Письмо 117

Dear Madam, S.S! With your Scripture you explain your desire and intention to strive for the goal intended for us, and to bring yourself closer to God. May the most merciful Lord bless your good desire and help you in this matter: without His help we cannot create anything. Turn away from evil and do good (Ps. 33:15): words of St. King David. It is necessary, having recognized the vanity of the world, which is truly useless, to evade it and seek within oneself the means to fulfill the will of God. But while we serve the world, we do not see the darkness of passions that darkens our meaning, and being in such a state of sleep, we do not care that, while pleasing the world, we are transgressors of God’s commandments; and even from some small corrections we imagine ourselves to be true Christians; and by this we are falsely deceived, not being engaged in the teaching of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ, and St. His Apostles, sent to teach us the way of salvation. I write this without condemning the world: this is not our business - God is the Judge of all; He is able to save many of the world through the alms they give, and also to bring them to their senses through sorrows, or to save in other ways, but by showing the vanity of the world, which you yourself are quite familiar with. The Savior teaches that you cannot work for God and mammon (Luke 16:13), that is, for the world; this must be firmly believed that it is impossible to please both God and the world; This latter has completely different laws and customs. -And St. The Apostle John exhorts Christians: do not love the world, nor those in the world; If anyone loves the world, there is no Father’s love in him. For all that is in the world, carnal lust, and selfish lust, and the pride of life: is not from the Father, but is of this world (1 John 2:15, 16). The Holy Apostle James writes: you do not know that all the things of this world are hostility to God (James 4:4), and St. The Apostle Paul also teaches that the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, for it can do less (Rom. 8:7). How clear this teaching is and how strongly it can increase the desire that begins in the heart for something better and greater than the world and its delights! It is not dedicated to monks, but to all Christians living in the world; We do not remind peace lovers of this; they certainly will not accept this; they have their own wisdom; but it is considered a riot with God: the wisdom of this world is a riot with God (1 Cor. 3:19). – When you take a step away from the world, you will already have a battle ahead of you that you must withstand, with the world and with yourself: the world will present you with many reasons why you should not run away and not leave it; if you are deaf and inattentive to them, you must endure ridicule, criticism and contempt, remembering the words of our Savior: if the world hates you, know that it hated Me before you (John 15:12). If you were quicker from the world, the world would love its own: just as you were chosen out of the world, for this reason the world hates you (v. 19). On the other hand, the charms of the world, pleasure and pleasantness can stop you from flowing towards God; but they instantly only enchant the senses. You may still encounter doubt and fear about the cruelty of this path: you must withstand this initial battle, not submitting to it, but opposing the love of God and His holy commandments, which you do not hope to preserve, being in the flame of secular pleasures, which entail the necessity of breaking the commandments. I cannot present you the world with its customs as you yourself know; he is better known to you: you live in his circle and know what obstacles there are to those who want to live according to the commandments of God. Understanding the vanity of the world, ask God to send you His help to overcome all obstacles: but do not rely on yourself; He is strong to keep you unharmed from all the snares and snares of the enemy. – I do not want to seduce you, taking you away from the pleasures of the world with any promise: the Lord Himself promised eternal good to those who work for Him and those who fulfill His holy commandments; but I consider it unforgivable to extinguish the kindling flame; this is the title of God. Who am I? And how can I abolish it? – When the Lord grants you to escape somewhat from the world, overcoming its obstacles, and perhaps you will feel some inner consolation; Do not consider this great and do not reassure yourself that you have achieved something with your labors: but consider yourself unworthy of this. If you enter the field of spiritual training, you will be presented with a different kind of temptation. The wise Sirach writes: child, if you begin to work for the Lord God, prepare your soul for temptation: guide your heart and be patient (Sir. 2:1, 2). However, don’t be horrified; trust in God’s help, which has strengthened and strengthens many along this path, of which many examples can be seen in the lives of the saints. Without testing, it is impossible to know whether we really have faith, hope and love for God, and we do not know what passions and weaknesses we have, and therefore we cannot reconcile ourselves; without which all our deeds are vain and not pleasing to God. – Have you read the books of St. fathers, and you write that you find your own portrait in each chapter; but you understand this theoretically, but in practice you will learn more useful things. No matter how much instruction is given in theory about any art and art, it is impossible to become an artist without practicing it in practice; How much more in this art of art it is necessary to have an active skill; – I am writing this without frightening you, and not in the same tone as you were frightened by the letter of one spiritual person, but warning and showing the true path. I believe that, in addition, you, reading the books of St. fathers, saw their portrait in them; they should make a good impression on your heart: because the words of the spirit are life and life; completely against the current fashionable books, in which the poison of heartfelt morality is hidden under a pleasant style; May the Lord deliver you from this harm. Continue reading spiritual books that can enlighten you and guide you on the true path: they must be read not just once, but many times; because they always contain food for the soul. May the most merciful Lord give you true reason and lead you on the path leading to eternal life. Do not look for the art of style in this letter, it was written not from a meager mind, but from a zealous desire to benefit you, and if you find something wrong, cover it with Christian love - forgiveness. With my true respect, I have the honor to remain your unworthy pilgrim, the sinful hieromonk Macarius. November 7, 1835. You might be interested in: