О добродетели

I considered it necessary, beloved, to include the following in this memorial record, so that while you read, you would pray to the Lord for me, a sinner and disgraced by my deeds, and that I might be granted remission of sins, and that I would create fruit pleasing to Him, before the terrible command came to take my soul from my body. Then the entire human shell will disappear. Woe then to him who offended the Lord our God and did not repent! He will begin to look for the time that he lost in negligence, and will not find it. So, let us mourn before our God in order to obtain compassion from Him. While we have time, let us take care of ourselves and gain (find) the favor of the Lord. We are not concerned about money; even if someone loses it, he can acquire others instead. Our soul is in danger! If we destroy it, we will no longer be able to return it, according to what is written: “What good is it to a man, if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul; or what a man will give in exchange for his soul; For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father...and then He will reward everyone according to his deed” (Matthew 16:26–27). If there is a reward, and none of our deeds can hide from God, then why don’t we do good so that we will be rewarded with good, and do not refrain from evil so that troubles do not befall us, as it is written: “flee the unrighteous, and you will not fear, and no trembling will come near you” (Ex. 54:14)? I am ashamed to say, but due to the negligence to which I and lazy people like me are devoted, I cannot keep silent that worldly warriors, receiving poor gifts from the king, diligently, not even fearing death, go into danger for him! - Moreover, we, having such promises, are obliged not to betray the cause of truth in order to be saved from the future Judgment. Let us not treat our soul, which God wants to appropriate to Himself, not as an enemy. Let us think: we cannot endure the heat of the sun and the heat in a fever - how can we neglect the unquenchable fire?! But may God guide us on the path with His advice, and may He cover us with His strong hand forever and ever! Amen. "Blessed" is a city ruled by the pious, a ship ruled by the experienced, and a monastery ruled by the abstinent. But woe to that city where the wicked reign, and to that ship ruled by the inexperienced, and to that monastery ruled by the voluptuous. Because of the wickedness of those in power, the city will be filled with barbarians; the ship will be crushed due to the inexperience of the pilots; the monastery will become desolate due to the inactivity of its managers. If you remain in obedience to your spiritual fathers, then the strength of your faith is revealed not when you are served and you listen to flattering speeches, but when you endure persecution and beatings. And the beast, when prudently caressed, becomes meek and tame. If you want to become a chosen vessel, then do not have resentment towards your mentor, but thrive in obedience to the Lord and in humility, because that is the only reason you have come if, having learned in advance the glory (benefits) of obedience, you have chosen it for yourself. The life of saints becomes bright, brother, when it is exalted by obedience. The servant of the Lord Moses, even if he did not listen to the teachings of Jethro, nevertheless submitted and served him, although he was sufficiently learned in Egypt. And Joshua, for his perfect obedience, was awarded the gift of becoming Moses' successor. And Samuel, being in obedience to the priest Elijah, was honored to hear the voice of God. And Elisha received the mantle and grace of his teacher for his obedience. But what can we say about the people who are servile to us? God the Word Himself, having become man, lived his life in humility and obedience, as the Evangelist teaches us, saying: “And without obeying him” (Luke 2:51). The Apostle also said: “He humbled himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8). And in worldly life, children who do not want to endure good admonition from their parents expose themselves to considerable danger. Most of those punished in cities by authorities suffer punishment for disobedience, disobedience and stiff-neckedness (obstinacy). And girls, if they do not listen to good lessons, but, putting chastity aside, wander around the squares and streets, suffering the most rude insults. And those who do business, spending time in silence and chastity, will be honored by people and glorified by the Lord. You began with a good will; stand firm in it, so that the Lord may exalt you with the meek and humble in the Kingdom of Heaven. If your brother has completed the job halfway and it happens to him, having fallen ill, that he needs you to finish the job, then take charge and work for the sufferer with all humility. When his health returns, do not want to take credit for your brother’s deeds, lest you incur condemnation from the Lord and from people. Maybe your thoughts will tell you: “It was God’s plan that he fell ill, and I stepped in.” But why didn’t you stop at another good thought: “Of course, it was God’s economy at that time, so that it would be revealed what I am in my will: self-loving or brotherly loving?” - If, having recovered from the illness, he himself refuses, then take on the matter with a good conscience and with the permission of the superior, so that you “have a good testimony from outsiders” (1 Tim. 3:7). Reverence requires truth, for it is written about the most holy Simeon, who accepted the Savior into his arms, that he was “righteous and pious” (Luke 2:25). Let us, beloved, be constant in heart; weakness of the heart is contrary to virtue. Therefore, we will not become cowardly if a little despondency happens to us, but we will force ourselves, like a good traveler. - When he happens to become weak on the way, he does not give up the goal of a long journey, but consoles himself with the words: “Just a little more, and you will reach your lodging for the night, and you will rest.” The Lord, seeing how he forces himself, gives him strength, easing his difficulties. Relaxation and laziness lead to poverty not only in spiritual gifts, but also in bodily needs. If you come to the service of God first of all and stand until your dismissal, then do not let this thought make you proud, because those who do handicrafts also use a lot of diligence and vigilance in their work. Give more than one body to the Lord, but gather your thoughts in a humble heart, for arrogance is like a hole in which the serpent nests and kills the one who comes near. And about not getting drunk on wine and not spending time with women, it seems to me unnecessary to remind you of your love for God - everyone clearly sees that this is alien to virtue. Therefore, it is necessary not only to beware of the aspirations of demons here, but also not to engage in effeminate conversations with men, which arouse voluptuousness and plunge the soul into destruction. We refuse to date women not because women are wicked, but because through dates and conversations with women it is easy for the enemy to overthrow us and lead us to transgress God’s commandments. We must beware of the attacks (desires) of evil spirits from everywhere, placing our hope in the full armor and power of the Holy Spirit. He who locks one door from the enemy and opens two to him and thinks of himself that he is safe is deceived. It is necessary to protect yourself from everywhere and not give an excuse to someone looking for an excuse. “God is not mocked” (Gal.6:7), but “it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb.10:31). To him be glory and power forever! Amen. One brother, being in obedience to his spiritual fathers, came to another brother and said: “I want to move away from my spiritual fathers and remain silent on my own.” He answered him: “One man had a son, whom he gave into the hands of an artist so that he would teach him art. The boy was inattentive to the matter. And a few days later the child comes to his father and says: “Father, take me from the teacher, I can learn art better on my own.” But his father said to him: “If, learning from others, under their guidance, you have not learned anything, then can you, my son, do something alone, without learning and without obeying anyone, as much as you should? I see, son, that you have studied your art poorly, and I am afraid that I tried in vain for you. Therefore, get down to your work properly, my son, so that, having become an artist, you can find peace of mind, for “death meets the unpunished” (Prov. 24:8).” Therefore, beloved, let us not strive to throw off the yoke of submission to the Lord, so as not to do something displeasing to God, and when we fall into temptation, so as not to be left without a helper. When Hagar, Sarah's slave, fled from the presence of her mistress, the Angel of God, having found her, said: “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand” (Gen. 16:9). So she did as she was told. When the time came, she was released with travel supplies along with her son; and when she wandered through the desert, being with her son Ishmael in danger of death and thirsting, God did not despise her. Therefore, we also need to endure sorrows generously, since we serve the Lord, and not people. While remaining in obedience, let us not do deeds of disobedience, lest we suffer as Gehizei, the servant of the prophet Elisha, suffered. Rather, through complete obedience, let us bear perfect fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ.” To him be glory and power forever! Amen. If someone comes to you, saying mysteriously: “Let us give ourselves a promise to be with each other in love and in like-mindedness, so that if I tell you anything, then obey me without any contradiction,” and then, when you give an oath to each other, wants to seduce you into sin, then do not listen to him, even if he promised you something great and would prostrate himself before you on earth, begging you to break the commandment of God. “Thou shalt not show face to thy soul” (Sir.4:26). The devil knows how to arrange not only this, but also cites passages from Scripture, presenting the weakness of the flesh as an excuse, using many other tricks to make a person a transgressor of God’s commandments and have something to boast about in his reasoning (corruption). But we, admonished by his (the demon’s) effort and vain labor, will strengthen ourselves in pious thoughts. People who intend to fulfill their own will, or better yet, the will of the devil working through them, use a lot of effort and skill so that their goal does not remain unachieved. How much then do we, who have committed ourselves to leading a spiritual life, need to be more knowledgeable and sober, so that the devil does not boast in our reasoning! According to the commandment of our Savior God, one should not swear at all (Matthew 5:34). But now you are caught in the word, do not neglect it, because for your friend you are going into the hands of the evil ones. “Do not let your eyes sleep; let your eyes slumber below, so that you may be saved like a roe from a snare, and like a bird from a snare” (Prov. 6:4–5). However, don’t lose your mind and don’t get confused. The matter can be corrected if you subsequently have it in the eyes of the Lord, so be attentive to yourself. You are not bound by an oath if you move away from evil, for the Lord Himself, out of His abundance of love for mankind, preached the Gospel in the world, the Lord Himself commanded people to repent and abstain from all sin (Matthew 4:17). Look, is it not with the intention of fulfilling our whims that we present an oath as an excuse, as if we are no longer able to snatch ourselves from the snares, of the enemy, of course? “God is not mocked” (Gal.6:7), and gives his hand to those who want to be saved. So, “turn away from evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15), and thereby keep your word, in accordance with those who said: “My feet have been kept from every evil way, so that I may keep Your words” (Ps. 119:101). Wouldn’t you like to know, and I completely assure you of this, that you are not bound by the word if you flee evil, do good and keep away from “every” person who “walks disorderly” (2 Thess. 3:6)? Listen to a parable, or better yet, an example. One man had a son. And the son highly revered his father, tried to obey all his orders and pleased his father in everything. Another someone, prompted by envy of the youth’s success, came secretly and said: “Swear to me in the judgment (attitude) of your father that you will do everything I tell you, and you will observe it without any contradiction.” The young man acted badly and made an oath to him. After this, the one who took the oath said to him: “Go, insult your father, strike him, do not be ashamed of his face anymore, and do everything that he forbids you. Since you made an oath to me, you cannot break what you told me.” Will the son really agree to such an unreasonable, or better yet, wicked thing, and out of respect for his father will not neglect such lawless advice? “He will answer the adviser like this: “I see that you are not a man who adheres to the truth, but an enemy, plotting against my father and against my soul. But you will not deceive me, as the serpent seduced Eve with his cunning, and you will not draw me into wickedness with your malicious cunning. Father will not scold me for not succumbing to your wickedness. Therefore, I neglect your lawless advice, out of respect for my father and for the sake of saving my soul, I seal my ears with the sign of the cross, so that the poison of your words will no longer pour into my ears, and because of your wickedness I will avoid meeting you.” The apostle also commands us to “separate ourselves from every brother who walks disorderly.” And it is impossible to please God with evil deeds. So, beloved, do not allow yourself to be carried away by sinful people, so as not to anger your Heavenly Father by doing contrary to His commandments, and not to become unrequited on the day of Judgment. By breaking the commandments of the Holy Gospel you will anger God. Be attentive to yourself, learning from the prophet, comprehending what the end of the word is, for the prophet says: “I swore and appointed” - not to transgress Your commandments and “all Your destinies,” but it is said: “I swore and appointed to keep” Your commandments and all “the destinies of Your righteousness” (Ps. 119:106). And again: “Having hated unrighteousness and detested it, I have loved Your law” (Ps. 119:163) - and by this, by the grace of God, you will avoid great temptations and dangers. And with the one who forced you to take an oath, what is written will be fulfilled: “His illness will return to his head, and his iniquity will descend upon his top” (Ps. 7:17). Therefore, acquire love and like-mindedness, not by oaths, by flattery, or by forcing other unauthorized deeds, but by those established by God in spiritual disposition. Nothing unfair or forced creeps into such unanimity. And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with you, to whom be glory and dominion forever! Amen. Refuse to sit with heretics and with sensualists who say nothing true; their words sting the hearts like arrows. I have seen people who corrupt the soul with words. Perhaps Scripture symbolically calls these those who shed seed, or lepers (Lev.22:4). For just as he who sheds semen, according to the law, makes unclean everything he sits on or spits on (Lev. 15:4, 8), so among these people the unclean outpouring of a passionate soul and the spitting of words defiles those who listen. Or maybe their passionate state of soul should liken them, according to what was said above, to someone who bears the ulcer of leprosy. In the choir (assembly) of saints, every ascetic had a belt that tightened his loins and signified the severity of his life - that is why they acquired the Holy Spirit for their entire armor, and were tightly girded with the power of the Holy Spirit. And these people, as we see, are deprived of such a gift due to their own negligence, and their loins are not girded with a chaste belt; on the contrary, everything about them is relaxed and dissolute: their morals, their speeches, and their deeds. He who is ill in faith says: “What harm will come to those who have a sound faith if they have intercourse with any person: does he believe rightly, or is he wicked?” “And people devoted to the belly and gross pleasures will say: “What is harmful - eating, drinking, and enjoying? Indeed, bodily lust is bad, coveting someone else’s property or stealing it is bad.” And if they are convicted of this, they will also say: “Due to pressing circumstances, I did this, I stole it in order to satisfy a hungry soul.” What is dirtier than such speeches? What is uglier than such mischief? Therefore, Scripture does not allow such evil thoughts to remain in the fence of holy souls, just as the law did not allow those stricken with the plague of leprosy to erect a tabernacle among the camp of the children of Israel. Indeed, it is very indecent to leave unclean thoughts among bright and holy thoughts or to allow them there. Making clear the weakness, ugliness and debauchery of the behavior of such people, the shamelessness of their will, the illicit and inexcusable nature of their deeds, the law says: “And the leper has a sore, his garments will be torn, and his head will not be covered, and he will be entwined around his mouth, and he will be called unclean. All the days he will have a plague on him, he will be unclean, he will be unclean: he will be excommunicated and he will sit, he will be out of the army" (Lev. 13:45-46). These include those who say: “Let us drink and drink, and in the morning we will die” (Is. 22:13). These are the words of people who have moved away from the truth, heretical wisdom, because heretics, wanting to support their false opinion, try to find sayings and evidence from the Divine Scriptures to corrupt the hearts of those who obey them. One of the saints spoke beautifully and powerfully about them, teaching and saying: “Having in themselves such a principle, which the prophets did not preach, which the Lord did not teach, which the apostles did not betray, they boast in every way that they knew it better than anyone else, having read it in unwritten books; and, having taken up, according to the proverb, to twist ropes out of sand, they try to add something reliable to what they have said, such as the Lord’s parables, or prophetic sayings, or apostolic words, so that their invention does not seem to have no evidence. Leaving aside the order and connection of the scriptures as much as possible, tearing apart the members of truth, they rearrange and alter the words, and, making one thing into another, they deceive many with something awkwardly put together from the words of the Lord collected together. If someone, having taken a royal image, beautifully and carefully composed by a clever artist from excellent small stones, having destroyed the represented image of a person, rearranges and changes these stones into another form, making from them the image of a dog or a fox, and then decides to give a review about this worthless work and says: “This is the very beautiful royal image that the clever artist made,” pointing to the beautiful stones from which the first artist made a royal image, and the last - a bad image of a dog, - and by pointing to stones will deceive and assure the inexperienced, who have no idea about the royal face, that this vile appearance of a fox is that very beautiful image of the king - then in the same way these people sew together women's fables, collect words, sayings and parables from here and there, and want to transform the words of God according to their fables" (St. Irenaeus. Against heresies. Book. 1. Chapter I. Section XIV. Ed. Grabia). So, having been sufficiently taught by example, let us flee from the corrupt speeches of heretics and from imitating those who live dissolutely, although they apparently represent passages from the Scriptures; let us strive so that, being healthy in faith and in deeds, we may bear perfect fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to him forever! Amen. Penetrate (penetrate), humble monk, into the image in which you have clothed yourself. Look how much difference there is between this way and the worldly. Stop your thought on what it means, namely: putting aside worldly morals and affairs; In this way, this also gives a reminder of spiritual work. Therefore, do not be careless about virtue, but try with all your might to have something holy within yourself, for that is why you left the world. Acquire innocence for yourself so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in you. Listen, beloved, to good instruction about the Lord, and do not neglect it, so that you can find peace within yourself. Do not listen to shameful wishes and vain caresses, lest someone deceive you with empty speeches; do not compete in evil deeds; Don't pay attention to other people's downfalls. Keep yourself innocent, but if a sinful flame begins to flare up in you, extinguish it with tears, because the Lord saves those who turn to Him. Ask this from the Lord, because the Lord loves those who work for Him in holiness. Precious acquisition (acquisition) is innocence in right thought. If you love her, you will be glorified by the Lord and prosper in everything. Hearing everything, be careful that the eyes of your mind are not closed by the devil with vain thoughts. He will not help when the evil angels drag you away, because he will not be able to help himself either. Gehenna is prepared for him and his angels, but heavenly joy is prepared for you if you withdraw from his works. The devil rejoices when you lead an indecent life, but he is sad when you succeed in good deeds. So, do not neglect the virtue mentioned above; for you will not labor much in doing it, but firmly rely on the fact that you will soon taste its fruits. If you do not take advantage of the useful lessons, then “you will repent at the last, when the flesh of your body is worn out, and you will say: how I hated punishment, and my heart turned away from reproof; I did not listen to the voice that punished me, and did not attach my ear to the one teaching me. In the midst of the church and the congregation I ran through all kinds of evil” (Prov. 5:11-14). So, let us not be slack in the work of our salvation, beloved. Let us not be jealous of those who live in debauchery, pride and fearlessness. Shame and reproach will cover those who hate the Lord. Our days are passing, and the end is approaching; let us weep before the Lord our God until we are imprisoned in “utter darkness.” Will it be possible to return those days to us with many tears if we spend them in evil deeds and do not use them in the least? “Behold, now is the time acceptable: behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Blessed are those who are sober, for they will be crowned with joy. “Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4) with God’s chosen ones. Blessed are those who labor in the Lord, because heavenly pleasure awaits them, which may we all be worthy to receive through the prayers of all those who have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Let us seek spiritual life, beloved, so that through deeds that promote faith, you may prove to be a perfect person everywhere. We will barely (only) be capable of theology when, having conquered the passions, we eradicate in ourselves all worldly predilections and do not have any prejudice in our minds. For then the admonishing grace of the Holy Spirit, having found rest in us, will enlighten our hearts, like a prepared lamp, abundant with oil and equipped with a lamp, in which the fire, engulfing the combustible substance, so ignites the lamp that it sheds abundant light and illuminates those who stand by. But if we are still enslaved by passions and, mired in them, strive for a higher place, then we are exposed to considerable danger, becoming like a lamp devoid of oil and combustible substance, which cannot maintain the warmth and power of fire even for a short time. Therefore, we must first take care of preparing ourselves to receive the intelligent light in order to become worthy of spiritual gifts. Let us seek spiritual life, so that our mind may be sanctified, standing under the authority of the Holy Spirit, and our body, becoming partaker of the Spirit. Every day we will ask the Lord for tears of contrition, so that when we begin to cry over our sins, our souls will flourish, freed from the drought of sin. Let us not be careless about our soul, we will dig it in, covering it with pus (fertilize it), so that, softened and ignited, it will bear fruit beneficial to the Lord. Instead of a spade, we have the Old and New Testaments, and instead of fire, we have the warmth of the Holy Spirit. Let us take care of the soul, watering it with tears, so that it, cultivated and watered by tears, will bear fruit in righteousness, and so that, otherwise, we neglect it, and we will not say in the hour of separation with fear and trembling, like the king of Amalek: “Is death so bitter” (1 Samuel 15:32). Hezekiah, who during his health was not negligent in the cause of righteousness, during times of distress and death found consolation in the Lord. Having heard from the prophet the verdict about his death, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying: “Lord, remember now that we have walked before You in truth, with a perfect heart, and have created what is pleasing before Your eyes. And Hezekiah wept with great weeping” (2 Kings 20:3). What about the merciful Lord? Soon, and without any delay, he answered him through the prophet, saying: “I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears: behold, I will add fifty years to your years; and I will deliver you from the hand of the king of Assyria” (2 Kings 20:5-6), and so on. Do you see how good it is to live not with negligence, but to always have the fear of the Lord before your eyes? Great fear and trembling threatens us. Let us take care of good deeds, so that in times of need and sorrow we may find an intercessor in the Lord. But forgetting the above, be attentive to yourself, beloved, and guard your soul in every possible way, so as not to be left without the pearl you are looking for. Love reverence and self-control and you will receive great benefits. If you begin to be careless, indulging in gluttony and drunkenness, you will perish along with those who are satiated luxuriously. Firstly, you will remove God’s grace from yourself; secondly, those who see your shamelessness will condemn you for this; and, thirdly, each of us does not have enough handicrafts for such expenses. Finally, from here comes entertainment, trouble, lies, untruths, frequent absences, flattery before superiors, and all the like. Therefore, the greatest good is reverence and abstinence. Abundance destroys, but abstinence creates; one thing is opposite to the other and one cannot be combined with the other. If with a right thought you love reverence and abstinence, then you will be exalted in all respects, for reverence teaches you to live in solitude, not to stay outside your cell for long, and not to get along with those who give bad advice. Also, do not entertain your thoughts with light clothing; have a few clothes in your use. By practicing silence and devoting yourself to abstinence, do not worry about many costs to yourself, but be content with the present. With three, four or five crackers, a small amount of lentils or beans, or greens, you will satisfy the necessary needs - and in all this you have the Lord as your helper and co-worker, fattening your spiritual strength with good hope. And those who are carried away by unbridled desires have their whole lives in worries. Even the very remembrance of God comes to oblivion among them, and there is no disaster more painful than this. With constant remembrance of the Lord, vile passions are removed from the soul, like villains in the approach of a military leader; Through this, a clean dwelling is built for the Holy Spirit. But where there is no remembrance of God, darkness and stench reign, and every bad deed is done there. But I think that there are certain degrees of carnal life and virtuous life. And the devil, the inventor of sin, rejoicing in our common destruction, brings the soul to an inclination towards the carnal, little by little enticing, entangling and bringing those who are not very attentive to the rapids, until he plunges them into the very bottom of hell, making them eliminated and alienated from the Heavenly Kingdom. The Apostle, as if listing some of the steps leading down to hell, says: “The essence of the deeds of the flesh has been revealed, such as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, adultery, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, zeal, envy, rage, incitement, strife, heresy, envy, murder, drunkenness, disorderly cries, and the like. this” (Gal.5:19–21). What's the end of this? He expresses it with all his might: “I tell you what I also told you, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21). Therefore, it is necessary for us to direct our entire mind to the things above and not allow it to incline toward the forbidden. If the enemy stumbles us in some way, then we will quickly rise up, so that, by drawing us into other evil deeds and gradually entangling us, and plunging us from one fall into another, we will not finally be deposed into the very depths of destruction and despair. Even if the enemy led us into everything forbidden, then let us not stop there and despair in ourselves, because all this can be overcome by repentance and become in the very field of piety. Then, finally, the Lord, seeing a change in us, sincere repentance and the fact that we have desired Him alone with all our hearts, doing what is pleasing to Him, will speak to us no longer as His servants, but as sincere friends, and will call us to the most perfect and highest virtues, saying: “friend, sit higher” (Luke 14:10) - that is, He will call us to a beautiful ascent that takes us to heaven, the steps of which are faith, hope, love and other fruits of the Spirit. And when we become citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, then our hearts will “rejoice,” and “no one will take our joy” from us (John 16:22). May the Lord God Almighty guide us with His advice and cover us with His sovereign hand. Woe and destruction to the man who does not have God as his helper, for there is no other helper than “the living God,” because He is the Lord of heaven and earth, and “he has created all that He pleases, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the abysses” (Ps. 134:6). “And there is none that will resist His hand” (Dan.4:32). To him be glory, majesty and splendor forever and ever! Amen. You might be interested in: