You see what kind of God we have, how good He is, how merciful, how loving to mankind. For this is the cleansing of our sins (John 2:2); for our sake he became poor and suffered for our salvation; He was bruised, endured afflictions, was wounded, received reproach, was mocked, poured out His most holy blood, and by His wounds, as it is written, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Therefore, my brethren, come, let us draw near to Him, let us fall down before Him, and let us weep before Him, for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand (Psalm 94:7). Today, if we hear His voice, let us not grieve Him, and let us not creep like the disobedient and murmuring, and let us not be slothful to go to the land of His promise, whither we will go by the narrow and sorrowful path, lest we leave the bones of our souls in the wilderness of torment. If they had then listened to Joshua their leader, and Caleb the son of Jephaniah, they would have inherited God's promises. And since they, through laziness and negligence, did not want to walk the difficult path and resist the pagans who resisted them, they were afraid, and those who had the invincible power of God that helped them, were consumed, and their memory perished completely.

So it will be with us now, if you do not listen to us unworthy and do not convert. Do not dwell in love of the flesh, thinking about the passion life of Egypt, and the servile service to this world, from which you have been freed by the grace and mercy of God. Stand zealously, with a warm heart; shod your feet for the preparation of the gospel of peace, wrapped in the breastplate of firm faith; arm yourselves with spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:13-15) and walk the path of thought; and let us overcome the alien and barbarian passions that beset us, and conquer them; let us mentally cross the Jordan with tears, and inherit that land in which immortal life flows, in which are the fruits of eternal blessings. With a meager and unworthy word, always, as now, I try to instill boldness in your souls, my brethren. But take into your hearts even this little that we have, and adding your good deeds to the poorest and most insignificant word, multiply it by thirty, sixty, and a hundred.

To her, I beseech you, my most honorable brethren, my heart, my crown, my praise, my chosen people, or rather, the chosen lot of God, the holy part, the royal priesthood; for even this I dare to come to this, and thus praise you; endure the labors of your life in the services entrusted to you. Cellarer! Work with joy; take courage, steward; strengthen the gardeners and gardeners; Be of good cheer, carpenters; be firm podkelari; be strong, millers, and always have God and our humility with you; Rejoice, cook, and calm my children with your labors. Rejoice, ruler, administrator of God's services; be attentive in your actions, do not grieve God, and treat all the brethren with great humility. Rejoice in the Lord, guardian of the sick with your helper. Be strong, scribes, laboring in calligraphy, for you are the scribes of the laws of God, and scribes of the words of the Spirit, handing down books not only to the present generations, but also to future generations; observe punctuation marks and evenness in letters, spelling, order and calligraphy. Sexton, kindler of the Divine lights, serve God with great humility, so that the church of God may be adorned by it. Bookkeeper, guard the holy books as the most sacred tablets of God, demanding from those who read them, if any of them puts the book in a book that is not as it should be, or dusty,[38] or damaged, or smeared through the negligence of the reader, and put them in the bookkeeper with care and in order. Guardian of the sacred vessels, with fear and trembling carry out the service entrusted to you: with clean hands and an undefiled soul, touch the holy thing, not in uncleanness, lest you be burned. Keeper of the fraternal junk, be successful with your co-workers, keep the fraternal garments, and distribute them to each according to decency, and as you are commanded. The vineyard keeper, the herdsman, the gatekeeper, the spender, the dyer, all of you rejoice and rejoice with me. All of you may be prosperous. Let no one murmur, grieve, or be proud against his brother, for such a man is hated both by the Lord and by men. Let no one do shameful deeds of soul and body: let no one eat in secret, lie, slander, or start an untimely dispute with anyone; let no one sit idle and invent excuses for sins; let him not be double-minded, slanderer, slanderer, troublemaker, talkative, hypocrite, brother-hater, stubborn and stubborn. On the contrary, all of you, my beloved children, carefully walk the path of God, and strive with diligence. Be simple, obedient, yielding, bowing your necks, obedient, affable, abhor insolence, love one another, and have no guile; so that in doing so and leading such a life, we may accomplish the podvig that lies before us, please God and enjoy the blessings of the future. O that we may all receive them through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, is due glory, dominion, honor, and worship forever. Amen.

HOMILY 32: On Being Satisfied with Little, and on Receiving into the Monastery the Youthful, the Crippled, and the Crippled

Fathers and brethren! It is my duty to always speak a word of edification to you. Present your rods, as the Apostle says, slaves to righteousness for holiness (Romans 6:19). Increase in divine wisdom; understand the important and angelic dignity of your honorable image, although you have already understood it, and in humility have completely surrendered yourselves to the Lord; endure daily sufferings both in spiritual and bodily matters, for both are equally useful, and one is connected with the other. One exercises in reading, another in prayer, another sits at needlework, and another works somewhere outside. One digs up the vines, another plows the ground, this one gathers alms, and this one does the carpenter's work, and no one remains idle, and no one is idle, but all work according to their strength. As for me, neither he who watches over those who enter the monastery, nor he who drives the birds from the fruit, does not seem to me to be a man unnecessary, for they also satisfy the needs of the whole body, and although in part, they nevertheless fulfill the place of a foot or a finger.

We are all like one soul and one will. This is how we should always be; And let no one, outwardly being in the midst of the brotherhood, cut himself off through his imprudence, but let him voluntarily labor together with the rest of the brethren. All of you sanctify your hands; for your labor, as a sacrifice and an offering, is lifted up to God. Or am I not telling the truth? For do we not eat the children whom we receive every day? Do you not feed the elders, do you not give the pilgrims bread and vegetables, a cup of cold water or wine, or anything else that is in the monastery? Do you not treat visiting friends, and do you not eat yourself? What is all this? Is this not an offering to God? For it is said in the Scriptures: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" (Matt. 9:13). Therefore you are merciful: if anything is given, I do not give it alone, but we give everything, whether it be silver, or clothing, or anything else; for you are my children and partakers in all things, both in soul and body. My heart burns for you, although I am a sinner; and ye are not narrowly contained (2 Corinthians 6:12) in my heart, though I am unworthy; However, I embrace each of you with spiritual love, I hold you in my bosom, and I wish to warm you and comfort you in every possible way. Let no one, therefore, oppose or despise another, not even the steward of the lowest of all. Whosoever resisteth his brother resisteth me, for I am in his person. Therefore, be peaceful, love one another and honor each other, help one another and have spiritual love. Lowly, honor your rulers as I am, and obey them in all things. And if anyone does not obey my word, he is not my child. Rejoice with spiritual consolations, church services, vigilantly and attentively, and with sacred prayers; Be comforted also bodily for the sake of the labors that occur. Fortify yourself with bread and boiled vegetables and a small amount of wine, however, this is only for the weak in stomach. And whoever loves abstinence, let him, thanking the Lord, abstain from it.

In the bright week, some people were cold to me that they should not drink wine. I replied that I allowed this to be done with reason. In general, now I command you: when it is customary to eat twice a day, be relieved of prostrations, and with regard to the hours of time (in the reception of food) [39]. Then, if anyone wishes, let him observe abstinence, except on Saturdays and Sundays, and be content with bread and water alone. But if he feels that he is faint, let him condescend to himself, and drink a little wine to strengthen himself, or let him eat twice a day. Let the infirm always drink, as well as those who are accustomed in the cities to a joyful life. Therefore, whoever drinks wine in weakness, let him not lose heart, but let him be strengthened by humility; likewise, let him not be arrogant, as if he were doing something great, for he will not set us before God (1 Corinthians 8:8), if we are vain. However, it is useful for the young to abstain from wine, if only one can abstain from it. Even we are commanded not to drink wine by the Divine Basil the Great [40], St. Mark and other Fathers; However, as we have already said, this applies to healthy people. But still, my children, it is better to abstain, and if you permit, then be content with one cup, or two, and let the cup contain four ounces. And whoever desires, let him always abstain from wine. Then may the glory and honor of heaven crown you, may the mercy, peace, and grace of God precede you, and thirdly, may the prayer of our Father seal you and preserve you unharmed.

Know, brethren, that many laymen come to us every day to enter monasticism, but I, as I have already told you more than once, refuse them, not because I do not like you to be more numerous than other monasteries, than I, as vain, could boast about, but because I desire that you multiply to the glory of God and according to His will. For it is not just those who gather in great numbers that give glory to God, but only those who are gathered in great numbers in His name. And if the Lord rejoices over one sinner who repents, how much more so for many. And if he is found in the midst of two or three (Matt. 18:20), will he not rejoice in finding himself among many? Seeing my weakness and my many passions, I always say that I am not worthy to dispose of myself, especially anyone else, and especially many. But for the sake of the commandment, which commands thus: "Whosoever cometh unto Me I will not cast out" (John 6:37); and again: "Leave ye children to come unto Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Luke 18:16), I bow down and receive children, both old and young, unmarried and married, healthy in body and crippled, armless and lame. And I do this not of my own volition, so that I may be considered to be doing something great, but as a debtor and obligated to it, according to the teaching of the Divine Fathers. And if I do not do this, then I will turn out to be a transgressor of the Divine commandment. What do you say? Do you agree with me, and accept them, or not? Let everyone answer me, then I will do it even more diligently; For your labors are yours, but by the help of God, who fulfills every animal of good pleasure (Psalm 144:17), and gives food to the cattle and the young of corvids, who call upon it (Psalm 146:9), saying, "Behold the birds of the air, for they do not sow nor reap, and our heavenly Father feedeth them" (Matt. 6:26). Therefore, trusting in your prudence, I trust that we will keep the commandments, and we will not be condemned for one, and none will remain unfulfilled with us. For why should I become a transgressor for the sake of transgressing one commandment, without receiving the crippled, and without giving rest to the old? For the keeping of the commandments is a circle and exultation, and one holds on to the other. If anyone breaks one commandment, then I will be called in the kingdom of heaven. And me, according to the explanation of the great Chrysostom, means nothing else than that such a person is guilty of torment. And so, let us receive both the youths, and the old, and the lame, and the armless, and our good God will not forsake us, but will give us all that is necessary both for soul and body, as we have received it from Him from the first day until now.

I am in sorrow because I must be separated from you for a while. But you do not grieve, children, for I am always with you, although I am a sinner. May the grace of our Lord, through the prayer of our Father, preserve you unharmed, and I will see you again, and I will be glad to meet you healthy in soul and body, as I hope, hopeless. May Christ our God, the all-generous and all-good, help you in every good work, and may He fill you with all spiritual joy, and may He make you all-perfect in the Holy Spirit. Glory to Him forever. Amen.

SERMON 33: That the Fallen Must Rise, and a Useful Narration of How the Holy Elder Subjected Penance and Bound (His Disciple)

Fathers, brethren and children! Thus, I must teach you, my children, and speak my humble and useless word, to you, children of God, who in truth daily with sickness perform the field of obedience; I must console you with advice, excite you with instruction, and make you bold and courageous by means of mysterious narrations, especially those who are zealous among you and not lazy, but with joy turn their ears to the reception of what I want to speak. We, children, are in battle, and in a great and fierce battle; for the Apostle says: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, and against the powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). As a military commander, at a time when the armies want to fight, by the stories of ancient heroes arouses courage in the soldiers and encourages them to engage in battle with their enemies and to victory: so I, the accursed one, stir you up, the soldiers of the Lord. And not for one or two days I must, and it is required of me, to do this, but always. I especially desire, although I cannot do so, to stir you up and make you zealous and courageous against the attacks of demonic armies and against the manifold passions of dishonor. Your labors are not small, my Christ-loving brethren, and not small are the sweats of your spiritual labors, as the word shows; On the contrary, your labor is very great, warlike, suffering, ascetic, supernatural, laboring, wonderful, sweaty, and worldly. For you always endure the cutting off of your will, like the shedding of blood, the blows of reproach, like the wounds of death, and changes in obedience, like feats of war. And none of you has the power to transgress what is prescribed by the rule, but all of you are fighting, suffering and sorrowing, drawn and surrounded in every ascetic labor by hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness, glory and dishonor, and other things that the Apostle boasted of. (2 Corinthians 6:8; 11:27). But rejoice, my children, and rejoice, not looking at the visible, for the visible is temporary, but the invisible is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18); and your life is hidden in Christ. And when Christ shall appear to your life at the Second Coming, then ye also shall appear (Colossians 3:3, 4), and ye shall rejoice eternally, and the Lord the Founder of the Podvig shall reward you for your labors accomplished in the flesh with eternal and priceless blessings. Therefore, be patient a little longer, be patient, my lords and masters, for the love of God.

For now we are all one in Christ Jesus, and I have begotten you spiritually. What reward will we bring for this to the God who strengthened us? What if not to destroy by laziness and insensibility what you have gained, and not to despise what you have done, and not to be in the least afraid of what is to come in the future; but if it is necessary to shed blood, then let us do this also with joy and thanksgiving. Thus I seek to give you, my children, my honor and glory, my adornment and praise, to give you advice, to instruct you, and to protect you in matters of godliness. There is one story. O that you may be strengthened through him, my children, and show even greater diligence and courage from now to eternity! We sent some brethren to a certain miracle-worker, the abbot of the local monasteries, in order to learn from him about the accursed and lost Thalassia, whither he had gone. Listen to this, for it can be of great benefit to you, strengthen you, and strengthen you as something wonderful and worthy of telling. This accursed man went to the elder of Sykeot and asked him for forgiveness and permission for his insoluble penance. And since the elder told him that neither he nor anyone else could forgive him, as soon as I was humble; then he, remaining with him, with great boldness annoyed him, and said, "If he does not release me, will I remain forever excommunicated?" Then the elder told him the following story, as he passed on to the brethren who came there.

Listen, child, he said, what I have heard from my father. This is true, for he heard it from the mouth of him to whom it happened. Not long ago there was a certain elder who asceticized in a certain place, who had a very reverent disciple. Since the animals, which were with them for the needs of the monastery, caused harm to the neighboring fields, and the villagers scolded the elder for this, the elder became angry with the disciple, and gave him a commandment that he should not eat bread until he had stopped and brought back the animals, and had made the necessary fence so that they would no longer go to the fields. But when the brother went to fulfill what he had been commanded, the elder died. Returning and finding him dead, the disciple was greatly grieved. He wept for a long time, regretted and grieved, first, because he had lost his father, and that his light had been extinguished, and that the same true orphanhood had befallen him as orphanhood according to the flesh; and secondly, because he had a penance left on him — not to eat bread. When the elder was buried, the disciple explained the matter to whom it should be, and asked for medicine and permission for penance. However, no one was found who would heal the ulcer and loose the bound one; for each one denied and sent him to the eldest. And so, since none of those who were there could resolve him, then, on the advice of a greater number of people, he departed from there, came to Constantinople and went to the Patriarch – Saint Germanus was then the Patriarch – explained to him the reason for his coming, and asked him for help, as from such a person who was the head of the Church; however, even here he does not receive permission and healing. What then? A council is convened, a novice appears on Wednesday, and his guilt is examined. But even after all this there followed some amazing, glorious and truly incomprehensible decision, under such a bishop and confessor. Neither he nor the assembled council despised the penance of the elder, who bound him and died suddenly, although the elder did not want his disciple to remain under penance. But since he, bound on earth, was also bound in heaven, they left him with penance unresolved, and did not dare to release the bound man by one man, who perhaps did not even have the degree of priesthood, but was only the abba of his disciple, although there were bishops and even the head of the church. Thus this brother remained until death, without eating bread.

Hearing this, I was accursed, praised and blessed the true bishop and all-wise novice, and I feared the commandments of the fathers, seeing their immutability and steadfastness. Fear also, children, marvel at this, and keep what is commanded to you unto death in your honest souls; for it is the fear and firm guard of your five-suffering[42] obedience and obedience in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is due glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.