Your letter, sent with the mail, I, unwanted, have received, in which you confess by confession your pompous and proud wisdom, and most of all you are overcome by contempt, and because of this you are confused and despair. However, Glory be to the Most Merciful Lord, that through the intercession of the God-pleasing Father, you and the packs have not been rejected from the bosom of your only mother and guardian for your most passionate soul and the bearing of infirmities...

And that you do not find a likeness of the memorable Mother Barbara, I dare not contradict you about this. But how unworthy we have turned out to be that Mother Barbara should live a little longer and take advantage of us, and therefore we must follow the advice of St. John of the Ladder and ask questions with undoubted faith, and the Holy Spirit will give us through a clear pronunciation through her lips soul-edifying answers and advice.

… On the outside there is war, but on the inside it is intense and dangerous—for such a calamitous battle you must strive to bring victory, namely, by patience, self-reproach, and humility. That you describe your former habits in order to do good to all, and since you have been allowed to become poor for your humility, then you must keep yourself in moderation and treat others with words alone.

I entrust you to the protection of the Almighty Lord — and may the Lord enlighten you, and may He enlighten you for good, and may He help, and may He preserve you from all the snares of the devil, and may He forgive you all your sins, and as a great sinner, I send you fatherly forgiveness and blessing.

January 2, 1834.

150. Watch, be sober, and be of good courage. The Lord, by our good will, is able to send the means to salvation

I have read your ill-written lines, and because of the weakness of my understanding, may the Most Merciful Lord forgive you, and may He enlighten you, and enlighten you with His grace and mercy. In the same way I beseech you and beseech you with humility, be sober and courageous, and shun the wines that deviate to flesh and blood and to all voluptuous movements, and from the clouds and the noisy storm of disturbances that torment your mind and feelings, and wish to plunge your good will into the mire of voluptuousness. But we, if we see something in thought and creep and from the evil Speculator in ourselves, let us even then, having arisen, flow with repentance and tenderness to Him who revives the dead, and raises up the fallen, and crowns those who suffer from such evil tormentors, and grants freedom and the gifts of reasoning against strife.

You write that you are deprived of sight and spiritual instruction, but, O spiritual daughter, do not be faint-hearted and do not lose heart about this – the All-Merciful Lord is all-powerful and omnipotent to send us forever invisibly, according to our good will, ways and salvific examples, and He is able to send such most skilful elders to console us and nourish us with them for spiritual edification, only let us not weaken in our intention and ask the Lord with hope and good humor. And I am accursed, although in body I have been excommunicated from you for my unworthiness, but in spirit I am inseparable from you, and with these ill-compound lines I converse with you, face to face.

151. Sorrows are tolerated because of pride. Consider yourself the worst of all. Beware of addiction to the world. Think that you are the last in the monastery

You write that because of your pride sorrows are sent to you, you yourself are aware of what kind of pride it is, and we agree with this, so it is necessary to seek a cure for this ailment in the opposite pride, i.e. in humility, about which St. Isaac the Syrian writes in the 79th Sermon that unbearable sorrows are sent to the proud, — who is to blame for this, they themselves consider the cure in humility. And we advise you to seek this salvific medicine, and, recognizing yourself as heartily worthy of sorrows, accept them with patience and self-denial, as if you did not bear them. Thank God that He still spares you, not sending the greater, and in all your actions see that the enemy's seed – pride – does not act, but be reverent to your neighbors and consider yourself the worst of all, then, although reproach and reproach will come, imputing yourself worthy – you will bear more easily, and humility is more acquired, when we do not follow our reason and will, but listen according to God, to whom we have affection. Our fathers and teachers of our life have written at length about this, delve into their writings, such as St. Dorotheus, John Climacus and other saints who wrote about this virtue, how to acquire and seek it. And you try to follow this, and the Lord will not abandon you, and will ease your sorrow, and even console you, although you are afraid of your creditors and reprimands from them, God is also able to give them a feeling of compassion for you, and they will wait for your debt.

As for the weakness of your brethren, you cannot help this, you can advise them about abstinence, but in other things you must surrender them to God's Providence, He is able to strengthen His creation, if they so will, try to reconcile yourself to your parent, so that God's blessing may help you with his blessing.

Beware of addiction to the world, although it flatters you with calmness and consolation, they are so short-lived that you will not even see how you are deprived of them, but there will be a place of repentance, anguish, despondency and no consolation. You say that you wish to be in the monastery at least the last, so do this: when someone reproaches you, think that you are the last and worthy of it. May the Lord grant you according to your will to do good deeds in your pursuit. May the Lord forgive you for your repentance, and we, the unworthy, forgive and absolve, but this is only a consolation for you; however, she must certainly tell her confessor, although not in such detail, but covertly, for there the rite is performed and the prayer of absolution is read from the confessor.

May the Lord give you reason in everything, and may He preserve you, and protect you from all the snares of the enemy, and we, sending you our unworthy blessing, remain your pilgrims.

February 21, 1834.