Letter 519

Do not demand that I am slowly writing to your letter of September 26; you know many of my occupations, and to them is added laziness, the co-educator of my poor order. You write about your ill health and your intention to be treated; I will tell you, may the Lord bless it, and give strength to medicines and help for healing. However, we must not necessarily desire this or that stubbornly, but, if we wish, we must commit it to the will of God. Maybe He is looking for a sacrifice of patience from us, which will be pleasing to Him. We do not know the hidden fate of God's providence, which works for our salvation. He who has acquired firm faith in God can say with David: "The cattle are with thee, and I will bear with thee" (Psalm 72:22): read about this in St. Peter of Damascus in the first book on the acquisition of faith. Should we not give thanks to God that your brother has such a compassionate concern for you, both for the use and for the arrangement of all of you for the future? Likewise, about entering the monastery; when the hour of God's will comes, He will arrange everything for profit, if only our will be true; therefore it is now tempted by nasty obstacles. After all, there, too, one must bear the temptation that you now see on K.'s mother; Any good deed will either be preceded or followed by temptation: at first it was not difficult for her to enter the monastery, and for a long time she calmed down from grace; but now it is permitted to have the temptation of sorrow, for through many sorrows it behooves us to enter into the Kingdom of God. After the temptation, God now comforted T. Una, sent them a special and calm cell. I. M. October 31, 1842.

Letter 520

Having received your last letter of October 24, I hasten to answer how much, according to your faith, the Lord will enlighten me. Do you ask me for permission to eat non-essential food during the holy fast of the Nativity of Christ, on the occasion of the treatment of your illnesses? I think you are sure that I wish you to be well, but I have no doubt that you will not demand the impossible of me. The Most-Merciful Lord vouchsafed me also to be in the rank of His last servants, and through the holy apostles and their successors, He granted me the power to bind and loose sins (Matthew 18:18); but he did not allow me to allow the rules of authority established by the Holy Church. It would all be the same as allowing or permitting sins to be committed. Heed the word: the power has been given to absolve sins committed through human weakness, when those who have sinned in them repent, and not to allow them. Violation of the canons established by the Church is also imputed to sin, according to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who said to the Holy Apostles, both in them and to their successors, the pastors of the Church: "Hear you, Me hears: and cast you away, Me is rejected: but cast aside Me, He who sent Me the Father is rejected" (Luke 10:16). And the words: "And whosoever hearkens unto the Church, be unto thee as a heathen and a publican" (Matt. 18:17). Consider, then, how can I give you permission to fast for non-fasting? If you do it yourself, even if out of necessity, but feel your sin, for which you will be ill and repent, there is hope for God's mercy for forgiveness; and when I allow you, you will not consider yourselves guilty of sin and will not repent, I will be the cause of this, and the sin will still be upon you, only with the difference that you are unrepentant. Having given you on my part reasons why I cannot allow you to eat non-food, I leave it to your free will to act in this matter; I wish, and may the Lord give you true reason, how to act in such perplexity, and may He calm your conscience, give you health, not only physically, but also mentally; it is indisputable that the cause of bodily illnesses is spiritual, by God's providence, which unwittingly saves us.

Письмо 521

Когда поедете в В. Л. погостить, искусить себя, – можно и полечиться; я отнюдь не против этого; но только не советую полагать надежду на лекарей и на лекарство, а на Бога, могущего вразумить и лекаря, и дать силу лекарствам. Если ж и не получите исцеления, то не ропщите и не малодушествуйте тогда; видно, есть воля Божия устроить таким способом ваше спасение. Терпящие болезни с благодарением приемлют не менее мзду работающих Богу в обители; как в обители предлежит вольное и невольное терпение: так и в болезни – не вольная болезнь, а вольное благодушное терпение. Смотрите над собою отеческий промысл Божий, пекущийся о вашем спасении, и не думайте, что вы, посещаемы быв болезнью, от Него оставлены. Совсем напротив, а от любви Своей вас оною искушает; когда вы смущаетесь за сие, что не можете исполнить своего обета, то более отягощаете свою болезнь, а когда спокойно взираете на сие, то удобнее можете и болезнь пройти, а вы получите способность поработать Господу. И. М. 27го ноября 1843 года.

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