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Instructions of St. Seraphim of Sarov. About thoughts and carnal movements

1. About God

God is a fire that warms and inflames hearts and wombs. So, if we feel coldness in our hearts, which is from the devil, for the devil is cold, then we will call on the Lord, and He will come and warm our hearts with perfect love not only for Him, but also for our neighbor. And from the face of warmth the coldness of the hater will be expelled.

The Fathers wrote when they were asked: Seek the Lord, but do not try where you live.

Where God is, there is no evil. Everything that comes from God is peaceful and beneficial and leads a person to humility and self-condemnation.

God shows us His philanthropy not only when we do good, but also when we offend and anger Him. How long-sufferingly He bears our iniquities! And when he punishes, how compassionately he punishes!

Do not call God just, says St. Isaac, for in your deeds His justice is not seen. If David called Him just and upright, His Son showed us that He is more good and merciful. Where is His justice? We were sinners and Christ died for us (Isaac Sir. f. 90).

As long as a person perfects himself before God, he walks on the ceiling after Him; in the true age, God reveals his face to him. For the righteous, to the extent that they enter into the contemplation of Him, see the image as in a mirror, and there they see the manifestation of truth.

If you do not know God, then it is impossible that love for Him should be aroused in you; and you cannot love God unless you see Him. The vision of God comes from the knowledge of Him: for the contemplation of Him does not precede the knowledge of Him.

One should not reason about the deeds of God after the filling of the womb: for in a full womb there is no vision of the mysteries of God.

2. About the reasons for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ

The reasons for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, are:

1. God's love for the human race: so God love the world, as he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16).

2. The restoration in fallen man of the image and likeness of God, as the Holy Church sings about this (1st canon on the Nativity of the Lord's Song I): Corrupted by a crime in the image of God, the former, of all corruption, the best fallen away of Divine life, Packs are updated by the wise Sodetel.

3. Salvation of human souls: God did not send His Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world would be saved by Him (John 3:17).

So, following the goal of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, we must spend our lives according to His Divine teaching, in order to receive salvation for our souls through this.

3. About faith in God

First of all, one must believe in God, as if there is a rewarder who seeks Him (Heb. 11:6).

Faith, according to Rev. Antioch, is the beginning of our union with God: the true believer is the stone of the temple of God, prepared for the building of God the Father, raised to the heights by the power of Jesus Christ, i.e. by the cross, with the help of the rope, i.e. by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Faith without works is dead (James 2:26); but the works of faith are: love, peace, long-suffering, mercy, humility, bearing the cross, and living in the Spirit. Only such faith is imputed to the truth. True faith cannot be without deeds: whoever truly believes, he will certainly have deeds.

4. About hope

All who have a firm hope in God are raised to Him and enlightened by the radiance of eternal light.

If a person does not have any care for himself for the sake of love for God and deeds of virtue, knowing that God cares for him, then such a hope is true and wise. And if a person takes care of his own affairs and turns to God with prayer only when inevitable troubles already befall him, and he does not see in his own strength the means to avert them and begins to hope for God's help, such a hope is vain and false. True hope seeks the one Kingdom of God and is sure that everything earthly, necessary for temporary life, will undoubtedly be given. The heart cannot have peace until it acquires this hope. She will appease him and pour joy into him. The venerable and most holy lips spoke of this hope: Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28), that is, trust in Me and be comforted from labor and fear.

In the Gospel of Luke it is said about Simeon: and he was promised by the Holy Spirit not to see death, before he even sees the Lord's Christ (Luke 2, 26). And he did not mortify his hope, but waited for the longed-for Savior of the world and, joyfully taking Him into his arms, said: now let me go, Master, to go to Thy Kingdom, which is longed for me, for I have received my hope - the Christ of the Lord.

5. About love for God

He who has acquired perfect love for God exists in this life as if he did not exist. For he considers himself a stranger to the visible, patiently waiting for the invisible. He completely changed into love for God and forgot all other love.

He who loves himself cannot love God. And whoever does not love himself for the sake of loving God, he loves God.

He who truly loves God considers himself a stranger and a stranger on this earth; for with soul and mind, in its striving for God, it contemplates Him alone.

The soul, filled with the love of God, during its departure from the body, will not be afraid of the prince of the air, but will fly with the Angels, as if from a foreign country to its homeland.

6. Against excessive guardianship

Excessive concern for the things of life is characteristic of an unbelieving and faint-hearted person. And woe to us if we, taking care of ourselves, are not established by our hope in God, who cares for us! If the visible benefits that we enjoy in the present age are not related to Him, then how can we expect from Him those benefits that are promised in the future? Let us not be so unbelieving, but rather let us seek first the Kingdom of God, and all this will be added to us, according to the word of the Savior (Matt. 6:33).

It is better for us to despise what is not ours, i.e., temporary and transient, and to desire ours, i.e., incorruption and immortality. For when we are incorruptible and immortal, then we will be rewarded with visible contemplation of God, like the Apostles at the Most Divine Transfiguration, and we will partake above intellectual union with God, like heavenly minds. For let us be like angels and sons of God, resurrection sons (Luke 20:36).

7. About the care of the soul

A person's body is like a lit candle. The candle must burn out and the man must die. But the soul is immortal, therefore our care should be more about the soul than about the body: what good is it to a person, if he gains the whole world and wipes off his soul, or if a person gives treason for his soul (Mark 8, 36; Matt. 16, 26), for which, as you know, nothing in the world can be a ransom? If one soul in itself is more precious than the whole world and the kingdom of the world, then the Kingdom of Heaven is incomparably more precious. We honor the soul most preciously for the reason, as Macarius the Great says, that God did not deign to communicate and unite with his spiritual nature, with any visible creature, but with one person, whom he loved more than all His creatures (Macarius Vel. Word about the freedom of the mind, Ch. 32).

Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Ambrose of Milan and others from youth to the end of their lives were virgins; their whole life was devoted to the care of the soul, and not of the body. So we should have all the efforts for the soul; to strengthen the body only so that it contributes to the strengthening of the spirit.

8. What should the soul be supplied with?

The soul must be supplied with the word of God: for the word of God, as Gregory the Theologian says, is the bread of the angels, on which souls that hunger for God feed. Most of all, one should practice reading the New Testament and the Psalter, which should be done by the worthy one. From this comes enlightenment in the mind, which is changed by the Divine change.

One must educate oneself in such a way that the mind, as it were, swims in the law of the Lord, by which, being guided, one must also arrange one's life.

It is very useful to study the word of God in solitude and to read the entire Bible intelligently. For one such exercise, apart from other good deeds, the Lord will not leave a person with His mercy, but will fill him with the gift of understanding.

When a person supplies his soul with the word of God, then he is filled with the understanding of what is good and what is evil.

The reading of the word of God must be done in solitude, so that the whole mind of the reader is deepened into the truths of the Holy Scriptures and receives warmth from this into himself, which in solitude produces tears; from these, a person warms up all over and is filled with spiritual gifts that delight the mind and heart more than any word.

Bodily labor and exercise in the divine scriptures, teaches St. Isaac Sirin, guarding purity.

Until he receives the Comforter, a person needs divine writings, so that the remembrance of the good is imprinted in his mind and from incessant reading, the desire for good is renewed in him and protects his soul from the subtle paths of sin (Isaac Sir. Sl. 58).

It is also necessary to supply the soul with knowledge about the Church, how it has been preserved from the beginning and hitherto, what it has endured at one time or another - to know this not in order to wish to control people, but in case of questions that may arise.

But most of all, you should do it for yourself, in order to gain peace of mind, according to the teachings of the Psalmist, peace to many who love your law, Lord (Ps. 118, 165).

9. About peace of mind

There is nothing better in Christ than the world, in which all warfare of the airy and earthly spirits is destroyed: for our warfare is not against blood and flesh, but against the beginnings and authorities and the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual malice in high places (Eph. 6, 12 ).

A sign of a rational soul, when a person plunges the mind into himself and has action in his heart. Then the grace of God overshadows him, and he is in a peaceful dispensation, and through this he is also in a worldly state: in a peaceful, that is, with a good conscience, in a worldly state, for the mind contemplates in itself the grace of the Holy Spirit, according to the word of God: in Peace is His place (Ps. 75:3).

Is it possible, seeing the sun with sensual eyes, not to rejoice? But how much more joyful it is when the mind sees with the inner eye the Sun of the truth of Christ. Then he truly rejoices with the joy of an angel; about this the apostle also said: our life is in heaven (Phil. 3:20).

When someone walks in a peaceful dispensation, he, as it were, scoops up spiritual gifts with a liar.

The holy fathers, having a peaceful dispensation and being overshadowed by the grace of God, lived a long time.

When a person comes to a peaceful dispensation, then he can pour out the light of the enlightenment of the mind from himself and on others; before this, a person needs to repeat these words of Anna the prophetess: let no utterance come out of your mouth (1 Sam. 2, 3), and the words of the Lord: Hypocrites, remove the first log from your eye: and then you will see remove the bough from your brother’s eye ( Matthew 7:5).

This world, like some priceless treasure, was left by our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples before His death, saying: Peace I leave you, My peace I give you (John 14:27). The Apostle also speaks of him: and the peace of God, surpassing all understanding, may it guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).

If a person does not neglect the needs of the world, then he cannot have peace of the soul.

Peace of mind is acquired through sorrows. Scripture says: we went through fire and water and brought us to rest (Ps. 65:12). For those who want to please God, the path lies through many sorrows.

Nothing contributes to the acquisition inner world like silence and, as far as possible, incessant conversation with oneself and rare with others.

So we must concentrate all our thoughts, desires and actions to receive the peace of God and always cry out with the Church: Lord our God! give us peace (Isaiah 26:12).

10. About keeping peace of mind

Such an exercise can bring silence to the human heart and make it an abode for God Himself.

We see an example of such non-anger in Gregory the Wonderworker, from whom in a public place the wife of a certain harlot asked for bribes, allegedly for a sin committed with her; and he, not in the least angry with her, meekly said to a certain friend of his: give her a price soon, as much as she demands. The wife, who had just received an unrighteous wage, was attacked by a demon; the saint drove away the demon from her by prayer (Fourth Menaion, November 17, in his life).

If it is impossible not to be indignant, then at least one must try to control the tongue, according to the Psalmist's verb: I was confused and did not speak (Ps. 76, 5).

In this case, we can take St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky and St. Ephrem the Syrian. The first (Thurs. Min., Dec. 12, in his life) endured the insult in this way: when, at the request of the king of Greece, he entered the palace, then one of the servants who had been in the royal chamber, considering him for a beggar, laughed at him, did not let him into the ward, and then hit him in the cheek; St. Spiridon, being mild-mannered, according to the word of the Lord, turned the other one to him (Matt. 5, 39).

Rev. Ephraim (Chet. Min., Jan. 28, in his life), while fasting in the desert, the disciple was deprived of food in this way: the disciple, bringing him food, reluctantly crushed the vessel on the way. The monk, seeing the sad disciple, said to him: do not grieve, brother, if you do not want to bring food to us, then we will go to it; and he went and sat by the broken vessel, and gathering food he ate of it: so was he without anger.

And how to overcome anger, this can be seen from the life of the great Paisius (Chet. Min., June 19, in his life), who asked the Lord Jesus Christ who appeared to him to free him from anger; And Christ said to him: if you conquer anger and rage, if you wish, desire nothing, neither hate nor despise anyone.

When a person has a great lack of things necessary for the body, it is difficult to overcome despondency. But this, of course, should apply to weak souls.

To preserve peace of mind, one should also avoid condemning others in every possible way. By non-judgment and silence, peace of mind is preserved: when a person is in such a dispensation, he receives Divine revelations.

In order to preserve spiritual peace, it is necessary to enter into oneself more often and ask: where am I? At the same time, one must watch that the bodily senses, especially sight, serve the inner man and do not entertain the soul with sensual objects: for grace-filled gifts are received only by those who have inner work and watch over their souls.

11. About keeping the heart

We must vigilantly guard our hearts from obscene thoughts and impressions, according to the word of the tributary: with every kind of guarding, watch your heart from this issue of the belly (Prov. 4, 23).

From the vigilant guarding of the heart, purity is born in it, for which the vision of the Lord is available, according to the assurance of the eternal Truth: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8).

What has flowed into the heart of the best, we must not pour it out unnecessarily; for only then can that which is gathered be safe from visible and invisible enemies, when it is kept as a treasure in the interior of the heart.

The heart then only boils, being kindled by the Divine fire, when there is living water in it; when it all pours out, it becomes cold, and the person freezes.

12. About thoughts and carnal movements

We must be clean from unclean thoughts, especially when we bring prayer to God, for there is no agreement between stench and incense. Where there are thoughts, there is addition with them. So, we must repel the first attack of sinful thoughts and scatter them from the earth of our heart. While the children of Babylon, i.e., evil thoughts, are still babies, they must be crushed and crushed on the stone, which is Christ; especially the three main passions: gluttony, love of money and vanity, with which the devil tried to tempt even our Lord Himself at the end of His feat in the wilderness.

The devil, like a lion, hiding in his fence (Ps. 9:30), secretly spreads nets of impure and unclean thoughts for us. Therefore, immediately, as soon as we see it, we must dissolve them through pious meditation and prayer.

A feat and great vigilance are required so that during the psalmody our mind agrees with the heart and lips, so that in our prayer no stench is mixed with the incense. For the Lord abhors the heart with impure thoughts.

Let us unceasingly, day and night, with tears cast ourselves before the face of the goodness of God, may He cleanse our hearts from every evil thought, so that we can worthily walk the path of our calling and with clean hands bring Him the gifts of our service.

If we do not agree with the evil thoughts implanted by the devil, then we do good. An unclean spirit only has a strong influence on the passionate; but those who have been cleansed of passions are attacked only from the outside, or externally.

Is it possible for a person in his early years not to be indignant at carnal thoughts? But one must pray to the Lord God that the spark of vicious passions be extinguished at the very beginning. Then the flame of passions will not intensify in a person.

13. About the recognition of the actions of the heart

When a person receives something divine, he rejoices in his heart; but when it is diabolical, it is troubled.

The Christian heart, having accepted something divine, does not require anything else from the point of view of whether this is exactly from the Lord; but by this very action it is convinced that it is heavenly: for it feels spiritual fruits in itself: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal. 5, 22).

On the contrary, even if the devil was transformed into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11, 14), or represented plausible thoughts; however, the heart still feels some kind of vagueness and agitation in the thoughts. To explain, St. Macarius of Egypt says: even if (Satan) imagines bright visions, he will by no means be able to do a good act of tax: through which a certain sign of his deeds happens (Word 4, ch. 13).

So, from these various actions of the heart, a person can know what is divine and what is diabolical, as St. Gregory of Sinai: from action you will be able to know the shining light in your soul, whether there is God or a satan (Philokalia, part I, Gregory Sin. About silence).

14. About repentance

Those who wish to be saved must always have a heart disposed to repentance and contrite, according to the Psalmist: sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit, a contrite and humble heart God will not despise (Ps. 50, 19). In what contrition of spirit can a person comfortably pass through the cunning machinations of the proud devil, whose whole zeal consists in stirring up the human spirit and sowing his tares in indignation, according to the Gospel saying: Lord, did you not sow good seed in your village? Where is it bad to have tares? He said: Do this to the enemy of men (Matt. 13:27-28).

When a person tries to have a humble heart in himself and an unperturbed, but peaceful thought, then all the machinations of the enemy are ineffective, for where the world of thoughts is, there the Lord God Himself rests - His place is in the world (Ps. 75, 3).

The beginning of repentance comes from the fear of God and attention, as Martyr Boniface says (Chet. Min., Dec. 19, in his life): the fear of God is the father of attention, and attention is the mother of inner peace, conscience, which does this, warns that one, yes, the soul, as if in some water pure and unperturbed, sees its own ugliness and thus the beginnings and root of repentance are born.

Throughout our lives we offend the majesty of God with our sins, and therefore we must always humble ourselves before Him, asking for forgiveness of our debts.

Is it possible for a blessed person to rise after a fall?

It is possible, according to the Psalmist: I turned to feed and the Lord welcomed me (Ps. 117, 13), for when Nathan the prophet rebuked David for his sin, he, having repented, immediately received forgiveness (2 Kings 12, 13).

This hermit is an example of this, who, having gone for water, fell into sin with his wife at the source, and returning to his cell, realizing his sin, again began to lead an ascetic life, as before, not heeding the advice of the enemy, who presented him with the burden of sin and leading him away from the ascetic life. About this case, God revealed to a certain father and ordered the brother who had fallen into sin to please for such a victory over the devil.

When we sincerely repent of our sins and turn to our Lord Jesus Christ with all our heart, He rejoices in us, establishes a feast and calls for it forces that are dear to Him, showing them the drachma that He has acquired packs, i.e. His royal image and likeness . Laying the lost sheep on a ramen, He brings it to His Father. In the dwellings of all those who rejoice, God places the soul of the repentant together with those who did not run away from Him.

So, let us not hesitate to turn to our compassionate Lord soon, and let us not indulge in carelessness and despair for the sake of our grave and innumerable sins. Despair is the most perfect joy of the devil. It is sin unto death, as Scripture says (1 John 5:16).

Repentance for sin, by the way, consists in not doing it again.

As there is healing for every disease, so there is repentance for every sin.

Therefore, unquestionably proceed to repentance, and it will intercede for you before God.

15. About prayer

Those who truly decide to serve the Lord God should exercise in the remembrance of God and unceasing prayer to Jesus Christ, saying with the mind: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

By such an exercise, while protecting oneself from dispersion and observing peace of conscience, one can approach God and unite with Him. For, according to St. Isaac the Syrian, except for unceasing prayer, we cannot approach God (Word 69).

The image of prayer was very well placed by St. Simeon the New Theologian (Dobrot., part I). The dignity of this is very well portrayed by St. Chrysostom: greatness, he says, is the weapon of prayer, the treasure is inexhaustible, wealth is never dependent, the haven is calm, the silence of wine and the darkness of the good is the root, source and mother (Marg. sl. 5, About the incomprehensible).

In church, it is useful to stand at prayer with closed eyes in inner attention; open your eyes only when you are despondent, or sleep will weigh you down and incline you to doze off; then one should turn one's eyes to the image and to the candle burning before it.

If in prayer you happen to be captivated by the mind into plundering thoughts, then you must humble yourself before the Lord God and ask for forgiveness, saying: I have sinned, Lord, in word, deed, thought and all my feelings.

Therefore, one should always try not to give oneself up to the scattering of thoughts, for through this the soul evades the memory of God and His love through the action of the devil, as St. Macarius says: this diligence is all our adversary, so that our thought will turn away from the remembrance of God and fear and love (Sk. 2, ch. 15).

When the mind and heart are united in prayer and the thoughts of the soul are not scattered, then the heart is warmed by spiritual warmth, in which the light of Christ shines, filling the whole inner person with peace and joy.

16. About tears

All the saints and monks who had renounced the world all their lives wept in the hope of eternal consolation, according to the assurance of the Savior of the world: blessed are those who weep, for they shall be comforted (Matt. 5:4).

So we must weep for the remission of our sins. To this let the words of the Porphyry Bearer convince us: walking walkers and weeping, throwing their seeds: in the future they will come with joy, taking up their handles (Ps. 125, 6), and the words of St. Isaac the Syrian: wet your cheeks with weeping with your eyes, may the Holy Spirit rest on you and wash you from your filth of malice. Have mercy on your Lord with tears, that he may come to you (Sk. 68, On the renunciation of the world).

When we weep in prayer and laughter immediately intervenes, then this is from the devil's cunning. It is difficult to comprehend our enemy's secret and subtle actions.

Whose tears of tenderness flow, such a heart is illuminated by the rays of the Sun of truth - Christ God.

17. About the Light of Christ

In order to receive and see the light of Christ in the heart, one must, as much as possible, distract oneself from visible objects. Having cleansed the soul with repentance and good deeds and with faith in the Crucified One, having closed the bodily eyes, one should plunge the mind into the heart and cry out invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and then, to the extent of the zeal and ardor of the spirit towards the Beloved, a person finds delight in the called name, which arouses the desire to seek higher enlightenment.

When, through such an exercise, the mind is hardened in the heart, then the light of Christ shines, illuminating the temple of the soul with its Divine radiance, as the prophet Malachi says: and the sun of righteousness will shine on you who fear My name (Mal. 4, 2).

This light is also life, according to the Gospel word: in him was the life, and the life was the light of a man (John 1:4).

When a person contemplates the eternal light inwardly, then his mind is pure and does not have any sensual representations in itself, but, being completely deepened in the contemplation of uncreated goodness, it forgets everything sensual, does not want to see itself; but wants to hide in the heart of the earth, if only not to lose this true good - God.

18. About attention to oneself

The one who walks the path of attention should not only believe in his heart, but should believe his actions of the heart and his life with the law of God and with the active life of the ascetics of piety who passed such a feat. By this means it is more convenient to get rid of the evil one and see the truth more clearly.

The mind of an attentive person is, as it were, a guardian, or a vigilant guardian of inner Jerusalem. Standing at the height of spiritual contemplation, he looks with the eye of purity at the opposing forces that bypass and attack his soul, according to the Psalmist: and my eye looks at my enemies (Ps. 53, 9).

The devil is not hidden from his eye, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he will devour (1 Pet. 5:8), and those who strain their bows to shoot in the darkness of the upright in heart (Ps. 10:2).

Therefore, such a person, following the teaching of the Divine Paul, takes up all the weapons of God, so that he can resist in the day of fierceness (Eph. 6:13) and with these weapons, assisting the grace of God, repels visible attacks and defeats invisible warriors.

Passing this path should not listen to extraneous rumors, from which the head can be filled with idle and vain thoughts and memories; but you have to be careful with yourself.

Especially on this path, one should observe, so as not to turn to other people's affairs, not to think and not to speak about them, according to the Psalmist: my lips will not speak human deeds (Ps. 16, 4), but pray to the Lord: cleanse me from my secrets and from spare Thy servant (Ps. 18:13-14).

A person should pay attention to the beginning and end of his life, but to the middle, where happiness or misfortune happens, he should be indifferent. In order to maintain attention, one must withdraw into oneself, according to the Lord’s word: kiss no one on the way (Luke 10:4), that is, do not speak without need, unless someone runs after you to hear something useful from you.

19. About the fear of God

A person who has taken it upon himself to walk the path of inner attention must first of all have the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom.

These prophetic words should always be imprinted in his mind: work for the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling (Ps. 2:11).

He must walk this path with extreme caution and reverence for everything sacred, and not carelessly. Otherwise, one should be afraid that this divine definition would not apply to him: cursed is the man, do the work of the Lord with negligence (Jeremiah 48, 10).

Reverent caution is needed here for the fact that this sea, i.e., the heart with its thoughts and desires, which must be cleansed through attention, is great and spacious; , the offspring of evil spirits.

Fear God, says the Wise One, and keep His commandments (Eccl. 12:13). And by keeping the commandments, you will be strong in every deed, and your deed will always be good. For, fearing God, out of love for Him, you will do everything well. Don't be afraid of the devil; whoever fears God will overcome the devil: for him the devil is powerless.

Two kinds of fear: if you do not want to do evil, then fear the Lord and do not; but if you want to do good, then fear the Lord and do it.

But no one can acquire the fear of God until he is freed from all the worries of life. When the mind is carefree, then the fear of God moves it and draws it to the love of the goodness of God.

20. About renunciation of the world

The fear of God is acquired when a person, having renounced the world and everything that is in the world, concentrates all his thoughts and feelings in one idea of the law of God and is completely immersed in the contemplation of God and in the feeling of the blessedness promised to the saints.

It is impossible to renounce the world and come to a state of spiritual contemplation while remaining in the world. For until the passions subside, it is impossible to acquire peace of mind. But passions do not subside as long as we are surrounded by objects that excite passions. In order to come to perfect dispassion and achieve perfect silence of the soul, one must strive a lot in spiritual meditation and prayer. But how is it possible to completely and calmly immerse yourself in the contemplation of God and learn from His law and with all your soul ascend to Him in fervent prayer, remaining in the midst of the unceasing noise of the passions that are at war in the world? The world lies in evil.

Without being freed from the world, the soul cannot love God sincerely. For worldly, according to St. Antioch, there is, as it were, a veil for her.

If, says the same teacher, we live in a foreign city, and our city is far from this city, and if we know our city, then why do we linger in a foreign city and in it prepare fields and dwellings for ourselves? And how shall we sing the song of the Lord in foreign lands? This world is the region of another, that is, the prince of this world (Sk. 15).

21. About active and speculative life

A person consists of a body and soul, and therefore the path of his life must consist of bodily and spiritual actions - of deeds and contemplation.

The path of an active life is made up of: fasting, abstinence, vigil, kneeling, prayer, and other bodily feats that make up a strait and sorrowful path, which, according to the word of God, leads into eternal life (Matt. 7, 14).

The path of contemplative life consists in raising the mind to the Lord God, in heartfelt attention, mental prayer and contemplation through such exercises of spiritual things.

Anyone who wishes to pass through the spiritual life must start from the active life, and then come to the contemplative one: for without an active life it is impossible to come to the contemplative one.

An active life serves to purify us from sinful passions and elevates us to the level of active perfection; and thereby paves the way for us to a contemplative life. For only those who have been cleansed of passions and perfected can begin this life, as this can be seen from the words of Holy Scripture: blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matt. 5:8) and from the words of St. Gregory the Theologian (in a sermon for St. Pascha): Only those who are most perfect in their experience can safely proceed to contemplation.

The contemplative life should be approached with fear and trembling, with contrition of heart and humility, with many trials of the Holy Scriptures and, if possible, under the guidance of some skilful elder, and not with insolence and self-conceit: bold and perspicacious, according to Gregory Sinaita (On charms and on many other pretexts. Dobrot., Part I), having exacted more than her dignity with arrogance, is compelled to sing before her time. And again: if someone dreams of reaching a high opinion, the desire of Satan, and not having acquired the truth, the devil catches this with his nets, like his servant.

If, however, it is not possible to find a mentor who can guide a contemplative life, then in such a case one should be guided by the Holy Scriptures, for the Lord Himself commands us to learn from the Holy Scriptures, saying: test the Scriptures, for you think you have eternal life in them (John 5, 39).

In the same way, one should strive to read the writings of the fathers and try, as far as possible, according to the strength to do what they teach, and thus, little by little, from an active life, ascend to the perfection of contemplative life.

For, according to St. Gregory the Theologian (Word for Holy Pascha), the best thing is when we each by ourselves achieve perfection and offer a living, holy and always sanctified sacrifice to God calling us.

One should not leave the active life even when a person has progressed in it and has already come to the contemplative life: for it contributes to the contemplative life and elevates it.

Passing the path of the inner and contemplative life, one should not weaken and leave it, because people who cling to appearance and sensuality strike us with the opposite of their opinions to the very heart of the heart, and try in every possible way to distract us from the passage of the inner path, placing various obstacles on it. : for, according to the teachers of the Church (Blessed Theodoret. Commentary on the Song of Songs), contemplation of spiritual things is preferable to the knowledge of spiritual things.

And therefore, we should not waver in any opposition in the passage of this path, affirming ourselves in this case on the word of God: we will not be afraid of their fear, we will be embarrassed below: for God is with us. Let us sanctify the Lord our God in the memory of His Divine name and the fulfillment of His will, and He will be in fear for us (Isaiah 8:12-13).

22. About solitude and silence

Most of all, one should adorn oneself with silence; for Ambrose of Milan says: I have seen many being saved by silence, but not one by many words. And again, one of the fathers says: silence is the sacrament of the future age, while words are the instrument of this world (Philokalia, part II, ch. 16).

You just sit in your cell in attention and silence, and by all means try to bring yourself closer to the Lord, and the Lord is ready to make you an angel out of a man: on whom, He says, I will look, only on my meek and silent and trembling words (Isaiah 66, 2).

When we abide in silence, then the enemy-devil has no time to do anything with regard to the person hidden in the heart: this must be understood about silence in the mind.

Passing such a feat should put all his hope in the Lord God, according to the teachings of the Apostle: cast up all your sorrow Nan, as He cares for you (1 Pet. 5, 7). He must be constant in this feat, following in this case the example of St. John the Silent and Hermit (Chet. Min., Dec. 3, in his life), who in the passage of this path was affirmed by these Divine words: do not leave the imam to You, lower the imam depart from You (Heb. 13, 5).

If it is not always possible to remain in solitude and silence, living in a monastery and doing the obediences assigned from the rector; then although some time remaining from obedience should be devoted to solitude and silence, and for this little time the Lord God will not leave His rich mercy on you.

From solitude and silence tenderness and meekness are born; the action of this latter in the human heart can be likened to the quiet water of Siloam, which flows without noise and sound, as the prophet Isaiah says about it: the waters of Siloamli flowing yew (8, 6).

Staying in a cell in silence, exercise, prayer and teaching day and night the law of God makes a person pious: for, according to Sts. fathers, the cell of a monk is a Babylonian cave, in it the three children of the Son of God found (Good., Part III, Peter of Damascus, book 1).

A monk, according to Ephraim the Syrian, will not stay long in one place if he does not first love silence and abstinence. For silence teaches silence and constant prayer, and abstinence makes thought undistracted. Finally, he who has acquired this awaits a peaceful state (vol. II).

23. About verbosity

Mere verbosity with those who have contrary morals to us is enough to upset the interior of an attentive person.

But the most pitiful thing is that from this the fire that our Lord Jesus Christ came to bring into the earth of human hearts can be extinguished: for the fire that is breathed into the heart of a monk from the Holy Spirit to the sanctification of the soul, as a reflection and verbosity and conversation (Is Sir. word 8).

Especially one should guard oneself from dealing with the female sex: for, just as a wax candle, although not lit, but placed between those who are lit, melts, so the heart of a monk imperceptibly weakens from an interview with the female sex, about which St. Isidore Pelusiot says this: if (to the scripture) which evil conversations smolder good customs: then conversation with women, if it will be good, both will be strong, to corrupt the inner man secretly with bad thoughts, and the pure being of the body, the soul will be defiled: what is more hard is stone that the waters are softer, both the constant diligence and nature wins; if, therefore, the nature, barely movable, strives, and from that thing, to have nothing, suffers and diminishes, then what is the human will, even if it is a comfortable vacillation, from the habit of a long time will not be defeated and transformed (Isid. Pelus. pis. 84 and Thu Min., Feb. 4, in his life).

And therefore, in order to preserve the inner man, one must try to keep the tongue from verbosity: for a man is wise, he leads silence (Prov. 11, 12), and he who keeps his mouth, guards his soul (Prov. 13, 3) and remembers the words of Job: make a covenant of the eye mine, let me not consider the maiden (31:1) and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matt. 5:28).

Without first hearing from someone about any subject, one should not answer: for if the word answers before hearing, it is foolishness and reproach (Proverbs 18:13).

24. About silence

Rev. Barsanuphius teaches: as long as the ship is at sea, it endures troubles and the blows of the winds, and when it reaches a quiet and peaceful haven, it is no longer afraid of troubles and sorrows and the blows of the winds, but remains in silence. So you too, monk, as long as you remain with people, expect sorrows and troubles and the blows of mental winds; and when you enter into silence, you have nothing to fear (Bars. Rev. 8, 9).

Perfect silence is the cross on which a person must crucify himself with all his passions and lusts. But think, our Lord Christ endured many insults and insults in advance, and then ascended to the cross. So it is impossible for us to come into perfect silence and hope for holy perfection if we do not suffer with Christ. For the Apostle says: If we suffer with Him, we will be glorified with Him. There is no other way (Bars. Rep. 342).

He who has come into silence must constantly remember why he came, so that his heart does not deviate to something else.

25. About fasting

Our ascetic and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, before setting out on the feat of redeeming the human race, strengthened Himself with a long fast. And all the ascetics, starting to work for the Lord, armed themselves with fasting and did not enter the path of the Cross otherwise than in the feat of fasting. They measured the very successes in asceticism by successes in fasting.

Fasting consists not only in eating infrequently, but in eating little; and not in eating once, but in not eating much. That fasting is unreasonable, who waits for a certain hour, and at the hour of the meal, the whole indulges in insatiable taste both in body and mind. In the consideration of food, one must also observe that one should not distinguish between tasty and tasteless food. This business, characteristic of animals, in a rational person is unworthy of praise. We refuse pleasant food in order to subdue the warring members of the flesh and give freedom to the actions of the spirit.

True fasting consists not only in the exhaustion of the flesh, but also in giving that part of the bread that you yourself would like to eat to the hungry.

The holy people did not suddenly begin strict fasting, becoming gradually and little by little able to be content with the most meager food. Rev. Dorotheus, accustoming his disciple Dositheus to fasting, gradually took him away from the table in small parts, so that from four pounds the measure of his daily food was finally reduced to eight lots of bread.

For all that, the holy fasters, to the surprise of others, did not know relaxation, but they were always cheerful, strong and ready for work. Diseases between them were rare, and their life flowed extremely long.

To the extent that the flesh of the fasting person becomes thin and light, the spiritual life comes to perfection and reveals itself through miraculous manifestations. Then the spirit performs its actions as if in an incorporeal body. External senses seem to be closed, and the mind, having renounced the earth, ascends to heaven and is completely immersed in the contemplation of the spiritual world.

However, in order to impose on oneself a strict rule of abstinence in everything, or to deprive oneself of everything that can serve to alleviate infirmities, not everyone can accommodate this. He who is able to receive, let him receive (Mt. 19:12).

Food should be consumed every day so much that the body, strengthened, is a friend and helper to the soul in the accomplishment of virtue; otherwise, it may be that, when I become exhausted in the body, the soul also becomes weak.

On Fridays and Wednesdays, especially on four fasts, follow the example of the fathers, eat food once a day, and the angel of the Lord will cling to you.

26. About exploits

We should not undertake feats beyond measure, but try to make a friend - our flesh - be faithful and capable of creating virtues.

It is necessary to go the middle way, not deviating either to the gum or to the neck (Prov. 4, 27); to give spiritual things to the spirit, and bodily things to the body, which are necessary for the maintenance of temporary life. Public life should also not refuse what it legitimately requires of us, according to the words of Scripture: Render back what is Caesar's to Caesar's and God's God (Mat. 22:21).

We must also condescend to our soul in its infirmities and imperfections and endure our shortcomings, as we endure the shortcomings of our neighbors, but not become lazy and constantly encourage ourselves to do better.

Whether you have eaten a lot of food or done something else that is akin to human weakness, do not be indignant at this, do not add harm to harm; but, courageously pushing yourself to correction, try to preserve the peace of your soul, according to the word of the Apostle: blessed is not judging yourself, for he is tempted (Rom. 14, 22).

The body, exhausted by exploits or illnesses, should be reinforced by moderate sleep, food and drink, without even observing the time. Jesus Christ, after the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus from death, immediately commanded to give her food (Luke 8:55).

If we arbitrarily exhaust our body to the point that the spirit also becomes exhausted, then such dejection will be reckless, even if this was done for the acquisition of virtue.

Until the age of thirty-five, i.e., before the end of earthly life, a great feat is a man’s feat in preserving himself, and many in these years do not get tired in virtue, but turn away from the right path to their own desires, as St. Basil the Great testifies (in a conversation at the beginning. Prov.): Many gathered a lot in their youth, but in the middle of their lives, they were not able to endure the excitement and lost everything because of the temptations that rose against them from the spirits of evil.

And therefore, in order not to experience such a transformation, one must, as it were, place oneself on the measure of testing and attentive observation of oneself, according to the teachings of St. Isaac the Syrian: as if on a measure it is fitting to know one's residence for everyone (Sk. 40).

We must attribute any success in anything to the Lord and say with the prophet: not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name, give glory (Ps. 113, 9).

27. About being vigilant against temptations

We must always be attentive to the attacks of the devil; for can we hope that he will leave us without temptation, when he has not left our Ascetic Himself and the Head of the Faith and the Finisher of the Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord Himself said to the Apostle Peter: Simone! Simone! Behold, Satan asks you to sow like wheat (Luke 22:31).

So, we must always call on the Lord in humility and pray that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength, but that He will deliver us from the evil one.

For when the Lord leaves a man to himself, then the devil is ready to erase him, like a millstone a grain of wheat.

28. About sadness

When an evil spirit of sadness takes possession of the soul, then, filling it with sorrow and unpleasantness, does not allow it to pray with due diligence, prevents it from reading the Scriptures with due attention, deprives it of meekness and complacency in dealing with brethren, and gives rise to disgust from any conversation. For a soul filled with sorrow, becoming as it were mad and frenzied, can neither calmly accept good advice, nor meekly answer the proposed questions. She runs away from people as the culprits of her embarrassment, and does not understand that the cause of the disease is inside her. Sorrow is the worm of the heart that gnaws at its mother.

A sad monk does not move the mind to contemplation and can never perform pure prayer.

He who conquered passions also conquered sadness. And the conquered by passions will not escape the shackles of sorrow. Just as a sick person is seen by the complexion, so one who has passion is convicted of sorrow.

Whoever loves the world, it is impossible not to grieve. A despised world is always cheerful.

As fire purifies gold, so sadness according to God purifies the sinful heart (Ant. Sl. 25).

29. About boredom and despondency

Boredom also acts inseparably with the spirit of sadness. She, according to the fathers, attacks the monk around noon and produces such terrible anxiety in him that both the place of residence and the brothers living with him become unbearable to him, and when reading, some kind of disgust is aroused, and frequent yawning and strong hunger. After saturation of the womb, the demon of boredom inspires the monk with thoughts to leave the cell and talk to someone, imagining that there is no other way to get rid of boredom than by constantly talking with others. And a monk, overwhelmed by boredom, is like desert brushwood, which then stops a little, then again rushes along the wind. He is like a waterless cloud driven by the wind.

This demon, if he cannot get the monk out of his cell, then begins to entertain his mind during prayer and reading. This, the thought tells him, lies wrong, but this is not here, it is necessary to put it in order, and he does everything in order to make the mind idle and fruitless.

This disease is healed by prayer, abstinence from idle talk, feasible needlework, reading the word of God and patience; because it is born from cowardice and idleness and idle talk (Ant. sl. 26, Is. Sir. 212).

It is difficult for a beginner to monastic life to avoid her, for she is the first to attack him. Therefore, first of all, it must be guarded against by means of a strict and unquestioning fulfillment of all the duties assigned to the novice. When your studies come into a real order, then boredom will not find a place in your heart. Only those who are not in order are bored. So obedience is the best remedy for this dangerous disease.

When boredom overcomes you, then say to yourself, according to the instructions of St. Isaac the Syrian: you again desire impurity and a shameful life. And if a thought tells you: it is a great sin to kill yourself, you tell him: I kill myself, because I cannot live uncleanly. I will die here so as not to see the true death - my soul in relation to God. It is better for me to die here for purity than to live an evil life in the world. I preferred this death to my sins. I will kill myself because I have sinned against the Lord and will no longer anger Him. Why should I live away from God? I will endure these bitterness, so as not to lose heavenly hope. What will God have in my life if I live badly and anger Him (Sk. 22)?

Another - boredom and another - the languor of the spirit, called despondency. Sometimes a person is in such a state of mind that it seems to him that it would be easier for him to be annihilated or to be without any feeling and consciousness, than to remain longer in this unconsciously painful state. We must hurry to get out of it. Watch out for the spirit of despondency, for all evil is born from it (Bars. Rep. 73, 500).

There is natural despondency, teaches St. Barsanuphius, from impotence, is despondency from a demon. Do you want to know this? Try it this way: the demonic comes before the time in which you should give yourself rest. For when someone proposes to do something, before a third or a quarter of the work is done, it forces him to leave the work and get up. Then you do not need to listen to him, but you need to make a prayer and sit at work with patience.

And the enemy, seeing that he is therefore praying, moves away, because he does not want to give a reason for prayer (Bars. Rev. 562, 563, 564, 565).

When God pleases, says St. Isaac the Syrian, - having plunged a person into great sorrow, allows him to fall into the hands of cowardice. It gives birth to a strong force of despondency in him, in which he experiences spiritual tightness and this is a foretaste of hell; as a result of this, the spirit of frenzy finds, from which thousands of temptations arise: embarrassment, rage, blasphemy, complaining about one's fate, corrupt thoughts, moving from place to place, and the like. If you ask: what is the reason for this? then I will say: your negligence, because you did not bother to look for their healing. For there is only one cure for all this, by means of which a man soon finds consolation in his soul. And what is this medicine? Humility of the heart. With nothing but him, a person cannot destroy the stronghold of these vices, but on the contrary, he finds that these prevail over him (Isaac Sir. Sl. 79).

Despair at St. fathers is sometimes called idleness, laziness and corruption.

30. About despair

As the Lord cares about our salvation, so the murderer - the devil tries to lead a person into despair.

Despair, according to St. John of the Ladder, is born either from the consciousness of many sins, despair of conscience and unbearable sadness, when the soul, covered with many ulcers, sinks into the depths of despair from their unbearable pain, or from pride and arrogance, when someone considers himself not deserving of the sin into which he fell . The first kind of despair draws a person into all vices indiscriminately, and with despair of the second kind, a person still clings to his feat, which, according to St. John of the Ladder, and not together with reason. The first is healed by abstinence and good hope, and the second - by humility and non-judgment of one's neighbor (Step 26).

A lofty and firm soul does not despair in case of misfortunes of any kind. Judas the traitor was cowardly and inexperienced in battle, and therefore the enemy, seeing his despair, attacked him and forced him to hang himself; but Peter is a hard stone, when he fell into a great sin, as skillful in battle, did not despair and did not lose his spirit, but shed bitter tears from a hot heart, and the enemy, seeing them, as if scorched in the eyes by fire, fled far from him with a painful scream.

So, brothers, teaches Rev. Antiochus, when despair attacks us, let us not submit to it, but, being strengthened and protected by the light of faith, with great courage let us say to the evil spirit: what is it to us and to you, alienated from God, a fugitive from heaven and an evil servant? You dare not do anything to us.

Christ, the Son of God, has power over us and over everything. We have sinned against him, and we shall be justified by him. And you, pernicious, depart from us. Strengthened by His honest cross, we trample on your serpent's head (Ant. f. 27).

31. About diseases

The body is the slave of the soul, the soul is the queen, and therefore this is the mercy of the Lord when the body is exhausted by illnesses; for from this the passions are weakened, and the man comes to himself; and bodily illness itself is sometimes born from passions.

Take away sin and there will be no sickness; for they are in us from sin, as St. Basil the Great (The word that God is not the cause of evil): where are the ailments? Where are the bodily injuries? The Lord created the body, not the disease; soul, not sin. What is most useful and necessary? Union with God and communion with Him through love. When we lose this love, we fall away from Him, and when we fall away, we are subjected to various and varied ailments.

Whoever endures the disease with patience and thanksgiving, it is imputed to him instead of a feat or even more.

One elder, who suffered from water sickness, said to the brothers who came to him with a desire to heal him: fathers, pray that my inner man would not be subjected to such a disease; and as for the real illness, I ask God that He does not suddenly free me from it, because as our external person smolders, the internal ceiling is renewed (2 Cor. 4, 16).

If it pleases the Lord God for a person to experience illnesses, then He will also give him the strength of patience.

So let there be sickness, not from ourselves, but from God.

32. About positions and love for neighbors

One must treat one's neighbors kindly, without doing even the slightest form of insult.

When we turn away from a person or insult him, then it is as if a stone falls on our heart.

One should try to encourage the spirit of a confused or discouraged person with a word of love.

Brother sinning, cover him, as St. Isaac the Syrian (Sk. 89): Stretch your robe over the sinner and cover him. We all demand the mercy of God, as the Church sings: otherwise the Lord would not be in us, who is contented to be saved whole from the enemy, but also murderers.

In relation to our neighbors, we must be, both in word and in thought, pure and equal to everyone; otherwise we will make our life useless.

We must love our neighbor no less than ourselves, according to the commandment of the Lord: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as unto thyself (Luke 10:27). But not in such a way that love for neighbors, going beyond the boundaries of moderation, distracts us from the fulfillment of the first and main commandment, that is, the love of God, as our Lord Jesus Christ teaches about this: whoever loves a father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me : and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me, is worthy of Me (Matt. 10, 37). On this subject St. Dimitry of Rostov (Part II, lesson 2): there one can see a untruth to God in Christian man love, where the creature is compared with the Creator, or more creature than the Creator is revered; and there one can see true love, where one Creator is loved and preferred more than all creation.

33. About not condemning one's neighbor

No one should be judged, even if with my own eyes I saw someone sinning, or stagnant in the transgression of the commandments of God, according to the word of God: judge, lest you be judged (Mat. 7, 1), and again: who are you to judge a foreign servant? to his Lord stands or falls; but it will become, for God is mighty to set him up (Rom. 14:4).

It is much better to always bring to mind these Apostolic words: think to stand and watch, lest you fall (1 Cor. 10:12). For it is not known how long we can remain in virtue, as the prophet says, knowing this by experience: rech in my abundance: I will not move forever. Thou hast turned thy face away, and was confused (Ps. 29:7-8).

Why do we condemn our brothers? Because we do not try to know ourselves. He who is busy with knowing himself has no time to notice others. Judge yourself and stop judging others.

We must consider ourselves the most sinful of all and forgive our neighbor for every bad deed, and hate only the devil who deceived him. It happens that it seems to us that the other does something bad, but in fact, according to the good intention of the one doing it, this is good. Moreover, the door of repentance is open to everyone and it is not known who will enter it first - whether you are the one who condemns, or the one condemned by you.

Condemn a bad deed, but do not condemn the one who does it. If you condemn your neighbor, teaches St. Antiochus, you are condemned along with him in the very same thing in which you condemn him. It is not for us to judge or condemn, but for the one and only God and the Great Judge, who guides our hearts and the innermost passions of nature (Ant. 49).

In order to get rid of condemnation, one must listen to oneself, not accept extraneous thoughts from anyone and be dead to everything.

So, beloved, let us not watch other people's sins and condemn others, so as not to hear: sons of mankind, their teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue is a sharp sword (Ps. 56, 5).

34. About forgiveness of insults

For the offense, no matter what was inflicted, not only should not be avenged, but on the contrary, you should also forgive the offender from the heart, even if it opposed it, and incline him with the conviction of the word of God: if you do not forgive a person for their sins, neither your Heavenly Father forgive you your sins (Matt. 6:15), and again: pray for those who do you harm (Matt. 5:44).

You should not harbor malice or hatred in your heart towards your neighbor who is at war, but you should love him and, as far as possible, do good to him, following the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you (Mat. 5, 44).

When someone humiliates or takes away your honor, then by all means try to forgive him, according to the word of the Gospel: do not torture him who takes your honor (Luke 6, 30).

God commanded us enmity only against the serpent, that is, against the one who from the beginning seduced man and expelled him from paradise - against the man-killer-devil. We are also commanded to be at enmity against the Midianites, i.e., against the unclean spirits of fornication and adultery, which sow impure and filthy thoughts in the heart.

Let us emulate the beloved of God: let us empathize with the meekness of David, about whom the all-good and loving Lord said: I have found a man after my own heart, who will fulfill all my desires. Thus He speaks of David, unforgiving and kind to his enemies. And we will not do anything in revenge on our brother, so that, as St. Antioch, there was no stopping during prayer.

God testified of Job as of a gentle man (Job 2:3); Joseph did not take revenge on his brothers who plotted evil against him; Abel, in simplicity and without suspicion, went with his brother Cain.

According to the testimony of the word of God, the saints all lived in innocence. Jeremiah, talking with God (Jer. 18, 20), speaks of Israel persecuting him: Is evil food rewarded for good food? Remember those who stand before You, and speak good for them (Ant. sl. 52).

And so, if we strive to do all this to the best of our ability, then we can hope that the light of God will shine in our hearts, illuminating our path to the heavenly Jerusalem.

35. About patience and humility

One must always endure everything, no matter what happens, for God's sake, with gratitude. Our life is one minute compared to eternity; and therefore, according to the Apostle, we are unworthy of the passions of the present time for wanting glory to appear in us (Rom. 8:18).

Insults from others should be endured indifferently and accustomed to such a disposition of the spirit, as if their insults did not concern us, but others.

Endure in silence when the enemy offends you and then open your heart to the only Lord.

We must always and before everyone humble ourselves, following the teachings of St. Isaac the Syrian: humble yourself and you will see the glory of God in yourself (Sk. 57).

I do not exist for light, everything is gloomy, and without humility there is nothing in a person, but only darkness. Therefore, let us love humility and see the glory of God; where humility flows out, there the glory of God flows out.

Just as wax that is not warmed up and not softened cannot accept the seal imposed on it, so the soul, not tempted by labors and weaknesses, cannot accept the seal of God's virtue. When the devil left the Lord, then the angels came and served Him (Matt. 4:11). So, if during temptations the angels of God depart from us a little, then they are not far away, and soon they come and serve us with Divine thoughts, compunction, delight, patience. The soul, having labored, acquires other perfections. Why St. the prophet Isaiah says: those who endure the Lord will change their strength, they will give wings, like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will go and not grieve (Is. 40, 31).

So did the gentlest David endure: for when Shimei reproached him and threw stones at him, saying, Departure, you wicked man, he did not get angry; And when Abishai, being indignant at this, said to him: Why does this dead dog curse my Lord the King? he forbade him, saying: leave him, and so let him curse me, for the Lord will see and reward me with good (2 Sam. 16:7-12).

Why later he sang: enduring the Lord's suffering, and heed me, and heard my prayer (Ps. 39, 2).

Like a child-loving father, when he sees that his son lives disorderly, he punishes him; and when he sees that he is faint-hearted and bears his punishment with difficulty, then he consoles: so does the good Lord and our Father with us, using everything for our benefit, both consolation and punishment, according to His philanthropy. And therefore we, being in sorrows, as well-behaved children, must give thanks to God. For if we begin to thank Him only in well-being, then we will be like the ungrateful Jews who, having had their fill of a wonderful meal in the desert, said that Christ is truly a prophet, wanted to take Him and make Him king, and when He said to them: who abides in the eternal life, then they said to Him: why are you doing a sign? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness (John 6:27-31). The word falls directly on such people: he will confess to you when you do him good, and such one will not even see the light to the end (Ps. 48, 19-20).

Therefore, the Apostle James teaches us: have every joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the temptation of your faith makes patience; mark a crown life (James 1:2-4, 12).

36. About charity

Should be merciful to the poor and strange; the great luminaries and fathers of the Church baked much about this.

In relation to this virtue, we must try by all means to fulfill the following commandment of God: Be merciful, for even your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36), and also: I desire mercy, not sacrifice (Matt. 9:13).

The wise listen to these salutary words, but the foolish do not heed; that is why the reward is not the same, as it is said: those who sow poverty will reap poverty; but those who sow for a blessing, they will reap a blessing (2 Corinthians 9:6).

The example of Peter the Khlebodar (Thurs. Min., Sept. 22), who, for a piece of bread given to a beggar, received forgiveness for all his sins, as it was shown to him in a vision - may he move us to be merciful to neighbors: for even a small almsgiving contributes greatly to receiving the Kingdom of Heaven.

We must do alms with a sincere disposition, according to the teachings of St. Isaac the Syrian: if you give something to someone who needs it, let the joy of your face precede your deed and comfort his sorrow with good words (Sk. 89).

“The conversation of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov with N.A. Motovilov". Artist - Ivleva Svetlana

The Fathers wrote when they were asked: Seek the Lord, but do not try where you live.

Where God is, there is no evil. Everything that comes from God is peaceful and beneficial and leads a person to humility and self-condemnation.

God shows us His philanthropy not only when we do good, but also when we offend and anger Him. How long-sufferingly He bears our iniquities! And when he punishes, how compassionately he punishes!

One should not reason about the deeds of God after the filling of the womb: for in a full womb there is no vision of the mysteries of God.

2. About the reasons for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ

The reasons for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, are:

1. God's love for the human race: so God love the world, as he also gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16).

2. Restoration in fallen man of the image and likeness of God, as the Holy Church sings about this (1st canon on the Nativity of the Lord's Song I): Having decayed by the crime in the image of God, the former, of all corruption, the best fallen away Divine life, again renews wise sodetel.

3. Salvation of human souls: God did not send His Son into the world, let them judge the world, but let the world be saved by Him (John 3:17).

So, following the goal of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, we must spend our lives according to His Divine teaching, in order to receive salvation for our souls through this.

3. About faith in God

First of all, one must believe in God, as if there is a rewarder who seeks Him (Heb. 11:6).

4. About hope.

All who have a firm hope in God are raised to Him and enlightened by the radiance of eternal light.

The Gospel of Luke says about Simeon: and he was promised by the Holy Spirit not to see death, before he even sees the Lord's Christ (Luke 2:26). And he did not mortify his hope, but waited for the longed-for Savior of the world and, joyfully taking Him into his arms, said: now let me go, Master, to go to Thy Kingdom, which is longed for me, for I have received my hope - the Christ of the Lord.

5. About love for God

He who loves himself cannot love God. And whoever does not love himself for the sake of loving God, he loves God.

He who truly loves God considers himself a stranger and a stranger on this earth; for with soul and mind, in its striving for God, it contemplates Him alone.

The soul, filled with the love of God, during its departure from the body, will not be afraid of the prince of the air, but will fly with the Angels, as if from a foreign country to its homeland.

6. Against excessive guardianship

7. About the care of the soul

A person's body is like a lit candle. The candle must burn out and the man must die. But the soul is immortal, therefore our care should be more about the soul than about the body: what good is it to a man, if he gains the whole world and wipes off his soul, or if a man gives treason for his soul (Mark 8:36; Matt. 16: 26), for which, as you know, nothing in the world can be a ransom? If one soul in itself is more precious than the whole world and the kingdom of the world, then the Kingdom of Heaven is incomparably more precious. We honor the soul most preciously for the reason, as Macarius the Great says, that God did not deign to communicate and unite with his spiritual nature, with any visible creature, but with one person, whom he loved more than all His creatures (Macarius Vel. Word about the freedom of the mind, Ch. 32).

8. What should the soul be supplied with?

One must educate oneself in such a way that the mind, as it were, swims in the law of the Lord, by which, being guided, one must also arrange one's life.

When a person supplies his soul with the word of God, then he is filled with the understanding of what is good and what is evil.

Bodily labor and exercise in the divine scriptures, teaches St. Isaac Sirin, guarding purity.

Most of all, you should do it for yourself, in order to gain peace of mind, according to the teachings of the Psalmist, peace to many who love your law, Lord (Ps. 119:165).

9. About peace of mind

There is nothing better in Christ than the world, in which all warfare of the airy and earthly spirits is destroyed: for our warfare is not against blood and flesh, but against the beginnings and authorities and rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual malice in high places (Eph. 6:12 ).

When someone walks in a peaceful dispensation, he, as it were, scoops up spiritual gifts with a liar.

The holy fathers, having a peaceful dispensation and being overshadowed by the grace of God, lived a long time.

When a person comes to a peaceful dispensation, then he can pour out the light of the enlightenment of the mind from himself and on others; before this, a person needs to repeat these words of Anna the prophetess: lest no speech come out of your mouth (1 Sam. 2: 3), and the words of the Lord: Hypocrites, remove the first log from your eye: and then you will see remove the bough from your brother’s eye ( Matthew 7:5).

If a person does not neglect the needs of the world, then he cannot have peace of the soul.

Peace of mind is acquired through sorrows. The Scripture says: we went through fire and water and brought us to rest (Ps. 65:12). For those who want to please God, the path lies through many sorrows.

Nothing contributes to the acquisition of inner peace, like silence and, as far as possible, incessant conversation with oneself and rare with others.

So we must concentrate all our thoughts, desires and actions to receive the peace of God and always cry out with the Church: Lord our God! give us peace (Isaiah 26:12).

10. About keeping peace of mind

Such an exercise can bring silence to the human heart and make it an abode for God Himself.

If it is impossible not to be indignant, then at least one must try to control the tongue, according to the Psalmist's verb: I was confused and did not speak (Ps. 76: 5).

In this case, we can take St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky and St. Ephrem the Syrian. The first (Thurs. Min., Dec. 12, in his life) endured the insult in this way: when, at the request of the king of Greece, he entered the palace, then one of the servants who had been in the royal chamber, considering him for a beggar, laughed at him, did not let him into the ward, and then hit him in the cheek; St. Spiridon, being gentle, according to the word of the Lord, turned the other one to him (Matt. 5:39).

When a person has a great lack of things necessary for the body, it is difficult to overcome despondency. But this, of course, should apply to weak souls.

11. About keeping the heart

The heart then only boils, being kindled by the Divine fire, when there is living water in it; when it all pours out, it becomes cold, and the person freezes.

12. About thoughts and carnal movements

The devil, like a lion, hiding in his fence (Ps. 9:30), secretly spreads nets of unclean and unclean thoughts for us. Therefore, immediately, as soon as we see it, we must dissolve them through pious meditation and prayer.

13. About the recognition of the actions of the heart

When a person receives something divine, he rejoices in his heart; but when it is diabolical, it is troubled.

On the contrary, even if the devil was transformed into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), or represented plausible thoughts; however, the heart still feels some kind of vagueness and agitation in the thoughts. To explain, St. Macarius of Egypt says: even if (Satan) imagines bright visions, he will by no means be able to do a good act of tax: through which a certain sign of his deeds happens (Word 4, ch. 13).

14. About repentance

Those who wish to be saved must always have a heart disposed to repentance and contrite, according to the Psalmist: sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit, a contrite and humble heart God will not despise (Ps. 50:19). In what contrition of spirit can a person comfortably pass through the cunning machinations of the proud devil, whose whole zeal consists in stirring up the human spirit and sowing his tares in indignation, according to the Gospel saying: Lord, did you not sow good seed in your village? Where is it bad to have tares? He said: Do this to the enemy of men (Matthew 13:27-28).

When a person tries to have a humble heart in himself and an unperturbed, but peaceful thought, then all the wiles of the enemy are ineffective, for where the world of thoughts is, there the Lord God Himself rests - His place is in the world (Ps. 75:3).

The beginning of repentance comes from the fear of God and attention, as the martyr Boniface says (Chet. Min., Dec. 19, in his life): the fear of God is the father of attention, and attention is the mother of inner peace, conscience, which does this, warns that one, yes, the soul, as if in some water pure and unperturbed, sees its own ugliness and thus the beginnings and root of repentance are born.

Throughout our lives we offend the majesty of God with our sins, and therefore we must always humble ourselves before Him, asking for forgiveness of our debts.

Is it possible for a blessed person to rise after a fall?

It is possible, according to the Psalmist: I turned to feed and the Lord welcomed me (Ps. 117:13), for when Nathan the prophet rebuked David for his sin, he repented and immediately received forgiveness (2 Sam. 12:13).

Repentance for sin, by the way, consists in not doing it again.

As there is healing for every disease, so there is repentance for every sin.

Therefore, unquestionably proceed to repentance, and it will intercede for you before God.

15. About prayer

16. About tears

All the saints and monks who renounced the world all their lives wept in the hope of eternal consolation, according to the assurance of the Savior of the world: blessed are those who weep, for they shall be comforted (Matt. 5:4).

So we must weep for the remission of our sins. To this let the words of the Porphyry Bearer convince us: walking walkers and weeping, throwing their seeds: in the future they will come with joy, taking up their handles (Ps. 125:6), and the words of St. Isaac the Syrian: wet your cheeks with weeping with your eyes, may the Holy Spirit rest on you and wash you from your filth of malice. Have mercy on your Lord with tears, that he may come to you (Sk. 68, On the renunciation of the world).

When we weep in prayer and laughter immediately intervenes, then this is from the devil's cunning. It is difficult to comprehend our enemy's secret and subtle actions.

Whose tears of tenderness flow, such a heart is illuminated by the rays of the Sun of truth - Christ God.

17. About the Light of Christ

This light is also life, according to the Gospel word: in him was the life, and the life was the light of a man (John 1:4).

18. About attention to oneself

The devil is not hidden from his eye, like a roaring lion who seeks to devour whom (1 Pet. 5:8), and those who strain their bows shoot in the darkness of the upright in heart (Ps. 10:2).

Passing this path should not listen to extraneous rumors, from which the head can be filled with idle and vain thoughts and memories; but you have to be careful with yourself.

Especially on this path, one should observe, so as not to turn to other people's affairs, not to think and not to speak about them, according to the Psalmist: my mouth will not speak human deeds (Ps. 16:4), but pray to the Lord: cleanse me from my secrets and from Spare Thy servant on strangers (Ps. 18:13-14).

19. About the fear of God

A person who has taken it upon himself to walk the path of inner attention must first of all have the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom.

These prophetic words should always be imprinted in his mind: work for the Lord with fear, and rejoice in him with trembling (Ps. 2:11).

Two kinds of fear: if you do not want to do evil, then fear the Lord and do not; but if you want to do good, then fear the Lord and do it.

But no one can acquire the fear of God until he is freed from all the worries of life. When the mind is carefree, then the fear of God moves it and draws it to the love of the goodness of God.

20. About renunciation of the world

Without being freed from the world, the soul cannot love God sincerely. For worldly, according to St. Antioch, there is, as it were, a veil for her.

21. About active and speculative life

A person consists of a body and soul, and therefore the path of his life must consist of bodily and spiritual actions - from deeds and contemplation.

The path of an active life consists of fasting, abstinence, vigil, kneeling, prayer, and other bodily ascetic labors, which make up a strait and sorrowful path, which, according to the word of God, leads into eternal life (Matt. 7:14).

The path of contemplative life consists in raising the mind to the Lord God, in heartfelt attention, mental prayer and contemplation through such exercises of spiritual things.

An active life serves to purify us from sinful passions and elevates us to the level of active perfection; and thereby paves the way for us to a contemplative life. For only those who have been cleansed of passions and perfected can approach this life, as this can be seen from the words of Holy Scripture: blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matt. 5:8) and from the words of St. Gregory the Theologian (in a sermon for St. Pascha): Only those who are most perfect in their experience can safely proceed to contemplation.

One should not leave the active life even when a person has progressed in it and has already come to the contemplative life: for it contributes to the contemplative life and elevates it.

And therefore, we should not waver in any opposition in the passage of this path, affirming ourselves in this case on the word of God: we will not be afraid of their fear, we will be embarrassed below: for God is with us. Let us sanctify the Lord our God in the memory of His Divine Name and the fulfillment of His will, and He will be in fear for us (Isaiah 8:12-13).

22. About solitude and silence

When we abide in silence, then the enemy-devil has no time to do anything with regard to the person hidden in the heart: this must be understood about silence in the mind.

Passing such a feat should put all his hope in the Lord God, according to the teachings of the Apostle: cast up all your sorrow Nan, as he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7). He must be constant in this feat, following in this case the example of St. John the silent and hermit (Chet. Min., Dec. 3, in his life), who, in the passage of this path, was affirmed by these Divine words: do not leave the imam to you, lower the imam depart from you (Heb. 13:5).

23. About verbosity

Mere verbosity with those who have contrary morals to us is enough to upset the interior of an attentive person.

And therefore, in order to preserve the inner man, one must try to keep the tongue from verbosity: a husband is wise, leads silence (Prov. 11, 12), and whoever keeps his mouth, guards his soul (Prov. 13:3) and remembers the words of Job: make a covenant of the eye mine, let me not consider the maiden (31:1) and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: Everyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matt. 5:28).

Without first hearing from someone about any subject, one should not answer: for if the word answers before it is heard, it is foolishness and reproach (Prov. 18:13).

24. About silence

He who has come into silence must constantly remember why he came, so that his heart does not deviate to something else.

25. About fasting

True fasting consists not only in the exhaustion of the flesh, but also in giving that part of the bread that you yourself would like to eat to the hungry.

On Fridays and Wednesdays, especially on four fasts, follow the example of the fathers, eat food once a day, and the angel of the Lord will cling to you.

26. About exploits

We should not undertake feats beyond measure, but try to make a friend - our flesh - be faithful and capable of creating virtues.

It is necessary to go the middle way, not deviating either to the gum or to the neck (Prov. 4:27); to give spiritual things to the spirit, and bodily things to the body, which are necessary for the maintenance of temporary life. Public life should also not refuse what it legitimately requires of us, according to the words of Scripture: Render back what is Caesar's to Caesar's and God's God (Mat. 22:21).

If we arbitrarily exhaust our body to the point that the spirit also becomes exhausted, then such dejection will be reckless, even if this was done for the acquisition of virtue.

We must attribute all success in anything to the Lord and say with the prophet: not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name, give glory (Ps. 114:9).

27. About being vigilant against temptations

So, we must always call on the Lord in humility and pray that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength, but that He will deliver us from the evil one.

For when the Lord leaves a man to himself, then the devil is ready to erase him, like a millstone a grain of wheat.

28. About sadness

A sad monk does not move the mind to contemplation and can never perform pure prayer.

Whoever loves the world, it is impossible not to grieve. A despised world is always cheerful.

As fire purifies gold, so sadness according to God purifies the sinful heart (Ant. Sl. 25).

29. About boredom and despondency

30. About despair

31. About diseases

29. About boredom and despondency

It is difficult for a beginner to monastic life to avoid her, for she is the first to attack him. Therefore, first of all, it must be guarded against by means of a strict and unquestioning fulfillment of all the duties assigned to the novice. When your studies come into a real order, then boredom will not find a place in your heart. Only those who are not in order are bored. So, obedience is the best medicine against this dangerous disease.

Another is boredom, and another is vexation of the spirit, called despondency. Sometimes a person is in such a state of mind that it seems to him that it would be easier for him to be annihilated or to be without any feeling and consciousness, than to remain longer in this unconsciously painful state. We must hurry to get out of it. Watch out for the spirit of despondency, for all evil is born from it (Bars. Rep. 73, 500).

And the enemy, seeing that he is therefore praying, moves away, because he does not want to give a reason for prayer (Bars. Rev. 562, 563, 564, 565).

Despair at St. fathers is sometimes called idleness, laziness and corruption.

30. About despair

Just as the Lord cares about our salvation, so the manslayer, the devil, tries to lead a person into despair.

Despair, according to St. John of the Ladder, is born either from the consciousness of many sins, despair of conscience and unbearable sadness, when the soul, covered with many ulcers, sinks into the depths of despair from their unbearable pain, or from pride and arrogance, when someone considers himself not deserving of the sin into which he fell . The first kind of despair draws a person into all vices indiscriminately, and with despair of the second kind, a person still clings to his feat, which, according to St. John of the Ladder, and not together with reason. The first is healed by abstinence and good hope, and the second by humility and non-judgment of one's neighbor (Step 26).

31. About diseases

Whoever endures the disease with patience and thanksgiving, it is imputed to him instead of a feat or even more.

One elder, who suffered from water sickness, said to the brothers who came to him with a desire to heal him: fathers, pray that my inner man would not be subjected to such a disease; and as for the real illness, I ask God that He does not suddenly free me from it, for as our outer man smolders, the inner ceiling is renewed (2 Cor. 4:16).

If it pleases the Lord God for a person to experience illnesses, then He will also give him the strength of patience.

So let there be sickness, not from ourselves, but from God.

35. About patience and humility

Insults from others should be endured indifferently and accustomed to such a disposition of the spirit, as if their insults did not concern us, but others.

Endure in silence when the enemy offends you and then open your heart to the only Lord.

We must always and before everyone humble ourselves, following the teachings of St. Isaac the Syrian: humble yourself and you will see the glory of God in yourself (Sk. 57).

Just as wax that is not warmed up and not softened cannot accept the seal imposed on it, so the soul, not tempted by labors and weaknesses, cannot accept the seal of God's virtue. When the devil left the Lord, then the angels came and ministered to Him (Mat. 4:11). So, if during temptations the angels of God depart from us a little, then they are not far away, and soon they come and serve us with Divine thoughts, compunction, delight, patience. The soul, having labored, acquires other perfections. Why St. the prophet Isaiah says: those who endure the Lord will change their strength, they will give wings, like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they will go and not grieve (Is. 40:31).

So did the gentlest David endure: for when Shimei reproached him and threw stones at him, saying, Departure, you wicked man, he did not get angry; And when Abishai, being indignant at this, said to him: Why does this dead dog curse my Lord the King? he rebuked him, saying, Leave him alone, and so let him curse me, for the Lord will see and reward me well (2 Sam. 16:7-12).

Why later he sang: enduring the Lord's suffering, and heed me, and heard my prayer (Ps. 39: 2).

36. About charity

Should be merciful to the poor and strange; the great luminaries and fathers of the Church baked much about this.

In relation to this virtue, we must by all means try to fulfill the following commandment of God: Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36), and also: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice (Matt. 9:13).

He who loves himself cannot love God. And whoever does not love himself for the sake of loving God, he loves God.

He who truly loves God considers himself a stranger and a stranger on this earth; for with soul and mind, in its striving for God, it contemplates Him alone.

The soul, filled with the love of God, during its departure from the body will not be afraid of the prince of the air, but will fly with the Angels, as if from a foreign country to its homeland.

Against overprotectiveness

On caring for the soul

A person's body is like a lit candle. The candle must burn out and the man must die. But the soul is immortal, therefore our care should be more about the soul than about the body: what is the use of a man, if he gains the whole world and vanishes his soul, or if a man gives treason for his soul (Mark 8, 36; Matt. 16, 26), for which, as you know, nothing in the world can be a ransom?

If one soul in itself is more precious than the whole world and the kingdom of the world, then the Kingdom of Heaven is incomparably more precious. The soul is revered most precious of all for the reason, as Macarius the Great says, that God did not deign to communicate with anything and unite with his spiritual nature, not with any visible creature, but with one person, whom he loved more than all His creatures.

Cyril of Alexandria, Ambrose of Milan and others from youth to the end of their lives were virgins; their whole life was devoted to the care of the soul, and not of the body. So we should have all the efforts for the soul; to strengthen the body only so that it contributes to the strengthening of the spirit.

About the peace of mind

There is nothing better in Christ than the world, in which all warfare of the airy and earthly spirits is destroyed: for our warfare is not against blood and flesh, but against the beginning and the authorities and the ruler of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6, 12 ).

When someone walks in a peaceful dispensation, he, as it were, scoops up spiritual gifts with a liar.

The holy fathers, having a peaceful dispensation and being overshadowed by the grace of God, lived a long time.

When a person comes to a peaceful dispensation, then he can pour out the light of the enlightenment of the mind from himself and on others; before this, a man needs to repeat these words of Anna the prophetess: let no utterance come out of your mouth (1 Sam. 2, 3), and the words of the Lord: Hypocrites, take the first log out of your eye: and then you will see, remove the mote from your brother’s eye ( Matthew 7:5).

This world, like some priceless treasure, our Lord Jesus Christ left to His disciples before His death, saying: Peace I leave you, My peace I give you (John 14:27). The Apostle also speaks of him: and the peace of God, surpassing all understanding, may it guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).

If a person does not neglect the needs of the world, then he cannot have peace of the soul.

Peace of mind is acquired through sorrows. The Scripture says: I went through fire and water and brought us to rest (Ps. 65:12). For those who want to please God, the path lies through many sorrows.

Nothing contributes to the acquisition of inner peace, like silence and, as far as possible, incessant conversation with oneself and rare with others.

So we must concentrate all our thoughts, desires and actions to receive the peace of God and always cry out with the Church: Lord our God! give us peace (Isaiah 26:12).

On keeping the peace of mind

Such an exercise can bring silence to the human heart and make it an abode for God Himself.

If it is impossible not to be indignant, then at least one must try to control one's tongue, according to the Psalmist's verb: I was troubled and did not speak (Ps. 76, 5).

In this case, we can take and as a sample. The first endured the insult in this way: when, at the request of the king of Greece, he entered the palace, then one of the servants who had been in the royal chamber, considering him a beggar, laughed at him, did not let him into the chamber, and then hit him in the cheek; Saint Spyridon, being mild-mannered, according to the word of the Lord, converted the other to him as well (Matt. 5:39).

Rev. Ephraim, fasting in the desert, was deprived of food by the disciple in this way: the disciple, bringing him food, reluctantly crushed the vessel on the way. The monk, seeing the sad disciple, said to him: do not grieve, brother, if you do not want to bring food to us, then we will go to it; and he went and sat by the broken vessel, and gathering food he ate of it: so was he without anger.

And how to overcome anger, this can be seen from the life of the great Paisius, who asked the Lord Jesus Christ, who appeared to him, to free him from anger; And Christ said to him: if you conquer anger and rage, if you wish, desire nothing, neither hate nor despise anyone.

When a person has a great lack of things necessary for the body, it is difficult to overcome despondency. But this, of course, should apply to weak souls.

How to treat relatives and friends?

One must treat one's neighbor kindly, without even making an appearance of insult. In relation to our neighbors, we must be, both in word and in thought, pure and equal in everything, otherwise we will make our life useless. There should not be malice or hatred in the heart towards a warring neighbor, but one should try to love him, following the teaching of the Lord: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you."

Why do we condemn our brothers? Because we do not try to know ourselves. He who is busy with knowing himself has no time to notice others. Judge yourself and then stop judging others. We must consider ourselves the most sinful of all and forgive our neighbor for every bad deed, and hate only the devil who deceived him.

Endure in silence when the enemy offends, and open your heart to the Lord. For the offense, no matter what was inflicted on us, we should not only take revenge, but on the contrary, we should also forgive from the heart, even if it opposed it, and incline it with the conviction of the word of God: “If you do not let go of their sins to people, then your heavenly father will not forgive your sins."

How should a Christian treat unbelievers?

When it happens to be among people in the world, one should not talk about spiritual matters, especially when there is no desire to listen to them. When the need is needed or the matter comes, then frankly, for the glory of God, one should act according to the verb: “I who glorify Me I will glorify,” because the path has already been opened. With a man of the soul one must speak of human things, but with a person who has a spiritual mind one must speak of heavenly things.

One should not unnecessarily open his heart to another - out of a thousand you can find only one who would keep his secret. When we ourselves do not keep it in ourselves, how can we hope that it can be in the preservation of others? What has flowed into the heart of the best, we should not pour out unnecessarily, for then only what has been collected can be safe from visible and invisible enemies when it is stored in the inside of the heart. Do not reveal the secrets of your heart to everyone.

By all means, one should try to hide the treasure of talents in oneself, otherwise you will lose and not find. For, according to the experienced saying of St. Isaac the Syrian: “It is better to have help, as if from storage, more than help, even from deeds.”

It should be merciful to the poor and strange - all sorts of priests and fathers of the Church baked a lot about this. We must try by all means to fulfill the word of God: "Be merciful, then, for your Father is merciful." When we turn away from a person or insult him, then a stone is applied to the heart.

Lamp of Faith

The name of the Monk Seraphim, the great lamp of the Russian land, is close and dear to every Christian, it is revered throughout the Christian world and is pronounced with especially touching love and tenderness. The spiritual appearance of this saint never ceases to amaze with the grandeur and depth, brightness and versatility of his gifts. Living in a time relatively not far from us (the peak of ascetic service falls on the first third of the 19th century), Saint Seraphim not only recalled, but, perhaps, surpassed the deeds of the ancient ascetic monks, uniting in his spiritual path different types of asceticism and in showing each of them a model of holiness: in hermitage, seclusion, silence, fasting, pilgrimage, eldership ... Isn’t it because the image of God’s saint has a special attractive power for many of us, because it seems to hide some secret of holiness, which the Lord providentially revealed to the Russian earth almost a century before the start of the terrible events of the 20th century? It is as if Holy Rus', before finally ceasing to be “holy”, “lit” in the image of the Monk Seraphim one of its brightest “lamps of faith”, embodied in him the ideal of holiness that had been cultivated and cherished for centuries. Today, with the return, after decades of godless power, to Orthodox Christian traditions and values, it is the name of St. Seraphim that has become for many a symbol of the spiritual rebirth of Russia. The unexpected discovery of the holy relics of the saint in 1991, the celebration of the 100th anniversary of glorification (2003), which, like a hundred years ago, was attended by the head of the church and the head of state, and the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth (2004 d.) of the saint became events of an all-Russian scale, riveted the attention of the entire Orthodox world and were accompanied by an unprecedented confluence of pilgrims from all over the country to the Seraphim-Diveevsky monastery, to the final resting place of Father Seraphim, where his relics are now located. Perhaps it is to our time that the words of the Reverend that “he will open in Diveyevo a sermon of universal repentance” apply? And one of the opportunities to hear and deeply perceive this sermon for us, people of the 21st century, is to study and imprint in the mind and heart the words of the spiritual instructions of Father Seraphim, the great old man, miracle worker and seer.

Initially, the spiritual instructions of St. Seraphim were collected, written down and submitted for publication by the monk of the Sarov Hermitage, Hieromonk Sergius (Vasiliev), the first author and compiler of both the biography and the instructions of the holy elder. A contemporary of the Reverend, his eyewitness, hieromonk Sergius, soon after the death of Father Seraphim in 1833, left the Sarov monastery (he ended his days among the brotherhood of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra), but while still in Sarov for several years he collected and recorded information about life , deeds and miracles of the Sarov ascetics, the elders Seraphim and Mark. The spiritual instructions of the Reverend Father Seraphim to the laity and monks were first published, oddly enough, earlier than his life, separately from him. They saw the light in 1839, six years after the death of the ascetic, and not as an independent publication, but as an addition to the life of the Sarov Elder Mark, as part of the book “A Brief Outline of the Life of the Elder of the Sarov Hermitage, Schema Monk and Hermit Mark” (Moscow, 1839). ). The very first "Tales of the life and exploits of Father Seraphim" appeared only in 1841, and without his instructions. Such a separate publication of instructions and biography was connected with the incredible difficulties of passing the first life of St. Seraphim through spiritual censorship. The publication was constantly delayed due to doubts about the truth of the cases of miraculous visions and healings presented in it, revealed to the saint of God from above. Therefore, desiring to give the Orthodox reader the opportunity to receive spiritual comfort from the words of the great elder as soon as possible, Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow, an zealous admirer of the memory of St. Seraphim, proposed to publish spiritual instructions separately from the life, which, without encountering obstacles from censorship, was carried out quite quickly. .

Such is a brief prehistory of the first publication of the "spiritual instructions" of St. Seraphim. Subsequently, they came out already as part of the life of the holy elder, were expanded and supplemented by other biographers of Father Seraphim, who also came from the Sarov monastery. In this edition, the reader is offered a fairly complete version of the instructions of St. Seraphim, based on the book of the pre-revolutionary author-compiler N. Levitsky, republished in our time (see: N. Levitsky. Life, deeds, miracles and glorification of St. Seraphim, the miracle worker of Sarov. Diveevo: Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery, Moscow: Otchiy Dom, 2007, pp. 505-536).

The significance of the teachings of the great elder, miracle worker and prayer book, their role in shaping the spiritual image of modern man is enormous today. The saint, whose days of memory unite all of Russia in a single prayerful impulse, whose name has become a symbol of the spiritual rebirth of Russia, the unity of the Church and the state, in his instructions reveals the only true path to which we are called. Walking along this difficult path of struggle with passions, perfecting ourselves in love for God and neighbor, each of us can achieve one degree or another of spiritual perfection. About the eternal calling of a person to God, about his destiny for the Kingdom of Heaven, each line of the instructions of St. Seraphim speaks, openly or covertly. A special emphasis is placed by the holy elder on the need to acquire love for God and neighbor. “We must treat our neighbors kindly, without even making it look like an insult”, “we must be pure in both word and thought and equal to everyone in relation to our neighbors, otherwise we will make our life useless,” says Father Seraphim in his teachings. At present, when there is some uncertainty, "blurring" of spiritual guidelines even for those who want to follow the path of inner perfection, these words are especially relevant. Not to external ascetic exploits, not to strict fasting, silence and wearing a chain, St. Seraphim calls us, but, first of all, to love for God and neighbor, for non-judgment and forgiveness of insults (whole separate chapters of his spiritual instructions are devoted to these topics). It is known from the life of the Reverend that when one monk of Sarov came to him for a blessing to wear the chains, the wise old man replied that for us, who are not able to bear the remarks from our neighbor painlessly, the “chains” should consist in non-judgment of the neighbor, in the complacent patience of insults and roots.

The same idea is emphasized by the words spoken by Father Seraphim to his companion and disciple N. A. Motovilov in his famous “Conversation about the purpose of Christian life”: “The Lord is looking for a heart full of love for God and neighbor - this is the throne on which He loves to sit ... ", and that He "equally listens to both a monk and a layman, a simple Christian, if only both were Orthodox and both loved God from the depths of their souls ..." (see: Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Metropolitan. Life of St. Seraphim, Sarov wonderworker Moscow, 2006, pp. 79, 80). It is the heart, filled with love for God and neighbor, that is richly supplied with the grace of the Holy Spirit, the acquisition of which, as you know, is the goal of the Christian life.

The Monk Seraphim, having captured in his meek, loving appearance the treasures of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, through his instructions continues to illuminate and transform us, modern people, influencing our hearts with the grace-filled power of his God-inspired word.

T. Moskvina

What did St. Seraphim teach the Russian people? What served as the subject of the conversations of the holy elder with those who came to him? Let us listen with reverence to the speeches, to these conversations of the marvelous Sarov ascetic, let us reproduce, although not in full, those instructions that he taught to his numerous visitors. These are wise advice, these are the sacred precepts of the God-bearing elder, which we must follow, which we must keep if we want the benefit of our souls, which we must fulfill, just as we faithfully and accurately fulfill the wills of those dear and close to us who have passed away into eternity. But isn’t Father Seraphim close to the Russian people, whom the whole Russian land knew and knows from the royal chambers to the wretched hut of a peasant, to whom during his lifetime whole thousands came with the most diverse needs and requests, and countless masses of people now flock to whose multi-healing relics? ..

Father Seraphim taught dear instructions to his visitors, he left dear precepts for us to fulfill! They do not concern wealth, not perishable treasures, but what should be especially dear to every person - the salvation of the soul, such a treasure that all Christians should strive for.

“A person’s body is like a lit candle,” said the Reverend Father Seraphim. The candle must burn out and the man must die. But his soul is immortal, and therefore our care should relate more to the soul than to the body: What is the use of a person, if he gains the whole world, he will brush off his soul; or that a man will give treason for his soul (Mt. 16:26), for which nothing in the world can be a ransom? If one soul in itself is more precious than the whole world and the kingdom of the world, then the Kingdom of Heaven is incomparably more precious.

"Our life is one minute compared to eternity" - and therefore "it is better for us to despise the temporal and transient and desire incorruption and immortality." It was for eternity, for the Kingdom of Heaven, for immortality, that Father Seraphim prepared his interlocutors!.. Let his wise advice serve as a guide for us on the path to salvation!..

In the instructions of the holy Sarov elder there is nothing particularly difficult and inconvenient for ordinary mortals. The holy ascetic was well aware of human infirmities and weaknesses and did not want to place an unbearable burden on anyone, so as not to deprive people who are weak, burdened with sins, overwhelmed by worldly worries, of hope for salvation.

“In order to receive salvation for our souls,” St. Seraphim taught, “we must spend our lives in accordance with the Divine teaching of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ,” as the Holy Orthodox Church contains such a teaching, in which alone it is possible to be saved and to which we must nourish a firm devotion. “Let us love the Holy and Orthodox Church,” said the holy elder, “let us love faith as a firm and grace-filled fence.” That is why the Monk, himself a true son of the Orthodox Church, had a special love for those holy fathers who were zealots of Orthodoxy, such as: Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian, Athanasius of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose of Milan and the like, and called them the pillars of the Church. According to the teachings of St. Seraphim, Orthodoxy alone contains the truth of Christ's faith in integrity and purity, and therefore you must firmly adhere to it and "do not make friends with enemies Church of Christ i.e. heretics and schismatics. That is why, to the question of one Old Believer: “Tell me, elder of God, which faith is better: the current church or the old one?” Father Seraphim answered: “Leave your nonsense; our life is the sea, our Holy Orthodox Church is the ship, and the helmsman is the Savior Himself. If with such a Pilot, people, due to their sinful weakness, with difficulty cross the sea of life and not everyone is saved from drowning, then where are you striving with your little boat and on what do you base your hope of being saved without the Pilot?

Since the Orthodox Church contains the true teaching in all purity and integrity, then, according to the instructions of Father Seraphim, a Christian must fulfill everything that is accepted by her. "What the Church has put on seven Ecumenical Councils Do it, the saint said to one of his interlocutors. “Woe to him who adds one word to it or subtracts it.” “What the Holy Church accepted and kissed, everything should be kind to the heart of a Christian.” And this must be attributed not only to the dogmas of the faith, which, of course, must be accepted and confessed in their entirety, but also to all other decrees of the Church and even to various church customs. From this it is clear why the Monk Seraphim resolutely insisted on observing the fasts established by the Holy Church, while “now Christians are allowed to eat meat both on Holy Forty Day, and on every fast; Wednesdays and Fridays are not kept. The monk even advised such people to be avoided as disobedient to the Holy Church.

It is also understandable why the Reverend Father Seraphim considered the correct addition of fingers for the sign of the cross to be three-fingered, since only it is recognized as such by the Holy Orthodox Church. The great Sarov elder invariably bequeathed the use of three fingers to all those who hesitated on the issue of making a sign of the cross, attributing to it a special great power.

One day, four Old Believers from the village of Pavlova, Gorbatovsky district, came to Father Seraphim with a question about two-toedness. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the cell, the Reverend approached them, took the hand from one of them, folded his fingers with three fingers in the Orthodox way and, baptizing him, said: “Here is the Christian composition of the cross! So pray and tell others. This constitution is betrayed by the holy apostles, and the two-fingered constitution is contrary to the holy statutes. I beg and pray you, go to the Greek-Russian Church: it is in all the glory and power of God. Like a ship with many riggings, sails and a great helm, she is ruled by the Holy Spirit. Her good helmsmen are the teachers of the Church, the archpastors are the successors of the apostles. And your chapel is like a small boat without a helm or oars; she is moored with a rope to the ship of our Church, sails after her, flooded with waves, and would certainly drown if she were not tied to the ship.

So, for the salvation of the soul, it is necessary to be a member of the Holy Orthodox Church and in everything to strictly and strictly follow her teachings, to fulfill everything prescribed by her. Of course, the devotion of a Christian to the Holy Church should not only be external. Everyone “should walk his path with reverence for everything sacred, and not carelessly,” said St. Seraphim, “should develop and strengthen in himself a constant religious disposition”; everyone should keep in mind "the true goal of our Christian life", which "consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God." How can and should this be achieved?

First of all and most of all, everyone and always should remember God, strive for Him with soul and mind in the firm conviction that “out of love for Him we will do everything well,” and for this, we must unceasingly call on the name of God in our hearts.

“Prayer is the way to the Lord! Let us call on the name of the Lord and be saved. When we have the name of God in our mouths, we are saved.”

“A great means of salvation is faith, especially unceasing prayer of the heart,” St. Seraphim said to General Kupriyanov. – An example for us is holy Moses the prophet. He, walking along the shelves, silently prayed with his heart, and the Lord said to Moses: “Moses, Moses, why do you cry to Me?” When Moses lifted up his hands to prayer, then Amalek won... That's what prayer is! This is an unbeatable victory! The holy prophet Daniel said: “It is better for me to die than to leave prayer for the twinkling of an eye.”

“Prayer” precisely “gives the grace of the Holy Spirit most of all, because it is, as it were, always in our hands, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit; everyone always has an opportunity for it: both the rich and the poor, and the noble and the simple, and the strong and the weak, and the healthy and the sick, and the righteous and the sinner. It is especially important to always keep in your mouth and in your heart the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." “Let all your attention and training be in this,” Father Seraphim said. – Walking and sitting, doing and standing in church before worship, entering and leaving, keep this unceasingly in your mouth and in your heart. With the invocation of the name of God in this way, you will find peace, achieve spiritual and bodily purity, and the Holy Spirit, the source of all blessings, will dwell in you, and He will rule you in the shrine, in all piety and purity.

By constant exercise in prayer, while guarding oneself from dispersion and observing the peace of conscience, according to the instructions of Father Seraphim, one can draw closer to God and unite with Him.

Of course, it is very important and useful for prayer to visit the temple of God, where one should enter and from where one should “start out with fear and trembling, and never ceasing prayer.”

“What is more beautiful, higher and sweeter than the Church? And where shall we rejoice in spirit, heart and all our thoughts, if not in it, where our Master Our Lord Himself is always present with us?..”

However, “feat and great vigilance are required so that during the psalmody our mind agrees with the heart and lips, so that in our prayer no stench is mixed with the incense.” Therefore, “we must try to be free from unclean thoughts when we offer prayer to God,” and “not to give ourselves up to the scattering of thoughts, for through this the soul evades the memory of God and His love.” “If in prayer it happens to be captivated by the mind into the plunder of thoughts, then I must humble myself before the Lord God and ask for forgiveness, saying: I have sinned, Lord, in word, deed, thought and all my feelings.”

In order to protect himself from distraction in prayer, especially in church, Father Seraphim advised either to stand with your eyes closed, or to turn your eyes to the image or to the burning candle, and, expressing this thought, he offered a wonderful comparison of human life with a wax candle. “Our life,” said the marvelous old man, “should be looked at like a candle, usually made of wax and a lamp and burning with fire. Wax is our faith, lamp is hope, and fire is love, which unites everything together, both faith and hope, just as wax and lamp burn together under the action of fire. A candle of bad quality emits a stench when it burns and dies away - so stinking in the spiritual sense is the life of a sinner before God.

And therefore, looking at a burning candle, especially when we stand in God's temple, let us remember the beginning, course and end of our life, for as a candle lit before the face of God melts, so our life diminishes every minute, bringing us closer to the end. This thought will help us to have less fun in the temple, to pray more fervently and try to make our life before God look like a candle made of pure wax that does not emit a stench.

Since many of the common people came to Father Seraphim, for the most part illiterate people, as well as persons who often do not have enough free time for prayer, which they sadly declared to the Reverend, the latter, condescending to human infirmities and weaknesses and not wanting to burden anyone with an overwhelming prayer feat, taught such persons the following very simple prayer rule .

“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read the Lord’s prayer:“ Our Father ”- three times, in honor of Holy Trinity; then the song to the Theotokos: “O Virgin Mary, rejoice ...” - also three times and finally the Creed - once. Having made this rule, let every Christian go about his business, to which he was appointed or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, let him quietly read: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner (or a sinner)”, and if others surround him, then, doing business, let him only say with his mind: “ Lord, have mercy” and continues until dinner.

Just before dinner, let him perform the above morning rule.

After dinner, doing his work, let every Christian read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner” or: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner (or sinner) through the Theotokos,” and let this continue until the very sleep.

Going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.

By adhering to this rule, Father Seraphim said, one can achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for the aforementioned three prayers are the foundation of Christianity: the first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is the model of all prayers; the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord. The symbol, in short, contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.

For those who, due to various circumstances, it is impossible to fulfill even this small rule, the Monk Seraphim advised reading it in any situation: both during classes, and on walking, and even in bed, presenting the basis for that word of Holy Scripture: anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom. 10:13). And whoever has more time than what is required for the specified rule, and in addition a literate person, he, according to the Monk Seraphim, let him add other soulful prayers and readings of the canons, akathists, psalms, the Gospel and the Apostle.

Saint Seraphim considered the reading of the Holy Scriptures not only useful, but even a necessary occupation for a Christian. “The soul must be supplied with the Word of God,” he said, “for the Word of God is the bread of the angels, on which souls that hunger for God feed.”

“A person needs the Divine Scriptures, so that the remembrance of good things would be imprinted in his mind and from unceasing reading, the desire for goodness would be renewed in him and protect his soul from the subtle paths of sin.” “When a man supplies his soul with the Word of God, then he is filled with the understanding of what is good and what is evil.”

Reading the Word of God is so important and useful for us that for one such exercise, in addition to other useful deeds, as St. Seraphim said, the Lord will not leave a person with His mercy.

That is why Father Seraphim persistently advised many of his visitors to read the Holy Scriptures. To the question of one of them (Bogdanovich) - what to read, the holy elder answered: "The Gospel four conceived a day, each evangelist conceived, and the life of Job." The Monk Seraphim asked his other visitor if he read the Gospel, and, having received an affirmative answer, he said: “Read more often the following words in this Divine Book: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened" (Mt. 11, 28), etc. With exactly the same question, Father Seraphim turned to Y. Neverov when the latter appeared in his cell. Having received a negative answer from the visitor, the Saint opened the seventh chapter of Matthew and began to read: Judge not, lest you be judged (Mt. 7:1), etc., as if giving an example of how the reading of the Holy Gospel should be done.

“This reading,” says Neverov, “made such an amazing impression on me that the words of the gospel stuck in my memory, and after that I re-read this chapter from Matthew several times”, “took it to heart” and began to follow the advice of Father Seraphim - to read the Gospel more often.

In addition to reading the Holy Scriptures, according to the instructions of the holy Sarov elder, “one should also supply the soul with knowledge about the Church in order to convince and comfort one’s spirit.”

In this way - through unceasing prayer and exercise in reading the Word of God - a Christian can gradually rise to the top of Christian virtues and "gain peace of mind."

Then, "He who desires to be saved must always have a heart disposed towards repentance and contriteness."

“All our lives we offend the majesty of God with our sins, and therefore we must always humbly ask the Lord to forgive our debts.” “Just as there is a cure for every disease, so there is repentance for every sin,” which, “by the way, consists in not doing it again.”

“And when we sincerely repent of our sins and turn to our Lord Jesus Christ with all our heart, He rejoices in us, establishes a feast and convenes for it forces that are dear to Him, showing them the drachma that He has acquired paki.” “So,” exhorts Father Seraphim, “let us not hesitate to turn to our compassionate Lord soon, and let us not indulge in carelessness and despair for the sake of our grave and innumerable sins. Despair is the most perfect joy of the devil. It is sin unto death (1 John 5:16), as the Scripture says.” “So, unquestionably approach repentance, and it will intercede for you before God.”

It is very important and extremely necessary, according to the instructions of St. Seraphim, for every Christian to partake of the Holy Mysteries for the salvation of his soul, and “the more often the better.”

“Whoever joins,” Father Seraphim taught, “will be saved everywhere, and whoever does not join, I don’t remember.”

“The one who reverently partakes of the Holy Mysteries, and more than once a year, will be saved, prosperous and long-lived on earth itself. I believe that, by the great goodness of God, grace will also be marked on the family of those who partake. Before the Lord, one who does His will is greater than the darkness of the lawless.”

According to St. Seraphim, a Christian should not be embarrassed by his unworthiness and, under such a seemingly plausible pretext, to evade the saving Sacrament - Communion of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Such confusion is from the enemy of salvation. The already well-known novice Ivan Tikhonovich tells about himself that once, on the eve of the twelfth feast, on which he was supposed to partake of the Holy Mysteries, he ate food after vespers. Thinking about this act of his, he “began to lose heart and the more he thought, the more he despaired,” considering himself completely unworthy of communion. “The darkness of terrifying thoughts, one after another, crowded in my head,” this novice reports. “Instead of relying on the merits of Christ the Savior, covering all sins, it seemed to me that, according to the judgment of God, for my unworthiness, I would either be burned by fire, or alive swallowed up by the earth, as soon as I approached the Holy Chalice.” Even the confession and instructions of the confessor did not ease the torment of Ivan Tikhonovich's conscience. But the Monk Seraphim, seeing him before communion in the altar and penetrating into his bleak state of mind, called him to himself and said to him the following significant words: “If we filled the ocean with our tears, then even then we could not satisfy the Lord because He pours out a tuna on us, nourishing us with His Most Pure Flesh and Blood, which wash us, purify, revive and resurrect us. So, approach without doubt and do not be embarrassed, only believe that this is the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is given for the healing of all our sins. What joyful words these are of the Monk Father Seraphim, and how we sinners should remember them as we approach the Holy Mysteries!..

The most important thing that every Christian who cares about his salvation should strive for is “peace of soul”, with which we must certainly bring prayer to God and approach the Holy Mysteries, and which should be reflected in our relations with our neighbors. “This world is a kind of priceless treasure”, and “we must concentrate all our thoughts, desires and actions to get” it and “try by all means to preserve” it. "My joy! - said the Monk Seraphim to one interlocutor, - I pray you, acquire a peaceful spirit, and then thousands of souls will be saved around you.

“Arrange peace of mind,” he said to another of his visitors, “so that you do not upset anyone and do not get upset at anyone, then God will give tears of repentance.” “Whoever walks steadily in a peaceful dispensation, he, as it were, scoops up spiritual gifts with a spoon.”

How, then, should a person behave in order to acquire and maintain peace of mind?

“It is necessary to keep the tongue from talking too much,” because “nothing contributes to the acquisition of inner peace as much as silence and, as far as possible, incessant conversation with oneself and rare with others.”

In general, “in order to preserve the peace of mind, one must enter into oneself more often,” and “attention is the mother of inner peace,” and at the same time, “one must observe that bodily feelings, especially vision, serve the inner person and do not entertain the soul with sensual objects, for grace-filled gifts receive only those who watch over their souls.”

“It is also impossible to acquire peace of mind until the passions subside in a person,” and the enemy of salvation, whose “all forces” are directed “to disturb the spirit of a person, has a strong influence only on the passionate.” “Especially,” said St. Seraphim, “it is necessary to crush the following three passions: gluttony, love of money and vanity,” with which the devil contrived to tempt even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

In order to overcome the passions that violate the peace of mind, a Christian needs to be attentive to himself, “go into himself”, “protect his mind and heart from obscene thoughts and impressions”, trying to “repel” even their “first attack”. “Take a sign,” Father Seraphim said in the words of St. Isaac the Syrian, “go inside yourself and see what passions, according to your remark, have become exhausted before you, which have been destroyed and completely left you, which have begun to fall silent due to the recovery of your soul ... Pay attention, completely Do you see that living flesh, that is, the world of the soul, began to grow in your rotting ulcer, and what passions pursue you one after another consistently and swiftly; whether they are bodily or spiritual passions; how the mind looks at them, whether it fights with them, or, seeing, does not see them and does not concern itself with them at all; and which remained from the old passions, and which were newly formed. In this way of attention "one can know the measure of mental health."

In order to achieve dispassion, “you need to strive a lot in spiritual meditation and prayer, learn in the law of God, with all your soul ascend to God in fiery prayer” about “may the spark of vicious passions go out at the very beginning”, because such a state of dispassion is “God Himself gives and confirms in the souls of the God-loving."

“Let us unceasingly, day and night, with tears cast ourselves before the goodness of God,” exhorts Father Seraphim, “may He cleanse our hearts from every evil thought, so that we can worthily walk the path of our calling and with clean hands bring Him the gifts of our service” .

In particular, the holy elder of Sarov, himself the greatest virgin, zealously admonished Christians to observe chastity, "to reflect from themselves the painful thoughts of voluptuousness." “For the sake of future bliss,” the Reverend said to his visitors, “acquire chastity, keep virginity. The virgin, who keeps her virginity for the love of Christ, to have honor with the Angels is the bride of Christ: Christ is her Bridegroom, bringing her into his heavenly chamber ... "

“If someone preserves virginity,” St. Seraphim said to one of the visitors, “the Spirit of God accepts such.”

However, this does not mean at all that the holy elder condemned married life; on the contrary, as is already known, he advised many who even sought monasticism to enter into marriage.

“And virginity is glorious,” Father Seraphim told Bogdanovich, “and marriage is blessed by God: and God bless them, saying: grow and multiply (Gen. 1, 22); only the enemy confuses everything.”

“Married life is blessed by God Himself, mother,” the Reverend said to one girl who wanted to become a monk. “In it, only fidelity of marriage, peace and love must be observed on both sides ...”

But people living in marriage, according to the instructions of Father Seraphim, should also try to conquer carnal passions, to ward off “thoughts of voluptuousness” from themselves…

"Fasting is needed to defeat the enemies of the body and soul."

“Our Savior,” the holy elder reasoned about the importance of fasting, “before setting out on the feat of redeeming the human race, He strengthened Himself with a long fast. And all the ascetics, beginning to work for the Lord, armed themselves with fasting.”

About what a true fast should consist of, which can benefit the soul of a person, St. Seraphim, himself a great faster, taught as follows: “Fasting consists not only in eating rarely, but in eating little; and not in eating once, but in not eating much. That fasting is unreasonable who waits for a certain hour, and at the hour of the meal all indulges in insatiable taste both in body and mind.

“In order to subdue the warring members of the flesh and give freedom to the actions of the spirit,” one should not “disassemble between tasty and tasteless food. This business, characteristic of animals, in a rational person is unworthy of praise.

But "true fasting consists not only in the exhaustion of the flesh, but also in giving that part of the bread that you yourself would like to eat to the hungry."

The moral significance of fasting lies in the fact that through it a person weakens his passions, struggles with sensual desires, cleanses the heart; “his spiritual life comes to perfection”, “the flesh becomes thin and light” and “the spirit performs its actions as if in an incorporeal body”, “the mind renounces the earth, ascends to heaven and is completely immersed in the contemplation of the spiritual world.”

Of course, not everyone will be able to “impose on themselves a strict rule of abstinence in everything or deprive themselves of everything that can serve to alleviate infirmities”; it is even downright unreasonable to exhaust one's body in vain, even if only "for the acquisition of virtue." “Strict fasting” should be “started not suddenly, but gradually”, accustoming little by little to be content with meager food.

In vain do they think that fasting food is harmful to health, and in these forms, contrary to the decree of the Holy Church, they do not observe fasts; it is unjustly believed that fasting drains a person's strength. “Holy fasters, to the surprise of others,” said St. Seraphim, “did not know relaxation, but they were always cheerful, strong and ready for work. Diseases between them were rare, and their life flowed extremely long. “How did people live for a hundred years,” St. Seraphim asked one interlocutor, “although there were great fasters and ate bread and water?” – Here is a question that should be addressed by people who are embarrassed by the Church’s decrees on fasting. After all, “bread and water,” as Father Seraphim said, “are not harmful to anyone,” and a person will not live on bread alone (Deut. 8, 3; Matt. 4, 4) ...

The weakening of passions, which are so hostile to the spiritual world of man, is also influenced by diseases, “when the body is exhausted by them, and the person comes to himself”; however, “even bodily illness itself is sometimes born from passions.”

“Take away sin,” said the Reverend Father Seraphim, “and there will be no sickness, for they are in us from sin.” On the other hand, “illness cleanses sins,” weakens passions, and elevates a person morally. Therefore, it is necessary to endure illnesses “with patience and thanksgiving”, and whoever endures them in this way, “they are imputed to him instead of a feat or even more.” At the same time, one must hope and hope that if “it pleases the Lord God for a person to experience illnesses, then He will also give him the strength of patience.”

But among the concerns about our soul, its salvation, liberation from passions, about acquiring peace of mind, we should not neglect the body, on the contrary, we should take care of it, “reinforce it”, at least so much “so that it is a friend and a helper to the soul in the accomplishment of virtue; otherwise, it may be that when the body is exhausted, the soul will also weaken. Every day you should eat enough food to strengthen the body. And “if we arbitrarily exhaust our body to the point that the spirit also becomes exhausted, then such depression will be reckless, even if this was done for the acquisition of virtue.”

It is especially necessary to take care of the body when it is in a painful condition or during intensified physical labor, and in these cases “must support it with moderate sleep, food and drink, without even observing the time.”

In general, "we should not undertake feats beyond measure, but try to make a friend - our flesh - be faithful and capable of creating virtues." “It is necessary to go the middle way, not deviating either to the gum or to the neck (Prov. 4, 27): to give the spirit the spiritual, and the body - the bodily, which is necessary to maintain temporary life.” “Go the middle way,” Father Seraphim advised one of his interlocutors, “do not take it beyond your strength - you will fall, and the enemy will laugh at you.”

Also, “we must also condescend to our soul in its infirmities and imperfections and endure our shortcomings, as we endure the shortcomings of our neighbors, but not become lazy and constantly encourage ourselves to do better.” “Whether you have consumed a lot of food,” said the Reverend, “or did something else that is akin to human weakness, do not be indignant, do not add harm to harm, but courageously pushing yourself to correction, try to preserve peace of mind.”

As a person should endure illnesses, so should one treat all the hardships, misfortunes and disasters of life. “It is necessary,” said St. Seraphim, “always to endure and everything, no matter what happens, for God’s sake, with gratitude.” “When we are in sorrow, we, like obedient children, must give thanks to God,” who “treats us like a loving father, using everything for our benefit, both consolation and punishment, according to His philanthropy.” It should be firmly remembered that “those who want to please God, the path lies through many sorrows,” which is one of necessary conditions receiving salvation. “Just as unheated and unsoftened wax cannot accept the seal imposed on it, so the soul, not tempted by labors and weaknesses, cannot accept the seal of God’s virtue.” In general, “spiritual peace is acquired through sorrows.”

But it is especially necessary to try to protect the peace of mind in relations with other people: “not to be indignant at insults from others”, “to refrain from anger in every possible way”, not to upset anyone and not be upset at anyone, not to be angry at anything. It is precisely here, in relations with our neighbors, that our spiritual world is in particular danger, but with all efforts it is necessary to achieve dispassion, to come to such a state that, according to the explanation of St. and vilification. Thus, all the righteous were saved and inherited eternal bliss…” The instructions of St. Seraphim regarding the relationship of people among themselves are distinguished by an extremely lofty, truly evangelical character. All-conquering and all-forgiving love should be the basis of such relationships. “Love your neighbor,” the Reverend instructed, “your neighbor is your flesh.” “We must love everyone no less than ourselves,” although “not in such a way that love for our neighbors distracts us from fulfilling the first and main commandment, that is, the love of God.”

How should our love for our neighbors be manifested and expressed?

First of all, “in relation to them, we must be, both in word and in thought, pure and equal to everyone; otherwise we will make our life useless.” Further, "one must treat one's neighbor kindly, without even making any kind of insult." And "when we turn away from a person or offend him, then it is as if a stone falls on our heart." What wonderful words of truth!

If we notice that our neighbors are sinning, we must treat them with complete indulgence and cover everything with love. “No one should be judged, even if with my own eyes I saw someone sinning or stagnant in the transgression of the commandments of God, according to the word of God: Judge not, lest you be judged (Matt. 7, 1); Who are you to judge an alien slave? (Rom. 14:4)."

“In order to preserve peace of mind, one must avoid condemning others in every possible way. Condescension to the brother and silence preserves peace of mind.

“Do not judge your neighbors,” Father Seraphim admonished his visitors. “We all have weaknesses… He who doesn’t judge is more likely to be forgiven by God.”

“The spirit of a confused or discouraged person should be encouraged by a word of love. Brother sinning, cover him, as St. Isaac the Syrian advises. What should be done in order not to fall into the condemnation of others? “You must listen to yourself, not accept extraneous thoughts from anyone and be dead to everything.”

“Why do we condemn our brethren? - asks the Monk Seraphim and answers, - because we do not try to know ourselves. Whoever is busy with self-knowledge has no time to notice others.”

"Judge yourself and stop judging others."

"Condemn a bad deed, but do not condemn the one who does it." “If you condemn your neighbor, then along with him you are condemned in the same way in which you condemn him.”

"Condemn yourself, so God will not condemn."

“We should consider ourselves the most sinful of all and forgive our neighbor for every bad deed, and hate only the devil who deceived him. It happens that it seems to us that the other is doing bad, but in fact, according to the good intention of the one doing it, this is good. Moreover, the door of repentance is open to everyone and it is not known who will enter it first - whether you are the one who condemns, or the one condemned by you.

“So, beloved,” exhorts Father Seraphim, “let’s not watch other people’s sins and condemn others.”

And if condemnation of neighbors is impermissible, then any manifestation of enmity, hatred and malice in relation to them, any revenge must, of course, be alien to a Christian.

“God has commanded us enmity” not against our neighbor, but “only against the serpent, against the murderer of the devil, and against the unclean spirits of fornication and adultery, which sow impure and filthy thoughts in the heart.” Even to insults and insults from others, to manifestations of hatred towards us, we should not respond in kind, but should “endure everything, for God's sake, with gratitude” and cover everything with love.

“They reproach - do not reproach,” St. Seraphim taught, “they are persecuted - endure, they blaspheme - praise; judge yourself…”

“We must try by all means to preserve peace of mind and not be indignant at insults from others”; on the contrary, "to bear these insults indifferently", so, "no matter how they concern us." Such an exercise can bring silence to our heart and make it the abode of God Himself.

Endure in silence when the enemy offends you, and then open your heart to God alone.

“When someone humiliates or takes away your honor, by all means try to forgive him.”

For the offense, no matter what was inflicted, according to the instructions of the Monk Seraphim, we should not take revenge, but, on the contrary, forgive the offender from the heart, even if it opposed it; they should not harbor malice or hatred in their hearts towards a warring neighbor, but should love him and, as far as possible, do good to him. “These feats,” said the marvelous Sarov elder, “are more than going to Kiev or further ...” Father Seraphim himself, as is already known, showed in his life a striking example of gentleness and forgiveness of insults, when he not only personally forgave the peasants who beat half to death, but he insisted before the landowner and the authorities that his offenders be left without punishment.

“Let us be jealous of the beloved of God,” admonishes St. Seraphim, “let us be jealous of the meekness of David, unforgiving and kind to his enemies.” “We will not do anything to avenge our brother…” “Remember that man lives not in malice, but in the spirit of truth. In your patience acquire your souls (Luke 21:19) and you will be like God, otherwise I do not think that anyone would be saved.

We must also show our love for our neighbors in acts of mercy and charity. “Give it away always, everywhere,” is the short rule expressed by Father Seraphim regarding doing good.

“Must be merciful to the poor and strange; the great luminaries and fathers of the Church baked much about this. In relation to this virtue, we must try by all means to fulfill the following commandment of God: Be merciful, for even your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). But “we must do alms with spiritual goodwill,” and then “alms will do us a lot of good,” even if it is small and insignificant.

“The example of Peter Khlebodar, who, for a piece of bread given to a beggar, received forgiveness for all his sins, may he move us,” said the Monk Father Seraphim, “to ensure that we too are merciful to our neighbors, for even a small almsgiving contributes a lot to receiving the Kingdom of Heaven."

“So, if we will, to the best of our ability, try to do all this” in relation to our neighbors, exhorted the great Sarov elder and ascetic, “we can hope that the light of God will shine in our hearts, illuminating our path to the heavenly Jerusalem.”

The stated instructions and testaments of the Reverend Father Seraphim represent the general norm of Christian life, Christian behavior, and apply to all Orthodox who wish to "work for the salvation" of their souls.

But people came to the Monk Sarov ascetic who were too different in their social status, condition, age: noble dignitaries and simple peasants, learned and illiterate people, bosses and subordinates, rich and poor, family and single people, adults and children - and for everyone Father Seraphim, in addition to general Christian instructions, had a word of advice in relation to their rank, position, etc.

As visitors to the Monk Seraphim were dignitaries, noble dignitaries of the civil service. In conversation with them, the monk paid special attention to the importance of their rank and therefore encouraged them, as an example to other, lower, classes of society, to be faithful to the Holy Orthodox Church, to protect it from all external disasters and fluctuations on the part of those who think wrongly, to be firmly devoted to their natural Sovereign and his fatherland. Pointing out to his distinguished visitors the orders adorning their chests, Father Seraphim reminded them of Christ Jesus, crucified for our salvation on the Cross, and said that these signs should serve as a living sermon to them about their duties - to be always ready to sacrifice everything, even if necessary, by life itself, for the good of the Church and homeland. “This,” said the holy elder, “is what the Russian people expect from you; your conscience should prompt you to this, for this the Sovereign chose and exalted you, the Holy Church and the Lord God Himself, its Founder and Guardian, obliges you to this. Father Seraphim himself was a sincere and ardent patriot and wished in all Russian people, and especially in important dignitaries, to see love and devotion to his fatherland, predicting glory and greatness for him in the future.

“We have the Orthodox faith,” said the Reverend, “which does not have any vice. For the sake of these virtues, Russia will always be glorious and fearful and irresistible to enemies, having faith and piety - the gates of hell will not overcome these.

The lack of patriotism and devotion to legitimate authority in the eyes of Father Seraphim was a grave sin. That is why the Reverend, as we know, strictly, unusually harshly treated that military visitor who dreamed of destroying the existing order in our fatherland and plotted to "disturb Russia." By his unconditional refusal to bless such a person, Father Seraphim clearly showed both his ardent devotion to the legitimate authorities and love for the fatherland, and also indicated that he would like to see the same patriotic feelings in others.

The Monk Father Seraphim, of course, considered service to the state and society to be fully compatible with service to Christ and with a person's concern for his own salvation. “Social life should not, - said the great elder, - refuse what it legitimately requires from us, according to the words of Scripture: render back to Caesar's to Caesar's, and to the God of God (Matt. 22, 21).

To the question of one interlocutor - whether to continue his service, the Monk answered: "You are still young, serve." And when the interlocutor noticed that his service was not good, Father Seraphim said: “This is from your will. Do good; the way of the Lord is all the same! The enemy will be with you everywhere. Humble yourself, save the world, do not be angry at anything. So, we must be attentive to the fact that it does not depend on us that our service sometimes seems to us not good and we try to change it, leave it, and even discredit it? ..

According to the instructions of St. Seraphim, one should not only extend one’s pleasing to people in the service to the point of acting contrary to the will of God - for this love, according to the holy elder, many died, but one should never flatter anyone.

Father Seraphim tried to instill high feelings of justice, humanity, love for his subordinates and for everyone who needed them before them. Each leader, according to the instructions of the Reverend, should be merciful to everyone, indulgent towards the weaknesses of his subordinates, should bear the infirmities of the weak with love. Let us remember what a wonderful lesson Father Seraphim gave to one important official, who treated those who came to him according to their needs rather inattentively and casually.

One of the interlocutors of the Reverend asked him about the attitude towards his subordinates - how exactly to preserve their morality, and received the answer: “By graces, by facilitating labors, and not by wounds. Drink, eat, be fair. You do this: if God forgives, forgive you too!”

Father Seraphim gave advice to his subordinates to respect their superiors, “not to oppose authority”, to fulfill all its legal requirements, “not to enter into boss affairs and not to judge them.” The Reverend himself, as is already known, more than once showed in his life an example worthy of imitation of unquestioning obedience to the authorities. Let us remember that for the sake of such obedience to the authorities, he even left the distant hermitage dear to him and moved to a stuffy monastery cell! ..

The time of Father Seraphim was a difficult time of serfdom. And so the Monk, knowing this ulcer of social life, was, as we already know, an ardent defender of the oppressed ordinary people, prompting the proud landowners to treat their serfs humanely and see in them people like themselves. We already know how Father Seraphim brought to reason one landowner, who apparently tried to humiliate her serf girl, who came with her to the Reverend.

Father Seraphim was very sympathetic towards the unenviable fate of the Russian peasant and would sincerely wish to alleviate it. That is why one manager, who "did not offend the peasants," he begged "for the sake of Mother of God"do not leave your service. That is why Father Seraphim deliberately persuaded M. V. Manturov, a man devoted to him, to take control of the estates of General Kupriyanov, giving instructions to treat the peasants “meekly and well”. It was this kind of attitude towards the common people on the part of the landowners that the righteous Sarov elder desired.

Concerning family life, the Monk Seraphim gave the following answer to one of his interlocutors: “Keep peace of mind, so that there is no quarrel in your family, then it will be good.” Peace and love are the foundation of family life. Indeed, we know that the Monk reconciled the quarreling spouses, severely denounced those who treated the younger members of the family badly, oppressed them and thereby brought trouble and disagreement into the family situation.

In particular, Father Seraphim inspired parents to always sincerely love their children, how fervently and sincerely the Reverend himself loved them, cared for them, cared for their good upbringing ... Otherwise, according to the holy elder, they take a heavy burden on their souls. sin. One widow, mother of three children, burdened by their food, grumbled strongly at her lot. Suddenly, two of her children died. Struck by such misfortune, the widow appeared to the Monk Seraphim in the hope of receiving consolation from him. “Pray to the Intercessor of the Most Holy Theotokos and all the saints,” the holy elder of Sarov told her, “by the oath of your children, you offended them a lot. Repent of everything to your spiritual father and tame your anger forward ... "What a wonderful lesson for those parents who, due to poverty or others even less good reasons sometimes they are burdened by their children and thereby involuntarily anger the Lord! ..

The good upbringing of children in faith and piety, according to the instructions of the Reverend Father Seraphim, should be the sacred duty of parents. “Mother, mother,” said the holy elder to one mother who cared about the secular education of her sons, “do not rush to teach your children in French and German, but prepare their souls first, and the rest will be added to them later.”

Of course, the Reverend Father Seraphim was not against the education of children and teaching them the sciences. To the question of Bogdanovich whether to teach children languages and other sciences, the Monk answered: “What is the harm in knowing something?”

But, for their part, children, according to the instruction and testament of Father Seraphim, should have sincere love and invariably deep respect for their parents, even if these parents had weaknesses and shortcomings that humiliate them and are worthy of condemnation. . In this regard, the following case is extremely instructive, in which the Reverend clearly showed how respectful children should be towards their parents. One man came to Father Seraphim with his mother, who was strongly devoted to drunkenness. The son had just wanted to tell the holy elder about the weakness of his mother, when the latter instantly put his right hand on his mouth and did not allow him to utter a single word. According to the teachings of our Orthodox Church, the Reverend inspired, we should not condemn our parents, lose respect and love for them because of their shortcomings.

What an instructive example for the younger generation, which in our time very often forgets their filial duty to their parents and does not pay due respect and respect to the latter! ..

If it is already “to avoid condemnation of neighbors in every possible way” and “by indulgence towards the brother to preserve the peace of the soul”, then shouldn’t children cover up the shortcomings and weaknesses of their parents with love and indulgence? ..

Oh, if in all the circumstances of our lives we steadily followed the wise advice of the marvelous Sarov elder, Reverend Father Seraphim, kept his precepts and, “as far as we have the strength”, tried to fulfill all his instructions, then we could firmly hope “that Divine light will shine in our hearts, illuminating our path to the heavenly Jerusalem”…

In addition to the laity, many monastics, both from Sarov and from other monasteries, came to the Reverend Father Seraphim for interviews and for guidance. With some of them the Monk talked even in the days of his hermitage; Sarov monks the holy elder began to receive the first to himself, after the end of the seclusion and silence.

Novice monks came to St. Seraphim, naturally, in need of the wise advice of an experienced ascetic, people who were sufficiently strengthened in monastic deeds came for a soul-saving conversation; the heads of the monasteries and ordinary monks came, and Father Seraphim gave everyone wise and useful instructions based on his personal rich spiritual experience.

“Whether by advice, or by the authority of others, or in any way, you came to this monastery,” said the Monk to one of the novice monks, “do not be discouraged: there is a visitation of God. If you observe, I tell you, save yourself and your relatives, whom you care for ... While living in this monastery, observe this: standing in church, listen to everything without omitting, recognize the entire church order, that is, Vespers, Compline, Midnight Office, Matins, hours , learn to keep in mind.

If you are in a cell without needlework, diligently read in every possible way, and especially the Psalter; try to read each article many times in order to keep everything in mind. If there is needlework, do it; if called to obedience, go to it. For needlework or being somewhere in obedience, make an unceasing prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." In prayer, listen to yourself, that is, gather your mind and unite it with your soul. First, a day, two, and multiplying, say this prayer with one mind, separately, paying attention to each particular word. Then, when the Lord warms your heart with the warmth of His grace and unites it in you into one spirit, then this prayer will flow in you unceasingly and will always be with you, delighting and nourishing you ... When will you contain this spiritual food, that is, conversation with the Lord Himself, then why go to the cells of the brethren, although by whom will you be called? Truly I tell you that this idle talk is also idleness. If you don’t understand yourself, can you talk about what and teach others? Be silent, ceaselessly be silent, always remember the presence of God and His name. Do not enter into conversation with anyone, but in every possible way be careful to condemn many people who talk or laugh. In this case, be deaf and dumb, whatever they say about you, let it pass by your ears ...

Sitting at a meal, do not look and do not judge who eats how much, but pay attention to yourself, nourishing your soul with prayer. At lunch, eat enough, at dinner, refrain. On Wednesday, Friday, if you can, eat one at a time. Every day, sleep unceasingly in the night for four hours - the tenth, eleventh and twelfth hours and the hours of midnight; if you are exhausted, you can, in addition, sleep during the day. Keep this unquestionably until the end of your life, for it is necessary to calm your head. And from a young age I kept such a path. We and the Lord God always ask for the repose of ourselves at night. If you save yourself like this, you will not be sad, but healthy and cheerful.

I tell you truly, if you behave in such a way, then you will remain in the monastery forever until your death. Humble yourself, and the Lord will help you ... "

Obedience must be the most important and indispensable quality of anyone passing through the monastic life. “Obedience, mother,” St. Seraphim said to one Diveyevo sister, “obedience is higher than fasting and prayer. I tell you, there is nothing higher than obedience, mother, and you say so to everyone.

"My joy! There is no way to refuse obedience,” the holy elder said to the Sarov monk Cyprian, who was weary of the duties assigned to him.

Obedience, according to Father Seraphim, is the best cure for such a “dangerous disease” as boredom, which is “hard to avoid for a beginner in monastic life” and which “first of all must be guarded against through the strict and unquestioning fulfillment of all duties.”

Along with obedience, a monk must be distinguished by patience in everything. “You are a monk,” Father Seraphim said to the Nadeevsky hermit father Timon, whom he did not accept for a long time, testing, as it turned out, a visitor, “you are a monk, therefore you must have patience,” I “tested you, what you learned while living so many years in the wilderness: didn’t you come out of it empty?”

It is especially necessary for a monk to be patient in enduring insults, insults, reproach, because "the true monastic mantle is the reasonable transfer of slander and slander: there is no sorrow, there is no salvation." “There is no need to become a monk,” Father Seraphim said, “there is no need to go to war without prayer and patience,” just as “one does not go to war without weapons.” The life of a monk from entering a monastery to his last breath is a terrible and terrible struggle with the world, the flesh and the devil. The monk renounces the world for this, in order to conquer all passions, “to come into a state of spiritual contemplation, into perfect dispassion, to completely and calmly indulge in the contemplation of God, to learn in His law.”

In the fight against passions, trying to protect his spiritual world, the monk "must especially guard himself from dealing with the female sex." “Be afraid, like the hellish fire of smeared jackdaws (that is, women), Father Seraphim said to one seeking monasticism, “for they often make the Tsar’s soldiers slaves of Satan.” "Do not make friends with women, for they hurt a lot of us monks." “Just as a wax candle, although not lit, but placed between the lit ones, melts, so the heart of a monk imperceptibly weakens from an interview with the female sex, about which Saint Isidore Pelusiot says this: if evil conversations smolder good customs, then a conversation with wives, even if it will be good, both strong is to corrupt the inner man secretly with bad thoughts and the soul of a pure body will be defiled.

Since the life of a monk is a continuous, stubborn struggle with the world, the flesh and the devil, then, according to Father Seraphim, he is not a monk who loves to lie on his side; not a monk is one who, during the war, from cowardice falls to the ground and surrenders without a fight into captivity to the enemy. On the contrary, “everyone who wants to go through a spiritual life” should try to climb the ladder of spiritual perfection, “should start from an active life, the path” of which “make up - fasting, abstinence, vigil, kneeling, prayer and other bodily feats”, “and then already comes to the contemplative life, for without an active life it is impossible to enter the contemplative life.

“An active life serves to purify us from sinful passions” and “only those who are cleansed of passions and perfect can begin” a contemplative life, the “path” of which “consists in raising the mind to the Lord God, heartfelt attention, mental prayer and contemplation through such exercises spiritual things."

"Smart prayer" should be the subject of unceasing aspirations of the monks, according to the teachings Reverend Elder Seraphim, who, as we already know, himself steadily went to achieve it in his monastic feat. That is why the most important topic of the conversations of the Sarov elder with the monks was precisely prayer, without which, according to the Reverend Father Seraphim, “a monk dies like a fish without water.” But even “outward prayer alone is not enough; God listens to the mind ... "Therefore, the marvelous Sarov elder instructed, "learn smart prayer of the heart, for the Jesus prayer is a lamp for our paths and a guiding star to heaven" and "that monk does not have a seal who does not know the doing of the Jesus prayer."

However, “one should start the speculative life with fear and trembling, with contrition of heart and humility, with many trials of the Holy Scriptures and, if one can find it, under the guidance of some skilful elder, and not with insolence and self-will.”

“If it is not possible to find a mentor who can guide the contemplative life, then in this case one should be guided by the Holy Scriptures, also carefully read the patristic writings and try to do according to their strength what they teach, and thus, little by little, from an active life ascend to the contemplative perfection.

However, “leaving the active life when a person has succeeded in it and has already come to the contemplative one” should not be, “for it contributes to the contemplative life and elevates it.”

Having embarked on “the path of the inner and contemplative life”, the monk “should not weaken and leave it” and “in the passage of this path should not be wavered by any opposition.” At the highest levels of contemplative life, he comes to a special spiritual delight, to that “premium dispensation, when his mind contemplates the grace of the Holy Spirit in himself”, “sees with his inner eye the Sun of truth - Christ”, Who “illuminates the temple of the soul with Divine radiance”, when “ the whole mind is deepened in the contemplation of uncreated goodness, forgets everything sensual" and desires only one thing - "not to lose the true good - God." This is the source of all joys, the object of all aspirations and desires, not only of people who have renounced the world, but also of every Christian.

Giving instructions to the monks regarding their life in the monastery and behavior, about the means and ways to salvation, the Monk Seraphim, in particular, explained to them their duties in relation to their superiors.

“The one who obeys obeys in everything,” said the holy elder of Sarov, “and does not care about his own salvation, because another, to whom he obeyed and entrusted himself, cares for him. Whoever cuts off his will in one, and does not cut it off in another, he has his own will in that in which he cuts. And “who truly wants to be a disciple of Christ,” said St. Seraphim in the words of St. Barsanuphius, “he has no power over himself to do anything on his own. If anyone knows better what is useful for himself than an abba, then why call yourself his disciple?

The subordinate, according to the instructions of the Reverend Father Seraphim, “should not enter into the affairs of the bosses and judge them: this offends the majesty of God, from whom the authorities are supplied; should not resist power for good, so as not to sin against God and not be subjected to His righteous punishment.

“The obedient one succeeds a lot in the creation of the soul, except that he comes to tenderness,” and, on the contrary, “there is no more pernicious sin than to grumble, condemn, or disobey the boss; this man will perish,” said the Reverend Father Seraphim.

The abbots of the monasteries also came to the Reverend Father Seraphim for advice and guidance; in conversation with them, the holy elder also touched upon their duties as rector.

Recognizing that "it is difficult to govern the souls of men," the Saint depicted in this way the qualities required of the abbots, and the attitude of the chiefs towards the brethren subordinate to them.

“The abbot,” said the Monk Father Seraphim, “should be perfect in every virtue and have his spiritual feelings trained by a long study in the reasoning of good and evil.”

“The abbot must be skilful in Holy Scripture: he must study day and night in the law of the Lord; through such exercises, he can earn for himself the gift of reasoning between good and evil, "and "before such reasoning, a person is not able to feed verbal sheep, because without the knowledge of good and evil, we cannot comprehend the actions of the evil one." “Therefore, the abbot, like a shepherd of verbal sheep, must have the gift of reasoning, so that in any case he can give useful advice to anyone who requires his instruction.”

“The abbot must also have the gift of insight, so that from consideration of things present and past, he could foresee the future and understand the intrigues of the enemy.”

The distinctive character of the rector, according to the instructions of the Monk Father Seraphim, should be his love for his subordinates, since a true shepherd, according to John of the Ladder, shows his love for his flock.

“Let every abbot become and always remain prudent matter in relation to his subordinates.”

“Be matter, and not a father, to the brethren,” said the Monk Seraphim to Father Anthony, the builder of the Vysokogorskaya hermitage.

As “a child-loving mother does not live to please herself, but to please her children,” Father Seraphim explained his thought, “she bears the infirmities of weak children with love, washes them, shoes, warms, nourishes, consoles, tries to rest them so that she never hears her slightest cry, and such children are favorably disposed towards their mother, so every rector should live not for his own sake, but for the sake of his subordinates: he must be indulgent to their weaknesses, bear the infirmities of the weak with love, heal sinful diseases with a plaster of mercy, the fallen with crimes to raise with meekness, those who are soiled with the filth of any vice, quietly cleanse and wash by the imposition of fasting and prayers on them, in excess of those generally determined for all, dress with teaching and exemplary life with their clothes of virtues; watch over them unceasingly, comfort them in every way, and protect their peace and rest from all sides, and then they will zealously strive to bring peace and rest to the abbot” and find salvation for their souls.

Such, although not in full, are the good intentions of the Reverend Father Seraphim, his lofty testaments to the Russian people, his wise advice to all who care about the true good, about the salvation of the soul, both laity and monks! May they serve, these instructions of the holy elder, as well as the very life of the venerable Sarov ascetic - this is the full realization of the common Christian ideal - for all of us a guiding star on the path to eternity and the Kingdom of Heaven! ..

N. Levitsky

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

My beloved, our friends, today the Orthodox Church remembers the day of the death of the wondrous saint of God, patron and prayer book of the Russian land, our father Seraphim of Sarov.

Brief life almost all of you know it. Now, with the blessing of God, books about the reverend elder, published in large numbers, are coming to us. They were once read by our grandparents and even, perhaps, by our parents, and these books kept them alive with the burning of love for the wondrous saint of God, telling about the deeds and teachings of St. Seraphim.

And now you and I have such a joyful opportunity - to learn in detail his life and be guided by his instructions on the path to God ...

Reverend Seraphim of Sarov living love to people is like a spring that beat with a clean stream from the depths of a dark forest, spilled into the river and, carrying its inexhaustible waves into the sea, waters millions of people.

Living on earth, the elder of God taught, consoled, healed those who came to him with faith, love, hope, strengthened and instructed those who wished to overcome sins. “I’ll die, I’ll lie in the grave, but you come to my grave, here, as if alive, tell me everything that your heart wants to say, and I, as if alive, will hear you from the grave,” the elder said to his friends before his death. …

That is why on these holy days, when the Church glorifies Christ and remembers the death of the venerable elder, a faithful servant of Christ, it is good for us to remember the advice of St. Seraphim.

On the day of the Nativity of Christ in 1832, a certain servant of God was honored to see Father Seraphim in the Sarov Hermitage.

“I,” this servant of God said, “came to the hospital church for early mass even before the service began and saw that Father Seraphim was sitting on the right kliros, on the floor ... At the end of the mass, when I again approached him, he greeted me with the words : "With the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, all good will be!" Then I dared to ask him to appoint a time for me to listen to salutary advice from him. The elder answered me like this: “Two days of celebration. You don't have to set a time. The holy Apostle James, brother of God, instructs us: if the Lord is willing, and we live, let us do this and this. I asked him: should I continue my service or live in the countryside? Father Seraphim answered: “You are still young, serve.” “But my service is not good,” I objected. “It is from your will,” the elder answered. - Do good; the way of the Lord is all the same! The enemy will be with you everywhere. Whoever partakes will be saved everywhere, and whoever does not partake, I don’t remember. Where the master is, there the servant will be. Humble yourself, keep the peace, do not be angry for anything. ”I also asked: will my work end happily? The elder answered: “It is necessary to share amicably with relatives who have something to share. Two siblings had two lakes; one had everything multiplied, and the other did not. He wanted to take over the war. One field needs twelve fathoms, and the other more. Do not wish.” After that I asked: should children be taught languages and other sciences? And he answered: “What is the harm in knowing something?” But I, a sinner, thought, arguing in a worldly way, that, however, he himself needed to be a scientist in order to answer this, and immediately heard a rebuke from the far-sighted old man: “Where can I, a baby, answer this against your reason? Ask someone smarter.” In the evening, I begged him to continue the salutary conversation and offered him the following question: concealing the deeds undertaken in the name of the Lord, in the case when you know that you will receive ridicule rather than praise for them, is it not similar to the rejection of Peter; And what to do with conflicts? The elder answered me this way: “The holy Apostle Paul in his epistle to Timothy says: drink wine instead of water, and after him follows: do not get drunk with wine. This requires intelligence. Do not sound; and where necessary, do not remain silent. ”I asked again: what will he order me to read? And he received an answer: “The gospel was conceived four times a day, each Evangelist was conceived, and also the life of Job. Although his wife told him: it is better to die; but he endured everything and was saved. Don’t forget to send gifts to those who offended you.” To my questions: should I be treated in diseases and how to spend my life in general, he answered: “Sickness cleanses sins. However, your will. Go the middle way; do not take it higher than your strength - you will fall, and the enemy will laugh at you; if you are young, hold on. Once the devil suggested to the righteous man to jump into the pit, he agreed, but Gregory the Theologian restrained him. Here's what you do: they reproach - do not reproach; driven - endure; blaspheme - praise; condemn yourself, so God will not condemn, submit your will to the will of the Lord; never flatter; recognize in yourself good and evil; blessed is the man who knows this, love your neighbor: your neighbor is your flesh. If you live according to the flesh, you will destroy both soul and flesh; and if it is God's way, then you will save both. These feats are more than going to Kiev or further, whom God will call. ”The last words of Father Seraphim related to my desire to go on a pilgrimage to Kiev and further, if he blesses. However, I have not yet revealed this desire to him, and Father Seraphim found out about him only by the gift of insight, which he had by the grace of God ... I asked him to pray for me, he answered: “I pray for everyone every day. Arrange peace of mind so that you never grieve and be upset with anyone, then God will give tears of repentance. And again he confirmed: “They reproach - do not reproach,” etc. To my question: how to preserve the morality of people subordinate to me, and whether legitimate, apparently, punishments are not contrary to God, he answered: “By graces, facilitating labors, but not wounds. Drink, eat, be fair. The Lord endures; God knows, perhaps he will endure for a long time yet. You do this: if God forgives, you also forgive. Preserve peace of mind so that there is no quarrel in your family for anything; then it will be good. Isaac, Abraham's son, did not get angry when his wells fell asleep, and departed; and then they began to ask him to come to him, when the Lord God blessed him with a hundredfold fruit of barley. ”I asked the elder: is it necessary to pray to God for deliverance from dangerous cases? The elder answered: “The Gospel says: “When you pray, do not say too much ... for your Father knows, you demand them before your petition. So you pray now: Our Father who art in heaven! hallowed be thy name; let your kingdom come; may Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us our daily bread this day; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Here is the grace of the Lord; and what the Holy Church accepted and kissed, everything should be kind to the heart of a Christian. Do not forget the holidays: be temperate, go to church, unless you are weak, pray for everyone: you will do a lot of good with this; give candles, wine and oil to the church: alms will do you much good. When I asked about fasting and marriage, the elder said: “The kingdom of God is not a blessing and drink, but truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; only it is not necessary to desire anything vain, but everything of God is good: both virginity is glorious, and fasting is needed to defeat the enemies of the body and soul. And marriage is blessed by God: and God bless me, saying: grow and multiply. Only the enemy confuses everything.” To my question about the spirit of suspiciousness and blasphemous thoughts, he answered: “You can’t convince an unbeliever. This is from myself. Buy a Psalter: everything is there ... "I asked him: is it possible to eat fast food, if Lenten food is harmful to someone and doctors order to eat fast food? The elder answered: “Bread and water are not harmful to anyone. How did people live for a hundred years? Man will not live by bread alone; but about every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And what the Church laid down at the seven Ecumenical Councils, then do it. Woe to him who adds one word to it or subtracts it. What do doctors say about the righteous, who healed from festering wounds with one touch, and about the rod of Moses, with which God brought water out of stone? What is the use of a man, if he acquires the whole world, but shave off his soul? The Lord calls us: come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest...: for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light: but we ourselves do not want. Throughout our entire conversation, Father Seraphim was extremely cheerful. He stood leaning on the oak coffin he had prepared for himself, holding a lighted wax candle in his hands.

But Elder Seraphim also had such people “who did not seek edification for themselves, but only wanted to satisfy their inquisitiveness.” So, one Sarov brother thought that the end of the world was already near, that the great day of the second Coming of the Lord was coming. So he asks the opinion of Father Seraphim about this. The elder humbly answered: “My joy! You think a lot about the wretched Seraphim. How can I know when the end of this world will come and the great day will come in which the Lord will judge the living and the dead and will reward everyone according to his deeds? No, it’s impossible for me to know this ... The Lord said with His pure lips: About that day and hour no one knows, not even the Angels of heaven, only My Father is one: as (for it was in) the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man: as for behu in the days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and encroaching, until a bad day Noah went into the ark, and did not take him away, until the water came and all was taken: such will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matt. 24, 36-39). At this, the elder sighed heavily and said: “We, who live on earth, have strayed a lot from the path of salvation; we anger the Lord by not keeping holy fasts; now Christians allow for meat and for the Holy Forty Day and for every fast; Wednesdays and Fridays are not saved; but the Church has a rule: those who do not keep holy fasts and the whole summer of Wednesday and Friday sin a lot. But the Lord will not be completely angry, but he will have mercy. We have the Orthodox faith, the Church, which has no vice.” And “the fulfillment of the commandments of Christ for every Christian is a light burden, as our Savior himself said, but you must always keep them in mind; and for this, you must always have the Jesus Prayer in your mind and on your lips, and before your eyes imagine the life and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, out of love for the human race, suffered to the death of the cross. At the same time, you need to cleanse your conscience by confessing your sins and partaking of the Most Pure Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ.” “My joy, I beseech you, acquire a peaceful spirit!” - Father Seraphim said to another questioner and immediately explained: “... this means one must be like the dead or completely deaf or blind with all the sorrows, slander, reproach and persecution that inevitably come to everyone who wants to follow the saving paths of Christ.” the conversations of the elder are almost always words about the need to carefully take care of one's salvation, until the favorable time has passed. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov at the beginning of the last century said: “We have the Orthodox faith, the Church, which has no vice. For the sake of these virtues, Russia will always be glorious and fearful and irresistible to enemies, having faith and piety ... - the gates of hell will not overcome them. Therefore, it is necessary to understand that just as sin led to disaster, so repentance can lead to the restoration of Russia. The events of the 20th century showed that the world is facing death. May the Lord give you all the courage to wake up to understand that people have gone astray in the darkness of seduction. That's when the world will need an unquenchable lamp - Holy Rus', because without it you can't get out of the quagmire. Russia! Be the way Christ needs you! My dears, great happiness and consolation, but also great trembling to see the promises of God come true. Today, not only the promises of the Savior Himself are coming true, the predictions of the holy saints of God - God's people are coming true. For many sins, Russia is walking the path of a fiery and mournful cleansing test, and the whole country, the whole Church, every person feels it. Especially heavy are the sorrows of those whom the Lord gave to see fate of the people of God. St. Seraphim of Sarov mourned for the whole world, for the Church and its hierarchs, for every person who came to him. But they promised through tears and relief coming after grief. At one time, when the Diveevo monastery, nurtured by the prayer and labors of St. Seraphim of Sarov, was still in its prime, its great patron once, in a seemingly insignificant conversation at the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, said: “The time will come , and my orphans will fall like peas into the Christmas gates. And no one understood anything from his words. And in 1927, on the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the heavy hand of the persecutors fell on the monastery, and for a long time the living word of prayer to God within its walls fell silent. Promising the revival of the monastery, he said: “Do not bother and do not seek and do not ask for a monastery - the time will come, without any hassle they will order you to be a monastery, then do not refuse.” And the time has come. In April 1988, the secular authorities unexpectedly ordered the believers to receive the monastery's Trinity Cathedral. And now the Reverend himself wants to fulfill his prophecy about his return to Diveevo. Indeed, during his lifetime he had never been there, and with his relics he promised repose in the Diveevo monastery created by his labors, which is being revived today by his prayer. My dears, momentous events are taking place in spiritual world. One of them is the amazing second acquisition of the holy relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Exactly seventy years, languishing in prison with his imperishable relics, the saint of God, the Monk Seraphim, returned to the Church. In 1920, during the closing of the Sarov Monastery, his cancer was opened, and the remains of the great old man of the Russian land disappeared, and their trace was lost. But it is lost to us, but hidden and preserved by the Lord. In connection with this significant event, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II said, addressing all of us, that the Monk Seraphim in the days of his earthly life, at the beginning of the 19th century, was that spiritual flame that warmed Russia, which for more than a century had been forcibly led along the path of dechurching and secularization folk life. He was publicly glorified in the first years of our century, on the eve of new unprecedentedly difficult trials for the country and the Church. all his troubles), the Monk Seraphim is again revealed to us and, if I may say so, visibly close to us. Today, recalling the precepts of the Monk, I especially want to recall his amazing, truly grace-filled ability to rejoice at people. "My joy!" With these words, he greeted everyone who came. Nowadays, when people tend to suspect an enemy, a rival, a hindrance in any stranger, we so need to remember that we can and should treat our neighbors differently. Not a single person left the cell of the Sarov elder unconsoled. I hope that now he will bring our prayers to the Throne of the All-Merciful Savior, then our spiritual renewal and recovery will not slow down. May God grant that we all become partakers of the “Joy of Seraphim.” And we believe that if the Monk Seraphim warmed the love of the people who came during his lifetime, now, with the same caress, he will warm the sick souls. Just come to him mentally, turn to him in prayer. And you will hear with your heart: “My joy, come, come to me!” Touching to tears, binding the heart with inexpressible power is in the wondrous old man Seraphim. “He, like a pood candle,” said Archbishop Anthony of Voronezh, “always burns before the Lord, both with his past life on earth and with his present boldness before the Holy Trinity.” And it was precisely in those days when love among people fell short, when it became faith among the people, the Monk Father Seraphim, the miracle worker of Sarov, ascended in a shining halo of love and holiness. Let us rejoice, my friends, that among our Russian saints we have such a wondrous, reverend elder, who lived for the glory of God, whose memory we are going to prayerfully glorify today. And from the depths of our hearts we will cry out: “We bless, we bless you, reverend Father Seraphim, and we honor your holy memory, mentor of the monks and companion of the Angels.” Amen.

Archimandrite John (Krestyankin)

Notes

From the Word on the Day of Remembrance of St. Seraphim, the Wonderworker of Sarov, January 2 (15), 1991.

Seraphim of Sarov, miracle worker, great ascetic, one of the most revered saints in Rus', was born in Kursk on July 19, 1759, in the merchant family of Isidore and Agafia Moshnin. At baptism, the boy was named Prokhor.

At the age of three, Prokhor lost his father. Shortly before his death, Isidore undertook to build a temple in the name of St. Sergius, and Agafya continued these works after his death. When Prokhor was seven years old, he and his mother examined the building and accidentally fell off the very top of the bell tower, but, by the will of God, remained safe and sound.

At the age of 10, Prokhor became very seriously ill. In a vision, the Mother of God appeared to him and promised to visit the boy and grant healing. The vision turned out to be true. They carried along Kursk in a procession miraculous icon Mother of God "The Sign". When it was carried along the street where the Moshnins lived, it started to rain, and the icon had to be carried through their yard. Then Agafya carried Prokhor out of the house, and he kissed the icon, after which he quickly recovered.

From childhood, Prokhor loved to read divine books, studied the Holy Scriptures, and did not miss a single day without visiting the temple of God. And when the young man was seventeen years old, he firmly decided to devote his life to the service of the Lord. His mother blessed him, and Prokhor devoted himself to monastic life.

First, the young man went on a pilgrimage to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where one hermit, Dositheus, blessed Prokhor to go to the Sarov Desert. And in 1778, on the eve of the feast of the Entry into the Church of the Mother of God, Prokhor Moshnin came to Sarov. He was received by the abbot of the desert, the elder Pachomius, and Prokhor immediately indulged in monastic deeds.

The young monk with zeal and love went through all the obediences assigned to him, adhered to strict fast, studied divine books, was the first to come to the service. Having received a blessing from the elders, in his free time from obedience he went to the forest, where nothing distracted him from prayerful immersion in the contemplation of God.

Once Prokhor became very ill, but refused the treatment offered by the brethren. He put all his trust in the mercy of God. His illness lasted three years, and when Prokhor's condition was extremely dangerous, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him and healed him. Shortly after this, the cell, where the miraculous healing took place, was demolished, and in its place a hospital building with a temple was erected.

On August 13, 1786, when Prokhor Moshnin was in his 28th year, he was tonsured into a monastic image with the name Seraphim. In 1787 the monk was consecrated to the rank of hierodeacon. After that, for six years he was continuously in the ministry, spending almost no time on sleep and food - God gave strength to His chosen one.

Once, at Passion Week, during the Divine Liturgy, the Monk Seraphim had a vision: he beheld the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of the Son of Man in glory, shining with inexpressible light and surrounded by Heavenly Forces: angels, archangels, cherubs and seraphim.

From the western church gates, the Savior walked through the air, stopped in front of the pulpit and blessed the servants and those who prayed.

In 1793 Father Seraphim was ordained a hieromonk. In 1794, with the blessing of the elder Isaiah, the new rector, the Monk Seraphim left the monastery for silent deeds. His cell was located in a dense pine forest, on the banks of the Sarovka River, and consisted of one wooden room with a stove. Near the cell, the monk arranged a vegetable garden and a bee-house, from which he ate.

The Monk Seraphim always dressed extremely simply, and on top of his clothes he invariably wore a cross, with which his mother once blessed him for monastic service. Also, the monk never parted with the holy Gospel, which he kept in his shoulder bag. All the time the ascetic spent in unceasing prayers and psalmody, reading sacred books and bodily labors. The elder combined the feat of strict fasting with the deeds of prayer. At the beginning of his hermit life, Saint Seraphim ate dry bread, but over time he aggravated his fast even more, refusing even bread and eating only vegetables from his garden.

On the eve of Sundays and feast days, Saint Seraphim came to the Sarov monastery, listened to vespers, the all-night vigil or matins, communed the Holy Mysteries, and then until vespers received the brethren who came to him with their questions. After this, Saint Seraphim returned to his deserted cell. He spent the entire first week of Great Lent in the monastery, partaking of the Holy Mysteries.

During his life as a hermit, the elder endured many temptations, but did not weaken in courage. Once the robbers, having met the monk in the forest, began to demand money from him, which the laity allegedly bring to him. The monk replied that he did not receive money from anyone, but the robbers did not believe it and attacked the elder. They said that Seraphim had remarkable physical strength, besides, with an ax in his hands, he could defend himself, but the elder lowered the ax, folded his arms in a cross on his chest and said: “Do what you need.” The robbers beat the elder, tied him up and rushed into the cell, but found only an icon and a few potatoes there. Realizing that they attacked a holy man, the villains fled in fear. Seraphim, waking up, got out of the ropes, prayed for the forgiveness of the robbers, and by morning reached the monastery. For eight days he lay in a very serious condition. The doctors invited by the monks found that his head was broken, his ribs were broken, and there were mortal wounds all over his body, and they wondered how the elder had survived after such beatings.

And again, the Monk Seraphim had a wondrous vision: the Most Holy Theotokos in glory, with the apostles Peter and John the Theologian, appeared to his bed and said in the direction where the doctors were: “Why are you working?”, And the elder said: “This is from my kind !" After this vision, the monk rejected the treatment and gave his life to God and the Most Holy Theotokos. And soon the old man could already get out of bed, feeling much better. He spent five months in the monastery until he fully recovered from his illness, and then returned to the desert again.

Many times Saint Seraphim was also tempted by the spirit of ambition - he was repeatedly elected hegumen and archimandrite of various monasteries, but he always firmly rejected these appointments, striving only for true asceticism.

Many, hearing amazing stories about the life of the Reverend Father Seraphim, came to him for advice and guidance. The perspicacious old man saw who came to him out of curiosity, and who came to him out of a real call of the heart, and he willingly helped those who had a real spiritual need before him with advice, instructions and spiritual conversations.

It was said that even wild animals did not attack the Monk Seraphim, and many who visited the elder in the far desert saw a huge bear near the saint, whom he fed from his hands.

Saint Seraphim spent three years in complete silence; For 1000 days and 1000 nights he stood on a stone, leaving it only to eat. All this time, raising his hands to heaven, he prayed to the Lord with the words of the publican: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” passing hard way feats, Father Seraphim was exhausted, his legs especially suffered. And not being able to come to the monastery in holidays, in order to receive the Holy Mysteries, the monk in 1810, after a sixteen-year stay in his hermitage, returned to the monastery, where he accepted a new feat - seclusion and silence.

The elder spent 17 years in seclusion. For the first 5 years he did not go anywhere, and no one saw the monk, not even the monk who brought him meager food. Then the elder opened the door of his cell, and anyone could come to him. There was nothing in the cell except the icon of the Mother of God with a lamp in front of it and a stump of a stump that served as a chair for the elder. There was an oak coffin in the passage, and the elder prayed next to it, constantly preparing for the transition from temporary to eternal life.

After 10 years of silent seclusion, the Monk Seraphim interrupted the dinner of silence to serve the world with the gifts of teaching, insight, miracles and healings sent down from God, with his spiritual guidance, prayer, consolation and advice. The doors of the cell of the elder became open to everyone - from the early liturgy until eight o'clock in the evening. Among the many visitors to Saint Seraphim were ordinary people, and noble persons, and statesmen, and persons of the royal family - the monk did not refuse his advice to anyone and received everyone with equal love.

In 1825, the Monk Seraphim completely left his retreat, as he again had a vision of the Mother of God. She appeared to the elder with Saints Clement of Rome and Peter of Alexandria and allowed her to leave the seclusion and visit the hermitage.

The elder's activity was not limited to the Sarov Hermitage. The monk played a very significant role in the development of local female monasticism.

A year and ten months before his death, the Monk Seraphim had the twelfth appearance of the Mother of God in his life, which became an omen of his blessed death and imperishable glory awaiting him.

On January 1, 1833, the Monk Seraphim came to the church for the last time, put candles to all the icons and venerated, then took communion of the Holy Mysteries. At the end of the Liturgy, the elder blessed the brethren and said goodbye, saying: "Be saved, do not lose heart, stay awake, today the crowns are being prepared for us." And although his bodily strength was exhausted, in spirit the saint was cheerful, calm and joyful. In the evening he sang Easter songs in his cell.

On the morning of January 2, the monk's cell-attendant, Father Pavel, on his way to church, smelled a burning smell emanating from the cell of the Monk Seraphim. Candles were always burning in the saint’s cell, and he said: “As long as I am alive, there will be no fire, and when I die, my death will be opened by fire.” When the doors of his cell were opened, they saw that the books and other things of the elder were smoldering, and the monk himself was kneeling before the icon of the Mother of God in a prayer position, but already lifeless. His sinless soul during prayer was taken by the Angels and flew away to God, Whose faithful servant Saint Seraphim was all his life.

The body of Father Seraphim was placed in an oak coffin prepared by him during his lifetime and buried according to right side cathedral altar.

The news of the saint's death quickly spread, and the whole neighborhood of Sarovskaya came to the monastery. Great was the grief of both the brethren and the laity that the great spiritual mentor left this world. And after the death of St. Seraphim, many Orthodox people came with faith and prayer to the grave of the saint and received miraculous healings from mental and bodily illnesses.

At the beginning of 1903, the Holy Synod ranked Elder Seraphim among the saints, glorified by the grace of God, and determined to recognize his all-honored remains as holy relics. The solemn glorification of the newly-appeared saint of God was performed on July 19, 1903, and was accompanied by numerous healings, which expired through the prayerful intercession of St. Seraphim, the Wonderworker of Sarov.

Venerable Seraphim, Sarov Miracle Worker Memorial Day - January 15, new style (January 2, old style)

Instructions of St. Seraphim of Sarov

About God

The Fathers wrote when they were asked: Seek the Lord, but do not try where you live.

Where God is, there is no evil. Everything that comes from God is peaceful and beneficial and leads a person to humility and self-condemnation.

God shows us His philanthropy not only when we do good, but also when we offend and anger Him. How long-sufferingly He bears our iniquities! And when he punishes, how compassionately he punishes!

One should not reason about the deeds of God after the filling of the womb: for in a full womb there is no vision of the mysteries of God.

About the reasons for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ

The reasons for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, are:

1. God's love for the human race: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

2. The restoration in fallen man of the image and likeness of God, as the Holy Church sings about this (Canon 1 on the Nativity of the Lord, Ode I): wise sodetel".

3. Salvation of human souls: "For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:17).

And so we, following the goal of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, must pass our lives according to His Divine teaching, in order to receive salvation for our souls through this.

About Faith in God

First of all, one must believe in God, “for it is necessary that he who comes to God believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).

Faith, according to Rev. Antioch, is the beginning of our union with God: a true believer is a stone of the temple of God, prepared for the building of God the Father, raised to a height by the power of Jesus Christ, that is, by the cross, with the help of the rope, that is, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26); but the works of faith are: love, peace, long-suffering, mercy, humility, bearing the cross, and living in the Spirit. Only such faith is imputed to the truth. True faith cannot be without deeds: whoever truly believes, he will certainly have deeds.

About hope

All who have a firm hope in God are raised to Him and enlightened by the radiance of eternal light.

If a person does not have any care for himself for the sake of love for God and deeds of virtue, knowing that God cares for him, then such a hope is true and wise. And if a person takes care of his own affairs and turns to God with prayer only when inevitable troubles already befall him, and he does not see in his own strength the means to avert them and begins to hope for God's help, such a hope is vain and false. True hope seeks the one Kingdom of God and is sure that everything earthly, necessary for temporary life, will undoubtedly be given. The heart cannot have peace until it acquires this hope. She will appease him and pour joy into him. The venerable and most holy lips spoke of this hope: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28), that is, trust in Me and you will be comforted from labor and fear.

The Gospel of Luke says of Simeon: “It was foretold to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw Christ of the Lord” (Luke 2:26). And he did not mortify his hope, but waited for the longed-for Savior of the world and, joyfully taking Him into his arms, said: now let me go, Master, to go to Thy Kingdom, which is longed for me, for I have received my hope - the Christ of the Lord.

On the love of God

He who loves himself cannot love God. And whoever does not love himself for the sake of loving God, he loves God.

He who truly loves God considers himself a stranger and a stranger on this earth; for with soul and mind, in its striving for God, it contemplates Him alone.

The soul, filled with the love of God, during its departure from the body, will not be afraid of the prince of the air, but will fly with the Angels, as if from a foreign country to its homeland.

Against overprotectiveness

Excessive concern for the things of life is characteristic of an unbelieving and faint-hearted person. And woe to us if we, taking care of ourselves, are not established by our hope in God, who cares for us! If the visible benefits that we enjoy in the present age are not related to Him, then how can we expect from Him those benefits that are promised in the future? Let us not be so unbelieving, but rather let us seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to us, according to the word of the Savior (Matt. 6:33).

It is better for us to despise what is not ours, i.e., temporary and transient, and to desire ours, i.e., incorruption and immortality. For when we are incorruptible and immortal, then we will be rewarded with visible contemplation of God, like the Apostles at the Most Divine Transfiguration, and we will partake above intellectual union with God, like heavenly minds. “... and they can no longer die, for they are equal to the angels and are the sons of God, being the sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36).

On caring for the soul

A person's body is like a lit candle. The candle must burn out and the man must die. But the soul is immortal, and therefore our care should be more about the soul than about the body: “What is the use of a man if he gains the whole world, and damages his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mk. 8:36; Mt. 16:26), for which, as you know, nothing in the world can be a ransom? If one soul in itself is more precious than the whole world and the kingdom of the world, then the Kingdom of Heaven is incomparably more precious. The soul is revered most precious of all, for the reason, as Macarius the Great says, that God did not deign to communicate and unite with his spiritual nature, with any visible creature, but with one person, whom he loved more than all His creatures (Macarius the Great. Word about the freedom of the mind, Ch. 32).

What should supply the soul?

The soul must be supplied with the word of God: for the word of God, as Gregory the Theologian says, is the bread of the angels, the souls that hunger for God feed on it. Most of all, one should practice reading the New Testament and the Psalter, which should be done by the worthy one. From this comes enlightenment in the mind, which is changed by the Divine change.

One must educate oneself in such a way that the mind, as it were, swims in the law of the Lord, by which, guided by it, one must also arrange one's life.

When a person supplies his soul with the word of God, then he is filled with the understanding of what is good and what is evil.

Bodily labor and exercise in the divine scriptures, teaches St. Isaac Sirin, guarding purity.

Until he receives the Comforter, a person needs divine writings so that the remembrance of the good is imprinted in his mind and from incessant reading the desire for good is renewed in him and protects his soul from the subtle paths of sin (Isaac the Syrian. Sl. 58).

Most of all, you should do it for yourself, in order to gain peace of mind, according to the teachings of the Psalmist, “great is peace among those who love your law, and there is no stumbling block for them” (Ps., 119:165).

About the peace of mind

There is nothing better in Christ than the world, in which all warfare of the airy and earthly spirits is destroyed: “because our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spirits of wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

A sign of a rational soul, when a person plunges the mind into himself and has action in his heart. Then the grace of God overshadows him, and he is in a peaceful dispensation, and through this he is also in a worldly state: in a peaceful state, that is, with a good conscience, in a worldly state, for the mind contemplates the grace of the Holy Spirit in itself, according to the word of God: “ His place is in the world” (Ps. 75:3).

When someone walks in a peaceful dispensation, he, as it were, scoops up spiritual gifts with a liar.

The holy fathers, having a peaceful dispensation and being overshadowed by the grace of God, lived a long time.

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Instructions of St. Seraphim of Sarov. About thoughts and carnal movements

2. About the reasons for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ

3. About faith in God

4. About hope.

5. About love for God

6. Against excessive guardianship

7. About the care of the soul

8. What should the soul be supplied with?

9. About peace of mind

10. About keeping peace of mind

11. About keeping the heart

12. About thoughts and carnal movements

13. About the recognition of the actions of the heart

14. About repentance

15. About prayer

16. About tears

17. About the Light of Christ

18. About attention to oneself

19. About the fear of God

20. About renunciation of the world

21. About active and speculative life

22. About solitude and silence

23. About verbosity

24. About silence

25. About fasting

26. About exploits

27. About being vigilant against temptations

28. About sadness

29. About boredom and despondency

30. About despair

31. About diseases

29. About boredom and despondency

30. About despair

31. About diseases

35. About patience and humility

36. About charity

Against overprotectiveness

On caring for the soul

About the peace of mind

On keeping the peace of mind

How to treat relatives and friends?

How should a Christian treat unbelievers?

Instructions of St. Seraphim of Sarov

About God

About the reasons for the coming into the world of Jesus Christ

About Faith in God

About hope

On the love of God

Against overprotectiveness

On caring for the soul

What should supply the soul?

About the peace of mind

What else to read

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