Письмо XI. Игуменье о монахине, вышедшей из монастыря и раскаявшейся

The heralds of truth and the servants of God's grace, who from the very beginning to the present day have explained to us, each in his own time, [256] the saving will of God, say that nothing is so pleasing and pleasing to God as the turning of people to Him through true repentance. Wanting to show it more divine than the rest, the Divine Word of God and the Father - or rather, the first and only sign of infinite goodness γνώρισμα) - in an indescribable manner of condescension deigned to visit us in the flesh, doing, enduring and uttering what was supposed to reconcile us, enemies and adversaries, alienated from the blessed life, with God and the Father and lead us to it. Christ not only healed our illnesses with miracles and justified us of many terrible crimes, taking upon himself our infirmities through suffering and death, as if he were subject to it, having paid our debt innocently, but also taught us in a variety of ways, so that we would desire to be equal to him in humane disposition and perfect love for each other. For this reason He exclaimed: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). And “it is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12). And he said that He came to find and save the lost sheep (Luke 15:4). And he said that he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:6). And in the parable of the drachma (Luke 15:8) He secretly showed that he had come to return the royal image, buried under the fetid mud of passions. And again: “Truly I tell you, there is joy in heaven and on earth because of one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7). For the sake of this one who had fallen into the hands of robbers, stripped of all protection and beaten half to death, He strengthened him with wine and oil, and bandaged him, and put him on his own donkey, and entrusted him to the innkeeper, and, having given enough money to take care of him, promised to give more on the way back, if more was spent (Luke 10:30). For this reason, He says that the all-good father bowed down to the converted prodigal son and embraced him when he repented and returned, and adorned him with the splendor of his father’s glory, without reproaching him at all for the past (Luke 15:11). For this reason, Christ did not drive the sheep that had left the divine hundred, found wandering over the mountains and hills, along the tedious path back to the sheepfold, [257] but, placing it on His shoulders, with compassion He brought it into the common flock (Luke 15:4). For this reason, He exclaimed: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy-hearted, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). And again: “Take My yoke upon you” (Matthew 11:29), meaning by the yoke the commandments, or life according to the Gospel, and by the burden the apparent weight of repentance; after all, He says, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). And he also teaches about the justice and goodness of God and inspires: “Be holy” (Lev.11:44) and “be perfect” (Matt.5:48), “be merciful, be merciful, like your heavenly Father” (Matt.5:7, Lk.6:36). And again: “Farewell, and you will be forgiven.” And also: “Whatever you want people to do to you, do the same to them” (Matthew 7:12). And other similar things. And simply speaking, in order not to lengthen the letter with discussions about each such saying, for this purpose He justifies repentant harlots, accepts converted publicans (Matthew 21:31) and makes them heralds of the Gospel. For this sake, He brings the thieves who admit their guilt and gain salvation through death to Himself through fear and brings them with Him into Paradise, faithfully fulfilling the promises of future benefits. For this reason, he admonishes the pursuers who are mad with jealousy and appoints the apostles of the tongues in His place (Acts 9:1), so that we learn love of man and meekness, and do not immediately despair after sinning, and are not indifferent and insensitive to those who sin, having God as an example in such matters. Since we have learned that this is truly so, and that God desires all people to be saved and to achieve the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), and we remember that the only reason and reason for the miraculous coming of Christ to us in the flesh was our salvation, then with firm hope I appeal to your holiness, instead of the olive branch 183 pointing you to the very life-giving sufferings of God and our Savior Christ, which we were ransomed from the power of darkness. I believe that you, a true disciple of the Son of God, in all your actions in life, carry Him within you as a living and active teacher, for from childhood you have clung to Him, so that even through my wretched and sinful intercession, completely unworthy of your virtue, you will honor His humane self-deprecation [258] for our sake and accept a sister who repents and is weakened by tears. After all, the contrition of her heart and humility of spirit are unspeakably great because of the sin she committed and because of the separation she suffered from you. Do not despise, blessed servant of God, a contrite and humble heart, which God did not despise (Ps. 50:19), but be merciful and compassionate, compassionate and compassionate, and imitate the One who for our sake, out of love for mankind, voluntarily endured death, and please accept it kindly, and strengthen your love for it (2 Cor. 2:8). And encourage her with words and deeds of philanthropy and meekness, and snatch her from the hands of the tyrant, and compassionately bind up her contrition (Ps. 146:3), so that, depressed by grief, she will not be pierced by the sting of despair and the blood of the soul that we have despised, or, more truthfully speaking, which we have betrayed to the enemy of our life, will not be exacted from us, so that he will lead her wherever he wants - that a soul that should have lived thanks to our patience and gentleness, and we would not have been justly accused as having neglected both the will and the suffering of God. For equally - this word is harsh, but still true - they neglect the good will of God and impute His humane self-abasement for our sake into nothing, as far as it concerns them, both those who do not want to repent, and those who do not accept those who repent, because for the sake of the equality of nature we must perceive each other’s misfortunes as our own and will not show ourselves as honoring the goodness of God in relation to us, if at least in relation to our race we are not His. imitate. So, blessed servant of God, knowing that Divine justice properly corresponds to our spiritual disposition, becoming for us what we have become for each other, and showing us God as we were before for those like us (τοῖς ὁμοιοπαθέσιν), do not hesitate to accept your petitioner and servant, who stretches out her hands to you in supplication, but God-like, without delay, quickly place the sheep on your shoulders and carry it to a safe stall, and keep it inside from the destroying wolves, so that you yourself [259] the man-loving God and Savior Christ, the judge of all, at His terrible and glorious coming, may receive the eternal fruits of what you have sown. May we also make Him favor us through His mercy and love for mankind, through the prayers and intercession of our Lady, the Most Holy Theotokos, and all His saints. Amen. A generally accepted symbol of supplication. – Approx. lane You might be interested in: