Be sober during your youth, beloved, so that you may be worthy of praise at your death.

Do not rely on the evil one, who inspires you with deceitful thoughts and says: "You are still young; you must live many more years, so now rejoice and do not grieve your soul; in your old age you will bring repentance." Are you so foolish, brother, that you do not know that the evil one will deceive you in this? If you do not repent in your youth and at an age full of strength, when you are able to endure any labor and endure podvig, then, when you are old, will you not present old age as a pretext for impotence? And if you are kidnapped from here in your youth, what will you do then? Therefore, leave the path of the enemy, and listen to the voice of the true Lord, Who said: "Watch, for... and pray... for the day is not known, nor the hour (Matt. 25:13. Mk. 13:33).

O Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings, Thou Who hast power over life and death, Thou knowest the hidden and the secret, from Whom neither thought nor reasoning is hidden! Cleanse me from my secrets (Psalm 18:13), for I have done evil before Thee (Psalm 50:6). For behold, my days are becoming scarce from day to day, and my sins are multiplying. Thou, O Lord God of spirits and of all flesh, knowest the great weakness of my soul and body; Give me, O Lord, strength in my weakness and help me, the poor. For thou knowest that thou art a miracle to many, and thou art my mighty helper (Psalm 70:7). Give me, O Lord, a heart of gratitude, that I may always remember Thy good deeds, good Lord, and remember not my sins, be not vindictive of my falls! Do not despise, O Lord, the supplication offered by me, insignificant and sinful; but as Thy grace has covered me hitherto, so do not take it away from me to the end. She has made me wise to understand all things, and blessed are those who keep her ways, for it will be a crown of glory for them. I confess to Thee, O Lord, and I, unworthy, praise Thee, Who hast shown me a multitude of mercies, because Thou hast been my protector and helper, for the name of Thy majesty is blessed for ever. Greatness becometh thee, O Lord our God!

Teach your brother, beloved, not the way that leads you into the world, but the way that leads you into the Kingdom of Heaven. Fear the Lord with all your strength, and do not compete with the works of the wicked, for their fire will not be quenched, and their worm will not die (Mark 9:44).

For the correction of those who give themselves over to passions and seek honors

I am terrified, my brethren, and tremble, and consumed with sorrow because of what the prophet said: "See, you scorn... and wonder... and you will disappear" (Hab. 1:5). And most of all I am terrified because of my own ignorance, because I have become the path of all iniquity, and the enemy has bound every member of mine with every sin. And because of the shame that covers me, I must grieve and weep for myself, and only then take care of others. You must first tear out a log from yourself, and then examine the knitting needles of others. Now the negligence that is noticeable in our times plunges me into great sorrow. For I see negligence about the present catechetical teaching, and I cannot bear it, like the prophet who says: "I have seen those who do not understand, and I have gone away" (Psalm 118:158). For what weapon does not the enemy have among us? What cunning intrigues does he not use to possess us? Alas! Who will not weep over the calamities that threaten us?

But I beseech you, who have chosen this life, to give heed to what I say, and tremble. We wear the angelic image on ourselves, but we act together with the devil. We have an angelic image, but a worldly life. Do the angels live in quarrel and rivalry, which we see now among monks, because rivalry, envy and slander have taken root among them? The cunning one has poured his poisons into each of us in various ways, and with his intrigues he stumbles each of us. Some observe fasting, but give themselves over to rivalry and envy. Some have refrained from indecent desires, but are bound by vanity. Another succeeded in vigil, but became entangled in the nets of slander. Some shun slander, but are filled with disobedience and reproach. Some abstain from food, but drown in pride and arrogance. Some are tireless in prayer, but succumb to irritability and anger. Some have succeeded in something small, but are already exalted above those who are more negligent than he. Everyone has been bound by sin in one way or another, and there is no one who understands. Because of this, the monks have quarrels and strife. Alas! Who will not sigh, who will not shed tears? What a mess we have brought this angelic life to! We have left the world, but we think of worldly things; we have given up our possessions, but we do not cease to compete; we have left home, but we are daily exhausted from cares; we have no riches, but we willingly fall into pride; consider marriage to be lowly, but have not expelled vain desires from themselves; outwardly we are humble-minded, but in our hearts we seek honor; outwardly we are not acquisitive, but in fact we are possessed by covetousness; In words, we are not acquisitive, but mentally engaged in much acquisitiveness. Who will not weep over our catechetical teaching? One must look and marvel at the plans of monks, especially those of young and novices. They have not yet had time to pronounce the renunciation of the world, but are already puffed up (proud); they have not yet taken upon themselves the monastic image, but are already indulging in arrogance; they have not yet listened to instructions, but are already giving advice to others; they have not yet seen the vestibule, but are already dreaming of the inner; they have not yet entered the degree, but are already flying on a par with the clouds; they have not yet tasted asceticism, but have already armed themselves with vanity; they have not yet heard the words of admonition, but are already reprimanding; they are not yet joined to the brotherhood, but are already in power; they have not yet entered the monastery door, but are already reproaching, condemning, and expressing their displeasure. But why am I wasting my time? They have many plans.

Therefore there is no one who understands; there is no man who renounces the world for God, in order to enslave himself to his brethren out of obedience. On the contrary, if someone is reprimanded, he considers it fair to fight back; if an order has been given, he does it in his own way; in good they do not show competition, and in useless deeds they compete with each other. It is not even three days since he pronounced the renunciation, but he is already competing with those who have grown old in the monastic image; not wanting to submit, they plan to study the arts. Not having the strength to endure bodily inflammation, they spy on each other. He has taken upon himself the yoke, and he himself commands, reprimands, and is angry. "Do this, brother." "I won't do it," he said, "if so-and-so doesn't come with me. So-and-so is given time to study the Divine Scriptures, and I must be given time for this." And often, before renunciation, someone lived in work, not knowing before which his right or left hand was, and having entered a monastery, he turned out to be a lover of learning and an interpreter. "Such and such a brother lives in retirement: I must live in the same way. My brother has been given new clothes, and I must be given them too. My brother has gone to see his fathers, and I must see him too. My brother has been honored, and I must be honored. So-and-so has been entrusted with power, and am I not worthy to be entrusted with this or that?" These are the examples of humility and the labors of novices! This is how they try to inherit the Kingdom, not knowing that by doing so they are bringing the soul down to perdition, not knowing that through this they become enemies of God!

By this we clearly show that we have not for a single moment renounced external life, that is, the world; for outwardly we have renounced, but in reality we think of worldly things, and we have no justification. Outwardly we are monks, but in disposition we are somewhat cruel and inhuman; outwardly they are humble, but in disposition they are ulcered; in appearance they are reverent, but in the disposition of murderers; in appearance they are full of love, but in disposition they are enemies; in appearance they are friendly, but in disposition they are haters; in appearance they are ascetics, and in disposition they are aphids for ascetics; in appearance they are fasters, and in temperament they are sea robbers; outwardly they are chaste, but in their hearts they are adulterers; outwardly they are silent, but in their hearts they are vagabonds; they are meek in appearance, but arrogant in disposition; in appearance they are comforters, and in disposition they are offenders; outwardly they are counsellors, but by disposition they are seducers; they are simple-minded in appearance, but dangerous in disposition; outwardly they are not envious, but envious in disposition; Outwardly they are protectors, but in disposition traitors.

And why does it happen that we are like this? Because we do not have true humility; because we do not have the fear of God before our eyes; because we neglect the saving commandment; we reinterpret it in our own way and consider it unimportant. By the word of the Lord the heavens were established (Psalm 32:6), and we do not accept the Lord even as a brother. His mouth uttered a terrible, incomprehensible, trembling word: "Whosoever willeth to be in you... let him be the least of all, and the servant of all (Matt. 20:26. Mk. 9:35). And we, not yet seeing the threshold of the monastic image, boast, exalt ourselves before one another, outstrip one another; we are all rational in ourselves, all officials, all administrators; all have the right to reprimand, all legislators, all covetous, all interpreters, all teachers, all masters, all trustees, all stewards, all first, all second.

Is it possible that the Apostle also convinces you, who said: "If the whole body... Hearing, where is the hooting? (1 Cor. 12:17). If all the first, all the abbots, all the administrators, then what is the difference in God's distribution? However, do you not believe him who said, "And no one accepts honor for himself, but he who is called of God" (Hebrews 5:4). And again the Apostle says: "Be not many teachers" (James 3:1). For this reason God has established principalities and powers. For in heaven, being ministering spirits, all are incorruptible and immortal, yet God did not deign that all should be in the same order; on the contrary, it is ordained that divine and incorruptible ministers should have principalities, and powers, and powers, and dominions (Eph. 1:21); and each of them does not depart from his own rank, so that everything happens in a certain order and way. Why then do we compete with each other with unlawful jealousy? Angels and archangels do not transgress commands; but we run ahead of each other, push each other, distinguish ourselves from one another, mutually hasten to outstrip each other, humiliate each other, belittle each other, as if we ourselves were able to do something more. What a blindness of mind that allows one not to believe him who said: "Whosoever is called, in whom he was called, in him let him abide" (1 Cor. 7:20). How can we not be afraid of Him Who says, "Whom much shall be given, much shall be required of him" (Luke 12:48), so that at least in this way we may acquire humility!

No, brethren, let us not spend our lives in low deeds; not so fearlessly, as if we would not hear the terrible sentence; let us not live as if we did not give an account soon; No, not so, I beg you to do so. Let us not serve as a stumbling block and a stumbling block for those outside, let us not add sins to sins, and let the beautiful image of monasticism not be blasphemed for our sake, but rather glorified.

He will come, he will come, and the terrible hour will not be delayed, in which we, who are tormented, will have no justification. For what shall we be able to answer the Lord? What else could He do for us, and He did not? Have we not seen God the Word humbled, in the form of a servant, so that we also might become humble? Have you not seen His inconceivable (incomprehensible) face spat upon, so that we, too, who are insulted and punished, should not be hardened? Or have you not seen how His holy spine was given over to scourging, so that we also would obey our superiors in everything? Or have you not seen how His face, which lookest upon the earth, and makes it tremble (Psalm 103:32), was suppressed, so that we, who are despised, should not become furious? Or have you not heard, as He says: "I am, and I do nothing about Myself" (John 8:28), so that we also would not be arrogant, self-willed, and autocratic? Or have you not heard how He says: "But I do not resist, nor oppose the word" (Isaiah 50:5), so that we also do not reproach and be disobedient? Or have you not heard, as He says: "Learn from me, that I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matt. 11:29), so that we also may become meek and humble, and not envy one another, nor bite and devour one another? What excuse shall we give Him?