Слово 9. О памятозлобии

1. Holy virtues are like Jacob's ladder; and indecent passions are the bonds that fell from the supreme Peter. The virtues, being connected with one another, lift the one who wills to heaven; and the passions, one giving birth to another, and strengthening one another, cast one into the abyss. And as we have now heard from insane anger that memory malice is one of its own creations: then in order we will now talk about it. 2. Memory of malice is the fulfillment of anger, the storage of sins, hatred of the truth, the destruction of virtues, the rust of the soul, the worm of the mind, the disgrace of prayer, the suppression of prayer, the alienation of love, a nail driven into the soul, an unpleasant feeling, loved in grief with pleasure, an unceasing sin, an incessant crime, an ever-present malice. 3. Memory malice, this dark and vile passion, is one of those passions that are born, but do not give birth, or even give birth. We don't intend to talk much about it. 4. He who ceased from anger killed the memory of malice; for as long as the father lives, childbearing continues. 5. He who has acquired love has avoided enmity; the one who is at enmity collects untimely labors for himself. 6. The meal of love destroys hatred; and sincere gifts soften the soul. But a meal without attention is the mother of insolence; and gluttony jumps through the window of love. 7. I saw that hatred broke the long-term bonds of prodigal love; and then memory miraculously did not allow them to unite again. A wonderful sight! The demon heals the demon; but perhaps this is not the work of demons, but of the Providence of God. 8. Malice is far from solid natural love, but fornication conveniently approaches it, as we sometimes see lice hiding in a dove. 9. Remembering to be angry, remember to be angry at the demons and, being at enmity, be at enmity against your flesh incessantly. For this flesh is an ungrateful and flattering friend: the more we please it, the more it harms us. 10. Memory malice is a crafty interpreter of Scripture, who interprets the utterances of the Spirit according to his own understanding. Let him be put to shame by the prayer given to us by Jesus, which we cannot say with Him, having a memory of malice. 11. When, after many struggles, you are unable to pluck out these thorns: then repent and humble yourself, at least in words, before the one with whom you are angry, so that you, being ashamed of your long-term hypocrisy in front of him, will be able to completely love him, being burned by your conscience like fire. 12. You will not know that you have completely gotten rid of this rottenness when you pray for the offender, or repay him for evil with gifts, or invite him to a meal: but when, having heard that he has fallen into some kind of mental or physical misadventure, you grieve for him as for yourself, and shed tears. 13. The memory-evil silent one is an asp hiding in a hole, which carries within itself a deadly poison. 14. Remembering the sufferings of Jesus will heal the memory of malice, greatly disgraced by His gentleness. In a tree, rotten inside, a worm is born; and in those who are apparently meek and silent, but are not truly such, a lasting anger is hidden. He who throws out anger receives forgiveness of sins; and whoever cleaves to it is deprived of God’s mercy. 15. Some took upon themselves labors and exploits in order to receive forgiveness; but a man who does not remember evil got ahead of them. “Give away a little, and they will give you a lot” (Luke 6:37). 16. Forgiveness of malice is a sign of true repentance; and whoever holds the memory of malice in his heart and thinks that he is doing repentance is like a person who in a dream imagines that he is running. 17. I have seen those infected with memory malice who exhorted others to forget the insults, and then, ashamed of their words, abandoned their passion. 18. Do not think that this dark passion is of little importance; for it often creeps into spiritual men. Ninth degree. Let him who enters it with boldness ask for the remission of sins from the Savior Jesus. You might be interested in: