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Every hour on my mind is the vision that you told me about, brother. Therefore, make every effort to lead a life worthy of the title, and then such a brother “may be acceptable to the commander” (2 Tim. 2:4). I know your zeal and your zeal for God. Therefore, I advise you, who has a desire to be saved, but is still inexperienced in virtuous living, to follow in the footsteps of the saints and perfect brothers and fathers and learn from them how a servant of God should behave. And I have always told you that in order to, seeing the way of life of everyone, (strive) to imitate the life, namely, how someone, armed with godliness, hastens “for the honor of the high calling” (Phil. 3:14); it is necessary to accurately observe in one person perfect and accurate faith, in another - hope in God, in another - double love both for the Lord and for one's neighbor, in another - how in the fear of God he stands on guard, protecting himself from every evil deed, leading a life blameless and blameless, and, on the contrary, praised (respected) by everyone for purity and impeccability behavior. There are many similar people about whom I told you that you should pay attention to them, and not to me, the careless one. So, compete (in piety) with those who are like luminaries among you, and see how others, struggling from the enemy with various passions, resort in prayer to God and in contrition, clinging to Him with love, receive the help of grace and get rid of obscene and unclean thoughts, with great crying, with tears and sighs, repenting of what they have done, mourning with sadness their sins, confessing to God in prayers and vigils, suffering through fasting, abstinence and sorrow, and trying to save themselves with such weapons. So you try to fight to the death - like a true warrior. Asceticism, my sons, is no joke, and the salvation of the soul is achieved through great diligence. Therefore, when composing the message to you, I did not omit (missed) a single virtue, so that you could not plead (excuse yourself) with ignorance of what you were supposed to do. Strive and spend the entire time of your life with all honesty and all skill in order to please both God and people. For if you control yourself in this way, turning (attention in life) in each (ascetic) to his perfect renunciation of the world and to a virtuous life in God, then it will be convenient for you to attract yourself to the heights of virtues, seeing, for example, non-covetousness in someone: how, having left everything, he strives to make his mind free from all cares, so that he can devote himself to prayers without distraction, and so that no thought and no care interrupted his prayers, or seeing tears in one, and ardent and perfect love for God in another. For you yourself, beloved, know that if someone prays with love and tears, with a pure heart, then he reflects God himself, as in a mirror, in his mind. Therefore, through poverty, poverty and a very cramped life, everyone tries to acquire the blessings promised to the righteous. For “you bring the narrow gate and the strait path into the belly” (Matthew 7:14). For this reason, I am showing you this path, which I have not yet entered, so that, having heeded me, you will imitate the saints in the way of life; to whom - in reverence, to whom - in art, to whom - in rites, to whom - in rule, to whom - in humility, to whom - in honor; for some, in self-condemnation, and for others, in self-humiliation and self-contempt; to whom also - in diligence, to whom - in silence, to whom - in meekness, to whom - in long-suffering, to whom - in compliance, to whom - in peacefulness, to whom - in friendliness, to whom - in like-mindedness, to whom - in agreement, to whom - in understanding, to whom - in prudence, to whom - in sobriety, to whom - in wisdom, to whom - in the ability to give good advice, to whom - in prudence, to whom - in mystery, for some in gaiety, for some in pleasant manners, for some in friendliness, for some in amenability, for some in condescension, for some in forgiveness of insults, for some in courage, for some in boldness, for some in exploits, for some in obedience, to whom in handicrafts, to whom in praise, to whom in zeal, to whom in serving the brethren, to whom in zeal, to whom in ardor, to whom - in subordination, and to whom - in complete alienation from the world and in daily mortification (mortification of oneself), like one crucified, to whom - in patience, to whom - in firmness, to whom - in truth, to whom - in boldness, to whom - in reproof, to whom - in a bright and open life for all, to whom - in accuracy, to whom - in the ability to do all kinds of deeds, to whom - in learning, to whom - in chastity, to whom - in shrine, to whom - in innocence, to whom - in virginity, to whom - in purity, to whom - in spiritual life. And pay attention to some to alms, to help, to calmness of disposition, to kindness, to compassion, to mercy, to brotherly love, to generosity, to graciousness, to impartiality, to justice, to undemandingness, to modesty. some for compassion, some for love of love, some for simple-heartedness, some for purity, some for dispassion, some for sincerity, some for contentment with little, some for moderation, some for gratitude, some for simplicity, some for the gift of consoling or reassuring, some for visiting the sick, some for straightforwardness, some for the gift of persuasion, and some for the gift of persuasion. others - to unceasing prayer, psalmody and streams of tears - in short, for everyone, pay attention to their divine life. Living among such treasures, try to enrich yourself, that is, living with wise virgins, do not be included in the number of holy fools. You have so many lights that illuminate your eyes every day and every night! Walk in their light, follow in their footsteps, so that you too may enter eternal blood with them. Hasten your march in their footsteps, so that you can catch up with some of them. For I know that if you want, you are able to do it. So, gird up your loins, light the lamp of righteousness and wait for your Lord, so that you may be ready to meet Him. I will not stop writing to you about this, because I know that you accept everything in the right way. But be attentive to yourself and try to observe yourself until death, so that you can meet the immortal Bridegroom with boldness and joy. Honor virginity, and it will lead you into the heavenly palace, which is why the apostle said: “For I have betrothed you to one man, a pure virgin of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2). So, now, my beloved, I have described to you the virtues of holy men and the intrigues of the enemy, so that, having escaped his snares, you may be able to save your soul. Don’t tell me: “I entered a monastery and wear the image of an Angel,” for not only people, but also God himself are pleased with more than one external image; on the contrary, the fruits of good deeds are required. So, stand like a flower-bearing tree, guarding the fruits of your virtues, so that the worm of pride does not creep in and erode the fruit of humility in you, so that lies do not steal the truth from you, so that vanity does not darken your reverence, so that anger does not take away your meekness, irritability does not exhaust your long-suffering, a quarrel does not destroy your peace, enmity does not serve an obstacle to friendship, malice did not stop mutual love, resentment did not damage honor, enmity did not dissolve agreement, gluttony did not interfere with fasting, greed did not destroy abstinence, carelessness did not falter diligence, sleep did not lull vigilance, despondency did not burden zeal, laziness did not interfere with service, grumbling did not reduce submission, disobedience did not hinder entrance to obedience, idle talk did not prevail over psalmody, playfulness did not prevail over glorification, laughter did not overcome crying, severity did not make condescension useless, fornication did not corrupt chastity, unbelief did not abolish faith, love of money would not be preferred to non-acquisitiveness; so that you do not love your parents more than Christ, so that you do not enjoy the world more than the Kingdom, so that wealth does not reproach you with poverty, so that the passion for gossip does not incite your tongue, so that slander does not make you a fratricide, slander does not defile your soul, so that envy does not weigh you down against someone, so that deception does not denigrate the purity of the heart in the body, hypocrisy does not deprive you of blessings, the love of denunciations does not make you a traitor, false witness did not bring you to punishment, theft did not excommunicate you from the Kingdom, untruth did not block your paradise, man-pleasing did not scatter your bones, partiality did not destroy your boldness, the love of pleasure did not steal your love for God, lust did not blind your heartfelt contrition; so that your commitment to God does not fade from pleasures, and the enjoyment of victuals (food) does not cause you harm in the joys of paradise. Do not disdain man, so as not to anger his Creator. Do not reproach untimely, so that you yourself do not fall under condemnation. Don’t reproach anyone, because you don’t know what will happen to you. Do not be exalted in your heart, lest you fall and bring disgrace upon yourself. Let your courage not suppress modesty; Let not your fear prevail over courage, let not contempt destroy fear in you; Let daydreaming not separate you from society (do not wean you off from communication), and let not the floating of thoughts hurt your soul. Do not receive impurities into your soul through your ears. Do not live together and do not consult with bad people, so that vice does not darken your integrity, so that wickedness does not overcome your kindness, and envy does not prevail over your dispassion. Do not be rash, lest you become hated by everyone. Don't bring yourself to beatings with your stubbornness. Never give your flesh rest, lest it become a burden for the soul. Do not let the desire to blaspheme rob you of a good word. Let despair not block the entrance to repentance for you. Let arrogance not cast you down from heaven. Let not self-praise kill your treasure, let grandiosity not expose your secrets to shame, let no one be darkened by envy through you, let unreason blind your sense, let stupidity not darken your prudence, let madness not rule over your mind, let unreasonableness not change your reasoning - in a word, let other things that are forbidden, but now unnoticed, not enter your heart and not will take you into captivity from the Heavenly Kingdom. Be sober, according to what is written, “in the law of the Lord...”. learning “day and night” (Ps. 1:2). Since the enemy does not stop fighting day or night, let him not catch your mind not practicing the study of God’s commandments, let him not sow his tares, let him not make “the last... the pot of the first” (Matthew 12:45), so that, having lost earthly things, you will lose heavenly things as well. For “no one lays his hand on his head, and in vain turns back, he is ruled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). “No one who has been a warrior is obligated to buy money for this life, so that it may be acceptable to the commander” (2 Tim. 2:4). Therefore, having left the world and followed Christ, “spend your time so that you may comprehend” (1 Cor. 9:24). “Do not deviate either on the right hand or on the skin” (Prov. 4:27), that is, in none of the passions listed above, so that, having fallen into the rapids of sin, you do not die mentally. But, following the royal path of God’s commandments, proceed straight to the Heavenly Kingdom, and together pray for me, a sinner, so that I, unworthy, having become a partaker of the saints, may be deemed worthy to enjoy with you the eternal blessings of Christ Jesus our Lord. I wrote this to you, my beloved, not because I myself kept myself from it, but so that you would keep and please God. For the Lord said: “Believe in Me, the works that I do will he do also” (John 14:12). And I am confident, beloved, that you will do more than your ancestors if you keep what you have received. So, do not be a judge of the actions of others, but try to correct your life every day, because each of us must give an account to God about our own actions. Every day, examine your thoughts and ask yourself: “Do I have reverence? Is there heartbreak? Is there humility? Is there everything else that I have listed above?” – Look also and ask yourself: “Am I cold? Am I being idle? Am I angry? Do I harbor desires for anything earthly?” – And thus, analyzing in detail everything written above, abhor wickedness, and cleave to what is good. For “no one is good except one God” (Mark 10:18), who saves everyone by His grace in Christ Jesus our Lord. About Christ Jesus I bequeath to you, child, - keeping this message, read it often and put it away again for safekeeping, do not part with it until you have learned it by heart. I wrote to you in great detail about all the virtues and passions, so that you would often reflect on them and observe them exactly. For “how will the youngest correct his path? Always keep Your words” (Ps. 119:9). So far I have written to you about everything obvious, from which you can easily comply. When you succeed in this, then I will strengthen your mind and in exceeding severity, so that in this way you will be deemed worthy to achieve perfection in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom be honor and glory to the Father and the Holy Spirit forever! Amen. 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