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Let us, sinners, try to find out what mercy is. Covetous - learn how to be merciful. Let us, brethren, be compassionate towards each other in the world with true compassion, filled with all love for mankind, until the evil one strengthens himself to plunder our souls. What has been revealed to me by the Holy Spirit must also be known to everyone. If I am unreasonable and have not kept what I have learned, then let another, having learned, keep it. If the word is dead in me, let it not be dead, and let it not remain unfruitful in you. Let’s not hide Tsarev’s talent, let’s buy a seed full of life with him. Do not pay attention to me, student, if I deviate from the path. And if you see me falling, don't follow me. Have God and Scripture before your eyes; let them be your food. As they teach, so try to walk in their commandments; as you are taught, abide. I love teaching, but I did not love punishment; I am afraid because I always walk in evil ways, full of iniquities. When healing myself, I do not bandage my ulcers, I do not try to destroy the tares that have arisen in me - but I hope and expect this! Do not be distressed, student; your teacher will bear the punishment along with you. Why do you, child, suffer useless grief? Why should you cry with a cry that has no benefit? The evil one always kindles your mind so that you become part of his inheritance. Satan maliciously tries to sadden many in order to take them and, through despair, plunge them into Gehenna. Has your treasure been stolen? But the path to the beautiful purchase is still open to you, there is still time to collect the treasure again - just don’t lose hope, but try to collect it. Even if an arrow hurts you, don’t fall completely. Endure even to death; don't be afraid of the blow; show your asceticism while under attack, so that your crown may be woven from bright, glorious fabric. If a robber takes off your clothes, do not be lazy to continue on your way. In war, it happens that you both give and receive blows. If frost has destroyed your field, hurry a second and third time to sow the seed with persistence, without laziness, without delay - without a doubt, clouds will find it, and the sky will give rain. The thief did not drive you astray. Do not be afraid of the burden that you have taken upon yourself; always follow the Royal path. In the same battle in which you are wounded (defeated), you can win. In the same place where your treasure was previously stolen, you can collect it again. Where King Ahab shed the blood of Naboth, there the dogs licked the blood of the wicked Ahab, as the Scripture says. Ahab drove Naboth out of his own vineyard, but sin wants to remove you from Christ. Ahab became the image of Satan, and Jezebel became the image of wickedness. Satan and wickedness thirst for your blood, just as the lawless Ahab thirsted for the blood of Naboth. Just as he cunningly killed a righteous man, so he accepted the Judgment of the Righteous One; hastened to destroy the innocent by cunning, so that God would soon appear as an avenger for him. And now we have an invisible warfare, as the Scripture says: “For our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual evil” (Eph. 6:12). Satan fights against people secretly, with cunning, but Christ clearly destroys all of his slander and gives us the strength to trample on it. Your abuse, brother, is not some ordinary one, not worthy of laughter; on the contrary, all the Angels and their Lord are looking at your battle, which you are waging with the enemy. So, when you become the conqueror of the enemy, God and the Angels will applaud you, and the Angels, rejoicing, will glorify God, who has given you the power to defeat the evil one. This is why the warfare intensifies more and more, so that you become well-skilled, and God is glorified, and people become your imitators. Therefore, if, as we said above, you are wounded by the arrow of a crafty enemy, do not fall into despair. On the contrary, no matter how many times you are overcome, do not remain defeated, but immediately get up and fight the enemy, for the Hero of God is always ready to give you His right hand and restore you from your fall. As soon as you are the first to stretch out your right hand to Him, so He will give you His right hand to raise you up. And the bad enemy's whole effort is to plunge you into hopelessness as soon as you fall. So, beloved, do not believe him, but if you fall seven times a day, try to rise up and appease God with repentance. Who, having exhausted his wallet, will hide it? What merchant, when there is no sale, collects what is left from him and throws it into the sea? Do not abandon your weapon, which Christ gave you, do not turn your rear before the enemy to insult your Master. I will present you with obvious and clear proof. The fighter, I mean, of this vain world, even if he is severely struck by his opponent, does not avoid the fight, despairing of himself, for the one defeated now, perhaps later, will himself win. Do not delay, friend, from day to day your conversion to the Lord, so that the sentence of the terrible Judge does not suddenly come upon you, calling you to return what you have acquired with His talents, and so that, instead of being praised, bound hand and foot, you are condemned to “outer darkness.” While there is still time, try to fall before the Judge, so that He will forgive you all your sins, and we will rejoice with you, brother, and God will be glorified. To him belongs honor, glory forever and ever! Amen. You might be interested in: