Поучение 2. О присносветлом исповедании (помыслов), и о том чтобы держаться всякого добра чрез смирение.

Brothers, fathers and my spiritual children! According to custom, I again begin to write to you a word of my humility, but this too is cold, because it does not have the warmth that comes from deeds. And you, what is lacking in it, fill it with your good deeds; for, believe me, children, as I have already said many times, and now I say, I am in fear and horror when I think about my unworthiness and the fact that I am called your father, being unworthy to be called even your fellow disciple. On the contrary, you are my beloved fathers and brothers, and all the hope of my salvation is in you. Therefore, although I am so damned, however, since I wish you salvation, I am forced to speak. So, I am talking to you only for the sake of love and in the form of advice. Now are the favorable days and the time of exploits in order to seek God. “Who is wise and will preserve this? and he will understand the mercies of the Lord” (Ps. 106:43), awaiting us in the next century. So, my beloved brothers, let us not waste time, not even a single day; but let us strive unceasingly and have thoroughness and good competition with each other and right zeal for each other’s virtues. If we see any virtue in anyone: silence, reverence, humility, obedience, or anything else praiseworthy, we will be jealous with good zeal until we reach this measure; because from this is born both a union of peace and a pledge of love. Let us not pay attention to the contrary and be jealous of this: if anyone is lazy, let us not be lazy; whoever is satiated, let us not be satiated; whoever talks a lot, lets not talk a lot; But as we are wise and taught by God, let us extract good things from ourselves and hold on to them. Let us hold the anchor of our faith, stretch out the sail of our hope, and with all our strength we will sail across the great abyss of this life. During a long voyage, it always happens that we are disturbed by contrary winds, i.e. e. carnal wars, storms arise - carnal desires; waves and disturbances arise from the depths of the heart's thoughts, and many other things that happen to those floating on the sea: robbers - crafty demons, rocks - blindness from ignorance, stones hidden under sea water - the unpreparedness of our souls. And by high water on a ship we mean non-confession of sins, for it often happens that if shipbuilders neglect the water in the ship, then through negligence they sink along with the ship. Therefore, we, my beloved brothers, will pay great attention to all this and vigilantly walk in the path of God. Let us confess the thoughts of our hearts about everything and completely, so that no more water of thoughts accumulates in our souls, lest “the final abyss overtakes us” (Jon. 2:6), according to the word of the Prophet. You just run out of water, and we, with God’s help, although we are sinners, through the prayers of our father 4, will guide you and deliver you from worries. Anyone who is diligent in spiritual deeds and physical labors in brotherhood is like a heavenly star that shines and enlightens many. Careful and reverent, who does not adorn himself (outwardly), nor laughs, silent and shining with heavenly beauty, is like an Angel who serves on earth God and the Master of creation, sitting on the throne of Cherubim. The one who passes on his good deeds to others, and benefits and encourages them to spiritual activity, is like a radiant, golden sun that warms the entire brotherhood. But who is gloomy, dark and nocturnal if not the one who is likened to Satan who fell from heaven with pride, voluptuousness, laughter, idleness, obscene language, slander, insolence, uncleanness and creepy thoughts? This is not what we should follow. So, my brethren, do not imitate the evil, but be jealous of the good and the edifying, as befits saints; because your labor is small, but your reward will be eternal, suffering is short, but joy is everlasting, temptation is temporary, but peace is endless; for there he will rejoice, where there is a dwelling of those who rejoice, where all grief, sorrow and sighing flee; where there is no crying, but joy. Are you struggling in vain? Or are you working in vain? No, that won’t happen! But rationally, loftily, worthily, blessedly, apostolically, martyrically, fatherly, angelically, heavenly and God-receptively, you left the world, entered the monastery, and became our spiritual children; grew up, fought, armed themselves with spiritual weapons, and fight against the Amalekites, Amorites, Canaanites and other tribes, i.e. passions. You crossed the worldly sea, having Moses our father as your leader, crossed the Jordan in the manner of the second baptism and enlightenment: and from here you began to divide and inherit the promised land, which your True God showed you, a land in which honey and the milk of immortality and endless life flow. For there the promises were given figuratively as to infants; for us, who have achieved the fulfillment of Christ in man, it comes true by deed itself. Our Lord and God is the firstfruits: He partook of our flesh and blood, became like us, and became our Head and firstborn brother, bishop, mentor and destroyer of enmity between us and God our Father, which arose from the sins and imprudence of our forefathers. And now, since our Lord Jesus Christ, our All-Perfect God, became man and fulfilled everything that concerns us, He ascended into heaven and sent down His peace to us, saying: “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). And this was not given only to the Apostles; because our Life-Giver God said: “I pray not for just these things, Father, but also for those who will believe their words in Me, that they may all be one... just as We are one” (John 17:20-22). Therefore, my most honest brethren, it is fitting for us to exclaim with the Apostle: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Is it tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine... or a sword, or trouble? (Rom 8:35). I will also add: either the lust of the flesh, which burns like fire, but does not burn those who fight it every day, or dishonor and annoyance, or love of primacy and power, or the burden of intense work, or the thinness of clothing, or the poverty of food and victuals, or all-night psalmody, or vigil and prayer, or small or great, mental or physical? In no way, for it is written: “Because we are slain all day long for your sake, we are counted as sheep of the slaughter” (Ps. 43:23). Rejoice in all this, my brethren; rejoice and be glad, seeing God’s love for mankind. Your life is before you, your joy is before your face, bliss is at your feet. The door is open; hurry up, strive. And who will care about all this? Who would not be jealous of this and would not apply even greater diligence, hastening before each other as to treasures set before them, not corruptible and earthly, but eternal and immortal? But I, the prodigal and the accursed, talk a lot and talk idlely, having nothing good in me except love for you. May the Lord God give you all, through the prayer of my father, to be established in good things, and may He strengthen you throughout the course, so that, being worthy to enter the field, you will receive victorious crowns with all the blessings. Oh, that we all may receive them by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Him to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Plato, maternal uncle of Theodore the Studite. He tonsured St. Theodore into monasticism, and convinced him to accept the abbotship of the Sakkudion monastery. You might be interested in: