For unknown reasons, the translation of His Grace was never published. 116 years later, we fulfill the wish and blessing of the saint and publish all the surviving fragments of the translation of the Patericon, which were discovered in the cell of the Right Reverend after his death, considering it not superfluous to add to them also his early translations from the same Savvinsky Patericon, which were prepared by the saint while still in Jerusalem, published for the first time in 1858-1860, and republished in 1891. In the opinion of His Grace, "what is written in them (these translations) is the fruit of the writers' own experience and knowledge (of the Savvin elders), and not borrowing from previous ascetic writings."

The Testament of St. Theophan the Recluse

My beloved reader! Do you want me to show you a thing that is more honorable than gold and silver, precious beads and precious stones? Nothing can you gain and buy the Kingdom of Heaven, future joys and eternal peace, but with this thing. This is reading in private and listening with attention and diligence to the word of God, the writings of the fathers and other spiritually beneficial books. No one can be saved if he does not read or listen to the holy soul-saving writings. Just as a bird without wings cannot fly to heights, so the mind without holy books cannot think of how to be saved.

Reading in private and listening to the holy books with attention and diligence is the mother of all virtues and the teacher of every good work. Reading in private and listening with attention and diligence to the holy books, giving birth to every virtue and growing good dispositions of the heart, drives away from us every evil sinful passion and every lust, desire and action of demons. Reading in private and listening with attention and diligence to the holy books over all the occupations and labors that those zealous for salvation raise, the Holy Fathers appoint as if they were an elder and a king. It arouses and guides man to all virtues, and places him at the right hand of God.

But whoever does not read and listen with attention and diligence to the holy books, for this reason falls into all kinds of passions, into sinful misfortunes, into demonic snares and into all kinds of evil. He forgets his mortal end, and the coming of Christ, and the evil torments, and the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven and the most radiant paradise. Such a person is pleased with the vain and flattering short life of this world. He distances himself from God through negligence and inattention, and the demons, like a mist, cover the intellectual memory, darken the intellectual brightness, bring forgetfulness of virtues, and constantly remind the mind of evil and renew evil thoughts in it.

The Divine Scriptures and the soul-saving books show us the beginning, middle, and end of the path of salvation—the entire ladder to the Kingdom of Heaven. Wherefore it behooves us to be diligent in these books and in this Divine Scripture. Where one exercises oneself in the reading of the holy books, all demonic action, all soul-destroying passions and sinful lusts are driven away from there; and the commandments

There is every correction of the Lord and the virtues of the fathers. Why is it well established by the Holy Fathers that at the morning services the teachings from the holy books should be read many times, and those who know how to read should be engaged in such reading in their cells, in order to protect themselves from the invisible spiritual thieves and robbers, arranging through a kind of guard around themselves of salvific truths, against the intrigues, cunnings and schemes of fierce demons, against oblivion and darkness? induced by them.

Why should we read the holy books with attention every day, in order to draw from them soul-saving instructions suitable for the correction of our life? They expose the conscience, reveal passions and arouse hostility to them, expose demonic snares, teach virtues, strengthen in patience with sorrows, remind of the death of death, announce the coming of Christ, depict the joys of the Kingdom of Heaven and the horrors of endless torments. Depicting to us all truth and all good, they present to our eyes, as if pure gold and silver and precious stones were scattered on a platter. As an experienced leader is to an army, as a skilful helmsman to a ship, as a guide to those who walk along a confused road, so are the holy books for Christians militant in the army, for those who sail through the turbulent sea of this life to the stormy haven of the Kingdom of Heaven, for those who march to their Heavenly Fatherland along the obstinate paths of this vain and seductive life.

The evil demons have many cunning and malice, snares and snares, with which they ensnare us, the poor, into various passions, into sinful falls, and spiritual destruction. The loving God, sparing our race, has given us holy books, written by His holy saints, in which we are offered the true science of how to avoid the snares of demons, sinful passions and the charms of this world. The Holy Fathers were taught spiritual wisdom by much sorrowful and painful experiences of life, and, having successfully completed their path, they left us the fruit of their righteous labors – the word of the book, their holy writings, as a bright lamp illuminating the path of salvation for those who were zealous to enter it. As the eyes are the lamp of the body, so the mind is the lamp of the soul; the mirror of the mind is the holy books.

MANUSCRIPTS OF THE MONASTERY OF ST. SAVA THE SANCTIFIED