К девам

Virgin, bride of Christ, glorify your Bridegroom; continually purify yourself with word and wisdom, so that you, pure, can eternally coexist with the Pure. This union is much higher than a perishable combination. Living in the body, imitating the spiritual Forces, live an angelic life on earth. Here alliances are made and broken; here bodies will be born from bodies, but in the life above, each Power lives alone, and it is indestructible. The First Forces receive within themselves the ray of pure Essence; These are spirits and fire - servants of God's commands. And carnal combination is invented by matter, by this incessantly fluid nature. However, God put a measure on this too, legalizing marriage. But you, who fled from the affairs of matter, make friends with the higher, as the mind makes friends with the mind, merging into divine harmony, and, while waging war with the flesh, help the image of God. For you are God’s breath, coupled with the worst, so that after struggle and victory you can receive the crown, elevating the flesh, perfectly subdued, to the highest. Let us assume that marriage is also commendable for you; but higher than marriage is incorruption. Marriage is a concession to weakness; and purity is the brightness of life. Matrimony is the root of the saints, and purity is their ministry. She was respected before at the established times, for example, Adam in paradise, Moses on Mount Sinai, the father of the Forerunner - Zechariah, serving in the church. Marriage is the root of godly virginity; however, it is the law of the flesh and servility to carnal lust. When the Law, and the canopy, and temporary ministries were in force, then marriage, as something childish, retained primacy; when the letter gave way and the spirit replaced it, when Christ, born of a virgin, suffered in the flesh, then purity shone forth, and it cuts off the world from which, with the ascended Christ, we must move into the higher world. Proceed valiantly, maiden, to the mountain, save yourself in the highest, do not look back at Sodom, lest you harden into a pillar of salt. The nature of the flesh should not frighten you too much; but do not be too brave, so as not to go astray. The spark ignites the straw, and the water quenches the flame. You have many cures for pure virginity. Arm yourself with the fear of God, exhaust yourself with fasting, vigil, prayer, tears, sleep on the bare ground and complete love for God, which, when truly directed, lulls every desire that is alien to the highest. Rise up the fallen, show mercy to the shipwrecked; and make a safe voyage yourself, spreading the sails of hope. Those who look at their feet will not fall, but those who rush upward. Few wings spread out from the heat; the flight of many is successful. Dennitsa fell; but heaven is peopled with angels; Judas became a traitor, but the eleven disciples became luminaries. Just keep yourself completely pure, virgin; do not desecrate Christ’s most pure tunic. Let your eye be chaste, your tongue virgin, neither your mind nor your laughter commit fornication, let your feet not walk disorderly. Value your unwashed clothes and unkempt hair above pearl and silk headdresses. A beautiful color - the blush of modesty; great decoration - pallor; beautiful fabric - crowned with all virtues. Let another disfigure the image of God with rubbings, become an animated picture, a silent accuser of internal vices; and you, as far as possible, mortify in yourself the beauty that you have, and shine with the beauty of the soul, which finds adornment for itself in God. Avoid the gaze of men whenever possible, even chaste ones, so as not to offend another and not to be wounded yourself by the mocking Belial. Do not enslave your eyes, do not attract words with words, and let not your cheeks give courage to the cheeks of another. Do not eat the fruit of the condemned tree, lest the serpent remove you from the tree of life. Listen to me, maiden; do not live together with your guardian, having Christ as your bridegroom, who cares about your purity. Why do you, having escaped the flesh, return to the flesh again? Not every man can accommodate your simplicity. Just as a rose is surrounded by thorns, so you surround yourself with multitudes and walk on top of deceitful nets. Who dresses up the wedding bed, and who buries the groom; one became a father, and the other suddenly became unhappy. How severe are the pains of birth, sometimes insoluble! How painful is the jealousy of a spouse who is afraid that someone will steal his wife’s love! Is it easy to raise and teach children, then to see disrespect towards yourself, to receive bitter retribution for your efforts! But you have one concern - to constantly look to God. You need a small piece of bread and close shelter. And through this the tempter led Christ into temptation, when Christ was hungry, and he asked to turn stones into bread. Do not expose yourself to anything shameful for this. Don’t be worse than the birds who find ready-made food everywhere. Because of your faith, the oil in your vessel will not fail, and the raven will feed you like Elijah in the wilderness. Look how Thekla was saved from fire and beasts, how the great Paul willingly endured hunger and cold, so that you, virgin, could learn to look to the one God. God knew how to feed thousands of people in the desert. Beauty fades, fame is fleeting, wealth is a faltering stream, dominion is given to the few. And you escaped the pleasures of a deceptive world, joyfully entered the Holy of Holies and will forever rejoice with the angels, taking the best place between sons and daughters. But watchfully wait, virgins, for Christ, with unfading lamps, meet the Bridegroom, so that, having ascended with Him into the palace, you will behold the Bridegroom’s beauty and partake of the highest sacraments. You might be interested in: