To make vows to God of one's own free will, in case of great tribulation, or from the desire to receive something very useful, — this is everywhere in the Holy Scriptures I find a commendable deed when a vow is fulfilled; but if it is broken, that is, if it is not actually fulfilled, then it makes the one who made the vow guilty before God. For the Holy Scriptures say: "Pray and render unto the Lord our God" (Psalm 75:12). And Blessed Jonah prayed in the belly of whales, saying: "And with a voice of praise and confession I will devour Thee, as I promise, I will repay Thee for my salvation to the Lord" (Jonah 2:10). And the Father of God David in Psalm 115 says: "I will devour thee the sacrifice of praise, and in the name of the Lord I will call upon thee. I will give my prayers to the Lord before all His people" (8:10). And the most wise Solomon: "It is better for you not to promise than not to give back what was promised to you" (Ecclesiastes 5:4). And that we are obliged by deeds to fulfill our vows, which we voluntarily give to God, is taught to us by the patriarch Jacob, who, fearing his brother Esau, promised God to give a tithe of all his possessions, if the Lord would preserve him from the wrath of Esau, and, being preserved, fulfilled his vow by deed. And he consecrated Levi his son, who was the tenth number, to God, and sanctified him, and clothed him in the priestly garment, and by him offered sacrifices to the Lord at Bethel. from him later descended the priestly tribe for the Jewish people. Likewise, Jephthah, the judge and commander of Israel, preparing to go against the foreigners, prayed to God, promising that if God would help him to smite the foreigners, he would sacrifice the one who would meet him first when he returned from war to his house. And when he saw his daughter, who was the only one he had, solemnly greeting her father as a conqueror, then, although against his will, with great sorrow, he slew her (according to the explanation of the fathers, he condemned her to eternal virginity). And that it is not good to break the vows given to God voluntarily, is evident from the words of the Psalmist, who prayerfully proclaims to God: "Destroy all that speaketh falsehood" (Psalm 5:7). And this prophetic oath was fulfilled over Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who withheld the village from the price, and when the Apostle said: "Ananias, why do Satan fill your heart... thou hast not lied to man, but to God," then after these words he fell down and died (Acts 5:3-5). Truly, "it is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God." Likewise, St. Paul shows us that the breaking of vows is not beneficial, as he writes in the first Epistle to Timothy, saying: "But deny young widows, when they are enraged, they want to trespass, having sin, because they have rejected the first faith" (5:11, 12), that is, they reject the promise given to God to live in purity. Likewise, in the Epistle to the Corinthians, speaking about virgins, he legitimizes, saying: "If you are attached to a woman, do not seek permission; if thou hast renounced a wife, seek not a wife. And if thou wilt be married, thou hast not sinned: and if a virgin trespasses, thou hast not sinned to eat. And the tribulation of the flesh shall be such" (1 Corinthians 7:27, 28), that is, they will fall into sickness according to the destinies of God, since they have not remained in their vows to the end.

This is what the Holy Scriptures teach about the vows we voluntarily give to God in the event of some great misfortune, or because of the desire to receive the most perfect salvation and the most excellent purity. After such vows, we must behave in accordance with the vows given, according to what is said: "Swear and ordain to preserve the destinies of Thy righteousness; also: O Lord, O Lord, it is well pleased with my lips, and teach me Thy destinies" (Psalm 118:106, 108). If on any day there is a feast day of the Lord or of a great saint to whom magnification is due, then on these days we are commanded to abstain from food and drink, which are permitted by the Holy Fathers according to the rule, but not to overeat and not to get drunk, like the pagans who do not know God, but must firmly keep the commandment, which says: "Take heed, lest your hearts be burdened with gluttony and drunkenness and the sorrows of life" (Luke 21, 34. But is it not worthy of tears that some people foolishly do, who promise not to eat meat on Monday, as if for the greater salvation, and yet all such days are spent in drinking wine, seeking company where feasts take place, and getting drunk to the point of drunkenness, and in every way outrageously rioting, and sometimes do not depart from there without a fight? For such I would think it would be better to give up drinking wine altogether, especially on such days. For the excessive use of wine is the cause of all evil: from this come fights, and quarrels, and murders, and every abominable fornication, and all this defiles us. Nothing of the kind comes from meat-eating (this applies to worldly people), "for every creature of God is good, and nothing is accepted with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer" (1 Tim. 4:4, 5). Thus, if we abstain from meat in these days for the sake of Christian virtue, and not out of Jewish hypocrisy, then let us guard ourselves both from wine and from all defilement, obeying the teacher, who says: "Do not be drunk with wine, for there is fornication in it" (Ephesians 5:18). And another great teacher says: "Today is a wine, and tomorrow is a Vodopi." And those who drink intemperately every day, such as "drunkards, shall not inherit the kingdom of God," says the holy Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 6:10). And can there be anything more ugly than to see a Christian man, a monk, a priest, having the promise of eternal life and awaiting a terrible trial at the judgment — that he often walks around drunk, all red, staggering hideously, and uttering words of pride? What can be more shameful and dishonorable than this for our immaculate Christian faith? Truly: alas, alas! Whereas we should be the light of the world and enlighten others who walk and live in darkness, we ourselves, in our folly, become darkness and an object of temptation not only for our fellow believers, but also for the unfaithful pagans. For believers, such serve as an example of every crime and disorder, and for unbelievers, they are an object of ridicule and mockery, for, boasting of the righteousness of the faith, we do not live according to the commandments and statutes of the right faith. Therefore, I am afraid that what the Apostle Paul said to the Jews will not apply to us: "The name of God is blasphemed by you in the tongue"; for we, like them, transgress the holy commandments of our God. To Him be the glory for ever. Amen.

Homily 12. Instruction to Monastics on the Passage of the Monastic Life and the Significance of the Great Schema

"I saw them that did not understand," says the Divine Scriptures, "and I departed." Why? "For Thy words," he says, "I have not preserved" (Psalm 118:158), that is, Thy commandments and justifications. And again the same Prophet, teaching us to be zealous for God and to speak of the truth without hesitation, clearly cries out to the Lord thus: "And speak of Thy witnesses before kings, and be not ashamed" (Psalm 118:46). And again he says: "Thy zeal has faded away from me, for I have forgotten Thy words against my enemies" (Psalm 118:189). Therefore, let no one condemn me for the fact that I, too, in obedience to this divine teaching, boldly write, and out of divine zeal rise up against the rebuke of some of my brethren, who riot, live and philosophize contrary to our vows given to God. Although I myself commit many outrages and sins, I consider it my duty, just as I myself try to correct myself, so I also try to enlighten my brethren to salvation and instruct them to walk, according to my promise, along a narrow and strait path, and not a broad and extensive one.

We must completely abandon all these vicious habits and no longer return to them, if we sincerely wish to avoid eternal torment, to which those who neglect the Gospel commandments and patristic traditions and transgress them are condemned. Then it is said: "And let him take up his cross," which means the complete mortification of the limbs and the senses, by which death imperceptibly enters the soul, as by means of the eyes, when we look with delight at the beauty of a woman, and with the intention we perform an abominable deed in our hearts, as the commandment of the Lord defines it, saying: "Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath already committed fornication with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:11). 28). Guard yourselves, lest this sin be repeated, just as the divine Psalmist prays, saying: "Turn away my eyes, lest I see vanity" (Psalm 118:37). We sin with our ears when we listen with special pleasure to prodigal songs and seductive tales, and when we listen with full attention to him who secretly slanders our neighbor and do not drive him away from us, as the righteous prophetic word teaches, saying: "He who slanders his sincere secret is cast out" (Psalm 100:5). We sin with the tongue when we consciously lie; when with satanic hatred we slander our neighbor; when we say and promise one thing with our tongues, and hide the other in our hearts, not in the least afraid of the word of God that cruelly convicts us, which says: "Thy mouth hath multiplied malice, and thy tongue hast weaved flattery: thou hast slandered thy brother, and hast set a stumbling block against thy mother's son" (Psalm 49:19, 20). Likewise, we sin with the other three senses – smell, touch and taste, mortifying our souls, because of our great inattention and madness. With all these feelings, as if through some doors, spiritual death enters our heart. For this reason, the clergy who bring the Divine Mysteries daily command us, saying: "Doors, doors, let us enter in wisdom," that is: being present at the Divine Liturgy, let us keep ourselves pure from the filthy prodigal outlook, from the profanity of the brethren, from foul language and idle talk, from disorderly laughter and all lies. But when we have preserved ourselves pure from all these vices, then, truly, in all respects, well and with the fear of God, let us stand before the divine service, and let us not lie, answering the priest's invitation to him, and saying to him, "The mercy of peace, the sacrifice of praise," promising thereby to show mercy to everyone who is in need and in need of help, and to have peace with all, destroying all strife, and thus offer the true sacrifice of praise, according to what is said, "The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me"; also: "Devour the sacrifice of praise unto God, and render thy prayers unto the Most High" (Psalm 49:23, 14).

If we do not acquire such a mood and do not adorn ourselves with such spiritual gifts, then we will find ourselves laboring uselessly and in vain decorating the dolls of the great schema with multicolored silk fabrics. Do you want to be pleasing to the Lord of all? Do not adorn the external doll, which will decay in the grave, with multicolored fabrics, for it is not with such false adornments that the terrible and impartial Judge pleases; but diligently adorn the mental puppet of the inner man, that is, the most important part of the soul, the mind, adorn it with frequent teachings in the divinely inspired Scriptures, sober prayer and God-pleasing vigils. Keep him always undistracted, concentrated within himself, always reminding him of the all-wise admonition, which says: "I have seen the Lord before me, that I am at my right hand, that I may not be moved" (Psalm 15:8). For a mind that is not guarded in this way is no different from an unbridled horse, or a reed shaken by all winds. Likewise, strengthen your heart in the Lord by the exact fulfillment of God's saving commandments, which contain and through which the pure fear of the Lord is instilled. When this fear dwells in you, then your soul will be filled with faith, spiritual courage and God's love.

Then you will rejoice in God your Saviour, that is, by means of such good spiritual feats and labors, you will receive eternal joy from your all-good Podvig, according to what is said: "Those who sow with tears will reap joy. Those who walk and weep, sowing their seeds" (Psalm 145:5, 6), that is, living in this short-lived life in all kinds of feats and labors, with spiritual tears, for the sake of their salvation and love for God, and therefore, at the time of the glorious coming of God and their Saviour, they will find themselves in joy and gladness to receive from the righteous Judge the due recompense of their labors, that is, the enjoyment of eternal ineffable blessings in an endless life.

Let us also love the same labors and feats, for the sake of our salvation and for the sake of love for God, so that we too may adorn ourselves and our mental doll of the inner man with these laudable virtues, and not so that we can decorate the doll with silk fabrics of many colors, covering the outer man and decaying in the grave. Such adornment is a sign of a soul untaught by divine objects, and an indication of the mind of an infant. Let us cease to be infancy and begin to obey the divine Apostle, who commands us, saying: "Brethren, be not children of mind, but be infants in malice, but be perfect in mind" (1 Corinthians 14:20). And again: "When a child was a child, as a child spoke, as a child of wisdom; but when a man rejects a child" (13:11). Wherefore we, brethren, since we have voluntarily renounced all vanity and all ugliness of worldly life, and have come to love the monastic life perfect, which perfects our inner man and guides us to eternal life, let us also contrive with love, so that we may become like him not who built his temple on sand, but him who founded it on stone. By stone we mean the fulfillment in word and deed of the Gospel commandments and commandments, by which the temple of our inner man is built and strengthened, and by building on the "sand" we mean such a mood when one is satisfied with faith and baptism alone, and does not care in the least about the commandments of the Gospel. Therefore, the tabernacle of such a person is easily destroyed, since "faith without good works is dead," as it is written (James 3:20). In addition, it is known that it is said: "Whoever is a faithful builder and wise, the Lord will appoint him over his servants in the time of life," and so on. (Luke 12:42). Let it be known to us, brethren, that this venerable teaching of the Lord, which blesses faithful and wise servants, means by them those who, being in ecclesiastical ranks and in ecclesiastical authorities, govern well and God-pleasing the verbal flock entrusted to them; and those who misgraze it and unmercifully torture it with all kinds of monetary exactions and incessant labor, — these he recognizes as accursed, cuts in two, and some of them are placed with the infidels, that is, he gives them over to endless torments.

If the mental schema of our inner man is not adorned with such virtues, then I will keep silent about the consequence; but let the truth of the Gospel say without hesitation: "Friend, how hast thou entered into this, not having a wedding garment," and other things known to all. From which sentence may our Lord Jesus Christ deliver us. Amen.

Homily 13. An epistle to a certain one who wishes to renounce the world and go into monasticism, but who hesitates, who has already felt compelled to do so more than once, but still asks from St. Maxim the explanation of some parables and mysterious dark sayings