Message to your children

“Message to His Children” occupies a special place among the works of St. Macarius the Great. This is a small ascetic treatise (17 chapters), the main theme of which is a description of the spiritual insight and rebirth of man, his appeal to God. Other themes of the essay are spiritual warfare, the contrast between human weakness and the power of God, and the acquisition of the Kingdom of God. These themes are based on the idea of ​​“synergy” (the interaction of human efforts and the grace of God). Grief over past sins forces a person to take the path of spiritual success, the first stage of which is bodily labor, vigils, fasting, and renunciation of material things. Contrition, humility and fear of God are born in the human soul. Even small success causes demons to rebel against the aspirant, and spiritual warfare arises. First, “evil thoughts are sown in a person”: a feeling of one’s own powerlessness, vanity, and evil ones fill a person with zeal for achievements that he cannot yet endure, so that he, being unable to withstand them, falls into despair. If the ascetic comes out of this test with honor, then God comes to his aid and dispels the “devil’s darkness” (“since the Son of God is day, and the devil is night”). Then the prodigal warfare begins. God again comes to the rescue and sends His “Holy power”, strengthening the heart and giving rest and joy. The last “cycle” of spiritual warfare: God, seeing that man’s heart is “strengthened against his enemies,” withdraws His power and leaves the aspirant alone with the entire “demonic army.” The ascetic learns that all power comes from God and is filled with humility. The future heavenly blessings awaiting the saints and the punishments awaiting sinners are revealed to him. Saint Macarius of Egypt that a person should renounce [the world] due to the evils that he committed [previously], and turn to God with all his heart. And also that if he patiently endures the sorrows that happen to him, then the grace of God will gradually descend upon him 1. When a person turns to good, renounces evil, surrenders to self-knowledge, begins to repent of what he did during his negligence, and seeks God with all his soul, then the good God will give him sorrow for what he has done. 2. And after this, again in His mercy, God grants man the mortification of the body in fasting and vigils, the rejection of material things, the enduring of reproaches, hatred of all bodily rest and the love of crying [over one’s sins]. 3. Then [God] grants man [once again this] crying, contrition [of heart] and bodily humility so that he no longer follows the sins of [other] people, but is attentive only to his own misdeeds, remembers the day of his departure from this [mortal] home and that he has a meeting with God. Before the [eyes] of his heart also appear the torment [of sinners in hell] and the honors that those who love God will receive. 4. When this is granted to a person and he begins to strive and toil in fasts, vigils and in general in everything that benefits his soul, then our enemies approach [him], sowing evil thoughts and instilling in him powerlessness, so that he would not be able to carry out his little fasting. They make him feel the duration of time, whispering: “How much longer will you patiently carry out this work, because your body has already [become completely] weak?” They also tell him: “It takes a lot of effort for God to move into a person, especially you, who has committed so many sins.” [They also suggest]: “Can God forgive you for such a large number of sins?” 5. If his heart did not accept [this] knowledge from them, then [the enemies] again approach him and, under the pretext of righteous judgments, inspire the person: “If you have sinned, then you have repented of your sins.” And they remind him of some [monks] who sinned but did not repent, sowing his soul with vanity. 6. However, [the enemies do not rest on this]: they instill in [the monk a love for] vain glory and zeal for deeds that he is not able to bear: abstinence from food, vigils and many others, which are impossible to list, giving him ease to [accomplish] them. Through such deeds [demons] are able to lead [a monk astray from the path of the righteous], about which the Book of Proverbs warns: Do not turn aside either on the right hand or on the other hand (Proverbs 4:27). 7. If the good God sees that the heart [of the monk] did not follow any of these [attacks], because [it is written]: He tempted my heart, visited him at night, tempted me, and iniquity was not found in me (Ps. 16:3). Why is it said “at night” and not “day”? - Because we are talking about the machinations of the enemy, which [Apostle] Paul also proclaims, saying that we are not the sons of the night, but the sons of the day (1 Thess. 5:5), since the Son of God is day, and the devil is night. 8. If the heart overcomes these temptations and battles, then [the monk] begins to be inflicted with the battle of fornication and lust for men. In the struggle with these [temptations], the heart [often] weakens so much that it considers it impossible for itself to maintain its purity. And [the enemies, meanwhile], as was said, inspire [the monk with thoughts] about the length of time [of his labors] and other things. 9 . And if the heart becomes exhausted in these [struggles] so that it completely loses strength in labors and battles, then the good and merciful God sends [the monk] Holy Power. He strengthens his heart, giving him crying, joy and rest so that [the monk] becomes stronger than his enemies, who, unwillingly, are afraid of the Power that dwells in him. [Apostle] Paul loudly declares this: “Strive, and you will receive strength.” This is the Power that [Apostle] Peter speaks about: An inheritance incorruptible and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith (1 Pet. 1:4-5). 10. Further, when God sees that the [ascetic’s] heart is strengthened against his enemies, then He little by little takes away [His] Power from him and allows the enemies to fight him through [various types of] intemperance, lust of the eyes, vanity and pride, so that [man] turns out to be like a rudderless ship, which hits the rocks here and there. 11. When the heart [of the monk again begins] to faint in these [warfare and temptations coming] from enemies, then the good God, who cares for His creation, once again sends the Holy Power and strengthens the heart, soul, body and other parts [of the ascetic’s nature] with the members of the Comforter, since [the Lord Himself] says: Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me: for I am meek and lowly in heart ( Matthew 11:29). 12. And then the good God begins to open the eyes of the heart (Eph. 1:18), so that man knows that God is [precisely] the One who strengthens him. A person learns that God should be given honor with much humility and contrition of heart, as David says: The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit (Ps. 50:19). For humility and contrition are born in the heart from the labors of those who struggle in [spiritual] warfare. 13. After this, the [Holy] Power begins to reveal Heavenly things to the heart: how to pray and sing psalms. She also reveals future honors [awaiting] those who steadfastly withstood [all trials. It becomes clear to the ascetic] that no matter how much labor a person endures, they are insignificant in comparison with the gifts given to him by God, about which the Apostle says: The present temporary sufferings are worth nothing in comparison with the glory that will be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). After this, She begins to reveal to the heart the torment of those who are subject to [eternal] punishment, and much more, which I cannot say, but which the ascetic [necessarily] learns from experience. 14. Then the Comforter sets the limits of the purity of the soul and other members. He [grants the monk] great humility of soul, so that he considers himself lower than all [people] and every creature, not paying any attention to the mistakes of others [brothers], but fixing his eyes [only] on what is right. [The Comforter also grants him] guarding of the lips, healing of the feet, so that [he may walk straight in his paths], righteousness of the hands, service of prayers, mortification of the body and vigils. [The Comforter] teaches [all] this with measure and discrimination, without any confusion and in [complete] peace. 15. If [a person begins] in his thoughts to neglect the [good] dispensations of the [Holy] Spirit, then the Power [of God] again moves away from him. Then again, abuse and confusion invade the heart, and bodily passions, excited by [internal] disturbances sown in it by enemies, lead it into confusion. 16. However, if his heart turns [to God] and he assimilates the commandments of the Spirit, he will again gain knowledge [of the need for constant] abiding with God. This is his rest, [about which it is said]: Lord, I called to You, and healed me ecu (Ps. 29:3). 17. So, my [final] opinion is the following: if a person does not acquire great humility in his heart and body so as not to value himself [highly] in any matter, to [calmly] endure [any] insult, to force himself in everything, to have his death before his face every day, to renounce material and carnal things, then he will not be able to keep the commandments of the Spirit.