Come, therefore, my children, let us bravely endure these little days, like inches, and let us be vouchsafed to bear the crown of righteousness. How much did our blessed fathers struggle in fasting, vigils, tears, prayers, and in every ascetic life! And now for them there is no sorrow from the labors that have passed, but they have received inexpressible joy and ever-blessed delight. In like manner, I beseech you, let us not fear sorrows, which are of short duration and pass away in a short time, like a dream and like a shadow; let us not be lazy, but with diligence let us fulfill the commandments of God. Do not grieve at reproaches, do not be ashamed of reproaches, do not be troubled by sorrows. Do not be overcome by pride; but let us direct our gaze to the valley, and our soul to sorrow; let us be meek and quiet to one another, patient and merciful. It will happen, someone will tell you a harsh word. Why are you confused, child? Our Lord Jesus Christ heard, "The demon of Imashi" (John 7:20) and was silent, and "For Beelzebub he shall cast out demons" (Matthew 12:24), and was not troubled.

But you, as those who have been taught of God, already know all that is pleasing to Him.

Therefore, fulfill this, my children, and bravely endure to the end in this life, also the sicknesses that you encounter, for many fall ill, and accept what is given to you with thanksgiving. But if you have need of anything, ask with humility; and be ye blameless in all things, without deceit, bright in countenance, and filled with joy, that ye may all be one in one hope of calling, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongeth glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

SERMON 38: On Courageously Enduring All That Comes With Us, In Order to Become Imitators of Christ, Who Suffered Much for Us

Fathers, brethren and children!

Relaxation and laziness to ascetic deeds are the sleep of the soul. Therefore I beseech you, my children and brethren, knowing the end that completes such a feat of ours, how great, divine, ineffable and blessed it is, let us labor and endure in our good obedience and in its great feats, in the cutting off of our will, in obedience and service, in vexation from the brethren, inflicting many blows and many plagues, and in reproach from the highest and the lowest. Truly, the Apostle's word must be said of you: "To this hour we hunger, and thirst, and naked, and reproached, and strangled, and lamented; but in all these we prevail for the sake of our beloved God. (1 Corinthians 4:11, see Romans 8:37).

Be strengthened also, O much-desired children, in the power of His might, and add to your former feats both present and future, having every joy that you have been vouchsafed to suffer for Christ the Savior and to be imitators of His passions. To those who understand this alone, this alone will already be much for the attainment of recompense. Remember how much He suffered for our salvation. Was He not a child of the flesh? Did he not flee from the insidious murder of Herod? Did he not obey his parents? When he was twelve years old, did he not rebuke those who were in the temple, without learning books? (This is for those who are not literate, so that they do not grieve). Did he not travel often, and grew weary, and sought fruit in the fig tree? Did not the Jews reproach Him? Did they not say to Him, "Demon Imashi," and "O Beelzebub, prince of demons, cast out demons"? Did they not throw stones at Him, and He fled from those who threw stones at Him? And before that, did he not fast for forty days, and was he not tempted by the devil like a man, when he said to Him, "I will give all this to Thee, if we fall down and worship ourselves," and heard from Him, "Follow me, Satan, and so forth?" (Matthew 4:9-10). Did he not wash the disciples' feet like a servant? Was he not betrayed by a traitor? Was he not captured by the Jews? Was he not condemned by Annas and Caiaphas? Was he not beaten by the hand of a slave: Was he not beaten with a rod from Pilate? Was not the beaten with hands created by Him, and wore a crown of thorns for reproach? Did He not ascend to the cross? Were not His most pure hands and feet nailed with nails? Was He not rooted in the cross? Was not His holy side pierced by a spear? Was He not drunk with gall? Was he not buried, and as God rose again on the third day?

Can we also say about ourselves that we suffered as much? Show me, brother, the wounded lashes, in the likeness of Christ, the cheeks that are eared, the mockery, the reproaches, and the mockery without number, all your limbs, sanctified by the passions of Christ; but without a doubt you do not have this. So at least accept the little with longsuffering, and the Lover of mankind will glorify you according to His great goodness at His second coming, through this (monastic) image. For this image means nothing else than the promise to endure the cross and His death. Now we have briefly reminded you of this, without fulfilling anything of what we have said; but through this reminder let us arouse in ourselves zeal, let us rise again, let us again compel ourselves, again let us be thorough, in obedience, passing with diligence and fulfilling whatever belongs, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom belongeth glory and dominion for ever. Amen.

SERMON 39-E.That the brethren should abide in peace and unanimity

Fathers, brethren and children! I see that you, by the grace of Christ, our true God, who gives life to all things, with the help of the prayer of our father, have attained a certain praiseworthy and blameless dispensation. For in some way the roots of contentiousness, jealousy, and proud vanity, which have vegetated in you from my sins, and the pernicious inclination to Jewish division that arises from this have been cut off. And all this, as I have said, is a gift of God and the fruit of your labors, and not of my humility, which (in proportion as you prosper) has more zeal to preside over you, to help you, and to guide you to the divine and venerable. And so, this is the dispensation into which you have been led, children, that all of you together have obedience, and little by little compel yourselves. And what benefits did not result from this? Peace, joy, pure faith, indissoluble unity, salvific sorrow, favorable response, divine tenderness, prudent humility, brotherly love, sincere love of fatherhood, unrepentant repentance. In all things, as the Apostle says, imagine to be pure in proper things (2 Corinthians 7:11). Blessed be the Lord, for Thou hast visited and wrought deliverance for Thy people, (Luke 1:68); for you are his people, and chosen people; and lift up the horn of salvation for us (Luke 1:69) through your renewed good dispensation. In this, children, consists your joy, your gladness, your glory and your honor; in this is wisdom, gladness, knowledge, and perfect understanding, that you may have a life of praise and purity according to God, as a certain Greek sage also says (for their sayings are sometimes useful to us in some cases). Here he says: "I call him wise who leads a pure and irreproachable life, even though he is unfamiliar with the longed-for learning." If, therefore, this seems excellent to those who have cared for nothing else but to speak and listen; then shall we prefer any other rule to this rule? Wherefore, my children, be wise, to fear and tremble of God, and to keep His commandments, that His grace may make you chosen vessels of His Holy Spirit, perfect for every good work. For in whom the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit Himself dwell for the sake of spiritual purity, there will be no good, wisdom, warmth, what will not be useful, instructive and reasonable? And without this, everything is cold flowering, delusion, lies, madness and all kinds of evil.

Be careful during the reading, so that the words of the Scriptures do not spill you even the words of the Scriptures, not for the sake of vanity, but for the sake of your salvation; not for the sake of crime; but for the sake of keeping the commandments. Understand what I am telling you, for you have understanding, keep your tongue from evil, and especially you, young shame-talkers and slanderers, and all of you who do not restrain your uncontrollable tongue, which is full of deadly poison, from which many always easily fall into sin. Do not make any more harmful meetings, do not make any more harmful friendships and assemblies of the Jews, so that there will be no more theft and appropriation of things from your obediences and the offices you perform, as Ananias and Sapphira did; do not plot and slander secretly, like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Let us no longer say, "mine and yours," from which a thousand evils are born. The ancient mimoidosha, behold, is all new (2 Corinthians 5:17); and therefore let us not bring the past to our minds, lest we fall into the same passions again, and let us not kindle the fire of thoughts in one another. I trust, my children, in all that is best and salvific for your souls. Perhaps it is for this reason that we have fallen into our former (sins), so that we may rush into a quiet and peaceful refuge as from the depths, noise, trouble, and great storm, and no longer be subjected to the calamities of the storm, but peacefully remain silent in the refuge of humility all the days of our lives in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom is due glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit, now and ever, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 40[50] Before the Nativity of Christ. On the Nativity of Our Savior Jesus Christ and on Courageously Enduring the Labors of Our Ascetic Life

Brothers and Fathers! Behold, the appearance of God to the whole world drew near, and the day of joy reached our doors. Great is the joy of the world; there has not yet been such a thing since the beginning of the world; for the Son of God came to us, not as in ancient times appeared to our fathers in signs and foreshadowings, but, according to the predictions of the Prophets, He came through the birth of a Virgin, and appeared to us personally. In all generations there is nothing higher and more salvific than this mystery, nor more miraculous of all the miracles that God has performed since the beginning of the world. For this reason the angels proclaimed this mystery, and the heavenly star proclaimed on earth the Heavenly King; wherefore the shepherds hastened to see the Gospel of the Child, and the Magi bowed down to Him with royal gifts, and the angels sang that the glorified God in the highest appeared on earth in peace. And the Apostle bears witness to Him, saying that He is our peace, which united angels and men, two ranks into one, having created the world by the cross, having killed enmity by Himself (Ephesians 2:14 ff.). The prophets and the righteous wanted to see this, but they did not see it, but they saw it only by faith. And we saw, and our hands were touched, as it is written about the Word of the beast, and the life was manifested to us (1 John 1:12), and we accepted adoption. What then shall we repay the Lord for all that He has repaid us? To which St. David answered many years in the following way: "I will receive the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord" (Psalm 115:3, 4).

Therefore, let us rejoice, brethren, that we too have been vouchsafed to repay the recompense of the Lord, for all whom He has repaid us. What kind of recompense is this? The monastic life that we have come to love, and the vows that we have confessed, which is manifest martyrdom, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Let this celebration not be with us for one day, but for the rest of our lives. But those who are seized by carnal passions cannot celebrate, although they think they are celebrating, and have no freedom, being slaves to the passions and sold into sin. Do sin, the slave is sin; and the servant never dwelleth in the house, but the son abideth for ever (John 8:34, 35). And since we have been vouchsafed to be called the sons of God by grace, we shall abide in the house of our Father God, always and to the end, if we stand firm in the good beginning, and to the end. Thus, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, let us labor even more in our ascetic life. Let us incite one another to perfect love and good works, to obedience, humility, meekness, and to every good progress. Let us not neglect diligence, but let us be strengthened again and again, the more so the nearer we see the coming day; for the great and radiant day of the Lord is approaching, in which the Judge of all the world will appear, and will appear in the great glory in which He appeared to the Apostles during His Divine transfiguration; He will bring all His creation into judgment, and will reward each one according to his deeds. O that we, together with all the saints, may see our Lord Jesus Christ and our God, and that He may look upon us with a radiant face and receive us into the heavenly kingdom according to His grace and love for mankind; for to Him is due glory, honor, and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.