the virtues and actions in which God's Word and those following the Word are established. Young people should not be allowed free communication, even with courteous and respectful communication, so that the enemy does not attack us. Sirach speaks similar things about his daughter, advising her to be kept under strong guard and not to turn an affectionate face towards her, so that she does not disgrace the house. Take this as an instruction and rule regarding every young person admitted to your brotherhood. The demons, intending to overcome and bring some ascetics to their downfall (see Job 9:5), do not know that they themselves will be defeated by the patience and hope of the ascetics. It is said: even to the lips he must be closed and shout: unclean! Unclean! As long as the plague remains on him, he must be unclean; he is unclean; he must live separately, his dwelling outside the camp (Lev. 13:45–46). That is, others unreasonably allow those overcome by many passions and defiled by many vices to teach spiritual truths. But the Divine law closes the mouth, filled with stench, until such a person converts and purifies himself with labors, cruel deeds, streams of tears, and humiliation. Until the Lord of all Christ has mercy on him and says: Open your mouth, and I will fill it (Ps. 80:11), I will fill it not with dishonor and abomination, but with the fragrance of grace, for the benefit of yourself and those who will be announced. The leper and the unclean in soul are cast out outside the camp (see Numbers 5:2). Because such a person, until complete purification, must be removed from the camp of divine mentors, preachers, prophets, from where Samuel dwells 134 and from where David did not leave. Whatever the evil demon comes up with to drive good ascetics to cowardice. Sometimes, frightening them, he tries to change good petitions to the opposite. So, when the one praying cries out: have mercy on me, O God, and save me, the enemy prompts the soul, saying: be angry with me, O God, and destroy me. Likewise, when a person glorifies and sings songs to the Almighty with all his heart, the hostile serpent turns hymns and prayers into blasphemy. But you should not be horrified by the insolence of your enemies. On the contrary, one must remain in complacency, continue prayer and praise, bringing the enemy into exhaustion. Because when we fight as we should, we are rewarded with blessings like Jacob, and then the enemies who are indignant at our life weaken, as it is written: and the archers fought against him, but his bow remained strong, and the muscles of his hands were strong (Gen. 49:23-24). Thus we will be glorified with the host of the righteous. 173. To the former consul Sevier Some bishops, envious of the high virtue of John, Bishop of Constantinople, abandoned the fear of God and rebelled against the inspired man, the lamp of the whole world. They, taking advantage of the innocence of the pious king, forced him to yield to their slander and send the heavenly man into captivity. Since the king agreed with these malicious shepherds-destroyers, the prophet rightly said: he stretches out his hand to the blasphemers (Hos. 7:5). However, after the imprisonment of the righteous man, most of those who rebelled against him suffered punishment from God, confessing with tears and screams that they had sinned against the holy man. Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will bring it to pass (Ps. 36:5). Show Him your shameful life, reveal to the great Bishop your spiritual wounds, and trust in Him. And He will make the unclean clean, the dog will become a lawful child, the angry one meek, the impatient one patient, and He will cleanse your mind from filth. 175. Archimandrite Euthymius It is written that to the kind-hearted David: all those who were oppressed and all those who were in debt and all those who were sad in soul were gathered together, and he became ruler over them (1 Sam. 22:2). Therefore, all those who are bound by the bonds of unclean thoughts, who are suffocating from envy, blasphemy, hatred, despondency, hot temper and other evil passions, who are burdened with the debts of many sins and sad in soul from slavery to shameful passions, from demonic attacks - let all of them, priests, monastics and laity, resort to the spiritual David - Jesus To Christ with weeping and prayer to be comforted. For the King of kings and God Christ willingly leads those who turn their eyes to Him in sorrows, and therefore says: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28), since you are My creation. The disease of your heart is known to Me, and your groans are not hidden from Me. It is said: get up early tomorrow and appear before the face of Pharaoh (Ex. 8:20). Because those who diligently serve God always remain in the morning light and resist the mental Pharaoh. Do not desire a quick deliverance from the temptations and sorrows that trouble you, but be patient and wait for the will of Christ, who provides for you, to do so, who wisely arranges your work. Look, not in the first watch, not in the second and not in the third, but in the fourth watch - almost at dawn the Lord appears, restless from the storm, waves and immeasurable fear 135. When He approaches your ship and enters it, silence, peace, and joy will immediately come for you. Just do not cool your hope and tirelessly turn to Christ when temptations come and in the midst of trials - hope. Remember what the Lord said: go alone to a deserted place and rest a little (Mark 6:31), advising you to take a little rest from temptations. After this, you will no longer be tested in a deserted life, but in a life filled with temptations and sorrows. You spent the previous time in the desert of serenity, not tempted by anything. Because Providence has not yet prepared you for deeds of virtue. Now, being on the battlefield with the devil, you lose heart, hesitate and complain. Haven't you heard that it is impossible to achieve crowns without labor? Look at how the prophet Jeremiah speaks about God’s beloved Jerusalem—by this I mean your soul—which is stricken with weakness and plagues (Jer. 6:8). It is said: then the righteous will shine like the sun of righteousness (Matthew 13:43); and the prophets call the Church the moon (see Song 6:9). How will you reproach and condemn your recklessness when you rise from the grave to bear retribution for your earthly life! How you will be tormented, repenting of what you have done, but in vain, repentance will no longer be accepted, because the designated time for this has passed. How will you weep and lament when you see the joy of the righteous receiving heavenly gifts, and the grief of sinners who are in the deepest darkness. Then, in an oppressed spirit, you will say: woe to my lack of faith, recklessness and indifference! Woe to me, who voluntarily destroyed eternal life! Woe to me, who did not want to think about the Last Judgment! Why did I choose vanity? Why did I choose satiety and drunkenness over eternal life? Why was irritability my friend? Why did I please lustful thoughts and evil desires? Why did you love noisy chatter? Why did you fill your life with confusion and excitement? Why did you hate the fragrance of prayers and psalms? Why didn’t you want to bow before the bishops? Why did he turn away from silence, holiness, benefit, peace of mind, heavenly life, the wisdom of the holy Angels? You will say this and similar things on the day of retribution, when you will be rewarded for your life and no one will come to shower you with mercy out of compassion. For a long time you lived according to the will of the devil, but someday begin according to the will of the One who created you. Serve the laws of Christ the Most High God. Nothing is equivalent to a rational soul, nothing is equivalent to the Kingdom of Heaven. How long will we prefer the perishable to the imperishable? How long will we hold on to the idea that visible goods are more precious than invisible ones? How long will we serve unreasonable charm and dreams? How long will we love the enemy and destroyer of our souls – Satan? How long will we believe his advice, which leads to destruction? Isn't it better to believe the advice of a humane God? No one is more prudent than the Source of wisdom. No one cares more about our benefit than the good Lord who created us. And you, neglecting Him, entered into fellowship with the apostate serpent and listen to the evil as good, embrace the murderer as a friend, consider the one who surpasses everyone in madness to be prudent, consider the one immersed in darkness to be light, a terrible illness seems to you to be health, poverty - wealth. Like Eve, you listen to the suggestions of the mental serpent, but close your ears to the Divine commandments. But is it worth talking to a person whose spiritual ears have become dead? Will there be any benefit to singing for someone who has willingly become deaf to all that is beautiful? It is unfair to weaken your soul in moments of enemy attacks. On the contrary, you need to be especially strengthened in spirit by hearing what God said: Strengthen your weak hands and strengthen your trembling knees; say to the timid in soul: be strong, do not be afraid (Isa. 33:3–4). I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20), and I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you (John 14:18), as the Lord promises the ascetics. Even if your soul is filled with many temptations, nevertheless the Master’s word comforts you: the glory of this last church will be greater than the first (Hag. 2:9). Do not be embarrassed when evil demons, inflamed with anger, instill obscene thoughts in your soul during prayer. In the same way, fierce snakes become irritated and become greatly disturbed by the words of the spellcaster. And the most powerful spell for demons is sober prayer. When a righteous and pious person comes to someone possessed by an evil spirit and begins to read prayers and psalms, the demons, scorched by the pious deed, become restless and go berserk. And if we do not stop praying and singing psalms, we will soon see that the demons will disappear like smoke. A new friend is like new wine: when it becomes old, you will drink it with pleasure (Sir. 9:13). No one should trust an apparent friend without testing on occasion. Only when the wine becomes old can you drink it with pleasure. That is, when we find in this person signs of affection and evidence of love, then without fear we can bring him closer to ourselves and praise him. He who loudly praises his friend early in the morning will be considered a slanderer (Prov. 27:14). Because untimely and thoughtless praise invites the devil to approach a new friend and discover the hypocrisy hidden in him, exposing that he is not a true, but a false friend. Considering what you wrote to me about, referring to the book of blessed Isaiah, I will offer you a short lesson. The prophet cries: pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor (Isa. 21:3). Do you see the extreme need of a grieving heart? Then the prophet says: I am troubled by what I hear, I am troubled by what I see (Isa. 21:3), that is, troubled by unbearable temptations, having loved darkness instead of light. My heart trembles; trembling hits me (Isa. 21:4), because I am afraid of perishing from the face of God, becoming like those who go down to hell, since the light of my mental eyes is no longer with me (Ps. 37:11). Do not weaken in tearful prayer, waiting for God’s help, because after demonic attacks a person is honored with a Divine visit and indescribable help. In addition to what I told you yesterday, it was written: I revealed myself to those who did not ask about Me (Isa. 65:1). Initially, this prophecy was fulfilled in the coming of the Savior in the flesh, it is fulfilled for us and will be fulfilled after us for pious ascetics. Because if the Lord revealed himself in ancient times to those who did not seek Him, then even more so he reveals himself to us as the Lord who enlightens, heals, strengthens and protects us. He finds us by answering prayer and hope. Therefore, show us Your face, Lord, and we will be saved. Demons and vile passions will flee from us, great sorrows will leave us. Because truly great sorrows are demons and passionate thoughts. The book of Job speaks not only about those demons that cause sorrow and illness to the body, but also about unclean spirits that give rise to shameless passions and voluptuousness in man. The experienced David also speaks about this: There is no place in my flesh because of Your wrath; there is no peace in my bones from my sins, for my iniquities have gone beyond my head, like a heavy burden, they weigh down on me, my wounds stink, they fester from my madness. I am bent and completely drooping (Ps. 37:4–7). This is what he says about someone who has become worse. And someone else, as if he does not have helping Angels, cries out with tears and lamentation, asking for help: who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom. 7:24). This refers to the mental death that embraced me and took possession of me, overwhelmed by many demonic invasions. Also, another man, inexperienced in such disasters, inspired by God, offers consolation to those who struggle: fear the Lord and shun evil: this will be health for your body and nourishment for your bones (Prov. 3:7-8). You have only recently retired from worldly revolts and therefore must observe great silence. Do not irritate the wounds inflicted on the heart by frequent exits from solitude. Do not clothe old sinful idols in a new form, but reject dreams. Try to destroy all previous thoughts in yourself. The more strongly the spirit of fornication attacks you, the more you yourself poison your soul with negligence and sadness, not wanting to pray and sing psalms, but you remain in a dream beyond measure. You don’t know that by doing this you please your enemies, making them more arrogant and relentless. Because demons are accustomed to being with those who relax themselves with laziness and do not care about prayer and divine chants. 191. To the Chairman Telemachus The law says: cut down their sacred groves (Ex. 34:13), that is, destroy many pleasures and passions with abstinence and prayer. And Solomon wrote: Who knows whether the spirit of the sons of men ascends upward (Eccl. 3:21), Sirach also says: Before death, do not call anyone blessed (Sir. 11:28). Because the human race is fickle and easily falls from righteousness into lawlessness. And whoever knows a virtuous person today will he enter the Kingdom of Heaven, remaining righteous and valiant until death, without extinguishing the lamp of purity of character. And does the spirit of animals descend downwards (Eccl. 3:21), that is, did man, who has become brutalized in sin, fall down? The death of the wicked is also unknown to us; perhaps, at the point of death, having repented, he will be delivered from hell. The example of the robber mentioned by Luke will convince you of this; with his last breath he asked - and became an inhabitant of paradise. This example teaches us not to despair of any sinner. 192. To Deacon Terentius, who fell and repented You say: I perished, becoming an exile of virtue, foolishly making divine ascension alien to myself, is there still hope for salvation for me? Well said. But would you like to think about something else, written for the restoration of the fallen and the consolation of the weakened in spirit? For it is said: Behold, our feet stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem (Ps. 121:2). That is, our spiritual legs stood firmly, but they swayed from carelessness, and we found ourselves outside the divine fence. We voluntarily rejected the dignity of the image of God, putting aside good thoughts, deprived of help from above, our concepts were scattered, fragmented into many parts. We have been consumed by spiritual death and consumed by demons. However, look what the divine words tell us: I live! says the Lord, “You will be clothed with all of them as jewelry, and you will be adorned with them like a bride.” For your ruins and your deserts and your ruined land will now be too crowded for the inhabitants, and those who consumed you will be removed from you. The children you will have after the loss of your former ones will say out loud to you: “The place is too small for me: give way to me so that I can live.” And you will say in your heart: Who begat them to me? I was childless and barren, taken into captivity and removed; who raised them? behold, I remained alone (Isa. 49:18–21) - this is all said about a soul that has fallen into sin. Behold, the Lord speaks according to your sins: you were sold for nothing (Isa. 52:3), having sinned of your own free will. Therefore, if by your own will you have fallen under the power of the devil, then without a doubt you can free yourself from the cruel tormentor and resort to our Lord and God Jesus Christ. To belong and serve Him, as it is written: My soul rests only in God! for in Him is my hope. Only He is my stronghold and my salvation (Ps. 61:6–7). The holy James speaks about this in his epistle: Submit yourselves therefore to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you (James 4:7–8). David echoes him: It is good for me to draw closer to God! I have placed my trust in the Lord God (Ps. 73:28), so, having placed the hope of salvation in God, do not despair. I wonder why smart and learned monks, if asked about something, rarely answer or are completely silent out of humility. And you, when no one asks you, ignorantly and recklessly pour out thousands of words about everything, gossip and talk idle talk. There are many empty ignoramuses like you who, without being asked by anyone, are ready to talk to everyone they know and don’t know out of vanity and to please people. But they do not deserve praise, having been ridiculed and mocked by Satan. You are filled with incredible vanity and therefore do not find time to look into the depths of your soul and see the serpent hiding within you. But I will tell you something, if only you hear and the hearing of your soul is not taken away from you, just as the ear of the high priest’s servant was once cut off in Jerusalem. For you too have become not a son, but an indecent slave, immersed in vanity and recklessness. Know that from the hordes of demons hiding in the darkness, by God's permission, a spy is sent - a seductive and evil demon, he enters the soul through thought, like some terrible robber or like a poisonous snake entwined around a tree. By this we should understand wrath, as it is written: the wrath of God came upon them (Ps. 77:31). Because when this demon finds a person not thinking about God and not resisting insidious thoughts, scattered, enjoying vain conceit and exaltation, then it enters his mouth and vain tongue and easily brings harm to such a person. Then, turning to other demons, this destroyer takes others with him, taking up arms against the worker of vanity, and they bring his soul to nakedness and desolation, wasting all the fruits he has collected over a long time. So he ruins vigils, fasting, and almsgiving for the sake of vanity and arrogance. The Pharisee was once subjected to the same thing, considering himself righteous and condemning the publican, who was declared justified by God's judgment. Therefore, any person, like you, caught in vanity, can no longer be at peace either with himself or with his neighbor, falling into sadness, irritation, anger, fury, confusion, sadness, dishonor. I will keep silent about the rest. If someone suffering from vanity wants to be saved from a horde of evil demons, let him put a bridle on his own lips, since the tongue of many vain people has led to death. If I remain silent, your deeds will speak. How do you write to me that you have no vanity? There is no smoke without fire. Why are you angry with your brothers if they do not honor you and do not flatter you? At the same time, you say that neither vanity, nor arrogance, nor conceit has taken root in your heart. When demons praise you, inspiring you that your vigils are great, your abstinence is great, your deeds are great - do not praise yourself and do not agree with them. Be indignant at them, be angry, drive them away from you, saying: get away from me, destroyers of the soul, perpetrators of vice and deceit, be cursed and hated. May he who has cursed man-pleasing curse you, and may your offspring be cursed. But I do not have a person who would lower me into the pool when the waters are troubled; (John 5:7), this is what the paralytic man who grew old at the Sheep's font said to the Lord. For many years, with faith, patience and hope, he courageously fought against the disease, complacently enduring the disease with gratitude to God, remembering his sins and failures. He did not have a man for so long, but the man-loving God himself, who became a man, in the font of His bounties healed his mental and physical illness and directed him to the heavenly city. During times of bodily infirmity, the demon insists that some of the brethren advise the sick person to eat not what can be found, but what cannot be found anywhere, such as bird’s cheese, or the bone of a fruiting plum, or an ant’s spleen. In this, the demon mocks the gullible brother, misleading him so that, abandoning hope in the Lord, he indulges in dead worries and dreamy cares. But not with all patients and the demon does not always succeed in this, but only with those who are inexperienced in everyday life. Some brothers, bored by the laziness that possesses them from the difficulty of frequent repetition and long prayers, are diligent only in reading. In prayer, they yawn, stretch and doze, violating the commandment that commands: Therefore, first of all, I ask that you make prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings for all people (1 Tim. 2:1), then edify yourselves with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord (Eph. 5:19). Therefore, will someone who is always immersed in reading, fulfilling only one commandment, be able to build a spiritual house out of one stone? I also know other brothers who pray, sing psalms, ask for heavenly gifts, help their neighbors, they find time to read at certain times, such brothers adorn themselves, abounding in various virtues. To those who dispel the sadness that has taken hold of the mind with divine reflections, the words can be applied: early hear my voice, early I will appear before You and wait (Ps. 5:4). By these words we must understand the Resurrection of Christ, when the aspirations and prayers of the human race were heard. Some bird watchers say that the crane controls the flock for thirty days, and then gives the right to lead the flight to another crane. And in your monastery, the second in rank, or rather, who loves to excel in everything, showing himself, having completed a year’s service according to custom, does not want to give up the position of canonarch to another. What can we say about this? 203. Presbyter Charicles, strict towards the fallen, who argued that confession is not enough for repentance It seems to me that you do not know the Divine Scripture at all. Why, when you pay attention to those passages showing the wrath of God, do you not see God’s love for mankind revealed throughout Scripture? Being a shepherd, you, like your enemies - evil demons, betray the sheep that you drive to despair. And you don’t want to remember what the prophet Ezekiel said: I will require his blood at your hands (Ezek. 3:18), that is, the Lord will require the blood of the dead at the hands of the shepherd. Therefore, how dare you destroy a person for whom Christ laid down His life? Why are you trying to plunge Favstin, with great humility, publicly confessing his sins, into great sorrow? The great Paul did not do this; on the contrary, seeing a sinner who confessed his sin to his neighbors, he admonished the Corinthians: so it is better for you to forgive him and comfort him, so that he is not consumed by excessive sadness. And therefore I ask you to show him love (2 Cor. 2:7-8). But as you can see, in planting the grapes of Christ you are inactive and lazy, but in uprooting and throwing out the vines already planted by Christ from the vineyard of the Church, you are active, tireless, and zealous. Do not say, man, that the Lord does not accept those who have sinned in deed and confessed only in word. Because in saying this, you are not far from the ignorant Novatians 136 who call themselves pure, who, out of unreason and useless, or, better said, harmful pride, deny all repentance for those enlightened by baptism. But you do not agree to accept repentance offered in words, citing the example of Moses, who demanded that the high priest Aaron sacrifice a goat for sin. But this should be understood in such a way that confession, after which a person receives forgiveness, must be offered with all his heart. It is truly wonderful and worthy for the strong in spirit to bring confession through deeds - fasting, vigil, lying on the bare ground in sackcloth and ashes, generous alms and other fruits of strict repentance. But if someone, due to negligence, or circumstances, or impossibility, does not bring strict repentance, then the Lord Jesus, who died for human sins and wickedness, does not reject oral confession. On the contrary, he accepts verbal repentance as a welcome offering, just as Moses, along with expensive fine linen and gold, also accepted worthless goat’s hair. For by what labors and efforts was the publican saved? Is it not a simple expression of humility? For what deeds and labors was the thief from the cross led into heaven and eternal life? Is it not for confessing in a few words the Kingdom of Christ? Therefore, take into account, priest, that not only the wrath of God is preached in the Holy Scriptures, but also inexpressible love for mankind. As it is said: Great is Thy mercy toward me (Ps. 85:13). For when our sins are great, then He plunges us, the repentant, into the great sea of ​​His mercy, extinguishing the fire of our evil deeds. Therefore, you must think not only about judgment, but also about the love of Christ. And Christ, punishing the human race, condescends and has compassion on us so that we do not perish. So Nebuchadnezzar, who fell into all kinds of vice and inhumanity, watered the earth with blood, did not have proper reasoning, and in madness presented himself as God’s enemy. But after, according to the judgment of God, he was turned into a beast, this lawless man, with only a few words, brought confession and received the mercy of God, who had condemned him before. And the throne and the royal image were returned to Nebuchadnezzar, and he was awarded even greater honor. As the Lord said: I strike and I heal (Deut. 32:39). Do not ignorantly assert that God does not accept verbally expressed repentance. This is the same as saying: God accepts expensive offerings - gold, silver, jewelry, but does not accept two mites from a widow. You will not assure me that you know the Scripture if you have forgotten what the Savior says in the Gospel: It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:14). And you want to deprive many of salvation, because you say: God does not accept mere words - you, man, teach contrary to the Savior. Because you have no place for the words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Isaiah: you speak in order to be justified (Is. 43:26). The One who created us accepts from those who want to be saved not only purity, truth, martyrdom and valiant asceticism. He accepts lamentation about sins, kneeling, and outstretched hands with heartfelt sorrow, and the cry of a harlot wiping the Lord’s feet, and a cry about sins, and sighing, and words of confession, and crying, and sorrowful thoughts, and a mind crying out to God. God sees both the devil's temptations and our own weakness, and while some of us resist the devil with great courage, others are caught by the devil and fall, not having the strength to resist the temptations. But in any case, the Lord accepts verbal repentance, just as David repented when he said: You alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (Ps. 50:6). In general, much of what those who have sinned do seems insignificant, but it brings salvation to those who repent of sins. Look - the great Moses, or better yet, God himself through him, legalized to offer for those who sinned to the Lord not only calves, goats, sheep, which are available in abundance to the rich, but also, applying great care for the salvation of those who are weak in soul, applying himself to the infirmities of the needy, he condescends to the poor so that they do not fall into despair, and reduces the legal offering to the dove, turtledove and a small proportion of wheat flour. So you, elder, do not humiliate, but accept and nurture the contrite and humble heart, encourage and save it. Do not demand the fruits of spiritual success from the fallen and do not expect asceticism from them. But accept the words of those who lament their sin, and with great humility, those who confess the evil they have committed. Those who are carried away by idle talk do a lot of harm to themselves by unprofitably and inappropriately practicing verbal debates. Great noise and eloquence obscure the meaning and make it difficult to understand, driving away the effectiveness of grace. And instead of indulging in contemplation, they are busy with everyday affairs, falling into various temptations. Once I saw a rector who was beating a youth severely; the youth, fearing the blows, with a pitiful cry, rushed to the one who was mercilessly beating him and affectionately hugged the angry abbot. We must behave in the same way before God, who punishes us with temptations and disasters, resorting to Him in sorrow and finding joy in God’s judgment and Providence. Because God knows best what is good for us. So let us say to Him in the words of Scripture: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us (Ps. 123:3) and: Do not hide Your face from me (Ps. 26:9) - have mercy on us, Master. Incline Your ear to my prayer (Ps. 87:3), and: raise up Your power, and come save us (Ps. 79:3), when and as You please. If the Lord has chosen us so that, approaching Him, we serve Him and keep His commandments, then not for one moment will we move away from Him in prayer, in word and in deed, offering as a gift to Christ the Almighty God, who needs nothing, the incense of a pure and faithful mind. Often we darken the eyes of our souls with a cloud of devilish delusion, suffering from an evil and darkened existence. In this case, it is excellent to fulfill what James wrote: Weep and howl for your troubles that are coming upon you (James 5:1). That is, it is wonderful not to leave lamentations and prayers to God until the very end of life. As it is said: You covered yourself with anger and persecuted us (Lam. 3:43), therefore: My eye pours out streams of water (Lam. 3:48). So, by sinning, we bring upon ourselves God’s punishments and admonitions, so let us not be afraid, we will not be careless, lest destruction befall us. 208. Presbyter Pelegrin For those who love to boast, after they have gained respect, God usually sends great shame and dishonor. Because the consequence of the fact that a person enters into careless conversations and admires temporary pleasure is that the person is overcome by thoughts of anger, displeasure and lust. If, during the attacks of the enemy, you relax, dissipate, forget about the Last Judgment of the Lord, indulge in pleasures and give in to the flesh, it means falling from a lattice window, falling ill with a serious mental illness, which is more painful than a physical illness. For it is said: Ohozi I 137 fell through the bars from my upper room in Samaria, and fell ill (2 Kings 1:2), that is, the mind fell into the mental death of active sin. Those who love God with all their souls everywhere find heartfelt joy, collecting from everywhere a wealth of praise and gratitude to the Lord. Therefore, when the end of the year comes, thank the Lord who introduced you into the cycle of years. Touching in your heart, think about the continuation of life and say to yourself: days are flying, years are passing, a lot has already been passed, what good have I done? Am I really going to leave here having nothing and deprived of all truth? The trial is already ready - my life is approaching old age. Finally, soul, think about the future century. Let not the prophet cry out for us: And he destroyed their days in vanity and their years in confusion (Ps. 77:33). I told you about this because you want to gain spiritual benefit. For I know that you no longer want to celebrate public holidays, you shun demonic games and amusements and thousands of other entertainments. I forgot about the horse lists; At a time when others are rushing to the horse races, whirling in these damnable sights, you try to visit churches. If you believe that Samson, through faith and prayer, brought out a spring from the jaws of a dead donkey, then believe and pray. For our fathers told us, and we learned from experience, and those who will come after us will also know that prayer is powerful, with all one’s strength, without distraction or distraction, offered to Christ, the all-seeing God. With the power of prayer, as is known, they resurrect the dead, heal illnesses of the soul and body, cast out demons, take away the power of sorcerers, quench bodily lust, destroy carnal passions excited by demons, healing them. Some, having the zeal to bring complete and pure repentance, encounter obstacles put in place by the spirits of evil, and become despondent because of this, weakening and abandoning the feat they had begun. They refuse a small feat, likening it to a person who walks holding onto a wall, and thereby are plunged into destruction. Therefore, we should not leave Leah, who has painful eyes, and in a short time we will acquire the coveted Rachel 138. That is, perfect, pure and unshakable virtue. My tears were bread for me day and night (Ps. 41:4). For whoever sheds tears not in vain and not for nothing, feeds on his tears like bread. And not only in joyful and good circumstances, which the saint calls day, but also in disasters and sorrows, which the same saint allegorically calls night. Blessed are those who weep now and cultivate the cry of salvation so that they may rejoice in the future. Those who sow with tears in this present life will obviously reap everlasting joy in the future. For those who do not want to repent of their sins, the Lord imposes sorrows and bodily suffering. So that in torment, the careless and more sensitive, seeing their suffering before being subjected to sorrows, begin to correct themselves and do not remain for a long time with any shortcoming. A sinner who is in contrition of spirit and begs the Lord for mercy is the most humble of all. Therefore, it is necessary to prefer prayer to Christ over everything and cry out for the help and protection of the Holy Spirit. We can be freed from the evil corruption that prevails over us if God’s power possesses us. Pray like this: be my helper, Lord of all Christ, cover my spiritual weakness, so that I can get rid of ungodly and sinful corruption, becoming free from lawlessness. May the arbitrariness of vice not prevail in me, and may the evil demon not possess me, and may lewdness not lead me into captivity. May the grace of the Holy Spirit come to me, may the unbridled passions reigning over me retreat from me and turn into nothingness. I have repeatedly heard you say and now say: what should I do? I want to cry and shed tears about my sins, I force myself to do this, but there are no tears in my eyes. Worried about this, when I see someone weeping sweetly in Christ, I envy him. To this I will tell you - in general, it is useful to desire the gift of tears. If you turn to God with this desire, asking for forgiveness and salvation, you will be heard. Because it is said about God: “You gave him what his heart desired, and you did not reject the request of his lips.” Just as he who lusts after a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28), so he who desires something dear or bad has fulfilled it in his thoughts. Confess your desire to the All-Seeing One in your heart, and your desire will be imputed to you as a sacrifice. God will accept it as incense and will say to the Angels who are ready to draw the soul away from the feet of the Savior: leave her, because her heart is filled with sorrow and suffering. Similar things were written about the Israelites, who were once in the wickedness of Egypt. As the Lord said to Moses: the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I see the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them (Exodus 3:9) and therefore: I am going to deliver it from the hand of the Egyptians (Exodus 3:8). Look, God testifies that the groaning of the humiliated attracted His mercy. Because not because of our purity, but because of our humility, the Lord will deliver us from the Egyptians and from the cruel Pharaoh. By Pharaoh one should understand the misanthrope of the devil, about whom it is said: He was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). Also, by Egypt we understand our weaknesses and sins, our guardians are demons, and we suffer from lawlessness. The prophet also says: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and will save the humble in spirit (Ps. 33:19) and: to whom will I look: to the humble and contrite in spirit (Is. 66:2). I’ll also tell you: some people are not tearful by nature. Therefore, what should someone who desires tears do? If you cannot cry with your visible eyes, cry with your mind, so that both in your sleep and while awake your mind remains in tears, shedding tears before God, so that you will be cleansed of your sins. The Psalmist also advises this, saying: pour out your heart before Him (Ps. 61:9). I also know that some, through faith and prayer, turned a stone into a source of water (Ps. 113:8). By constantly comprehending the words of Christ our God and reminding ourselves of the miracles of God, streams of tears flowed from the stone eyes. If you cannot be worthy of such grace as they are, then when you see another crying during prayer, glorify the Lord for him, saying: I thank you, Lord my God, who deprived me of such a cleansing gift and gave it to my brother. Increase Your mercy to him, O Master, because if one member is glorified, all members rejoice with it (1 Cor. 12:26). If you are so disposed towards your brother and look at him with joy, then you will become a participant in his talent. And you and him will have a common crown, if it is done for the sake of Christ. One should not neglect minor falls, because even a small sin can lead a person to great iniquities and harm him. Therefore, beware of minor passions, so that through petty sins you do not fall into the abyss of deep damage. Evil and sinful thoughts separate a person from the Lord. If a person calls on God, He will kill and destroy evil thoughts. Then a person will be able to rise from the bottom of sinfulness and resort to God. In this sense, understand what has been said: when I awaken, I am still with You. Oh, that You, O God, would strike the wicked (Ps. 139:18–19). You say that the devil, against your will, arouses in you disbelief towards God. But don’t be afraid of the disbelief put into you. On the contrary, open yourself to the great Physician Christ, crying out to Him: I believe, Lord! help my unbelief (Mark 9:24), and you will receive healing. Sin mixes itself into human life in various ways. The reason for this is that people do not enjoy God's cooperation in the labors of their hands. Because if work is not preceded by prayer, the diverse sin that surrounds us will find access to the soul. Because when the remembrance of God is established in the heart, the plans of the enemy remain ineffective. Every person who has not entered into unity with God through prayer is separated from God. The great thing is to never fall. If you happen to fall, hope, because human inclinations tend towards the opposite. Spiritual teaching can disperse the smoke of vice that lies in the soul. Moreover, holy words that introduce us to God’s power can change the disposition of those who read them. He who strives for great things should not set to work with laziness and absent-mindedness, but diligently and courageously. Just as smoke that rises into the air does not leave even a ghost of its nature, just as wax that has been in fire can no longer be found, so the passions that prevail over you, when you long call and beg the man-loving God, if God’s grace descends on you, will disappear. Because darkness cannot tolerate the appearance of light and the disease goes away when health is restored. Since passions are not effective in dispassion. The word “ant” mentioned in the book of Job can mean the following: blessed Job, wanting to show the insidiousness of the passions, invented this complex name for them. He composed it from the names of the bravest animal - the lion, and the most insignificant creature - the ant. Because the attacks of passions begin with the most insignificant thoughts, creeping in imperceptibly, like an ant, and later they turn into a large community and threaten no less danger than an attacking lion. The ascetic should fight passions when they appear in the form of ants, using insignificance as bait. Because if they manage to grow into a lion, they will be difficult to overcome. Therefore, you should not give them food, and the food for them is the sensory images that enter us, one by one attacking the soul. Having not received what you asked for in long prayers, do not become exhausted and do not fall into despair. Renew your prayer to God, relentlessly approach the Lord, because in prayer bold persistence is preferable to bashful evasiveness. As the Lord said: according to his persistence, he will rise and give him as much as he asks (Luke 11:8). Good fame and praise do not come from sometimes doing something good before God, but from always doing and acting this way. The mind keeps everything in check, because one horse is fast, another is slow, and the last one is hot. One must rule, another must be restrained, and the third must be driven with a whip until all run in one spirit. Therefore, if we have an excess of heat in our youth, do not increase the heat. What is cooled by weakness or time, do not cool or exhaust, so as not to diminish even the smallest. On the contrary, cut off what is in excess, always trying to make up for what is missing. Beware of rendering the body useless for any reason. Do not teach the flesh, through excessive carnal knowledge, disobedience and unbridledness, do not make it sick, weakened and powerless for the necessary service through immoderate deprivations. Because the perfect goal of abstinence is not suffering, relaxation and unfitness of the body, but the comfort of the soul. You will be recognized as faithful when, having not yet received eternal benefits, you do not stop hoping that you will certainly receive eternal benefits in the next century. If the Lord immediately rewarded good deeds, it would be a transaction, not piety. One might think that we are truthful not out of piety, but out of self-interest. The power of repentance is effective until the last breath. Even when a person is already lying on his deathbed, preparing to leave the field of life, repentance justifies and saves the sinner. Why are you giving in to despair? You must hasten to resort to repentance. It was said to the saints: who would give me wings like a dove? (Ps. 54:7). By this we learn that it is God’s business to give us spiritual wings so that we can safely overcome disastrous passions, and at the end of life, the hordes of demons directed at us. But the Lord does not simply grant spiritual grace to everyone, but only to those who, in labor and exhaustion, ask for God’s mercy day and night. Therefore, let us take upon ourselves the prayerful service of God. When you look at your Master with zeal, fear and reverence, He, without a doubt, listens to you with love and reverence. In this state, neither Satan, nor passion, nor any sin, nor trouble can overcome you. And when, having lost the fear of God, you forget your Savior, then He will turn his face away from you, and you will become accessible to all evil. Knowing this, one of the saints prayed: “Do not hide Your face from me; do not reject Your servant in anger” (see Ps. 27:9). The enemies of our life - demons - never get tired, never cease to disturb and tempt us, plot and attack us. Therefore, we should not be lazy, discouraged, tired, constantly calling on the name of Christ for help, crushing those who crush us. The prayer of the faithful is great torture, contrition and fear of evil spirits. When you realize what you have done reprehensibly and regret it, know that you have been honored with God’s visit and God’s help. And since you tremble at the coming Judge, I tell you, you must not despair, but patiently remain in prayerful service to God, trusting and hoping for salvation. There is no need to despair, because the murderous devil has fun and attacks more when he sees souls prone to despair. The woman who suffered from bleeding 139, which is spoken of in the Gospel, serves as an image of every unclean soul, because she, overflowing with faith, touched the hem of the Lord’s robe, and the source of blood dried up. From this we see that for every person suffering from sins, but who believes and calls on Christ, the Son of God, the Sun of Truth will shine, justifying the sinner and granting him healing. Let it be known to you that a person obsessed with lust and overwhelmed by carnal affection, but nevertheless breaking these bonds out of fear of God, should be revered no less than ascetics. It is said: Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you (James 4:8). It is wonderful to be in unity with God with a pure and undefiled heart. If this is impossible, due to laziness or spiritual weakness, try, at least, with repentance, tears and good hope to embrace the invisible feet of Jesus Christ, our man-loving Lord. Because the merciful God will not turn away from those who are directed towards Him, who sigh before Him from the depths of their hearts, even if they are burdened with many sins. On the contrary, He accepts and purifies them, adopting them as sons, making them virtuous. If you want to get rid of the bad memories and various unpleasant thoughts imprinted in your memory, then arm yourself with the memory of our Savior. Calling on His name as often as possible, overshadow yourself with the sign of the Lord’s Cross. Because when the name of our Savior Jesus Christ is pronounced and the seal of the Lord’s Cross is placed on the heart and forehead and other members, the power of the enemy is crushed, and the evil demons flee from us in trepidation. Also, teaching in the words of the Holy Spirit destroys everything that feeds evil thoughts, generating spiritual fire: a fire was kindled in my thoughts (Ps. 38:4). This fire, warming the mind, strengthens prayer, intelligently directing petitions to God. You unjustly sent into exile the primate of Byzantium, John 140, the great sanctuary of the universe. Out of extreme frivolity, you heeded the convictions of foolish bishops. Therefore, if you deprive the Universal Church of intact and pure teaching, you will not live without sorrows. It is possible for a believer to be saved by receiving remission of sins and to be honored with the Kingdom of Heaven by partaking with fear and love of the most pure Body and Blood of Christ God. The more your flesh suffers, the greater sorrows and punishments the Lord sends you, the more He shows love for you. Do not be horrified that the demons who hate us transform your spiritual weakness so that it becomes hardened. Arm yourself with prayerful service to God and psalmody. The demons who hate us try through painful attacks of weakness to convince our mind to stop remembering God. Therefore, knowing the purpose of hostile demons, do not throw away your spiritual weapons, take courage, be complacent, be strong, gathering all your strength. Satan always tries to hinder the soul from striving for the best. During prayer, he uses many methods, instilling thousands of thoughts in the soul, turning away the mind and bringing it into confusion, so that a person, spiritually empty, retreats from the Almighty. The evil one knows: those who pray to God without distraction can accomplish great things. Therefore, by any reasonable or unreasonable means, he tries to bring the mind into confusion. But we, knowing this, will fight the enemy, standing in prayer or kneeling, and will not allow a single thought to enter our heart. Only prayerful ascent to God and illumination descending from heaven, enlightening our mind. Therefore, having rejected all reasons for entertainment, laziness, despondency, all plausible excuses, let us soberly and ardently devote ourselves to the great work of prayer, in which is the root of immortality. On the day of judgment we will be our own accusers, convicted by our own conscience. In this extremity, will we find any other protection or help other than faith in the humane Lord Christ? Our faith is protection, help, security, boldness for those who cannot give an answer due to the multitude of falls. During our struggle, the memory of the Lord Christ and unshakable faith in Him, like some peaceful, bright and meek Angel, drives away trembling and shame, fills us with complacency and brings us closer to God. In this sense, understand what has been said: they show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as evidenced by their conscience and their thoughts, now accusing, now justifying one another on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secret deeds of men through Jesus Christ (Rom. 2:15-16). If you want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, then wish for yourself sorrows, because whoever does not have sorrows will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven: because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). You wrote: why did many, having sinned in the same thing, suffer different punishments? I will answer: because the Judge is accurate in everything. He looks not only at the type of sin, but also at the intentions and state of the sinner, the time, place and root of the sin. The same applies to whether a person enjoyed sin, or was sad, or remained insensitive. Whether he remained in sin or repented, whether he fell into sin by chance, passion or deliberately. The Lord sees and distinguishes the time and state of life. Because whether a person committed sin before the law or according to the law - in grace 141 - is not the same thing. One is punished leniently, another with greater severity, and the third without mercy. All this is clearly taught in the Holy Scriptures. When you are about to leave the house, then say: I renounce you, Satan, your pride, your service and unite with You, Christ. Don't leave home without this. As you say this, cross yourself. Then not only the person you meet, but also the devil himself will not be able to cause you any harm, seeing this weapon on you. It is a great thing to always be sober and not to be caught by vile lust. If you happen to experience any human feelings when you see a beautiful face, then heal this illness with immediate repentance before God, avoiding thoughts about the beauty that hurt you. Do not think about it, peering into your imagination with passion, because such thoughts, creating a deep impression, harm the soul, leading it to crime. We should never list in our minds the virtues we have. Every day we need to think about new useful and praiseworthy virtues, so that the spiritual talent given to us by God increases and multiplies, multiplied by us until our last breath. The ascetic should forget about carnal kinship and property to the extent that he is never indignant at the memory of it. Or don’t you know that strong attachment to relatives according to the flesh is a satanic snare! Therefore, if you died for the world, renounced a corrupt life, joined the heavenly army, entered the heavenly face and heavenly residence, then you have nothing in common with earthly things and should not have attachment to those close to you in the flesh. If, as you say, they need help, then do good to them, just as you do to other poor people. But when doing good, do not have an earthly attachment to them, so that it does not turn out that you remain carnal and earthly. If, as the prophet said, there are more mental enemies than the hairs on your head (see Ps. 68:5), then look at how many enemies you have entered into battle with. A person usually always strives for harmful things, because many demons constantly attack him, urging him to evil. But we will repel violence with force. Because the ascetic is obliged to correct every impure thought, armed with anger at himself, and call on the Almighty for help before the mind becomes weak and exhausted. It is necessary to refine fat flesh, because a fat belly is not capable of generating subtle thoughts. Exercise your mind in piety if the bodily exercises are successfully completed. For bodily exercise is of little use, but godliness is of all use, having the promise of the present and future life (1 Tim. 4:8), bringing spiritual health to those who wish to overcome opposing passions. It is proper for wrestlers learning children's games to exercise their bodies by exercising all their limbs. And the wrestlers who have matured take care of their physical strength, preparing themselves for great feats. Those who think about virtue are like this. It is only useful for those who are approaching piety to be concerned about stopping the effectiveness of the pleasures in which they grew up, and the passions in which they are carried away, having overcome them. Those who have become capable of active virtue need to take care of the movement of thought and the protection of thoughts, so that they, having come into disorderly movement, do not lead to something useless. In short, some try to control carnal movements, while others try to give the right direction to thoughts, striving for prudence. So that no worldly thoughts distract from divine thoughts. Because the desire of reverence is always directed towards the Lord, so that human thoughts do not have time to awaken passions. Each passion, having come into motion, in the person possessed by it, keeps the thought in a bound state. So why shouldn’t caring for virtue keep the mind away from everything vicious? The distressed person, mentally struggling with the distressed person, does not see anything around him. Likewise, an indecent person, even when in society, does not control his feelings, imagining his favorite image and talking with him, he sits, not knowing what they are saying or doing in front of his eyes, immersed in himself, busy imagining his beloved face. To the same extent that the addiction to satanic love takes possession of the thoughts, it makes the feelings inactive. But much stronger is the love for spiritual wisdom, which forces the mind to renounce the sensory and the senses, elevating it to heaven, into the contemplation of the intelligible, bringing it into unity with God. Having seen a beautiful face, you should not immediately get carried away by the pleasure excited by beauty, indulging in love. On the contrary, one must give space and time to reflection in order to consider and learn what is harmful and what is useful. How saddened and burdened the conscience will be if the illicit pleasure is realized in practice. And also how the soul will delight and prosper with good thoughts, having courageously overcome inappropriate lust and trampled vile passion with its spiritual feet. Let us not be lazy and careless in prayer, in the singing of psalms and in the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Because the Kingdom of Heaven is contained in the sayings of God-inspired Scripture; it is revealed to those who are constantly in prayer, in silence, in psalmody, and in reading, by which the mind is usually enlightened. Let us not exalt ourselves over the negligent, and boast of the purity of the body; on the contrary, today you are spiritual, be afraid lest you turn out to be carnal in the morning. But the carnal man, having changed, will become heavenly. Because when, acting righteously, you exalt yourself over the sinner, he is immediately justified more than you. Take heed, O man, that every one take heed to himself, lest he be tempted (Gal. 6:1). Perhaps you will never be subjected to the temptations with which he is overwhelmed. Let us try to take not a single moment, not a single breath, without remembrance of God, because remembrance of God is the greatest good. All who try to preserve their virginity immaculate and inviolable, as it is said: present your bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1), are obliged to suppress in themselves not only carnal lust, but also covetousness, vanity, gluttony, passion for deception and discord, grumbling, drunkenness, idle talk and all other vices. Because only someone who is pure in body and soul can be called a virgin. And the Lord, having told a parable about ten virgins, brought five of them into the palace of the Kingdom, as pure in soul and body, and left five outside the palace, because they were virgins only in body, defiled in thoughts, deceiving themselves. Until we have acquired a pure heart, let us at least make our lips pure, because with unclean speech both the one who speaks and the one who listens are defiled. It is written: Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:22). And a slanderous tongue is the devil's bed. Our Lord Christ can not only destroy those tricks by which demons from outside bring into us the desire for forbidden pleasures, but also make natural desires ineffective. One should not neglect the small commandments; one should fulfill them together with the great ones. Because after the destruction of the fence, the field is devastated. In the meantime, the fence is intact, the vineyard and garden are safe from thieves. Likewise, if you keep the small commandments, the mental serpent cannot attack you, and if you destroy the fence that protects the inner fruits, then it is convenient for the crafty serpent to plot against you. Our sinful thoughts and swarm of unclean deeds serve as joy for raging demons. But as soon as we, having sobered up, turn to the philanthropic Christ, our enemies complain, being in unbearable sadness. That is why Baruch speaks of their wickedness: for just as she rejoiced over your fall and rejoiced over your defeat, so she will grieve over her desolation. I will take away her joy over the multitude of her people, and her boasting will turn into sorrow (Bar. 4:33-34). Therefore, before you leave this life, before death befalls you, try to overcome the demons and their dark teachings. 261. Instruction to new monks Young people should accustom themselves to even body movements, to proper dress, to quiet speech, to calm eating, and to poverty. One must remain silent in front of elders, listen carefully to the wise, treat brothers with love, be willing to give advice to younger ones, and avoid people who are bad, carnal and who interfere in other people’s affairs. They should speak little and think more, not use bold expressions, not engage in unnecessary conversations and refrain from laughing. You should decorate yourself with modesty and not talk to women. A monk, casting his eyes down, must raise his soul to heaven and avoid contradiction. You should not covet the dignity of a teacher and value honors given by people who do not know true piety, but try to earn the approval of prudent people. Having succeeded, one must accustom oneself to seek praise only from God. And then he will be able to benefit others, doing it for the sake of God, as a work that he is obliged to do before God and which God rewards with eternal gifts. Those who do not want to be saved by obedience and faith in the word of God, through the ineffable grace of God, through sorrows and grave disasters, come to chastity. To endure any serious and unexpected disaster with meekness and wisdom is higher than spiritual success and almsgiving. Our Lord knows what we need, and sometimes, just before the end of life, he rises up and opens the doors to those who knock on them with prayer and hope and fulfills the spiritual request of the heart. If you do not immediately receive what you ask for or do not receive it at all, because the fulfillment of your request is not beneficial for your soul, but prayer alone before God and conversation with Him is not good? We ourselves are to blame for our destruction. If we bring repentance, then even if we become like dogs licking the master’s feet, we will be preferred to careless children. Because persistent crying and intense request overcome everything. Those who do not arm themselves with patience are easily caught by Satan. Because he sets thousands of traps for monks here and there. Therefore, the Lord exhorts us, saying: through your patience save your souls (Luke 21:19), for he who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13). If you want the Lord to come to us, as to the apostles who sat with the doors locked, then try to close the doors, that is, the lips, with complete silence. Keep your eyes away from passionate glances, do not listen to corrupting speeches and avoid carnal pleasures. God does not forget those who remember Him. On the contrary, He always remembers the person in whom His words abide. He speaks through the mouth of Jeremiah: I always remember him with love (Jer. 31:20). You say that the lawless and ungodly thoughts implanted in your soul by the devil confuse and disturb you. As much as you have the strength, repel this sorrow and difficulty from yourself, rejoice, strengthening yourself with the crowns promised by God. Because the Lord will never allow the destruction of all those who sincerely and unceasingly pray to Him. You are amazed at the beauty of creation, but be more amazed at the future. If creatures are beautiful, then the Lord who created them is infinitely more beautiful. If this is what is temporary, then what is eternal? Therefore, raise your mind from the visible to the invisible. First of all, know yourself, because the most difficult and inconvenient thing is to know yourself. But when you know yourself, then you will be able to know God and contemplate creation with your thoughts. Only the Lord is absolutely and by nature wise, Angels and people have relative wisdom. Therefore, the Lord, being wise, knows who to hear sooner and whose request to fulfill more slowly. We ourselves do not know ourselves as God, who created everything, knows us. For our benefit, He gives what we ask, more slowly or quickly. Therefore, let us not become faint-hearted and lose heart, but let us remain strong, giving thanks, asking, waiting and hoping to receive, for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks there will be boiled water (Matthew 7:8). Having recognized our inherent weakness, we will notice when demons attack us, and then we will place all our hope in God and call on Him to protect us. You sleep, but time passes, you are awake, but your heart is carried away by vanity. Meanwhile, the days of your life are shortening, although you yourself do not feel or understand this. You don’t know, perhaps, although I have often read about it, that it is not proper for a wise husband to sleep all night. Because he who studies the Divine Scripture and waits for the Lord when He comes from heaven and demands an account from us should not lie all night as if dead. So, without thinking about what you read, you sleep insatiably from the evening until the morning sun appears in the east, snoring and not moving from your place. Therefore, at least now, overcome your laziness, hasten to shake off your unreasonable sleep and taste the divine sweetness of prayer and psalmody, choose for yourself the best lot, having arrived in a better state, wish to crush the power of negligence and laziness with the power of pious diligence. Skill is overcome by skill, so don’t talk to me about the autocracy of habit. Because if sluggishness and laziness have become nature, even more so can diligence and sobriety become nature. Call on God for help and He, without a doubt, will hear you and give you the strength to walk the path of virtue. For the Lord even performs supernatural miracles. And although the laziness and powerlessness that has overcome you have become an obstacle, the force that strengthens you will be more powerful. The prayer of those who have firm faith acquires great power and strength. Therefore, one must pray unceasingly day and night. The Lord does not grant Divine grace to just anyone, but to those who earnestly ask, in labor, effort and struggle. He who becomes discouraged in prayer will suffer great losses and great harm without having accomplished anything worthy. He will be alienated from the Lord because he did not want to unite with Him through persistent prayer and hope. Do not give up on bodily illness and suffering from various sufferings. Endure sorrows with gratitude in order to atone for your sins. Just as when entering a bathhouse one takes off all one’s clothes, so when embarking on asceticism one must strip oneself of all worldly materiality, living wisely and reverently. It is unreasonable to laugh and joke, making fun of those who have sinned. Also, you should not exalt yourself over them with great idle talk. We should remember the words of the prophet: Do not rejoice, O Israel, to the point of delight, like other nations (Hos. 9:1) and cry over sins. Because of the evil that has prevailed over you, you need healing, grace and asceticism. Seek refuge in the Lord. He who approaches God must patiently cry out day and night, seeking a true Doctor who heals the incurable, a true Deliverer who delivers from slavery. But if you are faint-hearted, you will not find Him. Only in firmness will you meet Him. Without boldness, acquire prayer with patience. As our Savior says: Ask, and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7). The Lord advises this to encourage us, so that those who have lost hope do not fall away, and, having fallen away, do not lose eternal blessings. Before the Last Judgment comes, where we will give an account to the One who sees the hidden not only in deeds and words, but also in thoughts, anticipating it, we will appear before His face with praise (Ps. 94:2). And let us call on the Master’s mercy for help, taking care of the correction of life and imitating in this the great Prophet and king 142. Do not prefer anything visible and existing in the present world to spiritual salvation in God. Do not be afraid to approach the heavenly Physician Jesus with tears. Bare before Him all the wounds of your soul. There is no weakness that Christ, the Lover of Mankind, cannot heal. Having loved solitude, avoid communicating with idle people, because communication with neighbors is harmful to a peaceful state of mind. Just as those in a pestilent climate are exposed to disease, so those who communicate with various people become accomplices of their vices. In your ignorance, you should know that a person who does everything for show, is rebellious and angry, even performing great miracles, like the apostles, is still an abomination before the Lord and before people. You should also know that many bishops will inherit the fiery furnace. Do not tell everyone you meet about the troubles and adversities that have befallen you in every detail. Because if you yourself are pleased to remember this, then the listeners will not find it pleasant to talk about other people’s troubles. If someone, wounded by the demon of shameless lust, thinking about this within himself, enters into conversation with passion and, without a doubt, having relaxed, indulges in passion, enslaving to unclean love, which calms and corrupts the mind, then he will be in poverty and, suffering, curse his life. Therefore, like a snake and like a lion, you need to avoid evil thoughts. It is appropriate for a Christian to reflect only on the many virtues in Christ. If you want to be a mentor to a large number of brothers, test yourself to see if you can, rather by deed than by word, teach what you should do. Can you offer your own life as a model of every virtue, so that those who take it as a model do not diminish the beauty of the virtues with ugliness? You are obliged to worry about your subordinates no less than for yourself, because for them, as for yourself, you will give an answer by taking upon yourself the task of saving them. The saints tried to have students achieve their own virtue. So the Apostle Onesimus became a martyr from a fugitive. The prophet Elijah - Elisha made a prophet from a plowman. Moses raised Jesus, the son of Nun, to perfection. And the priest Eli made Samuel even greater than himself. Because although the diligence of the students contributed to the acquisition of virtue, the main reason for spiritual success was that they had teachers who could ignite the spark of zeal to a greater extent. Pleasing the persecuted 143 can be understood not only as those persecuted for the sake of truth by malicious people, but also those driven by invisible enemies from the contemplation of God and good deeds to the transgression of the commandments. Therefore, you should not listen to idle talk, ready to slander anyone. It is also not good for the soul to listen to funny things. Because this generally indicates baseness and loss of spirit, indicating internal disorder and relaxation. Instead of laughing, we should pray and glorify God. Because to those who pray day and night and glorify God, a treasure of heavenly blessings is revealed. In those days, weighing a person was rare; even animals were weighed already cut. The furnace into which, by order of Nebuchadnezzar, three young men Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were thrown for refusing to bow to the idol (see Dan. 3). Joseph, one of the patriarchs, the son of Jacob from Rachel, due to the envy of his brothers, was sold to Egypt, where, having survived many temptations, he became an advisor to Pharaoh (Gen. chapters 37–50). Again, I testify to every person who is circumcised that he must fulfill the whole law (Gal. 5:3). Invoking the name of Christ - the Jesus Prayer. The Philistines took him and gouged out both his eyes, brought him to Gaza and bound him with two copper chains, and he ground in the house of the prisoners (Judges 16:21). The Shunammite woman is an admirer of the prophet Elisha; he resurrected her dead son through prayer. Samuel's mother, Anna, for a long time she prayed to God for children, and the Lord sent her a son, the prophet Samuel, the last judge of Israel. Calms, delights in crying - we are talking about the gift of tears. In the minds of Christians in Greco-Roman culture, demons were often identified with pagan gods and, like them, were responsible for some kind of activity. At that time, both in Byzantium and in other countries, an afternoon nap was considered necessary and universal; only soldiers in war or criminals in hard labor did without an afternoon nap. Talent is a unit of measurement of gold or silver, approximately 20 to 40 kg. Denarius is a Roman coin; This amount is usually the value of a day's work for a day laborer. This was the iniquity of Sodom, your sister and her daughters: in pride, in satiety, in idleness, and she did not support the hand of the poor and needy (Jer. 16:49). Samaria is the capital of the Kingdom of Israel, which abandoned worship of God and turned into paganism. Interpretation: So the law was a guide for us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith; after the coming of faith, we are no longer under the guidance of a teacher (Gal. 3:24–25). The holiday is Easter. Esau and Jacob are the twin sons of the patriarch Isaac and his wife Rebekah, of whom Esau was born first, who later sold his birthright for lentil stew. This form of prayer was adopted in the Old Testament, it is still practiced both in the Orthodox East and among Catholics, but in the Russian Orthodox Church and other Slavic Local Churches this form of prayer has not taken root. And so that I would not be exalted by the extraordinary revelations, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, the angel of Satan, to depress me so that I would not become exalted. Three times I prayed to the Lord to remove him from me. But the Lord said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast much more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me (2 Cor. 12:7–9). The announcement is preparation for Baptism. Usually, the catechumen in the Ancient Church was entrusted to spiritually experienced priests. The appearance of an angel to Moses in a bush of thorns, which burned and was not consumed. Tire is a Phoenician city from which the Old Testament Israelites experienced many sorrows and temptations. Samuel is an Old Testament prophet, the last judge of Israel. We are talking about the miracle of the Lord walking on water, when during a storm He appeared to the apostles (see Matt. 14:22–34; Mark 6:45–53; John 6:15–21). Novatians are followers of Novatus and Novatius, who were in schism with their bishops, respectively, in the Corinthian and Roman Churches. The reason for the schism was the question of accepting into church communion those who had fallen away during persecution. Ahaziah is the king of Israel, the son of Ahab and Jezebel, a contemporary of the prophet Elijah. Leah and Rachel are the daughters of Laban, the wife of Jacob, son of Isaac. Jacob asked Laban for Rachel as his wife, but he deceived him and first married him to Leah, who had poor eyesight, and only then Jacob also received Rachel (see Gen. 29). And behold, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the hem of His robe, for she said to herself: If I only touch His robe, I will be healed. Jesus, turning and seeing her, said: Be of good cheer, daughter! your faith has saved you. From that hour the woman became healthy (Matthew 9:20–22). The Primate of Byzantium John is St. John Chrysostom. Law often refers to the pre-Christian state of humanity, including other religions; in another case, law refers to the state of the catechumens - that is, those preparing for baptism, and grace certainly refers to Christianity (cf. the later “Sermon on Law and Grace” by Metropolitan Hilarion). The great prophet and king is David. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:10). You might be interested in: