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

In this section there are translations from the Greek St. Theophan the Recluse, which were found in the archives of the Bishop after his death. All of them are in one way or another connected with the stay of the saint, still a hieromonk, in Jerusalem. In a letter addressed to Archimandrite Andrei dated December 7, 1892, His Grace, in particular, wrote:

"When I was in Jerusalem, the Elder of Savva gave me a very large Patericon, imposing the obedience of translating it. It was translated in Jerusalem. Upon my return to Russia, I could not put my hands on him for a long time. What kind of Patericon is this? In form it is the same as the Patericon published by the "Soul-Useful Reading"... My Patericon is two or three times his size. It must be concluded that it was compiled after that and took into itself many things that were not known when it was compiled. Now my idea regarding this is to publish my Patericon. I worked on the translation. Why leave work useless?.. In the library of the Patriarch (of Alexandria, in Cairo) there is also a manuscript, as well as mine, and in the monastery of Sava of Jerusalem there are similar ones. From this I conclude that my Patericon is more common than the one published by the Soul-Useful Reading. And in this there is an incentive to publish it."

In a letter dated September 27, 1893, the saint wrote the following: "You are revising the Patericon... Good. God grant patience...

In one book... I read that... There was a custom among the elders that if, when gathering and conversing about the deeds of asceticism, they found other sayings or legends edifying, they thought they would include them in the general code of sayings and legends... For subsequent generations, they were sources from which everyone drew instructions and rules...

I have seen a long preface in my translation somewhere else. It shows, however, that the Orthodox monks paid great attention to this Patericon, in its present composition."

Unfortunately, during the lifetime of His Grace, these translations from the Greek were not published. 116 years later, the publishing house "Rule of Faith", fulfilling the wish of the saint, for the first time presents to the God-loving reader the very manuscripts that have been preserved in the cell of the Bishop.

PREFACE