Neither Will I Tell You…

by Metropolitan Nahum of Strumica

Monastery of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos Eleusa

This book is dedicated to my spiritual Father

as well as to all my spiritual children:

to those who came and stayed with me;

to those who left and came back again;

and to those who did leave

and have not yet come back,

for I was not able to reach to them…

Copyright © 2013 by Metropolitan Nahum of Strumica

E-book ISBN: 978-9989-893-19-3

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

A Key to Understanding the Orthodox Spiritual Life and the Interpreted Gospel Readings

The Tempting in the Wilderness

The Invited to the Wedding

The Killer of Repentance

The Vinedressers

When I return, I will repay you

Renunciation of Christ for the world or extreme renunciation of the world for Christ

Dining with Sinners

My yoke is easy and My burden is light…

The Woman of Canaan (part one)

The Woman of Canaan (part two)

Do not rejoice in My gifts, but rather rejoice in Me

Whether We Live or Die, We Are Our Lord’s

The Widow with the Two Mites

Judge not, that you be not judged

Grace from Our Hearts Manifests Itself as Non-Condemnation, Forgiveness, and Love

All these things I have kept from my youth

And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

We cannot serve both God and mammon

The evil inside you corrupts you

Do you love me?

A Time for Fear and Paranoia or a Time for Repentance

The Mystery of the Cross of Christ in Our Life

Lord, that I may receive my sight!

The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few…

Choosing the ‘Better Part’ (part one)

Choosing the ‘Better Part’ (part two)

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

On ‘the Lowest Place’

A Full Man

The Demon-Possessed Men

On the Woman with a Flow of Blood and on Jairus’ Daughter

If you were of the world, the world would love its own

Whose will those things be which you have provided?

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit

Homework

True Testimony

Have Faith in God…

Neither will I tell you…

The Light of the World

The Repentance of Zacchaeus

The Tax Collector’s Ascetical Mourning

The Prodigal Son (part one)

The Prodigal Son (part two)

The Dreadful Judgment Seat

Forgiveness, in practice

Fulfilled Prayer

Healing of the Paralytic

Circumcision, in Heart and Ears

Meeting with the Mystery of Christ

Union by Essence, Union by Hypostasis, and Union by Energy

We are justly condemned…

The Children of the Light

Unworthy Servants

Preface

In monastic communities, it is common for the spiritual Father to gather the brethren or the sisterhood once a week in order to fortify and exhort them in their struggle with some edifying word or homily or through interpretation of a reading from a Saint, which he regards as suitable for a given occasion.

Our spiritual Father makes such synaxes—that is, monastic assemblies—interactively, seeking actual participation from us, the monastics, as if we were at classical school classes, where there is a lecture delivered, yet also recapitulation and examination. He also wants us to write our homework, which he later checks. At the beginning, such a way of ‘training’ seemed really terrifying to us.

Yet, over the course of time, we realized how useful and necessary such a method is if one truly wants to live in a ‘struggle in knowledge’, something upon which our spiritual Father particularly insists, as on the first and fundamental principle in our spiritual life. In view of the harmony and precise order that exist in spiritual life, he demands that we know what precisely is happening to us at every moment of our spiritual warfare, why it is happening, where we should seek the reasons, and what the consequences are of every correct or incorrect spiritual move.

Thanks to his homilies, which are now also the content of this book, we have discovered that, apart from the works of some Holy Fathers, our Lord Jesus Christ himself speaks most perfectly to us in His Gospel about the harmony and law that govern the order of spiritual life. However, the unillumined mind of the beginner can by no means enter into and discover the full depth and meaning hidden in Christ’s words in the ostensibly simple Gospel parables. Yet, somehow by God’s mercy, we have found ourselves among those to whom the mysteries of the entry into the Kingdom of Heaven have been unselfishly revealed, and handed down in a fatherly manner, in good time.

Our Father’s homilies on liturgical Gospel readings are of invaluable meaning to us, the monastics that live under his spiritual and physical watch. They are a word that springs from living and personal experience, a word witnessed with life in practice, a word that has in it the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, a word with authority and power. Therefore have they, whenever uttered, brought to us light for knowledge in the struggle, joy and strength for its fulfillment. These homilies to us, the monastics, mean life… All the more since, and I will say this again, they are not homilies—sublimate of certain learned knowledge that has already been written or said somewhere, but are direct revelations for the pastoral needs of a genuine warrior and Episcope of Christ.

Likewise, such interpretation of the Gospel is always timely, first at the personal-ascetical and then also at the conciliar-liturgical level, for all who strive to live in the tradition of the ascetical-hesychastic struggle of the Jesus prayer and for the fulfillment of Christ’s holy commandments for the sake of healing from passions and purification of the heart.  All of this is for the sake of an all the more perfect union with our Lord Christ and His whole creation. I say also conciliar and liturgical, because our Father allows us to receive Communion at the daily Liturgies provided we have endeavored in the fulfillment of our obedience.

It is to our immense joy that the time has finally come that we share that which is precious to us with the wider reading public, these homilies-pearls, for which we believe that it also yearns, as much as we all together yearn after the Eternal Truth—Christ.

Father, thank You for all. Thank You for the patience, for the love, for the place that You have prepared for us in Your heart, and through it also in the Eternal Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Holy and Most Pure Mother, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.

Abbess Sarah

with the sisterhood from the

Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos Eleusa

Introduction

All who truly yearn for communion with the Godman Christ, already at the first contact with His New Testament have felt the need for understanding the deeper meaning of God’s word. The Holy Fathers have been trying throughout the centuries to answer this need of the Church, interpreting and preaching Christ’s word, first and foremost with their life and then with their written works as well. At present, the Church abounds with this kind of patristic literature, directly or indirectly, written and preserved. Nonetheless, the issue of satisfying the need for precise meaning of Christ’s commandments, first on a personal and then on an ecclesiastical plane, remains and will remain current until the end, until the fulfillment of all the prophecies.

According to the Holy Fathers, we come to know Christ Himself, consequently His word too, only through fulfillment of His commandments, rather than only through reading and the knowledge attained in this manner; only through practice, not only through theory. In essence, participation in the uncreated divine grace and entering into communion with God is the fulfillment of God’s commandments. Therefore, if we do not fulfill the commandments, how will we come to know Him, Who commanded? If after having been slapped on the one cheek, we do not turn the other, how will we discover the significance of the fulfillment of the commandment to building a perfect union with Him? Theory is useful only if we place it in the service of practice, if it becomes the indicator, direction, and examination in our struggle. In this case, in the process of our spiritual development, it is possible to reach more easily and quickly our desired end, which is the knowledge of God.

According to patristic legacy, there are three stages or levels of personal spiritual development: purification of the heart from passions, illumination of the mind, and deification. The fulfillment of the Lord’s commandments is the basic precondition of spiritual growth and maturity at each of the stages of spiritual development. The fulfillment of the Lord’s commandments is also the basic precondition of understanding and interpretation of the Holy Bible. This means that the more we advance and grow spiritually at each of the stages, the more the mysteries of the Holy Bible, of the Old and the New Testaments of God, will be revealed to us. Without a continuous struggle for the fulfillment of Christ’s commandments, we cannot possibly have a union with Him and knowledge of God. The knowledge of Christ springs from a life in Christ, in the Church, and takes place within the heart purified of passions.

Let no one think that in this process of spiritual growth there is no falling and rising, that there are no battles lost. Let no one think that one can pass this road without fear and without courage, and without tears of repentance. Let no one think that it is possible for one to seek God sincerely and powerfully if one does not previously get to know one’s weakness. Oscillations are normal occurrences for the inheritors of the consequences of Adam’s fall, in the fallen nature. Yet, it is a demonic deed to judge and condemn our fellowman according to his fall, while it is ascetical to value him according to his repentance. The illumined ones value their fellowman according to the hope of his repentance. The perfect do that according to divine love. It is good to judge solely ourselves according to our falls. But, it is best to come to know ourselves by passing through the stages of spiritual development up to the very deification, and to come to know that we are brought into being out of no previously existing thing.

As we have said, the Holy Fathers have determined the stages of spiritual development, as they have also determined their precise demarcation. The Holy Fathers very concretely describe the spiritual struggle as well as the spiritual occurrences at each of the stages respectively. With thorough reading and comparison of the works, one can even observe how a systematization of spiritual life according to the stages of development and according to the spiritual occurrences at each of the stages clearly surfaces and takes shape. This systematization has not been fully embodied nor elaborated upon by any of the Fathers and it is the subject of a specific theological work, still it is yet another witness to the marvelous harmony in spiritual life in general. This systematization, although not fully defined, can be observed in the collected homilies in this book, because it is the theoretical basis both of the interpreted Gospel readings and of their thematic dissemination.

The aim of such an interpretation, which in this case is also undergoing its own promotion, among other things, is to elucidate and clarify the order and harmony of spiritual development in Orthodox spiritual life. We will all agree that without the knowledge of the order, arrangement and harmony of Orthodox spiritual life, we leave great and ambiguous room for an inauthentic spiritual life and for false representation, both before ourselves and before others. For instance, it often happens that some represent themselves as “undeluded spiritual guides” and others as “faithful spiritual children,” while their deeds and words are not in agreement with that which they themselves are witnessing. Such people do not have the inner spiritual cover for their place in the Church and an environment in which they can hide this is becoming to them. Therefore do the Holy Fathers say that ignorance is the greatest evil.

Each man, in accordance with his stage of spiritual development, needs appropriate preaching, suitable food for his mind and for his heart. If at the interpretation of a Gospel reading we lose sight of the pastoral dimension—that is, the spiritual and intellectual need of the given audience—then we have empty preaching. The homilies you are going to read have first of all been delivered before monastics and are intended for monastics. Likewise, they are intended for the priesthood. Most of them have been delivered at the Holy Liturgy, following the Gospel of the day, in the monastery and town churches of the Orthodox Diocese of Strumica, before faithful people previously relatively prepared to listen to and receive the word. However, despite this remark, we believe that if the unprepared reader also approaches the study of this book ascetically, much of what is written in it will eventually find its place in his mind and in his heart.

Finally, let us remember: It is good, when we are in delusion—and no one is out of delusion—at least to know and bring to awareness the fact that we are in delusion, because we will by all means live and behave a bit more humbly. With our haughty and self-loving behavior, we are precisely the ones who estrange people from the faith and from the Church of Christ. People get estranged from God by their prejudices about the Church—which after all are created by us, not by the Church itself—about which they in essence know nothing. Therefore, it is even better that we, in constant struggle, fulfill the holy commandments of Christ and through this come to know God personally and to bear witness to Him. Let us not be like the chief priests, Pharisees, and scribes of Christ’s time, who, with no struggle, with no building of a personal relationship with God, wanted to come to know the Truth: “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:24), or: “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” (Mark 11:28); may we not possibly hear the answer that is dreadful for us: “Neither will I tell you!” (Mark 11:33). In this sense, one should also understand the title of the book as a call to personal ascetical-hesychastic and gnoseological struggle in the Church.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us!

A Key to Understanding the Orthodox Spiritual Life and the Interpreted Gospel Readings

When we talk about hesychasm, the particularly important fact, which ought to be known, is that man’s entire spiritual life proceeds in perfect harmony. Hence, spiritual life is not something accidental, something chaotic, something that may proceed in any way; rather, there is distinct and perfect order in it that cannot be overlooked even slightly, but ought to be respected instead. Particularly the spiritual father has to live and know this, in accordance with his personal experience and to the extent to which God has illumined him. Likewise, all Christians, and monastics in particular, have to know this order so that they are not mislead, i.e., to liberate themselves from delusion, from the false state of mind. For, to hold mistaken views on certain everyday issues is not so tragic and disastrous as when one thinks erroneously in spiritual life, because, especially to monks, it may make worthless one’s whole life and struggle.

The Holy Fathers have observed three levels of spiritual growth in their spiritual struggle, passing them down to us as their spiritual experience: purification of the heart, illumination of the mind and deification. Although according to well-known signs we can precisely determine each of the levels taken separately, they are, nonetheless, in a constant mutual relationship: the more a man purifies his heart, the more will his mind be illumined and at the same time the more deified. The ascetic, who finds himself at one of these levels of spiritual development, is in the appropriate manner supported by divine grace: as purifying, illuminating and deifying. Distinctive prayer, distinctive mode of organized life, distinctive temptations (trials) characterize each of these stages; distinctive relationship with the spiritual father and distinctive spiritual guidance are also characteristic of each of them; each stage corresponds with one of the priestly ranks etc.

For the first level, that is, the struggle for purification of the heart from passions and sin, the oral prayer is characteristic, which the pursuer constantly makes efforts to say moving his lips, quietly. At the same time the mind, in humility and mourning, concentrates on the prayer words: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner,’ and as a change in the mind, there can be noticed, by certain signs, purification and illumination of its energy. The Fathers have also called this a first vision of the uncreated divine light. If this first vision we use to become conscious of our own sins, filth and sinfulness, we take the path leading to the heart. If, however, we use this light for observing, for judging other people's sins and for nourishment of the high opinion about ourselves, then we become captives of conceit and delusion. Being like this, we find ourselves out of our heart, that is, out of ourselves, conforming to the spirit of worldly life.

For the second level, called illumination of the mind, the mind-and-heart prayer is characteristic, which we inaudibly say in our heart. During this, the mind, collected in the heart, with humility and mourning focuses on the prayer words, knowing nothing except Christ Crucified and Risen. At this level there can be noticed, by certain signs, purification and illumination of the essence of the mind and opening of the heart.

In the period before the heart opens, its defilement and purification cannot easily be noticed, except by the experienced eye of the spiritual father. Therefore, at this time there is a special need of spiritual guidance. Whereas, the once opened and purified heart, that is, the sufficiently purified essence of the mind, cannot easily be defiled afterwards. Such and so big defilement or closure of the heart can be caused only by a great sin. A temporary closure occurs for the sake of focusing the attention on the very openness of the heart, on its significance and effects during prayer. There is a passive, temporary closure of the heart due to over-engagement with this world's worries and abandonment of the practice of prayer.

A period of transition between the oral and mind-and-heart prayer is the period of adoption of the oral prayer on the part of the mind. Then the mind with great easiness constantly follows the prayer, which is said with the inner voice, reluctant, because of the spiritual sweetness he tastes, to part from it.

For the third level of spiritual growth and maturation, called deification, characteristic is the unceasing mind-and-heart prayer—a condition, as the Holy Fathers say, that just about one in each generation can reach. In the graceful condition of the unceasing mind-and-heart prayer, when God wills it, there happens something called in the patristic ascetical literature rapture of the mind and vision of the uncreated divine light. Then the Holy Father beholds with his transformed senses that which the eye of a worldly man cannot see, hears what the ear of a worldly man cannot hear and to him is revealed what the mind of a worldly man will never know. The Holy Fathers say that God does not leave His Saints constantly in this condition so that they could build up the Church with their experience and knowledge.

The stage of spiritual development can be determined solely by the quality of prayer.

Just as for each stage there is corresponding particular prayer, there is also a corresponding particular mode of life. In the Orthodox Church we distinguish three modes of organization of monastic life: a community or coenobium, which implies a larger number of monastics living in a community; a skete, which implies three or four monastics living in a community; and a hermitage (desert), which implies one monastic living detached from the world. Adequate to the first stage—of purification of man’s heart—is the coenobitic way of life; to the second—the skete; and to the third—the hermitic way of life. Certainly, each of the modes of organization of monastic life is supported by a suitable monastery typikon. The typikon of a coenobium is not the same as the one in a monastery where the skete way of life is maintained. Characteristic of the coenobitic typikon are long common worship services in the monastery church by the order in sacerdotal books, whereas the skete typikon is based on the several-hour Jesus prayer in the solitude of the monastic cell.

Also, the Fathers demand that the rule be respected according to which the receiving of clerical ranks corresponds with these three stages of spiritual growth. He who is at the stage of purification and passes through it properly under the guidance of a spiritual father, can receive the deacon’s rank. He who has attained to the stage of illumination of the mind can be ordained a presbyter, and he who has attained to the stage of deification can be an Episcope.

There are likewise different temptations and trials at each of the stages. At the first stage, while the heart is bound by the passions, the demon has direct access from within. It is sufficient that he drops some thought, incites some desire, stirs some passion from inside so that he leads the man to a fall. At the second stage, when there is certain purification of the heart reached, enough for Baptismal grace to manifest itself in the heart and to attract the mind into the heart, the demon does not have so much power as to cause a fall in the monastic from within, through the passions, and thus he must attack from outside. This means that the small part of not completely transformed passions has to be stirred by a great challenge. At the second stage the demon has to produce a real challenge. Instead of an indecent thought about a man or a woman, he must procure their real presence. He needs precisely a real challenge in order to try to provoke a fall in the ascetic. At the third stage, which can be seen in the lives of the Saints, the demon appears even personally with the aim either to bring the ascetic under the delusion of mind (and so he appears in the image of a Saint) or to frighten the ascetic so that the one makes a step that would lead to a fall. The demon has succeeded also through people-his servants, by God’s permission, to eliminate the Saints even physically, as we read in the lives of the holy Martyrs.

The role of the spiritual father in the process of purification of the heart is irreplaceable. He ought to make his spiritual children aware of three basic moments in their spiritual life. First, proper confession, in which the spiritual child should confess the state of his heart at the time of the temptation and after it, without self-justification and without condemnation of the others. Adoption of the thought it is all my fault is a basic precondition for a proper confession. Second, no identification with thoughts, feelings, and desires without them being previously checked with the spiritual father. And third, the significance of the bodily effort till the moment of opening of the heart.

Likewise, one’s relationship with the spiritual father differs at each of these stages. This is one of the most important areas in Orthodox spiritual tradition. In the relationship with the spiritual father, the monastic has to be in absolute obedience particularly at the beginning, when he is at the first stage, the one of purification. For, man’s greatest disease is in his mind, reason, in his vanity, pride and high self-esteem. One has to stop nourishing the passion of pride—that is, man’s sick mind must not remain the criterion for all visible and invisible.

Therefore it is the basic virtue in the monastery, the basic demand set before the one who comes to the monastery, to place his mind under obedience to another, and this in the monastery is by all means the mind of the spiritual father. Without absolute obedience to his spiritual father, the monastic has missed his coming to the monastery because he remains in one of the main passions from which he suffers and which keeps his heart shut to the higher degrees of prayer.

It is very good if the spiritual father is at the stage of illumination of the mind, because then he has passed a great deal of the road and already knows how to guide others. However, when the monastic reaches the second stage, then his relations with the spiritual father pass to another, higher level—to the level of relationship between spiritual brothers. If the spiritual father is not at the second stage, then the monastic is free even to leave him—yet only if he himself is at the second stage and if by that he gets better conditions for prayerful stillness, i.e., hesychia, or, a hesychastic way of life.

If, for instance, his father is at the third stage—deification, then the monastic should stay with him, since the father has passed all these stages and knows how to guide him through them and to beseech from God his perfection. The relationship with the spiritual father depends on the spiritual stage at which the monastic is.

Hence, the meaning of guidance in spiritual life through the personal relationship spiritual father – spiritual child is a new quality of relationships, growing in Christ, in the image and likeness of God: the Holy Trinity. And it is not a relationship as some understand it and which is most frequently found in the philosophic-religious systems of the Far East, in the form of once for all given idolatrous relationships: guru (master) – disciple.

There are still other explanations related to this subject, yet for now we wiil underline once again that it is much important to perceive the harmony of spiritual life, so that, armed with this knowledge, we discard any improvisation from it. We can grow spiritually, and at the same time witness Christ at each of the stages of spiritual development, only if we live in line with the rules of struggle adequate to the stage at which we are. Also, the fact that this harmony can be checked in practice is likewise significant. The witness of one who has come to know God as well as himself and the world from experience, and has realized that this experience is such that can be checked and transmitted, is distinct from the witness of the inexperienced.

This is the road, that is, the mode of purification of the heart handed down to us by the Holy Fathers of the Church, actualised in our time through the Hagiorite Geronda Joseph. His testimony to the ever-living experience of the Fathers is of invaluable importance today. We are immensely grateful to him, setting hope on his Holy prayers.

The Tempting in the Wilderness

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”

Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

(Luke 4:1-13)

It is impossible for the Godman Christ to be tempted by the devil. The Godman is not susceptible to sin and in Him there is no wavering between good and evil. This, in God, is certain. Still, Christ lets the devil try to tempt Him, only because of us and our salvation, so that we know that we have the strength, living in Christ, to defeat demonic temptations. Since for all that the Godman Christ went through—temptations, sufferings, death, burial, resurrection—every man who lives in the Church of Christ gets the strength. Therefore, the question is not whether or not we can (we certainly can, because Christ has given us the strength), but whether or not we want to fulfill God’s commandments. That is why whenever we choose evil and sin we have no justification.

Let us now see which are the three ways through which the devil tries to tempt Christ, and through which he tempts every man born into this world:

We have heard in the Gospel how he says to Christ, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Hence, he first tries to tempt Him through the passion of pleasure-indulgence, through the basic passion of satisfaction of bodily needs. Christ, however, replied, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” The word of God is life in conformity with the commandments of God. The word of God is the grace of the Holy Spirit, which gives man true life. Material bread is necessary for our daily earthly life, but without the grace of God we are spiritually dead and miserable, both temporally and eternally. This is the truth that the Lord reveals to His disciples when He says, “I have food to eat of which you do not know” (John 4:32).

Then he tries to tempt Christ through the passion of avarice. Showing Him all the kingdoms of the world, the devil says, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”  You see, children, the devil says that all the wealth on earth, as well as the authority and glory that go along with it, has been delivered to him and he gives it to whomever he wishes. Saying this, the devil simply lies. Neither has he been given anything, nor does he have the authority to give anyone anything. The devil’s assertion speaks of something else: all who have gained wealth in a dishonest way, have had the devil’s cooperation and, as such, they have become his servants. With the fall into sin and with the lack of repentance for the same, people in fact worship the devil and allow him to rule over them.

And finally, when they are on the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, he says to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,…’”  In fact, he tries to tempt Christ through the passion of vainglory, i.e., passion of the mind—pride, and to kill Him. The devil reckons that Christ, carried by the supposed passion of vainglory, will do something beyond God’s will and God’s providence, that is, beyond God’s plan and order of events until His glorification. However, Christ answers him that it is also written, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” This means that we must not seek prematurely and in an impermissible way that which we will certainly be given in good time and only through a personal relationship with God. It also means that we must not seek transient human glory, but God’s eternal glory.

My children, you see from this Gospel reading, as you have also observed from your own experience, that the demon does not attack at just any time. He waits in order to observe precisely a certain spiritual, psychological, and physical state of man due to which he can hope for some success: and afterward, when they [the forty days] had ended, He was hungry. Then, did you see how Christ the Lord answers the devil? That is how the illumined and the perfect ascetics also most often cut off and reject demonic thoughts in their mind, before they start their way at all to the “forced” consent in the heart. Know this as well: before he starts his attack, the demon knows he will hardly succeed with those who are bearers of the gift of illumination (let alone the perfect); yet, his main goal, with these attacks, is to draw to fall and to also scandalize all who participate in or see that or, through gossip, hear that.

The mystery of incarnation reveals itself to the devil gradually. He knows from the very beginning that in some way Jesus Christ is Son of God. However, only after the resurrection does he find out the whole mystery and power of the incarnation and Divinity of Christ. Only then does he see that the authority he had over people, dragging them into sin and into death, had now been taken away from him; for, the Godman Christ, with the power of His resurrection, has saved man (and the entire nature) and granted him the power for resurrection and eternal life.

The Invited to the Wedding

The Lord spoke a parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

(Matthew 22:2-14)

Two aspects distinguish themselves in the interpretation of this parable: the historical and the ascetical-hesychastic.

Viewed from the historical aspect, the first guests called to attend the wedding represent the members of Old Israel. However, since they do not respond to the call, the Lord sends His servants, the apostles, along the highways of this world, who call all the pagans that they can find, people both good and bad. Thus, all people are invited, without exception.

The wedding is the eschatological Kingdom of Heaven, of which in the Church of Christ a foretaste is granted to those who accept the invitation, to those who are prepared, and to those who have the wedding garments—to the New Israel.

Regarding the ascetical-hesychastic interpretation, which is more topical for us, there are a few highlighted moments:

First is the behavior of the invited in relation to their passions.

Some of them turn down the invitation because they go to the field. They are the embodiment of the passion of pleasure-indulgence. To them, that with which they will temporarily fill their stomachs is more important than the care and love God shows to them by inviting them to the incorruptible feast at His Son’s wedding in the Kingdom of Heaven. The others who do not respond to the call are those who pursue business. Obviously, such ones, bound by avarice, refuse God and are the embodiment of this passion. Their god is material wealth and money. Now, the third ones of the invited mocked and killed the King’s servants. Such ones are the embodiment of the passion of vainglory. As we know from the Gospel, these are the Old-Testament priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees who give over the Lord Jesus Christ to death, fearing for their human glory, which was utterly outshined by His presence. (“Look, all the people have gone after Him…” cf. John 12:19.)

My children, just as in the previous Gospel reading we have heard, so also in this one, through the Gospel events the three main types of passions are defined before us, and these are: ‘pleasure-indulgence’ (unscrupulous struggle for satisfaction of the basest physical drives), ‘avarice’ (unscrupulous struggle for money and possessions), and ‘vainglory’ (unscrupulous struggle for human glory and power). According to the Holy Fathers of the Church, they represent and head the three main subgroups of passions that spring from man’s main passion—‘self-love.’ God created us, out of no thing existing before, in His Own image and likeness, as God-loving and man-loving, not as self-loving.

The second moment highlighted in this parable is that not all the invited had wedding garments.

What is a “wedding garment”? Generally, for all Christians, it is living in conformity with the holy commandments of God, or in other words, it is the struggle for purification of the heart from passions. Without this struggle, no one can call oneself a Christian. For the monastics and the clergy, “wedding garment” means something more than that. For them it is the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer and the illumination of the mind. Otherwise, how will they spiritually lead the people of God? It is also seen from the fact that in the Gospel it is stressed that the wedding garment is pure, white, and bright. “Pure and white” means a heart sufficiently purified from the passions (and open to the prayer of the mind in the heart), and the garment is “bright” because the people with a purified and open heart have a mind that is transformed and illumined by Divine grace, which following Holy Baptism abides in the heart. In the Saints, the mind, the soul, and the whole body are so much transformed and deified that they see the uncreated light of God as well with their own eyes.

The third moment highlighted is the silence of the one asked why he did not have a wedding garment.

The Lord leaves no one without the opportunity for salvation, even until the last moment. Since the Lord addresses the one without the wedding garment with the word “friend,” and since with this act He gives the one the opportunity for communication and communion with Him, he should have answered first of all, and it would have been salvific for him to have said “forgive me.” Still, the one who has done nothing to acquire the wedding garment (i.e., has done nothing to build a personal union with the Lord), would not do that this time either, and therefore he will never learn how to actually act in that crucial moment.

This silence reminded me of another one, the Divine silence. Most impressive, at least for me, the Divine silence manifests itself in the moment when the chief priests and scribes accuse Christ the Lord before Pontius Pilate, as well as in the moment when He was crucified on the Cross, at His utter self-exhaustion and humility. What should the Lord of Heaven and earth and all creation—the One Who created us for communion with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven and Who did everything so that we receive the promised—answer to us when over and over we put the blame for our sufferings on Him instead of on ourselves and our sins?

The Killer of Repentance

Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.” But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!” Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

(Mark 6:14-29)

There is additional congruence between the previous and today’s Gospel reading, for which I must say a couple of words. In the previous it was said how the King had sent His servants to invite the people to the wedding and how, among other things, some of the servants had been killed by the invited. One of these servants—prophets is Saint John the Baptist, who invited and called the people to repentance: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heavenis at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). Saint John the Baptist is the embodiment of repentance. He could not have been called by God to preach repentance in the first place had he not experienced perfectly its entire power.

This Gospel reading reveals to us how the passion of vainglory kills the virtue of repentance in man. It also reveals how in fact vainglory is the greatest and most powerful passion of man. Additionally, in Herod the Tetrarch we recognize the three main passions: ‘pleasure-indulgence,’ ‘avarice,’ and ‘vainglory.’ Yet, as Saint John of the Ladder writes that sometimes the passions oppose one another, or one passion at a given moment suppresses the other, so also in King Herod we see that these three passions do not all at once have the same intensity and power.

Namely, at the moment when queen Herodias’ daughter dances and with her dance satisfies his pleasure-indulgence, he is ready to give even half of his part of the kingdom. Hence, pleasure-indulgence at that moment has suppressed avarice. Moreover, we see that it is exactly because of his pleasure-indulgence that Herod keeps Saint John in prison, because the Saint admonished him not to have his brother’s wife. Nonetheless, neither pleasure-indulgence nor avarice compelled him to kill Saint John, but only to keep him imprisoned, while still respecting him in his own way and being willing to listen to him.

However, since King Herod had already promised the girl and had given her his word that he would give her whatever she desired, even half of his kingdom, she, taught by her mother, asks the head of Saint John the Baptist. Although he felt sorry because of this, his vainglory does not allow him to take back the word given in front of the guests. Obviously, most of all king Herod values his word, his self, his pride and high opinion of himself.

Hence, his vainglory kills Saint John the Baptist, thereby, also killing repentance in himself.

Similarly, we too, with our vainglory, kill repentance, which is the greatest gift given to us in Christ the Godman. With the other passions—avarice and pleasure-indulgence—we also harm repentance, yet in the way that we keep it shut and suppressed somewhere within us.

Let us conclude: the most powerful passion that kills repentance in us is vainglory. We, though, nourish this passion instead of uprooting and destroying it. Now, how do we nourish it? Well, we want to be first everywhere and to hear nice words about ourselves. We want everyone to praise and glorify us… We hate and repay with evil those who insult and hurt us, whom God “sends” to us in order to help us see what we have in our heart, so that we also know from which passion to purify it—people who in fact are God’s gift for us. By so doing, we reject God’s gift and God’s providence for our purification and salvation. Then God marvels at what to do with us!? If He does not send us a man, we will remain bound by passion, not even knowing what filth we have inside us. If He sends us a man—rather than humbling ourselves, seeing what we carry in our heart and repenting, we throw away God’s gift and distance ourselves from Him even further. Such behavior of ours means nothing but the nurture and development of the passion of vainglory, in its demonic dimensions.

The Vinedressers

“There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

(Matthew 21:33-41)

In terms of history, the vine, first of all, denotes the chosen people, Israel. The vinedressers are the Old Testament priests, and the servants are the Old Testament prophets. The Beloved Son is Christ the Godman. Still, the moral of today’s Gospel reading most directly refers to the present-day New Testament clergy as well: contemporary Episcopes, presbyters, and deacons; and also to the present-day vine—the New Testament people of God, i.e., the Church.

This Gospel reading’s interpretation, from an ascetical-hesychastic point of view, reveals to us the reasons for the murders of the ones sent: the servants, i.e., the prophets, and the Son—Christ. Regarding this, two questions arise:

- First, which or what kind of fruit were the vinedressers (clergy) supposed to offer to God?

- Second, what kind of fruit do they actually bring forth, wishing to misappropriate the same, after they have already misappropriated the vine?

According to the Holy Apostle Paul, the fruit of the Spirit that the vinedressers (clergy) should have offered to God from His vine (the faithful people of God) are the virtues: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22). To put it simply, when we talk about the fruit of the clergy, on the one hand it is the spiritual guidance toward personal perfection of every member of the Church. On the other hand, the fruit of the clergy in the Church means nothing but the liturgical one: “Having asked for the unity of the faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commit ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God.” Or more simply, the expected fruit is the unity of the members in the Church. We cannot have the one without the other.

In order to achieve this ecclesiastical end, God’s cleric (the Episcope or presbyter) must first purify himself of his heart’s passions, illumine his mind and possibly deify himself, and after, lead God’s people who are entrusted to him on this same road of purification from passions, illumination, and deification. He must first humbly build in himself in the unity of the Church, and then build up this unity with his spiritual children as well.

Passions are the main reason for degradation, firstly, of the inner peace and spiritual development of the Church members, and then also of the love and peace among them—that is, of Church unity. Here it is how the Holy Apostle James describes the struggle stirred both within us and among us due to passions: Where do wars and conflicts come from among you? Do they not come from your passions that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and envy and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it in your passions. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world [i.e., of passions and of demons], makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:1-4).

Thus, it does not suit those vinedressers (clergy) who are possessed by self-love, that the vine (the people of God) produces fruits pleasing to God; they desire fruits that will mainly nourish their passions. It is very obvious that everything begins with the vinedressers’ passions of vainglory, avarice, and pleasure-indulgence: “This is the Heir. Come, let us kill Him, and the inheritance will be ours” (Mark 12:7). Today, in practice, we can observe again the same three subgroups of the main passion of self-love that manifest themselves in the vinedressers, i.e., in the clergy:

Vainglory forces people to fight among them for power and glory—this being done even to the detriment of Church unity and of the overall witness to Christ that the Church ought to demonstrate in this world, for the salvation of the world: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). At present, we are all witnesses that instead of love and Church unity, the clergy display a struggle for ecclesiastical domination, for human glory and praises—from the local to the level of the whole Orthodox community. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another (Gal. 5, 25-26). Instead of being witnesses to Christ, they bear witness to and promote themselves and their own interests. Instead of seeing them with their virtues placed before the people as they lead them, they, deceived by their pride and the height of their ranks, place themselves above the people, as if they were something special.

Avarice—the clergy satisfy this passion by favoring the service in the Church that brings them money, while they neglect the service in the Church that does not line their pockets. Today, we are all witnesses to the neglect of the Holy Mystery of Eucharist—the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, as well as the Holy Mystery of Repentance—the confession of one’s sins and spiritual guidance, which, thank God, are free of charge…

Pleasure-indulgence compels people to satisfy their bodily passions, be it indulgence in food or in fornication. This passion also manifests itself, for instance, in the claim of some among the clergy that they can always receive Communion, even without having fasted, while at the same time setting conditions for the faithful laity, making them fast beyond that which the Holy Church led by the Holy Spirit has defined…

Perhaps all that I am saying here is not very popular to say; but why should we remain silent about that which the Holy Gospel so clearly points out to us…? While saying this, I do not exclude myself from the ones who are still fighting against their passions; let no one think… I am saying this because of the ones who do not have the slightest idea of what is happening to them, although it is so obvious… Nonetheless, let us pray for our clergy (for the Episcopes and for the presbyters); let us not slander and judge them… In this way, may God’s blessing be with us all!

When I return, I will repay you

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’

So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

(Luke 10:25-37)

We are all visitors in this world, more or less wounded by demons—the robbers, placed by the merciful Samaritan, Christ, to heal in the inn—the Church. The innkeeper is the Episcope (or the priests). The Good Samaritan—Christ leaves all that is necessary to the innkeeper in order for him to look after and heal those whose hearts and souls, and even bodies, have been wounded by demonic assault.

The Godman Christ left to the clergy His own personal example and inexhaustible grace so that the wounded visitor could never spend more than that. The promise to reimburse the additional expenses refers only to the half-hearted innkeepers. Therefore, the only thing left for the innkeeper is to conscientiously and humbly do the job for which he has been paid in advance.

And should he finish the job as a child of God—and not as a mercenary—spending from his own “more than what he was paid for,” blessed will he be for making God his “debtor.” God will make him His son by grace, while any other recompense is no longer significant…

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Renunciation of Christ for the world or extreme renunciation of the world for Christ

Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’

But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’

So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’

Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” For many are called, but few are chosen.”

(Luke 14:16-24)

Martyrdom, monasticism, and foolishness for Christ are the three most extreme ways of renunciation of this world and are therefore—ways of life which unite man with God in the most rapid and most intimate way. Thus, most often with these ascetics, according to Saint John of the Ladder, we can notice the abundant outpouring of all of God’s gifts of deification: the ‘unceasing mind-and-heart prayer,’ and the ‘beholding of the uncreated light,’ and the ‘rapture of the mind,’ and the ‘spiritual body,’ and the ‘gift of wonderworking,’ as well as the ‘love towards the enemies.’

These three ways of Christian life mutually pervade each other and are inseparable in their essence. The martyr is almost always a monk (alone) and a fool for Christ. The true monk is almost always a fool for Christ and a martyr. The fool for Christ is almost always a martyr and a monk. Whether the Holy Spirit—Who incites man and gives him the strength to extremely renounce this world out of love for Christ—will decant that love in a monastic, fool-for-Christ or martyr-like struggle, depends on the historic exigencies and conditions of the Church as well as man’s free choice. I speak of the essence of these appearances, not of their form.

Also, the life of the Holy Great-Martyr George, and no less the life of Saint Alypius the Stylite, as well as the lives of all the holy martyrs, are in essence merely unsubdued testimonies of extreme renunciation of this world, which continuously awaken the indolent Christian conscience throughout the centuries. The martyr, in full and sound consciousness, renounces himself and all which he owns, preferring even physical death, so that he does not renounce his Lord Jesus Christ and lose Him: “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father, Who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).

And what did we see in today’s Gospel reading? We saw men bound by their passions. We saw men who, in order to satisfy their passions, renounced the Godman Christ and renounced His ‘Great Feast’; although some of them tried to excuse and apologize themselves, one way or another. We noticed, too, that the one who got married became so blinded that he forgot his good manners and did not even bother to apologize. This same renunciation of Christ, does it not happen even today, everywhere around us? Do we not notice the same lukewarm and incoherent struggle with the passions inside us, too? Lord, have mercy…!

Do not understand wrongly. I do not speak against the satisfaction of life’s basic needs, or against lawful acquisition of assets, nor against marriage, but I speak to you against converting God’s gifts into a purpose in and of itself. The Godman Christ is the purpose of Christian life, while the gifts of God are merely the means through which this purpose is accomplished.

Therefore, why did we emphasize the entirely opposed examples mentioned above: the renunciation of Christ for the world—on the one hand, and the extreme renunciation of the world for Christ—on the other hand? So that we could more easily find ourselves in these borderline conditions, to repent and avoid, in a timely manner, the fearsome judgment: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Dining with Sinners

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

(Matthew 9:10-13)

My children, if you could know how much today’s Gospel reading reminds me of monastery life in its initial cenobitic form.

Entering a monastery is a matter of personal choice and decision, not of predestination. The claim “some can, and some cannot” is not true when it comes to those who live in Christ. The only true statement is that some want not and some want to dedicate their whole life to Christ. It is also a very conscious and concrete resolution, since all who want to come to a monastery should know exactly why they are coming, what is expected of them, what they should expect, how they should act, etc.

One who has decided to live in a monastery must first of all become aware that he is sick and sinful; that Christ came to save the sick and the sinful, not those who regard themselves as healthy and just (see Mark 2:17).

Our passions cause our ill condition and sinfulness. The striving for glory and power (vainglory), the striving for money and possession (avarice), and the inclination towards bodily indulgence (pleasure-indulgence), repeated time and again have become our second nature. We are enslaved by sin, inebriated by its appeal. Our fallen and captured mind is proud, distracted, and darkened; our will and desire for good are slackened.

Yet the newcomer should also know his chief struggle after coming to the monastery will not be against the passion of avarice, or against the passion of pleasure-indulgence, but against the passion of vainglory. Usually, we free ourselves from the former two passions already upon entering the Church, after our first confession, at the beginning of our Orthodox spiritual life. However, ascetical experience shows us that it is rather hard for us to renounce our high self-esteem and our mind as the criterion of all visible and invisible. The mind’s captivity by pride, by high self-esteem, is the sole reason due to which even after so long a time spent in a monastery, with no conditions and no strivings for nourishment of the passions of avarice and pleasure-indulgence, most of us do not have the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer. When we have freed our heart to a sufficient extent from this passion as well, then we will also receive the gift of prayer in the heart.

So, in order to make a good start and achieve the first and temporary aim—opening of the heart and mind-and-heart prayer, one who comes to a monastery should be aware of the fact that his mind is proud, distracted, and darkened—a state that every sensible man can quite easily recognize by the quality and quantity of his prayer. Moreover, he must also know that he should transform his mind, through ascetical and hesychastic struggle, into being humble, collected, and illumined. This transformation of the mind in essence is a change of mind. The phrase ‘a change of mind’ is a literal translation of the Greek word μετάνοια, which in our language has been translated as ‘repentance’. Accordingly, one who comes to a monastery has a feat of repentance ahead, i.e., a feat of a change of mind. In practice, it means that, first and foremost, one should subordinate his mind to his spiritual father’s mind through absolute obedience. He/she should likewise try to be obedient to all the monastery brothers/sisters, as long as it is in accord with and within the obedience to the spiritual father. It is a struggle for taking the lowest place, mentioned in the Gospel, for which one literally has to fight, rather than avoid, with might and main. He must stay at this lowest place until he is called to a higher position—that is, until he receives the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer. In monastery daily life, it also implies that he should see to it that he sooner fulfills someone else’s wish and will than his own.

Thus, when the newcomer enters into obedience of his free will and with love, that is, when he subordinates his mind to his spiritual father’s mind, from that moment on begins also the process of his spiritual healing; the purification of his mind’s energy begins, and through the energy, the essence of the mind, which is in the heart, is also purified. The passion of vainglory ceases to be fed and its transformation begins. It is in absolute, concrete, and direct obedience that we find the meaning of our monastic struggle. Everything else we have in the world outside the monastery…

The newcomer should stay in this struggle, enduring all the trials and hardships he will undergo with gratitude to God. He should not resent the situations when his vanity is hurt; for these merely assist him to see what is in his heart, what he must cleanse in it. Therefore did the Holy Desert Fathers use to say that had there not been trials, no one could have been saved. Moreover, in all the trials, the newcomer must recognize the abundant love of God for him. Since, the physician, too, when he wants to help us and clean our wound, does something that at the moment causes us pain. Yet, about this some other time…

With his absolute obedience to his spiritual father, the newcomer actually shows in practice his faith and trust in God’s love and providence for his salvation. “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him Who sent Me”(Luke 10:16). That is why obedience, i.e., spiritual guidance should not be understood as idolatrous, but within the frames of our building a union and relationship with God: You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men (1 Cor. 7:23). This is a crucial point in the practice of obedience that one must not overlook!

If, however, after entering the monastery the newcomer seeks to put into practice some idea or plan of his, or if in everyday things he favors his will, by this he only shows he does not trust God, but himself—that is, he trusts his ill mind. In this way, he misses the mark completely at the very beginning and leaves his heart bound and defiled by the passion of vainglory. There is no illumination, no deification. Pride (vainglory) manifests itself in various ways, yet, in essence, it is a distrust of God and His love and providence for us: “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44). And, in practice, it manifests itself as disobedience to one’s spiritual father and as impatience and ingratitude in trials.

Let us sum up: What everyone who wishes to enter and stay in a monastery must first become aware of is his sick and sinful condition, particularly his confinement by the passion of vainglory. And, what everyone must first acquaint oneself with is the patristic experience and knowledge that this passion is cured in concrete and absolute obedience, which is based on one’s faith and trust in God’s love and providence for him and which manifests itself as persevering patience with gratitude to God for all the trials and hardships that befall him.

We may also note the following: With all these—the absolute obedience to our spiritual father, the faith and trust in God’s love and providence for us, and also the persevering patience with gratitude to God for all the trials and hardships that befall us—we in fact stop feeding the passion of our mind (vainglory, i.e., pride, high self-esteem), and enter the process of healing, the process of purification of the heart from passions, of illumination of the mind, and of deification of our person created in the image of God.

My yoke is easy and My burden is light…

The Lord said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:28-30)

At the beginning, Christ’s yoke and Christ’s burden—the accomplishment of His commandments—seem to us and really are heavy, since we are inheritors of the consequences of Adam’s fall. Later, as we purify our heart from captivity to passions and as our struggle transforms from being predominantly ascetical into being predominantly graceful, we see that His yoke is really easy and His burden is really light. In fact, finally, we see they do not exist at all. Our struggle turns from predominantly ascetical into predominantly graceful, from the moment God reveals to us the place of the heart and when He grants us the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer.

Contrary to this, the demonic offer—the demonic yoke and burden—at the beginning appears attractive and easy to carry into effect (as congruous with man’s fallen nature), yet with its acceptance and accomplishment man merely continues nurturing his passions and in that way remains a captive to sin and to the demon, to failure, to misfortune, to illness, and eventually also to death and to hell. Falling into sin and abiding in unrepentance, man violates his union with God—by Whom and for Whom we are created—in other words, man is left without His life-giving grace; and eventually realizes, if it is not already late, that the demonic yoke and burden are in fact unbearable. Accepting and carrying the demonic yoke and the demonic burden, man misses the meaning and the foreordination of his existence.

However, what does Christ say, intentionally, in the same Gospel reading, wishing to show us the road we must walk: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart.” Hence, He does not say “learn from Me, for I am not money-loving or I am not pleasure-loving,” but He emphasizes exactly this—“for I am meek and humble in heart.” If we know that our spiritual struggle is directed against the three main passions—vainglory, avarice, and pleasure-indulgence—then from Christ’s words it immediately becomes clear to us from where we should start and against which passion is waged our main warfare, perhaps even up to the end of our life. Thus, the Godman Christ clearly shows us what is stressed and what is the essence of our struggle, and it is the fight against the passion of the mind—pride, that is, vanity (our high self-esteem), which is the source of all the other passions and sins and falls.

There are many people who are poor, ailing, uneducated, or in a way humiliated in this world, and yet they can be characterized as proud. Pride has this trait, to make our mind the criterion to all visible and invisible. This happens if for all that man sees, hears, feels, touches, thinks, even for all that faith reveals to him, I say, if for all this man has his fallen mind as the criterion. The way he receives it, the way he understands it, the way he decides and concludes—that is just the way it is. That is the basic manifestation of pride. Still, pride can manifest itself also as high self-esteem and as an unscrupulous struggle for power and glory (vainglory), which, for its part, depends on the circumstances in which we find ourselves. To have something more than the others, or to be more gifted than the others—there you have pride in its demonic dimensions.

The war against absolute pride, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm, is waged with absolute humility, i.e., with absolute obedience. Christ our Lord has shown us by personal example and has established the practice of absolute obedience: He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8). It goes without saying that absolute obedience was not necessary to Him, it is we who need it.

This struggle—the absolute (blind, perfect) obedience to the spiritual father, accepted voluntarily and freely—according to the Holy Fathers, is the sole remedy for our illness. Absolute obedience is the absolute stoppage in feeding the passion of our mind, pride. Hence, it is necessary, as I have told you before, to humble and subdue our proud, distracted, and darkened mind to another mind, to our spiritual father’s mind. Our mind must cease to be the criterion for all, and our spiritual father’s mind should become that. This is concretely realized obedience, which lasts until the revelation of the place of the heart and the prayer congruent to it. According to the Holy Fathers, obedience provides a carefree and undistracted state of mind during prayer, and pure prayer provides purification and illumination of the mind—first of its energy and then of its essence. The mind becomes humble, collected in the heart, and illumined—a state that will never be familiar to those who have not passed through this patristic experience.

Perhaps to some Christians such a yoke and burden seem heavy, but we should not forget that in their struggle, according to the Gospel, some will bring forth 30, some 60, and some 100 fruits… (see Matthew 13:8). It all depends on the personal will and on the commitment and love towards God, that is, it depends on whether we have a son’s or a slave’s and hired servant’s attitude towards our Heavenly Father. It depends on how much, freely and unforced, we ourselves will decide to obey. Absolute obedience is the ideal and tradition of the Holy Fathers towards which we should aspire, each one according to his desire and power. This is not the opinion of this or that spiritual father, which, due to our small love for God and slackness in the struggle, we may, justifying ourselves, allow ourselves to relativize and negate. Absolute obedience is in force until the acquisition of the gift of prayer in the heart. Then, naturally, the relationship with the spiritual father acquires another quality.

Absolute obedience does not apply only in the case when the spiritual child wants to dedicate his life to God and become a monastic, whereas his spiritual father—a married priest—does not let him do that, and even advises him to get married instead. In a normal case, the decision about someone’s dedication to God via monastic life should be left to a practiced spiritual father-priestmonk (hieromonk). Beyond the authority of a married spiritual father, in a normal case, is the decision about someone’s going or not to a monastery. How will he decide on something about which he has not the slightest idea?! And, since we are talking about this, we know what the Holy Apostle Paul says—he/she who is married cares about, whether he/she likes it or not, how he/she may please first of all his/her spouse, not God (cf. 1 Cor. 7:32-34). So, we are back to that 30, 60 or 100… or, God forbid—nothing.

The Woman of Canaan

… Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O, woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

(Matthew 15:21-28)

This Gospel event with the Canaanite woman shows us the whole grandeur of obedience and its meaning for our spiritual healing—that is, spiritual transformation and perfection.

Reading the Holy Gospel, we notice that after the woman had implored Christ, He did not answer her with a single word but completely ignored her instead. Certainly, not once but many times she had cried out to Him in those difficult moments, yet was left with no answer. At last, His disciples, themselves perplexed, since they had never seen Him thus strict and “merciless,” personally asked Christ to help her. If not because they pitied her much, but at least because they wanted to free themselves from that prolonged disturbance. Nonetheless, Christ remains with a firm attitude and conduct; He does not even look at her: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

All that is happening is enormous humiliation and distress for the woman. Still she approaches Him again and, worshipping, persistently begs Him, paying no attention to her “humiliation,” to her spiritual and physical fatigue. Then Christ utters His very hard and offensive word that equals the woman with irrational animals, dogs. This is already the climax of the “humiliation.” Upon such similar incidents, man most often loses his hope as well as his respect and trust for the one who offends and spiritually hurts him. This is generally followed by an unpleasant surprise, spiritual pain, thoughts, and darkening of the mind, reciprocation with all sorts of insults and curses, and distancing from the one who hurts.

Not in this Gospel event, though. The woman accepted Christ’s word and, thus counting herself also unworthy of attention, help, and mercy—as some dog—asked to be given only the crumbs that fall from the table of the children while they are eating their bread. It is what the dogs usually get. Immediately we hear Christ’s word of approval and confirmation of her struggle in faith, humility, and obedience: “O, woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” In an instant, she, who had been in utter “humiliation,” was shown mercy and was exalted due to her unreserved obedience and faith in Christ and due to the union established with Him in this manner.

Let us sum up: what, in fact, happened with the Canaanite woman at her meeting with Christ?

Firstly, she accepted Christ’s behavior (an act of utter disregard) toward her, i.e., His deed. Secondly, she accepted His word (utterly insulting) for her and by this His teaching as well. Thirdly, she accepted His will and providence (an act of utter humiliation) for her regarding her salvation. Now, since she had accepted the deed, word, providence, and will of Christ, inevitably she immediately received both the grace of Christ and the personal relationship with Him. Her supplication already had another quality and value before Him: “And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

What meaning does all this have for our spiritual life?

The Canaanite woman’s behavior toward Christ demonstrates the kind of attitude we should have toward our spiritual father, or more precisely, the kind of obedience we should have to the one in our life who is an icon of Christ, who sits in place and is in the image of Christ. We freely and lovingly choose the one to whose illumined mind we voluntarily, of our own free will, subject our mind which is distracted by pride and darkened—until through growth in obedience, Christ Himself is portrayed and formed within us, until we reach the level of “illumination of the mind.”

Thus, firstly we must accept the deeds of our spiritual father regarding us. His behavior toward us can be deliberately careless, neglectful, and even humiliating. Sometimes, especially when we need him, it may happen that we cannot see him, or even hear him on the telephone for a longer period. Another time we will notice that he is lenient to someone else, as opposed to his strict attitude toward us. Still, through ascetical humility and obedience, we should accept and receive all this as correct and salvific behavior toward us, which purifies us from our pride and vanity, from our conceit and vainglory. We must not allow the demonic doubt, which always finds support in our hurt high self-esteem, to undermine our faith in God’s providence for us, expressed through the deeds of our spiritual father. When we are in a monastery, particularly at the first stage—purification of the heart from passions, all unpleasant things that may happen to us from a man, cannot be great trials, but the Lord always allows us to feel them as such for the sake of our faster purification and spiritual experience. The monastery is a special place; in it both the trials and the grace are much greater than in the world. Particularly great are the mental and the spiritual warfare with the demons. This can be known only from experience.

Secondly, we must accept the word of our spiritual father about the things in daily monastery life without any objections. Instead of any kind of knowledge of ours, which in a certain field of practical life can be even greater than usual, often even greater than the knowledge of the spiritual father in that field, we should rather adopt the judgment of the spiritual father, in order to protect ourselves from falling into disobedience. We have not come to a monastery for agriculture, farming, construction work, or publishing and alike, but for purification of the heart and illumination of the mind, for the mind-and-heart prayer and for a perfect personal union with God, the Holy Trinity.

Thirdly, we must accept the will and discernment of our spiritual father as our own will and our opinion, and we must act according to his final word. With our spiritual father, it is essential to check whether all our particular thoughts, desires, and feelings are correct. Certainly, the examination implies also revealing our standpoints and viewpoints. These we must bring into accord with our father’s final word despite our identification with them and the spiritual pain we will suffer. Such obedience is particularly crucial in the period of the “purification of the heart” and must not be abandoned until the moment of receiving the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer. There is no other regular way. The only thing the spiritual child should worry about is when he notices that his spiritual father treats him with special attention: without raising the voice, without ignoring, without warning him, etc.—then he should know he is off the road. Without such ascetical struggle of obedience, as we have explained above, we will never establish a personal relation with the spiritual father, with Christ neither.

Obedience will necessarily bring us the grace of Christ and raise us from our “humiliation,” from the closure of our heart, from our slavery to the passions and to the demons linked together with them. Whereas, if we are not obedient, that is, if we do not accept the deed, word, discernment, and will of he whom Christ has appointed as our teacher and guide in the spiritual life, then we lose the personal union with God. For, Christ says, “He who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him Who sent Me” (John 13:20); and vice versa, “He who denies you denies Me; and he who denies Me denies Him Who sent Me” (Luke 10:16).

(part one)

The Woman of Canaan

A matter of spiritual life and spiritual death for us Christians is our consent to and our co-action with God’s providence for us, God’s will for us, God’s word for us, God’s deed regarding us. We have talked about this before, that from the very moment the Canaanite woman had accepted humbly and with gratitude—which means, with genuine obedience—Christ’s providence, will, word, and deed, she had immediately received God’s grace and Christ Himself. From that moment on, her prayer had acquired another value before the Lord: And her daughter was healed from that very hour (Matthew 15:28). As the Holy Fathers say, to him who fulfills God’s will, God fulfills his, too. However, the thing I would like to draw your attention to in today’s sermon, the thing from which we ought to draw a moral, is something else:

Firstly, although certain things that happen against our will in our life seem bad to us, we as Christians should have faith and knowledge that whenever we accept these humbly and with gratitude to God, eventually He will alter them to our own good and our salvation in Him. Do you remember the much-suffering and righteous Job, what he said after all the misfortunes that had befallen him? “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21). And, what did he answer his wife after the dreadful disease he suffered, when she said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”? “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said (Job 2:9-10).

Secondly, we do not enter the Church for the sake of good health or success in our work, or for power and money, not even for the sake of our salvation—it is for the sake of Him. For, whenever we go into the Church due to something other than Him, and whenever we seek in the Church something other than Him (be it even salvation)—we are in fact building with God a hireling’s instead of a free, loving, and son’s (personal) relationship. Illness and health, life and death—we accept all with equal gratitude to God.

Thirdly, having had exactly such active faith and knowledge out of experience and having had exactly such unconditional love, the Canaanite woman did not break off her filial relationship to God because Christ’s attitude towards her at that moment had not been in line with her expectations; on the contrary, apparently that relationship had been developed and perfected.

Certainly, all of this does not imply our inaction, but an active struggle against evil (the evil one)—first of all within us, and then outside us… He who attempts to face the evil outside himself before having previously conquered the evil one inside him—or before he has settled the Good One inside him, will inevitably fight against the evil outside him with the evil that will proceed from himself (since he cannot, and he knows not how to do that in another way). According to the Holy Fathers, he will become a servant of the evil one.

Still, how do we fight in the meantime against the evil outside us? Before we have acquired the mind-and-heart prayer—only with absolute obedience to the spiritual father! The Fathers have left us no other way! May the Name of the Lord be blessed!

(part two)

Do not rejoice in My gifts, but rather rejoice in Me

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to the little children. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”

(Luke 10:17-21)

It is interesting that exactly this Gospel reading, which mainly pertains to obedience and a loving attitude towards God to the point of self-denial, was selected by the Holy Church of God as the most suitable for this day, when we honor the Holy Archangel Michael. In other words, I think the Church wants to tell us that obedience and loving dedication to God make the angel an angel, while disobedience and self-love can make a demon even from an angel, as, unfortunately, we have seen many times so far…

As I mentioned at the last monastic assembly: The war against absolute pride, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm, is waged with absolute humility, i.e., with absolute obedience. Christ our Lord has shown us by personal example and has established the practice of absolute obedience: He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8). It goes without saying, absolute obedience was not necessary to Him, it is we who need it.

In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord explains to us the sacramental hierarchical structure of the practice of obedience in the Church: “He who hears you [meaning, the Apostles, or at present the Episcopes] hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him Who sent Me” (Luke 10:16).

However, not everyone can discover and come to know this great, fundamental, and essential mystery of our Christian struggle: In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to the little children. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.” When He speaks about the wise and prudent, the Godman Christ has in mind those who reject the practice of obedience and humility, trusting only their own sense and wisdom. Whereas, when He talks about the little children, our Lord has in mind those who simply, like children of God, for the sake of healing of their mind, heart and soul, although sensible and wise become insensible and unwise. They abide by the practice of absolute obedience up to the moment of revelation of the place of their heart, fulfilling in practice, with simple faith and trust in God, the words of Christ, “He who hears you hears Me.” Only concrete and absolute obedience is a feat of genuine ascetical love in practice, without which graceful love cannot be attained…

Then the seventy returned [from the practice of obedience] with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” In other words, Christ is telling them, “Do not rejoice in My gifts, but rather rejoice in Me, rejoice in the union with Me and rejoice because My Heavenly Father has made you, by grace, His children and My brothers (and sisters). For, even if you had all the gifts in this world, if you do not have Me you have nothing and you are nothing.” Here is how impressively the Holy Apostle Paul lives this mystery: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing (1 Cor. 13:2).

Owing to this simple faith and trust in God and obedience, ordinary and anonymous people became apostles, became martyrs, became venerable, became fools for Christ, became teachers of the Church, and became children of God. Owing to this simple faith and trust in God and obedience, the ordinary and anonymous angel Michael, too, became an Archangel, the first angel next to God. Once, at the critical moment of general apostasy of the angels, deceived by the one who until then had been the brightest and closest angel to God and now is the proud and dark archdemon, this ordinary yet obedient angel stood up in the middle of Heaven and said, “Let us stand aright! Let us stand with fear!”—calling in this way the other angels to remain with love and obedience in the order established by God, their Creator.

Because of his intercession, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on our enemies, then on the whole monastic order that follows the example of Michael, and on all Your people. Amen.

Whether We Live or Die, We Are Our Lord’s

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

(Rom. 14:7-9)

The Holy Church Fathers observed and described three kinds of relationships that man can have with God: that of a slave, hired servant, and son.

Fear is the prime mover of the slave’s relationship. A man is afraid not to be punished with illness, with some misfortune or with death, and this because he has not performed certain religious duties. The worst is that he is afraid that God Himself will punish him.

Interest is the prime mover of the hired servant’s, i.e., trade relationship. A man reckons that by performance of certain religious duties, in return, he will get from God health, success in life, and material goods, and eventually, following the satiation with life, salvation in Paradise, too.

Love is the sole reason for the struggle for building a son’s relationship with God. God’s children seek Him, their Heavenly Father, and nothing else. The receipt of some of God’s gifts, no matter heavenly or earthly, they leave to His holy providence for their salvation; and that is it. The attitude of God’s children to their Heavenly Father is one of thanksgiving, of giving and self-offering, without expecting anything in return at that. They, seeking only Him, already in this life live the mystery of “all Mine is yours…” (Luke 15:31).

As I have told you before, we do not participate in the Church because of health, because of success in our work or because of power and money, not even because of salvation—but because of Him. For, whenever we go to church because of something (be it even salvation), rather than because of Him, and whenever we seek in the Church something else (be it even salvation), and not Him—we are in fact building with God a hired servant’s relationship, instead of a free, loving, and son’s (personal) one.

He who lives as a child of God, even in illness, even in any misfortune, and even in death itself sees and recognizes only God’s love for him. The more terrible that which he undergoes is, the greater the love he recognizes. Death to him is not a heavy bond of fear that binds to the earthly, but a desired transition of freedom towards God. Neither body nor soul is spared in this move of love. This is the way in which God’s child functions, although this must certainly seem strange and even insane to slaves and hired servants.

If we take a look at the events from this perspective, I think that immediately we will get the clear answer to this question: Why does someone so pious and good die so young and so tragically? The too early death of the good one, at least to me, is only a witness to his deep, personal, and son’s relationship with God; a witness to his yearning; a witness to that: not what, but Whom he sought…

According to the Holy Fathers, the sinner’s long life is a granted time for the foreseen repentance or space left for the foreseen good offspring from his lineage.

It is another question: Why exactly now and why exactly in that way does someone die? The time and manner of our death are a matter of God’s estimation or providence: when it is the best for it to happen for our salvation, perfection, and sanctification; and also, when it is the best for it to happen for the salvation, perfection, and sanctification of our fellowmen.

As a matter of fact, we cannot possibly know everything, nor is it of any use to us, but we can and we desire to submit in everything to God’s will, and that is enough for us. We are not God’s judges, we are God’s children…

The monk is a child of God. The monk is called to proclaim that this world and its form are passing away; that there will be resurrection of the dead, in body; that a new earth and a new heaven will come to pass; that in the end love will remain; that in the end the person, in communion, will remain; that there will be new relationships established by the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity; that we will live “in a place of brightness… where there will be no suffering, sorrow, and sighing, but eternal life…” The monk proclaims that all this has not yet happened, but also that it is already happening…

The monk is a witness of the death to this world, yet also a witness of the life for God, in Christ Jesus, our Lord. The monk dies to the world when he physically detaches himself from it. The monk dies to the world also when he frees himself from within of the bondage to his passions. However, the monk completely dies to the world when he prayerfully buries his mind and when he constantly tries to keep his mind in prayer inside his heart, waiting there for the gift of Christ’s resurrection, waiting there for the light of the Day without evening in the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

The Widow with the Two Mites

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. As He saw the widow putting in the treasury her last two mites, Lord Jesus Christ said, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

(Mark 12:41-44)

Seeing a certain poor widow putting in the temple treasury her last two mites, Lord Jesus Christ said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had” (cf. Luke 21:3-4). Thus, she, although utterly poor, has given all she had, not out of some unnecessary surplus. Therefore, the Lord says, “she has put in more than all.”

We will best understand what “she has given when she had not” means if we compare this Gospel event with the changes that occur in our monastic life. In our monastic, ascetical life, it sometimes happens, according to God’s providence for us, that grace openly cooperates with us in the effort to transform our passions, whereas at other times, Divine grace hides itself. In the first case, we carry out our struggle rather easily and joyously, while in the second, even if some of us continue striving with the same intensity, it takes great effort. We resemble the widow only in the second case, when persistent in the struggle, when giving in the period when there is no open synergy of grace, when we “have not.”

Such giving in conditions of hidden grace demonstrates a relation of God’s child, building on the filial rather than establishing a relation with God as if hired servants or merchants. A trade relation always transpires when, during a period of open aid on behalf of God’s grace, we labor in the struggle, whereas during a period of concealed grace we terminate it. The widow’s act from the Gospel shows us the road of self-denial to the extent of self-forgetting. Indeed, if we want to build a proper or perfect, that is, a son’s relation with God, we should offer ourselves to Him to the extent of self-forgetting just as He has given Himself to us. At this, we should forget about our very selves and ignore all our feelings, thoughts, and desires, offering ourselves completely and unconditionally to God.

We can see best how this happens when we forget about everything in prayer, through the pursuit of collecting our mind. As for he who dwells prayerfully with his mind in the heart for some longer time without distraction, after having stopped the prayer, he needs some time to come to, to recognize the place where he had started praying. This state of self-forgetting mostly resembles the one observed in the martyrs and in the fools for Christ, who, living with no hope whatsoever related to this world, have completely renounced both it and their very selves, living and dying only for the Lord.

Monastic life, too, is a portrayal of such self-forgetting for Christ’s sake, but only if lived properly. For this reason, it is necessary that we be delivered from the trap of self-contemplation (self-attention, self-observation)—which is egocentrism. Unless we have the spirit of self-denial, we will be concentrated on what is happening to us, on what desires we have, what thoughts are occupying us, what we feel, whether we are alright in any sense, etc. It is a kind of sick state of distraction of the mind, which is a fruit of the impassioned heart (the spiritual centre of our being) and manifests itself, among else, as openness of all our senses in search and toward perception of various kinds of stimulation that come from inside or outside alike, all with the aim to feel well.

Self-contemplation is our capital passion and disease, through which the demon keeps us bound and leads us wherever he wants, like irrational animals, far from the heart in any case. For example, if we act in the spirit of self-contemplation and of a hired servant, whenever we do not see during prayer its expected fruits, we will stop praying. By this we will only show that we know neither what we are doing nor what we are asking for, or most precisely, Whom we are looking for during prayer. The spirit of self-observation stealthily comes also in the moments when we concentrate even on the effects happening to us at prayer. That same moment the prayer stops.

We can overcome this state of egocentrism only if we use the periods of Godforsakenness (withdrawal of grace), for only then we have the opportunity, toiling in an ascetical feat of self-forgetting and self-giving, to show a child’s relation to God. In addition, in the fight against that state of self-contemplation (egocentrism) all we do in relation with God and our fellowmen should be with the attitude of giving, not in the least with the attitude of taking.

When in prayer, everything (all the feelings, thoughts, and desires that tend to possess us) apart from the words “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” said with a feeling of mourning and repentance, i.e., apart from the union and relation with God—that is, everything else to us is dust and we give ourselves. And in general, all we do in relation with God should be with the attitude of giving, giving ourselves without asking for anything, any spiritual gifts or consolation in return. We ask for Him, not for His gifts. Always when we forget about ourselves in prayer, we will find Him, for no one can say “Lord Jesus Christ…” except by the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. 12:3).

For deliverance from the trap of self-contemplation it helps much, in the periods when grace hides itself, particularly when our whole spiritual and bodily struggle is more ascetical than graceful and demands a lot more effort, to continue nonetheless being diligent in the observance of the monastery typikon rules: waking up on time, vigil, taking food and water only in the prescribed time, regular attendance of all the services, standing and prostrations during prayer, performance of the monastery tasks, etc. That is a way of our giving and of building a filial relation with God to the extent of self-forgetting, which secures for us that the process of purification of the heart in the monastery take place slowly, yet certainly.

Let us once more point out: It is very important to use properly the periods of withdrawal of the grace, or Godforsakenness, since it is exactly these and only these periods which are given to us for our growth and progress in spiritual perfection, for building a son’s relation with God. The Lord has granted us these periods according to His providence for us and we should not act negligently toward such a great gift of God. The periods in which the Lord openly visits us with His grace are periods in which He gives us consolation and hope, fortifies us in spiritual knowledge, illumines us and gives us, in a way, strength for the future struggle in the time when grace withdraws and when there are conditions created for our active spiritual growth.

Whenever we do not pass properly, in a continuous ascetical and hesychastic struggle, the period of Godforsakenness, i.e., withdrawal of grace, we should know that we have not passed the exam of filial love and we remain at the present, hireling’s level, waiting for the next opportunity. Therefore, it is not in the spirit of asceticism to miss these periods of short-term Godforsakenness, because that is only wasting precious time, since we already live in a monastery and have dedicated our life to God.

Children, if nothing else, remember only this, upon which we stumble many times: the main periods of spiritual growth are the ones when grace hides itself, or more precisely, cooperates with us secretly, because they offer us the opportunity to defeat the habit of self-contemplation—that is, the passion of self-love and egocentrism—and, constantly purifying our hearts, to grow from power to power, as children of God, instead of marking time as hired servants.

Judge not, that you be not judged

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.”

(Matthew 7:1-2)

Let us use the end of this and the beginning of the new administrative year to set once again the beginning of new repentance. It is something incumbent upon us (it is necessary) to do not only at the beginning of every year, but also at the beginning of every month, every week, every day, every hour, and even if possible—through prayer—at every moment of our life, if we want to progress in the process of spiritual transformation and acquisition of the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer.

On this road toward attainment of the prayer, there are three main obstacles that should be surpassed, which stand opposite the three basic monastic rules in spiritual life. The first obstacle is disobedience to the spiritual father, which stands opposite the rule of obedience, i.e., opposite the rule of non-identification with our desires, thoughts, and feelings, and their regular examination with the spiritual father. The second obstacle is judging and condemnation of our fellowman; the one is contrary to the rule of proper confession, the maxim of which is “it is all my fault.” And the third obstacle is discontinuity of the ascetical and hesychastic struggle in periods when grace withdraws, opposite the rule of continuity of the struggle exactly in these periods, through which we will show a son’s, not a hired servant’s relation to God, and will use this God-granted period for our spiritual growth and perfection.

Living in a monastery, we are directed (be it only outwardly) to obey the rule of obedience—without this we could not live in a monastery—and the rule of a continuous ascetical and hesychastic struggle, which we fulfill if in no other way, at a minimum, by compliance to the monastery typikon that applies to all who live there. Hence, having not much room for these two obstacles—“outward disobedience” and “discontinuity of the struggle”—we observe that in the process of acquisition of the mind-and-heart prayer, judging and condemnation of the fellowman, i.e., inner disobedience, appears as the main obstacle on the road.

Let us say right away that the sin of judging and condemnation derives from the main subgroup of the passion of self-love, and this is the passion of pride, or vainglory, or high opinion of ourselves. There are two more subgroups of the passion of self-love: the passion of avarice and the passion of pleasure-indulgence. As for their nourishment, there is not much room for it in conditions of monastery life, so once again we are confirming the indicated conclusion that the main passion we should fight against is vainglory, i.e., pride, i.e., high opinion of ourselves, as the reason for judging and condemnation.

The sin of judging and condemnation can manifest itself:

- First, as external manifestation of the disease, directly through a word or a deed;

- Second, as an internal state of spirit, manifested in the form of inner disobedience and judging and condemnation of the spiritual father and our fellowmen.

The general ambiance or the atmosphere of judging and condemnation that rules today in the world around us greatly contributes to the development of this passion. These are implemented through the sin of idle talk and gossip.

Direct judging and condemnation, through word or deed, should be completely out of the question among us monastics, since we strive to emulate the heavenly angels with our life. In fact, the first precondition in the process of purification of the heart is to cease sinning in word and deed. However, it is particularly important for us to pay attention to judging and condemnation as the main reasons for inner disobedience to our elder and as an attitude toward our fellowmen. The relation with our elder is especially important and the origin of everything. Externally, we may even fulfill the things our elder requires from us, while internally, we disagree and revolt, sometimes even make fun of such decisions of the elder, thinking we know better or can do it better than he. This shows that in fact we are judging and condemning our elder, more precisely—we do not know what we are doing in the monastery, exalting ourselves above him in our thoughts. Whereas, the aim of obedience is exactly opposite to this passion of the mind: to place our proud, distracted, and darkened mind in the process of healing, in other words, to humble it, to collect and to illumine it through obedience. Without inner obedience to the elder and to all our fellowmen (within the frames of the former), there is no monastic life and no mind-and-heart prayer.

Besides, we have said that we live in a general atmosphere of judging and condemnation, which provides very suitable ground for this disease to develop. The spirit of contemporary civilization gives birth to sick people, people with a high opinion of themselves—although in most of the cases there is no real basis for such an opinion—that quite easily think it right to judge others, i.e., to condemn them. Look at the media, mutual conversations… it all boils down to manifestation of judging and condemnation.

The spirit of judging and condemnation, which we invoke by practicing our homonymous passion, to which it sticks tightly, is closest to the spirit of the antichrist, because one strives to take Christ’s place of the only Judge of the living and the dead. No other spirit is as similar to the spirit of the antichrist as the spirit of judging and condemnation. With such a passion and such a spirit in us, we cannot purify our heart. Christ is our only Judge.

Therefore, let us endeavor so that the sin of judging and condemnation does not creep in on us, either externally—through words and deeds—or as an inner state of spirit and inner disobedience, nor to provide it with conditions for prevailing as a general atmosphere of life. Not only should we not participate in the creation of such an ambiance, but also even if accidentally we find ourselves in it, we are obliged to prevent it with our humble conduct. Otherwise, the spirit of the antichrist that we have described will occupy the space around our heart, and, because of the passion of judging and condemnation that we nurture within us, will keep the place where baptismal grace should manifest itself closed …as “the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place” (see Matthew 24:15).

Grace from Our Hearts Manifests Itself as

Non-Condemnation, Forgiveness, and Love

Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

(Luke 7:44-48)

My children, we all read the Holy Gospel and to all of us are familiar these and similar points in it where, for example, it reads:

- Forgive, and you will be forgiven!

- Do not judge, and you will not be judged!

- Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned!

- Love your enemies!

What do these and similar Gospel counsels and truths have in common:

When one forgives, when he does not condemn or when he has love such as shown by the sinful woman in the Gospel or as we read in the Life of Saint Andrew the Fool for Christ, that is only a testimony that God’s grace resides within him. A Christian in whom God’s grace abides cannot possibly lie and steal, not forgive and hate, backbite and condemn or refuse to humble himself before what the Holy Spirit says and does through the Holy Fathers of the Church. These are all deeds of those from whom grace has withdrawn and who are under the influence—we know whose.

What the sinful woman or Saint Andrew does seems insane and unacceptable to some?! What the Holy Father-ascetics of the Church say out of experience seems insane and unacceptable to some?! Will we reject it as unacceptable?! No, we—if we are Christians—in the worst case might deceive ourselves that we do not have the strength, or, more precisely, might not want to practice the same feat, but we cannot but humbly accept it as possible and glorify it. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile” (1 Cor. 3:18-20).

The presence of grace in one’s heart is an indicator that this man is loved by God and that he himself loves God and his fellowmen; that this man is forgiven by God and that he himself forgives all those who wrong him; and, that this man is not condemned by God and he himself condemns no one but himself for all the evil happening to him and to the whole world. These are the deeds of those whose heart is sufficiently purified from passions and in whose heart baptismal grace has manifested itself. These are the deeds of those who know the place of the heart and whose mind resides in prayer inside the heart. Grace is the foundation and source of all virtues. Grace in our hearts manifests itself as non-condemnation, forgiveness, and love.

God always forgives us and loves us. Whereas, when we do not forgive, when we condemn or when we do not love, we reject God’s grace and God Himself; we also do not forgive ourselves and condemn ourselves. In fact, is there any greater condemnation for one than to estrange himself from God’s grace and remain out of it? Therefore, we ought to exert ourselves to forgive, exert ourselves not to condemn, and exert ourselves to love all, even our enemies. Now, do not get me wrong, we do not feel all this, we exert ourselves instead. That is the ascetical feat of forgiveness, non-condemnation, and love of the ones who are at the first stage of spiritual life—purification of the heart from passions. It is what the holy Hagiorite elders say: When grace hides itself from you, live and act just the same as though you had it, the same as when it openly assisted you in your struggle. At the second stage—illumination of the mind—the struggle stops being mostly ascetical and becomes mostly graceful.

Let us not forget: it is not that we loved God, but He loved us first… (see 1 John 4:10).

All these things I have kept from my youth

When the young man came to Christ, he said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

So Christ said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God,” and reminded him of God’s commandments, “’You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighboras yourself.’²

The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth,” and continued, “What do I still lack (that I may have eternal life)?”

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But the young man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

(see Luke 18:18-23)

In this event related by the Holy Evangelists in the New Testament (Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 18), we can see the way the act of self-justification happens and its consequences.

We can freely conclude that Christ, as God, Who knows everything, set this last demand before the young man not because He really expected him to accomplish the call of perfection, but only to show him that he had not even put into practice the first commandments He indicated to him. In other words, even if we suppose that the young man had somehow applied the commandments, according to his testimony, he had certainly done that as the ones who “put in out of their abundance,” not as the widow with the two mites, who “put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” Giving out of abundance, that is, a struggle only in the moments when grace openly co-acts with us, and an interruption of the ascetical and prayerful struggle when grace hides itself—does not purify us from the passions nor does it illumine us. Only the struggle of giving all we have—our whole livelihood, or, the continuous ascetical and hesychastic struggle in a time when grace hides itself from us can do this.

That the young man really had not abided by the commandments indicated to him by Christ and had not passed the road of purification from passions and of illumination of the mind—which we pass through fulfillment of the commandments—shows also the fact that he did not recognize Christ as God, either in the beginning of the conversation or afterward. Provided he had really accomplished the commandments, the young man would have passed the road of purification, would have been illumined, and just as many other examples in the Gospel, would have recognized God in the Master (as he called) Jesus and followed Him. Thus, despite the opportunity he had been given, and because of the captivity of his heart by a certain passion and the consequent darkening of his mind—which is one of the three characteristics of the unrepented mind, along with pride and distraction—he did not recognize Him and self-justifying, did not accept God’s word for him, thereby showing open, although unconscious, disobedience.

So, regardless of how much the young man thinks he acts sincerely or not, the event shows that he is robbed by bondage to some passion and the high opinion of himself expressed through the sin of self-justification. His claim that he had kept the commandments since youth, is plain self-justification, in view of the fact that we do not see the fruits of such a struggle—purification of the heart and illumination of the mind, through which we recognize Christ and from which we gather strength to accept His call and follow Him, wherever He may go.

The passion, which the Lord Himself indicates as an obstacle to purification and opening of the young man’s heart, is avarice: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Yet, as we know, the young man went away sorrowful, because he had great possessions, because he was captured and darkened by the passion of avarice. And his words, “what do I still lack (that I may have eternal life),” are nothing else but a confirmation of the self-justification and an indication of the high opinion of himself, an example of ‘conceit.’ It was conceit which hindered the young man to notice the reproach and the warning (with Whom he is talking), sent to him already in the beginning of the conversation, which are hiding in the—somewhat harsh—words of Christ, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” It is because of that delusion of conceit and because of the passion of avarice that the young man goes away sorrowful, thinking he had done all as he should have, and yet goes misunderstood, unnoticed, and unrecognized.

Such a thing always happens to us, too, when reacting to some reproof by our spiritual father with the same sin of self-justification as the young man—that is, always when confronting the criticism by our spiritual father, instead of the word “forgive,” we self-justify, telling the reason why something happened. Whereas, all that is required from us at that moment, regardless of whether what our spiritual father is saying seems to us or really is incorrect, is to respond on that occasion with obedience, with the word “forgive”—with humble acceptance of his reproach. Thus, the essence is in the word “forgive,” in humbly falling in line with his word for us—that is, in obedience, so that our proud mind be subordinated, in seeking God’s, not human justice. Whenever we do not respond with the word “forgive,” we should know that if nothing else, we are at least slaves of the passion of vainglory, of the high opinion of ourselves, of conceit.

Passions are those that hold our heart bound and closed for the mind-and-heart prayer, and the mind not illumined; we all know this very well. Passions and demons, which are always linked with the former, are those that keep us down to earth and incapable to respond to the heavenly call constantly addressed to us. The captivity by the passions forces us to self-justify our incapability and spiritual unreadiness in moments when we should protect the high opinion of ourselves, the conceit. Here is yet another Gospel example of that: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.’” But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm [passion of pleasure-indulgence], another to his business [passion of avarice]; and the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them [passion of vainglory]” (Matthew 22:2-6).

And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

“So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.

(Luke 16:8-14)

“So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous [another’s] wealth, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.”

All we have is a gift of God. This does not apply only to grace of priesthood, or only to grace that every Orthodox Christian receives in the Church, but it also refers to the graceful gifts of existence, of life, and of rationality possessed by every man. With all these gifts, for which we have contributed nothing to have them, we must put ourselves in service to the temporary and eternal salvation of our fellowman.

Therefore the questions we will have to answer before the dreadful judgment seat, too, do not as much refer to faith and the Church to which we belong as much as they refer to concrete personal deeds: did we give Christ our Lord food when He was hungry; did we give Him drink when He was thirsty; did we take Him in when He was a stranger; did we clothe Him when He was naked; did we visit the Lord when He was sick; did we come to Him when He was in prison… If one should by any chance ask, “When was this all, Lord?” the answer, at least to us Christians is quite clear: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).

This is the way to make friends by another’s wealth, so that we can be welcomed into eternal dwellings when we die. Still, a such material and concrete way applies only to the “sons of this world,” i.e., it applies to all those who have not sufficiently freed their heart from passions and do not have the gift of prayer in the heart—that is, those who are at the first stage of spiritual development. Another rule applies to those who are at the second stage of spiritual development, the stage of illumination of the mind. Such ones implore and receive from the Lord, in their heart, every good for their fellowmen. In their hearts, the Son of Man, the One Who identifies Himself with every man, has “where to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20).

Let the commentary on the preceding passage from the same chapter in the Gospel serve only as an introduction to the interpretation of today’s Gospel reading…

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much…”

This time I would say the following about it: the fighter is a fighter both in what is least and in much, whereas the weak is such in both cases. The one brave and resolute is such in what is least and in much, while he who is a coward and waverer in what is least is such also in much. The God-loving and obedient is such in what is least and in much, whereas the self-loving and disobedient is such in both cases. He who is consistent in what is least is consistent also in much, and he who is inconsistent is such in both cases. I am speaking about the general direction of movement, not about occasional oscillations. I am talking about the inner attitude of the heart, not about occasional outward manifestations. I am telling you about the war in which we are already winners, not about the lost battles.

“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth [a gift by which our faithfulness is checked], who will commit to you trust the true riches?”

If we use the first light of the purified energy of the mind, granted to us by God for the realization of our own sins and defilement, to observe others’ sins and to judge and condemn our fellowmen, then we close ourselves to the road to true light—the one that God grants us to see with our transformed physical eyes after we have purified the essence of the mind in the heart as well.

If we do not use the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer for a several-hours practice of prayer daily, Who will entrust us with the true, i.e., unceasing mind-and-heart prayer?

If with our illumination we do not activate and do not persist in the struggle for ascetical love towards our enemies, Who will entrust us with the true, i.e., graceful love for our enemies? And that is a gift without which any other interpersonal “love” is called into question.

“And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?”

If we do not use the time granted to us for spiritual growth in the moments when grace hides itself from us—that is, if we do not act the same in times when grace is hidden from us just as when it is present—Who will give us our grace, i.e., such that will be permanently and openly with us?

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

If consequences of division happen and we see them even within the frames of serving one and the same Master (He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. 1 Cor. 7:32-33), how much more then does the evangelical conclusion stand when some have already chosen with their deeds to serve God or the devil? The difference is in that while we serve God, the demon continuously aggressively forces himself on us and does everything to make us his servants; as about those who serve the demon, God constantly and unobtrusively leads them with His providence towards salvation and humbly waits for the answer to His long-suffering and immense love.

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.

Avarice (love of money) in fact is love of flesh, love of earth, and eventually—love of worms. As Saint John of the Ladder says, “For all created insatiably longs for its equivalent: blood longs for blood, the worm longs for a worm, earth longs for earth. Why should not then the body also long for a body?” Our Lord wants us to surpass this state when He says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6); also, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Therefore, again according to Climacus, “Anyway, we who conquer our nature and crave for the Kingdom of Heaven try [in the course of the struggle for spiritual growth] to deceive this deceiver [the body, but also the demon] with various shrewdness.”

Most Holy Theotokos, save us!

We cannot serve both God and mammon

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

(Matthew 6:24)

Were we able to bring to awareness that moment of our spiritual life, we would notice that our distracted mind during its wandering throughout the “world” lingers where it finds pleasure. Now, since at the first stage of our spiritual development we are still and mostly captured by the passion of vainglory, we should know for certain that our mind delights in thoughts, desires, hopes, plans, and fantasies, which are food for our self-love. It indulges in thoughts that nourish our vanity and high self-esteem, as well as in gossip, judging, and condemnation of all who are “lower” than us and who threaten our “power and glory.” And all this, according to our Lord’s words, proceeds from our heart and defiles it. It is not, as some think, that we are defiled by that which we bring in through our mouth.

It is incumbent upon all of us who are at the first stage, the stage of purification, with ascetical effort to compel our mind to lock itself in the prayer words, “Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us,” so that the Godman Jesus Christ be our sole delight. We do not have much choice: our mind will either be distracted and will wander throughout the “world,” indulging in its fake glory; or it will be collected in God, thus delighting in the only One Who loves man and makes him feel fulfilled—our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the prayers of our only Sovereign Lady and Guide, the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us.

The evil inside you corrupts you

The Lord said, “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”

(Luke 6:31-36)

In interpreting today’s Gospel reading, I would like to highlight: on the one hand, the theoretical simplicity of the Christian struggle, and life, as it is recorded in the Holy Gospel; and, on the other hand, the necessity of a real and personal practical effort in the accomplishment of the evangelical commandments of Christ.

For, what is simpler than this commandment: “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise”? You do not want anyone to wish you evil, do you? Then do not accept evil thoughts about anyone inside your heart either! You do not want anyone to speak evil of you, to call you liars or thieves, or perversely immoral, or theologically illiterate, do you? Then do not backbite, judge, and condemn your fellowmen either! Do not do that in the case of real events, let alone when something has not even happened!!! You do not want anyone to do anything wrong to you, do you? Then do not do anyone any wrong either. Is there anything theoretically simpler than this? Certainly, in practice we must put a great effort to control our thoughts, words, and deeds; yet, little by little, and aided by God’s grace, we will succeed. No one has become a saint, venerable at once; it takes a continuous and years-long effort in attentiveness over oneself while abiding by the commandment of love to one’s fellowmen.

However, the Lord is warning us in this Gospel, not to deceive ourselves with “love for our own purpose”: “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” With “love” like this, Christians cannot qualitatively differ from this world and resemble their Lord. What makes us true Christians, what detaches us from this world, which lies in evil, and what liberates us from sin, the devil, and death, is the fulfillment of Christ’s commandment, “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return.”

In practice, this means that we must not return evil for evil. Such a response would imply the increasing of evil in our life and in the world. And, it is exactly what the demon is waiting for: to trace some evil within us in order to defile us and bring our life under his control. Thus, the evil inside you corrupts you, not the one against whom it is directed. If we respond with good to the evil done to us, then we protect ourselves from demonic influence and we also give our enemy time, opportunity, and even strength for repentance… Let us be wary whose servants we are! We cannot be at the same time both God’s servants and demonic servants…

Do you love me?

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.”

(Luke 6:27-29)

Why should anyone become our enemy? Why should anyone hate us? Why should anyone curse us? Why should anyone offend us? Why should anyone slap our face? And, why should anyone wish to take away our clothes? It is for two reasons: either we have done him some evil, or he is demon-possessed and so thinks we have done some evil to him by our very existence. There is no other reason. In both cases, regardless of whether we have done him evil or he thinks we have, he who does the abovementioned things truly is under the demon’s influence.

As for us, we’d better be among those who, owing to their struggle in obedience or owing to their illumination (with no evil done to anyone), are attacked by those who are under the demon’s influence, rather than join those who under the demon’s influence do evil and then by like demoniacs are reciprocated.

Therefore does the Lord say: love them, bless them, pray for them, offer them your other cheek, and give them also your tunic, so that you be merciful as your Heavenly Father is, so that you be perfect as your Heavenly Father is. I would add: so that you bear witness that you are children of your Heavenly Father, adopted as sons in your Lord, the Godman Jesus Christ, through His Body—the Church, in the Holy Eucharist; so that they do not say your father is the devil and you do what you have learnt from him (“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it”—John 8:44).

My children, do you know with what inner attitude you should experience the people’s enmity and evil against you? It should be as though someone wants you to answer the question “do you love me…?” And, it is exactly what is going on: “the enemy” seeks to find in us, even if subconsciously, a crumb of love so that he catches hold of something and gets out of his slavery to the demon. (I will address this at another time). All people seek solely love; the road though is narrow and only few know where to find it and few are they who find perfect love in this world and age. And the road, according to the Holy Fathers, is firstly: free and voluntary absolute obedience in good towards the spiritual father until the acquisition of the gift of heart’s opening and of mind-and-heart prayer (not afterwards as well, since that would be idolatrous relationship and idolatry); and secondly, daily several-hour’s dwelling of the mind in prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me…”) in the heart and love towards the enemies. There is no transition from the stage of illumination to the stage of deification without love for the enemies, too. This is the final exam.

However, let us start from absolute obedience, which for those who are accustomed to trusting their own reason is “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, on which they stumble, being disobedient to the word…” (1 Peter 2:8) Whereas for those who wish to be perfected, it is joy in the carefree state of the children of God, abundance of grace, and an unshakable foundation of prayerful stillness. That means absolute obedience until the acquisition of the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer, so that you do not become slaves of the demon, because you were bought at a price; and, there is no absolute obedience after the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer has been granted to you, since “you were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men” (1 Cor. 7:23).

A Time for Fear and Paranoia or a Time for Repentance

“‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

(Matthew 25:29-30)

He who does not have and from whom will be taken even that which (he thinks) he has is the one who does not thank God for everything and lives selfishly. The one who thanks God for everything, regardless of whether that which is happening or that which he receives in the moment appears good or bad, is the one who has and to whom will be added even more good and in abundance. He is the one who offers to God, “for the life of the world” (John 6:51), all he has, even his soul and body and being.

They who do not have and from whom will be taken away even what they think they have are the ones who live according to their passions—vainglory, avarice, and pleasure-indulgence. The passions for power, for money, and for bodily pleasures are those that make man their captive, use all he has only for his own needs (self-love) and feel he has only a little. For, such is the very nature of passions: they always demand new and greater satisfaction; and, whenever they are satisfied, they leave yet greater need and yet greater emptiness.

Certainly, the Lord gives everyone a time for repentance and then all is taken away, eventually the very time granted for repentance (a change of mind). Lord have mercy…!

The Mystery of the Cross of Christ in Our Life

’’If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his soul will lose it, but whoever loses his soul for Me will find it.''

(Matthew 16:24-25; Luke 9:23-24; Mark 8:34-35)

The Holy Apostles Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the Holy Gospel almost identically relate Christ’s edifying words to His disciples. These words, with which the Lord addresses each one of us, in our time are even more current, and will remain to be so until the end of this world and age.

We observe two parts in this teaching. In the first part—when He tells us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him—the Lord Jesus Christ calls us to pass the three stages of our spiritual development: purification of the heart from passions, illumination of the mind, and deification of the person. Thus, the Godman Christ intentionally puts emphasis on the three stages of spiritual development, for our instruction, otherwise He could have simply said, “He that desires to be with Me, let him follow Me!”

In the second part, the Lord reminds us that our soul is ill and bound by the passions, and if we wish to save it, we ought to heal it of them. The second part of the teaching brings to our awareness the importance of the first part. Indeed, if we do not become aware of the fact that we are ill—that is, bound by the passions, by sin, by the demon, and by death—we will never feel the need for a Physician and Savior of our souls and bodies. People with a high opinion of themselves, also those who live in ignorance, happen to become aware of the fact of their captivity only after they have experienced grievous misfortunes and diseases in their life. Let us not be like them!

Denial of oneself corresponds with the first stage of spiritual development—purification of the heart from the passions, and extends to the opening of the heart for the mind-and-heart prayer. Denial of oneself implies denial of our ill self, which due to the sinful habit, simply identifies itself with its passions: pleasure-indulgence, avarice, and vainglory. It is exactly for this reason that the Lord calls us to deny ourselves—because of our identification with the passions. Moreover, by naming this stage of our spiritual development denial of oneself, the Lord wants to warn us that this struggle is not in the least easy and that we are really to undergo denial of our ill self. The passions are what defile our heart and hold the baptismal grace buried and inactive within it. We live as if unbaptized, without knowing the fullness of life and the joy of God's grace. Our mind remains unillumined, while the demon, making use of our passions, unhindered leads us from temptation into temptation. Our whole life turns into endless uncertainty, anxiety, insecurity, suffering, and torment. Denial of the ill self is a precondition for a healing union with God. This denial takes place from the moment we have confessed our sins and started living under the guidance of a spiritual father. Only for the love and faith in God can man deny himself and his passions. The more we fulfill God's commandments, the more we are healed of our passions and the more we love God: “If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love'' (John 15:10). The fulfillment of the commandments is ascetical love in practice towards our fellowmen, too, since in that way we are sparing them from being an object or the means of satisfaction of our passions.

Taking up, that is, carrying the cross is related with the second stage of spiritual development—illumination, and with the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer. On the one hand, it is a great prayerful feat, i.e., love for God; and, on the other hand, because of the people who lead by the demon assault and hate us, without us doing them any evil, it is a great feat of ascetical love towards our enemies, too. At the first stage, the demon assaults us from inside, through the passions that hold us captive. Whereas, at the second stage the demon cannot assault us from within, since our heart is no longer bound by the passions, and so he attacks us from outside, through people who are his servants. Carrying the cross signifies exactly the love for our enemies as well, in the way that Christ showed us on the Cross: ''Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing'' (Luke 23:34). The Lord has devised our spiritual perfection so wisely that without the love for those who also do us evil in any way (by evil thought and feelings, by talking against us or by evil deeds), we cannot pass from the second to the third spiritual stage—from illumination to deification. Love for the enemies as well is the ultimate annihilation of all vanity, high opinion, and pride in us.

Following Christ, in the real sense of the word, refers to the third stage of spiritual life—deification, when man is freed from the passions and the demon's operation, and gracefully loves all without exception. The rarest gift of God that adorns the highest degree of man's spiritual perfection is the unceasing mind-and-heart prayer for the salvation of the world. A characteristic occurrence for this spiritual stage is the so-called rapture of the mind, when, united with God, the mind resides in His glory and light. The prayer of the holy people is the highest creative achievement that man can attain. The prayer of the holy people keeps the world in existence and saves all of us for the Heavenly Kingdom. The Theotokos and the Saints of God have such prayer.

As we have seen, the Mystery of the Cross of Christ comprises two dimensions at the same time: both the love for God and the love for every man. Or, we can say that the love for the Godman Christ shows that the love for both God and every man is a biune and indivisible love: If anyone says, “I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen (1 John 4:20); or, “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?' He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me'' (Matthew 25:44-45).

The Godman Christ identifies Himself with every man, and whatever we do to anyone, whether good or evil, the Lord takes it as something done to Him. Therefore in the Gospel sense of the word, every man whom God's providence brings into our life in any manner, is our fellowman!

May the Lord prevent us from evil thoughts and feelings, from evil words and evil deeds towards our fellowmen, and in particular, may He prevent us from sin against those who stand before the Holy Altar and pray for us!

Lord, that I may receive my sight!

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.

So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

(Luke 18:35-43)

In today’s Gospel reading, my children, there are two states described which simply do not leave room for anything else but ascetical-hesychastic interpretation. Moreover, I think that this passage is among the more indicative ones in the whole Holy Bible regarding the stages of spiritual development, which are distinguished by the kind of prayer. We are clearly shown the state of blindness or non-illumination and the state of receiving sight, i.e., illumination.

The first state is when the blind man is sitting and crying out to the Godman Christ, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” This state shows the first stage of spiritual growth—purification of the heart from the passions. You know that oral prayer and the purification of the mind’s energy, that is, the first beholding of the uncreated light, are characteristic of this stage, but also still present are the closure of the heart and non-illumination of the mind, i.e., spiritual blindness. We observe in the blind man not only his persistence in oral prayer, but also the awareness that he is blind and must be freed of this blindness. The blind man believes that Christ can heal him and therefore, despite the bans, no one can stop his prayerful crying out to Christ. This is a genuine demonstration of faith united with deeds.

The same applies to us as well. We must know we are spiritually blind. We must believe that Christ can heal us and must prove this faith of ours by calling out the name of Jesus as frequently as we can, not allowing anyone or anything to hinder us. When through the practice of prayer we gradually start purifying the mind’s energy, it will enable us to see where we are, to see that we are fallen, that we are blind relative to Christ’s ideal and to cry out to Him yet more powerfully. However, if we use this first purification (illumination) to observe and judge others’ sinfulness and blindness, then we choose the wrong way, which sets us back much farther than we were before.

In this Gospel passage we also see how correctly the blind man says the formula of the Jesus prayer—“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” What can also be nicely noticed is the Lord’s commandment to bring the blind man to Him. This is an image of spiritual guidance established by the Lord—the sole way through which the blind man can come near to Christ and hear the words, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The one who is under proper spiritual guidance and is aware of his blindness, knows well what to seek first: “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”

For some people seek other things first—authority, health, money, work, wife, husband, slave’s peace, etc. … Some, to be just to them, along with all of this also seek salvation… That is good, yet the Lord Jesus Christ did not call to salvation His brothers and sisters by grace, but to perfection: “Be perfect as Your Father in Heaven is perfect!” (Matthew 5:48).

The second state that can be detected in today’s Gospel reading is when Christ makes the blind man see. This state shows the second stage of spiritual growth, and that is the illumination of the mind. In fact, the receiving of sight itself signifies illumination. Illumination, on the one hand, presupposes a sufficiently purified essence of the heart from the passions; on the other hand, it is a gift of God. Therefore does the Lord Christ say, “Receive your sight; your faith [confirmed by deeds] has made you well.” This pureness of heart makes it possible for the baptismal grace to manifest itself in the heart and for the mind to descend into it. Since the mind knows the ‘place of the heart,’ it abandons the oral prayer and continues to pray inside the heart. There, inside, united through prayer with God’s grace, the mind illumines itself.

The formerly blind man’s following Christ is in fact a depiction of the beginning of the third stage of spiritual growth, and that is deification. The dimensions of the stage of deification are not described in the personal struggle of the formerly blind man. We can observe these in the works of our Lord, the Godman Jesus Christ.

My children, it is good for you to know this, too: those who are at the stage of illumination also feel themselves blind compared to those who behold the uncreated Divine light with their transformed physical eyes; they feel their blindness even more than the truly spiritually blind people, who are at the stage of purification of the heart from the passions. (If the latter feel this at all…) Therefore did Saint Gregory Palamas in this period of his spiritual development cry out in prayer, “Lord, illumine my darkness!”

The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few…

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

(Matthew 9:36-38)

What must the Godman Christ be thinking about today’s harvest and today’s laborers? And, if he was moved then, when He was personally with them, what must He be feeling now? Starting from myself, it is hard for me even to think about this. On the other hand, though, it is the only proper way of reading the Gospel: to start from oneself, constantly to check with the Gospel firstly and solely oneself. The Gospel of Christ is ever current…

Yet, what do the words of the Lord mean, “the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few?” The first part of the sentence surely is clear to all. It takes only reckoning up the number of those who were baptized Orthodox Christians that are present at the Divine Liturgy on Sunday (the day of the Resurrection) or on some feast day, and we will realize how small this number is. Moreover, if we consider the number of those present who take living participation in the Holy Eucharist, through Communion of the Holy Mysteries, we will see this number is simply disappointing. Therefore did the Lord Jesus say to the Apostles, “Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). The same call is current in the present, too, because the vast majority are merely nominal and Orthodox Christians solely by name, and there are few who properly struggle. Let us not forget here that the harvest encompasses all people, from the beginning to the end of the world and age—of all the nations, of all the races, of all ages, of all confessions…

The true problem is located in the second part of the sentence, “but the laborers are few!” What does Christ want to say with this “few”? Now, let us say that then there were truly few laborers in terms of number; but today, when we see often in our midst Gospel laborers, how can we possibly think they are few? The Lord wants to say there are few who properly struggle. There are few whose priestly rank corresponds to their inner spiritual state. The shepherd is recognized by his flock, the tree—by its fruit (see Matthew 7:16-20). For “wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together” (Matthew 24:28)… A wise man has said something like this: The easiest way for one to condemn himself is to write—that is, when he writes, he does exactly that. The previous is completely in line with the Gospel: “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).

It is well known that the Holy Fathers in their spiritual struggle have observed three levels of spiritual development, and have handed them down to us as their spiritual experience: ‘purification of the heart,’ ‘illumination of the mind,’ and ‘deification.’ We find this division in many of the Fathers, although we can encounter various names. Saint Nicetas Stethatos, for example, says there are three stages in the advancement towards perfection: the ‘initial state of purification,’ the ‘transitional state of illumination,’ and the ‘mystical state of perfection.’ In the theology of Saint Maximus the Confessor, these three stages are represented as ‘practical philosophy’ (purification), ‘natural contemplation’ (illumination of the mind), and ‘mystical theology’ (deification). These stages of spiritual growth we find in Saint Isaac the Syrian named as ‘repentance,’ ‘purity,’ and ‘perfection.’ As this Holy Father says, “repentance is: to stop with one’s former sinful way of life and not to regret it. Purity is: a heart filled with compassionate love for all creation. There is something that must be emphasized here: purity is not only the awareness that we have been freed from this passion or another; purity is a fruit of repentance. If after repentance we acquire purity, this purity is true in Jesus Christ only if we have a heart with love for all people. And, finally, comes perfection, which is humility, and this means: renunciation of all visible things, and likewise of all mental things, and abiding (in God) beyond all these things, without ever thinking about them.”

Now, what must shepherds know, or they who wish to become that? The Fathers demand that the rule be respected, according to which the reception of priestly ranks must correspond with the three stages of spiritual growth. Let us recall: there are three degrees in the priestly rank, those of a deacon, presbyter, and Episcope. These three degrees correspond to the three stages of spiritual development: ‘purification of the heart’ (praxis), ‘illumination of the mind’ (theoria), and ‘deification’ (theology). Saint Maximus draws a parallel between the three phases of spiritual life and the three degrees of priesthood. This Holy Father writes: “He who trains his mind for sacred feats and expels from himself passionate thoughts performs the work of a deacon; the presbyter’s work is done by him who illumines his mind in the knowledge of the created beings, thus destroying false knowledge; whereas, he who perfects his mind in the sacred peace of the knowledge of the worshipped and Most Holy Trinity accomplishes the Episcope’s work.”

In Saint Dionysius the Areopagite’s writings On Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, there are also three stages of spiritual life described. They are named ‘purification,’ ‘illumination,’ and ‘perfection’ (deification), and are associated with the three degrees of priesthood: “Episcopes completely possess the power of illumination… Their task is not only to illumine, but also to perfect. Priests are illumined and illumine, while deacons purify and have the ability of discernment.”

Briefly, the shepherds should spiritually guide in the process of purification, illumination, and perfection, the people of God who participate in the Holy Mysteries of the Church. If, though, we do not bring our personal state and the ecclesiastical state of affairs in line with the Holy Fathers’ teaching, we can hardly expect any better results in our pastoral work. The Episcopes of the Orthodox Church will continue occupying themselves mainly with vainglory (with the struggle for power, with politics and ethnophyletism), its presbyters will continue occupying themselves mainly with avarice, while the rest of the people will continue occupying themselves—some (the nominal ones) mainly with fornication and others (those not properly spiritually guided) mainly with slander, lying, judging, and condemnation (of the Episcopes, presbyters, and each other)…

To end with: what does that mean, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8)? Well, firstly the shepherd—since this applies to him—must know what he receives and what he gives… Secondly, when one created receives the uncreated thing he will realize that whatever he might have done to get it, he has truly received it for free. Then he will also realize that he can only give it for free… They who view the creation from the perspective of the Heavenly Kingdom look at it with a different eye than they who view it from the perspective of earth, mud, and worms.

Lord, have mercy…!

Choosing the ‘Better Part’

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

(Luke 10:38-42)

As I have told you before, Martha symbolizes and portrays the first stage of spiritual growth, which, as you know, is the purification of the heart from the passions—the practical struggle; whereas, Mary represents the higher stage of spiritual growth—the mind-and-heart prayer and illumination of the mind, i.e., theoria or contemplation. It is not a coincidence that we read this Gospel passage whenever we celebrate the Most Holy Theotokos and we do not mention the choice of the ‘good part’ in vain. We will see why…

However, before we continue with today’s subject, I would like us first to recall a forgotten patristic tradition: The Fathers demand that the rule be respected, too, according to which the reception of priestly ranks must correspond with the three stages of spiritual growth. He who is at the stage of purification and passes through it properly under the guidance of a spiritual father, may receive the deacon’s rank. He who has reached the stage of illumination of the mind and the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer may be ordained into priesthood, and he who has attained the stage of deification may become an Episcope. We can all easily notice the connection between the offering of the Gifts before the shrine’s altar, and the standing of the mind before the heart’s altar (mind-and-heart prayer) and the reasonable sacrifice of man’s person offered to God in the heart.

From the above-written, we can realize the spiritual and prayerful state in which the Most Holy Theotokos was during Her sojourn in the Holy of Holies of the Old Testament temple, where the high priest was allowed to enter only once a year. As a matter of fact, if our deeds are recognized by their fruit, then what can we say about Her, Who gave birth to Christ our God…? I think we had better let Saint Gregory Palamas talk about the Theotokos:

“Seeking in quest of what is most necessary for one praying to converse with God, in what way does prayer come, the Lady Theotokos finds the sacred stillness—“stillness of the mind,” the world standing still, all earthly things below forgotten and sharing the secrets above, laying aside conceptual images for “what is better.” She discovers that if the mind does not scatter over earthly matters, it could devote itself to a better and higher pursuit, that is—turn towards itself: the unique activity through which it could unite with God.”

“…They who act in this manner, who by sacred stillness have purified their hearts and in an ineffable way have drawn near the One Who Is beyond any feeling and thought, within them as in a mirror, see God. Hence stillness (hesychia) is a fast and direct guide, successful and uniting with God, especially for those who practice it in everything and entirely. And what shall we say about the Lady Theotokos, Who stayed in hesychia from childhood? Staying in stillness of prayer supernaturally, from the earliest years, She, exactly because of it—knowing not of a man—attained the grace to give birth to the Godman Christ.”

(part one)

Choosing the ‘Better Part’

My beloved spiritual children in the Lord,

As I have interpreted today’s Gospel reading before most of you on other occasions, now as well I would like us to recall together: Martha symbolizes and portrays the first stage of spiritual growth, and that, as you know, is the purification of the heart from passions, i.e., the practical struggle. Whereas, Mary represents the higher stage of spiritual growth—the mind-and-heart prayer and illumination of the mind, i.e., theoria or contemplation.

This time I would like to draw your attention to another very important moment in this incident:

The one who is at the stage of purification cannot possibly know the spiritual experience of he who is at the stage of illumination. He may be interested in it and read (which is necessary), and he may also assume and speculate (which is dangerous), but he cannot possibly know. Therefore such people, if they unwisely try to talk or interpret something about the spiritual experience of the higher stage, can quite easily err. It even happens that they disagree with what the Holy Fathers have left us as a legacy, which is rather bad. Yet, how should they act so as not to stray from the road?

It is exactly what I wanted to explain to you with Martha’s example. You see, Martha does not understand what Mary is doing, still, she is not trying to interpret what is happening nor is she going to Martha to argue with her directly (because love does not allow this), but much properly she goes straight to the Spring of all knowledge, our Lord, the Godman Jesus Christ, and says, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me” (Luke 10:40). Certainly, we know very well the answer, addressed with compassion and reprimand to all of us, although in our life we rather neglect it: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). Can each one of us answer for ourselves the question, how much time during the 24 daily hours does he/she dedicate to the personal-catholic prayer in solitude? Then, how much, during these supposed ten minutes of prayer, is our mind collected in the prayer words? We deceive ourselves if the answer is positive, is it not so?

Therefore, what moral can we draw from Martha’s behavior? We must not be puffed up by our fleshly, i.e., proud, distracted, and darkened mind, and interpret things which are not familiar to us from our personal experience. Then, we must always humble ourselves before what the Holy Fathers say out of experience. Finally, we must always keep in touch with our spiritual father and ask him about what we are not sure from what we have read, heard, or thought.

As for the spiritual father, how should he act? This I have read in some of the last century Hagiorite Elders. He explains how spiritual fathers should act when asked about the mind-and-heart prayer: If they have the experience, they should lead their spiritual children along the way of purification from passions towards the revelation of the place of the heart or God’s gift of uniting of the mind and the heart; if, though, they do not have the experience, they should humbly admit that, rather than talk all sorts of things against the very practice of prayer in the heart or against the bearers of this gift. Every tree can be recognized by its fruit… (see Matthew 7:16-20).

(part two)

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

(Mark 9:17-29)

In the Gospel reading on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, the following two events are significant to interpret: Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!.” Also: And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

With the first Gospel event, the Lord Jesus Christ among other things wants to teach us and show to us the existence of an ascetical and a graceful struggle in Orthodox spiritual life and the difference between them. Ascetical faith and trust in God is one thing, while graceful faith is yet another: graceful faith already changes into cognition, knowledge, and certainty. It is one thing to fulfill God’s commandments ascetically, yet another to do that gracefully. Ascetical prayer is one thing, whereas graceful prayer is something else. Ascetical love for our neighbors is one thing, and graceful love—something other than that. The same applies to the struggle for all the other virtues of our Christian life. Ascetical patience, or humility, or mourning, or fasting, and so forth, is one thing, and it is quite different when any of these feats is overshadowed by God’s grace.

What is the difference between the ascetical and the graceful struggle and from where does it stem? Depending on the stage or degree of spiritual development at which a man is, his struggle also varies. At the first stage, called purification of the heart from passions, everyone’s struggle for any virtue is ascetical. This means that at this stage the heart is still susceptible to and bound by passions, so that the demon, pretty easily, through thoughts and the senses, can induce а man to sin. Also, at this stage, since the heart is still captured and defiled by passions, the grace of Holy Baptism does not manifest its power and open assistance to him who strives to fulfill God’s commandments and free himself from the sinful habit. That is why the struggle at the stage of purification of the heart from passions seems very hard, at times even hopeless. It takes putting much effort and labor in moments when it seems to us that there is no help from anywhere. We must fulfill God’s commandments, the virtues, also when we have absolutely no desire or will to do that and we do not feel it as a need inside of us. Forcing oneself is the crucial moment, due to which the struggle is called ascetical. A man is left nothing else but to force himself to do what is good, and this based on his mind’s decision, relying on certain unconfirmed cognitions of faith—with the belief that God will help him. Therefore does the father of the possessed boy say with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

However, it is not true that God, with His grace, does not help a man already at the first stage, because we could do nothing without Him; still, this aid is somehow hidden exactly for man’s free choice of good, of God, to be manifested. God wants to train us to fulfill His commandments out of love for Him, as children of God, not as slaves—out of fear, or as hired servants—for a reward. It is easy for us to fulfill the commandments when grace is with us. It is easy to give when we receive. This is trade, though, not love. Love gives even when it receives not.

At certain moments, grace manifests itself in our life more powerfully, but this only to rest us from our struggle, fortify us in the faith, and comfort us. Then all is easy to us. We practice each virtue as something most natural. Nonetheless, these are not the moments when we grow spiritually. Spiritual development is allowed us only in the moments when God’s grace remains hidden and we continue striving to fulfill the virtues. Whenever we fall and do not manage to practice the virtue in those moments of hidden grace, we have failed the test and will have to sit for it until we pass. It is a kind of continuous training in what is good. The Old-Greek word ‘ascesis’ itself in essence means ‘training.’ The Holy Fathers say that in the moments when grace is hidden we must act—although we do not feel that way at all—as if it were present. Only then do we grow.

At the second stage, called illumination of the mind, everyone’s struggle for any virtue is by now graceful enough, except when it comes to love towards the enemies, where it is still mostly ascetical. It means that the heart is sufficiently purified from passions and baptismal grace manifests itself from it in power and openly assists a man in fighting against sin and the demon. There is no more struggle in great effort and labor, but natural inclination towards virtue instead. The demon cannot assault us from within; rather, he attacks and tempts us from outside, through people that are his servants. At this stage of spiritual development, since the ascetic has already been tried with the two harsh passions of avarice and pleasure-indulgence, the entire future warfare happens over the subtle passion of vainglory. To be more to the point, the entire struggle and warfare with the demon takes place over the love towards enemies, too. If we ask the demon’s servants to tell us why they hate and attack us, what evil we have done to them, they will not know what to say. At this stage, our faith becomes experience and knowledge all the more, rather than bare faith. At the third stage—deification, there occurs what Saint Paul has said: it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20); also: but we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).

In the second Gospel event, Christ teaches us that the demonic kind can be cast out only with prayer and fasting. What do these words of the Lord mean? They mean that linked with the passions, which hold human beings captive, are the demons, and until a man is freed, cleansed from his passions, not until then will he be able to free himself from the demon attached to them—the demon that through the passions freely enters inside the heart and causes temptations and a fall. We heal ourselves, cleanse ourselves from the passions when, on the one hand, we do not satisfy them, when we refrain from them and when, on the other hand, we perform the holy commandments of God. According to the Holy Fathers, each passion is like a snake: if we keep it in a closed basket and do not let it eat or drink, it will die; and if we nurture it regularly, it will live and grow up. The prayer and fasting mentioned by our Lord imply exactly that struggle of restraint and healing from passions and at the same time fulfillment of God’s commandments.

Genuine forgiveness of sin is the purification from the passions and the expulsion of the demon from within a man. The spiritual father, who, through spiritual guidance, will help his child become purified from passions and free from the demon, at the same time helps his child not repeat the same sin—and this means true forgiveness, too. If we tell someone his sin has been forgiven, and he commits it again, then it is obvious that neither has there occurred healing from passions, nor forgiveness of the sin, nor expulsion of the demon linked with the passions by which the man is bound. Naturally, without participation in the Holy Mysteries of the Church, the struggle for the virtues is futile—that is, prayer and fasting alone are worth almost nothing.

On ‘the Lowest Place’

Then He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.

But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 14:7-11)

Since a wedding feast in which a change of places is concerned, then this Gospel reading does not pertain to the eschatological Kingdom of Heaven but to the Church, which resides in the time and space of this world and to its Holy Liturgy, as a foretaste of the Kingdom. One does not refer to the ‘Truth’ but to the ‘Icon.’ And it especially pertains to the places that the clergy takes during the Holy Liturgy. As was properly said: it is one thing to take a place according to God’s will, while it is another to take a place according to God’s permission. What does that subsequently mean and how would all that end, is left to each of us to ponder…

In addition, the lowest place, taken by the one after he has been put to shame signifies one thing, while the lowest place taken by the invitee himself at the wedding feast, in accordance with the Lord’s commandment, signifies another. Today, I will speak about the latter…

As indicated by the Lord’s words: Whoever for the sake of human glory exalts himself, meaning that, whoever looks for attention, honors and subservience from people and considers himself very important, will be humbled. And the one, who humbles himself for the sake of God, asking for the lowest place through the struggle of self-condemnation, even accepting to be cast away by everyone, will be exalted by God. Remember all the martyrs, the fools for Christ, and the true monks…

The lowest place, at the stage of purification of the heart from the passions, means dying for the world, exile, absolute obedience, and within the framework of that obedience, being obedient and a servant to everyone. If there is anyone to whom we are not obedient, that means that we have not taken the lowest place. We have not fulfilled God’s commandment: “go and sit down in the lowest place!” At the beginning this struggle is mainly ascetical, meaning that we mainly force ourselves to do it, until “rivers of living water start pouring out” (cf. John 4:14) from our heart, and then the struggle becomes mainly that of grace—we desire the lowest place ourselves and we strive to achieve it.

The lowest place, at the level of illumination of the mind, means spending long hours in a prayerful containment of the mind in the heart and mainly ascetical love towards the enemies. You can imagine how first places and human glory and consolation seem of little importance to the one, who, after having spent several hours in prayerful containment of his mind in his heart, needs some time, once he is out of that state, to become aware of who he is, where he is, or what time it is…

Why are we talking about ascetical love at this level? When love towards the enemies is concerned, one should know that what comes as graceful and ‘natural’ at the third stage, is still an ascetical struggle at the second stage. Love towards the enemies is the only criterion of the divinity of our love towards our neighbors. Everything else that we call love is only at the level of the soul or a temporary visit of grace.

“Consider each day as lost, if you did not mourn in it,” says somewhere Saint John Climacus, while I say to you, explaining further, also consider as lost the day in which you were not hurt, humbled, or put at the lowest place, that is, if your pride was not stomped on. Because this is what the first beatitude consists of (blessed are the poor in spirit), while mourning belongs to the second beatitude. Without humility and settling in the lowest place, we remain without foundation for our subsequent spiritual life.

Let us not wait, however, for that to happen, i.e., to humble ourselves through the endurance of involuntary sufferings, so that others would put us in the lowest place, because purification through such a passive struggle takes longer. Humble yourselves (with an active struggle of your own volition), put yourselves to the lowest place! Be as the One Who says, “I did not come to be served, but to serve” (cf. Matthew 2:28).

The lesson is: We should as soon as possible liberate ourselves from the high opinion of ourselves and from pride. And we see that we are bonded by this passion of the mind, when someone harms us (deliberately or not), and our heart immediately reacts. At once demonic darkness befalls us, at once a swarm of thoughts distract our mind and ruin our prayer, at once evil feelings overwhelm our soul. Thus we see that our mind and heart are still held captive by pride. If we do not liberate from this passion with an ascetical (voluntary) struggle and through involuntary sufferings, there is no opening of the heart, no mind-and-heart prayer. That also means a failure of the monastic life, for instance…

All in all, it is rather interesting to note that we oppose and recoil from the thing that is of the greatest spiritual advantage to us—the stomping of our pride. We go against the one who harmed our vainglory, instead of considering him our greatest benefactor. It is as if we temporarily forget that there are demons, too, and that our struggle is not against flesh and blood…

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!

A Full Man

In the Holy Gospel reading of today, once again we recognize the three states of spiritual growth, which the Holy Fathers have observed and transmitted to us as their spiritual experience:

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head”—deification;

Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God”—illumination;

And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”—purification of the heart from the passions.

(Luke 9:57-62)

In this Gospel reading, we recognize all the states of spiritual growth; however, they are shown in inverse order to that of our spiritual growing up.

We encounter this inverse order also in the priest’s prayer before the reading of the Holy Gospel during the liturgical assembly of the faithful. This prayer reads as follows: “Illumine our hearts, O Master, Lover of mankind, with the pure light of Your divine knowledge [deification]. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of Your Gospel teachings [illumination]. Instill also in us the fear of Your blessed commandments, that trampling all carnal desires, we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things that are well-pleasing to You [purification].”

This reversely shown order in the Gospel reading and in the liturgical prayer is congruous in everything with the theological order and structure of the entire Dispensation of our salvation, comprised in the words of Saint John the Theologian: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). We must never forget this.

God’s love, God’s revelation, is the foundation of the synergy between God and man. God’s grace is the basis of our struggle in the process of purification, illumination, and deification. This process, following God’s personal call to each one of us, as we may observe in the patristic works and also from our personal experience, enters its ‘natural’ course and moves from the lowest spiritual state towards the highest: “No one who is bound with the desires and pleasures of the flesh is worthy to approach You [purification] or draw near You [illumination] or to serve You [deification], O King of Glory” (a prayer at the Holy Liturgy, prior to the offering of the Holy Gifts).

Still, let us go back to today’s Gospel… “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” With these words, the Godman Christ is confirming to us that man’s heart, as the spiritual center, is the sole place of personal meeting between God and man; that only in the purified, illumined, and deified heart does the Lord find His rest and abode; that there are but few ascetics in each generation who attain the gift of deification, of the unceasing mind-and-heart prayer, and of the beholding of the divine uncreated light.

Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” With these words, the Godman Christ is confirming to His disciple that he is not spiritually dead and it is why He calls him to preach and bear witness to the Kingdom of God. No one can preach and bear witness to God’s Kingdom if he has not experienced it, and the Lord knows this the best. The Lord knows the best who has the respective experience and whom He is summoning to preach; as He also knows the best who is the one arbitrarily calling himself to preach. This also means that His disciple has sufficiently purified his heart, that God has revealed to him the place of his heart, and that he has the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer. This is evidence that His disciple is a participant in the Heavenly Kingdom and is no longer part of the “world”—that is, that he is dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus, his Lord. All those who are still part of “world” are spiritually dead, because they have not sufficiently purified their heart from the passions, and due to this do not know the place of the heart and do not have the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer, and on top of that they are not under absolute obedience to their spiritual father; i.e., such are they who arbitrarily call themselves to preaching.

But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” With these words, the Godman Christ is warning His disciple, who is at the first stage of spiritual growth, somehow telling him, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39). This does not mean we should not say goodbye to our household, for instance, when we go to a monastery, but this means we should be careful, as Saint John of the Ladder says: “Do not be flooded by affection for your dear relatives and do not be drowned in the flood of love for this world. Do not let your parents’ and relatives’ tears move you, or else (maybe) you will eternally weep. When your family members surround you like bees (or rather wasps) and start mourning over you, then with your soul’s eye look immediately at death and at the deeds for which your will be tried, and do not even cast a look at your family so that you can parry grief with grief (after God).”

Somewhere in his works, the Holy Elder Joseph the Cave-dweller says: “If you do not attain the grace of God to the highest extent, do not count yourself a full man.”

The Demon-Possessed Men

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

(Mathew 8:28-34)

The demoniacs whom Christ had healed pleaded to follow Him, while the local residents lost Him because they had not received Him and had begged Him to leave their district. This Gospel reading shows that demoniacs can be healed more easily, since they, being wholly possessed by the demon, have no opportunity to freely decide about their salvation; whereas, they who are conscious and rational are more difficult to heal because, according to free will—which God does not violate—if they remain slaves to passions, they stay unhealed. Free will is like a double-edged sword: we can use it to attain the likeness of God, yet we can also fall away from God. And, God respects our freedom, because if freedom is violated, so is the image after which we were created.

Now then, why do we not receive Christ? For the sake of satisfaction of our passions, which are more important to us than He is. The example with the Gergesenes people shows us that to them the swine were more important—because of the passions of avarice and pleasure-indulgence—than Christ was. It is these passions that the Holy Fathers call rougher, through which the demon assaults at the outset. What, then, to say about the more subtle passion of the mind—pride or high opinion about oneself or vanity—through which the demon assaults at last, which is the last in the row to be cleansed before the transition from one stage of spiritual growth to another? Only due to vainglory and high opinion about oneself, our heart remains shut to the mind-and-heart prayer and the mind remains unillumined.

According to the Holy Fathers’ tradition, the demon occupies the centre of our heart before Baptism. However, when man, at Baptism, receives the grace of God in the centre of his heart, then the demon is cast out of the centre and moves in near the heart. While the heart is bound by passions, until it is not sufficiently purified, that is to say, until man has not reached the second stage of spiritual growth (illumination), the demon resides near our heart. Hence, while man is at the first stage and while his heart is bound by the passions, while his mind does not know the place of the heart and has no mind-and-heart prayer, there is no need for the demon to assault him from outside. It is completely sufficient for the demon to assault him from inside, through thoughts. If the man accepts them, they are sufficient for a fall and defilement of the heart. For instance, someone may bother us with his very appearance, by the way he walks, eats, talks…, not having done to us anything at all, really. Apparently, we are the ones who have a problem and this problem is inside us. We see the world around us through our passions, and the demon is the one who tries to blow up and interpret the events, to our detriment.

Even if someone does something that we consider threatening or insulting to us, it is for our own good, because it makes us aware that we have no love and humility to cover this. For Christ is our criterion, not some human justice. What does it mean, Christ to be our criterion? It is so always when at any temptation we do not examine why, how much, and who wronged us, but rather whether or not our thoughts, feelings, and prayer at that particular moment are similar to Christ’s while He was on the Cross. It is our task at every such temptation to look for the problem inside us—that is, to see how much vanity, hatred, rage, intolerance and alike there is within us. In fact, it is exactly why the Lord allows us to be tempted—so that we see what we have inside our heart and from what we should free ourselves.

At this, we should always know that the Lord will never allow us to be tempted beyond our strength. Whenever we try to locate and look for the problem outside us, we should know we have strayed from the straight and narrow.

While we are at the first stage of spiritual growth, purification of the heart from passions, we must not even think that the problem might be outside us. At the second stage it may theoretically be said that the problem is from the outside, because the demon assaults us from outside, through people; yet, since his aim is by a powerful and concrete attack to awaken the part of the passions that has not been completely transformed, then as well we should be aware that the problem is anyhow inside us. In fact, not a single position (not even the third stage, deification) gives us the safety and right to think the problem is outside us. Except, of course, if someone thinks he has attained Christ’s perfection!? Thus also at the second stage of spiritual growth (illumination), when it happens that even some people to whom we have not done any evil and who have not even met or seen us ever in their life manifest great enmity towards us, then also we should look for the problem inside of us. In that case either we should not seek human justice but rather love these people, having Christ as the sole criterion of our conduct, if we want to purify our heart.

We ought to know that everything happens according to the rules of spiritual law. At first, the demon assaults us through the rougher passions (pleasure-indulgence and avarice), and in the end through the most subtle one—vainglory. The demon always struggles to regain the lost positions, even to go back into the centre of our heart.

Each stage of spiritual growth has a corresponding rank of priesthood. If someone has a priestly rank that does not suit the stage of his spiritual growth, and if along with this he does not live in ascesis and obedience at all, he loses even the prayer he has. If he does not stand up with his mind before God’s throne in his heart, what is the use then if he stands with his body before God’s throne in church? Even he who has the episcopal rank should live in the struggle of inner obedience—he should subject his mind to another mind, to his elder’s mind—if for his outward rank he has no inner coverage, i.e., at least illumination of the mind and the mind-and-heart prayer. Otherwise, he will suffer much until he has learnt the lesson. The purification from the main passion, pride, is based on obedience. Otherwise, it happens that a man progresses in rank and regresses in spiritual life. As a consequence to this, various divisions and splits take place in the Church.

Christ says, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”; also, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Mark 2:17). He who does not consider himself sick and sinful, has no share with Christ. Yet, since Christ loves us, He allows us to fall into sin even in reality, even to become ill physically, so that we realize we are sinful and sick and as such seek Him.

In terms of our struggle against the demon, we should know that the demon attacks us with his mind. It is his mind against ours. If in our mind we consent to what he suggests, i.e., if we agree with his thought, we lose grace and become darkened. Thus, we lose grace not when the demon assaults us with some evil energy of his, but when we have accepted with our free will what he has suggested to us.

We should also know that the demon does not know what we think further on and what is happening inside us. Yet, being an old fighter, he knows from experience and makes conclusions by our outward behavior. Hence, we must not show outwardly anything that is happening inside us during a temptation. We should humble ourselves and say, “Thank You, Lord, for everything, I am suffering because of my sins and my impurity—blessed be the Name of the Lord!,” and then say the Jesus prayer. If we say it with concentration, in a short while we become as if on fire. Just like fire, which when flared up, no one can touch without burning himself. Then even if he tries to approach us, the demon will quickly retreat since prayer burns him.

Nonetheless, we should also have the right attitude in prayer. It is so when we experience prayer as our giving and say it out of love towards God and our desire to be with Him. Then such prayer is more constant and the demon can hardly approach us. If, on the contrary, we say the prayer with the attitude of a demand, that is, only as a struggle against the demon, then it may quickly be interrupted.

We should not reveal our inner strivings to anyone else but the one in charge of this (our spiritual father), or else the demon will come to necessary information. In this way we exclude building of parallel relations (the beginning of every evil); spreading fear of the demon, his influence, and many other things connected to this are prevented.

We should also not fear the demon. He, according to the Holy Fathers, after Christ’s Resurrection is dangerous to us merely as a toy in a little child’s hands. We should fear wrongful waging of the war. This is the reason for our lost battles…

All that bothers us from outside, we should embrace in our prayer, and then we will feel it as a part of us and it will stop bothering us.

When we know that we are impassioned, darkened, and under great inner influence of the demon, why do we look for the problem outside us? Why do we always self-justify, and put the blame for all on others? When we locate the problem outside us, we are out of the Road, out of Christ, out of the Gospel of Christ, out of the Spirit of Christ, out of our own heart… We leave the narrow road and run along the broad one. Self-justification and condemnation of the other one are certain signs that underneath our feet is the broad way.

On the Woman with a Flow of Blood and on Jairus’ Daughter

While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went out into all that land.

(Matthew 9:18-26)

Just as blood is necessary for the life of the body, so is also God’s grace for the true life of the soul. And just as the body dies if blood runs out, so also is the soul deadened if God’s grace withdraws from it.

At the first stage of our spiritual development, purification of the heart from the passions, we are constantly struggling to stop this flow and loss of grace out of us. At the first stage our spiritual life is inconsistent and it often happens that we spiritually fall and rise, yet in this process we also learn how to keep grace within us. We also learn how to live the same as when grace is present and openly helps us even when grace hides itself from us. In this struggle, in this ascetical compulsion of ourselves lies the secret of our spiritual growth. The distraction of our proud and darkened mind is the main reason for the loss of grace. As Saint Nicholas Cabasilas says somewhere: “Therefore do we receive Communion at every Sunday Liturgy, i.e., that often, to renew the seal of Christ in our instable nature.”

Only at the second stage, illumination of the mind, after we have discovered the place of the heart and have received the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer, do we get to know inside us the inexhaustible spring of God’s grace. And, since we have a true touch to Christ, the process of constant loss of grace ceases, just as the flow of blood in the woman ceased. We receive that constant joy and light.

Hence, we need to find the genuine way of touching Christ, because many of the people were thronging and touching Him, but He indicated only the woman with the flow of blood as one who had truly touched Him. At the first stage of spiritual growth, true touching of Christ is the purification of the heart from the passions through fulfillment of His commandments, yet only within the frames of absolute obedience. At the second stage, true touching of Christ is the several-hours long prayerful abiding of the mind in the heart and the love towards the enemies.

The true touching of Christ reveals to us the mystery of the Heavenly Kingdom inside of us, in our heart, and reveals to us the power of transformation and the joy of Christ’s resurrection. The mystery of the resurrection of Christ will remain unattainable and unrevealed to all those who do not embrace, but deny the way of truly touching Christ at each of the stages of spiritual development; the entry will be forbidden to them, as such, who mock and disbelieve, and they will miss the opportunity to see the resurrection of the soul and the body already in this world and age, the same as it happened with the ones who did not see the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter.

If you were of the world, the world would love its own

“These things I command you, that you love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

(John 15:17-19)

You see, Christ gives us the commandment to love one another, adding at another point that it is by this love that they will recognize us to be His disciples. Love is absence of any evil. It is impossible for us to nourish within ourselves evil thoughts, for evil words (backbiting, condemnation) to come out of our mouth and for us to do evil deeds—this most often against our fellowmen of same faith—and at the same time to be called disciples of Christ.

As I have told you, the evil that we accept and foster inside us destroys ourselves, not the one against whom it is directed. For example, when we wish someone evil, do we not feel we are interrupting our prayer, do we not feel our soul’s disposition turns to evil, do we not feel we are defiling our heart, do we not feel God’s grace is withdrawing from us, and do we not feel we abide in darkness? Who is then affected by the evil inside us, those against whom it is directed, or our soul and heart? It goes without saying, we are the ones to taste the fruit of evil.

When we are backbiting, slandering, and condemning someone, do we not feel we are breaking God’s commandments and falling from Him? Who then, is affected by the backbiting, slanders, and condemnation—the one against whom they are directed, or they who are doing that? It goes without saying, they who are doing that and they who trust the former. According to the Holy Gospel, he who judges and condemns will be judged and condemned. Now, what about the one who is the object of backbiting, slander, and condemnation? If he is just, he will be bestowed with the dignity of blessedness: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matthew 5:11). If he is unjust, God will forgive him, because since he has already been condemned on earth, he will not be judged for the same in Heaven, too. Certainly, he must repent and not repeat his sins.

When we do evil things against someone, do we not become God’s opponents? For, Christ said: “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). Let me ask you now: do evil deeds affect him against whom we are doing them, or do they destroy our soul and heart? It goes without saying, the damage occurs in him who, possessed by the demon, works the demon’s will and in this way prepares himself for eternal communion with the demon and eternal estrangement from Him Who is infinite and omnipresent. Now, what happens to him who is suffering the evil deed? The same. If he is just, he will receive a martyr’s wreath. If he is unjust, he will be granted correspondent forgiveness of his sins, because he cannot be punished for the same deed both here and in the Kingdom of Heaven. Certainly, he too must repent and not repeat his sins.

However, is our struggle for love easy? At the beginning—no! We must force ourselves to love and do good, although we may not feel this inside us. As Elder Silouan says, “We must live just the same as when grace is not hiding itself from us.” This is an active ascetical struggle in anticipation of the graceful one… Without the ascetical-graceful love towards the enemies, too, there is no transition from the second to the third stage of spiritual growth—deification, and there is no unceasing mind-and-heart prayer. The transition from first to second stage is, naturally, out of the question.

Yet, what does this mean, “because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you”? What is this “world” that hates us? According to the Holy Fathers, it is the demons and the people who, being under the demons’ influence, fulfill the demons’ will. Who, then, is not a part of the world? Only when we are in absolute (blind or perfect) obedience to our spiritual father, i.e., when we are truly on the road of purification of our heart or when we have sufficiently purified our heart from the passions and have received the gift of the prayer in the heart, we stop being part of the world. They whose heart is bound by the passions (and therefore do not know the place of the heart and do not have the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer), and who are neither under obedience to a spiritual father, are still part of the world.

Still, we should not be afraid of these poor creatures—the demons and the people under their control: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Hence, we should not be afraid, because our Lord gave us the strength to defeat them and He also limited the intensity of their warfare against us, to the measure of the strength we possess.

The Lord has wisely devised all for our salvation and spiritual growth. At the first stage of spiritual growth, purification of the heart from passions, the demon is only allowed to assault us from within, through the thoughts he is offering us, and in accordance with the passions by which we are captured. At the second stage, illumination of the mind, the demon has no power to assault us from within since our heart is sufficiently purified from the passions (so that we are not a part of the world, that is, we are not under the demon’s control); therefore, in order to trigger the non-transformed part of our passions, the demon is allowed to use not only thoughts but also real temptation through people, his servants (who are a part of the world, that is, are under the demon’s control). For instance, instead of a thought about a woman or a man, a temptation from a real man takes place; instead of a thought about property and money, a real temptation occurs, through a man, for gaining money and property in an illegal way (and even if the manner is legal, we must not base the security of our hypostasis on money, but on the Lord); instead of a thought about human power and glory, what happens is real and premature acquisition of the same in exchange for God’s power and glory. As the Fathers say, the demon is so much scared of the mind-and-heart prayer, so he is ready to instigate a man from the world’s end, through whom he will try to stop that prayer inside us, via any of the above-mentioned methods. At the third stage of spiritual growth, deification, the demon is allowed to appear really, visibly before the holy people’s eyes in order to scare them and turn them from the road, as we see in the Lives of the Saints; or to make the people—his servants, torture and kill the Saints, as we see in the Lives of Saint Demetrius the Myrrh-exuding and other holy martyrs.

At the prayers of the Holy Great-martyr Demetrius, and at the prayers of all Your Saints, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us!

Whose will those things be which you have provided?

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

(Luke 12:16-21)

Our entire life is a gift of God. Poverty is a gift of God, when the poor man with humility and patience gives thanks to God for it and recognizes this gift. Wealth is likewise a gift of God, when the rich man with humility and patience ministers to the poor with his treasure and in this manner gives thanks to God for it and recognizes this gift. If people recognized God’s gifts and their purpose, and if they treated those with humility and thanksgiving, God’s gifts would serve as a means of building up and accomplishing our union in the Godman Christ—our greatest gift from God—and they would serve as a means of our salvation. In other words, only in this way can we give thanks to God when we offer to Him His gifts in return: “Offering You Your own of Your own—because of all and for all.” The active attitude of thanksgiving from our whole life is fulfilled communally with our participation in the Holy Eucharist (Thanksgiving) of God’s Church.

Nonetheless, how does the rich man in practice “manage to store up” goods only for himself instead of being rich toward God, i.e., how does he not offer his treasure as a gift of God concretely to God? In order to explain this negative example, we will make use of another negative instance from the event of the Dreadful Judgment:

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

Then they will also answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me’” (Matthew 25:41-45).

We see that the Lord identifies Himself (even the most) with each and any sufferer. Therefore, whenever we help with our wealth one of these least brothers of Christ who suffer, we do not lay up treasure for ourselves but we are rich toward God.

All of the above-written principally applies first and foremost to the people who live and work in the world. To a monastic, as someone who is dead to this world, principally applies another rule. The monastic’s duty is to give food and drink, abode and clothes, to visit and to minister to Christ in his heart. Naturally, in order to accomplish this, he must first purify his heart from the passions, to come to know ‘the place of the heart,’ to discover the Heavenly Kingdom within him and stand up before the King of Glory, Who was crucified for us and our salvation.

This being rich toward God takes place at the three stages of spiritual development: at the stage of purification of the heart from the passions, at the stage of illumination, and at the stage of deification.

At the first stage, he is being rich toward God who purifies his heart from the passions—that is, he who transforms his passions into virtues and multiplies the same. Certainly, this process must take place within the frames of concrete and absolute obedience, i.e., when with the free submission of our mind under our spiritual father’s mind we stop feeding the passion of the rational part of the soul (mind)—pride, vanity, high self-esteem.

At the second stage, illumination, he is being rich toward God who suffers in the struggle for fulfillment of Christ’s words, ‘love your enemies,’ and keeps his mind several hours a day prayerfully buried in his heart (even during the Holy Liturgy), seeking only Him, not His gifts.

At the third stage, deification, to the children of God are revealed the mystery of the words of their Heavenly Father, ‘all Mine is yours’ (cf. Luke 15:31), and the catholic dimension of the call of God’s Spirit within their hearts, ‘Abba, Father!’ (Rom. 8:15)—to them is revealed what the Holy Elder Sophrony calls ‘weeping for all Adam.’

Lord, have mercy…!

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

(John 3:1-8)

According to the Holy Fathers, ignorance is the greatest evil. Therefore, for every Orthodox Christian, among other things, it is necessary to know the difference and make a distinction between sentimentality and spirituality as well as between intellectuality and illumination.

The sentimental man can be either hypersensitive or insensitive, that is to say, he can be anywhere in the whole wide range of states in between these two extremes. The sentimental man can be sensible, intelligent or insensible, unintelligent—that is, he can be anywhere in the whole wide range of states in between these two extremes. There are also a vast number of combinations within the frames of sentimentality, combinations of the various degrees of sensitivity and the various degrees of sense. For instance, someone can be an intellectual but insensitive. This is one of the worst combinations. All we are talking about applies within the confines of mental sanity. The spiritual man is always both illumined and a unique kind of intellectual, and it would be best for the Church if he were also highly educated. The spiritual man is illuminedly sensitive as well. Sentimentality and intellectuality are a fruit of the flesh, whereas spirituality and illumination are a fruit of the Spirit. As we read in the Holy Gospel, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Yet, where is the border between sentimentality and spirituality, that is to say, between intellectuality and illumination? According to the Holy Fathers, the transition from the former to the latter occurs at that moment when man’s heart is sufficiently purified from the passions, when the divine baptismal grace manifests itself from man’s heart, when God reveals to man ‘the place of the heart’ and when He grants man the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer. These are all features of the second stage of spiritual growth, which the Holy Fathers usually name illumination of the mind. These gifts are not familiar to him who is at the first stage of spiritual growth, which the Holy Fathers have named purification of the heart from the passions. Such a man is still predominantly sentimental.

The Holy Fathers have not made and have not systematized a table, a survey of the relations between spiritual states and of the spiritual phenomena stemming from them. Yet, all who wish to discover this table can easily do so by analysis of patristic written works. The basic division into stages of spiritual development we find in many of the Fathers, although they can be given various names. Saint Nicetas Stethatos, for example, says there are three stages in the advancement towards perfection: the ‘initial state of purification,’ the ‘transitional state of illumination,’ and the ‘mystical state of perfection.’ In the theology of Saint Maximus the Confessor, these three stages are represented as ‘practical philosophy’ (negative and positive purification), ‘natural contemplation’ (illumination of the mind), and ‘mystical theology’ (deification).

You will all agree with me that to each of these three states of spiritual development there are surely correspondent different kinds of prayer, different kinds of temptations, different kinds of relationships with one’s spiritual father, different kinds of witness to Christ, different kinds, for instance, of organization of monastic life, etc. It is not possible that one who is at the first stage has the same prayer as someone at the second stage of spiritual development. The former has only an oral prayer or a prayer of the intellect, while the latter also has the ‘mind-and-heart prayer,’ etc. As a matter of fact, the Holy Fathers wrote about all this.

What happens when man passes from the first to the second stage? When man experiences this transition, he changes from being predominantly sentimental into being predominantly spiritual; from being predominantly intellectual, he becomes predominantly illumined; from being predominantly self-loving, he becomes predominantly philotheic and philanthropic (philotheoanthropic—as the blessed Father Justin Popović would say). Man’s struggle from being predominantly ascetical becomes predominantly graceful. And we are saying all this about those who in knowledge struggle…

Why do we use the word ‘predominantly’? We do so because at the stage of illumination, the heart is only sufficiently purified from the passions, yet not completely, not perfectly. The ascetic who is at the second stage is to experience yet much striving and warfare both with himself and with the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, within the struggle for love even towards the enemies and within the struggle to keep his mind in the heart without distraction for several hours. Whereas, at the first stage of spiritual development (purification of the heart from passions), man’s decisions and actions take place predominantly under the influence of his thoughts rising out of his wounded vanity and unfulfilled desires, that is to say, rising out of the struggle for human power and glory and of the struggle for realization of earthly desires; these are decisions and actions engendered by human fallen nature. At the first stage man is bound by passions (first of all by pride, vainglory, vanity, high self-esteem, and the like), which is why his heart has not opened and it is exactly why he does not have the gift of the prayer in the heart; and, it is exactly why he is predominantly sentimental.

It is now clear why I often emphasize the practice of absolute obedience, the struggle for absolute submissiveness of our mind to our spiritual father’s spiritual guidance. The healing of the distracted and darkened mind begins from the moment its passion—pride, through absolute obedience, stops being nurtured. If even after the choice of a spiritual father and our respective relationship with him our mind remains the criterion for all our thoughts, feelings, decisions, and actions, what have we done then? We are outside the process of healing and purification. We have remained being a part of the world and the world has remained being a part of us, that is to say, the world reigns within us. This applies particularly to those who reach, with God’s permission, through the monastic or priestly rank, the highest positions in the Church. God’s will is: purification of the heart—rank of a deacon; illumination of the mind—rank of a presbyter; deification of the soul and body—rank of an Episcope. And, what do we do now, when we all find ourselves in God’s permission rather than in God’s will? I beg you, let us come to our senses at least a bit, humble ourselves at least a bit. Let us become aware of our problematic ‘spiritual state,’ a product of our fallen nature. And, let us repent, attain a change of mind… that is, let us be obedient to our spiritual father. Lord have mercy…!

Therefore, we should not wonder then when we feel the primacy by honor as primacy of power; when instead of acting as a mother Church we act as a stepmother Church; when from the position of a coordinative center for unity we produce splits; when we much more prefer meeting the influential and the rich of this world rather than our brother in Christ; when we see our brother in Christ as our enemy, and the influential man of this world, we call beloved brother in Christ, etc. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth…!

So, my children, all this happens when we confuse sentimentality with spirituality and intellectuality with illumination, while the road is narrow… All this happens when we place our sentimentality and intellectuality as the criterion of spiritual life, as an idol… Only obedience is the protection from this evil. Sentimentality and intellectuality make idols, whereas spirituality and illumination tear them down.

May the Lord protect us all!

Homework

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger (for justice—Matthew 5:6) now, for you shall be filled.

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for indeed your reward is great in heaven.”

(cf. Luke 6:20-23)

In today’s Holy Gospel according to Luke, which we heard, we notice that out of the nine beatitudes, which, for instance, we encounter in the Gospel according to Matthew, only three have been named. I find the order of presentation of these beatitudes rather interesting…

Were we to compare the beatitudes as expounded by Luke, with the ones as expounded by Matthew, we would see that the ones chosen in Luke can explain or elucidate the essence of all the others. The core of the beatitudes has been chosen.

If we continue to rationalize why it is this way, based on the mentioned comparison, we will conclude that in the Gospel according to Luke, the first beatitude has been chosen, which also appears in the same sequence as in Matthew and which depicts the first and fundamental phase of the first level of our spiritual development—purification of the heart from the passions.

That is right. The observation that we can find all the stages (or levels) of our spiritual development that the Holy Fathers have described and explained to us in the New Testament of our Lord, the Godman Jesus Christ, is correct. And it is correct that the four Evangelists describe all of our human thoughts, words, and deeds in the framework of the three stages of spiritual development: purification of the heart from the passions, illumination of the mind in the profundity of the heart, and deification of the person—both of the soul and of the body.

There exist other transitional phases, but we will talk about that on another occasion… For now, it is important to remind you of what the Holy Fathers say, that at all of the three stages of our spiritual development, the grace of the Lord Holy Spirit, which we possess within ourselves as members of the Church, assists us in the manner of: purifying grace, illuminating grace, and deifying grace.

The second enumerated beatitude in the Gospel according to Luke we find as fourth in sequence in the Gospel according to Matthew. This beatitude describes the first and fundamental phase of the second stage of our spiritual development—the stage of illumination of the mind.

The third enumerated beatitude in the Gospel according to Luke we find as ninth in sequence in the Gospel according to Matthew. Unlike the first two, this beatitude describes the last, or transitional phase of the third stage of our spiritual development—the stage of deification.

Therefore, we can divide all beatitudes into three groups, in accordance with the three levels of our spiritual development. Each level encompasses exactly three beatitudes. With this in mind, the first, fourth, and seventh beatitudes describe the first and fundamental phases of the respective levels, while the third and the sixth beatitudes describe the transitional phases from a stage to a stage, that is, from the stage of purification to a stage of illumination, and from a stage of illumination to a stage of deification. Normally, the last, or ninth beatitude, is also a transitional phase, one from this to the other world, that is, from this transient world and age to the infinite Kingdom of Heaven.

It is your homework, my children, to explain to me in writing, based on what I have already told you, the first and the fourth beatitudes and to tell me why it is with these beatitudes that the first and fundamental phases of the respective stages begin! I think that with what I have told you today, I have helped you enough. I will check your homework, and at the same time I will quiz you on Sunday.

True Testimony

“Also I say to you, whoever confesses [bears witness to] Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.”

(Luke 12:8)

At each stage of spiritual growth, those who properly struggle confess and bear witness to Christ in a respective and different way. He who still purifies his heart from the passions does not have the same power of witness compared to him who has already illumined his mind, not to draw a parallel with him who is deified. So that we understand how we should confess and bear witness to the Godman Christ (knowledge that should interest most of us) as early as at the first stage of spiritual growth—the stage of purification of the heart from the passions—we must first realize how we should properly struggle at the same stage. True testimony to Christ is inseparable with the proper mode of struggle, congruous with a respective stage of spiritual development.

Yet, how do we know or how do we determine at which of the stages of spiritual growth we are? Our spiritual age is determined most easily and solely by the quality of prayer. We will all agree, using the natural logic we have, that it is not possible for the same prayer to be practiced by one who still purifies his heart from the passions, one who still illumines his mind, and one who is deified. Therefore, according to the Holy Fathers, the prayer of the former is oral and of the intellect, while that of the latter is mind-and-heart prayer and unceasing mind-and-heart prayer, respectively. Let us also recall here that we should not confuse intellectuality with illumination. The devil is the greatest intellectual, yet he does not have a grain of illumination. Hence, when almost all of us, through the above-described examination, find ourselves at the first stage, it is good for us to know the following, too…

At the first stage of spiritual development, according to our Fathers, proper struggle consists in: first, non-identification with thoughts, desires, and feelings, and their regular checking with the spiritual father; second, proper confession, at which we mainly reveal our heart’s reactions at the fall into temptation and do not blame anyone else but ourselves; and third, continuous ascetical-hesychastic struggle (fasting, prostrations, regular attendance with standing at the church services, vigil, prayerful struggle, etc.) until the moment of opening of the heart or until the moment of discovering the place of the heart—a struggle through which we likewise trample on our self-love and the habit of self-indulgence of our fallen nature and we set the framework, the foundation, the atmosphere for mourning, by which the road to the gift of tears of repentance is opened to us. The aim of these rules is to place our mind in a state of submission to another mind—that is, to put our proud, distracted, and darkened mind into a process of healing and illumination, and our heart into a process of purification from the passions.

Certainly, there are also anomalies and obstacles on the road. The first obstacle is disobedience to the spiritual father, which stands opposite the rule of obedience, i.e., opposite the rule of non-identification with our desires, thoughts, feelings, and their regular checking with the spiritual father. The second obstacle is judging and condemnation of our fellowman, which is opposite the rule of proper confession, the principle of which is ‘it is all my fault.’ The third obstacle is non-continuous ascetical-hesychastic struggle in periods of withdrawal of grace, opposite the rule of continuity in the struggle exactly in these periods, by which we show a son’s rather than a hired servant’s relation to God and use this God- granted period for our spiritual growth and perfection.

Now that we already know the rules, we can also easily describe the manifestations of the proper and of the incorrect struggles—that is, the manifestations of the proper witness (and confession) to Christ, the Son of God, and the manifestations of the incorrect preaching or witness to God.

For instance, how must he behave who ought to check his thoughts, desires, and feelings with his spiritual father and ought to confess properly—meaning, ought to confess without blaming even a little bit anyone else about the sin committed or about the temptation arisen? In other words, what should be the conduct of him whose mind and heart are still captured by passions and who therefore does not have the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer and illumination? Should not such a one humble himself, obey, ask, examine himself, seek counsel, strive all the more to be silent and listen, learn, blame himself, struggle…? All the previously described manifestations are also manifestations of true testimony and confession of the Godman Christ! By true testimony and confession, even he who is at the stage of purification can draw others towards Christ and contribute to the salvation of those who watch his way of life.

Now then, how does he who does not lead a proper spiritual life behave? Does not such a one have a high opinion of himself; does he not know everything; does he not listen to anyone, ask no one, not check himself with the spiritual father, not take advice; does he not talk a lot, show off, self-justify, slander, judge and condemn, teach others; is he not impatient, argues, uses lies, unfoundedly or exceedingly criticizes, while he usually does not struggle but—if at all—only intellectually builds himself up…? There are also such, of the same kind, who compensate their poor intellectual capacity with a seemingly stricter struggle, yet they are alike with the former in everything… It goes without saying, their subjects of discussion are usually the canons and the “guarding” of Orthodox faith… There are likewise various types in between. All the previously described kinds of behavior, which arise from their incorrect way of life, have been explained in details by the Holy Fathers. All the manifestations and kinds of behavior of the wrong way of life are only food for the passion of pride, of high self-esteem, of vanity… Instead of getting healed, we become worse and even more harmful to the Church than the unbelievers. Why?

All the previously described kinds of behavior are also manifestations of wrong testimony and confession and preaching of the Godman Christ! Such a way of behavior, which arises from incorrect struggle, causes all other temptations, enmities, splits, discords, schisms, and heresies, from which the Church of Christ suffers. The extent of harm depends only on the position in the Church of the one who behaves in that way. The one who does not have a priestly rank can cause one kind of harm, the one who has some of the lower priestly ranks another kind. The greatest harm can be caused by one who has the episcopal rank.

A most normal and simplest logical question imposes itself: All right children, how do we do all these things without illumination of the mind—that is, without our constantly illumining our mind in our heart’s depths, where the divine grace of Baptism resides, through several-hours mind-and-heart prayer? How do we, without illumination of the mind, so self-confidently discuss, persuade, persistently claim, teach, explain, etc. what is—let us say—“allowed”? Even worse: How do we so easily slander, judge, and condemn? Or is it exactly because of our non-illumination that we do it? …Not to mention envy, lie, libel, and all other similar sins. Is it not clear to us that without illumination of the mind, we look at the world and all in it through our passions, of which we are still not purified? Is it not clear to us that without illumination we do not have the clear picture or, even better, is it not clear to us that we have the wrong picture about the things around us? Do we not realize that all we do is only nourishment for our passions? Do we not see we have entered into an endless circle of self-defilement and self-affliction?

By this I do not wish to say one must not air his opinion. God forbid! However, he must be careful about few things, particularly when he talks with his equals… Firstly, it is his inner state, so that he can express his view calmly, not in moments of irritation and anxiety. Secondly, if he cannot do it calmly, then let him at least mind not to cross the red line of Christian behavior. And thirdly, he must not seek to impose his opinion at any expense, however correct it may be. Here is what Saint John of the Ladder says about it: “He who in a conversation with others stubbornly insists on imposing his opinion, be it even correct, should realize he is ill with the devil’s illness. If he does it in a conversation with his equals, he might still be healed by the elders’ punishment; yet, if he behaves that way also with the elder and smarter [more experienced] than him, then this illness cannot be healed by people.”

It takes a great effort for the one who does not have illumined mind to fulfill the patristic rule: hate the sin, yet love the sinner. Usually vanity carries us away in the opposite direction: to identify the sinner with the sin, and respond with evil to evil… It is good if we repent afterwards; the harm has been done, though. From the above-mentioned, I think it becomes clear to all of us why our discussions, regardless of how they happen and how they start, often boil down to quite a low level: talking about worldly things, slander, libel, judging, condemnation, self-praise, cheating and lies, retaliation for the evil with evil… Particularly when these happen outside the frames of due respect because of the immediate hierarchical subordination.

P.S.

Therefore, for instance, if you remember the question from some ten days ago at Preminportal’s forum, “What kind of forum do we want?,” in my opinion, it should mean nothing else but “What kind of forum do the faithful need?.” And the faithful, who are at the stage of purification of the heart from the passions, need a forum with rules, just as a young stem needs a strong stake to which to be fixed, so that it neither grows askew or the strong wind breaks it. Growing askew is being imbued with wrong teaching and practicing a wrong way of life, while being broken by the strong wind means the scandal that alienates people from the Church. The faithful need a forum that will not nourish their passions; a forum that will match their spiritual age; a forum that will help the process of their purification; a forum that will help them build themselves up intellectually as well; a forum that will bear witness that they are true disciples of Christ (before all who visit the forum for the first time); a forum in which they will learn how to love—first ascetically, and then gracefully… Either there is a need to provide such a forum for the faithful, or there is no need of any other… If one should ask me…

Have Faith in God…

“Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

(Mark 11:23-24)

True are the words of the Lord that we have just read, my children, but everything has an order of its own. For instance, this statement is in power and is only comprehensible if it is being read in the context of Christ’s complete evangelical teaching. It becomes even more comprehensible if it is being lived and explained within the frames of each of the degrees of spiritual development, through which we necessarily have to go. Certainly, it will become most comprehensible if it is fully accomplished in our life through our deeds. It is one thing to know in which direction the goal lies, it is another to see the goal in the distance, and, finally, it is a completely different thing to reach the goal. It is one thing to have faith and trust in God, another is to have knowledge from illumination, and, finally, it is a completely different thing to have a perfect unity with Him. As Holy Apostle Paul states, For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known (1 Cor. 13:12).

The two mentioned virtues, faith and prayer, ought to be correctly explained and understood if we desire to comprehend the Lord’s message in this Gospel reading. We will first talk about one very concrete aspect of prayer, and afterward about faith itself. With respect to prayer, we ought to see what “whatever things you ask” means exactly…

Within the context of the entire Gospel of Christ, in essence, prayer is never understood as asking, but instead as offering. The one who understands prayer as a request of sorts has not yet understood in Whom he believes and Whom he is seeking. We only seek Him in prayer, but we can find Him and receive only if we completely surrender ourselves to Him. So that, until we understand prayer as complete giving, we will never receive the One Who has already given everything to us, above all, completely given Himself. We receive the Holy Spirit and the fullness of grace at the very hour of our Baptism and the first Communion. We should understand our entire life, existence, and functioning even outside (if that could be said so) of the Holy Eucharist as a giving to God, and as glorification. We are children of the Church and we can correctly function only in an ecclesiastical and thanksgiving, catholic and eucharistic sense, only if we give.

At the first level of spiritual growth—purification of the heart from the passions, our life is in a significant measure under the influence of the passions and the demon connected to them. We can presume in what measure our prayer—through which most often our desires are expressed—could for that reason be erroneous. Therefore the Apostle also states: You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:3). The Godman Christ established in His Gospel the proper order of demands: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Naturally, the Kingdom is where the King is! And again it all comes down to the previous conclusion: we only seek Him in prayer!

It is therefore very important, as we saw, to note the sequence that our “requests” take in prayer. It is interesting to find that the most important “requests” in prayer can immediately materialize, while the “tiny” requests for our daily needs could not materialize at all, especially if they have become a priority and if they impede our spiritual growth. For instance, we can receive the Lord in prayer right away and enter into unity with Him (no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit—1 Cor. 12:3). If we first ask for money, happiness, health, success, marital partner, etc., we can lose the Lord, and along with Him everything else and find ourselves among the Gentiles.

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33).

A gift for the faithful, who received first the King and the Kingdom of Heaven, is to have other things from daily life added unto them. It never corresponds with their ethics to seek these things for themselves in prayer. It is an honor and joy for the faithful to share the things added unto them with the smallest of Christ’s brethren. It is our duty, as well as spiritual benefit, to pray for the health, joy, material goods, and success of all the people, but not for ourselves, as we said, so that we do not become like the Gentiles. A gift from God is for the perfect ones to have these prayers for the others answered. As the Holy Fathers say, the one who fulfills God’s will has his will fulfilled by God.

The word of the ones who have reached the level of deification is not only illuminating, but also miracle-working: it expels demons, cures the sick, moves mountains, etc. As Christ states: “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do” (John 14:12). But, when the Lord speaks of the faith both in this and in the case of the moving of the mountain with the help of faith, He primarily thinks of the faith that arises from perfect unity with Him, and not of the simple initial faith in Him. It is one thing to have deeds that emerge from initial faith in Him, while the miracles that emerge from perfect unity with Him are another. It is one thing to have faith, for example, with which man does his confession for the first time, and it is another to have such faith that a saint has prior to or after performing his first miracle.

Therefore, with simple faith and trust in God, and not in man, those who are at the level of purification of their hearts from the passions renounce the world, enter into absolute obedience, and endeavor in the struggle of prayer by word of mouth and of the intellect. With illumined faith in God, those who are at the level of illumination of mind spend themselves in their love towards their enemies and in extended mind-and-heart prayer. And with perfect faith in God, those at the level of deification pray for all the people and heal their infirmities and illnesses.

Children, it is good to know this as well: Those who are at the level of illumination do not have a miracle-working word and power to heal those terminally ill of cancer, for example. Then, how can they successfully pray for them? Only if they state, in their prayer before God, that they are prepared to accept to take the terminal illness on themselves, instead of the one for whom they are praying… That does not mean at all that the illness would be transmitted on them, at least not immediately, and perhaps never, but it often means for the ill to be cured from the disease. It is part of their struggle of ascetical love towards every man.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26).

Gossiping, judging and condemning, lying and slandering are signs that the person who is doing that has not yet forgiven and does not forgive, that is, does not believe… Then, such a man should not wonder why he does not have genuine prayer. The “Lord’s Prayer” is unacceptable before God if only one man was left out of our heart. The prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” is powerless if we did wrong to one of the smallest brethren of His. To condemnation and delusion goes that prayer which is without faith, without repentance, without a change of mind.

Protect us, o Lord…!

Neither will I tell you…

Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:

The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

(Mark 11:27-33)

My children, the problem raised before us by today’s Gospel reading is gnoseological. The knowledge of the One True God, as we know from the Holy Fathers’ teaching and from our small personal experience, is acquired only through a painstaking several-years struggle for building an inner ascetical-graceful union with God. In this struggle for knowledge of God, at the first stage of spiritual development, purification, the energy of the mind is what is purified; at the second stage, illumination, it is the essence of the mind; and at the third stage, deification, he who has transformed both his body and soul will be able to see with his physical eyes the uncreated light and glory of God.

The chief priests, scribes, and elders of that time—by the Gospel testimony, abiding by the rules of the law only outwardly, both practically and intellectually—obviously do not have a true union with God and therefore cannot by experience come to know and see that the Man Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the awaited Messiah. However, Jesus’ person and works provoke in them exactly this question. Thus, part of them, with the asked question, in fact, wish to find out from Jesus whether He truly is the Son of God. The existence of such interest in them can be observed also at another point in the Gospel, when they ask Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:24).

Their outward approach, that is, seeking to come to the knowledge of Truth in an easy and quick way—as an answer to a question asked—in the best case is only witness to self-loving and insincere people who wish to secure their personal positions and prosperity through reliable and timely information. Moreover, this is while they still think and hope that Jesus Christ will establish an earthly kingdom. In the worst case, as it happened later, seeking an affirmative answer from Christ, by the same people to the same question, was only the reason for His betrayal, condemnation, and death on the Cross: “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” (Matthew 26:63).

Another part of the chief priests and scribes, though, as it happens, are only interested in the nature and source of His authority, because the miracles He performed had been obvious to all: “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” Their approach, too, is outward and is only testimony to self-loving and authority-loving people who hope to realize and satisfy the passion of their vainglory through certain mystical and easily-acquired knowledge. Certainly, they, too, upon seeing that they cannot come to that knowledge and that authority in such way, will see to it how to kill Him, i.e., how to get rid of the Bearer of that wondrous authority, Who utterly outshines their human glory and position that far. Déjà vu.

Therefore does Christ answer their question with a question, giving them the chance (just as to all of us) to repent: “The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?...” Yet, instead of repentance, we are all witnesses to cunning and paranoid reasoning, to calculating, the ultimate aim of which is care for one’s status, one’s positions, one’s authority, care for satisfaction of one’s passions: And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. Thus, wishing to avoid the answer to the tough question in the easiest possible way, the chief priests and scribes say, “We do not know.” This, “We do not know,” in fact is involuntary confession regarding their spiritual state and the sole reality for them. It is an expected answer by those who do not know from experience, as we have already mentioned, that the knowledge of God springs from life in God and takes place inside the heart purified from the passions.

We should likewise not underestimate the fact that the Godman Christ gave the chief priests and scribes a real opportunity to get the answer to their question—But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.” It would have sufficed for them to have only sincerely admitted and answered that John’s Baptism was from heaven, for their spiritual eyes to open and for them to recognize the Son of God in the Man Jesus, Who stood before them. Nonetheless, man obviously hardly gets rid of his vainglory and hardly humbles himself.

Christ’s answer is terrifying: “Neither will I tell you.” The horror of His answer does not consist at all in that He does not want to answer them, but in the fact that He knows that even if He tells them, in vain will He waste His words; He knows that speaking, in this case, would be something like casting pearls before swine. Who ever wants to cast his pearl before swine? This answer of Christ is just another witness that Truth cannot be discerned outwardly, only with the intellect, the reason, but first of all inwardly, with graceful and prayerful illumination of the mind in the purified heart. Whereas, the chief priests and scribes of that time, by the Gospel testimony, are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness (see Matthew 23:27-28). Since they are not inwardly purified, opened, and prepared for Him, and since they do not have graceful union with Him, they cannot, even if intellectually, come to know the truth about Him, even if He proclaimed it to them. And He told them many times, with His works… (see John 10:25). They have personally disabled and condemned themselves not to get the answer from Christ; it is not that He did not want to answer them.

My children, the basic presupposition to understand the moral of this Gospel reading is comprised in the words of Christ, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mark 2:17). High self-esteem, vainglory, manifested as disobedience, is the greatest, and perhaps even the sole hindrance to our spiritual development. Repentance, i.e., permanent awareness of our ill-condition and sinfulness, manifested as perfect obedience, is the sole sound foundation for proper beginning, for proper continuation, and for proper perfection of our spiritual life and knowledge in the Church. It suffices for us to sincerely take a look at our deeds, words, and thoughts under the prism of the evangelical ideal of Christ’s commandments. If to someone even this is not enough, then let him compare his life to that of Christ, particularly we who are ‘at His place and in His image’…

Lord, have mercy…! Most Holy Theotokos, save me!

The Light of the World

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven…”

(Matthew 5:14-16)

“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.”

(Luke 8:16)

We have all received the light in question on the day of Holy Baptism. It is the grace of the Holy Spirit! Since we have not been raised from our tender age in the spirit of Orthodox life and struggle, divine grace has remained hidden under the deposits of sin, under the hardened insensitivity of our heart. Therefore, we must come to believe, repent, confess, get back to spiritual struggle, fulfill God’s commandments, pray, partake of the Body and Blood of Christ… The aim is that we remove from our heart, through proper spiritual guidance, in obedience, one by one the layers of defilement, so that the grace we have received at Holy Baptism can be manifested. Grace will gradually transform our life and make us all light: our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. This graceful light, which is a gift of the Lord Holy Spirit, is the sole true seal and testament to our proper spiritual struggle and true witness to Christ the Godman to the glory of our God the Father.

One who has lit a lamp, at the first stage of his spiritual development—purification, is he who has sufficiently purified his mind’s energy. This purification is also called the first beholding of uncreated divine light.

When the lamp lit is not covered with a vessel, it means that the one who has sufficiently purified the energy of his mind, does not use the first beholding of uncreated light—which takes place in the mind and reason—to judge and condemn his fellowman. Judging and condemnation is a sin, and sin dims the light, i.e., the purifying grace.

Now, when the lamp is not put under a bed, it means that the first light is not used merely for intellectual building up, but for complete transformation of all the powers of soul and body. The use of the first light solely for intellectual building up first limits its operation (“being put under a bed”), and then also completely dims it. Knowledge puffs up and creates splits, whereas love humbles and unites into a union.

When the lit lamp is set on a lampstand, it means that the first light is used for realization of one’s own sins and doing away with them. In that manner, the process of purification of the heart from the passion continues its course.

By continuous persistence in proper struggle, at the second stage of our spiritual development—illumination, begins the more concrete purification of the essence of the mind, too, which is in the heart. When it is sufficiently purified, what happens is opening of the heart, manifestation of uncreated grace, and prayerful descent of the mind into the heart. This is a gift of God.

The purification and illumination of the mind’s essence is also called the second beholding of uncreated divine light. The light set on the lampstand—our heart—can now work freely. In this light we can easily observe every movement of heart and soul, as well as the thoughts that wish to enter from outside. In this light, passions, which still exist in the heart, are much easier to control. This light can already hardly be covered with a vessel and dimmed; it takes a fall into a great sin for this to happen. There is an even lesser possibility to put it under a bed, since the need of intellectual knowledge at this stage is insignificant. And remember: Never does God light this lamp for it to die out later, but He “sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light!” If the light flares up and intensifies through the permanent endeavor of abiding in mind-and-heart prayer and through the struggle for love towards the enemies, then it leads its “owner” to the third stage of spiritual development, named deification.

Correspondent to this stage is the third, genuine beholding of uncreated divine light, even with the transformed physical eyes. The beholding of uncreated light can be found in the Holy Fathers—I think it was Saint Maximus the Confessor—also as contemplation of the logoses of beings. In this light, all humanity is seen and experienced as the one Adam, and the catholic dimension of life penetrates into and encompasses the whole creation. The word of the deified becomes miracle-working: “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do” (John 14:12). The Lord says about this light, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden”—not only from those who enter the house, i.e., the Church, but also from all who stand outside.

True beholding of uncreated divine light is necessary for the spiritual father to lead properly his spiritual children. Nonetheless, on the other hand, experience shows that the progress in spiritual life to the greatest extent still depends on the spiritual child’s free will. It is up to you whether you will exert yourselves in the prayerful struggle a little, constantly, or not at all. Your spiritual father, with his word in power and shining example gives you strength, hope, and light in your hearts; moreover, he nurses you in his heart, but he cannot enter inside you and decide on your behalf, struggle instead of you.

With the beholding of the second light, with illumination, one can also be a guide in spiritual life. However, the first beholding of uncreated divine light is not enough. It is because he who has that light is still in the period of purification of the heart from the passions, and the light serves him exactly for that. Until the heart opens to the mind-and-heart prayer, i.e., while it is still bound by passions, there is no qualitative difference between, for instance, a monk and a worldly man. Until that moment, the monk is still blind spiritually! And, the blind cannot guide another blind man all by himself, for both of them will fall into the ditch of delusion. In exceptional cases, when the Church needs it, the monk who is at the first stage may function as a spiritual guide, too, if there is a visible tendency to further purification, and also if he himself is under the guidance of a spiritually-practiced father.

Yet, what is important for the one who is at the stage of illumination? Such a one must not personally aspire towards priestly ranks and must not nourish within himself the desire to become a spiritual guide, although he has the inner backing for that. Attainment of perfection, attainment of deification—of both body and soul—beholding of uncreated light, must remain his primary aim. Only out of obedience to the Church, and if he has inner confirmation within himself, may he temporary seemingly abandon his basic goal and commit himself to the priestly and spiritual father’s duty and to serving his fellowmen. It does not mean, though, real abandonment of the basic aim, but merely striving for it in aggravated circumstances. Anyway, he should work honestly and conscientiously for some time and find a replacement as soon as possible so that he does not carry that heavy burden, too, on the way that is anyhow narrow and hard.

What can we say about those who yearn after priestly ranks and after the position of a spiritual guide, although they are still unillumined and are still captives to and led by their passions? And, what about those who by God’s permission received through a man what they had asked for?

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy…!

The Repentance of Zacchaeus

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

(Luke 19:1-10)

Here is an everlasting, alive, and up-to-date evangelical example of how a man, though only having initial and imperfect faith, out of overwhelming desire and yearning to see the Lord and to ascertain whether it is Him, can very easily relinquish his worldly glory, even if he knew that he would seem foolish and ludicrous in the eyes of the entire public. How many of us are truly prepared to give up their vainglory, their false glory, and how many of us are prepared to look miserly and serve as an object of disdain for the Lord and for the potential encounter with Him—even from far away, even not knowing or just hoping that afterwards they would have to receive Him in their homes? This is the salto mortale of the ‘old man’ that very few are ready to perform, in the hopes that, still, in the end, the hand of the Lord will gently catch them. I believe that the chief of the publicans, the wealthy Zacchaeus, thought exactly like that and felt exactly like that when running forward and climbing the sycamore tree. But that will not remain unnoticed and unrequited by Him Who sees all and Who knows the hearts of all, the Godman Christ:

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” The Lord addresses Zacchaeus by his name and unveils his desire the same way as with Nathaniel, whom He saw while he was still under the sycamore tree. And just as with Nathaniel, who immediately understood that the One, to Whom at the time all his prayers were directed, is the Same as this very Jesus, Who now stands before him, so now does Zacchaeus, perched in the sycamore tree, understand that his heart, that is, his name and person with all the secret thoughts and desires, as well as the yearning to accept Him in his home, is unveiled before this very Christ, Who truly, as he had heard before, cannot be anyone else but the Lord Himself, Who knows everything, God’s Anointed One, the Son of the Blessed One.

And he made haste, and came down—already knowing very well, through his strengthened and justified faith, both Who is calling him and Whom he is to receive in his home—and received Him joyfully. And he rejoiced because of it, as a man rejoices in the first grace.

And when they (all those who have high opinion of themselves and who, out of envy, judge and condemn) saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus, with his genuine, practicing repentance, justified the presence of the Godman Christ in his home: Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” At that moment Zacchaeus both sufficiently liberates himself from the passion of avarice and behaves as the one to whom the Lord says, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). And indeed that happens—Zacchaeus gives almost, if not all of his property, and he receives the treasure in heaven. By liberating himself to a sufficient degree from the passion of vainglory and to a sufficient degree from the passion of avarice, man usually liberates himself to a sufficient degree from the passion of pleasure-indulgence as well: “But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you” (Luke 11:41). This is a description of a heart sufficiently purified from the passions.

Salvation is always linked to the opening of the heart, to the actualization of the grace of Baptism and to the illumination of the mind—I would even say to the mind-and-heart prayer—even in the last moments of our life. This is how I understand the Lord’s, that is, Jesus’ words with which He justified the acts of Zacchaeus and confirmed his new spiritual state—illumination: “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham (namely, as he is of the ones who inherit the Kingdom of God); for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

This is another confirmation for the subsequent correct struggle and spiritual development of Zacchaeus from his Life: “The Holy Apostle Zacchaeus was at first a publican and a sinner, but when the Lord saw him up in a tree in Jericho for Him, He entered his home, which brought Zacchaeus to repentance. Later on, he followed the Holy Apostle Peter, who appointed him bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, where he faithfully served the Gospel and died peacefully.”

The Tax Collector’s Ascetical Mourning

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 18:10-14)

Some say that while the Pharisee in a way generally condemns and characterizes people as extortioners, unjust, and adulterers, we cannot yet recognize his spiritual state; however, from the moment he condemns the tax collector, i.e., a concrete fellowman, his delusion is definitely obvious.

But I, my children, tell you that right away, before he condemns the actually present tax collector, we can recognize the Pharisee’s delusion or false state of mind or high self-esteem! You will ask me how? From everyday experience, we are familiar with two reasons:

Firstly, he uses the slightly purified energy of his mind—the first poor light of the mind—to observe other people’s acts and sins and to characterize people by them. (It is one thing to say someone commits adultery, yet another to say someone is an adulterer: in the first case you merely judge, while in the second you already condemn.) The Pharisee commits the heavier sin. We must realize that the first light cannot be used for seeing others’ sins, that it is not given such power or penetration or functionality.

And secondly, we acquire the “ability” of noticing, judging, and condemning others’ acts and sins when we link the mind’s first light—in this case limited to bare knowledge—with our passions. At that moment the demon “opens our eyes” to see the others’ mistakes and errors as well as the limitations and weaknesses of our spiritual father, and deceives us to judge and condemn these. Our noticing of passions in others, bound with the process of judging and condemnation defined in our heart, is only a sign and indisputable evidence that the same passions live in us, not that they really exist in the one we judge and condemn. Whether a given passion exists in the one we judge or condemn, most often depends on whether we see the manifestation of that passion with our own eyes or we only hear about that manifestation from someone else. Nonetheless, even in the first case, when we see it with our own eyes, as the Holy Fathers say, we must not be so sure, because all we see, we see through the passions that live in us; not to talk about something we hear from others. Nevertheless, at the moment we judge, we do nothing but bring upon ourselves the same condemnation, and fall from God.

Hence, the Pharisee (of that time as well as of today) neither uses the first light of the mind’s purified energy to realize his own sins and deposited filthiness, nor does he have as a sole criterion of his spiritual life Christ the God, Who came to save us rather than judge us: “For I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” (John 12:47).

What does the Pharisee say in his “prayer” further on, according to the Gospel? “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” What would we usually say to such a one in a case like this—some pitying him, some coldly, and some mockingly: “You can fast outwardly even a whole week if you wish, and if you wish fulfill outwardly all the other rules and typikons of the Law, too; it’s no use; you even do it to your own harm and ruin…” And, what does the Lord, Who knows best his inner spiritual state, which we now tried to analyze, say to such a one at another point in the Gospel? “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also” (Matthew 23:26).

“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”

In the tax collector we notice at a glance the opposite process, such of healing. Moreover, we do not notice this only through the knowledge and experience of our intellect and mind, but also through the power of the Gospel model, that always pervades our heart with compunction and mourning. We must constantly keep this state of our heart and mind, and flare it up, to its catholic dimensions.

We observe a few coordinated kinds of repentant behavior in the tax collector: “stood afar off,” “would not so much as raise his eyes,” “beat his breast,” and “said, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”

What do you think, which one of these powerful and mutually-connected manifestations of repentance reveals his spiritual state the most? The ascetical mourning after God, i.e., the great effort of forcing himself to mourning, i.e., the beating of his breast. It is the same or similar method that the Fathers used throughout the centuries. It is the same or similar method that Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, too, recommends in his works. It is the same or similar method used and recommended to the present-day by the direct and indirect disciples of the Holy Elder Joseph the Cave-dweller and many others.

Some say that such a way seems scandalous. We would answer them, both in word and deed, that if Christ the Lord did not estimate that it is scandalous and if He recommends it to us, who are we to play smart beyond the Good News? Our entire struggle at the stage of purification of the heart from the passions has been marked and described by the Fathers as ascetical—we do not feel, yet we constantly exert ourselves; we do not have the open support by grace, yet we live as though we had it!

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Everyone who exalts himself for the sake of pride and human glory and consequently condemns his fellowman, at the same moment humiliates himself, causing absence of divine grace in him. Whereas, everyone who humbles and condemns himself and consequently justifies his fellowman for the sake of the union with God, attracts towards him God’s uncreated grace and immediately becomes exalted by God.

My children, you should also know this: All whose heart is not opened to the mind-and-heart prayer should know that the reason for this is judging and condemnation of the fellowman, which comes from their high self-esteem. That is to say, it comes from the wrong struggle or, in other words, it comes directly from disobedience and spiritual self-guidance.

With the adoption of the thought “it is all my fault,” we open room for the tax collector’s prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner!.” There is a sense of repentance and mourning born, and, generally, the train of thoughts is completely opposite (self-condemnation) to the one that follows after the thought that the other one is to be blamed (condemnation). When we accept in our heart the thought that the other one is guilty and consent to it, we show we are not familiar with the struggle in ascetical love. The one we love, even if ascetically, is never guilty.

The Prodigal Son

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father.

But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

(Luke 15:11-32)

Children, we will immediately and adequately understand the Gospel reading on the prodigal son if we take into account the following theological framework in which the plot in the story line unfolds: Human nature and God’s grace are not mutually opposed but, quite the contrary, they imply each other. Man ceases to be a real man if he misses his own preordination, that is to say, the personal unity with God and the continuous growing and perfecting in it, helped by God’s grace. Also, human nature and God’s grace are not mutually opposed but, quite the contrary, they imply each other. Man ceases to be truly free when he stops fulfilling God’s will and in such way he will fall from God’s grace, viz., he will renounce unity with God.

But let us go back to today’s Gospel reading:

“And the Lord said in a parable: A certain man had two sons.”

From a historical point of view, the elder son is the image and representative of Old Israel, whereas the younger is the image and representative of New Israel.

“And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’”

With the younger son we notice the freedom and the awareness that he is addressing his Father in Heaven and that he is asking for something that he feels naturally belongs to him, however, we also notice that he obviously does not understand the very nature of the ‘property’ whose division he seeks. But, let me be brief, what is our true property? It is the fullness of God’s grace, which we all receive in our hearts on the day of Holy Baptism, which neither increases for the multitude of those who receive it, nor does it decrease for the same reason; which neither divides, nor multiplies itself.

“And the father divided to them his livelihood.”

God and Father of us all, equally, without a word and without any conditions, gives us the fullness of His grace. It is up to ourselves, our free will, how we will behave toward that grace, as well as how and when, how much and whether we will make use of it. God only takes heed not to disrupt our freedom, and along with that our mutual relationship: Parent-child. Children, we have nothing more sacred than this relationship! This relationship is the only hope for our salvation!

“And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”

Why only after few days? The demon does not draw us into evil and sin all of a sudden but gradually, because if he reveals his final destination from the beginning he will certainly frighten us and deter us from sin. The demon hunts us just like the hunters hunt irrational animals, with alluring baits from which one cannot see the deadly trap. Lack of illumination in the spiritual struggle is the same as irrationality. This is why it is necessary to have spiritual guidance and absolute obedience to the spiritual father until sufficient maturity of illumination has been achieved. Thus, the demon first persuades the younger son to ask for and embrace a “portion” of what is not divided and is not appropriated for oneself, and then, on the basis of the determined and accepted thought that “he has something,” he deceives him to decide on an independent and self-sufficient life. Does this not remind you of those who abuse the seeing of the first light, and who, thinking that they have reached illumination of the mind and that they know and are able, decide for that matter to guide themselves spiritually, and even worse, to guide others, too? Yes, this is exactly it! Children, remember: Illumination is not knowledge, it is power and authority of the mind, of the word, and of the deeds, that is to say, of the consummate presence.

Why a remote land, or which place can be so far away from the Omnipresent? That “place” is, above all, the non-fulfilling of God’s will, manifested as disobedience to the spiritual father and premature spiritual self-guidance, due to which God’s grace gradually distances itself from us. As obedience brings with itself humility, concentration in prayer, and illumination of the mind (the obedient does not have to worry about anything), so does disobedience or already manifested pride bring with itself scattering and darkening of the mind. Scattering of the mind through the senses, worry for earthly things and the future, fantasies, demonic suggestions taking on the appearance of thoughts, as well as paranoia, according to the Holy Fathers, is the true prodigality of our soul and a basis for every subsequent prodigality. And normally, everyone who lives prodigally spends his “portion of the property,” that is, he loses God’s grace and remains, miserable and hungry, outside of the unity with God.

If we recall the above-established theological framework in which we should read this Gospel story, we should immediately realize what kind of great hunger is under consideration and in what kind of trouble the prodigal son has found himself to be. We were created by God and for God and with Him only can we be fulfilled, in every good sense of the word. God is our parent, and our closest neighbor, and our joy, and our comfort, and our patience, and our perseverance, and our repentance, and our tears, and our prayer, and our love, and our freedom, and our happiness, and our health, and our nourishment, and our drink, and our clothing, and our future, and our aim, and our strength, and—all things ours.

But a man who feels spiritual hunger and emptiness, and mistakenly thinks that the true nourishment for him is satisfying his passions, in essence becomes a herder of pigs (passions) and is an employee of the demon. The poor man does not know that satisfying one’s passions only opens new and greater appetite and creates a feeling of even greater hunger. Such is the insatiable nature of passions, the need for their continuous and ever-greater satisfying leads man to death, first of the soul, and then of the body, too.

Children, let me remind of this as well: The state of the ‘prodigal son’ may repeat itself on the second stage of spiritual development—illumination of the mind. If that state at the first level (purification of the heart from passions) means abuse of the first seeing of the uncreated light or of the light that comes from the purification of the energy of the mind, the same state at the degree of illumination manifests itself as an abuse of the light that comes from purifying the essence of the mind. Everyone who in the course of the mind-and-heart prayer will concentrate his attention on the effects and the side fruits of the prayer—instead of concentrating on Christ, with Whom we enter into unity through prayer—will undergo a closing of the heart and a cessation of the mind-and-heart prayer, until he repents and understands where he did wrong. Hardly will there be a greater misery than this… As the Jewish curse says: May you have something, and then lose it!

(part one)

The Prodigal Son

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father.”

(Luke 15:17-20)

To come to yourself means to see that without God you are nude and barefoot, and that without God you are no one and nothing, and that without God you are dust and ashes, and that without God you do not truly exist, in a spiritual, or in a material sense! That can happen in two ways: either when, by not fulfilling God’s commandments, that is, when with improper spiritual life man will completely denude himself from God’s grace; or when, with proper spiritual struggle man will achieve deification. The former is to see oneself dehumanized, whereas the latter is to see oneself (as much as one can) in comparison to God’s perfection. The former happened to the prodigal son.

But what is it then that can save man in those moments? Experience from the previously-established relationship with God and the freedom of man, which, according to the Holy Fathers, the demon can never preclude to the end. Let us recall what was said in the first part of the sermon: God only takes heed not to disrupt our freedom, and along with that our mutual relationship—Parent-child. Children, we have nothing more sacred than this relationship! This relationship is the only hope for our salvation! It is exactly this relationship, Father-child, that the prodigal son recalls during those moments of impasse, and it is exactly that relationship, completely unscathed by his Father, which saves him. How do we know all this? By becoming aware of the fact that it is exactly this relationship that has been infringed upon as well as that the son himself is culpable for the infringement of that relationship: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son!” Certainly, he was “reminded a bit” of that relationship by his empty stomach, that is to say, the fullness of life which he had previously felt in the joy of the first grace.

It is up to us to have a good intention, to use the gift of freedom in order to build unity with God and to struggle in that direction, while everything else is an act of God’s grace, which cooperates with us. Without God and God’s grace, we cannot do anything! This is what the following words mean: “But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). (Let me just mention, that this is precisely what happens when one receives the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer.)

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son’” (Luke 15:21). The younger son does not finish the previously envisaged plea: “Make me like one of your hired servants!” Why? Because it is pointless to say that, seeing the consistent parental behavior of his Father, which establishes and dignifies him with the name “son.” The Father, hence, as if there were no infidelity and infringement of the relationship, treats him like his son: “But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

And how does the Father also behave?

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry” (Luke 15:22-24).

It happens: restoration of grace, validation of the relationship and illumination of the mind, receiving strength and awareness for a greater struggle which leads to perfection, participation in the Holy Eucharist and communion with the Holy Mysteries of Christ’s Body and Blood. God, as Saint Gregory Palamas states, consecrates those who live in true repentance with such gifts that cause envy with those who improperly struggle.

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ But he was angry and would not go in” (Luke 15:25-28).

This is the reaction of those of the ‘Old Testament,’ those who are at the first stage—purification of the heart from passions, and who do not take heed of their passions (the passion of the mind—pride), those who have high opinion of themselves, those who improperly struggle, those who abuse the first grace, namely, the fruits of seeing the first light, those who condemn the others and justify themselves, those who hate and envy. Regrettably, this all seems very familiar, does it not?

“Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him” (Luke 15:28).

What do we see? An unchanged and constant paternal relationship toward the elder son, meaning toward all His children that He created regardless of their relationship to Him.

Here is, first of all, the miserable image of self-justification: “So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time’” (Luke 15:29). And here is the entire image of demonic possession after he finishes with condemnation: “’and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him’” (Luke 15:29-30).

Yes, we first condemn God inside us, before we condemn the person in question! Namely, in order to condemn the person in question, we first abuse the fruits of seeing the first light (bare knowledge). And while we justify ourselves and want to present ourselves as righteous—“I never transgressed your commandment at any time”—we already sin and transgress all the commandments “fulfilled” by then. Obviously, the elder son only formally fulfilled the Father’s commandments, while it suited his mercenary interests and relationship. Had he truly fulfilled all his commandments, surely he would have perfected himself spiritually in the personal relationship with his Father. Yet, there is not a trace of personal relationship whatsoever. Perhaps you notice, children, that not once in his address did the elder son call his parent “Father.” Likewise, he did not condemn his younger brother in a single moment for the infringement of the “Father-son” relationship, but for the squandering of the property instead.

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found’” (Luke 15:31-32). In truth, man, by his own behavior, condemns himself, and separates himself from unity with God, sinning against his neighbor. Instead of rejoicing with our neighbor, we envy him and hate him for his successes. I should not even mention the attempts to obstruct him and harm him. And we do this to our neighbor with whom the Godman Christ identifies. As we read in the Holy Gospel: “Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least [Mine] of these, you did not do it to Me!” (Matthew 25:45). We forget that in such way we become Godfighters. While God, humbly and patiently, says unto all of us, “Son… all that is mine is yours…”

Truly, children, this Gospel parable is magnificent and wondrous, and its interpretation and writing demand perhaps pages and pages. Only for the line, “son… all that is mine is yours…,” a whole volume of Dogmatics is needed. Yet, I made an effort, to my strength, to convey to you something from my, such as it is, experience, as well as from the tradition of the Holy Fathers. As you saw, the spiritual age of the two sons I find at the first stage of spiritual development, at the level of purification of the heart from the passions, at the receiving of the first grace and seeing the first light. This spiritual age is more appropriate and more understandable for a Gospel parable because this is the age at which the largest portion of Orthodox Christians finds themselves. And while, on one hand, the fall helps the younger son to come to his senses, to see where he is, to repent truly (to alter his former way of life, not just to repent theoretically), and to receive the gift of illumination, on the other hand, the formal fulfillment of the commandments and the building of a mercenary (or conventional) relationship with God his Father only nourishes the vanity and the high opinion of the elder son for himself and causes his falling away.

One more thing: The spiritual father ought never to leave his spiritual child without a blessing, even if forced—in the case of the child’s wanting to leave him. That blessing can be given orally, or silently, or in act. That blessing can be given with an admonition and without it. That blessing, however, must be given, if the spiritual father is a true father. With that blessing, the spiritual father will suffer along with his spiritual child and will cover him and protect him with his love and prayer wherever the child may be and as much as the child may sin. With that blessing, the mutual bond will never break, for the spiritual child—in case he needs one day—will have where to return… Therefore, at times of disobedience and premature departure of the spiritual child from his spiritual father, the problem does not consist of dissuading and deterring the child from his intention; the problem, rather, is to provide the conditions for homecoming.

Yet, the story has no ending. Let us be careful then: For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance bebut life from the dead (Rom. 11:15)!?

Forgive me and pray for me…!

(part two)

The Dreadful Judgment Seat

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

(Matthew 25:31-46)

My children, do you notice that the questions we will have to answer before the dreadful judgment seat are not related in the least to faith and the Church to which we belong; they rather pertain to concrete personal charitable deeds: did we give Christ our Lord food when He was hungry; did we give Him drink when He was thirsty; did we take Him in when He was a stranger; did we clothe Him when He was naked; did we visit the Lord when He was sick; did we come to Him when He was in prison… What if one should ask the Lord when it all happened? The answer, at least to us Christians is quite clear: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did not do it to Me.”

We know and believe that the Lord, through His entire Dispensation of salvation, identifies Himself with every man, most of all with every man who suffers. Therefore, whenever we help one of the least of these brethren of Christ who suffer, we make Christ our brother. Anyone who despises one of the least of these brethren of Christ, denies Christ.

However, I will not talk with you now about the social and the purely humanitarian dimension of today’s Gospel reading. I will not talk with you, monastics, about the minimum that every Christian with hope of salvation who lives in the world ought to fulfill. Why do I say the minimum? According to the Holy Fathers, out of two reasons. The first one: since, for instance, the Lord does not demand that Christians cure the sick or free the captives, but to visit and console them. Is there anything easier than this? The second reason: since the Lord does not set not doing evil as the criterion of salvation, but doing good. Is there anything easier than this, too?

Now, before we leave the care for restoration of the Christian moral image to those who administer the parishes in the world, I would like to remind you once again of what the Holy Fathers say: When we do good while suffering, “we must not be convinced that we are sharing in Christ’s suffering. Only God, in His judgment, can consider our sufferings as participation in the kenosis of His only-begotten Son. Our way is to humble ourselves, to abase ourselves constantly; only God can exalt and glorify us.”

Enough about this, though. We here, in the monastery, ought to talk about the ascetical-hesychastic aspect of the passage read. Orthodox monasticism is first of all and above all hesychastic, and only after this, if possible, in good time and place, charitable, too. Hence, all the above-written and explained principally applies first and foremost to people who live and work in the world. To the monastic, as one who is dead to this world, principally applies another rule. It is incumbent upon the monastic to give food, drink, and abode, to visit and minister to Christ in his heart.

From the ascetical-hesychastic aspect, I cannot but relate what we heard today with the Gospel passage where it reads: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58). The place where the Son of Man has nowhere to “lay His head” is our heart, bound and defiled by passions. Since our mind cannot enter the closed heart and reach the Son of Man, Christ resides there—lonely, hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, in prison… Therefore, so that we can reach Christ and minister to Him, we must first purify our heart from the passions, come to know the ‘place of the heart,’ discover the entry into the Kingdom of Heaven within us, and stand humbly with our mind before the King of glory, Who suffers for us and our salvation.

Finally, as a conclusion, I will say: When we interpret today’s Gospel reading from the ascetical-hesychastic aspect, we should know that the sole way in which we, monastics, must minister to Christ—Who is lonely and deserted in our heart—and the sole way by which we justify our calling is the practice of mind-and-heart prayer. The sufficiently purified heart—from the passions that defile it and keep it closed up to then—is the only place where we monastics meet Christ and where we minister only to Him. There is no other place and way for those who are dead to the world.

My children, in today’s Gospel reading my attention has always been drawn the most by the words: “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?”

On the one hand, I admired the humility of those who stood on the Lord’s right hand, and on the other, I wondered at the madness and effrontery, manifested through self-justification and blaming (the Lord, which is more) of those who found themselves on the left hand. This is yet another example that self-justification is always accompanied by shifting the blame on the other one (even if it were directly the Lord) and by apostasy from God.

Let us go back to the behavior of those whom the Lord justified. It is interesting and useful to you to know the meaning of the words, “Lord, when did we see You…,” uttered by those whom the day of dreadful judgment finds at one of the stages of spiritual development, respectfully:

Those whom the day of dreadful judgment found at the stage of purification of the heart from the passions, say the above-mentioned words because, despite their struggle for fulfillment of Christ’s commandments in practice, living in the world’s cares they did not see the Lord in their heart through the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer.

Those whom the day of dreadful judgment found at the stage of illumination of the mind, say the above-mentioned words because, despite their struggle in the mind-and-heart prayer and in love for the enemies, most often due to pastoral duties in the world, they did not see the Lord in their heart and outside around them through the gift of the beholding of uncreated light.

Those whom the day of dreadful judgment found at the stage of deification, say the above-mentioned words because, despite their struggle in the unceasing prayer and in the mourning for the whole world, owing to misuse of liberty on the part of those who personally placed themselves on the left hand, did not see the Lord in them as well. Lord have mercy…!

Briefly, all who humbled themselves during their whole life, what else do they know but to humble themselves also at the dreadful judgment day before Christ.

It is interesting and useful to you to know the meaning of the words, “Lord, when did we see You…,” uttered by those whom the day of dreadful judgment finds in sin and fall.

So that you understand it easier, I would like to remind you first of Adam’s fall. As we all know, after Adam and Eve eat of the forbidden fruit, they become stripped of God’s grace and violate their union with God. Still, when God asks them if they have eaten of the forbidden fruit, instead of repenting Adam shows great pride, self-justifying and blaming for his fall first of all God (“the woman You put here with me”), and then Eve (“she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it”). Eve, too, answers proudly, self-justifying: “the serpent deceived me, and I ate” (see Genesis 3:12-13). The Holy Fathers say that had only one of them asked for forgiveness, none of them would have been banished from heaven, with all the consequences that we all see and suffer to present day, as heirs to the consequences of their fall. I would like to conclude that God’s seeking our Forefathers Adam and Eve and entering into a dialogue with them is nothing other than His giving both of them yet another chance for repentance.

I would like to draw the same conclusion also about those whom the day of dreadful judgment finds in sin and fall. The thing that the Godman Christ enters into a dialogue with them at all, however dreadful that may sound (“depart from Me, you cursed”) is nothing other than His giving everyone yet another chance to repent. And, rather than admit that they deserve the punishment and ask the All-merciful Christ for forgiveness and mercy and be saved in the last moment, they self-justify and blame the Lord even before the dreadful judgment seat: “Lord, when did we see You…” O, immense madness!? O, demonic unrepentance!?

Briefly, all who during their whole life self-justified and blamed others, what else do they know except to repeat the same at the dreadful judgment day before Christ, too.

We are left speechless before Your love and long-suffering, Christ, our God… Who wants all to be saved…

It is time, though, for us to come back down to earth a little with two more practical counsels that arise from the interpretation of today’s Gospel reading.

“Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” Let us have a look at these words also from the aspect of love for the enemies and recall something we have heard before… Namely, when we strive to love ascetically those who hate us and when we strive not to respond with evil to the evil they do to us, then we leave such ones space to repent. Only the Lord knows when their time for repentance will run out, yet He will also not allow them to do us wrong endlessly. Our struggle must not be based on our expectation of their time for repentance to run out and some evil to happen to them, but on the hope that they will truly repent and be saved.

When we link these words with the passage in the Gospel where it reads, “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him Who sent Me” (see Matthew 10:40 and Mark 9:37), then they refer to our attitude towards those whom the Lord placed to administer the Church; among others, they refer also to the attitude of the monastery residents towards their superiors. This means that if you, who live in a monastery, do not receive the sister or do not receive the brother whom I have appointed superiors, then you have nothing with me, who has placed them there. If you do not receive me, then you have nothing with Christ and with our Heavenly Father.

Now, a day of dreadful judgment before the day of dreadful judgment is our every meeting with our fellowman. A day of dreadful judgment before the day of dreadful judgment is our every standing in prayer, particularly when our mind stands up before the throne of our heart, before the Lord. A day of dreadful judgment before the day of dreadful judgment is also every Holy Liturgy, as ‘already, and not yet’: “Remembering this saving commandment and all those things which have come to pass for us—the Cross, the Tomb, the Resurrection on the third day, the Ascension into heaven, the Sitting at the right hand, and the Second and glorious Coming—Your own, of Your own, we offer to You, on behalf of all and for all…”

Forgiveness, in practice

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

(Matthew 6:14-21)

Reading the Gospel passage of today, it immediately struck me that in it the Godman Christ teaches us how to free ourselves from the three main types of passions: from vainglory—by forgiving and asking for forgiveness, from pleasure-indulgence—by fasting, and from avarice—by laying up treasures in heaven. However, the Church, as we all know, puts an emphasis on the struggle for forgiveness, and it also creates the graceful and psychological atmosphere for forgiveness exactly on this Sunday before the beginning of Great Lent. Why is it so?

The Mystery of the Cross of Christ in fact consists in forgiveness. He who, with the hope of participation in Christ’s Cross wants to participate also in the great Mystery of Christ’s Resurrection, forgives. And the opposite… If we do not forgive our fellowman or our enemy—all the same, then we are outside the eucharistic and prayerful communion with God. Now, if we are outside the union with God, how then could the process of our purification possibly take place—something we expect to be especially intensified during Great Lent? If we do not start freeing ourselves from the passion of vainglory through forgiving and asking forgiveness, we struggle against pleasure-indulgence and avarice in vain. The devil does neither eat, or drink, or have women (men), nor does he pile up money, yet he is proud and vainglorious, which was enough for him to fall from God. The captivity to vainglory alone, without the other passions, is sufficient for a man to become demon-like.

Listen, my children, let us not waste words, things are quite simple: He who forgives all who have wronged him, be it even his most bitter enemies, has within him the grace of God; he who would not forgive even if a single man, be it even his most bitter enemy, has a demon inside him. Forgiveness is a witness to the presence of God’s grace, whereas non-forgiveness is a witness to captivity to the demon. Almost the same applies also to asking forgiveness. They who are at the second stage of spiritual development—illumination of the mind, even if they “wanted to” cannot but forgive. The opposite would mean instantaneous closure of the heart to the mind-and-heart prayer. They who are at the first stage—purification of the heart from the passions, either fight a battle with themselves to forgive and ask for forgiveness ascetically, in practice; or, unfortunately, do not forgive or ask for forgiveness…

I am telling you about real forgiveness, not about fantasy. Real forgiveness happens when we pray for the one who hurt us (or, due to our high self-esteem, which is most often the case, we think he hurt us); when we do not slander, judge, and condemn the one who hurt us; when we help him by deed, do him good, and in every way see to it how to forgive and make peace with the one who hurt us. This is a duty for all who struggle in obedience at the stage of purification of their heart from the passions. Their struggle is still ascetical, because with their intellect and faith they understand they must forgive and compel themselves to forgive, although at the given moment they do not feel like doing it. Thus, ascetically they also ask for forgiveness.

This is also a duty for those who are at the stage of illumination, only that most often they do not imagine someone attacks and hurts them, but the attack happens in reality from the outside, through people, and most often without a strong reason. In those who have the gift of the mind-and-heart prayer, as you know, the demon has no room to attack from within, since their heart is sufficiently purified from the passions, both in terms of quantity and quality. The Lord allows an attack against them from the outside so they can be perfected in two cruciform directions: in applied love for the enemies, i.e., the fellowmen, through doing good, first of all by prayer; and in applied love for the Lord, not allowing the mind, because of hurt vanity, to interrupt its communion with Him in the heart—communion that takes place through the mind-and-heart prayer. Without the applied love for the enemies, too, there is no transition from illumination of the mind to deification.

And here are the deeds of those who are part of the world and say they are Christians, yet they do not struggle properly (not to say something more awful): they are not under concrete obedience to a spiritual father, but unprepared, self-guide themselves in spiritual life; they slander, self-justify, blame, judge, and condemn the one they think has hurt them; and, if all this does not seem good enough to them, they invent huge lies and spread them publicly only to harm the one and justify themselves. They forget, blinded by love of revenge or covetousness, that the greater the lie, the easier it is to check it and the easier they personally turn out very suspicious instead of trustworthy in the eyes of those before whom they have lied. Such ones never ask for forgiveness. I know it takes time for all this to be brought to awareness, still man must work on himself and repent in practice rather than get stuck all the more. He who still self-justifies and condemns others cannot truly forgive and ask for forgiveness. As for those who have committed themselves to God, such manner of life means a terrible waste of time, great barrenness, and failure.

Yet, how could forgiving and asking for forgiveness become a struggle in awareness to us rather than be merely a struggle we do with faith and obedience to the Gospel? It becomes a struggle in awareness when we come to know that the criterion of our fault is Christ the Godman and God’s justice, not man and human justice. What does this mean in practice? When someone hurts us, at that moment we do not think about whether or not his act is justified; our attention is turned towards it whether or not our thoughts, words, and deeds are in line with Christ’s at that moment!? Does the same thing happen in my mind and heart as in Christ’s mind and heart in the same case? Do I act the way Christ treats those who hurt Him? Certainly not! It goes without saying that we are endlessly far from that! So, here is where our fault arises, even the fault of those who are at the stage of deification; it does not come out whether or not the wrongs done to us by others are justified … So, here is where the inexhaustible spring of our repentance lies… Therefore do we never, not in a single case, have the justification when we do not forgive and do not ask for forgiveness!

The Gospel words, “If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” also are not understood literally as read: they mean that if we do not forgive people their mistakes, it is not as if God does not forgive us (God forbid such blasphemy!), but we detach ourselves from God’s grace and condemn ourselves and detach from God. It is us who do not forgive ourselves.

Let me refer, though, to what I have said at first: Vainglory alone, without the other passions, is enough for a man to become demon-like. Not to say that if we do not pay attention to vainglory, all the other ascetical feats could only nourish and intensify the same. Therefore does Christ the Lord in the part about liberation from the other two kinds of passions, too, especially warn us of vainglory; whereas, in the part about vainglory, He does not even mention pleasure-indulgence and avarice. When He speaks about fasting, the Lord says, “When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.” Hence, with what He is saying, the Lord warns us not to seek human glory. And saying that we must not lay up treasure on earth, the Lord says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Thus, the Lord warns those who live in the world and with the world that laying up treasure only on earth is seeking security, in the last instance, in oneself and one’s own abilities (self-sufficiency and self-love), rather than in God and with God.

As for those who live in a monastery, these words by the Lord mean they must not be content with the level of the first stage—purification of the heart from passions, but must reach the second level of spiritual development—illumination. That is to say, they must not be content with the purification of the mind’s energy, but must also sufficiently purify the mind’s essence, which is in the heart, and reach the beatitude of the pure in heart. For, the Lord does not say, “where your treasure is, there your mind or intellect will be also”; but He says, “there your heart will be also.” If the passion of vainglory remains to be our treasure, and we do not struggle against it, then this passion keeps our heart defiled, captive, and closed (to the mind-and-heart prayer), and it becomes our idol which we worship in practice. Our sole treasure is Christ. With the mind-and-heart prayer, we all the more discern Christ to be the sole treasure of our heart and worship only Him and discover our heart in Him. We discover the boundless catholic dimensions and abilities of our heart in the Godman Christ.

May God grant us to attain the stage of deification, too, and find out what the words of the Holy Apostle Paul mean, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20), Who on the Cross utters that which is to us still inconceivable, yet certainly eschatological and certainly saving, even for those who will repent and ask for forgiveness in the last moment: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do…!” (Luke 23:34).

Please, forgive me, too… in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of Him!

Fulfilled Prayer

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

(John 1:43-50)

Before I say anything about today’s Gospel reading, I would like to draw your attention to Philip’s, “Come and see!,” as an answer to Nathanael’s question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”—on the one hand; also to Nathanael’s acceptance of this simple method of checking things—on the other hand. We will not go into how much power is borne in these words of Philip because of his meeting with Christ, since the responsibility for the decisions and actions is above all our personal problem rather than of him who calls us to do something or not. Therefore, for me, two things are important here: first, the words “come and see!” in the context of the Orthodox mode of life and struggle mean nothing but praxis and theoria, purification of the heart from the passions and illumination of the mind. You cannot simply have the one without the other. And second, this method has obviously already been applied by Nathanael: he is familiar with it and finds it very acceptable, only this time he uses it at the most personal possible level, in a personal meeting with the Godman Christ. That will be it about this.

Today’s Gospel reading is yet another historical witness and a concrete example of a perfect prayerful union and relationship between God and man (created by the image of God), between the Proto-image and His icon; it is a witness to a fulfilled prayer. When Christ says to Nathanael, “When you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” He in fact reveals to him Who listened to him and also Who answered his prayer while he was praying under the fig tree. Naturally, Christ already reveals to Nathanael also Who now fulfills that prayer wholly and in reality. Nathanael, for his part, with his answer, reveals to us and bears witness to us that in the Godman Christ he recognizes Him to Whom he prayed and Whom he solely sought in the prayer: the Son of God and King of Israel, the awaited Messiah. Who else could know what is going on in Nathanael’s heart and mind, if not God Himself? So now, I do not know what to admire first: Nathanael’s prayer, in which he seeks only Him, or this prayer’s perfect fulfillment—both as mystical experience and as a personal meeting in the flesh—by the Godman Christ? Or, perhaps these two things are inseparable, either as an event or as inspiration…

Now, our prayer to God can resemble a crowd of people standing at a distance as they are addressing the king. The latter sees before him a multitude of people, hears them all saying and asking for something, but neither can he recognize anyone nor does he know exactly who is saying what and who is asking for what. Such is the power of the prayer of those whose spiritual development is in line with the level of purification of the heart from the passions. It is not that God does not hear this prayer, too, yet it is not backed up by full commitment to God manifested by dying (living in an exile) in relation to the world, absolute obedience, and continuous practice of prayer. It is a prayer the answer to which is hardly noticeable, particularly for the inexperienced and particularly when it takes place outside the period of first grace. Since most often, whether we like it or not, it is a hired servant’s and a slave’s prayer, neither can it last long nor is it pure nor does it regularly bring forth tears and repentance.

Our prayer can also look as if we were among ten people closest to the king. Then he knows exactly who is addressing him and how, and who is asking for what. Such is the prayer of the bearers of the gift of mind-and-heart prayer at the stage of illumination. This is already a prayer at the level of a personal relationship with God, which at the same moment brings with it its answer, it brings us the Lord. Generally, all our problems linked with our struggle against thoughts, our struggle against passions, and even the problems with bodily illnesses and pains can be overcome immediately or soon by a simple prayerful descent of the mind into the heart. When we call upon God’s help for our fellowmen with this prayer, then its fulfillment is certain; it suffices the one we are praying for to have within him a good intention and hope for salvation.

However, prayer can also resemble talking with the king face to face. Such is the prayer of the perfect. It is a miracle-working prayer. During this prayer, within the frames of the personal relationship, the Lord cannot but answer and appear in the form of uncreated light to him who is praying, interrupting at this the prayer itself. When it comes to other people, the fulfillment of the prayer depends again on whether there is a suitable ground in the heart of those who need the prayer. The prayer of Nathanael was such a face-to-face prayer, too. Confirmation of this is his apostolic dignity, granted by the Lord Himself. His apostolic dignity obviously corresponds with his inner spiritual state, as was the custom at the consecration and appointment of the Apostles and Episcopes during the first three centuries. Confirmation of his perfect prayer is his perfect, i.e., martyr’s death as well.

What can we conclude from the meeting between Christ and Nathanael, and generally from patristic tradition about the struggle for knowledge of God, and this in the context of today’s feast—the Sunday of Orthodoxy?

In accordance with the experience of all Saints, the sole foundation of genuine spiritual life is true faith. True faith unites man with God. Participation in true faith in the Church simultaneously means participation in true grace. True faith is the criterion for true spiritual life. Yet also true Orthodox and ascetical spiritual life in the Church is the sole method by which one may attain knowledge of true faith, knowledge of God. Knowledge of truth, at the personal level, in a strictly Orthodox sense, is not an intellectual human achievement but it is, first of all, God’s gift of ‘illumination of the mind’ and ‘deification of the person.’ It is God’s gift that is granted following the great struggle for ‘purification of the heart from the passions,’ to the utmost. Therefore, it is very necessary, along with the struggle for preservation of true faith, at any cost, to preserve also the true ascetical-hesychastic tradition in the Church, the tradition of the mind-and-heart prayer.

Healing of the Paralytic

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

(Mark 2:1-12)

My children, listen carefully to my explanation of this Gospel reading. This last sentence, which I have just read to you, contains mainly what is to be interpreted.

In this Gospel text, the first thing stressed is the faith of the paralytic and of those who carry him. First of all the faith of the paralytic…

I have once already told you that faith or belief depends much upon and differs in relation to the stage of spiritual growth at which a man is. The thing in which he who is at the stage of purification of the heart from the passions still believes and aspires towards, for him who is at the second stage is already knowledge and experience rather than a matter of faith. The thing in which one who is at the stage of illumination of the mind still believes and aspires towards, for the one who is deified is already knowledge and experience rather than a matter of faith…

However, so that faith changes into knowledge and experience, great struggle and humility are required. Such struggle and humility we see in the effort, first of all, of the paralytic to come near Christ the Godman. First of all humility… To be brought through the roof with hope and for the sake of cure (just as in many cases so far), and instead of this to hear publicly only the reason for his illness (sin) and to accept without any thought all that—does this not show humility and gratitude? Yes, the paralytic’s behavior shows he has become aware of the reason for his illness, which is sin, as Christ also confirms, and accepts with humility and gratefulness the Lord’s decision, counting himself unworthy even for that much—to be forgiven “only” his sins.

As I have mentioned to you before, the acceptance of God’s word for us, the acceptance of God’s will for us, and the acceptance of God’s providence for us, with humility and thankfulness, simultaneously means our opening and our acceptance of God’s grace. Consequently, it also means our healing, both in soul and in body. Thus, the second thing emphasized in today’s Gospel reading is sin and apostasy from God as the reason for our illnesses, both spiritual and physical.

The third thing highlighted in today’s Gospel reading is the truth that God our Lord is the only One Who has the authority to forgive sins, if we approach Him with faith and repentance, i.e., with humility and gratitude. Genuine repentance means sin not being repeated. Genuine forgiveness of sins is also recognized by non-repetition of the sin. He who has true repentance will be given true forgiveness of the sin by the Lord Himself, which also means healing of the consequences of sin. True forgiveness of the sin and healing of its consequences is nothing but restoration of our union with God, with the Godman Jesus Christ.

This moment exactly, the forgiveness of sin, is the reason for the scribes’ thoughts. They know from the Books of the Law that only God has the authority to forgive sins. That is why they would have probably not thought anything had Christ merely healed the paralytic, because that would have been just another healing among the many He had performed at that time; the proclamation of the forgiveness, though, scandalized them. For the sake of their conversion and salvation, Christ acts in the sequence in which the events take place: first He publicly forgives and then He publicly heals, too. Finally, He reveals to them the thoughts of their hearts lovingly (with no reproaches, as He would do when seeing unrepentance), and He also manifests before them God’s power and authority from Himself with the healing of the paralytic. The Gospel itself also confirms this: so that all [without exceptions] were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!”

My children, you notice that I am quite rarely interpreting the Gospel to you by means of parables, as is the custom in the ‘Alexandrian School’ and as some like interpreting, so that I say that, for instance, the house in which Christ resides is man’s heart and the grace of the Holy Spirit in it, while the uncovering of the roof and letting down the paralytic through it is the opening of the heart and the descent of the mind in it. Nor do I interpret it to you merely historically and ethically, as is the custom in the ‘Antiochian School.’ What you most often hear is the ascetical-hesychastic interpretation of the ‘Hagiorite-Macedonian School,’ which is based on the personal principle, on the systematization and harmony of Orthodox spiritual life and on no more than what God already gave us. That will be all about this.

Genuine forgiveness of sins is purification of the heart from the passions and its opening for the mind-and-heart prayer. It is liberation from the slavery to passions, from sin and from the demon. It is detachment from the world. Therefore does the Lord, as a father, address the paralytic, with the word “son”…

Circumcision, in Heart and Ears

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

(Luke 2:20-21, 40)

In order for us to understand more easily the event of the circumcision of the Godman Christ, we should first recall two things. Firstly, Christ’s words, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:17-18). And secondly, all that the Godman has done in the Divine Dispensation, He has done for us and our salvation, not for Himself.

Reading today’s Gospel passage, I recalled the prayer we say at the end of the Divine Liturgy before the Holy Chalice at the altar table: “Christ our God, You are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets; You have fulfilled the entire saving Dispensation of the Father, constantly fill our hearts with joy and delight, now, always and forever and for endless ages. Amen.”

If we carefully observe this prayer, we will recognize in it the historical periods of the Old and the New Testaments as well as the endless period of the Heavenly Kingdom, which already is and is not yet. In the language of Orthodox theology, these periods are also called: ‘Shadow,’ ‘Icon,’ and ‘Truth.’ As regards our personal (and communal) spiritual life, these periods correspond with the three stages of spiritual development: purification of the heart from the passions, illumination of the mind, and deification of the whole person, both body and soul. Exactly because of the reference to these three levels, I would like us to discuss about today’s Gospel reading.

If we want to see at which level of spiritual development we are—that is, whether we are at the level of purification or illumination, i.e., whether we live in line with the Old or with the New Testament—we should only check which criteria we fulfill. Certainly, here there are many shades in the behavior, i.e., whether or not we struggle and what our first reaction is like after the suffered injury to our vanity and high self-esteem. Here is what the Old Testament says: If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured. Whoever kills a man must be put to death (Lev. 24:19-21). And here is what the New Testament says: “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:39). “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). I think that with but a little sincerity and self-criticism, we will easily get to the answer.

To him who does not want to—it is not that he cannot—be self-critical, apply the words of the Holy Proto-martyr Stephen: “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you” (Acts 7:51). Explained further by the Holy Apostle Paul, these words mean: he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God (Rom. 2:28-29).

Certainly, there are even clearer criteria concerning at which level we find ourselves, which you know, and it is that at the first stage of spiritual development prayer can be only oral and of the intellect, while at the second stage it can be also prayer of the mind and heart. At the third stage, prayer can be only unceasing mind-and-heart prayer. This time that is not the central theme, though.

It is good that we all recall and never lose sight of that, as regards common spiritual development, jumping to a subsequent level is not possible without passing through and fulfilling the preceding one. “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). These words mean nothing but this: If we do not purify our heart from the passions sufficiently, we will never receive God’s gift of ‘opening of the heart’ and our mind will never prayerfully enter the narrow gate of the heart that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Meeting with the Mystery of Christ

Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “ Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

(Luke 2:22-40)

Because of the union by Hypostasis, the Godman Christ did not have the need, as God—as a complex Divine Hypostasis that contains within it two natures united unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, and inseparably—Himself to fulfill any rule or custom of the Old Testament Law. Neither did He need circumcision on the eighth day, nor to be presented before God in the temple on the fortieth day, nor sacrifices offered for purification, nor obedience to His parents, nor anything that according to the Law was to be fulfilled.

But, why are we talking about the Old Testament Law? He Himself did not have the need either of Baptism, or Transfiguration, or of the Mystical Supper, or of Crucifixion, or of death and Burial, or of Resurrection on the third day, or Ascension! Thus, naturally, the question logically imposes itself: Why then does this whole Divine Economy (Dispensation) take place, this divine intervention among people in the world and time? The answer is the same as we read in the Creed: “For us and for our salvation”…! Out of love we are created, and out of love, after the fall, we are saved.

The consequences of the fall, in human nature, could not have been healed if it had not become the nature of the Son of God, too, and if in this manner it had not passed the entire human road of life—from birth, through suffering, up to death itself, and resurrection. Christ the Godman adopted even death itself in order to destroy it with His Resurrection. Nonetheless, Christ assumed only the incorruptible passions of human nature, consequences of Adam’s sin and fall: hunger, thirst, fatigue, effort, suffering, tears, fear prior to death and death itself, and all the others that by nature appertain to every human being. The Godman took on Him all except for sin, that is, susceptibility to sin.

Fr John Meyendorff, in accordance with Saint Leontius of Jerusalem, says: “The pre-eternal Logos is the agent [of any suffering and] of the death of Christ, since there is no other personal agent in Christ apart from the Logos—only ‘someone’ can die, not ‘something’ or nature or flesh.” The Son and Logos of God is the agent of the sufferings, yet voluntarily, not due to human nature being susceptible to suffering. This personal aspect of Orthodox Christology must always be particularly emphasized.

Therefore, the Godman Christ is He Who saves us, first of all with His Person, as Godman, and as such, with all His divine-human and salvific works and events of His life: birth, baptism, transfiguration, crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending and voluntary descent of the Lord Holy Spirit; also with the foundation of the New Testament Church as Body of Christ.

As the beacon of Orthodoxy, Saint Gregory Palamas says, “Jesus’ human nature in the hypostatic sense is one with the Logos; in it the divine energies, which have the Logos as their source, penetrate into the created nature and deify it.” And, as we have also learned from this Holy Father, this union by Hypostasis and such deification of Jesus Christ’s human nature becomes the spring of divine life and deification to all who are in Him, to all who are in the Church and live in its Holy Mysteries and with its holy virtues.

A long time ago I read somewhere—in Abba Justin Popović, if I remember correctly—that we, Orthodox Christians, are Christ extended through all the centuries, that Christ lives our life and we live His life. Meeting the Mystery Christ all the time in our life and living this Mystery, we notice that Christ the Godman, through His life, guides us and shows us the three stages of spiritual development. Through them, it goes without saying, we should pass, it is not that He has passed through them.

From His Conception and Nativity and up until His Baptism, the Lord shows us the stage of purification of the heart from passions. What else does He show us? Christ shows us very clearly and powerfully that if we want to pass through this stage and surpass it properly and without hindrances, the only way in which we could possibly do this is, mainly, through absolute obedience to our spiritual father. Take a look at Christ, Who, although God, is obedient to perfection to His Mother and the Righteous Joseph as well as to the rules of the Law, and all this up to His thirtieth year of age. What can I say about us in the present who come to a monastery as if we do not have the slightest idea of what is happening to us, let alone to surrender our mind voluntarily under submission, i.e., under spiritual guidance to our spiritual father?! Yet we desire mind-and-heart prayer and high spiritual achievements? We should be so lucky, there is no danger of that…! On top of it, we are under the delusion that we know something and that we have some illumination. Moreover, we spiritually self-guide all the time, and even desire to guide others… As for the train of delusions that ensues, I have neither time nor room to talk about it now. We see them all around us…

From His Baptism until His Burial, Christ shows us the stage of illumination of the mind. What else? He shows us rather clearly and powerfully that if we wish to pass through and surpass this stage properly and without obstacles, we can do it in no other way but, chiefly, through much-suffering love for our enemies and through several-hours burial of our mind in the depths of our heart daily.

From His Resurrection and up until His Ascension, Christ shows us the stage of deification of our person, both body and soul. What else does He show us? I do not know, we will see…

My children, it is up to us to show whether we desire to meet Christ and take Him in our arms by the end of our life; or we desire to meet Him and embrace Him in our heart as early as in our youth, as the fountain of undiluted joy, light and power; or we desire to cry out with ineffable joy just like the Apostle: It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20)...

Union by Essence, Union by Hypostasis, and Union by Energy

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

(Matthew 3:13-17)

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem says, “The beginning of the world is water; the beginning of the Gospel is the Jordan. When Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, that mystery, which in the Old Testament had only been heralded, about which in Egypt and India had been spoken solely in fables, was revealed to the world: the mystery of the Divine Trinity. The Father made Himself manifest to the sense of hearing, the Spirit to the sense of sight, and the Son even to the sense of touch. The Father spoke His testimony about the Son, the Son was baptized in the water, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove was soaring above the water.” During the Baptism of the Godman Jesus Christ, God for the first time clearly and finally manifested Himself as Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Hence, we have grounds for talking about pure theology, i.e., Triadology, i.e., about the Hypostases of the Holy Trinity and about the relations between Them from before ages, also about the union by Essence. We likewise have reason to talk about Divine Dispensation (Economy), about the creation and salvation of the world and man—by the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. Within the frames of this, we also have the motive to talk about Christology and about union by Hypostasis. The Holy Apostle Paul says, “we speak wisdom among those who are mature” (1 Cor. 2:6); we will therefore adapt our sermon regarding both our abilities and the receptiveness of those who are listening to us, and we will talk about union by divine energy and about the preparation for that union.

Christ is He Who saves us, first of all with His Person, as Godman, and as such with all His divine-human and saving deeds and events of His life: with His nativity, baptism, transfiguration, crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension, and with the descent (sending down) of the Holy Spirit. Therefore does the entire Divine Dispensation of man’s salvation, accomplished in the Godman Jesus Christ, have soteriological (saving) character and meaning, and the term “salvation” is a basic notion in Orthodox spiritual life.

Nevertheless, let us not forget, the Godman Christ does not have any personal need of what He does, of the whole Dispensation of salvation, but He does it all only for us and our salvation. Namely, Christ has no need of baptism, but He does it solely for us and our salvation. According to Saint Gregory Palamas, “Union by hypostasis was accomplished in Christ. Therefore the human nature of Jesus in the hypostatic sense is one with the Logos; in it the divine energies, which have the Logos as their source, penetrate into the created nature and deify it.” Therein lies the difference between Christ and Christians, i.e., between hypostatic possession of divine life because of union by hypostasis—on the one hand, and deification through grace and personal communion with God because of union through energy, to which every man is called—on the other hand. This union by energy, in the Church, which is the Body of Christ, becomes accessible to all who participate in the Holy Mysteries of the Holy Spirit. Thus Christ, with His Baptism, established the Holy Mystery of Baptism, sanctified the waters of the Jordan, and even sanctified John the Baptist himself, who baptized Him.

Baptism and Chrismation in the Orthodox Church are performed together, one after the other. Holy Eucharist is at the same time the aim, the seal, and the fulfillment of Baptism and Chrismation. Holy Baptism is putting on Christ Himself (For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ—Gal. 3:27), at which all the baptized, as members, unite in one Christ Jesus (see Gal. 3:28), that is, in one Body, the Head of which is Christ and all the members are at the same time His and (individually) members to one another (see 1 Cor. 12:27). “Baptism,” Saint Nicholas Cabasilas writes, “is nothing but birth for Christ and receiving our true being and our true nature. The day of baptism becomes a nameday for the Christians, since then they are formed and shaped, and our formless and indefinite life takes form and definability.” Baptism in Christ is participation in His death and resurrection through the triple total immersion in water and renewal of our nature, that is, crucifixion of our old man with Him, so that the body of sin might be done away with and we could walk in newness of life (see Rom. 6:2-11).

Participation in the Holy Mystery of Chrismation is revival of every member individually through receiving the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, i.e., through reception of uncreated grace and participation of all the faithful in the communion of the One Spirit. In this manner the Church, i.e., all the faithful become one body and one Spirit (Eph. 4:4). The receiving of the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit explains the evangelical “putting new wine into new wineskins” (Matthew 9:17). Through the Holy Mysteries of Baptism and Chrismation man receives the new life, he receives the fullness of God’s grace in his heart. “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). The one baptized receives the Gift-giver and Gift-bearer Himself, the Lord Holy Spirit, the Spirit of adoption, Who with ineffable sighs from within his heart cries out, “Abba, Father!” (Rom. 8:15). The biune Holy Mystery of Baptism and Chrismation, as we underlined above, is fulfilled and sealed with the receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ on the part of the newly baptized.

Holy Baptism is also called Holy Illumination. Why? It is so because the essence of the catechumens’ preparation for Holy Baptism, which could last even up to three years, is that in this period they be instructed how to purify their heart from the passions and how to fortify themselves in that science of sciences and art of arts. Consequently, along with Baptism, they could also receive the gift of illumination of the mind and the mind-and-heart prayer. Thus, new wine is not put into old wineskins. In the first period of persecutions against the Church, the receiving of these gifts was under less strict conditions for those who desired to be baptized, among else, also due to the fact that they simultaneously embraced the danger to become martyrs, too.

The receiving of the gift of Great Schema or Great Angelic Habit is also called Illumination. Why? Because the essence of the preparation for receiving the Great Schema of the novices or rasophore monks, which lasts around three years, is that in this period they be instructed how to purify their heart from the passions and pray in it, and how to fortify themselves in that science of sciences and art of arts. Consequently, along with the Great Schema they can also receive the gift of illumination of the mind and the mind-and-heart prayer. Hence, new wine is not put into old wineskins. Receiving of these gifts is under less strict conditions for those who desire to be tonsured into the Great Schema, among other things, also because of the fact that at the same time they offer their entire life to Christ and become martyrs by conscience.

All who have entered the spiritual age of illumination can preach publicly with a word about Christ and about the mysteries of the Kingdom; whereas, he who is still at the spiritual age degree of purification of the heart from the passions can confess Christ and the Kingdom he is waiting to come only with humility, with absolute obedience, and with silence, with the way of life correspondent to the degree.

Do we not see all this in Christ’s example as well? The Godman Jesus Christ until the age of thirty was anonymous and was obedient to His parents, although He could have performed all the miracles and preaching since His earliest youth. Only after His Baptism and the sign of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and the opening of the heavens for human nature and the confirmation by the Father does the Godman Christ set out to preach. And, He does all this for our instruction. Nowadays, without the gift of mind-and-heart prayer and without illumination of the mind and without but a little knowledge of the mysteries of the Heavenly Kingdom, we judge and condemn so easily, preach so easily, discuss so easily on subjects that are beyond our place in the Church and our spiritual knowledge, and we so easily and with arrogance correct the people we think have erred—occurrences that make every normal man wonder. Do we not close thus the road to our heart and to the Heavenly Kingdom once and for all? Let us watch out, there is a scheme of things, particularly in Orthodox spiritual life!

Saint Gregory the Theologian asks, “What should we know, what should we learn [from Jesus’ Baptism]?,” and answers, “That we must first purify ourselves, and think humbly, and preach in the perfection of both spiritual and physical age. The first thing refers to those who decide to get baptized and are neither prepared nor do they fortify their redemption through the acquired habit of doing good. For, if the gift of grace—and it is a gift of grace!—grants absolution of past sins, then it [purification] is even worthier of respect, so that we do not return to our own vomit. The second thing refers to those who exalt themselves above the stewards of the Holy Mysteries, if some dignifying position makes them distinguished. The third thing refers to those who take courage in their youth (and learning), so they consider any time to be a good opportunity to teach others or to preside (over others). Jesus is purified, and you despise purification? He receives it from John, and you go against your spiritual father. He is at the age of thirty, and you, still beardless, teach the elders—or think that you teach them—while neither with your (spiritual) age nor with any manner of your behavior do you deserve respect…”

The same Father, in his sermon on Holy Illumination (Theophany), speaks about Baptism in blood and about Baptism in tears. If the first seems terrifying to us, who prevents us from the second? Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov in his works has a whole chapter on how we should force ourselves to tears, mourning, and repentance in order to renew the soul’s white vestment, darkened by delusion and sins after Holy Baptism.

We are justly condemned…

And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

(Luke 23:33-43)

The historical event, related in the Holy Gospel, of Christ’s crucifixion on the Cross, between the two thieves, who were also crucified on two other crosses, is perhaps one of the most truthful images in which we can recognize the state of all people, in relation to God just as in relation to themselves.

The cross is all our sufferings—whether or not of our own volition—which we encounter on the narrow evangelical road of fulfillment of God’s commandments. The cross can remain only a great punishment for those who do not repent for their sins. It is not that God punishes us, rather, we punish ourselves by detaching from God and joining the devil through fulfillment of the devil’s will. The accomplishment of the demonic will is nothing but sin, absence of grace, falling from God, suffering and illness of body and soul, and eventually death, with no hope.

We can all see and recognize ourselves in one of the two thieves. We all are carrying our cross, only that some of us give thanks to God for their cross and carry it with patience and humility, aware of their sinfulness and imperfection, whereas others blaspheme God because of their cross. To those who give thanks to God, the cross helps to purify their heart from the passions, to illumine their mind, and to become deified. To those who blaspheme God, the cross remains merely an unbearable burden and an incomprehensible and unendurable punishment. Certainly, you have in mind that I am telling you about the general line, not about the occasional oscillations. Also, self-knowledge in relation to God and gratitude for the cross that God has granted us are inseparable.

Only he who gives thanks to God for his sufferings and has become aware in himself that he truly deserves them can carry his cross with patience and humility. The greater the suffering we experience and the more sincerely and from all our heart we give thanks to God for that, the more grace from God we attract to ourselves. God’s grace, for its part, is what gives us strength to endure the sufferings, what consoles us in sufferings and what even makes us forget about them. Or, in other words, God’s grace is what purifies, illumines, and perfects us, depending on the stage of spiritual development at which we are carrying our cross.

A truly beautiful evangelical model of proper carrying of one’s cross is the thief crucified together with Christ, to whom, at the moment when he confesses his sinfulness, humbly and enduring the sufferings without blaspheming (“We are justly under condemnation, for we receive the due reward for our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong”) his eyes open so he can see and recognize the crucified Godman: then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” It is obvious that the thief experiences not only opening of his eyes so he can recognize Christ—that is to say, not only that he receives the gift of illumination, but he also experiences revelation of the mystery of the whole Dispensation of salvation, the mystery of the Heavenly Kingdom.

In contrast to the thief, who as a starting position for receiving this gift of God has only the awareness of his sinfulness and the proper confession with thankfulness, today, we as a criterion and foundation of our Christian existence and activity, have Christ’s word and deed, the perfect love of God the Father (see Matthew 5:44-48) and the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have the unity of faith and the conciliar union of the Holy Spirit both among us and with our Fathers, who with their everliving model continuously enlighten our life and existence in the Church. Therefore we must not let that happen: to discover the Heavenly Kingdom within us by the end of our life (if we discover it at all even then), enduring with gratitude various illnesses and sufferings; we should attain this already in our youth, offering our whole life to the Godman Christ, unreservedly.

We should know two more spiritual laws. Firstly, we recognize God’s love also in that he allows us to suffer only as much as it is necessary for our salvation, not as much as we have deserved, according to the sin committed. If God judged us only in conformity with how we judge other people, let alone in conformity with our sins, then we had better not be born! Glory to You, Lord! God’s justice is love, not paying back evil for evil. Such should be also the justice of everyone who wants to call oneself a Christian. And secondly, the cross of him who is at the first degree of spiritual development, purification, consists in the struggle of purification of his heart from passions through perfect obedience and through blaming himself for every evil that happens. The cross of him who is at the second degree of spiritual development, illumination, consists in the many-hours practice of prayer of the mind in the heart and in the love toward the enemies. The cross of him who is at the third degree of spiritual development, deification, according to the Holy Fathers, consists in the mourning for the whole Adam…

However, I am not talking about a Cross without Resurrection! And I am not talking about a Cross that simultaneously in itself does not bring also the power, the consolation and the uncreated light of the Resurrection!

The Children of the Light

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

(John 1:1-17)

Every year at Pascha, we, all the Orthodox Christians, are given the opportunity for Christ’s Resurrection to become also our personal and our catholic (joint) resurrection, for Christ’s Resurrection to become our essential liberation from slavery, and even from the fatal and decisive influence of the passions, the demon, sin, and death in our life. The passions of vainglory (unscrupulous struggle for human glory and power), avarice (unscrupulous struggle for money and possessions), and pleasure-indulgence (unscrupulous struggle for satisfaction of the basest physical drives) are the Trojan horse in our soul, through which the demon, sin, and death enter within. Thus, on the day of Christ’s Resurrection, we are all called to free ourselves from hellish slavery—which brings us only misfortunes, illnesses, enmity, and sufferings—and to become children of the Light instead. He who wants to know how to reach this and what it means, let him continue reading further on. He who wants to stay in the darkness and under the shadow of death, had better not read…

For us, graceful participation in the saving events of the life of the Godman Christ—something the Church liturgically offers us in its annual cycle of worship—should not be limited merely to its outward manifestation and meaning, which is short-lived; it should rather be discovered and experienced in its inner essence and dimension as well, which lasts forever. Thus for instance, in order to truly participate in and experience the days of the Holy Week—Holy Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Resurrection Sunday—that is, in order to truly participate in and experience Christ’s Crucifixion, Christ’s Burial, and Christ’s Resurrection, we need to go through the three spiritual states in our personal spiritual life, too: crucifixion of the mind, burial of the mind, and resurrection of the mind.

We highlight the mind as a criterion of our spiritual state, because both man’s fall and healing start from it. The fallen mind is proud, scattered around the world through passions, and darkened. The healed mind is humble, collected in God through prayer, and illumined. In the end, with an example, I will explain to you what the consequences are of the two states respectively.

The first prayerful state of the mind comes about when man, in the spirit of repentance, because of his distance from and unlikeness with Christ, assisted by his will and desire, collects his mind in the words of the prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me (us).” Pure prayer is a herald at the end of this prayerful state and a transition to the next one. We nail the mind on the cross of the prayer words and do not let it wander and be distracted, allured by the world and its passions. This struggle demands great effort, and this is the crucifixion, i.e., Holy Friday of the mind.

The second prayerful state of the mind occurs when man, in the spirit of repentance, assisted by his will and desire, collects his mind in the words of the prayer, yet this time inside his sufficiently purified from passions and therefore opened heart, uniting there with baptismal grace, with God. This prayer, called also mind-and-heart prayer, is a special gift of God. Pure prayer is a harbinger at the end of this prayerful state, too, and a transition to the following one. We bury the mind, which is collected in the prayer words, in our heart’s depths, and it becomes dead to worldly cares and appeals. This is the burial, i.e., Holy Saturday of the mind. The man who reaches this state from then on abides in undiluted inner joy and light.

The third prayerful state of the mind takes place when, although the man is sleeping, or talking, or reading, or doing anything else, his mind is at the same time immersed in the prayer words, united unceasingly in the heart with God. This prayer, which is also called unceasing mind-and-heart prayer, is an exceptional gift of God, which, according to the Holy Fathers, is given to only (scarcely) one pursuer in every generation. When in this prayerful state, the mind may experience divine rapture (or ecstasy) and beholding of the uncreated divine light. Contemplation of the divine light is a forerunner of the end of this prayerful state. This is the Resurrection of the mind.

Thus, if we wish to truly participate in and experience Christ’s Crucifixion, Christ’s Burial, and Christ’s Resurrection, it is necessary that we, led by our spiritual father, pass through the three prayerful states of the mind: its crucifixion in concentration in prayer, its burial inside the graceful area of the heart, and its resurrection permeated by divine light—that is, it is necessary that we pass through the three stages of spiritual growth: purification of the heart, illumination of the mind, and deification of the whole man.

Although there are distinctive spiritual phenomena as discrimination between the spiritual states, we should all the same know that the more man purifies his heart, the more his mind is illumined, and the more he is deified as a unique person. The more we nail and crucify the mind in concentration, the more we will bury it in the heart and illumine it, and the more we will deify and raise it. We do not have much choice: our mind will either be scattered around the world through the passions and darkened, and we will be children of the darkness; or it will be collected in God through the prayer and illumined, and we will be the children of the Light, i.e. sons of God.

The children of Light are often misunderstood by the children of the darkness of this world. The children of Light even seem terrifying and dangerous to the children of the darkness of this world, particularly if the latter occupy certain positions of human power and glory—or think they possess some. The children of the darkness think and feel they are threatened by the children of Light. However, the children of the darkness do not know that they neither feel nor distinguish the dark thoughts, words, and deeds springing from their heart. Darkness does not bother darkness. And they do not know that the children of Light cannot even for a moment stand a dark thought, let alone a word or a deed. The children of Light quickly get rid of even a single dark thought. The dark can be noticed immediately and it is disturbing in the light. The greater the light, the smaller the darkness it can stand. The children of Light are incapable of doing evil. Therefore the children of the darkness not in a single case should fear the children of Light, but only their dark deeds and God, Who has given them all salvific time for repentance and Who guards His children.

Christ is risen!

Unworthy Servants

“And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.

So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

(Luke 17:7-10)

It is evident that the overarching theme of today’s Gospel is the humility, which Lord Jesus Christ desires to teach us. Consequently, now we should talk about the mind and its fall into pride, distraction, and darkness. Then we should continue with absolute obedience as the sole way in which we prevent the nourishment of the passion of the mind—pride, and as the sole remedy for healing of our fallen mind. Given that, on one hand, I have told you about this many times by now, and on the other, I was reminded of another aspect of the struggle of humility by today’s Gospel, I would like to draw your attention to the following:

The first thing that came to my mind after reading the Gospel, were those moments of our spiritual life when we suffer an attack with which a demon or a man desires to cause or awaken the passion of high opinion of ourselves and to misguide us into fall, in condemnation or in paying back evil with evil. For instance, we all have those thoughts cross our mind after registering the information in our intellect about the suffered attack, along the lines of: “How could he do that to me?”; “How could he say that about me?”; “Who knows what he thinks of me now?”; and so forth… How should we protect ourselves from these thoughts? By humbling ourselves and condemning ourselves far worse than what is being done to us, than what we hear is being spoken about us, and than what we suppose or what the demon is whispering that is being thought about us: “Yes, I am indeed such and such and that is what I deserve, and far worse than what is being done to me now!”

After such self-condemnation, we ought to pray for our enemies. We say the prayer until the moment when the peace we used to have is restored within ourselves and with the enemy. The best would be to stay in prayer until we start shedding tears of repentance, in which we will see that it is our fault for everything… Anyone who looks for the fault in anything or in any case outside of himself, is leaving the path of our Fathers, is leaving the path which leads to the heart, is leaving the narrow path to the Kingdom of Heaven and to the Heavenly King… And, there is no other path to the Lord!

Yet, let us go back more concretely to today’s Gospel. I think that it is clear to us all: The Lord desires to preserve us from pride, from high opinion of ourselves, even if we fulfilled all that was commanded us. Lord Jesus Christ is showing us the way to humility. Still, the Lord’s advice in it only refers to those who would possibly fulfill all that was commanded them. How can we, who do not fulfill what we have been commanded, humble ourselves? And if unworthy servants are those who did fulfill, then what are we like, who did not fulfill? We know what the Master said to the servant who did not use the talent He gave him so that he could serve Him appropriately: “You wicked and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed; so you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest” (Matthew 25:26-27). So the answer is: wicked and lazy servant! It seems that from ‘wicked and lazy servant’ one must go a long way as to arrive at ‘unworthy’…

The question is: can we fulfill what we have been commanded, even if we tried to fulfill it? This question especially refers to all those who are bearers of some of the three clerical ranks. Since all of us, by God’s permission, and not by God’s will, bear the clerical ranks that we do, we would not be able to fulfill what God expects from us, even if we wanted to, because of inadequate inner spiritual coverage. For example, the word of the illumined one bears one kind of power, while the word of the one who morally and intellectually edifies himself bears another, whereas the power of the one who does not work on himself is a whole different thing. Let me not speak of the miracle-working word of the deified one.

Lord, forgive me and be merciful to me, a sinner…

Table of Contents

Dedication

Copyright

Preface

Introduction

A Key to Understanding the Orthodox Spiritual Life and the Interpreted Gospel Readings

The Tempting in the Wilderness

The Invited to the Wedding

The Killer of Repentance

The Vinedressers

When I return, I will repay you

Renunciation of Christ for the world or extreme renunciation of the world for Christ

Dining with Sinners

My yoke is easy and My burden is light…

The Woman of Canaan

The Woman of Canaan

Do not rejoice in My gifts, but rather rejoice in Me

Whether We Live or Die, We Are Our Lord’s

The Widow with the Two Mites

Judge not, that you be not judged

Grace from Our Hearts Manifests Itself as Non-Condemnation, Forgiveness, and Love

All these things I have kept from my youth

And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

We cannot serve both God and mammon

The evil inside you corrupts

Do you love me?

A Time for Fear and Paranoia or a Time for Repentance

The Mystery of the Cross of Christ in Our Life

Lord, that I may receive my sight!

The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few…

Choosing the ‘Better Part’

Choosing the ‘Better Part’

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

On ‘the Lowest Place’

A Full Man

The Demon-Possessed Men

On the Woman with a Flow of Blood and on Jairus’ Daughter

If you were of the world, the world would love its own

Whose will those things be which you have provided?

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit

Homework

True Testimony

Have Faith in God…

Neither will I tell you…

The Light of the World

The Repentance of Zacchaeus

The Tax Collector’s Ascetical Mourning

The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son

The Dreadful Judgment Seat

Forgiveness, in practice

Fulfilled Prayer

Healing of the Paralytic

Circumcision, in Heart and Ears

Meeting with the Mystery of Christ

Union by Essence, Union by Hypostasis, and Union by Energy

We are justly condemned…

The Children of the Light

Unworthy Servants