Be wise, child, be wise as a snake, and meek as a dove. I get a lot of benefit from living in a common room and sleeping in a bunk on a bunk. God is one, but the paths to Him are different – we see this in the example of the Holy Fathers: some went through inner mental work, succeeded in the spiritual life, while others read a lot of psalms, canons, troparia, and also succeeded in the spiritual life. I will also note, write the Holy Fathers, that natural defects remain in the saints as well, for their humility.

Being on Tabor with the Savior is very funny, but when you have to be on Golgotha, then be patient – have ears to hear, and listen, be attentive.

May the Lord make you wise!

Letter 6

14.9.1943

Christ is in our midst! It is of little use if we only read and ask how to be saved, but we must begin to work, to work, to cleanse our hearts of passions. Now you know what the spiritual life consists of, good hour, begin, may the Lord make you wise, and do not forget me in your holy prayers.

With St. Isaac, yes, the language is difficult, but its content is even more difficult for us, for the well is deep, and we have a short rope, and we cannot reach it with deep, miraculous saving water.

Bishop Theophan even composed a prayer to St. Isaac to help us understand his salvific teaching. In general, the Holy Fathers wrote from their own experience, from their feelings, and their teaching is understood by those people who work on their hearts.

Asking God's blessing on you!

Letter 7

14.8.1945

Christ is in our midst! I have received your venerable letter and read it with love. It is good that you strive for a spiritual life, but try not to quench your spirit; although it is more difficult for you to develop a spiritual life in the world, the Lord will help those who are striving. St. John Listvichnik is amazed at the strange state in us: why, having the almighty God, angels, and holy men as helpers for virtue, and only the evil demon for sin, we still more conveniently and rather bow down to passions and vices than to virtue? The question remained open – the saint did not want to explain it to us. However, one can guess that our nature, corrupted by disobedience, and the world with its various temptations are stunning, help the devil, and the Lord does not violate our autocracy. We should strive for virtue as far as our strength suffices, but to stand firm in virtue is not in our power, but in the Lord's, the Lord preserves not for our labors, but for humility: "Where the fall occurred, there pride preceded us," says Climacus.

But the Lord, in His mercy, gave us, the weak, repentance, for our corrupt nature is very, very prone to sin. St. The Fathers, through their experience, have studied our nature to the finest detail, console us, and have set forth in detail in their writings the method of combating sin.

Now you have the book "Invisible Warfare", look at it often. As for your prayer rule, manage to do it yourself, only so that it is not to the wind, but only to fulfill it. Try carefully. Is it not better to reduce than to comply with embarrassment and be a slave to the rule? This is not my thought, but that of St. Isaac the Syrian. And in "Invisible Warfare" it is written, but I don't remember in which chapter.