Body of the Church

September 4, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Tuesday. [II Cor. 12:20-13:2; Mark 4:24-34] The parable about the grad?ual growth of wheat from seed por?trays, with respect to each man, the gradual growth of what is hidden in a man’s heart, sown and watched over by God’s grace, while with re?spect to mankind — the gradual in?crease in the body of the Church or the community of those saved in the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the order established by Him. Through this parable the question is settled: why to this day is Christianity not universal? Just as a man who has cast seed into the ground sleeps and rises, and the seed sprouts and grows up on its own without his knowing how, so the Lord, placing the seed of Divine life on the ground has given it freedom to spread on its own, subordinating it to the natural flow of events, and not forcing them. He only watches over the seed, assists it in individual circum?stances and gives the general direc?tion. The reason for this lies in man’s freedom. The Lord wants man to submit to Him on his own, and awaits the inclination of his freedom; this affair takes time. If all depended only on God’s will, every?one would have been a Christian long ago. Another thought: the body of the Church is being created in heaven; from the earth enter only materials, formed also by heavenly agents. The word passes over the earth from heaven and attracts those who desire it. Those who take heed and follow enter, like raw ma?terial, into God’s laboratory, the Church, and here are remade ac?cording to patterns given from heaven. Those who are remade, up?on departure from this life, pass in?to heaven and there enter into the house of God, each where he is fit. This goes on continuously, and con?sequently the work of God does not stand still. A universal solemn cele?bration of Christianity is not requir?ed for this. The house of God is cre?ated invisibly.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness

August 30, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Thursday. [II Cor. 10:7-18; Mark 3:28-35] He that shall blaspheme a?gainst the Holy Ghost hath never for?giveness. Does it take long to fall in?to this terrible sin? Not long at all, for behold the sins of this nature: “great or excessive hope in God’s grace; despair or lack of hope in God’s compassion; contradicting manifest and confirmed truth, and rejection of the Orthodox Christian faith. Some add to this jealousy over spiritual gifts which a close one re?ceives from God; obstinacy in sin and chronic wickedness; careless?ness about repentance before de?parture from this life” (Orthodox Confession part 3, question 38). See how many paths! Begin to walk any of these and it will be difficult to re?turn; it will carry you to a devour?ing abyss. Opposition to the truth begins with small doubts, arising through evil words or writing. If you leave them without paying at?tention to them or treating them, they will lead to unbelief and obsti?nacy in it. People also reach despair unnoticeably: “I will repent,” they say, and then sin. Thus it goes on several times; then, seeing that re?pentance does not come, they say to themselves, “So let it be, you cannot control yourself,” and then give themselves over to sin in its full power. A chasm of sins gathers; and at the same time they tolerate a chasm of opposition to the obvious calling of God’s grace. When in such a condition a person comes to the thought of improving himself, the multitude of his sins restrains him, while his opposition to grace takes away his boldness to approach the Lord. He then decides, “My guilt is too great to have it be remitted.” This is despair! Beware of the rudi?ments of unbelief and love of sin, and you will not fall into this chasm.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

A Kingdom Divided Against Itself

August 29, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Wednesday. [II Cor. 9:12-10:7; Mark 3:20-27] If a kingdom be divided a?gainst itself, that kingdom cannot stand. While single-mindedness for sinful evil is the quality within us, the kingdom of darkness and sin is strong in us; but when God’s grace attracts to itself the part of the spirit held captive by sin, freeing it from captivity, then there occurs a divi?sion within: sin on the one side, good on the other. As soon as a per?son unites his consciousness and freedom with good as a result of this awakening, sin loses all support and starts to decay. Constancy in the good intention taken on and pa?tience in labours completely thwart sin and destroy it. Then begins the kingdom of good within, and it re?mains until some evil thought steals in, and, attracting the will to itself, once again brings about divisions. Just give entrance to the sinful stirring which has arisen, unite with it and set it in action, and again good will begin to weaken, and evil will grow, until it destroys the good entirely. This is the nearly continu?ous history of the inner life of those who are weak-hearted and do not have a strong disposition.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Life is in the heart

August 21, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Tuesday. [II Cor. 5:15-21; Mark 1:16-22] The Lord taught in the Caperna?um synagogue, and everyone mar?velled at His teaching: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the Scribes. This authority is not a commanding tone, but the power of influence on souls and hearts. His Word entered within, and bound itself to human con?sciences, showing that all was as He said. This is how a word which is imbued with Divine power, a word from the Spirit, or an anointed word always is. This is how it was with the holy apostles, and after them, with all influential teachers. They spoke not from learnedness, but as the spirit gave them the gift of prophesy. It is a gift of God which can only be acquired through labors to master it in one’s heart and life, and not just by learning. Wherever this occurs the word is imbued with cogency, because it moves from heart to heart; in this is the power of the word over souls. Scribes, speaking and writing from their learnedness, are not given such power, because they speak from their head and mix into their head their own philosophizing. Life is not found in the head, but only life’s surface. Life is in the heart, and on?ly what comes forth from the heart can influence the currents of life.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

The Kingdome of God is at hand

August 20, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Monday. [II Cor. 5:10-15; Mark 1:9-15] The Lord began His sermon thus: The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel. At the end of the ages it will also be said: the time is fulfilled, the kingdom is at hand; but this statement will not be followed by repent ye, and believe but “come out to the judgment.” The time for repentance and labours of self-improvement is ended; let ev?eryone give an account of what good or evil things he did in his bod?y. And so, while there is time, hurry to use this time unto your salvation. The Father’s embrace is open for the acceptance of all who come with a sincere feeling of contrition about the past, and with a desire to serve God henceforth by zealous fulfill?ment of His holy commandments. For each of us the end of this age is death: it is the door to the other life. Look into it more often and deter?mine for yourself more truly: what then? And having determined this without pitying yourself, begin laboring to prepare what is not ready, to enter the place where joy is unending. Labor to push aside all that could give the servants of outer darkness the right to prevail over us and carry us away to their realm, from whence there will no longer be a way out.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Forgiveness

August 20, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost. [I Cor. 9:2-12; Matt. 18:23-35] The Lord concluded the parable about the two debtors with the following words: So likewise shall My Heaven?ly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. It would seem that such a small thing is needed: forgive and you will be for?given. When you are forgiven, you are brought into mercy; and when you are brought into mercy, you have become a participant in all the treasures of mercy. So here is salva?tion, and paradise, and eternal bliss. What a great acquisition for such a small thing as forgiving!… Yes, it is a small thing, but for our self-love there is nothing more difficult than to forgive. We still perhaps forgive some unintentional annoyance dealt us in private so that nobody sees; but if it is just a bit more sensi?tive, and in front of people, do not even ask — no forgiveness. There are circumstances when whether you want to or not, you are not al?lowed to express your displeasure — and so you remain silent. Howev?er, only your tongue is silent —meanwhile your heart speaks and builds evil plans. Raise the annoy?ance yet another degree — and there is no restraint. Neither shame, nor fear, nor loss, nor any other thing will restrain you. Egoism which has reached the boiling point makes a person as though insane, and he who gives in to it begins to talk foolishness. The people most subject to this misfortunate state are usually not just anybody — the more civilized one is, the more sen?sitive he is to insults, and the less forgiving. Relations will often re?main smooth on the surface, but in?wardly there is clearly discord. Meanwhile, the Lord requires that we forgive with our whole heart.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Ye know not, what hour your Lord doth come

August 17, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Friday. [II Cor. 4:13-18; Matt. 24:27-33, 42-51] Watch; for ye know not, what hour your Lord doth come. If only this were remembered, there would be no sinners. But it is not re?membered, although everyone knows that it is unquestionably true. Even the strictest ascetics were not strong enough to easily keep this in mind, and made efforts to fix it in their consciousness so that it would not leave — one kept a coffin in his cell, another begged his co-as?cetics to ask about his coffin and grave, another kept pictures of death and judgment, another in oth?er ways. If death does not touch a soul, the soul does not remember it. But in no way can what immediate?ly follows death not touch a soul; a soul cannot but be concerned about this, since it is the judgment of its fate for eternal ages. Why does a soul not remember this? It deceives itself that death will come not soon, and that perhaps somehow things won’t go badly for us. How bitter! It goes without saying that a soul which abides in such thoughts is careless and self-indulgent. So, how can it think that judgment will go favorably for it? No, one must be?have like a student who is facing an exam: no matter what he does, the exam does not leave his head; such remembrance does not allow him to waste even a minute in vain, and he uses all his time to prepare for the exam. When will we acquire a mindset like this!

Saint Theophan the Recluse

He that shall endure unto the end shall be saved

August 16, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Thursday. [II Cor. 4:1-6; Matt. 24:13-28] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Howev?er, not everyone who endures will be saved, but only he who endures on the Lord’s path. This life is given to us for that reason — to endure; everyone endures something, even through to the very end. But enduring does not lead to benefit if it is not for the sake of the Lord and His holy Gospels. Step onto the path of faith and the Gospel command?ments; occasions to endure will multiply, but from that moment en?durance will begin to bring forth crowns. That endurance, which be?fore was empty, will be made fruit?ful. With what blindness does the enemy surround us, that only the endurance which is encountered on the path of good seems heavy and unbearable; but what he inflicts on those who serve the passions seems light and free, although it is actually heavier and more dismal than what people bear in struggling with the passions and opposing the enemy! But we are blind, and do not see this… We labour, endure, and strain ourselves to the breaking point for the sake of the enemy, and unto our own perdition.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Prayer and Fasting

August 13, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. [I Cor. 4:9-16; Matt. 17:14-23] This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fast?ing. If this kind goes out by the prayer and fasting of another per?son, then it is even less able to enter one who fasts and prays. What pro?tection! Although there are a slew of demons and all the air is packed with them, they cannot do anything to one who is protected by prayer and fasting. Fasting is universal temperance, prayer is universal communication with God; the for?mer defends from the outside, whereas the latter from within di?rects a fiery weapon against the en?emies. The demons can sense a faster and man of prayer from a dis?tance, and they run far away from him so as avoid a painful blow. Is it feasible to think that where there is no fasting and prayer, there already is a demon? Yes, it is. The demons lodging in a person, do not always reveal their presence, but lurk there, stealthily teaching their host every evil and turning him away from every good thing; so this per?son is certain that he is doing every?thing on his own, but meanwhile he is only fulfilling the will of his ene?my. Just commence prayer and fast?ing and the enemy will immediately depart, then wait on the side for an opportunity to somehow return again. And he truly will return, as soon as prayer and fasting are abandoned.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Spiritual Life

August 10, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Friday. [II Cor. 1:12-20; Matt. 22:23-33] The Lord said of the future life that people there do not marry and are not given in marriage — that is, our everyday earthly relationships will have no place there. It would follow that none of the norms of earthly life will either. Neither sci?ence, nor art, nor governments, nor anything else will exist. What will there be? God will be all in all. And since God is spirit, He unites with the spirit and acts on what is spiri?tual, all life there will be a continu?ous flow of spiritual movements. There can be only one conclusion drawn from this: since our goal is the future life, and what is here is only a preparation for it, then to spend all the time of one’s life only on what is appropriate in this life alone and has no relevance to the future life means to go against our purpose, and to prepare ourselves for a bitter, most bitter lot. We are not absolutely required to drop ev?erything; but while working as much as is necessary for this life, we must direct our main concern toward preparation for the future life, trying wherever possible to turn even earthly menial labour in?to a means for achieving this goal.

Saint Theophan the Recluse