HOMILY 22: On the Cutting Off of Your Will. To the Sakkoudion brethren

Brother, child Sophrony! Carry out your service not slothfully, with diligence and thoroughness; it is always necessary to write to you about this and arouse your zeal. Be considerate of all, and lead your brotherhood. Observe and consider the deeds and life of each of them, how they live and how they behave, so that both we and those close to you may know that you live for the glory of God, according to the statutes and canons laid down by our Holy Fathers, according to the commandments of our humility and according to the existing rules. For in what place one lives in this way, and all this is observed, there God is pleased, there the light shines, there the world appears, there Satan has no place, from there the passions flee far away; and where there is no effort to do so, there is all the opposite: instead of good, there is evil, instead of light, darkness, instead of Christ, the devil. Therefore, be attentive and vigilant through confession, examine the hearts of the brethren, and being among them as an example, instruct them in every good work. Under the pretext of prayer, silence and reading, do not abandon the monastic affairs, so that they do not fall into disorder in relation to bodily needs; and on the contrary, through constant and constant exercise and concern for affairs, do not allow your mind to be immersed in them, and leave the memory of God and vision: such is the rule of piety. If you lead such a life, then in every way the brethren will imitate you, becoming like both in deeds and in life. For we did not become monks in order to eat, drink, and adorn ourselves, or this is not our salvation; and again, we have not taken on the monastic image, that we may not eat, clothe ourselves, or work, but that we may do both at a proper time, as the Apostle's word says: "Let all things be decently and according to order" (1 Corinthians 14:40): for the Apostle himself says that he never ate bread for nothing, but what was necessary for himself and for those which were with him, he obtained by the labor of his holy hands (2 Thessalonians 3:8. 20. 34). Do so, and abide in this. Do not be attentive to what needs to be corrected, so that through imaginary goodness the small things do not remain without reproof, and do not lead the brethren to greater evil. If anyone eats secretly, punish him; If anyone has anything as his own, even the smallest one, impose a penance on him. Doesn't want to work? Let him not eat. He distributes something without having the power to do so, whether it be food or drink, or exchanges it for something else? Punish him. Slander or steal? Drive him out of the gate, as the rules dictate. And you, children and brethren, hearing this, do not consider it cruel, and do not think that I say this out of hardness of heart, but out of fatherly love and condolences for the salvation of your souls. Of this we must be aware; and great condemnation will fall on our head, if we do not tell you this, if we do not strengthen you and teach you; for even a good father's duty not to leave his children unpunished, but by small threats and reproaches leads them to the enjoyment of eternal life. Eli, according to the testimony of the Scriptures, was reproached and hated like a father, because he did not admonish with threats and did not punish his sons, who broke the law, as he should. For this one fault, he died together with his sons. Therefore, stand bravely in your asceticism, each in his own service, in every good deed, so that your other virtues may be joined to your bodily labors. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ always be with you, my most honorable brethren. Amen.

HOMILY 23: On Love from the Bottom of My Heart

Brethren, my beloved fathers and children! Truly, you know that I do not only day or night, or at any appointed hour, but always ask and pray to God, that He, through the prayer of my father and your father, may preserve you in all things from harm and stumbling. This is my sorrow, this is my work and my care, even more – this is my life and death, this is my wealth and glory, my joy and sorrow. I care for nothing else, my children, and I desire nothing else than to acquire you, and to bring you to perfection, and to present you to the living God as a pure and blameless sacrifice. Love me, my children, as I also loved you, and lay down my life for you, although I am a sinner; for you are my desire, my pleasure, and my lust. Do not think that these are only idle words; but believe me, that as the word is, so is (the feeling for you) of my foul and unclean heart. Remember all this, and keep it in your hearts as best you can. Strive, my children, and walk your spiritual path, fixing the eyes of your thoughts on sorrow, looking to the heavenly and imagining the eternal; contemplating how and when, in winter or summer, day or night, in youth or in old age, in this summer or in the future, death will come, those who separate the soul from the body will come, the rival will overtake us, our deeds and words will be tortured, there will be our victory or defeat. By asserting yourselves in this way, you will not be inclined to sin and will not fall into the pit of iniquity, but you will see the blessings of the highest Jerusalem all the days of eternal life.

Likewise, do not ignore bodily actions; Be thorough in both. Sing praises to God with your lips, speak the truth with your tongue; do with your hands what is in proportion to your strength, and walk with your feet in the way of peace; let your whole body be holy, and let your members be the rods of Christ. For if I make the rods of Christ the rods of the harlot, let it not be (1 Corinthians 6:15). Therefore flee from fornication, lest any one be wounded, lest any one be defiled, especially now in summer, whether under a shady tree, or in a hidden place. The eyes of the Lord, as the Divine Scripture says, are thus brighter than the sun, seeing all the ways of men, and discerning in secret places. (Sir. 23:2, 28). When conversing or sitting, do not laugh shamelessly, and do not sit close to each other, so that the body warms from the body. Do not satiate the belly; I do not advise the healthy to drink wine, but only in weakness and sickness. Inner disturbances are sufficient, natural fire is sufficient, and the flame of bodily excitement is sufficient. And if thou add fire of wine also, it shall be kindled and burn thee; for the flesh cannot endure this, but is stirred up, inflamed, and seeks that which is akin to itself, and being stirred up, it rushes to the works of darkness. Wherefore each of them is kindled by lust for his neighbor; And what happens from them is shameful and speaks. And those who undergo this acquire bestial aspirations, are like dumb animals and are likened to senseless cattle. But I have not yet spoken of that most evil passion which occurs alone and commits fornication without another body. Be attentive, my children; behold, I speak to you beforehand, I confirm you beforehand, I foretell and foretell. God has appointed the day of judgment, on which He will judge those who do such works, and will deliver them over with demons to eternal torment. Precede the Lord in confession: reveal to me what the devil inspires you; do everything decently; Sleep moderately: during the short time of the church service, be awake, and in general confess and correct yourself more and more often. And if the Lord finds you who do these things, blessed are you: He will give you an everlasting kingdom. May the Lord God preserve you, my most honorable brethren, in peace and unanimity, for to Him is due glory forever. Amen.

SERMON 24: On the Pastoral Care of Christ's Verbal Sheep

Brothers and fathers! Can a helmsman be calm when he is at sea, steering a ship and watching the winds, or a good shepherd when he sees wolves coming to steal sheep? By no means; but both are watchful, and attentive, and watch and watch, and walk round and forth, to save the ship from the waves, and the sheep from the wolves. Thus the leader of souls and the shepherd of the verbal sheep work, and even more so, how much higher is his superiority, and the more important is the loss or salvation. For this reason I, too, humble, tremble, fear, groan and grieve, seeing the difficulty of being abbot and the inconvenience of correcting my duty. For in truth it is difficult to be a guide of souls and to instruct people. What happens to us every day, you know, even if you do not speak of it: for how can you not see in the community the storm that arises, and the rocks in the depths, when the winds of wickedness blow, and disorder is raised up in the brotherhood through the madest, the negligent, and the laziest? If a man becomes not diligent in his service, in obedience, unyielding to obedience, self-willed and insubordinate, and through the assistance of demons finds a place and time convenient for his apostasy, for the prince of this world fulfills the desires of those who submit to him, then, having come to such a state, he makes not only himself, but also another brother an apostate. Oh, trouble, trouble!

Others delight in the kingdom of heaven, but we are kidnapped by a flatterer. Others perform the works of martyrs, and we are condemned for falling into apostasy. Others ascend to heaven, and we descend into the pit of the earth. Others place in their hearts the ascent of virtues, but we arrange a descent to our destruction. If we are not ever converted, if we do not rise up, if we do not say the prophetic word: "Thou hast drawn our heart, Thou hast drawn our heart" (Hymn 4:9)! To her, I beseech you, to compel ourselves, let us raise ourselves up; avoiding the guilt of sin, let us strive to do God-like and holy things: obedience without judgment and obedience, thoroughness in our deeds, obedience with humility, so that we may reveal everything through confession, and as soon as the devil inspires us with evil thoughts, contradict him and say: "Follow me, Satan" (Matt. 16:23): whether he draws us to carnal lust, or incites us to apostasy, or plunges us into despondency, or captivates us with impatience, or traps us with unbelief; for he always sets his nets, nets, and snares, and gives food and deadly potions; He never knows rest, does not sleep, does not eat, does not drink, and has nothing else to do but day and night strives for the destruction of our souls. Therefore, the only and main help against it is to strengthen oneself by confession, with the help and intercession of God. Therefore, let us not mold ourselves and be subjected to falls. Though great is his power to destruction, though he is cunning in the variety of malice, though he is merciless by nature and the inventor of our destruction, yet let us not fear him. For from the time that Christ our God took on flesh and became man, he lost his strength and strength. Let us sing: "The enemy is short of weapons in the end" (Psalm 9:7); for the Lord, who overcame him, gave us power to tread on his head. Strengthened by faith, we will not consider him an insignificant bird; but let us trample on him like a creeping thing in Christ our God, to whom is due glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

SERMON 25: That the Abbot Must Seek Out and Use All Means to Ensure That Those Who Walk the Field of Martyric Obedience Would Be Complacent, So That Having Gained Victory Over Their Enemies, They Would Receive as a Reward Eternal Crowns from the Founder of the Feat of God

Brothers and fathers! Those who fight in the battles of the people have their own teachers who guide them, teach them the art of war, and show them how and from where to attack the enemy, in order to defeat them more conveniently, and many other things that contribute to the victory. So should we, the humble, deal with you, the fighters and sufferers of Christ, who struggle in the field of martyric obedience; I must say and do for you everything that serves in your consolation, for courage, for good humor, for patience, for hope, which leads you to the habit of your good fight, so that you may overcome your enemies, and receive crowns, not temporary, but eternal from the Founder of the podvig of God.

Let us see, if you please, how they prepare for war, and from their example we will see what is required of us.

And their conversation day and night is about nothing else but how to act in order to gain the victory, how to attack, when they come to the place of action, and where to retreat, or who will defeat whom of the enemy. Thus, they use a lot of labor. For what? In order to win, to receive perishable crowns and temporary rewards to please the spectators and shame the defeated. But if they do so with such deliberation and prudence; How much, in your opinion, should we and you have care, care, prudence, care, vigilance, and attention to this and that, to this and that? For our adversary, rival and enemy is neither inexperienced nor new, neither negligent nor lazy; but in confronting us, he has a great and inexpressible concern about where to attack us, how to strike us, where to wound us, how to throw and thrust arrows into us, to catch us with nets, and how to cast down and cast down the fate of the humble monk and sufferer of piety.

So, isn't our podvig great? Do we not need great care? Isn't it great thoroughness? Is it not necessary for us to lift up our hands to heaven and say: "Look, O Lord, from Thy holy tabernacle, raise up Thy power, and come to save us" (Psalm 79:3). We need much to learn and heed this, and never to turn our minds and thoughts anywhere but to this, and moreover with humility and contrition of heart, with hope and courage of soul, with pure and tested faith and obedience, so that the enemy, seeing this, will be afraid and turn back. The Lord will never allow an ascetic of virtue to fall into despondency, if he calls upon Him for help; For in Him, it is said, my heart trusts, and help me, and my flesh flourishes (Psalm 27:7). And when the Lord helps us, then who can resist, or who can overcome us? No one. But if thousands and thousands of enemies arise, he will not be afraid; for in the Name of the Lord He will conquer and scatter them, though not in a short time. For the enemy does not cease to fight for many, many years; but it cannot in any way stop our zeal, when, with God's help, we hope for victory and eternal delight. There one day is spent in struggle, and the victors are crowned, rejoice and rejoice; but their joy is not always, but only for a certain time, and again they are as if they had not conquered.

And who can express all the sorrow that will meet sinners, as well as joy and gladness for the righteous?