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.

HOMILY 41[51].On the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. On the Keeping of the Divine Commandments, and on the Righteous Condemnation of Sinners Who Spend Their Lives in Slothfulness

Brothers and Fathers! The All-Good God, Who willed and brought us from non-existence into existence, placed us in this world, as in a school, so that we might learn and fulfill His Divine commandments. For this reason our Lord Jesus Christ, having sent His holy disciples and Apostles into the world to preach the Gospel of His kingdom, commanded them, saying: "Go ye therefore, teach and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe and do all these things which are commanded unto you" (Matthew 28:19-20). What are these commandments of God that He commanded us to keep? According to the Old Testament and time, let us enumerate some: Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, and others that are written therein; but according to the New Testament, i.e., according to the Gospel, the highest and incomparably more important than these. Thus, the law of Moses says that we should guard ourselves from murder, and the Gospel says that not only should we not kill, but we should not be angry and reproach one another (Matthew 5:21-22); but should be angry only with the devil and have constant enmity with demons. The law also says: "Thou shalt not commit adultery, but Christ cuts off the sight also: whosoever looketh upon a woman, to lust after her, hath already committed fornication with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28). Honey mushrooms, the law prescribes not to swear falsely, but Christ commands not to swear at all, either truly or falsely (Matthew 5:33-34). The law also says: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy," and Christ says: "Love your enemies, pray for them that offend and curse you, and do good to them that hate you" (Matthew 5:43-44). Do you see, beloved, what is the difference between the Old Testament and the Gospel? The Old Law forbids man only sinful actions, and the Gospel cuts off not only sinful actions, but also the causes and roots from which sins begin and grow, and completely eradicates them from within, from our hearts.

Therefore, brethren, if we monks do not act according to the old law, and do not live in accordance with the teaching of the Gospel, but lead a life like lawless pagans, then what will we, the humble, do on that dreadful day of judgment? "Do not be flattered," says the Apostle, "neither harlots, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor covetous, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor annoyers, nor predators, nor lovers of money, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10).

Wherefore I have often told you, and now I say unto you, that none of you should separate yourselves from the brethren, that ye should not spend his life in negligence and slothfulness, that is, that ye should not omit the church services and his own (cell) rule, that none of you should collect money, nor have a slave, nor feed the cattle, calling them his own, nor consider any other thing his own; that he should not engage in buying and trading, which is not in accordance with monastic life and rank, nor coenobitic monks, nor silent brethren. For this is transgressive, and from this, but for the most part, great and most grievous sins are born. However, some of you do not listen to the law of God, do not obey and resist the truth. However, I, humble one, am not guilty of your blood; for I have not ceased to speak to you of the truth of God, nor have I ceased to declare the sword of God coming upon disobedient and disobedient monks. Listen to what the honest Forerunner also says about those who do not reform and impenitent: Behold, the axe lies at the root of the tree. For every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:10); that is, every person who does not do good for his soul, and does not bring forth the fruit of virtue and repentance, but remains barren and unrepentant, is cut down by death and goes into eternal exile. Aren't you afraid of these words? Do you not tremble at the threat of God? Are you not afraid of death, the coming of which we expect today or tomorrow? How will we then look at these terrible aggels, who have to come in order to take us out of this world? Do we not fear the separation of the soul from the body? How can we go on this long journey without having with us what we need, that is, good deeds that would preserve us? With what face shall we, having transgressive deeds of the law with us, stand before the dreadful judgment seat of Christ, where the whole world will fall and worship? What will happen to us then? Verily, beloved, inevitably He will send us to a place where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die, where the weeping is inconsolable and the terrible gnashing of teeth.

But, O that this may not happen to us, who have renounced the world and that which is in the world, my beloved brethren and children in the Lord! Come at least now, in these holy days, to which the Lord has led us this summer, let us fall down and weep before our good God. Let us hasten before the last terrible hour of death comes upon us; and before the dreadful day of judgment overtakes us, let us tame the face of our Lord Jesus Christ; let us propitiate him with confession, prayer, fasting, purity, obedience, and especially peace and love among ourselves, and other good works pleasing to God. If we do this, then our Lord Jesus Christ Himself is ready to forgive us our sins; He tolerates us, and daily and hourly awaits our repentance and conversion to Him; for He does not despise sinful man, does not drive him away or reproach him, but receives him with great joy, embraces and kisses him as a prodigal son, as He showed in the harlot and in the thief. To her I beseech you, my brethren, let us arise from the heavy sleep of slothfulness and sin. Let us asceticize in these short days of our life. Like diligent children, at the end of their studies, when they are going to their homeland to their homes, they go with great joy and gladness; so shall we also do as sincere and true disciples of the gospel; and when that hour of separation from this temporal life comes, let us depart from here with joy, and let us go into eternal life, to our former fatherland, that is, to the Kingdom of Heaven, to the joy of the angels, to the brightness of the saints, 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.

HOMILY 42[52] On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. On Abstinence and the Forthcoming Confession

Brothers and Fathers! Many call these days feast and merry days, so that at this time they may eat more and drink more, and get drunk, not knowing that these days are established here not for the sake of eating too much and drunkenness, but more for the sake of teaching and preparing for the coming Holy Spirit. Forty days. Soldiers, when they wish to go to battle, before the onset of battle, are given orders and orders that they should properly equip their weapons and everything necessary for the campaign, so that when the time comes for them to march, there will be no delay or difficulty. By this example, these days are also established here, (for preparation), and not for the sake of gluttony and drunkenness and feasting, as we have said. Much to eat and drink much, these are the pagan festivals; but true Christians should eat and drink moderately and orderly, with thanksgiving to God, and should not make their belly god, pleasing it and satisfying it, as the unbelievers do. And the Apostle teaches us and says: "Do not please the flesh in lusts" (Romans 13:14), but the evil custom has become as it were a law, and the world draws after it as it wills and as it wills. But we, my brethren, since God has vouchsafed us to withdraw and renounce worldly evils and confusions, let us, as much as possible, abstain from eating too much and drinking too much; for we all know for certain that intemperance in food and in the use of wine, and much sleep, are the causes of all sin. For our forefather Adam, as long as he abstained and did not eat the fruit that God forbade him, lived among these heavenly beauties, rejoicing and rejoicing within him; and as soon as he transgressed the commandment of God and ate the fruit, he was immediately expelled from the paradise of delight and joy; and intemperance and evil desire became for him the mother of death.