О монахах

Why did the prophet liken you, a lonely monk, to an orphaned turtledove (Ps. 83:4)? Because the turtle dove is a chaste bird, never enters into a second marriage, does not sit on luxurious branches, but then seeks out uninhabited deserts and ends its days there. For this reason, the prophet likened you to an orphaned turtledove, so that you would not return back to the world, so that you would not spend time in cities and towns, would not hang out with worldly people, would not learn their ways, and your soul would not depart from the Lord your God, the true Bridegroom of our souls, so that you would not accept snares for your soul and not return to wealth and worldly pleasures. It is impossible for you, monk, to be both an Angel and a man; You cannot work for God and mammon. Do not justify yourself, lost monks, by fulfilling the commandments and doing good, caring for the elders and receiving strangers. God does not require this from the Angels, but that they sing and glorify Him, and glorify Him completely, which is what you have determined to do. I will offer you the following parable about a covetous and rich monk - a worldly owner, and a poor monk - a citizen of heaven. Monks who live in wealth and luxury are in no way distinguished from worldly, luxurious and voluptuous people. They are still alien to the life of the Angels, and even turn out to be liars. And although they have already renounced the world, they still again care about the things of life, about wealth and about their relatives. And those who are preoccupied with worldly wealth cannot yet wear the image of a monk. For it is impossible for “God and Mammon to work,” says the Lord (Matthew 6:24). And the apostles themselves, who questioned their Teacher and told Him: “Behold, we have left everything and are dead after You” (Matthew 19:27), did not go into the world, leaving the Teacher, and did not turn back, that is, to wealth. So, if you see a rich and voluptuous monk, a money-lover and uncompassionate, you see that he is chasing after worldly wealth, loves luxury and worldly benefits, then leave your affairs and cry for him, because such a one walks in the night and in darkness. It is not pleasing to God for a monk to leave, so to speak, the spiritual and worry about the worldly, although, apparently, he has some plausible excuse for this. It is the devil who laughs (mocks) at him and tries to destroy him. Those who, for the sake of the physical and worldly, do not care about spiritual matters and shy away from them, suffer great and constant damage, not understanding and being unable to comprehend with their minds the Divine saying: “No one lays his hand on his forehead, and in vain he will be ruled in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Why do you, monk, acquire for yourself wealth that is soul-destroying, arrogant, proud, unmerciful, uncompassionate, insatiable? The more someone gets rich, the more he becomes unmerciful and inhuman, and the more he keeps his hands from giving alms. But you, monk, do not lust after such wealth, do not acquire or attract it for yourself, for the first and great commandment for a monk is poverty according to God. Rather, cleave to Christ, remaining without distraction in the place where you renounced the world for God, who lives forever. You might be interested in: