Evil thought goes before a fall

March 30, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Thursday. A haughty spirit goeth be?fore a fall (Prov. 16:18).[1] There?fore, do not allow evil thoughts to come in, and there will be no falls. And yet what are people most care?less about? About their thoughts. They allow them to seethe as much and however they like, not even thinking to subdue them, or to di?rect them to rational pursuits. Meanwhile, within this inner tur?moil the enemy approaches, places evil in the heart, seduces it and in?clines it toward evil. And the person unnoticeably prepares himself for evil. It remains for him to either carry out the evil fixed to his heart, or to struggle with it. But this is our sorrow: that almost nobody takes on the struggle; while all are led to the evil as if bound.

[1] The Slavonic for Prov. 16:18 reads: Evil thoughts go before a fall.

Hell and Destruction are Man-Fest before the Lord

March 27, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Tuesday. Hell and destruction are before the Lord:[1] how much more then the hearts of the children of men? (Prov. 15:11). But the sinner thinks that nobody sees him. Con?cealing himself from human eyes, in the darkness of night or in a deserted place, he supposes that he is not noticed by anyone. But God’s eye has seen everything; his guard?ian angel and conscience were wit?nesses. At some time you will stand at the judgement: then all that is hidden will be laid bare: uncompro?mising witnesses will be present —and you shall be speechless. The verdict will not be subject to appeal. There is only one way to prevent this ultimate inevitability: repen?tance. The door to repentance is o?pen. Hurry to enter, before the hour strikes… and it will strike. When? You do not know. But it will put an end to your sins, or to any hope of pardon.

[1]The Slavonic for Prov. 15:11 reads: Hell and destruction are man?ifest before the Lord…

Baptism

March 20, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

Baptism according to A­ postle Peter is the answer of a good conscience toward God (I Pet. 3:21).[1] He who has been baptized gives a vow to live the rest of his time according to a pure con­ science, according to the whole breadth of the Lord’s command­ ments, accepted in his conscience. Moral purity is a characteristic of one who is baptized. The Apostle Paul compares the brightness of this life with the brightness of the resur­ rected Lord. That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). In baptism, the old sin-loving man dies and a new man arises, zealous to do good works. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves, ye who are baptized, to be dead indeed unto sin but alive un­ to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instru­ ments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you (Rom. 6:11–14).

[1]The Slavonic for I Pet. 3:21 reads: the promise of a good conscience to­ ward God

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Crossbearers

March 19, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

[Heb. 4:14–5:6; Mark 8:34–9:1] Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Mark 8:34). It is impossible to fol­ low the Lord as a crossbearer with­ out a cross, and everyone who fol­ lows Him, unfailingly goes with a cross. What is this cross? It is all sorts of inconveniences, burdens and sorrows — weighing heavily both internally and externally — a­ long the path of conscientious fulfil­ ment of the commandments of the Lord, in a life according to the spirit of His instructions and demands. Such a cross is so much a part of a Christian that wherever there is a Christian, there is this cross, and where there is no such cross, there is no Christian. Abundant privileges and a life of pleasure do not suit a true Christian. His task is to cleanse and reform himself. He is like a sick person, who needs cauterization, or amputation; how can this be with­ out pain? He wants to tear himself away from the captivity of a strong enemy; but how can this be without struggle and wounds?He must walk counter to all practices surrounding him; but how can he sustain this without inconvenience and con­ straint?Rejoice as you feel the cross upon yourself, for it is a sign that you are following the Lord on the path of salvation which leads to heaven. Endure a bit. The end is just around the corner, as well as the crowns!

Saint Theophan the Recluse

The wicked shall fall by his own wickedness

March 16, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

The wicked shall fall by his own wickedness (Prov. 11: 5).[1] Im­ piety is an incorrect relationship to God, or complete forgetfulness of God, to which belong also unbelief in the existence of God and in His providence for creatures. Some souls, being oppressed by wicked thoughts like these, but desiring nevertheless to be respectable in­ dividuals, resolve, “I will be up­ right, honest, and humane, not oc­ cupying myself with whether there is something higher than me which observes me, has expectations of me, and is able to demand an ac­ count.” And what is the result? The blessing of God — which they do not seek — does not abide with them, and their affairs do not pros­ per. Their conscience daily reminds them about their deeds either of un­ righteousness, dishonesty or inhu­ manity. They only make a show of righteousness before other people in order to justify themselves, sharply fending off accusation, and falsely interpreting facts as needed. He whose conscious is inwardly blameless has no need of self-justifi­ cation. Those who are not attentive to themselves allow this inner dis­ cord to slip by: those who are atten­ tive control this with difficulty. Oh, when will one of such people con­ scientiously look at this discord, and discern where it comes from and how to set it right? He could then both set himself right and direct others toward the proper harmony.

[1] The Slavonic for Prov. 11:5 reads: The impious shall fall by his own impiety.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Wisdom calls the foolish to herself

March 14, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

It is remarkable that Wisdom calls the foolish to herself: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hith­ er (Prov. 9:4).[1] Thus, the clever cannot enter into the house of Wis­ dom, or the holy Church. Any clev­ erness must be laid aside at the very entrance to this house. On the other hand, if all wisdom and knowledge are only located inside the house of Wisdom, then outside of this house, outside of the holy Church there is only foolishness, ignorance and blindness. How marvellous is God’s institution! Leave your intellect be­ hind upon entering the Church, and you will become truly intelligent; leave your independent activity and you will become truly active; deny all of yourself and you will become a true ruler over yourself. Oh, when will the world comprehend this wis­ dom! But this wisdom is hidden from the world. The world rebels a­ gainst the wisdom of God because it does not understand that it, and keeps those foolish “clever ones” in its blindness

[1]The Slavonic for Prov. 9:4 reads Whoso is foolish, let him turn in hith­ er.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Spiritual Versus Flesh

March 9, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh (Gen. 6:3).[1] Man has two op­ posing forces inside, but one con­ sciousness — the human being. The characteristics of this being are de­ termined by his inclinations. If he sides with the Spirit, he is spiritual; if he sides with the flesh, he is flesh­ ly. The spirit does not disappear al­ together even from the fleshly,but it is enslaved, and has no voice. It be­ comes yoked, and serves the flesh like a slave serves its mistress, in­ venting all sorts of pleasures for it. Similarly, the flesh does not disap­ pear from the spiritual, but it sub­ mits to the spirit and serves it. It los­ es its natural rights for food through fasting, its rights for sleep through vigil, for rest through continuous la­ bour and weariness, for pleasing the feelings through seclusion and silence. Where the flesh reigns, God does not abide; for His organ of communication with man is the spirit, which is not given its due pri­ ority in the flesh. God’s approach is felt for the first time when the spirit begins to claim its own through the operation of the fear of God and one’s conscience. When conscious­ ness and freedom also come to help, then God communicates with man and begins to dwell in him. From that moment on begins the inspira­ tion of the soul, the flesh and of the entire inner and outer man, while God becomes all in all in him. By be­ coming spiritual, man is made di­ vine. What a marvellous benefit, and how little it is remembered, valued and sought after!

[1]The Slavonic for Gen. 6:3 reads: My Spirit shall not eternally be scorned by men, because they are flesh.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Sinful Slavery

March 7, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

When Moses and Aar­ on began to intercede before Pha­ raoh to let their people go, the an­ swer to this was increased work for oppressed Israelites, to the point that they raised an outcry against their intercessors: ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh (Ex. 5:21). This is exactly what the soul of a repentant sinner experiences. When the fear of God and one’s conscience — the inner Moses and Aaron —begin to inspire a soul to finally rise up onto its feet and shake off the yoke of sinful slavery, joy passes through all of its members. But the enemy does not sleep; he heaps mountains of mental obstacles — thoughts that sin is in­ surmountable, and brings in fear from all sides — fear for one’s pros­ perity, for external relationships, for one’s influence, even for one’s life. It even happens that one stops having only just begun. Be inspired brother! The Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgement, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteous­ ness (Is. 5:16). God is stronger than the enemy. Cry out to Him, and you will hear the same thing that Moses heard then: Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh (Ex. 6:1). The enemy does not have power over a soul; he only can frighten it with il­ lusory terrors. Do not give in, en­ dure, go forward courageously, say­ ing to yourself: I will not give in even unto death, and I will go bravely wherever the Lord calls me, with the spirit of repentance which now acts in me.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Woes

February 24, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

[Jude 1:11–25; Luke 23:1–34, 44–56] Woe, proclaims the Holy Apostle Jude, to them who conduct themselves temptingly in society, who without fear fatten themselves at feasts, who foam out their own shame, walk after their own lusts, speak great swelling words and sep­ arate themselves from the unity of the faith. Woe! For behold, the Lord will come with ten thousands of His holy angels, to execute judgement upon all, and to expose all that are ungodly in all their ungodly deeds which their ungodliness has com­ mitted (cf. Jude 1:11–19).

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Meeting of the Lord

February 21, 2012 | Saint Theophan, Uncategorized

[Jude 1:1–10; Luke 22:39–42, 45–23:1] The Meeting of the Lord. At this meeting the Lord is surrounded on the one side by Sim­ eon — righteousness which awaits salvation, but not in righteousness itself, and Anna — a life of strict fasting and prayer, made alive by faith; and on the other side by sub­ stantial, comprehensive and stead­ fast purity — the Virgin Mother of God, and by humble, silent submis­ sion and devotion to the will of God —Joseph the Betrothed. Transfer all of these spiritual attitudes to your heart and you will meet the Lord; not carried to you, but coming to you Himself. You will take Him into the embrace of your heart, and you will sing a hymn which will pass throughout the heavens and glad­ den all the angels and saints.

Saint Theophan the Recluse