Письмо 158

Most Honorable M.N. in the Lord! You write that everything has already been decided and settled for you to join the O-th nunnery. Apparently this is God’s will and we must obey it; ask to instruct you on what to do upon entering the monastery; You wish to be under strict supervision and supervision. Yes, this is the first rule for us to renounce our will and reason, and obey those experienced and skilled in the passage of spiritual life. In ourselves, no matter how prudent, ardent and attentive we are, all this cannot bring such benefit as not trusting our reason and rejecting our will. You yourself can undertake great labors and feats, but the time has not yet come for them, and your measure has not yet arrived, through which you may either lose your health or fall into arrogance; and when we reject our will, humility is born, without which all our deeds are not pleasing to God. You are looking for instructions from me: but can I give you instructions that are better and more salutary than the one that was taught to you by the holy fathers, our mentors and teachers, who themselves have gone through spiritual life? Our life is a spiritual, invisible war against the invisible spirits of malice, who raise it against us with our own passions: love of glory, lust and love of money, through which all the other many passions take up arms against us. So, wanting to learn this spiritual and invisible warfare, I advise you to read the teaching of St. fathers: St. John Climacus, St. Abba Dorotheus, St. Ephraim the Syrian, St. Simeon the New Theologian, St. Mark of the Ascetic, St. Callista chapters 14 and 15, and while you learn from these; and further in other books of St. You can exercise your fathers, and, seeing the height of their spiritual work, aimed especially at fulfilling the commandments of God, you will recognize your weakness and come to humility, which the Lord commanded us to learn from Him and then we will find peace for our souls (Matthew 11:29). This time I could not leave you without an answer to your writing, and I cannot give you words in advance: frequent infirmities, illnesses and idle time prevent me from doing this. I wish you peace, health and salvation. I remain the sinful I.M. October 25, 1852. You might be interested in: