Письмо 233
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It was very sad to hear about the suffering of V.’s mother, which ended with her peaceful, and therefore blessed, death, which followed on Sunday; and this is a sign of God’s mercy towards her. “There is no doubt that she would not have been worthy of it, having been honored with a visit to such painful sufferings that cleansed all the whiteness of the flesh and whitened the soul. Repentance - during such a long time of her illness, she had no concern for anything else but to present her soul uncondemned before God, through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, who propitiated the heavenly Father - to greatly cleanse her from the mire of sin. And immortal food - the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is a guarantee of mercy for her, and also other sacraments performed over her give hope for her salvation. However, we still have a duty, according to the establishment of the Church, to pray to the Lord for her, both during a bloodless sacrifice and in other prayers. This will bring benefit to her soul, and we will not lose it, having found grace before God. Thank you for your prompt notification via M.D.
about the death of the sufferer V.; I received the letter on the evening of March 25, and at the same hour I wrote down her name for commemoration at the reading of the psalter and at our other services; In the morning we served a memorial service, and today, Saturday, the 27th, together with L.E. (whose fortieth day) we commemorated him at the liturgy and at the memorial service. May the Lord rest her soul in the kingdom of heaven. Mother L. and M.A. write to me, and the latter asks me to assure you that she is not grieving to the point of madness, but is calming herself with the hope of her mother’s repose in the future life, which I am fulfilling. Mother D. left for us a striking example, when, with such a modest life for her and concern for her salvation, great suffering was necessary in order to achieve a purified and peaceful death? What will we say about ourselves, and especially about me, when I come to the realization of what I have done? I don’t dare talk about others, but I see myself in a state of insensibility; only a ray of hope for God’s mercy illuminates the darkness of my accursed soul. I hope that you will write to me in more detail about her death, or M.A. will take on this work; also about whether the burial was schemamonastic? – I wrote down schemanun V.M.
Mnogohreshny I.M. March 27, 1843
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