The Shepherd, July 2007
Have you heard, brethren, what faith in God can do, when it shows in right actions? Have you understood that youth does not hinder, nor old age help, if a man lacks reason and the fear of God? Have you realized that the world and worldly cares do not hinder in fulfilling God’s commandments, when there is zeal and attention? That silence and retirement from the world are useless, if laziness and negligence prevail? Hearing of David with wonder, we all say: there was only one David and there is no one else like him. But here you see that something greater than in David was manifested in this youth. David received testimony from God, was anointed king and prophet, received the Holy Spirit and had many assurances of God. Therefore, when he sinned and lost the grace of the Holy Spirit and his prophetic gift, and became cut off from his usual converse with God, is it surprising that, remembering the grace he had forsaken, he once more sought his lost blessings from God? But this youth had nothing of the kind; he was tied to worldly affairs, cared only for the temporal, had no time even to think of anything higher than earth, and yet — wonderful are the ways of the Lord! — as soon as he heard a few words from that holy elder and read three paragraphs of St. Mark’s, he immediately believed what he heard and read and, without the shadow of doubt and with unshakable hope, put it into practice. Thus, through the little work he did, and by the intercession of the Holy Virgin, he was found worthy of raising his mind to heaven. With the help of her prayers he gained God’s mercy and drew to himself the grace of the Holy Spirit, which pervaded him with such force that he was able to see that light to which many aspire, but which few are given to see. This youth kept no long fasts, did not sleep on bare earth, did not wear a hair shirt, had not left the world in body but only in spirit — by the disposition of his soul — kept only short vigils, and yet became higher than the wonderful Lot of Sodom, or rather became an angel in human flesh — externally a man, but inwardly an angel. Therefore he was given to see the most sweet light of the spiritual sun of truth, our Lord Jesus Christ, which light convinced him that he would be granted the light of the life to come. And so it was in truth, for love and the cleaving of his heart to God brought him into ecstasy, tore his spirit away from this world, out of his own self and all else, and transformed him wholly into the light of the Holy Spirit. Yet he lived in a city, was steward to a large house and looked after the needs of freemen and slaves, performing all that was due in this life.
Enough has been said in praise of the youth, and to stimulate you to similar love, in imitation of him. Or do you wish me to tell you something else, something much greater, which, maybe, your ear cannot hear? But, after all, what can be greater and more perfect than the fear of God? Nothing, of course. St Gregory the Theologian said: “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. For where there is fear, there the commandments are kept; where the commandments are kept, there is the flesh purified — that cloud which envelops the soul and prevents it from seeing clearly the Divine ray; where the flesh is purified, there light springs forth, and the shining of the light fulfils desire above all desires.” In these words, he showed that illumination by the Spirit is the endless end of every virtue and that whoever attains this illumination by the Spirit has finished with everything sensory and has begun to live with his consciousness in spiritual things alone. These, my brethren, are the wonders of God. And God leads out His secret slaves into the open, so that lovers of the good and the righteous should imitate them, while the evil-minded are left without excuse. For even those who move among crowds and spend their life in the vicissitudes of the world, gain salvation, if they lead their lives as is needful. For the sake of the faith they show in God, He endows them with great blessings, so that those who have failed to attain salvation, through their laziness and negligence, may have nothing to say in their own justification on the day of judgment. True is His word Who promised to grant us salvation for the sake of belief in Him! So, my beloved brethren, have concern for yourselves and for me, who love you and constantly shed tears for you. For the merciful and compassionate God commanded that we too should be merciful and compassionate and should have concern alike for ourselves and for each other. With your whole heart have faith in the Lord, hate this world as you should hate it and care not about its temporal and insecure blessings, but strive towards God and cleave to Him. For in a little while the end of the world and of this life will come, and woe to those who fall away from the kingdom of God. Tears suffocate me, I weep and grieve with my whole heart when I reflect that - though we have the bountiful and charitable Lord Who, merely for sincere faith in Him, grants us such great and wonderful blessings, exceeding all imagination, hearing or expectation — yet we are unthinking, like dumb animals, and prefer the earth and earthly things which, in God’s compassion, were given us for the use of our body in order that, while it is fed by them in moderation, the soul should pursue unhampered its ascent towards the primordial, fed by the mental food emanating from the grace of the Holy Spirit, according to the soul’s own measure of purification and regeneration. For God has created us intelligent beings so that we may glorify, thank and love Him for the lesser blessings given us for the needs of our present life, and become worthy to gain great and eternal blessings in the life to come. But woe to us, that we have no care whatever for the future, but remain ungrateful to God even for what we have, thus being like the demons, or, rather, worse. Therefore it is just that we should be subjected to greater torment than they. For we are more favoured than they: we have become Christians, we have had so many spiritual gifts, we believe in God Who became man for our sake, suffered such tortures and died on the Cross to free us from the errors of prelest and sin. But what can I say to all this? Woe to us! Only in words do we believe in God, but in our deeds we turn away from Him. Is not Christ’s name uttered everywhere — in towns and villages, in monasteries and on the mountains? Are there not Christians everywhere? But if you find it expedient, investigate and examine carefully whether they fulfil Christ’s commandments; and indeed among thousands and myriads you will with difficulty find one, who is a Christian both in word and in deed. Did not our Lord Jesus Christ say: “He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do” (Jn 14:12)? But which of us will dare to say: “I do the works of Christ and truly believe in Christ?” See you not therefore, my brethren, how in the day of judgment we are in danger of being adjudged unfaithful and may be condemned to a worse torment than the unbelievers, that is, those who are altogether ignorant of Christ? One of two things is certain: either we must suffer a worse punishment than the unbelievers, or Christ must be false to His word — which is impossible.
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