From my long silence before you, do not think that I have forgotten about you. I remember her, and I always ask the Lord to be with you in sorrow, and to be your Comforter. And the fact that I have not answered your letter for a long time, she has accumulated so many things from illness that I do not have to bring them to an end; That's why I almost don't write to anyone.

I offer my heartfelt condolences for your sufferings in the discourse of your damp cell. There are iron stoves for sale in Moscow, buy one at my expense, and drain the dampness of the cell with it. However, there are not always disasters from dampness; for we see people living in dry and bright chambers, sick and sorrowful, just as the ancient St. David, dwelling in the royal palaces, prayed to the Lord, saying: "Save me, O God, for thou hast brought water to my soul; which means that when he was king, he had so many sorrows, as if he were plunging into them in the depths of the sea. Here I am, this abbot, living in bright, warm and spacious cells, but I have almost twice as much grief as opposed to yours; And it seems that he would have gone over to a dark and damp underground, if only to gain freedom from the abbot's tormenting chains. But we must drink the cup of suffering that the Lord has granted us. And therefore, mother, if you endure, your lot will be with the saints...

Forgive me, and be peaceful, for God's sake, and take the assurance that even in your silence your much-sinful Hegumen Anthony will always remember you.

January 9, 1844

249. Congratulation of a spiritual child on the Day of the Angel

Behold, thanks be to the Lord God, Who is good to us, the day of your nameday is also at hand; wherefore I consider it a pleasant duty to offer you the most earnest congratulations on it, sincerely wishing that the Lord God bless your New Year and preserve your dearest health in prosperity and peace of mind until old age and old age; and finally, with hope in His salvation, grant you, O God, to be worthy of a Christian end, shameless and peaceful, and through your many illnesses and labors to receive eternal repose with the saints in the Heavenly Kingdom, which with all my soul I pray to you. O God, be merciful and bless us.

For a long time I have not had the pleasure of hearing about your life; and therefore I do not know whether you are healthy and good-natured, or whether you are faint-hearted and faint-hearted under the burden of your cross like me. However, I fervently wish that this letter would find you in complete peace of mind and in joy in the Lord. For we are not all discouraged, but rather let us trust in God, Who, through your many illnesses and spiritual sufferings, is able to ease your burden and console your heart with the joy of salvation. Therefore let us lift up our eyes to the mountains, from whence will come help! As for me, I am indeed suffering, and I am sick in soul and body; but no one hearkens to me like you, for which my heart is so painful. God! Give us patience, generosity and meekness.

September 15, 1846

I congratulate you on your housewarming party, with a fervent desire that the Lord bless your entry into the holy monastery of St. Nicholas, and strengthen your strength to bear the labors that lie ahead; For it is impossible that in a new place you will not meet something new and difficult for yourself, when even the trees are sick after transplanting the first summer. However, one should not lose heart; but lift up your eyes to the mountains, from where help will come.

250. The Best Gift to an Elder Is the Childlike Affection of a Spiritual Child

My beloved spiritual child in the Lord, and my heartfelt friend, and benefactor!

Let your soul rejoice in the Lord!

I had the consolation to receive three of your most pleasant writings with a parcel with them; and for this your spiritual love for me, which is very good to me, I kissed and thanked in my mind in the Lord; and now I offer my gratitude to you from the bottom of my heart and in writing. May the Lord God remember thee, my dearest child, in His Kingdom, and may thy lot be with the saints in the brightness of the saints.

I confess to you, my beloved child, that although your sincere love and childlike innocent affection are pleasant to me, some gifts are very dependent, and some you would need for yourself. But you acted like the disciples of the Holy Apostle Paul, of whom he says thus: "If it were powerful, then your eyes were twisted, and you would give it to me." And you, my friend, spare nothing for me. But I beg you and beg you to be more economical in your reasoning; for me the best present is your childish devotion to me, a sinner.