Spending their time constantly in prayer and vigil, the ascetics almost adapted themselves to the way of life of the Angels: they completely forgot about the existence of gold, silver, buying and selling between people; Those of them who were less successful in the struggle in virtue did not even have any thought of envy of the successful ascetic, who did not show any contempt, arrogance, boasting in relation to his neighbor, who was less happy in asceticism, for such an ascetic attributed all his successes in asceticism not to his own strength, but to the power of God. In this case they followed the command of God: "In the same way, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are worthless servants, because we have done what we ought to have done" (Luke 17:10).

Some of them reproached themselves that they had not yet fulfilled what the Lord had commanded them, but that they still had much more to do than they had already done. These ascetics despised themselves for the weakness of the body and the poverty of human nature. Thus, one of them was more humble than the other. In their souls there was no place for vanity and man-pleasing. Therefore, those who, having fled into the wilderness from human society, live there, striving not for people, but for God, hope to receive from Him a reward for their feats, understanding that there is no reward for labors because of vanity, because they are done for the praise of people, and not for the pleasure of God. For this reason the ascetics of the second kind are doubly mistaken: by killing their flesh, they do not receive a reward.

But those who aspire to attain glory in heaven have despised all earthly things that are proper to human nature. Such people asceticize: some in complete solitude, far from human society, devoting themselves entirely to God; others, living apart, come only on Sundays to the company of people to participate in the holy sacraments, namely: in the offering of the pure and Bloodless Sacrifice and the reception of the holy Body and Blood of Christ, which He instituted for the remission of the believers' sins, the enlightenment and sanctification of body and soul. Spending time here in soul-saving conversations, in giving each other moral advice, in explaining to the people those hidden and secret actions that the enemy uses to seduce the faithful from the path of truth, they, on their part, instructed in the ways of waging a struggle with the enemy, so that someone, through ignorance of these methods, would not fall into captivity. After all this, they returned to the places of their asceticism, feeling in their hearts a feeling the sweetness of which is like honey, preparing for themselves by their labors a fruit worthy of taking a place even in the heavenly table.

Some ascetics lead a life together. Having gathered in a certain number in one place, they place at the head of their society the most distinguished for spiritual qualities, killing in themselves with the sword of obedience every desire of their own. Having thus voluntarily become slaves, they no longer live for themselves, but for Him to Whom they have submitted by the will of Christ. It is still better to say that they do not live on their own, but Christ lives in them, to whom they have submitted, renouncing everything else. This is a true withdrawal from the world and a voluntary renunciation of the carnal life, as a result of the striving for the higher. Such lead a life similar to that of the Divine Angels, glorifying the Lord God with one accord in the Psalms and hymns, and together deserving the reward of obedience. The word of the Lord is fulfilled in them, which says: "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). With these words He did not limit the number of those who gather in His name, but with the words "two or three" He expressed only the unlimited number of them. For no matter how many people gather in His name with a burning desire to serve Him, we infallibly believe that Christ is there among His own. Living in such societies, the inhabitants of the earth tried to adapt themselves to the life of the celestials. They spent their time in fasting, prayer and vigil, in shedding tears, inconsolable grief, in thoughts of death, in humility and meekness, in silence, in deprivation, purity and humility, in peace of mind and perfect love for the Lord and their neighbor. As a result of such a life, by the end of it they became completely heavenly Angels. For this reason God rewarded them here on earth, giving them the power to perform various signs and wonders, thanks to which their fame spread throughout the entire universe. If I tell you about the life of one of them, the founder of monastic activity, whose name was Anthony, then from the story of this one tree you will completely know the sweetness of the fruits of trees of the same kind. You will learn what he set as the foundation of monastic activity, what way of life he prescribed for them, and what mercies he was rewarded by the Savior. After him, many others performed similar feats and attained heavenly rewards and crowns. Blessed, thrice blessed are those who love God and despise everything else for the sake of love for Him. They mourned and wept day and night in order to attain eternal consolation; here they voluntarily humbled themselves in order to exalt themselves there; here they exhausted their flesh with hunger, thirst and vigils, in order to live there in paradisiacal luxury and joy. They became the place of residence of St. Because of the purity of his heart, as the Holy Scriptures testify: "And I will set my tabernacle among you, and I will walk among you" (Lev. 26:12). They crucified themselves for the world, that they might be counted worthy of a place at the right hand of Him who was crucified; they girded their thighs with truth, and always had lamps ready, waiting for the coming of the immortal Bridegroom. Looking at everything with the eyes of reason, they always had before them that terrible hour of death; they saw future blessings before them, and, at the same time, constantly thought about the future eternal punishment; they tried to wither away in order to attain eternal glory. Passion was as alien to them as it was to the Angels, and now they rejoice with them, whose lives they imitated. Blessed and blessed are they because, looking at everything with the eyes of their minds, they saw all the vanity and emptiness of this life, the fragility and abnormality of human well-being on earth, by rejecting which they preferred eternal blessings and attained bliss uninterrupted by death.

Even we, unworthy and insignificant, try to imitate these amazing holy men, but we cannot reach the height of their way of life, similar to that of the celestials. Nevertheless, we try to imitate them, as far as our miserable and feeble nature allows us to do so, we have adapted ourselves to the appearance of their way of life, although we stumble in business.

Following the words of these blessed fathers, we also despise the perishable and temporal blessings of earthly life, in which there is nothing smooth, firm, permanent, but all vanity and anguish of spirit (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Everything earthly here is more illusory than dreams, shadows, a breath of breeze. It brings a small and short-lived joy, which cannot be called joy, but deception and error in the evil of the world. We are commanded not to love him, but to hate him with all our hearts, and this hatred is perfectly well-founded. For what the world gives to its pets, it takes away again in anger. Deprived of all good, covered with shame, with a heavy burden he then sends them to eternal sorrow. Whom he exalts, he hastens to humiliate at once to the joy of his enemies.

Such are the mercies and gifts of this world. He is the enemy of those who love him, and plots against those who do his will. Overthrowing all those who rely on his strength, he finds followers only among fools, flattering them with various false promises in order to attract them. If, however, they turn out to be well-intentioned, then he himself turns out to be deceitful and stupid, since he cannot carry out what he has planned.

He makes everything desirable for everyone for a short time, and a little later - hateful and disgusting; today it makes a person rejoice, tomorrow - weep and lament.

Listen to the end of all this: the world makes those who love it victims of fiery hell. Thus it always is, such are the results of it, and so it happens to everyone who loves his lusts: let no one expect mercy or compassion from him. The world wants to deceive everyone, to entangle them in its nets, and tries only to ensure that no one escapes these nets.

In my opinion, people who have been enslaved by such a harsh and evil tyrant, who have madly apostatized from the humane and all-good Lord, who are completely immersed in earthly cares and do not think at all about the future, but only about carnal pleasures, and who condemn their souls to death by starvation, are like a man who has fled from a mad camel. This man, frightened by the terrible roar of his enraged camel, fled so as not to become his victim, and in the run fell into a deep pit. But as he fell, he stretched out his arms and grabbed a plant. At the same time, he felt some support for his legs, on which he hastened to lean, considering himself safe in the future. But when the man looked around, he saw that two mice, one black and one white, were constantly gnawing at the root of the plant he had grasped and were about to gnaw at it altogether. Looking at the bottom of the pit, he sees a terrible fire-breathing dragon, fiercely looking at him with an open mouth, preparing to swallow him; but when he looked closely at the support on which he had fixed his feet, he saw that it was a wall from which the heads of four asps protruded; And when he lifted his eyes upwards, he saw some honey dripping from the branch of the plant. Then the man, forgetting about the dangers surrounding him: about the mad camel standing over the pit and wanting to tear it to pieces, about the dragon, about the asps and mice gnawing at the root, completely gave himself over to the sweetness of this insignificant amount of honey.

This comparison refers to those who are carried away by this earthly life: the camel is death, constantly pursuing the race of Adam and striving to steal it; the pit is a world full of various evils and insidious intrigues; but the plant, the root of which is constantly sharpened by mice, is human life, constantly shortened by alternating day and night (black and white mice); the four adders are brought out here to resemble the human body, which depends on the four unstable and inconstant elements, which, if in disorder and confusion, also destroy the stability of the human body; the same terrible, fire-breathing dragon shows hell, striving to receive into its bosom all who have preferred temporary earthly pleasures to future eternal blessings; Finally, under a drop of honey is depicted the sweetness of earthly pleasures, by which lovers of the world are deceived, as a result of which they do not care about their salvation.

Joasaph, who was greatly impressed by this parable, exclaimed: "How much truth and meaning there is in this parable! Speak more such parables, so that I may fully understand our life and be able to judge by faith who will do what in the future."

Then the elder said to him: "On the other hand, those who love this earthly life and revel in its short-lived sweets, which they preferred to future eternal blessings, are like a man who had three friends. Two of them he loved and respected very much, and was ready to undergo death and any dangers for them. To the third he treated with the greatest contempt, showed him no respect, nor due love, but showed very little, not to say none, friendship towards him. But one day some formidable soldiers came to this man and demanded that he immediately come to the king, answer for a debt of 10,000 talents. Being in straitened circumstances, this man mentally sought help to fulfill the king's demand, which was so terrible for him.

He runs to his first friend, whom he considered the most sincere, and says to him: "You know, friend, I have always been ready to lay down my life for you. Now I need help, for I am in dire need today. Tell me, then, how can you help me, and to what extent will my hope in you be justified?" I have other friends with whom I will have fun today, who will always be my friends. And I will give you two rags for the road that lies ahead of you, and expect nothing more from me." Hearing this, and deceived so bitterly in the hope he placed in his friend, he went to another and said: "You remember, friend, how I have always revered and loved you. Now I need a person who would help me in the terrible grief and misfortune that has befallen me. Tell me, how can you help me so that I can get out of it?"