Answer Barsanuphius. Brother! If anyone desires to come to Jesus and walks the path of salvation, he must hourly expect temptations and sorrows, for (the Scriptures) say: "Child, if you come to work for the Lord God, prepare your soul for temptation" (Sir. 2:1). And the Lord said: "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross every day, and come after Me" (Matt. 16:24). Thus, whoever wishes to be His disciple must fulfill obedience until death. To be alone and to trouble yourself a little is more useful for you than to invite another; in case of need, another will always help you. Freedom of conversion is not so much increased when (brother) only helps you, as when he is constantly with you. If you do not lose heart from work, you will acquire humility, and when you acquire humility, you will also receive forgiveness of sins; for it is said: "Behold my humility and my labor, and forsake all my sins" (Psalm 24:18). When you humble yourself, you will receive grace, and grace will help you. And the holy Apostle Paul, who labored more than all the apostles, said: "Not I, but the grace of God, which is with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). When you believe unquestionably, you will be able to fulfill not only the ministry of the gatekeeper, but also other obediences. Therefore, with hope, listen to the work of God, and God will arrange your work without your knowledge. The Lord is with you.

Question 357 of the same. My father! Ask me through your prayers from God for strength and understanding; for I am ignorant and weak. Since it happens that at the time when I leave the kitchen or cellar, holding something, I meet one of the fathers or venerable people, then what should I do? Pray also that I may be delivered from the defilements that befall me.

Answer Barsanuphius. If you believe that God can even from barren stones... raise up children unto Abraham (Matt. 3:9), and that He who opened the mouth of the ass (cf. Num. 22:28) is able to open them to thee also, and is able to make thee wise, to admonish and strengthen thee, then God will give thee all, brother. Do you know the meaning of things? The gates of the monastery are the gates of God, and God knows that His servant, the gatekeeper, requires wisdom, understanding, knowledge, strength, help, and discernment: "For the tidings (says the Scriptures) are your Heavenly Father, which ye require before you petition" (Matt. 6:8). If you wait and endure, then blessed will be your soul. And if it happens to you, while you are going and carrying something, to meet any of the fathers or nobles of this world, then without any embarrassment put down what you hold in your hands, and receive them with humility and the fear of God, and God, through the prayers of the saints, will arrange that your meeting will serve for the glory of His name and for the edification of all, amen. As for defilements, I will say: If your heart humbles yourself, and you consider yourself earth and ashes, then humility according to God will cover you.

358. The brother questioned another Elder, saying, "Tell me, my father, who should be questioned about thoughts?" And should we ask another question about the same (thoughts)?

John's answer. It is necessary to question the one in whom you have faith, and you know that he can bear thoughts, and you believe him as God, but to ask another about the same thought is a matter of unbelief and inquisitiveness. If you believe that God spoke through His saint, then why is there a trial, or what is the need to tempt God by asking another about the same thing?

Question 359. And what if the thought continues to trouble someone even after the answer received from the fathers?

John's answer. It means that he, having received instruction, remained idle and did not fulfill exactly and diligently what was commanded to him; (why) and must correct this error, fulfilling exactly what he heard; for if God speaks in His saints, there is no falsehood in it.

Question 360. Should the same thing be asked a second time about the same thing, or not? I know, my father, that I was told not to do a certain work, but I asked the same thing a second time, and received an answer to do it. What does that mean?

John's answer. Brother! The destiny of God is an abyss of many (Psalm 35:7). Depending on the heart of the inquirer, God puts (the word) into the mouth of the one who speaks to him, either to test him (the questioner), or because his heart has changed and he is vouchsafed to hear something else; or others who participate in the same work have changed, and God speaks differently in His holiness. Thus he spake through Isaiah and king Hezekiah; for after this he said to him, "Command thy house, for thou shalt die" (2 Kings 20:1), the king's heart changed, and he was grieved. Then God said to him through the same Isaiah: "Behold, God add to thy years fifty other years" (4 Kings 20:6). If He had said this through another, then there would have been a temptation that the saints (about the same thing) speak differently. And again, speaking according to the heart of the Ninevites through Jonah, He said: "In three days I will turn the city" (cf. Jonah 3:4). When their hearts were changed to repentance, God showed them his great long-suffering and spared the city because it had changed for the better (cf. Jonah 3:10). Therefore, no one should ever change the saint who is being questioned, but ask the same thing again. Perhaps it will be necessary for God to change the answer for some reason, and this is done through the same saint, so that otherwise there will be no temptation.

Question 361 of the same. Vladyka! I had to deal with a certain man and was forced to go with him to the governor. Beforehand I asked the fathers for advice on this. They told me what I should do when I went there; and I have done, as it seems to me, according to my strength, everything not to violate what they said. Noticing that in fact it did not come true according to their answer, I was very sad and did not know what to do. Break the advice? "But I was afraid of disobedience. To continue to hold on to it? I did not see in practice an execution that agreed with the answer. What does this mean, my father? And what should I have done, or what should I think, when I fell into such perplexity and need? Or was there some error on my part, and I did not know it?

John's answer. The answer to this is similar to the first, and in what way – listen. You were told about the matter of doing it so-and-so, but you met with the opposite. First of all, you must reproach yourself for not delighting your heart in this work, so that you have not left everything to God. For this reason God did not allow the deed to be fulfilled according to the advice of the fathers. The reason was in yourself, and you attribute it to their answer. Thus Elisha sent his disciple to resurrect the dead, but he did not rise (see 2 Kings 4:29-31). The reason for this was not in the one who sent, but in the one who was sent: otherwise how would Elisha himself have resurrected him afterwards (see 2 Kings 4:35-36). Therefore, you must strive to fulfill the advice of your fathers to the best of your ability, so that the matter may be in accordance with it; but if the contrary happens, understand that there has been a change in one of the parts, and therefore God has changed the fulfillment of the answer. Let me illustrate this by an example: suppose that someone owes you ten denarii; not being able to give everything, you asked the Elder: "How much should I demand from him?" The elder was informed (from above) to tell you so, that is, not to forgive him, for the debtor was hard-hearted; but when he heard that he would be summoned to court for this debt, he repented and prayed to God, saying: "Master! I am not in a position to give all ten denarii, to tell the governor not to force me to give everything in full, and I will try to please You for the rest of my life." And the gracious God changes the judgment, but you do not know it. So, since in such a case there is no one near you personally from whom you asked for advice, then, naming the same Elder, pray thus: "God of so-and-so! Do not allow me to deviate from Thy will and from the counsel of Thy servant, but tell me what to do." And what God shall declare unto thee, do it, believing that He hath spoken unto thee before through His saint, and hath instructed thee, and know that there must have been some change, wherefore God hath changed the fulfillment of the answer.

Question 362. My Lord! How many times must one pray in order for the thought to be informed [96] of this.

John's answer. When you cannot ask this Elder, then you must pray three times about every matter, and after that you should look where your heart inclines, even if it is a hair's breadth, and do so; for the announcement is noticeable and in every way understandable to the heart.

Question 363 of the same. How should one pray three times in these days, at different times or immediately? For it happens that it is impossible to postpone this matter.