О терпении, о кончине века и втором пришествии. О прилежном чтении божественных писаний и пользе безмолвия

Glorious is the life of the righteous. What is she famous for if not patience? Love, monk, patience, as the mother of courage. And the Psalmist exhorts, saying: “Be patient with the Lord and keep His way” (Ps. 36:34). And Paul, teaching how to acquire virtue, says: “tribulation accomplishes endurance” (Rom. 5:3). By practicing patience, you will find the source of blessings - hope; but hope will not put you to shame. So, submit to the Lord and pray to Him, and you will achieve the point that “he will grant you all the requests of your heart” (Ps. 37:4). What is more blessed than this - to gain the favorable attention of such a King? Who would not want the Judge's ears to be open and attentive to him? You have become a doer of virtue, brother, you are a mercenary of Christ. While you have time, do good. Listen to Paul, who says: “For even if a man sows, he will also reap” (Gal.6:7). Sow in the spirit to reap eternal life for you. “Whatever you sow in your flesh, from the flesh will you reap corruption” (Gal.6:8). Listen to the good counselor who says: “Sow righteousness in yourselves, reap the fruit of life” (Hos.10:12). Do not become careless from exhaustion, but keep hope in mind. For where there are deeds, there are rewards; where there is battle, there is honor; Where there is struggle, there is a crown. Looking at this, strengthen (strengthen) yourself with lessons of patience. Call to yourself, constantly shouting with the saints: “Take courage and let your heart be strong, and be patient with the Lord” (Ps. 26:14). Prepare your affairs for the coming; put everything in order in your field, and the field is this life. Take a good spade - New Testament; fence your possessions with thorns - fasting, prayer and teaching. If you have such a fence, then the beast, that is, the devil, will not rise. Cultivate your soul like a beautiful vineyard. As those guarding the vineyards beat their hands and shout loudly, and with such noise they stop intruders, so do you: raise your voice, shout in psalmody and drive away the cunning beast - the fox, that is, the devil, about whom in Scripture it was said: “Give us little foxes,” and so on (Song. 2:15). Constantly watch the enemy, if you wish (you want) to rush into obscene deeds. If evil thoughts begin to be thrown into your soul, as if from a sling, then oppose it with the shield of faith and put on yourself the helmet of hope. Draw “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph.6:17). And having thus armed yourself against the enemy, endure and do not be careless in battle. On the contrary, be sober in everything and say: “We know his plans.” So, “rejoice” always, as it is written: “Let your meekness be reasonable to all men” (Phil.4:4-5). Let the fear of God shine in your heart. Don't be a timid and sluggish worker. Don't run away from the crown. Life is short, but Judgment is long. Looking at this, monk, appeal to your heart along with Saint David and say: “Take courage and let your heart be strong, and be patient with the Lord.” Imitate David and with a single throw (throw) of a stone, overthrow the enemy. Angels will appear as spectators of your life: “the world is a disgrace, both angel and man” (1 Cor. 4:9). If they see you winning, they will rejoice at your success. And if they see him being defeated, they will go away sad, because this is intolerable to them. The demons will laugh at you. So, instead of a sword, take out the fear of God, because the fear of God is a two-edged sword that cuts off every evil desire. Always keep God in your thoughts and the fear of Him, remembering with fear that day, when “the heavens will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with scorching... and the earth, and the works that are in it, will be burned up” (2 Pet. 3:12, 10); when the stars fall like leaves, the sun and moon darken and do not give their light, when the Son of God appears from heaven to earth, and the Heavenly Powers are shaken, when the Angels flow, the voices of trumpets will be heard. Before the Son of God there is a blazing fire, seeking to drown the universe; Around Him there is a great storm, earthquakes and fears, and lightning, such as before this day have never happened and will never happen, which is why the very Powers of Heaven will be enveloped in great trembling. Therefore, what state should we be in then, my brothers? What fear, what horror will befall us? Imagine the Israelites in the desert. They could not bear the darkness and darkness, and the voice from the midst of the fire of God speaking to them, but they wished that the Word would not be continued to them. So, indeed, they could not stand God’s commands, although God did not descend to them irritated, did not speak to them with anger, but, on the contrary, comfortingly assured them that He Himself was with them. Listen now, my brother. If we could not endure His comforting coming, when neither “the heavens” were destroyed, “neither the earth nor what is on it” were burned, the trumpets did not sound like that trumpet that will awaken those who have died from eternity, and the fire did not drown the universe - there was not a single one of the future fears, then what will we do when He descends in irritation and unbearable anger? When will He sit on the Throne of His glory and “call upon the earth” from the east of the sun to the west, from all the ends of the earth to its ends, “to judge His people” ( Ps. 49:4 ) and to reward each according to his deeds? Alas! How should we feel when we appear naked and open, expecting to be led into a terrible judgment seat?! Alas, alas! Where will there be levity then? Where is the courage of the flesh? Where is the deceitful and useless beauty? Where is human sweetness? Where is the relentless and shameless audacity? Where are the fancy clothes? Where is the sweetness of sin, truly unclean? Where then will be those who imputed pleasure and pus to husbands? Where is the negligence of those living carelessly? Where are the fun and luxury? “Everything has passed, everything has dissipated like thin air.” Where then will be the love of money and covetousness, and their consequence - unmercifulness? Where then will there be inhuman pride, which abhors everyone and only recognizes itself as something significant? Where then will there be empty and vain human successes and glory? Where then is the power and autocracy? Where is the prince, where is the leader, where are the rulers, where are those who boast of abundance of wealth and do not think about God? Then “having seen the taco, I was surprised...”. and “I accepted the trembling: there are diseases like those that give birth; he is overcome by a stormy spirit" (Ps. 47:6-8). Where then is the wisdom of the wise? Where are their vain tricks? Alas, alas! “They were confused, they moved like a drunken man, and all their wisdom was quickly swallowed up” (Ps. 106:27). “Where” then “is wise; where is the scribe? where is the questioner of the vain world of this world (1 Cor. 1:20)? All wisdom has perished, my brother. Think about how we will have to feel when giving an account of what we have done, great or small, because even for an idle word we will give an answer to the Righteous Judge! How should we feel at that hour if we find mercy from Him? What joy will come over us, standing separately at the right hand of the King? How should we feel when all the saints kiss us there? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Noah, Job, David and the holy prophets and apostles, and martyrs, and all the saints and righteous who have pleased God in this life, kiss you; everyone you want to see will come to you there, and, embracing you, kiss you, rejoicing over your salvation. What should we feel then, what unspeakable joy will we come to when the King graciously says to those standing at His right hand: “Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34)! Then, my brother, “you will receive the Kingdom of splendor and the crown of kindness from the hand of the Lord” (Wis. 5:16), and then you will reign together with the Lord. Then you will inherit the blessings that “God has prepared for those who love Him,” then, finally, you will be carefree, and nothing will bring you into fear. Consider, my brother, what it means, according to what we have said, to reign in heaven, for “you will receive... a crown... from the hand of the Lord" and you will reign with Christ. Consider, my brother, what it means to always see the face of God, what it means to have God as your luminary, for then “there will be no sun for you in the light of day,” as Isaiah says, “below the rising of the moon will enlighten your night; But the Lord will be your everlasting light, and God your glory” (Isaiah 60:19–20). Behold, my brother, you have heard what joy awaits those who fear the Lord and keep His commandments. After this, consider the death of sinners when they are brought into the terrible judgment seat. What shame will they feel in the face of the Righteous Judge, without a word of justification? With what regret will they see themselves placed at the side of the King? What darkness will fall on them when the King speaks to them with anger and throws them into confusion with His wrath, saying: “You will be damned into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angel” (Matthew 25:41)? Alas, alas! In what sorrow and distress will their spirit be when everyone begins to say loudly: “Let sinners return to hell, all the nations who forget God” (Ps. 9:18)! Alas, with what pitiful cry they will torment themselves and shed tears when they are taken to bitter torment for endless centuries! Oh, what a place this is, where there is “crying and gnashing of teeth,” this so-called Tartarus, of which Satan himself is horrified! Oh, what an unquenchable fire Gehenna is, what a never-ending, poisonous worm it is! Oh, what a terrible, eternal, always continuing pitch darkness! Oh, what unmerciful, merciless angels these are, assigned to torment, because they reproach and punish severely! Then the tormented will cry out to the Lord - and He will not hear them! Then they will know into what vanity everything that happened in life has turned, and how the very thing that was considered pleasant here turned out to be more bitter than bile and poison. Where then is the false pleasure of sin? For there is no other pleasure than to fear the Lord. Only this pleasure is genuine; it truly fills the soul “with fat and ointment” (Ps. 63:6). Then they will begin to condemn themselves and the deeds they have done. Then they confess that God’s Judgment is righteous. “We heard this,” they will say, “and did not want to turn from our evil deeds.” But by saying this, they will not receive any benefit! Alas for me, burdened with unparalleled sins! The number of my sins is greater than the number of the sand of the sea, and I am exhausted from them, like from many iron bonds, for I do not have the courage to look up to the heights of heaven! To whom shall I resort, besides You, O Lover of Mankind? “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions, cleanse away my iniquity” (Ps. 50:1). I resort to You, to Your great goodness and to Your compassion. I have angered You and I am running to You out of Your great forgetfulness of malice. I have humiliated You and I run to You because of Your great love for mankind and, begging, I cry: “Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb” for the sake of Your only name (Ps. 50:11-12). I have nothing that I could bring to You: neither a good deed, nor a pure heart, but, trusting in Your generosity, I cast myself down, so that You would lead me into contrition and constant doing of Your commandments, and I would not fall into sin again with such ease, but from now on I served You in reverence and righteousness all the days of my life. So, I beg you, brethren, “having these longings, strive to be undefiled and undefiled in peace” (2 Pet. 3:14). When, brother, an evil thought enters you, draw your (mental) sword, that is, bring the fear of God to your mind, and you will cut off all the power of the enemy. And instead of the military trumpet, use God’s Scripture. Just as a trumpet gathers soldiers with its sound, so God’s Scripture, calling to us, brings our thoughts into the fear of God; our thoughts, like warriors, fight against the enemies of the King. And one more thing. Just as a trumpet with its sound during battle arouses in young fighters the readiness to go against opponents, so God’s Scripture arouses your zeal for good and strengthens you to fight passions. Therefore, my brother, to the best of your ability, force yourself to read the Scripture as often as possible, so that it gathers your thoughts, which the enemy scatters with his evil tricks, putting evil thoughts into you, or inflicts frequent sorrows on you, or brings you a lot of success and worldly conveniences - doing all this out of his malice, with the intention of removing a person from God. Often, if he could not lead someone to evil and bring down his thoughts, then he brings sorrow to that person in order to darken his mind, and then be able to sow anything in him. The enemy (the enemy) begins to instill and repeat with oaths (in his soul) the following thoughts: “Since I began to strive in goodness, I have seen bad days; I will do evil so that good may come.” Then, if someone does not turn out to be sober, the enemy, like hell, will swallow him up alive. And if even with this he cannot lead to evil, then he gives him all the comforts of life, exalts him and leads him into great deception, which is more dangerous and worse than all passions, for it makes a person proud and insane, drags the mind into the abyss of lust, causes a person to open blasphemous lips to heaven, for it is written: “He has set his mouth in heaven” (Ps. 72:9); makes it so that a person does not know God, does not know his weakness and does not think about the day of death. Such deception serves as the path to all evil. Whoever loves to walk this path will come to the mysteries of death. This is the path about which the Lord said: spacious and wide, “the path leads into destruction” (Matthew 7:13). This, you have heard, my brother, is why the enemy sometimes brings comfort to life, and sometimes brings sorrow. He who is inclined towards whatever he discovers in a person is his disposition, and takes up arms against it in order to fight with his untruths. Therefore, my brother, be sober with all caution and always try to diligently engage in reading, so that it will teach you, as it should, to avoid the snares of the enemy and achieve eternal life. Reading the Divine Scriptures brings the wandering mind into focus and grants knowledge about God, for it is written: “Be still and understand that I am God” (Ps. 45:11). Do you hear, my brother, that with a pure heart he who practices reading the Divine Scriptures acquires the knowledge of God. Therefore, brother, do not be careless about your soul, but practice reading and prayer, so that your mind will be enlightened, so that you may become perfect and complete, “deprived of nothing” (James 1:4). Others boast of conversing with nobles, princes and kings, but you boast before the Angels of God that in the Holy Scriptures you converse with the Holy Spirit, for through them the Holy Spirit speaks. So, try to read the Divine Scriptures and constantly remain in prayer. For every time you talk with God through them, your body and soul are sanctified. Knowing this, try to practice the Scriptures more often. If your hands are not idle, pray with your mind. So blessed Anna, the mother of the prophet Samuel, prayed, and “only her lips moved” (1 Samuel 1:13). But her prayer entered the ears of the Lord of hosts, and “her request” was given to her (1 Samuel 1:27). Therefore, my brother, although your hands are not idle, pray with your mind. If you do not know how to read, do not move away from where you can listen and benefit, for it is written: “If you see a man of understanding, pray to him, and let your foot rub the degrees of his doors” (Sir. 6:36). It is so useful, my brother, (to do) not only for those who cannot read, but also for those who can, because many read, but do not know what they are reading. So, monk, be careful not to neglect your gift, given to you by the gift of Christ. But take care and seek how you can please God in order to be worthy of the blessedness of the saints. For it is written: “Blessed are they who experience His testimonies; they will seek Him with all their hearts” (Ps. 119:2). Make sure that when you want to read, the enemy does not interrupt you, making you despondent and plunging you into distraction, and saying: “Do such and such a thing first, since it is small, and then you will read with a calm spirit.” When the enemy suggests this and gives you zeal for handicrafts, it means he is inspiring these thoughts in order to distract you from reading. But when he sees that his brother reads diligently and benefits from it, he attacks him, trying to prevent him with other pretexts. So, do not believe him, but be like a deer, thirsty and wanting to come to the springs of water, that is, to the Divine Scriptures, in order to drink from them and quench your thirst, which burns you with passions. But drink from them, I will say, and the benefit, so that when the Lord grants you to read and learn a word from the Scriptures, you will not pass it by, but you will learn with your mind, imprint it on your heart and keep it indelibly in your memory. It is written: “I will learn from your justified ones” (Ps. 119:16). And it also says: I have hidden Your words in my heart, lest I sin against You (Ps. 119:11). And again: “How will the youngest correct his path? Always keep Your words” (Ps. 119:9). Do you see, brother, how by remembering His words a person corrects his path? Who remembers the Word of God and does not correct himself? - is he an inexperienced and pathetic person? But he doesn’t remember anything at all. On the contrary, he also forgets what he imagines himself to be remembering. To such a person does God say: “Will you tell my justifications and accept my covenant with your lips” (Ps. 49:16)? Therefore, he commands to take away from him what he himself thinks he has for himself. Such a person thinks of himself that he has faith, because he calls himself a Christian, but his deeds deny this, and he is worse than an infidel. Therefore, God commands that the Holy Spirit be taken away from him, which he received “on the day of deliverance” and, as he thinks, has within himself. And such a person becomes like an earthen vessel of wine that has cracked and lost the wine through it. Anyone who sees it and does not know what happened thinks that it is full; but when it comes to it, it will become obvious to everyone that it was empty. So, according to research, this person will be empty on the Day of Judgment. And then it will be clear to everyone what he is like. Such people will say to the King on that day: “Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name... and in Your name have we done many mighty powers” ​​(Matthew 7:22). And the King will answer them: “Amen, I say to you, we do not know you.” Do you see, brother, that such a person has nothing at all? Therefore, remember the words that you hear and correct your path. Be careful not to allow the birds of the air to fly in and eat the seed of the Son of God. For He Himself said: “The seed is the Word of God,” which you have heard (Luke 8:11). Hide the seed in the depths of the earth, that is, the Word inside your heart, so that you can bear fruit to the Lord with fear. When you read, read with diligence and diligently, with great attention, dwell on each verse, and not only try to turn over the sheets, but, if necessary, do not be lazy and read the verse twice, three times, and several times in order to understand its power. And when you sit down to read or listen to someone reading, first pray to God, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ! Open the ears and eyes of my heart, so that I may hear Your words and understand them, and do Your will, for “I am a stranger on earth, do not hide Your commandments from Me,” but “open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law” (Ps. 119:19, 18). I trust in You, my God, that You may enlighten my heart.” Yes, my brother, I beg you, always pray to God to enlighten your mind and reveal to you the power of His words. Many, relying on their understanding, fell into error, “professing to be wise and foolish” (Rom. 1:22); not understanding what was written, they fell into blasphemy and died. Therefore, if while reading you come across an incomprehensible word, be careful that the evil one does not teach you to say to yourself: “This is not how it is said, for is it possible to say so?” - or say something similar. On the contrary, if you believe in God, believe His words, and say to the evil one: “Follow me (from me), Satan. I know that the “words” of God, “words are pure, silver is kindled, tempted by the earth, purified by the sevenfold” (Ps. 11:7), “there is nothing in them that is obstinate, nothing more depraved. All good is to those who understand and right to those who gain understanding” (Proverbs 8:8), but I am unthinking and do not understand. I know that they were written spiritually, for the apostle says that “the law is spiritual” (Rom. 7:14).” Or look at heaven and say this: “I believe, Lord, Your word, I will not contradict, but I undoubtedly believe the words of the Holy Spirit. You, Lord, save me so that I may find grace before You. And I, O Compassionate One, do not seek anything other than salvation alone, so that I may be worthy of Your mercy.” Acquire, brother, silence as a strong wall, because silence will put you above passions. You will fight from above, and he will fight from below. So, acquire silence in the fear of God, and all the arrows of the enemy will not harm you. Silence, coupled with the fear of God, is a fiery chariot that carries those who acquire it to heaven. May the prophet Elijah, who loved silence and the fear of God and was taken to heaven, convince you of this. Oh, silence is the stairway to heaven! Oh, silence is the mother of contrition! Oh, silence is a mirror of sins, showing man his sins! Oh, silence that cannot hold back tears! Oh, silence that gives rise to meekness! Oh, silence cohabiting with humility! Oh, silence, coupled with the fear of God and leading the mind to light! Oh, silence, watching over thoughts and promoting prudence! Oh, silence, which gives rise to all good, is a confirmation of fasting, a barrier to gluttony! Oh, silence is an exercise in prayer and reading! Oh, silence - silence of thoughts and storm-proof pier! Oh, silence that frees the soul from worries! Oh, silence is a good yoke and a light burden that comforts and bears those who bear you! Oh, silence is the destroyer of insolence and the enemy of shamelessness! Oh, silence is the mother of reverence! Oh, silence is a prison of passions! Oh, silence is the joy of the soul and heart! Oh, silence is a bridle for the eyes, ears and tongue! Oh, silence that promotes all virtue! Oh, silence is the guilt (source) of non-covetousness! Oh, silence is the fruitful village of Christ, bearing good fruits! Oh, silence is the wall and stronghold of those who intend to strive for the Heavenly Kingdom! Yes, brother, acquire for yourself this good part, which Mary chose, because Mary, sitting at the feet of the Lord and clinging to Him, the One, became a model of silence. For this reason, the Lord praised her, saying: “Mary has chosen the good part, even if it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). Do you see, brother, what silence there is! The Lord Himself praises the one who acquired it. Acquire silence “and delight in the Lord” (Ps. 36:4), sitting at His feet and clinging to Him, the One, so that you can say with boldness: “My soul cleaves to You, but Your right hand is acceptable to me” (Ps. 62:9), for “as my soul is filled with fatness and ointment” (Ps. 62:6). Yes, my brother, acquire silence, which is sweeter than honey. Better is a piece of bread with salt in silence and freedom from worries than the offer of many foods while having fun and worries. Listen to the One who says: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The Lord wants to rest you from worries, from irritation, from entertainment and from the sorrows of this age; wants you to be free from Egyptian plinth making, wants to lead you into the desert, that is, into silence. He will enlighten your paths with a pillar of cloud and nourish you with manna (I mean the bread of silence and freedom from worries) so that you may inherit the “good land,” that is, the heavenly Jerusalem. Yes, brother, love him, acquire him, so that on the path of meetings (gaining revelations) of God, you may abound in all kinds of wealth. Yes, brother, acquire silence along with the fear of God, and the God of peace will be with you. So, my spiritual brethren and beloved of the Lord, I beg you to make an effort, to bring this to your mind every day, that is, faith, love, hope, humility, to always imprint yourself with prayers to God, teaching in the Divine Scriptures, silence and other virtues. For all this, when it exists and abounds in us, leaves us neither idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. A monk who has not acquired this, but does not care about his salvation, is a blind man closing his eyes, consigning his old sins to oblivion. “A true parable happened to him: a dog returned to his own vomit, and a pig washed himself in pot” (2 Pet. 2:22). “If we have escaped,” it is said, “the filth,” that is, “peace through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, these, intertwined, are overcome, and the last pot is greater than the first. It would be better for them not to know the way of righteousness, than for those who have known to turn back” (2 Pet. 2:20-21). So, beloved faithful slaves and chosen warriors - monks, let us fully accept with our hearts everything that has been said above, daily bringing this to our minds without fail, so that we may be able to fight the good fight and trample underfoot all the power of the enemy, in order to get rid of the wrath coming on the sons of disobedience, and to find mercy and grace on the day of Judgment in the face of the Righteous Judge, who rewards each according to his deeds. To Him belongs all glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto ages of ages! Amen. You might be interested in: