Enthusiastic classes as food for the soul

Contents Like in the Saints of Our Father John Archbishop Constantine of the city of Chrysostom, about prayer, 1st word Also about prayer, 2nd word The same message to the monks of all benefits and sobriety is filled The same as getting up at night to pray The same about prayer, as if you won’t continue it, but briefly with tenderness Pray The same word about those who pray with faith in every place and among the Saints. Our Father Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonites, on prayer. From the life of his Greek book of Our Venerable Father Meletius the Confessor, who labored in the Galician mountain: about the prayer of Mark the ascetic, seven words of His Holiness Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, testimony about the prince of our Venerable Father Abba Mark, Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Mark, First Word On repentance for all, which is always due with this power of action, already faithful, and before doing, I received the Grace of Baptism the same way: the advice of the mind to my soul. The second word is the same, the answer to those who are perplexed about holy Baptism. Word three: The scholastic's opposition to Abba Mark. Sermon Four: Scripture from Nicholas to Mark the Faster. The fifth word is also about heaven and spiritual law. The sixth word is the same, about fasting and humility. The seventh word of St. Mark, the main one relating to sobriety, About things prohibiting salvation. Soulful conversations of our reverend father Zosimas About deeds and visions. Chapters of Saint Theognostos About the priesthood About the priesthood About the priesthood of the Venerable and God-bearing father of our father Simeon, Metropolitan of Euchaitis, message to John the monk and recluse Like the Saints of Our Father John, Archbishop Constantine of the city Chrysostom, on prayer, 1st word For the sake of both, you ought to bless the servants of God and marvel at them, for you have the hope of salvation in the holy prayers, and for in writing preserve the songs and services that were offered to God with joy and fear, and have given us their treasure: so that they may attract all those who were after them to their zeal. To pass over is befitting of the disposition of teachers to disciples, and it is fitting for the disciples of the Prophets to imitate the truth of them, and live all the time with prayers, and the service of God and teaching: this is life, this is health and wealth, this is the end of good things to be without seeking, even if we pray to God with a pure and corrupted soul. Just as the sun is light for the body, so is prayer for the soul. If it is a vanity for a blind man not to see the sun, how much more is it a vanity for a Christian not to pray often, and not to bring the light of Christ into the soul through prayer? And who would not be horrified and surprised at God’s love for mankind, which He shows to us, bestowing such honor upon man, as He has made His prayers and His conversation worthy? We truly converse with God during prayer, with whom we also copulate with Angels, and we avoid communication with the wordless. An angel, because the work is prayer, is superior to the dignity of one, since it is better to have the dignity of an angel to talk with God. But it is better to eat, they themselves teach us, offering prayers with much fear, and giving us guidance and understanding, as it is fitting for those who approach God with joy and fear to do this. With fear for those who are afraid of us, lest we appear to pray unworthy of prayer, we will appear with joy, filled with joy, for the sake of greatness for the sake of honor, for such is the providence that the dead race has been vouchsafed, since Divine conversations are often enjoyed, which we avoid from being dead and from time to time, by nature being dead, but talking to God to be immortal. the stomach is transitory. It is necessary for one who converses with God to eat, rather than death and all decay. And the skin does not need to eat the rays of the sun in order to avoid darkness: so the one enjoying Divine conversations does not need to eat, no one needs to be dead. The very greatness of honor to immortality represents us. Even if those who converse with the king and enjoy the same honor from him, it is impossible for them to be poor; It is much more impossible for those who pray and converse with God to eat, having dead souls. The death of the soul is wickedness and a life that violates the law: the same is the life of the soul, the service of God and this appropriate life. A reverent life and a befitting service to God, prayer gathers and treasures wonder in our souls. Either someone who is zealous about virginity, or honoring chastity in battle, or overcoming anger, and living with meekness, or being pure in envy, or doing other things that are appropriate, preparatory to prayer and anticipating such a path of life, it will be easy and convenient to have the flow of piety. It is not possible to eat, it is not possible for those who ask God for chastity, and truth, and meekness, and goodness, not to receive prayer. The verb is: ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; press, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and it is opened to the one who asks. And again: who is there, says, a man from you, whose son, if he asks for bread, will give him a stone for food? or if he asks for fish, will he give him food for a snake? If you, who are evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? The Lord of all things motivates us to pray with such words and such hopes. It is fitting for us, who always obey God, to live in songs and prayers, and to adhere more carefully to the service of God than to our own souls. Thus, it would be possible for us to live a life befitting a human being. He who does not pray to God, who desires to enjoy the Divine conversation more often, is dead and soulless, and is not a partaker of the hedgehog. This very greatest sign of foolishness is that one does not know the greatness of honor, one is below zealous prayer, one is below the death of imputing the soul to be without worshiping God. Just as this body of ours, without a soul present, is dead and stinking: so the soul, which does not move itself to prayer, is dead and cursed and stinking. But since the death of any bitter thing is more despicable than the deprivation of prayer, the great Prophet Daniel teaches us good, deigning to die rather than to be deprived of prayer for three days. (It is not because the king of Persia commanded him not to be dishonest, but for three days he will find it exactly). Without Divine help, nothing from the good could come to our souls. God's help comes into contact with our labors together with us, and the rear makes it easier for good, if he sees those who love prayer, and those who pray to God often, and all the good things that come from here will bring those who hope. Whenever I see someone who does not love prayer, who has a warm and fervent desire for it, it is already obvious to me, as if he has acquired nothing worthwhile in his soul. Whenever I see someone holding on to divine services insatiably, and not praying often in the midst of the greatest misfortunes, I conclude that such an ascetic will remain steadfast in every virtue, and God’s church. Even if a man’s attire, and the foot of his foot, and the laughter of his teeth, proclaims the same thing about him, according to the wise Solomon: much more than prayer and the service of God is a sign of all righteousness, a certain utensil of a spiritual and divine being, creating much beauty and kindness in our thoughts, arranging our lives in every way, not allowing a single evil, and have no placeless power over thought, teaching one to be ashamed of God and the honor that comes from him, to repel all evil charms by punishing, driving away cold and placeless thoughts, and in contempt of sweetness creating the soul every time. This is the only contempt that befits those who honor Christ, even if they work for nothing, but keep their souls free and their lives purified. For it is by no means possible to eat without prayer, to live with virtue, and to walk in this life, which does not seek to be clear to all. How could anyone strive in virtue without approaching and falling often before the Giver and Giver of sowing? How could anyone wish to be chaste and righteous without sweetly conversing with the tormentor of this and much of this from us? I want to show briefly that even if we are filled with sins, our prayers will quickly cleanse us. And what could be more prayer or more divine, when it appears to be some kind of doctor for ailing souls? It is also true that the first Ninevites washed away many sins to God through prayer. When their prayer is accepted, create abiye and the righteous, and the city, which has become accustomed to fornication and wickedness and living a lawless life, will soon correct the old customs more than possible; the city will be filled with heavenly laws, bringing with it chastity, and love of mankind, and meekness, and providence for the poor. It cannot endure living in people without these things: but in which one has the ability to live, it is filled with being to create all kinds of righteousness, teaching to virtue, and driving out evil. And truly, if anyone had entered the city of Nineveh, which was first known to that city, he would not have known its city: so suddenly he leaped from the bitterness of life to piety. As if I had a poor wife, wearing rags, but whoever saw her adorned with golden robes would not have known her wife: so knowing and the city that was poor first, and the spiritual treasures that were empty, would not have known what kind of city it is, which only prayer can transform and lead to virtue in character and life. But a certain woman, having lived in intemperance and fornication all her time, when she fell at the feet of Christ, received her salvation. The rest not only cleanses (prayer) sins, but also reflects great troubles. This king, together with the Prophet, the wonderful David, escaped from many and difficult battles with prayer, protecting the army with this weapon, and gave his warriors the hedgehog to receive victory in silence and safety. Moreover, Ovii ubo the kings, on the art of the governors and art and on the archers and armorers and horsemen, had hope of salvation: the great David, with the prayers of the saints, steadied the army, not looking at the eyebrows of the governors and officials, and cavalry commanders, neither collecting penalties, nor creating weapons, but bringing down the divine armor from heaven. The whole armor of the truly heavenly is divine prayer, and alone it can protect those who have firmly devoted themselves to God. Fortress, however, and the knowledge of the armorers, and the archer's art, and betrayal in abundance, express the vanity of being and the gaze of enemies, and the adversary's complacency, and much more to this. Prayer is an irresistible weapon and a safe guardhouse, like a single warrior, and likewise many who reflect darkness. Even David, the wondrous Goliath, is like one who finds a terrible demon, not with weapons, nor with swords, but with prayers. So strong is the king's weapon in rateh, prayer is, and strong is ours against demons. Thus, King Hezekiah overcomes the battle of the Persians, without arming the army, but opposing the multitude of adversaries with one prayer. Thus, I avoided death with a fit of reverence for God, and the only prayer was that the princess could rise to life. And since prayer more easily cleanses the soul that has sinned, the publican teaches us, having prayed to God to receive forgiveness, and having received it: the leper also teaches, if he fell upon God, be cleansed. If God soon healed a corrupted body, then much more will love for mankind heal the troubled soul. As much as the soul is honorable in the body, how much more so is God’s great care to show this. And there would be countless people who could say both old and new, if only he wanted to count all those who were saved by prayer. Somebody who is despondent and unwilling to pray diligently and diligently would proclaim that these are the verbs of God: do not let everyone say to me: Lord, Lord, to enter into the kingdom of heaven: but do the will of my Father who is in heaven 2 . But even if I had not prayed for one single prayer (prayer) to achieve our salvation, someone would have spoken these words in blindness. And since the main thing is to be good, I say prayer, and the foundation and root of a useful life, let no one speak words for the sake of despondency. And since chastity alone can save without other goods, below is providence for the poor, below is goodness, below is something else from the wicked, but it is fitting for all to be drawn into our souls. Prayer, like the root and foundation, is supplied. And just as a ship and a house, even from below, are strong and support, so our prayers support our life. Without prayer, nothing good or saving could be in us. For this reason, Paul often presses on us, commanding and saying: endure in prayer, watchful in it with thanksgiving. And again: pray without ceasing, he says, give thanks in everything: this is the will of God for Christ Jesus in you. And again: pray at all times in the Spirit, being vigilant in this time with all patience and prayer 5 . Thus, with many and Divine voices, the leader of the Apostles often calls us to prayer. It is fitting for those who are punished for this to walk in prayer throughout their lives and to practice this thought often. We demand that all men sow no less than trees of water. Below, they can bear fruit without drinking through rooting; below, we can be filled with valuable fruits of piety without drinking prayers. In the same way, it is fitting for those who rise from their beds to precede the everlasting sun with the service of God, and for those who touch the table, and for those who have sleep: and moreover, for every hour, offer one prayer to God, equal to the flow of the day; during winter and night, spend a large part on prayers, and for those who bend their knees with much fear, heed the prayer, blissing themselves in the service for the sake of God. Rtsy, how can you see the sun without bowing to Him who sends the sweetest light to your eyes? How can you enjoy a meal without bowing to the Giver and Giver of so many blessings? With what hope did you come to the night time, with what tea to talk in sleep, without numbing yourself with prayers, but without guarding yourself when you came to sleep? We will despise and be comfortable with the most cunning demons, who often bypass us temporarily and watch us, whom they would soon abduct in the naked prayers. If others see us protected by prayers, they will jump away like robbers and villains, with a sword hanging visibly at the head of a warrior. What if someone happens to be naked in prayer; This one is plucked from the demons, we are driven into sins, troubles, and evil. It is fitting for those who fear us to constantly numb ourselves with prayers and songs, so that God, having had mercy on all, will make those worthy of the kingdom of heaven, His Only Begotten Son, to Him be glory and power forever and ever, Amen. The same about prayer, word 2 For the main thing of all good is prayer, and salvation and eternal life are the cause, not unknown to anyone else. It is necessary, in both ways, to speak about this thing as powerfully as possible, so that those who are accustomed to live in prayers, and diligently pay heed to God’s service, will do this word to those who are diligent: those who have lived more despondently, and have abandoned their souls to empty prayers, and will understand the futility of the past time, and will not try to deprive themselves of salvation in the remaining part of this life. Abiye is the greatest thing about prayer, as the imams say, as everyone who prays talks with God. As long as there is a human being who can converse with God, no one knows: but no one could represent him with a word of honor. This honor even surpasses the splendor of the Angels: even if they know good, they are all seen nowhere in the prophets with much fear, singing and serving the Lady, bringing them, covering their faces and legs with much reverence, while flying, and thus not being able to remain in silence, many showing fear: punishingly, unable to breathe, and forgetting our human nature in the time of prayer, contained in zeal and fear, is nothing from real seeing: but in the midst of the Angels stand without pleading, and then perform the service with them. For another, the whole essence is much divided, which, I say, is ours, and nature, and existence, and wisdom, and reason, and all that anyone would say: prayer in common is the work of an angel and a person, and there is no mediation between nothing and one and another nature in the reasoning of prayer. This separates you from the wordless, this unites you with the Angels: whoever passes to them lives, and life, and abiding, and honor, and nobility, and wisdom, and reason, all life in prayers and the service of God, trying hard to exercise. Zane, that the venerable could be talking with God, what is more righteous? what's more funny? what is wiser? If men converse with wise men, from frequent conversation in the likeness of wisdom they are quickly created: what should be said about those conversing with God and praying? Great wisdom, great virtue and reason, and kindness, and kindness, and chastity, and morals of meekness are fulfilled by their prayer and supplication! Moreover, if anyone sinned, all virtues and righteousness would be a prayer with the saying of the verb, and the power of nothing needed for piety would be brought into the soul by prayers and empty supplications. But since the city is not walled, it can conveniently submit to the adversary, who contains many for the sake of emptiness: so the soul, not walled by prayers, is convenient for the devil to be under himself, and it is convenient for him to fulfill every sin. First of all, when he sees a soul protected by prayers, he does not dare to come close, fearing its strength and power, since prayers are given, more nourishing the soul than food for the body. Even those who pray diligently, do not tolerate the fact that prayer is unworthy to suffer, but by shaming God, with whom you are now conversing, everyone quickly rejects the evil wiles, thinking in themselves, how much evil there is, who has now conversed with God, and has prayed for chastity and reverence, lest he go to the devil, and accept a cold soul into his soul. sweetness, and give the devil the coming into his mind, now God will visit him, and allow the demon to enter into souls, in whom the grace of the Spirit shows much love for mankind and providence: and how, hear. It is perplexing for a man of God's power to endure a conversation without the action of the Spirit; but it is fitting for this one who is present and touched by the holy feat to listen and kneel, and offer a prayer and pray. Because there is greater human power to converse with God, for this reason it is fitting for the grace of the Spirit that has entered into us to strengthen, and the boldness of giving, and to teach the greatness of this honor. When you understand that you are conversing with God, and that you have received the action of the Holy Spirit, having conversed, then you will never allow the devil to come into a soul sanctified by the Spirit. Just as those who conversed with the king, and enjoyed the words of the meek and enjoyed honor, do not judge it worthy to come into conversation with the beggars and outcasts: in this way, one who conversed with God and prayed would not be worthy of accepting the conversation of the evil one and the wicked. For truly, when you work with pleasure, you talk with demons, and are jealous of their fury: just as you are chaste and diligent in truth, you live with angels, and you are jealous of their splendor. I think I'm a river guy; as the veins of the soul are prayers, speaking the truth. Just as the body, which does not breathe, is supported by veins, and flows and stands, and lives, and is firmly established: if someone cuts this out, then every structure of the body is destroyed: so the souls are composed and strengthened by holy prayers, and the currents of piety flow more conveniently. If you deprive yourself of prayer, do the same as if you carried a fish out of the water into the air: as if its belly is water, this is your prayer. With this power it is powerful, like water, to fly near, and to surpass the heavens, and to be near God. The rest is enough to show the strength of holy prayer: it is better to eat, having come to the divine scriptures, from the sayings of Christ to understand the wealth that prayers bring to treasure for those who want to practice them throughout their lives. Verb, speech, and parable for them, how it is appropriate to always pray and not be cold, saying: there was a certain judge in a certain city, not fearing God, and not putting people to shame. A certain widow was in that city, and she came to him saying: take revenge on me from my rival. And if you don’t want to spend too much time, watch the speech within yourself: even if I do not fear God, and even if man does not put her to shame: but this widow does not do my labors, I will take vengeance on her: let her labors not come to the end for me. The Lord said: Hear that the judge speaketh unrighteousness. Doesn’t God want to take vengeance on His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night, and endure long-suffering for them? I tell you that I will take their vengeance soon 6 . Let us understand, brethren, that the hidden wisdom in the words of the Spirit, testing according to our strength, is not great, but it is very powerful for us to achieve. Those who create other things in the sea of ​​life, into the lowest depths, wear out valuable stones in the depths: we, having experienced the abyss of the Divine Scriptures, into the very depths of the wisdom of the Spirit, with great power, sweat, may we bring you a treasure of goodness, adorning souls better than the heads of kings with golden crowns. For goodness already ends with this life: the soul is crowned with the words of the Spirit, and now this time passes with every affirmation, and at the end of this life, boldly approaches the Throne of Christ, full of virtue, and clean from all malice. What treasure do we bring you from the depths of the scriptures, not the very depths concerning wisdom, but only the ones that descend, the ones that are so powerful? Christ instructing people to pray, and even to imagine the benefit of it to our souls, introduces the judge to a certain wickedness and evil, having rejected all shame from the sight, and banished the fear of God from the soul. If you are sufficiently righteous and merciful to offer your face, and having experienced its righteousness with God’s love for mankind, show the strength of prayer. Even if a good and meek person meekly accepts those who bring prayers, even more so does God, His greatness of love for mankind not only surpasses our thoughts, but even the Angels themselves. It is enough that the righteous person should propose to the judge: now it is cruel and wicked and hateful to introduce a judge, on others it is fierce, but on those who pray it is good and meek: so you understand that all prayer and evil nature attracts more conveniently to mercy and mercy. Why then did Christ do this? Yes, no one knows from everyone the strength of prayer. For this reason, having presented the widow to the bitterest of all, and showing him against the nature of love for mankind, from the evil one to His Father, transfer this word, good, meek, quiet, humane, surpassing iniquity, forgiving many sins, blaspheming every day and enduring, enduring the sight of honor to demons, vexation against Himself, against His Son, blasphemy, verbal and unspeakable cruelty. We also blaspheme because the little one endures it. If he sees us falling with appropriate fear, will he not soon have mercy? Hear how the judge of unrighteousness says: Even though I do not fear God, and even if man is not put to shame, but does my wrongs, I will take revenge on her. What are you saying? If the fear of God is not possible, is this prayer possible? And without touching him with shame or reprimand, did he bring his aspirations to the truth below punishment, did the widow appear with a prayer to tame him? What else is appropriate to talk about the philanthropic Bose? If the cruel one is so meek, make a widow fall: then God will show how much kindness, how much love for mankind will show us, Who is always merciful, but never tormented, Who also threatens us with many torments for the sake of love for mankind, and has prepared great honor, and fear and honor hope, and he rewards virtue, and will he forbid from deceit? I cannot retreat from the judge of unrighteousness in my thoughts, in vain in its meekness, even against nature, God’s inscrutable love for mankind. If you never show a single good thing, the one who desires, suddenly bows down, prays for mercy: then how much will we have to bring the care of prayers from heaven! Anyone who can know the strength and power of holy prayers, despite looking and in vain, great blessings for every day and hour, are always enjoyed by those who fall before God. Who doesn’t know that the light of the sun, and the stars, and the moon, and the blessings of the air, and the variety of food, and wealth, and possessions, and countless blessings for all people, like God grants to both the righteous and the wicked, much for the sake of His love for mankind, to have for us? If it is not for those who pray or beseech that he has mercy on them every day and gives them rest, then how many blind blessings will those who have practiced throughout their lives enjoy in prayers and supplications! Come, and the villages from the righteous, with your prayers, will save languages ​​and cities and the whole universe, with our eyes towards you. In the memory of prayer, Paul is the first worthy of memory, Paul is not satisfied with the service of God, the common father and ancestor of the servants of Christ. For He is the guardian of the universe, by prayer and frequent supplication He has saved all tongues, and also by writing He speaks to us: For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom is the whole fatherland in heaven and on earth called: that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man: may Christ dwell in your hearts through faith 7 . Do you see how much prayer and supplication can do? People make churches of Christ: and just as gold and stone are valuable and marmari create churches of kings, so the prayer of people creates churches of Christ. Let Christ dwell in your hearts, he says. What greater praise could there be in prayer than for God to build churches? Whom the heavens cannot contain, Whom prayer instills in the soul! Heaven is My throne, he says, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me, or what place of My resting place? But in both cases, Paul builds his house with holy prayers. I bow, he says, my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. Even from there, someone would have seen the power of holy prayers, like Paul through the whole universe, like one with wings, and living in prisons, and beating thorns, and wearing chains, and living in blood and troubles, and casting out demons, and raising up the dead, and quenching ailments, not one of these hoped for the salvation of people: but with prayers he stiffened his soul 8 , and after signs and the resurrection of the dead, he moves on to prayers, like some ascetic to the struggle from the crown. For prayer is the giver of both the resurrection of the dead and all of them. And blindness: since the waters have strength in trees, these prayers are in the lives of the saints. In the night, sowing Paul’s soul, all the more patiently and fiercely, giving the splash to the wounds, like a pillar. So in Macedonia you shook the prison: so you broke the bonds, like a lion, with prayers: so you deceived the prison guard from delusion to eat: so destroy the torment of demons. She also knows, even as she writes to all people: Be patient in prayer, watchful in it with thanksgiving 9, praying together for me, that the word may be given to me at the opening of my mouth, with boldness to tell the mystery of the gospel 10. What are you saying? Do prayers give us as much boldness as we dared to pray to God for Paul? Which warrior dares to pray to the Tsar for the great governor? Even if there is no such thing as a prince’s governor, there is a friend like Pavel Bogovi: but in both cases prayers lead us to the point of honor, as if we dared to pray to God for Paul. Likewise, Peter the Great, who brightened the sky, escaped prison: more so for his own sake of virtue, and for the common salvation of people: then the prayer to the church quickly opened the doors of the closed prison. It is not in vain that Luke wrote that the whole church prayed diligently for Peter: but let us understand that prayers have great strength in heaven, for they deliver both Paul and Peter from troubles, the pillars of the Church, the Supreme Apostle, who is famous in heaven, the wall of the universe, the common guardian of all earth and sea. Let us tell you how Moses saved Israel in battle: did not the disciples betray the weapons and the army, and oppose the prayers of the multitude of adversaries, teaching that the prayers of the righteous have much greater power with weapons, and horses, and warriors, and armies? For this reason, all the army and the multitude of darkness responded to the prayer of the Prophet and had hope of salvation. I pray to Moses, I will overcome Judea: I have stopped praying and I will be overcome by my adversaries. And so on, we, by praying, will more easily defeat the devil, but despondently, we struggle with the evil one. Also, the people who did not honor Moses alone through prayer alone, and she received the Divine vision, and 11 other ones who were glorified by this alone. Make this life similar to that of those living in heaven. Prayer of the fire, extinguish the power, and tame the lions: for the slaughter of Daniel, for the three, having made the youth, the image of the unsatisfied, and clearly do to everyone, as if he receives all the great ones in need, he conveniently snatches them away from the fierce ones who are present. The prayer for salvation is wine, immortality is guilty, the wall of the church is solid, the guard is unshakable, it is terrible for the demons, but it is saving for those who are pious to us. This gave birth to the Holy Prophet Samuel: since nature resisted the mother to birth, prayer, which soon appeared, corrected the depreciation of nature. Such is the fruit of prayer, such is the planted prayer of the Prophet. In the same way, Samuel became famous in the 12 heavens, better than in man, a zealous angel. It is fitting that prayers should appear to such a class, which overcomes them with kindness and goodness and virtues of morals, and only those who had previously conquered themselves were removed, since in the fields they surpass the great classes. With her, David rejected so many and such adversary to eat, neither moving weapons, nor shaking a spear, nor drawing a sword, but was frozen with prayers. With her, Hezekiah soon put many Persians to flight. And these cunning weapons led to the city: this wall was destroyed by prayers, and the battle without weapons was ruined by a prayer that did not sound a trumpet, a silent army, a weapon that did not move, an earth that was not stained with blood, but a prayer that brought fear to the adversaries. Prayer will save Nineveth, and quickly repel the wrath carried from heaven, and quickly correct the corrupt life. It gives such strength and strength, for having lived in Ninevit, all life is cold and crafty, but having entered the city, prayer will soon change everything; and chastity, and truth, and love, and like-mindedness, and providence for the poor, and all that is good with oneself. Just as a certain queen who has entered the city needs to eat all her wealth, so also when prayer enters the soul, all virtue comes down. Even though there is a foundation in the house, this is prayer in the soul. Likewise, this first one is fitting, as a certain foundation and root, in the souls of those who have planted in the souls to edify with diligence, and chastity, and meekness, and truth, and providence for the poor, and all the laws of Christ, and having lived according to them, we will receive what is good in heaven, by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him and with Him, to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory and power in forever and ever, amen. Likewise, the message to the monk is filled with all benefits and sobriety. The Divine Apostle says: pray unceasingly 13, without anger and reflection 14. And the Holy One speaks kindly without thinking: every thought that separates the mind from God, even if it is thought and good to be, is still the devil, let it not be a river to the devil. Because this whole feat is the devil, let him separate and wean the mind from God, and draw cares and pleasures into the worldly: he speaks commandments and good deeds inside the heart, and some are blessed or, even more so, wordless thoughts, to which it is by no means proper to heed. The whole feat of the soul is not to separate the mind from God, nor to combine and agree with unclean thoughts, but to pay attention to what the all-imitating and ancient painter the devil depicts in the heart: sometimes images, sometimes views and balls and faces, and then the devil depicts all of them. And a passionate person, standing in one place, does not feel like being somewhere, deceived, and imagines seeing some people, and talking to people, and distributing things, even the deceptions of the devil. It is fitting, then, to strengthen and control the mind and bridle it, and to torment every thought and every evil action by invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: and where the body stands, there the mind will be, so that in the midst of God and the heart nothing else is found, like a mediastinum or a fence, overriding the heart and separating from God. Even if someone admires his intellect, it is not proper for him to become rigid in his thoughts; so that not combining thoughts into deeds will be imputed to him before the Lord on the day of judgment, when God judges the secret of man. Be aloof, therefore, and abide with our Lord until he spares us: and seek nothing else except mercy from the Lord of glory. If you seek mercy, with a humble and tender heart, seek and cry from morning to evening, as much as you can, and all night long: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. And force your mind into this matter even to the point of death. This work requires much coercion; the gate is narrow, and the narrow path is brought into the belly, and those who are in need enter into it: for those who are in need is the kingdom of heaven. I pray to you, do not separate your hearts from God, but sit down and keep with the memory of our Lord Jesus Christ always, until the name of the Lord is implanted inside your heart: and think of nothing else, so that Christ may be magnified in you. I pray to you, never cease to practice this rule of prayer, but whenever you eat, whenever you drink, whenever you travel, whatever else you do, constantly call: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us: may this memory of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ provoke us to fight against our enemies. With all this memory, the needy soul can find it, either good or evil. First of all, the evil one can be seen inside the heart, and then the good one. For this memory is to move the serpent, and this memory is to humble him, this memory is to expose the sin that lives in us, and this memory is to consume it: this memory is to raise up all the power of the enemy in the heart, and this memory is to defeat and eradicate it piece by piece. By descending in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ into the depths of the heart, it humbles the serpent who holds the pasture, but saves and gives life to the soul. Therefore, continually call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, so that the heart of the Lord, and the Lord, may be swallowed up, and the two may become one. This matter will not last for one day or two, but there is a lot of time and effort and labor required until the enemy is driven out and Christ dwells. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, and against the powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places, 15 as the Apostle says. This is how it behooves a person who prays to pray, as if he had gathered and stretched out all his thoughts to call on the Lord with an aching soul: and below the duty of extending words, below the length of a prayer to extend, but small and simple verbs to be spoken: not in a multitude of verbs, but in the sobriety of thoughts lies the hedgehog to be heard. And this can be seen powerfully from those like Samuil’s mother Anna. It is fitting for the one who prays not to prostrate words, but to pray often. Christ Paul commanded that prayers should occur over short distances. If you extend the word for a long time, then you neglect the multiplicity, and give the devil the freedom to approach and occupy you and take your thoughts away from those spoken. If you pray quickly and often, then you will fill your time with frequency, and you will be able to pray with much sobriety. Do you want to learn vigil, prayer, sobriety, and sitting down: go to Anna, understand what she has done. Rising, he says, everything is from the meal: and she did not shy away from sleep, nor from rest. Moreover, it seems to me, as if sitting at a meal, a certain speed was easy, and not burdened by certain burdens: it would not have shed so many tears. And it was not until she let out her voice that it was bright and great, and for this it was quickly heard, but because it cried so loudly within her heart, her voice, unheard, said, and God heard 16. It is necessary to exist below the voice, like thoughts, below the outstretched hand, like the extended souls, below the image, like the mind. Even if you are outside the church, call and say: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, even if you cry out not with your mouth, but with your mind: and God hears those who are silent. You are not looking for a place, but you are right: if you are anywhere, pray: you are a church, do not look for a place. The sea was in front, the Egyptians behind, and in the midst Moses said nothing: and God said to him, why do you cry to me? And you, whenever temptation comes upon you, run to God, call on the Lord Jesus Christ. For a person has food, but go to the place; God is always near. I also say to you, he says: behold, I have come. If you don’t make a prayer, He will give you a petition. If the thought of the imasha is pure from placeless passions, then even if you are in the market place, even if you are on the way, if you are at sea, if you are in a hotel, if you are anywhere, you are able to call upon God to receive a petition. By multitude, he says, he asked, and did not receive. Truly, you asked evilly, either without faith, or with hesitation, or those who were not useful to you: even if you asked for those who were useful in abundance, you did not suffer. It is written: In your patience you will gain your souls 17: and he who endures to the end will be saved 18. If you don’t ask with difficulty and wait for many, you won’t accept it. It is fitting for one to lust first, but to the one who has truly desired to seek with faith and patience what is useful to everyone; I am judged of nothing in my conscience, as if I were asking with carelessness or despondency: and then accept when God wills. It is better for you to receive news that is useful to you, and for this reason he puts it aside, deceiving you to come to Himself, so that, having learned what a gift of God is, preserve what is given with fear. Anyone who has acquired much with difficulty strives to preserve it, so that, without destroying it, he will also destroy much of his labor, and he has rejected the grace of the Lord and will be unworthy of eternal life. What good did Solomon, who soon received the grace of wisdom, profit from it, and destroy it? For do not be faint-hearted if you do not quickly accept your request: if the good Master had known that he had accepted grace quickly and did not destroy it, he would have been ready to give you a tax even before your request. Now, caring for you, he does this. Even if he is a slave, having received the talent, and having preserved it intact, without being outside the chapel, he will be condemned: much more than that, he who destroys that one will be condemned. Pay attention to yourself and examine yourself from everywhere. Do not keep an eye on your mind to sleep; walk through the midst of snares: the secret snare from the enemy is cut off from everywhere. Inspect everything, and save yourself, like your heart, from snares. It is not acceptable to eat by means of snares, speed for the sake of vision: it is also the same name as fast vision. In both cases, it is appropriate, since obedience to God is lower than the other commandment, love for God itself is lower, nor can we correct the same for our neighbor, whose thoughts wander from one to another: but teaching it according to the Gospel of Christ to please God in a departure from the cares of this world and the complete alienation of unhelpful rumors can be corrected. Thus, the Lord, as a disciple, out of a pure and unparalleled disposition (spiritual) testified to you saying: you are not of this world 19. And on the contrary, it is not possible for this world to receive the knowledge of God; it is lower than the Holy Spirit to bear witness, he says: Righteous Father, even the world is not known to You: 20 and, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive 21. It is fitting for one who truly follows God to free himself from the bonds of addiction to this life. This can be corrected by a complete departure and oblivion of old customs. Those who have done this should guard their hearts with all possible care, never to banish the thought of God that exists, or to desecrate the memory of His miracles with vain dreams; but to have an everlasting and pure memory imagined in our souls, like an indelible seal, a reverend thought about God. Thus, love for God abides in us, abundantly and moving us to do the commandments of the Lord, and from them we keep this, to abiding and non-decay. And the Lord shows this when he sometimes says: If you love Me, keep My commandments 22; and then: if you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love. And even more admonishingly: just as I have kept the commandments of My Father, and I abide in His love 23 . If anyone corrupts the exact observance of the commandment in practice, it is obvious that he is weak in the memory of God. The lack of parity of the soul also benefits, and the hedgehog is distinguished by its habitation. Even though it’s funny to have a life, it’s harmful to eat. Moreover, let us not accept the ears or eyes of irritation, and let us be able to remain in prayer, let us first become dedicated to our dwelling. Thus, we will overcome the previous custom, in which it is alien to the commandments of God, and the hedgehog: if anyone comes to Me, let him deny himself, 24 when would only one of these be able to fulfill it? It is fitting for us, who have denied ourselves and taken up our cross, to follow Him. Self-denial is a complete oblivion of the past, and a departure from one’s own wills. What if we retain something earthly from our memory in some kind of perishable being; Here the mind, as if in some kind of connection, is closed to the essence, the soul needs to be invisible to be God, and to the desire of heavenly goodness and the blessings prepared for us in promises, invisible. Below, we are allowed to eat about those who need it, that is, about food and clothing, so that we are not supported, like thorns, by the evil thoughts of this world, the seed swept away from the Creator of our souls by those who forbid fruitfulness: To our Lord Jesus Christ I said: These are the thorns of the fallen, which are from cares, and riches and the pleasures of this life are suppressed, and do not bring forth fruit. Below, for some time, ladies, we will leave no place for the enemy in our hearts, in frequent memory of the omnipresent God. But both the attention of thought and the ability not to soar the habit would have come with the right punishment to such youths, if only they had been often tortured by the superiors, where they think, and what they turn into thoughts. Simplicity of age and unflattering, and unpreparedness for lies are confessed because the secret of the soul is more convenient: and because he is not often caught in the creation of forbidden things, he runs away from placeless thoughts, fearing the shame of the same from accusations... And God said: Let us create man in our image: the inner man, saying. But you say: He does not speak to us about thoughts: man, speech, in the image of God; thought, what is a person like? Hear the Apostle saying: Even if our outer man decays, yet our inner man is renewed all the days 25. I will say two other things about the existence of man, one visible, and the other hidden in the visible. Inside, then, the imams of man are, and in essence we are men: and then we truly say that we are men, when we call the inner such, but the outer, we have perfection in the 26 words of the soul. Moreover, the body, the instrument, is the soul of man: man is more inherent than the soul itself. And the hedgehog: yes they have, or should I say: they have the body, or the word? Is havingness in the soul, or in the flesh? But what is possessiveness in, if not in surpassing words? As much as a person lacks in physical strength, he excels in the structure of his words. Do not say: Let us create in Our image, and let them rage. It is not the passions that are molded in the image of God, but words, the ruler of the passions. It is given to you to have the power of the wordless, just as you also have the power of wordless passion. If you already possess beasts, then why don’t you also possess internal beasts? If you have control over the outer, why do you leave the inner unruly? You were created as a prince: do not have soaring thoughts, nor be light and fickle in thought. There is no place for it, even if you overthrow those who fly outside, but you do not overthrow what is easy for yourself and the one who exalts the people. Let us not become exalted, more exalted than you, and more wise than human nature: we praise you below, you seek neither glory, nor the greatness of being, but you are indignant: because you will be like a bird not established, you will be carried here and there. Possess the thoughts that are in you, so that you may be master of all. The authority given to us over animals must guide us so that we can control ourselves. Just as there is no benefit to the house, nor to the city, nor to the doors, if there are no guards and guides, when to close and when to open: so no other corrections are of any use to a monk, unless there is a verbal guardian of his advice, for whom the closing and opening of the heart with danger and much knowledge is sure to be the leader, no matter how appropriate it is to wear, Who should I introduce? And if a certain thought compels you, it is proper to suppress it inside, and not leave it to be expressed in words, but dry up this root, and have a firm door, and a dangerous guard, and do not leave evil advice to be born and strangle what is born. In the same way, God also kills the most evil thoughts within, saying: Whoever looks at his wife will lust after him, and so on. Do you see how I do not allow myself to grow, neither acceptance of the beginning, nor lust, nor anger? Verb bo: Be angry with your brother, he will be guilty of fiery hell. Let this gate be closed, he says, and evil thoughts will soon lead to murder. Out of rage and lust, all sin occurs in the soul. For this reason, David prays to God, saying: Do not turn away my heart. It’s not like God is avoiding it (let it not be!); but he says, this is it: do not allow yourself to deviate or be converted into evil thoughts: from there is the source of malice and wickedness. For with the eye often drawn around, sometimes carried to the side, and sometimes turned to the higher and lower parts, it is impossible to see what is clearly to be seen, but it is appropriate to fix the mind on the visible thing, if you want to truly create a vision: so it is impossible for a person’s mind, obsessed with countless worries, to look more clearly at the truth, and I am ready to accept with my heart the image that comes from the Divine teaching, from the evil custom of those who have held back its teaching. Otherwise, it is impossible to write into the soul with the Divine, unless its enterprises are taken away, even from custom. We do not squander it on the external, we shed less from our feelings on this world, it returns to itself, and with itself it ascends to the thought that it ascends about God: and with this kindness we illuminate and enlighten, and it accepts oblivion of this very nature, lower to the care of food, nor to the care of clothes, the soul is reduced: but abolished from earthly cares, all its diligence to He adds to the acquisition of eternal blessings: what may we receive in Christ Jesus our Lord. The same as getting up at night to pray Take the shield, O man, when you say holy prayers, and protect yourself with them. Arise from sleep and take out your sword, this is prayer, and become stronger according to your strength, and pray with all your soul with your desire, and God will help you soon, and will give you strength and strength, daring to defeat the invisible enemy. It is not for this reason, brethren, that night was created, so that we may sleep and celebrate forever, but it is appropriate to divide it, some for work, and some for rest. Look how the needlewomen, warriors and merchants rise at midnight. In the same way, you all rise up from us every night, and first of all, make a prayer to God, so that He may give you His mercy. And when you go to bed, do not sin a single night by not bowing down, but, to the best of your ability, do worship according to your strength: thus by worship a person overcomes the power of the devil, and thereby overcomes the sins that he sinned on that day. Then, at night, your mind is easier to turn to God, and you can turn your nightly prayers to repentance: God will listen to your nightly prayers more than your daily prayers. Even if you leave the church, you hear a fair amount of silence. Then your soul is purest, and your mind is easier to pray. Likewise, beloved, rise at night, and bow your knees, and fall to God in prayer. And more than daytime prayers, the Lord will incline His ear to nighttime prayers. Remember David the King, as he said: seven times a day we praised You, and again: I rose up at midnight to learn about the deeds of Your righteousness: and I became weary with my sighing, I washed my bed every night, I wet my bed with my tears. Think, brethren, if the king, so full of sorrow, does this all night long: what is the lady’s answer to God, who remains in laziness? I say to you, brothers and sisters, let us rise at night to pray to God for our sins and confess to him. Then, at night, no vain words trouble the mind: how can it be that the muddiness of all those who sleep is so great that I see no one? no one gapes then, no one does any mischief. How can such a prayer be made on a day when my mind is in great turmoil and I have many thoughts? Even if you are strong and strong every day, you cannot offer such prayers to God. And let there be, like a church, our common house, composed of men and wives: for the Lord said: Where there are two or three assembled in My name, I am in the midst of them. It is better for God to do His will than the darkness of the lawless. If anyone has children in you, I will incite you to pray to God at night, and teach me, so that they always do this. There is nothing better than a kinder church, where prayers are made at night. Hear that the Prophet says: When I remembered Thee on my bed, in the morning I learned from Thee. Let us sweat and pray, brethren, all night long, that we may loose the bonds of sin. I say to you, let us rise at night, if not at midnight, but to the light. The night is now separated for two, for the body to rest, and for the soul to be saved. Rise at night and pray to God: fall down, groaning for your sins. If we give alms and are too lazy to pray, we cannot be saved. For this reason, let us not be lazy in praying to our Creator, that He may save our souls, for He is good and a lover of mankind. To him be glory now and ever, and unto eternity. Amen. The same about prayer, not to continue it, but to pray briefly with tenderness It is fitting for one who prays not to prostrate long words, but to pray often. For Christ commanded Paul to say small and frequent prayers, and from small additions. If you have poured out many words, then become lazy in the slightest, great place for the devil: for he will come to you and destroy the words of your mind. If you say your prayers briefly, receiving them often at all times, you can be comfortable in being chaste and say your prayers with much cheerfulness. Yes, no one is known to have the verb: it is not convenient to pray to someone who is concerned with everyday things, and not near the person who finds his house of prayer. Wherever you are, you can build an altar: neither does time condemn a place, nor does time condemn a place. Even if you bow your knees, even if you pound your chest, or raise your hands to the sky, but just show your mind to be warm, then you have fulfilled the entire prayer. There is flight, and I go out to bargain, and I walk, I diligently say prayers. It is powerful to eat and stand behind the purchases to pray diligently, and to stretch out my skin to the Lady, when there is no way to go powerfully into the church, nor is there anywhere to pray diligently. God is not ashamed of the place, but seeks only a warm mind and a chaste soul. What should a praying person say? - Like a Canaanite she said: Have mercy on me, Lord, for my daughter is angry with evil; So you say: Lord, have mercy on me, for my soul is angry with evil: great is the devil of sin. The same word about those who pray with faith in every place For Paul did not pray in the holy church, but was shut up in prison, and slaughtered in a treasure room, neither standing upright nor bending his knees, nor standing mightily with the tree, but in the same place of imprisonment: but while still praying with faith, lying in prison, he shook the prison, and the prisoner dropped the chains, and brought the prison guard to baptism. Hezekiah did not stand in the church, nor bowed his knees, but as a sign 27 lying on his sick bed, calling with a tender soul, and turning away the answer about death spoken to him, he received the first health of life and the addition of years, and the whole city received salvation from the military. The thief, crucified on the cross, receive the kingdom of heaven from small words. Jeremiah prayed in a mud pit, and God heard him. Daniel, thrown into a den by a lion, called on God and was saved. Jonah prayed to God in the belly of the whale. And many of them, through prayer, the evil one who possessed them, destroyed everything, and accepted God’s help. Likewise, now, through prayer, many troubles and evils have been freed by God’s help. In the same way, we, brethren, do not seek a place of prayer, nor speak in long words, but as the Canaanite said: Have mercy on me, for my daughter is angry with evil. (Great is the demon in us, sin: we have mercy on those who fear, but everyone hates the one who sins): so you also say: Lord, have mercy on me. Even if this word is small, it is the abyss of God’s love for mankind: and where there is God’s mercy, there is all good. Somewhere you say: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Even if you do not move your lips, your mind stinks in your heart, and God hears those who are silent. Because you yourself are a church, but don’t look for a place for prayer. Many scriptures speak about the speed of prayer: Moses fled from Egypt before Pharaoh: the sea was in front, Pharaoh was behind, and Moses was in the midst: he was in great distress, he could not powerfully pray to God for him; and God said to him: Why are you crying to me? Likewise, the three youths, already in the cave, prayed and prayed for them, extinguish the flame, and loose their bonds, and I am alive and glorious to show. In the same way, Job prayed on the dungeon, and made God merciful. If something comes to attack you, run to God and pray to Him to deliver you. God is everywhere and near you: for I have not yet spoken to you, He says: Behold, I am, and you will not stop praying, and He will give you healing if you cleanse your mind from bad passions and evil thoughts. Amen. Like the Saints. Our Father Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonites, on prayer. From the life of his Greek book Let no one become angry, my Christian brothers, because monasticism and sanctification must always and unceasingly pray, and not even in the world. Neither, nor: all Christians in general must always find themselves in prayer. Zanezh, His Holiness Patriarch of Constantine, Philotheus, writes in the life of St. Gregory of Thessalonites, as the Divine Gregory, having only one friend, the beloved called Job, is the simplest of man and extremely virtuous, with him conversing with one Holy speech to him and about prayer, and how it is simply fitting for every Christian to strive for prayer and pray unceasingly, as the Apostle Paul commands to all Christians: pray without ceasing. And as the Prophet David also says, even though he was a king, and having all the care of his kingdom: I have seen the Lord before me, that is, I see the Lord always before me in my mind with prayer. And the Theologian Gregory teaches all Christians and says to them: how it is more appropriate to remember the name of God in prayer than every time we breathe. And this Saint spoke to his friend Job and in many other ways, saying to him that it is fitting for us to be obedient to the commandments of the Saints, and not just to pray to us always, but also to teach everyone else in general, both monks and people, both the wise and the ignorant, both husbands and wives, and children, and encourage them to pray unceasingly. When the old man Job heard this, he thought that something new was to be, and he began to be curious, and to say to the Holy One that there is always someone to pray to, just fasters and monks, who are outside the world and from cares, and not worldly ones, who have a bit of care and service. The saint again spoke to him and gave other testimonies and instructions unquestioningly: but the elder Job did not repent. The Divine Gregory, running away from verbosity and argument, kept silent, and each went to his cell. Later, when Job was praying alone in his cell, an Angel of the Lord appeared before him, sent from God, who wants all people to save them. And according to the hedgehog, he is strongly reproached for being covetous with Saint Gregory and resisting the obvious thing, in the image of wine a Christian can be saved, the commandment to him from the land of the holy God is to pay heed to the good in other things, and to remain a lot not to talk, which is contrary to such a most soul-helping deed, for doing so, resisting the will of God, but lower in his mind to whom let him dare to accept a thought that is resistant, and to think differently from it, as the Divine Gregory told him. Then the simplest old man Job went to the Holy One, and fell at his feet, asking forgiveness for his resistance and strife, and showed it to him, as the Angel of the Lord spoke to him. You see, my brethren, as all Christians, young and old, must always pray the mental prayer, that is: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, and let their minds and hearts always be in the habit of saying this. And consider how much God is pleased about this, and how much benefit comes from this, as he sent an angel with his extreme love for mankind and revealed this to us, as if no one had any doubt about this. But what do the worldly people say: we are in the midst of so many services and cares of this world, and as much as possible, let us pray unceasingly? And I answer to them: for God did not command us to do something impossible, except that everything that we can do, he commanded us: for this reason, it is possible to correct this for anyone who painfully seeks the salvation of his soul. If it had not been impossible, it would have been impossible for all worldly things in common, and had not the capitals and the capitals been found in the midst of the world, having corrected this: of them, let the father of the above-mentioned Saint Gregory, Constantine, the wondrous one, be a commandment to many: who was also in the royal chambers, and we call him the father and teacher of King Andronicus, and having practiced in every way day in the royal services, especially having service to his house, he was very rich and had many acquisitions, and slaves and children and a wife, but with all these he was so inseparable from God, and he indulged in mental and unceasing prayer, as if she had repeatedly forgotten how the king and the prince of the chamber had talked with him about the affairs of the king, and asked again about the same deeds once and twice: for his sake, many other princes, who did not know the guilt, were embarrassed and reproached him, as if they soon forgot, and with their second questions they made the king cold. The king, aware of the guilt, defended him and said: Constantine has his blessed care, and she does not leave him to listen to our words, even about temporary and vain affairs: the mind of this reverent one is nailed to the true and heavenly, and for this reason he forgets the earthly, since all his attention is in prayer and in God. Likewise, this Constantine is honest (as His Holiness Patriarch Philotheus will tell) and worthy of love both from the king and from all the nobles of the kingdom and princes: as if he were beloved by God, and this ever-remembered one was honored to perform miracles. Once upon a time (says Holy Philotheus in the life of St. Gregory his son), he entered into one ship with his whole household, and went up the mountain from Galata to a single hermit, who was silent there, for prayers and blessings on the way, and he asked his servants if they had taken a certain meal, and carry it to Abba. treat: he decided to treat him, as if he forgot from compulsion, and did not take anything. In grief, he was a little reverent, but at all speechless, just swimming ahead of the ship, and putting his hand into the sea, with a silent and intelligent prayer, praying to God, the Lord of the sea, that he would give him some fishing: then, little by little, - about wonderful deeds, Christ the King! in the image of which your servants glorify beforehand, - he lifts his hand from the sea, holding one of the greatest laurels, which he threw into the ship in front of his servants, saying: Behold, our Lord took care of Abba his servant, and sent him a reward. Do you see, my brothers, with what glory Jesus Christ glorifies His servants who are always with Him and who call upon His all-holy name? He was also the righteous Evdokim, and wasn’t he also the one in Constantinople, and in the royal chambers, and in the royal services? Were not the princes of the chamber also with the Tsar, with so much care and rumors? But in both cases, mental prayer is always inseparable from Him (as Simeon Metaphrastus tells in his life). Moreover, having found himself both in the world and in the worldly, this blessed one has truly lived a certain angelic and worldly life, and has been vouchsafed acceptance from the rewarder God, and the end is blissful and divine. And there are many and countless others who are in the world, and who are all in this intelligent and saving prayer, as they are found in stories. Other things, my Christian brothers, I pray with the Divine Chrysostom, for the salvation of your soul, do not neglect this matter of prayer. Imitate those who followed them, and as far as possible eat, follow those. And if it seems to us that this thing was inconvenient in the beginning, then let you be known and notified, as from the person of the Almighty God, as the very name of our Lord Jesus Christ is called upon every day without ceasing from us, and it is convenient for us to create all the inconveniences, and if we get used to it for a long time, and we delight in it, then we will know by temptation that it is impossible, below uncomfortable, but possible to eat and comfortable. For this reason, the Divine Paul, who knows better than us the great benefit, even has prayer, a commandment for us to pray unceasingly. And he would never have advised us to do something that was inconvenient and impossible, if we had not been able to do it, and it would have been necessary to follow, so that we would appear as disobedient and criminals of his commandments, and for this reason let us be condemned. But the mind said to the Apostle: pray unceasingly, be it: let us pray with our minds, so that it is possible for us to always create. Whenever we do handicrafts, and when we walk, and when we sit, and when we drink, and when we drink, we can always pray with our minds, and say a prayer that is intelligent, pleasing to God and true. Let us work with our bodies, and let us pray with our souls. Let the outer man serve physically, and let the inner man be forever sanctified for the service of God, and let him never become impoverished from this spiritual work of mental prayer, as the God-man Jesus commands us in the Gospel when he says: Whenever you pray, go into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. The cage of the soul is the body, the door is our five senses. The soul enters its cage, when the mind does not wander here and there in the things of this world, but is found in our heart, and our feelings are closed and remain closed, when we do not leave them nailed to sensory and visible things: in this way our mind remains free from all worldly attachments, and through secret and mental prayer we unite with God to your Father: and then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you in reality. God, the knower of the heart, sees your mental prayer, and will reward it with obvious and great gifts. Because it is true and perfect prayer, it fills the soul with Divine grace and spiritual gifts. Just as the myrrh, the more you keep in a vessel, the more the vessel becomes fragrant: so is prayer, the more you keep in your heart, the more it fulfills Divine grace. Blessed and prosperous are those who practice this heavenly work; In this way they defeat all temptations of evil demons, just as David defeated the proud Goliath; In this way they quench the wanton lusts of the flesh, just as the three youths quenched the fire of the fire; In this way, mental prayers tame passions, just as Daniel tamed the fierce lions; In this way they bring the dew of the Holy Spirit into their hearts, just as Elijah brought rain down on Carmel. This mental prayer ascends even to the Throne of God and is kept in golden vials, so that the Lord may show it: as John the Theologian says in the Apocalypse: And the twenty and four elders fell before the Lamb, each having harps and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints 28 . This mental prayer is one light, always enlightening a person’s soul and kindling in his heart the flame of God’s love. This is a kind of chain that holds God united and united with man. Oh, the incomparable grace of mental prayers! This creates man, so that he always converses with God. O thing is truly wondrous and wonderful, may you be in harmony with man in the body, and may you be in harmony with God in your mind. Angels do not have a material voice, but with their minds they constantly bring praise to God: this is their work, their whole belly is sanctified for this. And you, brother, whenever you enter your cage and close the door: that is, when your mind is not wasted here and there, but enters inside your heart, and your feelings are closed, and are not nailed to the things of this world, and thus always pray with your mind, then you are like a holy Angel, and your Father, seeing the mysterious Your prayer, which you bring to him in the secret of your heart, will reward you with great spiritual gifts. But what else do you want more and much more than this, since you are always found in harmony with God, like God, smart, and you constantly converse with Him, without which a certain person can never be blessed, either here or in another life? Other things, brother, whoever you are, whenever you hold this book in your hand, and honor the temptation of benefit in your soul, I pray warmly, remember to make one single prayer to God, God alone, have mercy, sinners for the sake of the soul who labored about this book, and the dependency of the one who submitted to print, which require great prayers yours, may they find Divine mercy in their souls: together with them, may you also acquire the mercy of God for your soul, wake up, wake up! Our Reverend Father Meletius the Confessor, who labored in the mountain of Galicia: about prayer Enduring patience, says someone from the saints, when it is animated by prayers and thanksgiving, then it does not fail at all. But together with all the good things given by God, this is guilty, and the source, and the environment, and the end of what has come, and the immaterial armies, the work and residence. Reject everything else with diligence, and firmly reject all present concerns. And the red, and the desired, and the wonderful, and the divine, and the wondrous, and the most praiseworthy, and necessary for everyone, the Angelic hosts and the earthly man, the work, I say, prayers, have been dissolved and combined from everywhere and complied with Divine and honest patience, like a reh. Heed more to the image, and not to the place, of Jonah in the ditch, of Daniel in the ditch, of Jonah in the ditch, and of Paul bound in the whale, and of the thief on the cross, meaning those being saved, and of the simpleness of all the saints, as you had previously read, in villages, in cities, in houses, in dens, in mountains, in the streets, on paths, on hills. Imitating all of them, no matter where you are, closely, often, I pray to God: for the Lord is near to those who ever call upon Him. Prayer, most kindly, is not at all different, just the complete abolition of all other thoughts. No one can have true love in prayer, unless he rejects all other love. There is nothing other than prayer, but the alienation of the world, and, yes, the cessation of vision of two, the turning of the mind and thoughts from the earth to the immaterial and the best and the Divine. In addition to touch and breathing, be apart from others during prayer, and you will find prayer. Prayer, seeking and desiring prayers, will not find prayer: take heed, therefore, as you hear: the consequence is not otherwise, but this is what it is proper to strive for. If you are a theologian, then you truly pray imashi: and if you truly pray imashi, then you are a theologian. You will recognize your structure in prayer, for this is like a mirror for monks. Every soul wounded by the Bridegroom, the Bridegroom’s prayer can unite him everlastingly. Sowing redder kindness and sweetest beauty, if anyone touches it, he runs away from a person, like a deserted onager, moving away from everyone, and by the wounding of sowing his soul is changed. There is no one else who is a spouse, but everyone who separates himself from everyone and remains one with one. Whoever does not bring pure prayers to God, endures useless labors: how can he appease God without these? Prayer has strength in quality, not quantity. In both cases, quantity quickly leads to quality. You will understand the benefits of sowing prayer from the power even on demons, and even more so when you touch it more purely, child. Those who truly use the most evil prayers, are driven away by fierce temptations: otherwise there is no other kind of torment by an evil demon, neither a wound nor a temptation, like sincere prayer. As if fire were iron, even if it copulated with it, intangibly, intangibly, untouchably, it shows: so does the prayer of earth-born demons make it unapproachable, being the fire of the Comforter. Moreover, the contrary is clearly there, and look how you hear, as if there is nothing else worse, worse than forgetting God: because His memory is absent, soul-destroying passions take root in the heart, and anything fierce is brought to the demon by man. The only intention of all of them is to separate us from God. Prayer, like light, illuminating the church and driving away everything that creeps in the night, brightening the house of the soul, will drive away all evil stench. If you desire prayer, hate rage and anger. For those who hold grudges, their prayers are sown on stones. If you want to pray, do not make anyone sad, never offend the soul, or be hostile to your neighbor. May your soul's robe be woven with yarn, and even more so as a pledge, as the Great One says, of love, faith, joy, unforgiving morals, simplicity, hope, and humility. If an action that harmonizes with the prayers does not appear, then the prayer of the one praying can be of no use. Even if someone prays for something to escape, no one will do it. God sees everyone; But God is not seen in prayers by those who see what is of this world: for these God also hears, and to these he heeds their prayers. Pray, then, meekly, not stealthily, calmly: sing decently and wisely, he says, and you will be like a chick of an eagles lifted up to the heights. Beat the tsersi always, and quickly diminish the insensitivity of the heart and petrification, and you will find the gold tax collector’s ore, and become rich. Prayer, most kindly, does not want a teacher, but diligence, but zeal and a lot of zeal, and God is its teacher in everyone. Everyone seeks, and by pressing long-suffering, he finds the opening worthy, and accepts, and even if he does not accept what is asked, he accepts the greatest of all. And what else is better to eat than to cleave to God? The receiving bread runs in abundance... Drops of dewy reins intoxicate the earth, but the soul of sighing is mixed with tears. Even though weeping, and sobbing, and beating, lying humbly before the Lord, spiritual warmth is kindly revived in the heart, joy-creating, and the souls are given divine consolation. Truly glorious and honorable is the work of sowing prayers: in the Saints, for the Holy One attracts everyone. Sowing, therefore, holding on to the standing of a single stand, the feet are imperishable, and collect the mind from those below. Raise your sensual and mental eyes to the heights, and leave yourself and every creature together at the bottom. And ask for deliverance from passions, and mortification from here, and the kingdom of heaven: the rest is all from nothing, as a father who loves his children, as he said, will give. Prayer, most kindly, as the Great One said, in quality it is the contemplation and combination of man with God and the union is: in action, the state of the whole world, the reconciliation of earthly beings to God and the Creator, the tears of a truly mother, whose daughters are, speech, about the propitiation of sins, and deliverance from temptations: a bridge to heaven, the crushing of fierce battles, sorrows driving away, the incorporeal work, pleasure, their feasting and joy, truly unspeakable joy for the hosts on high, and this action is unceasing for all ages: the source of all good things, the culprit of Divine gifts, and invisible prosperity, the delight of the soul in all, and the enlightenment of words, the cutting off of unbelief, the Divine indication of hope, the cessation of wordless sorrows, the treasure of the silent ones, monastic wealth, rage and sorrow, belittlement, and envy and malice: the mirror of all prosperity, the manifestation of measures, the manifestation of the dispensation, and the announcement of the future, judgment and judgment, and the throne of judgment. The Master gives understanding to those who pray and those who look good. Do not say: I will not correct you while practicing in prayers; It was great that you corrected something by talking with the Creator. Even if you did not achieve something, even if you were not able to accept it, you accepted, without ever accepting, the will of the Lord: for it is God’s will, to cleave to Him with prayers, and to remain with Him in your mind and be sober in your heart without worrying about it. But even if you don’t accept the request, it’s better not to accept it than to accept what you ask for, as if you were putting everything in order. For this reason, if the request is accepted, then they say that there will be guilt: to the one who asks to receive it, it is worthy to be, to seek it according to the law, to pray often, to strive to acquire nothing in this world, and to contribute all of one’s own. Otherwise, the leader, as often as he asks to do so, accomplishes everything and fulfills it and leads to the end. If one remembers the Lord and speaks with him, he creates the earth-born as an immaterial angel, even more than he creates the houses of God. Everyone abides in me, Christ says, and I will abide and remain with him, both now and then: it is impossible without Me the ability to do anything good and pleasing to God. Everyone who does not abide in Me, and is not at all united, like a rod with a vine, will be cast out into the burning fire somewhere far away. Even asking to God and looking to the Creator, union is both co-dissolution and copulation with God, is guilty of all good people, as above stated. We ask God for the same things, in these we are well. Unless the Lord, he says, builds the house of the soul, we are truly building it in vain. Neither the current one, he says, nor the one who labors, but God who desires and pleases. You then ask for the requests you want and will: God fulfills these righteous events, although he always rules everyone. Try to arrange for yourself what is proper and does not retreat; if you do not retreat from what is appropriate, you will in no way be betrayed. God, who is most abundant in good deeds, awaits every will in abundance. Through the feat of the most perfect will, with the help of God, every good thing happens. The one who runs according to the Divine will will not run away, and will come back to God, having labored in vain. He who does, and thinks, and speaks with non-Divine intentions gains nothing at all. Ask the will of God, and seek according to the word of Christ, and accept every request that comes to the end. Inertness, oh my dear, and if your request is not quickly fulfilled, do not sadden you at all: but even more so, striving to sincerely ask from him, when you have not appeared, having not received those whose requests you have preceded. Christ prays in third place and carefully with feat, asking for Fatherly advice and the will to be done. And he says to his disciples: watch and pray, especially in temptation. Ask for it, always ask firmly, patiently, never relaxing in the fierce, or even grieving with inertia. God knows what is good, and He will give you, and how much, and how much He will give you, and He possesses everyone, and everything is very convenient for the Ruler of all. From those who are perplexed, this quickly becomes perplexing. Together with all the impossible, everything is more convenient than He is filled with power, especially when a person despairs completely, when human strength is exhausted: then he will most likely help, ending his petitions. God does not simply give gifts to those who ask, but with petition and character in those who are virtuous, He brings correction and Divine residence. God will give the kingdom to those who do, and not to those who hear, by works, and not by words. Prayer, most kindly, as before spoken, with true attention, inexorably intertwined, and moreover the saving invocation of the God-man Word, the all-desired, zealous for all, is guilty of all good things: when the frequency of habit ends, to create the rule of being a person from God according to sensation and understanding, as someone watches in everlasting eyes the apple of a person, and all the cruelty of everyone on earth, physically and mentally, will drive them far away. Love this, love, as one loves to be loved, a radiant, radiant, sweetest, red, sweetest invocation for all, and like Divine lightning turn in your heart, secretly the voices of the secret cry to the Leader: Son of God, help me, my Christ, save me. And always say this, and carry this in your mind, and become enlightened, and become wiser, and receive Divine grace, and the Angel will soon become flesh-bearing. The Lord does not wait for words from the lips and cries from the lips, only sighs and inner cries that cannot be uttered from the heart. This voice is benevolent and sweet, and even to the ears of the Lord it soon ascends, and soon attracts Him to mercy. Even with songs of music, and with hymns, with rebellion and a cry clearly spoken out, we hear what happens to man: But to God and the Creator, the voice that comes from conscience and Divine thoughts is favorable, but we reject it. But the aspirations and movements are one and God knows and fulfills them, anticipating petitions. Move, always move in the mouth of your heart, call with a silent cry, incessantly say: Son of God, help me, my Christ, save me. By doing this, I will take it away from the ever-teaching into customs, and from it you will achieve habit. And if you have, as if it were a natural, inseparable thing, it will be transformed into nature by habit. From there, most kindly, sleeping, falling asleep, eating, doing whatever you want to do, imash inner vigor and sober heart, the church and throne of God, and the angel is equal, even if the flesh-bearer walks on earth, abiding. If it is good and red, and luminous and Divine, sobriety, from You, Christ, good will prosper! If you truly want to avert all shame, if you want to expose the cunning of demons, have sobriety, kindly, and correct this. May the saving call always be with you, remember it more often with your breath: as if you had unceasing peace and silence in your thoughts, you have enriched your soul in just a few days. No one else will pacify you safely, but Christ, and no one will strengthen your heart. If the invocation of Jesus, true silence is bestowing and protective, if you have labored without acquiring it, then you have labored in vain, but you will gain nothing. There is peace given, which surpasses the mind. Offer this as a weapon to the resistance. Thus wound, beat, temper the adversaries, and quickly cast them out from your heart, soon refute them, soon consume them, and completely destroy their memory. And for this reason, the fathers say in all honesty: everyone who is pious must bear the memory of Jesus, and must not separate this calling from the mind, just as it is impossible to separate the body from the breath. Thus, the soul of the church is consecrated, truly lightning-fast and luminous with fire, and full of blazing light, and full of radiance. How much more appropriate, how befitting, how much more appropriate this prayer is and is called the attention of the mind! Formerly, extreme attention from prayer is incessant, but this again requires the attention of thoughts. Whoever has truly preached against the evildoers, the filthy, the ignorant, the sinners, the unrighteous, the unreasonable, - we can be prudent, and pure, and righteous, and Divine, holy and blazing, and mysterious, and wonderful, and wondrous to behold, to theologize brighter, to dogmatize more kindly, and to accept the shine of the Three-Light Creature. Jacob's ladder is formed by sobriety, on it God is established and the assembly of Angels ascends and descends, praising God. When you remember Jesus, it is righteous not to introduce anything strange into your inner and mental cell. He wants to be better off from the many earths, since he has no idea how to acquire Jesus; but he who has Jesus must depart from everyone. If you want, as if you are incorporeal, while still wearing flesh, to offer a sacrifice to God and serve with the army of Angels, sanctify Jesus with the ever-teaching. He who is born blind cannot see the light of the sun; he who does not correct below sobriety will receive the Divine dawn. This is the mother of the being of non-evening lights, this is the mother of the being of God-lighting lights, and enlightenment to the commandments, and a lamp to the laws. Sobriety with prayer, like the eye of the body, instructs the soul on paths of salvation. Just as snow does not give birth to fire, water does not give rise to flame, and thorns are not decorated with figs, and bushes are not adorned with a bunch of bushes: so the human heart will not be freed from unworthy thoughts, from manifold passions, unless you wash away the defilements with sobriety, unless you combine the invocation of Jesus with prayer. This is truly a monk, correct sobriety, an irresistible and solid foundation in battle. This is the source of enlightenment, and the door of the ineffable. This is the destruction of demons, and the peace of thoughts, and the treasure of faith, hope, safety, a refuge that delivers a person from all anxiety, a guide for the erring, a light for the darkened, a strengthening and standing for the weak, a shelter for the tempted, a guardian weapon of the soul, a sophisticated arrow, wounding bodiless enemies, both striking and wounding. The flower that has vegetated is the container of fruitfulness: the mind is constantly watching and praying - removing from many foods, and separation from drinking, putting aside confusion and various cares: before everything is perplexed to eat from the left and from the gum of the mind, look at both of these. The most kindly observance of thoughts is sobriety, having received the call of Jesus, a bright, radiant, illuminating one is dissolved with him, illuminating everyone, even if there are many different good things, it is guilty, and offers signs, with them, even if it is hidden inside, it clearly happens: there is nothing to desire from the bottom of the movable, more than glory and honor, and praising rumors, but also fleeing these from the soul irreversibly: and keep your understanding simple, your disposition humble, meek, kind, and philanthropic. And why should I be so verbose? Yes, in short, I say: Love Jesus with all your strength, Conversate with Him, See Him always, talk to Him in your mind, Have His thoughts, Desire His kindness, Love His beauty, Acquire Him with your feelings; in vain, hearing, breathing, sitting, standing, ever looking to this, and receive all the good things, present and future, for it will be farther from you, as if you had achieved it with difficulty. Let not your hearing be hidden from what your mouth says. Food is far from your soul, is your flesh, food is it that your soul does not perceive and sees? Jesus fills creation, just as the soul does the body, and warms and gives life, just as this is its dwelling place. Mark of the Ascetic Seven Words of His Holiness Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, Testimony of the Prince of Our Reverend Father Abba Mark Having read the book of Mark the monk in eight words, the first of which you will receive the revelation of the spiritual law: and it is useful to eat a fasting life for those who choose to live: just as the subsequent one, who thinks that they will be justified by their works, is swallowed up in vanity; advice is woven towards the spiritual and these are befitting life and the law. And thirdly, about repentance, which is always appropriate for directing reason, the degree of benefit arises from the same benefit. It is clear that there is something else, for the sake of general intelligibility for the sake of sayings, and for the sake of the main thing to be pronounced, this conversation, even 29 and not to the Attic language, is all the same: if there is some confusion in it, then it is the custom to have a more understanding behind the action, it deviates from the words of the legend, and not for the inconvenient verb to be. The same thing is not expressed exactly in the words of all of them, but also in others, and not exactly in these men alone, but a little and not in all, in which fasting laws and passions and testaments, deeds containing, informing the speed of diligence, the image of such ambiguities nowhere arises: knowledge for the hedgehog from the very deeds itself does not much accept explanations even through verbs. But that’s about it. The fourth word, in the image of a question and answer, is imaginary, showing how saving baptism is the freedom and cleansing from sins that is mysteriously bestowed upon us, and the grace of the all-holy Spirit, and so on. The fifth, however, imagines the mind to his soul as if proclaiming advice, which does not include any guilty sins, but the very same speaks clearly to us. But the sixth thing is also imagined in the conversation, the scholastics introducing someone to Mark himself, conversing, and their chapters are: as it is fitting for the offended not to take revenge, nor to condemn those who offend, but to not repent of one’s own sins, even the punishment inflicted on us from them: and as a cruel thing is man-pleasing: and as it is fitting more than any bodily deed through many mediations 30 prepare the prayer beforehand, and what is the will of the flesh. The seventh thing (not in the verbs answering imaginarily) embraces fasting. The eighth is written to Nicholas to a certain monk, with which rage and anger are lulled, or the commission is abolished, teaches: and with which carnal lust. This, then, even if both in greater and lesser things are one and the same, they are distinguished from others, but both these words lead to active wisdom. The ninth, the Melchizedekites strive, and denounce nothing less than the one who gave birth to heresy. However, for someone who wants to gain benefit from everywhere, it will not be useless for him to read it. Not all originals preserve the order of spoken words in the same way, but they presuppose, and some also assume, that some one is the first to determine the place. Our Venerable and God-Bearing Father Mark First Homily About repentance, which is always appropriate for everyone 32 with this power of action, even of faithfulness, and before doing, having received the Grace of Baptism Our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Power and God's Wisdom, divinely, like the message Himself, providing for salvation for everyone, laying down the law of freedom with various commands 33, defining one intention suitable for all, saying: Repent (Matthew 4:17). Moreover, from this it is powerful for us to know that all the diversity of commandments ends in one limit of repentance, just as the Apostle at the head of the 34 commandments, rivers: say to them, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is drawing near. It is by no means a temporary approach of the kingdom, as if it were due to the world: it would not have been that the truth had determined something inconsistent with something prophetic: behold, and those who lived then, and those who lived after them, have fallen asleep, not having been partakers of the universal end: but the Lord, who knows His word, and has the power of kingdoms and repentance, Repent, says: for the kingdom is drawing near heavenly (Matthew 4:13). If this were not given 35, how then is the kingdom of heaven like kvass, but when the wife accepted it, she hid it in sateh 36 three times flour until everything was left sour? Is it true that 37 like the word of the Lord a rising thought 38 is hidden in the tripartite hypostasis, the body, I say, both the spirit and the soul, according to the Apostle, and every subtlety of them, like flour, poured out in many parts, 39 in one faith kvass 40 gathered, becoming like the active word, waiting for everything. So 41 liken the word of truth to a pea seed, which is small in the heart of those who hear everything, but grows with appropriate action, like a great tree in a high place, so a thought approaches a house of refuge. This could truly have happened then, if the Apostles were pure and spoke for the word (John 15:5), hearing it, using the power associated with the word to do it, and for this reason being pure. For the word of God is living and active (Heb. 4:13). Likewise, those who did not use 42 such a covenant, as if they were unfaithful, condemn the rivers: if he had not come and spoken to them, they had no sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin (John 15:22). This is not as if we are unbelieving about the future kingdom, which will inevitably come in its own and uncertain time: but because the word of the Lord contains power before the kingdom, being a message to the faithful who hope, a betrothal of the future inheritance, a first-fruits of eternal blessings: but the unfaithful and wicked are intolerable 43 reproof of godlessness. In the same way he says: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is drawing near. If the word clearly shows those who are in debt to be deeds, bringing power into the hearts of those who speak: that we will suffer, not just words, but also many and great blessings of the power that has come, having rejected, and not just one talent, but five, and two in the earth, hiding the physical, abusing the blessings of the Lord: blindness and wordlessness. they are beneficent, they obey the leader, they have natural strength, just as the ferocity of animals is transferred to the extent of obedience to the benefactor. Because we, with autocracy, respect the creatures above all other animals, we appeared as ferocious and speechless beasts. Because they have a sweet approach to each other, and also while grazing, each one is satisfied with the one who has happened, and unenviably leaves the other what is adjacent 45: but we are wordless in insisting and dominating the practice, preferring evil to nature: as if not even a single forced guilt compels us, we are unmercifully and enviously found among our fellow tribesmen. Such, I think, the serpent of echidnov's generation, John of the name, fled the future wrath, having found repentance, and created fruits worthy of it, prompting them to give taxes to the poor from two garments, and commanding them to do the same for their brothers. If before faith the serpent did not understand what was appropriate for lack of compassion 46, then it would not have been assimilated 47 if it were by faith and reason and gifts, even received, without fear of sinning. Moreover, I will leave behind the secret, which is in the power of every person to do it: I speak especially about these, who sadly 48 are cunning against each other, and even more so against those who imagine offenses, below with the small, below with the great, conversing with God 49 . We openly ascend to the unknown or inferior, as if we wanted to possess mercenaries or slaves: not for Christ, but for defending nobility in the flesh and wealth. And whenever we see someone sinning from the arrogant, we do not dare to reprove him, but with the verb that happens, as it is written: before the time, judge nothing, until the Lord comes. (1 Cor. 4:5). But when we are humble, having acquired a little guilt, we lean on us, willingly and saying, as it is written: Reprove the one who sins before everyone (1 Tim. 5:20). And so we do not cover up our hypocrisy, or malice, and the corrupted evidence of Scripture: but then, as God convicts us, we are found. The rest of this is about the lower ones: those of equal strength, for the slightest of some guilt, we abstain, plotting any intrigue for revenge: and we do not first acquire affection with them, even in those who, according to our will, will be. We know that when we eat something like this, as if we rejoice in the blasphemy, we show wickedness. And after revenge has been taken, and malice is fulfilled 50, then we talk with them more lovingly: the second love, the conflict that precedes the evil, 51, the basis has been assumed. It is necessary to eat from nowhere, but the deed, like the foundation, will follow, and again, let him seek strife, even if he wants to win, as love will never remain in him without return; but hatred will always follow strife, as the Divine Scripture says: hatred raises strife. ( Proverbs 10:12 ). Such an ailment befalls those who persecute in glory and name, like the first in the island (Acts 28:7) stomach pain 52. Blessed Paul also now heals this illness, saying: By humility of mind, giving one another greater honor (Phil. 2:3). Against the humble 53 or equally honest, such is Esma’s disposition. The wickedness is against the mighty, hidden and diverse, below the word, as it is, or it is convenient to understand: surely, as the commandment is kept, we are found with those above, but we flow under them, we cannot offend them: and with an envious eye we look at their well-being, the bliss of their life below is preached sweetly, we hear: and images For we also caress such words with peaceful words, but in contrast with our thoughts we are opposed to those dispositions, as if we were to be fulfilled by the verb: saying peace with our neighbors, but evil in our hearts. (Ps. 27:3). This is what I say about those who are carried away by their own will 54: by the will of those who sin, who want to show those who are outside themselves 55, and those who bow down to repentance are inconvenient: for it is not their will, who do not want to do what Daniel did, and to find remission, saying 56: atone for your sins with alms, and atone for your iniquities with generosity (Dan. 4:24 for the poor) )? But you said a little: I’m not the imam of the pennies, how can I harm the poor? Don’t imash penalties; but what you want is: deny those, and do good with them. You cannot do good with your bodily hand; do good with your right will: when your brother sins against you, leave it to him (Luke 17:3), according to the word of the Lord, and your alms will be great. If we seek remission of sins from God, we must do this for everyone who has sinned against anyone: so that this may come true, forgive them, and it will be forgiven you (Luke 6:57). It is great for those who have penances to teach the poor: to be merciful to one’s neighbors for their sins is more likely to lead to remission, since the soul is an honest body by nature. The Elites, having asked for absolution, received from God in multitudes, as if for this sake it is nothing for us to endure evil here, and for our neighbors to be involved in the same way, it is not acceptable: we are like that evil servant, whose talent for absolution was received from the lord, slander, a hundred penalties owed to the former, do not forgive: with him the Lord is lawful quarreling, he said: to the evil servant, he has forgiven you all the debt, since you begged me tenderly: is it not appropriate for you to have mercy on your minion, and forgive him the debt, just as I had mercy on you? And having become angry, he says, having betrayed him to the tormentor, he will repay the entire debt. And he says: My Father who is in heaven will do the same for you, if you do not forgive each of your brothers the trespasses from your hearts (Matthew 18:32-35). In the same way, and in some other good deeds, those who have become rich from him, but those who have rights are unmerciful and uncompassionate, condemns them saying: Woe to you who are rich, because you receive your consolation (Luke 6:24). Truly, the wealth in us is the abundance of our various gifts: woe to us, for having begged and received many mercy, we ourselves have prayed, but we have had mercy on no one, but let us accept our consolation. The river about the rich does not blame everyone on the rich: the essence is in them, and truly wealth is managed by those who know, according to the will of God who gave, and a hundredfold, as it is written, in this world they accept: like blessed Abraham, and righteous Job, who was merciful, became richer, both here and in the future: but, like Predictably, the disposition of those who have property is covetous, either in their possessions, or in various bounties, appropriating God's gifts to themselves, and they do not blame their neighbor enough. It is not that the acquisition given from the Lord will offend the one who has it 57: but from unrighteousness the covetousness that comes, and the mother of this unmercifulness: they, who are not at all known to faith 58, suddenly 59 have renounced the present: not the creation of God, unreasonably hating: but having believed in Christ, these things should be done by those who commanded them, from Him the daily complacency is acceptable. It is possible for someone to become rich even without the desire to become rich, although he lacks either a word, or reason, or some kind of mercy, which is generally bestowed upon everyone: he accepts it and gives it to the poor. If he is unmercifully disposed towards his neighbor, he accepts grief: as if he accepts his consolation. In the same way, Saint James the Apostle says to those who are rich: come now rich, and weep sobbingly for your fierce sorrows that are coming upon you. (James 5:1-2). Weeping and weeping, exhorting us, strives for repentance. The one who knows that this passion 61 cannot be overcome by the most diligent effort, says: cast away your wealth, as if saying: it is indecent to eat, unless it is given to others: and the wealth of it is in abundance and without the imams’ estates, in the mental cages covetousness, like gold, is buried. About which the Prophet speaks most emphatically: my wounds have become stinking and rotten (Ps. 37:6), the unloving and unkind 62 disposition of the wound, saying: and the hedgehog, having grown stale and rotten, is imputed to the end of negligence, stinking and decay of being 63: for we deign rather to cover our possessions under the earth than teach to the poor. Then, having comprehended the outcome, such an ulcer stinks in the soul, like the rottenness and madness of wine: and the eternal wound 64 does not leave those who arrive 65 to enter the heavenly kingdom of the firstborn, as the law bequeaths vice to those who have it. If only there had been time to expose the gravest wounds and show the healer of souls: for I said to Saint Paul, your abundance (let there be) in their deprivation (2 Cor. 8:14), we do the opposite: the deprivation of the poor is stealing and added to our abundance. We do this even without possessions: sometimes we sin against our brother in a certain thing, and not only do we leave it unhealed, but also the answer 66 to which we owe it, we painfully accept this from it: doing nothing else, just as it was foretold, one deprivation is added to our abundance: the scriptures, as they say, resisting. But for this reason it is not proper for us to despair: let us not! We are not condemned for a multitude of evils, because we do not want to repent and recognize the miracles of Christ, as the Truth itself testifies: Do you think, says, that these Galileans, whose blood Pilate mixed with their victims, were more sinners than all men on earth? Neither, I say to you: but unless you repent, you will perish. And they are eighteen, and the pillar of Siloam fell on them, and beat them, do you remember that they were more sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? Neither, I say to you: but unless you repent, you will perish (Luke 15:2–5). Do you see that we are condemned for not having repentance? Repentance, as I see it, is lower than time, lower than deeds; but it is accomplished by the commandments of Christ, in accordance with them. There are certain commandments that contain 67 the essence of which contain many from the individual, and cut off many parts of evil 68 in one: just as it is written: “Give to everyone who asks you, and do not torture from him who takes yours” (Luke 6:30); and, “Whoever wants to borrow from You, do not turn away” (Matthew 5:42): this is the unique essence. He is protective over these, “sell what you have and give to them” (Matthew 10:21): and, “take up your cross, come after me” (Mark 10:21), the Cross speaks of the patience of those who find sorrows. He who gave everything to the poor and took up his cross, made all the commandments that were foretold one. And again: “I want,” he says, “that men may say prayers in every place, lifting up the holy hands,” (1 Tim. 2:8); and over these: “Go into your closet and pray to your Father in secret” (Matthew 6:6); and again: “pray without ceasing (Thessalonians 5:17): but when you go into your cage, pray without ceasing, and in every place make a prayer from everywhere 69. And again he says: “Do not commit adultery, do not commit adultery, do not kill,” and so on; and over these: “having despised thoughts, and every kind of exaltation placed on the mind of God” (2 Cor. 10:5). Cleanse your thoughts 70 and block all predicted evils. For this reason, for the sake of love of God and faith, they are forced to follow the strict commandments, and private ones, who meet on occasion, are not prevented. In the same way, I do not care about repentance and do these three virtues 71: in this way, purify my thoughts 72, and pray unceasingly, and endure the sorrows that are found: not exactly obvious, but also mental deeds should have the essence, like those who have become rigid and dispassionate, 73. For without the three prophesied virtues, the work of repentance cannot be accomplished, like the word of a decree: it is always fitting for everyone to repent, but for the sinner and the righteous who want to receive salvation: there is no limit to perfection; However, the affirmation of those arrives, and neither time nor 75 justification is stopped. Is it really the evil of faith that comes from foolishness 76, when someone, thus conveniently, bows down to sweets, and in despair 77 indulges in voluptuousness, and accepts the wisdom of Navatian, and sweeps away repentance, even if he is confirmed in the Apostle, who, speaking to the Jews, who sin by will and to those who are baptized every day, says: “The foundation of repentance is not laid on dead works, nor on faith in God nor on baptisms” (Heb. 6:1). This speech, not repentance, is taken away, as they say: let it not be: but in every act of repentance there is one reason for being baptism in Christ, teaching that those who believe from the circumcision should not be baptized every day, and leads: “It is impossible for those who are enlightened by one, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have been partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and strength of the coming age, and to renew those who have fallen away to repentance" (Heb. 6:4-6): the only one who knows 78 renewal and the foundation of all repentance is holy baptism. And little by little he leads: “For it is the will of those who sin against us, after we have received the understanding of truth, for those to whom sacrifice for sins is not found” (Heb. 10:26). For now, where the essence of these things is, there is a proper verb; It is clear that he is not speaking specifically to the Jews, but also to all who sin willingly: from these the first ones, who say, after baptism there is no repentance, and for this reason, for the sake of the rest, spontaneously averted, they commit lawlessness. Saint Paul then spoke these words first, and did this carefully, as I think: so that by the most reverent examination of the scriptures, the mind will be clear 79: but the most careless and contemptuous, unacquainted: so that they do not sin without fear with the knowledge of future repentance. For now, with the knowledge of repentance according to Proposition 80, they lie in the wicked; Ovi, for the hedgehog did not believe in repentance, giving himself over to the devil in despair; for both, this passion is evil and incurable: for this reason, the Truth appropriately brings assistance to everyone, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is drawing near,” as if those who are lower in spirituality and in anticipation will believe about this commandment, on those very things, as if they were speaking subtle and small things, it is affirmed 81; Bo says: “The one who humbles the little one will fall little by little” (Sir.19:1). And don’t say: how can a spiritual one shepherd? - Being like this, it does not fall: but when it accepts little from those who oppose it, it remains unrepentant, it is small and has matured, no one can tolerate being orphaned with it; but he attracts him to his affinity, like snakes, a long love is not attracted by necessity. And if, having fought through prayer, he cuts off, he will remain 82 in his measures: having ceased only from the dispassion that is due to him, he has also cut off the attachment of evil that has become more common. If, however, the labor 84 is brought to an end by the force 83 of the possessor, the labor of striving and prayer will be deceived by other passions; And so, little by little, we usually withdraw from succession; as we withdraw, we are deprived of God’s Divine help, and we withdraw other things into greater evil, little by little and unwillingly, from the compulsion of those who prevailed. Every time we say: is it not possible for someone who was evil in the beginning to beg God not to fall into the last? And I say as much as I can: but having weakened 85 a small thing, and by will it is accepted as if it were nothing, no one prays for it, not knowing, as if it were a small thing, it is the introduction and guilt of a great thing: so is it about blasphemy, so is it about evil. When passion becomes exalted and life is held by will; etc. and against the will of the Nan is forcibly ascended. Then, understanding, he prays to God, fighting against the enemy, whom he did not know he had defended before, fighting against people. Negli, having heard from the Lord, did not accept help 86: I did not come before 87, as a man became hungry, but as a builder the Lord is for his benefit. Knowing our complaisance and contempt, man gives us much help through sorrows: let us not free ourselves from sorrow without sorrow, but then again with care we commit sins. It is also necessary to be a verb, one who finds patience, and it is very proper to be in repentance. But you say all sorts of things: those who have truly pleased God and have achieved perfection, still require repentance? “For this is what men are, I confess with one another: but hear wisely, and understand, as such also require it.” I lie from the devil to be spoken by God (John 8:44.); and if you look at your wife, you will lust for it because of fornication; and likewise wrath against your neighbor, liken it to murder: and about the word of times and times to repay the word (Matthew 5:28, 23:36): whoever is unskilled in lies, and ignorant of every sight of lust, and has never been angry with his neighbor in vain 89, below and again and again the verb is found new, as if he did not demand repentance? Even if there is no such thing now, there was no time to be: for this reason, through repentance, one must eat until death. But let us suppose that besides these there are none that are said to be, and from birth all evil is alien: even though it is impossible to eat, He says to St. Paul: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God; we are justified without thanks to Him” (Rom. 5:23-24). Otherwise, even if they were like that, they are from Adam, and were all born under the sin of crime, and for this reason, condemned to death through the saying, it is impossible to be saved without Christ. I will embrace Christ and redeem everyone with My blood, then these too will be delivered. The Savior Himself also sets one limit for everyone, overbearing for many deeds, and says to the Apostle: say to those, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is drawing near: having laid down the commandments commanding 90 repentance, and determining their fulfillment until death, he said: “Whoever loses his life for the sake of the gospel, he will keep it for eternal life” (Mark 8:35 John 12:25); and again, having renounced everyone, he adds: “also his own soul” and seals the verb: “Whoever destroys one of these little commandments, he will be called in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). taking away death, and the transgressor is the commandments of Christ. Moreover, for the small and the great, repentance is endless until death. Even though we cannot achieve it by deed, we must learn with the intention: so that not according to the sentence of the 91st commandment, we will be subject to condemnation, having been called lesser in the kingdom of heaven... Seek from the ages this past life, and through repentance you will find the sacrament of piety in those who have pleased you. No one is condemned unless he despises this, and no one is justified unless he is diligent about this. Sampson, and Saul and Eli with their son were already private 92 communicants of the former shrine, having first destroyed this, neglecting repentance: the same, the definition 93 passed, in the end with a cruel 94 death.... Even if the devil does not cease fighting with us, lower repentance should be idle when... Saints and about our neighbors they are forced to bring it, without effective love it is impossible to be accomplished.... Understand how nature teaches us to repent to death 95. The verbal mind cannot be idle: but even if it were perfect, when it is healthy, it works in the gums; Having moved away from the shuiyago, it is naturally attracted to the gum. The work of the gums, both for beginners, and for intermediate, and for perfect ones, is: prayer, and purification of thoughts, 97 and those who find patience; Without them it is impossible to eat and correct other virtues, in which repentance is beneficial.... If asking for mercy is repentance 98, the one who has it must eat diligently, lest he hear: “Behold, you are full” (1 Cor. 4:8); ask, because he needs food more than he who has not: “everyone who asks receives it” (Matthew 7: 8). Even if the merciful one receives mercy, through repentance, as I imagine, the whole world stands, when one builder cannot be helped by another. Therefore, God saved the Ninevites: the Sodomites, who were careless about him, ended up... Even if we struggle in repentance even to the point of death, we will not fulfill what is due: nothing is equal to the creation of the kingdom of heaven. Just as we drink, and speak, and hear, so naturally we must repent. The only thing worthy of death according to the law is that we put to death: and if he lives, he lives by faith for the sake of repentance, even if not for his own 99, but for a criminal sin, having been baptized, we were cleansed: having been cleansed, we received the commandments: do not do the second, do not defile the first, “forgetfulness is the method of cleansing your ancient sins” (2 Pet. 1:9), of which no one is scanty for every day is found, never leaving anything from the novels. For this reason, everyone needs repentance: for the once free, now involuntary, shows why they hate the passions and move away from them 100. They determined 101 that it turns to the back and renews the old sins. Have the mind of truth, the message is that it also requires repentance: each one is corrected from each other. Christ promised for us that we should repent: leave it, he sweeps away the Spoiled.... Without repentance, according to the deed, we can do nothing worthy: we are merciful for the sake of the sentence 102. Be hard and keep it until the end, even if he sins in some, he will be saved for compulsion: this is what the Lord promised in the Gospels. The verb do not demand 103 repentance, the righteous judges itself to be, and the generation of evil from the scripture is called: the opinion of the truth, as if having done it, you will be found, as if you don’t know, instead of the crucifixion 104 it is combined with sweets, since the opinion itself and the arrogance of sweets are the essence. One who has self-conceit cannot be saved, for it is written: “But a despised and offended man 105 and a great man will die in nothing” (Hab. 2:5). ... If perfect humility harms nothing, let repentance leave this guilt. Faithful Abraham and righteous Job humbly decreed earth and ashes for themselves: these words are a sign of humility: but one who is full of repentance cannot practice humility. The three youths, truly generous and great martyrs, confessed in the midst of the burning flame: and they repented of sinning and lawlessness, repenting of the once evil ones, and everything else was accomplished: and almost the entire song of their repentance contains power. If you have been well pleased and have completed this deed, you will have received this help before death; who else trusts in himself the knowledge of truth, and despises repentance? Because I remember that even if someone, like Paul or Peter, were holy, then not this one would deign to abandon the guilt of humility and repentance. For this reason, Peter likened Cornelius to himself: having hidden God in this part, having revealed his own, he said: Arise: and I myself am a man, and as one is filthy or unclean, saying (Acts 10:26-28) I learned from God to eat, confession. Paul, having been given to him by Christ the grace of being idle, imputed to himself to the point of death, 106 said thus: “I persecute even though I comprehend, the same which was comprehended by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12): comprehension, even before the exodus, the patience of the rivers: just as he wrote to the faithful Timothy in his epistle, clearly showing him the approach of the exodus and saying: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7): I have set a temporary limit for myself, as if I had ceased from the flow for perfection, and never demanded labors that never cease on earth, “for the body of Christ, which is the church” (Col. 1:24); but his outcome is the end of the course and deeds of speech, he says: “I am already eaten and the time of my departure has come” (2 Tim. 4:7). Do you see that I don’t say: I’m resting, but I’m already hungry; such are the verbs and deeds, showing everyone that the limit of repentance before permission and death is due from us to the heavenly King Christ: with Him the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen. Likewise: Advice from the mind to your soul. Word two Hear 107, my verbal soul, a community of my advice: I want to confess this secret and general thing, even though I was not cleansed from passions, I did not know, but having rested little by the grace of God, I comprehended 108. I clearly know, about the soul, like you too, that we are acting against nature, out of ignorance we are seduced, and for this reason we blame others for our sins, we are beyond the point of being malignant, saying: “And when Adam, and when Satan, and when we blame men; and thus, imagining that we are not going to fight, we are fighting for ourselves: and we hate to defend each other, and you, too, fight against each other: and imagining to do good, like one who is frantic, we annoy ourselves: labor and reproach are meaningless 109 we suffer righteously: the commandments are in the opinion of 110 loving, but their guilt is for delusion 111 hated ours. Moreover, now we know that we are drawn unrighteously by some power neither for evil nor for good: but from the time of baptism, at the beginning of things, if we work for him according to the will, or for God, or for the devil, that other righteousness in its own way encourages us. Prologues 112 of things without thought are two: human praise, and joy 113 of the body: even, involuntarily attached 114 before our will, lower than malice are lower than virtue; but denunciations of our bowing, where 115 we bow. For the Lord wants us to endure reproach and suffering, but I want to resist the devil, so when we rejoice over these appendages, it is clearly there, as if we were in adoration of the lustful spirit that has disobeyed the Lord: when we grieve over the foretold appendages, it is clearly there, as if we were in adoration of the spirit of God, having loved the narrow path. For this reason, these two pretexts were quickly allowed to be accepted without consideration by man, because the commandment of those who love and delight in it will give Christ the inclination of will, and He will gain entrance and guide the mind to the truth. We also understand the opposite: because the people, contrary to this, love human glory and the joy of the body, they provide entrance to the devil, who himself has found his entrance, the evil one puts in his other things, and as long as we think about that sweetness, we do not cease to create more: until even the foretold two reasons from the heart we hate. We love her so much, as if we are not exactly betraying virtue for her sake, but we are also betraying her for the sake of another: sometimes we embitter the body, for the sake of vanity; Sometimes we tolerate dishonor for the sake of voluptuousness. When will we end up together without any chance? I'm looking for other growing substances. The substance of vanity and bodily pleasures is the love of money, “the root of all evil,” (1 Tim. 6:10), according to Divine Scripture. We speak in every way about another soul, as if we are lower than gold, lower than the acquisition of imams. And I say that below gold, below acquisition, they harm themselves 118, but, as I predicted, biased abuse of those. Behold, there are no people who were rich without passion, pleasing God, like Holy Abraham, and righteous Job and David. And even without wealth, the passion of covetousness is brought up in the worst substances: even so, we are the most wretched of those who are rich in wealth; Having left behind the collective 119 suffering, we indulge in voluptuousness with deceit, as if we want to hide from God: for the love of money flees, we do not run away from voluptuousness; We do not hoard gold, but collect small amounts of material: we do not accept rulers and dominions, but we seek out their glory and praise in every possible way; We leave behind acquisitions, but do not forsake their pleasures; And when we leave them, we think, not as if we were fleeing covetousness, but as if we abhor the creatures of God: “touch not, taste, touch” (Col. 2:21), thinking. When you hear about another soul, the crime of Adam and Eve: in the beginning, believe what happened to them; Now, in your mind’s eye, you will find it. “For I received this image in one way: it was written for our instruction, and it reached the ends of the ages” (1 Cor. 10:11). Behold, having been reborn through baptism, and having been placed in paradise of the Church, we have transgressed the commandment of the reborn: to love the Lord all who are of the same faith, and from all the fruit that is to come, I have commanded to eat with patience, according to what was said: “Thou shalt bear food from every tree that goes into paradise” (Gen. 2:16), we have the mind of the serpent. Having used both of them as good ones, I loved them; We have hated both of them, as the wicked: the hedgehog tree is good and evil, having tasted it, we are put to death by the thought: I will not create death for God, but for man, who hates his neighbor: “God do not create death, nor rejoice at the destruction of the living” (Wis. 1:13); He is neither moved by the passion of anger, nor plots a thing for vengeance, nor changes according to any dignity: but “he created all things with wisdom” (Ps. 106:24), having predestined to be judged according to the spiritual law. For this reason, he does not say to Adam: If you destroy the day, I will kill you: but confirming those, the limit of righteousness is stated 120 and says: “If you destroy the day, you will die” (Gen. 2:16). And by no means 121 each thing, good and evil, he naturally separated what was appropriate to eat, and not deliberately, as some do not seek, those who do not know the spiritual law: we, who know this in particular, must know that we are, for if anyone from those of the same faith, we will hate as evil, and we, as If we are evil, we will be hated by God; and if we reject anyone from repentance as a sinner, we too, as sinners, will be rejected; and even if we do not forgive our neighbor’s sins, we will be forgiven likewise. Declaring this law, the lawmaker Christ said: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and it will be forgiven to you” (Luke 6:37). This law is known to Saint Paul, who clearly said: “If you judge another, you condemn yourself” (Rom. 2:1). And the Prophet, not ignorant of this, cried out to God, saying: “For you have rewarded everyone according to his deeds” (Ps. 61:13); and another Prophet, as if on behalf of God, says: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Deut. 32:35). And what do I say to one, where the Divine Scripture, old and new, and even more so the great Psalmist, shows us this law more clearly, as if it were found spiritually and mysteriously predetermined, fearing our every change, not just clearly, but also in secret, to love the brethren by sweating? This Mosaic Law is not a visible judge, but a spiritual and secret one who reproves: and this same God laid down the law in its proper time: but this one he fulfilled, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who said: “I did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17). For this reason, for the sake of need, there is a single thing to say about every thing, and so on, to forgive the one who thinks 122 that he has offended, even if it were blessed, even if it was an unverbal 123 offense: knowing any virtue, there will be greater reward 124 forgiveness. But since we cannot do this for the sin that has been restrained, we must pray to God with vigil and all suffering until we find propitiation, and we receive such power. For this, about another soul, we must have one intention in every time and place and thing, even if we have offended people differently, to rejoice, and not to grieve: it is not easy to rejoice, it is not unconsidered: but as if we have acquired guilt, forgive the sinner, and accept the remission of our sins. This is true God-mind 125, which is more powerful than any mind, with which we can pray to God and be listening; this is faith 126 fruitfulness; by this, faith in Christ is indicated; With this cross we can take up and follow Christ; These are the first and great commandments of the mother: therefore, we can love God with all our hearts, and our neighbor as ourselves: for this, we must fast and be vigilant and suffer, since the heart and wombs were once opened, they will accept it inside and not turn it away. Then, for the grace given to us by holy baptism is secret, not unknown to anyone, but in every knowledge and understanding 127 we will find effective, for the hedgehog to forgive our neighbor’s sins. The two evils that are forbidden to this virtue are vanity and sweetness: it is proper to renounce them first in your mind, and thus retain this virtue. For this reason, O soul, having given yourself over to these two evils of your own will, accuse no one: neither Adam, nor Satan, nor men: but make war with your will, and do not despise it: internecine 128 for there is war; There is nothing from outside, but we will make war with our brothers who are with us: there is something inside, and no one from man will fight with us. The one imam's mystical supporter in us through the baptism of the hidden Christ, invincible and unhidden 129, strengthens us, even if we do his commandments according to his power. The one who advocates for us, as if foretelling, is sweetness, a mixed body, and vanity, which predominates both me and you. These two deceived Eve, and deceived Adam: the sweetness showed the tree, as if “it is good for food, and it is red to eat;” vanity, hedgehog, “you will be like a god, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5–6). Just as the primordial Adam and Eve were ashamed of each other, so we too, having rejected kindness from our thoughts, and seeing ourselves naked, are ashamed of each other in conscience; and we sew together fig leaves for ourselves: external verbs and images and clothed with words. The Lord makes clothing for us from skins, and says: “In your patience you will gain your souls” (Luke 21:19); and the consonant advises, saying: he who has found his soul, that is, in spite, or in some kind of sin, will destroy it: and in this, he who has destroyed it will preserve it in eternal life, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His beginningless Father, and the life-giving Spirit, forever, Amen. Likewise, the answer to those who are perplexed about holy Baptism. Word three Question. Since then they have completely spoken of the existence of holy baptism, which is based on the Scripture which says: “You rose up and were baptized, and washed away your sins” (Acts 22:16); and the hedgehog, “wash yourself and be clean” (Is. 1:16); and again, “but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified” (1 Cor. 6:11), and many of these are brought into testimony: the friends from the exploits say to be killed by old sin, citing this testimony of the Scripture saying: “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1), However, the very effect of sin after baptism acquires in itself: what are we talking about this, or to whom do we have faith? Answer. It is fitting for us to believe the Apostolic preaching, and to abide in the same confessions: and not to tempt the power of God with human opinions, and to remain below the yoke of work by will; but to maintain freedom by doing the commandments, through which all truth is found in proportion, and to lead more clearly, as for these impoverishments in proportion to sin we act. And yet I impute preaching to vanity, more to curiosity than to the word of God, repentant: for this reason your faith is vanity, and you are still in your sins. Question. We do not talk about the vanity of preaching: but we seek to learn the truth. Answer. If the imams 130 preach the truth, let us fulfill all the commandments: and then we will see if we are acting out of sin. Holy Baptism is completely and given perfection: it does not create perfect commandments. Yes, not by human opinion, but according to Divine Scripture we have more faith, which says: “For Christ died our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3), and as “we were buried in Him through baptism:” and “he who died was freed from sin,” and as “let no one possess sin over us” (Rom. 6:4, 7:14), if we keep His commandments: if We do not do, we are unfaithful, and we keep the righteous from sin. For there is faith, not just to be baptized into Christ, but also to keep His commandments: first, for in a mysterious way we were “buried with Him through baptism” (Col. 2:12), and “raise us up with Him 131, and make us sit in heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6), according to Scripture, it is clearly: both gave and commandments, so that having done this, we may find this we have the grace of perfection: if we do not create, we will appear to act from sin. If we say, sin is killed by works, “for Christ died without death” (Gal. 2:21), and everything said is false, and baptism is not completely holy: but by deed they say to have perfection. For they have the law of freedom, which is vanity, and every law of the New Testament is taken away: but unrighteousness also introduces Christ, who commanded the deeds of freedom to those who were baptized, while still enslaved to sin outside the will, as they say; and the grace of God is not grace, but our feat is reward. If it is from works, then it is not by grace; if it is by grace, then the work is not a work, but the commandment of the Liberator and a work of freedom and faith. This is also what Saint Paul wrote to the Galatians, punishing 132 those who did not believe in the same way. This is not how we reject 133 the grace of God; let it not be; We deny ourselves lower than faith, even in preaching: but even after baptism we keep ourselves from sin, not as baptism is imperfect, but as we are careless about the commandments and lie in the pleasures of our will. In the same way, the Divine Scripture denounces us saying: “Like a dog returning to his vomit, so is a man returning to his sin” (Prov. 26:11) by an autocratic will: for the will even after baptism is lower than God, lower than Satan compels. Have you not heard that the commandments of Christ, given at baptism, are the law of freedom? as the Scripture says: “Thus speak and do this, as if those who have the law of freeness received judgment” (James 2:12). And again, blessed 134 Peter: “Give in your faith virtue and other rivers,” the verb suggests: “For he has none of these, he is blind, he has forgotten, he has forgotten the method of cleansing his ancient sins.” Even if, having been baptized, we are not freed from the sin of our fathers, it is obvious that we can do lower works of freedom. If we can create, it is obvious that we are mysteriously freed from the work of sin, according to what is written: for “the law of the Spirit of life freed me from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2): but for the sake of negligence in doing the commandments, you have been purified from sin. Or let them show that those who are baptized do not have the power of the commandments of freedom to do, and for this reason, for the sake of not being perfect, holy baptism: or let them show us that they have received such power, and confess that they have been freed by the grace of Christ, but have given themselves over to the work of the evil ones, for not having fulfilled all the commandments, and for this reason I have done the same again. Let them also receive reproof from their own testimonies: “Let us cleanse ourselves, he says, from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1). A slave of sin, how can he cleanse himself from all filth, not having such freedom and power, but being held back from sin? If you build your power on passion, then understand that it is not supported by power, but by the will. Elika, then, the Divine Scripture talks to us about purification, as if it advises the free not to dwell in such thoughts, but to love freedom: those in power should bow to whatever they want, either to the good or to the opposite 135. Question. Even if we are freed by holy baptism, why don’t we see the air of freedom, as those who struggle see? Answer. We are darkened even by the desire for sweetness and negligence about the commandments, even though they have been corrected. For it is predicted that man is freed by the gift of Christ: by his own will, where he loves, he remains there, even if he is baptized, without being forced to eat autocracy. Whenever he says that the needy women delight in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 11:12), he speaks about his own will, so that each of us, after baptism, will be forced not to give in to evil, but to abide in good. Even if we suffered violence from the spirits of wickedness, God, who freed us, could do everything in our power, and the immutable need to create: now it is not like that: but He, by baptism, took away from the work of violence, having abolished sin with the cross, and laid down the commandments of freedom: to abide, or not to abide in the commandments, allow our autocratic will. Likewise, insofar as the commandments are fulfilled, therefore they signify freedom and love for the Liberator; but insofar as they are careless, or become impoverished, therefore they show a passion for sweets. But they stumble with their words 136 and say: “We want to make the commandments, but we cannot, from sin we hold on to the power: therefore, it is appropriate to first strive and blot out sin, so that we can fulfill the commandments of freedom:” - they do not understand either what they say or what they say about them. If you are by no means free, and cannot keep the commandments, then by what deeds and other deeds do you say that you can blot out sin? Deliver the faithful, these are the commandments. - You say that I cannot keep the commandments, unless I first become cleansed through labors. Show me, in addition to the commandments that you say, deeds, and I will submit to your wisdom. Even if you say a prayer, there is a commandment: even if you say a thought, there is a commandment: even if you say fasting and vigil, there is a commandment: even if you say alms, if you even deny your soul, there is a commandment: even if you say death, if you say the cross, if you say any act of virtue, these are all commandments. He also commands those who have received the power of the commandments, as the faithful, to struggle with those 137, not to turn back: not because these will blot out sin, but because no one should return. And these commandments do not cut out sin: this is only the Cross: but they preserve the limits of the freedom given to us. Are you ignorant of us, if you cut off the deeds of sin from Adam, how did Christ die for our sins, according to the scriptures? But they cannot counteract this: without following, they ask point blank, looking at everything according to their own opinions, but not obeying the truth of Scripture. For they say: “By baptism sin is killed; Why does it still work in the heart?” We are guilty of a multitude of guilt, as if we were not left inside, but still act after baptism, but we love because of the impoverishment of the commandments. Baptism, which is already holy, gives the perfect solution: whether to bind oneself again to addiction, or to allow oneself to remain by doing the commandments, is autocratic will. The thought becomes rigid in some kind of sweetness or rage, not this, as sin is quickly left inside, but the autocratic addiction is a sign. Imams have the power to “put down thoughts and every charge raised against the mind of God,” according to Scripture (2 Cor. 10:5). Because the thought is evil, it is a sign of love for God, and not sin, for those who cast it down in themselves: not because the pretext of the thought is sin, but the mind has a loving conversation towards it. If we don’t love him, why should we become stubborn with him? It is impossible to eat, but anything that is hated from the heart, the heart is more protracted 138 will speak to us except our evil deeds. Even if we hate, the thought dominates and has the mind (it happens, and I don’t contradict the verb): otherwise, this is a remnant of Adam’s sin, but a crime, a hedgehog after baptism: when, after holy baptism, I am able to do all the commandments, I do not do it: then, even if we do not want to keep us from sin, until we implore God by repentance, to all His commandments directed, and will blot out from us the sin of autocracy. Two are the fault of the actions of evil: and these two are from us: one, acting as the commandments become impoverished, the other, inevitably holding onto evil deeds for the sake of hedgehogs after baptism, who only God kills, with alms and prayer, and we beseech those who find suffering. Even she gives us the perfect Grace given to us through baptism. Question. Paul, then, after baptism, did we not sin because of our captivity? He says, for I see another law, fighting against the law of my mind (Rom. 7:23). Answer. Thus and the rest of the Scriptures, those who understand evil corrupt and are deceived. Take this chapter from above, and you will find that Paul, taken away, does not speak about himself after baptism: but he accepts the unfaithful and unbaptized Jews, admonishing them that without the grace of Christ, given by baptism, it is impossible to overcome sin. Rec: for “I am a damned man: who will deliver me from the body of this death?” suggests the verb: “I thank God Jesus Christ our Lord.” For this reason he says: “The law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin" (Rom. 7:24, 25:14). In the same way, everything that is the law says spiritually, not that they should be under the law, but under grace, which is a spiritual law, written in you. If we understand the words of St. Paul, spiritual 139 to judge ( 1 Cor. 2:13) powerfully: then by this we can understand the truth, how even the church and the law and the sacrifices are fulfilled in us, the grace of the Holy Spirit through holy baptism is mysteriously received. The Church of the Spirit encourages us to be, and to offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet. 2:5) encourages us; Judea speaking in secret, and not in reality, and the circumcision of the heart by the Spirit, and not by writing (Rom. 2:29), and that very law is spiritual, the heavenly Lawmaker Christ wrote by the Spirit among the faithful, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of the heart of flesh (2 Cor. 5:3). Just as this speech existed in mystery, so we understand each of the figuratively spoken, that is, former ones. And since we are not confirmed in the faith of Christ, below all His commandments we are imputed to ourselves, we are rejected below according to His word: for this reason, for the sake of the foretold secrets, which we received from baptism, we do not know. When we see this lack of faith in ourselves, and believe in Him purely according to all the commandments: then we have received the test of the foretold things in ourselves, we have truly confessed that holy baptism is complete, and the grace of Christ has been poured out abundantly, 140 and we look forward to the rest of our obedience and doing the commandments, the power of which we have received. For this reason, freedom was not created by the commandment, nor was free Jerusalem achieved; for Jerusalem on high eats freedom, which is the mother of us all (Gal. 4:26), restoring us with the washing of the being and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). But we are still on the path, or ignorant 141 and we are mistaken, walking along paths without paths: even more, to be covetous and contrary to the truth, the ignorant path is the essence of application, not the right path. For this reason, and towards the perfect path 142, we are in vain, blessed Paul, says: So study, that you may comprehend (1 Cor. 9:26). If we have not reached the city, when we see the church, and having entered the interior, we will receive the 143 bringing of the altar? And what am I saying about the city and the church and the altar, where the beasts of the reeds are below, which are forbidden (Ps. 67:31), the Prophet prays to God, so that the firstborn of the mind of the sacrifice, which in the secret of the Jews was commanded to offer up, will not be beasts? Or is it because of you that the Jew is in secret, according to the words of Paul: but the church was not built from the son of David, and the purification from him was not built, but it is from You that it is now to be built? For when you cry out this more clearly, from the feat of death the sin of Adam was killed, and I do not give thanks to Christ, even though in us there is a mystery through baptism, then we will see, when we have completed the path of the commandments for good, the thoughts of our nature to the Hierarch of Christ, as if we will offer healthy sacrifices, and not beasts: for beasts truly exist With many thoughts, people deviate from the right path, 144 they say, from the patience of the sorrowful, and jumping away from the right, they walk along the wrong paths, and rather than themselves, blaming the dishonors of these 145. Little by little they walk the right path from them, and guard this with prayer: 146 and so they reach the city and the church, and are offered up for sacrifice. The city is a bright and lawful reasoning in Christ, which always piously governs affairs, creates peace and corrects; Whenever he sins, he is given over to his ruin by the enemy 147. The God-created church is a sanctuary of souls and bodies: the altar in this church is the erection of hope, to which every example 148 is the first-born thought, like a first-born animal, from the mind we lift up and eat it for the purification of the one who lifts it up, even if the immaculate one lifts him up. And this is the church and the inner curtain, where Jesus the forerunner came about us (Heb. 6:19), and lives in us, according to the Apostle who says: Or do you not know that Christ Jesus lives in you, unless you are unskilled in nature (2 Cor. 13:5)? Even though there is an inner, secret and pure receptacle of the heart, unless it is opened by conciliar 149 and verbal and mental hope and right and undoubted faith, it is not possible to firmly know what is living within us, or to know whether our verbal sacrifices were accepted or not. Just as in the first place in Israel fire consumed the remains, so it happens here too: having opened to the faithful heart with the foretold hope, the heavenly Bishop accepts the original thoughts of the mind, and waits for the Divine fire, in which he says: fire has come into the world, and would like it if it were already on fire (Luke 12:49). thoughts flowing, not being in the second thoughts of the heart, but from the first delay and vegetation 150 abiye brought to Christ: from many thoughts, for they were brought to Him, lame and blind and feeble 151 named Divine Scripture, and for this reason it was not pleasing to the Master and the heavenly King and God 152. Otherwise, since after baptism we are guilty of all evil thoughts, the evidence of Scripture has already appeared. If it is appropriate to do this clearly by natural follow-up, then it is spoken about a person, say, except for your guilt, we act to be from Adam’s sin and baptism, and confess your deeds of this, understand it is known, as if you were opposing and stumbling with your verbs. For if you speak, the evil thoughts of being three Adams, having learned from St. Paul, because by baptism you have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27), and having strength and weapons, you have yet to lay down: for the weapons of our armies, he says, are not carnal, but mighty in God, for the destruction of the firmament, casting down thoughts, and every exaltation levied on the mind of God ( 2 Corinthians 10:4). If, however, you have power over it, you do not overthrow it, but from the first pretext: it is clear that you are voluptuous out of unbelief, and combine with them, and are joined together: and you are guilty of such an action, and not Adam. Question. How can one, out of unbelief, indulge in voluptuousness and combine thoughts with oneself, shut oneself up in one’s cell, and fast and abstain every day, and beggar, and wander, 153 and watch, and lie idle, and pray, and endure many such sorrows? Answer. You are kind enough to say that this one endures many sorrows. Even if the predicted obvious virtues were performed without sorrow and with joy and hard work, the sensualists would not have done so in their minds. It is impossible for a sick person to eat about bodily labors, and therefore not to talk with admonitions, and not to console those who are unsatisfied during labor: if the current one did not want this, then he would also grieve for them: we suffer this, since we do not suffer for the sake of the desire for future benefits: but for the sake of the fear of the temptations that are now found on us: even so, it is an evil deed to be an imaginary sin: the thought, as before, is alien to the verb action. It is impossible to turn away from this action, which is not one’s own, but alien to being imputed. Sometimes, even without combination, a certain thought is vile and hateful, like a robber who, without foreseeing an attack, keeps his mind to himself through need. It is clear, of course, that this is also our fault: either, after baptism, we betrayed ourselves to some evil thought before we acted, and for this reason and without consideration 154 we were guilty: or we freely hold some seeds of malice in ourselves, and for this reason the evil one is established: and this one, having held us by the evil seeds, does not leave, until we reject this: the vile thought remains an evil deed, then it will be expelled, when the labors are worthy of repentance to God. Moreover, below this I say that there is Adam’s sin, but more so the sin of one who does evil and holds seeds. If you say that you have anticipated these two thoughts, and are looking for who is guilty of these things, I will say to you: as you, having the power to cleanse him at the beginning of the first sentence, and not having cleansed him, but before the act, talked with him: if not before the act, you could not overthrow him for the weakness of the mind, as by the act Have you confessed and cut it off, already establishing your deeds and maintaining your righteousness? If you confess with the help of God to cut it off: understand that even before the act, if you wanted to, God would have helped you. And when you see help in your heart, you know that grace did not come from outside, but the grace given to you by baptism secretly only works now, because you, having hated the thought, turned away. For this reason, having delivered us from all violence, Christ, do not withhold thoughts from the heart: let them be hated from the heart, they are consumed, but they are so loved that they remain: so that both the grace of Christ and the will of man may be shown, which loves: whether it be labors for grace, or thoughts for the sake of sweetness. And let us not be surprised, as not only from those we love, but also from those who are hated, we forcefully act: for example, as if some kind of affinity 155 is crafty, so our lusts and desires act together with each other: and each 156 doer has become complacent in his own way, and betrays the rest to his neighbor 157: as if from the second 158 and beyond wills are not relegated, by custom, to the first forcefully attracted 159. Who, having been filled with vanity, will be able to avoid pride? Or whoever, having had his fill of sleep and having enjoyed pleasure, will not be restrained by the thought of fornication? Or who, having given himself over to covetousness, does not gain from unmercifulness? How can those who are filled with all of them 160 not be tormented by rage and anger? It is also fitting to understand that for the sake of our guilt, we act from sin: we are freed from the work of violence. The law of the Spirit of life, he says, freed me from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2), and it is already in our will, having heard the commandments of the Spirit, and having learned by them, either to walk in the flesh or in the Spirit. It is impossible to walk according to the Spirit, to give praise to man and to give joy to those who love the body; and it is impossible to live according to the flesh, the future of which is more than the present for those who inwardly choose. In the same way, it is fitting for us, who have gone astray, to henceforth begin to hate the praise of man and the joy of the body, in the image of evil thoughts and those who do not want us to vegetate, and from the disposition of our souls, speaking to the Lord, a prophetic verb: Have not those who hated You, Lord, hated you, and for all Your faults? I hated them with complete hatred: they became my enemies (Psalm 139:21-22). For truly God’s enemies are evil thoughts, preventing His will from being: for He wants all man to be saved, and to come into the understanding of truth (1 Tim. 2:4): but they forbid 162. The Lord also speaks about them, as if they do not come from Adam, but from the heart, and for this reason they defile a person (Matthew 15:19): apparently, it is not from a faithful heart, but from vainglory: how can you, he says, believe that you receive glory from man, and do not seek glory that is from the only God (John 5:44)? When we hate vanity, and believe in Him for everyone, every thought with our heartfelt and like-minded hope for Him is shattering: then, just as at the beginning of faith, like baptism, the body of Christ was given to the faithful, so in wiser hope and the rejection of thoughts, the well-known and pure mind of the good Jesus said: “My goodness is, yes.” I will do the will of My Father (John 4:34), who wants all man to be saved, and to come into the understanding of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), according to the words of Paul: But the truth, which is found in wiser hope, 164 says, as if it were predicted: it does not come from hearing, but from action. 165 The Spirit is believed to be: even there is a message of hope (Heb. 11:1), according to Scripture 166. Unbaptized or vain, this truth cannot come into the mind. First of all, to those who are baptized in the Catholic Church, baptism is given 167 sacramentally, and lives in them in secret: also, as they do the commandments and have intelligent hopes, this is revealed to the believers of the Lord: Believe in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his belly. This, speaking about Dus, is what those who believe in Him want to receive (John 7:38-39). In the same way, we believe that through baptism freedom and cleansing are mysteriously received, according to the Apostle who says: Now you are washed, now you are cleansed, now you are righteous, now you are sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11): and she writes to the Corinthians, not in the hope of being smarter by the rejection of thoughts purified, and by the heart of the Spirit an action sanctified, but still evil to those who offend and deprive, and even to the brethren (1 Cor. 6:8): let it show that he who was baptized, according to the power of Christ, received cleansing and sanctification mysteriously: out of our own lack of faith, we each act, are attracted and deceived by our own lust, as it is written: even lust, when conceived, gives birth to sin: sin but death gives birth to the deeds (James 1:14–15). Moreover, from our own verbal lust 169 there is our sin: from this, the commission of an act in accordance with this, which the Scripture calls death. And since from baptism there is in us the grace of the Spirit, teaching us all truth (John 16:13), according to the word of the Lord, understand again from the Divine Scripture and from works. First of all, look at the actions of Anostolsky, what blessed Peter says to the multitude; Repent, he says, and be baptized every one of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). For have you not now understood how through baptism the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit are given according to the measure of faith? Because if anyone apostates, 170 we hold back from sin, behold, even the twelve men in Ephesus who were incorrectly baptized, as St. Paul reproaches, and says: if you have kept away the Holy Spirit, having believed in nature? They decided to approach him, but even if the Holy Spirit was there, they heard. Speech to them, why are you baptizing yourself? They rekosha: in John's baptism. Paul said: John therefore baptize with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they may believe in the one who comes after him, that is, in Christ Jesus. Hearing, he was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And I will lay Paul’s hand on her, and the Holy Spirit will come upon her (Acts 19:2–6). Have you now become convinced that the Holy Spirit is given to those who are baptized, but not to the unfaithful and evil-believing and to those who have been baptized? And since we are those who offend Him and quench them within ourselves, having learned from the same Apostle who says: Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19): and again: do not offend the Holy Spirit, by whom you are marked on the day of deliverance (Ephs. 4:30). This is the evidence we brought, not like every person who has been baptized and received grace, other things are immutable and do not require repentance; but as from baptism, by the gift of Christ, the perfect grace of God was given to us for the fulfillment of all the commandments, each other, that reception is mysterious, and without perfecting the commandments, as we become impoverished: we act from sin, which is not Adaml: but who has sinned: 172 as the reception of the action of power, does not accomplish the work. Impoverishment comes from unbelief: unbelief is not alien to sin, but to the one who did not believe, and so on, it is the mother of all sin and the introduction of it. Either because we were soon to be willing or inert, we must fully believe in Christ and do all His commandments, having received the power of such doing from Him; And this is not because we must do this according to one commandment, and do it in one part; but the contained ones contain the individual ones, so that everything is perfected in a nutshell 173: they are the most important commandments, they contain a lot of other things. By this very deed we must overcome our unbelief, and not neglect the commandments that hold us, through which the grace given to us is effectively revealed, 174 even Saint Paul prays, saying: for this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the Lord may give you the strength to be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man, to dwell in Christ. every message and understanding 175 into your hearts through faith. ( Eph. 3:14–17 ). - There is time, however, to confirm this testimony by deeds and by deeds. Behold, to the extent that we believe the commandments of God, to the extent that the Holy Spirit acts in us and produces its own fruit. The fruits of the Spirit, according to St. Paul, are: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22). Whoever is not at all involved in these actions after baptism, let him reject the verb, 176 not to receive the grace of the Spirit from baptism? Who then continually eats from these fruits every day, without having done the commandments, and says: I am perfect and immutable? Moreover, it is true that grace is perfect in us, but we are imperfect in impoverishment for the sake of thoughts 177. Holy baptism is the same, because it is completely in us: we are imperfect in it. Therefore, O man, baptized into Christ, give the work whose power you have received, and prepare yourself for the manifestation of the one who lives in you: and this, according to His promise, the Lord will reveal to you spiritually, as the message Himself. The Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17): and then you will understand what was said, that the kingdom of heaven is within you (Luke 17:21). And this is not necessary and proper, as those who have fulfilled the particular commandments enter the kingdom in proportion to this: those who want to achieve perfection must do everything with restraint: the 178th control of all the commandments is the renunciation of the soul, which is death. And just as a living person in the flesh is impoverished in the perfection of this action, so it cannot be unpleasant to be a prelude 179 until the end, for the predicted impoverishment. If anyone, from those who are faithful, has lived through good commandments and has acquired some action that is spiritually commensurate with him, let him believe, as if he has already received this power: he has already received through baptism the grace of the Spirit, all the good are guilty: I say, not only secret and spiritual, but also obvious virtues are guilty. And let no one desire from the virtuous to do anything good by his own power: a good man is not of himself, says the Word, but from the good treasure of the heart he brings good things (Matthew 12:35), the treasure of the verb, the Holy Spirit is hidden in the hearts of the faithful. Just as the kingdom of heaven is a hidden treasure in the village, which a man found hidden: and he went and sold everything, and bought the village (Matthew 15:44). But this is appropriate for those who are well spoken of: he who understands, for it is known, that Christ has been hidden in himself from baptism, according to the Apostle, having cast down all the things of this world, abides in his heart, guarding it with all care (Proverbs 4:23), and seeking the outcome of life (Proverbs 8:35), according to the proverb. For this reason, it is not appropriate to think, as Adam’s sin is cut off by labors, but what is below one’s own after baptism is Jesus Christ: for He is the one who works in you, both to will and to do good will (Phil. 2:13). Having added the hedgehog, about good will, it shows that it is in our autocracy to create or take away sins, but it is impossible to eat, but also what is said: because without Me you cannot do anything (John 15:5): and the hedgehog, you did not choose Me, but I chose you (John 15:16), to the same looks mind. It is fitting to understand this, that all things were made by Him, and without Him nothing was made that were made (John 1:3): the same is ours in all 180. For this reason, the Prophet did not say: from Jerusalem to Your church they will bring You kingly gifts, even in the past; but on the contrary: from Your temple to Jerusalem They will bring You kingly gifts (Ps. 67:30): before every time the most royal mind from the secret church of the heart first receives good and good advice from the inner living Christ, and leads me to virtuous life, which is called Jerusalem: and he himself brings the packing to Christ who first bestowed good thoughts. This is rechom, which does not close the future, but confesses that we have accepted the power of the commandments, and from the bonds of death let us free ourselves from the debts of other works, and unless we do the commandments of God, the grace given to us is not revealed: how can we who have died in sin do good on our own, if not the Lord Himself had given us the washing of rebirth? quickened, and gave us the grace of the Spirit? We also understand that the grace of the Spirit has been perfect for us to fulfill all the commandments; we do not accept the excuse from you, but we have the privilege of giving growth in Christ, and strengthening our workers unto death: until we achieve all things in the union of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect man, to the measure of the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4:13), according to the spiritual follow, hedgehog predict. Question. The one who is baptized receives whom mysteriously, Christ or the silt of the Holy Spirit? Before now, you told Christ to live inside, and then to the Holy Spirit. Answer. We accept the Holy Spirit by baptism: and therefore the Spirit of God is said, and the Spirit of Christ: for this reason, by baptism we accept both the Father and the Son, according to who said: I and the Father will come, and will make an abode with him 181. Question. Also, is there a Trinity Spirit? Answer. That is why the Trinity is not alone in being a verb, but because it is not separated from the Father and the Son, for this reason we confess the Trinity in Him according to His Divinity and power. Just as in the Father there is the Son and the Spirit, and again in the Son the Father and the Spirit: so in the Spirit there are both the Father and the Son: not by the merging of the three hypostases of one Divinity, but by the union of the same one council and Divinity and being. In the same way, even if we call the Father one-part, and if we call the Son, or the Holy Spirit, then in one name we call the Trinity, according to the image, by his own pre-death. Question. As the Scripture says, Jerusalem should be in heaven (Heb. 12:22), but you said that it should be in that heart? Answer. Not just Jerusalem, but also other good things, as they will receive the righteous in the resurrection, we know that this is the essence of grief: these betrothals and fruits in the hearts of the known believers now act spiritually: as if we had previously known about the future, we will despise the present, and we will love God until death. For this reason, I do not say: come to me: but come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22): for these are the ones who have become worthy of baptism, and those who are worthy of the well-known faith that die for the love of Christ every day: that is, surpassing every thought of this life, and thinking of nothing else, except when we have reached the perfection of the love of Christ, which is the inner opening of the heart, where Jesus is seen as the forerunner of us (Heb. 6:20). Paul sought this at the beginning, saying: “I persecute, even if I comprehend, I also comprehend him, that is, that I may love him, even in him I am loved, from Christ (Phil. 3:12): and to understand this love, to whom nothing else is accepted, neither the sorrowful body, nor the wondrous creature, but forsaking all reality, and says: 183 who will separate us from the love of Christ? Is it tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or trouble, or sword? and again: it is known, he says, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, lower than the power, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature can separate us from the love of God, even in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:35:38-39): for nothing can we think about what endures from these, unless I just want to stay there. Question. How little did you say before, that the Spirit lives perfectly within us, and does not accept excuses from us? But the Apostle says the opposite, that the Imams are the firstfruits of the Spirit, and not the perfect Spirit? Answer. The beginning of speech, not a certain part of the whole, below, like a certain section of the Spirit, introducing: below it is cut, below it changes: but our capacious showing, which cannot contain every action of the Spirit, is exactly the perfect commandment, that is, death: for knowledge and even about the truth 184 death is the commandment of God. Like the sun, being perfect, perfect and simple and equal to everyone, he imparts grace from himself; the rest of each, since his eye is cleansed, but also the sun’s light receives the light: so the Holy Spirit has created all actions and gifts for those who believe in Him from baptism: the other gifts do not work for everyone in the same way, but for each, as he does the commandments, he bears great witness with good deeds, and will actually create a measure of faith even in Christ. Moreover, he says, God sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father (Gal.4:6), and the Spirit himself obeys our spirit, for we are the children of God (Rom.8:16). And as no one by himself cuts out Adam’s sin, but Christ, exactly according to the measure of faith in Him, hearing the Apostle say: for Christ died our sin for the sake of the Scripture (1 Cor. 15:3): and again: God makes his love for us, because we are sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8): and again: we were buried in Him by baptism into death: yes just as Christ has risen from the dead, so we too will begin to walk in newness of life, and so on. and as one who died was freed from sin (Rom. 6:4:7): and as by grace we were saved through faith, and not from works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8): and again: for sometimes there was darkness, but now there is light in the Lord: as children of light you walk (Eph. 5:8): and again: we are not the servants of a child, but free. For by the freedom with which Christ freed us, stand ye (Gal. 4:31, 5:1): and again, as you are free, and not as a shelter for those who have evil, freedom (1 Pet. 2:16). Do you see how in your image you speak about the deeds of eliminating sin, this being the work of renewal and freedom and light the Scripture says? And autocracy also reveals the pretexts 186 that you said to be: the sin of Adam is to have the heart, rather than malice, freedom, and to offend the Holy Spirit, and to do the will of the flesh and mind (Eph. 2:5), and the hedgehog: having begun in the Spirit, now you are finished in the flesh (Gal. 3:3), and, as we ought not the flesh, the hedgehog to live according to the flesh (Rom. 8:12): this and that is known to the divine scripture, as if it is for us to create or not to create, it is in our autocracy, for this reason not Satan, a sin lower than Adam, but condemns us. If you want to hear more intelligently, the most important river of all. You are the imagination of thoughts 187 saying that there was a sin of Adam: and behold, blessed Paul openly and clearly denounces us as guilty of this evil, saying: Do not be conformed to this, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2). If this is not from our will, but from Satan’s torment, and the remnant of Adam’s sin: then why do we denounce sin 188, involuntarily we act from sin, and are tormented by Satan? Is it wrong and innocent for imams to suffer? Or do you think that God is negligent and unrighteous, who commands more than nature, and seeks from us something more than power? But let it not be! I’ll ask you first, and give me an answer. If our nature imitates the power of piety, should we offer this to God every day, or not? Speak to me in every way, as if to her, because God has given this to nature, and put it according to the power of the commandment. Moreover, even if today the blessing brought to Him is a daily duty: show me the rest of the ancient sin's reward 189, either yours, or Adam's. But I say to you, “I am not going to show this to you, but I am not going to repay it every day 190 without want.” And where does this obviously come from? from which it is not always possible to acquire the same virtues: as much as today you have applied to virtue, you have clothed yourself as a debtor to the existence of the past, having actually created the power of nature: it seems to be an application of today, as if not nature, but the will of yesterday is impoverished: and for this reason we act from sin 191 . Question. Let this be allowed to be so: both of us know one thing: if Adam had not transgressed, I would not have accepted the temptation of 192 malice. Answer. Below this right is stated: for the reason for the inexperience of evil to be, is immutable in nature, and not in human nature: if we and Adam are of one nature, it is fitting for him to be after us, and for us to be according to him. Moreover, let the first man himself assure you that he is below immutable, below is one-part evil, 194 but freely transposed, and did not transgress the commandment by the need of nature, but by the good will of the will. The rest, as if he were friendly because Satan had no excuse, to listen or not to listen, having the power: so are we. Dikanik 195. Negli 196 now I endure you, do not take away Satan’s excuse. Postnik 197. I am lower in the foretold trials when: we know that Job was tempted by the devil, and the Scripture says: for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, and against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness (Eph. 6:12): and again: resist the devil, and flee from you (James 4:7 ): and again: your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, walks around looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). But because you have evil thoughts, not yours, but you do not perceive any of them to be, when you say that I am Adam’s sin, and when Satan himself is, and when you say Satan: for this reason we say that there is another sin of Adam, and another is Satan, and another is the pretext of Satan, and otherwise our thoughts are evil, even if and from the pretext of guilt 198 imut. For Satan is the very face of the devil, who attempted to tempt the Lord: the sin of Adam is the transgression of the first man’s commandments: the pretext of Satan is, like-mindedly 199 the manifestation of things that are evil, and by the very same 200 he who comes closer to our mind, through (our) lack of faith, gains (convenience). The commandment for us, who have received it, is not to worry about anything, but to guard our hearts with all care (Proverbs 4:23), and to seek within us the present kingdom of heaven, when the mind departs from the heart and from the foretold punishment, it gives room to the devil, and evil advice is acceptable. But then the devil would move our thoughts in the power to have: otherwise he would not have spared us, forcing every evil thought, and allowing nothing good to think: but the power to have the same mind in the first thought to show evil things 201, hedgehog tempt our inner disposition, which tends: to the advice of this, or to the commandment of the Lord: no matter what. these are opposed to each other. In the same way, we, in those things, even love, but we raise thoughts to indicate it, and passionately converse in thought with the things that appear: but in those things that we hate, we cannot touch, but we even hate that very pretext. Even if we have been hated, we remain (this also happens), both not from our new disposition, but from our ancient acceptance, it is strengthened: even so, the non-preceding 202 stands in place, and is of the same mind, from heartfelt indignation we forbid entering into multi-mindedness and passion: not because nature is an individual phenomenon, hated by one who listens to oneself, by need to bring the mind into the passion of multi-thinking, even with the voluptuousness of the heart alone. Moreover, if we at all retreat from voluptuousness, then the below like-minded enterprises 203 phenomenon can harm us, or our conscience about the approval of future 204 condemn. Having recognized the idle enterprise of resistance to the mind 205, and confessing God’s ancient guilt, even that temptation itself is taken away: and again the mind has the power to listen to the heart, and with all guarding through prayer, to guard that, into the inner and unchilled cages of the heart, trying to enter, where the thoughts of the winds, violently howling both soul and body, are not evil. into the rapids of voluptuousness, and into the well of low-lying resin, the path is wide and spacious, and the words and images of worldly wisdom are laid out, and alluring those who follow it, even if they are wise, are: pure, for the inner cages of the soul and the house of Christ receive the naked mind inside, bringing nothing from this world, nor blessedly, not wordlessly 206, except just these three, as the Apostle said: faith, hope, love. For someone who loves truly and works with his heart, even though he may not be torn from undertakings, should follow 207 the hedgehog who predicted: but pay attention to the heart and advance in the inner, and draw closer to God: let him not be indignant about the labors of prayer and abiding; strive, turning to them in numbers both in thought and in deed. Moreover, a like-minded person is forced by us to be, although we have been hated, we still remain: but the conversation with the coming thoughts of being is voluntary. Having shown this and having not sinned in the likeness of Adam’s crime, it was not possible to forbid the pretext, but I rejected conversation with him and all passions. Question. Likewise, the crime of Adamle, by necessity, is a sin that is thought 209 of ours? Answer. It is not a crime for Adamle to bear this, but it is a denunciation of voluptuousness in some way. But below is the crime of succession: out of necessity, even from succession, it is fitting 210 for all of us to be a criminal, and not to be accused by God, out of necessity and succession 211 those who transgress. Nowadays it is not like this: for we all transgress the commandment, but we keep everything: even so, it is true that there is no need to eat, but sensuality, this is a crime. Question. Since, as you say, the Lord came for this (crime), why did he not consume this in baptism, but even now everyone has the power to transgress, or not to transgress? Answer. The crime exists voluntarily, as indicated, no one needs or inheritance: but from this there is death, a forced existence, a succession, which is alienation from God: I died to the first man, that is, alienated from God, so that we can live in God as a living being. For this reason, the Lord came, and through the bath of restoration he would revive us and reconcile us with God, the hedgehog he created. Moreover, it is not a crime of succession, since Adam himself did not have it through need, but by will: but death was not a crime through succession, since he also did not restrain it from need: even he reigned over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s crime (Rom. 3:14). Question. Let us give in, as Adam committed the crime, and for this reason, the only being, and we fall away by will: do we not need food and shelter? Answer. Truly, we do not need an excuse: but the excuse is below sin, below is truth: but the denunciation of our autocratic will. In the same way, we are allowed to quickly add 212: so that those who worship the commandment will show that they are faithful, but condemned to pleasure 213, as if they are unfaithful. And this befits us to lead, for we are not judged by any of our misdeeds, or by our rejections: 214 but when we have been tested in all our flesh in the flesh, victorious and conquered, falling and rising, wandering and on the good path, then on the day of the exodus, after counting everything, we will be judged accordingly. we are, or praised. The following is a sin; no! Even if, out of necessity, we show things with the same mind, but we have received from the Lord the power of spiritual action, and in our autocracy we have from the first thoughts the temptation to tempt both harmful and useful, and either to sweep away or accept thoughts, not needlessly, but from the disposition of our soul, multiplying. But let’s assume for you that these needs and succession arise: why does the Divine Scripture condemn us about evil thoughts? Or how can we forbid, because we are in need and because we are suffering from cold? If we say that by the grace of Christ we can, even though we have received from baptism, recover from the Scriptures: then understand that even so we are guilty, having authority and power from God, to forbid me from the first pretext, and not to forbid. If someone inflicts his own evils on someone else, he not only sins without fear, but also blasphemes against God, as if 215 people are guilty of allowing him to do so. Question. Why am I baptized, and I pray to God, and call on His grace, and with all my will I want to get rid of and be free from evil thoughts, but I can’t? Or is it not obvious, like Adamle’s crime, leave this inevitable legacy for us? Answer. It is fitting for us, verbal 216 beings, to lead what we hear: but since the soul has darkened from voluptuousness and vanity into the depths of ignorance, it has fallen, then it hears neither the commandments of Scripture, nor the natural sequence, nor the skilful 217 considerations: unless it is guided by its own intentions. Who, believing the Divine Scripture and doing the commandments of the Lord, does not gain consideration of 218 thoughts, and is not informed that it is not because of the authorities that they are holding, but because of our lack of faith and the impoverishment of the 219 commandments? Moreover, below all the dispensation we are equal, below the same thoughts we are cold: because the guilt of thoughts is not arbitrary? Even if they were forced by Adam, all of them were, as a result of sin, cold and inevitably held: and below the literary consideration, 220 below the Apostolic Council they demanded by: nature holding by succession and 221 voluptuous will. Now it is not like this, and it will not be: we see that not everyone is like us from thoughts of cold, lower in the same times, lower about the same things: but each, like the faith of the Lord about the good things to come, despised human glory and voluptuousness, only abstaining from thoughts, and from the sensual the silent one 222 is: for this reason we are united from each other and separated in thought and life. Because of this, we deceive the truth 223 and seek not from the faith of Jesus, that is, not by doing His commandments, but through wickedness 224 and humility, with an aching heart, to quench our thoughts; but with secret voluptuousness, vanity and man-pleasing, opinion and appearance, strife, strife and contempt, and other such things; From them, the receipts we desire, and from the lack of success, furious thoughts multiply: for this reason, we cannot, holding guilt 225, reject the action inherent in them. If this word is false, and without our guilt we are overcome by thoughts, then let us carefully consider how one confesses to God. Who knows, but in deed, word and thought, the foretold passions are acceptable every day; And we love those who help us, like benefactors, but those who rebuke us, like enemies, we turn away and hate? Do we love the foretold passions as clearly as we defend them, just as we hate their like-minded pretext? Having accepted the first thought, why don’t they have subsequent thoughts based on this? Question. Even if we suppose this to be so, in the Gospels the Lord promised to take vengeance on those who cry out to Him night and day (Luke 18:7)? Answer. The Lord does not by His will speak this parable to those who lie in voluptuousness, but to those who fight for the same enterprises 226, but do not commit coitus 227: also for these slaughter, as if they were offended by the enemy, he promised to take revenge; He denounces those who have rejected the commandment that helps them, saying: Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things I say (Luke 6:46)? and he likens them to a deformed man, who builds his church on the basis of his own wills, and not on the stone of the commandments of the Lord (Matthew 7:26). For this reason, do not rely with an unconfirmed mind and unreasonable intention on all your opinions, as if on the true ones, always saying, “I have been baptized, and I pray to God, and I attract His grace with all my will, although I cannot get rid of evil thoughts, 228, but then again expecting the Lord to take vengeance, which is promised to be done in the Gospels, and everywhere self-incriminating, even though there is great blasphemy guilty. Instead, I ask you and your mind for a little bit of opinion 229, and give me an answer: we know that we are oppressed from the truth, or speak more of the heaping verbs, or confess your guilt: the Lord says: He will soon take vengeance; praying as you do? He said: I think that the Lord will touch nothing for the sake of anything else, but for the sake of my patience: as long as anyone endures in our fight, only then will he be glorified. The Orthodox Elder said: I am the only one who can stop you from answering your praise, but you also brought the blasphemy. For now, having ascribed to yourself a false name of patience, you made the Lord lie in His words: and evil thoughts, which, according to the Divine Scripture, are not given to anyone, wickedness and sensuality and all sin are given, coming from the heart, according to the word of the Lord, and desecrating man, but patience and even from God glory to us guilty. But the evil thoughts contained in the Divine Scripture were never praised, lower in the Old Testament, lower in the New Testament: but even more so, as if they were self-culpable, they were damned and condemned. Just as God hates evil thoughts, so does the heart that gives birth to them. Moreover, I, who have it, should weep, as if I were a sin-loving person, and not be puffed up, as if the wicked were making war on strangers. Understand that it is known, about man, that the Lord watches the hearts of all people: and those who hate the evil thoughts of the first thought, abiy stands up, as promised, and does not leave the multitude of many thoughts that rise to defile their mind and conscience: and not those who overthrow the first vegetative thoughts with faith and hope in God, but as if for teaching and testing those who are addicted to pleasure, leaves, as unfaithful and helpless 231, around the beaten ones to be from subsequent thoughts, but for this reason it does not take them away, as if he sees their first pretext as loved by us, and not from the first appearance we hate. If anyone, based on the manifest language, does not believe what is said, then, having learned by doing, let him understand the truth. If he neither believes in the Scripture, nor wants to be known by his deeds, he clearly is, because he loves the sweetness of heaping: what is more voluptuous than this, alien to the mental sin of being the one who advises, and to be arrogant and uplifted, as if innocent, rather than to confess and cry about the crafty advice of the one who creates? Question. You foretold that the crime of Adamla would not be a succession, but death as a result of this: even as death holds sway, evil thoughts also hold sway. Answer. O evil-beliefs! 233 Why then did the Lord come in the flesh? Shall not everyone, that one may die for all, according to the Scripture, and abolish him who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14)? Even though death, even from Adam, has no power except our evil faith, it is clear that you have averted the coming of the Lord, and baptism is not perfect: those who are still baptized without their own guilt from the Father’s law 234, but they are still in power over death. For this reason, O man, hear how by the grace of Christ you were new Adam, and did not need anything from the old, except something from your evil faith and voluptuousness 235. The Lord came for our sake, died for us, delivered us from the death of our fathers, cleanses us and renews us with baptism, places us in paradise of the Church; from every tree the hedgehog allows food in paradise: that is, to love everyone who is baptized in the church, and to endure in belittling, and not to condemn anyone about the changes and to love those who think they are good, but to hate those who think they are evil; and finds his exposure by a crafty invention 236 on his neighbor, who was previously unaware, with hidden compassion. For this reason, the Lord commands those who have been placed in the paradise of the Church, saying: Judge not, lest ye be judged: and condemn not, lest ye be condemned: forgive, and it shall be forgiven to you (Luke 6:37): And little above these says: Whatever ye will, let men do unto you, and ye do unto them likewise: for this is the law and the Prophets (Luke 6:31 , Matt.7:12), the law saying: love your neighbor as you love yourself (Lev.19:18): And the prophets: in the same way you have done it for your neighbor, so be it for you. How many times have these commandments become desecrated! How many times have you judged your neighbor without compassion? How many times have I hated you, or even offended you with an insult! If this is the essence, then why else do we blame Adam for our evil ones? Even though he was exhausted in his death, but likewise he transgressed the commandment by will, just as he did. Three things happened to Adam, and not one, as if you were not aware of what they are: an error due to observation, a crime due to his unbelief, death according to the righteous judgment of God, following not an observant excuse, but a hedgehog from unbelief of the crime. We are not a crime, but death is a successor: for it was not possible for us to be alive from the dead, until the Lord came and gave life to all who believe. The first thought is according to the opinion of the imams, like he: but whether to disobey, or not to disobey, is in our will, the imams, like he: and the imams assure us that it is voluntary, and not forced, that the imams commit a crime through thoughts, having not sinned in the likeness of the crime of Adam, as the Apostle said (Rom. 5:14): or else from It was possible for Adam to exist not to sin in the likeness of Adam’s crime, just as we, if we want, can. Why then do we offer apologies for our sins, and speak untruthfully against God, as if we allowed us to be alien to the evil ones who fight unrighteously? We must know that every Adam was killed by the guilt of the Lord, every one of us, even if we suffer evil, suffers through our own fault, rejected with our unbelief, that is, voluptuousness, which we received mysteriously in baptism. Even if a person is not received in the knowledge of a hedgehog, the son is imperfect in faith, and poor in work: but God has given him the perfect gift, saying: “Every gift is perfect, it is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). And this very perfect thing is not simply, as if it had happened, someone acquires, even all human wisdom, even all worldly wisdom, but precisely by doing the commandments of Christ, and this is in proportion: according to the difference in the way of doing, it is different, and the gift is revealed to us. Let no one praise words and images for himself without having the praise, as the Apostle says: For he says, “Do not boast to yourself about this skillful man, but the Lord praises him” (2 Cor. 10:12): but even the one who receives praise from the Lord must have the right to use wisdom, and it is known that no matter who strives against his unbelief, he succeeds by faith, and receives some good, not by reason 237 just naked, but also by action; then you have gained, or can gain, nothing much, even if you have received it mysteriously through baptism, even though Christ is: for, as he says, you have been baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ (Gal. 5:27): But Christ, the perfect Son of God, has been given the grace of the Holy Spirit as a gift to those who have been perfectly baptized; giving, until we achieve everything in the union of faith, in a perfect man, according to the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4:13). Even if we offer Him something that has been reborn, it is already from Him and Him, hidden in us, according to what is written: Who understands the mind of the Lord? Or who will be His adviser? Or who gave to Him first, and will be rewarded to him? For from Him, and by Him, and in Him are all things: To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. The scholastic's opposition to Abba Mark. Word four Someone asked a question from the Dikanik 238 elder fasting man, saying: I pray that you assure me, wanting to understand, that wisely the monks say that it is proper not to judge those who offend? or what is active, do you move away from sensory things and affairs? I strongly condemn them, because lack of justice is against the laws, and idleness is against the nature of those who cheat; If I understand the wisdom of wisdom for the sake of those who do this, then I myself needlessly retreated from such reproach, jealous of your virtue. The faster, having first prayed in his mind, said this: it is fitting for the rest, about the more verbal, about these I want to be sure, to learn from those who are good, for we are also from those who teach. And before, as you had said, you came to the ignorant about yourself, as if you were convinced, about them you speak, hear: The foreigners are strange to the Church, not having chosen wisdom: but they strive to uphold Christ, according to the Apostle who says: let this be wisdom in you, even in Christ Jesus, who is in the image of God, not by the admiration of God. being equal to God, but having exhausted myself, I have taken on the form of a servant (Phil. 2:6:7). Understand, therefore, that there are God-given virtues, and great virtues, I say, humility is guilty 239: do this work, the commandment of the Lord in the church, says: do not do it evilly, perishing, but abiding in eternal life. (John 6:27). Dikanik of the verb: May we also understand, I pray, what is this matter? The faster said: Through prayer we will seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, which is also within us (Luke 17:21), and to those who seek it, make all physical promises (Matthew 6:33). For those who have heard from the Lord, and believed, and done according to their strength, how do you say things outside of our nature? If you see it contrary to nature, then understand whom you blame: God is the commanded one. Likewise, it is God’s commandment not to offend 240 (c) those who offend. How truly they transgress the law who committed that rebuke to God by the Prophet: Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord (Deut. 52:53): and Christ in the Gospels: Judge not, and we will not judge you: and condemn not, lest ye be condemned: forgive, and it will be forgiven to you (Luke 6:57): and the Apostle: Before the time, judge nothing ( 1 Cor.12:49): and again: not to take revenge on yourself: and again: why do you judge a stranger’s servant (Rom. 12:19, 14:4)? Who else is there more righteous than these, who has laid down laws that are more righteous, and who, before the time, desires to judge those who offend, as if he is sinless, and to keep the law of God, to accuse those who attempt to commit transgression, and to call innocence being malice? Question. Hearing this, the scholastic said: Do princes then sin, taking revenge on those who offend, and preserving what is righteous to those who are offended? Answer. The elder answered: Judges do not sin, but those who betray, and not those who forsake God: firstly, because everything that has come upon them, for their own evil, is an intimation, it draws them to repentance, and not to vengeance: secondly, because even if they suffered unjustly, the evil that happened, it is appropriate to let go of the offender, having heard the Lord rekshago: let go, and it will be forgiven you, and not with human retribution, do your own evil and unforgiveness. For princes, according to the Apostle, do not fear good deeds, but fear evil (Rom. 13:3). It is not because the faithful and reverent are forced to accuse those who offend and reproach those who are unforgettable because they do not use judgment against those who have offended; but they give vengeance to those who want it: for the sake of God, those who are long-suffering, for otherwise it is good for those who are wise, and they are honored and praised. Just as those who do not want to come are not drawn in, so those who accuse with vengeance do not sin. It is also fitting, most wisely, to learn the spiritual law from the external laws and words, and to learn the work of piety, and as one who finds one’s own patience is sorrowful; Without them, no one can truly be wise. I seek for the scholastic to understand what the works of piety are, the elder said: the commandments of Christ are, the first and greatest of which are love, for he thinks no evil, but loves everything, has faith in everything, trusts everything, endures everything (1 Cor. 15:5:7) according to Scripture. But this creator cannot judge those who think they will offend her. In this way we are separated from each other: we all remain from that dignity, awaiting the grace of Christ for the fulfillment of hardships, even if we are not negligent about doing the hedgehog according to our strength: God knows how much we cannot do weakly, and how carelessly we do not do deeds of love. And one is strengthened not only from productive labor, but also from occasional sorrows 241: for this reason, for many reasons, we need patience and meekness from God. Likewise, the Divine Apostle says: although you may be wise in this world; let it happen, that he may be wise (1 Cor. 5:18). Such a one does not condemn those who are superior to him about the impoverishment of 242 perfect love: but he extends to himself, even more so, to surpass them: and when he comprehends those, he also seeks those greater for himself, and finds himself in pursuit 243 and thus: and never ceases from the flow, until he finds some of those who precede him with love. If anyone does not liken himself to his superiors, he condemns them 244 as imperfect, condemns himself, as if he does not know: for he says 245: Do not condemn, lest you be condemned (Luke 6:56). Even though they are wise in their words, even those who offend do not abhor the sins: and those who have offended themselves in Dus also reproach themselves, when they do not spontaneously endure insults with joy: not exactly for this, but because even from their ancient guilt, sorrows grow, even if the sin 246 sins are easier. Having taken revenge on yourself, God imagines you are despising your lack of judgment: endure it, as if it were your own, which has found sorrow, you confess your undertaking, and for its sake you endure it, fierce suffering. Question. The scholastic 247 was indignant about the reproof, saying: If this is your spiritual law commanding, I have instructed God, as you said, why should any people fall from the monks who hold this law? Answer. The elder said: those who hold him do not fall, but those who have abandoned him, and about those who have neglected him a lot: about prayer, I say, and humility, from vanity and the care of worldly theft. In the same way, the devil does not forbid us to think and create all the things of life, but let him wander from prayer and humility: for the news, as if it were without two, even if it is good, will be taken away by him later. We speak a prayer that is not strictly performed, but also offered to God with an undistracted thought. If one thing is untimely torn away from her, then another one is left alone to God, but of his own will. Ask a scholastic. And can the flesh have will outside of thought? Faster's answer. To have, as the Apostle says: for sometimes we also are disobedient (Tit. 3:3), doing the will of the flesh (Eph. 2:3): and again: the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh (Gal. 5:17). Behold, we have both lust and will, which do not know much, inattention for the sake of thoughts and complicity. Moreover, not only those who do not care about prayer, but also those who do not pay attention to the mind, are cold. This rechom, not like any other, condemns, but confesses its own deprivations: it is not for pride, but this is a sign of humility: and, for the Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5), which not only into the mind, but also into the inheritance 248 leads us to sacred virtues, that is, undeterred prayers about it. Even though Blessed Paul does not neglect us, he says: Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 8:17): and showing a lack of parity 249 of mind, saying: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, in order to tempt you; that the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:2). Because, out of our lack of faith and weakness, God laid down various commandments, so that, according to his diligence, everyone would escape torment and receive salvation: for this reason, the Apostle instructs us to the perfect will of God, even though we should not be judged: knowing that prayer helps to correct all the commandments, he does not cease to command this in many parts and in a variety of ways, and saying: praying at all times in the Spirit, and continually watching with all patience and prayer (Eph. 6:18). Therefore, we know that there is a difference between prayer and prayer: otherwise there is a non-parallel thought 250 to pray to God: and another to stand with the body, but to soar with the mind: and again, otherwise there is time to look, and according to worldly conversations and non-abortions, I will pray: and otherwise, very powerfully, to prefer and anticipate prayer above worldly cares, according to the same Apostle who says: The Lord is near; Do not worry about anything, but let your requests be made to God in everything by prayer and supplication (Phil. 4:3:6). Just as blessed Peter says: be wise and sober in your prayers, casting all your care upon her, as she cares for you (1 Pet. 4:7, 3:7). First of all, the Lord himself, who knows that all things are confirmed by prayer, says: Do not worry about what you eat, or what you drink, or what you wear: but rather seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:31:33). The Lord calls us to this greater faith: who, having rejected care for temporal things, and not being poor, does not have faith in the rest and about eternal good things? And having clearly done this very thing, the Lord said: he who is faithful in little and in many is faithful (Luke 16:10). Moreover, in this we also have love for mankind: knowing that daily diligence about the flesh inevitably exists, without cutting off daily care: but having allowed us the daily care, he commands us not to worry about the morning, it is extremely fitting and more God-loving, and humane: for it is not powerful for those who wear flesh and exist as humans, about those who are the essence of bodily life, by no means nespishl: do not hide 251 because many people can eat in small amounts through prayer and abstinence; It is impossible to be completely despicable. Moreover, although one who is mature in a husband has reached the age of fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4:13), according to Scripture, he should not prefer any kind of service over prayer, or without the need to attract, as if it had happened, below that happens according to a certain need and the sight of God, by the knowledge of prayer, tear off and sweep away, but also recognize the difference, and work without the sight of God tests. Do not think in this way, below, according to the Scripture, the commandment of the commandment is above and restrained 252 to be, he believes, below, according to the Prophet, to follow all the commandments (Ps. 119:128), he wants those who do not meet him. For those who are unavoidably in need and caretakers who do not meet, it is appropriate to sweep away the untimely non-abolition by reading the prayer: moreover 253, which reduces us to the greed and covetousness of our property. As long as someone is drawn to the Lord by this, and the excess of their substance is cut off, only the thought is drawn away from the soaring: and as soon as the thought is drawn, only to that extent does it give place to pure prayer, and shows faith in Christ 254. If someone, for the sake of lack of faith, or for the sake of some weakness, cannot do this, then let him not recognize the truth, and let him stretch out according to his strength, blaming his infancy. It is better to give a word about impoverishment, and not about delusion and exaltation: about this, let the parable of the Lord assure you, bringing one Pharisee and another publican. In the same way, let us try to repel all worldly worries with hope and prayer: we cannot completely correct this; Let us offer a sermon to God about impoverishment, but let us not deviate from our care about it: it is better to swear 255 about particular impoverishment, and not about the ultimate abandonment 256 . About all the prayers and inescapable service spoken of, we need a lot of reasoning from God: to know when and what non-abolishing things we must pre-read before prayer: since everyone, exercising himself in his favorite need, thinks of performing the proper service, not knowing, as if for the good pleasure of God more than his own, things torture must eat. Moreover, even more than this, it is incongruous, since these necessary and inevitable commandments are not always lower than a thousand times: but one should be preferred over others in due time. For now, not every service is always performed, but in due time; prayer is our unceasing service, which has been established by law: for this reason, we must prefer that over those that happen without need 257 non-abolition. About this difference, all the Apostles taught the people to attract those who want to serve, saying: it is not good for those who left us the word of God to serve meals. See, for from you the same men have been testified for seven times, and we will appoint them over this service: but we will continue in prayer and in the ministry of the word. And this word was pleased to be spoken before all the people (Acts 6:2-5). What are we learning from this? - For those who are able cannot endure in silence, it is good to be in service, lest they fall away from both: but for those who are able, it is better to eat and not be careless about what is best. Question . Dikonik, hearing this, said this: how come those who are in the world are wise, careless about prayer, do not fall, but preserve their wisdom? Answer . The elder, groaning, said: You said well, for you do not fall: having fallen by one terrible and severe fall, in the name of exaltation and negligence, I say, the lower they can rise without prayer, the lower they have, they will fall. What else does the devil care about, fighting against those who lie down forever and never rise up? They are united, sometimes victorious, sometimes conquered: falling, rising: insulting, insulted: fighting, fighting: and the friends in the first fall were many for the sake of ignorance, and leading below as if necessary, to them the Prophet speaks with pity; food does not rise when it falls, or does it turn away when it turns away (Jer.8:4)? And again: arise from sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light (Eph. 5:14): to those who do not want to rise, take up the work, and continue in prayer, and in piety, the oppressed being of the future for the sake of the kingdom, says: in your destruction, Israel, who will help you (Hos. 13:9)? There is no scab, no ulcer, no scorching wound (Is. 1:6), lower than from evils that happen without the will: this wound is free, this is a sin that leads to death, which is healed lower than others by prayers. For the physician, he says, is Babylon, and do not heal (Jer. 51:9): this ailment is spontaneous, and there is no band-aid to apply, lower than oil, lower than duty (Is. 1:6), that is, help from others. This and that is what the Divine Scripture proclaims to those who despise prayer, and, without need and weakness, determine this hour and at times: For the Lord, it is always night and day; To the Apostle, continually bring this to the omnipotent God who laid down the law. This is also how the Old Testament forbids one who trusts in himself and who exalts himself in his wisdom, saying: Trust in the Lord with all your heart: but do not exalt yourself in your wisdom (Prov. 3:5). These are not the only verbs, as if they were lifted up by someone, and for this reason the book of the acquisitor, and having understood the power of the things written, and having done nothing of these, they are puffed up about naked understandings; and words and disciplines praising oneself, the great thing among the unskilled is called wisdom, but without touching on hard work, having learned secretly below the work, many from God and hardworking and pious men receive rebuke: without introducing the intellect of 258 Scriptures, not for deeds, but for misuse of evidence, existing through the action of the grace of the Holy Spirit lost. These are those who boast in appearance, and not in heart (2 Cor. 5:12). The same inexperience of the deeds should touch the essence of this: for what is spoken in Scripture, let us not understand it exactly, but let us do it as we repent. Let us therefore begin the work: for we will find that it is not just hope in God, but also known 259 without self-righteousness, and unfeigned love, and kindness, and brotherly love, and self-control, and patience, and inner intelligence, and deliverance from temptations, the gift of gifts, and heartfelt confession, and diligent tears, coming through the prayer of the faithful: not exactly this, but also for those who find sorrowful patience, and pure love for one’s neighbor, and knowledge of the spiritual law, and the acquisition of the righteousness of God, and the influx of the Holy Spirit, and the giving of spiritual treasures: and all the trees of promise God will give to the faithful man, both here and in the future. And it is by no means possible for the soul to appear in the image of God, but by the grace of God and the faith of man, with much humility and incomparable diligence in the mind 260 abiding. How can such and so many good ones, for ignorance and carelessness about prayer, have lost their way, saying: we have not fallen, and attribute wisdom to themselves, leading below their downfall, the damned fall, the damned about lack of art? This is precisely what is gained, for we are made to believe more in the Scripture which says, the wisdom of this world is abundant with God (1 Cor. 3:19): and it which comes down from God is from above from the Father of lights, and this sign is humility. Those who want to please man, instead of the Divine, have accepted man; and by boasting inwardly, many are deceived by the simple; having exhorted, not in the works of piety and prayer; but in the most transcendent human wisdom to philosophize: even the Apostle often condemns, and calls the abolition of the cross: for in the letter to the Corinians, Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not in the wisdom of the word, lest the cross of Christ be vindicated: and again: God hath chosen the vile of the world, that the wise may be put to shame: and the lowly born of the world, and that which is despised, God hath chosen; If God is not in the words of Hellenic wisdom, but in the works of prayer and humility, he favors, as if they are pointing out that they are being foolish, and the first image of piety, as if it is inconvenient to correct, is left behind, below the second or third, they want to be saved, but they settle outside the sacred fences 261? I would like to understand to the scholastic what these images of piety are, the fasting man answers: Three images are the essence of piety: The first is, the hedgehog not to sin: the second, the one who has yet sinned, who finds it sorrowful: The third image, the hedgehog who cannot bear to cry about the impoverishment of patience: because here we have not been corrected by decent reconciliations 262, need, etc. They are bringing judgment on us: if only we, weeping and humbled, having seen God, like the news, would not have blotted out our sins with His omnipotent grace. Even if we forgo mourning and humility over the negligence of those who were foretold, we still defend ourselves with the words of worldly wisdom, as if by these we are lifted up in reverence; How will we show mercy to others who are contrary to mercy? Oh, how exhorting the passion of man-pleasing is and how inconvenient it is, as it has over the wise! Beyond the other passions of doing, the essence is clear to those who participate in them; In the same way, those who are restrained from weeping and humility will agree: but man-pleasing is covered up with the verbs and images of piety, as if it is beneath the pretext of 263 knowing it, it is convenient for those who are deceived. The scholastic said: and what are the essence of these human-pleasing things? First of all, do I want to understand what self-pleasing is? I see that you are not contemplating answers by following nature: but you are examining things of ignorance 264 with guilt, and condemning useful evidence by those who disagree; In the same way, these names are the first characteristic of me, and so we will have faith in you, as harm has befallen your dearest 265. The faster said: People-pleasing is, as I imagine, pleasing people: this is a characteristic of this name. Dikanik, as if he was surprised at the greatness of the wickedness, about this verb, speech: it is very fitting to advertise. Why then, most reverently, do you blame the unjustly righteous? Or don’t you imagine that you should be righteous, not giving yourself the test of your deeds, but rather allowing the test and judgment of the good to be done by someone else rather than to yourself? I say, no virtue can be formed or called a thing disliked 266 by a person who has less praise from his neighbor, even as I have heard the Divine Scripture say: Let the sincere one praise you, and not your own lips: strangers, and not your own lips (Prov. 27:2): and again: let everyone please your neighbor for good. to creation (Rom.15:2); and again: be without offense, Jew and Greek, and the church of God (1 Cor. 10:32). Who can, without pleasing man, be without offense? Why have you deepened man-pleasing so much by condemning it? If it is right for you to praise those who do not please people more than those who please: then there are robbers, murderers, and predators, and slanderers, and adulterers to praise, since they please not a single person. If we have remained silent about what you have said even until now, let us not be surprised: not because we do not know the Scriptures, nor because we do not understand what is righteous, but we want to hear your words first. We also give forgiveness in the word of a sinner, sometimes not by will, but without guilt, they do this, and they ascribe malice to good names, even if you, besides your will, suffered, most reverently: although, as I think, you clearly created self-indulgence and this evil one, you called it man-pleasing. Because you have come not through diligence 268 but through lack of teaching: it would be righteous if I appeared to you 269, and the wines, as if false, were kept silent: even though they were so evil and incompetent, you showed 270 to be, as if you had dominion over the wise. The faster, having realized that he was clearly indignant at their deception, and that the possessing one decided to take it away, became silent a little, as if he were surprised at their intentions as a sign to those who heard, he left the compositions 271. He opened his mouth, saying: “For now you cannot win, but you want to crawl, but this is the breath of words: you have remained silent even until now, not as if you are ignorant of the righteous, as you were, but first of all to hear from us the story 272 although: for this sake, we pray for your honesty, put an end to the promise, and teach us that it is not personally, but in other names, the Divine Scripture condemns man-pleasing, even if you knew everything well, you were not good even until now: so even as I speak to you from the Scripture, not exactly about those who were foretold, we will obey 273, but also according to many other teachings we will listen to you, the righteous one who says: even from propriety, as you have spoken, names having replaced virtue instead of passion with the accuser. The scholastic, having heard this, answered: I did not kill, I know all the Scripture, but in part. For this reason, do not call me to speak: but if you have begun, if you are meager in your composition 274, be silent, and you will have forgiveness from us: if you have the power to show what is blameworthy in the name of man-pleasing, then speak, and we need, even if we do not want, to preach the truth. The faster said: let this be so: the unrighteous, even from You, the rebuke on us, where will we put it? Dikanik of the verb: in the long-suffering law, which you have already remembered to us before. The elder said to him: I will praise your wisdom, but I will not speak of deceit, for you have brought mercy to ignorance, with the promise of a tax 275, having provided for acceptance: otherwise, having left this, let us come to what lies ahead. Hear the Scripture, which speaks commandments against man-pleasing. First of all, the Prophet David said, “God has scattered the bones of people-pleasers: I am ashamed, because God has humiliated them” (Ps. 52:6). And the Apostle says: not working before your eyes, as people pleasing (Eph. 6:6): and again: or am I seeking to please men? Even if he were still pleasing to man, he would never be a servant of Christ (Gal. 1:10). And many other such readings will be found in the Divine Scripture. Question. Dikanik said: what is the essence of what is written? Is it wrong to eat Scripture for yourself? Answer . The faster said: You cannot carry the Scriptures to yourself; disagree, but we dully see, to the discretion of 276 truth. Because not all people are wicked, but rather all are pious: for this reason, we must not please everyone, but only those who are good; likewise, we must not please everyone, but only the evil ones. Likewise, the Lord, clearly doing this in the Gospels, says: Woe, when all men speak good things to you (Luke 6:26). Not just in these, but even in those who think they are good, it forbids us to please people: when we show a good person not for the sake of reproof and imitation, but for the sake of praise and some kind of reward. And in depravity: if anyone wants reward for the sake of the body to please a person, and does not spiritually accept a single gift from God, then the locals receive rewards, accepting their reward: just as the Lord in the Gospels did not reveal one thing, but often commanded prayer, and fasting, and almsgiving: he commanded that cover from men (Matthew 6:2, 5:16). The scholastic, still speaking with this word, spoke in a great voice: it is enough, I am known: it remains for you, not in fortune-telling, nor in similarity, but in reality, saying, which are the essence of man-pleasing 277: so that we understand it is known whether, as you said, they are dark and inaccessible, as the power of those will be revealed to the wise own. The postnpk of the verb: hear intelligently, and I will tell you according to what I have: look, have you not found yourself completely consumed by passion? The first and mother of these pretexts is unbelief: and so on, as children follow: envy, hatred, flattery, zeal, strife, hypocrisy, partiality, work in front of the eyes, speech, false fasting, an image, not the truth, and such are the most unpleasant and dark passions: the worst of all, as they are not, like the wisdom of words They praise this as good, and cover up the harm in them. If you want, I will partly create their deceit: the insidious people-pleaser advises another, slanderes another: praising another, blaming another: teaching his neighbor, he praises himself: at the court, a conspirator happens, not to judge the righteous, but to take revenge on the enemy: with caressing he denounces, even while reproaching his enemy, he will be accepted: nameless he slanders, but he covers up his words: he conjures the non-covetous, so that the impoverished will confess, as though they were giving alms: and when they say, as if he divulges those who ask; he boasts before the unskilled, but speaks humbly before the skilled, catching praise from both; he is indignant at those praised by the virtuous, and casts a different story, takes away praise: he denounces absent princes, but glorifies those present in person: he curses the humble, and spies on teachers to reproach him; she reviles simplicity, but as if she is wise, she will show herself: she neglects all virtues 278, but carries evils in her memory: and by no means 279 catches the times, and works for people: as if she will create a manifold passion for man-pleasing: her own evil attempts to hide, alien questions. The true monks are not like this, but on the contrary: some despise mercy 280 evil, but show their own to God: even so, from people who are ignorant of this intention, and are deceived: not only by man, but only by God, they strive to please: some are pleasing to oneself, and others are also disparaging to oneself: for both, expecting reward from the Lord, The remark: if he exalts himself, he will humble himself; if he humbles himself, he will be exalted (Luke 18:14). The scholastic, having suffered from the reproof, said: I was surprised by your understanding, about the fasting, and at the deceit: having understood the hedgehog in another way 281, you yourself contained the overshadowing: having been deprived of the surrounding punishment, the hedgehog, according to God, received violence, saying then the wisdom of being the greatest and pleasing to God, with which I also pray, and even for piety You have offered us labors: for you have covered up obvious non-punishment with implicit reverence. If you are by no means the doer of your teachings, then in the morning we will know the opposite (of words). And this river, having arisen, departed. The elder saw him off and returned, praying with tears. Brothers, I pray for his groaning to solve his guilt; He said: I see some people are embarrassed by you, and they received a sign, as if they were not using the word for good, but for harm: and they were not used, but were annoyed to be imputed to themselves about what was said. This is the fault of my despondency, for we speak otherwise of the spiritual law and do not observe it ourselves; Even if they do not follow, as befits, the desires of those who are decrepit in appearance, they keep the law of God, and all sorrowful things are not unjustly found on them in faith, according to the Scriptures; then, like an old man, grant me forgiveness for my feeble-mindedness: let us believe that we are to blame for the sad things that happen to us, even if it is not new, even if it is not the same thing, but from an old debt 282. Then one of the brethren, trusting in abstinence, and for this reason not knowing the truth, and attempting to endure all sorrows, both unrighteously, like a martyr, imagining to suffer, answered with audacity, saying: where is the Scripture, because of the fault of one and by the righteous judgment of God, to find troubles on people? The elder, speaking about them, greatly rejoiced with his face, saying: in many chapters you have found this, beloved, both in the Old and in the New Testament. If you want, we will show you a little: if you understand, reject arrogance, and even more so, evil-wisdom, and acquire the humility of God who says: Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart: and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29). The novice came to that word, saying: if each of us in this imitates the humility of Christ, he who falls for his duty is imputed to him, as he said, and as Christ also suffered, fulfill his duty: in the same way I impute to the blasphemer the existence of this saying. Hearing this Abbot, the verb: I have made an attempt, the previous 283 your question must be resolved first: and even before this, you have decided to cover up the decision from the merger of questions; We are in the Lord and we will do this well-known, decent resistance to the questioner. Are we the only ones, beloved, who borrow their debt, or are they the only ones who are in debt? The heedless one answered, saying: “It is clear that those who are blaming themselves about those.” The elder to him: understand that it is known that Christ also will accept us, create a debtor to ourselves, according to the Divine Scripture: Lamb of God, take away the sin of the world: the curse has become for us (John 1:29; Gal. 3:13): He suffered death for all, and died for us all: whether because of you they did not accept it, this confession is clear, and we are defeated Yes. The brother said: even if a child has sinned through ignorance, I do not deny the deliverer of the faithful and the Receiver: since there is no other hope of salvation for man, I say to the Apostle: for all who have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we will be justified without His grace (Rom. 3:23). And to everyone who was asking for the knowledge and repentance of his brother, the elder said: what remains is for us to show the rest from Scripture, for nothing is found in the sad things that happen to each one unrighteously, but everything is according to the righteous judgment of God: for we, for our own and the wicked, and for our neighbors who suffer, all the unrighteous enter into the bosom of the unrighteous: but from the Lord all that is righteous ( Proverbs 16:33). For this reason he says: There shall be no evil in the city, which the Lord hath not done (Am. 3:6): and again: All the works of the Lord are in righteousness: (Prov. 16:9): and as every man sows, this shall he also reap (Gal. 6:7): and if our unrighteousness constitutes God’s righteousness, what shall we say? Is it food that God is unrighteous and inflicts wrath? let it not be (Rom.3:3). Behold, these three youths, having been cast into caves, teach us this wisdom: through our own fault (Dan. 3:28:31), and by God’s command, saying that we were cast into being, even though we had not received face. And David, who was removed from Shimea, is insulted, by the command of God and for his own sake of guilt, he confesses to be insulted (2 Sam. 16:11): and Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and Daniel, and the other Prophets, with people and tongues, the future is sorrowful for every sin, finding the nana prophesying: having presented both guilt and guidance, they say: For these sakes, I have spoken this and done this and this, and paid for this and this. And in the psalm, blessed David, clearly doing this, said: I understood, O Lord, that Thy judgment is righteous, and Thou hast truly humbled me (Ps. 119:75): and again: Thou hast given me reproach to the foolish. I was dumb and did not open my mouth, as You have created (Ps. 39:9-10). In the same way, about those who we heard from Dikanik, even the holy David, we must say to God, saying: I was speechless and did not open my mouth, as You have done: and give thanks, as God hid in us the evil thoughts of the accuser of that messenger: let our thoughts be known, having examined them, we will correct ourselves, and we will not doubt, even if our own malice abounds We are not aware: we are perfect because we have a husband, we are unforgettable about our depreciations. If the obvious disparagement is not understandable, then it is much more than a thought: but we, ignorant of the abundance of our own malice, are embarrassed by the instructions. Let us understand, as in words, that the Lord brings guidance to our benefit, and does a lot of good in us with those: first, the discovery of the secret evil thoughts that contain us: after finding these, and humility applies true and unfeigned: the same vain heap deliverance, and by no means any evil lurking inside, revelation according to the written: Penetration of all those who practice iniquity shall be consumed for ever and ever (Ps. 91:8). Know this, brethren, knowing that if we do not tolerate guidance with faith and thanksgiving, then we cannot find hidden malice within; but we can ward off evil thoughts that have not been found, below present evil thoughts, below former evils we can seek cleansing, below about future ones we can affirm acceptance. Question. Even if the scholastics say that the essence of our deeds is denunciation, then why do we not find ourselves guilty of what was said? Answer. Guidance and reproof are not like wines; in spiritual terms, they keep everything truthful. We can understand this from the Holy Scripture: did you shake the food under the pillar of Siloam and shake the pillar? And when the captives were taken to Babylon for repentance for seventy years, did they take other captives to repentance? This is not the essence of the punishment cases: but like warriors, when they have sinned, they are beaten, they are slaughter, but they do not suffer in the same way, having done such evil: so, too, all those who are punished are punished in a timely manner and appropriately, and to repentance: but not in the same way, lower at the same time, lower than the same things: and this is what leads many in the unbelief of the truth of God, (that is) the guilt of 284 times, and the disobedience of those induced. Bonpoc. Moreover, since many find sorrowful things against us, it comes from people who envy, slander, slander, caress, create delusions, deceive, undermine, steal, deprive, tempt, quarrel, deceive, hate, fight, beat, persecute, and the tree of man is found from man: or from his body outrageous, militant, desiring peace, falling into various ailments and ulcers, infirm in many ways: or happening outside of these: remorse of dogs, poison-throwing or carnivorous animals: for this, destruction, smoothness, cowards, floods, cases, filth, heat, old age, squalor, solitude 285, and spruce It is as follows: it is from the spirits of wickedness, to whom the Apostle reveals our abuse of our being, our words and deeds of those who observe, through less followed, are seen as similar to the thoughts of our being, and blindness: if our autocratic mind will not converse with those who are tempting because of unbelief, and having abandoned the conciliar 286 hope, the thoughts will not move: then below the word are uttered, below the deeds are committed: you advertised that all kinds of troubles due to guilt are found in proportion to each one, drawing us into the knowledge of the truth of God: show us guilt, so that we have faith, for we are guilty of those who are brought upon us, and we must endure the sorrow that is found: not in judgment, not just as sinners, but as in If we do not receive healing, we will have a burden of torment. Otet. In every case, guilt is the essence of thoughts: sometimes people would say, as words turn into deeds: but since these thoughts do not occur first, for this reason everything would be attributed to thoughts. Because of the previous thought, other words and deeds give us communion with each other. Two are the essence of communion: one is from malice, and the other from love. By communion, as if we do not know, we accept each other: but by the perception of knowledge, the need does not follow, as the Divine Scripture says: guarantee for your friend, he betrays his hand to the enemy (Proverbs 6:1). Thus, everyone suffers not only for himself, but also for his neighbor, in them they will accept him. Question. We pray that you understand a single image of perception, which, in the verb, comes from malice. Answer. The perception of a hedgehog out of malice is not free; but this will happen: he accepts temptations as he does not want: deprive, deprive: slander, slander: covetous, covetous: tiresome, weary: verbalized, verbalized 287: slandered, slandered: and not just by a single verb: Anyone who offends, the one who is offended will accept temptations in proportion. The Divine Scripture also testifies to this, saying: The righteous will flee from the catch: the wicked will be given up to a worthless place (Proverbs 11:8): and again: he digs a hole for his sincere, he will fall into the nude: and he who rolls the stone will fall on himself (Proverbs 26:27): and again: all the unrighteous enter into the depths: from the Lord all that is righteous (Proverbs 16:33). If, according to the Apostle, our untruth constitutes God’s truth in one another, what shall we say? Is God unjust to show anger towards those punished with instructions, but also to rage against them without consideration? Question. We believe this to be through following, having heard: other things are spoken to us and our perception is out of love. Answer . The perception is out of love, which the Lord Jesus gave to us: first, by healing our spiritual powers, also by healing every ailment and every disease; taking away the sin of the world: a pure nature again arranging for the believers is known to Him; deliverance to death: having betrayed piety, teaching piety: love for the sake of suffering unto death, showing: for these things he has given us patience through the communion of the Spirit, and the good things to come, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man (1 Cor. 2:9). In the same way, he accepts temptations for us: we reproach, scold, bind, betray, beat on the cheeks, give milk and bile to drink, nail with nails, crucify, pierce with a spear. Thus, we have joined the flesh in the spirit, and even for us we have received the passions, having again been given this law by the holy Apostle and disciple, the Prophet, the Father, the Patriarch, having first taught them by the Holy Spirit, and having shown them with His most pure body. This perception is revealed, saying: do not be afraid, I have overcome the world (John 16:33): and again: I will sanctify myself for them, that they also may be sanctified in truth (John 17:19): and again: no one has greater love than this, but whoever lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13). In the same way, Saint Paul, imitating the Lord, said: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, for I am fulfilling the deprivation of the sorrows of Christ in my flesh for His body, which is the church (Col. 1:24); Do you want to understand more clearly how all the Apostles have communed with us in thought and word and deed, and through communion they have accepted temptations for us? My thoughts are: offering scriptures to us, opening prophecies, believing in Christ as the Savior, serving Him exhortingly, as by nature the Son of God, knowing, praying for us, tearfully, dying and being faithful are the thoughts 288 Words: supplicating, forbidding, teaching, convicting, reproaching our lack of faith, reproaching our ignorance, telling the Scriptures, manifesting time, confessing Christ in Him who was crucified for us, preaching, the Word made man, one, and not two, saying to be, even if from two 289 being is understood, united inseparably and unmerged, in every time and place and thing, forbidding evil faith, not falsely harmonious, not conversing with those who boast in the flesh, not abiding with those who are vain, not afraid of the arrogant, humiliating the crafty, accepting the humble, reverently assimilating, and thus teaching us to create. The deeds: we are persecuted, we are mocked, we are deprived, we are insulted, we are embittered, we are imprisoned, we are killed, and we have suffered so much for us. Thus, by communion, we have also received our temptations: if, they say, we grieve because of your fellowship; if we are comforted, because of your consolation: we have received a law from the Lord who says: “Greater than this love no one will give, but whoever lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And this was given to us, saying: if the Lord lay down His soul for us: we also ought to lay down our souls for our brethren (1 John 3:16): and again: bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). If we recognize two images of communion with each other, (that is) the one from need, and the subsequent perception from love: then, in accordance with those temptations that occur, we are not curious about how, or when, or through whom decency occurs in each: and their constant diligence 290, and the cooperation of all creation in this, leads one God. We must truly believe in the truth of God, and know that everything that has come upon us involuntarily, either for the sake of love, or for malice, has come to us: and for this sake we must endure and not deny it, lest we add sin to our sins. First of all, brethren, I beg you to pay more attention to what has been said: lest we also suffer useless temptations for words, and you, for despondency, consign what was spoken to oblivion: oblivion, for despondency is the daughter of: both are the offspring of unbelief. The brethren responded to this: Be more diligent about this message, O Father! We know, even as we have heard, we know from Scripture, which says this, that without the truth of God nothing happens from the involuntary of man, even if a mysterious confluence of events, and decent diligence 291, we do not grow with a human being, just as you yourself rarely advertise. Moreover, about those who were spoken of without care, tell us other things, what is the will of the flesh, and what happens from the mind 292? The scholastic asked exactly whether there is, and what, or what there is, don’t ask. In this speech, the faster: the will of the flesh is a natural movement of the body, followed by reluctance without thought: even with sleep and joy, strength is received, about which blessed Peter says: Do not be surprised at the reluctance in you, to the temptation that comes to you, as if it happens to you alien (1 Pet. 4:12). And blessed Paul said about these things: the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and he commands the same thing, saying: Walk in the Spirit, and do not commit carnal lusts (Gal. 5:17:16). Deciding this, that we do not want to be united with such movements, in Christ Jesus our Lord: with him be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. Writing from Nicholas to Mark the Faster. Word five (And in the manuscript it’s 6th because the fifth name there is the letter to Nicholas the monk, which was printed in the Philokalia.) Thanks be to God, thanksgiving. Thanks be given to His surpassing and inscrutable gift, as the love of mankind for souls in fierce passions, and all alienated strength, and visited with a merciful and entirely entrusted will to God, I say, with your virtuous and reverend soul clinging to God: with it a shining spark was sent to me, filled with Divine light, and a woman possessing flattery 293 spiritually: and a luminary of verbs of labor and love, born from a thought 294 in agreement with God, who rescued my accursed soul from the darkest darkness and storm, and created my thoughts in abundance, the Lord, from the three giants announced by me. Truly, the giants are great and wild, never ceasing to fight for the human race. Who is so savagely and cruelly kept on earth, as if I were evil and still dominated by my own will? But you who never rejoice over the destruction of the living, have mercy and show Your long-suffering and mercy for mankind, and move this pious thought, and arouse the underlying will with the deepest sleep, and show and show me the prophesied giants: I say, first of all, oblivion expelled Adam from paradise, lest he forget the commandment of the Lord, I would not have fallen from such glory: and despondency, for which I despondently listened to my wife; and ignorance, for which I did not know what had been and what had happened. These three spirits were revealed to me by the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit living in you. For truly the sword was sharp on both sides, which is the word of God, and cut half the mind with much silence. Not exactly until this hundred, but also put some spiritual sweetness, truly your word, into my will. With how many lips and how many tongues will I be able to adequately thank the true Master God for the good deeds you have remembered by me, or again for sending virtuous and compassionate verbs and stimulating souls to seek the truth and keep the commandments of God, and about the many benefits of walking the one who wants to the way of the Lord, leading to eternal life? It’s not just that these words were of such benefit to me, but that when they heard those words, their thoughts were enlightened, and I received much benefit from the clearly spoken verbs. For this reason, speak these words as if they were things that were made known 295: and this word was not heard as if it were a word, but as a deed clearly set before our eyes: Abiye, for put this word of sobriety into many wills. And as soon as this word acted, it did not remain idle: but the fruit grew, and the fruit ripened to show: and not just until this hundred, but also became insatiable 296, as God knows: as soon as I read, my cursed soul will not accept satiety. The prayer of your holiness will be for this gift to remain in me as a heavenly spark, and to destroy the completely prophesied giants to the end: so that not when I forget, and from my autocratic will I put the foreshadowed evil into myself, and I will be eaten by the enemy. But I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who lives in you, as your reverence, and those who strive like you, will not despise, nor will the giants betray me with the mouth of the prophesied ones: but always remembering their venerable servants 297, let His own tell me to the accursed, through your holy prayers. I pray and have mercy on the deed who is more compassionate and more reverent than your soul, so that you do not neglect me about this, for having trusted, I dared to inscribe the writings of your holiness: but before I have seen the wombs of my father opened, even if the writings are bad, I pray and have mercy on the dey, who remembers me at every hour: for ever the Lord visits the one who sits and unceasing servant, I say, the purified mind of your blessed soul is worthy: for by your holiness I have been delivered from my evils, I will reverse the outcome of good things by the grace of the man-loving Christ God: with Him is the Father honor and power, with the Holy Spirit, forever, Amen. The same about heaven and spiritual law. Word six Just as it is possible to understand hidden advice from obvious deeds, so it is possible to understand the teachings of Scripture from the deeds of the soul. This is not all, but some of the suffering is partly the dispassion of the acquisitive. Just as the future Scripture tells, so are the deeds of the soul: the future is all spiritually hidden in it: and whoever is a partaker from here, there is a partaker of these and there. Whenever you hear the Scripture telling of paradise, and Adam, and the serpent, listen dispassionately to your heart: and you will find, paradise, the word of God: and in it is pleasure, the communion of the Holy Spirit: but the serpent, which kills by disobedience, the acquired voluptuousness, through friendship creeping and enticing us to eat from the tree , that is, from the care of everyday life: do not worry about your morning. (Matthew 6:34). Both together the same God spoke, spoken; in the same day, if you cut down from the tree, you will die (Gen. 2:17) and: take heed, lest your hearts be burdened with encumbrance (Luke 21:34): for the coming darkness kills the soul from care and gluttony, driving it away from the spiritual word, and depriving it of the Divine action, From this the tree forbids us The Lord, saying: Do you worry about anything except the kingdom. Those who entered into the paradise of God, and kept this commandment, were not expelled: but the inhabitants of the earthly prohibition were, having enjoyed the spiritual a hundredfold, effectively and like the grace of comforting. Let us therefore also pray to preserve it, so that, having remained in the word of the Lord, we may enjoy the pleasures of the Spirit both here and in the future. Just as Adam is driven out, having eaten from the tree of understanding, so the earthly wise man cannot abide in the word of Christ, according to what is written: For the love of this world has enmity against God (James 4:4). Likewise, the Scripture says: guard your heart with all care (Prov. 4:23): so who, like paradise, keeping the word in it, will enjoy Grace, not listening to the coiled serpent inside, advising even to sweetness, from which fratricidal rage is born, and the soul that gives birth dies. But hearing the Lord say: be diligent about faith and hope, from which is born God-loving and humane love, giving eternal life. Noah went into this paradise, keeping and doing the commandment, and through love he got rid of anger. Abraham kept this and heard the voice of God. Moses kept this, and received glory on his face. Just as David preserved this deed, he also over the enemies of dominion. But Saul, who carefully guarded his heart, was in haste: when he finally transgressed, he was quickly abandoned. The Word of God acts in every person according to measure and proportion. As much as someone is possessed, only so is he possessed: and as much as he preserves, only as much can we preserve. For this reason, the entire face of the Saints, Prophet, Apostle, Martyr, keep the word in their hearts, caring for nothing else, but despising earthly things, and remaining in the commandments of the Holy Spirit, preferring God-loving and good things, not in word alone and in naked understanding, but in word and deed, in those very things: instead of wealth, choosing poverty, instead of glory dishonor, instead of pleasure, evil suffering: in the same way, and instead of rage, love: hating the sweet life of this, taking away those who love, as if promoting them to the intention: withdrawing from the good and the evil: lower than the good man I deny, lower than the evil I accuse, all the messengers of the Lord's look are imputed: for all I have decent love. Whenever I heard the Lord saying, “Let me go, and it will be forgiven you” (Luke 6:37): then the offending benefactors are imputed to me, for remission of those who have the guilt from them: and when again I hear the saying: “As you will, let men do to you, and you do likewise to them” (Luke 6:31): then and I love those who are good in conscience. Having abandoned one’s own truth and sought the truth of God, one subsequently found love, which by nature is hidden within. And the Lord, having commanded many things about love, commanded us to seek God’s truth: knowing that this mother is love. It is impossible to be saved otherwise, but through your neighbor, as the Lord commanded the river: Let go, and it will be forgiven to you (Luke 6:37). This is the spiritual law written in the hearts of the faithful, the fulfillment of the first law: for he did not come, he says, to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). How is it fulfilled, understand: the first law is the blessed guilt of 298 the sinner, condemning the offended: in it, for someone who judges another, condemns himself: but in him he forgives, it will be forgiven him; Thus the law says: in the midst of judgment there is judgment, and in the midst of remission there is remission. Fulfillment of the law, there is remission. – The first law is rekhom, not that God gave two laws to man, but one: the spiritual law is by nature, by vengeance, righteously imposing the saying: To him who lacks remission, and to him who is oppressed, he says: You will be chosen with the elect, and you will be corrupted with the obstinate (Ps. 17:27). For this reason, those who perform it spiritually, and to the extent of that grace are partakers of existence, not just those who do good, but also those who reproach and persecute those who love them, spiritual love expects the reward of 299 good things: I say the good, not as if I forgave offenses, but as if I did good to the souls of those who offend: so I impute them to God, as those who receive bliss, as He says, “Blessed are you when they destroy you, and revile you, and so on” (Matthew 5:11). From the spiritual law I have learned to be wise in this way: for those who endure them, and those who follow mental meekness, the Lord, seeing the patience of the heart, fights, and does not retreat from love, tearing apart the mediastinum of the fence, and completely rejecting enmity: and not to anyone with need, but with the help of having love: The Lord forbade everything else, a turning weapon that raises thoughts: and I entered into the interior of the veil, where the Lord, the forerunner of us, has appeared (Heb. 6:20): and I delight in the fruit of the Spirit, and have seen the future with the knowledge of the heart, according to the Apostle, as in a mirror and in fortune-telling, saying: the eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, and the heart of man has not ascended, what God has prepared for those who love Him ( 1 Cor.13:12, 2:9). But I ask about this wonderful thing: If there is no sigh in a person’s heart, how do you know this? Moreover, in the Acts you confessed that men are subservient to us. (Acts 14:15)? - But hear what blessed Paul answers to this: But to us, he says, God has revealed Himself by His Spirit: For the Spirit searches all things into the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10). But no one says that the Holy Spirit was given to them, as by the Apostle, but by nature we cannot contain this: for this reason he gladly says, praying: May God give you the strength to be established in your inner man, to let Christ dwell in your hearts. (Eph.3:16). The Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17): and again he says: If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His (Rom. 8:9). Let us therefore pray that we, with every knowledge and feeling of acceptance, receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, and that we may receive from them those who have been cast out, and so on, turn away from the soul-killing serpent and the vain counselor, the spirit of care 300 and obedience: for having firmly believed, let us keep the commandments of the Lord, and may we grow in Him into a perfect man, in the measure of age (Eph. 4:13), which is not to be possessed by the love of this world: but to be in the knowledge of the spirit, and not to disbelieve, for the grace of God is well pleased with those who repent of sinners: For grace is given to no one with the likeness of the previous infirmity: for grace was grace to no one: but he who believed in the omnipotent God, With a simple and incurious heart, let us approach the One who grants the communion of the Spirit by faith, and not by subordinating the works of nature: he says: “You have not received the Spirit from the works of the law, but from the hearing of faith.” (Gal.3:2). Question. You say that everything in the spiritual soul is hidden: what is it that I want to say five words in the church with my mind (1 Cop. 14:19)? Answer. The Church is in two persons, of course, in the assembly of the faithful, and in the union of 301 souls. Whenever a spiritual thing is accepted about a person, then the church is his entire union: the five words are the sustaining virtues, creating the whole person, and are divided in various ways. Just as you speak about the Lord, through five words you gain all wisdom: so, if you follow the God’s five virtues, you will create a lot of piety. For the most part, they will support everything: The first is PRAYER, also TENSION, ALMS, POVERTY, LONG-SUFFERENCE. This is accomplished by desire and will, words are the essence of the soul, spoken from the Lord, and heard from the heart: the Lord does not act, and the Spirit then speaks intelligently, and the heart, as much as it desires, does as much as it actually does. like the second 303 subsequent ones, likewise and others. How can anyone pray if he is not moved by the Spirit? and the Scripture bears witness to me, saying: No one can speak of the Lord Jesus except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). How will he endure without prayer, abstain helplessly? And whoever does not abstain in everything, how will he have mercy on the poor or the one who offends 304? And those who do not show mercy do not suffer by will. Again, the desire for possessions is rage, whether to have possessions or not. The virtuous soul is thus united with those who exist in the Church, not as he created, but as he desired: it is not his own work that saves a person, but the One who bestows power. Unless someone suffers a plague 305, let him not understand that he has either created something or is not learning to act. Let it not be your idea to precede the Lord with virtue, according to the saying: as he is (act) in you, both as you will and as you do for good will. (Phil.2:13). Question. Why does Scripture command man to do this? Answer. We foretell that man has training by nature, and this is what God requires. He commands, so that he will first understand, and having understood, he will love, and he will learn by will: and so that the mind can be effective, and bear the work, and complete the work, the grace of the Lord is given to the one who desires and believes. The will of man is like a natural desire: it is not a will that is present, lower than the one that even the mighty, like God, creates, but for the sake of autocracy. The perfect action is God's; the will of man is human. Otherwise, if the whole will of the lady is given to Him, then the whole matter will be written to us 306. God is wonderful in everyone, and is by no means incomprehensible to the mind: humans, however, try to speak of some of His miracles, affirmed in Scripture, and even more so, we understand from it. Who's talking? understand the mind of the Lord, or who is His counselor (Rom. 11:34)? He himself says: if your fellow children have desired as much as they have desired, they have not desired. (Matthew 23:37). We must believe the rest of this, since He gathers us, but ours only seeks the will: what is the manifestation of the will, if not labor is willed? Just as iron is sawing, cutting, cultivating, planting, then it obeys when it is pumped, otherwise move and withdraw, and when it is erased, kindle and renew: so is a person, even if he is oppressed and labors, doing good, yet the Lord works in him, and, always when he is weary and contrite in heart, he consoles and renews him: just as the Prophet says: food will be glorified by the ax without a cleaver? or will the saw ascend without the drawer (Is. 10:15)? The same is true about malice: when a person is obedient and ready, then Satan marries and encourages him, like a thief with a sword. The heart is likened to iron for its insensibility of things and much cruelty: it is not fitting for us, like insensible iron, not to lead the one who has power (because we soon fall into evil thoughts from the cultivator of the Word): but rather, like the ox and the donkey, we lead the one who persecutes and instructs in the mind: for he says: the ox and the ass have known the manger of his master: Israel does not know Me (Isa. 1:3) Let us pray therefore to receive the knowledge of God, and to be spiritually punished by the law in service of His commandments, Amen. Likewise, about fasting and humility. The seventh word It is fitting for those who are fasting, those who are beginning to fast, and those who are beginning to do it: but for young and old people who are healthy in body, who fear neither labor nor bitterness, who are wholeheartedly useful and strengthened, to unceasingly love fasting: to eat bread in measure, and to drink water in the same way, from time to time: then, as much as the hungry and thirsty should depart from supper, and it is more necessary for God to serve the unforbidden life of sweetness. If we desire to be satisfied with food; then soon, despondent, we will turn our desire to another, and if we have accepted this, we will be satisfied, and this, as if we had rejected the first, we will turn to another desire that is most gratifying: and if we have received this, we will be satisfied, and this, like the other, having rejected, we will leave: and it is not possible for us to eat, if we conceive a desire for ourselves, much less fasting, for consolation, we will be most satisfied. What is more valuable than manna in a bowl? and as Israel was satisfied with sowing poison, having no better to desire, she desired less, garlic and scarlet onions. The desire for something else is also implanted into saturation. If we are satisfied with bread, we desire others; Let us not be satisfied with this, and let us always be satisfied with this, and always desire to be satisfied with this, so that we may escape from the harm of desire, and receive the truth from our hearts. But someone from those who are lazier about fasting says: is it a sin to eat food, should a person partake of food? But below we, as if there is sin, we advise you to be careful, because of this sin that follows: for (Israel did not) sin, without desiring, but with desire for slandering God, dishonesty: it is said: God is not able to prepare a meal in the desert. And according to the hedgehog prepared for them, then the wrath of God will kindle within them, and the power of them will be crushed (Ps. 77, 19, 21, 22:31), so that no living being, others will desire food, and they will speak words against the Most High, and their remains will be consumed. It is inconvenient to eat with a cold belly: God is the one who can be conquered by him, and it is impossible to eat without being guilty - for one who listens to him. And not only do I find trouble through satiety, but also lack of food: when we often spend days laundering too much of nothing, despondency, being accepted, will arise and fight for us: and our nightly vigil turns into sleep: the daily prayer, into carnal thoughts, as if we could use nothing from sleep, and from carnal thoughts the greatest harm: we begin, as if we are more fasting than others, to be wise, and to destroy those who have the least: the worst of all sins is the most severe. Just as the farmer is unreasonable, even though he has cultivated his field with many dependents, leaving it unplanted, and laboring in vain to eat: so we too, even though we have enslaved our flesh with much attention, do not sweep away the seed of prayer, rather we struggle against ourselves. But someone says: if there is truth in prayer, then what is the need for fasting? There is a lot in every way: just as someone from the poor farmer, even if he sows on the land 307: sows without renewing the land, then instead of wheat, we will also reap thorns; Unless she receives a little diligence, she will never grow the fruit of righteousness. We say this, not that those who want to slide from fasting are cut off, but those who do not want to be harmed are inciting: in the same way he benefits those who come to him with reason, so he harms those who unreasonably approach him. Those who are concerned about his benefit must be guarded against his harm, that is, vanity: and the bread, which pits him in fulfillment 309 fasting, which we determine for ourselves, should be divided into days of non-eating: so that we receive small portions of communion every day, let us turn our wisdom to the flesh, and the heart of the imam is confirmed in the most useful prayer: for by the power of God we may preserve from the offering of the exaltation, in humility all the days of our life, without which no one will please God. Even if we were diligent about humility, we would not demand punishment: for all the evil and cruel things that happen to us happen because of our exaltation. Even if the Apostle were not exalted, the angel Satan was quickly allowed to play dirty tricks on him; Since Satan himself will allow us, who have been exalted, to trample upon us, we will still humble ourselves. The forefathers wrote that I had houses, and I had wealth, and I had wives, and I cared for my children, and I talked with God, unsatiated for the sake of my humility: but we have departed from the world, and we have despised our wealth, and we have left our houses, and we pretend to God to bow down, and we are cursed by the enemy for our exaltation. Be exalted, don’t know yourself: if you had seen your madness and weakness, you would not have been exalted: if you don’t know yourself, how can you lead God away? Even if your madness remains with it, you cannot understand it; How can the wisdom of God, who is far away and strange, be able to understand? Knowing God, he contemplates His majesty, and reproaches himself, like blessed Job, and says: Even before my ears I heard You first, but now my eye sees You. The same I reproached myself, and I died: and I remember earth and ashes for myself. ( Job 42:5–6 ), Those who imitate Job, these know him. If we, too, desire to see God, we reproach ourselves and become humble: let us not see Him directly, but have Him living and resting in us, enjoying Him: so our foolishness will be made wise by His wisdom, and our weakness will be strengthened by His power in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made us more worthy of this gift, even more abundantly. be glorified by us, and our enemy Satan, our rival, will not be put to shame by us. For to Him belongs glory in worship with the Father and the Most Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Achnn St. Mark's chapters related to sobriety 310 1. Even though he is faithful according to the Gospel, he lays down the mountain of his evil behavior by faith (Matthew 21:21), by unsustainable 311 debasement, cutting off from himself the inclination that was previously in the feeling, even though it was under the feeling. May we be a disciple, having received the bread of knowledge from the Word with our hands, we feed thousands (Matthew 14:19), demonstrating by action the multiplying power of the Word. And he could be an Apostle, heal every ailment, and every disease, casting out demons (Matthew 10:1), eat the action of the passions, run away, heal the sick, lead those deprived of it to the habit of piety by bringing hope, and those who were sick with laziness, drawing up the word of faith: for he was commanded to step on the head of the 312 serpents and Scoria (Luke 10:19), this destroys the end of sin. 2. The Sabbath of Sabbaths (Lev. 16:31) is the spiritual peace of the verbal soul 313, and the mind, even from all the most divine words, even in the existing 314, has gathered 315, and by loving devotion has completely embraced the one God, and the mysterious Theology of the all-perfect 316 is immovable from God who created. 3. The harvest of the harvest (Lev. 23:10) is everything that passes through 317, and by the secret vision of mental things in the mind, the contemplation that is composed of God is unknown, which it appropriately brings to those who from visible and invisible creatures worthily honor the Creator. 4. Whoever spends the sixth day of the Gospel, having first beaten the first sin of movement, through virtues reaches a state of dispassion, the being is empty of all evil, subservient (Is. 16:29-30) with the mind and from the most subtle passions of dreams 318. The past Jordan (Gen. 32:10, 22:30) is converted into the land of knowledge, in which the mind, mysteriously built by the world, is in the soul of God's dwelling. 5. Even the sixth day (Num. 29:29) having been divinely fulfilled for itself with offerings of deeds and thoughts, and having itself done its deeds well with God, has passed through contemplation every being subordinate to nature and time, and has been transcended into the secret vision of the centuries and the eternal, unknowingly in the mind, subservient and celebrating the complete abandonment of those who exist and the ascension above them. Having also been granted osmago (Num. 29:35; Lev. 23:36), he rose from the dead (from all, I say, according to God, sensory and mental, and words and thoughts): to begin to live the blessed life of God (the law, which is truly and properly said and is life), just as he himself was God by deification ( John 10:34). 6. All that is consumed 319 has the need of the cross, it is habit, which enhances the effect on us of phenomena that are performed in the senses: all the imaginable needs have consumption, that is, the entire incomprehensibility of actions that are performed in the mind. When, together with the effect of those on us, all natural action and movement is taken away; then the mind, which is completely in itself, and as if resurrected from the dead, shines above all that have an outline from it, and nothing, according to a natural relationship, has any properties with it. It is by grace, and not by nature, that the salvation of those who are saved occurs. 7. Even from the usual attachment to the essence of ourselves and everyone who is after God, we will not emerge with a pure mind, nor will we accept the invariability of virtue. When this dignity is corrected in us through love, then we will know the power of God’s promises; It is fitting for those worthy to believe, for this is an immutable installation 320, where first the mind of love will root its strength. Having not come out from within itself and from everyone, it is possible to think as much as possible, and without placing itself in silence, which is above thinking, the mind cannot be free from the vicissitudes of all sorts. 8. All thinking includes plurality, or duality. Thinking is an average relationship between certain extreme members, touching both: the thinker and the thinkable. But none of them preserves simplicity throughout. The thinking is something that is subject to, and has in every way the power of being thought to be conceivable 321 with it, or the being (οὐσία) of the thinking being subject to that power. Nothingness from existing things is entirely, in itself, a simple being or thinking, an indivisible unit. But God, even if we call Him a being, does not have the power of being conceivable that is naturally conceivable with Him, let him not be compounded; If we call It thinking, we will not have a naturally subordinate being (οὐσίαν δεκτικὴν) suitable for thinking. But God Himself is essentially thinking, and all thinking is one, and above all being, and above all thinking: the same is an indivisible unit, having no parts and simple. - For this reason, whoever in some way has thinking, this one did not come out of duality: but whoever left it in everything, this one was somehow in one, having surpassed the power of thinking. 9 . In many there is otherness and dissimilarity and difference: to be found outside of these in God, the truly one and only, is to raise oneself above many 323 to contemplations even about God. And this was revealed to Moses, who was teaching outside the camp of the tabernacle (Exodus 33:7, 11–23), and therefore conversed with Bogosh. It is not easy, because with a spoken word one can attempt to utter the Ineffable; the spoken word is duality and more. And even without a voice, with a single soul, to see what exists, it is stronger, because (then) it stands in an indivisible unit, and not in many. The bishop, who was barely commanded to enter the Holy of Holies (Heb. 9:7) into the Holy of Holies (Heb. 9:7) inside the veil, teaches that the one who passed through the courtyard into the Holy Place, and inside the Holy of Holies was the one who was, to absorb the entire nature of the sensory and mental things that have passed, and from every property, the temporal existence corresponding to the pure past, befits the unveiled and with a naked mind, begin to see visions of Bose. 10. The great Moses, having placed his tabernacle outside the regiment, having planted his thought and mind outside the visible, begins to worship God (Exodus 34:8), and having entered into darkness (Exodus 20:21), - into an invisible and immaterial place of knowledge - he remains dedicated to the most sacred mysteries. 11. Whoever fulfills the law in outer life and behavior is idle from the sole consequences of evil behavior, sacrificing foolish passions as a sacrifice to God, and in this way he is content for salvation, for the sake of his spiritual infancy. 12. Who truly kisses the life of the Gospel 324, and has cut off the beginning and the end of his evil behavior, and passes through every virtue in deed and word, offering the sacrifice of praise and confession, alienated from every active passion of passion, and free from the struggle with it in his mind, and precisely in the hope of future blessings, having a nourishing soul, an insatiable sweetness. 13. The fear of Gehenna encourages those introduced 325 to run away from evil; the desire to reward good things gives those who succeed zeal to do good things: and the sacrament of love takes the mind above all created things, making it blind to everything that is after God. Only those who have become blind to all those who are after God, the Lord makes wise (Psalm 145:8), showing them the most divine. 14. Desired of knowledge, stood motionless 326 (Exodus 26:19) strengthen your souls before the Lord, as God said to Moses: stand here with Me (Deut. 5:31). It is fitting to know that there is difference in those who stand before the Lord, unless those who carelessly love to learn read this: these are the ones who stand here who have not tasted death, until they see the kingdom of God come with power (Mark 9:1). The Lord does not always appear with glory to everyone who stands before Him: but to those who are led in, He comes in the form of a slave (Phil. 2:7): but to those who are able to follow Him, ascending to the high mountain of His transfiguration (Matt. 17), He appears in the image of God (Phil. 2:6) in whom before there was not even the world (John 17:5). Perhaps then the Lord, in the same image, will I appear to all who exist with Him, but to those who are in squalor, and to those who are otherwise revealing different contemplations, according to the extent of the faith that exists in each. 15. The sun rises and the sun sets (Eccl. 1:5), the Scripture says: in the same way the Word also, sometimes seems to be a mountain, but sometimes it is down, according to its dignity, that is, and the proportionality and conformity of those who pass through virtue and move around the divine knowledge. But blessed is he who, according to Joshua (Joshua 10:12–13), holds within himself the unsetting sun of righteousness, with all the measure of the evil day (Matthew 6:34) of this present life and the evening of ignorance indefinite, so that he may lawfully drive out the evil demons who have arisen. 16. He who, through piety, pursues wisdom, and takes up arms against invisible forces, must pray, and natural reasoning, the light commensurate with what he has, and the enlightening grace of the Spirit will abide in him: by this action, like a teacher, guides the flesh to virtue; This light guides the mind, which foretells, above all, the cohabitation of wisdom (Wisdom Sol. 7:8, 8:9), which also destroys strongholds of evil, and every opulence charged to the mind of God 327 ruins (2 Cor. 10:45). Joshua demonstrates this through his prayer, asking that the sun may set directly on Gibeon, that the unsetting light of the knowledge of God may remain over the mountain of intelligent vision; and the moon is straight into the wilds (Joshua 10:12), it is set, natural reasoning, lying above the weakness of the flesh, so that virtue will always remain. 17. Those who sit in an upper room in Galilee with the doors closed (John 20:19) for fear of the Jews, those who sit in fear of the spirits of malice, who live safely in the land of revelations, at the height of divine contemplation, having closed their senses like doors, receive the Word of God that comes unknown to them, and the words of the world (v. 19, 21.) dispassion, giving by inspiration (v. 22.) the division of the Holy Spirit, and giving power to the evil spirits (Mark 16:17), and showing signs of its mysteries (John 20:20). 18. The land of the Chaldeans (Acts 7:4) is a life of passion, in which the idols of sins are built and worshiped. Mesopotamia 328 (v. 2) is a life that shares both opposite dispositions. And the land of promise (Heb. 11:9) is a state filled with every good thing. Anyone who, in the likeness of the old Israel, turns to his old habits, is relegated to the slavery of passions, deprived of this freedom. 19. To denote 329 to be worthy, as none of the saints is the one who descended into the land of Babylon: but there is no way to fly, it is lower than reasonable understanding, those who love God to choose the worst instead of the good. If there were some who were taken away from them in need along with the people, by these we mean those who were not by choice of the most preferable, but by the need of salvation (of their neighbors), - for the sake of the guidance of those who have it, I will require, leaving the word of higher knowledge, and undergo the doctrine of the passions. For this reason, the great Apostle, even if he remains in the flesh (Phil. 1:24), it is more useful to be a judge, to eat, for the sake of moral teaching, for the sake of his disciples, all his desire to be resolved (v. 23.) from the moral teaching of others, and let us be wiser with Christ in a worldly and simple vision. 20. He departs from the flesh (2 Cop. 5:8), and having passed from the active to the knowledgeable (γρωςικὴν ἔξιν) habit, we admire him, like clouds, with higher intelligence, into the bright 330 air of secret vision, so that we can be with the Lord. But everything departs from the Lord (v. 6), unable to contemplate without sensory actions with a pure mind to the best of one’s ability (higher) understanding, and cannot comprehend a simple word about the Lord without guessing 331 . 21. As in the Holy Scripture, under various fortune-telling, we see the corporeal 332 Word of God and God, but incorporeal, and simple, the one and only Father, as in the incorporeal, one and only Son, not in the sight of the mind, according to what is said: he who saw Me in the form of the Father: and I am in the Father, and the Father in me (John 14:9-10 )? Moreover, much intelligence is required, so that, having first passed through the veils of the sayings about the Word, we will be able to see Him with a pure mind, standing naked and showing Himself as a man. For this reason, for the sake of piously seeking God, it is necessary not to be bound by anything spoken, so that instead of God, even though he accepts God in ignorance, he should eat, instead of the Word, let him not love what is spoken 333 in Scripture, to stumbling himself, the Word itself is removed from the mind, who, holding on to clothes, imagines holding the most incorporeal Word, in the likeness These Egyptians, not even Joseph, but took away his garments (Gen. 39:12), and these ancient people, who, by the sole visible beauty of captivity, in ignorance served the creature more than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). 22. When the mind rejects the many opinions that lie on it about the words of truth, then the clear Word of truth will appear to it, giving it the guarantees of true knowledge, and the opinions it previously accepted, like scales (Acts 9:18), sweeping away from the visual forces, as was the case with the great and divine Apostle Paul. Beyond opinion, attached to the precise sayings of Scripture, and partial to the visible things of contemplation in feeling, is truly a scale that lies on the insightful power of the soul, and exalts the passage to the pure Word of truth. 23. He who has valiantly overcome the passions of the body, and who has fought hard against unclean spirits, and who has driven out those thoughts from the land of his soul, must eat and pray, so that a pure heart may be given to him, and a right spirit may be renewed in his womb (Ps. 50:12), and may he eat, so that he will be completely empty of evil thoughts, and may he be filled with divine thoughts by the gift of grace, and so let it become the mental world of God, bright and great, consisting of moral, natural, and theological spectacles. 24. A pure heart (Ps. 50:12) is one that presents to God a completely formless and imageless memory, and is ready to be marked by God’s only impressions, from which it is revealed 334 to become customary. 25. They will test some from those who love the teaching, in what way will there be a difference between the eternal mansions and promises? Is food more local in its essence, or is it more spiritual and spiritual in its essence, which in each monastery acquires a special quality and quantity? - And they think it’s the first thing, and they think it’s the second one. But he who knows that it is said: the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21), and the Father’s many mansions (John 14:2), will receive the second. 26. Even if the divine desire conquers the spiritual disposition towards the body, it is unlimited (ὰρερίγφαπος) and exists in the body. God, who attracts the desire of the one who desires, is without comparison above all others, and does not allow the one who desires to nail down his lust for something or from those who exist after God. Let us therefore desire God with all the strength of our desire, and let us make our free choice unobsessed by anything corporeal, let us place ourselves in our spiritual disposition above all truly sensory and mental things, and by no means will we accept the futility of natural life, so that we and God may be indescribable by nature. Question. Does food always enter a person into this state? Answer. Grace, then, is constantly with man, and from a young age it takes root and, like leaven, takes root in him, and like what is natural and intergrown 336 is inherent in him, as if there is one essence of grace: but in a variety of ways, as he wants, it builds the economy for the benefit of man. When the fire flares up and flares up; Sometimes it’s meeker and softer. The light itself at times becomes more inflamed and shining; Then it moves away, and there is darkness. And the lamp always burns and shines; Whenever it is purified, it emits more light, it is more manifested by the communion of the lie of God; Then the co-existing light becomes dulled. To some others the sign of the cross appeared in the light and was installed in the inner being of man. Sometimes, again, in prayer, as if in a frenzy, a man was found standing in the altar in the church, and they brought him three loaves of bread, as if leavened with oil; No matter how poisonous you are, you multiply more and create the greatest things. And sometimes a certain light robe appears; For what is not found on earth in this world, what may be destined to be by human hands. In the same image the Lord, with John and Peter, ascended the mountain, was transfigured, and His garments were shining (Mk.9:3): this is a robe; and the man clothed in it was horrified. At other times, the presence in the heart, which has opened the inner light, the deepest and most intimate, is constantly visible; a new, bright world is visible, together with the Lord, praise and glorify: in the same way, that person, who was completely absorbed in this sweetness and contemplation, had no one for himself, but was like a buoy and a foreigner to this world, for superior love and sweetness, and for hidden secrets; and at that time he was freed, soon reached the perfect fur, and was clean from sin. But until now the grace has been hidden, and the veil of the opposing forces has come. This appears somewhat in part, as if a person had become one degree below the lowest measure of perfection: to sit down, as it befits him, so to speak, to go through certain twelve degrees, and thus achieve perfection; and at some time he gained more and reached the measure, and entered into perfection: but then again the grace diminished, and that one was reduced to one degree, and one hundred to one ten. If anyone is rich in grace, he will endure, night and day, in perfect measures, free and pure, but in captivity 337 always bear grief. And now, even if this wondrous gift had appeared to man, and their art had been accepted, if I had been with him, I could not have carried out that word of construction 338 or the burden of acceptance, nor would I have suffered the hedgehog hearing anything, or caring about the comb, if even from those it was, even about him, below about the morning, unless it would lie in one corner, we carry grief and intoxicated Moreover, the perfect measure was not given to him, so that he might be able to take care of the brethren, or practice the word in the ministry. Moreover, the mediastinum of the fence is ruined (Eph. 2:14) and its state is literally its state, as if some dark power lay over it: as if the air, light and thin, covers a lamp, even if it is taken out and burns and shines, so in it lies a veil over the light. I also confess that he is not perfect, he is completely free from sin; but yes, the river is both free and not free; and the mediastinum of the fence was destroyed and excavated, and again, in some part, it was not completely destroyed; Below I will take out the prayer. There is a time when she is more inflamed, and consoles, and reposes; and there is a time when it is hidden and happens under darkness, when grace itself arranges for the benefit of man. Moreover, having entered into the perfect measure, but having tasted and experienced the same age, only one has known a Christian to be perfect or free. But then someone rests in grace, and enters into mysteries and revelations and into the many sweetness of grace; either way, there is sin inside with him. Because of the surpassing grace and light that is in them, these do not long for themselves to be free and perfect, but already have the effect of grace; both of them sin for the sake of unart. But I still see that I am free, even if at some time I myself have partly entered into it, and I can see what a perfect dispensation will be. 27. Abie, by knowing the cross, grace acts: the whole world is pacified, and the soul, many for the sake of joy, appears, like a child, kindly and simply, and no longer does a person condemn a Greek, or a Judea, or a sinner, but the inner man looks at everyone, like at one with a pure eye, and likewise 340 rejoices about the whole world, and wants everything, Hellenes and Judea worship the Son of God as the Father. And doors are opened for him, and he enters into many abodes; and as soon as he enters, as soon as more things are opened to him in proportion, he enters from a hundred mansions into other hundred mansions, and becomes rich; and again, another thing that was before him, another new and wondrous one, is shown, and, like a son and heir, things are entrusted to him that cannot be uttered by human nature or by these lips and tongue. At another hour, as an ambassador before God, with much love for Him, he begins to pray for peace, that the whole world may be saved, like the whole Adam; inflamed with love and wanting everyone to be saved, teaches 341 the words of life and kingdom, embassy about Christ 342 (Eph. 6:20) and telling, with great power to hear, the heavenly and divine secrets of the endless and incomprehensible age. At another hour, the whole person is armed, clothed in the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11), and receives the heavenly army, and begins to cut down the regiments of the enemy, and to slaughter many corpses of many. At the next hour the Lord acts in the soul, and the soul and the Lord rejoice mutually, and a person finds himself in much light and joy 343 about the Lord and his brothers. The lamp and the light burn night and day: the whole, according to God’s vision, does not change, and the whole person is pure, and little is given to him, so that it will be as it should be; In both cases, the mediastinum is torn apart and death is defeated. Sometimes the lamp glows more and shines, as if man cannot bear its radiance and brilliance, but it is allowed to exist. When the light, which is still burning, seems to fade, and a certain thin and gloomy air of a nasty force settles on it, as if on the skin. For this reason, such a person says that he is not completely free. – Glory to the Lord forever! Amen. 28. Good is fasting, vigil, pilgrimage 344; Otherwise, these are precisely the works of external good living. But there is an inner rank of Christians other than this, and no one should have any hope for it. It happens to some, as if they partake of grace, and the evil that still exists within them; builds forges, yields to them by will 345 and does not act, but creates a person who does not eat, as if his mind has been cleansed: and brings the rest of the person into the opinion 346 that he is a perfect Christian; and to this day, when a person becomes angry that he is free and becomes careless, then evil finds him in a robber manner, secretly creating an ambush, and tempts him, and brings him down to the underworld. What if robbers, or warriors, people who are twenty years old, know how to build fortresses against their opponents, and create ambushes and secret guards, and accept the ridges of the enemy, and surround them from everywhere, and beat them: how much more is malice, having lived for thousands of years, and doing this, how can they destroy souls? The message is to create a secret ambush in the heart, and at certain times not to act, so that it will bring the soul into the opinion of 348 perfection. This is the foundation of Christianity, but a person, unless he does righteousness, does not rest on them, and does not have something great for himself, but let him be poor in spirit; and even if a partaker of grace is created, let him not become angry because he has comprehended something, and let him not imagine that he exists, and let him not begin to teach; and leading a good life, fasting a lot, fearing, praying, becoming a partaker of grace, so as not to have your soul honest. But truly, then, most importantly, the beginning of grace for this sake, let him have labor, hunger and thirst, let him not be satisfied, let him not have righteousness, or be rich in grace: but let him weep and tear, like a mother weeps, even if she has an only-begotten son, and teach him, and when he becomes a husband, if he happens to die... (Other main principles are not acquired). About things prohibiting salvation Verb Abba Amnon 349: there are four things that prevent a monk from being saved: and if a person withholds one from them, then with such one he can neither repent purely, nor offer a prayer pleasing to God. The first is pride, when a person thinks that he lives well, and that his life is pleasing to God and man, and that many are created from his conversations, and that he has changed from many sins and gone into the desert. And even if a person thinks this way, the grace of God does not live in him: but it is even more fitting of us not to have a monk as good and reasonable, but to humble ourselves and condemn, and to have a mountain of dumb people for ourselves, and to consider that our work is not pleasing to God. Always think within yourself what was spoken by the Prophet: that all the truth of man is like sackcloth (Is. 64:6) some vile thing cast down before God. If the soul does not humble itself in this way, and does not always keep it in itself, as it is truly unclean, it is bitter among dumb cattle and dogs, God will not accept her prayer: since the dumbness of cattle does not sin before God, they will also accept judgment; but just as God created them, so they remain; For they are wordless, neither slander nor proud, but they also love those who feed them. How does one know that man is more sinful and more damned than beasts? - From here: because man does not love the Creator and God, as he should love, who provides him abundantly and gives him everything for his benefit. The second is this: If you have a grudge against someone; Even if this very eye is out of his sight, and even if he has any resentment, his prayer does not ascend to God. Let him not deceive himself: even if he had raised up the dead, he would not have mercy or forgiveness from God, unless he had achieved true repentance. Third, condemn your brother who sins: he himself will be condemned even if he performs signs and wonders. The Lord once said: do not condemn, lest you be condemned. By whom you judge, judgment will be given to you: and you measure accordingly, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:37; Matt. 7:2). It is fitting for every Christian not to condemn anyone: for the heavenly Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Sons (John 5:22). For judge before Christ, the opponent is Christ, the Son of God. We saw many robbers and fornicators today, but in the morning we were reverent and righteous: and we saw their sins, but we did not see their repentance and their hidden virtues. The fourth is this: If someone does not have love, without it a person cannot be saved, as the Apostle said: Even if I speak in the tongues of men and with angels, even if I am the imam of all faith, as if I left behind the mountains: I am not an imam of love, I am nothing. If I will distribute all my possessions to the poor, and if I will give up my body to torture, burning it, but not for love, for what good is it (1 Cor. 13:1-3). But if anyone says: and how powerful is it to give everything that exists to the poor, and not have love? And to this I say to you: for love of alms is a work: alms are not perfect love, but a certain part of love. For there are many who give to others, but they offend and rip off others, and some are treated strangely, while others are resentful and embittered: some are covered up, and others are reproached: strangers are merciful, but they hate their own. Do you still do things like this? This is not a matter of love for God and neighbor, but of vanity and hypocrisy. For this is true, perfect love: for it reproaches no one, condemns no one below, does not grieve, does not abhor anyone, is neither faithful nor unfaithful, neither slave nor free, neither small nor great, neither glorious nor dishonest, nor strange, neither the stranger, nor the sinner, nor the prodigal and unclean: but he loves and has mercy on all equally, especially sinners and the weak and careless, for whom he suffers more and laments and cries, and has compassion more than others: imitating the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he called sinners to eat and drink with them (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:16). For this reason and showing us what true love is, he teaches with the verb: Be blasé, merciful and generous, just as your heavenly Father is merciful. Like He His sun shines on the evil and on the good, and rains on the righteous and on the unrighteous. (Luke 6:35; Matt. 5:45): having true love, he loves everyone, has mercy on everyone and prays for everyone. They are the ones who give alms, but hate many, and defile their bodies: they deceive themselves, rely on alms, do the same, and do evil deeds without ceasing. But if you want to be saved, stop from evil, and acquire true and perfect love, which you are worthy to receive, O Christ our God, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. A certain brother asked an elder, saying: for whose sin is human prayer unpleasant? And the elder answered: remember for the sake of evil, as the Lord said: Whenever you speak, bring your gift to the altar, and remember that, as your brother has something for you, leave that gift of yours at the altar, and go first, humble yourself with your brother, and then come and present your gift (Matthew 5:23-24) to God. If you have a grudge against someone, then understand that your prayer is unpleasant before God, but even more so it angers Him. Sometimes you ask an elder, which sin is the gravest of all sins? And answering: As the holy Apostle Paul said: for love is greater than all virtues. (1 Cor. 13:13). Sitse understands that the greatest evil is hatred towards one’s brother and unmercifulness. And again the question was quickly asked: what commandment forgives a person from all sins? And he answered: The Lord says: condemn not, lest ye be condemned: And forgive, and it will be forgiven you (Luke 6:37). Understand this: he who does not slander his brother, who condemns him below, forgives every sin. Let go, says the Lord, and I will let you go; and if you measure accordingly, it will be measured back to you. His question is: If someone commits great sins, and, being touched, begins to repent, and then dies on the third day, what is to be understood about him? And he answered: If he truly desires and begins to repent, and turns his soul from evil thoughts, and makes his covenant with God, so as not to sin, and not to commit the first sins he has committed, then even if he dies on the morning, God will accept his repentance, as he accepted a thief. Even if you begin to repent, it is in the will of mankind: and whether you live or die is in the will of God. Many then began to repent, and God delighted me to arrange the best for them: even if they had lived for many years, they would have fallen into sins and died. The same great old man was then asked. If someone grows old in sins, and cannot fast and be vigilant, nor do labor or go through a cruel life, nor have property that would be given away for sins, nor can he renounce the life of this world: how can such a one be saved? And he answered: In this way the publican was saved; like the Prophet of the verb: I humbled myself, and the Lord saved me (Ps. 115:5). Just as bloodless sacrifice and alms are offered to God for the forgiveness of sins, so is heartfelt humility: sacrifice, the Prophet said to God, is a broken spirit, and God will not despise a contrite and humble heart (Ps. 50:19). And again: the Lord is near to those who are broken in heart, and will save those who are humble in spirit (Ps. 33:19). And just as they are blessed with mercy and purity of heart, so they are blessed with humility in spirit: for for them is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3, 7:8). In this way the poor, the sick, the elderly, the rude, and the ignorant can be saved. Soulful Conversations of Our Venerable Father Zosima 350 The disciple of Father Zosoma told us, saying: “Once upon a time, when I sat with my father Zosima and spoke helpful words to us, they asked him about this: how should we drive away rage from ourselves!” The elder opened his mouth and began to say: “It is the beginning of the scourge that you should restrain your rage; behold, you cannot say anything when someone insults you or reproaches you.” About this, Father Moses quickly asked, if he was embarrassed, when he reproached him with the words, why does this murine enter among us? And he answered: even if they were embarrassed, but not in verbs. When you reproach him again, the second thing: not only do not be embarrassed, but also reproach yourself, saying: black flesh! You have done good: is it not a man who walks in the middle of man's foreheads? Even in old age, we cannot learn and do new things, due to our much negligence; and we think that it is inconvenient for us to do what is commanded to us from God. Even though we were embarrassed, we should not say that there are beginners, but not perfect ones: but there are great ones, we should not be embarrassed in the least, but to the Prophet David who said: “Be prepared and not be embarrassed” (Ps. 119:60). But we do not want to make a beginning about this, we do not seek or show our will, so that we may attract the grace of God to help us, but even if we pretend to show God’s will, it is rotten and worthless, and unworthy of accepting anything from God. Everything that is ours, as in the sowing, is also in the harvest: as much as someone brings willfulness, so much as he receives grace. Just as an oratai sows few seeds, but if God is pleased with his labors, he gathers a multitude: and if God is pleased with our will, we can, in time, dispassionately and effortlessly and with peace, do everything, and have profits from all of them. Even if one prays with need and endures, one often gives birth to pray with peace: and one who prays with need comes from one’s will; and even with peace, this is from grace: and in all arts there is vision. For someone comes to learn art, and distorts the work, and multiplies it: but in both cases he does not abandon the work, but begins again; and even if he bends a lot, he does not stop doing, but shows his mentor his will; if he gets cold and runs away, he cannot get used to the work; bending many times and not running away, but remaining working and doing, everything else becomes custom by the action of God, and everything is done without labor and with peace. Sitsa and in the spiritual: if anyone wants to correct virtue, he should not have it in his mind, as if he would destroy it. Even if he is weak, let him begin; and even if he distorts it at the beginning, but doesn’t get lazy and leaves it, he can’t correct anything at all: but let him begin again, even if he learns cunning. And when he strives to endure in abundance and not become discouraged, then God looks upon the labor of his will and gives it to him, like a grain of bread, without the need to create everything. And when he falls, let him not be faint-hearted, but let him begin again. This is what Father Moses said: for those who want to acquire virtue, it requires labor and a lot of time: to want and love labor is our will; but this also requires God’s help. If God does not cooperate with our will, we labor in vain. Just like a farmer who makes his field and sows, if God does not provide rain for his sowing, his labor will be in vain; Thus, both prayer and work require the action of God: in this way we will attract God’s help to our intercession. If we become lazy in prayer or feel cold, we will quickly run away; then how will God look upon our work? We bring nothing more valiantly; For this reason, and for nothing else, we are willing to accept: God first looks at our will, and against our will, He bestows the gift. Wasn’t Father Moses once the chief of the robbers? Food will not do much evil, just as I will drive him away from his master, evil for his sake? But before you do so, approach God with valor, with warm will, and behold, you have achieved everything to the extent that you are in honor with the great fathers who were equal to the angels. Even though we imagine that we have warmth in our rejection from the world, we are destroying our laziness for the sake of ours, having an addiction to certain earthly things that are insignificant and not worthy of a single word, and we despise the love of God and our neighbor, appropriating certain things for ourselves, as if we have this from ourselves, and not from God. What did you say, did you accept him? And if you also received it, you boasted that it was not received (1 Cor. 4:7)? And the verb: Christ, who is God, does not have food; where can he give us good gifts? If he had seen us using everything from our estates, he could have enriched us, just like our fathers; but since he sees us not using small and indecent things, for this reason he does not entrust much to you, having mercy on us, lest we ultimately perish. For if he had seen us taking advantage of small things, he could have given us a great tax, like a rekhom: if anyone other than Him had made the Lord a village, or a house, to sweep his possessions before the feet of the saints, the Apostle (Acts 4:35)? But, as I always say, God, who is good, gives us the benefit of everything; We, from addiction, and from accepting evil from God, destroy, and accept dirty tricks from those given to us from Him, ours for the sake of evil will. Speech again: no one can embitter a virtuous soul; but everything that suffers is considered to be a gain. Just as the faithful are comforted by his faith, the unfaithful is tormented by his unbelief. The faithful one, even if he suffers a lot for good deeds, even if he does, but because he is faithful, he hopes to accept obedience for the sake of reward, and have much consolation. The unfaithful, even if he suffers a little, is embarrassed, tormenting himself with his thoughts, and says to himself: “He is talking to me, but I want to tell him many more of those things, even with words, harboring resentment, and thinking things that he cannot do.” No matter what people think, they can do this: they are not allowed to do this from God, because the message of destinies is One. They attempt to embitter someone in large numbers; but if I do not allow God to do so, they labor in vain, for then they are tempted by the will of man; and the holy fathers began to embitter the holy fathers, but, God forbid them, no one from them can embitter the servants of God, but the kings also reproach them: do not touch, say, my anointed ones, do not deceive my prophets (Ps. 105:14-15). Whenever God wants to show someone His great goodness, that same one inclines the hearts of the merciless to mercy, as it is written about Daniel the Prophet: for the Lord gave grace and mercy to Daniel before King Nebuchadnezzar. And blessed is the soul, which has truly prepared itself to receive those sent to it from God, for it leaves this in no one, but protects it in all, even in them God knows what to ask from Him. And it is well said: a man is wise from God, we stand up for food, and for this reason he is blessed. How many times did Saul persecute David the king and kill him? But as long as we protect ourselves from God, we can do nothing to him; and in some ways, but also in many ways, we delivered you from God into the hand of David; he is more merciful to him: he is by no means a saint in the name of irritating anger. The elder once asked how someone should eat if we destroy or slander someone who is not angry? And with the verbs: if anyone feels humiliated, he is not embarrassed. As Abba Pimen said: if you humble yourself, you will find peace in every place. And you say that two brothers have some kind of confusion between themselves, as happens in common life among brothers. Hearing this, they said to their only brother, even to humility: therefore, he humbled himself for a while, and created confusion for each other, and returned to his first love. To this day, we don’t know what happened when you turned to me and said to me: What do you think, Kaluger, how did you humble us? We ourselves would like to be reconciled; and stood up to me saying: from the first we saw you not as a man, but as an Angel of God; Now you have seduced us, humiliating us. I said to them: I, brethren, first accept this humiliation, which is the same as those who humiliated you: and may the Lord grant me even to the end to have it with me, as if every embarrassment is upon me, I will first worship my brother, and I will ask for forgiveness, and I will be worthy to keep the commandment of my Lord, saying: If you bring your gift to altar, and remember that your brother has something for you, leave your gift before the altar, and go first, humble yourself with your brother, and then come and bring your gift (Matthew 5:23-24). For you have me, as you say, as an Angel of God: but I have myself, more sinner than all men, even as I am. Now I thank my God because I think of myself as the same as you. Hearing this, both brothers were moved and began to pray and say: Forgive us for the Lord’s sake, Abbot, for we have sinned against you. Whoever prefaces this, and makes himself humble and lesser, will not be embarrassed, even if he is reproached by some. And if my face happens to hear about someone, as if he is slandering me; I grieve for the destruction for his sake, as if I were my brother, and am deceived by a common enemy: but I impute this gain and benefit to myself, and always say: the blessed ones rob me of love, saying what they want, having a vain opinion, and cannot take advantage of me: and when I see someone humiliating me and annoying me 351, I think that God the Lord has sent this messenger for my benefit, although he may tempt me: and I humiliate me as a benefactor, because for his sake I will reject the small weight of vanity that men have against me. I told you a simple thing: that someone had reproached me from the brethren who were with me, who also received the monastic image from Me, and about it I worked a lot, for it was not from the noble ones. To that one verb: my father I love you a lot; I told him: I have not yet found, my child, someone who loves me as I love him. And now you say that you love me: and I believe. If something happens that displeases you, you will not remain the same: I will never suffer from You, nor can anything separate me from Your love. The little time that has passed, we don’t know what will happen, and we begin to say a lot about us, even to the point of some nasty things. I, having heard everything, said within myself: Behold the cause of Jesus, and was sent to heal my vain soul; A person can take great advantage of the blues if he is sober, just as he can take advantage of those who are blessed; Sicevia are truly benefactors. In the same way, I impute him as a doctor and benefactor, and in the words of those who tell me, as he said to me: as my outer appearance is exactly the same, and that is not the whole, but just a certain part: my innermost being is countless. After a certain time, it was customary for me to shit in Caesarea, and according to custom, I kissed me, and I, as if I had heard nothing: for when you slander me, as soon as you shit it, you do it to yourself, as if you knew nothing, even if you knew everything that was said about me. With one fit and holding my nose, saying: forgive me, father, for the Lord’s sake, for there are many and cruel verbs against you. I, having kissed him, rejoiced at him: do you remember, child, when you told me that I love you so much, and Rekhti: I have not yet found anyone who loves me as much as I love him; If something happens that is not pleasing to you, you will not remain the same: I have never suffered from You, so what can separate me from Your love? Let your heart know, child, that you have not hidden anything from Me, from whom you spoke against me, but I heard everything, and where, and before whom, I never decided, there is no one below me who can speak evil against me. But also in the verbs: as he speaks, he speaks the truth, and did not cease remembering you in my prayers: and let me show you a sign of the true love that I once had for you, when I was once very sick, and remembering you, I created the sign of the honorable cross in the words: Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of my brother, heal me; and Abiye was healed. Having heard this, my brother, from that hour loved me with immeasurable love. This is also about my brother. Abba said: when few people bear their brother, and if he becomes angry or grieves, he also gradually comes to himself and sees how he was carried; then he is ready to lay down his very soul for him, and rejoices with unspeakable joy. By the same token, I told you that when I was always with Father Zacharias, she gradually became angry and grieved at me, but I just looked at nothing and nothing; and suddenly, I became angry with him a lot and stopped, wanting to show him that there was nothing in my heart from their words, and I had no sorrow for them; You were surprised and said to me: forgive me, my joy and my light; who can wear me as you wear? We remembered a certain monk, who told him that he had the meekest elder of his, the virtues for his greatness and the sign that he had done, that he had the whole country as an Angel of God. Once upon a time, someone, struggling against the enemy, came and reproached him with the last annoyances before the people: hearing this, the elder stood and saw in his mouth and said: The grace of God is in your mouth, my brother. To him I am furious and say: she is a whore and a parasite, this is what you say, so that you appear to be meek, the elder answers: Truly, brother, even as you say, the essence is true. Then someone asked him to take it, saying: Are you not embarrassed, Abvo? and speech: neither; but I feel my soul as if covered by Christ. And the blessed one said 352: for truly there must be someone to give thanks to such, and have them, if you are passionate, as doctors, healing his spiritual ulcers: if you are passionless, as benefactors, interceding for him the kingdom of heaven. And Makaril remembered his father, saying: what did you not do to him when he slandered him for the girl she conceived in the womb? when in the chest and the chest of ears the ears fell on his neck, and annoyed him, driving him all over and beating, as if he could barely live to remain from his wounds: the same thing was unknown, but, as I remember, incessantly praying for them. And I believe that even though the Saint had some small sin, he was cleansed from that humiliation. And so the Reverend has those who are benefactors, and valiantly endures dishonor, like a true servant of Christ and a true doer of His commandments. Whenever God wants to glorify the servant, and show the deed: then the Holy Father runs away, imputing the glory to the human sorrow of being, saying: let not men insult me ​​by rising here, and behold, this is the fault of my coming to the monastery. Again, as if we were still in the monasteries in Tire, a certain virtuous elder came to us, and we read the fatherly words in the fatherland, loving the blessed one, to always pass through this, and from these we were filled with all kinds of virtues. Just as we had come to the old man, the robbers came to him, and decided to take everything in your cell, and I said to him: take everything you want, take it all, and go away, forgetting the robe hanging there: the old man took this, chasing after them, crying out and saying to them: “Children, take up what you have forgotten in your cell.” And they, having perceived the elder’s kindness, returned everything back to his cell, and repented and decided to each other: “Truly this is the man of God.” Because we have forgotten this headpiece, the elder said to us: Do you consider, father, how much this headpiece has used me? And I said to him: what, father? And the verbs: I once lived in the countries of Jordan, I read this chapter in wonder to the elder, and the verbs: Lord grant me to walk in the footsteps of this elder, as you have vouchsafed me to receive this image. And as I had this desire, two days later the robbers came, and as they pushed at the door, I realized that they were robbers, and I said to myself: thanks be to God! The time has come to show the fruit of my desire. He opened them with quietness, lit a lamp, and began to show what I had in my cell, saying to them: Do not be embarrassed, my children: I believe in God, for I will not hide anything from you. Let us decide: do you want gold? And the verbs to them: she, the imam, three gold coins; and I opened my vagina before them: and they took it and departed in peace. I (blessed Zosima said) bowed and said to him: will I not return it to you as well as to the old man? And the verbs mi: neither! May the Lord not do this! For if they didn’t want to, let them return it. And the verb is Abba; Behold the desire of the elder and the preparation that came to him, as if he was not exactly offended, but also rejoiced, as if he had been granted such a gift of good? I once had love with a certain deacon of the Lavra of St. Gerasimos, and we don’t know where they received an opinion from me about a thing that brought him sorrow: and they began to withdraw from Me. Seeing him withdrawing, he asked them to remove the guilt; in my speech: as if you created this thing. But I, being innocent of knowing about the thing, began to inform him that I did not know anything about having created such a thing. And with my verbs, forgive me, because I am not informed 353. Having gone to my cell, I began to test myself, if I had done such a thing, and had not found it. And when I saw him in the church holding the holy cup and giving the brethren the Divine Taifs of communion, I swore to him that I did not know what I had created for myself, even as I say: and I do not believe. I again came to myself, and remembering the words of the holy fathers, and believing them, I turned my thoughts a little, and said to myself: the deacon sincerely loves me, and out of love we struggle to confess, which we have in our hearts, that I will be sober, and let no one else do the same thing. Moreover, a damned soul, even if you say that you did not create a great thing, yet you did countless other evils and forgot them. Where is the essence of what you did yesterday and another day, or before ten days: do you remember all this: you also did this, like she did, and forgot, like the former. And I put this in my hearts as a dream, as if I had truly done this, but, as if I forgot the first, so and so. And I began to thank God and the deacon, because the Lord had vouchsafed me to understand my sins and to repent of them. Rising now in my sinful thoughts, I went to repent to the deacon and thank him, for by this I knew my sin. And as soon as he pushed at his door, he opened the door and first said, “Forgive me, because I was abused by demons, I thought this thing about you.” Truly, God informs me that I am innocent of a thing that is wrong. And the blessed one said: this is true humility, so arrange the heart of the one who loves you, so that not only do you not be tempted by the deacon and not be offended, but you also impute your sin to someone else; and not just that, but also thank him. And the verb: Do you see what virtue does, and give degrees of colic to those who love you? Even if he had wanted to, he would have accepted countless guilts against the deacon: first, because he had thought falsely, then, as if he had been informed, he did not accept the notification. But instead strive for virtue, not only do not be offended, but also thank him for the virtue that preceded his heart. Thus, even if we had preceded and placed in our hearts the seeds of meekness and humility, the devil would not have sowed his own seeds into evil. But since we are empty of all good thoughts, or we are also irritated by malice and resentment, for this reason the devil, accepting guilt from us, fulfills his own. As opposed to 354 and with virtue, it happens: when the Lord sees a soul thirsting to be saved and making good seeds, seeing its good will, He fulfills it with His gifts. I told the elders about this, when I once went to the market to buy myself a robe, and bought it: I took it and put it on top of it; having given one piece of gold, although they gave more tsats: and as the honor of 355 tsats began, behold, someone came from behind and attracted the robe, although he stole it. The good-hearted old man, having sensed this, began to struggle little by little, as if stretching out to the distance, so that he could get enough while leaving: and the old man did not reprove him. And the blessed one said: we do not know how much the robe is worthy of, or the vessels, destroy them, but both the will is great to show: and having this, it is as if he had nothing; and when you destroy this, then continue without embarrassment: for, as I always say, it is not harmful to have something to eat, but to have it out of addiction. The same one, even if he has the treasures of the whole world, still remains as if he were insignificant. The verb again: just as a warm will can bring God’s virtue in one hour, just as a lazy will cannot bring laziness in fifty years. And if they see the demon, as if someone was humiliated, received from someone in annoyance, or took away, or suffered in any way, and grieves, not as if he suffered evil, or was reproached, but because he contradicted and did not endure valiantly; They are afraid of the devil's will: they know that they have begun to walk the true path, and want their mother-in-law to follow the Divine path, and to follow our reverend father. Again the verb says: if anyone inspires the verb of an insulter, and weaves darkness of thoughts, he curses his soul, like a demon. For he will not have enough time to think of such things unless he remembers his physician Jesus: such a one will greatly harm himself. Why do you say and weave thoughts, and do you not think of him as a doctor who heals you and shows your ulcers? You must thank him and have him as a doctor sent from Christ. If you do not change your anger, but remain still, you will have wicked thoughts: the Lord God is innocent of you; it is also suffering that happens, illness and burden of the soul that happens: if it weren’t for the disease, you wouldn’t suffer. And you should thank your brother, for his sake you knew your illness, and accept insults from him, as if there was a healing message sent to you from Jesus. If you don’t exactly thank him, you’re also thinking about it; You said to Jesus: I don’t want to accept Your past, I don’t want to be healed by You, I want to rot in my wounds; Having obeyed, I want to be a demon. And what will the Lord do? Good is our Lord, who gave us holy commandments against our evils, so that with such bitter cures we can cleanse the illnesses of our souls. Anyone who wants and loves to be whole, and is changed from an illness, endures diligently inflicted on him from the doctor: for the sick person himself can in no way cut his own flesh, or heal himself; but with diligence he obeys the doctor, before it is impossible to change the illness. Likewise, the doctor, who knows, reminds himself that with a little patience, long-term illnesses can be healed. If you don’t tolerate such things, you slander yourself. Who interceded for the holy martyr's crown? Are they not offending them? Who gave Saint Stephen so much glory? Didn't they kill him with stones? And bring the Abba the parable of Evagriev: as I said to those who reproached me, I did not reproach them in any way: but rather, because they were afraid of those benefactors, lest they say about my soul: Babylon was whole, and was not healed (Jer. 51:9). Just as one who has acquired mercy, generosity, and love and goodness, first of all pleases and benefits himself, as well as his neighbor, so the opposite, having anger in himself, becomes thinner for himself, and creates incessant languor for himself. And again he said: as if someone asked me, saying to me: Father, there are many teachings, and my mind is exhausted in them: I pray to you, which one will save me, which one I won’t save, let me tell you. And he said to him, don’t let this surprise you: but think about this, as if you are not diligent with things, it will be easier for you to practice virtue; and even if you resist them, you must not be a malicious person. How hard is it to pray for your enemies? Do you dig the earth, or orate, or walk the path? But whatever you find, endure with thanksgiving, and you will become a disciple of the saints, an Apostle, rejoicing in your walk, for you have been counted worthy to be dishonored for the sake of Christ. For they, cleanse beings in holiness, have accepted dishonor, and persecution, and wounds, and torment for the Name of Christ; We must be dishonorable, to be sin for our sake: and we are dishonest, even if no one dishonors us, even with curses: curses, say, those who turn away from Your commandments (Ps. 119:21). Is there food for all to be dishonored in the name of Christ? not all, in the holy and pure, just like the reh. But it is more prudent to think about dishonor in us: for in truth, we are dishonored by sin for the sake of our own and evil deeds. But the soul is passionate; it thinks that it is suffering through unrighteousness. He sits thinking, and weaving thoughts, and saying: for he has spoken to me, and dishonored me, and annoyed me; and he always thinks like this, and fulfills the will of the demons. And if they see a demonic soul listening to them, and it is convenient for me to accept evil thoughts; They betray the rest to Satan’s art, and do not demand that she sit down, knowing that this is enough to eat for her destruction: instead, they watch from afar, as if the food has become stale to eat. What is more honest and what is good, except to love everyone and be loved by everyone? Why do the commandments of Christ have no peace? But our thoughts are never directed towards good, but towards everything that is opposed; If he had aspired to good things, by the grace of Christ everything would have been convenient for him. What kind of rest can the meek and humble not have? Truly the meek will inherit the earth (Ps. 37:11). Sometimes, when I was in the holy city, someone came from the Christ-loving people and said to me: for a hedgehog I have a certain thing between each other, and my brother no longer wants to talk to me: I also pray to you, as if you were going to talk to him even to humility. I received the word with joy, and went to his brother, calling on him and speaking to him to humiliate him: and we argued a lot with him, and said to him: I can’t talk to him; I vowed to the honorable Cross. I grinned and said to him: marvelous! How much power does your oath have, saying: I am of Your honorable Cross, O Christ, because I am not the Imam to keep Your commandments, but want to fulfill the will of the enemy? We must not forsake the evil that comes from us, but rather repent and grieve for the evil, which we inflict on us, as the God-bearing Basil said: Had Herod repented, he would not have committed his oath, he would not have committed a great sin by beheading Christ’s Forerunner. And then he brought him the parable of the Holy Gospel: when the Lord wanted to wash Peter’s nose, what was his answer? And the verbs: if anyone lives the years of Methuselah and does not go through such a right path, all the saints have passed through him, saying: to be dishonored, and to annoy, and to offend, and to endure valiantly, in order to achieve the measure of the saints and God-bearing fathers; such a one spends the summer and has nothing in time. On doing and seeing 356. Heads of Saint Theognostos 1. Then impute the truth to have virtue, always completely despising everything on earth, having a heart with a clear conscience always ready to go back to the Lord. Even if you want to be known by God, be unknown by man to the best of your ability. 2. Behold the excess of consolation in your body, and be careful from them, lest they take away 357 something from your labors: since 358 that is to say, to labor, which precedes dispassion, here from these comes consolation 359 . Consider vanity, not the deprivation of sweets, but the loss of these best pleasures. 3. Having evil in oneself and a worm in every feeling 360, so that man may be created by God. Even if it does not come first, it will not follow. And as soon as you come down, you only come up. When you call yourself as nothing (Ps. 39:6), before the Lord, according to the Psalmist; then you will be great from small. And when you always think you have and have nothing, then you become rich in both deeds and minds 361 praiseworthy in the Lord. 4. Break the arm of the sinner and the wicked one (Ps. 9:36): I say sweetness to wickedness, from which all evil is born 362. Break through abstinence and humility through gentleness: even if all your sin is repaid with a strong word, nothing will be found during the trial of your deeds. The sinners, who have never committed these guilts, are blotted out, in the image of which we acted completely, having hated, we fight against her, the imams, the first victory, the last victory, crying out 363. 5. There is nothing better than frequent prayer, from which, like from a source, flow the virtues: reason 364 and meekness, love and self-control, and from tears the intercession that comes from God within, together with consolation. Sowing kindness 365 in the words of words and understanding is a thought, and I have an insatiable desire for divine conversations, looking beyond my master with the vision of those who exist, searching the mind, and seeking with a burning desire to eagerly find and see the Invisible, even in vain I hid Him in darkness (Ps. 17:12), returning again within myself with all reverence. hiding: we are pleased with this unhelpful vision that is opening, and with this we console him, but he is trustworthy, then by no means will he be able to comprehend what he wants, when, with the phenomenon resolved, and in the shadow of a dream, as if in a mirror and fortune-telling, I will cease, before the face of pure vision I will take out. 6. Be hidden from the highest visions, unless you have ascended to the utmost dispassion: and not incomprehensibly 366, even as you desire. If you want, in speech, the Theologian to be together and visual: by living upward, and by purifying the acquisition of pure things. And having already remembered Theology, look not at the height of this, stretching into immensity 367: and see that it is not righteous for us, still milked with virtues, to attempt to fly towards this: lest we reject some feathers, like chicks of imperfection 368, even if the honey of the mind 369 desire compels us to eat. Sometimes, with chastity and tears, we are cleansed from the earth, like Elijah, or Habakkuk, a hedgehog on the clouds (1 Thess. 4:17) from now on, then 370 beginning admiration, and through visual prayer and without soaring, finding ourselves outside of the senses, we seek God: then we will partially touch the Theology. 7. Did you desire to be worthy of seeing and appearing in your mind, the Divine One? Peacefully and silently, first, love life (1 Tim. 2:2), and having become selfless, come to know both yourself and God. Even if this were to happen, nothing would prevent you from seeing in your mind the Invisible One in your mind, the salvation of you with your most vivid mind 372 in a pure state and not rebelled by any passion. 8. Like the lightning that precedes it, we also expect thunder: so where the Divine propitiation appears, the storm of passions is calmed down. And where this will come to the one who has acquired it, there will be 373 of the bliss there. There is no divine mercy or dispassionate hope in a soul that loves the world more than the Creator, and is partial to visible things, and always clings to carnal sweets and pleasures. 9 . What the Divine is and where, do not look for it with your mind: it is pre-essential, and is irresistible by place, as if above all else. Look at the one described God of the Word (by humanity), as in a mirror, as far as possible, emitting rays of light from the Divine nature, and in the place understood, existing everywhere as the indescribable Divinity. However, as soon as you are purified, you are rewarded with enlightenment. 10. The truth of the mind is zealous, and the knowledge 374 of salvation is beyond doubt, first of all, seek to break the bonds of passionate souls to the body: and having been naked with material addictions, descend into the abyss of humility, and you will find the valuable beads of your salvation, as in the skull 375, in the divine mind 376 is hidden, and lordship to you precursor of the kingdom of God. 11. The one who has mentally corrected obedience, and the one who has subdued the flesh and spirit, has no need for human obedience: for this one obeys the word of God and the law, like a prudent obedient 377. And in them, fighting and warfare are bodies against the soul, it is necessary to obey, and to acquire the commander as a helmsman, skillfully holding the helm, and fairly arming 378: lest we consume ourselves from mental adversaries, and drown from passions for lack of skill 379. 12. When you are not chilled by some passion, and divine desire grows inward in your heart; and sometimes, as if imputing death to a dream, you were not afraid of it, but even more desirous of permission: then you acquired salvation as a betrothal, as befits you, carrying it into the kingdom of heaven inside, rejoicing with unspeakable joy. 13. You have been honored with the Divine and Godly priesthood 380, which you should have first of all, having been devoured 381 by the death of passions and pleasures: and so you dare to touch animals 382 and a more terrible sacrifice: if you do not want, as the substance is easily combustible, you will be burned by the divine fire. Even if Seraphim, without pincers, would not dare touch the divine coal; As soon as you touch without dispassion, your tongue will be purified, your lips will be purified, your soul and body will be pure, and your hand itself will be brighter than all gold, as if it were a servant of the all-essential fire and sacrifice. 14. Understand the strength of the spoken power, as if you were looking at salvation every day, when Simeon the elder saw it alone, he was horrified and prayed for forgiveness (Luke 2:30). And even if you have not received the message from the Holy Spirit, you are pleased to be an intercessor 384 for God and man, as if you are equal to the angels: do not you dare 385 to be impudent at the terrible and most pure divine rites, for the Angels are horrified, and many from the Saints, as if from incorruptible, have all reverently hidden themselves 386, and not as if Oza, he has a good opinion. 15. Take heed to yourself according to what you have decreed (1 Tim. 4:10). If what you have before, or now, there is something unclean inside you from weakness, let it be exhausted by divine fire, I bring up my first sins 387 . So, since the vessel is chosen and useful and is pure, and is worthy of such a sacrifice, you would have been able to transform your nature into silver, or even gold (1 Cop. 3:12), even if there were none and meager and ancient things 388, if only you would have a worshipable Deity 389. When God is ready to obey 390, there is not a single change from this to this change. 16. Behold, you have been honored with great honor equal to the angels, and strive to remain innocent 391 in the state in which you were called by all virtue and purity. Weigh the fallen warrior, from what yaks were for the ascension. Even if you don’t worry too much, dreaming about yourself as great: but have for yourself earth, and ashes (Gen. 18:27), and slop 392, and a certain dog, and cry, as if in every way you are worthy of communion with the Divine and kinship 393 we call to be the touch of the Holy Mysteries of a terrible sacred fulfillment, love for mankind God's ineffable and unspeakable goodness. 17. It is fitting for one who is a priest to be pure in all things: more than fornication and rancor, to have a subtle dream 394, and not to want to be damaged, or anointed with soot on the eyes, touching the body of the king, is hateful and vile. 18. With streams of tears he is first whiter than snow (Ps. 50:9), and also with a conscience whitened by purity, touching the Saints as if he were holy, with an outer angelic white robe revealing the inner beauty of the soul. Beware that you are not informed about the divine mysteries 395 by those who exist only in tradition, but may your grace, secretly and mysteriously, admonish those above. 19. Caring for incorruption and immortality, approach the life-giving and incorruptible with honesty and reverence by faith 396: desiring your departure from here, as if you were accomplished by faith. If you were afraid of death, you did not co-dissolve love with Christ: you were honored to eat him with your own hands 397, and you are satisfied with his flesh. Even if you had dissolved, you would have strived to go where your Beloved: but about life and flesh, creating nothing else 398. 20. You must be of the flesh of God and a priest and a partaker of communion, equipped to be and in the likeness of His death (Rom. 6:5): not to anyone who lives for himself, according to the Apostle, but to him who was crucified and died for you (2 Cop. 5:15). If you live passionately for the flesh and the world, prepare by death for immortal torment, if you do not become 399 by will before death from a bloodless sacrifice. Moreover, since there are many here from those unworthy of the priesthood, the sudden admiration of what was once death, in the message there there was torment. 21. For a certain priest, at that time a monk and a monk, had reverence for glory, and with many outward appearances 400 we are honest, but secretly inwardly fornicating and desecrating himself, performing the Divine and sacred service, approached the chant of Cheruiim, bowing his neck, as usual, before the holy meal, and the hedgehog: “no one worthy,” after reading it, he suddenly found himself dead. Leave his soul in this form! 22. The words of law and reason 401 are preferable to nothing; From here comes fear and love to God: it is then purified by reverence and concealment; She is perfect in creating with enlightenment and reasoning, and the mind is highly advanced, cooperating with high vision and ascension. It is not possible to come without fear to the divine zeal, and thereby fly to the trusted ones and honor them. 25. Come to me, repenting, since you desire salvation more fervently and without sin. You have reached the end, O fathers: by searching with sickness, asking unceasingly, and pushing patiently, you have received the foundation 403, establishing a strong faith and humility. Then you achieved what you wanted, not always receiving remission of sins, but always fearing no one, fearing the passion of some rebellion, separating without fear and with the boldness of the flesh. 24. Seek notification 404 acceptance with many tears, especially not before death, even if you are humble in wisdom, but not otherwise 405, as if you were without care, despise it; but then to find, near the outcome: both of which are not sinful, but having not hoped to have, we will be mocked by the exaltation, having sinned 406 what we desired, what we hoped for then will come to pass. And where will you go, wretched one, without betrothal 407 and the undoubted saving message given by the Spirit. 25. By dispassionately diligently diligently created by God, by obedience first in humility you will achieve what you want: so that, having walked in no other way, you will be guilty of your own labors. He has acquired dispassion, not only when he is cold from passions, but when he is silent and rests, but always enjoy in dispassion, and, because of the guilt of passions present, remain motionless: rather than suffer in these things, do not suffer in these thoughts. 26. Current desire will not bring you down to earth, dreaming of heaven 408. If some earthly predilection binds you to yourself, you are like an eagle, held in a net by the nail, and forbidden from soaring high. Have everything and use your skills with the hope of rewards. But that very flesh, calling for time, was shaken, follow the Angel of God who is tearing you out. 27. Just as it is not possible for the golden girl, who does not have the mark of the king, to be in the treasures of the king with the usual order of being: so it is not possible, without reason 409 of character and dispassion, to accept the betrothal of the local bliss, and with boldness and knowledge to go from here to the trusted, and to be with the elect. Reason, I say, is not 410 wisdom, but the unlost of God and the divine knowledge, by which the lover of God is exalted, we are not driven away from passions, to deification by the grace of the Spirit. 28. Even if you have gone through all the active 411, you will not rely on yourself, as if you have reached it in dispassion, below, without care, and remain in the world: let us not imagine the images of passions from here, and find inconvenience moving away: but we are always guarded by fear, diligent about what is changed 412 and changeable in your nature. Abandoned by the wisdom of the wines of passions: in the end there is unchangeable dispassion, in those who have achieved perfect love, and in the everlasting vision of those who have surpassed the sensual 413, and the body of those who have surpassed humility 414, the flame of passions does not touch them, having been cut off (Ps. 28:7) by the voice of the Lord, for which they are already transformed into incorruption 415. 29. Wish for dispassion, not before the time, so as not to suffer the primordial suffering, untimely communion of the tree of reason 416. But, doing with patience, self-control 417 abstinence, and diligent prayer, and preserving with self-reproach and extreme humility of mind, expect from these graces of dispassion, - after many storms and confusion, a haven of peace. It is not because God is unrighteous, who would always close the door of dispassion to those who walk in the right, when it is appropriate. 30. Come to me, to the wickedness of thinness and insignificance, about the lazy (Prov. 6:6), and also the inexperienced: and learn from Me, for He does not require our good things (Ps. 15:2). accepts. If, as if you were a debtor to the good things that had previously come from Him, do good: do good, and Divine mercy is near. If you are a debtor of good things, even though you think of doing them, you do not know that you have God: you have gone astray from the right. How can a debtor be a benefactor? In both cases, the father is like a mercenary: and little by little, having arrived, you will comprehend, by the grace of God, what you are seeking. 31. Do you want salvation, even dispassion, I will show you the way? Compel the Creator to pray, great power. Do not sin against the present 418, take out intercessors to Him, offering all the heavenly Powers, and all the Holy Ones, with the Most Pure Mother of God. And do not seek dispassion, for you are not worthy of this gift. Ask for salvation painfully, and accept with it dispassion. It is like silver, but it is like pure gold. Have also the secret, as far as possible, work of God’s servant, and some secret secrets of His words, idolizing you, in the image of which God rejoices and bows down. 32. Be moved to accept the betrothal 419 of salvation secretly inside your heart, with undoubted notification, so that you do not accidentally find horror and insurance during the exodus. Then you accepted, if no one else had, your heart was looking at poverty, and your conscience was beating about anger; Even if the ferocity of brutal passions is tamed in you by divine grace; Even when a tear of consolation flows, and the mind prays pure and inexpressibly 420, and sometimes the sweetest thing in the preparation of the heart awaits the fleeing and terrible deaths of many 421. 33. The verbs of the eternal life, which God has the Word from the supreme Apostles testified to (John 6:68), the words are the former 422 Those (John 1:3): and he who is secretly led to Him, into the secrets of those, as if he is undefiled, having been initiated, from here 423 acquisitions and an eternal life, and betrothal 424 of the Spirit, and shameless hope of salvation. It is not worthy of these, preferring the flesh over the soul, and having a predilection for earthly things, and being held by them. 34. Wordsev, not like a spoken word, is; Every person has this; but with the verbal 425 part of the soul, seek and try to find God. Moreover, in that case, it will never be discovered that he is the essence of the All-Essential: this is impossible for any nature: but 426 through the creation of beings by wisdom, and providence, and management: by maintenance and nourishment and observance, in the image of which one finds and as we see there is a great artist, in a great way and a house-maker by the work of his hand. 35. Non-covetousness, as it should be, cannot be corrected without dispassion, nor dispassion without love; neither sowing without fear and pure prayer; neither of these without faith and without care, in the image of which we cry out to the mind, the far-reaching overthrows wisdom, but flies to the high and sublime, seeking its Lord. 36. Love purity, like the apple of your eye, so that you may be the Church of God and the home you desire: it is not possible to be aligned 427 with God without chastity. This virtue gives rise to divine desire, and impartiality and flight from the world; He observes humility together with abstinence, constant prayer, and spiritual vision, and diligent tears with freedom from anger. Kindness of reasoning without dispassion cannot be obtained. 37. Let no one deceive you, brother, for without what is holy, according to the Apostle, we see God (Heb. 12:14). For 428 the Most Pure Lord does not accept, and even more than any purity, the unclean to appear. For he is not worthy of Him, who loves his father or mother more than Him: or again his daughter and son: such and such as something from the temporal and material 429; and many more, those who are vile and evil-smelling prefer sin to the love of the Lord. For God does not turn away the filth, but from what is below, corruption inherits incorruption (1 Cor. 15:50). 38. You will not be worthy of divine love without reason 430; below this, without faith. To faith, I say not simply naked: but virtues that come from deeds. Then you will receive true tenderness, always by abstinence and vigil, and by prayer and humility, having withered the sweetness implanted in the flesh, having been crucified with Jesus: not one living passionately, but by the Spirit of God, and living in walking in the hope of the highest inheritance. 39. In this knowledge, because you have desired me, you cry out to God, because my enemy will not rejoice over me (Ps. 40:12), even tormenting me to the end with passions and depressing me. But before my death, snatch me away from his hand, and have made me worthy to live a spiritual life pleasing to You; through Thy good end, I have been saved by presenting to the judgment, here the betrothal of salvation, by Your grace, and the undoubted notification that I accept, so that I will not be embarrassed at the time of the exodus and will not be ready to find myself, and may I not experience unbearable sorrow and more than death and the bitterest torment and the heaviest. 40. There is simply no harm in having faith and hope: but faith requires a strong soul; the hope of consideration and the heart is right. How can anyone believe and make the invisible comfortable without grace? How can anyone hope to have information about future unknown ones, if he does not keep the gifts of the Lord from being right, and through them he will receive information about them, as about the present? Moreover, in both virtues we need, and God’s adulation and help, for which we are not present, we labor in vain 41. The fruit of true virtue is either reason 432 or dispassion: or both. Otherwise, then our imagined virtue would be vanity, and it would not be unfeigned: if it were, it would be wetted with fruits, and not just leaves. Nowadays, either by pleasing a person, or by self-indulgence, or by something else from those who are displeasing to God, one is tame 434, and not a lover of God. But we, having corrected the guilt, will undoubtedly receive benefit, bringing, always appropriate and highly appropriate, reason 435 and dispassion, the goodness of our God. 42. Understand the intentions of the enemy, with the enlightenment of grace, and casting yourself before God with weeping, make known your weakness, having nothing for yourself, even if you hesitate to be 436 the liar admonishes. Below, pray for the fornication of 437 gifts, lest you be guilty of salvation and guardian of humility. Seek a mind 438 that is not arrogant (1 Cor. 8:1), as the vision of God is guilty, and not to be forced, as if by tormenting passions: but to be allowed to be 439 in dispassion, or in mercy 440 about sins, which is the most humble thing. 43. Just as it is not possible to fly to a high and lofty place without a krill, it is also possible to get the hope below, without the undoubted information that comes from here. Knowing comes from extreme humility, or from the grace of the Holy Spirit, completely aligned with God: in them, dispassion is truly, either partially, or more completely, by 441 reconciliation and purification. Otherwise, bodies that are separated, as in the winter (Matthew 24:20) of passions, or in the Sabbath (the holiday, apparently, of virtues), are under judgment and torture, as if they are tied during the time of retribution. 44. Let's save Tuna, thank the Savior and God. If you also want to bring gifts, bring from your widowed soul two mites prudently: humility, I say, and love: and this will be accepted, good, more than the multitude of virtues, which are cast from many into the treasure storehouse for salvation. If, like Lazarus, you demand revival, he died of passions: you yourself, like a relative sister (John 11:3), offer the Intercessor to Him, and you will receive what you truly seek. 45. Correcting the active 442, it is not possible with that alone to approach dispassion, as it is pure, pure and unsteamed 443, to pray, if not the spiritual mind is succeeded by visions, the enlightening mind 444, and the real understanding: by which we are resurrected and enlightened, it is not exalted 445 true prayers with zeal, stretching forth to the related lights of the heavenly immaterial Orders, and from there, very powerfully achieved, to the great one admires the light in the trisolar God-primary Trinity. 46. Not the imams, having been tormented in the future because we have sinned, we will be condemned below for this sake, having unchangeably and certainly received our nature: but because we have sinned without repentance, we will turn lower from the evil path to the Lord, we have accepted the power and the time of repentance: and moreover, it is good to be the Divinity (which is what it is), we will show that it is not seductive, as it is passionately, like vengeful into anger: perhaps only for malice, and not for us. For God is outside all passions and all vengeance: if it is said to be conformed by our deeds and dispositions, like a mirror, giving reward to each according to the merit of his deeds. 47. Hesitation from a better position, do not be horrified, but correct yourself, rather flowing back into the previous dispensation, sadness and decrepitude 446 in green self-reproach; but then he cried with a satisfied outpouring in contrition of spirit, having come out of the fall that had happened, he came to the pleasure of saving joy; in other respects, affirming yourself, there is great strength: so that you do not anger the Judge again and demand tears and sorrow for propitiation. If this does not happen here, then everything will happen in the future. 48. Again, about the shitty 447 priesthood, a word to us: as the Angel requires rank and purification, and much more affirmation 448 and chastity, more than before. In the same way, it is fitting that in front of this foul thing there should be some cleanliness: how can something that is pure be defiled? Is it possible, even if they wanted, to mix darkness with the light, and stench of the world, to inherit grief and destruction, as truly sacred, as Ananias in Sapphira. 49. From the vessel it is lost, and is not needed at all (even though you are negli and consider yourself worthy to ascend to the priesthood equal to the angels in heaven), with a small cleansing, the vessel is chosen and useful to the Lord (2 Tim. 2:21), according to Paul, having been, keeping the honor that is undefiled, which you have been made worthy of. Guard the divine gift like the apple of your eye, so that, without being defiled inattentively, you will truly be cast from the heights into the abyss, unable to find a return. 50. Consider, as a wise man 449, that I will justify to God, condemning no one (Rom. 8:34): and even when you called, you entered into the transcendental grace of the Divine Priesthood, without any care for the previous life, if there was no place where you were negligent and defiled, but by God you were also cleansed by correction. But may you be diligent and sober, so as not to defile the grace: and if anyone thoughtfully considers your sacred fulfillment in advance 450, he will inspire 451 the divine voice: even if God has cleansed it, do not defile it (Acts 10:15). 51. The office of the priesthood is easy and the yoke is good (Matthew 11:30), but even if it is chosen, it is quickly corrupted, just as there is a law, and if there is no purchase there is 452 the grace of the Divine Spirit. Sometimes, with human diligence and a perishable gift, an unsaleable title would be purchased, and a title not from above: a heavy burden is, as if carried beyond dignity rather than strength, and a cruelly green yoke erases both the neck and the strength of the one who attracts, and if it is not abandoned, it will exhaust and consume completely. 52. Having come under the yoke of the Priesthood with boldness, straighten your ways, and rightly destroy the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:16), with fear and trembling you co-create your salvation (Phil. 2:12): for our God consumes fire (Heb. 12:29). And if you touch this, like gold or silver, do not be afraid of being burned: like the fathers of fire in Babylon. Even if you are a haymaker and a reed grower, you are fond of burning the most substance 453, like an earthly wise person; tremble, lest you be consumed by the Divine fire, unless you, like Lot, flee from the wrath of the most terrible ones. We do not know, unless there were some slightest diminution from weakness 454, consumed by this Divine fire in the most holy sacrifice, and from here you yourself remain unburnt in the fires and unharmed, like a weak bush garden 455. 53. Passive property 456, like a seed-bearing one, unable to be torn away for a long-standing custom, how do you dare to be inviolable and by an Angel, damned? For, either be horrified and withdraw from other Divine sacred accomplishments, and thus God will be appeased; or wait, as if you are insensitive and uncorrected, you are alive and fall into the hand of God with wrath (Heb. 10:31), not sparing mankind, but mercilessly tormenting you, for daring shamelessly to the royal marriage, defiled in soul and attire, as if you are unworthy of the entrance itself, even more than reclining. 54. I know from those who are priests who are unworthy of Divine daring, because I fell into the passion of fornication. We are vulnerable first of all because of an incurable and cruel illness, which is already approaching death. And yet, doing everything for the deliverance of evil, doing a lot of nothing 457, and even more than that, extending evil: having come to sympathize with the negli, and having learned that we are killing this, which is beyond the dignity of performing sacred acts, we deny the abiy with the oath of the sacred Liturgy 458. At the same time, the injury and healing followed, as if the illness remained in this case. 55. The light of the priesthood is the same dignity and attire, but it is still necessary to have purity that shines inside and soul. Sometimes, however, one becomes defamed by inattention, and the conscience, which bears witness to the cold, is despised, the light is darkness, and eternal darkness and fire are to blame, if not forsaking this path, as if we were going both ways, we will turn aside by virtue and humility, leading safely into the kingdom of God. 56. Salvation is obtained through wickedness 459 and virtue, and not through the glorious Priesthood and the equal angels of tormenting living. For either be, like the Angels, passionless, as if you are outside the world and the flesh by wisdom, and so go up this heavenly ladder: or having become aware of your own weakness, fear the great heights of the fall not to those who are man-loving 460, and accept a life loved by many, not to me it is assimilating to God; in it, even if it happens to fall, it is convenient to rise again through repentance, by the mercy of God, purchased and by grace. 57. Flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15:50). And how are you, who partake of God’s flesh and blood, not being in the flesh (Eph. 3:6) and not being dissolved with this blood, already having the kingdom of heaven within; but are we consumed by passions in flesh and blood? I am afraid that the Spirit of God may not abide in you as if in the flesh (Gen. 6:3), and half be cut off (Matthew 24:51) then, during the judgment, I will receive from You the shitty 461 priesthood, as it is unworthy of such Grace 462. 58. Before your eyes, I do not exist in the fear of God, I think it is bad 463 to be a certain thing, which is not worthy of performing sacred acts, out of selfishness we deceive, and the good from here is detestable to God. This and Daoan suffered from ancient times and Aviron, even before this land was devoured. What are you afraid of, and fearing where there truly is fear, understand the greatness of the thing, and either worthily and purely, but not the river: equal to the angels, act the Divine priesthood thing, or refrain from the terrible Sacrifice, as if it were reasonable: but not in this way, I despise you in this, and denounce my deceiving conscience, say, then we condemn, with illness, when everyone is judged and tortured: the fear of which you were terrified came to me, and the fear of which you slaughtered me (Job 3:25). 59. Soberly and painfully about yourself, first offer, with contrition and tears, a world-saving and sacred sacrifice in propitiation. Who else will you have who will grieve for you and also offer 464 after death? Same. as he is quick-witted 465, having preceded it, bury it for himself and first remember it in the intercession of salvation, that Matchmaker herself at the holy meal offering to God, and the free here and philanthropic slaying of Him. 60. Inexpressible and unspeakable sweetness is with the knowledge of the soul being separated from the body, and this being taken off like a robe. Having already received what he had already hoped for, he puts it aside without sorrow, going in peace to the bright and quiet Angel who has come from above, and passing through the air without restraint with him, in no way damaged by the spirits of wickedness, but ascending in joy, with boldness and voices of gratitude, until he reaches the Creator for worship, and from there he will receive the saying, with similar practices and equal virtues, even before the general resurrection. 61. I say a strange word, and do not be surprised: even if you do not receive dispassion, for the tormenting negli of the enterprise 466; but, finding himself at the time of the exodus in the abyss of humility, nothing less than the passionless one ascended above the clouds. Even though the treasure of the dispassionate is collected from all virtue, the precious stone of humility is more worthy than all others, not of propitiation for the one who acquired it from God, but also of joining with the chosen ones in the bride of his kingdom. 62. Having accepted the cleansing of sins from God, glorify the Unforgettable and Gentle, strengthening yourself over free sins with all your strength: even if there is propitiation for those even before the outcome on a daily basis, but you think 467 to be unreasonable, it is convenient to sin as a hedgehog in your mind. Otherwise, I drive away your hopes with the stone of the dog of despair, and I always and abidingly ask without shame that many sins will be forgiven: that you yourself may 469 love the Many-Merciful and All-Blessed One in the future. 63. Whenever we act from the Divine grace, lie before God with tears in prayer, stretched out crosswise on the ground, and beating with your head, and seek from here 470 absolution, as freedom from corruption, and the temptations of alienation: both according to what pleases you, but, as God wills, both whenever and wherever: you already desire departure, and loving this, if only you had gone with tears to the Lord in the depths of humility, so that you would stand without care from the flame of desire and prayer; enduring both the delay now in the present, as if I foresaw the best for God. Seek what is sinless, compulsorily and unremittingly, so that you do not do, what you do not say, what you do not look at and what you do, so that you do not fall away from God. 64. This flesh-bearer does not attempt to test the mental, as the essence is, even if the intelligent soul leads to this purity. If the incorporeal, held by breath and blood, will not be resolved, and there will be no mental problems, this will not be possible, as it should be, to be examined and comprehended. Having therefore prepared to depart from matter, as from some other second mother, false and dark, but immaterial and light, be in good spirits, glorifying the Benefactor who leads us through death to those who trust in us, and take out sobriety, for the sake of the wicked demons walking around, and those who slander our heel in our goodness 471 more flattering than those who watch, that is, the end of life: trembling even before the end, for the unknown future: as if we were created, having been created for convenience, we exchange it for the autocratic. 65. Then the enemy will forewarn us with fierce and terrible temptations, when he senses the soul of great virtues of measure revealed: this will signify 472 both from the verb of prayer and from the supernatural above this twosome, the flesh and the sensual, ascension. And the enviously misanthropic tempts us so much that we despair of life. It is not known, as it seems, that good things happen to us, skillfully 473 making us patient from here, and weaving the brightest crowns for us. 66. There is no greater feat than chastity and virginity. And from those very Angels we are surprised to honor celibacy, and the sufferers are no less crowned: for the one bound by flesh and blood, strives to imitate with ever-present purity the immateriality of the bodiless, how much labor and sweat there is! And how truly great and high is the correction 474, as it is small and impossible to be, as if it were greater than nature! Is it possible that God will help from above, strengthening the weak nature, and strengthening the rotten, and in some way lifting up from the earth with Divine care, and the hope of deferred honors. 67. The flesh is wetted by drinking a lot and sleeping a lot, which is an obstacle to chastity. Chastity is true and in dreams, even in sleep, it remains motionless: if it flows into this mind, there is a sign that the disease of passion is still carried away deeply. If by grace one is worthy to converse with God even without the body, in a dream; then this one remains pure 475, and the guardian of soul and body is alert, the silent theme, as if someone bore, vigilant for the sake of wolves and does not steal. 68. Gloriously 476 I say my word to you, and do not be surprised. There is a certain sacrament that is performed in secret between God and the soul. These are the highest measures, and perfect purification, and love, and faith: when a person, finally reconciled, unites with God through assimilation, prayer and unceasing vision. With this (sacrament) Elijah closes the sky with lack of rain, and burns the victim with heavenly fire; Moses cuts the sea, and with an outstretched hand overcomes Amalek, and Jonah is saved from Whale and the depths. It is necessary to lead God, who loves mankind, wherever he would like. He who has been vouchsafed this may even live in the flesh, but he has gone beyond the measure of decay and deadness, as if he were waiting for death in common sleep, sending sweetness to those who hope. 69. Ashamed of the Master's passions, and for the depletion of God's Word, but also for the dissolution with us of the life-giving and Divine Body and blood, not only of communion, but also of sacred virginity, we have been honored, humble yourself, like the sheep of the slaughter; truly imputing those who have gained to you 477: and being careful not to hurt anyone’s conscience, especially wordlessly 478 Without sanctification, do not dare to touch the saints, lest you be burned like hay by Divine fire, and like wax melted, you will be killed 479. 70. Truly, if, as it should be, the Divine and Godly 480 Sacrament acts as a terrible sacrament, and does not concern 481 conscience; You won’t have any hope of salvation from anything else, but from this you will have hope of salvation: more than anything you do and see, you will benefit from this. If it is not so, you see for yourself, it is better to retreat at all, with the knowledge of your weakness, from the height of the priesthood, rather than holding on to this unlawfully and impurely, and many imagine myself to be high, in a fall of tears worthy of lying from lack of worth. 71. Much higher lies the service of the priesthood 482, and propitiation and supplication to God, more than any singing 483 and prayer, much more than the stars the sun. We slay and offer the Only Begotten One Himself and offer it in prayer 484 for sinners who were slain for love of mankind, not just for the remission of sins, but also for them if we truly pray for good, and for the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, if our conscience is not defiled. And the body, united to the Divine, like a kind of burning coal, burns every substance of iniquity, and enlightens the hearts of those who approach with faith: in the same way, the Divine and honest blood wipes away and cleanses, more than any hyssop, all filthiness and incandescence, with great power, pure, and not unclean, for the holy ones who dare. Oh, so that whoever drinks 485 in such cases. 72. Not the body received 486 of God the Word, like someone speaking from the Saints descending from heaven to eat; but this very bread and wine is transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, by faith, and fear, and love, and reverence from those who have been honored with the Divine Priesthood, we receive the sacrament, and from this we receive this change, by the action and influx of the Most Holy Spirit, without being any other body than this Master, being transformed into this, becoming corruptible incorruptible. Kolicia therefore demands purity and holiness, the Priest, touching the Divine body! And what is the boldness of the intercessor 487 to God and to man, and to embrace prayer books with the Most Pure Mother of God and the Mother of God, all the heavenly Angels of Power and others like those removed from the ages. It seems to me that Angelsky, or Arkhangelsky, demanded that 488 because of the dignity of tacos and assimilation 489. 73. It is fitting for you to be marked, O faithful 490, because for this reason the Holy One, according to the symbol of faith, is openly presented at the holy meal, having to be sanctified, the Akibs demanded in a certain way from those who brought 491, and called in non-verbal voices to the One who lives in heaven. It’s in vain that He doesn’t despise, and he doesn’t walk by seeing, and with a vision he remembers the free exhaustion of sinners, and the ineffable condescension, and the philanthropic slaying. For those who are justified are given deliverance at the price of passion and salvation, but the good and kind, but those who attacked 492 have mercy on them. 74. If, for the pure, you diligently prayed, uniting the immaterial mind with God, and you achieved, as in a mirror, to see the inheritance of 493 you at the end of this life, like the betrothal of the Spirit, receiving, and having acquired the kingdom of heaven inwardly in every sense (Phil. 1:9) in the message: do not suffer to be resolved from the flesh without carrying out death; but also pray diligently about this, and be confident that you will receive it near the end, if there is something useful: always prepare for it, putting away all fear, as if the air had passed away, and the spirits of wickedness had fled, boldly and fearlessly you will be inside the heavenly circles, in the rank of angels we compose, and the annex 494 who has been chosen and righteous from eternity, and God in vain, very powerfully achieved; Or else, then He has good, and the Word of God, looking at the radiant light of heaven, is served in one worship with His Most Pure Flesh, together with the Father and the Spirit, from all the heavenly host and all the Saints. Amen. The Reverend and God-Bearing Father of Pasha Simeon, Metropolitan of Euchaitis 495, letter to John the monk and recluse This also befits every monk sitting alone in silence. I have received yours, spiritual father, this God-loving scripture, and praised your humility according to God, as from Me, who possessed nothing good, you were worthy to hear a word of benefit. But if I had not been afraid of the rebuke of disobedience, I would have disobeyed you: knowing that I have not acted as a hypocrite, I will be called to receive the kingdom of heaven from those who strive. And since obedience is not free and your faith is great, trusting in this and in your prayer, I will be instructed by them, and I write as you commanded. The fathers say that there are three parts that are more verbal 496 of our soul: the mind, the hedgehog in the left 497 they say, the furious 498 and the desirable 499. In these three, virtues naturally exist within, while evils come through the deprivation of virtues. The 501 parts of the verbal virtues are: right faith, knowledge, wisdom, humility and always moving towards God and having good thoughts and pure thoughts and divine visions. Its evils 502 are: Unbelief, ignorance, madness, oblivion, vanity, pride, wandering 503 thoughts, and the like. The desirable 504 virtues are: chastity, aversion from all perishable things, that is, food and drink, possessions, profits, transitory glory, and to direct all love towards God, and to extend all grief to Him. Malice 505 is its essence: Incontinence 506; love the world and everything in it; who in these defile the curiosity of the soul; hedgehog prefer the transient 507. The furious 508 parts of malice are: rage, anger 509, resentment, envy, verbal abuse, and the like. Her virtues are: meekness, courage, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, love, goodness 510. For this reason, 511 our fathers lived in the deserts and in the mountains 512, and in the abysses of the earth, and in laurels, and in monasteries, and in cells, and in hermitages, and on pillars, living: so that what was abolished from all of them, or through perfect patience and obedience 513 and cutting off the will 514, they will wash away malice and virtue they will acquire, either by solitude, and by no means 515 abolition from here, morals will be punished into feelings, in the mind and thoughts inconspicuous and incomparable 516 they will be kept from insignificant thoughts, and they will find God, for his sake they do everything and work hard: and this is how it is. And yet the essence of bodily slaughter is: fasting, vigils, long stays, service, handicrafts: obedience, obedience; spiritual: love, long-suffering, meekness, abstinence, a prayer similar to this: it is fitting, spiritual father, to cut off malice by mortifying the whole world, conciliar abstinence 517, grateful patience, true humility, suffering, unceasing prayer, and spiritual love. Because of these spiritual struggles in the body, evil perishes, but virtues increase. For through suffering, we make all bodily passions fade away through humility and love, and so do spiritual ones; But with abstinence and patience 518, and in the midst of our troubles we endure valiantly, and in our waves we endure diligence. The sad thing that comes upon us is involuntary; it is free, as we contrive from ourselves 519, that is, fasting, vigils and the like. Through prayer, we are helped by Divine grace: nothing 520 because without help from above, but below without our will 521 we can slide. Having come to know God’s love for us, which is good in His promise to us, remember His blessings and intercessions every day, and how He delivers us from the troubles and temptations of men, and from the demonic slander, this ignorance and oblivion besides 522. For just as those who love earthly things do everything for their sake and suffer, so that they do not fall away: so those who desire heavenly blessings, whatever they have, do good, and endure whatever they find 523, so that they do not sin what they desire 524 . And you, spiritual father, having been strengthened by grace from above, you despised the whole young world, believing in Christ who said: Whoever does not renounce all his thoughts cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:33); and whoever loves father or mother more than Me is worthy of Me (Matthew 10:37); and whoever leaves a house, or a village, or grapes, and children, and a wife, receives a hundredfold, and will inherit it for everlasting life (Matthew 19:29); and come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28); but you heard this, and you believed, and you created, and you desired to undergo the most generous life of fasting 525; It is fitting, therefore, to firmly lay the foundation, and to come to the training school first of obedience, and through patience, and non-covetousness, and the perfect cutting off of the will, to be freed from passions, to be led to humility, and through private virtues, to the highest calling of these, that is, to the preservation of thoughts. And before this had not happened, but on the pillar of your spiritual house 526 you have established faith, hope, and love 527, like some kind of strong foundation, having set up: if you have instructed 528 anyone from the wise, obey his word: and do nothing without his commandment and advice: and not from self-indulgence and self-indulgence, or some other If the situation is shaken, your statements will crush the building. If you don’t have a person, have a true teacher and mentor 529 Christ, who will enlighten and strengthen you in all good things. First of all, understand the intention for which you came. But you have come away from all things that have come to hate, for they are completely sin; cut off the passions that create sin. These are sins, gluttony, fornication and such; passions: rage, lust, sadness and sweetness. You came forth not only to hate this, but also to strive against passionate thoughts, lest the mind be desecrated by contemplation; that having acquired a pure heart, we may renew a right spirit (Ps. 50:12) through pure prayer the kingdom of heaven 531 will be nothing to us. Always invite yourself according to this saint (Arseny): why did you come out? And if the cold, the demon’s harmful 532 lusts, strike, arm yourself against them with fasting, vigil, and suffering, and humility, and diligent prayer. If there is anger, and sadness, and resentment: meekness, and long-suffering, and almsgiving, and mercy, and compassion, and contempt for all substance and the glory of this life, in the image of the furious soul is indignant. If thoughts of vanity and opinion attack, resist them with humility and constant prayer, and zeal for God, and the memory of death 533: knowing that unless the Lord builds a house, those who build it labor in vain (Ps. 127:1). Truly, spiritual and good father, what we do, even if we look at it well, is completely evil, and vicious 534, and impoverished 535. Who can be chaste like Joseph? Who will love God like Abraham? Who fasts like Moses, and Elijah, and Daniel? Who is there who is dying every day, like the Apostles and Martyrs? Who suffers like our holy fathers Anthony 536, Simeon, Alypius and Daniel the pillars, and other fathers; and even in the wilderness there are women, but I say no husbands? And those of today are jealous of those, even if not like them, but because of their strength, they strive: I hear that there are many ascetics now in the deserts, and in the mountains, and in monasteries: I see many who labor above the commandments and above the measure 537 in virtues. But let us leave these, as they are still struggling; the end is unknown: both of them, like those before them, strived even more, and ceased to do good, reproaching everyone we find. And he said to himself that the earth would be ashes (Gen. 18:27), but he is unworthy of the passion 538 of the present time for the glory that desires to appear in us (Rom. 8:18), Seeing the great goodness of God towards us, and how for our sake man has been worthy to be and to die, all that is done by them is like bleeding sackcloth 539, imputed, and as if they were wise (Phil. 3:8), shade, and as if they were nothing (Ps. 109:23–38:6). It is appropriate for us, who think, to take pride in our souls and opinions, and if we do anything, we should impute this as a plea, and an excuse for our sins, and our debt, and as we must, as servants, fulfill every commandment given to us from the Master, and then say: we are unimpeachable servants (Luke 17:10) All fasting 540, even if you do it, do it secretly, and do it for God’s sake, and as if you are doing nothing, and as if you are not doing it according to the word 541, and walking according to your will, always reproach yourself, and say to your thoughts: this very first condemnation is for me, because I am fulfilling my will 542; and human 543 praise, and even blessings from them, strengthen me for such fasting 544. Those who are in obedience do all the evil that they are careless and do not want, and all the work that the leader wants, they endure, humiliated, insulted, embittered, dishonored: I, like a self-lover 545 and cowardly, have fled obedience: I sit here, we are blessed by those who obey, for the visible and imaginary fasting 546. If you do this and think like this, and more than any other person you consider yourself to be a passion and sinner, and you reproach yourself as if you were idle, and not like worldly warriors, suffering and struggling 547, and in all your work you accept humility and love: according to God, your work is, and as it should be, you sit and your cell. Otherwise, look, spiritual father, and do not toil in vain. I will take away the excellences 548 and the depletions of virtues: but seek these environments with difficulty, creating in time and according to the measure. This is the essence of the superiority: lengthy fasting and vigil 549, and nakedness, and iron-bearing, and so on 550. Wednesday, to partake of food every day and not to be satisfied, moderate sleep and work, and to do according to the well-known 551 tradition of the holy fathers, that is, the church and monastic rules. It was said by someone from the holy father, but the edges of 552 demons are the essence. Even if there are none from the ascetics, strengthened by hope for God and love, you are extremely prosperous, but this rarely happened: and not according to the commandment and rule 553, it was not accepted by the Fathers, as it was sinful and except in advice, and the harm 554 was guilty of multiplied by those who wanted to imitate. The true path, by transcendence 555, is the highest degree of virtue, and this likeness to God is. If you love your enemies, if you love those who hate, if you do good to those who do evil (Matthew 5:14), if you bear burdens (Gal. 6:2), if you are reproached and slandered, you bless (1 Cor. 4:12), if you love all men as you love yourself, as Christ also loved to eat us (Eph. 3:2); if you rejoice with those who rejoice, and if you weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15), if you always give thanks in everyone (Eph. 5:20), if you pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17); If you love God with all your soul and with all your heart (Matthew 22:37) and work for Him. This is the essence of unnatural correction; These are the fruits of the Spirit, in whom we are like God. All the rest, if only through abstinence and ill-suffering, we contrive 557 paths, and rooting, and tools, and deeds, leading and instructing to these things. What does the farmer benefit from sowing, and about the land and grapes; and diligence of trees, if not wheat and grapes and wine, bear fruit? What is the creator's axe, and the fishermen's oars and boat and cane, if not his own gain will he give 558? And if they have this image, and in the end, that is, for gain and benefit, looking at it, we do it; below the monk is by no means benefited from labor and does not flow towards that very good thing and for the wrong reasons 559. For this reason, father, it is fitting that all creation should be done for the sake of God and not for something transitory or human: such 560 for they will accept their reward, as the Lord himself said (Matthew 6:2, 5:16). It is proper to build up the soul through physical virtues. But to those who are tempted by you, even if they are foreigners, serve in every possible way, 561 and reproach and condemn yourself for sinning, and pray for them, since you have strength. Beware, says the Lord, that you do not cause one to stumble from these little ones (Luke 17:2); and the Fathers say; from one's neighbor there is life and death: and I have never laid down my will 562 before my brother. For the benefit of those who come to you with reason, nourish 563, and edify them, and do not ruin yourself. For those who are silent, it is fitting to have all-round carelessness and indifference about external ones: for those who come 564, conversation and answer 565, And before that, do not harm yourself, and want to help the brethren; Imagine three days from the week for silence, and three days for conversation. And keeping silent, do the work in your cell: reading, prayer, and psalmody, neglis and handicrafts. Give teaching to the mind: the memory of death, the memory of past sins, daily sins, negligence and crime in prayer and psalmody and other virtues, remember the language of your inclination, rage and lust, wordless movements, wandering thoughts, harmful 566 thoughts, theft of man-pleasing, the grunting of 567 vanity. Feel this all, and create correction, and eradicate it from the distant thought, lest it be as if the tares choke down the wheat of virtue, and we become barren. Give again to do 568: memory of death, future judgment, eternal torment, martyrs of courage; fasters of courage, correction of all Saints. Give yourself instruction in the development of the love of God: the condescension to think of Christ, the passion, the cross, death; Create a tree for our sake, a tree and Jacob’s promise; and because He is this, we have not created His commandment below our creation, below we create, and both, according to His love for mankind, countless needs and sorrows, and from the slander of demons and delusions, and from cold, man has delivered in abundance and delivers us every day: but we are grieved by deeds and words and evil thoughts at every hour His goodness; We love our enemy the devil 569 and attract him to us. This is the thought that we will not be plunged into humility, contrition, tenderness, and tears; Consider these virtues of the God-bearing Fathers, and we will uphold them in every way: that is, perfect humility, obedience, dispassion, purity, peace that prevails in every mind (Phil. 4:8), wisdom, union with God through prayer, truth and moderation in all virtues, for with these all humility will come to you, and humility God will dwell in you and walk in you according to His promise. Speak with a passionate thought, depart from Me, all you who do iniquity (Ps. 6:9), and do not make the house of God a house of purchase (John 2:16). Give you a mentor in words 571, and in the words of the teacher of Christ; Having been cleansed of passions, the mind does not require any other teaching. And speak to your soul and body every day, how long have you passed the day, how long has it been the night? And about those whom you have corrected, say with humility, thanks: Not I, but the grace of God, which is with me; On the contrary, even though you have sinned like a man, torture yourself with spiritual accusations, like the judges of those in the world who beat the body. Even if you have a lot of bad thoughts; From a person to whom you dare to slip your faith, don’t hide it, but open it inside and declare it, so that it doesn’t somehow hurt you and kill you. Woe, he says, to one, for if he falls, he cannot raise him up (Eccl. 4:10): and if there is no nourishment, they fall like leaves, but salvation is in many councils (Prov. 11:14). Therefore, during the three days of silence, diligently test and convert within yourself and reflect, so that you do not introduce indecent and unhelpful thoughts to the contrary, so that the light within you will be darkened, and as if in the darkness you will shoot out (Ps. 10:2) the truth of your soul. During the other four days of the week, to those who come to you and want to reveal their thoughts, speak to salvation, so that after fleeing from anger they will not again fall into a thousand times of sin. If those, like people, happen to sin again, teach them to quickly come to confession and repentance. And command this, that those given from You keep the commandments, that meetings and ordinary singing do not remain, whether they stand inside the church, or even outside, and that they give alms to the poor, and that they do not forget love for each other, that those who are in the midst of grief forgive each other. This is the path to the forgiveness of sins with convenience: measure in small measure, and it will be measured to you (Matthew 7:2); and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors (Matthew 6:12). There is nothing easier than this path to the remission of sin: there is no need for fasting, no labor of any kind: but leave it alone, and it will be left, he says. In this way, advise diligence both about abstinence from sleep, and about natural and about movements that enter the body outside of the body. Even if some monks obeyed and confessed, they did not accept your obedience, Father, for temptations and envy: teach them to obey their fathers, and to walk in their teaching. If they have a question that they are perplexed by and Christ will enlighten you: give them an abundant solution to the question. Receiving wives and conversing with these confessors or disciples is by no means proper or in accordance; and especially by a young monk: below the dispassionate words of a woman they will hear, below their voice their hearing, below their face their sight will pass without harm. It is foolish to avoid these at all, and to send them to virtuous nuns, if they are the same, and through them to hear that they cannot heal. And when some need compels you to see your wife; not this part, but after many days they received, not their face in vain, we see less from them: and few rivers to them, and having heard less from them, send them away soon from your cell, and they will be guilty of harm to those who do not harm you. If some harm is small either in you or in those who are with you, you understand that you will be born from such persons, and remove them from the path leading to you. Those who are cold from demons, either truly or pretending, always avoid and drive away, not allowing them to approach your cell. There are many, whom we also know, who were overthrown and destroyed. Dreams, and dreams, and prophecies, and divinations, and the like, do not deny at all. Many of these deceits and mischiefs were caused by those who obeyed that monk, and from these prophecies there were countless confusions and disorders, and many battles and slaughters occurred. For the Lord's sake, keep yourself from such people, great strength, and sit in your cell, as it was said, in secret and alone, like in the bee of virtue, Christ made honey 573. Given from certain lovers of Christ, if you do not have food and clothing, according to the Apostle (1 Tim. 6:8), do not accept more than your needs and those who are with you. If you imash, but do not accept it, if it is powerful, but be a doer of virtues free of charge: if you accept 574, but not in the buildings of fertilizer, nor in earthly acquisitions, or some other perishable things, then you are vainly dependent: neither on friends and relatives, nor on meals, debts and many dependencies, so that you are not guilty of temptation and slandering things foolishly to those who judge: just as you created things, you also ruined them. But what was proper and self-satisfied was accepted from them, but what was in excess was given to widows, and orphans, and the poor. Pray for the peace of the whole world, for the salvation of Christians 575, and for all people. Praying 576 also about My unworthiness: as having never done any good, having no remnant of any virtue, but suffering from wounds and passions, I write, filled with all virtues and intelligence by the grace of God, and teach. Forgive me, for the Lord’s sake, about this, about which I have spoken in abundance out of madness and ignorance, and have written inappropriately. The Lord God will protect you from all visible and invisible bitterness and strengthen you in His holy will. To him be glory forever. Amen. In other Greek lists: “land”. Friend, list. "countless good." By friend. list "in humans." That is: although the purity of the Attic language is not observed everywhere in it. If there is any ambiguity in it, then this does not come from the darkness of the presentation, but from the fact that the truths presented in it are usually better understood through doing something consistent with them, and cannot be explained in words alone. That is carefully guarding against extremes. It must be thought that this word was written by someone else, and through a misunderstanding was added to the words of the Rev. Brand. Neither the printed editions of his book, nor the translations of Elder Paisius Velichkovsky contain this word. In one main commandment, the Lord concluded the most necessary. If they do not agree to understand it this way. Doesn't this mean that... In the same way, Lord... another reading: έѵυπόςατον realized in them. By friend. reading: what shall we do... Τό άσυμπαϑές. By friend. reading: τό συμπαϑές, i.e. for similar (serpentine) properties. We will not find a similarity to that evil, so that after faith and knowledge and talents.... These words: “and malice will be fulfilled” are not in the printed book (1524 Paris, ed.) According to ed. printed: “having laid the foundation of the second love on the victory of evil that preceded it.” Just like the father of Publius, who was in charge of the island of Malta, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, he suffered from a cut in the stomach (δυσεντερία). Wanting to show that those who arbitrarily sin are further removed (from the good path)... For how can one say that they do not sin arbitrarily, when they do not want to fulfill the word of Daniel in order to obtain remission of sins... Or knowledge, or some other means of showing compassion. And by the words: stinking and rotting, meaning negligence that continues even to death, like a kind of stench and decay. I completely concluded this. According to another reading: depose. And all this must be done not only outwardly, but also in mental activity, so that those who have worked for a long time become dispassionate through this. Friend. Thurs. the predicted three virtues can... Not by the consciousness of one’s rightful deeds. Friend. Thurs. foolishness and malice. Under the pretext that there is no longer hope. Friend. Thurs. as if you were weighed, you should be one. Ensuring relatively subtle and small errors. By friend. Thurs. However, he will remain as far behind his characteristic dispassion as he has deviated from the passion that allowed the evil to happen to him. The increasing power of what possesses it. And this is completely characteristic of repentance. According to a friend: reading: in an argument with him. By friend. Thurs. committing. When the time for reprieve has passed. ύποδίχω awarded to them. By friend. Thurs. do not give up repentance. Mind, according to reason... If repentance is a request for mercy. Elder Paisios meant the reading: μή δέ ίδιαν, i.e. for the sake of repentance not for one’s own sin, but for the sin of crime (Adam’s). And in the book, ed. in 1624, printed like this: μετανοίας ένχεν, χαί μή δί άδεαν... etc., i.e. for the sake of repentance, and not for fearlessness. But, due to the sin of breaking the commandment, we are cleansed by baptism... Friend. Thurs. from business (demanded by passions). That he has no need to show... Whoever, considering himself righteous, is disposed in his spirit as if he had committed repentance; instead, without knowing it... Recognizing that he should never, until his death, cease to act by the power of grace. By friend. Thurs. by which, as I comprehended, you will not be cleansed of passions, but only by the grace of Christ you will calm down somewhat. By friend. Thurs. useless. Because of our self-delusion. According to each other. Thurs. And the beginnings of things are two conflicts not considered by reflection. When they involuntarily curse. But, protecting Himself, it foretells the law of righteousness. The one we think has offended us. At least this offense had the right basis, or at least it didn’t. Knowledge of God, which is more comprehensive than any knowledge, and which... From whom nothing is hidden. He will help us. We do not believe in the grace of God. According to the printed word: thus, so as not to go back. to express spiritual things spiritually. By friend. Thurs. I cannot see what is hidden in it. By friend. Thurs. We are Cain, and we are mistaken. To this in print. The edition is supplemented: “Bound by hopes, by temptations.” a person has peace in acting correctly; and when he sins, then he is given over to his enemies for the destruction of reasoning. Συμβάδεως, about every case that occurs. P o friend. Thurs. "not God." By friend. th . To the Heavenly Bishop, Lord Christ. And they unintentionally became guilty. On another note. Each of the lusts. Having been forcibly drawn by habit to the first. By friend. Thurs. Those who are deprived against their will. Friend. Thurs. According to the Spirit, the work... Po. Friend. Thurs. But the Ovi, through addiction, mislead us and prevent us from achieving salvation. By Friend. Thurs. in hope, acquired intelligent faith. In print. ed. added: For there is faith by hearing (Rom. 10:17), and there is faith by giving notice to those who hope. Friend. Thurs. according to the gift of Christ. Sin that is located (λογιχή) is born in the mind. By friend. Thurs. and not baptized. Tso friend. Thurs. remiss. But in general, private ones must perform all the commandments briefly. Who is not at all initiated (άμύητος, non est initialus) into these actions (of the Spirit) after baptism, so that he can renounce it and say that he did not accept... By friend. Reading: due to omission of commandments. It is impossible not to be susceptible to attack (temptations). Additional Likewise: no one comes to the Father except by Me (John 14:6). These words: (according to the decision: etc.) in print. there is no book. Friend. Thurs. But every thought is rejected, below the one hour of the action of the Spirit, desiring to be deprived. Reveal the tree of the spiritual for the sake of love, rejecting, saying: who.... By friend. Thurs. for the truth of Christ. Not in all... but in some according to their dignity. By friend. Thurs. thoughts transforming into a different type. That is, what did you pay for the ancient sin? That is, not only the ancient debt, but also the debt imposed on you every day, cannot be fully repaid. By friend. Thurs. We are putting to death. I would not experience the pretext (attack) of evil. He bows to only one side of evil. This means: an employee in court. By friend. Thurs. Question. It appears only in thought. Friend. Thurs. and that very (thing). Friend. Thurs. Wills (definitions). Without stumbling, he does not cause us to stumble. That is, for the fact that we did not protect ourselves regarding the future. Otherwise: will it be justified by reason or not. Do not get carried away by previously accepted impressions, due to the fact that... In print. The book has been supplemented: for every day, not externally, but also internally... For if we were to break the law because of succession, then it would be necessary... By necessity of natural succession. those who are addicted to sweetness will be shown condemned. That is, it is not immediately after each action (τροπήν, personal turn) of ours that judgment is given according to it, that we are either what we should be (δόχμος), or worthy of rejection. They would have no need to understand Scripture. By friend. Thurs. and not voluptuous. Quieter than someone who is passionate about pleasure. For example wearing thin clothes, taking the last place, evading appearances, etc. Holding back the reasons. Before accepted thoughts. In print. The book has been supplemented: as if, without your fault, you were obsessed with thoughts. By friend, Thurs. without hesitation. By friend. Thurs. self-helpers, content only with their own help. This opinion, which inspires us that the sin consisting of thoughts is not our sin. By friend. Thurs. From paternal death. By friend. Thurs. crimes. That is, by finding the sins of one's neighbor. Not by knowledge alone. By friend. Thurs. don't bring him to court. By friend. Thurs. for the desires of perfect love. Impoverished, or not reaching the degree of perfect love. Not only in knowledge, but also in skill. By friend. Thurs. not with a wandering thought and not with a disturbed mind. Reduce a lot into a little. In print. ed. additional sincere. Friend. th, hiding (talent). By friend, Thu. even out of need. Friend. Thurs. “And the simplest ones are deceived?” Friend. Thurs. “I see that you, following the divine broadcasts, do not speak in accordance with nature, but want to accuse everyone of ignorance.” By friend. th . “There’s no way to call yourself virtue if you don’t please.” By friend. Thu, “not from negligence, but from lack of learning.” By explaining the name. So it seemed to everyone who listened that he, being amazed by the conclusions, abandoned the compilation of evidence. You are perplexed about how to support your statements with evidence. That is, give mercy, show compassion. We ourselves are guilty, if not because of what we now said or did, then because of our old debts. In Greek it is completed with “despise, despise.” Friend. Thurs. and doing everything that can be done true to thought. For this is characteristic of everyone: and their acceleration, which is not deferred until another time... Friend. Thurs. can remain outside the mind. Isn't the word implied here: "condemning?" Friend. Thurs. hungry or offended? In print. ed. “The plagues of the Sovereign.” A field overgrown with bad grass. Translated from Greek into Slavic in 1849. which are hidden secretly in (created) beings. φαντασ ι ας representations in the imagination. A power that one cannot help but imagine when thinking about him... The power to imagine oneself in self-awareness as separate from oneself. At the same time, duality necessarily remains. Mesopotamia meaning country between rivers. From which it usually becomes light (ὲμ φαν ή ς). Serving others through the word. Turning to the Lord and to the brethren. Removal from cohabitation with people. They attack enemies from the rear. Into the conceit of one's perfection. Rev. Ammon was a contemporary of St. Anthony the Great. Spent 18 years in a virgin marriage; then 22 years in the desert. For the story of his virtues, miracles and instructions, see the Chet-Minea on the 4th day of October, and in the book; Memorable tales about the asceticism of St. Fathers: 1846. Lived in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. see Chet-Min, Jun. 4. D. Ioann Mosha Spiritual meadow. Ch. 120. 122. 125. (Ed. 1848) In Christ. Readings for 1826. Part XXIII. With. 131, this inscription reads like this: chapters on activity and contemplation, and on the priesthood. - It is also written there: “The acrostic verse of these chapters in the original is as follows: To the Most Reverend Fathers Lazarus and Barlaam, Theognost is all-poor, unworthy of the whole world.” Chr. Thurs. Constantly nourish within yourself the feeling that you are an ant and a worm. Chr. Thurs. the defeat that recently befell us, rewarding us immediately with victory. Chr. Thurs. prayer consists of immersing thoughts only in the words spoken and the thoughts they contain, and in an always insatiable desire... Chr. Thurs. “to what you cannot reach.” Chr. Thurs. “Do not measure its height by your neonateness.” Chr. Thurs. “lest we fall like unfledged chicks.” Through the clearest revelation of oneself. Wanting to acquire true knowledge and confidence... Chr. Thurs. "like a loyal subject." Due to our inexperience. Hr, Thu. "as service tools." Mediator between God and people. Chr. Thurs. “They shied away from the Most Holy One with the deepest humility.” Chr. Thurs. “At least before you were something made of wood or clay.” Chr. Thurs. "and union with God." Chr. Thurs. “and don’t give free rein to your imagination.” Chr. Thurs. “in the priesthood of the Divine Mysteries.” Chr. Thurs. “You will not stop doing.” Chr. Thurs. “for external behavior.” Chr. Thurs. "right reason and knowledge." Chr. Thurs. "instead of leaves." Chr. Thurs. "confidence of salvation." Where will you go, unfortunate one, without collateral... When you imagine heavenly things. Chr. Thurs. "not (worldly) wisdom." Chr. Thurs. "all works of godliness." Rising above everything sensual. Humiliated. (Phil.3:21). You will not lose success in achieving your intended goal. Chr. Thurs. “death, which most people fear and would like to avoid.” Chr. Thurs. “words about what He has done.” But this is how He reveals Himself in the wisdom, providence, disposition, content, management and preservation of everything that created all beings. Chr. Thurs. “Enter immediate communication. There is nothing unimportant and ordinary. Consider yourself to mean something. In pity. - Chr. Thurs. "in the consciousness of sins." In Chr. Thurs. added: “And you will be given over to eternal punishment.” If the mind is not occupied with spiritual contemplations concerning both grace-filled knowledge and... Chr. Thurs. “and upon receiving the Priesthood, be more strict with yourself.” Similar to grass and reed, the most easily combustible substances. Like that weak bush bush plant. Didn't get any benefit. Celebrate the Holy Liturgy. Chr. Thurs. “threatening a great fall to those who do their job poorly.” In Chr. Thurs. supplemented with “just like yourself...” Chr. Thurs. "prudent." Previously accepted spiritual dispositions. From this life. (c) Rough matter. Truly considering everyone better than you. Without a good reason. Chr. Thurs. "not ascended earth." Chr. Thurs. "Mark the Scriptures." Chr. Thurs. “so that in some way they pray for those who offer.” It is believed that Rev. Simeon, Metropolitan of Euchaitis, was a contemporary of Patriarch Photius. In the Greek manuscript, stored in the Moscow Patriarchal Library No. CCCXII, l 188, this passage reads like this: preferring the transitory and disappearing to the great glory of God and the blessings thereof. Greek book Patr. Library anger, bitterness, resentment. In Greek pkp. Patr. Library after this the following is written: “for these evils and virtues there are, and renunciation and (from one’s will) submission, for these, for the sake of removal from the marketplace, exploits, solitude and all kinds of bodily labor, and all fasting and vigil and suffering: let us reject evils like thistles and thorns and tares from the heart; virtues, like a good seed, we sow and cultivate in us. And having the ability, through God’s help and grace from above, to drive out anger from the soul and instill virtue in it, one is blessed both in the present world and in the future. The one who desires, but is unable to do so, and whether through negligence and carelessness, or through ignorance, neglects to do good, is all-contrite, just as he is lusty, and we seduce with voluptuousness, and we scold with vanity, and we kill with envy and remembrance of malice. For this reason, Christ commanded all those who want to swear to Him to reject the real ones.” In Greek RKP. "and the holy fathers." Greek RKP. both in the mountains and in the forests. Greek RKP. "and perfect renunciation." Greek RKP. "will in the dormitories." Greek RKP. "and omnifinite from the external." Greek RKP. “non-vaporizing” (non-dispersing). That is, abstinence in everything. Greek RKP. "patience love." Greek RKP. "willfulness and diligence." After this in Greek. RKP. The following is placed: “This one truly sings: bless my soul the Lord, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless my soul the Lord, and do not forget all His rewards (Ps. 103:1-2). And just as from the knowledge and memory of His good things we acquire every good thing, in every sad thing that comes our way we endure, and neither sorrow nor distress (Rom. 8:35), according to the Apostle, nor anything else that is sad separates us from the love of God: so from ignorance and oblivion of the good comes carelessness, negligence, self-love, which is the unreasonable love of the body, from which comes lust, and love of money, into vanity, which gives birth to all evil in men. In Greek RKP. "finding sad." Greek RKP. "love of Christ." Let them not defile the mind if they are received with pleasure and consent. Greek RKP... “to God with zeal, and self-reproach, and secret work, and the memory of death, and the fathers with courageous virtues above nature, resisting them.” For this in Greek. RKP. follows: “Who can endure like Job?” In Greek "Antony, Euthymius." Greek “more than a commandment in the measure of virtue.” Like unclean spoil. (Isa.64:6). Greek RKP. “I perform as I am self-indulgent and self-indulgent.” Greek RKP. “conceited and not subordinate.” In Greek added: “but we are nourished and saved by God.” Greek “immoderate vigil.” Greek RKP. “and the like. Impoverishment: overeating, restlessness, neglect, and the like.” Greek “Irelesti” (self-delusion). Most Excellent (1 Cor. 12:31). Greek “if they don’t help everyone achieve their goals?” Greek rki. “and it does not bring (work) for the sake of it. Good, in fact, is God, and the virtues that lead us to Him: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness (Gal. 5:22), and others, enumerated by the Apostle, which they look to and lead to Him. Those who labor for what is transitory. He did not prefer my will to the benefit of my brother. The darkness that turns (to people). Greek RKP. “doing with thoughts, for. excitement, contrition and jealousy in oneself: memory... Greek "the devil, and fighting against us..." After this in Greek. RKP. "unfalse conduct." Greek RKP. “Christ’s co-will.” After this in Greek. RKP. “Give to poor monks who live in virtue and have need.” Greek RKP. “Christians, and about our kings, and about unanimity and peace of all churches. Benefit those who come to you, both by your life and by your word: let your light shine before men, and let God be glorified in your good deeds (Matthew 5:16). You might be interested in: