April 23, 1858

248. A damp cell is not the main calamity

The New Passion-Bearer of Christ! Save thyself in the Lord!

First of all, I congratulate you on the coming New Year, which may be a favorable summer for you, and may the Lord grant peace to your heart, health to your body, and salvation to your soul; and spiritual consolation to alleviate sorrows. I wish you all this with all my heart.

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

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 there is something that would not meet something new and difficult for oneself, when 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