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.

Your unworthy co-prayer.

Letter 8

11.2.1946

Most honorable in the Lord!

By God's mercy I am healthy, after lunch I go to saw firewood for 2 hours. Do not be frightened that you do not have reverence in prayer, it is good and salutary that you force yourself to pray; look into the Ladder: fol. 28 and ch.29.

Do not imagine God to be very strict. He is very merciful, He knows our human weakness, we must reverently honor the Holy Fathers, for they are God's special chosen ones, and in order not to be embarrassed that we cannot imitate them, look into the Flattery. 26, ch. 125. I also wish that the Lord would vouchsafe you to end your life in a monastery. Let us pray and hope that he will fulfill our desire, now live with N.N. Serve her according to the 5th commandment. For monastic life, save patience not just one cart, but a whole baggage train.

I don't like my illiterate letters; so I have written to you to destroy them, and if in your humility you want to keep them, let them remain with you. Write to me, do not be shy, I will always answer as far as the Lord enlightens me. Sometimes I am confused by the thought: "Why do I correspond, illiterate, with the educated?" Let's hope that we will see each other, God willing, then we will talk. The writings of the Holy Fathers are directed to three degrees of spiritual perfection: to infants, intermediate and perfect, and as you and I are infants, we need and benefit from soft food, so extract from there spiritual classes according to your age.