(St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)
- Scandals, abruptly announced in detail, are the source of criticism against monks and monasteries.
- I agree. Do not think I want to hide the evil, then it affects everyone. On the contrary, I sincerely wish that evil was eradicated from the scope of Christ, and that the field produced only pure and ripe wheat. Again, it is essential to know precisely the divine economy in order to dissociate the abuse of human and act successfully against them. It is essential to see clearly on the question of evil in order to fight with appropriate means. Otherwise, we replace one evil with another evil, mistakes by others errors, abuse by other abuse, and we would go to trample, reject, and disfigure the divine economy, as did the Protestants against Rome. It is essential to know the art of medicine to find the appropriate and effective remedy. Otherwise, it imposes the death of the patient instead of the disease.
The view of the laity today on the monks in general is very unfair, since they are too separated from them, morally and spiritually. Among Christians living in the monastery and those who live in the world, there is always strongest link. The inhabitants of the monasteries are not from the moon or any planet. They come from the sinful world here below. The lack of moral conviction that attracts a monastery has its origin in the world. The decay of monasticism has its relations with the world and is linked very closely to the decay of the laity. The moral decay of monasticism is a consequence of the decline of morality and piety of the laity. Monasticism is based and built on Christianity. He grew weaker or according to the progress or weakening Christianity. The basic problem is Christianity itself: monasticism is just one aspect, a particular manifestation. The disease is common! Mourn him, then together, and concern us all heal! Manifest compassion and love for humanity! Let's ignore the cruel mutual condemnations, which are an attitude Pharisees to destroy the disease by hitting the patient with a beam!
- Your conception of moral bond between monks and laypeople is new to me. I understand that she comes to you from the experience otherwise it can not be so deep. The theory, reduced to itself, is often superficial. Expose me all this with more details, please.
- You're not mistaken. I will discuss here, partly the result of my own observations, and partly the result of my discussions with people who are absolutely trustworthy. Metropolitan Seraphim of St. Petersburg, during a conversation about the increasing divorce proceedings today, told me that when he was vicar bishop in Moscow, there were one or two consistory divorce proceedings a year. Old Archbishops at the time said there were none during their youth. Here is an example of the morality of the past. The sad path to the current situation is grim and fast. The stories of the old monks confirm the findings of the Metropolitan. At the beginning of the century, we saw back in the monasteries of virgins lot of people who did not know the taste of wine, people who abstained from worldly celebrations, do not read secular books, and had been educated by reading Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers, attendance flawlessly churches of God, and other pious habits. They brought to the monastery a moral right, which was not shaken by depraved habits. They brought in a monastery health had not been damaged by excess, they were able to withstand asceticism, work, and deprivation. The severe piety of the world educating monks severe and strong, both by the soul from the body.
Now Christianity weakened produces low monks. It is very rare to see a man go blank at the monastery, or a person who has not usually depraved. We see rather feeble, degraded soul and body, whose imagination and memory are congested with novels and other books of the same nature, beings who are full of meaning and enjoyment of having acquired taste of all these temptations that fill the world. They enter the monastery with sinful habits ingrained with a dull consciousness, put to death by a kind of life that allows all the iniquities and all the deceit to cover them. These people have to lead a very tough battle against themselves, because of deep rooting depraved habits, their lack of sincerity, their inability to even be sincere. It is very difficult to educate such people. These people enter the monastery, take off their clothes to wear clothes lay monastic, but they retain the habits and mindset of the world, if not satiated, acquire renewed strength. According to the Word of God, the sinful habits that can weaken the faith and fighting. Otherwise, when the opportunity presents itself, starving the habit, which has kept its power over man, falls on it with greed and transportation. The monasteries were once safe havens for those who were morally sick. But they have changed over time, and have lost their merits. For example, after being installed by their founders in a deep desert or at least away from the world, they now find themselves in the midst of the world and its many temptations, because of population growth. Moreover, it is no longer sufficient to cross the gates of the monastery to avoid meeting the temptation to which we are unable to resist, because today, the temptation has raided the monastery with fury, producing havoc and mischief. The anti-monastic spirit seen as a triumph for the intrusion attempts within the same monastery. Because of the lack of morality in today's world, it is more necessary to build the monasteries away from the world.
When the life of the world was united with the Church, the piety of the laity no different from that of the monks, except by marriage and acquisitions. It was natural to build monasteries in the middle of cities, monasteries, and these did not fail produced many saints. But now, special attention should be paid to the exhortation of the Apostle (2Cor.6, 17): Come out middle of these people and stay away, says the Lord. Do not touch anything unclean, and I will receive you.
- Many believe it could significantly diminish the temptations offered by a law that prohibits the entry of young people in monasteries. The latter suffer greatly because of their habit outside and are full of passion. We could book entry for adults and monasteries old.
- This measure is reasonable in appearance. Instead of protecting and raising monasticism, it would destroy it forever. Monasticism is the science of sciences. In him, theory and practice go hand in hand on a holy path from beginning to end by the Gospel. On this track, with the help of heavenly light, moving from an activity, outside the vision of yourself. The right vision of oneself brings the Gospel is clearly proven by the inner experience, which itself confirms convincingly the truth of the Gospel. Science of sciences, monasticism provides, in the language of scientists in this world, the most accurate knowledge, the deepest and highest of the theology of experimental psychology, that is to say knowledge living of man and God, as long as this knowledge is accessible to humans.
To access the science of this world, requires new skills, receptivity total energy of a soul intact. All this is even more essential for successful learning science Science, monasticism. A fight against nature awaits the monk. The best age to begin this fight is adolescence. The teenager is still shackled by habit and in him the good will is still fairly open. Experience shows that the best are those monks enter the monastery in their early youth. Much of today's monks are young entered the monastery, very little in adulthood, let alone in old age. Those who enter the monastery in adulthood or old age are often unable to withstand the monastic life and returned to the world without having understood what monasticism. And those who stay at the monastery are almost exclusively an outward piety, merely to accomplish outside the monastic rules that appeal to both lay and enough to satisfy them. It is very rare to find in them an understanding of the monastic spirit.
Taking the teaching of Holy Church. My son, from thy youth up and your hair white, selected education, and you will find wisdom. As the farmer and the sower, and cultivates wisdom relies on fruit excellent (Sir.6 0.18 to 19). Rejoice, young man, in your youth, be happy in the days of your youth on the ways of your heart and the desires of your eyes (Eccl.11, 9) is the wisdom that I have cherished and sought from my youth, I tried to take her to wife, and I'm enamored of his youth. She shattered her noble birth by living with God as the Master of all he loved her: she is in fact initiated the science of God and His chosen one who works (Wisdom of Solomon 8.2 to 4 ). According to the Holy Fathers, these sentences of Scripture concerning the science of sciences, monastic life, and not the wisdom taught in the world by the prince of this world. After saying in his fortieth rule it is very beneficial to focus on God while fleeing from the madding crowd, the Sixth Ecumenical Council, however, recommended with the discernment to know tonsured appropriate and in any case, not before the age of ten, so that the spiritual capabilities have reached a sufficient development. Reading the lives of the saints shows that the majority of the monks enter the monastery at the age of twenty. Rooted in his habits and his way of thinking, blunted in its capacity, old age is regarded by the Fathers as unfit to monastic life; ascetic feat of youth it is no longer accessible. St. Anthony the Great began by refusing the tonsure to Paul the Simple, at the age of sixty years, the registrant unfit to monastic life. Many fathers, entered the monastery since childhood, reached a high degree of spiritual success. The child still has the integrity of his free will, his purity, his attraction to good, and responsiveness. So it was St. Sabbas the Sanctified, San Simeon Mount Admirable and many others.
- The firmness of will, free will led a determined manner towards its goal, are essential to the success of the spiritual life. It is necessary to locate them in time with him who desires take the monastic habit.
- Right. From ancient times until today, there has always been very careful in receiving applicants for the monastery. However, the strong will and genuine good will appear only after some time. Very often, people differ at the beginning and thereafter. Some show of reverence and selflessness by entering the monastery, but then falter. Others, however, seem slight at first, but, increasingly appropriating monastic life, eventually becoming less severe and zealous. St. Isaac the Syrian said often that the man is unworthy, constantly wounded or put down, by lack of experience of monastic life in a continual weakening of the soul, and suddenly, he almost blinds the banner of the army of giants son, and that his name be exalted and glorified much more than the ascetics known for their victories, and he receives a crown and precious gifts in abundance before all his friends. For this reason, no one is allowed despair. Let us not only to be negligent in prayer, and lazy to ask the Lord for His protection (Discourse 47). The greatest sinners often become great saints. The monastery is a place of repentance. It is impossible to refuse repentance to whoever wishes and research, (although, as one possessed, it can not be master of himself), since repentance is granted by God Himself. Therefore Harbour of repentance, the monastery has remained open. St. John Climacus, who lived in the seventh century, listing the reasons that encouraged novices to enter the monastery, said much the desire to avoid sin and temptation away his weakness, that of attaining Christian perfection , desire for which few were guided. Today, as the temptations and falls are increasing in the world and human forces are exhausted from them, most of those who, forced by their conscience, come to the monastery to come to remove the burden of sin to be helped in their weakness, self-control. Saint John Climacus described the monastery hospital already. This designation is more appropriate now. Can we refuse aid to a suffering humanity morally? We are concerned with the greatest zeal to organize asylums for the helpless and disabled. Why not create shelters for the sick, the helpless, the disabled of the soul?
Those who judge the monasteries of their erroneous point of view would prevail in these hospitals see a thriving health freed the slightest trace of disease: they had better find them effective therapies. This requirement then would be more appropriate. I happened to see this done. In the Diocese of Kaluga, near the town of Kozelsk lies the desert community of Optino. This is where settled in 1829 Hieromonk Leonid, known for his ascetic life experience. Subsequently, he was joined by his friend Macaire hieromonk the great coat. The two former were fed the reading of the Fathers on the monastic life. Guided by these writings, they guided those who sought a direction from them. These elders had inherited lifestyle of their masters, lifestyle that began in the time of the first monks, and then continued up to modern times by spiritual succession from generation to generation like a legacy, like the treasure worthy of their monks name and function. Optino the community immediately began to grow in large proportions and to develop spiritually. Exposed to the old ways just zealous brothers and convenient to undertake the spiritual feat. They support and encourage hesitant. They strengthen the weak. They brought to repentance and healing those who fell into sin and bad habits. A multitude of people of all classes of society flocked to the humble dwelling of the old ones to discover them before the suffering of their souls, and get treatment, consolation, consolidation, or healing. Thousands of people owe them for giving their lives a godly direction and peace of heart. These old watched the suffering humanity with compassion, they lightened the burden of sins, explaining the importance of the Redeemer, and the absolute necessity for Christians to abandon the sinful life. Indulgent for human weakness, yet they treated her with great force. That is the spirit of the Orthodox Church! That is how the saints of all time! Originally a fourth-century monk confessed his permanent falls in Saint Siso the Great. The saint encouraged and advised him to forward each fall through repentance and remain in asceticism. This advice was well founded? The all-new theorists "would not they recommend another way? ...
Optino in 1828 I visited the first time in 1856 and the last time. At that time, his condition was most flourishing. The community numbered some two hundred men. It commemorated the Father Leonid among the blessed. Father Macarius, who was seventy years, looked after the spiritual direction of the community and education of visitors. Yet despite the success of the monastery and the spiritual importance of community, very few monks were demonstrating the ability to be doctors and guides, something that requires both an innate ability and a spirit strengthened by a genuine feat monastic . These are the characteristics of hospitals: have few doctors and many patients. Today, the number of physicians continues to decline, and the patient increase. The cause is always the same: the world. Look at who he sends in the monasteries that these Christians are no longer elected beginnings of Christianity and monasticism, they are more members from the educated strata of the population. Today, monasteries are filled almost exclusively members of the lower classes of society, and moreover, increasingly unable to serve in the world, who dismisses them precisely for this reason. Most of these people enter the monastery with the habits and vices to their own social class, and especially with this vice that Prince Vladimir equal to the Apostles had to be "used" the people. Contaminated with this weakness, these poor people enter the monastery with the refrain, to do violence. But the habit takes over. Many people are very pious, endowed with admirable qualities, are subject to this weakness. They weep bitterly their falls and try to delete them through repentance. But the tears shed at the bottom of the cells and repentance hidden in hearts can not be seen of men, as are the falls. These falls shocked members of the layers educated society, babies are usually particularly outraged by the monasteries. Yet these people also have weaknesses, they also easily excuse and forgive easily if the monks were at home. But they visit the monasteries with their habits and their views, they stare down the weakness of the common people are scandalized and without thinking they have just dealing with ordinary people. They see the monks as being totally separate from the laity. They want to find among them models of perfection, and think only lay on the other hand, anything goes. But ordinary people are otherwise weaknesses of their fellow ...
In a remote monastery lived in an old turn of the century who looked to instruct his fellow man. When he died, he left teaching for those with the passion of the drink. The former came from a modest background. With great compassion for his suffering brethren, he says it is impossible for one who has lost all power over himself to heal, and even to refrain from his passion, staying in the midst of temptations. For this reason, it offers patients come to his monastery, which lies just away from temptations. This advice is good and wise. Deserts far from home can be truly secular shelters, real hospitals for those suffering from the ills of the soul. They can also preserve the scandal the needy people in mind.
- It follows from what you said that currently, many monasteries do not correspond to their destination. Measures necessary amendment.
- Yes. In our age of secular education is growing rapidly, and is separated from civilian life the life of the Church. A multitude of lessons hostile to the Church from the West stormed home. Morality is weakening across all strata of society. A reordering of the monasteries is therefore, for two reasons. First to save monasticism itself, which is useful and even indispensable to the Church. Then, to preserve the people of scandals. Shocked more or less precisely, the people increasingly weakened in their faith. To carry all this out, it will take more than a superficial understanding of monasticism, it will require a detailed knowledge based on experience of the Holy Church and the Holy Fathers, and with it an awareness of the validity and sanctity of the experience. The reform measures of monasticism from the treasury of carnal reasoning smelly him have always been extremely harmful. In taking such measures, trample underfoot the provisions most holy, inspired and sent by the Holy Spirit, the world could be proud and darkened in his lack of discernment and reflection, finally losing monasticism, and with it all of Christianity.
- Could you cite, for example, a measure taken by one of Fathers who could give an idea of the reforms needed by the monasteries.
- I suggest you pay attention to the Rule of St. Nil of Sora, our compatriot of the fifteenth century, which was perhaps the last of the holy writers to speak of the monastic life. This rule is brief, but very full. Profound and spiritual, it was a thousand copies published in 1852 by the Holy Synod and sent to monasteries. Nilus took the monastic habit in order to study and accomplish the feat itself in monastic tradition of the elders Fathers. To better understand this tradition, he undertook a journey to the East, spent significant time at Mount Athos, conversed with the disciples of Saint Gregory of Sinai and St. Gregory Palamas, and came into contact with the monks of the region from Constantinople. Back in Russia, he settled in a thick forest of the Sora river area, in our homeland and became the founder of the hermitage life. The rule which I mentioned was written for his hermitage.
The work of Saint Nil is especially valuable for us since it is easier to adapt to monasticism Contemporary. The latter, due to the scarcity of teachers pneumatophores can no longer operate with the absolute obedience of former monks. Nilus proposes to replace the absolute obedience to the master pneumatophore by studying the Scriptures and the Holy Fathers, together with advice taken from brothers who have succeeded in this way, not without checking this advice in the Scriptures. After studying the remarkable feat monastic, Saint Nile hear his humble voice to oppose the Russian monasticism of his day, which for simplicity and ignorance, was diverted from its true vocation. But we paid no attention to that voice: the passion had become general, it had acquired invincible strength. It ended in the eighteenth century by the shaking of the monasteries. This passion was to want to buy goods in large quantities.
- What can we learn from the useful to the work of contemporary monasticism Saint Nile?
- Above all, the epitome of Saint Nil is extraordinarily useful. Having studied the Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers of monasticism, he did not limited this study to a single reading, but was enriched by his own experiences. Not only that, he still wanted to see the lives of holy monks of Mount Athos and Byzantine, to supplement its knowledge and its business model in their lives. Having reached the spiritual success, he denied having been reached, and not trying to teach his neighbor. Yet he was asked not to deny a word of instruction. After repeated requests of the brothers, he obeyed their request and accepted it as an obedience title of master and superior. In all this we see that for the establishment, support, or amendment a monastery, he must place his head worthy men, who have studied the Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers, and who have acquired additional knowledge and active living to be drawn upon themselves the divine grace. We must pray to God that He sends such people who, with their experience, can only enforce the holy monastic rules as it should. Saint John Cassian says that in the monasteries of Egypt, who were the first in the world, the position of supervisor was assigned only to monks who lived in obedience and knew from experience the tradition of the Fathers.
The most important rule of Saint Nil is the prominent place that comes to the Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers in spiritual direction. St. John Climacus defines as the monk who seeks only to the orders and words of God, anytime, anywhere and anything. Nilus followed this rule, and he sent his disciples: "We decided if this is the will of God, to accept those who come to us to respect the tradition of the Holy Fathers and keep commandments of God, but not they introduce justifications and excuses for their sins by saying that now it is impossible to live according to Holy Scripture, or by following the writings of the Fathers. No! Even if we are weak, we must, according to our strengths, imitate the blessed Fathers eternal memory and follow them, even if we could achieve the same level by themselves. " Whoever knows the serious situation of Russian monasticism can testify that only monasteries that are blessed with holy readings mentioned above are successful on the moral and spiritual, and only the monks who were fed by these holy readings are sacrificing the monk. Nilus never gave instruction or answer himself, but offered to those who questioned or the teaching of Scripture or the Fathers. When he could not find an answer in his memory hallowed in any trouble, he left the question unanswered until he found the answer in Scripture. It demonstrates that in one of these letters. This procedure may be seen clearly in St. Peter Damascene, St. Gregory of Sinai, the Holy Fathers and other Xanthopouloi later, as hieromonks Leonid and Macarius of Optino. Their memory was richly adorned with the thoughts of the saints. They never gave their own advice. They always exposed the sentences of Scripture or the Fathers. This gave them great strength. Those who would willingly responded to human words listened with reverence the word of God and were just submit their own reasoning. Such behavior keeps in great humility that gives the board, as shown very clearly the rule of St. Nilus: "Whoever transmits transmits not what is his, but what is God's. He becomes a witness, a member of Holy Truth, and his conscience is still Question: Is what I am doing my service responsibly and reverently towards God? The Divine Scriptures and the words of the Holy Fathers are countless as the grains of sand from the sea exploring them without laziness, we disclose it to those who come to us and need education. More exactly, they are not unworthy as we are communicating, but the blessed Fathers, the Scriptures. " All holy ascetic authors argue that with the general teacher shortage pneumatophores close study of Scripture (preferably the New Testament) and patristic writings will be the only way to spiritual success granted by God to monasticism late. Nilus refused to cohabit with those brothers who did not want to live by this rule, it is so important and essential.
The second moral rule expounded by Saint Nil is that the brothers confess their sins daily to the old who are entrusted with the direction of the community, even the most trivial, and their thoughts, perceptions sinful, and their difficulties. This practice carries a great spiritual benefit. No ascetic can not put passions to death so easily. Passions still away from that without the confession thank you. Carnal lust fades by confession, more than in the fasting or the day before. The monks who take early the habit of daily confession still trying to adulthood to use as often as possible to this treatment because they know from experience what freedom it brings to the soul. For this feat, they study in detail about themselves the fall of humanity. Caregiver is the confession of their sins, they acquire knowledge and art of helping the next in disorders of his soul. The hieromonks Desert Optino had many disciples in their direction they opened their daily consciousness after the rule of evening prayers. These scholars differed markedly from those who lived arbitrarily. The thought of confession that would take place was like a permanent custody of their conduct, she gradually accustomed to look after themselves. The confession made them concentrate on themselves and constantly absorbed in the Holy Scriptures.
confession daily, regular examination of conscience is a very old monastic practice. It was widespread throughout the primitive monasticism, as is clear from the works of St. John Cassian, John Climacus, Barsanuphius the Great, Abbot Isaiah, Dorothy Abbot, and all the patristic writings on monasticism. In all likelihood, this practice was instituted by the Apostles themselves (Jac.5, 16).
monks educated in the two rules presented here can be compared to people who enjoy a good view and life, but the monks are deprived of education comparable to that of the blind or dead. These two rules, introduced in any monastery, can significantly improve the moral and spiritual community, as evidenced by the experience, even if nothing is changed in the monastery. To effectively implement the second rule, it must of course have a monk who was successful in spiritual life, and who was himself educated under this rule. The experience is absolutely essential in this regard. Saint John Cassian wrote: "It is useful to reveal his thoughts to the fathers, but not just any, only to former spiritual, endowed with the discernment of those who can truly be called old , not only for their age and their gray hairs. Many people, attracted by the sight of venerable old age, have revealed their thoughts and found a nuisance instead of treatment expected, due to the inexperience of those who had listened to. "
- You have to expose the basic principles of good organization of a monastery. Do not refuse to include also other rules of the Holy Fathers, who could help find monasteries their natural state.
- The education of man depends very much on external impressions. It can not be otherwise, we are created as well. The Fathers who have pierced this mystery, have in their holy tradition surrounding the monk impressions purposely chosen to lead it toward the goal and tried to drive all the impressions that could dissuade him from that goal. To explain this, let us turn again to the precious book of St. Nilus of Sora. Recommends that the holy church of the monastery is constructed very simply. They refer to it in St. Pachomius the Great, who wanted to see the church in his community no architectural finesse, so that the spirit of the monks, attracted by human praise, do not slide to the many and various tricks of the Devil. At this Holy Nile adds: "If the holy spoke and acted well, how much more should we be cautious, we who are weak and passionate, we dont mind stumbles so easily! "Saint Nilus also recommends that the cells and other monastic buildings are very simple, devoid of expensive ornaments. The Greater Saint John the Prophet, who lived as a recluse in Gaza before his death gave instructions to the new Abbot of community. He advised him to organize the cells without giving them amenities unnecessary because the buildings in this world have no more value than simple tents in the light of eternity. Nilus, based on the conduct of the ancient Fathers, also recommends that the vestments and religious objects are simple, as little as possible precious and few. Similarly, he ordered that all monastic property are simple, without excess, only to satisfy the needs. We must avoid creating any vanity or attachment with the monks, whose spiritual forces must be stretched to exclusively God. St. Nilus Skete prohibits the entry of the females. Formerly, men in monasteries, and Mount Athos to this day, women were not allowed to enter. This is absolutely necessary for those who want to conquer nature! It is essential to completely remove such temptations. They can not not engage in that indecision before them. The usefulness of this measure is even clearer today when morality is in obvious decline. In Russia, it is highly necessary to remove the wine from the monasteries. The piles higher monasteries have always understood this, and in particular the right Theophanes, superior of the monastery and renovator Cyrillo-Novoezersky and recently deceased, who has been in vain all his zeal to destroy the use of wine in the monastery in its care. But the efforts are short-lived as the provisions of the monasteries on the Holy Fathers are not restored in their fullness.
St. Nil comments so monastic life in his birthplace, that is to say in the East. Back in Russia, he settled into a deep desert. The place chosen to fill it. He explains why in one of his letters "By the grace of God I found the place that suits my mind because it is inaccessible to the laity . If a man so holy, it was nice to live in a place where he could not easily be visited by the secular, then a fortiori for us who are weak of will, unreasonable, and easily prone to sin, as it is necessary that we live far from secular! May we not see rushing crowds of lay people and with them crowds of temptations! Nilus wished his monks live by the work of their hands, and receive alms of the laity in very small quantities, and only when necessary. These are the basic rules dictated by the Fathers of monasticism, and recognized by the Holy Church. Other rules concerning the details of everyday life, have the same character and the same goal.
- Many monasteries were more or less hijacked the rules you have listed. These deviations should be corrected one day or another. The instruction and minds of people today are growing, you know, that these corrections are not deferred longer. It's in society. It would be good in the midst of voices that speak without knowing, we also hear the voices of those who speak knowingly. Who is it who you think might help them regain their monasteries right destination?
- I've almost answered that question, however, the answer is very complex. I think the words of the Savior on the field in which good seed was sown, but where, amid the good seed, were also discovered from the chaff in large quantities. These are not men but angels who proposed the Master to tear. But he refused for fear that pulling the weeds, wheat is also torn ... Is not this the best way to do with the monasteries? In any case, it is necessary to consider all this carefully. When we correct the buildings that have outlived their usefulness, we must be careful. The doctors refuse to receive reasonable diseases too rooted in the body, for fear of destroying life itself. Monasteries and monasticism have been instituted by the Holy Spirit through these vessels that were the election of the Holy Fathers. Restoring their monasteries in ancient spiritual beauty, if this is in God's plans will only be possible with the grace of God and instruments worthy of the job. That's all I can say on the general topic. Anyway it is clear that improving monasteries in no way be the work of secular. The laity act with piety if they call this work in the hands of those who divine providence itself forward it, and that accounts will be requested at the Last Judgement. I consider it a sacred duty to give you the advice I got from old experienced and worthy of respect. They say this to lay and monks who sincerely seek salvation: in this era when scandals are so numerous, must be particularly attentive to yourself, pay no attention to life and affairs of others and not judge those who are outraged. The action passes easily corruptible the scandal of those whom the scandal draws to those who judge them. These old men advise the laity to move through life with the Gospel and those of fathers who have left instructions for Christians in general, as Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. For the monks, they advise to head with the Gospel and the Fathers who wrote especially for the monks. The monk who runs the light of patristic writings may find salvation in any monastery. However, lose his salvation he who lives by following his own will and reason, even though he would live in deep desert . Woe unto the world because of scandals! (Mt.18, 7 ) Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold (Mt.24, 12). The arrival of the scandals is expected by God (Mt.18, 7). After redemption, the possibility was left to man to choose between good and evil, as she had was left after its creation. But the man chosen most often wrong, as he did after its creation. In the midst of Paradise, evil burst under the mask of the property, to seduce the man more easily. Today it appears in the Holy Church, masked and dressed in the infinite variety of temptations and attractive, under the guise of innocent entertainment and festivities, development (of the carnal life) and success of humanity, which are actually humiliate the Holy Spirit. The men are corrupted in mind because of their benevolence to injustice. They are reprobate concerning the faith, they have every form of godliness, but deny that they actually force (2Tim.3, 8.5). For those who have received this force and subsequently voluntarily dismissed, a reversal is difficult (Heb.10, 26): the willingness inevitably leaves one who disdains the gift of God intentionally. A form of godliness may be more or less glued by human tricks, but the restoration of the power of piety belongs to Him who is the men of the Power of top (Luc24, 49). The tree is often grown old and feeble trimmed a thick veil of green leaves and seems healthy with its large trunk, but inside it is already rotten, the first storm will break ...
0 comments:
Post a Comment