39 (42)[83]. To the disciple Chilon

(He admonishes him that in a virtuous life one good beginning is not enough, but constant and uninterrupted progress is needed, offers many rules for a solitary life, advises not to suddenly strive to the height of perfection, but to observe gradualness in asceticism, and warns not to leave the wilderness under the plausible pretext of a virtuous life in the world and attendance at spiritual gatherings)

I will be the author of the salvific work for you, my sincere brother, if you willingly accept my advice on what you should do, especially in such cases as you yourself have asked for advice. Many may have had the courage to begin a solitary life, but few probably took the trouble to complete it properly. And, without a doubt, the end of the matter is not in one intention, but in the end – the fruit of labor. Therefore, it is of no use if one does not hasten to the end of the intention, but limits the monastic life to only the beginning, and, what is most ridiculous, still abandons his own intention, for which outsiders accuse him of a lack of courage and prudence. Of such the Lord also says: "Whosoever desires to build a house, shall not he first count his possessions, if he has, if he has done so, but when he has laid the foundation and is not able to do it, those who pass by will begin to reproach him," "saying, 'As this man,' lay the foundation, "and he is not able to do it" (cf. Luke 14:28-30). Therefore, let zeal for success in a good deed follow the beginning. For the most courageous ascetic Paul, desiring that we should not provide ourselves with our former good works, but that we should daily prosper more and more, says: "Forgetting what is behind, but stretching out before us, to deliberate persecution, to the honor of the highest calling" (cf. Phil. 3:13-14). Such is the whole of human life: it is not satisfied with the preceding, but is nourished not so much by the past as by the future. What is the use of yesterday's satiety of the belly, if now, with a revived hunger, food does not find the proper consolation? In the same way, the soul does not benefit from yesterday's good deed, if on this day the fulfillment of righteousness is abandoned. For it is said, "As I find you, so will I acknowledge you."

Wherefore the labor of the righteous is in vain, and the temper of the sinner is irreproachable after the change that has taken place in him, when one of the best passes to the worse, and the other from the worse to the better. This can also be heard in Ezekiel, who teaches as from the presence of the Lord. For he says: "If a righteous man who has gone astray sins will not remember the righteousness which he has done before him, but he will die in his sin" (cf. Ezekiel 18:24). And the same says of the sinner: if he is converted "he creates... Truth... he will live" in it (cf. Ezek. 18:21, 27, 28).

In order to bring the one who lives according to God to safety, it is enough to see the descent from the best to the worst of Judas, who for so long was a disciple of Christ, and then, having sold the Teacher for a small reward, thereby acquired a noose for himself. Therefore, let it be known to you that he is not perfect who has begun well, but he who is good in the sight of God who gives a good account of the matter. Therefore, brother, do not let your eyes sleep and your house slumber (cf. Ps. 131:4; Prov. 6:4) until you are saved like a chamois from a snare, and like a bird from a snare! For behold, thou walkest among the nets, and walkest over a high wall, from whence it is not safe to fall.

Therefore, do not suddenly reach out to the very summit of asceticism, especially do not rely on yourself, so that you do not fall from the height of the ascetic life through inexperience. For it is better to gradually mature. Gradually deprive yourself of the pleasures of life, destroying all your habits, so that by counteracting your desires, suddenly irritating every desire for pleasure, you will not set up a crowd of temptations against you. When you have gained the upper hand over the addiction to one pleasure, then enter into a struggle with the addiction to another, and in this way you will overcome all inclination to pleasure. For the naming of pleasure is one, but the kinds of pleasures are different. Therefore, brother, first of all, be patient in every temptation. And how many different temptations the faithful are tested by: now worldly losses, now accusations, slander, disobedience, slander, persecution! All this and the like serves to test the faithful.

Moreover, be silent, not rash in your word, not arguing, not stubborn, not vain, do not reinterpret everything, but love faithfulness, be not verbose, always ready not to teach, but to learn. Do not be curious about worldly life, it will not profit you in any way. For it is said: "Let not my mouth speak of the works of men" (Psalm 16:4). But desire to know the life of the righteous better, for in this you will find benefit for yourself. Do not be a hunter to show himself in public, going around villages and houses, but run away from them as nets for the soul. And if anyone out of great reverence persuades you to go up to his house with various pretexts, then let him learn the faith of the centurion, who kept Jesus, who hastened to him for healing, from himself, saying: "Lord, I am worthy, that thou mayest enter under my roof, but only the word, and my servant shall be healed" (Matt. 8:8). When Jesus said to him, "Go, and as thou hast believed, be it unto thee. And the servant sought him in that hour" (Matt. 8:13). Therefore, let it be known to you, brother, that it is not by the presence of Christ, but by the faith of the one who asks, that the sick man is freed from his illness. So now, wherever you pray, if the sick person believes that your prayers will help him, everything will be fulfilled according to his desire.

Do not love those who are close to you more than the Lord. For it is said: "He who loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:37). What does the Lord's commandment mean? It is said: "Except a man take up his cross and follow me, he cannot be my disciple" (cf. Luke 14:27). If you died with Christ for your kinsmen in the flesh, then why do you want to live with them again? And if you again build up for your relatives what you have ruined for Christ, then you make yourself a criminal. Therefore, do not leave your place for your relatives, for when you leave your place, you may also leave your morals.

Do not love the multitude, villages and cities, but be a lover of the wilderness, always remaining undistracted in yourself, recognizing prayer and psalmody as your work. Do not neglect to read, especially read the New Testament, since reading the Old Testament often causes harm, not because it contains harmful things, but because the minds of those who suffer harm are weak. For all bread is nutritious, but it is harmful to the weak. Thus, "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable" (2 Tim. 3:16), and there is nothing unclean in it, and it is unclean only to him who recognizes it as unclean. Thou art "tempting all; keep the good, guard thyself from every form of evil" (cf. 1 Thess. 5:21-22). "All is my essence, but not all is for good" (1 Cor. 6:12).

Therefore, with all those with whom you have dealings, be unstumbling, intelligent, brotherly, affable, humble-minded, do not depart from the goal of loving strangers for expensive foods, but, being content with what is real, do not take from anyone anything more than is daily necessary for the monastic life, and especially run away from gold, as a libeler of the soul of the father to sin, a servant of the devil. Do not make yourself guilty of love of wealth under the pretext of serving the poor. And if anyone brings you money for the poor, when you know who is poor, advise the one who has money to take it to the poor, so that by accepting money from him you will not defile your conscience. Run away from pleasures, love abstinence, and exercise your body in labor, and accustom your soul to temptations. Recognizing the separation of soul and body as liberation from all evil, expect the enjoyment of eternal blessings, of which all the saints have become partakers.

Constantly weighing the devil's suggestion, oppose it with a pious thought and yield to the latter, like the inclination of a cup on a scale.

And you have made yourself a stranger to so many blessings, and you sit here, feral with the beasts. For here you see great desolation, no small gloomy, lack of teaching, alienation from the brethren, and a spirit of great negligence about the commandment of God."

And I, having once been to spiritual festivals, met hardly one brother, who, according to the