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You write that while you were with us, you received spiritual consolation, but when you arrived home, you also met sorrows, in which you sinned in no way against N., which you yourself recognize; Forward, beware of this, but try to look at your own sins and thank the Lord that He has honored you with a calling to the holy monastery. Whatever our local sorrows may be, they are very small in comparison with worldly ones. Yes, we must bear them for the sake of the kingdom of God; However, worldly sorrows are also useful, they prevent them from becoming addicted to the world. As soon as they get some joy, they get carried away, in the world, into unnecessary pleasures, often with mental harm; you need to thank God for everything. Reading the holy teachings of the fathers, you find disagreements, due to your foolishness, not understanding the place and dispensation in which they were located. St. Nil lived alone and did not decorate the church; and others lived in large monasteries, visited by worldly people, who, from the splendor of the churches, rose to God and His majesty; and even the new monks, from the splendor and beauty of the creation, warmed to the Creator with love. In everything it is necessary to have an understanding of the place, time and structure of people. In the same way, regarding the revelation of thoughts, one must understand with what mind and to whom their teachings extended; St. Simeon, John Climacus, St. Abba Dorotheus' teachings, St. Barsanuphius, St. Callistus and many others teach about the necessity and benefit of opening all thoughts. There is no doubt that in the monastery of Abba Serida, where St. lived. Barsanuphius, there was the same custom and charter, otherwise Abba Dorotheos would not have written: “to reveal everything about yourself and not to reveal anything, but to remain silent.” St. wrote Barsanuphius belongs to people of different dispensations and to the worldly, therefore it is impossible for everyone to have one teaching, and especially for the worldly it is strange and impossible to fulfill this; also those who were successful, who had no need for this, but only in some cases (cases or thoughts) who were cold, because no one is free from battles, as you see from the fatherly writings; But since we are more in the rank of beginners, we must use this revealed teaching. Only, unfortunately, now this has almost disappeared from the custom in monasteries, due to the impoverishment of mentors; but to those who desire and seek salvation, God will send; Even in adolescence it will be of little enlightenment to speak a word for good (Abba Dorof). I wrote this to you, condescending to your weakness; Look what Abba Dorotheos did to Dositheus? (life of St. Dositheus). The humble do not delve into the depths of the unknown, but humble their thoughts, and in time God will enlighten them. Another word about bathing: the Holy Fathers forbid exposing the body, and, of course, bathing; but they strictly forbid us to treat the female sex; St. Isaac the Syrian: “It is better for you to suffer mortal poison than to eat food with your wife, even if you have both your mother and sister; Move away from the rulers (from the nuns), as from fire and as from the snare of the devil, and from seeing them and talking and seeing them. It is better for you to put a coal of fire into your belly than to put a fiery coal into your belly rather than the burden of food.” And we find many similar rules for training and retaining employees in the teachings of the Holy Fathers, which we must certainly observe. But even more important, on Wednesdays and Fridays, according to the rules of the holy fathers, it is forbidden to eat fish, and during Lent, it is forbidden to eat fish with oil. Does everyone follow this? For all such non-correction, what answer will we give to God? – Only repentance and humility alone gives hope of receiving God’s mercy. On the other hand, we see many who have corrected fasts, vigils, non-covetousness and other monastic external corrections, and who have not received any peace of mind in their conscience, and instead of the fruits of love and humility, they have become enslaved to anger, rage, remembrance, envy, unmercifulness, condemnation, and so on. This is because they turned all their care to external exploits, and did not care or force themselves at all about the internal correction of morality, just as a barren tree only put on leaves but did not bear fruit, and like the holy fools who did not have oil in their lamps. Read from St. Macarius of Egypt in seven words: in the 1st word of chapter: 13. 14: how we must force ourselves to all virtues, and especially those opposite to our passions, and in St. Peter of Damascus from 14 countries. and further: what hinders our salvation? Your desires, which you must certainly leave behind, and which ones exactly, you will see there; and through this you will come to new virtues. I.M. June 11, 1855, You might be interested in: