Letters to monastics. Section 1. Letters to monks

Department 1 • Department 2. Part 1 • Department 2. Part 2 • Department 2. Part 3 • Department 2. Part 4 Letter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 We write to you no other, but the same you honor and understand (2 Cor. 1:13). I am writing to you, fathers, because I have known the One Without Beginning (John 2:13). I write to you young men, for you are naturally strong, and the word of God abides in you (John 2:14). It is fitting for a monk to know that for there is weakness: like a hedgehog, God have mercy on me, for I am weak (Ch. John Carpathus. Good Hour. IV p. 13) Your Eminence, gracious Archpastor! Let me greet Your Eminence with my most ardent congratulations on your new place, on your arrival to your flock and on the approaching day of your Angel. May the most merciful Lord preserve your health for many years to come and send His help in your arduous service to His Church. God bless you, for you have also deigned to deign me to receive your archpastoral and paternal writing of the 20th of November, from which we see the time of your departure from St. Petersburg, and therefore I am writing reliably in St., to Your Eminence. Do you deign to ask about the books of St. Isaiah and St. Mark the Ascetic, will they be published in Russian? I will report to you that the latter has been translated into Russian and submitted to His Eminence Vladyka for his consideration, asking permission to submit it to the censor and print it; but we have not yet received a decision on this. But the manuscript of St. Isaiah has not yet been corrected in the Russian translation, we are thinking of getting started - there are brethren who are willing; I, although I will participate in this matter, have so little time that I do not hope to set a deadline for completing this work. I am still in an unpaid debt of replies to letters; Because of this, I often feel great weakness and infirmity; and in the meantime we are thinking of doing something - making notes on the translation of Elder Paisius in some incomprehensible words, similar to those made in the book of St. Isaac the Syrian, especially since this book is more appropriate for monastics, and for them the Slavic language is understandable, and, if allowed, then printed; and over time it will be possible to publish it in Russian translation. We ask for your archpastoral blessing for this work. You deign to mention the word of the Monk Orsisius, a disciple of Pachomius the Great; It would be nice to translate it into Russian and print it. Father N left his books here for now, only now there is no person in sight who could take up this matter. K.K. my godson wanted to visit us; he is quite knowledgeable in both Latin and Greek, he translated the book of Abba Dorotheus from Greek, only the translation language was later corrected for us; If he has time, I’ll ask him to do this translation. By this same mail I have the honor to forward the book of Abba Isaiah to Your Eminence. When the book of St. Mark the Ascetic is printed, I will consider it my first duty to deliver it to Your Eminence and His Eminence Archbishop K-u. Asking for your archpastoral blessing and holy prayers with my deepest esteem, I have the honor of being Your Eminence, the most merciful Archpastor, the humblest novice, the great sinner I.M. November 3, 1857. Your Eminence, most gracious Archpastor! I bring my deepest gratitude to Your Eminence for your gracious writing, sent on the 6th of June, and for being worthy to accept, from our zeal, the book of St. Isaiah the Hermit, in several copies. We are obliged to Your Eminence for assistance in the publication of this useful book, both by encouraging it and by delivering manuscripts - Slavic and your Russian translation. May God grant that the teachings of this great ascetic of piety will serve for the benefit of those seeking salvation. When we look at the current way of life of monasticism, how far we have deviated from the path that was shown to us in the teachings of our fathers, our hearts ache! and instead of looking for the good beads hidden in the village of our hearts, we are content with appearance alone; and in order to strive for passion, little and little are found; and through our weaknesses we become a temptation to the world, instead of being the light of the world. You will be pleased to notice that the desire to read the books of the fathers has begun to be exterminated among the monks: this is the reason for relaxation, since there is no incentive for an active monastic life; Perhaps there are some of the new arrivals who have zeal and a desire to be saved; but, seeing examples of weakness, they first condemn them, then they themselves are enslaved by it, not having faithful nourishment and rejection of their will and mind - which could lead them to humility, as a strong weapon against all enemy networks. It is not surprising that even in religious magazines of the present time, something unfavorable about the life of monasticism appears. And there’s nothing to say about other literary publications! And all this spreads throughout the Christian world, which does not look at its own weaknesses, but vigilantly looks at monastic and minor shortcomings. However, we should not blame those who judge us, but find guilt in ourselves, humble ourselves, bring repentance, and the Lord is able to save and remove from the pit seen by the Monk Pachomius, sorrows, misfortunes and illnesses. Although it is sad to look at our weaknesses; but many who come to the monastery find protection from the arrows of the enemy, which they might have been exposed to in worldly life. Only, as far as I could see, it is unhelpful and dangerous to accept those who are too young: for they are more exposed to the influence of the weaker side, and having learned the bad side, they cannot soon come to the true path, so that they are not capable of either the monastery or the world. The other day I happened to hear a comparative example of monastic and worldly life: one legless wanderer crawled around many monasteries, and when asked by one monk how he found monastic life in comparison with secular life, he answered: “not all monasteries are equal, but I think this: when a meadow is fenced, the grass grows well on it; but outside the fence it gets trampled and eaten.” A simple but striking example! We are also encouraged by the consoling word written by John of Carpathia to the Indian monks. We must pray to the Lord: may he preserve the monastic order in our beloved fatherland and give strength and strength to defeat the visible and invisible enemies of Christianity and monasticism. July 5, 1860. Most venerable Father Archimandrite in the Lord! God bless you, remember us with your fatherly love, and preface us with your writing and congratulations on the Nativity of Christ and the New Year. I received the letter you sent from November 26th on December 28th; and I still haven’t brought you my congratulations and gratitude. Let me now fulfill this by congratulating you on the upcoming new year and wishing you to receive new spiritual gifts and strength that will strengthen you in your labors for the feat of your service. You approve of our publications of fatherly books, and especially in Russian translation. But there is nothing of ours here, and everything was done with God’s blessing for the benefit of those who wish and seek spiritual benefit. How could we begin such an important and unusual task for us; but God raised up well-meaning people to assist in this matter, and most of all, the archpastor’s favor and blessing served to publish the translations that lay hidden in the manuscripts of the blessed elder Paisius of Moldova; and St. Abba Dorotheus's book was also hidden under a bushel at the end of the book of St. Ephraim the Syrian, and due to the antiquity of the Slavic language, was inaccessible to many; but, thanks be to the Lord, this one now stands on the candlestick. May God grant that those who honor and listen gain spiritual benefit! You remind us of your book “On Monasticism” and ask us to tell you our opinion, whether there are any inaccuracies or incompleteness, in order to correct it during the second edition. From this, your humility is clear, that you do not trust yourself, and we do not dare rely on our own reason, but for obedience, Father A and I looked at it again, and, not trusting ourselves, but comparing it with the teachings of the Holy Fathers, we made comments on some places; we copy out decent additions or explanations from our father’s books and send them to you; not so that our opinion will necessarily be considered correct, but we present it for your consideration; If you find our comments and extracts correct, then please correct or add, and if not, then leave it as is. January 1857. In your writing you humble yourself so much before my badness that I am even ashamed to look at myself; and I accept your very humility as an instruction for me; The more humble you are, the more exalted you appear before God and His grace is sent down to you. You perform the service to which you are called by God with His help. God's providence provides shepherds and ministers for His Church; and our job is to surrender to His holy will with good will and submission. Honors cannot harm us when we are not carried away by love of fame and ambition. There is St. fathers' instruction: “Whoever pursues honor, it runs away from him; and whoever runs from honor, she pursues him.” I sensitively accept your love in the Lord, and I find myself unable to repay you in reality, I only carry the feeling of my gratitude and love for you in the Lord. About spiritual age, who can say about myself that I am beyond my youth? The actions of the young appear in humility and in the complete destruction of our Self; then the Lord enriches the poor in spirit with spiritual gifts, for the benefit of many. But the gift of humility is acquired through much time, experience and various temptations and sorrows. St. Peter of Damascus writes: “Humility is a product of reason; the mind is the product of temptation” (on page 14). Also, the knowledge of one’s weakness can be a fault of humility. Forgive the Lord for the fact that I dare to offer you this reasoning, while I myself am lacking in everything; Hoping for your love, this came from my pen. Thank you for your kind acceptance of our brother N N; he is very pleased with your love and spiritual conversation: we ask you to continue your affection towards us. I congratulate you on the eve of Holy Lent and wish you a soul-saving farewell. Your Reverence, Most Honorable Father Archimandrite! Forgive me that I did not preface you with congratulations on the Holiday and the New Year, but you, out of your Christian goodwill, both before and now, prefaced my badness with congratulations in your letter dated November 29, which I received on December 30. I am very grateful to you for this kindness and love towards us. Please accept mine, and all our brothers in Christ who know you, heartfelt congratulations on the solemn holidays of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Epiphany and the coming new year. May the Lord give you His help in completing spiritual feats to achieve the salvation of your soul and in the field of the service you are undergoing. You complain about the passions that are warring on your soul and see in it your weakness, which not only does not decrease, but also increases and deprives you of peace of mind. You believe that by entering a monastery, with solitude and lack of entertainment, you will have greater convenience in cleansing your heart from passions and in achieving salvation. However, not trusting yourself in this, you think: isn’t this just one deceptive dream? And since nothing attracts you to an educational position, except the desire to benefit others in the sciences, then over time, you think about entering a monastery; but, not knowing which is better, ask my advice regarding this. I dare not rely on myself so that I can give you direct and correct advice. The various dispensations of each of us, moral and physical, education, habits and treatment of the society in which we spent most of our lives, require a bright mind, enlightened by grace and experience, and feelings trained to discern good and evil (Heb. 5:14), in order to give infallible advice on such an important subject - spiritual salvation. For all those seeking salvation, the Lord showed the way - the fulfillment of His commandments, in St. The Gospels are faithful to us, and they are the essence of love for God and neighbor: he who loves Me keeps My commandments, said the Lord (John 14:21, et seq.). The Holy Fathers, who walked this path actively, left us the teaching of how we should follow this path, and showed us various images against each of our dispensations that could help us to salvation. And just as pride is to blame for all our falls, evils and embarrassments, so on the contrary, humility is destructive - (for) all passions and sins, and gives peace according to the word of the Lord: learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29). St. Peter of Damascus, in his 1st book (see part 3 of the Philokalia), at the beginning of it he writes that he, seeking the beginning of salvation, or human destruction, having read the books of the Old and New Testaments and all the teachings of St. great fathers, found that in every title passed by people, and place, and exercise, those who are saved and those who perish are found: and that the beginning of all good is the mind given to man, and according to the mind, human will. It is the beginning of salvation, “that is, let a person leave his own desires and create God’s wills and understandings; and even if he is able to do this, there will not be found in all creation a thing or an undertaking, or a place that can cause him to be, like God from the beginning, according to his will, in the image and likeness.” Further, he talks a lot about leaving our desires and understandings, and even shows a sign in which case we should leave them, and how to know this. And St. Simeon the New Theologian (there are 12 words in the book) in the 6th word writes on page 116: “everyone is either touching and humble, or hard-hearted and proud,” and gives the example of two brothers, one who has corrected himself, and the other who is even more upset. Therefore, no matter what way of life we ​​go through, everywhere we are presented with spiritual warfare from the spirits of malice, disturbing our passions and forcing us to sinful actions, which is how our will and love for God are tested - in our struggle. And if we do not have this struggle, then we will not learn art, and we will not recognize our weakness, and we will not acquire humility; and it is so great that even apart from works it can save us, as St. writes. Isaac in the 46th word. How we should fight passions, and against which one, the Venerable Nil of Sorsky writes very simply and clearly, talking in his small book about eight passionate thoughts; Also, the Monk Cassian (in 4 chapters of the Philokalia) explains the action of these thoughts and the struggle against them. And both in community with people, and those living alone must certainly struggle with passions: but a solitary life is not useful for everyone, especially for those who have not conquered passions: arrogance, anger, deceit and the like. St. John Climacus advises such: “below see the trace of silence”; for they must first, in dealing with people, try to overcome these passions. And many fathers agree with this teaching. Those who struggle with bodily passions are allowed (by St. John) to live a solitary life; and advises those suffering from both passions to alternately go through both paths of life, at the discretion of the abbot. Now, being in the field of academic service, you yourself want to continue it for the benefit of others, and teaching others useful instructions in Christian morality, since you are even more concerned about yourself and your salvation; for your letter clearly expresses this desire; and the benefit we deliver to others is our own; Only let all this be imbued with humility, and God, looking at our intentions, will lead you to a good goal and arrange your salvation as He pleases, whether in an academic rank, or in a solitary monk’s cell. Leave Him to His holy will, praying to Him about this: tell me, Lord, Thy way, where I will go (Ps. 142:8), and: guide me, O Lord, into Thy truth (Ps. 24:5). And then, if God’s will is for you to leave the academic field, then He will show you a place to live a different kind of life, solitary or communal in some monastery. Forgive my stupidity, and do not look for the correct grammatical syllable in this reasoning presented by me. Complete it with your prudence and love, and accept these lines brought to you from my sincere zeal. When reading the paternal writings, you yourself will see that it is incomparably more useful than what I briefly suggested to you. Asking for your holy prayers, with the wish for your health, peace and salvation, and with my true respect, I remain Your Reverence’s humble servant and pilgrim, the much-sinful I.M. January 4, 1855. Most Honorable N N! Beloved brother in Christ! You are not the only one who boasts about your weaknesses, I can boast about them too: they remind you daily of your common duty; strength has become frail - and the grave is not far away. We must appear before the court of God. And there is eternity! Have mercy, Lord! You write that tea has become much more expensive, and therefore you ask whether to maintain the same order in distributing it to the brethren, and whether you will not be condemned for this? – We must conform to the times and to the weaknesses of people, as well as to our own. If you stop this consolation to the brethren, then, having a habit of it, they will be drawn to seek unauthorized means; and who will be the reason for this? Incomparably more money is spent on building walls and decorating churches, and the souls of those who want to be saved are incomparably more expensive than this. Before, when there was no tea, then there was no need for it, and life was completely different; but now the time is different. We will build walls and harden souls. What answer should we give? If you cannot give the full portion that was given, then even if you subtract a third and give two, the same thing will come out. Can we help those who are in need? We must pray to God to give peace to the world. You also ask: is it possible to have weapons in the monastery in case of attacks by thieves, since many of them have appeared in your area? If you have a military corps given by the government, then they can have weapons; but we should not resort to this means; our weapon is not carnal, but spiritual, about which St. The Apostle (Eph.6:14-17; 1Thess.5:8) wrote: faith, hope, etc. – armor, helmet, spiritual sword. The Cross of Christ is our invincible weapon. And when we rely on visible weapons and use them in an attack, and if a murder occurs, then what answer will we give before God? and what should be the temptation before people? and your conscience will not give you peace. In my opinion, it is better not to undertake this defense, but to place trust in the Lord and the Most Pure Mother of God and the saint of God, Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. We see from the lives of St. fathers, how God protected His servants from the attacks of enemies: He blinded some, showed others a defending army, or a church standing in the air, and He used many other means to protect and preserve them, and sometimes He allowed them to be offended, according to His discretion. And in our times, sudden abductions occurred in many places, as happened in your monastery; but in such cases could the gun provide help? “Unless the Lord builds a house, those who build it labor in vain; and unless the Lord preserves a city, it will be built in vain” (Ps. 127:1) St. Scripture speaks. And we will place our trust in the Lord and ask for His help and protection in circumstances and adversities. “For I trust not in my bow, and my sword will not save me” (Ps. 43:7), but Your right hand will protect me, and Your arm will cover me. Here, beloved brother, is my opinion and advice to you on your questions. If you find them right and worthy of attention, then follow them; and if not, then let it be done according to your will; do as you want. Congratulations on the upcoming St. fasting, may the Lord help you to cross it reverently, and I ask you to pray for me, a sinner, your prayer book, many sinners I. M. November 16, 1854. I received two letters from you on May 19 and 26; I see from them that you are exhausted in your health; but things require your action and supervision, but you cannot do this; Apparently this is the will of God, which you yourself are aware of. Of course, physical illness serves to heal the soul; we cannot boast without having it. Glory and thanksgiving to the Lord, who heals us with tart guidance! I myself will not boast of my health; often there is an occupation of the spirit and severe weakness from exhaustion. Even now I feel very unwell, like a fever, so I can’t write myself, but I write through a brother who is unanimous in my opinion. I ask you to pray for me, a sinner, who wishes you health and salvation. Your prayer book, great sinner I.M. May 29, 1859. Your Reverence, Most Honorable Father Archimandrite! Upon your arrival at your God-saved monastery, I received two letters from you. God bless you for informing us of your appearance to the Bishop, his merciful acceptance of you, and your arrival at your monastery. Thank God it started well. May God grant that the course and continuation of your life be in harmony and peaceful, calm living with the brethren, and that everything will work out for the glory of God and the salvation of the brethren and the God-loving worshipers who come. I earnestly congratulate you on your assumption of a new rank and the feat of shepherding, the duties of which, of course, are known to you from the instructions of St. fathers, and especially St. John Climacus to the shepherd. If we see any lack of our strength and bewilderment, then we must resort “to the Mighty One and the God of Minds” to ask for admonition and help in our affairs. Thank God that you found in St. The monastery is all well-maintained, except for some small actions that require correction, which will be established over time and with the help of God, through your efforts with love and condescension; But in response to your demand from me for advice in certain matters, I cannot give you decisive advice: who am I, a sinner? To correct the weak, of course, you must first use light healing, as you yourself are doing. When this does not really happen, you can consult with the 6th party, and ask the ruler for guidance - unofficially; and in all important matters in the monastery it is much better to do it with the blessing of the bishop and with his advice. And about dinners: if you yourself visit the fraternal meals more often, eating food with them, then you can conveniently wean those who are accustomed to it from the delicious meal of the abbot - but I do not tell you about this. You need to consult with the brethren about the forest; and as the Bishop blesses, it seems necessary to do so. Your Reverence, most venerable and beloved Father D in the Lord! 1 Out of your surpassing measure of love, praises and merits exceeding mine abounded. This is characteristic of the love and purity of your heart, to see everyone as saints, according to the word of St. Isaac the Syrian, but I am not like that. Gg. They have long wanted to meet you, and therefore, having found a convenient time for this, they invited you, and I am glad that you met them; They are good people and good Christians, but they are not at all the fruit of my cultivation. N.P., one might say, was raised from the shrouds by the pure milk of Christian teaching by the famous elder Father Philaret, who lived in the Novospassky Monastery; and I. V., through her, received admonition from him in Christian truths. It seems to me that his scholarship does not interfere when he combines it, or even subordinates it to religion; I cannot have any subtle research about him; but why people find something disgusting in him, I don’t know. Perhaps, living nearby, they heard a lot of wrong opinions, and based on them they formed false ideas about him. It is impossible to please everyone, and even more so when someone leaves the fashion community and does not agree with their opinions. After a pleasant spiritual conversation, you met the opposite; this should not be surprising either; for every good deed is either preceded or followed by temptation. Thank God that you remained firm and adamant. Do not think, dear father, that I am bored by your letters; not at all - I accept with love, and if I see something pleasant for you in them, I rejoice; and when something sad and insults you, I participate in this, although I am not able to give help in deed, then at least in a meager word I can convey my desire for your reassurance. I sincerely regret that you do not find consolation there, where and from whom you hoped to have it. I can’t justify them, but I don’t dare blame them either. You see more of me there; but I will say that you are in a feat of spiritual life, and on this path the snares and intrigues of the enemy are hidden for us. Perhaps he also presents you with words and actions in a distorted form, shaking your faith and causing confusion; and perhaps they did not have the time for this, or were in a confused state, and therefore could not serve you as a consolation; According to our monastic alphabet, in any case, self-reproach is needed to calm oneself, and, according to the word of St. Abba Dorotheus, according to our dispensation, sometimes we cannot use it even through the prophet; and sometimes God will enlighten even a small child, telling Him His will for us. - Forgive me, most respected father, that I dare to write this to you, you yourself know more than me; but I am writing in the hope of your love, knowing that even physical doctors cannot help themselves with their illnesses. Now let me congratulate you on the highly solemn holiday of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; Trusting that you enjoyed spiritual joy on this joyful day for believers, I pray that in the future the Lord will grant you this mercy. Only your love accepted my poor-minded writing as instructive for you; and your humility serves me by exposing my spiritual weaknesses, which greatly abound. From your unflattering zeal, I accept your congratulations on my Angel’s Day and offer my most sensitive gratitude for your love for my thinness. The Lord, who brought praise from the mouths of babes, gave you the wisdom to read your lectures with good success, which was not expected. May it be for the glory of God and for the benefit of those who listen and honor, and may it honor you with a reward for your work in multiplying the talent given to you. Do not leave me, a sinner, in your prayers, who wishes you peace, health and salvation and who loves in the Lord, the unworthy hieromonk Macarius, your zealous companion of prayer, who bows to you on earth. January 31, 1850. Thank God that you calmed down after our common, and even more so my mistake, when I left K-a; until a favorable opportunity for a personal meeting opens, we will have spiritual communication both in prayer and in mental and written communication; I can no longer hope to be back in your God-saved K-e, as I approach old age and the weakness that comes from it, and perhaps the closeness of the sunset of my life, and then I most especially beg you to pray for my wretched and sinful soul. And you, still in the perfect age of your life, and passing through the field of your ministry, perhaps you will honor our home with a passage, and with a personal meeting you will give us true and unflattering consolation. You, out of your love and humility, credit me with admonishing you to write something in the program, but what can I say, feeble-minded and unlearned? I just didn’t dare resist you, seeing you asking with such burning faith about subjects that surpassed my mind. If you extracted anything useful from my words, then God Himself, according to your faith, gave it, able to give a voice to the dumb. May God grant that your labors will serve for the benefit of humanity, for the salvation of souls. I have the honor to congratulate you on the coming new year, on your entry into it; May the Lord enrich you with spiritual gifts and increase peace in your soul, I earnestly wish. I wrote to you on the 28th of November, I had the honor to congratulate you on your consecration to the rank of archimandrite, and on the approaching day of your Angel, and I ask you to forgive me for not prefacing you with congratulations on the Nativity of Christ and the New Year. The infirmities that often visited me and my work with the brethren and visitors did not allow me to fulfill this, although I would sincerely wish to convey my thought in the modest lines of my writing. Father A-ii wrote to me that he wanted to give you several notebooks of St. John Climacus, for comparison with the book of the Greek simple dialect you have; I hope that you, out of your love, will not give up your free time for this work, and will make your comments in our translation, which I most sincerely ask you to do. Having received your most venerable writing dated March 2nd, I sent you by post on the 10th the book of St. John of the Climacus, translation of Elder Paisius of Moldova, but I didn’t have time to answer your letter then. Now let me bring you my most humble gratitude for your kind writing and for your fatherly disposition towards my badness; You oblige us so much that, despite the increased range of your academic activities, you take upon yourself the trouble of verifying with the Greek book the Russian translation of the book of St. John Climacus, with the help of the translation of it by Elder Paisius, in which, although there is something dark here and there, in general the correct concept of truths is shown by the experience of his most active life, known to all of us, and against our printed (Slavic) there is a big difference; which proves the translator’s inexperience in the spiritual life. We also have a printed ancient Ladder from an ancient Slavic translation, which contains: “the existing (original) and interpretation”; The translation of Elder Paisius agrees with her in almost everything. God bless you for this merciful good intention of yours, but it will be a great pity if this makes it too difficult for you. Forgive us for God's sake that we are bothering you. It is heard that learned people are attempting to translate this book; but it would be highly desirable for them to be consistent with the spiritually experienced translation of Elder Paisius. The question you asked is beyond my understanding: how can we help what, by burdening our mind, soul and spiritual life, we leave in desolation? In my feeble-mindedness, it seems to me that the sciences are necessary and necessary, placed by the providence of God at such a point from which we must repel the arrows of the enemy fired at the Orthodox Church, in order to preserve intact and in purity the holy teaching on which our salvation is based, but it is appropriate to do this, and not to abandon them (Matthew 23:23), that is, to care for the soul and spiritual life, the beginning of which begins and is completed not from speculation, but from doing the commandments of God; and speculations or visions are granted as one purifies oneself from passions and establishes humility. Of course, you need to read those books that were written by those who know the opinions of freethinkers and unjust thinkers and are aimed at refuting them. Of which I know one essay, published in the Mayak of 1845 by S. O. Burachka: “A critical review of the popular significance of the universal Church in the West and East” and “A confrontation or exposure of the religious errors of the Roman West.” They clearly expose all the untruths and refute with strong arguments the intrigues of dangerous Latinism: I believe that you read it without damaging your structure, but with benefit for the struggle of truth with lies. The Lord is able to enlighten you and strengthen you in this mental battle, and instruct you in spiritual battles. Thank God that your Academy has in your new father, the rector, a kind and wise mentor and as a conductor of blessings on the Academy of your saint and the holy Lavra of Pechersk, as before it was patronized by St. Peter the Mogila. When your articles are especially published: “On the sign of the prayer of the cross,” we hope to receive them for the benefit and edification of our souls and our brethren. Committing myself to your holy prayers and wishing to spend your holy fast reverently and soul-savingly, with heartfelt joy to meet the joyful feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, with my true respect I remain the unworthy pilgrim, the many-sinful I.M. March 13, 1851. Having no words to justify my failure to bring you my congratulations on the all-joyful feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, I will say one thing: forgive me. From your letter to Father Abbot I see your memory of me, a sinner, and I bring you my most ardent gratitude for congratulating me on the holiday, and from me, although belated, please accept my sincere congratulations on celebrating this holy and joyful holiday, with the desire to wait for many future ones in good health with heartfelt joy. You mention that you received from me the book of St. John of the Climacus, translated by Elder Paisius, and read it little by little. This gives us a lot of spiritual consolation and hope that you will correct the mistakes we have made out of ignorance. And if it were possible for you to take on the work and submit it on your behalf to the censor for consideration, then a great deed would be done to the entire monastic class. Even if they don’t publish it, because there are people who are busy translating it; then at least they will take into account your translation and correctly compare it with theirs, maybe in what is necessary and agree with yours. All our monastery brothers who know you express their respect to you and ask for your holy prayers, to which I, offering myself with the lowest veneration, remain to your Reverence, an unworthy pilgrim, the much-sinful I.M. April 21, 1851. You needlessly blame yourself before me for your silence; I cannot in any way demand from you answers to every letter of mine, knowing your great commitments in academics and service; I also consider myself pleased that at least occasionally you take the time to write your lines to me; This is how I make sure that you do not forget me in your prayerful communication. Please accept my most humble gratitude for your fatherly love and greeting me on the great and all-joyful feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and give me your forgiveness for not having preceded you with my congratulations on this great holiday, and even though it is late, accept it from my sincere zeal, as well as on the current holy Pentecost. May the Lord give you spiritual consolation when remembering so many sacred and saving events. The works of you and your co-workers in examining the spiritual Ladder, built by the spiritual Bezalel of St. John, may the Lord Himself reward and give His help to complete it. We do not claim that the Ladder we corrected is correct; we considered the translation of Elder Paisius and Archimandrite Macarius; the latter translated it at great length, which we tried to shorten, adhering to the Slavic elder Paisius’s translation, but not without error; and therefore they asked you to take the trouble to compare it with the Greek original. However, our intention was to have a correct translation for ourselves, but we could not even think about publishing it. And when the translation of the Russian Ladder came out, I wrote to you so that you would not labor anymore; but you yourself wanted to do this work, then be it your will. A great feat was and is N.P. K-oh in the publication of the book of St. Barsanuphius the Great; God's help and the blessing of the Archpastor assist her, but not all of the books have been censored. F. A. Golubinsky was dismissed from censorship, but is working on this book, and has already sent almost three parts. They started printing, thank God. He is very sad: this winter in M-e he buried his 24-year-old son, and when he arrived home he found another 15-year-old who had died. It’s a pity that there are such sorrows in old age, but God’s will be done! Vladyka Metropolitan honored Father Abbot and me with a handwritten scripture on April 3rd, with which he invites me to Moscow to venerate the Moscow Wonderworkers and St. Sergius; saying that I traveled further to K-b, but here it is much closer. The incomparable, archpastoral mercy and coming to my disadvantage obliges me to fulfill his will, which at the same time will fulfill my heartfelt desire to fall at his holy feet and receive his blessing, which is dearly valued by me as a many-sinner. Thank God for everything! I.M. Your Reverence, Most Honorable Fr. N. N. Your most venerable writing, written on December 27th, I had the honor of receiving on January 15th; and seeing from him your intention to settle in the desert to live in our monastery, at the same time you informed our father Abbot M. about this, as the head and commander of our society; for his part, he agrees with love to this: we want to bring you peace, which only depends on us and will be in our power. We have cells, and precisely those in which Father Archimandrite M. previously spent his life, and you, when you were with us, stayed in them; there are others, more extensive than these, and in this - as you please; Our fraternal meal, if you can be satisfied, is ready for you, or as you judge for yourself, and settle with the Father Superior; our location seems to be convenient for maintaining health; This external thing, which on our part is possible for your reassurance, we present with readiness and love. However, it would not be bad if you took the trouble to contact Father Abbot about this yourself. Regarding internal or spiritual peace, this is not in our power, but according to the structure of each person. God Himself either rewards or takes away for a time, arranging our salvation through His all-wise providence. You demand that I speak to you in good conscience and frankly; in the hope of which I write so, without hesitation, although I am ashamed as an unlearned person to offer the truth to an enlightened man; however, I will only remind you of one truth that the Savior Himself spoke to us to gain peace: learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart: and you will find rest for your souls (Matt. 11:29), and: in our humility the Lord will always remember us (Ps. 135:23); but acquiring this most precious pearl requires a lot of labor and achievement, not so much physical as mental; I must present to you some of my doubts from examples, without turning you away from this saving enterprise, but leaving it to your reasoning. Saint Tikhon, having left the diocese and lived in the 3rd monastery, suffered many internal temptations, so that he even sometimes repented of leaving the service, and wrote to the metropolitan about this: but with God’s help and feat he defeated his mental enemies. He also had external temptations, although they were insignificant against them; however, everything had to be fought; it happened that I had troubles from the rector and even from regular servants; what is written about in his life. The second example is from our times: perhaps the well-known Father Archimandrite..., the former... seminary rector, burning with love for the spiritual, solitary and silent life, asked for dismissal from his position, received a master's salary, and settled in... the desert... province under the abbot who was there..., very knowledgeable in spiritual life. But he could not withstand the arrows of the enemy fired at him: inaction, boredom and despondency overwhelmed him; and at the same time it seemed that he was not educated to live in the desert, but for the benefit of others; found himself forced to leave solitude and, at the call of his superiors, went to the Mission in Siberia to convert unbelievers; Now I don’t know where he is; He lived for some time in this desert, but also could not bear the burden. I offer this for your consideration and as a warning, so that, having measured your strength, you begin to build a pillar (Luke 14:28). Let us assume that you will be calm with us in terms of your external dispensation, but it is not surprising that an attack similar to that described above will arise against you, and even more so due to inaction; for you have accustomed yourself to activity from youth; Our activities are of a completely different kind. Or maybe God’s providence is preparing you to appoint you to the candlestick of His Church, to proclaim His truth, and to shepherd His verbal flock; sorrows are inevitable there too: but everywhere they are of their own kind and according to the strength of each, God sends them to our salvation. And your current situation: the burden of service, due to poor health, may also be a temptation preparing you for spiritual ascents; or maybe it is God’s will that you undergo a different kind of life in a deserted area; since this is unknown to us, may your prayers to the Lord and surrender to His holy will pave the way for you to achieve the much-desired salvation that I wish for you with all my heart. And, entrusting myself to your holy prayers, I have the honor to abide with my deepest reverence, Your Most Reverend, much-sinful I.M. Most Reverend and Most Honorable Father Archimandrite! By your writing dated April 19, you inform me of the grace of God poured out on you, and the mercies of your Most Reverend Archpastor extending to you by elevating you to archimandrite on the very day of remembrance of the most joyful resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; I wholeheartedly congratulate you on this grace and elevation to rank; and I pray to the most merciful Lord that He will give you the understanding to properly carry out the duties assigned to you, and strengthen you in the difficult feat of serving the Church of God and saving your neighbors. From your writing I see that you still remember our former spiritual union, and have not forgotten our common concern with the blessed Father Lm for your return; I also see, in part, the awareness of your weaknesses in the fulfillment of everything that was instilled in you that is useful, and that you yourself discovered. This consoles me more than your exaltation. May God grant you to be a humble monk and in greatness; for from this they sometimes fall, according to the destinies of God unknown to us; and humility is always firm in its foundation, and brings inalienable peace to its owner. Committing myself to your prayers, with the desire for you peace and health of soul and body, and in all things the protection and mercy of God, I remain your unworthy pilgrim I.M. After your long silence, you finally reminded me of your writing, which I received on October 27th; I sincerely thank you for it. From it I see that you still retain the remembrance of our former spiritual life. Although with weakness of feelings, I, for my part, remain at a distance from you, but I have a connection in my heart and am sick, as if for a child spiritually born, through the instruction of our common elder, the venerable father of Father L-a; but, trusting in his holy prayers, that the most merciful Lord will keep you unharmed from all the snares and snares of the enemy. May the Providence of God, who called you to your present service, guide you to undergo it, under the guidance of the holy and wise archpastor, whose prayers you were honored to use. Carry out your service for the comfort of his old age, and for the common benefit of the brothers of the famous place you inhabit, respecting your conscience, and bearing the infirmities of our servile and weak brothers. The Lord will not deprive you of His reward for your good service with humility. You care about my thinness, as if I were insulted; This care proves your feeling of love for me, and I sincerely thank you for it; but as for me, thanks to the Most High and All-Good Providence of God for me, I do not see such sorrows that would be unbearable; but if such things happen, then I receive God’s help: I ​​am able to bear them (1 Cor. 10:13); it is impossible to completely get rid of them when our Lord Jesus Christ left them to us as a certain inheritance, having Himself suffered for us; and the holy Apostles, among many teachings about patience and the need for tribulations, also wrote that: through many tribulations it is fitting for us to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 11:22). Therefore, without voluntarily seeking sorrows, we must obey the will of God, whatever sorrows He wishes to send us, accepting them with thanksgiving. In case of need, and even more so, when the brethren who are well-disposed towards me and who are weak in nature will share in my sorrows, I do not reject human help, as if sent from God. About myself I will tell you that my health becomes weaker from time to time, old age and decrepitude befall me as harbingers of approaching duty, the hour of death. I ask you to pray for me to the Most Merciful Lord, both now and after my departure, whenever it pleases the Lord to call me out of this world. May the Most Merciful Lord preserve you through the prayers of our venerable elder Father L–a in peace and tranquility of mind and in physical health; for which I also pray for His goodness. I remain the unworthy pilgrim I.M. Our brother, father..., upon his return from... gave me pleasure to hear about your stay, and that you still remember my badness. I thank you with all my heart for this, and for what was sent through it from your zeal; May the Lord remember your love! And I, for my part, keep you in my memory, and with my weak strength I pray to the Most Merciful Lord for your salvation, for whose sake I despise all worldly good. Although I am confident in the strict way of your life, I am forced to remind you, so that, standing at the height of your rank, you do not forget your intention and the care that, during your stay with Father Father L-e and with me, a sinner, we believed about you; and he himself carefully tried to win, during monastic feats of humility. Try now to preserve this treasure and may this margarite be the first in your miter, uniting with the beads of love for our neighbors, on whom our salvation depends; Be more lenient towards the infirmities of others, remembering that we ourselves are surrounded by infirmities and the word of the Holy Apostle: We must bear the infirmities of the weak, and not please ourselves (Rom. 15:1). I wrote this to you out of sincere love and zeal, and not for any other reasons. Accept this from a feeble-minded and weak old man whose heart aches for you; Perhaps you will not hear this again; the time is approaching and the coffin awaits us; our brethren are departing, and this path is foreshadowed for us. I entrust myself to your prayers and, if I wish you health and salvation, I remain unworthy of your pilgrim I.M. Your Reverence, most venerable father, father builder! I ask for your fatherly blessing and holy prayers. Until now, I was still in the dark about my departure to your God-saved desert; and now, although not quite yet, there is hope that soon I will have the pleasure of being among your verbal herd. I submitted to the will of God, as He pleased to arrange for me, and waited for a decision, not daring to disturb the archpastor; but God arranged this opportunity for me to be in O with our Fr. treasurer; This was the time when Fr. was there. L-b. Having visited the Eminence, I asked for my dismissal; to which he agreed, he wanted to give a resolution to fire him. I consider it my duty to inform you of this and entrust myself to your holy prayers; I wanted to write to you from O-a, but time did not allow. I most humbly ask you, most venerable father, to fatherly bear my infirmities, of which I, by the power of God, am sufficiently filled, to my humility, which I see myself alien to; I do not dare to grumble about this, but I wish to humbly obey His holy will, which by His wise Providence arranges everything for our benefit and salvation. And to strengthen me in the future I ask your holy prayers. Let me bring you my deepest respects; with whom, as well as with my devotion, I wish to remain forever Your Reverence, the most humble novice, the great sinner I.M. August 29, 1833. Your Reverence, most venerable and dear father, father abbot! 2 Although it is pleasant for me and desirable to congratulate you on the dignity of abbot, and on your arrival at the holy monastery entrusted to you; but I would not dare to undertake this, so as not to touch your sensitive heart with the memory of your separation - from your humble abode, the silent Optina monastery, and from the brethren who love and respect you in Christ; Fr. forced me to do this. Eeyore, asking you to notify me about the medicine he brought to you from Mr. B—a, for a sore ear, that it should be placed in the ear, three drops on cotton paper, once only once a day; not to notify you of this would also be considered an unforgivable duty. So, my dear father, accept these lines of mine and congratulations as a sign of sincere zeal and love, which I wish to preserve for you until the end of my days. In the monastery we have nothing special except general grief over your separation; Pray, father, for me, so that I can imitate you at least a hundredth part in your stay with us. Father Superior just arrived at the monastery today; so does Fr. N-and for tomorrow he is preparing for the first time to serve. Father o. Leonid, Fr. John, Fr. I-y and others testify to you their respect and I, entrusting myself to your prayers, with my lowest respect, I have the honor to abide with your Reverence, the most humble novice, the much-sinful I.M. December 8, 1839. Having read your venerable writing, written with paternal love for us, we see your inner sorrowful situation, and we participate in it with our heartfelt condolences. Just like that, most venerable father, a heavy yoke was placed on you, and your cross met you; and you, showing your submission to the Almighty will, kissed Him with tears; and give thanks without giving in to cowardice. Our reason is not enough to offer you anything to console you; The Most Merciful Lord Himself for the first time strengthened your sad spirit with an unflattering vision; from this we know how much the Lord cares for you, and for the future we have hope that you will not be abandoned. But you, having had enough success in your kind silence, with true obedience ate from this tree of incorruptible food, and stocked up on it until there was abundance; The providence of God has placed you on the candlestick to shine in that country that needs it; and may happy souls be satisfied with the abundance of your spiritual gifts. Forgive me, dear father - these words are not flattery, but the true feeling of our hearts. You, confessing your imaginary sins to us, humbly ask for forgiveness. ABOUT! So that we have such sins. We must moreover confess to you our faults, rudeness, disobedience and temptations we have committed. We would never want to be separated from you, enjoying your love, spiritual conversations and contemplation. But who can resist the will of God? At first, of course, it will be difficult for you to get used to those customs to which you were alien; and correct much damage, both externally and internally, in the monastery entrusted to you and your brothers; and even more so with restrictions. But we have no doubt that God’s help would not assist you in choosing you for this ministry, and the intercession of the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God, as a sign of which we were honored to find Her Most Holy Icon in the likeness of this place. Labor and sorrow in this matter are applications of reward. But, however, God will also send you champions who will strengthen you and protect you from those who oppose you and make an obstacle to your correction. Time and your patience will show you good fruits in a short time. All our brothers in Christ tenderly accepted your fatherly greeting and love for them; and we offer, as they do, and we together with them, the most humble thanks for your writing; We ask for your holy prayers and blessings and forgiveness for our sins before you; With our deepest reverence and earthly worship we abide Your Eminence, zealous novices, desirers of success in the commandments of God and unworthy prayer-takers: the many-sinful hieromonk Leonid and the many-sinful hieromonk Macarius. And I am the many-sinful hieroschemamonk John and the many-sinner monk Ioannikis. R.S. It is very favorable for me that you have entered into the patronage of the universal Intercessor and Patroness of all the grieving Protectors... (These last words were written by the hand of the elder Father Leonid). December 21, 1839. Allow me, dear Father Fr. Anthony, I still need to talk to your love. You would like to write in a special note that you did not see any good in yourself. But which of the holy fathers saw their own virtues? Wasn’t it earth and ashes that they charged themselves with, with all their great talents; which is what made their virtue solid. You don’t see virtue in yourself: so be it, but we took advantage of your life: that’s why I, meager in all respects, as well known as you, asked you to pray for me, to imitate you even a hundredth part. I take your place, but, for my sins, I am deprived of my abilities, and I do not dare hope that I can fulfill this obedience and earn the love of my brethren; and again I beg you about this, and pray for my misery. Your respectfully kind writing, as well as Princess N N and her sister who saw you personally, gave me the pleasure of learning about your stay; that you, with the help of God, are strengthened in your labors and perplexed situations; and henceforth we most earnestly wish you God’s omnipotent help and admonition in your affairs concerning your salvation and the brethren entrusted to your care; of which we have no doubt, for you were placed in this service not by your own will, but by the calling of God. We pray you, do not be discouraged in the face of difficulties, but even more so, be complacent - and all these, like cobwebs, will be accounted for. We rejoice that your cell brethren serve as consolation to you; to them and two more went to you; and in time the Lord is strong, and to unite both into one, destroying the mediastinum of the city (Eph. 2:14) with your humility, patience and love; and then there will be great joy and consolation not only in your monastery, but also in heaven; The angels will rejoice over the peace and improvement of your monastery, which serves as the salvation of human souls. When there is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7), how much more over many who are converted and saved. From your writing we see your intention to personally visit your beloved abode, and to console us, the poor and sad, with your vision and spiritual conversation; about which they rejoiced greatly; but this hope and joy is disturbed by doubt: whether you will or not. Our abbot wrote to you hesitantly, but mutually, about his arrival: that’s why we doubt it. It would be desirable to congratulate you personally, in our monastery, on the day of your Angel, and celebrate it together; but since we have no complete hope for this, then with this feeble-minded outline of ours, allow me to congratulate you on the approaching day of your Angel, to wish you peace of mind, health, and joy, and gladness in the Lord. I would write more from the fullness of my heart, the desire for all the best for you, but the poverty of my mind does not allow the pen to express it. We are confident that you, out of love, will accept this small mark of ours, without a doubt that it stems from pure zeal. We remain with our deepest veneration, and with unflattering zeal and love, Your Eminence, zealous pilgrims and novices, much-sinned hieroschemamonk Leonid. And the sinful hieromonk Macarius, I bow to the face of the earth. And I, the many-sinful Hieroschemamonk John, and all our brethren in Christ, ask for your holy prayers and blessings. R.S. Today for the first time we celebrated our patronal feast of St. John the Baptist without you, and they remembered you. Father Superior served as a cathedral and ate with us. Upon receiving the sad news of the death of my brother, and at the same time a tearful request that I visit them, to console their grief, no matter how much my stay here was necessary, however. The abbot was so merciful that he sent me away to them; and I, after the first week of St. after fasting, he went to them: and although he could not completely give consolation, at least he shared his grief with them; imagining both to them and to ourselves the short duration and uncertainty of our life; whose limit is intended by the omniscient Providence of God; He alone is able to give them reinforcement and consolation. Returning to my monastery, I found your most venerable writing, with which you console our sorrow and accept your lively participation in it; for which I am not able to bring you my gratitude; May the Most Merciful Lord Himself be your reward, for He accepts what we do for our neighbors. Thank you, most kind father, for not rejecting my worst lines; Don’t worry about the same thing, that you don’t respond to every letter of mine; I don’t dare demand this at all, knowing your duty and how difficult correspondence is; and besides my letters you have enough. In case of need, I hope that you will not deprive me of your fatherly answer, which I have from experience. Through our brother, now called Elder A.I., I received your venerable writing, written on May 13; which, having read together with the priests, Fr. L-and o. And, our hearts ached for your grief, which not only concerns the individual, but also relates to many. You, out of your deep humility, ask us for words of consolation, being yourself filled with spiritual intelligence and talent. I am ashamed to offer you, my father and benefactor, anything to console me, without going through such difficult temptations myself. He who is in the feat of temptation can feel the burden of sorrow; and after its abundance, by the grace of God, He can help those who are tempted (Heb. 2:18). But I cannot take credit for this; If I write anything to someone to console their sorrows, then I write to secular people who know little about the necessity of the path of sorrows; and I offer not my word, but the holy fathers’ work, which, according to the word of St. Isaac the Syrian, is the repository of hope; and my inactive word is a curtain of cold. But, despite this, out of obedience to you, and on the advice of my elders, Fr. L. and O. I., I dare to suggest to you, not my feeble-minded word, but to recall the fatherly teachings that are quite well known to you; It is not surprising that, having been in grief, it will not occur to you to take action; and skilled doctors for their illnesses do not know what medicine to take, but seek advice from others. And the first St. Mark the Ascetic, in his chapters, gives great strength and consolation to the mourner, presenting the need for them, and as if with a balm he heals the ulcers of the mourner. Further St. Simeon, the New Theologian, in the first chapters of his book, indicates the sign of faith - patience of sorrows. And at St. Isaac the Syrian's book is filled in many places with encouragement to endure sorrows; of which I will remember a few for you: word 20; in the 21st word, in the 34th, in the 35th, in the 36th, in the 37th, and in the 51st there are quite a few undeniable truths: that without the Providence and permission of God no sorrow can happen to us; and that the way of God is an everyday cross; and God cannot otherwise benefit man than to bring temptation upon him for the truth, and that from this we know that man is, as we are provided for by God, when He sends him everlasting sorrows. And to alleviate and overcome them, he offers a remedy in the 51st word - blaming oneself. I do not mention to you the many other teachings of the fathers, as well as the texts found in the Holy Scriptures, which are still known to you; I am confident that if you repeat these things in your mind, then the Merciful Lord will give you consolation. But I don’t think that these sorrows of yours could continue for a long time and devour your heart, but I hope that even before receiving this poor-minded writing of ours, you received heartfelt consolation. The Lord, wanting to reward you with spiritual gifts, also sends temptations; and he does this, as a loving Father, not allowing himself to fall under the weight of the cross, but strengthens and frees. St. Anastasia was consoled by Chrysogonus that the storm would subside and the ship's agitation would cease, which soon came true. Likewise, we must not lose heart or lose heart, but be strengthened by hope and await abundance. What we wish for you with all our hearts, and in our unworthy prayers to the Lord we beg. For this, entrusting myself to your saints. In our prayers, with our deepest reverence, we abide Your Reverence, unworthy pilgrims: the many-sinful Hieroschemamonk Leonid and the many-sinful Hieromonk Macarius. Weak and sinful hierosch. John, May 18, 1840 I have the duty to bring you my most humble gratitude for your fatherly love for us and for honoring our holiday with your presence and priestly service; May the Queen of Heaven herself console you. My mortal composition still hurts; Thank you to the Lord that with this little visit you have honored me, a sinner who has endured countless illnesses and sorrows; but He, sparing my weakness, easily visits. Due to this weakness, I fell into unpaid letter debts, I don’t know how to pay off; including not being able to fulfill your order to write to Fr. M.; the spirit sympathizes with the damned flesh and relaxes with it, you will not find anything sane in your thoughts; With your arrival his embarrassment may end. And if you find a need for writing to him from us, then let him know; We will not be too lazy to write for your prayers, whatever the Lord sends. I have the honor to congratulate you on your approaching patronal feast of St. Nicholas of Christ, and the annual term of your stay in the new monastery: which, although regrettable for us, is necessary to obey the will of God. With my deepest respect, I have the honor to remain V.V., the lowest novice, the much-sinful I.M. November 30, 1840. I bring you my most sensitive gratitude for your fatherly letter to me, dated March 13, written from N.N., which I received on the 18th of this month. You write that your spirit is depressed because of the sorrows that surround you and surround you; for which I sincerely sympathize and sympathize with you. Where can we look for liberation or relief from these? You know enough that God is our refuge and strength, our helper in the sorrows that have come upon us greatly. (Ps.45:2). But how dare I present to you what you know more than me; in theory from reading, and in practice from testing? You now stand on a sorrowful and narrow path leading to the kingdom of heaven, on which, of course, you have been placed by God’s Providence. However, the Lord is strong to give you relief in your trial and the very peace when you need it. The depth of God's destinies is hidden from us. Although you bear sorrow, but truly, in the depths of your heart, with your humility you show submission to the Provider, and secretly receive consolation from Him, which may be with you forever, and even more so with abundance on the approaching feast of our Lord Jesus Christ of the Glorious Resurrection, on which I most earnestly congratulate you; and I mutually wish, having chanted: “O Easter, deliverance from sorrow,” to get rid of it, and to be a Sabbath not only from sorrows, but also from passions. I will ask you to pray for me, who is unworthy, so that the Most Merciful Lord will grant me this Saturday too. Allow me to entrust myself to your holy prayers, and with my deepest veneration, unflattering respect and heartfelt love, I have the honor to remain your most humble novice and unworthy pilgrim, the much-sinful I.M. on March 22, 1841. For your gracious fatherly writing of the 16th of this month, I bring you my sensitive gratitude; Seeing from it that the Lord sent you consolation through the visit of your fathers, brothers and benefactors, I rejoice in this from my heart. Of course, according to your sorrows, the Lord also gives you consolation to strengthen you in your deeds of virtue in the field of your service. Due to the multitude of my illnesses, Your consolation has made my soul glad (Ps. 93:19), the St. cried out. Prophet, which words can be applied to you; Not only in this external, but undoubtedly also in internal consolation, the Most Merciful Lord visits you. For all this, glory and thanksgiving to the riches of His goodness! I have the honor to remain Your Eminence, the most humble novice and unworthy pilgrim, the great sinner I.M. June 21, 1841. With spiritual regret I convey to you our heartfelt sadness: Father Fr. Leonid is no longer with us, it was the Lord’s pleasure to take him into eternity! On the 11th of October, at noon at 7 o'clock and 20 minutes, his soul was released from the bonds of the flesh, in peace and hope in God's mercy; and before that he suffered and was sick enough, and had a desire to be separated from the flesh. We believe that he will find the mercy of God and will intercede for us with the Lord, remaining with us in spirit. A few hours before his death, Fr. the builder Gerontius, then Fr. Ephraim with Fr. Mikhail; You were missing, who had God-given zeal and love for him; it was impossible to send over a long distance; and so we submit this to the will of God. The burial took place on the 13th of October near Fr. Alexey Zh. Knowing that just as he had love for you, you also respected him, we inform you of this, and ask you to bring your prayers for the repose of his soul in the kingdom of God. Entrusting myself to your holy prayers, I have the honor to remain with my deepest respect V.V., the most humble novice and pilgrim, the many-sinful I.M. October 14, 1841. R.S. I received your last letter dated October 10th after writing this letter; I am heartbroken that I cannot fulfill your instructions: to ask him for two petitions; I won’t say anything about the first; and about the second, the trust of the imams, that he will remember you and the brethren in the Kingdom of Heaven. He fell asleep completely, crossed himself and blessed everyone, and began to come to an end; on the third day his hands were as soft as those of a living person, and there was no unpleasant spirit. In truth, our monastery is happy that the Lord has granted us such a virtuous ascetic to have near us; and although the gloomy grave hid his body from our gaze, we mentally remember and contemplate his fatherly love for us and believe that he abides with us in spirit. Vasily Petrovich Braguzin found the priest alive and was at the funeral; it is noticeable that he triumphed in spirit; and when I said goodbye I cried. Your feeling of love for our blessed and dear father Fr. To Leo in your letter, written to me on October 17, and condolences on his departure from us. You and the brethren around you definitely shed unflattering, but sincere tears of sorrow at being separated from such a father; Yes, it seems that of those who knew him there are few who would not bring him this tribute. The righteous are remembered with praise (Proverbs 10:7); this word was justified upon him; and what kind of news do I receive from the nunneries, what happened there upon receiving letters about his death - there was much crying and sobbing and wailing. In St. Petersburg they established a never-ending psalter for up to 40 days and thought that only a few adherents would read it; but instead, everyone vied with each other to honor his memory with the praise of God and prayer for him; – up to two hundred people read at random. T-ya, the abbess writes: she does not dry her tears that she delayed her departure and deprived herself of seeing him and accepting his blessing; she established a commemoration for him and sent it to some churches to commemorate him; from B-i writes M.T. that everyone close to the priest was extremely saddened by the news of his death; and before this the abbess became somewhat upset with him, and this greatly upset her; - V.N., hearing about his illness, hurried to come to find him alive; but already 7 days have passed since his death; It was not long before she was told about this here, and she was in a pitiful position; M. Ya. also arrived, thinking to find him, stayed here for the first week, and 4 days for the second, and after grieving, they went back; only some hope animates everyone about their acquisition of eternal bliss, and this dispels the darkness of sadness. Although you were not at his last kiss and burial, he will accept your sincere desire; and I hope that if nothing prevents you, you will come to us by the 40th day, by November 19, to honor his memory; This is what I most earnestly ask of you. Your love, combined with humility, beyond my measure ascribes to my thinness the dignity of accepting spiritual gifts from Father’s wealth. I even see the poverty of these in myself. You are more than a worthy father and God’s chosen servant; do not refuse to feed us who feast on the food of the word of God. I had previously taken care of the priest’s portrait in order to present it to you, but I did not have the will, and my requests were not fulfilled; and now I will try to satisfy your unflattering desire, and maybe - will it be ready by the time you come to us - by the 40th day; and our elder, dwelling with us in spirit, will himself give it to you. Falling at your fatherly feet, expressing my deepest reverence, and asking for your holy prayers, I have the honor to remain V.V., merciful and loving father, the humblest novice, the much-sinful I.M. on October 31, 1841. Forgive me, most respected father, I am already in debt to two of your letters without response: the first from October 9, and the second from October 12; I received your letters with pleasure, and after a considerable time I respond to them: although it was very pleasant for us your presence with us during the celebration of the memory of our dear father Fr. Leo; but how could this be associated with considerable sorrow for you and disruption of your health: then I remain more peaceful with your peace than with our pleasure; To this end, such a confluence of cases occurred that our father Fr. Abbot and N. N. shortly after the memory of Father Fr. Leo, they visited you, and thus gave you incomparably more spiritual pleasure. Thank God for everything! I had the pleasure of receiving your most respected letter dated November 16, and I offer you my most humble gratitude for not forgetting about my thinness despite your difficult work. I don’t know if you received my letter sent to you on November 14, in which I informed you that I had not yet received the book; and I still have your parcel until the most convenient opportunity. Today is the day of the Angel of our most venerable benefactor, the merciful organizer of the monastery, His Eminence Metropolitan of Kyiv, Philaret; On which day I most earnestly congratulate you; the desire of our hearts and prayer to God: may He prolong the years of his life! We had a service in the monastery today and a prayer service for his health. This day is memorable to me; but not so joyfully, - by taking your place in the monastery: first, that we were separated from you, second, it is not according to my dignity that I occupy the post; and I only bear a name, but am alien to deeds. I ask you not to deprive me of your holy prayers and, while attesting to you my deepest respect, with the desire for your health and salvation, and with my earthly worship, I have the honor to abide V.V., the humblest novice and pilgrim, the many-sinful I.M. All our brothers bow to you. Your beloved brethren delivered to me your most venerable writing, written on the 3rd of February; I won’t explain my feeling of gratitude to you; I'm sure you don't doubt it. We cannot literally understand and interpret the allegorical tales of Vasily Petrovich; and sometimes the one to whom they are leaning sees his convictions in the mirror of his conscience and receives correction; however, cowardice will not take advantage of when one indulges in it. I talked with your brothers as much as I could, for obedience to you, and for their faith; I don’t dare say he healed me, because I myself am lying in the hospital of insensibility and illness. However, where there is obedience and faith, God works miracles for the unworthy. The strong enemy shoots arrows at those who want to follow this path; of which one, the most cruel and inexplicable before her father, presents blasphemies against him, thereby trying to shake the entire foundation of faith, and forbids him to open up: I know this from experience, both against myself and against others. But according to the explanation, it disappears for a while, and then rushes back again. In this case, it is necessary to encourage them and direct this blasphemy at the enemy, and not at them; and to justify them in it is the only way to attract them to revelation in other cases. Forgive me, father, do not consider that I am writing this in the rank of a teacher, but I present examples from past experience. Forgive me, most venerable father, for not yet congratulating you on the coming New Year: now I bring it to you, and together with the onset of the Feast of the Epiphany. May the Lord give you peace, health and salvation; and to relieve sorrows, spiritual joy in the Lord! I received your scripture dated December 17 through N.N., for which please accept my most humble gratitude; I appreciate your work a lot; and at night you have no peace, after your daily activities and concerns for the good of the monastery, brothers and other neighbors who require your consolation. May your reward be many in heaven from the Lord; and for the increase of talent, you will hear a voice calling you to enter into the joy of the Lord; although here you get up to work. Committing myself to your holy prayers, with my deepest veneration, I have the honor to remain V.V., the humblest novice and pilgrim, the great sinner I.M. January 4, 1844. R. S. O. John shows you his deepest respect. I received your most kind letter dated the 16th of this month through N.N., and with it two little books by Fr. John and I received from your zeal. I bring you my heartfelt gratitude for this gift, and especially for your diligence. Your desire to settle with us, and ours to accept you, do not change; All that remains is to ask God and wait for His will when the hour comes. Of course, the Most Merciful Father will hear you in the day of sorrow, and the Lord will give you according to your heart, and He will fulfill all your advice (Ps. 19:1-5); Just let your faith not fail. Ask and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7). You asked and still ask whoever you need! Having entrusted myself to your saints. To your prayers, with my deepest respect and wishing you health and peace of mind, I remain your humble novice and pilgrim, the many-sinful I.M. Your Scripture dated the 12th of this month, on the 17th I had the pleasure of receiving it, to which I hasten to answer your question: how to give communion to deacons after tonsure in the mantle? I have never seen this ceremony in other places, but last year we tonsured a deacon, Fr. John, the present Joseph; and they received communion at the royal doors; We, by simple reasoning, think that it is indecent to commune with him at the altar, that is, to approach the throne of the Lord in a mantle; but there is no time to put on the surplice; and again it is necessary to undress and put on a robe: it seems more decent to communicate at the royal doors. I wish you peace of mind, health of body, with my highest regard I remain your most humble novice and pilgrim, the great sinner I.M. September 19, 1844. R.S. I have no doubt that you will send me the little books; but about those that you, out of your love, promised to deliver to me for my spiritual benefit, I don’t know what to say; I am afraid that my acquisition of only so many books will be condemned; and poverty - good deeds. I thank you most earnestly for this love, and I do not dare reject your zeal: if it does not exceed your zealous amount, then I ask you to write out the works of Innokenty of Penza, in whom I somehow especially have faith. Sorry. Forgive me, most respected father, for being late in congratulating you on the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, our Jesus Christ; accept it at the present time, having met and carried it out; and also happy new year; May the Lord grant you, entering a new field of the year, to march peacefully, calmly, and rejoicing in God our Savior; Likewise, may your brethren’s concern for their salvation increase, and may its fruit, peace of mind, delight their hearts, and may this serve you as a great consolation. I don’t know if you have a book published in 1844: the legend of the life of Elder Seraphim of Sarov, which was published in the Mayak magazine; and from it in a special book; it contains many details and many wonderful things that were not printed in the first issue of his life; If you don’t have it, then let me serve you with it. Following the example of this, I decided to try to suggest whether the life of Elder Paisius would be published; I wrote about this to N.P.K., who read this life from me: is it possible to place it somewhere, since I.V.K. is the publisher of the magazine “Moskvityanin”. He happily accepted the offer, but fears censorship; I sent this life to him, presenting as an example the life of Seraphim, printed with wonderful stories; and there is nothing here except edifying and useful. Pray, father, that the Lord bless this endeavor. The former Oryol Eminence Evlampy, while passing through, stopped by our monastery on the 20th of December, at 10 o’clock in the afternoon, at night; examined the churches in the monastery, visited our monastery, accompanied by Fr. abbot; our brothers met him in the church; on the question - in whose name the church was, ordered to serve a prayer service to St. John the Baptist; and after some brief questions, having blessed us all, already at half past eleven, he returned to the monastery; and then at 2 o’clock during the morning gospel, he set off on his way; His short and nightly visit did not give all the brethren the pleasure of receiving a blessing from him. He may have visited your monastery if the time was convenient. Committing myself to your holy prayers, I have the honor to remain with my deepest reverence V.V., the humblest novice and many-sinful pilgrim I.M. December 30, 1844. I have the honor to congratulate you on the upcoming celebration of the patron of your monastery, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Christ. Through his prayers, may the Lord bestow upon you strength and consolation in your labors and sorrows, in your service before you. It has already been six years since your departure from us and your stay there; and all the time you see the power of God on you, fulfilling and helping you in your labors and exploits; it is clear that by His all-wise Providence your election was arranged for your mutual benefit and that of your neighbors; We, who could not comprehend the destinies of God, in involuntary cases must submit to the will of God. Sorry for prostrating myself into this rant. You know this more than me, having been in the test. Although you are separated from us, physically separated, you remain with us in spirit. Returning from our trip on the 2nd of October, I heartily regretted that you were with us during my non-existence in the monastery. We had a good time on the way; Only at the end we were caught by bad weather and a muddy road. We have the intention of publishing the life of Elder Paisius in a special, complete edition; and to this add some more of his letters: the letter of Elder Sophrony to Fr. Athanasius and 4 prefaces by Elder Basil on prayer, on Gregory of Sinaite, on Hesychius, on Philofios and on Nil Sorsky. I. V. K-ii prompted me to write a preface to the life of the elder: what influence he had on our Russian monasteries, and what benefit he produced; I couldn't talk my way out of it; and although not completely, he wrote as much as he knew; I know that this composition is incapable of printing, both due to the poverty of the style and the poverty of knowledge. I am sending this to you and humbly ask you to add whatever you find necessary and what you know in this regard; I’ll leave it to I.V. about correcting the syllable, but correspondence is already underway about printing; one professor takes charge of supervising him. Do not delay in sending back this preface. Father Superior read and added something: it’s your turn to correct and add to it. Your Scripture dated October 18 and I received my notebook; I’m only sorry that you didn’t correct my outline and didn’t add what you know to confirm Elder Paisius’s activities related to Russia. I sent it to Mr. K, who will send it on his own to Feodor Aleksandrovich Golubinsky; who would not add anything, for he had the intention of making such an addition to the life of the elder; and of course, perhaps, he has more sources and information for this; and he will write more fluently. Thank you for your promise to help with this publication. Let me congratulate you on receiving the reward of your service, the sign of the honorable cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. May it serve you as a consolation for the sorrows that occur, and, looking at the Author of faith and the Perfecter of Jesus, how you endured the cross, leave us an image and follow His footsteps. Having heard about this, we rejoiced that this was the favor of the authorities towards you, taking into account your works; May you be worthy to receive from the Supreme Shepherd, as a reward for your labors, the unfading crown of eternal life, which God has promised to those who love Him! I bring you my most humble gratitude for your gracious fatherly writing, and congratulations on the New Year and on our church holiday, which we celebrated peacefully and calmly. You rivet yourself, as if your eye were blocked by a log, and, not seeing your own, sees the infirmities of others. Forgive me, the impudent one, that I boldly dare to tell you: to whom do the words of God refer: son of man, I have given you a guard for the house of Israel, and so on. You yourself know that it is written: I will require it at your hand, etc., but St. The Apostle commands: be urgent, reprove in time and untimely, rebuke (2 Tim. 4:2). How can you not look at the infirmities of your children entrusted to you, and heal them with decent healing. So I forgot to what extent - I entered the rank of teaching, both in rank and in the mind of my elders and wisest. Only one thing encourages me - the intention is not for teaching, but for consolation, and one more thing: give wine to the wise, and he will be wise (Proverbs 9:9). In general, entrusting myself and all our brothers to your holy prayers, with my deepest respect, I remain V.V., an unworthy novice and pilgrim, the great sinner I.M., I bow to the ground. January 8th, 1846. You ask me about invoking your saints in your prayers. saint Tikhon, together with St. Mitrofan; Are you making a mistake in this? You do this out of your humility, asking me yourself, fully aware of this saving action. One example of Simeon the New Theologian, who honors the memory of his father Simeon, who has not yet been glorified, will prove to you the solution to your question; when honoring him, of course, he also called upon his prayers. Or maybe you have more similar examples in mind; Now, even more, the incorruption of his relics gives rise to the calling of St. his prayers. Committing myself to your holy prayers, I remain with my deepest respect, your humble novice and pilgrim, much-sinful I.M. July 17, 1846. Having received your letter dated July 23 and seeing your true complicity about the poor and bitter past incident, the appointment of me in B- as abbot, I considered it necessary to explain to you the history and course of this matter, which does not please, but saddens us, as well as you, although I do not see in myself the merits and labors that you attribute to me in relation to the monastery and the monastery. The Lord shepherds us, the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God and the holy saint John the Baptist, for the prayers and blessings of the founder of our abode, His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret, our father Abbot Moses and Vash, but I am the weakest instrument here. Why will I be there? We do not know the will of God, but according to our understanding and desire, we ask you to be freed from this election and we encourage you to pray for this. All this is apparently well adapted, but what will happen is unknown, and God’s destinies are closed from us. Meanwhile, woe is to me from everywhere - they raise it here and there; pray that my sinful heart, which is already full of all sorts of abominations and impurities, will not be exalted; should descend into the depths of humility; but St. Isaac the Syrian writes: “hardly is a man found who can endure honor, but he is by no means found, as if someone had said, if anyone has the same morals as the angels” (Sl. 1). I wish to surrender to the will of God, who wants all people to be saved, and as He pleases, let him do so; both about the monastery and about me, a sinner, will arrange for something useful. I. P. L-b writes to me about the death of his brother Gabriel P-cha, which followed on the 5th of this July. A young man, educated in the sciences, and perhaps showing great hope for his family, suddenly, like a young summer plant, is cut down by the scythe of death! For his parents, and especially for his tenderly loving mother, it is a great grief to be separated from him and to cry inconsolably; but to God, I foresaw the best about him through his migration as a young man, in the next century he will be preserved from many and fierce attempts and subsequent sorrows; died with all the parting words befitting a Christian, and in the hope of a future resurrection and eternal life. We must thank the Lord for this! At the last post, I did not have time to notify you about the mournful visit to our monastery and neighboring places: on the 24th of July, at four o’clock in the afternoon, from a menacing cloud coming from the south, the spirit of storms came upon us, that is, a terrible storm; and in half an hour destroyed the splendor of our beautiful forest; century-old pines were torn out from their roots and felled, and some were broken to the floor; Zhelezenka disturbed the entire edge of the forest; it was impossible to walk between the monastery and the monastery; and past the hotel there was almost a field; and as far as the calf meadow there was desolation. It is a pity to see how insensible trees lie, like people reaped by war; they say - about a thousand, or more trees felled. But through the prayers of the great saint of God John, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, for the sake of his holy triumph, our monastery was preserved, that is, a few yards away from the monastery the forest remained intact and unharmed; and from the corner to Zhelezenka and further there was a lot of damage, only the splendor of the appearance was preserved both from the inside and from the outside of the monastery. However, let us not become arrogant: on our southern side, near Fr. Feodosia, broke a pine tree, and destroyed a fence link and two stone pillars. And on the northwestern side, a century-old pine tree was also broken, and the dome on the tower was broken; Yes, standing near the cell of Fr. The Vassian pine was uprooted, but did not cause any harm. Up to six apple trees were damaged, and it seems that this storm passed over the top of our monastery. In the monastery, the roofs of some buildings were damaged, and two crosses on the churches were broken; the head of the bell tower was slightly crooked; An angel was blown away from the gate that leads to us, and some glass was damaged and broken in the garden. So I tell you some sad news; but be the will of God; forest, decoration and splendor for the monastery, and for the inhabitants, not without benefit; however, salvation is not forbidden both in cities and in the desert. Our Father Fr. The abbot has already notified you of the death of the highly respected mother of Sevsk, Abbess Magdalene, which occurred on August 25 at 12 o'clock. - The monastery is orphaned! Inconsolable crying, moaning and screaming throughout the monastery continue; but even the worldly ones all weep over her deprivation. “She, mother, deserved such love through her simplicity, humility, patience and kindness.” 300 sisters calmed down under her meek and wise rule. There is no doubt that she will receive a blissful eternity: she had a presentiment of her death and somehow hinted about it; at the very time of her death, some sisters saw a crown of stars over her cell; and Ploshchanskaya O. the builder, a few days before her death, had a dream: as if suddenly the heavens were opening and Fr. Lord Ottole says to the abbess: “Magdalene! Will you come to me soon? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time and built you a cell,” and she seems to answer: “soon, soon, father, I’ll come!” Here, father, is joyful and sad news; You will surely shed tears of sadness and joy for this venerable mother. When reading the touching description of her death, no one could help but cry; and especially presenting her spiritual children stricken with grief. “Pray, most venerable father, for the repose of her soul in the kingdom of heaven!” Committing myself to your holy prayers, with my deepest respect I have the honor to remain V.V., the most humble novice, the many-sinner I.M. on September 1, 1838. Let me bring you my sincere and most ardent congratulations on the upcoming feast of the first throne of your monastery, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker; may your triumph be bright after the renovation and decoration of the cathedral church of your monastery with splendor; and at the same time may the Lord give you consolation after the sorrow that has befallen you; just as after thunder and a storm, the air in the atmosphere is cleared, and there is a blessing, so the grace of God, after that thunder, will richly comfort you. – You have already experienced and withstood this attack; and I still have to prepare for the disorder... Pray, Holy Father; May the Lord give you courage and patience, and accept with reason what will be sent for my sins, (and not blame) your neighbors. God save you for visiting me here too with your most venerable writing, dated the 8th, which I received from Father Daniel on the 27th of June, having visited him after their exam, at which the Vladyka was also present; and we, after all this ceremony, rushed to him and had lunch. We are very pleased with his love and affection. Our journey continues, with God's help, safely; Through the prayers of our holy fathers we have been preserved until now. We reached the God-saved city of Kyiv on the evening of June 23, during the all-night vigil, on the eve of our skete holiday, the Nativity of St. Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. Father M, Father A and our other brothers received us with brotherly love; and they placed Father Ecclesiarch in the cell; calm us down and nourish us beyond our dignity. The next day, after Little Vespers, before the All-Night Vigil, we were at the blessing of His Eminence the Bishop, by whom he was received with fatherly love and favor; allowed us to stay here in the monastery as long as we wanted. – On the same day they venerated the icon of the Mother of God and St. relics resting in the great church and in the caves; and today is the eighth day that we have been here; were in Mikhailovsky, and in Sofia, and in Podol, in the Bratsk monastery; The appearance of Kyiv, in terms of buildings, has completely changed from before. All visitors reverently honor the shrine, but maintenance is very expensive; and even more so for those who live here permanently. There are 400 living brethren in the Lavra; and in other places: Kitaev, Goloseevka, and in farmsteads up to 300 people; and they can only just get by with people, according to the obediences and occupations required. The God-gathered brotherhood serves the salvation of the Orthodox who come here, bringing tribute of faith and zeal; and departing with spiritual riches and strengthening of faith and healing, mental and physical. We haven’t been to Kitaevo and Goloseesvskaya yet, we need to visit; We’ll stay here for two more days, otherwise it’s time to head back to our monastery; I just don’t hope to get there soon: there will be many stops along the way; we went to Voronezh and Belgorod, but were not in Orel and Volkhov. We must pay respect to our benefactors, but we traveled 1,500 versts from our monastery to Kyiv; I often receive letters that it comforts me quite a lot to know about our fathers and brothers. With heartache I read your letter about your grief at the impoverishment of those serving at the altar of God in the monastery. You want to borrow from us: and we, for our part, have always been ready to contribute to the improvement of your monastery, in fact, according to your disposition towards us and ours towards you. And now Father Abbot has prepared Hieromonk Father V-iya for you; but everything seems to be insufficient, without adding from one’s own; and you know better how trustworthy those you propose for this service will be. It is no small task to educate people in our rank; and what is more necessary for this is God’s help, our will and pastoral vigilance. But woe to our times; We begin in the spirit and are finished in the flesh. It is very unfortunate that Father N., due to his weakness, could not be useful for your monastery. I don't know the main reason. Committing myself to your holy prayers, I ask for your blessing and congratulate you on the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; may He grant you to meet you and celebrate these days with heartfelt joy. With my true highest regard for you, I have the honor to remain V.V., the lowest novice, the great sinner I.M. December 16, 1850. I ask for your blessing! Thank God, we celebrated the holiday safely; We congratulate you on this holiday and the upcoming new year; May the peace of God increase upon you and throughout your entire monastery. From the letter I received from you and your brother S., I see with regret what troubles you are encountering. By the birth of the eternal Child, peace was given to us on earth, and He Himself, at the last testament to the disciples, gave and left us peace, and the sign of the disciples - if they have love among themselves (John 13:35); but woe to us! the enemy sows the opposite of this: enmity and confusion. May the Lord deliver us from this! We sent Father V. with love to you. God grant that at least he will serve you and your monastery. He is silent and carries the sorrows that happen secretly; but he is grieving, and therefore, if you find it necessary, sometimes ask him about this, and how you can console him with your word and fatherly attention. Please accept my sincere gratitude for congratulating me on the holiday and the new year, and asking for your holy prayers, with true love for the Lord and the lowest high reverence, I remain V.V., the humblest novice and pilgrim, the great sinner I.M. December 28, 1850. I am very, very grateful to your fatherly love, and for your writings, and for the non-contempt of my request for books. You owe me a lot with your love, so that I am not able to bring you due and worthy gratitude. It is true that the brethren who depart from us into eternity impress us with wisdom and our outcome; but the exhaustion of this mortal nature makes us think about this more. However, we cannot make amends for our previous misdeeds and present failures with anything, except surrender to the will of God and trust in His ineffable mercy and the merits of our Savior Jesus Christ. Very comforting St. Isaac the Syrian writes in the 89th word (sheet 145 on the reverse): “Like a handful of sand falling into the great sea, the sins of all flesh are in direct resemblance to the providence and mercy of God” and further (on page 471): “The Son of God endured the cross; sinners, therefore, we dare to repent,” and St. Theognostus, in chapter 61, writes: “found during the exodus in the abyss of humility, nothing less than dispassionate; rather than the clouds will be lifted up.” Pray, Holy Father, that these words may be imagined not just in the charter, but in my heart and feelings. With my sincere wish for you good health and spiritual peace and tranquility, entrusting myself to your holy prayers, with my deepest respect and love for the Lord, I have the honor to remain V.V., the humblest novice and pilgrim, the many-sinful I.M. April 27, 1851. I received with pleasure your most respected and kind letter dated April 8th. You apologize in vain for not writing to me; Although I always accept your fatherly writings with pleasure and love, I cannot in any way hold you accountable for inaccurate responses to my letters, knowing your idle time and infirmities; and I judge by myself. You don’t write anything positive about your placement in our monastery; you must expect help and intercession from the Lord: may he arrange what is beneficial for you and give you true peace after the labors you have endured both in external and internal work. Father Superior, and I, a sinner, were honored to receive from the Moscow Bishop Metropolitan, on the 3rd of this April, handwritten scriptures; invites me to worship the Moscow miracle workers and St. Sergius of Radonezh, and learning about my poor health, offers to consult a doctor there; Seeing such merciful attention to my thinness, do I dare refuse? And Father Superior agrees to my dismissal; So this path is laid out for me on dry ground. I ask you to pray to the Lord: may the Master’s condescension towards me not be a judgment upon me. Glory to God, through the patronage of the merciful Bishop Metropolitan and the efforts of our most venerable benefactress N.P. 12 words of St. Simeon the New Theologian were published. And now they have begun to print the book: “The Announcement” of St. Theodore the Studite. The censorship examined and allowed: all this is done only through the prayers of the holy elder Paisius of Moldova; his works did not remain hidden in manuscript obscurity, but came to light. Now we are translating St. Barsanuphius, and there is already a little left. God bless! Pray for success: and more importantly, to be committed to the work: so that by preaching to others, we ourselves will not be successful (1 Cor. 9:27). Asking for your holy prayers, I remain with my highest respect V.V., the humblest novice, the great sinner I.M. January 10, 1853. Your Reverence, most venerable (in the Lord) Father Abbot N.N. You inform me of your intention and that of all the brethren of your monastery in Christ, to establish a monastery at the monastery entrusted to you; for which you have a blessing from your Archpastor, His Eminence... and there are brethren who want to go to the monastery for silent residence. May the Lord bless and help you to fulfill this good disposition, for the glory of His Most Holy Name, and for the salvation of those who seek it away from rumors, for great deeds and spiritual labors, by cleansing the mind and heart from passions; going through all this with great humility, through the knowledge of one’s weaknesses; from this good dispensation may the fruit of true love for God and neighbor grow in the ascetic; and this is facilitated by a lot of teaching in the Divine Scripture and the teachings of the fathers, which, that is, the fathers, themselves walked this path and suffered many spiritual battles from the enemy of our souls; and they left us an example with their life and teaching. Thank you for inviting me to your monastery for a personal interview about this matter; but at the present time I cannot do this, due to the weakness of my health and for many other reasons, which, if I were to take this path, could meet me and upset my frail health. I don’t hope that I could bring any benefit with my personal presence. For your love for my thinness, accept my sincere gratitude, and the assurance of my mutual favor towards you in the Lord, December 4, 1859. Please accept my most humble gratitude for congratulating me on the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have the honor to congratulate you on this bright and joyful holiday, which we have already celebrated successfully; and the future one, God knows who will be worthy to meet. We have March 12th of this year and... O. N-, known to you, passed away to the Lord with a blessed death; was honored to accept the schema in a few days. – You ask me about the construction of a monastery at your monastery – and my spiritual cradle; You chose a place, according to your description, as it seems to me, on the northern side of the monastery, near a meadow, where there are springs and good hay is cut; I think it’s called “veal meadow”; it is also not far from the chapel, where there was a pine tree on the road. But some brethren do not like this place, but point to another place, waterless and swampy, 2½ miles from the monastery; and why they don’t like the place you choose, which seems to be convenient, I don’t know; but I suppose it’s close to the road; and although there is a forest, there are often people going there to pick mushrooms, and the brothers often walk around; then through this their peace of mind may be disturbed; and this has been proven by experience: the farther from human rumor, the more useful it is for the inhabitants of the monastery. And the Monk Sergius fled into impenetrable forests and wilds, and waterless places; - water also appeared. We must seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added (Matthew 6:33). Although there is no water, but there is a swamp, then the water can be extracted. Remember, when one brother, who lived in a silent cell far from the water, was cold because he had to walk far to get it, he saw an Angel counting his feet; - and moved his cell even further from the water. So the brethren who will live in the monastery will take the trouble to fetch water; although it is far away, until the Lord will look upon their labor and send living water, of which whoever drinks will never thirst (John 4:14). Therefore, [yes] do not want to prefer external benefits to spiritual benefit; and in my opinion, it is better to set up a monastery in a remote location. With this, leave a memory for yourself, because it will be more useful for spiritual benefit than decorated with appearance. Thank you to the Lord, who helped you do much in the monastery in terms of construction and repairs; May He help to establish the internal moral order in the brotherhood according to the commandments of God and according to the teachings of St. fathers in order to achieve the desired goal of salvation. April 9, 1860. Your Reverence, most venerable Father N. in the Lord! I received your most respected letter dated July 25 on the 4th of this August. Please accept my most humble gratitude for the books you sent me; I really appreciate your diligence. May the Lord bless the work before you - to interpret St. books of the Old Testament. I believe that you will truly be guided in such an important matter by the interpretation of St. fathers who labored in this test and sought the depths of the Spirit, with the help of God and enlightenment from above. May the Lord give you the Spirit of wisdom and understanding and (may he help you), in a humble disposition, with the help of God, accomplish this work. Do not grieve that the work you are undertaking did not stand the test: this is the work of God, He will protect you from that harmful passion that you mentioned in the letter; time will not pass when your mind matures in humble wisdom; and when God’s will is for this, then the matter will be accomplished. You complain about despondency and hopelessness, with which you consider yourself unworthy of priesthood and communion of the Holy Mysteries. I personally talked with you about this as much as I could, and now I will say for your consolation: who would dare to consider himself worthy of such great service to the majesty of the glory of God and the communion of His Most Pure Mysteries - Body and Blood? When already great men, and St. Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, not with the edge of their tongues, but in the feeling of their hearts, cried out to the Lord, the first: “Lord, I know that I unworthily partake of Thy Most Pure Body and Thy Honest Blood...”; second: “We know that I am not worthy, but you come under my roof...”, then what can we say or think about ourselves? Sinful tendencies must be cleansed by repentance, both heartfelt and verbal, before the spiritual father, with hope in the merits of Christ the Savior and the mercy of God; and with a firm intention, but not conceit, not to fall into them. In the upcoming service, consider yourself an unpayable debtor, a sinner worthy of punishment; - but at the same time, to offer the ineffable mercy of God and the merits of our Savior, His priceless Blood, which washed away the sins of the world, and seeing the Lamb of God presented, taking away the sins of the world (John 1:29), how not to be aroused by hope and love for the One who so loved sinners? Here the darkness of despondency and despair will be dispersed by the mercy of God and the sinner will rest in the hope of the mercy, generosity and love of God. During times of dryness and languor, one should also not fall into the ditch of despondency and despair; do not look for in ourselves what we are unworthy of - the great gifts of God; and rest in humility, considering oneself unworthy of them. Read in the 2nd word of St. Isaac the Syrian, in the section: “The act of the cross is purely there,” and you will see that before the act you should not seek a vision in yourself, and further: “what God says comes about itself, without you feeling it. She, but if the place is clean and not nasty,” and so on. “May you not be deprived of that little dawn, which is simple faith and humility, and heartfelt confession, and small deeds, even according to your strength.” Given our shortcomings and failures, let us gain humble wisdom, considering ourselves the last of all, and although thereby approaching the bliss of the poor in spirit. If, when attempts occur, we become embarrassed, despondent and despair, then this will further encourage the enemy to overthrow us; and humility abolishes it. May the Lord give you peace, comforting the humble: I earnestly wish you this; and having entrusted myself to your prayers, with my respect I remain the unworthy prayer book, the many-sinner I.M. August 5, 1852. Most venerable of the Lord, Father Abbot N.! Heartily sorry for you in the sorrow that befell you, I wrote to ... enter your position and ask, which you already know and write to me on March 16th; and I received your letter on the 22nd, and with the first mail I am writing to ... and ..., explaining to him our long-standing acquaintance with you and our fraternal disposition in spirit and, accepting participation in your sorrow, I ask him to give you protection and protection in your present temptation and sorrow; I didn’t dare ask him to return to his position and, as it were, teach him, and for this I ask you to forgive me. I know that you monastically accept this cross, sent to you from the hand of God, for your test, or for other reasons unknown to us of His All-Wise Providence, acting in the matter of your salvation; for, without His permission, nothing so sorrowful could have followed; although this also comes from people who apparently act incorrectly, they are an instrument of God’s Providence acting in the matter of your salvation. I, for my part, wish you everything that is pleasing to God and useful to you: whether to be in charge and concerned about the salvation of the subordinate brethren, being preoccupied with external vanity; or calm down after many labors and worries, and take care of your soul. I hope that you agree with me, having surrendered with undoubted faith to the will of God, you will wait for this or that with humility, without embarrassment. I wish you, through your sorrow, to receive spiritual consolation from the Lord and, after fasting, to celebrate the joyfully bright holiday of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Committing myself to your saints. prayers, I remain your prayer companion, great sinner I.M. I have two letters from you; I thank you earnestly for your love. From your letters I see that you have already accepted the monastery into your management and everything is fine in your monastery; but the circumstance on the part of the famous person is unknown how it will end; and the anger or indignation towards you continues. Of course, all this is in the power of God: both sorrows and consolations are sent to us according to His providence, according to His Providence unknown to us; – but of course to our benefit. May God grant that you do not become weak in patience, and that you have good consideration in choosing the good path. It is cruel to eat against the goad (Acts 9:5). But if you have such faith that, with the help of God, you will endure all the unpleasant encounters and sorrows that occur, and you hope by this to bring benefit to your monastery and the brethren living under your control and leadership, then dare; and maybe you will be crowned with a crown for your patience. And if you don’t see strength and courage in yourself, but even more fear and cowardice; then it is better to avoid, give place to anger and calm yourself down according to your labors. I will remain silent, as St. said menacingly. John Chrysostom about the rulers. – You know that yourself! - and forgive me for such bold insolence. Your Reverence, Most Reverend Father Abbot N! I earnestly thank you for remembering me, a frail old man, and visiting me with your writings, devoting a particle of time from your busy and difficult studies in leadership and care for the salvation of the brethren entrusted to you in Christ. With heartfelt regret I see what you wrote about your cooling towards everything monastic, which you attribute as the reason to the rank of authority: I also see a ray of hope to console you - with all your soul, your desire to be released from the bonds of authority. But it extinguishes your cowardice and doubt about what will happen after repentance. You are now in a struggle between these thoughts, you don’t know where to turn: you see that woe to the monk who has tasted the boss’s life, which deprives him of his good qualities. Therefore, I clearly see that you desire the salvation of the soul, and the love of the flesh and passions sway you; however, it seems that on these scales the first particle has its advantage. Judge fairly my, perhaps quick, resolution; for the evening has already come, the day of my life; and you yourself, hoping in your youth to still enjoy it, are looking for and wanting my last advice: is it useful for you to leave the abbotship, or to continue for some time? For God’s sake, ask me to write to you in a fatherly way. O beloved father and brother! It's crowded everywhere! To leave you without an answer will keep me from illness and regret for your soul, but to write the truth is the circumstances of the current times, and later your cowardly repentance and lamentation of me; but, remembering your first love and true faith, without which you would not have questioned my badness, and, moreover, grieving in my soul about the disorder of your dispensation, I decide to give advice on your faith, seeking spiritual benefit. Remember your intention and zeal upon your entry into monasticism, your vows, and your diligence with the care of the elders to achieve the salvation of your soul; and if something was acquired, where is it now? Everything became impoverished. What is the reason for this? You say - the rank of superiors; exactly, undeniably, like St. Isaac the Syrian writes in the 56th word: that one who is still in poor mental health should not be allowed into the sea of ​​the world; and among other things that harm the soul, he also mentions the authorities. However, not the actual rank of the authorities, but your spiritual weakness, and still unconquered passions, and especially the main ones: love of fame, voluptuousness and love of money, which your feelings could not meet without damaging your spiritual ferocity; and you are already without weapons, and are unable to resist them. There are people who pass the authorities, not only without damaging themselves, but also for the benefit of their neighbors: but they are strong against passions; But for the weak, so as not to perish himself and those he cares for, what should he do? If you have a true desire for the salvation of your soul, then take advice not from me, but from the holy fathers, true workers and teachers of monastic life. St. John Climacus writes: through the streams of passions, negligence rose into them, and through them it must come out: if through the door of covetousness, not according to the power of the authorities, then there is no other gate except the one by which it entered. In the written book of St. Simeon the New Theologian, read word 8: “as it is fitting for the leader of the verbal flock of Christ to watch and torture dangerously, first of all about himself;” and again: in the verse, his word 26; Yes of the Venerable Nile the Faster, the word of fasting in the Philokalia; from the book of Nikon of the Black Mountain, word 8, from the conversations of Zdatousty on the letter to Titus; from the life of Pachomius: “like plinths put into a river, they do not endure a single day; If the livers remain fire, they will remain like stone; and a man with carnal wisdom, if it is not kindled, according to Joseph, by the word of God, the authorities will be melted.” “For there are many such temptations among men; It is good for someone, having learned his own measures, to put aside the burden of his superiors, so that he will not be harmed; affirmed by faith and doing the commandments of God, they are unshakable.” Therefore, this: “vanity, love of money and the insolence of power are intertwined.” From these you will see the importance of the rank, and compare your ability and strength with spiritual weaknesses; and what kind of answer must be given, not for oneself specifically, but also for the souls of others. And although you hope, due to your youth, for the continuation of life, this is unknown. We must use the present time, and not lose it, given to us for repentance: if the auction breaks down, then it will be impossible to buy the property. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not command to delay time: watch and pray, for you do not know in what watch the thief will come (Matthew 24:42). I consider it necessary to remind you of our famous brother, the late Father Archimandrite...; he repeatedly asked my unworthy advice to leave his superiors; but hesitating to fulfill it, he moved away from this life, not receiving the desired peace in the desired silence and consideration of himself. Your cowardice and fear of what will happen after repentance brings you an enemy who envy your salvation; desiring with these tares to suppress the good seed vegetating in you, and to extinguish the spark shining in you for the desire for correction and salvation. I can’t vouch for this; as if he will bring you repentance for abandoning him, but when you put on faith in the weapons of God, then his arrows will be counted against you like a child. When you see your spiritual poverty and want to get rid of it, you must prepare to be patient and endure its attacks. And even if it happens to endure sorrowful things, we are obligated for all of them by our vows: and also for the cleansing of sins and for the attainment of humility, sorrows are even necessary, which when they come, it is not without the Providence and permission of God, and His help is sent down. Remember that the Lord pleases the narrow and sorrowful path, and not the long, sorrowless path. Having offered you my fatherly teachings and my feeble-minded reasoning on this subject, I leave it to your discretion to choose the best. But, approaching it, first pray to the Most Merciful Lord, may He arrange you as His will pleases, and give you strength and strength to bear, when His will is done, the cross that is presented, but saving and able to lead you into a good dispensation and hope for salvation. Praying to the Most Merciful Lord, may He allow you in this matter to follow true reason, according to His holy will, and strengthen you in all temptations, entrusting yourself to your prayers, with my respect I remain the desirer of your salvation, unworthy pilgrim I.M. Your response to my letter shows me your aroused feeling for the former jealousy that you had in your search for salvation; but the enemy is trying to put it to sleep again, instilling fear in the sorrowful monastic life and pity in leaving the joyful leadership. Я писал Вам не понуждая Вас, но взирая на веру Вашу, с какою меня вопрошали, изъяснив свое бедственное устроение, представил Вам от учения святых отец средства к восстановлению оного, единственно из любви к Вам и желания спасения; движим будучи сими же чувствами и теперь Вам, подтверждая, скажу: хотя или не хотя непременно должно когда-нибудь снять сии златые узы начальства, смерть положит предел оному, и неизвестно когда, и в каком положении застанет, а может быть, измена судьбы, и прежде смерти предуготовляет свободу от него, хотя и с неприятностию; в чем однако ж действует несомненно Промысл Божий по подобию отца, отъемлющего у дитяти вредящие его вещи, но его утешающие, невзирая на слезы его. Страх скорбей будущих маловременных, начертываемый в сердце Вашем, показывает скудость веры и упования на Бога; and also loving the broad path and avoiding the narrow one. What other way will we enter the kingdom of heaven? You yourself realize that “how many carnal, worldly joys you have received, so much will you have to repay in due time with bitter tears”; and without abandoning these pleasures, become like a murin who cuts wood and puts a burden on him, who wants to lift it and is unable to do so from the weight; instead of subtracting from it, he adds even more, and does the same again. When you go through the authorities not for your own benefit and peace of mind, but for the salvation of your neighbors, then it is inevitably associated with sorrows and restlessness. And if one is in charge for the sake of honor, glory and pleasure, then both oneself and the subordinates are plunged into misery from the excitement of passions; woe to the city, when its king is young, and so on (Eccl. 10:16). But it seems to me that if you enter the field that you undertake with hope and faith in God, and voluntarily surrender yourself to the test of sorrow, then they will not only be bearable for you, but even easy; with the help and grace of God, who said: For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Some brethren, cohabiting with you, grieve over this intention of yours, but the question is: are they acting justly? they want their peace of mind or salvation through your spiritual distress; but they too must rely on God, who saves the upright in heart, and not on man. With our good intentions, pray to the Lord that He will strengthen you and make you worthy to fulfill His holy will, sending down His help and strengthening you in the path ahead. I ask you not to leave in your prayers those who come to you with love and desire for salvation. Your Reverence, Most Honorable Father Builder! You spoke when you were here to let me know if things became more difficult for Father (Father Leonid). Although to our regret, we must say that we have lost a lot of weight. He himself said yesterday to send to you when “I’m done”; and today he affirmatively ordered it to be sent. Why does he deliberately send his man, on his own horse; and asks you to hurry up and come; Maybe you will also receive his blessing. With my deepest respect, I have the honor to abide Your Reverence, unworthy pilgrim, great sinner I.M. October 10, 1841 Most venerable Father N. 3 in the Lord, beloved brother in Christ! I received your writing dated September 13th; describe your mental state in the monastery. Glory to God that the brethren are peaceful towards you and you are pleased with them; where there is peace and love, there will be God’s blessing on you; This is how salvation is accomplished. I advise you not to indulge in boredom and despondency due to your inexperience; time and occasions will teach you; Who can be experienced without being in business? Your submission to the will of God, who called you to this service through the archpastor, and your good will will attract God’s help and His blessing to you. And for there to be no sorrow during this service, this is impossible; You, even here in obedience, were no stranger to sorrows. St. John Climacus writes in the 3rd degree that Moses, sent by God Himself to save his fellow tribe, suffered many troubles in Egypt: who can avoid them? but they make a person skilled. That you adhere to the advice of your elder brothers is good; and if necessary, if something needs to be changed, then with advice it will be better and more durable. You see the lord’s favor towards you; he dedicated two hierodeacons for the monastery and will continue to patronize you and protect you in whatever you need. Do not doubt material resources: God is able to send you unexpectedly; seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). I ask you not to leave me in your prayers, but I, according to my strength, fulfill this in return and, having wished you and your brotherhood peace, health and salvation, I remain the great sinner I. M. September 16, 1858 Most Reverend of the Lord Fr. N. From your first note I see that I have been restless for three years. You grieve for not receiving monasticism; When you read the reasoning I gave you about this, you will recognize your guilt and sinful desire in this, leading to insult. You do not understand that the image of monasticism is an image of humility, and in your structure there is love of fame and ambition, which consumes you with sorrow; you suffer, but you don’t get married. If you cared about gaining humility, you would see how gravely you sin with sorrow for not receiving the mantle and do not see here the Providence of God, arranging everything for our benefit. When you came with the mind of obedience, you would also acquire humility, as St. Climacus: “Humility is born from obedience,” which calms us, and you, performing obedience, consider yourself to be doing something good and, as if you were looking for a reward, a mantle, but for you it will not be an image of humility, but an image of pride. If you have had any downfalls, then this is the fruit of pride; St. Climacus writes: “where the fall followed, pride preceded it.” Having read the texts I indicated to you, you realize that you are guilty of much idle talk and vanity, from which you have lost the fruits of tenderness; but even now how to get rid of this? Attend obedience with others. Where there is good will, there will be diligence and God’s help, and if they laugh at you and reproach you for this, this will be a sign that you want to follow the true path; we must endure all this with self-reproach and humility, because we deserve not only this, but also great things, not blaming (the reproaches), but seeing in them the weapon of God’s Providence, punishing us for the sins we have committed; although we bring repentance to them, we must always remember to contrition of heart and to acquire humility, not despairing, but hoping for the mercy of God, who forgives the sins of those who repent. But what kind of repentance should be, read John Climacus in the 5th degree and compare it with yours; Yes, even if they were not sinners, they must have heart disease for both small and everyday sins; and despite all our corrections, if we do not have heart disease, then all our work is in vain; read about this from Elder Paisius in his life. In your last letter you say: “if they don’t tonsure me now, they will go for a long time”: all this happens in you from unbelief and from a vain desire for the mantle, and not for monasticism; I wrote enough about this above. The Holy Fathers write: you can quickly become an external monk, this is not just about clothes, but they also talk about external decorum, but it is difficult to create an internal monk, which you do not understand. When you read spiritual books and understand what you can and do it according to your strength, then God will further reveal: “The sacraments are revealed to the humble.” Reject the thought of a mantle that comes and insults you with the hand of humility, considering yourself unworthy of it; then you will calm down. I wrote as much as I could for your benefit, and when you want, take it and use it, but I don’t always have time for this. I.M. November 13, 1855. My beloved monastery brethren in Christ! 4 Thank God that everything is fine with you; and henceforth may the Lord protect you, with the prayers of the Mother of God and Her protection, and St. John the Baptist of the Lord; and you bear with each other with love and humility. In general, pray for us who travel: may we continue our journey peacefully and safely. On the occasion of the Feast of Pentecost, we have to stay here an extra day, what to do! I see from your letters that you are quite weak in body; I ask you about them. N-b, in common with the brethren, take care; To all our brothers, without explaining by name, peace and blessings of God and I ask for their prayers. I remain with all of you with zeal and love in the Lord, your prayer book, much sinner I.M. June 8, 1850. Yesterday, at 8 o'clock in the evening, we reached the God-saved city of Kyiv and the holy Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, during the vigil; and this morning, on our skete patronal feast day, I am writing to you, my beloved brothers and fathers in Christ. I congratulate you mentally on this holiday; may the Lord vouchsafe you to spiritually celebrate this holiday; I believe that you will remember my unworthiness during the service, and here I remember you. May the Lord, the Mother of God and St. save you. the great saint of God John the Baptist. His Eminence the Metropolitan, thank God, is alive and well, now serving in Podil in the church church; I haven’t been privileged to see him yet. Father M and all our brothers living here are healthy; they all bring you zealous worship. Father M. took us under his protection, and we are calm in his cells. To Father Superior I offer my due respect and worship. I believe that you, my fathers and brothers, yesterday or today communicated the Holy Mysteries of Christ, for which I heartily congratulate you. Father M. celebrated the early mass of the cathedral, and after it we went to the caves and were honored to venerate the relics of the holy saints; and before mass in the great church they venerated the miraculous icon of the Mother of God and the relics of the saints buried here. Father M. and Father A. bow to you. On Saturday, before the all-night vigil, we were with the Vladyka for a blessing; accepted favorably and kindly; allowed us to stay as long as we wanted. We expect to stay here for 10 days, that is, until July 4, and maybe the brethren will hold on for a while longer. Vladyka served yesterday, and the vicar came for a prayer service. Concluding our stay in the holy and God-saved monastery of the Pechersk Lavra, I want to inform you of our intention to leave on Tuesday 4th; and tomorrow we need to visit the Goloseevsky monastery, and there take a blessing from His Eminence. Here we owe so much to the love of our fathers and brothers that I cannot express it, and do not have the strength to thank them; May the Lord Himself reward them with His mercy. We were in old Kyiv, in the St. Michael's Monastery, and St. Sophia Cathedral, and in Podol twice with Father D. and Father A.; They are very pleased with their love. Father D. visited us twice and also wanted to say goodbye. On Thursday I received your letters dated June 24th. I am very grateful to you for visiting me with your pleasant messages; I receive it as if I will personally talk with you, and this will comfort me; I wish you all to live in peace and unanimity and achieve your salvation. July 2, 1850. I am heartily glad that I am already in Orel, and 130 miles only separate me from a most pleasant meeting and interview with you, after a two-month separation; Only the time that seems like a year to me must continue for a few more days - I was so bored on the road, and the absence from my monastery, and from you, my all-kind brethren; No matter how many warm greetings there have been from our benefactors and those who are zealous for us, I still feel deprivation and spiritual lack - absence from my monastery and monastery. I arrived in Orel on the 16th; intends to stay here for two days; and tomorrow, at least for the night, go to Volkhov; They are keeping me here and will stay longer, but I will try to leave; but it seems like I can’t be any closer than the 25th. I remain the wisher of your health and salvation, and the unworthy prayer book of many sinners I. M. July 17, 1850. Again, I am writing to you from the Lavra of St. Sergius, the saint of God. His Eminence Vladyka, seeing off the Grand Duchess, went to the monastery on Tuesday; - where we arrived and were with him; They spent two days there, and yesterday, having visited him, they received the blessing to stay there until Saturday; therefore, we can return to Moscow no closer than Sunday and Monday, i.e., the 2nd of June. Yesterday we came to visit the Lavra and paid respects to Father Rector Archimandrite A., Mr. G-y was there; We talked quite a bit about books and spiritual life. Yesterday here I received a large package of letters from you and others, and yesterday I did not have time to read them all; and now it’s post day, I hasten to write to you, at least in short lines, my beloved brethren; I feel how comforting it is for me to receive your letters and to know about the stay of our fathers and brethren of monasteries and monasteries; So you also accept with love the news about our journey that I see from your letters. Now I have received your letters and I thank all of you and others who did not write; I accept diligence, but I can’t write to everyone. I sincerely rejoice that peace is established among you; I pray to the Lord that the union of love and peace will remain inseparable between you forever. “Everyone understands this,” said the Lord, “for you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). Keep this treasure; May the Lord strengthen your health and grant healing to all the weak. I have no more time to write, and I have little in the way of words in my mind’s storage, even if I wanted to write something. Pray for us: yes, having successfully corrected our affairs, we will return to our monastery. Asking for God's blessing on all of you, I remain a desirer of your health and salvation and an unworthy prayer book, the great sinner I. M. May 30, 1852. May our Lord's visit to us send God's blessing upon you through his prayers and blessings. All together, I don’t write by name, but I kindly greet everyone on this day of the Angel of our most venerable father, Father Archimandrite. You truly congratulated him personally, and on this same day I congratulate him in absentia and in writing. I arrived in Volkhov safely on the morning of the 26th, and today I’m thinking of going to Orel... Thank God that you are healthy and safe. May God grant that peace may be established between you. When you strive not in words, but in deeds, about love and humility, then peace will also be preserved. Each one prefers the benefit of his neighbor. I hasten to write you these lines, and I remain your prayer book and desirer of salvation, much sinner I.M. August 28–29, 1853. Not having time to write to you, beloved brethren in the Lord, to each one separately, in response to your letters that I received in Volkhov, I write to everyone in general and to everyone. First of all, I ask you to pray for me, that the Lord will protect me on my journey mentally and physically, and return me safely to your love - to his abode. I arrived in Orel yesterday and until now I remain safe, protected by the mercy of God and the prayers of our fathers and brothers. Yesterday I stayed with I.M.N. and spent the night with him, and now I have moved to V.V.S., from where I am writing this letter. Beloved brothers! I know that you, like spiritual warriors, stand in battle, but the enemy of our salvation, like a roaring lion, walks around, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8); Therefore, I advise and warn you, as I spoke personally and I beg in writing: be always prepared for this battle: with self-reproach, humility and love, bearing one another’s burdens (Gal.6:2) with patience; Let each one consider himself the last of all, and then you will comfortably bear the infirmities of your brother and repel the arrows of the enemy fired at you, and crush the nets with which he tries to entangle you. Let our teaching in the books of our fathers not be in vain, and let us not only boast of acquiring them, but let us also be inspired to do something, each according to our own strength, in the battle that has happened. Or if someone happens to fall into contradiction with each other, into envy, or enmity, etc. - I beg you, do not remain in it; but having recognized your inclination (which occurred) from previous pride, descend into the depths of humility and by explaining to each other, asking for forgiveness, put down the passionate action and be at peace. O world! world! rich gift from our Lord! Seek it, take care, and be satisfied with it; although I myself am poor and wretched, I wish you this wealth - peace, love and humility, so that your wealth will make up for my poverty. Remember the covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ: “If you have love one another, then you will be my disciples” (John 13:35). Let us strive for this and pray to the Lord, that He will honor us with this name in practice. Fathers..., I received your letters. Thank you for these, but do not demand answers from me and accept the general answer for everyone. I ask for God’s blessing on all of you and remain your prayer book and desirer of salvation, many sinners I.M. August 31, 1853. Eagle. Yesterday evening I returned back to Sevsk, attended several all-night vigils and found several letters, including from you, my relatives. Thank God they are healthy and, if possible, peaceful. May the Lord establish this great gift of His among you; about this I sincerely rejoice, but about the opposite I grieve. We are all imperfect and are in a struggle in our spiritual battle; and how to defeat it, St. fathers: with self-reproach and humility, until we reach the gates of love. You yourself know all this quite well; but even though I myself have created insignificant good, I remind you, (so that) although through your benefit and prayers the Lord will raise me, a sinner, from my painful sinful bed. Thank you for accepting my advice with love and each, according to his strength, trying to contribute to his own dispensation, I will not say illnesses. Thank you also for the notification about the events taking place in our monastery; I accept everything with love, I share both the pleasant and the sorrowful with you - it is our dear abode. Those who write and those who don’t write, I accept everyone equally with diligence and love. N.P. writes that on September 7th she received the book of St. Isaac the Syrian from the censorship, for printing and with complete joy wants to start printing. This news comforted me greatly! May the Lord grant us to see this book soon printed, and although it is not enough to touch upon the knowledge of our weakness. Thank God that, if possible, you are trying to preserve peace and love for the Lord; but how are they accomplished and strengthened? You know this quite well - through humility and self-reproach. Try this, for the Lord’s sake, I beg you. “The assembly of the humble is like the assembly of seraphim,” writes St. Isaac. To all of you beloved brethren in Christ, monastic and skete, I ask the Lord for peace and blessing and ask you all to pray for me, poor and sinful I.M. September 14, 1853. Sevsk. Beloved brother N in Christ! Save yourself in the Lord! I knew what zealous zeal and desire you had, leaving the troubled world, to follow Christ and seek the salvation of your soul in holy monasteries, in the rank of monk and to rush into the house of God, about which you rejoiced with great spirit. But now this joy of mine has been transformed into sadness and lamentation, having heard from your benevolent and spiritual brother that you are postponing your good intention and disposition until time. To the same lamentation and fear will overwhelm me about this vain and presumptuous postponement of yours. Is it your will to continue living? It is written: from morning even to evening there is no one (Job.4:20). Job the righteous writes: Yesterday we are (Job.8:9); Yesterday is known to have been lived, but the present day is unknown - will we live? And again it is written: from morning to evening time changes (Sir.18:26). And the rich man of the Gospel clearly serves as an example and proof that the time of our life lies in the will of God, and not in ours. He, having collected his life and his good things, thought to enjoy prosperity for many years: and the river, he says, to his soul: soul, have many good things lying around for many years: rest, eat, drink and be merry (Luke 12:19), but the poor man was deceived; Instead I heard a voice from above: crazy! This night they will take your soul from you: and what you have prepared, to whom will they be? (Luke 12:20). And St. The Apostle, in his epistle to the Thessalonians, teaches: but you do not need to write about years and times: for you yourselves know that as the day of the Lord is like a thief in the night, so it will come: when they proclaim peace and confirmation, then all of a sudden destruction will attack them (1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2). We must remember that we are mortals; and not to be seduced by temporary blessings, not to become like foolish cattle, who, not expecting the resurrection of the dead, are comforted by visible blessings - it is known from the scripture that: while food is still in their mouths, death will come upon them (Ps. 77:30). And St. writes about merchants like you. Apostle James: Hear those who say now: Today or in the morning we will go to this city, and we will make that one year, and we will buy money and gain: you do not know what will happen in the morning: what kind of life is yours? a couple exists, even if it appears in a little while, then it disappears (James 4:13, 14). And from all these scriptures that I have cited, you see how dangerous it is to postpone the time of repentance and the matter of caring for your salvation. St. John Climacus writes (v. 3): “As soon as you feel the flame of piety within you, then quickly run, for you do not know when it will go out and when it will leave you in darkness.” When you feel such a flame in yourself, then know that this was the calling of God, for good thoughts are planted in our hearts from God, and whoever despises them will himself be despised by God, because, according to the word of God: you create for yourselves unworthy of eternal life (Acts 13:46). You will say: there is salvation everywhere, and in peace with women you can be saved. Truly true! but there more work is required to fulfill the commandments of God: wife, children, care for acquiring wealth, worldly glory; all this serves as a great obstacle to pleasing God. Everyone is commanded to fulfill God’s commandments, and not just monks; For monks, it is absolutely unnecessary: ​​preserving oneself in virginity and non-covetousness, which contribute to the preservation of other commandments. We do not worry about food and clothing, for by God’s providence we do not lack for them. He said: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). In worldly life, it is more convenient to be carried away into breaking the commandments: having a pledge of passions in the heart, they not only do not care about eradicating them, but also do not consider it necessary and, in any case, the guilt that comes is the action of the passions. Let's talk about the love of money. Writes St. Apostle Paul (1 Tim. 6:9): But those who want to get rich fall into adversity and snares, and into many senseless and destructive lusts, which plunge people into destruction and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. Who escapes this evil rooting? Everyone sometimes tries to acquire money through untruth, covetousness, piety and other unpleasing deeds. Here, don’t ask about love for your neighbor, about which the Lord Himself commanded so much in St. Gospels and St. The apostles taught. About voluptuousness. It also dominates the world; against whom the Lord commands this: lest your hearts be burdened with gluttony and drunkenness and the sorrows of this life, and let that day suddenly come upon you (Luke 21:34). Woe to you who are now full: for you will hunger (Luke 6:25). And the second rich man of the Gospel, enjoying light every day, what fate did he receive after death? Eternal fire! Who will deny himself pleasure, which inflames the flame of carnal lust more powerfully? And it separates the mind from God and plunges it into the ditch of passionate carnal falls; for which the great ones suffer punishment from God, the scriptures tell us. And not only a sinful act, but also a mental inclination is imputed to a crime: everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). And St. The Apostle Paul also proclaims punishment: do not flatter yourselves: neither harlots, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor defilers, nor prostitutes, nor sodomites, will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9). And again: God judges the fornicator and the adulterer (Heb. 13:4). Although it is allowed for a worldly man to have a wife, how much care and sorrow will he incur! According to the scripture: he who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife (1 Cor. 7:32). With this care comes many sorrows and worries, and even more so when there is disagreement with your wife; The snares and snares of the enemy lie for the lust of others, for the resistance of God. How much worldly glory draws a person away from God and the Holy One. His commandments are known from the words of the Lord: men loved the glory of men rather than the glory of God (John 12:43), and as much as you can believe in God, accept glory from one another, and do not seek glory from God alone (John 5:44). You see that even faith itself is diminished by the glory of man, then can love for God and neighbor be fulfilled? Do not love your neighbor, even if you see God, but you do not see Him, how can you love (1 John 4:20)? All these three main passions: the love of money, the love of voluptuousness and the love of glory do much to hinder the fulfillment of the commandments of Christ, and it is difficult for those who live in the world to fight them and not be hurt by them; from which, turning us away, our Lord Jesus Christ says: you cannot work for God and mammon (Matthew 6:24), and to the young man seeking salvation he said: go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor: and come after Me (Matthew 19:21). The Holy Apostles taught a lot about the harm that comes from the love of the world. St. John: love not the world, neither those in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him: for everything in the world, carnal lust, and desire, and worldly pride, is not from the Father, but is from this world. And the world passes away and its lust: but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:17). St. Apostle James: Do you not know that all the things of this world are enmity to God? Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God (James 4:4). And St. Paul: the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God: for the law of God does not repent, for it can do less (Rom. 8:7). I am not writing this to judge the world; this is not our business - God is the Judge of all, He is strong and able to bring many of them to their senses: through sorrows, illnesses, or in some other way, to separate their hearts from the addiction of the world that harms them, and to save their souls; for He does not want the sinner to die, but to turn and live for him (Ezek. 33:11); For this reason He sent His Son into the world to eat. The world, about which it is written, do not love it and which damages us, is our passions that act between people, and it is impossible for someone who wants to be saved and to please God not to be hurt by them, from association and exercise in the vanity of the world and with people who are carnally wise, and therefore I am writing this to you in order to show what the harm of the world is for those who want to please the Lord; since you had the calling of God to leave the world and despised it; no one lays his hand on the head, and in vain turns back, is led into the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). Beloved brother in Christ! Having love for you according to God, with a painful heart I remind you: go into your conscience and take a closer look to see if you can find any of the above passions that keep you in the world and can distract you from the love of God; reject them and quickly follow the Divine calling. Writes to St. John of the Climacus: “if the earthly king calls us and wants us to fight before Him, we do not hesitate or deny this feat, but leave everything and hastily flow to Him, then let us take heed, lest we be like the King of kings, Lord of lords and God of gods, calling us to this angelic rank, out of laziness and negligence. having listened, at this terrible trial you will find no response. They may walk there, as if surrounded by iron bonds, with the cares of life, but even those whose feet are bound with bonds walk with discomfort, but they always stumble, and from this stumbling they receive wounds. A man without a wife, but surrounded by the shackles of worldly affairs, is like one who has his hands tied with chains; For this reason, whenever the mother-in-law desires, she can without hindrance begin to live a monastic life; He who gets married is like one who wears fetters on his hands and feet” (Step 1). I am afraid that this answer will not fall on you, who have disobeyed the calling of God. Know that the enemy of our salvation is trying to keep you in the world with various intrigues and the good things of this world promise; I am ready to present all the treasures and amenities, just to distract from the saving intention. And the malicious advice will suggest that those living in monasteries also sin, and will also try to frighten people with monastic sorrows. To this I will tell you: although you acquire all the good things of this world, they are fragile and fleeting and can be a reason for breaking the commandments of God, according to the word of the Lord: “For the rich man will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23). And your conscience will not get rid of remorse and reproaches, and what is more painful than this, in the midst of the blessings of the world, not to have mental peace and tranquility? But most of the time it happens that the Lord will not allow it and will not give you happiness and success in anything. I have seen this experience on many who suffered for their contempt for the title of God. That we are all not sinless, even those who live in a monastery, cannot be disputed; no one is clean from sin, even if he lives only one day (Job 14:4, 5); for we are conceived in iniquities, and in sins we are born and grow (Ps. 50:7). However, in a monastery it is more convenient to revolt and repent; they often confess to their confessor and partake of the Holy Mysteries; If something happens on their conscience, they at the same time resort to their confessor, repenting and contemplating themselves, and immediately receive permission and remain calm in their conscience. According to the rules of the fathers and the customs introduced in the monasteries, many even daily cleanse their conscience with a brief confession and confession of their small efforts before the spiritual father. Contrition of heart and constant condolences for sins are both necessary and necessary for us. And in worldly custom, they barely go to their confessor once a year for confession, but even then, in view of the multitude of people who came to him for confession, they speak to him very briefly; at other times of the year they will not even think of talking or consulting with their spiritual father about the salvation of the soul, and some remain for two years or more without this soul-saving healing. I will offer you a story from the eldership, appropriate to this matter: “a certain brother asked the elder, saying: how are there worldly people in the world, despising fasting and prayers and feeding on all sorts of foodstuffs, eating and drinking without restraint, and giving and taking, devouring each other and always creating according to the desire of their lusts, and in They spend their days committing oaths, and do not say that we have fallen or sinned, nor do they excommunicate themselves from communion. Are we, by fasting and prayers and vigils and dry eating, deprived of all carnal rest, constantly weeping and lamenting and saying that we have perished and the kingdom of heaven has perished, and are guilty of hell? Hearing this, the elder sighed and said: “Thou hast spoken well, child, for the worldly things do not fall; Having fallen by one wondrous and cruel fall, they can rise lower and fall lower, and what sorrow does it have for the devil to overcome those who lie down and rise again? The foreigners are not like this: but sometimes they are victorious, and sometimes they are overcome; falling and again rising; insulted and insulted; Borimi and fight the devil. Mirstia has no purpose; The first case of many things is accepted for the sake of insensibility; below they see that the essence has fallen, and from here they do not rise. Otherwise, hang your child, because I don’t mean that you, who pretend to be foreigners, always demand to be sober and cry, but the greatness of fasting also requires tears and a lot of work.” 5 If monastic sorrows frighten you, then those living in the world are not free from them. Present afflictions intercede for us an eternal kingdom; For it is written: “Many are the tribulations of the righteous” (Ps. 33:20), and: “Through many tribulations it is fitting for us to enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts. 14:22), and again: “The passions of this present time are unworthy of the glory that desires to appear in us” (Rom. 8:18). And you will convert many more to St. Scripture about the need for sorrow in human life, and even more so for those who want to be saved and please God; but all of them are sent according to the will of God, by His All-Wise Providence, for our benefit, according to the measure of each and the dispensation, how much and when the grace of God finds it necessary to tempt man with the fire of sorrows: tempt them like gold in the furnace of sorrows, and you will find them worthy of yourself (Wis. 3:5, 6). That is why there is no need to be afraid of sorrows, but to surrender yourself into the hands of God; He will manage your life and lead to a good end. Dear brother! Do not think that I am writing to you from any of my views, but solely out of compassion for you; This advice of mine is not from my feeble mind, but from the Holy Scriptures and from the teachings of the fathers, I leave it to the choice of your good will; and I pray to the Most Merciful Lord, that he will give you true reason and enable you to follow it, and strengthen you, and arrange the salvation of your soul. I remain the wisher of your health and salvation and the unworthy pilgrim I.M. Your blessing, most honorable N.N! You are looking from me, ignorant of words, for guidance and consolation in your sorrow. You are educated, taught, and placed at the level of shepherding to be another guide to the knowledge of God, the fulfillment of His will, and through this accomplishment in holiness, can my words bring benefit or consolation to such a person? However, with all my ignorance in the word, out of the duty of a Christian, I have compassion for you, seeing you greatly wounded by sadness, and burdened with despondency, according to the word of the Holy Scripture: (Eccl. 7:3, 5) “Go rather to the house of mourning than of joy,” and according to the teaching of St. Isaac the Syrian in the 2nd word: “Strengthen the weak and saddened at heart with a word, and as far as your hand is able and the right hand that bears everything will confirm you, become a fellow with those who are saddened at heart through the work of prayer and the tightness of your heart, and the source of mercy will be opened to your petition.” And as much as I can, due to my feeble-mindedness, and especially according to your faith, as much as the Lord will enlighten me, (for you ask me with faith), I offer you the following reasoning: Although you studied external sciences: faith in God and His law, you must also study in a school of faith, not based on one theory, but on a test that can be passed; faith does not consist only in believing that there is a God, but also in His All-Wise Providence, which governs His creatures and arranges everything for good; times and years are set in His power (Acts 1:7), and for each of us he determined the limit of life before our existence; and that without His will neither a bird will fall, nor the hair of our head will perish (Luke 12:6, 21, 18)! Each of us is faced with a test of faith, but not all at the same time, and not in the same things; one is tested by poverty, burdened with family, without daily food; others through deprivation of honor, disgrace, others from wealth to poverty, others through the disagreement of the party, the unkind behavior of children, are consumed by heartfelt sadness; or he grieves, having no children - the hope and support of his old age, another is burdened by the deprivation of a wife, friend, brother, children, parents and relatives, and many other motley sorrowful adventures; but all this happens according to the all-wise and unknown destinies of God. These truths are quite familiar to you and you, of course, can, by the beauty of the style, give them more power to convince; but I remind you only for the reason that in grief a person disappears in his strength, looking for strengthening from others; however, it is not enough just to know, but also to go through experience when need requires it; Which helmsman is considered skillful: the one who always steered the ship only in bad weather, or the one who endured many noises and disturbances during the voyage? Of course, having experienced inconvenience and difficulty! There are many examples of this in other matters, such as a warrior, a doctor, an artist, and others who have passed their rank through skill, since in a Christian, faith is learned from temptation. So, no matter what happens to us, we must submit to the will of God, with childlike humility, although we cannot help but feel sorrow. When will we begin to enter into the orders of God’s Providence and grumble “for what?” and why does He do this?” - then we expose ourselves to His righteous punishment; Saint Isaac the Syrian writes about this: “God tolerates all human infirmities, but He does not tolerate a person who grumbles all the time, unless He punishes him.” You are now being tested in your faith and it is undeniable that you have great sorrow through the deprivation of your spouse; and it is impossible not to grieve, but one must have reason and submission to the will of God, and be confirmed in faith. Instead, you grumbled at God’s Providence: “for what? and why did God do this?” You indulged in despondency and inconsolable melancholy, and loved the creation more than the Creator, the consequence of which was the disorder of your health, which can be attributed to the punishment of God. As an example of this, read in the life of the Moldavian elder Paisius (which you have): after he went to the monastery, his mother lost all the hope that she had placed in him, gave herself up to hopeless sadness, wanted to starve herself to death; - you will see what happened to her, and how she got rid of punishment. And since you have recognized your mistake in this, and repent, and regret it, then the Lord is strong to look upon you, to give you relief, both mental and physical; Again, do not indulge in despondency and melancholy; Think not only about the present, but even more about the future. Is it our business to test God's destinies? He has only one message: for this reason he did this, having removed your wife from here; Perhaps the time is fulfilled for her eternal salvation, so that it is not malice that changes her mind, or flattery deceives her soul, according to the words of one wise man (Wis. 4:11). For non-believers, precisely, grief is irrevocable - deprivation of neighbors; for them there is no ray of hope shining from distant eternity; whoever dies dies forever for them; their joys are instantaneous, and their sorrows are joyless: but a Christian, convinced of the actions of God’s Providence, wandering in this vale with trust in God, and in all the changes of his fate sees the dispensation of the Highest Wisdom, and with firm confidence says to himself: this is God’s work! This is the power of the finger of the Almighty! Stormed by waves of disaster, he does not lose hope in good Providence, but calms down in His arms. What should you do in your current circumstances? I can’t tell you anything more than try to calm your spirit with faith and hope in God, pray to Him and have someone to talk to who will entertain you from sorrow and despondency; and upon recovery, God Himself will instruct you what is appropriate to do; To whose omnipotent Protection entrust yourself with childlike devotion and love: He will surely arrange useful things for you. For my part, according to your commandment, I oblige myself, in my unworthy prayers to God, to pray for your health and salvation, and I entrust myself to your prayers, with zealous respect and desire for your peace and salvation. Your Reverence, most venerable Father N. in the Lord. Your honest writing shows me your love, remembering my thinness, and wanting to know in what state of health I am. I bring you my most ardent gratitude for your zeal, and with this writing I inform your love that, preserved by the goodness of God, I am still moving, but, due to my old age, I am in a weak position, although I drag myself on my feet, I rarely leave my cell. For all the mercy and generosity of the Most Merciful Lord towards me, I cannot give due gratitude, but I feel them in abundance, and not according to my dignity. You write about your sorrow that you do not have a person after your heart who would test your conscience and care about the salvation of your soul, ask me to write to you at least a little to save your soul. O beloved father and brother! Woe to our times, due to the impoverishment of true workers and teachers of monastic life! However, those who seek salvation in simplicity of heart and humbly pray to God for this, the Lord does not abandon and does not allow the authorities to be perplexed and double-minded; but he will either send a person to instruct him or through the Scripture he will learn the will of God and come to his senses; or temptations and illnesses will bring him into humility, and arrange for his salvation. About those who are not informed to whom to announce their thoughts, St. writes. John Climacus, “as such are sick with pride”; and in the Fatherland he writes that “God will tell the little youth that he will decide for the benefit of man, if in the simplicity of his heart he will seek it with humility.” You now, being in old age, and waiting only for the hour of death, can test yourself and consult with your spiritual father about the life you have led, what has been gained and what has been lost in fulfilling the commandments of God, and our monastic vows, which must inevitably be answered at the terrible judgment of Christ; and since it is no longer possible to return what has happened, do now what is in your power; humble yourself before God and people, contemplating your lack of correction, for it (i.e. humility), with faith in the Lord, saves a person, but deeds without humility (and faith) are useless, according to St. Isaac the Syrian; and bring repentance to God, relying on His mercy; He will look at your humility and give you peace of mind. Here is my advice to you, beloved brother, regarding your question and your faith; Although I myself have done nothing but good, I place my hope in God’s ineffable mercy and love for us sinners. And as my day is already approaching evening, I ask you to pray to the Lord, that with this hope you will be able to be freed from the bonds of the flesh and receive God’s mercy, which is hoped for in the future life. Wishing you peace of mind and prosperity for salvation, I remain unworthy of your prayer, the many-sinful I.M. I had the pleasure of receiving your letter dated October 5; I bring you my sincere gratitude for the memory of my insignificance and for the good disposition that I quite clearly saw in your lines. I have long wanted to answer you; but the monastic circumstances encountered took up most of my time; the time that remained free from business was stolen by bodily infirmities. And now I take up the pen not with the intention of composing an edifying answer to your letter, as you wished; be it not, these are not my all-meager measures: I take it so that by silence I do not violate the law of the most holy love; and the Merciful Lord is able, according to your faith, to pour some sweetness into my words, flowing from a bitter source, that is, from a passionate heart. I agree with you, dearest, that it is much more decent and convenient for a monk to live in the desert than in a city, especially in a populous and luxurious capital, however, the Provider and Finisher of our salvation, Self-Truth and Self-Wisdom, the Lord Jesus Christ commands every person, before he begins to create his spiritual debt, to count his possessions. that is, the amount of will, and judging by this capital, build either a hut or a house, or royal chambers. In these times, in which faith and the most beautiful child of the heavenly mother, the good and fiery will, have greatly lost their power over the hearts of people, I am somewhat consoled by the fact that in your letter you call yourself a sinner; I would be more comforted if you felt like that; I would be even more comforted if, having felt your sins, which every person abounds in, you considered yourself worthy of any unpleasant adventure that might come your way, and thanked the All-Merciful Creator, who delivers us from eternal punishments with temporary punishments. He who carries in his depths the flame of decisive will, thirsts for sorrows, blossoms in the cave of temptations, is a riot for Christ's sake, even if he had all the wisdom of this world; driven by fear, born from the sight of his sins, and attracted by the beauty of Christian perfection, which he guesses from the abundant and incessant knowledge of his shortcomings, he will not be consoled until he drains drops of all his blood in blissful suffering and receives the spirit. We, weak in both body and soul, considering the victorious crowns of the saints, and our poverty in everything, do we, with a single consciousness of our complete insignificance, dare, as if with a single finger, to touch the highly creative monastic life. Not on the basis of my own understanding, but again on the writings of our fathers, I affirm this; for St. John Climacus in the fifth degree, having told about the great ascetics of repentance, says the following: “I know that these feats I have told will seem incredible to some, impossible to others, and leading to despair to others, but the valiant man accepts the encouragement from them and, carrying an arrow of burning jealousy embedded in his heart, successfully departs. The second after this, having recognized his weakness, and through his own humiliation, having become humble, flows behind the first, but I don’t know, maybe he will reach it. But let the careless one not touch the feats I have mentioned, so that he does not waste the very thing in which he works, in despair. And on such a one this Savior’s word will come true: whoever does not have (a good will), and whoever thinks he has, will take it away (Luke 8:18).” From many small things, in accordance with our relaxed dispensation, having written you this meager collection of young-minded lines, I send you to your love; and we ask you not to look at the badness of style and the coarseness of our ignorant concepts; but even if we offer dry bread and harsh potion for the meal of your mind, we beg you not to reject my love, for our Lord and Savior did not reject the harlot’s love kisses, and did not abhor the world at her hands. And I, with due respect and devotion, asking for your prayers and bowing to you, have the honor to remain. Your blessing, most venerable priest N! To my heartfelt regret, I hear about you that you accepted a false opinion and were convinced of it against Father L-a, not only in a bad way about his life, but even about the faith, lamenting for some sect or heresy; which I never expected from you; Having a heartfelt disposition towards you, I wish to lead you out of this error, for you fall under the sin of blasphemy against an innocent person, and become the culprit of the same in others. Who inspired you with this opinion about him: you need to test whether he is worthy of belief, and on what he based his arguments? Believe not every spirit, but tempt if they are from God, writes the holy Apostle (1 John 4:1). The members of the Most Holy Governing Synod, the Most Reverend Metropolitans, know Father L. quite well. The same metropolitan knew him back in 1807, having been abbot in the O-th diocese in the S-monastery, and Father L-d was a builder in the B-th desert, which were no more than 20 versts away, and had frequent intercourse; in 1837, during his Eminence’s journey to K-b, being in our desert, he gave him a very merciful archpastoral blessing; our father abbot and father A-ii have a very good disposition and respect for him and consult with him in many ways; also, our other fathers and brothers have trust and love for him, and use his instructions, and secular people of various ranks come to him and leave, not without consolation in their spiritual sorrow and bewilderment. Father L-d stayed for about 20 years under the elder Schemamonk Theodore, who was experienced in spiritual life. Schemamonks: Theodore and his companion Cleopas are known for the righteousness of faith and holiness of life, who were disciples of the Moldavian elder Paisius, and he (Fr. L-e) was instructed in spiritual life from them; the rightness of his faith is known to the Most Reverend Metropolitans and our Eminence, as the heads of the Church, and we all know and firmly assure that he believes in the Holy Consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as the holy conciliar and apostolic Greek-Russian Church commands, and rightly professes and maintains all its dogmas and decrees, and never to to which heresy and sect he did not belong and does not belong; he spends his life, as much as possible according to his strength and health, abstinent, and not seductive; otherwise, how could both their brethren and secular people benefit from it? There are indeed people who come with testing and cunning, wanting to find a miracle worker, seer or soothsayer, and not finding any of these qualities in him, they utter their blasphemies against him, which, apparently, have reached your ears and have disturbed your spirit; - then one would have to regret him if everyone spoke good things about him, for according to the word of our Savior: “Woe to that man, for whom all men speak good things” (Luke 6:26) Who escaped the blasphemy and reproach of those who live piously, when against the Savior Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, who did not commit a single sin, but was good to souls and bodies? human beings, they cried out and were offended, as we are convinced of by His Divine words: if the master of Beelzebub’s house was discredited, how much more than his household (Matthew 10:25); If you cast me out, you will also be cast out (John 15:20). It is very little wonder that the enemy is arming himself against him because with his instructions he raises many to firmness in the faith, to a pious life, to the destruction of enmity that occurs between people; The enemy hates all this and incites blasphemies against him, trying to shake him; however, he, preserved by the grace of God, is not damaged in the least and is not faint-hearted from them; but, regretting them, he willingly forgives them, and prays to God for them, so that he will not put them in this sin, and he is extremely sorry for you, who stumbled in vain - about him in your opinion and harming himself; and I feel sorry for Father L-a for the false slander about him, and for you for the credibility of it; How can your conscience be calm and peaceful when so many souls have been falsely stumbled; The Holy Apostle Paul writes to the Galatians in chapter 5, verse 10: the one who troubles you will bear sin; This is how important and disastrous it is to disturb the conscience of others by divulging false rumors! Even if they blame only for some sinful life in their opinion, then this is akin to every person and no one without sin, even if there is only one day of his life (Job 14: 4, 5), and when it comes to faith, then I have a duty to protect and justify him in this. Saint Agathon, having been reproached by some with various sinful reproaches, answered every one: I am a sinner; and when they told him: Agathon is a heretic, he made an objection; and when they asked him why he endured all the reproaches with patience, but did not endure this last one? He answered: these sins are akin to man and we hope to receive forgiveness for them by the mercy of God, but a heretic is excommunicated from God. You see how important it is that the saint also stood against this; Shouldn’t I, having love for the priest and knowing his righteousness, in his defense, present to you that he believes as he explained to you above. But his life is also the most virtuous and serves as an example for us and for many; nevertheless, heresies and wisdom contrary to religion are committed in secret and secretly, but in him we see nothing of the kind; If anyone finds something contrary, let him judge as he wants, but the judgment of God and the judgment of man have a great difference; judge nothing before its time (1 Cor. 4:5); at the Last Judgment, when people appear before the impartial Judge, then everyone will be convicted not only of their deeds, but also of their heartfelt advice; Perhaps they will say: behold, this man, who was once treated with ridicule and reproach, how is he counted among the sons of God, and among the saints is his lot? (Wis.5:3, 5). I am writing this to you solely out of pity for you and wanting to lead you out of a false opinion in order to calm your spirit; After all, I am sure that you do not have peace of mind having accepted such an opinion on him; I ask you, for the Lord’s sake, for your spiritual benefit, leave it and do not believe those who inspire you with this. I wish that the grace of God will touch your heart in the knowledge of the truth that I offer you. Committing myself to your holy prayers, with my deepest respect I remain with your blessing, zealous prayer-giver, much-sinful I.M. January 24, 1839. Most Reverend of the Lord Fr. N! By the way, you are talking about the strict judgment of one spiritually wise elder who cites the rules of St. Apostles and St. Basil the Great, and immediately give your opinion: if in our time everything was done according to the rules of St. Vasily and others, so the church would have to be locked; there would be no servants and communicants and you ask me a question: what is my opinion about this? Woe to me, a sinner; What will I say about this and what will I say? Your question, as I understand it, leans toward the priesthood... I am not a man of the Council, I cannot dogmatize, but I am a sinner who must repent of his sins; but according to my feeble-minded understanding, I agree with the strict judgments of this old man. And Elder Paisios strictly observed, not allowing those who were ruled by the saint to the priesthood. fathers are rebuked, much less those who creep in the priesthood... As if God does not have worthy servants of Him who can serve the salvation of man? We believe that the sacraments are also performed through sinners, for the Lord Himself is offered, receives, performs and distributes; but to what kind of responsibility are those who dare to enter the palace of heaven in dirty robes subject?! Everyone knows. In these cases, it is impossible to accept the Lord’s word, taken separately: I do not condemn you, go, and from now on do not sin (John 8:11). This was in His earthly life and in the Old Testament, and when He gave the power to the Apostles and their successors to bind and decide: if you bind on earth, they will be bound in heaven (Matthew 18:18), and also about permission: and listen to you, He listens to Me; and sweep you away, Me is swept aside, and so on. (Luke 10:16). How, with our wisdom, will we change the rules of the Apostles and Fathers, or interpret them in our own way? Elder Sophronius of Moldova, in a letter to Schemamonk Athanasius, expressed himself this way: “My beloved brother and spiritual son! and again, it’s fitting to say to me, because I’m cramped everywhere: what will I say here, and what will I write? If the soul, even for some illness and weakness, violates little of the Divine rules, then let the fear for the sake of God be poured out with humility, love and tears; If for the sake of contempt, or for the sake of negligence, he neglects it, then we are afraid to speak about it; also add to it, or take away anything, no matter how little, for the sake of contempt, dare, let the same condemnation tremble; before we hear him saying: If we, or an angel from heaven, bring you more good news, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8)." the priesthood, but it would be strictly instilled to have supervision and caution on your part; but I will say again: it is not my business in the stories of St. We see many lives in which those who dared to do this were subjected to accidents and punishments, and the Lord is long-suffering to many: He cleanses through sorrows, misfortunes and illnesses according to His ineffable mercy; but this is a matter of special consideration for salvation, and not of conciliar reasoning and rules. I repeat to you that I agree with the mentioned elder. 1839. Your Reverence, most venerable father N, beloved brother N in Christ! I received your scripture, written on October 24, on the 8th. Thank you for remembering me, who lives on a foreign and distant side. I will not describe my life: I will only say that it is very troublesome due to our small number of people, and not without boredom, due to my inexperience in these cases. And the maintenance is three times more expensive than ours, only some things are the same price. I am very sorry about the illness that happened to Father S., which, according to your letter, has been going on for 20 days. You are asking me for advice on what to do in accepting the amount and position - should you proceed or not? I know that it is now very difficult and sorrowful for you, at a loss as to what to do. But it is no less difficult for me to give you advice, especially since they will consider it given by me out of dislike for Fr. S., from which may the Lord save me. Moreover, when you receive a letter from me, it will be exactly a month from the sending of your letter, which is why no matter what advice I give, it cannot be valid based on the current and former situation at that time. But, however, although I find it difficult, remembering your brotherly love, calling on God for help, I will tell you this: in three days you had to report this to the bishop; and in the management of the monastery - of course, no one else like you should be the first person according to S.; would it be displeasing to him, but what to do? Of course, it is necessary to reject displeasures so as not to cause more grief; but we must remember both our duty and the common benefit. It seems to me that you should hand over the board and the sum to him himself - this could calm him down; but apparently there are other reasons, the testing of which I do not need to go into. In your bewilderment, you should have taken Dean N’s permission and asked for his advice. That would decide for you in three days. With a messenger, when you send it, you can now, according to the present situation, if you find it difficult in any way, ask for his advice, like the closest boss who has influence over the hermitage. And I, due to the distance of the place, find it inconvenient to give advice in such urgent matters. May God grant that this illness passes away. S., and would receive perfect health. I regret that you did not mention any of the brethren in your letter. I ask whoever you find necessary to bow to me. If my brothers are with you, then bow to them too. I bow to the one who wrote the letter N, and, asking for your prayers, I remain an unworthy prayer-goer of I.M.S.-Petersburg. Beloved brother in Christ, father N! With your writing, issued on March 1, expressing your grief over your deceased sister and the remaining six orphans, you ask for advice: should you go to another monastery to support such orphans. Beloved brother! You should have asked about this, notifying one of the standing fathers and brothers, and not my thinness and feeble-mindedness. I cannot give you an affirmative answer, but I leave it to your free will. But I propose, according to the strength of my small mind, the following reasoning, which you yourself are not unaware of: in the fatherly St. You don’t find anything in books so that you can go to a monastery and worry about acquiring money; but more importantly, renunciation of the world is the abandonment of all worldly acquisitions, affairs and cares about them, and care for relatives is also renounced. Saint Pimen and Theodore of Pechersk showed us this path by their example, and many others instructed us and created them in deeds; the monastic money that enters the houses of relatives is fire, consuming their acquisitions; then how can I give you advice contrary to the decrees of your fathers; even if someone suggested the poverty of relatives: - but doesn’t God provide for His creation, and is not able to raise them through those living in the world? If you lived in the world, you would give an answer for not helping them, but now God will not extract this from you; when the Lord gives you a gift, do them spiritual mercy, instruct them in virtue with Scripture, and advise your relatives living in the world about their upbringing. But if someone says: why not help poor relatives? and you will ignore your father’s instructions and follow imaginary reason; if you go to another monastery - where there is a lot of income - you will receive 100, 200, or maybe 300 rubles, even if half remains to help them... and maybe you won’t get it either: but how many cases will you come across that irritate passions that are still unconquered and uneradicated? And are you sure that you can stand against them and not be defeated? Will your arrogance approve of you, but this is even more dangerous. Then who will be the cause of the disorder of your soul? And who will answer for it? If I give you advice: go, educate, help, then I will not be the first to avoid answering. Having offered you a poor reasoning, I leave it to your will to follow the most useful; and when you decide not to plunge into the troubled sea of ​​everyday worries, but trust in the Providence of God, that He cares for the orphans, then you will calm down. In S-e, to give it to someone to raise, I don’t find such a property that I know of. I wish that the Lord will improve your deserts for the benefit of the souls living in it. With my usual disposition towards you and desire for peace, health and salvation, I remain your zealous prayerful, many-sinful I.M. Optina Pustyn. Skit. I received your letter, written in despair, on the 8th of July. I am surprised at your lack of faith: are not God’s destinies throughout the whole earth? - and without His beck, nothing that can be with us - happens? If this were to happen (from which God may save you) it would happen that God’s Providence guides everything and the king’s heart is in the hand of God (Proverbs 21:1); therefore, one must humbly submit to His holy will, remembering one’s sins, if any; and believing that it is still not enough to bear such a cross for them. By this humble will and agreement with the will of God, every sorrow is insensitively alleviated; and on the contrary, it multiplies more by cowardice. I still have the same thoughts that, by the force of the decree, you are not supposed to deal with others. I read it all, and there is nothing to give away those who were on the ground. And in the report of the Holy Synod it is said: “the clerks who are on trial, or those who were found and fined, must be returned”; and about monastic ones it is said this way: “all ranks of people of the ecclesiastical department, who do not have the priestly rank, live in monasteries not in the hope of tonsure or not in regular monastic vacancies, if they are found to be of unreliable behavior...” Consider these last words: “if they are found to be of unreliable behavior.” We must try in every possible way to correct our lives according to the will of God; and place all your trust in His goodness, and commit your salvation to His holy will; The Lord showed us to enter into the eternal belly - not by a long way, but by a narrow and sorrowful one (Matthew 7:13). But we want to be saved and avoid the narrow path. So, beloved brother! Having wholeheartedly believed in the Providence of God, give yourself into His hands, no matter what he does, he will do everything for the benefit of the soul. I don’t advise you to write to your father now; time will not pass then; but may God deliver from this. It’s completely impossible for me to write about this to anyone; for any human intercession cannot benefit as much as God’s protection. I remain your zealous prayer-goer, great sinner I.M. Thank you for your favorable letter, written on May 10th. Thank God that He gave you His help to have a good holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker; May the Lord grant you and all the days of your life to live in pleasing His holy will, but let us boast about nothing in our hearts, but rather remember the past time of our life, spent in the vanity of our mind; and to sympathize with this with contrition of heart, and not to return to the same thing, as a dog returning to its vomit, and a pig having washed itself into the pot (2 Pet. 2:22). Having wished you mental and physical health and inalienable peace, I remain your zealous pilgrim, the many-sinful I.M. With the blind made wise by the Lord, I received your writing of September 17, sent in which, announcing yourself, you ask for my insignificant instructions about your life. But since I myself remain uncorrected and spend my life in many negligences, can I prescribe laws and give instructions to others? You have God-given intelligence and self-government; and to guide them are the holy and life-giving commandments of the Lord. If your mind and will agree with them, then with the help of God you can correct yourself; although the past time has been lost, you still have the minute given to you by the mercy of God. Cherish it! We don’t know about the future - will we be rulers in it! You know enough how you should behave, you read the books of the holy fathers, who are happy to teach you all this, if you humbly present your good will, and show self-sacrifice by submitting your will to another; no longer seek his holiness and do not turn back, so that you will not be misruled in the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). About your desire to stay in K.L. I can’t say anything because I don’t know if this is God’s will. But it is quite well known that wherever we go, we will carry our passions with us. Ask God that He will not leave you, and if there is His calling, He will grant you the most convenient way to this. Your sisters visit us and receive spiritual instructions from Father Leonid. For your intention to travel to the saint of God Mitrofan and to other places, if the Lord notifies the authorities to fire you, then He will give His blessing. Father Leonid thanks you for the scripture and sends his blessing; and I, with the desire for peace and health of soul and body, remain your unworthy prayer-goer, the many-sinner I.M. Optin Skete. With considerable difficulty I answer your letter, but looking at your faith and grief N N, I force myself to offer a few lines to your questions about her. I believe that there is no good reason to join one monastery with the intention of moving to another; what happens subsequently is unknown - there are also transitions. Well, if her spirit does not have peace at the thought of entering the S-sky monastery, and you are not at peace with this, then you need to wait patiently, and while she is living a modest life at home, avoid gatherings and secular decency in dress and behavior, and pray to God: may His holy will be done for her to be established in a holy monastery. God is able to notify her parents to let her go to B-b when it is His will. I believe that her parents will not let her go far away, out of love for her, without knowing whether she will benefit from living close to them. You strengthen her not to cry and not to be faint-hearted, but to wait for the will of God; and persuade them not to resist the will of God and to leave the choice of a place for her spiritual exploits to herself and to experienced people, and the Lord will not abandon them and will accept this sacrifice of them, like the sacrifice of Abraham, who brought his son Isaac. For Z.’s estate, there is no need to have claims on your part; they will give her this or that; - she cannot live in peace; but if only she could have a sparse and non-luxurious content. Committing myself to your prayers, I remain the desirer of your health and salvation, your unworthy prayer partner, the great sinner I.M. I thank you for your letter of October 28, in which, among other things, you ask me to write to you answers to your letters; but I will tell you frankly that I am weak in this; both my mental and physical strength weakens, and not what I could do before, I answer all letters, and I can barely even answer two or three letters; and many remain so, and therefore, beloved brother, do not exact this from me for my weakness and pray for me, a sinner. And as for sorrowful cases, learn patience in them not from my foolishness, but from Wisdom Itself and the word of our Lord Jesus Christ; in His Holy teaching we will discover that sorrows are sent to us by the Providence of God, and that the power of our head will not perish without the will of God; through patience our souls are gained (Luke 21:18–19); he who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22), and the holy Apostle teaches that through many sorrows it is fitting for us to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). In the Epistle to the Hebrews, in chapter 12, the holy Apostle Paul clearly says that the Lord loves him - he punishes and beats every son who he accepts, and so on. And the holy fathers in their teachings gave us a lot of instructions about the patience of sorrows and what benefit comes from them; I’ll tell you some of them only. St. Mark the Ascetic read chapters 42, 43, 44, 45, 57, 65, 66, 67, 72, 73, 88, 113, 114, 115, 133, 143, 156, 163, 174, 189, and other chapters 47, 48, 65, 66, 68, 127, 137, 139, 134, 141, 150, 153, 154, 155, 157, 168, 169, 197, 198, 200, 202, 208, 209. His same in “Delighted Classes” - “the advice of the mind to his soul (page 68). In the 4th word, page 127, and further - St. John Climacus, in the first 4 degrees, there is a lot about patience; at St. Abba Dorotheus honor the word - “punishment for the patience of sorrows”; Saint Barsanuphius has a lot of advice about enduring sorrows; also at St. Isaac the Syrian, in the words: 34, 35, 36, 37, 51, and other holy fathers also have many convictions for enduring sorrows; and many teach us, strengthening us and giving us hope. Yet they not only wrote out of their minds, but before that they had gone through many sorrows and illnesses, and they left us, as a rich heritage and as a repository of hope, their divinely inspired words, and we, sending thanks to the Lord, who gave us this gift, will learn from them, and, if necessary, apply them to our ulcers, like a healing balm; and recognizing our weakness in failure to fulfill their teaching, we will humble ourselves and reproach ourselves as much as possible: then God’s mercy will be near us. May the Lord arrange it according to His will, as He pleases. He will not abandon those who seek Him and want to be saved. I ask you to pray for me, a sinner who wishes you health and salvation and your unworthy prayer partner I.M. Beloved about Christ's brother N 7. I sincerely regret that you have not yet received your paper; but the ways of the Lord are mysterious! We only know that they all lead to good, and therefore do not be faint-hearted and do not lose heart. Take courage and let your heart be strong in the Lord (Ps. 26:14). The Lord is merciful, and, of course, He could have done it immediately so that the paper could be returned to you, but surely this test is necessary for your spiritual benefit, otherwise the Lord would not have allowed this. Be patient with the Lord and call upon Him for help. You say that you feel spiritual loss, which means that you previously thought that you had what you have now lost. This thought that we have something spiritual, which occupies us, unnoticed by ourselves, is the most dangerous of all, for it draws us into subtle conceit, contrary to God. It is better for us, seeing our failures, to humble ourselves and involuntarily consider ourselves worse than everyone else, rather than to see our imaginary corrections and not plunge ourselves into the depths of humility: through the first we recognize our weakness and acquire the inestimable wealth of humility, and through the second we imperceptibly move away from God. Let us better think that we never had anything good, and now we do not, that there have always been sinners and now sinners, hoping to receive salvation only by the grace of God: if you do all that is commanded to you, say, for we are unworthy servants; Why know, and maybe that’s why you allowed yourself to be tempted because you had a subtle and secret opinion about yourself that led you to delusion; then, in order to prevent it from happening, sorrows followed you. Don’t blame anyone as the reason for them, and don’t blame them, but see here the Providence of God, testing you, and people are only the instruments of Providence. And what they say bad about me, I am not an imam about these things - after all, “woe to that (man), but all good things are said about him” (Luke 6:26) and it is also written by St. fathers: “Woe to that man whose name is higher than his works”; but as I know myself to be nothing, and if all good things were said about me, then woe would be for me; and that is, there are even those who want to be reviled. Father L submitted a request to the Vladyka to permanently move to our monastery, and the Vladyka accepted it favorably; That’s why the elder lives with us now. We know nothing more about ... matters. If you want to write to ..., then I have nothing against it, and I advise you to treat him more, because you received instructions from him, and he knows your structure, and I am often exhausted and cannot satisfy with answers; So I received 17 letters at the current post office, and there are a lot of previous ones lying around, which is why I barely answer two or three letters to many with one. I sincerely regret, but I cannot console him with my feeble-minded writing; The Lord Himself is strong to grant him consolation and relief from sorrow, and the Mother of God will cover him. He, of course, is sure that the Lord allowed this to happen, according to His destinies unknown to us, for his own benefit; he must run to Him and to the protection of the Mother of God, our Intercessor, the Queen of Heaven; She is an ambulance in times of need. He learned this from experience. I ask for God’s peace and blessing on you, and I remain the desirer of your health and salvation, many-sinful I.M. I recently received your letters - one started in Moscow on October 19, and the other from ... the desert. Glory to God for His great mercies. I was heartily rejoiced when I learned that your business in Moscow ended successfully, and you were already settled in the desert, and favorably received by your father the builder. May the Lord bless you with a new life and help you steadily walk the path of obedience, self-reproach and humility. Try to justify the attention paid to you by your father the builder and his good opinion of you. I pointed you to... deserts; Now you yourself are faced with the choice of what is good. You have experienced storms and worries, now take advantage of the precious time and succeed in doing the commandments of God, humble yourself before God and people. If you consider yourself offended by someone, try to forget it and eradicate resentment from your heart; Forgetting what is behind, according to the word of the Apostle (Phil. 3:13), stretch into what is before, so that you may comprehend the abyss of humility and constant self-denigration, dissolved in love for your neighbors. I ask for God’s peace and blessing on you and remain the desire for your health and salvation, many sinners I.M. I received both of your letters, but I cannot answer everything in detail. I congratulate you on the new year and wish you to meet and spend it in good health, succeeding in doing the commandments of God, and take advantage of every opportunity to “acquire 8 publicans’ gold,” as one holy father put it. Do not grieve because you have joy in the body, but thank God, who cares about your weakness. If others, without any reason on your part, grieve at you for your orders, attribute this to your sins and always blame yourself, and not your neighbors, for everything. On the contrary, thank the brothers as benefactors who show you your spiritual ulcers, and pray to God for them, calling on their prayers to help your weakness. The Lord is merciful, and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but will create with temptation an excess, as you are able to do (1 Cor. 10:13). I am sending you the “Three Words” of St. Simeon the New Theologian, newly printed, and I wish you to read them with spiritual benefit. I received your letters from December 25 and 27, and due to the multitude of your questions, I cannot give an answer to each, also due to the many letters I have accumulated and due to my infirmities. But I’ll just tell you the main thing: you grieve because you are in vain obedience, you do not have time for prayer and spiritual pleasure, which you received in ... the desert. However, with all the bustle and activities, you feel more joy of soul and peace of mind than before. To all this I will tell you: you must first purify your heart with “patience in dealing with the vexation of the cross,” and not with lofty speculation; according to the word of St. Isaac the Syrian (in the 2nd word): “Whoever comes to the 2nd part of making the cross, the wrath of God finds him”; read this word yourself. If ... your cause were right, then it would come true and bring fruits of patience and humility. And you, apparently, set about a high task, and without humility, at the first attack you gave the enemy a shoulder; for which you should not reproach anyone else, but only blame yourself, for you wanted to quickly ascend to spiritual age, but were not prepared for it by denying yourself, your will and reason, and enduring sorrows, from which the mind of truth is born, and from it humility and reasoning. When reading the teaching of the holy fathers, do not soar high, but, seeing your poverty, descend into the depths of humility; It alone can save you, and without it, all our deeds and virtues will not bring any benefit. And therefore: there is no need to run away from obedience, which supposedly interferes with salvation; but on the contrary, from it we receive conviction of our dispensation and through humility we come to a good dispensation; What do you earnestly desire, I remain your prayer book, the great sinner I.M. I received 3 letters from you (from February 7th, February 11th and March 14th); I see from these that you come across cases to the knowledge of your weakness. Try to use them, and always find the blame in yourself, and not in others. You know that everything that happens to us is arranged by the Providence of God for our benefit. Always have God’s commandments before your mind’s eye and try to fulfill them; But don’t believe in dreams at all, and don’t pay attention to them. Regarding N I will say; that there is no way I can give him written advice. Due to the weakness of my strength, I and those who have known me personally for a long time and constantly treat me, a sinner, answer several letters with a few words and then, often not with my own hand; but I can’t make new acquaintances, because my correspondence is too long and difficult. N wrote to me, and I ask you to write to him for me and ask him for an apology. May the Lord help him with His grace. Father Leonid (Ioannikiy), who lives in our monastery, is completely blind and can barely walk with a cane. I have received several of your letters, and due to lack of time to answer them all separately, I answer with one. You write that you regret that you do not have tears in cleansing your sins - tears are a gift of God, which, like all spiritual gifts, is born from humility; but to seek high gifts ahead of time, without first purifying and preparing oneself for this by humble deeds, fulfilling the Divine commandments of Christ, and patiently bearing sorrows, is not only not useful, but even more harmful; and both this thought and the one that inspires you, supposedly through less vain obedience, you would sooner approach prayer, is nothing more than a network of the enemy, calling us into arrogance and destruction. By uncomplainingly fulfilling your true obedience, you cut off your will, and the sorrows encountered during this provide you with opportunities to know yourself; and if you learn humility and self-reproach from the failures that happen, you will receive undoubted benefits; and if you listen to the thought that teaches you to ask for a change in obedience, then you will thereby fall away from obedience, having fulfilled your will. So, this thought, as disgusting, must be rejected in every possible way; Do not also trust that thought that, when you suffer sorrows, teaches you not to blame yourself, but to regret those who caused them as if they were guilty: that they submit to the enemy, etc. This is also an enemy thought, secretly leading through self-justification to conceit; It is much more useful to be a verbiator of yourself in the first word, that is, to blame yourself as having given something a reason to insult yourself - to blame yourself as worthy of insults for a lack of patience, humility, condescension and love; In every possible way, with God’s help, we can calm down or completely extinguish hostility towards ourselves in the brother who insults us. Moreover, we must remember that this is not done without God’s permission, but according to our sins, for admonition and humility. Calling upon you the peace and blessing of God, I remain the desirer of your health and salvation, many sinners I.M. For the weaknesses and failures that you mention in your letters, there is only one remedy: there is no need to despair, but to repent, humble yourself and reproach yourself for everything; and so every day we begin to correct ourselves, and the Lord, seeing our good will and patience, will give His all-powerful help to complete the work we have begun, which is, as for us monks, and this is clearly announced, a daily cross: he who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22). And so may the Lord help you, save yourself in the Lord. I.M. I have not yet responded to your three letters (dated September 30, October 19, and November 9), because I myself have been unwell for a long time and have been extremely busy during all this time. I take a heartfelt part in the sorrows that have happened to you, but I also advise you not to be faint-hearted. The Lord, who knows the message of destinies, arranges your salvation. Bring to mind what the Apostle James said (James 1:12) blessed is the man, etc., also chapter 12 of the Epistle to the Hebrews, etc. places of St. Scriptures. You will find considerable consolation in them. All the saints, and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, walked on earth along the path of the cross and sorrows, and the saints entered into eternal glory in no other way than through narrow and straitened gates. St. Isaac the Syrian writes: “the way of God - the cross is everyday and from this it is obvious that man is provided for to eat from God, whenever sorrow comes upon him, for no one else ascends to heaven with weakness” (f. 35. p. 173). Force yourself, too, to endure with gratitude and self-reproach everything that the loving Hand of the Lord places on you for your spiritual benefit. Wherever we go, we will meet sorrows. To flee from sorrows means to flee from your salvation. I heard that you are already under a different obedience. And this happened, of course, not without the will of the Lord. Glorify Him for everything and try to fulfill His holy and life-giving commandments. Everything on earth is not for long, everything will pass, but there is no end to the future life. On the 4th of this month, Father Leonid quietly and calmly went to the Lord, after a long illness. It kept weakening and melting like a candle, and finally went out! May he be remembered forever. May the Lord bless and keep you in peace and humility. I pray for His goodness for this and remain the desirer of your health and salvation, many sinner I.M. I received your letter, and due to my lack of time and infirmities, I will answer it briefly. In your weaknesses and inconveniences, which you write about in detail, bring repentance, throwing yourself before the greatness of God and asking His help to intercede from enemies visible and invisible. Having received help, or having corrected something good, beware of the thought that praises you and condemns others. This is also a network of the enemy, appealing to arrogance and taking away all the fruits of virtue. Do you write that some of the brethren turn to you from time to time for a kind word and advice? And how should you deal with this? It is useful to say that you know - do not refuse, but beware of commanding him, and, having said that you know, strive against the spirit of vanity. One must speak with humility, remembering one’s weaknesses and shortcomings, and not with authority and in an inquisitive manner. I congratulate you on the feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and asking for you the peace and blessing of God, I remain the desirer of your health and salvation, many sinner I.M. I take this opportunity to respond to your letter and hasten to tell you the words of St. Barsanuphias: “Where the essence is wise, do not be wise.” If the brethren, who apparently want to hear useful words from you, do not agree with you and say the opposite, then where will your disputes lead? It is better to pay attention to yourself and pray to God for those who offend you, thus fulfilling His holy commandment. And in your other temptations, resort to self-reproach and the humble prayer “wake up,” according to the word of St. Isaac, “in your prayer, like one who is vile and like one who creeps on the earth” (fol. 49, p. 241) and I believe that the Lord will not despise your contrite heart, but will send His grace to help and ease the battles that His providence allows for our teaching. Read the 89th word of St. Isaac, and do not faint in spirit, but trust in the mercy of God, “close to all who call on Him in truth” (Ps. 144:18). He won't leave you either. Continue to study in the writings of your fathers, and being forced to do what you read, you will find spiritual intelligence and peace of conscience given to the humble. Pray for me, a sinner, who wishes you peace, health and salvation. Mnogohreshny I.M. Reading your letter of December 19, I find you embarrassed by the abuse, forcing you to move to our or M’s monastery, blaming the infirmity and weakness of others, fearing the same illness yourself, and the fact that you live according to your own will, without having a nurturer. I’ll tell you this: at the present time this is impossible to do, for reasons known to you. As for the weaknesses and infirmities of others, do not pay attention to it, do not judge them, pay attention to your weaknesses and sins, remembering these - humble yourself and consider yourself the last and worst of all. Read from St. Isaac's 20th word; and Elder Sophrony writes to Father Athanasius, who also proposed the disorganization of the monastery: “Be silent, be silent and live when you are allowed to live according to your conscience, and if you find something better somewhere, move.” Where will you go? And if you want to experience human weaknesses, you will find them everywhere, and the enemy will show you something that is not there at all to deceive you. St. Peter of Damascus writes: “the beginning of all good is the mind given to man by God; but according to reason, human will. It is the beginning of our salvation, that is, let man leave his will and understanding, and create God’s will and understanding, then in all creation there will not be found in all creation a thing, or an undertaking, or a place that can prevent him from being like God from the beginning willed,” and so on. So, brother, live there until the Lord pleases, and pay attention to yourself: and pray for me, the great sinner I.M., your prayer book. In response to your letter dated November 22, I congratulate you on the upcoming new year, and I wish you to spend it in constant self-reproach and fulfilling the commandments of God. I can only regret N. Once you have succumbed to the charm of the enemy, it is difficult to get rid of it. I wish you peace of mind, health, and I remain unworthy of your many-sinful pilgrim I.M. After writing this letter, I also received your letter dated January 1st. Thank you for wishing me a Happy New Year. You write about your preparation for monasticism - what should you do? - Like the prodigal son came to his father and said: Father! sinned in heaven and before You, and I am no longer worthy to be called Your son (Luke 15:21); - and how the tax collector came with a contrite and humble heart, crying out: God, be merciful to me, a sinner (Luke 18:13). This is the kind of preparation that should take place; for our image is the image of repentance and humility, and the Lord Himself calls us to it. And therefore, go without doubt, with fear and joy. St. John Climacus writes in the first degree: “let no one call himself unworthy of the monastic promise, imagining thousands and multitudes of sins” and further. And you will find a lot there about monasticism. But just don’t approach it impudently and arrogantly. “That’s why thoughts of embarrassment darken.” And about the temptation that happened after the communication of the Holy Mysteries, we can assume that we accepted it with extraordinary calm, ascended only in thought, and was allowed to descend into humility. You also need to be careful: don’t sleep after lunch. In all this, may the Lord give you wisdom, but I cannot write to you often. To your letter, beloved brother in the Lord, father..., I answer as much as I can: I earnestly thank you for your love and favor in the Lord. It is very unfortunate to hear about troubles between close relatives, and even more so when your advice does not work to their satisfaction. And is it possible for this to happen, when even in our dispensation, without self-reproach, no matter how much you advise, those who quarrel do not receive peace, and they have no idea about this, that they need to reproach themselves - they only see guilt in their neighbor. It seems that there is no need to leave correspondence at all, but write occasionally; and, as much as possible, gently remind both parties of peace, love and humility and give the rest to the will of God. The Patericon you copied, although it was begun on your own initiative (as you say), may be of benefit to both the writer and the worshiper... Yes, there are definitely chapters or articles in the monastery Patericon opposite the alphabetical one that are not found in this latter; and copying it off in your free time from obedience is useful. May the Lord help you to do this - this activity frees you from idleness, the mother of all vices, and gives food to the heart and mind, and the soul is simply nourished, and recognizing its weakness, it humbles itself. God bless you for your promise to copy down the teachings of Abba Isaiah for us. I remain the wisher of your health and salvation, the prayer of many sinners I.M. I received two of your letters, dated July 7 and July 22 of the same month. You write about your desire for a silent life and the fact that you encounter the opposite; They instructed you to receive those who come and show them the wonderful things in the monastery: you must submit to the Providence of God; You know, or maybe you’ve read, that silence in its time is useful, but untimely silence is harmful; First you must learn to live with people and fight your passions; but where will you see passion? – is it far from people? But this is impossible: you can be assured of this from Abba Dorotheus when he says why you should spend half your time in your cell, and spend the rest on visiting the brethren. Also St. John Climacus and Cassian write that the silence of the unskilled is damaging. - And what you write about the hair shirt that you should wear after your tonsure - as you know, I don’t forbid; but know that no deed without humility is pleasing to God; – for our sins we cannot bring anything in satisfaction except faith in the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ and deep humility. Thank you for your offer to buy the book: instructions on how to bind using a new method, which I passed on to our bookbinders. Asking for your peace, health and salvation, coupled with a blessing from the Lord, I remain the desirer of your health and salvation and the prayer-maker, the great sinner I.M. I wish you to receive the monastic image and preserve it in humility. Your letters, one dated October 26, and the other in a letter from Father Abbot, have been received by me. In the last of them you notify that Father Superior has blessed you to prepare for tonsure into the mantle, since the decree about you has already been issued. May the Lord help you, as you begin to accept the great Angelic image, apparently putting off the old man and putting on the new, through fulfilling the life-giving commandments of the Gospel and keeping the vows given at tonsure, to complete this high feat and receive the bliss prepared for His chosen ones, about which the Lord Himself said through the mouth of the Prophet: “You will always receive much reward.” As you go through this feat, avoid increase and decrease in everything, but follow the middle path, remembering the words of Saint Isaac the Syrian: “that moderate work has no price.” May the Lord strengthen you and comfort you with His grace. After writing this, I received your letter, in which you write that you were tonsured into a mantle and named.... I congratulate you on accepting this angelic image, and again I wish you to humbly and pleasingly to the Lord carry out this feat, reverently complete this fast and wait in spiritual joy for the feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. I wish you health, peace and salvation, and I remain the great sinner I.M. Most reverent brother of the Lord, Fr. N! I received your letter, written on the 5th of this month of May. Your zeal for correcting yourself and your desire to live in the cutting off of your will and reason is commendable. You write that you laid the foundation for this, relating to Hieroschemamonk I-u, and after his death to Father I. Keep their advice, given to you, inviolably for the salvation of your soul: as for your request to me to be your mentor and guide on the path of monastic life, I will frankly tell you that I absolutely cannot accept this at the present time, due to many of my weaknesses and lack of time, and especially in absentia. In your holy monastery, under the roof of which you have found refuge for yourself, look for a leader for yourself. Your father S. can help you in this with his advice - your spiritual father, without a doubt, is always ready to take care of you and sympathize with you in your needs, and in the brethren you will find people according to your spirit, to whom you can relate for the sake of benefit and spiritual advice. Walk the path of truth, remember the instructions of your late mentors, and adhere to them; Moreover, read the paternal scriptures and the Lord will not leave His all-powerful help, and especially if you imitate His meekness and humility, reproaching yourself in everything and considering yourself the least of all, an inexcusable slave, worthy of all punishment and, with such a disposition of heart, learn “the patience of those who find it” - which is the beginning of salvation. Seeing your weaknesses and failures to correct yourself, do not be embarrassed, but rather humble yourself, falling before the Lord and asking His all-powerful help. The Lord will not despise a contrite and humble heart (Ps. 50:19). Pay attention to yourself and to the work that will be entrusted to you, and avoid condemnation and gossip; and be afraid lest you be allowed to fall into that in which you condemn others. May the Lord arrange good things for you according to His holy will and give you according to your heart. Asking for God's peace and blessing on you, I remain the desirer of your health and salvation, many-sinful I.M. I received your letter and, due to my weakness and lack of leisure, I cannot answer it at length. - Bring repentance for the sins you confess and make the beginning of correction. The beginning of all goodness is humility and self-reproach, which cannot be learned from words alone; but it is necessary, firstly, to read the books of the fathers, teaching monastic life and the fight against the passions and attacks of the enemy, and while reading, strive as hard as you can to do the commandments of God with self-reproach, asking for God’s help. Cell rules must be observed, but with reasoning, that is, not arbitrarily, but on the advice of the spiritual father; But you don’t need to rely on rules alone, but most importantly lead yourself in everything with humility. But God will not despise a contrite and humble heart (Ps. 50:19). Asking for God's peace and blessing on you, I remain the desirer of your health and salvation, many-sinful I.M. Dearest brother N. in Christ. In all your letters, your attribution to me is very sensitive to me. I thank you earnestly for your love, but I am in no way worth what you ascribe to me. In your weaknesses, may the Lord strengthen you with the prayers of the priest, and through the knowledge of your weaknesses, may the Lord help you to acquire the humility you long for, and opinion will be abolished through obedience. Forgive me: I’m writing, but I haven’t touched this with my finger. - I remain the desire for your salvation, many sinners. I.M. Beloved brother in Christ. – And I received your writing: thank you for it. May the Lord abolish the feelings you expressed in the form of despair, and through the prayers of the priest give you a feeling of trustworthiness; Recently you began to plow the field and clear the thorns, but seek the fruit; work hard, brother, and you will reap the fruits. I ask you to say my respects to brother I-u, M-u and P-u. I remain your zealous prayer-goer, great sinner I.M. I thank you most earnestly for your descriptions in my father’s letters to me; I also thank you for helping Father by writing in his difficult responses to letters from those who wish and are zealous in their faith to find benefit for their souls. May the Lord reward you for this, and for the benefit acquired by each person, may God’s blessing be upon you. Well, why do you call yourself forty-minded - although this is not in you, you see it so in yourself, I think, because of the battles that rebel or fight against your mind. But I am firmly confident that they will not harm the good ascetic, who has established his feet on the unshakable obedience of the stone on which you stand, and all the machinations of the opposition are not able to damage this stronghold, although all their diligence is in order to prevent him from following this path of Christ, obedience (Who Himself was obedient even to death, the death of the cross; Phil. 2:8): it leads to such a dispensation that destroys all the networks of the enemy. Stop, brother, with courage! Without war we cannot receive a crown, and not only the crown, but we will not even know the test. Forgive me, brother, for the sake of the Lord - who informed you of this, this is not my business: for imashi is a true mentor, whose prayers and instruction may the Lord make you wise to walk the path of salvation without stumbling. Wishing this for you, I remain your zealous prayer-maker, great sinner I. M. July 8. To the brothers beloved in Christ: Fr. M., o. D., o. A, brother G. and I. I show my respect and ask you not to leave my misery in your prayers. Beloved brother in Christ, most venerable father hierodeacon N! I received your letter, written on the 15th of last November. Seeing from it your sincere awareness of your weaknesses in front of my weakness, with all my mental and physical weaknesses, which do not allow me to constantly instruct you from afar, I am now forced to answer your letter, at least briefly, according to the strength of my understanding. Our most merciful Lord, who did not want the death of sinners, but rather turned and lived to be them (Ezek. 33:11), gave you the feeling of emerging from the darkness of sin and coming to the light of repentance. Realizing your sinfulness, do not despair, but gain humility, which is to strongly intercede with the Lord both for the forgiveness of your sins and for confirmation in the future to fulfill His commandments. Seek and expect the mercy of God: - not with boldness and indifference, but like the tax collector, the prodigal son and the harlot. They, being humbly imbued with a sense of their sinfulness, did not even dare to raise their eyes to heaven or be named sons - of course, they behaved with shame among people; and in this situation their Lord looked upon them and granted them forgiveness of their sins. And the thought of despair comes from the inspiration of the proud devil; and when the fragrance of humility is not found in us, it acts to our detriment, and humility destroys these thoughts. So, by the memory of your sins, acquire humility, not embarrassment. I must point out to you that your adventures, especially the main ones, followed from pride; for “where the fall occurred, pride preceded it,” writes St. John Climacus. Therefore, you must now, first of all, arm yourself against this evil enemy with the memory of your sins and the teaching of the Lord, learning from Him: for He is meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29). In particular, read the teaching of the holy ascetic fathers: St. John Climacus, St. Abba Dorotheus, Simeon the New Theologian, Theodore the Studite and others, from the active works (which were published by our monastery; you will find them in your monastery library and among the brethren): from them learn how to resist every passion. We have a strong war with spiritual, and evil and invisible enemies; they raise passions on us and bring us down with them; and when we resist them with humility and calling on the Lord for help, we conveniently overthrow them. May the Lord give you true reason and strengthen you in the matter of salvation, which I earnestly desire and remain your prayer partner, the many sinner I.M. December 8, 1856 Having received your letter and its good wishes for the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, I wish you both to spend the coming New Year in good health and prosperity in the Lord. Regarding your infirmities, which you write to me about, I can tell you that the best medicine against them is heartfelt humility, which gives us the greatest help in the fight against all kinds of passions. I advise you to carefully read the patristic writings and pray to God. I find it most necessary for you to read the 15th and 8th degrees of St. John Climacus, and generally use the teachings of this holy father. The Lord is merciful and powerful to give you quick help. If my previous letter brought you consolation, as you write, then give glory and thanks to the Most Merciful God for this; for He alone is able to comfort us in sorrow and mental anguish. I entrust myself to your prayers and remain unworthy of your prayer partner, the great sinner I.M. Most revered father in the Lord..., beloved brother in Christ! I received your letter, written on December 21, in which you set out in detail the circumstances of your life and express your intention to make a good start towards correcting yourself, asking for my advice. “Although due to my weakness and lack of time, I cannot instruct you in absentia; but according to your faith, I will tell you briefly that the beginning of our salvation lies in the sincere consciousness of our sinfulness and the resulting self-reproach and humility before God and people. – God will not despise a contrite and humble heart (Ps. 50:19). And at the same time, it is necessary to have self-denial, that is, to renounce one’s will and reason and obey superiors and mentors, as the holy fathers teach: Climacus and St. Simeon the New Theologian. Read the sacred books of the fathers, which teach the struggle against passions and the enemy’s excuses, and strive to do the work according to your strength, rousing yourself with the memory of your sins and the mercy of God, which has preserved you until now. Force yourself to do everything good, and especially to fulfill Christ’s commandments when communicating with your neighbors, and in cases of inclinations that occur, bring urgent repentance; and the Lord will direct your way. Most Revered Father No. 9. At the beginning of your letter you write in the form of a confession and at the end you say: “There is no sin that I have not committed”; this word is completely indecent: there are many sins that you did not commit: you did not steal the church, you did not set it on fire, you did not commit riots, you did not commit murder... and there are many sins that you did not commit; Why slander yourself so much? There is no benefit, but we must be heartbroken about those things that we have done, although we have repented: but we must still consider ourselves a sinner and have contrition of heart; but God will not despise a contrite and humble heart (Ps. 50:19); and even now we must see our sins, according to the words of Peter Damascene, “like the sand of the sea, and this is the beginning of the enlightenment of the soul and a sign of its health; and in short the soul is contrite and the heart is humble and least of all it truly counts itself, and does not dare to humiliate or condemn anyone.” You, brother, are writing to me, having read in the statutes of the studio and in St. Pachomius, that he sins who does not announce his brother’s weakness to the one who can correct him; and imagine the weaknesses you notice, N’s arrogance and angry character. This pitiful dispensation requires a lot of feat and labor to correct its will and the help of God; but this does not apply to what is prescribed by those statutes about which you write, for it is visible to many; then the announcement is not needed from others: those to whom this concerns can inspire him to correct; it also applies to those who secretly do something harmful to their soul, or seek to secretly leave the monastery, steal monastic property and the like; Those who know about such things and do not tell them to someone who can correct them will definitely give an answer; but even here we must do it with consideration: the first is to pay attention to our dispensation and cry out to God: grant, Lord, to see my sins and not condemn my brother; and then something happens that doesn’t happen at all, due to the charm of the enemy, as we read in the fatherly writings. You say that he treats me and is close to me; on the contrary, his relations with me are so rare that sometimes a year I receive a letter, and I answer as much as possible, according to my understanding and God, instructing me, according to his writings. He himself has the age and spiritual books by which he can be guided to the destruction of passions; I don’t have the strength to write much, and I don’t have the intelligence to say even a hundredth part of what the Holy Fathers teach us; and in what I could, I warned him, and at the present time I do not take on such a duty that those who ask my advice will certainly fulfill it; but I leave them to free will; and I cannot force those who have close cohabitation and intercourse with me; and everyone, according to his will and faith, either receives benefit or vice versa; and it depends not on me, but on them; And if they live at a long distance and write once or twice a year, and even more so without volition - whether they can use it, I don’t know; and what do I mean, myself subject to mental and physical weaknesses? Our brothers bow to you and thank you for the memory of them. You ask for my blessing to start bookbinding. If this is the will of your superior and blessing, then the Lord will bless you. I remain a wisher for your health and salvation, many-sinful I.M. I received a letter from Father M, I congratulate him on receiving the monastic image and wish him to live worthy of this title, and this is humility; I can’t write myself, but I send him my unworthy blessing. Most reverent of the Lord N! You write that you are undergoing sexton obedience and often insult others; You yourself cannot bear reproaches, and you are embarrassed when you see your frequent attempts. You shouldn’t be embarrassed, but you need to humble yourself and ask for God’s help, and make a beginning every day; when you correct something, you should thank the Lord and in no way attribute the correction to your own strengths; this is the betrayal of the right hand of the Most High (Ps. 76:11); not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name we will give glory (Ps. 113:9). We must always strive against our passions, especially against pride; but in a short time it is impossible to completely defeat them. You ask me: how to prepare yourself to accept the great angelic image? Since the image of monasticism is an image of humility, I advise you to try to win this queen of virtues. Regarding guests visiting you, you ask: how to get rid of this? It’s very simple: don’t invite, then probably no one will come; and if he comes, offer him a spiritual conversation, then maybe they won’t come, but beware of idle talk. I remain the desire for your salvation, many-sinful I.M. December 14, 1857. Most venerable Father N in the Lord! 10 You write that the enemy is fighting you more strongly against the former, and that your health is weakening; what to do? we must pray to God and ask for His holy help. Read from St. John Climacus, in Russian translation, the words of the 15th verse 57, which helps a lot during this battle; also - to the same extent verses: 78, 79, 80 81, 82 and 85; they outline the cases in which we are most likely to fight and the means to resist them, in which may the Lord help you. As for slander, reproach and other temptations, we must endure, remembering the blessedness promised to those who are reviled and called all kinds of evil verbs... (Matthew 5:11, 12). And besides, what kind of warriors are we if we do not resist the enemies and give them entry to us? May the Lord strengthen you, beloved brother, and help you gain humility and success in other virtues. I ask for God’s blessing on you, I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and a prayer-maker, much sinner I. M. May 3, 1858 Most venerable Father N in the Lord! I received your letter dated April 15th. You're asking me about the beginner's rule. Barsanuphius the Great answered the question about this: it is proper for beginners to remain in deep humility, under no circumstances consider themselves to be something, not to say: what is this? or, what is it for? But, remaining in obedience and great humility, do not compare yourself with anyone; don’t say: they respect such and such, why don’t they honor me? He is calm in everything, why don’t I have peace? to be despised in everything and not to be indignant. This is the work of a true beginner and one who wants to be saved! Regarding your treatment, of course, it is better to be treated at home than in the hospital. If you really need money, you can also write to your relatives; and if you don’t really need it, then don’t ask. I wish you peace, health and salvation, and I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. Beloved brother in Christ, Father N! From your letter of August 18, I see that you have not yet received my letter sent in response to yours. Be patient, brother, I’ll tell you again, and surrender in everything to the will of God, which provides for each of the people - He is able to arrange your desire, if He pleases, and if it serves you well. Regarding serving your sick brother, remember that “being sick and serving will receive the same reward”; and a feeling of compassion will make you endure everything sorrowful without embarrassment. Abba Dorotheos says that whoever serves the sick intelligently is freed from both passions and warfare. So, may the Lord help you to carry out the obedience entrusted to you with a good purpose, and may he direct your path! I wish you peace and salvation and send my blessing; I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. August 29. Your Reverence, most venerable hierodeacon! Having read your letter, I heartily felt sorry for your sad state of mind, which you are suffering through blasphemous thoughts inflicted by the enemy. Describing your disastrous situation in detail, ask for my advice on how to get rid of this illness. I do not dare take upon myself such arrogance that I could give you correct advice, and I even wonder how you, having in your holy monastery so many fathers, spiritually enlightened and pleasing to the Lord, treat me, the worst and weakest? I do not find in myself enough spiritual intelligence and reasoning to help you with my advice; however, out of compassion for your plight, looking at your faith, with which you question my badness, and calling on the Lord for help, I offer you reasoning, not from my mind and skill, but from the holy fathers and wise men who left us their teaching. The Holy Fathers generally consider blasphemous thoughts not ours, but the enemy’s, and when we do not agree with them, but also grieve that they creep into our minds, then this is a sign of our innocence in them. There is no need to be embarrassed that they are coming. For if a person is embarrassed, then the enemy will rise up against him, and when he does not heed them, imputes them to nothing, and does not consider them a sin, then his thoughts disappear. St. clearly writes about this. Dimitri Rostovsky, in “Spiritual Medicine”. But these thoughts, although they are not a sin, are, with God’s permission, found from the enemy, for our exaltation, for our opinion about ourselves or about our corrections, and for the condemnation of our neighbors. When a person, having recognized his sins, humbles himself and does not condemn others, but brings repentance for this, he receives liberation from them. I advise you to read, in the book of St. John Climacus degree 23, “about blasphemous thoughts”; you will see according to what I wrote. At St. Isaac the Syrian, in the 79th word, among other types of allowances, in punishment for pride, there is this: “blasphemy against the name of God.” In the superscript to the book of St. Nilus of Sora, on page XLII, it is written like this: “there is no servility and unreasonableness, and not exactly having in itself, not a single feeling, lower than one gift from those who were predicted (i.e., those written above in that superscript), but lower than those who know when such: jealous of the fasting and labors of the saints, not with good reason and proposal, imputing This is how virtue passes away. The devil, crouching like a catching dog, plunges into their womb the seed of a joyful opinion, from which the inner Pharisee will grow up; and so, increasing day by day, betrays such people to complete pride, even for the sake of Satan’s realms being allowed from God.” I see from your letter that you are going through quite lengthy rules, so it’s no wonder that, thanks to the enemy’s suggestions, you too will be carried away into your opinion, as stated above; then we must not impute our deeds to anything, but consider ourselves to be inexorable slaves, according to the word of Christ. There is also in the manuscript an essay by the Venerable Nilus of Sora: about harmful, i.e. blasphemous, thoughts against God, with a question and answer from Anastasius of Sinai, in which they most advise not to attribute such thoughts to yourself, but to be calm; Meanwhile, consider yourself earth and ashes. How much the Lord enlightened me, presented you with the testimonies of the holy fathers, to your reassurance, when your thoughts were clouded, and I wish that the Lord would deliver you from such confusion. I.M. November 13, 1851. Returning from my trip, I really regretted that I did not find you waiting for me for so long. Having received the letter, I wish to answer it, but I do not hope to write to you satisfactorily to your bewilderment, I myself am nothing and know nothing of the temptation. Shall I say something as a warning, as the Holy Fathers tell us to be wary of taking any tangible actions and tears as great? We are still far from speculative prayer: how can we think that we have gained the fruits of it? It is not enough for us to know the traces of active prayer, how to humbly drive away various kinds of passionate thoughts that rise up against us, falling to the Lord with much fear. I advise you to read the book of St. Nilus of Sora about this, and if there is anything there about the fruits of prayer or mental work, then this applies to people who have reached a high level. The Monk Neil writes in the 11th word, so as not to seek before the time what is appropriate for the time, and so on. This smart work and sobriety requires a lot of time, effort and labor, with a lot of attention and humility; and “those who want to openly and boldly seek to approach God and converse with Him purely, and are forced to acquire Him within themselves, are killed by demons; I say, if it is allowed, he will boldly and contemptuously, more than his own dignity and dispensation, seeking with arrogance, before the time, to get that wife,” writes Nil Sorsky. Read from St. Isaac in the 2nd word: “if before the act we move on to vision, the wrath of God comes upon us, but even if God comes about itself, I don’t feel it, but if the place is clean and not dirty” and further. Read about tears from St. Ladder and see which of them are reliable. In general, you must always see your own badness and humble yourself, while fighting against strong and proud demons; without humility those who dare are soon overthrown. Read the chapters of St. Gregory of Sinaite on delusion; learn from the teachings of other holy fathers. May the Lord protect you from the cruel charm of the enemy. Humility does not fall. I entrust myself to your holy prayers and with my respect I remain your unworthy prayer book, much sinner I.M. October 14, 1852. Most venerable Father N, beloved brother in Christ! Your letter, dated November 18, expressed your zeal and love for my thinness. You attribute to me something that I do not have; and if you ever took advantage of my feeble-mindedness, then the Lord, according to your faith, gave it to you, for He wants everyone to be saved and to come to the mind of truth. And what I wrote, I dare not say from my own deeds, but from the teachings of my fathers, and if they were to your heart, then give thanks to the Lord, who admonishes, for your benefit, even the weak-minded. It is in vain that you indulge in a mournful spirit about the approach of my death; it is still unknown when this will happen, but if the Lord wants to stop the course of my days, then is He not able to send you a person who can bring you the greatest benefit, according to your good will; or he will enlighten you with the word of Scripture or fatherly inspired teachings, with which you are quite abundant; show your strength and do it, then you will see the fruit of your work. Your community with O. is very useful for you; for spiritual advice is needed; in case of perplexity that requires a quick solution, there is reliable support - through prayer, with faith, accept advice. Regarding the positions or obediences of the ambitious, one must shirk and not jump on oneself, and when the call of God comes, then resistance will not be without sin. St. Gregory the Theologian does not order you to attack your superiors, but also not to deny it, otherwise the entire hierarchical order may be transformed. If, for example, through your resistance someone takes a place that cannot correspond to its purpose, and harm follows, then you cannot help but give an answer for this. It seems to us that we are shying away from the sorrows that are present in obedience; and therefore in this case it is necessary, through prayer, with informed faith, to have advice. It would be good if we had such a guarantee of humility that we would consider ourselves not only unworthy of such authorities, but would also please those passing by, as if they were in the feat of patience; But since we sometimes look at them with a judgmental eye, and ourselves secretly acquire the Pharisee, then what is the use of this? Acquaintances with well-disposed visitors can be limited to gradually leaving, not suddenly, but not starting again. It is good to provide for those in need, either by yourself or through one of your faithful neighbors. And the attitude of the brothers will show itself: whether they should be accepted or left. Spiritual alms are greater than material ones: whoever does not give to his neighbor while using it himself is stingy and unmerciful. What will happen to us in the subsequent time of our life - only God knows, but what to shy away from and what to adhere to, I will tell you not from my mind, but from the teachings of my fathers: No matter what modes of life and obedience we go through, no matter what works and corrections we have, in all of them we must have the essential virtues: love and humility; without them, all our affairs are vain and insignificant. You also need to have a sick heart (Life of St. Paisius, 1st edition, 56 pages), and St. Isaac the Syrian, in the 89th word it says: “the heart is filled with sadness about weakness and powerlessness, even about obvious bodily deeds, fulfilling the place of all bodily deeds; actions of the body, except for the sadness of thought, as the body is soulless” (p. 464). “Sadness of thought is giving honestly from God. A person who has closed his tongue against people about good or evil deeds is not worthy of this grace” (ibid.). And in the 46th word there is that humility alone can save us, but deeds without humility will not save us. But one must also be prepared to endure the coming sorrows and temptations; for humility is born from reason, and reason is the product of temptation, according to the word of St. Peter of Damascus. Here, beloved brother, I wrote not something that is unknown to you, but that you yourself are good and only, fulfilling your desire, wrote to remind you of necessary and useful things. December 6, 1852. Your Reverence, most venerable Father N! I am quite surprised that you, without knowing me, treat me with your infirmities and seek advice and healing for them. It’s not false to say that I myself am one of the weakest, the weakest, and the one requiring God’s mercy and help. If someone treats me and receives benefit in any way, then this does not come from my prudence, but from their faith; According to their faith, the Lord gives reason and understanding for their benefit, having once given a voice to the wordless for the salvation of His people. All I do is: not daring to upset those who demand, I represent my readiness, I write with self-condemnation for my infertility, but now, due to my frequent infirmities, I am not able to fulfill their demands in answers, and I answer two or three letters to many; and therefore, having humbled myself before your love for God, I should have refused to answer, due to many of my mental and physical weaknesses; but seeing with what simplicity and faith you ask, I am compelled to answer you, calling on the Lord and your prayers for help. As far as I can understand your structure, you have read spiritual books, that is, the teachings of the holy fathers, and understand to the best of your understanding, but, due to the brevity of your residence in the monastery, you have not yet had experience in spiritual life. I do not know your origin, education and years, and I cannot rightly judge, but I advise you to continue reading the teachings of the holy fathers and according to them to guide yourself in an active spiritual life. The Holy Fathers teach to have spiritual nourishment and obedience with the rejection of one’s will and mind, from which humility is born; but I don’t know whether you have walked this path; at least now this is not visible in your residence. If there is no such thing (obedience), then one must have spiritual advice and not trust one’s reason, and even more so when it is driven by passions. After all, we are spiritual warriors, and we have invisible enemies who constantly fight us through our passions, and therefore we need to know the art of resisting and defeating them. But no matter how much we arm ourselves against them, if we do not have the weapon of humility, then we labor in vain and are cast down by them. When you don’t have any advice, then learn for yourself from the teachings of the holy fathers how and when and with what to resist each passion; and in case of inclination and deviation into any passion, do not despair, but rather resort to humility and repentance. No matter what high spiritual activities you undergo, without heart disease, according to the word of the holy fathers, they will bring us little benefit. Maybe you yourself know quite well which books are more suitable for teaching us, but I will tell you a few things about them: read St. John Climacus, St. Abba Dorotheus, St. Ephraim the Syrian, in the Philokalia of the head of St. Mark of the Ascetic, St. Simeon the New Theologian, Callistus and Ignatius, St. Peter of Damascus, St. Isaac the Syrian, St. Barsanuphius the Great, the life of Elder Paisius, “Enraptured Classes”, St. Nilus of Sora, and similar books; but try more to practice active virtue by the commandments of God; but do not touch the speculative one yet, for after purifying the passions with activity, it itself will show the way (to itself). Again I will repeat to you about humility, according to the testimony of Isaac the Syrian, in the 46th word, and in Callistus and Ignatius, in the 43rd chapter: “humility saves even without deeds, but deeds without humility will not save,” and so on. When we try to gain it, we will move away from the judgment and vision of others, and see only our own sins; according to the word of St. Peter of Damascus, - after seven bodily works (he says): “and then the mind begins to see its sins, like the sand of the sea, and this is a sign of the health of the soul and the beginning of its enlightenment.” In this work one can also understand about other passions about which you write and where a fall follows, mental or otherwise, then know that pride preceded this, according to the word of St. John Climacus and one must seek healing in humility. I wrote to your love out of a true desire for your spiritual benefit, and may the Lord Himself enlighten you and strengthen you to do. I ask you to pray for me, a sinner, so that it will not be a judgment on me, who says this and does no good, to your prayer book, the great sinner I.M. December 13, 1852. I sincerely rejoice that, with the help of God, our monastery has even now been honored to serve those who wish to have and read the books of our fathers, by publishing the book of Abba Isaiah, the hermit. It had previously been submitted to the censorship, but due to a fault in the Slavic translation it was returned; and now God helped to publish the Russian translation. God bless you for accepting this spiritual gift from our zeal. Thank you for informing me about our good Archpastor, beloved by his flock; about his stay in your monastery and about his departure to P-b. You wrote the true truth about him: his simplicity, piety and fatherly care for his flock and monastic monasteries attracted many to love him; We parted with him with heartfelt regret, but we are nourished by the hope that we will again see him return to his flock. I will repeat your desire and word: God grant that we have more such lamps of the Church of Christ in Rus'! It agrees not only with my desire, but also with many right-thinking people. June 14, 1860. Beloved brother in the Lord, most venerable father N! In your letter dated May 5, you, notifying me of your illness and that the medicinal benefits do not bring you any tangible benefit, by the way, you say that they advise you to ask for schema; You, inclining to this proposal with your heartfelt desire, on the other hand, hesitate in thought, seeing that, due to your bodily weakness, you will not be able to fulfill the schematic rule, and in response to such perplexities of yours, you ask for my advice. To this I will say that Simeon, the Archbishop of Thessalonica, encourages the adoption of the schematic image (in chapter 360, p. 261), saying this: “let the imperfect one be perfected, but not imperfect and without the most perfect one depart in secret for the completion of this image. We know and about this there are many who are careless.” And below: “An unattained monk, let him be at his death: for this gift is great: this royal seal is.” And regarding the rule that you feel unable to fulfill it due to bodily weakness, then I will say that St. the fathers do not impose strength on us 11 and do not force us to undergo rules or feats beyond our strength, but according to our strength, and especially in case of bodily illness. St. Isaac the Syrian (in Homily 41, p. 197) writes: “And understand this, O wise one, that we did not rule for abundant deeds, but let us do this - dwelling in solitude with our souls and creating silence,” and below: “but also serious ailments, which I suffer from, with sweetness I endure in my whole belly, from which below Therefore, on your feet, either offer the usual prayer, or praise your husband with your lips; but below is a psalm, below is something else from what is done by the body. And what is more satisfying is bodily weakness and silence instead of all the rules; and this image was in all the days of their lives.” The same saint (in 71 ff. p. 403) says: “It is not about psalms on the day that God will condemn us, below about idleness, even about prayer, but because of the abandonment of these, the entrance of the demon is.” These words obviously refer to those who are healthy in body, admonishing them how dangerous it is to abandon the established rules, and when for the healthy he posits such a reasoning about the rule that God will not punish him, then how much more so about the sick, who, not having the strength to fulfill the rules, due to illness alone can be free from this harm. The same saint (in word 89, on page 464) says the following: “the heart, filled with sadness about weakness and powerlessness, even about obvious bodily actions, takes the place of all bodily actions. Acts of the body, except for the sadness of thought, are like the body soulless. Sorrow of thought is an honest gift from God, and one who wears it as it should be, is like a person who wears a shrine in his own places, a person who has closed his tongue against people about good or evil deeds is not worthy of this grace.” St. Barsanuphius, in his answers to the questions of the weak elder Andrei, encouraging him to patiently and complacently endure bodily weakness, among other things says: “having devoted himself to God until death, with all his heart he must devote himself to Him: for we know much that it is for the benefit of our souls and bodies. And as much as he will leave you grieving in your body, he will only bring relief to those who have sinned by you. There is nothing God will take from you except patience and thanksgiving and prayer for the remission of sins” (answer 163, p. 134). To the same elder’s question about psalmody: “How much must I go through, for I cannot sing?” St. The elder replies: “About psalmody or service, nor sorrow again: for God does not torture you for the sake of illness, take heed and insult yourself by fasting for the Lord’s sake, and for your own sake of salvation. Imash painful sorrow instead of the sorrow of fasting (asceticism).” And below (answer 210, p. 172), discussing fasting, in the same mind he says: “If internal work does not help a person according to God, he labors in vain in the external. For inner work with heart disease brings true silence of the heart, and such silence brings humility, and humility creates a person to be a dwelling place for God, and from the indwelling of the Lord God, the evil demons and the ruler of these, the devil, with their dishonest passions are driven out and a person is found - the church of God is consecrated, enlightened, cleansed and filled with all fragrance and goodness and joy... If you doubt, but work according to the strength of the inner man that you have, he will try to humble his thoughts.” Having offered you the reasoning of St. fathers about the schema and the rule for the weak, in conclusion I will say that if you want to leave the clergy and accept the schema, you must first of all turn to God in prayer, asking for His help and may His holy will be done on you; and then, rejecting your will and reason, submit this intention to the consideration of your superiors and act in everything according to their decision, without a doubt, accepting it as the determination of God’s will about you. Mnogohreshny I.M. June 1854. Most venerable Father K in the Lord! Are you asking for my advice about whether you should agree to it if they offer you to become a hieromonk? You write that you are weak, and your tongue is broken, and besides, they are talking about the position of treasurer. All this frightens you, since you are used to sitting in your cell and being silent. It seems to me that your intention to refuse does not come from humility, but from a desire for peace, in imaginary silence, which does not bring you any benefit. Okay, you will refuse, you will not accept the priesthood, but will you avoid sorrows afterwards? and won’t there be scolding for this, especially when you see that the lower ones are superior to you? It would be very commendable, out of humility, to refuse the height of such dignity in vain, but even here one must have reasoning: - St. Gregory the Theologian writes that if everyone refuses the thrones of the priesthood, and unworthy people ascend to them, then the entire hierarchy may be upset and riots will result; but he says: there is no need to rush and seek the priesthood, but also not to persist when God calls for it through the shepherd. When you are called to this, you can offer your weakness, but do not persist in resistance, but surrender to the will of God. As for the fact that they say to you that you are trying to do this, and it is hard for you to endure lies in vain, then I will tell you: what must you endure? Is it not that we are reproached, reviled and annoyed in vain? If you were guilty, then you would accept this reproach through your deeds and would not have the reward of patience. You boast of your silence, but what benefit has it brought you when you have not tolerated even one falsehood? Look, who should be silent? Those who fooled themselves 12 in dealing with the brethren and killed their furious and self-loving passion. You will find this in the superscript on Nil Sorsky and in the book of St. John Climacus. He writes: whoever is prone to anger, arrogance or deceit should see below the trace of silence, and you write that you have vanity, pride and other passions; How can you defeat them in silence if no one touches or insults you? I do not distract you from your cell by this and do not give you advice to bypass the cells and disperse, but I advise you not to think that you are doing something great while sitting in your cell. Read from Simeon of Euchaites, how he advises the silent person, “sitting in his cell, to reproach himself” (“Enraptured Klases”). Although you are not completely silent, you can still take this to your advantage. I ask you to pray for my thinness and I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and a tar-weaper, many sinners I.M. September 16, 1855. Most Honorable N.N. in the Lord! Having received your letter dated October 14 and seeing from it your sincere awareness of your weaknesses in front of my thinness, with all my weaknesses, mental and physical, I am forced to answer your letter, according to the strength of my feeble-minded mind. Our most merciful Lord, who did not want the sinner to die, but to turn and live for him (Ezek. 33:11), gave you the feeling of emerging from the darkness of error and coming to the light of truth. The Holy Church is of such importance, and is invested with such power by our Lord Jesus Christ, that whoever opposes it becomes like a pagan and a tax collector (Matthew 18:17). It is based on such a solid rock that even the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). The stone is Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). She is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). For all this, except for the Church, the true Orthodox, it is impossible to find salvation. Moving away from her, you sinned a lot, but now, having returned to her mother’s bosom, I hope that you will be reconciled with her by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remembering the great mercy of God towards you, be firm and unshakable in the coming times. – Realizing your sinfulness, gain the humility to strongly intercede with the Lord, both for the forgiveness of your sins and for confirmation in the future to fulfill His commandments. When you cry out to God in repentance for your sins, you cannot be afraid of falling into delusion, but the thought that you are doing God a favor should be rejected and driven far away from yourself. Does a repentant sinner even dare to think about this when he seeks and expects mercy from God, like the publican, the prodigal son and the harlot? They were humbly imbued with a sense of their sinfulness, they did not even dare to raise their eyes to heaven, or to be called sons, and in this situation the Lord looked upon them and granted them forgiveness of their sins; and those thoughts come from the inspiration of the proud devil; and when the fragrance of humility is not found in us, then they act to our detriment; and humility destroys them. In memory of your sins, acquire humility, like St. The Apostle Paul performed miracles, but still remembered that he was a sinner (1 Cor. 15:8, 9; 1 Tim. 1:15). I must note to you that your adventures followed from pride, for where the fall occurred, pride preceded it, writes St. John Climacus. You must now arm yourself against this evil enemy with the memory of your sins and the teaching of the Lord that although we will do everything commanded, we must consider ourselves unbreakable servants (Luke 17:10), and learn from Him that He is meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29). Read the active teachings of St. fathers: St. John Climacus, St. Abba Dorotheus, Simeon the New Theologian, Theodore the Studite, etc., and from them learn how to resist passion. We have a strong war with spiritual, evil, invisible enemies; they elevate our passions and bring us down with them; and when we resist them with humility and call on the Lord for help, we conveniently overthrow them. You complain of irritability and demand for things to happen according to your will: and this comes from pride. You ask how to do everything not according to your own will, and how to know and see the will of God? The will of God is visible in His commandments, which we must try to fulfill when dealing with our neighbors; and in case of non-compliance and crime, bring repentance. Our will is corrupted and we need constant compulsion to fulfill the will of God, and we must ask for His help. We came out from the world to seek salvation and must deny ourselves according to the word of the Lord. We must renounce our mind, our will and desires. – And what desires should be abandoned, St. clearly writes about this. Peter of Damascus, on pages 14 and 15. In this way, with the help of God, we will overcome passion and find peace and tranquility for our souls. – You want to find an elder in order to surrender to obedience; this is your good wish. May the Lord help you to find a charmless mentor and, through obedience, free yourself from passions. From the beginning of the introduction it would be necessary to do so, as St. teaches. John Climacus in verses 1 and 4, but what is omitted at the beginning must be corrected later. I don’t know why you are afraid of persecution from a famous person? Can anyone insult you if God does not allow it? And when something happens, we must accept it with submission to the will of God, humble ourselves and consider those who insult us as instruments of God’s Providence: for this the Lord will deliver us from their hands. May the Lord give you true reason and strengthen you in the matter of salvation. I earnestly wish you this and I remain a great sinner I. M. October 26, 1854, Beloved brother N in Christ! You write that your latest illness is a consequence of anxiety: a small insult worries you. You must know that this anxiety comes from your inner spiritual illness or disorder of morality; in you lies the guarantee of the furious part, that is, irritability, which receives the power of action from vanity and pride; from the action and disturbance of these spiritual passions, disorder also falls on the body, and this is already God’s punishment: both soul and body suffer from our negligence and inattention. This mental illness is not healed by the fact that no one disturbs or offends us, this is impossible: in life there are many unforeseen, unpleasant and sorrowful cases, sent by God's providence to our test or to punishment; but we must seek healing for this passion in this way: with good will, accept all cases, reprimands, humiliations, reproaches and annoyances - with self-reproach and humility. The very fact that the irritable part moves within us is already our guilt and mental illness. He who reproaches us is our benefactor, for through him we recognize the sinful impurity that lies within us and must strive to heal it through self-reproach and humility and prayer to the Lord, asking Him for help; but we should not dare to accuse someone who insults us, even if it may seem that the insult is wrong; but consider it an instrument of God’s Providence, sent to us to show our dispensation. Judge, did he, by reproaching you, put passion into you? It was already lying in you, and he only showed you, by God’s sight, what was in you, and so that you would take care of healing. St. Abba Dorotheos talks about this beautifully and likens it to bread, which seems to be good on the outside, but moldy on the inside; whoever breaks it is not to blame if it becomes moldy, for that is what it was. But if no one touches us, insults us, or reproaches us, and we think because of this we will be calm, we are mistaken and not only will we never be healed, but we will also end up in a worse situation and will be completely deprived of our spiritual peace. St. John Climacus not only forbids such people to remain silent, but to see the trace of silence below. You can also understand from the nature of things, since you have been taught this: can land that is overgrown with thorns and various bad herbs bear any fruit? And when they work hard, plow or dig up better, clear out the bad roots, then it becomes convenient to accept good seeds and bears fruit; when bad herbs grow again, they do not stop destroying them. So the land of our heart, neglected from our negligence, grows thorns and thistles of passions: if we pluck them out little by little, they will be destroyed and the land of our heart can receive the seeds of virtues and bear fruit - the fulfillment of the commandments of God, which command not only to endure insults and pray for those who offend, but even to love enemies. Having considered all this, begin to observe and pay attention to your heart and, when insulted and indignant, restrain yourself from nasty words, and reproach yourself for being indignant, then you will calm down, and your passions will little by little be destroyed. Writes Rev. Zosima: when we, when we are insulted, grieve not for the fact that we were insulted, but for the fact that we were offended, then the demons are afraid of such a dispensation, they see that they have begun to move towards the extermination of passions. St. Simeon the New Theologian teaches in chapter 1: when one is dishonored or annoyed, one is greatly sick at heart, we know from this that one carries away the ancient serpent into the depths. This serpent is the enemy the devil, and the poison is heartbreak, confusion, and everything that leads to anger and disorder, and then to illness. Try, too, not to allow the enemy to pour poison into your heart, accepting with self-reproach and humility no matter what happens, and even more so from the parents with whom you are now. Honor your father and your mother, the Lord commanded (Ex. 20:12), and natural and civil law command us to do this. The blessing of parents is a great blessing for children, for it brings God’s blessing down upon them. I earnestly wish you all the best; much-sinful I.M. October 27, 1854. You want to learn from me spiritual life, you want to have lines written about how to go through the rank of residence. Your good desire and intention to seek salvation, but on my part it is not difficult to write, but it is dangerous to give an answer - I teach people, but I do no good to myself. Our Mentor and Teacher is our Lord Himself, Jesus Christ: He gave us saving and life-giving commandments that lead us into eternal life, and He said to the young man who asked Him: What will I do that I may inherit eternal life? weigh the commandments, do these things, and inherit an eternal life (Matthew 19:16, 17; Mark 10:17, 19), and the holy fathers, who received salvation, received it by fulfilling the commandments of God and left us an example of their life; moved by the Holy Spirit, they betrayed their teaching for the benefit of us, the listeners and the readers. And what exactly commandments must be fulfilled by those who want to be saved? – The main two: love for God and love for one’s neighbor, on this both commandments the whole law and the prophets hang, said the Lord (Matthew 22:40). These commandments are explained in detail and especially in the Holy Gospel, most of them in chapters 5, 6 and 7 of the Evangelist Matthew. When fulfilling the commandments of God, one must also have humility, which is also commanded: if you do all that is commanded, say, for we are unworthy servants: whatever we ought to do, we have done (Luke 17:10), and in another place the Lord commands: learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls yours (Matthew 11:29). This is the mercy of God towards us! By doing His commandments we receive peace, and what great wisdom is God: for every passion that is in us, there is a commandment that not only forbids its action, but also completely eradicates it. So, listen to the teachings in the word of God and try to fulfill them, asking for God’s help, for He said: without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). Read also the words of the fathers, St. John Climacus, St. Abba Dorotheus, as the most decent for us; they teach us why we leave the world and come to the monastery, and how we must learn to fight against passions, defeat them and eradicate them; when defeated by passions, how to rebel and repent; and most of all they teach humility; it is unfallen and destructive of all passions. Just as pride is the forerunner of falls and casts the one who has it into the depths of hell, so on the contrary, humility restores and raises from the depths of sin and elevates the one who has it, and so on. The Holy Fathers teach us, each according to the enlightenment of the mind given to him by the Holy Spirit. Having experienced the spiritual life themselves, they teach about denial of oneself and one’s will, about the fear of God, about obedience, about patience, about abstinence, about humility, about love, about repentance and, in general, the whole range of beautiful virtues that we will find in the light of their teachings, and how to strive to acquire them. St. Isaac the Syrian writes about humility that humility saves only deeds, and deeds without humility will not save (chapter 47). Read from St. John Climacus, in the 5th degree, about repentance, on the 1st page of this degree - what repentance is and what it consists of: this is what is appropriate for your question about this; and by the end of the book he combines repentance with humility. St. Isaac the Syrian in the 7th word wisely lifts us from fall and despair, and leads us to repentance. From many I have collected little for you as a memory and guidance in your life; when you follow the path of righteousness, you will convert and understand more than these; You will also encounter sorrows, but they are inevitable on the path of salvation; and healing against them is done in humility. “But you can’t learn this with words alone, but you have to go through it with deeds, and here, knowing our weakness, we humble ourselves, and in our humility the Lord will remember us (Ps. 135:23) and deliver us from our enemies and save us; what I fervently wish for you and pray to the Lord for this; many-sinful I.M. Your Reverence, Most Honorable Fr. N! You, in your humility, are seeking instruction from me on how to live your monastic life, calling yourself young. Who can boast and say that I have reached perfect spiritual age in the monastic rank! When St. Macarius the Great to the one who asked him: “how will I be a monk?” answered: “I am not a monk, but I have seen monks”; and told about the two hermits he had seen. I can tell you not as an instruction, but to give you a reason to seek and pay attention to salvation, according to the word of St. Scripture: Give wine to the wise, and he will be wise (Proverbs 9:9). You, of course, know that monasticism is the perfection of Christianity, and Christian duty is the fulfillment of the Commandments of Christ; St. the fathers and teachers of monastic life, who themselves went through various paths of it: solitary silence, cohabitation with one or two brethren, and communal life, and having learned through experience and labor, left us, as a rich inheritance of their labors, the teaching about all of these lives, so that we could choose, each according to the ability of his strength, the path leading to salvation: and how it should be passed, without deviating either on the right hand or on the other hand. shuee; neither stretching towards excellence, nor deviating into the impoverishment of work; with our good will, which has the basis of faith, we must reject all our will and reason, and surrender to obedience to our spiritual father and teacher: from this we acquire humility, which preserves the monk from all the snares and snares of the enemy. But since our life is a spiritual battle or war, we must learn to resist the opposing forces attacking us, fighting us with both feelings and thoughts: learn by reading the books of our fathers and asking the skilled ones. Take the trouble to read the books of the fathers: St. John Climacus, St. Ephraim the Syrian, St. Abba Dorotheus, St. Simeon the New Theologian, St. Theodore the Studite, St. Barsanuphius, Nil Sorsky, Maximus the Confessor and other fathers, and one should try afterwards to practice active virtues; in case of any relapse in deeds, words and thoughts, immediately repent and recognize your weakness. humble yourself, and force yourself to see your sins, and not corrections: from considering the first, a person comes into humility, and a contrite and humble heart acquires, which God will not despise; and from the second, that is, from examining one’s own (corrections), one becomes conceited and vanity, and becomes darkened in mind. Do not suddenly reach up to heights, but ascend little by little; sooner you will reach the path of the belly. May the Lord enlighten you, enlighten you and help you with His mercy and arrange your salvation; pray to Him about this. Committing myself to your prayers and love for the Lord, I remain the wisher of your health and salvation and the prayer book of I.M. January 11, 1858. Your Reverence, venerable in the Lord Fr. N! You again turn to my badness, seek instruction from a good man who has created nothing; We are all in a fight with strong, invisible enemies who do not leave us to fight even for a short time, and if we do not have a weapon against them - humility, then they will conveniently overthrow us. And how to acquire humility - this is a great treasure that is not stolen by enemies, but destroys them - read your father’s books about this; in them you will see that where there is no light, everything is darkness, and where there is no humility, everything is dark and gloomy. And we cannot acquire humility unless we recognize our weaknesses and hope for our imaginary corrections; the very fact that you feel a cooling towards God within yourself is a reason for humility; Seeing such poverty in yourself, you must involuntarily humble yourself, and if you are embarrassed about this, then our pride is clearly exposed; we thought that we had something, and having lost, we grieve, we are embarrassed, and do not resort to humility and repentance; in the confusion below there is a trace of both. Spiritual life does not consist in seeing one’s corrections, but in seeing one’s sins; the former leads to pride, and the latter to humility, from which even the virtues become firm, and we do not elevate our minds about them. The enemy fights us in different ways: if he cannot draw us into vices, then he instills the idea of ​​his corrections and thereby darkens our mind and leads us away from God. Our first path is the rejection of our will and reason, and disbelief in ourselves; and how to reject your desires, read from St. Peter of Damascus, in the 1st book, at the beginning to the 16th sheet; still at St. Cassian's epistle to Leontin the abbot the word “about reasoning”, how it is acquired; You will find a lot at St. John Climacus and other saints. fathers about this work; but I can’t tell you anything from my correction; poor and wretched seven and I ask your saints. prayers, but preaching to no one else, I myself will not turn on (1 Cor. 9:27). May 31, 1858. Your Reverence, most venerable Father N in the Lord! Your questions are beyond my measure and dignity; How can I give you advice and blessings, take you to confession and give you advice on how to navigate your spiritual life? This is a matter of hierarchical power; Yes, even if I could give you outside and private advice on this, then, not knowing your spiritual age, I cannot dare to do so; and you yourself recognize yourself as a mere baby in the passage of spiritual life, then how can we teach what we ourselves do not know: it is fitting to do and teach (Acts 1:1). I advise you to read in the book of St. Simeon the New Theologian, 12 words, (this book was published in our desert - it should be in the library there, sent from here), the eighth word, and conform to the teachings of this great father, spiritual and experienced. Read more from St. Isaac the Syrian in the 56th word, on page 115 below, and on 116: “they accomplished many powers” ​​and further; You will see how dangerous it is for us, who have not yet conquered our passions, to indulge in discussions and exercises in matters and things that can harm our structure; the same thing exists in 327 countries. Considering all this, choose a dispensation that is useful to you. The widow who wishes ... to enter the T-monastery to live is completely unknown to me; if she has an inclination towards monastic life, let her test her strength and will to endure the possible sorrows and, according to the word of the Lord: and let her deny herself (Matthew 16:24), that is, her will and mind; and let him read the book of St. Ioanna Lestv. and St. Abba Dorotheus, may she pray to the Lord to confirm her desire and arrange something useful for her. I entrust myself to your saints. prayers. I.M. You write that you need protection for tonsure into monasticism, and that I should write to Father Abbot in order to introduce you to tonsure into the mantle: for me this seems strange and surprising, how can one seek protection in receiving the mantle? This is not a worldly rank or dignity, where patronage and petitions are only sought; and in receiving the mantle it is inappropriate and indecent, and even sinful. The monastic image is an image of humility, and not of exalting dignity; and those whom the Lord announces to the leader receive it, and finds that they lead a modest, humble life, carry out obedience without grumbling, and have patience in all the sorrows that befall them. This is also the preparatory art for monasticism. And if someone does not withstand this temptation, but leads a distracted, self-willed and self-inflicted life; then the Lord does not announce such things to the abbot. But if it happened that such people received the mantle for any reason, then the mantle would be heavy for them; this is known from experience. I don’t know your way of life, but it’s clear that the Lord is not telling the abbot to tonsure you; and why, I don’t know. So, I advise you, if you have a desire to receive a mantle, humbly desire it for your salvation: and not for any distinction or dignity. Live humbly, submissively, patiently, then the mantle itself will find you; otherwise the robe will do you no good. There is no need for you to go to ... a monastery when you are looking for salvation; live in one place resignedly and humbly, then you will receive both the mantle and salvation; what I earnestly wish for you. September 18, 1859. Beloved brother in Christ, most venerable Fr. N! 13 I received your scripture, filled with zeal and love for me, an insignificant one; I thank you, although I feel unworthy. May the Lord reward you with His mercy. I was very sorry that I had not heard from you for a long time; Now I see from your letter that you go to the choir and, if possible, rest in peace, withdrawing from vision and hearing. Although I rejoice in this that you have rest, the war has not yet been destroyed, there is no solid peace, passions have not been conquered, but are silent in inaction. We are still in a militant, and not in a triumphant Church; there will be honor, and here there will be work. The current incident has clearly revealed to you your weakness. How and with what weapons to fight it? It seems like self-reproach and humility, which brings victory to all passions. Beloved brother, in the field of this life we ​​still have a lot of battle ahead of us: what we don’t want or expect, we meet. The Lord does not suddenly send temptations, but, as needed, against our dispensation. What is already intended for you by God’s Providence cannot be avoided; that is, what path of service to take. Saint Gregory the Theologian expressed himself very clearly in his defensive word about his election, which (election) he feared and ran away from, and very well showed the measure in denial and submission. This word, it seems, was in Christian Reading last year, and was especially printed; and also in the current edition of the Moscow Academy, in “The Works of the Holy Fathers”, it is placed. In the meantime, what will happen, I will tell you: sit in your cell, your cell will teach you everything; collect honey from the writings of the holy fathers, who lived active lives, put it in the honeycomb of your heart, and, feeding your soul with them, be courageous in spiritual warfare, when it comes from somewhere, when dealing with your brothers; You won’t learn from just sitting and reading, but when you get it through practice. Read St. Elijah Ekdik ch. 30 and onwards, maybe you can use it. The merciful Lord, in your sorrow, has also given you consolation - he has sent you opportunities to write to me, and I also answer you with my beloved brother, father. I wish you peace and spiritual tranquility in the face of battle; tell my dear brothers N N my earnest desire for their spiritual salvation. Pray, brother, for me, a sinner, and I, according to my strength, deign to be your pilgrim. The sinful hieromonk Macarius. April 26, 1843. I sincerely rejoice that your brethren in Christ, among whom I count you, entered into the field of holy fasting, reverently spent the first week of it and were honored to be partakers of the Most Pure Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; may this Immortal Table be a strengthening for us on the path leading to eternal life, and a guarantee of receiving it. With love I am ready to fulfill your desire, to leave with you a draft letter written about the rule; but I just ask you to send me a list of it; Although I wrote it, I give the Lord an understanding to my mind, but I cannot retain everything that is written in my memory, and in case of such a need, I have, in the truths explained in it, I will require. I ask you not to leave me in your prayers, and, with the desire for your salvation, I remain your unworthy prayer book, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. Today we commemorated our venerable father, Father Leo; we are here, and you are in your monastery, and although in absentia, but faithfully the voices of prayer collectively extended to the Throne of the Lord and our father (Leo) did not deprive us of his charity, since even in his two-year departure from us, we believe that in spirit he is present and abides with us, and to this day the Lord preserves us with his prayers. We would have been pleased with your presence here, but out of necessity - inconvenience, we had to give in; and maybe this will work out for the best. If the Lord pleases and we live, the month of January will not be far away; then, according to your intention and promise, we will talk face to face. In elevating you to the level of church service, leave it to the Providence of God, be calm; He will surely arrange for the best, and bring about salvation through the inconveniences that seem to us. Entrusting you to the protection of God, with the desire for a peaceful dispensation for you, I remain your unworthy pilgrim, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. October 11, 1843. In my opinion, your illness is more spiritual, it seems also because it happens more in the church; however, the Lord is able to give healing. Abstinence does not interfere, and the deceased father advised doing this in these cases. But most of all you need to have humility, and not just in words, but in deeds; for we ourselves do not understand whether we have acquired it until God allows someone to test us, and then we will know our dispensation. It cannot be that everything will be our way, even if we rightly wish for it, but it is necessary that our truth pass through the fire of temptation; and we would learn patience, not through our fault, but through guiltlessness; and when we examine ourselves, we will find that we are guilty of many things, and even more so of hidden, inner pride; even during the very burden of the spiritual cross, there is no need to feel cold, but to consider yourself worthy of being there. Spiritual life consists not only of enjoying peace and consolation, but also of bearing the spiritual cross, that is, the removal of consolations, complacently; read from Saint Isaac the Syrian in the 78th word: “When the world has become unchanged, then fear”; yes, in the “Christian Reading” of 1840, the month of September, on page 426; 1839, May, sheet 263, “on the bliss of believers”; 1843, September, sheet 423, “meditation at the foot of the cross of Christ.” All this, if now it seems inconsistent with your arrangement, then perhaps it will be useful in the future. You are afraid: are some of your actions coming from delusion, and so as not to fall into the pit of contempt. Fear sins in order to get rid of them, writes Saint Isaac; fear is not a problem. Read those teachings of the holy fathers that lead to humility and show pride - from Saint Climacus, Isaac the Syrian and others; through them you will learn to distinguish truth from delusion in practice. Brother N writes that his father, the builder, blessed him to treat you, and he told you the same thing; Why deny people what we ourselves need? From the words of the father-builder it is clear that he is pleased with this; This is help for him, how can he alone pacify everyone? He is confident that you will advise the monastery and those asking for the benefit - and he is certainly not against it. Where there is love and humility, there the Lord will protect from temptations; and above all, he will not allow it to be. Accept, brother, out of my true zeal, this mark, and if you find anything wrong, cover it with love. May the most merciful Lord, through the prayers of the late priest, Father Leo, enlighten you and protect you from all resistant networks. If I wish you health and salvation, with a request for prayers, I remain your unworthy prayer book, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. November 18, 1843. Although I feel great weakness both in spirit and in body, I do not want to miss this reliable opportunity to write you a short response to your letter sent on December 1st. You say that passions prevail over you and do not allow good vegetation to grow. What should we do, brother? We are not dispassionate; we must remember this and be ready to fight with them. Yes, they humble us. It seems that John Climacus writes: “when passions fight us, it is a sign that we are well pleased in this place”; Without the struggle of passions, it is very easy to acquire complete pride. If it happens that you are overcome by some passion, then you do not need to be cowardly, but humble yourself. Read the 7th word of Saint Isaac the Syrian about this. Regarding the deafness that happened to you, I agree more with your opinion; but as this happened in memory of Saint Mitrofan, he is able to give you healing. And the reason, perhaps, is secret pride. To Brother N., according to his faith, God Himself is able to bestow benefits, but what do we mean? only an instrument operated by Him. Pray for me, dear brother, I am truly infirm; Wishing you every good and spiritual salvation, I remain your unworthy pilgrim, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. December 10, 1843. You already know to what extreme the presenter of this letter reached from the accumulation of various thoughts and the failure to resolve them. Now, although he has been pacified by the grace of God, what will happen next is still unknown; then I ask you not to leave him, in case of need, with your admonition, strengthening, and sometimes intercession; how much intelligence and strength the Lord will give you, for his and the common good. I thank you for your zeal and love, which you show in writing for me, the worst, and in practice. On my part, I have nothing to repay except my willingness to imagine what depends on me and what my strength can do. If you feel any benefit, then the Lord will grant it to you according to your faith. May God grant that there will be peace, quiet and tranquility in your monastery, and that your father the builder will return safely. I also thank you for your congratulations on the holiday and for the goodwill of high talents, of which I truly recognize myself as not worthy - and I congratulate you in return. As we spend these sacred days of Easter, may we be worthy to pass and partake of the eternal Easter in the next century. I wish you peace, health and salvation, your unworthy prayer book, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. March 31. As we celebrate the bright holiday of Christ's Resurrection and, continuing the days of Holy Pentecost, I earnestly congratulate you and wish from all these sacred memories offered to us by the Church, to collect spiritual honey, like a hardworking bee, working in a mental hive, and having an opportunity for this, exercise in a cell, and striving in the field of spiritual warfare, seeing victory and victory that serve to consolation and humility; but not to exaltation and despair, avoiding both extremes. I don’t have anything special to say about myself; I live in normal distraction and laziness. Woe to me, how we should be the light of the world, but I myself am darkened! Pray, Father, for me, a sinner, who wishes you health and salvation and your prayer book, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. April 19, 1844. We grieved with our hearts for the death of N. and for N. and their little children who remained in grief. But what is the essence of our speculations? The Creator placed everything in His power, and, in the depth of His wisdom, arranged everything for the benefit, the message is greater than us, and the end is predetermined for each of us. You are able to comfort the remaining spouse, and take care of the orphans; and our job is to pray to the Lord for the repose of her soul. Upon receiving your letter, I wrote down her name in our monastery for remembrance; and he told Father Superior about commemorating her. May the Lord rest her soul in the kingdom of heaven. You write something about your structure, and about mental and physical weaknesses: you see your insides better and correctly act according to your conscience, not out of passion, avoiding the choir. You also need to look at whether you are avoiding the sorrows that occur there; If we avoid grief in one, we can meet it in another. And those who are not content to bear temptations are not capable of accepting gifts, writes Saint Isaac the Syrian; in all this may the Lord instruct and strengthen you; and I am writing somehow quickly, asking you to pray for me, the unworthy man of prayer, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. June 14. Based on your trust in my wretchedness (although I’m not worth it), I take part in your spiritual situation, and I have no doubt that you want to be useful for the monastery, for this is also associated with our common benefit - the salvation of souls. But, due to inner weakness, you cannot be in the choir; and, according to your assurance (which I also believe), not running away from sorrows, but out of impossibility; and this really tends to our humility, which I experienced myself. In addition to the incident that you remind us of, there could even be an unnoticed opinion about your talents; and that it can hide from us, there is no doubt about this (when even with many virtues the creeping opinion is hidden, and only through temptations do they come to knowledge); and, perhaps, by copulating with him, you deprive yourself of the opportunity to undergo obedience, to the knowledge and removal of the secret of your spiritual weaknesses and to humility. With a lack of spiritual activity, seeing poverty in the external, one must inevitably descend into the depths of humility, and although someone’s wrong opinion about pretense or something else, one must accept it with self-reproach. Without free labor, although through involuntary visits from the all-generous right hand of God, we bring ourselves closer to Him. Lacking complacent patience and love, although not for enemies, but for those who do not trust, we must involuntarily see ourselves as the worst of all and the last of all; and this invisibly brings the mercy of God closer to us, whereas reverence and respect could do the opposite; Therefore, in everything, give thanks to the Lord. His destinies are incomprehensible to us: it is good for me, for you have humbled me (Ps. 119:71). I entrust myself to your prayers and remain the desirer of your salvation and the unworthy prayer book, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. June 21. Reading your letters and seeing your sorrows, I truly and heartily participate in them and sympathize with you. But I know that the Most Merciful Lord sends or allows you to be one for your spiritual growth; Therefore, I know that you walk along the path that our fathers walked; and we should rejoice about this; however, it is appropriate to have fear, but not because of pride you are tempted; in your perplexity, run to the Lord, so that you may understand what is appropriate to do. In this short time, the cases that have come your way let you know that everything is transitory: warfare and peace, and then battle and confusion, in which your last lines were written; Is this really still going on? No, I don’t hope so, but I believe that things have calmed down, otherwise it’s hard to carry this stone on my heart. May the Lord forgive him for falsely suspecting me for embarrassing you; at the beginning of your transition, I grieved somewhat at you, but after that it was not in my mind to attract you to me; but I do not reject your favor, and I do not distract you from your monastery; although you are confused now, I do not advise you to suddenly indulge in strong impulses during confusion, but you must wait and ask for God’s will. It will be painful for the father of the builder to dismiss you in many respects, such as: for your good work and because of your leaving the monastery, the brethren will be even more embarrassed; and it will seem very strange to P, and it will not be beneficial for him. I advise you, beloved brother, to endure a little longer, and even more so when you are allowed to live without doing anything; and if they decide not to accept the brethren, then surely you will be at peace for this, but he will not do it without futility. The last reason for your unworldliness, as I see, stemmed from a dispute over a trip to us. See the truth of Saint Elijah Ekdik; he writes in chapter 46: “truth without humility is blind, uses contradiction and is established on the stronghold of resentment.” Let's resort to humility and self-reproach, maybe it will calm us down. However, I spoke on your instructions..., in response I received consent, but when the will of the P-th and the abbot is; however, he gave advice not to strive for the transition soon, but to wait. I wish the Lord to calm and comfort you with His mercy, and I remain your zealous prayer book, the many-sinful hieromonk Macarius. July 12, 1844. I am heartbroken about your disorder, and I am in great difficulty as to what advice to give you regarding clergy. I in no way want to turn you away from your father the builder, but seeing such dislike between you, I suffer even more, and even more so when he blames me for this. In this my conscience is peaceful, as you yourself know: I do not turn you or anyone else away from him, but I try by all means to pacify the brethren in the monastery and towards him; however, to my misfortune, the very ones that I have deviate from it; but it seems to him that I am the reason for this, and how can he think otherwise? The enemy is plotting his intrigues; Isn’t it better for them, to calm him down, to leave me and be content with his care: what good is this when insults are inflicted on him; really, I don’t want that. The monastery was entrusted to him; it is necessary for peace to be maintained and the salvation of the brethren to be achieved; when discord comes out and, in their opinion, through me, then, for God’s sake, advise them, brother, to evade me; and when they want not to leave me, then so that they have peace, love and revelation for him; Really, I’m not an enemy-maker, God forbid I should even think about this. How can you approach another confessor without his permission? There will be no peace, and when you want to go to another, then first be completely reconciled with him, and ask permission for that end, so that such temptation and mental confusion, causing harm to the body, will not follow in the future. Approach this with deep humility and self-reproach, calling on God’s help. Regarding your intention to leave the monastery, I truly grieve for you. It’s time for you to fight, you need to resist the scorching arrows of the enemy and remember the vow you took when taking tonsure about patience. Whatever the machinations of the enemy, they are all destroyed by humility, and when this is not there, then he overcomes us. How peaceful you have been towards the monastery until now, and suddenly, embarrassed, you have to leave it; and in another place they may suffer battles, only of a different kind. Your transition is fraught with great difficulty; It is true that your intention will be unpleasant to P, since he cares about your monastery, which was previously in decline and has come into good order through his efforts through the father of the builder. And how do you start doing this? You must definitely visit him in person and present valid reasons for the transfer. The suspicion falling on me in your confusion does not bother me; The Heartbreaker sees that I am not to blame for this; and when it happens to me to bear the cross through this, according to the promise..., then I must accept it, considering it as my sins; and God is strong to strengthen us in this, for without His permission no one can do anything to us. There is no way for me to ask Father N.; when you find it necessary, write to him yourself and ask him about this; and through my petition, Father N may think that I am the cause of your indignation. Most of all, resort to God with humility, so that the dark storm of your despondency, which plunges your soul into such gloominess and deprives the light of consolation and hope of salvation, will dispel. Surrender to His holy will and if it is for your transition, He will arrange it this way: and pray for me, who wishes you mental and physical health and peace, the much-sinful hieromonk Macarius. July 28, 1844. I received your letter, and accordingly I carried out the dispatch of another. I address myself directly to the matter that concerns you and about which you demand clarification from me; and I, forgetting myself, my weaknesses and foolishness, do not refuse to speak about what is above my dignity; however, I think I should say something. What shall I say? I can’t directly say one thing or another: I have no future, I’m afraid of extremes in both cases, I don’t have holiness and insight, I’m afraid to simply dare to say; I choose the middle as much as possible, and present a reasoning, albeit meager, but you look at it with the eye of a sober and humble mind: follow what is useful, and leave what is contrary. By the grace of God and His mercy, having been called and separated from the world, you were honored to be clothed in the monastic image, and made vows to reject your will, to endure sorrows, and so on. and so on. But if God’s Providence calls you to further service to Him, for the benefit of your neighbors, which is associated, perhaps, not with glory alone, but with the patience of sorrows; How do you know this? Isn't there a need for an embassy of an Angel, or a voice, or some vision? All this happened to the worthy and humble, to whom it could not harm, but we are unworthy of such a calling. And this word is worth attention, said by the saint - the Angel of the church: “That’s it, it would be better to obey the authority and God’s will” even when the calling from him was within a year, and at your own request, was condescendingly postponed for a year. The four reasons presented to your mind are very weak. Fear should be had, and not neglected; mental and physical ill health - is not the grace of God powerful to heal? For His power is made perfect in weakness; four hierodeacons do not interfere; and even less the last reason is respectful. The main thing is to see that you are not searching or desiring, and if there were a searching, then this very thing would be the main obstacle to entering this title. Are you afraid of the authorities, and in this sorrow? But is it possible to avoid them in your current life? You cannot avoid the abuse, but it may also be worse: I heard that one brother suffered from certain incidents, which did not happen according to his will - I will keep silent. And maybe something similar will happen to you. Now you still have weight, but there will be a time when the young ones will come into their own, take strength, or some change will happen in the authorities, then it’s no wonder that in battle instead of victory you will be defeated. But let’s put it this way, you will endure everything regarding the individual; but since you have a share in others, you must suffer not for you, but for them as well. I know that you are not looking for rank or leadership, but you are still afraid of them; That's how it should be. But where there is God’s election, there resistance is dangerous. Saint Gregory the Theologian wrote very well about this: “against the fear of being a boss, the law of decency may provide help...; but I don’t know who will be the helper, and what word will inspire hope in case of disobedience?” And in another place: “when everything is denied, then all the fullness and beauty of the Church may be upset.” Here, dear brother, I have written a discussion for you, and you choose what is useful, I admonish you to the Lord, and place the hope of your salvation in Him. Pray also for me, the sinful Hieromonk Macarius, who desires your salvation. I congratulate you, beloved brother, on receiving the grace of God to serve His Throne in the rank of hierodeacon. The Most Merciful Lord has vouchsafed you to call you into this ministry, may he help and preserve you in the fear of His coming, and in all your ways may you walk according to His commandments, may you be vouchsafed to receive God’s mercy on that day. The Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, let it be a reminder to you, to imitate the actions of the first, to avoid the actions of the second, according to the word of the Lord: everyone who exalts himself will humble himself, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11). And the memory of the great Isidore among the fathers, to imitate him according to our strength and opportunity, according to time. I do not refuse to answer the questions you propose, calling on God’s help to admonish me, according to your faith. How should one behave during service at the altar and in all other respects? This question contains a lot; but when will we stand with humility, remembering Who we stand before and where? Where the Angels themselves want to go, the Lord Himself will give you admonition, guide the meek into judgment, and teach the meek in His way (Ps. 24:9). In case of deviation and scattering of thoughts, let the same means of humility and self-reproach with repentance be your confirmation. The sign or reason for these falls is exaltation. During the holy week of Easter, on the eve of the first day, according to custom, we began to read all the prescribed canons and akathists; and during the week only the canon and prayers for communion, content with the church service singing of Easter hymns. - During this week, if temptation occurs, you can fulfill the rule, except for the psalms, and, instead of bows, 100 prayers. Within the same year, if it happens, the limit of midnight is already 12 hours. But whether before or after temptation occurs, everyone must read the prescribed rule in the breviary on page 303 when to begin the Holy Mysteries; for this is permitted there; It is better, in any case, to relate to your spiritual father and receive permission and blessing from him, surrendering to his will. Are you asking me to say something that you don’t know to ask? For my part, I will only add that you can try to be careful not to approach this shrine with resentment towards your neighbors. In all of this and in other perplexities that may confront you, may the grace of God, given to you at the laying on of a hierarch, guide you, according to His ineffable goodness and mercy. I thank you for notifying me of your ordination and ask you not to leave me in your prayers while serving the Divine Mysteries, and I remain with the desire for you peace of mind and consolation in our Most Sweet Lord Jesus Christ, your unworthy prayer book, the much-sinful hieromonk Macarius. It’s difficult for me to solve your bewilderment: if you tell the father-builder, you will naturally remove him from service; and if (moreover) it is not hidden from him that this happened through you, there will be indignation against you; leave it like this, I’m afraid of sin. Isn’t it better to tell him that, due to this weakness, he himself should leave the ministry, for it is possible to receive communion more often; and for neglecting the sacred, you can give an answer to God. When you know that this will not be tolerated, then you can talk more skillfully to the builder, touching not directly on what happened, but on what could happen, and with general advice persuade the elder to leave the service; but if you say it directly, you will stir up a storm; he is your elder and spiritual father; where will you go with your infirmities? May the Lord give you true reason on how to act in this critical situation; and pray to Him about this. I remain your unworthy prayer book, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. June 13. From your letter I see that you are still confused or perplexed about the natural weakness of the elder; Perhaps the opposite side is inflicting zeal on you for this; You did what you could on your part, you spoke, you warned, and you told the builder’s father before, then therefore you can, it seems, calm down. Moreover, the example from the vision of St. Sophronius is appropriate for this matter; leave it to the will of God and pray to His goodness, if such service is not pleasing to Him, then let Him Himself inform the elder, or forbid it with His destinies. Wishing you peace, health and salvation and asking for prayers for me, I remain your prayer book, the much-sinful Hieromonk Macarius. June 20. Most venerable Father N in the Lord! 14 You are in P-e and thank God! Using skillful medical means, we received relief from our illness: I rejoice in this from the bottom of my heart, God willing, that we may be completely freed from it, for the sake of pleasing the Lord and for the glory of His name. From the news you described, there is quite a lot of wonderful and interesting stuff; and there is nothing pleasant to say about our news, but sad and regrettable. The cities neighboring us are in danger of fires, news of this is spreading, and many have already suffered: Mtsensk, Karachev, Livny, Malo-Arkhangelsk, Fatezh, and most of all the unfortunate city of Orel, which often suffered this test, suffered a fiery defeat; and on May 26, more than 2,000 houses and 4 churches burned down; imagine about 10 thousand inhabitants without shelter, clothing, food and wealth! Great assistance is required not only to restore, but also to support the unfortunate after such a disaster. Of course, God is able to strike and heal this plague; Nothing is impossible with Him. When you don’t know the reason for the insult..., then you need to be calm; dating may explain this mystery. Wishing you health, spiritual peace and tranquility, and asking for your prayers, I remain your prayer book, much-sinful I.M. June 8, 1848. I congratulate you on the upcoming highly solemn and all-joyful holiday of the Resurrection of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, may your heart rejoice with spiritual joy about our glorious salvation. You complain about the strong struggle of your flesh against the spirit, and overcoming it mentally; describe the reasons for it, the condemnation of neighbors, cruel sentences on others who are in similar struggles, and so on, which I also recognize as valid, according to many experiences and writings of St. father; and also, what is most important, we must believe, produces in us a strong effect of this warfare - pride. With my heartfelt condolences for you, I offer you St. the father of teachings to heal your weakness; However, just your awareness of your weakness and exposing yourself to my badness, I believe, brought you considerable benefit and relief, not because of my dignity, but because of your faith and humility, the Lord has mercy. Read from St. Isaac the Syrian, in the 77th word, where does bodily movement come from, and what is the reason for it. In the 79th word you will clearly see that “for pride, the feeling of fierce thoughts of fornication is tolerated on them, in the humility of their elevation,” and the cure for all the temptations described in it is offered: “humility of heart.” At St. Mark the Ascetic from the letter to Nicholas the monk, who complains about this passion and anger, you will find much benefit; at St. Cassian in his letter to Leontin the abbot about how strong carnal warfare was allowed to one elder for the sadness of his brother who was in this struggle - and before he did not have this battle, and therefore Abba Apollos called him: “you were either unworthy of this warfare or despised by the enemy.” As the word about warfare touched upon you, I will remember St. John Climacus from the degree “on reasoning” (Russian translation). “An unslothful soul raises up demons to wage war against itself: as the wars multiply, the crowns also multiply. He who is not harmed by adversaries will not receive any crown, and whoever does not lose heart from the occasional falls will be praised by the Angels as a brave warrior”; and therefore warfare is necessary for us, no matter what kind it is. Read the packs from St. Isaac in the 78th word, towards the end: “otherwise, it is fitting for us to have during these temptations two certain ones, opposed to each other, joy and fear” (p. 431) and further; – why joy, why fear. Read about this passion from St. Cassian, at St. John of the Climacus, St. Nilus of Sora, and other saints; take medicine from them; and above all, try to have a humble wisdom, considering yourself the last of all. To the 15th degree of St. John Climacus writes what answer he received from this passion: “if you achieve humility, then you will cut off my head.” I wrote to you a lot of little things that I found necessary and appropriate for healing your weakness; But try it yourself with humility and you will find more. Accept my earnest desire, may the Lord give you complete healing from this fierce passion, and help you uproot the root from which many passions vegetate in action. Read Diadochos chapter 99. Committing myself to your holy prayers, I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and a prayer-booker, the great sinner I.M. April 10, 1851. It was with heartfelt pleasure that I read your letter, sent on September 21, about your safe return from a distant country to your fatherland. God bless! Previously you heard with your ears, but now your eyes have seen the abode of the monks of St. Mount Athos, saw the beauty of its picturesque location, and the fruits for salvation - the ascetic labors of the inhabitants; thank you, although they briefly described to us what you saw with your cursory glance. I always read and hear with pleasure stories about the local hermits and events that happened in past centuries and in our time, but I see my weakness in imitating them in selflessness, and just standing from afar, I please them, with their prayers the Lord will raise me to repentance. Due to a change in your path, we did not have the pleasure of seeing you personally and talking face to face; For this you surely had blessed guilt, and we must obey the circumstances. After your spiritual consolation, which, of course, you received on your journey, in your homeland you were met with grief about many things close to your heart. Although the reasons for this are also the actions of the passions of the people involved in this matter, one cannot help but see here the Providence of God, acting through them as instruments. Your heart is struck by sorrow, but in it it cries out to the Lord: God is our refuge and strength, a helper in sorrow to those who have found us great (Ps. 45:2). Although sorrows are painful, they are saving, and they are a sign of God’s mercy to us: thank Him, and He is able to change the fate of your son for the better. About the affairs of the world, immersed in the vanity of the mind, what judgment can we pronounce? The Lord knows the thoughts of man, as they are vanity (Ps. 93:11) and will reward everyone according to his deeds (Ps. 71:13), is long-suffering at the present time and awaits repentance. And I, in my insensibility, when I look at the multitude of my evils and sins, I see what I should expect. It is only the love of mankind and God’s mercy that keeps us from falling into hopelessness. If he judges according to justice, then he is worthy of torment. If you see iniquity, Lord, Lord, who will stand? (Ps.129:3) and: I will reward righteousness (Ps.74:3). May His mercy be upon us! I’ll tell you about our events: on September 17, our Eminence Nicholas died and went to the Lord in peace; The burial was performed on September 21 by the Tula Eminence Demetrius, the good shepherd; Father Superior was at the funeral and took me with him. From there, Eminence Demetrius visited our monastery. On the 8th of September, Andrei Nikolaevich Muravyov visited us and stayed for about two days; and Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol visited the monastery twice. I wish you good health and good health mentally and physically, and pray for me, a sinner, your prayer book I.M. October 2, 1851. Thank you for congratulating me on Angel’s Day and for your desire to preserve my health, which is still in various changes; at times and often I feel weakness and some kind of soreness, and it goes away; but there is no need to take much care about the body; for when our outer man decays, then our inner man is renewed (2 Cor. 4:16), but it is temporary and perishable; and the soul is immortal; We need to take care about this, because we don’t know when the end will come; We see our brethren departing, but we ourselves remain insensible, as if we were eternal residents here. You write that you experienced the benefit of illness, having a vivid imagination, and at that time you were engaged in writing, which fed your mind, and your soul was not smooth with the memory of examples of the life and teachings of the Saints; and therefore we must thank the Lord for His visiting us with illnesses or other sorrowful incidents that encourage us to love wisdom. I ask you not to leave me in your prayers; I remain a desirer of your salvation and a prayer-giver, the great sinner I.M. After writing this letter, I received yours, written on January 18th. Thank God that you are calm and peaceful in your silence; May God grant you this silence in the future. January 26, 1852. Having received your letter about your intention to visit us, I expected it to be fulfilled; but again on October 31st you write about the new field that is set before you to be a confessor in your monastery; - although you see a considerable difficulty in this, due to some shortcomings in the order of the monastery, you do not jump into this rank yourself, but by the indication of the finger of God you are elected by hierarchical order - then the Lord will send you His help in correcting what needs to be done; although it is impossible to do without sorrows, they, as you can see, are necessary for your skill, and, of course, will not be beyond the measure of your strength. May the Lord help you in this task to work mentally and physically, for the common benefit of the monastery and the brethren gathered in Christ, seeking salvation, but in this fierce spiritual battle, those who are wounded, falling, and rising up or wanting to rise up, needing help in rebellion and healing. And with this appointment you do not abandon your intention to visit our monastery. God bless you, we will expect this and no other way than along an established good winter road; and I hope that this letter will still find you in your monastery, which is why I congratulate you on the upcoming day of your Angel, our reverend father... May the Lord comfort you with all spiritual consolation. Committing himself to St. To your prayers, with my respect, and in the love of the Lord, I remain your prayer book, much sinner I.M. November 25, 1852. Having received your most venerable letter dated November 30, I still could not write you an answer: either lack of leisure or infirmity does not separate from me; and I am always in an unpaid writing debt, despite the fact that I answer two and three in one letter to many, and my desk is full of letters. Glory to God, we met and celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ; Having finished the past, we are entering the new year 1852. And both on the past holiday and on the new year, please accept my sincere congratulations, and my sincere desire for you to meet and see off this year in a peaceful and calm dispensation in the field of our work, and as you spend the past year, with the flow of future ones, strive for that time where one day is like a thousand years (2 Pet. 3:8), or better yet: to the endless day, where the never-ending light shines. About the current situation of St. Mount Athos in relation to the monastic dispensation, in response to what you said: in addition to the general, there are probably a few, and perhaps many in number, who are being saved. If there are no high visible talents, won’t there be those immersed in thoughts, visions of their poverty, in the depths of humility, who are low and small in our vision, but high before the All-Seeing Eye! while others, in denial of themselves, willingly or unwillingly, endure the poverty of necessities and teach themselves to endure various kinds of sorrows and deprivations; but he who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22). I think there are many other paths leading to salvation, along which those called by God flow, although sorrowful in everything, but not cold (2 Cor. 4:8). And to those who think the path is hard and the burden is not easy, and the yoke is not good, then, apparently, they do not have a calling for it. You and I, with our weaknesses, both mental and physical, cannot even think about life there, both because of the climate and the cowardice that you have already experienced; and I believe you and others; I judge by myself. You, being in a calm haven, in your quiet cell, suffer boredom and struggle from various arrows of the enemy; and we knew that neither cell nor desert, but the Lord alone saves us: this is an indisputable truth; but He Himself shows us various paths leading to salvation, and no matter what path one takes, each one will encounter a struggle equivalent to its structure, after which the fighter emerges either defeated or victorious. Read from St. Peter of Damascus in the 2nd book, in the 5th word, about patience, that: “in mental warfare you cannot find a place without having battle; Even if someone passes through all of creation, no matter where he goes, he finds war, in the desert there are beasts and demons and other evil sorrows and monsters; in silence - demons and temptations; In the midst of people there are demons and tempting people, and there is no place where there is never any pressure. For this reason, without patience it is impossible to find peace.” Peace, as we know, according to the word of God (Matthew 11:29), gives us humility; and it is born from the mind; reason is born from temptations (Peter. Damascus, verse 10). Therefore, it is clear that you also stand in the place indicated to you in the ranks of the spiritual army; and the ascetic is Christ the Lord Himself! He, through His holy word, and through the teaching of our spiritual fathers, awakens us to the flow and confrontation of the enemy’s battles, and strengthens us with His grace, and even if someone has accepted every day and a thousand plagues, he should not give up the feat; what is St. John Climacus very comfortingly encourages in the 26th word about reasoning: “An unslothful soul raises up demons to fight against itself; As the battles multiply, the crowns also multiply. He who is not vulnerable to adversaries will not receive any crown. And whoever does not lose heart from the occasional falls will be praised by the Angels as a brave warrior.” So, do not lose heart, but stay awake, stand firm, and be entrenched in the stronghold of humility, inaccessible to any thieves, according to the word of St. John Climacus; and you will find peace after the storm and the waves that rise against you, both outside and inside. Pray also for me, who speaks and does good for nothing, so that these words, not mine, but those of my father, will not be a judgment against me. When sending your letter, you felt unwell; what is it like at the moment? Please accept my earnest wish for your mental and physical health; asking for your prayerful participation, I remain your prayer book, many-sinful I.M. Please do not regret the delay in response to your letter written on February 10th. The coming fast, service, studies, infirmities, and, moreover, laziness have so far distracted me from conversation with you. Thank the Lord that reading the teachings of your fathers resurrected you from the grave of despondency and laziness; maybe they were also allowed into your experience and success in spiritual life. And whoever has been tempted by this can also be tempted by help (Heb. 2:18), and it is impossible to remain in one eternal peaceful dispensation, even there is no benefit in this; writes St. Isaac the Syrian in the 78th word: “When you turn to your path the world has not changed, then fear,” and so on, and then, in the same article, he mentions temptations in order to distinguish whether they are tolerated because of pride. There are many ancient fatherly writings and plants in Vertograd, admonishing us and healing our passions; and humility is the most reliable physician of our souls; about this especially St. Isaac writes a lot, and especially in words 46 and 79, and in many others. Oh, if only we could become friends with him, at least to some extent, and in memory of our sins, if only we could acquire the publican’s gold for just a little bit! Your activities, whatever they may be, are appropriate to our rank, but everything is better than idleness; writes in the eldership: “whatever a monk does, we fight from one demon, but what we don’t do is from the darkness of demons.” You also have something to worry about in the absence of your father-builder - management. What I know about Vasily Petrovich 16 I will write to you: he usually continues his life as you describe it; two days before his death, he came to the apartment of Pyotr Vasilyevich Artemyev, who was in Moscow at that time (whom, it seems, you know), on Saturday, January 13, in a very weak position. Pyotr Vasilyevich advised him to communicate with the Holy Mysteries; but he did not agree, saying that he had recently been preparing; The Lord alone knows this; maybe communicated secretly somewhere; stayed with them on Sunday, and on Monday went to the Lord; only they didn’t see his death, but when they entered the room where he was, they found him already gone. On the 4th day there was a funeral in the Danilov Monastery, with a large gathering of people. The funeral service was held in the parish church. The funeral was managed by the Moscow merchant Feodor Shirokov. May the kingdom of heaven and eternal memory be upon him! Our praise is not worthy of praising his valiant deeds, and will not add to his righteousness; It is enough that the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will touch them (Wis.3:1). They will enjoy bliss forever; and they intercede with the Lord for us! I wish you to celebrate this St. fasting reverently and soul-savingly, to celebrate the bright holiday of Christ’s Resurrection with heartfelt joy; and, entrusting myself to your prayers, I remain your prayer book, the many-sinful I.M. After a long period of your silence and uncertainty about you, on August 27 I received your venerable letter, sent on August 20. I see from it that you continue your life in silence and some amusement, but I believe that in all of it there should be the main desire and goal to achieve your salvation, bearing in mind the benefit and salvation of our neighbors; although you call your actions dead activity, God judges according to our will. Where should we soar high, even if we could call upon St. Ephraim: “Oh my God! O king, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother.” Woe to our time; Now we leave the narrow and regrettable path leading to the eternal belly, and seek what is joyful and calm; but the Merciful Lord unwittingly leads many from this path and puts them on a regrettable path. Through involuntary sorrows or illnesses we draw closer to the Lord: for they involuntarily humble us, and humility, when we acquire it, and besides works, can save us, according to the word of St. Isaac the Syrian (46). So, let us judge no one before this terrible trial and judgment. May the Lord fulfill your intention to be on Athos a second time, of course, for a good purpose, with spiritual benefit. If you come to visit us, then you will give us considerable consolation; Those who have not seen each other for so many years will enjoy a personal meeting and interview. You mention the cloudy unrest that existed between you, and I believe this is because both sides saw themselves as right, and the light of humility and self-reproach did not enlighten this darkness; but, apparently, time and the touching help of God drove away the darkness, and the darkness was cleared. Glory to God and His mercy and patience! I returned from Moscow on June 19, thank God, safely; my health is as usual; it happens – I often feel the spirit’s occupation; I use it little by little; but may the will of God be upon me, a sinner! 64 years of my journey in this life: I need to think about how to appear in eternity; but I have little time in this. During the month of August, the book of St. Barsanuphius the Great. May this work be for the glory of God and for the benefit of our neighbors. The most respected I.V. and N.P. worked a lot, and the latter especially sacrificed both her labors and her property, even more - for her she lived in Moscow for almost a year, and what is that worth? Save them, Lord! I am sending you this book through this same post office; May it be food and peace for your soul. Perhaps you have already received it from N.P. Committing myself to your saints. prayers, I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and an unworthy prayer book, many sinners I.M. September 13, 1852. Out of your good disposition towards me, you accept my poor-minded writings, not rejecting them, but considering them still useful for you; It is, of course, out of your love and faith that the Lord puts such a feeling in your heart. But I see myself as poor and destitute of all spiritual good; and I ask you, for the Lord’s sake, to pray for me, who speaks and does not do good; and I, according to the commandment, pray for you (I do not rely on my prayer, but on your faith), may the Most Merciful Lord show mercy to you; truly, as you write, that without the merits of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, no righteous person will be saved; for both the ancient patriarchs and the righteous received salvation by faith in this atoning sacrifice. Let us also trust in this great sacrifice, and not in our truth; and let us hope for God, who saves us from cowardice and storms (Ps. 54:9) that come our way, and we will remember that God will not despise a broken and humble heart (Ps. 50:19). Congratulations on the upcoming St. Pentecost and, again asking your saints. prayers, I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and a prayer book, many sinners I. M. February 24, 1853 You curse yourself with ardor and irascibility. Yes, you need to have a feat against fierce passion - to hold it. Love and humility are a great remedy for her; With its inflammation, we harm ourselves more than others. Which passion affects us more, we need to arm ourselves more against it, and seek healing in the teachings of St. fathers; they have experienced the struggle with passions, were defeated and won; and they left us an example and a teaching. And I, for my part, cannot boast of corrections, unless I boast of my weaknesses and weakness of strength; but God's will be upon us! We receive the news about the Holy Mount Athos with great sympathy and curiosity. You write that there are extremes of good and evil, and therefore there are those who are being saved; but we do not know about those who are perishing - this is not our judgment. It is comforting to hear that eldership and obedience, the passion-bearing life of ascetics, and the rejection of one’s own will and reason are preserved there. And we see in the fatherly books its image and benefit; but the mentors who can show this path through deeds and teaching have become extremely scarce: and little is gained, although many begin in spirit, and then become exhausted; and Elder Paisius greatly grieved about this, but did not despair, but advised to study in the books of his fathers and, as much as possible, to follow their teaching; make up for the lack of doing with heart disease and humility. So, let us continue the course of our life with the knowledge of our weakness and humility, awaiting the mercy of God. Committing myself to your prayers, I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. Books of St. Isaac are printed in Slavic; and in Russian it will be published in the “Creation of the Holy Fathers” from the beginning of December. I surrender my leadership of the monastery to Fr. P., after 14 years of study, to alleviate my poor health. December 7, 1853. Thank you for congratulating me on the holiday and happy new year; Mutually, I congratulate you on the coming New Year. May the Lord increase peace in you and in your abode. Do you want to know my opinion about your deviation from clergy? I agree with your reasoning that through your supervision many, having fear, become better: and therefore you still need to wait and work, without having any special weaknesses that prevent you from this service. If you leave supervision and go into seclusion, then who knows whether you can gain it (the benefit of silence) and calm down; the common good should hold you back; and then what will happen, you will see; and then, with prayer to the Lord, surrendering to His will, asking to arrange it as He pleases, you can ask the authorities for release. Do not regret my leaving the small authorities, and do not think anything like that; on the contrary, I use favors a lot. It seems to be useful for the one who took my place, O. P., he was engaged only in his cell, and now, entering into all activities, housekeeping and fraternity, he will have more benefit: however, I live in the same cell and almost everyone treats me; but even though I am weak, my writing activities are multiplying, both with the brethren and with visitors. I ask you to pray that the Lord will strengthen my thinness in my present situation; although I am still far from silence, and I don’t know if I can improve it. I cannot judge the exploits of the Athonite ascetics, but I do not think that they relied solely on the merits of external labors, without humility and hope in our Savior; or perhaps through external labors they will refine their frailty, and put off the old man, and put on the new. “When the body humbles itself, the soul also humbles itself.” See my humility and my labor, and forgive all my sins (Ps. 24:18). We see only their external labors, and, judging by our weakness, and perhaps negligence, we are surprised; but their inner spiritual fruits are invisible to us; and, of course, for their sacred deeds they will receive spiritual gifts from God; but, according to St. John Climacus, it is not equal, but some receive a reward at the beginning of the feat, others during their completion, others at the end, and some at death itself; and the question is: which of them is more humble? (step. 26). In their most difficult deeds one can see self-denial, and in unquestioning obedience - confession: then, perhaps, the fruit of humility is born in them. We are talking generally about the Athonite ascetics, but you drew attention to those who left their fatherland and submitted to the Turkish yoke; of course, they will receive incomparably greater rewards, as was shown in a vision to one old man. We, not having anything to boast about, or to rely on spiritual exploits, must inevitably humble ourselves, in the likeness of the poor, who see the royal treasures and become more aware of their poverty. Humility also saves through works (page 46), writes St. Isaac the Syrian. We need to strive for this treasure, how to acquire it, and learn from the words of our fathers; how they acquired it, and they teach us. What Catholics do: in the morning - thinking about sins, etc., is what we do after evening prayers; but in the fatherly instructions and in the morning meditation one can also see, but how many doers of this are there, both among us and among them? For us to see our own sins is the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian encourages, and St. the father of the scriptures teach; I will only say one thing: read St. Peter of Damascus about the seven works, at the end of it (the words): “and then the soul is contrite and sees its sins like the sand of the sea, and this is the beginning of the enlightenment of the soul and a sign of its health.” May the Lord grant us to see our sins and have a contrite and humble heart. Committing myself to your saints. prayers, I remain the wisher of your health and salvation and your prayer book, many sinners I. M. January 9, 1854 On December 8, I sent notes to you: “For God is with us.” Forgive me, I am without excuse for my faulty response to your letters; although there are many reasons, both external and internal, I leave them and ask for forgiveness. Thank you for your brotherly love for my thinness; I received your letters dated August 16 and October 2 correctly; the last time when N.P.K. was with us. They again stayed in Moscow to spend the winter, and chose to spend a week in our monastery, to take a break from the bustle. When you congratulated me on the award with the cross, you truly said that we should be frightened by all human glory and praise; for according to the teaching of St. Fathers: “Not only do you receive glory from people, but even if you hear the noise of these words with delight, you will forever be deprived of glory.” Do not, Lord, allow us to be carried away by the pleasures of this vain glory! And St. John Climacus considers demonic glory, that is, self-praise, even more dangerous than human glory; That's why many St. the fathers most of all encourage us to humility and to combine all our deeds with it; and such an advantage is given to him that “humility alone can save us except works” (St. Isaac words. 46). But can we say that we have acquired this treasure? If we think that we have it, then this very thing reveals the poverty in it. And it seems that our ever-present infirmities, mental and physical, and various impulses, when converting and colliding with brethren and society, should humble us and kill all arrogance. St. Gregory of Sinaiti in chapter 117, at the end of it he writes: “unless a person is abandoned and defeated, enslaved to every passion and thought,” and so on. “He cannot be contrite and have for himself the least of all and the last and the slave of all,” and so on. I just introduced you to the teaching of St. fathers, but I am a stranger to this and I ask you to pray for me, a sinner, so that the great sign of the cross of Christ will serve me not for vain glory, but for acquiring love for Him, by always remembering His suffering, according to His ineffable mercy and love for us; and may the image of His deepest humility prompt me, a sinner, to humility. The King of Glory humbled Himself! How can we rise up and not humble ourselves?! According to the combination of circumstances you described, your situation does not console you. But you are in the field of spiritual warfare, and you must withstand the attack of spiritual adversaries, which is inflicted through others, but outrages you; sorrows are inevitable on our path; through them we achieve true reason and humility; St. Peter of Damascus writes (page 14): “Humility is a product of reason, and reason is a product of temptation.” If there were no temptation and sorrows, then we could not endure a carefree, carefree life without having yet conquered the passions; many from St. Fathers warn us that the path of silence is very dangerous for unconquered passions. Which you yourself know quite well from the writings of your fathers. Here is the poor thing..., having taken up mental prayer, instead of the truth, she believed false actions in herself and fell into terrible delusion; dreams, says and does absurd things, to the grief of her sisters, devoted to her, and to the temptation of others; and now it’s been going on for more than a year, it will come to its senses for a while, but not quite, then it will go back to the same thing; it’s difficult to describe everything; and because she was full of passions, she did not care about resisting them, but sought to achieve them in pure heartfelt prayer; and like one who entered the royal wedding in filthy vestments, she suffered. From which may the Lord deliver her and all who seek salvation. Humility does not fall, always standing in a low place. He started about you, but mixed in extraneous matter, as if by the way, and hoping that you would take part in her pitiful situation. The upheaval that happened in your area can bring clear benefits to many, as is already evident in practice; May the Lord help everyone to be at peace, if there is anyone who is at enmity with whom, and may love take root in your dwellings. Satan's war against the cross 17 continues; and how it will end - only the Lord knows; Of course, this is a punishment for us for our sins; however, with the mercy and protection of God, if it were not for His protection and protection, what could they have done with such a strong armada and horde of Catholicism, Protestantism, Islamism, with such an unexpected and unexpected attack? The word of the Lord is right and true. If we did His will, one would marry thousands and two engines of darkness (Deut. 32:30). What the enemies suffered when they attacked God’s chosen people: in one night, 185 thousand were killed. And another time, chasing no one, they fled from Samaria out of fear and horror. But when they angered the Lord, everyone knows what the Jews suffered. We need to pray to the Lord and appease Him with repentance and good living. May the Lord preserve our Orthodox Church and her children, our brothers, who have fallen under the Muslim yoke and pseudo-Christian tyranny. They, the poor, are now without protection. All of Europe fell upon us and them. God alone is our helper and protector, and may He be our salvation. Let us call to Him in these sorrows and He will hear us. He is strong even now to plunge horse and rider not into the Red Sea, but into the Black Sea, and to deliver His people from the bitter work of the clever Pharaoh and to destroy his coupled threes. But what is our mentality? We must throw ourselves before the majesty of His Glory into the abyss of humility, and wait for His will to be done on us! Thank you for letting us know! Pray for me, unworthy, that the Lord will give me a sense of memory of death and my sins; We don’t know when she will come, but it seems that time will not touch us. I wish you to find peace and tranquility of your soul in your refuge, and I remain your prayer book, much-sinned I.M. October 16, 1854. Please accept my sincere congratulations on the approaching day of your Angel, may the Lord grant you peace of mind and much-desired peace. I believe that your solitary residence helps you to put off the passions of the old man and put on the new; While we are in rumors and vanity, we cannot see them in the same way and resist them, although we cannot soar high, but, as much as possible, follow the instructions of the Holy Spirit. Peter of Damascus “seven bodily works” and achieve the fruit of them: “see your sins like the sand of the sea”; and he calls this “the beginning of the enlightenment of the soul and a sign of its health”; and there we will continue to flow with a contrite heart, a humble spirit, and pain over our infirmities. The Holy Fathers believe that those who do great labor painlessly are deprived of fruit and spiritual benefit. Thank you for the letter sent to me on October 26th. You regret about your son that he does not have a real Christian direction in his life; It seems to me that it is difficult for him to get to this point, being in the light. You yourself may have experienced that it is difficult to get rid of the imitation of it and the charms of the world, which seduce the senses at every step and darken the mind. Your hope that the Lord is able to lead him from the long path to the narrow and sorrowful path, and lead him to the knowledge of the truth, should reassure you. Ambitious views, desires of the mantle and schema manifest themselves everywhere; although this is a struggle from the enemy, few stand firm in this battle; and the essence of monasticism often eludes not only our memory, but also our concepts. To cleanse the heart from passions by doing the commandments of God, by attention and prayer, few lead, and fewer of them fulfill; - from them I am the first; However, we do not lose hope that the Lord is able to bring us to the true mind through sorrowful guidance. “Humility is a product of reason, and reason is a product of temptation,” writes St. Peter Damascene. We know about the affairs of the war only until November 12th. The storm that occurred on November 2 caused a lot of harm to their huge naval militia; but the amazing thing is that winter is still standing, as they say, “orphan”; however, everything is not a flower for them; God has many means to save our fatherland; For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword will not save me, but let Your arm and Your right hand protect me (Ps. 44:7, 8), let us cry with the prophet. Asking your St. prayers, I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and an unworthy prayer book, many sinners I.M. November 30, 1854. Exactly a year since I left my imaginary boss. Thank you for your venerable letter, written on February 6th. Everything you wrote is new to us; the view of the politics of Europe at the present time is also dark for us: everything lies in the hand of God, He punishes and has mercy, and how His wise Providence arranges everything, He alone knows. The death of the Sovereign is very sensitive for Russia at the present time, but this is in our opinion; and God, having called Him to eternity for peace, is able to grant the now reigning Emperor reason, strength and strength to defend the Orthodox faith and the fatherland. Let us pray for this to the Most Merciful Lord and the Most Pure Virgin Mary, Intercessor of our salvation and Defender of the Faithful. What further consequences will happen, please do not leave us with your notice; still nothing is visible from general information; will peace be strengthened, and how will the “Crimean expedition of the allies” end, which has so far been unsuccessful for them, but which destroyed many troops even without a war? It is not our strength, but the right hand of God punishes them. Please accept my sincere congratulations on the upcoming highly solemn holiday of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. May He give you peace and spiritual joy as you celebrate this great holiday, during solemn worship and in silent solitude. You mention your sinful ulcers, that your soul is wounded, and they make you cry out and groan to the Lord for mercy; I believe that you remember St. Peter of Damascus about the seven physical works, and that after correcting them, “it is proper to have patience in all those who happen, if God allows them to know, test and remove our weakness: and below daring, below despair, if something good or evil happens to him (p. 18); and then the mind begins to see its own sins, like the sand of the sea, and this is the beginning of the enlightenment of the soul and a sign of its health.” You see your wounds and cry out to the Lord for healing and mercy, and this involuntarily humbles us, but we should not be embarrassed, as said above. And if you saw your corrections, what would be the benefit? When we see our sins, this is a sign of the health of the soul; then a person involuntarily acquires humility, but it is installed in us and our corrections will not elevate us. Humility, in addition to works, forgives us many sins (St. Isaac the Syrian word 46). So, with our involuntary attempts, we will cry out to the Lord: Save us, we are perishing! (Matthew 8:25), but let us not despair. St. Peter of Damascus restores from it (p. 58, reverse, and 64, reverse). Forgive me for offering you what you yourself know; and he himself did nothing good. Pray for me, a sinner! The most venerable N.P. is not feeling well in health, and she strives to publish books for the general spiritual benefit; Now the book of St. Barsanuphius the Great in Russian translation; God help her! I wish you a peaceful and calm stay and remain your prayer book, much-sinful I.M. March 17, 1855. I received two of your letters, dated March 28 and April 6. From them I see your brotherly love pledged to my badness; I cannot adequately thank you for this. Although the Lord has deigned, through our monastery, to publish the works of the blessed elder Paisius and the spiritually beneficial books of his fathers translated by him, we do not dare to attribute this to ourselves; and you know who and how will contribute to this matter; and we only serve as a small instrument for this. And the very inscription “Edition of the Optina Hermitage” brings shame and fear, and especially when you look at your spiritual poverty; while others think we are something, looking at the publication. How harmful is human glory! Even if a person definitely had something worthy of praise, when he delights in the noise of these words, he is already deprived of future glory, according to the teaching of St. fathers. I cannot talk about the affairs of Europe and the war of the present time and, for my part, I do not dare to draw any big conclusions, except that this war is the finger of God and a scourge punishing us who have deviated from the right path and are walking obstinately, broadly and extensively, leading to destruction. Many who lay down their lives in battle will surely receive remission of sins and many will be crowned with incorruptible crowns of heavenly glory; and their remaining neighbors, and everyone in general, suffering about this in their hearts and suffering many needs, will involuntarily leave luxury and become established in the faith. The destinies of God are incomprehensible to us, and He alone knows the entire future, as well as the past and present. May His holy will be upon us, but we must pray that He will be merciful to us sinners and have mercy on the world. Thank you for telling us your view on the actions and events of the present time. You can see how everything works and where it is heading from the news of journalism, and it is very painful to the heart what is happening in the course of the affairs of Europe, which pretends to be wise, but has become foolish, and strives not for the world of love and humility, but completely for evil, the opposite of these virtues. Lord forbid that the whole world should become infected with the disease of unbelief and freethinking, but that the faith and purity of the teaching of our Church may be preserved in its children until the end of the age, for the words of our Savior are encouraging: and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18) I don’t know if you have read “The Lighthouse” of 1845; there are strong denunciations of Western misconceptions in the articles: “A Critical Review of the Book: The Reign of Louis XIV,” and “A Confrontation” against Freethinking. If you haven't read it, read it; there is a lot of truth there that exposes our sage writers. You will understand this better. Moreover, it came to my memory: I was reading newspapers of 1822, and as I now remember, in 10 issues, from 78 to 88, there was a speech by the Parisian juror General Marchange, in which all the tricks of the then Carbonari, which they had intercourse throughout Europe, were very detailed and sharply expressed and exposed. This was at a time when there were revolts in Italy and France; but they are soon discontinued. You cannot rely on calculations and prophecies (human predictions): about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, except My Father alone (Matthew 24:36); and we, leaving this to His holy will, must each of us prepare for the hour of death unknown to us: remember your last, and never sin, teaches Sirach (7:39). That's how great this wisdom is! I wish you, in your peaceful, silent stay, to calm your spirit with trust in the goodness of God for those seeking salvation, that He will not abandon them, and will not send temptation beyond measure. I ask you to pray for me, a sinner, who wishes you peace, health and trust in salvation; I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. May 3, 1855. Having received your letter dated May 10, I had no intention of answering it, but you, out of love, also visited me with your letter dated July 11. I apologize for my negligence. You have expressed a lot of truth regarding our time of monasticism, and the groan of the oppressed human race in the person of some well-meaning and compassionate people. But with my meager mind I cannot comprehend and judge all this. I partially understand that the cause of all evil is: pride, pride, and from them the multiplication of various kinds of passions that have darkened the human mind; and most of all, the most disastrous thing: love and humility have dried up in order to calm the despised. What will happen next, only God knows; but we see the indication of some saints for the present time; something like: St. Pachomius saw the ditch formed by the plight of monasticism; but at the same time I heard a consoling voice, giving hope for salvation to those who are able to lead out of this ditch and save through sorrows. And ep. Niphon (St. Barsanuphius R.P. p. 654, question 4) clearly shows the state of current times, but also gives hope and opportunity to those who want to be saved. Meanwhile, we see at the present time that some, by rank and appearance, are slaves and humiliated, but many of them are not so much subject to the slavery of passions, and enjoy the world, thanking God, being satisfied with their condition; but if the path to honor, wealth and pleasure were open to them, then they too would deviate into various passions and lose the world; and those who, in their condition, do not restrain themselves from coarse passions, then endure sorrows that can cleanse them of sins and no longer allow them to become more depraved; but what and why they were placed by the providence of the Almighty at such a level is not a matter of our mind and reasoning. What can we say about others, who are the best in rank and appearance? are they peaceful? Are you calm? Are you happy with your position? There are few such to be found; but on the contrary, being free, they are subjected to the slavery of passions and are deprived of peace and tranquility. That is why the Lord allows various sorrows, wars, and deadly diseases in order to convert in every possible way to repentance and save. As St. writes Gregory of Sinaite: “and for this reason, the Lord allows guidance, and multiply captivity and slaughter, cut off the evil, or save with strong medicine” (In the Philokalia), and we clearly see this in the event of the current war: many have passed into eternity of the saved; in the future, the mystery of God’s destinies is incomprehensible to us in everything. In a spirit of humility and submission, let us say: “Lord! may Your will be done in everything!” About my father... I heard little; but the mere fact that he is an admirer of Stilling and Madame Gion does not allow one to trust him; - but I'm not a judge. I am very glad that you read the book of St. Barsanuphius in Russian translation with love and consider it useful for many. May God grant that reading it bears spiritual fruit. This is the work of Elder Paisius, left as a legacy to our Russian Church; and in publishing it, with the assistance of God, we were not the only ones who acted, but special higher help was needed, and difficult activity: all of this was arranged through the prayers of Elder Barsanuphius and John, and the Moldavian Elder Paisius, a zealot for the fatherly writings. God bless! Here is another small book going to the censorship: St. Thalassius Africanus, 4 hundred chapters: with Slavic text, Russian translation. It is in the Greek phylocalia, translated into Slavic by Elder Paisius, from whom it was translated into Russian by our brothers, but the last high 20 chapters were corrected and translated by the lover and patron of fatherly teachings himself; publication provided to us. I received your last letter dated July 11 on the 17th; I am expecting you to send me an interesting manuscript on an important subject as per your promise. I ask you to pray for me, a sinner who wishes you salvation, your prayer book, many sinners I.M. July 26, 1855. Our Father Archimandrite Moses, Father Abbot Anthony and I went to Zosimova Hermitage for a spiritual celebration, and recently returned; here I found your venerable message dated September 20th. Your letter, and the newspaper news, are not very encouraging, but they cause considerable sadness to the heart; about the current state of hostilities, what can be said more than how you write: our sins, and the hand of God punishing us. Our prayers, apparently, are blocked from entering before the Lord by our sins. I cannot express my grief, but I think everyone is grieving for what is; and what will happen is unknown, read from St. Barsanuphius the Great, in Russian translation, question and answer 566 (in the next 568), how and why, when the world was in distress, the three great men could not pray to God. Let us humble ourselves under the strong hand of God and surrender ourselves to His holy will, may it be that it pleases His all-wise Providence to arrange for us, and we implore His goodness to preserve His holy Orthodox Church and not allow temptation to exceed the measure, and may we not sin in the time of fierce temptations, with His all-powerful strengthening and help. I ask for your prayers for me, a sinner, who wishes you peace, health and salvation and your prayer book I.M. October 14, 1855. I have the honor to congratulate you on the upcoming New Year. May the Lord increase your spiritual gifts and grant you much-desired peace and trust for salvation. After my letter to you, I received two letters from you, one dated December 22 with the attachment of two little books “Tikhvin Monasteries”, and the second dated December 16. I thank the most respected N. N. for rewarding us with little books of his works; I read it and used it, having learned about the state of these four monasteries. His letter is remarkable because we have defenders of Orthodoxy, but it’s just a pity that how many of them do we have? And the children of the Orthodox Church are for the most part indifferent to it; but as for our spiritual shepherds, we can say that they suffer and grieve about this, but do not have the strength to pluck thorns from the heirloom of Christ, the Orthodox Church: however, it cannot be said that they are silent; we have many works in “Christian Reading” and in “The Work of St. Fathers" and are especially published (of course with the prior permission of the pastors) in the affirmation and defense of Orthodoxy. But how many readers and listeners of these truths are there? The word Orthodoxy alone, as A.P. expressed it, no longer attracts those who need to know it and follow it. The spread of the French language did a lot of damage to our fatherland; young men and women, men and women, all greedily read what does not benefit, but harms them, their ears itching according to the word of the Apostle (2 Tim. 4:3). You expressed it very correctly in your first letters that the spirit of our supposedly educated compatriots agrees with European opinions and rights: will they love our Mother Holy Rus'? God grant that Orthodoxy triumphs! We would like to read with curiosity the abridged translation of A.P.B.’s brochure by G. Khomyakov that you promised; but if you have another against Sibur, written by him, please share with us. We also hope to receive from you a notebook that talks about our internal ulcers or the corruption of Russian morals: extortion and robbery. Every faithful and prudent son of the fatherland looks at this with heartache. But what is it most rooted in? Love of fame and voluptuousness, these moral passions generally lead to the love of money and upset the morals of people. But the main thing is the immeasurable luxury and sophistication in everything, ingrained to the point of madness, which has come to us along with Western teachers: fashionists, cooks, delis, confectioners and their shops: everyone tries to imitate the rich in this, and in order to succeed in this, one must invent unauthorized means. If this root could be destroyed, then perhaps the branches would dry up on their own. If everyone lived according to the measure of his condition and rank, and was content with it, and did not imitate fashions out of vanity and lust, then these ulcers could be healed and healed; Of course, it is impossible not to exclude a few, but in general, having seen the example of a large number in piety, there would be more imitators. Although St. especially named the love of money. The apostle is the root of evil and idolatry (1 Tim. 6:10; Col. 3:5), but luxury multiplies it even more and punishes itself. We are not able to heal these ulcers on our own, but we must ask the Lord for help, and our very will will incline to resist these passions and help us in doing so. May God grant that the rumor about the discovery of the relics of the holy saint of God Tikhon at the beginning of the reign of our Sovereign will be fulfilled; may the saint’s prayer be for the victory and trampling of our adversaries and the establishment of Orthodoxy, both here and in the east, of our co-religionists, the Greeks and Slavs. The West is heavily arming itself against Orthodoxy; however, we hope that according to the word of the Lord: the gates of hell will not prevail against her, that is, the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church (Matthew 16:18). I ask you not to leave me in your prayerful memory, and I remain the wisher of your health and salvation and the man of prayer, the many-sinful I.M. January 3, 1856. I received two of your letters: the first, written at the end of April - May 3, and the last, dated May 18 - May 26. In the first you write the bitter truth of our current situation. I cannot issue my judgment on this, due to my ignorance of human affairs taking place in the highest circle of people, but my heart involuntarily suffers, seeing in many, if not all, God’s punishment on men and animals in the past, and even now; the lower class of people suffers from a shortage of bread and horses die. I cannot say anything about religious and moral decline, except that I would always like to have in my mind and heart: “Lord, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother.” I don’t know when the day and hour of my death will come, and what answer I will give at the judgment of Christ. I have nothing special to say about myself: my health is normal, mixed with ailments and infirmities; Thank God, everything is fine in our monastery. I ask you not to leave me in your prayerful memory, and if you wish for peace, health and salvation, I remain your prayer book, much-sinned I.M. May 29, 1856. My last letter was sent to you on the 30th of October; and now accept my sincere congratulations on the approaching day of your Angel... the number of December, with the desire for what is soul-saving and useful for you. We have not heard from you for a long time and do not know about your stay and health. I have nothing special to say about myself: we are moving with quiet steps and approaching eternity: now I have already passed 68 years of my life; How much more wandering is left? God is the only message! And there is eternity! We need to think about how to appear before the court of God! And before that day, while we have time, we must bring repentance in the hope of God’s ineffable mercy. Committing myself to your prayers, I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and a prayer-booker, the great sinner I.M. November 30, 1856. I have not heard from you for a long time; I wrote to you in the summer and it seems that I informed you about the addition of our staff: 12 monastic vacancies, and 12 novice vacancies, as well as the election of 6 people from among our brethren to the Jerusalem mission; but after that it changed; Enough about this for now; I’ll tell you later, and now I congratulate you on the approaching day of your Angel... the number of December; May God grant you to celebrate it spiritually with heartfelt consolation and in perfect physical health and peace of mind. Father Archimandrite I. was awarded the rank of bishop. May God grant him to carry out this service worthy of this title, rightly ruling the word of truth. We are pleased that from among those who laid the foundation for the desert monastic life, a man experienced in business appeared at the cathedral. He was looking for a solitary life, but God’s Providence prepared another path for him. Of course, it is impossible that he would not have sorrows while undergoing such a great service; but who has no sorrows? The Lord arranges everything according to the measure, sending them from the priesthood to the deserted, silent inhabitant; some have external sorrows, others have internal, spiritual ones; one at this time, and the other at another; St. writes about internal ones. Isaac the Syrian in the 49th word, 249 pages, very clearly; and about external ones in general, St. Macarius in word 7, ch. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; and both they and other saints have many temptations that are needed for us. St. Peter of Damascus writes: “reason is the product of temptations.” Forgive me for getting drawn into such reasoning, which is quite familiar to you: but, writing about this, I remind myself. Committing myself to your saints. prayers, I remain the wisher of your health and salvation and the one who prays, the great sinner I.M. November 30, 1857. With God's help, we translated the words of Mark the Ascetic into Russian - those that are in the “Philokalia”, and which are printed in the Slavic language in the “Enraptured Classes”; if allowed, they will be published. Please let us know about your health and stay. In your letter dated September 11, you express your sad state of mind and pain in body. This cannot but be; we are in a feat against our passions and the spirits of malice fighting against us; and the very burden of sorrow cleanses and strains the mental part of our soul; From time to time God sends joy, and then battle arises. Glory to the Lord, who has done good to us with both our gums and our backs. I will not give you fatherly instructions to strengthen your position; You yourself are quite knowledgeable about them and faithfully, in times of need, accept the healing of your soul from them. You write that you made your trip to Moscow and the St. Sergius Lavra with the request of the saints of God for your carnal and spiritual children, and may your prayer not be in vain, both for their benefit and for your peace: I sincerely wish. Thank you for the detailed description of the visit to the Valaam monastery by the High Visitors; God grant that our monastic monasteries serve both to gain salvation and to benefit the world, according to the word of the Lord. I can’t tell you anything special about myself or anything to boast about, only about my infirmities, which often visit me, and laziness is mixed in with them; and the fatherly rod is sometimes sent to awaken my action and to recognize my weakness. Glory to all our Most Merciful God, who provides for our salvation! We are not alone in this situation, but many who walk this path experience, as each dispensation progresses, some less, some more, spiritual temptations, and this fire burns the courage of our passions. In the 78th word of St. Isaac the Syrian can strengthen us with what he said: “When you find peace on your path unchanged, then fear” and so on; it explains that temptations are necessary for us. I ask you to remember my badness in your prayers, and to be sure of mutual prayers on my part. I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and an unworthy prayer book, the great sinner I.M. October 7, 1858. Quite a long time ago I received your letter dated January 5th, but until now I could not get round to writing to you; There are a lot of letters, but very little energy and time. Thank you for congratulating me on Angel's Day; My long silence, perhaps, could have given credence to rumors about my death; It's my fault, sorry! Regarding the present situation of the Orthodox Church, you judge correctly if you compare the past with the present time: not only Greece, oppressed by the yoke of Muslims, is seduced by Catholicism, but also our free Russia, in some of its members, is being carried away there; and Catholicism creeps in secretly and openly to us; Enlightened and imbued with the Western spirit, people are not only indifferent to their mother, the Church, but some even prefer the papacy. Our shepherds try to protect the flock from wolves as much as possible, and in spiritual magazines they publish articles against their machinations; but what to do if not everyone listens to the pastoral voice? However, the Lord of all our Rus' will not allow us to be seduced by the false teachings of the West. The fate of God's Providence is incomprehensible to us, why is it so tolerated that both the Greeks and ours are carried away into this flattery. If we want to enter into research, we will not be able to comprehend, and we will work in vain. In the liberation of our fellow peasants or simply Christians from serfdom, we must see the fatherly Providence of God, having mercy on them; and many of the owners willingly agreed with this idea and are expecting a revolution, not embarrassed by the deprivation of many incomes; and some, also a considerable number, mourn, thinking that they will not have the means for their usual luxurious life, which they enjoyed from the labors of thousands of people, who themselves were often deprived of the necessary food. Luxury, of course, will diminish, which can be called the devil’s weapon for the destruction of human souls. But what will happen to the free ones? and how will they use this freedom? this is still unknown to us. You reason correctly that this and that may be the case, but what is unknown is what fruit this literacy, introduced to the common people, will bring. We now already see in state-owned villagers who have learned to read and write: if one of them becomes a scribe and turns out to be incapable, or for some reason loses his place, then he is no longer a plowman, and the father has no hope of supporting his old age. They object to this: if everyone is literate, then this cannot happen. Well, okay, they will learn to read and write: what will they read? They will publish more books: “Laughter” and “Idle Ring” and similar ones. What impact might they have on morality? We'll see what happens then; May the will of the Lord be done on all of us! You talk about yourself painfully and mournfully: who dares to boast that he has already been saved? There is a long distance between calling and reward, and there are so many fights, embarrassment, bewilderment, falls, and so on. and so on. John of Carpathia writes very well to the Indian monks, comforting them who are discouraged and especially at the end of the word. And all his chapters are very comforting for sorrowful spiritual anguish. I hope you use them. May the Lord comfort you! What can I say about myself to your love? The Lord tolerates my weaknesses and expects repentance, but I see no hope from works: we ask every day to grant us repentance and a shameless, peaceful death and a good answer at the judgment seat of Christ, and we surrender ourselves to His holy will. Committing myself to your saints. prayers, and wishing you peace, health, and salvation, I remain your prayer book, many sinners I. M. February 20, 1859 This letter should come to you, or before the holiday of St. Easter, or, according to the flood of waters, in those days. And I greet you with my congratulations on the all-joyful and highly solemn holiday of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, with a joyful exclamation: May the Risen Jesus enable us to joyfully celebrate this holiday and see it off with spiritual consolation. The miraculous appearance of the icon of the Mother of God and the healing from the icon of St. Nicholas should serve as a confirmation of faith among the people and an incentive to piety; but few heed this, and more deviate towards sensuality, carried away by luxury and amusement. But here is an uprising on our Orthodox Church from papal propaganda and through our former sons of the Church, but who have deviated from its saving teaching, gradually introducing the poison of heretical Western teaching, clothing it in the form of piety and truth - which is an insult to the true shepherds and sons of the Church; wolves invade the flock of Christ; and, of course, the shepherds try to drive them away, but many of the flock are either indifferent to the faith, or prefer an alien one, drawing closer to the West, and everyone sees ostensibly good things in it, and disparages their own Rus'; Will such people listen to the voices of their shepherds? And recently a book was published abroad about the possibility of uniting the Churches; say the works of N.B.G., in Russian: which will bring great harm; Surely it will penetrate to us in many copies. And the high public listens greedily to the French preacher. All this is very disappointing, but it brings sorrow to the Orthodox Christian heart. The tolerance of faith is allowed, but they want to prevail. Lord, do not allow this to happen! In our places we don’t yet see any passion, but maybe we don’t see it because such people don’t come to us, and those who do visit are all firm in Orthodoxy. From among our Jerusalem missionaries, Hieromonk O. L-K-, at his request, is leaving there, and, of course, will leave after Easter. He sent us a gift, a book of St. Isaac the Syrian in Slavic language, written in Mount Athos, in the Lavra of St. Athanasius, monk Gabriel, in 6897 from the creation of the world, and from the Nativity of Christ 1389, 500 years before our time; The letter is semi-statutory and quite clear. This is when this book was still translated, and therefore one can guess that the translation of this book does not date back to even more ancient times. There is a drawing with her - an image of St. Isaac. You grieve that you do not have a confessor near you; Yes, this is no small sorrow. If you don’t find one of yours, then is there a monastery closer where they could find such a person; I happened to hear that, due to the lack of monastics, a pious confessor was chosen from the white clergy. I ask your saints. prayers and remain the wisher of your health and salvation and the prayer book of many sinners I.M. March 31, 1859. Please accept my most ardent congratulations on the approaching day of your Angel; I will not assure you of my good wishes; You are sure, of course, of an abundance of these on my part; and my main desire is that the Lord arranges your salvation, for which you left the world and those in it. May the Lord grant the desired region and all of us who seek it, according to His goodness and mercy alone. The visit to Rusik by the earthquake you described has a great impression on our hearts; what's there? What effect did it have on the monks living there, and even working diligently for the Lord with selflessness?! It must be assumed that not only Rusik’s monastery was struck by an earthquake; but also in other places of St. Athos, these blows had an effect to a small or greater extent. The believer will cry to the Lord: look upon the earth and make it shake (Ps. 103:32), have mercy on us; and an unbeliever will attribute the various metallic rocks and fire present in the earth to the action of internal struggle, but I am very unfamiliar with geologists, not a scientist; and they even calculated the shell of our globe to be 50 versts, and the inner core melted to be 11 thousand versts. It is very tricky and dangerous to base oneself on guesswork rather than on holy scripture. Your heart bleeds when you talk about our dear fatherland, Russia, our mother; where is she rushing, what is she looking for, what is she expecting? Enlightenment is exalted, but imaginary; it deceives itself in its hope; the young generation does not feed on the milk of the teachings of our holy Orthodox Church, but is infected with some foreign, muddy, poisonous spirit; and how long will this last? Of course, in the destinies of God’s Providence what should be is written, but it is hidden from us, according to His ineffable wisdom. And it seems that the time is coming, according to the father’s prophecy: “Let him save his soul!” Committing myself to your saints. prayers, I remain the wisher of your health and salvation and the one who prays, the great sinner I.M. November 28, 1859. I congratulate your love on the approaching highly solemn and all-joyful holiday of the Resurrection of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ. May He grant you to meet and celebrate these sacred days, spiritually rejoicing in our Risen Savior. God bless you for your kind letter sent on February 17 and with it a description of the Tikhvin monastery with an image of the image of our Lady Theotokos of Tikhvin and a description of the healing of the bourgeois Borovikova. Wonderful are the miracles of the Mother of God even in our wretched times in the intercession of Orthodox Christians. And the recent miracle of the healing of a Valdai peasant, about which you write, should strike the hearts of non-believers or those of little faith, and lead to the knowledge of our true Orthodox faith. Moreover, there was also recently a healing of a girl from the Chernigov province of Novozybkovsky district, in the village of Brakhlov, who had been paralyzed since infancy; my right arm was cramped and my leg and eye were damaged. This girl Ekaterina was in this position until she was 27 years old; and since her hut was near the church, just across the street, she crawled on her left side into the church for the service, on June 14, 1859, on Sunday, she could not be in the church due to severe pain, she prayed at home on her knees - at that time the Lady came to her, very nicely dressed, in white, the hair on her head was light brown; she sat down on a bench and said to her: “Ekaterina, today you, although not in church due to illness, still prayed in the house, why are there very few other people at the liturgy? Everyone is at work, they have no time to pray on holy days; and what do they have in excess from such restless work? Everyone is poor, nothing is in dispute among them; That’s why God punishes them with crop failure, cattle deaths, cholera and war; but they all do not repent of their sins. If they still neglect the punishments and do not repent, then they should expect even greater punishments; I can no longer beg God to have mercy on them. Crawl to the priest and tell him to exhort people to repent of their sins, quit work on holidays, go to church, pray, celebrate in a Christian way.” At that moment her illness subsided. Catherine, who in a few minutes was crippled, one-eyed, unable to use her legs and crossed herself with her left hand instead of her right, on June 19th enters the priest’s room, completely healthy, on her feet, without crutches and a stick, crossing herself with her right hand, looks freely with both eyes, reads the Jesus Prayer clearly, and speaks in firm and expressive words. The priest, seeing such an obvious miracle - the healing of a cripple, immediately notified many neighboring priests about this, and reported this to the spiritual authorities; and Catherine went to Kyiv after July 8; I was in Pochaev and returned home safely. - What a wonderful miracle! Where is the science? What can they say against this? God appears to simplicity and humility, and not to reason overpowered by worldly wisdom. Let us thank God and the Most Pure Virgin Mary, Savior of our race! Committing myself to your prayer, I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and a prayer-giver, the many-sinful I.M. God has given us the means, while at a distance, to convey our thoughts to each other and have information about the stays in which someone is located - written communication through mail, which gives us considerable comfort and information about objects worthy of attention and benefit. And I have this pleasure, often receiving letters from you filled with brotherly love and affection; I offer you my most humble gratitude for this, and I most sincerely ask for their continuation in the future. I received your last letter dated June 15th on the 23rd. And we cannot speculate anything about the death of Father Hilarion: if he did not partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, then there is no doubt that shortly before his death he was worthy of this gift, and why was he not worthy of this right before his death - was it not by the special Providence of God that it was arranged, like Abba Serid, who before his death some kind of fiery fire appeared on his body? bubbles; When asked about this, the brethren received an answer from the elder that he had received great glory, and so that he would not be deprived of eternal glory, such a temptation was allowed to him; I argue this way, but I don’t state my opinion. But the fate of God is incomprehensible to us - one is the judgment of God, and another is human. About the icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God that you wrote, I mean the icon from which the image was recently taken. We undoubtedly believe that our Intercessor, the Queen Theotokos, always takes care of the Christian race, and with many different miracles from Her holy icons strengthens the Orthodox faith, and saves us from troubles, sorrows and illnesses, calling on Her with faith and love; We hope that he intercedes with the Lord for our salvation. Committing myself to your prayerful memory and wishing for peace, health and salvation, I remain your prayer book, many-sinful I.M. The Lord was pleased to take the wise and zealous hierarch, Metropolitan Gregory, to rest in eternity; they mourned a lot about this. Will the Lord send someone to take his place? Let's wait! July 28, 1860. Please accept my most humble gratitude for your venerable writing and congratulations on my Angel’s Day. I received your letter, sent on January 5, in a timely manner, and I received the previously sent letter dated December 14, to which I responded on January 8, but not with my own hand, due to weakness; I notice your mournful stay by the external and internal arrangement of your residence. You say: “This is already the 10th year of my free imprisonment.” Apparently, God’s Providence has assigned you this place to achieve salvation. By your freedom, you could have a better, and apparently quiet, stay everywhere. But your monastery was chosen by you and God’s vision, you are supported there, and your salvation is arranged invisible to you. According to the elders: “the monk’s cell is the Babylonian furnace, in which he is tempted, like gold in a furnace, by the fire of various thoughts, confusion and bewilderment”; in the burden of their invasion, he resorts to the One who is able to save him: blessed are you, Lord, for by truth and judgment you have brought all this sin upon us for our sakes (Dan. 3:26, 28), and in the consciousness of his badness, with a spirit of contrition and humility, he submits to the will of the Creator of him. And the Lord sends the dew of His grace, cooling and comforting the grieving monk, the spiritual warrior, and takes away from him the heat of enemy attacks. I advise you to read the letter to the Indian monks of John of Carpathia in part 4 of the Philokalia; in it you will find consolation for your sorrowful spirit. What is happening in the world reaches us even less; but cases like those described by you deeply shake the soul; I say this not actually about myself, but in general about our brothers who strive, and who may still be subject to the deception of the enemy, who seeks to devour everyone who is inattentive and indulges in the vanity of the world and sensuality; and the enemy is so daring that he takes up arms against our mother, the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Catholic Church, and tries to shake her by various means: now by papism, now by Lutheranism, now by free-thinking; but our Church is still preserved by the grace of God, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). He suffers calamities, but, according to the word of the holy Apostle, it is fitting that heresies should exist in you, so that temptations may appear in you (1 Cor. 11:19); Let us watch and stand on the solid rock of faith of our Orthodox Church. Let us give ourselves and each other and our whole life to Christ our God! January 1857 In your letter dated April 14, written to me, you explain your comments about our time, which is in motion and excitement: they are looking for something good and new. But how do they look for it? And where do they want to find it? Civilization and progress! But they don’t pay attention to the Orthodox religion (faith); and all our bliss, both temporary and eternal, is based on it. Smart, learned, educated people want to believe in their own way, and not as the Orthodox Church teaches us. The teaching of the Church is infallible, although among its practitioners there will be those who err; but the part is not the whole; and those who scoff at those who sin turn their tongues against the whole Church; and in the Church all our good and salvation. The sacraments of the church are guides to the kingdom of heaven; the ministers and performers thereof are the clergy, who are so brazenly and poisonously attacked by educated wise men and infect the weak; and what’s more, they will infuse youth with this poison. If there are some of these clergy who are not entirely serviceable, they themselves will give an answer; and the sacraments of the church are performed through them. And it seems that, although he is an ignoramus and a sinner, he who does not open his blasphemous lips against the Church and her servant will more easily come to feeling and repentance than an educated unbeliever and one who opposes the Church; and therefore he, like a sick oud, has hope of healing; and this one, completely infected with unbelief, and trying to seduce others with his wit and false philosophy from the right path, is unreliable for healing, despite all his education. I’m not talking about ignorant schismatics, but who is the reason for allowing this to spread? I will keep silent... God grant that our Orthodox faith may be firm in the hearts of our people of all classes, and of course the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). “Confirmation of those who trust in You, establish, O Lord, the Church that You have acquired with Your honest blood!” According to your promise, send a book against Catholicism; if you can’t get another copy, then at least send yours; and after reading it, we will return it to you; It is desirable for believers to know everything that protects the Church from enemies attacking it. Our hieromonk Father Leonid returns to us from our mission in Jerusalem. On April 30, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich visited Jerusalem with his wife and son. The mission met him at the gates of the city; and the patriarch, having deliberately arrived from Constantinople, met him in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A rare occurrence these days; but for the Russian heart this is comforting. Committing myself to your holy prayers, I remain the great sinner I.M. June 6, 1859. On the first page of your letter I saw the sorrows of the heart weighing you down. What to do and where to look for consolation? One thing is reliable for us: God is our refuge and strength, our helper in the sorrows that have come upon us greatly (Ps. 45:2), and: my heart has always been sad, from the ends of the earth I have cried out to You (Ps. 60:3), and in many psalms you will find similar appeals to the Lord of the Prophet, who had strong trials with sorrowful visits that the Lord granted to us. We do not know for what purpose the Lord sends us sorrows, but, of course, the main three of them, of which one, and maybe all, are often the reason that He beats us with His fatherly rod. I believe: either to punishment for our previous sins, for, according to the word of the holy Apostle: here we are punished, lest we be condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:32); or to the test of our faith and hope in the Lord; or finally, and not without sorrows, we will fall into some other sins. And besides, the sorrowful path is the path to the kingdom of heaven. “Humility is a product of reason,” writes St. Peter of Damascus, - “and reason is the product of temptations”; in dark times of a sorrowful spirit, one must be inspired by the hope of God’s mercy and pray to Him - read the fatherly teachings, inciting to patience and strengthening in it; what are the essence: St. Mark the Ascetic chapter in the Philokalia, and in the “Enraptured Classes”; St. Isaac the Syrian words 34, 35, 36, 37, 51, and many others. Accept this unwise but zealous advice and desire of mine: may the Most Merciful Lord Himself comfort you. I do not contradict your opinion about the Holy Mount Athos; and especially in relation to your situation and structure, mental and physical: you could not find peace for yourself there; at least they experienced the inconvenience and their weakness, and there will be no more attraction there. But those who are called there by a calling from above find both convenience and a difficult feat, which, however, the Mother of God makes it easier for them, and consoles them, and gives them hope of salvation. Father Superior conveyed your respects: he and our brethren mutually greet you. Our diocese still does not have an archpastor; There are rumors that the rector of the Kazan Academy, Archimandrite Gregory, has been appointed; I ask for your prayers, and I remain the wisher of your health and salvation and the man of prayer, the many-sinner I.M. 1851 Thank you for writing on the 12th of January and for congratulating me on Angel Day. Although the letter was not written by your hand, I accept with love your dictation and addition to the letter. God bless you that you have a good memory of our monastery, and of us, its inhabitants; I can’t say anything about others, but about myself I know for sure that A.N.’s view is incorrect; he saw the outside, but could not penetrate the interior; I will only say this: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first (1 Tim. 1:15), demanding the great mercy of God. You have gotten rid of one ministry, but another, no less important, has been entrusted to you; but this is necessary in a hierarchical structure, for serving others; for which the grace of God chooses ministers through the archpastor. In obedience to this, we should not consider ourselves worthy, but the smallest instruments by which grace works. And both the repentant and the resolving must have the understanding that this is effected solely by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not by our dignity or reason; Of course, it is difficult, and very difficult, to judge the conscience of others, and to certify every monastic for the highest ministry, but God is able to give help to you who call on Him in perplexity. Considering yourself, the poverty and futility of affairs should not lead to confusion and despair; but through past and present endeavors one must recognize one’s weakness and poverty, consider oneself the last of all and descend into the depths of humility. St. Theognostus writes in chapter 61: “if someone at the exodus finds himself in the depths of humility, then nothing less than the dispassionate will be exalted,” and so on; and St. Isaac the Syrian in the 46th word: “with humility, forgive your sins,” and “humility, in addition to deeds, forgives many sins, but deeds without it are useless”; and in order not to fall into despair due to sinful impurity, he writes a lot of comforting things in the 7th word; and St. Peter of Damascus strengthens: “let us not fall into despair” (in the octomatic book, page 58 on the back, and page 64 on the back); Such and similar passages in the writings of the holy fathers can strengthen you in the struggle of your feat. There is also much comfort in John of Carpathia. And in times of praise from people, or from demons, another, opposite, healing and humility is needed. Against the temptations of the enemy, according to the instructions of St. John Climacus, let us protect ourselves in the name of the Sweetest Lord, let us call upon them, that is, our spiritual enemies, the peace-making Jesus: “beat the adversaries in the name of Jesus; You will not find more weapons than this either in heaven or on earth,” writes St. Climacus. Although we cannot be more artistic, we simply cry out with humility. St. Nil of Sorsky teaches in great detail and clearly how to call on the Lord to drive away thoughts. But spiritual warfare is varied and incomprehensible; Let us remember one thing: humility destroys all the intrigues and networks of the enemy. May the Lord grant us this wealth too! It can help us in poverty and enlighten our darkness. In the last two mails I sent you two parcels of books: the first, St. Barsanuphius, 2 books, and the second - all the works of Father Father John. I ask for your holy prayers, and I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and an unworthy prayer book, the many-sinful I.M. The book was printed by St. Nilus of Sorsky from St. Synod with the church seal; thank God, there will be more in consumption and more benefit. 1853 Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the upcoming New Year; and together with gratitude for congratulating me on my Angel’s day. With the coming of the new year, may the Lord bless our dear fatherland and our most pious king, and strengthen the Christ-loving army to defeat our enemies and adversaries, and establish His Orthodox Church forever unshakable: the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Thank you for informing us about everything necessary that concerns something close to our hearts. Everything you said in 6 points could very well hide from our gaze in detail; although some reasons were noticed, many did not know; the fulfillment of all these plans, opponents of truth and order, they cannot put into action unless the Lord allows it; what is happening so far, apparently the Lord, in His punishment of us, shows mercy; the obvious actions of the secret policy of our enemies will not only not be crowned with success, but they will also suffer great damage; the very elements: air, fire, water and earth, destroy their enterprises; and henceforth, with a new and strong militia in Western Europe, by the wave of God, the Angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him and deliver them (Ps. 33:8); We only need, leaving European customs, to love Holy Rus', and repent of our past passion for them; be firm in the Orthodox faith, pray to God, and bring repentance for the past. And those sad consequences that you see in the future, and which may stem from sorrowful and prosperous events, by the will of God, may take a different turn and not happen as we see. God, the Wise Ruler of the ship of the world, and our bad consequences leads to good goals, according to His destinies unknown to us. His comprehensive Providence extends both to the whole world and especially to each of us; now, in the present era, how many people have cleansed themselves from sins with their blood and suffering, and entered eternity with the hope of God’s mercy; and those who look at them, both near and far, hurting their hearts with sorrow and repentance, can correct their lives before God. And those who do not want to recognize the indicative Providence of God in this: they do whatever they want. The Lord knows each of us in deeds, words and thoughts; - and His eyes see what we have not done (Ps. 139:16). So, may the will of the Lord be upon us, I will conclude with the words of the Holy Scripture cited by you: To you, O Lord, is truth, but to us it is a disgrace to our faces (Dan.9:7)! Committing myself to your prayers, I remain a wisher for your health and salvation, and your prayer book, much-sinned I.M. January 11, 1855 Thank God that you are healthy, and you solemnly celebrated the Easter holiday with spiritual consolation: with the outward splendor of the service, the clear weather itself was favorable to this bright celebration. In your letter dated April 8, you write that the miraculous healing of the maiden Catherine is joyful and saving for believers; but for unbelievers it is doubtful; and they also try to overshadow and refute with the false works of an arrogant mind. It has long been known that the word of the cross is a temptation to Jews, but foolishness to Greeks, but only to those who are called, it reveals God’s power and wisdom to both (1 Cor. 1:23-24). What to do, today the dark force is firmly armed against the light of truth, and reason is trying to take over faith and is resisting the Church; but according to the word of the Lord: the gates of hell will not prevail against her (Matthew 16:18). Although many are drawn into the snare of the evil ones, and even more so the pitiful young generation is drunk on the bitter poison of opposing opinions; who also spread their destructive poison among the common people, through harmful brochures released to the people for reading, instead of moralizing and moral instructions. It’s a pity for poor, dear, our Mother Russia, if, according to your word, this harvest will soon ripen for the sickle! If this inevitably must happen, then believers need to pray to the Merciful Lord: may He turn away His righteous anger from us; maybe our Creator will be merciful; and each of us must take care of our dispensation and ask the Lord, as the Holy Church daily asks: “to end the rest of our life in peace and repentance, and the Christian death of our life, painless, not shameful, peaceful, and a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ”; and God forbid that we wait and see accidents if we have them. Benevolent Europe taught us external arts and sciences, but takes away internal kindness and shakes the Orthodox faith; they take money to themselves. I can’t judge anything right; I only see that we are mentally ill and don’t see it... I wrote to you about the healing of Catherine incompletely; and now I am sending the same extract that I myself received, and also a copy of a letter from a nun who has already lived in the monastery for 15 years; but while she was still at home and possessed by a demon, she received miraculous healing from the holy saints of God: St. Mitrofan and Demetrius of Rostov. This is the true truth and there is no lie or forgery, and there cannot be. Although many non-believers consider this to be a sham; but it’s unfair: I happened to see a lot of people suffering from such diseases, but not a trace of pretense was visible in them; Is it not surprising that out of several hundred one will lie; but it is difficult to convince them... I forgot to mention the miraculous visit of the Mother of God to the poor elders, husband and wife, about whom you write. We sincerely believe this. April 30, 1860. Beloved brother in Christ and son in spirit father N. 18 It was very sensitive and regrettable for me to see from your letters your sorrow and lack of peace in your obedience; especially since I am not able to give you a helping hand. I asked Eeyore’s father twice, but did not receive favor. What to do in this case? I just can't figure it out. But I advise you, with submission to the will of God, to surrender to His leadership; Apparently, He showed you this path, He is strong and will strengthen you on it; and he will destroy all the strongholds of dangerous and dubious thoughts, and destroy the machinations of the enemy rising against you, and guide you on the true path. I reasoned for a long time, and I find that no one could have arranged your movement on his own if it were not for the will of God. Although you are sad because you are not used to the place and customs, but, apparently, it pleases God to put you on the sorrowful path that leads to the eternal belly. Submit to His Holy will, and He will ease your sorrow and give His help. And through indolence and murmuring you burden yourself and multiply sorrows: why did you know what awaited you here too? Let you be peaceful and calm, but couldn’t your dispensation change from peace to non-worldliness, and without any external reason, but from our dispensation. If you begin to stubbornly insist, then I even fear that this would not be a confrontation with the Providence of God, which showed you this path. Do better with anticipation, surrendering yourself to the will and Providence of God; and reject indisposition and persistence. All sorrow is not allowed to us without the will of God, and it is impossible not to grieve, but not to suffer and not to suffer from a cold. The Holy Apostle writes: in everything it is sorrowful, but not cold (2 Cor. 4:8); for tribulation perfecteth patience (Rom. 5:3). For your strengthening, read the teachings of St. fathers, St. Mark the Ascetic, in the “Philokalia” chapter; there you will find much to strengthen you, and in the “Enraptured Classes” on pages 132 and 133, read what is written. There are many other teachings, but I don’t remember them due to lack of time, but when you read, you will find them yourself. Above all, have in your mind and intention to fulfill the commandment about the rejection of your will and mind, and uncomplaining obedience, through which the Lord will deliver you from those snares that you fear. How many times we see that, having been sent for obedience, and being in the strongest temptations, they remained unharmed; and may the Lord protect you - I humbly pray for His goodness, and I ask you, surrendering to the will of God, humbly bow your neck to obedience. And when God’s will is done, He is able to dismiss you from here; just don’t act stubbornly, but seek and wait for the will of God. I remain the wisher of your health, peace and salvation, and the book of prayer, the great sinner I.M. I am sending you an icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God. August 6, 1850. I received your writings from August 12 and August 16. In all your described spiritual weaknesses and mental tendencies, may the Most Merciful Lord Himself forgive you, and may He strengthen you in the field of your service, I humbly pray to His goodness. You write that you are still in grief and can’t calm yourself down and forget about living in the desert. I don’t say a word against this, that you are sad, but is it possible for us to know the will of God and His secret Providence for us? Apparently, He wants to work out your salvation by tempting you on the sorrowful path. We seek peace in imaginary peace, and this is found in the cross. I am not writing this on my own behalf, but on St. Isaac the Syrian and other fathers teach us this. There will be time - you can settle in the desert: but first you must undergo the feat of self-sacrifice in the field in which God's Providence has placed you. Don’t think that God didn’t act here; people are only His instruments, and He acts. In difficult moments of sorrow, bow your neck under the strong hand of God, with submission to Him and humility: then you will see His omnipotent help. The passions that fight you have the power to defeat us through our pride and exaltation, also for contempt and condemnation of our neighbors. Let us humble ourselves and break our hearts; Let us learn from our fathers’ writings how and with what to resist what passion. May the will of the Lord be upon you! I wish you peace, health and salvation. I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. September 1, 1850. From your letter I see that, having asked for forgiveness from P-go, you calmed down. Let it continue to be a sign to you: where we humble ourselves, there we find peace, according to the word of the Savior Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, who commanded us to learn from Him meekness and humility, in order to find peace for our souls (Matthew 11:29). I cannot tell you: do not mourn, when St. The Apostle teaches: in everything there is sorrow (2 Cor. 4:8). Apparently, it is impossible to walk the path of our life without sorrow; about which we see encouragement and reinforcement in almost all the books of Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Fathers, and that through many sorrows it is fitting for us to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22); and the narrow and sorrowful path leads into the eternal belly (Matt. 7:14): and the Lord loves him and punishes him (Heb. 12:6); and so on. We know all this, but we ourselves voluntarily avoid sorrows, and choose the long and calm path; but it will not bring us spiritual benefit; what we do not currently know, but will learn later, having lost our peace of mind and tranquility; or at our exodus we will know what we are losing. The most merciful Lord, loving and sparing us, by His Providence involuntarily allows us to suffer sorrow and sets us on this path leading to salvation. “The way of God is the cross every day,” writes St. Isaac the Syrian. “It is not the Spirit of God who dwells in those who are at rest, but the spirit of the devil.” It is necessary to accept the sorrows sent from the hand of God along the indicated path, with self-denial. If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (Luke 9:23). Whoever denies himself, although he feels sorrowful, is not faint-hearted; as the Apostle writes: in everything there is sorrow, but not cold (2 Cor. 4:8). In the sorrowful adventures that happen to you, take all these considerations to heal and strengthen your weakness, plunging yourself into the will and Providence of God. And when you are cold and faint-hearted, you will aggravate your sorrows even more; from which may the Lord deliver you and strengthen you on your path. By whose omnipotent Protection I entrust you, I remain your pilgrim, wishing you salvation and health, mental and physical, your spiritual father, the many-sinful I.M. September 25, 1850. What to do, beloved brother! It grieves you to listen to what is said about us falsely and reproachfully; but woe to those about whom all men speak well (Luke 6:26). May the Lord reward them with good for everything; and we will be more humble and conscious of our weaknesses and learn patience. Unless the Lord builds a house of chastity for our flesh, we labor in vain. These words of St. John Climacus. You complain about the abuse, which is helped by the objects around you, and ask for my guidance. What am I telling you and what am I saying? Just this: run to the Lord, who is able to keep you unburned in the cave of this flame, just as he saved the three youths in the cave of Babylon and Daniel in the den of lions. Have a good will to preserve the lamp of purity from the winds of the spirits of wickedness. Offer your weakness before the Lord, as the holy fathers teach us: have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak (Ps. 6:3). Move away from yourself, to the extent of your strength, objects that arouse violence in you. Call upon our Most Pure Intercessor, the Mother of God, a strong and quick Helper in the troubles of those who exist; also Thomaida the martyr, John the Long-Suffering, Moses Ugrin and others who fought against the flesh and defeated it. Read in the fatherly books about this battle: St. John Climacus word 15, St. Cassiah the Roman, Nil Sora and others, and the Lord will help you. Remember that you are not in this obedience of your own free will, but were sent for obedience: then the power of obedience will support you and strengthen you, as we read many examples in Fatherland books. Now, if you had achieved this place by your own will and machinations, then the danger would have been much greater. The Lord is able to cover you with the prayers of our archpastor, and father, and our brothers. You also know that by serving the archpastor, you serve the entire flock entrusted to him by Christ, that is, the entire diocese of which He called you to this service. Do not be discouraged, brother, but trust in the Lord, and pray for me, your sinful prayer book, I.M. October 11, 1850. You write again about your weaknesses and the fear of suffering from them to your spiritual ship. Be of good courage and let your heart be strong (Ps. 26:14) in trusting in the Lord; he will not slumber or fall asleep, keep you (Ps. 121:3, 4). May the power of obedience preserve you in all your ways; and may the fear of God accompany you and fight against the invisible warriors. By the fear of the Lord everyone turns away from evil (Proverbs 15:27). People with good will and humble wisdom; the power of the Most High will help you fulfill your duty without stumbling. Mental or sensory deviations happen to us because of our exaltation and for the condemnation of our neighbors. Wherever it is, nowhere it is impossible to avoid them; and these are diverse and varied, according to each opportunity and dispensation. St. John Climacus writes: “where the fall followed, pride preceded it.” Try to uproot this root from the ground of your heart every day, then the branches will fall away on their own. Don’t miss out on your free time, study in the word of God and in the writings of the Fathers, so that you can be more comfortably instructed in the fear of God. May the Lord help you in all your affairs and protect you from all evil. I earnestly wish and pray for His goodness for this, and I remain your pilgrim, great sinner I.M. November 14, 1850. You write that you were in grief and then received relief. Our whole life consists in this: that even the evening may end and joy will come in the morning (Ps. 29:6). Sorrows are nowhere with us, and they, according to the all-wise destinies of God, are sent to us for our salvation. If everything were one spiritual joy, then we would forget ourselves, we would become proud, and, instead of salvation, we would gain vanity for ourselves, and being in sorrow, we involuntarily humble ourselves and resort to God, asking for His help and intercession. No matter where we hide, we will not escape sorrow anywhere; If we get rid of the visible ones, then the inner cross visits us. St. Isaac the Syrian writes: “When you find peace on your path, it does not change; Then be afraid, do not walk along the path that our fathers walked with painful feet” (Sk. 78, p. 430). So, surrender to the will of God; do not lose heart in sorrow and ask for His help in the matter of your salvation. He wants to save you. I ask you not to leave me, the great sinner I.M., in your prayers. December 18, 1850. All this time I was unwell, and even now I don’t boast about my health: I’ll go through the day and fall off again; but for everything thanks be to the Lord! Although I am writing to you briefly, I do not want to miss your letter. I advise you not to refuse the service of being a spiritual father entrusted to you by the archpastor. His blessing and God’s help will assist you in this matter. When you searched, you would be in trouble; but you are called to this service from above, through the Archpastor: then by stubborn refusal you would not anger the Lord. You feel like a sinner, but who would be so crazy that, imagining themselves to be righteous, they would begin this service? You are afraid of sin; but you represented your weakness, and for this reason you were not dismissed: then with the mercy and help of God your ministry will be. When the Lord has already placed you in this ministry, you can first ask for archpastoral admonition for some perplexing and unforeseen cases. I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. December 23, 1850. Thank you for congratulating me on the New Year, our St. John the Baptist and Happy Angel Day. Thank God, we spent all these days safely and, as much as possible, peacefully, by the grace of God. I received your letters dated January 5th and January 16th, I read about your visit and greetings and good spirits: I don’t find the need to expand on all this in writing; but about your mental state, although in short lines, I will say (and I don’t have time to write much): for the Lord’s sake, do not be embarrassed in your present situation; surrender yourself to His Holy will and Providence, He is strong to save you. The more you see yourself exhausted by the chill of passions, the more humble yourself and resort to the One who is able to save you from drowning and storms. It is impossible to turn away the struggle, but victory appears in us through the power of God when we humbly resort to Him. Also, force yourself in your service and the Lord will send you His help. I congratulate you on the upcoming highly solemn, all-joyful holiday of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. May He vouchsafe you to celebrate this holiday with heartfelt joy and spiritual consolation. I received your letter, and I grieved a lot over your grief. Don’t blame me for not being able to answer you soon; My health is somehow bad, and I can’t boast about my eyesight. Beloved brother, everything is transitory here - both sorrowful and pleasant, and they constantly replace each other: the evening will be mourning, and the morning will be joy (Ps. 29:6), and again change. Do not be discouraged and do not be faint-hearted; run to God, and he will have mercy on you. Yesterday I received a letter to you, which I enclose; the envelope was in your name, but it was very huge and clumsy, that’s why I took it out. I ask you to pray for me, a sinner, who earnestly desires your salvation, your prayer book, many sinners I.M. April 7, 1851. I received your letter dated April 27th. I do not charge you for late greetings on the holiday; it doesn't matter to me; I am sure that you have favor towards me in the Lord, and it prevails. In your spiritual weakness, fall down to the One who can save you from the storm and drowning in passions; and, as much as you have strength, do not betray your autocracy into the captivity of the enemy, but cry to the Lord: have mercy on me, for I am weak (Ps. 6:3). Regarding other matters, receive the instruction from Abba Dorotheus that you can cut off ten wills in one hour, however, not without illness, which is what St. Peter of Damascus writes: “a wise man rejects his own desires, but a fool, following them, suffers sorrows”; grief is not from elsewhere, but from yourself and from your structure and skill. May the Lord enlighten you and strengthen you in this spiritual battle. Congratulations on the day of the Most Reverend Angel. I wish you peace, health and salvation, your prayer book, great sinner I.M. May 5, 1851. Thank you for your letter dated July 14th, and I am also indebted for an answer to the first one dated July 6th. However, I hope that you will not grieve me for this, knowing both my weakness and lack of time; and especially the past time there were so many visitors that it continues to this day. We were very sad to hear about the painful adventure with our Eminence, but now we hear that he is healthy - we were heartily consoled. Work hard, brother, serve there until it pleases the Lord to show you another way; and be sure that you serve not just the Lord, but, in his person, the entire flock, as far as the scope of your activities; and you serve not men, but God; for He takes upon Himself everything that we do to our neighbors. Strengthen and console yourself with such reasoning in troubled moments that shake your dispensation. It is impossible for our life to always have a good day, there is bad weather, and a storm of passions disturbs the depths of the heart, waves rise; – and here we must cry out to Him who is able to save us: save us, we are perishing (Matt. 8:25), have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak (Ps. 6:3). Yes, “when you find the world unchanged, then,” says St. Isaac - “be afraid.” Let us surrender to the will of God and humble ourselves; He is able to arrange our salvation. I remain a wisher of peace, health and salvation for you and an unworthy prayer book, the great sinner I.M. July 17, 1851. It was with pleasant consolation that I received your letter dated August 28th, thank you for it; I wish you to be healthy and complacent, submitting yourself to the will of God in everything, and He will faithfully arrange for you to be useful. Yes, He arranges everything, but we cannot understand this at the present time. When the king and prophet David already says about himself: first let us not even humble ourselves, I have sinned (Ps. 119:67): then what can we say about ourselves, not having this wealth? And having received humility, he does not attribute it to himself, but turns to God: it is good for me, for you have humbled me (Ps. 119:71). So we must see in the ways of our life and in the action of passions that lead us to humility, our spiritual weaknesses, and cry out to the Lord: it is good for me, for you have humbled me. He who sees his own dead body lying in front of him cries for him and does not pay attention to the dead of others. I’m talking about this example about seeing your neighbors, in order to pay attention to your weaknesses, and beware of thinking about yourself: I am not like other people and so on (Luke 18:11). And for this reason, passions not only fight harder, but also overcome: and all for the sake of this - let us reconcile ourselves. Thank you for the holiday greetings and the notification. Our brothers Fr. Theodosius on the 22nd, and Fr. George went to the Lord on the 28th; and now, in anticipation of the same, Fr. Gennady. Our old people, worn out by the years, leave us, and even without them it’s bad; one glance at them brought benefit to many. I remain the wisher of your health and salvation and your prayer book, great sinner I.M. September 2, 1851. “Whenever I grieve, hear my illness, Lord, I call to You,” sings the Holy Church. And we, in our sorrows, will cry out to the Lord, and when His Holy will is done, He will also hear us, having endured the Lord and heeded me, and heard my prayer (Ps. 39:2); We also need to be patient, and the fruit of patience will not be in vain. In involuntary sorrows there is God’s mercy near us: do not be discouraged, brother, in sorrow, but be patient. “It is impossible that this time should not be bitter, even if we drink temptation it can be a poison, but it also brings great benefit,” writes St. Isaac the Syrian. You write, brother, about your sorrows and the constriction of your thoughts; what to do? Take courage and be strong in this battle, call for help on Him who can save you from cowardice and from the storm, and protect yourself with the fear of God and descend into the depths of humility. More than this, I cannot give you words of consolation and strengthening. May the Lord Himself strengthen you in this mental spiritual battle, and may the Mother of God intercede for you with Her intercession and protection. I wish you peace, health and salvation and remain your prayer book, much sinner I.M. September 16, 1851. Beloved brother in Christ, father N. The letter you sent dated January 12th was received... February, at the beginning of St. fasting; We usually spend our time strengthening our weaknesses in the Lord, and now we have already spent two weeks of fasting, and everything is moving forward, approaching the end of the life of everyone to whom it is appointed by the wisdom and structure of God. Each of us needs to think about this, that death comes unknown. The body remains soulless here, and the soul moves into eternity, which has no end; and how we will appear before the impartial court and give an answer for what we have done here; and, while we have time, let us bring repentance to the Most Merciful Lord; and even more so at this time of Lent. Having written to you about this, I remind myself more: behold, now is the time of repentance, behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2), and you yourself know all this. We will not see how the fast will pass and the joyful day of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ will come, on which I earnestly congratulate you, and I wish you, in the place where the Lord worked for our salvation, remembering His Most Pure Passion, to meet, spiritually rejoicing, the glorious day of His Resurrection. It is pleasant to hear that the foundation of Russian buildings is being laid in Jerusalem, where our compatriots - worshipers of the Holy Sepulcher - can have shelter; All this is arranged by God's Providence. It was sad to know that the Gentiles had their own monasteries, houses, and institutions there, while we, Russians, fellow believers of the Greeks, Orthodox Christians, still had no place where we could lay our heads. In our monastery, thanks be to the Lord, everything is safe; some old people went to the Lord... I don’t have anything special to tell you. I ask you to pray for me and for our brothers at the Holy Sepulcher, and on the day of His glorious Resurrection, remember our names, and we pray for your health and salvation, which I fervently wish for you; I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. February 27, 1860. Most Reverend of the Lord, Father N. In your last letter you complain that sometimes your soul feels sad; who is without sorrow? Everyone is allowed sorrow by God, according to his condition and need, for his temptation, in season and time. You will find a lot about this in St. Isaac the Syrian, if you bother to read the article on sorrows and temptations using the alphabetical index. Sorrows are needed to gain experience in monastic life, and in every life; for we are all under the Providence of God; He forgives sorrows and has mercy, giving patience and reason, acquired from temptations, as St. writes. Peter of Damascus: “Humility is a product of reason, but reason is a product of temptation”; and therefore there is no need to be cowardly in temptations and sorrows. You write about the obedience of confession or clergy that is entrusted to you, in which you find it difficult, and even more so in the imposition of penance; and for this it is necessary to call on the grace of God for admonition on how to deal with a repentant person. If his conscience has been aroused in him to repent of his sins, God sees this and cannot hide from those receiving confession: whether he completely regrets the sins he has committed, whether he has the will to leave them; Yes, God will announce: how to deal with him, according to the extent of his sins - whether it is easier or harder to determine the penance, and will also enlighten the mind to whom what kind of penance should be given, (taking into account) the type of life, rank, condition, occupation, health, illness or weak constitution, committed (sin) willingly or unwillingly, and so that it is opposed (penance) to the sinful action. Some for a short time, some for a long time. But about those who, although they repent, do not have the intention of abandoning sinful actions, the rule judges differently, but I cannot be a judge, and in this case God is able to instruct those who come running to Him what to do. I also don’t know what to do with those who come from other confessors and have not received peace of conscience. Whether to change their instructions, or as much as possible, reassuring them with advice, so as not to be embarrassed, leave them to seek resolution of their misunderstandings from the same confessors - I cannot give you a positive decision on this: see for yourself, taking into account the circumstances around you. Most Honorable Father N. 19 Having left your monastery, we drove at 12 o’clock to the T-th desert, where, after a hospitable reception, after spending the night, we arrived at our monastery at 2 o’clock; We found everything, thank God, safely. It was a pity to leave you, but we must submit to the Providence of God, which shows us the path to passing through life to achieve salvation; but it is not safe to resist it; in every place we are presented with the fulfillment of God’s commandments, which is associated with sorrow. To run away from sorrow is to run away from salvation; many St. the fathers teach us about this, and even more so St. Mark the Ascetic and St. Isaac the Syrian; resort to these healing springs in times of need and in advance, and the Lord is able to give you strength. I was delighted with your letter, seeing for two days your complacency and action towards the brethren; such and similar matters relate more to the decision of the father abbot: then you can boldly relate to him in this, inclining them to obey his words, as if he is experienced in matters of monastic deeds; and if they do not agree, then ask him to instruct you on how to deal with them. Be careful not to trust your own reason, although you are absolutely sure that this is the case; However, advice is better than self-reflection: you will get rid of the heights. I am writing this to you regarding the brethren, but I am not forcing you in what concerns you; I found it necessary to convey this to Father Superior, which he also partly knows, and even more so about N. When Father T. agrees and Father Igumen, then it is good for you to have a relationship with him; Now I don’t have much time to write; Yes, you know that my time always passes in rumors; now a lot of letters have accumulated; Having arrived, I received more than 40. I wish you peace and health, your prayer book, many sinners I.M. August 29, 1849. The second one has already received your scripture and I myself will write the second one on it. And firstly, I give thanks to the Lord, who strengthens you in your newly appointed place and position to be of good humor, and proclaims to the Father Superior to have fatherly favor towards you. He writes and says he’s pleased with you; I advise you, for my part, to earn his love and favor as much as possible, thereby giving him and yourself peace of mind, and undoubtedly a common benefit for the entire monastery. Be careful in dealing with the brethren, and even more so with those who oppose wisdom; A drop of rain breaks through a stone, but even more so, nasty words can lead the heart in the other direction. Beware of judging them, but do not follow their reason. It seems that you did not act very cleverly, changing your confessor, leaving Fr. T. went to Fr. AND.; I don’t know his spiritual wisdom; but it is unfair on his part that it is called slander when it is necessary to speak to the Father Abbot about the brethren. It is necessary to argue that it is slander and that it is desire and jealousy for their correction and for the general order. What does not serve to the harm of many, or from reminding him one can improve in that, one can tolerate weakness and keep silent, or, so to speak, cover up the weakness of a brother; and if some action is harmful to one and harms others, then you can still give an answer for silence, and even more so when you are at such a point. It seems appropriate to quote the words of the Savior: if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him, and so on. (Matthew 18:15), St. Basil the Great in “Works of St. fathers" 1847, volume 9, p. 195, question 46 about not covering up the sins of one’s brother and oneself, and the answer to this, p. 215, question. 4, p. 217, question. 7 and their answers. In these answers you will see quite clearly the solution to your question, and St. Barsanuphius the Great does not order silence; What can you read there in St.’s questions to him? Abba Dorotheus; about this prevails. But only, speaking about others, look at your own weaknesses, and, recognizing them, humble yourself; and having told the abbot about something, do not demand that it be for the better what you think, but leave it to his will and you will remain without embarrassment and will not give an answer. Thank God that Brother N. and N. are in better condition, but beware of attributing this to your intelligence, piety and instruction; God Himself acts by their faith. You can read the Apostle and the Gospel in your cell after the rule, or as you find convenient; It seems you have enough time. You ask me for a confession notebook, but now I don’t have a particularly copied one; according to the time, I’ll ask someone to write it in cursive and send it, and you yourself will rewrite it in semi-character. I’ll remember my confessor again; you must already choose a statement and not move from one to another: the sacrament of repentance has its own power, but advice is another matter. I told you about the temptation that happened to you on the 7th, and it weighs on you with a contrite heart and a spirit of humility; The reason for it is known to you, there are many of them, manage it yourself. Looking at people’s weaknesses, do not judge them, but turn to your own weaknesses and imperfections and look down on yourself; Father... will not cause you harm by his dislike towards you, but his wisdom is even more of a fault. For now, be satisfied with your current cell and whatever sorrow they give you, but surrender to the will of the father abbot, you will be calmer. And the embarrassment you experienced was definitely from the enemy; he tries in every possible way to disturb the peace; With humility and prayer, crush his wiles. Pray for me, a sinner, who wishes you a peaceful dispensation and salvation, your prayer book I.M. September 15, 1849. I cannot quickly and accurately give answers to your letters, and you, knowing my weakness in this, will not grieve me. Yesterday Father Abbot read me a letter from your Father Abbot dated 30[date], where he expresses gratitude that he is pleased with you. I see from your letter that nothing particularly important has yet come across you and you are mutually pleased with Father Superior. Thank the Lord that you had the opportunity to undergo obedience under such a God-wise man, who desires salvation for himself and his neighbors and cares about this. It is impossible that we should not encounter some perplexities and sorrows from the brethren and from our own dispensation, which are allowed to us for our education; which can be resolved, with a peaceful disposition towards the father abbot (which you try to maintain), - sometimes by himself, which relates to the general improvement; sometimes a spiritual father: and who from the teachings of the fathers, who can make you wise for salvation, for you studied them theoretically from early childhood; Now learn by doing. And I do not deny, in case of need, according to your faith that the Lord gives to my feeble-mindedness, to write to you, but most of all, may the grace of God and His power, accomplished in our weaknesses, enlighten you and strengthen you in the field of your ministry. A good cell has been assigned to you and a well-intentioned brother to live with you; thank God! Do not be faint-hearted when you find thoughts, when your brethren are revealed; You are not a tree, but flesh and spirit, warring against each other and, as we humble ourselves, granting us victory. Even if he falls, he will not be broken: for the Lord strengthens his (humble) hand (Ps. 36:24). What will happen when we all abandon this and follow every path that seems to him, according to its meaning, good and right? Will not others sink into the mire of sin, while others, having ascended to the mountain opposite, will fall into the abyss of delusion for their exaltation? And especially among the beginners, it is very dangerous who goes by his own will and reason; you know it quite well. It is dangerous to dare oneself and to jump into this, and when the Providence of God, through those in authority, brings about this, then one must obey and deny oneself, not looking for one’s own, but for those who benefit one’s neighbor; and with the benefit of our neighbors our benefit is also associated. Just try not to consider yourself worthy, smart and able to use others, but only by fulfilling obedience, and according to the word of St. John of the Climacus: “Having wallowed in the mud, you warn those passing by against this; Yes, negli for their salvation and you will receive the help and mercy of God.” What do you think, if someone who comes to us, having completed a 1st category course, goes with his own mind, what will happen? And even worse, when he attacks someone who is counter-intuitive or weak, might he not receive harm instead of benefit? When he warms up to you and the father abbot deigns to do this, show him the teachings of your fathers about the rejection of your will and reason: Simeon the New Theologian, Callistus and Ignatius chapters 14 and 15, Abba Dorotheus, John Climacus, and not offering from your mind. The good seed, falling on the good soil, watered and warmed by the grace of God, will bear fruit, and not from us. Peace be with you, brother! I wish you health and salvation and remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. Cooperation and the position of treasurer do not consist of one account of money; they can be counted without you, but I advise you to go into the details of the accounts and not listen to anyone, even if anyone says anything on this subject: but to help in maintaining order and improvement in the monastery, which is certainly connected with purity of morality; And to this end, it is necessary that everyone, remembering his calling, spend his free time from obedience reading the books of the fathers and following the rules laid down for us, so that various passions do not creep in from idleness, and these can destroy the peace and order in the monastery. All this must be supervised; and even more so when both the duty and the assignment from the abbot, who cares about the salvation of the brethren, prompts you to do so. Beware of great and strict zeal, but rather with a spirit of meekness, admonishing first yourself in private. When you don’t have time, you can tell the abbot and leave it to his will and judgment; if he leaves it anyway for reasons unknown to you, do not be jealous, but leave it to the will of God; with greater zeal you may sin and you yourself will be tempted. In whatever way you can, be forgiving of human weaknesses, as you yourself are weak; and those who are impatient with action and require correction, report to the abbot. Do not be afraid of the uprising against you, God will cover you and the abbot will protect you; Afterwards they themselves will be grateful when they are healed of their ailments. Just don’t let your heart become exalted and attribute to itself that the monastery is being corrected by your reason and piety. The opening case showed what had to be done; So, from now on, the Lord is able to give you reason and strength to carry out your duties. Peace be with you! I received two of your letters, dated October 15 and October 20. I sincerely rejoice that you are in peace with your father abbot and he, for his part, responds with satisfaction with you; God grant, may this union endure forever for the benefit of the common monastery and the private one. But it is impossible to be completely carefree and without care; Not everyone likes this imaginary innovation, but everyone wants it to be, as he thinks, better. With the help of God and your general revelation, things will turn out better; just don’t suddenly and ardently accept it, but with anticipation, patience and humility; not relying on one’s own strength, but asking for God’s help. Do not look at the fact that they are insulted at you for not being brief and not treating them; Avoid judging them for their weaknesses, lest you too be tempted; We are all in trouble. A weak brother must endure, instilling in him the fear of God and the uncertainty of death; and the main reason for falls is not one intemperance, but also pride; for where there is a fall, pride preceded it, according to the word of St. Climacus: then most of all he needs to humble himself and consider himself the last of all; God will look upon his humility and give His help. Consider penances according to strength and possibility, only God will not despise a contrite and humble heart (Ps. 50:19), but so that it serves him as a reminder of sin and punishment for the body, which sins together with the soul. It is also necessary to think about the newly repentant person, and most importantly - cessation from sin and heartache about it, and keep in mind God's ineffable mercy towards repentant sinners and the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. The history of His Eminence Philaret, after Father I., was assigned to the skete library: therefore, I cannot serve you with it. St. Peter of Damascus did not have his own books, but took them from people, and what great wisdom he was filled with, you know! We had the pleasure of receiving two most respectable visitors at our monastery: the father of the governor of the Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite A., and the father of the abbot A., which was a great consolation for us: and their love for us sinners will remain in our memory for a long time. I remain the wisher of your health and salvation, unworthy prayer book, many sinner I.M. October 21, 1849. Having received your letter dated October 14, I was slow in answering, and therefore I recently sent a letter with Father Abbot, and noticed some of your weakness, which should have been ground and passed over time, so that you yourself would learn better from temptation and not believe every thought of yours, and even more so when they approach you with embarrassment; and was expecting another letter from you on this subject; however, having received another letter from you, dated November 21, I don’t see a trace of the thought at that time, so I leave it to repeat, and also because the letters are multiplying, but there is very little time, and my strength is depleted; I answer two or three letters to many with one; I received 25 (letters) at one post office; Do not be embarrassed about the sorrows of your brothers without your fault; be courageous. These vibrations skillfully create and humble us; you will know your weakness. O.I. is very cowardly; does not want to endure anything and takes on sorrowful thoughts against others: how can we be saved when we do not want to endure anything? Yes, or they tolerated St. our fathers for the kingdom of heaven? What is sent to us is not without the Providence of God, and St. Isaac teaches a lot about this. What if Fr. I. will begin to admire, i.e. That is, to have hostility towards someone, then he will find fault with everything and burden himself. Our path is already sorrowful, and here we are still burdening ourselves. And I received your second writing on November 21; May the Lord rest the soul of Father V. in the kingdom of heaven; He labored as much as he could and departed in faith and hope of resurrection and eternal life. A strange incident happened to you, a kidnapping from a church - henceforth, be careful; and maybe there will be a theft. May the Lord help you in your new calling to serve the most glorious sacrament of repentance, to calm the conscience of those seeking salvation. Do you want to visit us? In this, surrender to the will of the father abbot, then it will be useful for you. I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. I received your letter from the father of the treasurer without a date, and I wrote to you on the 26th of November via mail; Apparently, at that time you had not yet received it. Now you write about your perplexities regarding your spiritual children, and those who confess to Father I., but are confused. Why do they treat you? If, by his order, then you can say, without announcing the name, that there are some who are embarrassed without revealing everything to you in confession; but they don’t want to say, what will he think of this? However, force them to confess more purely, otherwise they commit a greater sin by concealing it; but be careful not to get confused by ambition through this; Although you save others, do not forget about your own salvation. Try as much as possible to comply with the will of the abbot. Be content with a small portion, learning abstinence; and when you feel a lack, you can humbly open up and ask for more; and as long as you have your own remedy, there is no need to bother. Pray for me, a sinner, who wishes you health and salvation, your prayer book I.M. December 3, 1849. I received your letter, sent on December 19, on the 21st. I thank you for your love and zeal that you show in it, and for congratulating me on the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, on which I fervently congratulate you and wish you to celebrate it spiritually, heartily rejoicing in the Lord. I regret your illness; but it is not so much necessary to grieve over physical illness as over mental illness, and strive to heal it. I won’t mention in detail the cases you described, but I’ll just say that all this serves to teach you and practice; and your treatment of the brethren, which comes from love, may the Lord bless you with the desired success in building up your neighbor and preserving your own dispensation, and give you the true understanding of how to carry out the work of your ministry. All our deeds are connected with serving our neighbor, and the Lord takes all this upon Himself; Whatever you have done to one of these least of my brothers, you have done to me (Matthew 25:40). I remain, sinful I.M. December 24, 1849. Describing the sorrowful incidents that have happened to you, you say that you are all in trouble. I believe that by God’s care these temptations have been allowed to you and those who are about you, so that you may learn patience and skill; and in impatience your cowardice will be exposed and you will have a reason for humility. It is impossible for everything to be our way, the way we want, but we must learn to abandon our desires, even if they seem useful to us; so strengthen those who are disposed towards you in the Lord. I cannot enter into the subtle action of Father I., with what intention he acts, and about each, as God proclaims to him for his benefit: after all, everyone needs the fire of temptation for testing and learning in patience. You look at things from the point of view of how God’s Providence cares about our salvation: some need more, some need fewer occasions for patience and learning, while others have not yet come the time. Pay attention to yourself when you lived with us, enjoyed peace and tranquility; studied one theory; so, apparently, it pleased God to stock up and, having entered the field of work, to be strengthened by what was acquired by the knowledge of theory; but since you are still inexperienced and cannot sensibly discern things, you must surrender to the will of God and learn patience; whether we want or not, it is presented; whether to alleviate it or aggravate it depends on our structure. In large perplexed cases, calling on the Lord for help, you can explain to Father I., not insisting that it be your way, but seeking the will of God. It is heard here, but I do not give faith, that many brethren are unpeaceful against you, allegedly for denunciations to Father Abbot; what I wrote to you about and offered the teachings of St. fathers about the dangers of silence; but experience should teach you more - in what cases you need to stop so that greater harm does not occur; and in which ones to endure weaknesses; and when you know that they won’t carry you. However, you should try not to notice Fr.’s weakness. I., for the enemy can imagine something that is not and never was; I am not writing this to defend him, but I am warning you against possible discord. Standing in battle and wounds is acceptable; but let us not flee from the battlefield, so that we may win crowns. Thank you for congratulating me on the holiday, happy new year and happy day of my Angel, and for sending me cloth for my cassock; I accept your zeal with love, but you know that for me it is unnecessary. I congratulate you on the New Year and wish you to spend it peacefully and calmly and to succeed in salvation, which I wish for all your brothers in Christ who are zealous for you, and I remain your prayer book, much sinful I.M. January 14, 1850. You judge Father I. very harshly because he took the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir from me; he has every right to it, because it belonged to his uncle, F.I.’s father. Father L. did not directly bless me, but to both of us. When he left us, he had the right to it; Although this was regrettable to me, I could not resist; anger would come out; Of course I am not worthy of having this icon with me. But the Queen of Heaven was pleased to console me on the other hand by visiting Her most holy icons: P-ya I-a brought me her icon named after the Akhtyrskaya Mother of God, decorated with pearls and stones, in a silver-gilded robe. The icon is ancient, 111 years old; - the blessing of her grandmother and mother, and so N-ya P-a K-ya herself took care of delivering to me the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, located in the Moscow house of her mother-in-law, where they lived, now being in Moscow. On the advice of N.V., they wrote to their mother-in-law, asking to give them this St. icon; and upon receipt of N.’s letter. P., this icon was already in the village with my mother-in-law; she thought, “Why should the icon stand in an empty house?” and they ordered her to be brought to her village. She didn’t say a word, she sent them this icon, quite ancient, in a robe, decorated with large pearls and large stones, of different colors, the meaning of which we don’t know, but only from an old rich house, they should not be simple; This icon was delivered to me. 20 This mercy of God towards me is not at all according to my worth; May the Mother of Mercy be the Intercessor for my salvation, and for Father I. I do not grieve in the slightest; he had the right and did his duty; save him, Lord! You, who have been called to this task, go through your ministry with the help of God; Introduce the teachings of St. to newcomers. fathers, teach not from your own understanding; according to their good disposition and faith, the Lord Himself will give you the word, and will open their minds to understand what is spoken and to do; He will protect them from all the advice and temptations that harm them. And those who go the opposite way, we need to pray to God for them, that He may restore them to the right path, and not judge them. Regarding your fear of starting service when others have something against you, you need to examine your conscience, and where you find a gap, then why not ask for forgiveness; and when, out of necessity, what you have done, and they grieve unreasonably, then in this case adhere to the advice of the confessor, and in the most important cases, the father abbot. No one told me about your denunciations, but this echo rushes through the brethren; I think Father F. said this, we must not heed it. Book of St. We are now reviewing John Climacus in the translation of Father M-ya, the former Bolkhov archimandrite, with Paisievskaya, we have reached half of the 15th degree; and what you and I have looked at needs to be reviewed again; We now stay as close as possible to Elder Paisius and no longer clean, but simply blacken and write with a pencil. When finished, you need to rewrite it, and then only you can start writing it off. I.A. started writing and already copied 5 degrees, but it’s no good and needs to be rewritten again. I ask you to pray for me, unworthy, who wishes you perfect peace, health and salvation, your prayer book, the great sinner I.M. February 28, 1850. Just as you wrote two letters to me on the same day, March 3, I received them both on the same day - yesterday, and I will soon answer them for the reason: yesterday at eight o'clock in the evening, the old man, Father I., who had been overworked with his years, passed away to the Lord, having been lying on his bed for more than six months. Ask Father Abbot to order the elder to be remembered for the love of Christ, and you will not fail to commemorate him. You congratulate me on the eve of fasting, and I congratulate you on entering the field of fasting; May the Lord help you to go through it spiritually with reason and humility, correcting abstinence to the best of your ability. You write about the weaknesses of some brothers, and ask me what you should do? What will we do on our own if the Lord does not help? It is good that they recognize their weakness and seek healing. Of course, it is not easy to be healed, but with God’s help and our will, everything is possible. Your job is to sympathize with the sick person, give advice to move away, and most of all, to humble yourself; Perhaps this passion has not been misunderstood for exaltation. Beware of riots of jealousy, according to the word of St. Isaac, and look at your infirmities and from them you are now covered by the grace of God; For a strict trial, he may even get away with it himself. We walk through snares that only humble wisdom avoids. You wrote that at that time there were the most dangerous days for your brethren, but now the soul-saving time has come: now is the time favorable! Behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2)! What treason! - God will help us and we will improve. Pray, brother, for me, who wishes you: peace, health, success in salvation, and the unworthy prayer book, the great sinner I.M. March 6, 1850. Brother A. from Voronezh arrived to us and, after staying for two days, set off on his intended journey, along a very bad road, into the very flood of the stormy elements of the water; help him, Lord, to reach safely. I will not tell you anything about him, except to say: the machinations of the enemy are varied, great and strong, but our strength is weak. Not imams are weapons of strong humility that crushes all the machinations and networks of the enemy. What you asked me about in your letter on March 27 has already been destroyed by the Providence of God. What means can we use if the Lord Himself does not help? like St. Cassian, in his letter to Abbot Leontin, writes: “it is not so much through human diligence that one heals as through God’s love for mankind”; and below: “no one would be able to endure the slander of the enemy, to extinguish the burning division of nature below, if it were not for God’s grace that preserved human weakness.” Of course, removing an object is the most reliable medicine, but the enemy’s cunning is great; one was removed, he will find an opportunity to tie another, and in thoughts to disturb. St. John Climacus in this case pleases the enemy-makers: understand and understand. Be courageous in carrying out your obedience, but not impudent; It is impossible for this path not to encounter any obstacles and stumbling blocks for the truth; In this we recognize our weakness when we do not achieve the commandment of love for our enemies. Glory to God, you have the support of Father Abbot; see that your heart does not become exalted, as if you are maintaining order and the monastery, then God’s help will not assist, but in our humility may the Lord remember us (Ps. 135:23)... be peaceful; you are just entering the field; there will be many similar cases; or better yet, not to attack them; I experience it. I don’t have time to read books and nourish myself with spiritual food. I don’t have time to read the book of St. John Climacus, Makariev translation. Now the Ladder has been read, but not all of it; the beginning and the end have not yet been read, but only one Ladder of 30 degrees, which N.A. is rewriting, and that one was inconvenient to correct; There were a lot of changes, taking into account the translation of Elder Paisius. Before, we cleaned some things, just like we did with you, but after everything we re-read it again and used a pencil to mark where we scribbled and where we wrote. By correspondence, the pencil can be cleaned and the book will remain as it was with Father Macarius, except for the first degrees, which have been cleaned. But we also had an idea: since the printed Ladder has a literary, very pleasant and semi-Slavic syllable, to which our ears are accustomed and become akin, but there is no correctness in the translation either with Paisieva, or with Makarieva, or with Ignatius, or with the ancient one: then we want, taking into account the correct translations, to correct the meaning with the same syllable in which it was printed. Not for us for publication, but for ourselves; You can have it in manuscripts, even copy it halfway. Two theologians took up this matter: O. L. and O. V., only one complains of weakness of the head, and the other also suffers from despondency; however, they are going little by little and have already passed the fourth stage. When you come to us, you will see this experience; Will you somehow approve or not? And finally, I.N. sent “Stavrofil”, which he translated into Russian. There is an intention to print and how the Lord will help; We don’t yet know where to turn, which censorship; I wrote to L.A.K. and asked: is it possible to ask B. about this, so that he can present it, but I have not yet received an answer. Pictures will be difficult, they won’t be written soon, but we will try. I.N. also sent your notebook: “Comparison of Religions.” I congratulate you on the upcoming holiday of Christ’s Resurrection; may the Lord grant you to meet and celebrate you in a peaceful and calm spirit, with heartfelt joy; pray for me, your prayer book, the great sinner I.M. I received your letter about your receipt of books; I also found the last notebook about the Siberian ascetics, which I will send on occasion. The “Ladder” notebooks written and read have arrived, and we will send you again, when the opportunity arises, as much as will be written; God only grant that the written pieces of paper do not cover the windows, but that all these instructions are written in our hearts; and although we would not reach the height of the corrections of these great saints, we would not have seen our sins and our weaknesses and would not have been bitter judges and denouncers of the efforts of others, and let us “drive away violent jealousy from ourselves,” according to the verb of St. Isaac the Syrian. I wish you peace and health with salvation; I remain your prayer book, great sinner I.M. October 24, 1850. You write that you grieve over your spiritual misery; Yes, I also need to grieve, the most wretched of all in this inheritance. To my grief, it is also disastrous that some who are blind think that I am something, but I myself can see my poverty better, but behind all this I do not have the proper humility. May the Lord preserve and have mercy on all of us, according to His ineffable mercy; pray for me brother! I remain a wisher for your health and salvation, much-sinful I.M. September 8, 1850. I received two of your letters, both without numbers: I see from them that you are in great confusion, but I don’t know the essential reason for it, and it’s difficult to know; The networks of the enemy are spread everywhere and only humility can avoid them. All this time, about two weeks, I was unwell, and here letters and all the fuss accumulated; I can’t tell you anything without knowing your circumstances. Pray to God, plunge yourself into His Holy will and expect changes for the better; see if there is any old man in you; it requires a lot of compulsion to cast it out. I do not undertake to fulfill your commissions; I already have a lot of troubles. I remain a wisher for your health and salvation and an unworthy prayer book, the great sinner I.M. December 16, 1850. Your Reverence, most venerable and dear father, Fr. N! Rejoice in the Lord. 21 Father o. L., o. I. and I, we sincerely regret you, seeing from your letter your situation, which confuses and tears your heart; in addition, hunger and thirst for quiet and silent living, to please the Lord; and not having the means to quench them, you become more inflamed. Of course, we must believe that the circumstances of our life are arranged by the Providence of God, leading us along paths unknown to us, sometimes plunging us into the furnace of various temptations, so that, like gold that was tempted in the crucible (Wisdom 3:6), we will be worthy to appear before His face, cleansed from sins; For the most part, this happens against our will. But behind all this, we have a sincere desire, in agreement with yours, to unite and live together, even though we are weak and sad, and we do not hope to bring any benefit unless you cover and bear our weaknesses with your love. You ask for our advice on your company's relocation, present your concerns from the top management: as for us, as we wish, so does Fr. Our abbot receives you with love; we hope that our Lord will not refuse you this; but the main obstacle on the part of your Lord may occur, about which you also have doubts; why it doesn’t seem reliable to send you a petition to us, the best way would be for you to personally ask His Eminence for dismissal, presenting some vindicatory reasons, but even this is a dubious hope. However, what is impossible to eat from man, is possible to eat from God; you need to ask Him, when there is His Holy will for your location, then it would be good if you arranged it this way: but what we assume is not always useful to us; St. writes about this. Isaac the Syrian in the 33rd word, which you will take the trouble to read: “Let us make many prayers according to our desire, and if it pleases God, then let him arrange it” (Sk. 33, p. 166). He, if it is for your benefit, will make everything possible from the impossible; why, and a convenient opportunity will present itself. We are no longer sending you papers, but we ask you to notify us: what reason to give for the transition, and how your feelings are, whether the fear of strict punishment for the enterprise makes you afraid of the transition, and whether any changes will follow in anything. These, although extraneous circumstances, can all contribute where the will of God exists; and we do not believe in this that there is hope for man, but we accept that God acts through people, inspiring them to help us; and otherwise punishes through people. We expect notification from you; Then, perhaps, the Lord will also enlighten us on what measures to take. On our part, rest assured that we wish you every good thing for the salvation of the soul of those who help you, and we also earnestly wish you cohabitation with us. Committing ourselves to your holy prayers, we abide with our true zealous respect, your unworthy prayer books, the great sinner I.M., and the great sinner M.I. November 9, 1840. I sincerely rejoice that you have accepted the intention to endure until a favorable time and reassure yourself with trust in God’s Providence, which arranges everything for the best. The Lord brings about our salvation through opposite means, or punishes us here, so that we are not condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:32), or tests our faith, and perhaps prevents us from any stumbling through sorrows. Having endured the Lord, and listened to me, and heard my prayer (Ps. 39:2), and the Lord will crown your patience by granting you the peaceful refuge you seek; and faith, even here, must say with devotion: “And if this pleases You, let it not be my will, but Yours!” We judge by humanity and wish you to achieve what you want, in our opinion, which can bring you spiritual benefit and us through kind and brotherly coexistence, heartfelt pleasure and success in salvation, for which we ask and pray to the Most Merciful Lord. Where God wants, there the order of nature is conquered, and the possible can be created from the impossible: with the onset of spring, circumstances may change, or the Lord will tell your archpastor to dismiss you without hindrance, only if His Holy will be done! Rumors about the death of Yuga Fr. the builder, it seems, are unfounded, for I have a letter from him dated November 15th, and you write from the 21st; Didn’t you meet something in a week, and you soon heard rumors; we wish them to be false; if they are confirmed, then do not leave a notification; Although this is unpleasant news, we must pray to God both for the living and, if true, then for the deceased. Committing myself to your prayers and brotherly love for Christ, with my true respect I remain your unworthy prayer book, much-sinful I.M. December 10, 1840. Optin skete. Nicephorus, Archbishop of Astrakhan, from the Greeks, surname Theotoky, who died in 1800, lived in retirement in the Donskoy Monastery; Do you have more information there about his life? And isn’t there a portrait of him left? If this is the case, then you will do a great favor when you provide us with information, and order a copy of the portrait to be copied and sent; Whatever it costs, we will deliver with gratitude. Your Reverence, most venerable father, most honorable among hieromonks... I have the honor to congratulate you on the upcoming new year, and I sincerely thank you for the same congratulations on the feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and for the desire to worship Him in the spirit of humility. In your writing, you attribute to me an abundance (wealth) of humility beyond my measure, and you want to cohabit with us out of zeal for gaining it. In truth, each or many judge others according to their own disposition; and as you abound in it, you also think to see it in others. May the Lord fulfill your good desire to retire from vanity and flee into the desert, and I, for my part, sincerely wish to live with you, but I regret that you will not find in me what you think - spiritual gifts; I constantly see only weaknesses before my eyes; but I also think that I can take advantage of your humility, and that you, living in the middle of the city, hunger and thirst for truth more than my solitary residence, and this serves as a considerable lesson for me. Thank you for notifying me of the information I requested regarding the Most Reverend Nikephoros. If it is possible for you to deliver to us a portrait of His Eminence Innokenty of Penza, we will accept with pleasure; We know his works, and therefore it is pleasant to see his face; and the second for the beneficence of Fr. Theodore and Fr. Leonid. The presenter of this, our skete novice, is going to Tver to worry about his dismissal, with which I am writing to you; If you can, don’t leave him on a wandering meal; he doesn’t have anyone he knows there. Committing myself to your holy prayers, with my true respect I remain V. p., unworthy prayer book, great sinner I. M. January 13, 1841. O. S. In, p., most venerable and dear father in the Lord... Rejoice in the Most Sweet Lord Jesus! Seeing from your letter that you intended to put your enterprise into action, for nothing other than the acquisition of spiritual peace and the salvation of the soul, and by explanation with whom it was necessary, you found obstacles to your desire, but through this explanation you were pacified there. Bring thanks to the Lord for this, and plunge yourself into His Holy will; if He is pleased to place you in the desert, then He is able to destroy all obstacles to this; and, perhaps, the time has not yet come to this, or you have not yet suffered the heat of desert sorrows and struggles. When you feel peace, then for the time being, strive in that place, strengthening yourself with the teachings of the holy fathers, who lived an active life in fulfilling the commandments of God, and you, if possible, imitate their faith and deeds; in the anxieties that befall you in our battle from the arrows of the enemy, resort to the Lord, with humility, presentation of your weakness and self-reproach, and you will undoubtedly find help; He will not allow those who trust in Him and seek help from Him to fall completely. But we will still be nourished by the hope that perhaps the Lord will deign us to live together, and until then, while wishing you peace, health and salvation, commending myself to your holy prayers, with brotherly love and respect I remain unworthy of your prayer book, the much-sinful I.M. August 12, 1841. I had the pleasure of receiving your most kind letter, sent on September 18, and, on the occasion of an opportunity in Moscow, I will soon respond to it and, first of all, express my gratitude for your love, which is clearly visible in your writing to our disadvantage, and therefore I express my heartfelt condolences for visiting you with bodily illnesses; Although the Lord builds everything for your benefit, and you must believe that they are sent to you for the benefit of your soul, to test your patience, but in humanity it happens that sometimes we become exhausted and lament, and often become faint-hearted, from which may the Lord deliver you! You grieve over the shortcomings in your life, and about the lack of spiritual reinforcement from the elders: truly, you should groan about this with your soul, that there is such a dearth of teachers in spiritual work; but even then we can say that our faith has become impoverished towards them; If we cleave to someone, then we seek his holiness, and we wish that there be instruction according to our will, but if there is little to the contrary, then we fall away; the enemy of our salvation further raises a battle against them in order to distract them from the suffering feat of obedience, which leads the ascetic to humility. However, even in such a plight of ours, we should not despair, but resort to our Lord Jesus Christ, ask for His admonition and help, and have for nourishment the active fatherly writings, which, having passed through in practice, left us for spiritual benefit an invaluable gift - their experienced teachings; to which, heeding, with the help of God, we will try, as much as possible, to resist the passions and in that very victory not to faint in spirit, but to seek forgiveness and again arm ourselves against enemies and passions. I am not suggesting to you which teachings from our fathers strengthen us in this; – I’m sure that they themselves are quite knowledgeable about this. Your intention: to leave, running, and settle in the desert (Ps. 55:9), is good and praiseworthy; but the thought suggests doubt: “Will I be suitable for living in your desert, given my weak strength and impaired health?” Dare I assure you that you will have no sorrows here? And what kind they will be, I don’t even know; All that is known is that sorrows pursue us everywhere, for they are needed for our salvation; The Lord left us as a certain guarantee, saying: in the world you will have tribulation (John 16:33), and: if anyone wants to walk after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me (Mark 8:34). What does the cross mean if not sorrow? And the Holy Apostles teach that through many tribulations it is fitting for us to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). At our tonsure, we made a vow about the patience of sorrows: wherever we go, they pursue us everywhere, and this is not without the will of God and not above our strength. Let faith be our pillar, wall and shield against all sorrows; when we condemn ourselves to them, we endure them more conveniently, but if we seek peace, it runs away from us. I wish you to find true reason and peace of mind, and, entrusting myself to your prayers, with brotherly love and respect I remain unworthy of your prayer book, the much-sinful I.M. September 23, 1841. Due to my carelessness, the letter I wrote to you was misspelled by someone else, and that one, in your name, and due to my sins, neither you nor he were satisfied with the answers; although I had more than ten letters in this mail, I am not excused for all of them, and I feel that this accursed me was allowed to do this for my pride. I ask you, for the Lord’s sake, to generously forgive me. In the letter I wrote to you the reason why I did not notify you of the death of Father Fr. L.: It’s about time, oh. Our N. was in Moscow, and was informed by K.I., brother of Fr. our abbot, about the death of the priest; We thought that he would tell you this news, but the opposite turned out to be the case. He further wrote about his illness, which lasted more than five weeks, during which time he gradually prepared himself for the outcome; On September 15, he received the consecration of oil and was repeatedly awarded the communion of the Most Pure Mysteries of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and on the very day of his death, which followed the 11th of October, at 7 o’clock and 20 minutes in the afternoon, he was awarded this gift. Before his death, he did not consume any food for 20 days, except for a small portion of water, and was in perfect memory and sound mind. Having become quite ill, just before his death he blessed the brethren, and having crossed himself, he began to die and calmly gave up his soul in the hands of God. On the third day there was a funeral and his hands were as soft as those of a living person. There is no doubt that he will not be worthy to receive mercy from the Lord, and he will faithfully intercede for us sinners wandering in this deplorable vale, and struggling with spiritual and physical passions. I sympathize with your confusion and sorrow, I wish that you receive relief from it, and if it is the will of God, He will fulfill your desire and arrange your passage into our abode. But even here I don’t dare promise you peace or a sorrowless life; this does not consist in our will, but in the will of God, which arranges everything for the good; to which we must humbly submit. I ask you, most venerable father, to take on the task: do you know anyone in Moscow who has a sold book of Saint Isaac the Syrian, printed, or correctly copied from the printed one; and what is it worth, let me know? Those who are zealous for spiritual life ask me. Entrusting myself to your holy prayers, if you desire peace and spiritual salvation, with my respect and brotherly love I remain unworthy of your pilgrim, the many-sinner I.M. 2 Feb. 1842. Forgive me for not answering your letter soon; I have quite an extensive correspondence, but here comes weakness, and on the other hand laziness, and so it flies forward all the time and moves towards the end, and I see the fruit of goodness as alien to myself, I don’t know what to come to the court with, and what answer to give? About Fr. I. and we tried quite hard, but everything went so smoothly and meekly that it was impossible to resist in any way; Apparently, this is the will of God, and for sure, maybe it will be useful for him; recognizes his weaknesses among such enlightened people. However, no matter how it behaves, even though it is a silent place, it will not lose its silence; But I, a sinner, live in a silent place, and I don’t avoid rumors, even if I didn’t want to, but I don’t have the means. If God brings you to live here, it will be convenient for you to find silence; You just need to be afraid of yourself, will you bear it? And most of all, surrender to the will of God; We ourselves do not know what is truly useful for us and what is harmful, not having the gift of reasoning. Don't worry about the book of Saint Isaac the Syrian; when not, then leave it that way; You can wait for an opportunity to see if a sale shop opens up somewhere. I have the honor to congratulate you on this holy fast, I wish you to see it off reverently and soul-savingly, and, entrusting myself to your prayers, with my true zeal and love I remain unworthy of your prayer book, the much-sinful I.M. March 3, 1842 I thank you most earnestly for your venerable letter, written on the 19th of June. You write that you have calmed down in your monastery and the boss is favorable to you; thank God for this! Where the spirit is peaceful, it is more convenient to salvation. The sovereignty of the Lord is in every place (Ps. 103:22), although in a crowded place it is more difficult than in a silent place, but there are other types of battles, and not all without difficulty. I am sure that you would not want to exchange the deserted shortcomings in relation to it for bodily peace, but the duty of obedience to the higher authorities keeps you in those places. People need to be there too: the monasteries are built, they preserve shrines and the memory of ancient great events, they serve as a sure guarantee for the affirmation of the faith for today’s Christians living in the world. And the Lord, having called you there, is able to give you strength and strength to fight against invisible enemies, and having defeated them, to be a lamp for others, not hidden, but standing in the candlestick, although you do not think about this. However, if it does not benefit you, then it is His will to show another path to the heavenly kingdom - the path of silence and solitude. I ask you not to forget me in your prayers, and from time to time to visit me with your writings, which I accept with love. I wish you to be prosperous and healthy, and peaceful in spirit. With brotherly love and respect I remain your unworthy prayer book, the great sinner I.M. July 2, 1842. From your writing I see that you are in a sorrowful and confused state of mind, but where is it not? We are debtors and contributors to these dues until we put off the old man of sin; and until then our dispensation is tempted by sorrows, either external or internal. – This truth is quite well known to you. You want, freed from a crowded stay, to settle in the desert, hoping for God to save you (Ps. 54:9); I always approve of this intention of yours and pray to the Lord that you will be worthy to bring this into action. I spoke about this to our Fr. to the abbot, as you instructed me about this: he, for his part, is ready to receive you, as before he expressed his consent to this; there is nothing to doubt about this. And the point is only how your superiors will agree to your dismissal, and more, how God will arrange it, into whose will we must entrust ourselves, and everything that is cared for and provided for us, tending towards spiritual benefit. If you desire God's help, to fulfill your good intentions and, asking for your prayers, with my true respect I remain your unworthy prayer book, the much-sinful I.M. July 25, 1842. You congratulated me on the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I thank you for this greeting, and I congratulate you on welcoming you, and a happy new year; May the Lord vouchsafe you to continue to meet and celebrate many such with heartfelt joy in good health. About yourself, what do you write: you don’t have the courage to bother the higher authorities, and it’s difficult to part with Moscow: I can’t tell you anything to encourage you, fearing that I might later incur a murmur when we might encounter our desert temptations. I wrote to you before that sorrows are inevitable here too, they just change from one to another. I am not writing and did not write in order to distract you from the desire for a deserted life; but, having shown it to you, leave it to your free choice and the will of God; but since I now see fear and doubt in you, I believe that the time has not yet come and God’s will for this is not your intention. Although you will remain there, do not deprive us of your brotherly love, memory and prayers; and we, in turn, owe you all this, not only to correspond, but also to precede. May the Lord, the knower of the heart, inform you of this! Asking you again not to abandon me in your prayers, if you wish for health and salvation, with my lowest respect I remain your unworthy prayer book, much-sinned I.M. December 29, 1842 I received your kind letter, sent on January 22, and I thank you for your brotherly love for us, desert dwellers, of whom I, the last, am not worthy of even the name; I don’t live at all as I should have, but I thank the Most Merciful Lord for His indescribable long-suffering towards me. The former incident you described is very unfortunate; May God grant that traces of it will be erased from you, and you will be completely healthy, mentally and physically. This is how fragile the hope for everything here is: health, fame, wealth and pleasure, everything passes and leaves only emptiness, if we did not act on them as we should; and one must also be afraid to give an answer in court. I wish that your intention to move to us will be fulfilled, but not by measure, but by free will; Wouldn't this serve as a quick reason to leave Moscow, and the authorities would respect him more and let him go? However, may God's will be upon you; she is always good! It’s not so pleasant to hear that I. is assigned to us under the supervision; Such people, instead of benefiting, create disorder in the monastery; but what can we do if we cannot avert this, God’s will be done! As for A., ​​about whom you heard that he wants to live with us, and as if we want to accept him in order to benefit from his excess: deliver, O God, from this; Will he enter involuntarily, having found some way, but we have no idea of ​​using his wealth. We thank God, the monastery has not wealth, but daily bread; The Lord sends benefactors. We only heard from the side that he seemed to intend to ask, but we didn’t even have it in our minds to accept him; and especially when we heard about its quality. May God grant him salvation where he is. I ask, on occasion, not to leave you a notice about your health, and, congratulating you on the approaching not the cheese week, but the first week of holy fasting, which is more beneficial for both the soul and the body, I wish you to spend the holy fast in a spiritually beneficial way. Do not forget in your prayers who wishes you health and salvation, and with respect and love the abiding, unworthy of your prayer book, the great sinner I.M. February 9, 1843. God bless you for accepting with love my feeble-minded writings, in which I do not find anything that could serve as consolation; My zeal alone moves the pen, conveying my feelings, and your love and humility extracts gold from the clan. May the Most Merciful Lord Himself give you true consolation, with which He consoles His servants who work for Him with a humble spirit! We will submit your desire to live together with us, the poor, who evenly desire this, to the will of our Merciful Father, who wants us to be saved, and arranges it through His Providence; and if it is for the benefit of your soul, then whatever you desire will provide a means and a way to fulfill your intention. But I’m not keeping silent about the fact that temptations are necessary everywhere: here of one kind, and here of another kind, warfare can happen, and for this you need to be prepared; in the hope of God's help, one should not be afraid. It seems that we recently celebrated the holy fast, but three weeks have already passed; This is how our life flows, every minute and second brings us closer to eternity, but the preparation is poor, and we are all more concerned about the present. The snow was completely gone and the rivers diverged, but on the 4th winter returned again: there were two snowstorms, and the frost was 12 degrees; There is a great difficulty in transporting goods, and in driving, and even more so in transport. What to do, our whole life is work; what is to blame is sin. We wish you to spend the rest of Lent safely and soul-savingly and to celebrate the Easter holiday with heartfelt joy, in good health, which you do not so much boast about. Surrendering yourself to the will of God is best; in any case, it brings peace. Thanking you for the letter written on the 26th of February, we hope that while you are not with us, you will not forget us with your memory and writing, and, with my true disposition for the Lord, the desire for salvation and zealous respect, I remain your unworthy pilgrim, the great sinner I.M. March 13, 1843. We thank you most earnestly for your writings, written on August 12 and August 14. Your love covers many of our shortcomings, and out of the abundance of your good heart you speak a good word about us. God bless you! and I, for my part, thank you more for this, that you have compassion for me, who gave myself into rumor and lost my spiritual success. Although, on the one hand, conscience says that one should prefer the benefit of one’s neighbor to one’s own benefit (if there is only one), and on the other hand, it represents: what good is it for a person if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul (Matthew 16:26)? Although this is also said about the acquisition of property, it can also be attributed to this. And in such my bewilderment, I plunge myself into the will of God, as He pleases, let him do it: if he finds it useful for me to listen to myself and cry about my sins, then let him arrange it with my destinies. I see my physical weaknesses, sometimes I am in physical exhaustion, but I cannot refuse due to the circumstances surrounding us. I ask you to add to your condolences a prayer to God, may he show mercy to me according to His will. We sincerely rejoice that the Bishop received you kindly and favorably, and pays attention to the improvement of your health; Also, all our benefactors and zealous persons take part in your situation. In your last letter you notify about the portraits of the Right Reverends: Nikephoros and Innocent of Penza, which are priced: the first 50 rubles. as[signals], and the second one is 25; We thank you for your efforts in this regard: but we must admit that this price is beyond our means, if it were possible to copy from them at a lower price than this, then everything would be more convenient; but we don’t want to complicate you with this; and obviously leave it. We ask you, most venerable father, not to deprive us of your writings and favor in the future, and in turn we will share the same. If you wish for peace and health, mental and physical, with my respect I remain your unworthy prayer book, much-sinful I.M. August 21, 1843. Forgive me for delaying my response to your first letter, but now you probably already have it, and perhaps on the same day that you sent your letter on August 24, and you received mine sent on the 21st. And now I’m writing with the first mail; I thank you for your kindness, and I will also say: your sincere disposition towards us; although we see ourselves as undeserving of it, we wish it to continue in the future. It’s unfortunate to hear what you wrote about O.N. What to do in such cases? Nowadays it is very difficult for bosses, and especially for those who pay attention; The severity is great, responsibility both before God and before the authorities is inevitable, but what to do? spirit of meekness? – it is not useful for everyone; spirit of rigor? - there will be no one left, or they will become extremely aggravated and complain. Some people live for how many years, but according to external merits they need to be tonsured, but according to their dispensation it is dangerous; Here’s the problem - it’s crowded everywhere. I’ll say the same as you: I’m lying in feces myself, but I’m writing about others. Let's look at ourselves: we are all weak - not one way, but the other: the war is great, but our strength is weak. Lord save us, and protect our destinies! May God grant him, overwhelmed by waves of passions and temptations, to find somewhere a comfortable abode and land on the shore of salvation. O.I. and Fr. I. show their respect to you and thank you for the memory of them. They ask, and I along with them, not to leave us in your prayers, and with my deep and zealous respect for you, I remain your zealous prayer-giver, the many-sinner I.M. Aug 31. 1843. I received your most pleasant letter dated October 12 on the 16th; I am very grateful to you for this, both I and our elders. I ask you not to be timid about burdening me with letters; on the contrary, I accept with pleasure, and even more so from like-minded brethren, alien to all politics and the refined art of rhetoric. I ask you not to look for flair from me either; but let us change with simplicity of heart and pure zeal. If it happens and I’m slow in answering, bear with me. We are very pleased to hear that the Tsar’s visit consoled the capital, and especially the favor He showed towards the Vladyka and the city’s merchant society. The mercy of the King increases the zeal and love of his subjects, and the union of love binds the firmness of the kingdom of God with blessing. We cannot boast about the weather either, and only from the birth of the month clear days began to appear alternately, and the rains stopped, but the mud was terrible and the mills were flooded. Committing myself to your holy prayers, with the desire for you peace, health and salvation, and with my true zeal, I remain a prayer book, much sinner I. M. October 19, 1843 Sorry for our long silence; Having received your letter dated November 23, they have not yet responded to it; and meanwhile your other one arrived in time on December 10th. There was no time to write when sending the robe. We are very pleased that we were able to sew a robe for you; We want it to serve not only as a decent robe, but also to inflame the heartfelt feeling to remember the preservation of our vows, of which we have no doubt that your thought is established on an unshakable stone, and does not move forever (Ps. 14:5). You write that through this you seemed to become closer to us, but we see the beginning of this affinity as soon as we met you; and this, perhaps, is not a precursor or a sign of the fulfillment of your desire to live with us; what you want, and we agree no less with it, but we cannot attract you and reassure you in peace, which does not depend on us, but on God’s help. Your relocation requires your will and care for this, and for this, most of all, the will of God and His assistance. We are always ready to welcome you into our community, and there will never be a shortage of corners for you; although he occupied the cells where you lived, one Fr. I., but we will still have decent cells for you and peaceful ones, if only it is your desire and the will of God. It is quite surprising that here you felt a change for the better in your health, which persisted in Moscow for a long time, but now you still find it distressing; but does the current time of year have any influence on this? This spring you can test yourself by coming to us to strengthen your physical and spiritual structure. I think that your authorities, seeing your relaxation, will agree to your dismissal, seeing the experience of the benefit that has occurred; and again I will say: as the will of God pleases! We had enough of our arrival, and I, as is my custom, involuntarily bothered with them; but there is nothing to do! I would like to remain silent, but apparently my unworthiness prevents me from doing so. Congratulations on the upcoming holiday of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ; May He fill your heart with the consolation of His Holy Spirit! Committing myself to your prayers, I remain with our zealous respect your unworthy prayer book, the great sinner I.M. December 14, 1843. I have already had the pleasure of congratulating you on the approaching holiday of Christ’s Resurrection, and now I congratulate you on the continuation of this high and bright celebration. May the Lord vouchsafe you to continue to celebrate Holy Pascha for many years to come, and then to receive the sacrament of that great and most sacred Pascha, which will be celebrated forever in the heavenly abodes. I received your pleasant letter, sent on March 24, and I express my most ardent gratitude to you for it. The news of your ill health is not very encouraging, but God’s destinies are inscrutable; maybe in this way he will arrange for you another path of life, towards which your intention strives; but different obstacles, like bonds, will tie you there. As for us, we ask you not to doubt our desire to cohabit with you, and we will try our best to provide assistance in this regard. Kelly O. And now I’m temporarily busy with G. G-m; but she will soon be free. The presenter of this is the 5th desert hieromonk Fr. G, with whom I lived there for over 13 years; We were with him in St. Petersburg. The destinies of God show him the way to the north, against his will, at the call of Fr. Archimandrite I., whom he did not dare to resist a second time; however, he does not have any ambitious views, and yet even there he is quite compressed by sorrowful adventures; If we stayed there, we should expect even more sorrow. I ask you to accept him into your brotherly love. A tomb was built for your shroud, the location was not lying straight, but slightly oblique, and it turned out much better and more open, and the view was better, which you can learn about from this eyewitness. I. On Holy Saturday we had a service, and we walked around the church with the shroud, and they remembered you. May the all-wise Providence of God arrange something beneficial for you, in which have all your trust, and calm down. Entrusting myself to your prayers, with the desire for your mental and physical health, and with heartfelt love, I remain the great sinner I.M. March 30, 1844. God bless! On the 10th of October I returned safely to my monastery and to my beloved monastery; I found my beloved brothers in Christ, who met my thinness with love after a seven-week absence. There was an incident on the road, and he fell ill with a fever, and the road was very restless. Now, instead of resting, I found a lot of letters, and for two days I can’t sort them out, and many need to be answered, and I received your letter, sent on the 9th, on the 11th; I was glad that your case was resolved according to your wishes. When the fear of what would happen ceased, the enemy brought another confusion about leaving Moscow; try to overcome it. After all, you have surrendered to the will of God, as He arranges, so be it: then you must observe this faith, and not deviate from cowardice, darkening your faith and depriving you of peace. From our side, you know that we did not attract you, but at your request we accept it with love. And the Lord is strong to give peace. I can’t write anymore, I feel somewhat weak, I wish you to be peaceful, calm and healthy, and I remain your prayer book, much-sinned I.M. October 13, 1853. Take courage and let your heart be strong in the Lord (Ps. 26:14). When I am weak, then I am strong, writes the holy Apostle (2 Cor. 12:10), and in your weaknesses let the power of God be made perfect (2 Cor. 12:9). You write that your strength is weakening, but the Lord is able to strengthen you. We received a decree on your determination, dated October 24, therefore, the Moscow Spiritual Consistory was informed of the same date. It won’t be a matter of getting a passport, as long as you are ready to leave; We already have a decent winter season and frosts have reached 13 degrees. In anticipation of your imminent arrival, I remain the wisher of your health and salvation, and the prayer-booker, the great sinner I.M. Two articles compiled by the elder on the basis of the word of God and the Scriptures of St. fathers and his own notes on humility I. An admonition to those living in monasteries not to deviate from the monastic image and not to seek it Some of those who left the world and came to live in a monastery have the opinion not to accept the monastic image, offering guilt, so that for failure to fulfill the vows given during tonsure they would not be subject to greater condemnation. To this end, we offer the following reasoning: everyone who leaves the world and enters a monastery certainly has some pretext and guilt for his departure, as St. John Climacus writes in the 1st degree: “all those who willingly left, even the essence of this age, did this truly either for the sake of the future kingdom, or for the sake of a multitude of sins, or out of love for God; If you haven’t offered yourself the object of more than one of those predicted, then such alienation of the world is wordless.” The first step of entering the monastery is already a vow to God - to reconcile with Him through repentance, having rejected the world, and to live according to His holy commandments, according to the words of Saint Abba Dorotheos 22: “What is the rejection of the world that we have created? A man rejects the world, this is what it is, leaves the world, and comes to the monastery, as if to draw closer to God and purify the image, darkened by the passions of holy baptism. Our fathers came to their senses, as in the world, inconvenience can be corrected by virtues, having conceived a strange stay for themselves, but I say monastic life: and began to flee the world and live in the deserts. At this first entry, a person, of course, has no intention of turning to the first worldly residence, knowing that no one has laid his hand on his head, and in vain, he is ruled in the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62); but he tries to get used to life and all the customs of the monastery; - sometimes from the worldly; having a different residence, different clothing, different food; That’s why it’s called monastic life, and those who live are monks. However, it is not yet possible to be clothed in a real monastic or monastic image, until the three-year trial laid down by the holy fathers; at the end of which, when he is deemed worthy by the abbot to accept this image, he puts on it, according to church rites, making vows to pious life. These vows seem terrible to some, and they renounce accepting the monastic image, fearing that they will transgress them, forgetting, however, that they had already made a vow at the first entry 23 with the intention of living according to the commandments of God, which are commanded not only to us in the monastery, but also to all Orthodox Christians; We are all obliged to their unfailing fulfillment by the vows given at baptism: “I am united to Christ and all His commandments.” These vows are incomparably more important than those given when taking monastic vows, and no one can do anything to apologize for their crime. We attach only two vows to them: virginity and non-covetousness; about which the same Abba Dorotheos writes: “The commandments of Christ were given to all Christians, and every Christian is required to keep them: the tributes are, as if someone had declared, they are owed to the Tsar. Sitsa and fathers not only kept the commandments, but also brought gifts to God. Gifts are virginity and non-covetousness; these are not commandments, but they are free.” If we are obliged to keep all the commandments of God, then do we have the right, living in a monastery, although we have not yet made monastic vows, to transgress these commandments? and, not having a mantle, consider themselves free, without preserving themselves in virginity and non-covetousness? It seems that this is nothing more than a false opinion, a compilation of one’s own mind and self-deception, serving as some kind of justification, but a false one. Shouldn’t we rather approach this sacred image with reverent and spiritual joy, which leads us away from the temptations of the world and serves to strengthen us in virtue? Let’s listen again to Saint Dorotheus: “Why do we wear a mantle, not having a sleeve, while everyone else has sleeves, why are we not imams? The sleeves are similar to the essence of hands, while the hands are engaged in active action. Whenever the thought comes to us of doing something with the hands of the old man, such as stealing, or hitting, or simply committing any sin with our hands, we must heed our image and get used to it; because for this reason, not the imams of the hands, that is, not the imams of the hands, do what the old man does” 24. Therefore, is not this image helping to preserve the commandments? With the same fear of accepting the monastic image, they say that he is not worthy of it. False humility! And dangerous rejection! Listen to Saint John Climacus, he says: “let no one call himself unworthy of the monastic promise, imagining in vain the severity and multitude of falls and, for the sake of his sensuality, let no one imagine himself to be despised, offering his sins as guilt. Where there is great rottenness, there great healing is required, so that the evil-smelling pus will be destroyed. They don't require a doctor's health. If I call us to the king of the earth, and want us to fight before His face, we do not hesitate in the least and do not deny this feat, but abandon everything and hastily flock to it: then let us heed ourselves, lest we be like the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the God of gods, calling us to this angelic rank, out of laziness and negligence, having disobeyed, on this terrible the judgments of those who will meet are unanswerable.” 25 From all of this it is clear that the denial of monastic vows to those who lived in the monastery, and for quite some time now, has no blessed excuse; but it can be called a rejection of obedience to the calling of God. In response to their words: “I cannot fulfill my monastic vows,” it is explained quite above that they no longer want to fulfill their Christian vows, without mentioning virginity and non-covetousness; but living in a monastery, although not tonsured, they are obliged to perform these virtues; when they do not have the strength to bear these forces, they must leave the monastery and enter worldly life. They, without accepting the mantle, think to calm their conscience with this imaginary freedom, breaking the commandments of God, and do not want to truly humble themselves and consider themselves debtors, to always repent and contrite before God. But they also think that they are doing well by not accepting the monastic image and are exalted in their thoughts before those who have accepted it. What does the monastic image mean? Isn’t he an image of repentance and humility, always reminding us of our weakness and weakness, and leading to humility? For with humility the very fulfillment of God’s commandments is pleasing to the Lord, but without it it is rejected, as we see in the Pharisee. About the monastic image, Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, writes: “Great is this gift. This royal seal is the second, baptism 26 cleanses from sins. Gives gifts and graces. Arms and signifies, takes away from the enemy, represents the prince and makes Him a friend.” Above this, you saw the words of Saint John of the Climacus, that for disobeying the calling of God to this rite, through laziness and negligence, at the terrible judgment that will be found unrequited. Doesn’t the Most Merciful Lord Himself call us and ease our deeds and labors, saying: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest: for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28, 30). “But for the faint-hearted, unestablished in faith and poor in zeal for God, it seems impossible to be; But to true zealots of the Lord and those who have a good will, even the impossible is possible through the grace of God. We, the warriors of Christ, put on His full armor, and must fight against the invisible spirits of evil (although all Christians, even those living in the world, are in this militia, but they are more in danger than us, surrounded by a cloud of worldly vanity, from which darkness they do not see their defeat and remain in imaginary peace), we cannot evade this spiritual warfare anywhere.” “And when various temptations, passions and weaknesses, and perplexities beset us, then we must most especially be confirmed in faith in the Lord, and not despair. Even if you received a thousand plagues every day, do not obey your enemy, so as to retreat from the feat and deviate into despair. And if this happens to you, know that Satan, seeing your good will, armed himself with you. Just don’t be discouraged and believe, and the Lord will soon visit you with the secret consolation of His grace” 27. We certainly need temptations, for according to the words of St. Pimen: “the sign of a monk is learned in temptations.” The husband is not experienced and unskilled; he who is tempted, having been tempted, can help those who are tempted (Heb. 2:18). But without temptation, we do not know what dispensation we are in and, being overcome by our opinion of ourselves, we sin more before God; struggling with passions and seeing our weakness, we look down on ourselves and involuntarily humble ourselves, through which we gain the mercy of God. It is appropriate to recall this from the words of St. John of Carpathia, written to the monks: “Curse yourself below, for you are perishing. I don’t say that you lived blamelessly, enduring in the midst of others, but even if you were a great sinner: the sorrow of your soul and your suffering are more honest with God, surpassing everyday virtues; your great sorrow and pity, and sighing, and lamentation, and tears, and torment of conscience, and bewilderment of thought, and condemnation in thought, and sobbing, and crying of the mind, and weeping of the heart, and contrition, and embarrassment, and remorse, and decrepitude, and humiliation, all this and that, which happen in multiplicity in the iron furnace temptations to those plunged, most honest and most favorable, surpassing the pleasure of the laity" 28 . “Even though you are pious and humble in wisdom, not exalted in vain skill, being less daring, but contrite in heart, and imputing to yourself that you are not a slave to be, and contrite in spirit. If you are so humble in wisdom, it is better to eat yours, oh otherwise! transgression of the truth of the world, and your sins are most necessary, more than the great cleansing of life” 29. And Saint Isaac the Syrian strengthens those who are in ascetic endeavor, so that they do not succumb to despair during attempts; which I am not writing out here due to its extensiveness, but I advise you to read his words 7 and 46, in which you will find great benefit. Some point to the present times that the impoverished mentors of monastic life, and those who do not have example and instruction, can conveniently crawl into various sinful passions, without having the spiritual nurturer appointed by the fathers. However, even now, whoever does not suffer from the devil’s illness (pride), according to the words of Saint John of the Climacus and Simeon the New Theologian, will always find a person who can strengthen him in temptation, if he seeks this with faith; and let him delve into the scriptures of his fathers and draw spiritual benefit from there. Blessed Elder Paisius of Moldova writes about this: “in these fierce times, even though I cry and sob a lot, I have become extremely depleted of such a mentor, even if the zealous monks would like to please God with such a communal life. God Himself and the Divine teaching, the reverend father of these, communal mentors, even hitherto observed by God’s providence, is a teacher and mentor: looking at the same, like at these same ones, looking attentively, with the fear of God and reason, they can partly, with God’s haste, imitators of their lives, nourished and admonished by their father. not from himself, but from the Holy Scripture, and from the same saints the father teaches the teachings of his spiritual children. In ancient times, there were many from the saints, the father from the enlightenment of the grace of God, his disciples taught and unscripted. In modern times, the holy fathers do not at all command anyone to teach the brethren: but from the Holy Scripture, and from the teaching of the venerable fathers, who by the Holy Spirit learned the secrets and powers of the Holy Scripture, and by his grace, foreknowledge of the last of these times in foreign times to sound teaching and a true mentor, no small impoverishment, also inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote their holy and soul-beneficial teaching, for our eternal benefit and nourishment, confirmation and guidance on the path of salvation: even in modern times, holding on to it with humility and fear of God, they do not sin in their salvation.” 30 For all the above reasons, no one living in the monastery can refuse tonsure without sin, when this is the will of his superiors. He denies the title of the Heavenly King Himself, according to the word of Saint John of the Climacus, just as it is sinful to deny monasticism for the above reasons, but it is incomparably more shameful, useless and sinful against the will of the authorities to desire and seek it, and to grieve for not receiving it; then, so that the convictions of those who deny monasticism do not serve as a reason for those who wish to seek it and to excuse their passion, let us offer a little reasoning for the knowledge that this is a passion, and for healing it. To desire monasticism is not reprehensible, as if casting off a sinful burden and taking upon oneself the good yoke of Christ and a light burden, but when the abbot does not decide who to tonsure, or for some other reason he is abandoned, then one should not be offended for this, but surrender to the will of God; Apparently, the Lord does not allow this to happen because of unworthiness or temptation, or for any other guilt. When someone grieves for this, then his passion is clearly shown to him, and that he desires monasticism not for God’s sake, but for ambition, or for hierodeaconry, hieromonasticism, and then for the authorities; or for imaginary peace, but all these excuses are very sinful and harmful to the soul, which, due to the darkness of passion, he does not see and does not understand; and the holy fathers, warning us against this, teach, and it is the Monk Nikita Stiphatus, 2nd Centurion in chapter 58, who writes: “that those who have received the presidency through searching, these three will subdue: or indignation from God will come upon you, and anger in various ways and circumstances; For it is not just men who will return to you, but all creation as well, and your life will be full of breath; either you will be cast out with much dishonor from onudu, having prevailed against you, or you will die not in your time, having been cut off from your real life.” 31 And to those who seek peace, Saint Isaac the Syrian says in the 36th word: “It is not the Spirit of God who lives in those who are at rest, but the spirit of the devil.” In the 35th word: “The way of God’s cross is everyday: no one ascends to heaven weak. This is where this path ends.” And not only does external peace harm, but he even speaks about internal peace in the 78th word: “When you find unchanging peace on your path, then be afraid; far away from the right path, walked by the suffering feet of the saints; As soon as you walk the path of the city of the kingdom, and approach the city of God, let this be a sign for you: the strength of temptations will overcome you, and as you approach and succeed, temptations will multiply against you.” When it happens to someone who desires monasticism, and has not accepted this, that at the same time another brother is tonsured, equal to him in entry, or even younger, then he considers himself humiliated and offended due to this; and even more so when he also has some talent: he envies him and is offended beyond measure, complains to others and embarrasses them, not realizing that this comes from pride and is passion. The monastic image is an image of humility, meekness, patience and obedience, and is given according to a satisfied experience in these past. What does temptation mean? Is it not that he was tempted in obedience, accepted various sorrows, annoyances, reproaches, humiliation, embitterment and deprivation, with self-reproach, patience and humility, with which his selfish disposition was softened? Even though he suffered innocently, he must credit himself with an acquisition that serves his correction, and consider those who tempt him as his benefactors. But none of these things can be found in such people, then one must judge: is he worth the monastic image? When taking tonsure, we make a vow of patience for all of the above; but such a person, having no intention of doing so, will obviously lie, only wanting to improve his desire from the forms of ambition, and the monastic image of humility will serve him as vanity and exaltation, and as a temptation for others; others are insanely jealous of him. Saint John of the Climacus writes in the 4th degree: “how lawless and worthy of regret it is to snatch bread from the mouth of a hungry youth: in the same way, both himself and the ascetic are harmed by that spiritual guardian who never offers him the opportunity to receive crowns, which, according to his note, he can earn, either through suffering insults, or dishonor, or humiliation, or ridicule.” Therefore, even if the abbot would leave someone for a while to be tried; or in another case, someone who did not receive monasticism, and although it seemed to him to be despised and humiliated, then everything should be attributed to the will of God tempting him, and not to human wisdom. And people are only the weapons of God, acting in the work of our salvation; for no one can do anything contrary to us without allowing it to God. “Indulging in resistant thoughts 32 and not receiving his desire, he becomes ill, becomes cowardly and mentally depressed, and this is the beginning of Gehenna.” When it happens to him, through the tenderness of the abbot himself, or through the intercession of others, to receive the monastic image, then it subsequently happens to him, as was said above, that the mantle is very burdensome and the path is narrow and regrettable, and not an easy burden and not a good yoke, because he did not enter the sheepfold through the doors, but by climbing other people (John 10:1). If he does not get what he wants, he leaves the monastery, and just as in one place he could not bear the real temptation, and left him without blessed guilt, then in another place those who still endure his sorrows; and he repents late and uselessly. In order to avoid all such soul-harming passions, and the consequences of these grave sorrows, one must resist the sorrowful thoughts that arise about not taking tonsure with prayer, self-reproach and humility, considering oneself the last and worst of all in the monastery; and declare such thoughts to someone in the spirit who is able to heal him: “and even that very thing, which manifests evil thoughts to the father, makes me weaker and fades.” (Word by Cassian to Abbot Leontin). And thus, by the grace of God, having got rid of them, he can calm down; and when the time has come, by the will of God, I inform the authorities about it, and the tonsure will not be condemned, but will lead to salvation. II. A warning to those who read the spiritual books of the fathers and those who wish to undergo the mental Jesus prayer There were two reasons for writing this warning. The first and main reason is explained by the translator of the Fathers’ writings from Hellenic-Greek into the Slavic language, an experienced worker of prayer, the Moldavian elder Paisius Velichkovsky, in his letter to Elder Theodosius, Archimandrite of the Sophronius Hermitage, where he writes: “I am spiritually informing your shrines, as about the printing of the books of the Fathers, both Hellenic-Greek, and so the Slovenian language, and I am overcome with joy and fear. With joy, as they will no longer be consigned to complete oblivion, and as zealousness will be able to acquire them more conveniently. Out of fear, fear and trembling, and not just by a monk, but by all Orthodox Christians, just as other books, like things being sold, were offered, from them spontaneously without the instruction of the skilled, to those who have learned how to make mental prayers, delusion will follow, but because of delusion, may blasphemy from vanity-minded people against this holy thing not follow. an immaculate deed, testified by many great holy fathers.” (Having presented the former example of blasphemy against prayer, the elder continues): “For this reason, as I foretold, I fear and tremble, lest the self-inflicted delusions should follow; The delusion of blasphemy, the blasphemy of doubting the teachings of our God-bearing fathers.” “For this reason, for the sake of God-bearing, the fathers, about this prayer often, say that its beginning and foundation is unshakable obedience; true obedience; From worthlessness, true humility is born, but humility protects the one who strives in it from all the delights of the self-inflicted that follow. And how will it be possible, without obedience, by self-indulgence, that delusion will follow him, for such a terrible and terrible thing, that is, such a prayer, without any instruction, to be forced, and to escape the manifold charms of the enemy, who are subtly led to this prayer and its ascetics? Not at all possible." 33 Another reason for the warning was a manuscript by an unknown writer, which explains various prayerful actions and spiritual consolations, which were vouchsafed to the Siberian elder Basilisk. In this manuscript, the author wrote an indifferent conviction for the passage of mental and heartfelt prayer, setting the main goal in this activity to be the search for high gifts and spiritual consolations, which can lead to very dangerous consequences in relation to the charms of the enemy. Although this manuscript is still in a few hands and is known to rare people, it cannot be kept silent about it; it is written convincingly; evidence adapted from the books of the fathers; and the dangerous side on this subject is silent, so that someone who does not know the teaching of the holy fathers perfectly can easily be carried away by such a conviction, and especially who has not happened to see or hear from others about those who have been damaged mentally through such an activity. In order to see the truth more clearly, let us present on Wednesday the testimonies of the holy and God-bearing fathers about whether the mental practice of the Jesus Prayer is accessible to many and whether the goal of seeking spiritual gifts and consolations through this practice is correct and safe. From a consideration of the entire teaching of the Holy Fathers, it is clear that those who practice the Jesus Prayer in a correct and lawful manner are actually sometimes granted from the Lord great spiritual gifts and the revelation of the sacraments, and various spiritual consolations, the grace of God providentially acting in the souls of humble and worthy prayer-bookers; but very few achieve this. Saint Isaac the Syrian says: “just as from this one man (that is, from tens of thousands) is found worthy of attaining, with much guarding, in pure prayer, and breaking this limit, and receiving the sacrament. For now, you have not received many and pure prayers, but only a few (that is, not very many). Having reached this sacrament through one and the other, it is barely found in one generation and another by the grace of God” 34. From these words of Saint Isaac it is clear that if, according to the present conviction, everyone indifferently takes up mental prayer, with the goal of achieving high gifts and spiritual consolations, then many must inevitably fall into one of two extremes: either they will be caught in the delusion of the enemy by false sensations and seductive dreams, or, not receiving any success, they will be recklessly embarrassed, because high spiritual prayer, according to to the word of Saint Isaac the Syrian, one among countless people is honored. 35 The holy and God-bearing fathers wrote about great spiritual gifts not so that everyone would foolishly strive to receive them, but so that those who lack them, hearing about such high gifts and revelations received by the worthy, would realize their deep weakness and great lack, and involuntarily bow to humility, which, more than all works and virtues, is necessary for those seeking salvation. Saint Climacus writes: “how the poor, seeing the royal treasures, recognize their poverty even more; so the soul, reading the stories about the great corrections of the holy fathers, involuntarily humbles itself even more in its way of thinking.” 36 And in another place this saint says: “It is commendable to be amazed at the works of the saints, to be jealous of them is saving; and to suddenly want to become an imitator of them is reckless and impossible” 37. And St. Isaac the Syrian says: “If you say, as if the Father wrote about these things, that there is purity of the soul, and that there is health (of the soul), and that there is dispassion, and that vision: then, let us not ask for it ahead of time with hope, - write. It is written beforehand that the kingdom of God will not come with the fulfillment of the expectation (Luke 17:20): for he who has found himself with this intention will suffer pride and the fall of the acquisitive. But we will place the heart in deeds of repentance and living in those who are pleasing to God. The Lord’s message comes about itself, if the place of the heart is pure and undefiled. She, who we are looking for with observation, is high, I say from God, this is noticeable to the Church of God, and those who accepted it are acquisitive pride and fall. And this sign is not a sign that someone loves God, but an illness of the soul. And how we seek the highness of God, where the divine Paul boasts in sorrow, and the communion of the passions of Christ (that is, the patience of sorrows and suffering) does not feel the highness of God." 38 Likewise, in another place it is said by Saint Isaac: “everyone, before perfect training in the first part (that is, the active one), moving on to the second part (that is, the speculative one), for the sweetness of it, diligently, but I do not say from laziness, the wrath (of God) finds nan, for not first killing one’s own souls, even on earth, that is, to heal the weakness of thoughts through the patience of doing the vexation of the cross, he dared to dream in his mind the glory of the cross... His mind is defiled by the passions of dishonor, and the thought of dreaming with his mind flows, he is forbidden by prohibition (that is, he is forbidden from this by punishment), for the hedgehog not to be the first to have a pure mind with sorrows, and to subjugate the lusts of the flesh, but the ink of his writing was lost from hearing flow straight to your face, if you go on a journey full of darkness, and you yourself are blind in your eyes. And he who is healthy in sight, and filled with light, and who has acquired mentors of grace and grace in trouble, are night and day; Sometimes their thoughts are filled with the essence of tears, and in prayer and crying they work all day and night, fear for the sake of the journey, and rapids for the sake of the stronger (terrible) ones, meeting those, and the images of truth found mixed with hypocritical images. Even God, they come from themselves, I don’t feel them. Yes, but if the place is clean and not nasty. If the apple of the eye of your soul is not pure, then you do not dare to look at the surroundings of the (mental) sun, lest you lose even those small dawns, which is simple faith, and humility, and heartfelt confession, and small deeds, even according to your strength, and you will be cast out into the one place of the mental, which is total darkness, external from God, bearing the image of hell, like This one, deprived of spirits, goes to the wedding in bad robes.” 39 Here Saint Isaac clearly showed that those who seek sweet spiritual sensations in prayer with longing, and especially those who prematurely strive for spiritual vision and contemplation, fall into the delusion of the enemy and into the realm of darkness and darkness of meaning, being abandoned by the help of God, and handed over to the demons for reproach, for their proud search for more than the measure and dignity of their own. After the pitiful story about Malpata and Asin, seduced by the devil, Saint Isaac says: “This speech here is not in vain, but let us understand the reproach of demons who thirst for the destruction of the saints, and let us not desire thoughts not during our high lives, lest we be mocked by the evil one and our adversary. For this I see even today, like young people, filled with passions, they speak and teach about the sacraments of dispassion, without fear. It was written by some saints about people filled with passions, who are concerned about words (about understanding), bodily and incorporeal, who have not been excommunicated from the sick, who lay down laws about health. Blessed Paul, always thinking about the disciples who despised the commandments and did not overcome the passions, but the blessedness of the sacrament of vision that occurs after the purification of those who wish, spoke to them: first put off the old man of passions, and then desire to put on the new, renewed in the mind of the sacraments in the likeness of the Creator (Col. 3: 9, 10). And may you not covet this of mine and the Apostles, truly by the grace of the former (gift). Because of what He wants, God has mercy on what He wants, and He hardens what He wants (Rom. 9:18). “Who will stand against His face, or resist His will? There are times when God gives tuna, but when He seeks deeds and purity, and so bestows it; but then, lower in deed and purification, he gives here, but keeps it, so that he may give it in his place.” 40 St. Gregory of Sinaite, a zealous teacher of smart work, writes in his chapters on silence: “near and around the demons of beginners and self-initiated ones are spreading networks of thoughts, and ditches of falls and dreams of destruction. Their city is under the possession of barbarians, and it is not proper to wonder if someone is deceived, or loses their mind, or accepts the deception, or accepts it.” “It’s a wonderful thing to be deceived by someone who is new and who has labored for many years. For the memory of God, this is, mental prayer that is higher than all works; and those who want to come to God shamelessly and boldly and confess Him purely, and to acquire Him within themselves, are easily slain by the very demons, I say, if they are allowed to do so. Many times, the Lord has been kind to us, in vain we are insolent in high places, does not allow us to be tempted, as if each person, having recognized his own opinion (insolence), will turn about himself, before there will even be reproach by the demon, and there will be no laughter or crying in people. For those who are strong and perfect will always fight against the demon, and I will stretch out the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, against them. Those who are weak and new to leadership, flee with reverence and fear, as if using a stronghold and renouncing battle, not daring to fight before the time, they flee to (spiritual) death.” 41 This Saint also says that not everyone should and can be taught to do mental prayer, as he wrote in 15 chapters. “And those who by no means sing, also do good, even if they are in prosperity: these do not require the words of psalms, but silence and unceasing prayer and vision, even if they rush into enlightenment: for they are united with God and should not distract their minds from him, and let him into confusion. Teaching others the same rite (that is, the unceasing Jesus Prayer) is not possible for everyone. Simple novices who exist 42 and are not bookish: for obedience, from every virtue, humility participates; It is not given to those who are disobedient, lest they be deceived by convenience; beings are rude and inquisitive: for an autocrat cannot escape the opinion of himself, which is a temptation to follow the custom,” as Saint Isaac says. “Others, not thinking about the harm that is going to happen, for the hedgehog they say and love the memory of God with their minds (that is, the Jesus Prayer), they teach those who come to do this alone to act, even if they are weak, and especially to be self-inflicted. Moreover, their minds are unclean, for the sake of negligence and arrogance, even though they are not cleansed with tears, they are idols, and even more so they make unclean thoughts and not prayers, in their hearts they are troubled by an unclean spirit from a terrible spirit and kill with a gnashing wound the one who is wounded.” 43 Moreover, you should know that mental prayer requires a lot of attention, effort and work. Whoever wishes to go through this work in his mind, Saint Simeon the New Theologian prescribes the following: “according to perfect obedience, which I have foretold, as it is fitting for you to keep it to your spiritual father, and to do all your deeds with a clear conscience, as before the face of God. Apart from obedience, it is impossible for anyone to have a clear conscience, and you must keep your conscience clear for three things: first to God, then to your spiritual father, and third to other people and things. And it is your duty to God to preserve your clear conscience, that is, not to do anything that is displeasing to God and displeasing to Him. To your spiritual father, do everything in the same way, he says, neither more than what is commanded, nor less, but according to his suggestion and according to his will, go. As for other people, you should keep a clear conscience and not do things to them that you yourself hate and don’t want them to do to you; and in things again, your duty is to be guarded from abuse, that is, you should use everything in an appropriate way: food, drink and clothing, and in short, you must do everything, as if in the face of God, and by no means let your conscience convict and torment you in a single matter, as if you did not do good.” 44 Whoever has the opportunity and will to live according to this instruction of St. Simeon the Theologian, he, without a doubt, with humility and hope for God’s help, can touch upon learning how to do heartfelt prayer, using at the same time other advice of the holy fathers, that is, dissolving prayer with the memory of death, the memory of one’s previous life and the recollection of one’s sins by sight (except for carnal ones, since remembering them is harmful), and by all ways to acquire and maintain contrition of spirit, and humility and crying, “the imams scold the proud with the devil,” says St. Philotheus of Sinai. 45 This doer must also keep in mind the true purpose of prayer, and not the one presented by the mentioned writer, that is, the search for spiritual gifts and consolations. Truly, the righteous ascetics did not seek gifts, but on the contrary, some of them prayed to God that the gifts already given would be taken away from them. “If there is nothing from them,” says Saint Isaac the Syrian, “and you have received gifts, then you have received them out of need (for the common benefit), or simplicity for your own sake.” 46 The Venerables Callistus and Ignatius write: “do not seek before the time, even though they have their time” 47 . And in another place, these saints, citing evidence from the book of St. Isaac, about the Divine manifestation in us and essential grace-filled enlightenment, warn the inexperienced, saying this: “This is Jerusalem, and the kingdom of God, hidden within us, according to the word of the Lord: this country of clouds is the glory of God, into which they alone will enter with a pure heart, to see the face of their Master. Just let him not seek the manifestation of God in himself, and let him not accept that which truly is darkness, but the light of being is hypocritical.” 48 What is the true purpose of prayer? Saint Cassian the Roman, in his letter to Leontin the Abbot, writing about his conversation with Abba Moses, says that the saint sets the purity of the heart as the goal of spiritual life, that is, cleansing it from passions. How is this goal achieved? By keeping the commandments of God; and through this, when someone has put off the old man, that is, the passions, he is vouchsafed pure and spiritual prayer, according to what was said by Saint Isaac the Syrian: “A man is vouchsafed this (that is, spiritual prayer), when he has been put off by sin, within and without, by keeping the commandments of the Lord, contrary to sin; Even if someone loves the commandments and uses them according to their order, then it happens to him that he needs to get rid of many human things, that is, the body has become united and exists outside of him, as if he spoke not by nature, but by need. There is someone who lives in the image of the giver of the law (that is, following His example), and if he used His commandments, sin would remain in him. For this reason, the Lord made his abode with him, the one who kept the commandments was promised according to the Gospel.” 49 In Macarius of Egypt, in the book of seven words, we read: “Whoever, having no desire for prayer, forces himself to pray, so that in this way he may acquire the grace and gift of that, but does not force himself to humility, love, and other commandments of the Lord, such, although sometimes the grace is given to pray, from a certain part with peace and joy of spirit, as he asks: but in morals he is similar to whom he was formerly like. Do not have meekness: you have not labored to acquire it and have not prepared your heart to be so. Do not have humility: I did not ask for it and did not force myself to do so. I don’t have love for everyone, I didn’t have enough care and effort in my prayers to ask for it. It is fitting for everyone who forces himself to pray, and strives in every possible way to incline his stubborn heart to it; Thus, one must force oneself to love, and to meekness, and to all joyful patience and generosity, according to what is written; You must also force yourself to complacently endure exile and all sorts of reproaches and impute to yourself that you are worse and less than everyone else” 50. In the same book and in that word it is also said that such a one is always close to a fall: “if anyone forces himself to pray, he will never receive a certain gift from God; to this, like this: to humility, to love, to meekness and other virtues in the same way he does not create violence for himself, although sometimes, at his request, the grace of God is given - for God is good and merciful and gives to those who ask Him according to their requests: but he has not previously prepared himself and is not accustomed to the spoken virtues, then either the grace destroys, or he accepts, and abi falls, or achieves nothing, falling into arrogance, until with a firm intention he does not commit everything to himself by the commandment of the Lord. The habitation and peace of the Holy Spirit is humility, love and meekness, and the other commandments of the Lord” 51. And again this saint says: “Unless prayer is combined with humility and love, simplicity and goodness in us, not this prayer itself, but there is a mask better than prayer that can bring us not a single benefit.” 52 The mentioned writer, urging people to undergo mental prayer, visually exposes the spiritual structure and way of life of only selected ascetics who have already cleansed themselves of passions, but how in the beginning the spiritual struggle with passions is carried out through prayer, he is silent about that. In the superscription to the book of St. Nil Sorsky it is said: “set from one country the commandments of Christ, and from another the constant prayer: forgive us our debts. Give me a true sentence, not to transgress the single commandments, this is, not to lust, not to be angry, not to condemn, not to slander, not to lie, not to speak idlely, to love your enemies, to do good to those who hate, to pray for those who commit mischief; also avoid lust, love of money, lustful thoughts, sadness, vanity and contempt, and simply all sins and evil thoughts. And with such a proposal, begin to learn how to do smart things, and pay attention diligently, because every day through your proposal you break the commandments, and are wounded by so many sins, passions and evil thoughts” 53. This place, firstly, shows how smart work must be coupled with keeping the commandments of God, which the mentioned writer does not say affirmatively anywhere, but only makes little narrative mention at the end of his epistle. Secondly, it shows that the person doing the prayer does not suddenly enjoy the desired fruits, although the mentioned persuader and speedy one promises success in this. From the teachings of the holy fathers it is clear that learning to do smart things requires a lot, not only labor and achievement, but also time. St. John Chrysostom writes: “This matter will not last one day, or two, but there is a lot of summer and time, and there is a need for achievement and labor, until the enemy will be driven out and Christ will dwell” 54 . At Rev. Hesychius and Nicephorus the monk, although many details are presented on how the training of smart work should be carried out at the beginning, but those who have not yet experienced it should primarily adhere to the instructions of St. Callistus and Ignatius, because they gradually lay out the guidance for undergoing smart work, setting ahead many preparations for it. Firstly, these saints say that the beginning of any work according to God is living according to the commandments of the Savior, and that whoever wants to live according to God must be directed towards fulfilling all the commandments of God, especially keeping peace with others and having love for everyone. Further they write that first of all one must choose a spiritual mentor and have complete obedience to him and cut off one’s will before him. Having exhibited signs of true obedience, they also explain that the worker of this, with the Orthodox faith, must be filled with good deeds, avoid rumors and embarrassment, sadness and care, be silent and silent, and thank God for everything; to recognize one’s weakness and to bravely endure temptations, with hope in God and expectation of spiritual benefit from Him; during the changes that occur, do not despair, but with faith and patience expect changes for the better, and especially plunge into the depths of humility, from the heart considering yourself the most sinful and most indecent of all people, because humility covers many of our weaknesses and, more than other virtues, it propitiates God for us. These saints also advise to be careful with spiritual consolations. They also wrote a chapter on Divine and feigned consolation, where it is exposed how the crafty enemy maliciously and subtly tries to seduce with false consolations not only inexperienced, but also skilled ascetics, bowing them into some subtle sleep, so that they cannot distinguish the consolation of the false from the true. 55 The main sign of delusion is when a person mistakes false sensations of joy or consolation from the enemy for blessings, or accepts false light for true light. Why, in order to avoid harm, do these saints advise, in this case, to ask the one who can teach not only from divine scripture, but also from experienced divine enlightenment. If there is none, then it is better not to accept consolation, but to humbly resort to God, from a pure heart, considering oneself unworthy of such dignity and vision. 56 Although the Apostle Paul mentions joy among other fruits (Gal.5:22); but one must be very careful not to be carried away by a false feeling of joy, as St. writes about this. Climacus, saying: “Reject the coming joy with the hand of humility, as unworthy, and not being deceived by it, accept a wolf instead of a shepherd” 57. True and unadulterated joy, as can be seen from the Apostle’s very calculation of spiritual fruits, belongs to a great spiritual measure. Just as the gifts of the Holy Spirit begin from something less, that is, from the fear of God, and ascend gradually; in the same way, spiritual fruits begin not with the highest, but with the lowest, that is, abstinence in everything and meekness, which will be followed by living faith, all mercy towards one’s neighbor; then the goodness that the Prophet Habakkuk and St. Isaac the Syrian: “The good eye will not see evil” 58. Further, long-suffering in sorrows and temptations, internal and external, and peace from thoughts and all passions. If someone dissolves his prayer with these virtues, called fruits by the Apostle, and has achieved spiritual joy in due time, he can enjoy it worthily and righteously, being filled with humility and love, which, according to the Apostle, never disappears 59. By the way, let's talk about charm in general. St. Gregory of Sinaite writes: “But you, even if you are silent and good, hoping to be with God, never accept anything, if you see something sensually or intellectually, or from outside, or inside, or even if the image of Christ, or Angels, or a saint’s image, or the light is dreamed by the mind, or imagined, as the mind itself has a dreamy nature, and it is convenient He can make visions as he wishes, but not to the danger of those who listen to this, who also cause harm to themselves. For this reason, pay attention, so as not to put faith in anything, in agreement with this, even if there is good, before there is much questioning and torment, so that you do not receive harm; but remain indignant at this, always keeping your mind uneducated, sightless, unimaginative. Many times, God sent a crown to temptation for the sake of many, harming many. Because our Lord wants to tempt us autocratically, he bows down. Having seen something in thought or feeling, even if it is from God, and besides the questioning of those leading, he is seduced by convenience, or wants to be seduced, as if he is convenient. God is not indignant at one who dangerously listens to delusions for the sake of himself, even if he does not accept from Him except questioning, or many trials, but rather praises him for being wise. For there is no small need to achieve the truth clearly, and to be pure from those who oppose grace, as in the image of truth the devil usually shows his charm in the beginners, transforming his evil one, as if it is spiritual” 60 . And Simeon the New Theologian says: “In this way, those who saw the light were seduced by the hairs of these bodily hairs, and those who smelt incense with their sense of smell and heard the voices of their ears and other similar things: and I became enraged by them, and I moved mentally from place to place, but I received a demon, and appeared and was transformed into The angel was bright, and deceived, and remained uncorrected even to the end, not accepting advice from a single brother: you fell into the rapids; Ovi hanged himself, and who can utter the various deceptions of the devil” 61? Those who, without cleansing themselves of passions, raise their minds to heaven and imagine heavenly good things and the ranks of angels, etc., are especially susceptible to this delusion. as it is written by Simeon the New Theologian in the same chapter above: “Whenever someone stands in prayer, he raises his hand, and eyes, and mind to heaven, and imagines in his mind the divine counsels, the good heavens, the ranks of the holy angels, and the tabernacles of the saints, and, in short, everything he hears from the divine scriptures, he collects in his mind, and reflects on them during prayer, and he looks at the sky, and with them excites his soul to desire and divine love; sometimes sheds tears and cries. And in this way, little by little, his heart becomes proud, not understanding it with his mind, and imagines that what he does is from divine grace for his consolation, and prays to God to grant him the opportunity to find himself in the work of blue, which is a sign of delusion: for there is no good to be good, but good will not pass through, and as it should” 62 . What do you mean, not well passable? Saint Simeon, in response, cites evidence from the book of Saint Climacus, who likens the images of attention and prayer to a ladder of four degrees, and says: “they tame and diminish passions; and they sing, that is, pray with their lips; and they practice mental prayer; and the ovi ascend to the vision.” “In the same way,” continues St. Simeon, “whoever wants to ascend to these four degrees, do not begin to go from top to bottom, but from bottom to top, but first ascend to the first degree, then to the second, and then to the third, and then to the fourth. And the first thing that needs to be done is to strive to tame and diminish passions; secondly, let him practice psalmody, that is, let his lips pray: when the passions diminish, then prayer by nature gives joy and sweetness to the tongue, and is considered pleasing to God; third, let him pray wisely; and the fourth goes back to the vision. Whoever goes through this according to order, each at its own time, this one can, after cleansing his heart from passions, practice the psalmody completely, and resist with his thoughts and look at the sky with his sensual eyes, whenever necessary, with his intelligent, spiritual eyes, see it and pray purely in truth, as it should be” 63 . All these testimonies are from the teachings of St. and the God-bearing fathers were written out of the desire to benefit their neighbor and to warn the inexperienced and weak, so that they do not recklessly and impudently strive beyond their measure to undergo mental work, so that they do not fall into the delusion of the enemy, and there will be reproach to demons and weeping among men, as stated above. But this was by no means written in order to deter and turn away from this work anyone who, in the mind and according to the teaching of the holy fathers, wants to undergo it. We rejoice over those who can reasonably and worthily unite with the Lord through this blessed work; For those who have not achieved this and are forced to go through this work, we advise them to read the fatherly books with due attention, so that they will know the truth and delusion, and the bait of the enemy, and keep themselves from undertakings beyond their measure. It is decent and useful for many to remember the word of St. Isaac the Syrian, who advises using the image of prayer in accordance with the way of your life and according to the measure of your spiritual structure, saying: “according to your abiding, it is appropriate for your prayer to be” 64. And in another place: “there is a fierce betrayal of a certain high thing that still exists to him, and to a child of (spiritual) age” 65. It is not in vain that the Apostle commands first to pray verbally, as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews: Therefore we offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of the lips of those who confess to His name (13:15). Likewise, the Monk Peter of Damascus teaches us to go through active prayer first, explaining that contemplative prayer is bestowed later, by the grace of God; not by the will of man, but by the will of God, when his heart and mind find themselves able to accommodate it, as he says in the 2nd book: “Give prayer to the one who prays (1 Samuel 2:9), that is, to the one who prays for good with bodily prayer, God gives mental prayer and to the one who persists in this with diligence (gives) formless and unimagined, (derived) from pure fear God's." And again, “doing this good, he gives the vision of creatures and from this the admiration of the mind for theology and the good action of the future; He gives from all to him who is abolished, and to him who learns in deed and word, and not by hearing alone.” 66 III. About humility. Collected from Holy Scripture: How necessary is humility for us? If you do everything that is commanded, say: For we are unworthy servants; for what we ought to do, we have done (Luke 17:10). (After the parable of the publican and the Pharisee): For everyone who exalts himself will humble himself; but he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:14, like this: 14:11). Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29). Whatever He wills to be in you, let him be your servant (Matthew 20:26). Whoever wants to be first in you, be your slave (Matthew 20:27). For He has looked upon the humility of His servant (Luke 1:48). And exalt the humble (Luke 1:52). Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first (1 Tim. 1:15). Showing honor to one another (Phil. 2:3). Like this: (Rom.12:10). If anyone imagines that he is worthless, he flatters himself with his mind (Gal. 6:3). If anyone thinks that he will be wise in you in this world, let him be, for he will be wise (1 Cor. 3:18). God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). Like this: (James 4:6). Not lofty in wisdom, but in humble conduct. Do not be wise about yourself (Rom.12:16). The Lord is near to those who are brokenhearted and humble in spirit (Ps. 33:19). Humble bones will rejoice (Ps. 50:10). God will not despise a contrite and humble heart (Ps. 50:19). For You have saved the humble people, and humbled the eyes of the proud (Ps. 17:28). Consider the prayer of the humble, and do not despise their prayers (Ps. 101:18). Who is like the Lord God, who lives on high and lowly in heaven and on earth (Ps. 112:5, 6). The Lord is high and looks down on the humble (Ps. 137:6). Humble yourself and save me (Ps. 115:5). First, let us not even humble ourselves, since we have sinned (Ps. 119:67). It is good for me, for Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn by Thy justification (Ps. 119:71). For in our humility the Lord will remember us (Ps. 135:23). Listen to my prayer, for I have greatly humbled myself (Ps. 142:7). Lord, my heart is not exalted, but my eyes are lifted lower: I walked lower in the great, lower in the wondrous than me (Ps. 130:1). Even though I was not humble in wisdom, I lifted up my soul, like what was given to my mother (Ps. 130:2). C) FROM THE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY FATHERS. a) Saint Isaac the Syrian: Love humility in all your deeds, so that you can get rid of the incomprehensible snares that are always found outside the paths of the humble (from word 5). If you degrade and belittle yourself, you will gain wisdom from the Lord; but he who does not imagine himself to be wise, the wisdom of God falls away (from the word of the 8th). If you do good virtue, and do not feel the temptation of its intercession, do not be surprised: until then a person will not humble himself, will not accept the reward of his doing. Reward is not given to doing, but to humility. Offend the second (i.e., humility), the first (i.e., retribution) destroys, and so on (from verse 34). The righteous of truth always think this within themselves: that they are not worthy of God; and by this they are tempted, because they are true, because they have the accursed, and because they are not worthy of His diligence (from word 36). (Writing about deviation into passions and thoughts). And understand that all this, for which we humble ourselves, has brought God’s providence upon us; who provides and arranges for each of us, as he ought to eat. Do not despair (from the memory of your sins), but forgive your sins with thoughts of humility and propitiation (verse 46). Humility and, in addition to deeds, forgives many sins; this, on the contrary, is useless without it; but they also do us many evils. Just as salt is in every food, so is humility in every virtue; and this can destroy the strength of many sins. It is necessary to grieve about this incessantly, thinking with humility and sadness. And if we acquire this, He makes us sons of God; and besides good deeds, he represents us to God. But without it (humility) all our deeds are vanity, both all virtues and all deeds. This alone is self-satisfied, standing helplessly before God and speaking about us (verse 46). What is perfection? Depth of humility. How can anyone acquire humility? And he said: with the unceasing memory of sins, and with the hope that approaches death, and with thin clothing, and at all times prefer the last place, and in every thing to flow to the slightest and reproached deeds, and thus, the hedgehog is disobedient, and so on. (page 48). Question: What is the essence of a fair amount of humility? Answer: just as exaltation is a waste of souls, so humility gathers them into silence (and so on until the end of the word). Even if the sky cleaves to the earth, the humble man is not horrified. Not everyone is silent and humble, but everyone is humble and silent. Even if there is someone who is truly humble and wise, he will not dare to pray to God, and even to this day he dares to say and pray: according to Your will, Lord, so be it for me (f. 48). O little man, do you want to gain belly? Keep faith and humility within yourself, and through these you will receive mercy and help, and so on. (page 49). I want to open my mouth, brothers, and speak about the sublime guilt of humility; and I am filled with fear, as if someone knows how to talk about God in the form of his words. There is a robe for the Deity. The Word, having become human, clothed itself with this and became part of us in our body. And everyone, having clothed himself in non, truly became like Him who descended from His height, and Who covered the virtue of His majesty, and Who covered His glory with humility; let no creature be caught by His vision, and then honor the entire chapter. Humility is a certain mysterious power, which, after the completion of all life, is divine, and is accepted in the perfection of holiness. And this power is not given only to those who are perfect in virtue, by the power of grace; because it prevails in nature with determination; This virtue already contains all of it. Not everyone who is by nature silent, or reasonable, or meek, has reached the degree of humility; but he is truly humble, who has something in secret that is worthy of pride and is not proud, but rather has it in his mind. But not one who is humble in memory of his sins and remembers them until his heart is contrite and his mind is overcome by thoughts of pride in the memory of them - we are called to be humble of mind, even if this is commendable, before having the thought of pride, and not acquiring humility, but by cunning brings it closer to oneself. Even though this is commendable, like the death, it is still not the word, but by will it wants it, and then it is not its. The humble person is perfect, do not require to subterfuge guilt with your wisdom, to be humble; but - in all these things it is perfect and natural that one acquires without labor; as if some gift is great and surpasses all creation, he receives it in himself: he sees himself as sinful, and bad, and despised by his own eyes. Otherwise, let a person not dare to think in his soul, as if he had achieved the measure of humility by himself, alone for the sake of the thought of tenderness that arose at a certain time; or for the small tears that came from him; or for one good... and so on. (page 53). And for this reason, it is fitting for us to humble ourselves and weep over the guilt of those sins, even without our will, or thoughts, or deeds, committed by us, and say with a contrite heart the publican’s words: God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13). And do it in secret and in reality, which the Lord taught, saying: When you have done all that is commanded to you, shout: For we are servants without keys; as if they were to be created, they were created (Luke 17:10); and your conscience bears witness to you that you are invincible and require mercy. Believe, too, that it is not deeds that open the door that is closed, even in the heart, but a contrite heart and humility of the soul, when you conquer passions with humility. With great humility and contrition of heart about our deeds and our thoughts: let us ask the Lord for forgiveness of our sins and humility of the soul. It is written by one of the saints: whoever does not imagine himself to be a sinner, his prayer is not favorable with the Lord (f. 55). Humility will then be followed by abstinence and hiddenness (spiritual secrecy); vanity, the servant, is fornication, the work of pride. Humility, always present for the sake of concealment, achieves vision; adorns the soul with chastity; vanity, which is always present for the sake of rebellion and confusion of one’s thoughts, from the meeting of things, collects treasures of filth and defiles the heart. Humility, however, is hidden spiritually by vision, and moves the one who has acquired it towards praise. It is kinder for you to be reproached by being an ignorant person, because of your smallness of mind, to be contradicted, and not by the wise for lack of wisdom. Become poor for humility, and do not be rich for lack of thought. At all times, beware of leading yourself to nothing, so as to escape from the reproach that comes from suspicion, even if you want to form a different understanding (f. 56). Just as grace approaches humility, so too does pride have a painful adventure. The eyes of the Lord are upon the humble to make them glad; the face of the Lord is before the proud, to humble them. Humility accepts mercy from God; hard-heartedness and lack of faith will normalize terrible cases. You have become lower than all men, and you will be exalted above the princes of this age. Precede everyone with your kiss (greeting) and worship, and you will be honored more than those who wear Sufiric gold. Humble (humble) yourself and see the glory of God in yourself: where humility flows out, there the glory of God flows out. If you actually struggle and are humbled, then of all men will make you glorified and God will be; If you have humility in your heart, then in your heart God will show you His glory. Be despised in Your greatness, and not great in Your smallness. Strive to be despised, and be filled with the honor of God. May you be unworthy of honor, filled with ulcers within. Reproach (despise) honor, so that you may be honored; and may you not love her, may you not be dishonest. He who strives for honor flees from in front of him; and if he runs away from her, he will marry him, and the preacher will become the whole man of his humility. If you despise yourself, if you are disrespectful, God will declare you. If you reproach yourself for the truth, God will command all His creatures to praise you; and the door of glory will be opened before you, and so on... Blessed is he who humbles himself in all, for he will be exalted; For for God’s sake, humble yourself in everyone and belittle yourself; from God we glorify. Humble yourself for God's sake, and you, who know nothing, will increase your glory. Have sin in your whole belly, so that you may be justified in your whole belly, etc. (v. 57). Humility is the perfection to endure false statements with joy. The humble man is truly offended, he is not embarrassed, he makes no answer about the thing he was offended about; but accepts slander as if it were the truth; and it will be baked to convince people that he was slandered, but asks for forgiveness, and further... You don’t feel like having humility, otherwise you are lying to yourself; You, however, tolerate less of their words, and instruct yourself to be humble in wisdom. Are you humble-wise, test yourself in these things - are you not embarrassed when you offend? The eyes of the Lord are upon the humble in heart, and His ears are upon their prayer. The prayer of the humble wise, as if from mouth to ear (page 58). The sacraments are revealed to the humble (sl. bb) First, bring you into the city of humility, if you see for yourself that you have rested from the oppression of passions, lest you believe yourself: for the enemy is planting some kind of bait on you; but expect, in this peace, a lot of pain and confusion (fol. 73). During that time, when humility reigns in your being, your soul obeys you, and with it everything obeys you; From now on, peace from God is born in your heart. As long as you are outside of this, you are often driven not only by passions, but also by adventures. Truly, Lord, if we do not humble ourselves, do not cease to humble us. True humility is the breed of reason, and true reason is the breed of temptation (v. 74). The healing of all this (that is, this evil action described above in the word) is one; Through his hand someone finds consolation in his soul. And what is this? Humility of heart. Apart from this, no one can destroy the stronghold of these evils; but what is more, you gain the overcoming nan. Do not be angry with me, for I tell you the truth. You never looked for this with all your soul. If you want, come to his country and see what the destruction of your wickedness will bring you. In proportion to your humility, you will be given patience in your misadventures; and through your patience the severity of your sorrows is lightened (word 79). There is humility from the fear of God, and there is humility from the love of God. And there is a humbleness of fear for the sake of God, and there is a humbleness of joy for His sake. And to him, who humbles himself for the fear of God, will be followed by meekness and dean-like feelings, and a contrite heart at all times; therefore, for the sake of the joy of the humble one, much simplicity will follow, and the heart will grow and be uncontrollable. Mean nothing, but have humility; and if you do not have humility, you will not have understanding. There is no humble wisdom, just a peaceful one; and the one who is not peaceful is lower than the humble one (word 89). And consider how you are doing your gray hair; Is it with humility, and the fear of God, and unfeigned love for everyone? Abba Arseny also had reason, but did not appear; humbly saying: “I want to be saved, but I don’t know how.” Submit your will from behind you and humble yourself throughout your entire belly, and you will be saved. If the imams are like earth and ashes, according to Abraham (Gen. 18:27) and Job (Job 42:6), we will never be stolen. But imams have always paid taxes and other things - not gold, not silver - but an image of humility and patience, and even love in God. If anyone despises glory and dishonor, he can be saved. c) from the questions of Abba Dorotheus: To the question: which path saves the most: for the sake of work, or for humility? - Answers: true work, brother, is nothing but humility. For labor itself is in vain and counts for nothing. The verb is: see my humility and my labor, and forgive all my sins (Ps. 24:18). Having this, he will soon posture; have humility with humiliation, and posture the same; humiliation because the place contains labor. Have humility, about yourself, enters; more inert than that. If anyone wants to maintain true humility, let him not count things for himself in any way; This is true humility. To the question: what is humility, and what is humiliation, and what is contrition of heart? and whoever acquires humility by humiliating himself in his heart? or do you need to eat external ones, even from people’s reproaches, and annoyances, and the worst deeds. Also, should the humble person eat and speak humbly? or is it a humble thing to cleverly do? - Answers: There is humility, such as not counting one thing for yourself, and cutting off your will in everyone, and obeying everyone, and bearing without embarrassment what you find from others; This is true humility, and vanity has no place in it. A humble person should not eat and speak humbly, but it is sufficient to say: forgive me and pray for me; below the mother-in-law to oneself for the worst deeds: both bring vanity, and do not leave anyone to succeed; and there is more evil than good. But I am commanded to be, and to speak without resistance, but to create with obedience; this leads to prosperity. Humiliation comes in two forms: one comes from the heart, and the other comes from external reproaches. Moreover, there is more humiliation inflicted from external people than from the heart: but to have labor is humiliation that comes from the heart, rather than from man; Because this disease is creating a great deal in the heart. There is contrition of the heart if you guard your heart and do not let it grow into alien thoughts. To the question: if someone is praised by someone, shouldn’t he answer as if he were being humble? - Answers: If you remain silent, it is even more useful to eat: if you answer, you will receive praise, and this is vanity. Similarly, it also thinks of humbly speaking in response – there is vanity. This, even if he thinks to speak about himself, even if he hears from him, cannot bear it. To the question: but it happens to him, thinking from silence that he has accepted praise, to be tempted: what should he do? - Answer: about the unknown, you must eat, strive, leave it to God, so that he will inform the one who hears. Where does the news come from, as if he did not take advantage of his silence, but did not accept praise; Is he not hungry because he was tempted to eat? If someone who wants to be tempted reveals this, then with humility he must inform him, saying: “Forgive me, brother, for I have no good in myself, and for this reason I have not found anything to answer you. But for the Lord’s sake, pray for me.” He asks: does it happen to a certain sinner who, with humility of mind, speaks the truth, and not out of vanity: should he eat food below? – Answer: below tacos should be answered. Even if he is humble for a time, listen to his humble wisdom, and it is hard for him; The Lord said: Woe to you, when all men say good things to you. About sinners he speaks of those who are praised, but those who have no deeds. He asks: and how do we receive something from the saints, as we have always praised someone who answered with humility? – Answer: Fathers, having achieved the measure, even as the Lord said: For when you have done all this, shout, for we are unworthy servants (Luke 17:10). And in truth, those who have for themselves, as they have, answer. If they hear this from someone else, they are not indignant; but they also bless and, as if speaking the truth. Humility overcomes all passions; and by labor everyone acquires it. Even if one cannot suffer dishonor, there is unbelief; There is this and the charm of demons. Even if someone wants humility, as he says, I want, unless he suffers dishonor, he cannot accept it. As soon as a person comes into humility, he succeeds. Even though you were in your cell, you were unskillful, as if you were without sorrows. And if you remain without care ahead of time, the enemy prepares confusion for you, increasing your peace; as if he would lead you to say: une 67 let him not have been born. To the question of Dorotheus: even if someone thinks about all creation, he does not agree on the action: what then is? – Answer: if you do not acquire an act in accordance with your conscience, then it truly is, but a reproach of demons. Question: not as, Father, do I have for myself, as I am under all creation; but as soon as I examine my conscience, I find myself guilty, as if I must be under all creation: is food and this reproach of demons? – Answer: now, brother, you have begun little to walk the right way. This is the very truth. May God bring you to the measure that you have for yourself under all creation. To another question, what is humility? - Answer: Humility is having earth and ashes for yourself - deeds, not just words. And say: who am I? Who is blaming me? Things are not imam with anyone. Brother, God gives us humility and revokes it; and again we say: pray, that God will give us humility. Humility is cutting off your will from everyone, and being without care from everyone. Everything that is the essence of God is peaceful, and useful, and leads a person into humility, and to condemn oneself, he says: as a righteous person, in the first word he is a verbiator. Consider that he wants something according to God, and we rebuke someone, and also condemn the one who forbids, and slander him: from this it appears, as if he did not have his own proposal according to God, for he says: by their fruits you will know them. If you have your own proposal for God, and we forbid, you humble yourself; and thinks himself unworthy; and like a prophet to have one who rebuked him: if you foresaw his unworthiness, rebuke him. Advises: acquire humility, scorched by the demon. Her child, be patient with the worst, and remove evil thoughts from yourself, and accept good ones: kindness, love, long-suffering, humility - which exhausts the entire devil’s body, and cools the head of those who acquire it, attracting the grace of God to oneself. It is possible to obtain a small favor (from God); It is possible to find great mercy. And David was a great choice. Even though one is great, one gains it through humility, meekness, patience, and the like. If you ever find mercy, you find it through the prayers of the saints; and whether it be small or great, it will lie within you: choose it as you wish. Live in peace and sanctification, humbly enduring your neighbor. Have every person superior to yourself. You are unreasonable, for this reason you have thoughts; more than justification; The Lord wants every person to be better than himself. Rekosha fathers, for there are three chapters; and if anyone preserves you, he can live among people, and in deserts, and wherever he does not go: he will reproach himself, and he will damage his will from behind, and he will have for himself under all creation. What is God's way? - Just let someone cast his will behind everyone, and let him have the last of all, and the least of all. Such a one can walk this way. To the question: how to be saved? - The answer is - for other reasons - and as much as you can, despise yourself night and day; force yourself to see under every person: this is the true path; Besides this, there is nothing for anyone who wants to be saved, about Christ strengthening him. Question: what should one have as a pledge: for every man is righteous? Or am I the most sinful man of all? – Do you doubt that every person’s intention is righteous? - Answer: have for yourself the most sinful and the last of all: and you will have peace. Rekl, you are a sinner for yourself, but don’t harm yourself with your deeds. For, since he is a sinner and is guilty of evil, he does not speak in spite of anyone, he will not be upset, he will not be angry with anyone; but to have everyone who is big and wise. And even if the thoughts of such a life curse you: how do they motivate your heart towards what is best for you? Hearken, brother: there is no truth - you still have sinners that you have not achieved. If anyone loves the one who reproaches and is wise; If someone loves and does not do what he hears, then this is even more hatred. If you are a sinner, why do you reproach your neighbor? And you blame him, that is to say, because of him you are in sorrow? Don’t you believe that everyone is tempted by his own conscience, and even then sorrow gives birth to him? If you have a sinner, you must cry over your sins; and nothing else. Strive and do not dream about the hedgehog with your mind: “For I have reached the measure of the saint; but say to yourself this: your soul weighs as if your sins have exceeded the breath of demons; It’s a good thing that Nikolai created for God’s sake. And woe to us, O humble one! What shall we do on the day of judgment? Be your prayer, child, all the time of your life, like a sinner, saying at all times: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” And it says: “God, cleanse me, a sinner.” Verbs and this verb always: cleanse me from my secrets, and spare your servant from strangers (Ps. 18:13). d) from St. Barsanuphias (addition): If you want to be saved, keep your insanity, and face the present. Do not compare yourself with someone else; not to say: sometimes onsitsa is venerated, why don’t they venerate me? Everything is at peace, why am I deprived of peace? Despised by everyone, don’t be indignant. If only you had heeded and followed the answer of the elder, who said: do not impute yourself, nor seek equality with others: then you would have honor; and don't get embarrassed. To the question: what is insanity? - Answer: brother, there is insanity: you cannot compare yourself to anyone, and you do not speak about a good deed: as if “I have done these things.” This diligence must be insanity, which cannot be measured; have the earth and ashes for yourself. Question: Whenever I do something good, how should I humble my thoughts? And how can I bear my reproach, having done a good deed? – Answer: in humility of thought, when you have done every good deed and kept all the commandments, remember the one who said: “Whenever you do all this, cry out, for we are unworthy servants; as if you must create, you must create, you must create.” What’s more, it seems that we have not yet achieved the fulfillment of even one commandment. And this is how it is always appropriate to be wise; and about the work of blaz to endure reproach; and yet we don’t know if God wants to eat. Question: if it happens to me, through long-suffering in things, my thought becomes highly wise: what then is it fitting for me to think? - Answer: and before this you have already said that if you happen to do any good, you must know: for this is the gift of God, true (special) for the sake of goodness; - He has mercy on everyone. Take heed of yourself, and not for your weakness, destroy the mercy that comes from Him, even for all sinners. If You have given good, may you not destroy evil. The image of the destruction of that thing is this: praise yourself for being long-suffering and forgetting God for benevoling you. Not exactly, but you also petition for condemnation for yourself, daring to attribute this to yourself, for which thanksgiving should moreover be sent to the lover of mankind - to God. Nikolai, therefore, is tempted to believe the thought that praises you about a good thing: God’s good exists, and we cannot grieve ourselves, as if it will remain with us, for our negligence; and how dare we become arrogant? Thank God for everyone. Over all, ever condemn yourself who sins and is deceived: and God has no power to condemn you. And humble yourself in all, and seek grace from God. Our time is to test our passions, and to cry and weep. And whenever you sit in your cell in the hover, reproach yourself for everyone, brother; and cast your weakness before God: he will help and strengthen you; May you prosper in Him. To the brother who accepted the clothes and was embarrassed: let us praise from the soul the one who gave, and we blaspheme from the soul the one who accepted: and we wear it with humility, condemning ourselves. Question: the thought speaks to me, do not ask the saints, but having once understood and despised - because of my weakness, I will sin? – Answer: this thought is a fierce one, but if you don’t listen to it, even if someone understands and sins, he condemns himself in every possible way, and if someone sins without understanding, he condemns himself, and his passions become incurable. For this reason, the devil brings it to someone, while he remains with this inhealable passion. Archimandrite D- died as rector of the Ekaterinoslav Seminary, was an inspector of the Kaluga Seminary and the Kyiv Academy. Letters to him from No. 9 to No. 17. These letters from No. 22 to No. 69 were written to the same person. To the father, the builder of the T-th desert. Letters from No. 64 to No. 72 were written by the elder to the monastery brethren during his absences from the monastery. From the handwritten Patericon, see the paraphrase of this legend in the “Enraptured Classes”, in the words of St. Mark of the Ascetic, page 116. In the first ed. of the Life of Elder Paisius, this letter is placed at the end, for which see page 315. Letters from No. 85 to No. 100 were written to the same person. This letter was written to the same person to whom letters No. 85 to No. 99 were written. The letter was written to the same person as No. 106. Sl. Slavic, meaning a person who has endured crowds and human noise. Letters from No. 126 to No. 143 were written to the same person. Letters from No. 141 to No. 174 were written to the same person. Vasily Petrovich Brauzin, the famous Oryol fool for Christ, whom the elders knew and respected for his high, hidden life. That is, the last Anglo-French war. Letters from No. 174 to No. 286 were written to the same person. Letters from No. 189 to No. 204 were written to the same person. This icon, after the death of the elder, was returned to its former owner, because, in accordance with the will expressed by him during his lifetime, it came as a blessing from him to N.P. K-oi and her family. Letters from No. 204 to 222 inclusive were written to the same person. In the first word about the rejection of the world. In the life of Saint Varlaam of Pechersk. All references to the book of Abba Dorotheus are given according to the Slavic text printed at the end of the book of the works of St. Ephraim the Syrian, part four, see the first word: about the rejection of the world. You can see about the name of the second baptism in the Menaion of July on the 21st day, in the life of St. Simeon and John. Useful reminder for a monk, sheet 3. See in the Philokalia Part IV p. 17 on vol. (according to the 1840 edition.) See the life and writings of Elder Paisius, ed. first (1847); pp. 286 and 287. Dobrotol. Part IV. according to ed. 1840. Page 83. This letter was published in the book of the life and writings of Elder Paisius: in the first edition of 1847, on pages 265, 266 and 267. Words 16 p. 69. In Russian translation: and he who has achieved that sacrament, which is already behind this prayer, is barely by the grace of God from generation to generation. Art. 91. Part 1 Kindness. chapters 7. (according to the 1840 edition, p. 134 and vol.). Not according to the simple custom of the so-called, but in obedience to those who are spiritual father, with the cutting off of their will and reason. Part 1 Kindness. chapters 8 (according to the 1840 edition, p. 125 on volume 126.). Part 1 Kindness. in the 3rd image of prayer (according to the 1840 edition, p. 88). 2 hours Kindness. Ch. 13 according to ed. 1840, p. 30 on vol. In the book. "Delight. Classes", words. to the monks. Part 2 Kindness. chapters 74. Hab.1:13; Isaac. Sire. words 21, pp. 109. Part 1 Kindness, chief. 7, according to ed. 1840, p. 134 on vol. and 135. 1 part Kindness. About the 1st image of prayer There is also about the 1st image of prayer. To Dobrot. about three types of prayer. Part 3 Dobrot., in 2 books, words. 24. You might be interested in: