We will also give another example of Father Paphnutius, who lived in perfect solitude in the famous Scythian Desert, where he is still a presbyter. Being still a young monk, he shone with such gracious holiness that the greatest elders of that time admired his progress. And, regardless of the fact that he was younger than all, they compared him with the elders. So they decided to include him in the figure of the elders. When this became known, the envy that had once stirred the souls of the brothers against Joseph, with its poisonous fire, inflamed one of the Scythian brothers against him. He planned to stain his glory with some stain of shame. Having waited for the time when Paphnutius went to church on Sunday, he secretly entered his cell and among the baskets that are usually woven there from palm fronds, hid his book. Then he himself went to church, satisfied with his cunning. After the end of the Sunday service, in front of his brothers Saint Isidore, who was then a presbyter, he complained that a book had been stolen from his cell. This complaint disturbed everyone, especially the presbyter, and they did not know what to think, nor what to do, being defeated by a new and unprecedented transgression. Then the prosecutor demanded that all the brothers stay in the church, and that they send a select few to search all the cells. When the three elders, chosen by the presbyter, had searched all the other cells, they came to the cell of Paphnutius. And, in it they found a book hidden among palm baskets, where the addict had hidden it. Taking it, they immediately brought it to the church and placed it in front of everyone. Although Paphnutius, because of his clear conscience, was convinced that he had no part in the sin, as if he were guilty of theft, he presented himself to the judgment of the elders, declaring his readiness to bear whatever punishment was imposed on him and asking that a place of repentance be appointed for him. He said nothing in his defense out of shy modesty, fearing that, while trying to wash away the stain of theft with words, he would also incur the condemnation of lying, since no one considered anything other than what had been revealed. When the examination was over and the verdict was passed, he left the church, not fainting in spirit, but entrusting himself to the judgment of God himself. He began to offer repentance, intensifying his prayers with abundant tears, tripled his fasting, and appeared before the people with the greatest humility of spirit. Having thus subjected himself to every contrition of body and spirit during the expiration of almost two weeks, he came to church early on the Sabbath or Sunday morning, not to receive Holy Communion, but to stretch himself out at the church door and humbly ask for forgiveness. However, not suffering him to further contrive himself and to be humiliated by others, God, the witness and knower of all hidden things, compelled the devil to reveal what the inventor of evil, the dishonorable thief of his own property, the cunning slanderer of others, had done without any witnesses. For, possessed by the most furious demon, he himself revealed all the cunning of his secret deception. And so he who was the counselor of the evil deed and conspiracy, became at the same time the treacherous proclaimer.Then this unclean spirit tormented the wretched brother greatly and for a long time, so that not only the prayers of the other saints who were there and who had the gift of God's power over demons, but also the special grace of Isidore the presbyter could not drive him out. Nor could he drive out this most furious tormentor, although, by the grace of the Lord, he was given power over them, since the insane were healed even before they were brought to his door. And this was because Christ the Lord reserved this glory for Paphnutius, so that the slanderer might be healed by the prayers of the one against whom he had plotted, and receive forgiveness of sins and deliverance from present punishment, by proclaiming the name of the one whose glory he, as an envious enemy, wanted to darken.
Two reasons have led me to relate this incident to you: first, that by contemplating the fearless fortitude of that man, we show all the more fearlessness and patience if we submit to minor attacks from the enemy; and second, that on the basis of them we may arrive at the firm conviction that we cannot be safe from the storms of temptation and the attacks of the devil unless we place the entire protection of our suffering and all our hope in the strength of our inner man and not in the prison of a cell, in the solitude of the desert, in the community of saints, or in anything that exists outside of us. For unless the Lord, who said in the Gospel: The kingdom of God is within you , (Luke 17:21), strengthens our spirit by the power of his intercession, we hope in vain to overcome the attacks of the enemy (who is in the air) either by the help of the people who live with us, or by withdrawing to distant places or by going away into the desert, or by hiding behind stones and roofs or by locking ourselves in a cell. For Paphnutius had all this, and yet the tempter found a way to attack him. This utterly evil spirit was not repelled from him by the protection of the rocks, nor by the solitude of the desert, nor by the intercession of so many saints in that community. However, since he did not place the hope of his heart in anything external, but in the Judge of all things hidden, this holy servant of God could not possibly be shaken by the wiles of such an attack.
Likewise, did not he who was driven by envy into such a transgression benefit from the beneficence of the desert, the enclosure of a distant dwelling, and the community of blessed Isidore, father and presbyter, and other saints? And yet, when it found him fortified on the sand, the devil's storm not only dealt a strong blow to his house (the inner structure), but also completely destroyed it. Therefore, let us cease to seek the foundation of our undisturbed inner peace outside ourselves, and to expect that the helplessness of our suffering can be helped by the suffering of others. For as the Kingdom of God is within us, so a man's enemies are his own household (Mt 10:36). And no one opposes me more than my own feelings, which are my closest household. Let us take more care of ourselves, lest our own household hurt us. For when our own household does not rise up against us, then the Kingdom of God dwells within us in undisturbed peace of mind. And if we diligently consider the causes of what happens within us, we will find that we cannot be wounded by any, even the most malicious, man, unless we ourselves rise up against ourselves by the unrest of our heart. And if we are wounded, the cause should not be sought in an attack from without, but in our own impatience. Thus solid food is beneficial to the healthy, but harmful to the sick. It cannot injure the one who receives it, unless his weakness adds strength to inflict injury.
ON GOD'S GRACE AND FREE WILL AS FACTORS OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
We should always be firmly convinced that we can never achieve perfection through our own efforts and exploits, even if we practice every virtue with all our untiring effort. Human
efforts do not have sufficient value and strength to elevate us to the heights of holiness and bliss. It is necessary for the Lord to help us and direct our hearts towards what is beneficial for us. Therefore, we are obliged to cry out to the Lord at every moment, together with David: Establish my feet in your paths, that they may not slip (Ps 16:5). It is necessary for the invisible Leader of the human spirit to turn our free will towards virtue, which, partly due to ignorance of good, partly due to the temptation of passion, is more prone to vice. This was expressed very clearly by the prophet in one verse of the song: Rejected, I leaned over to fall, but the Lord took me up (Ps 117:13). The first half of the verse signifies the weakness of our will, and the second the ever-ready help of the Lord. Every time we begin to doubt, He extends His hands to us, supports us and strengthens us. Otherwise, left to our own free will, we would fall with a perfect fall. In fact, not a single righteous person has enough strength within himself to acquire righteousness. He constantly doubts and is ready to fall at any moment. Therefore, the Lord's grace supports him with His hand. Otherwise, having exposed himself to a fall due to weakness of will, he would completely perish. Will anyone be so self-confident and blind as to think that there is no need for God's constant help, when the Lord Himself clearly teaches in the Gospel: Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. For without me you can do nothing (Jn 15:4-5)? In fact, how unreasonable and even blasphemous it is to attribute good deeds to one's own efforts, and not to the grace and help of God! And the Lord's saying testifies that without His help no one can bear spiritual fruit!
Therefore, we believe that by a special inspiration from God, both the beginning of a good disposition and the practice of virtues are laid in us. Our effort consists in obeying God's inspirations with greater or lesser readiness and in receiving His help. We deserve a reward or a worthy punishment, depending on whether we are negligent or take care with pious obedience to conform to the commandments and providence of God, which extends to us by His free will. This was clearly shown in the healing of the blind men of Jericho. The incident of the Lord passing by them represented the grace of God's providence and deviation. Their cry: Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David (Mt 20:31) was a work of their faith and hope. And again, the restoration of sight itself is an expression of God's mercy.
Even if he works hard to cultivate the land, the farmer cannot expect a bountiful harvest unless the rain falls on the cultivated land in due time and the weather is favorable. Therefore, just as God does not give fruit to lazy farmers who do not care about cultivating their land, so too will the self-sacrificing ones benefit from their daily worries unless God’s mercy helps them. And in the work of living according to God, it is the same: our effort is also needed, although without the help of God’s grace we will not succeed in anything. We should confess that God is the original culprit not only of deeds, but also of good thoughts, because He also inspires us with His holy will, and gives us strength and a suitable opportunity to carry out what we rightly desire. For every good gift and every perfect present is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17).
The will of God always wants that the man whom God created should not perish, but should live forever. If He notices in our heart even a spark of disposition toward good, God, in His kindness, does not allow it to be extinguished. Desiring that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, He helps in every way to turn it into a flame. The grace of God is near to all. It calls all without exception to salvation and the knowledge of the truth, for it says: Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
The human mind cannot understand how salvation also belongs to our will, since it is said: If you are willing and obedient to me, you shall eat the good things of the earth (Isaiah 1:19), and at the same time it is not the work of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy (Romans 9:16). It does not understand how God has to repay each one according to his works, and at the same time He is the One who works in us both to will and to do of His free will (Philippians 2:13). He wants to understand why we are commanded to make ourselves a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek 18:31), when at the same time we are told: And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek 11:19). These doubts will not be difficult to resolve if we understand that both the grace of God and our free will participate in the work of our salvation. Namely, although sometimes we may desire virtue, man will not be able to acquire it without God's help. Even for a sick person, it is not enough to just want to be healthy, but God, the Giver of life, must give the strength to restore health. To be perfectly convinced that even good desires, which arise from the natural ability given to us by the mercy of the Creator, can be fulfilled only with God's help, we should remember the words of the Apostle Paul: For to will is present with me, but to carry out what is good I do not find (Rom 7:18).
Many ask when grace works in us, is it when good desires are expressed in us, or are good desires expressed in us when God's grace visits us? Experience justifies both, because Saul and Matthew the tax collector did not desire Christ themselves, but only after the call. Zacchaeus and the thief on the cross anticipated the work of grace with their desire. This is how it should be considered, because when He sees that we want to do good, God directs and strengthens our readiness. If we do not want good, or have grown cold towards Him, He gives us saving inspirations, through which good dispositions are formed or renewed.
193. We should not think that human nature is capable only of evil. The Creator has sown the seeds of all virtues in our souls. However, for them to grow, God's help is necessary. Likewise, in man there is always free will to receive or not to receive the workings of grace. If the construction of our salvation did not depend at all on us, the apostle Paul would not have said: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . However, if it depended only on us, he would not have added: For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13). The grace of God also precedes us, for the prophet says: My God, and his mercy precedes me (Ps 58:11), and it follows our will, which is why he says: And in the morning my prayer precedes you (Ps 87:14).
The grace of God always directs our will in a good direction, although it also demands or expects appropriate efforts from us. In order not to give its gifts to the negligent, it seeks an occasion by which it can awaken us from cold indifference. And so that the generous manifestation of its gifts would not be done without reason, it manifests them according to our desire and effort. Yet, in all this, grace is always given as a gift, since our small efforts are rewarded with immeasurable generosity. Therefore, no matter how great they may be, all human efforts cannot prevent grace from being given as a gift. Although he said that he had worked harder than all the apostles, the apostle Paul nevertheless adds that the efforts did not belong to him, but to the grace of God which was with him (1 Cor 15:10). Accordingly, by the word: I have worked hard , he expresses the effort of his will, by the words: Not I, but the grace of God which helped God , and by the words: Which is with me, that grace helped him when he worked hard, and not when he lived in negligence and carelessness.
God works out our salvation in various and incomprehensible ways; in those who desire and seek salvation He strengthens the desire, and in those who have no desire He arouses the intention. He helps the fulfillment of our salvific desires, inspires holy desires and establishes them. For this reason we call Him in our prayers both protector and savior and helper. He, like the all-merciful Father and the suffering Physician, does all things in all: in some He initiates the beginning of salvation and kindles zeal for Him, and in others He brings the work to completion and virtues to perfection; He keeps some from imminent fall, and gives others opportunities for salvation; He helps those who desire and strive, and others, who do not want and oppose, He attracts and turns to a good disposition. He always does everything by initiating, helping, and establishing, although without violating the freedom He has given us.
ABOUT PRAYER
As our absolutely main goal and the pinnacle of perfection, we should set constant prayer, which relies on peace of mind and purity of heart. For their sake we should bear the corruption of the body and hold on to contrition of heart. The connection between all these efforts and prayer is inseparable and mutual. Because, just as the collection of these virtues leads to perfection in prayer, so prayer, as their conclusion and crown, makes them firm and steadfast. Just as constant, pure and undisturbed prayer cannot be acquired and perfected without them, so also those who go ahead in arranging their lives according to God cannot reach perfection without constant prayer. Therefore, we cannot immediately enter into reasoning about the power of prayer (which completes the edifice of all virtues), unless we first mark out and consider in order everything that needs to be cut off or prepared for its acquisition, or unless, according to the meaning of the Gospel story (Luke 14:14), ,28-30), we do not first calculate and gather everything that is necessary for the erection of that most sublime spiritual pillar. However, we will not be able to properly use what has been prepared, nor build upon it the final peaks of perfection, if first, after presenting each the impurities of vices and the expulsion of the ruins and dead dung of passions, on the living and hard soil of our hearts, as on that evangelical stone (Luke 6:48), let us not lay the most solid foundation of simplicity and humility. Only on it could that pillar be raised by laying spiritual virtues. And, he will stand fearlessly and raise his peak to the highest heights of heaven, hoping for his strength. Having established himself on such a foundation, he will withstand the torrent of passion and the rivers of persecution which, like machines for breaking stones, attack mightily, that fierce storm of hostile spirits. And, he will not only not be destroyed by the collapse, but will not even feel their attacks.
Therefore, in order that prayer may be offered with the necessary fervor and purity, it is necessary to take care of the following: first, all care for bodily things should be completely cut off; second, not only care for some work or event should not be allowed, but even the memory of them; third, distraction, idle talk, talkativeness, and jokes should be cut off; fourth, above all, confusion from anger or grief should be completely overcome; fifth, the pernicious impulses of carnal lust and the temptation of avarice should be removed by the root. After the perfect expulsion and cutting off of these and similar vices, visible even to the human eye, and after a preventive purification from everything that finds its end in purity and innocence, one should, next, lay a fearless foundation of deep humility, which would be strong enough to support the pillar that is to penetrate to heaven itself. Then, on this foundation, the edifice of spiritual virtues should be built, while the spirit should refrain from all wandering and unsteady hesitation, so that the spiritual gaze, little by little, begins to approach the contemplation of God. For during prayer, what our soul received into itself before the time of prayer will necessarily come to our mind, brought to us by the hand of memory. Therefore, before the time of prayer, we should prepare ourselves to be what we want to be during prayer. In addition, let us hasten to expel from the secret places of our hearts before prayer what we do not want to see oppressing us during prayer. Thus we will be able to fulfill the apostle's command: Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
It is not without reason that our mind is compared to an extremely light feather or down which, free from the moisture of a foreign liquid, usually flies to a great height at the slightest blow of wind, due to its lightness. If it is burdened with some liquid, instead of rising through the air, it will fall down due to the weight of the moisture and cling to the ground. And our mind, if it is not burdened by the passions that have come, by the cares of the world, and if it is not wounded by the moisture of pernicious lust, as light and naturally pure, will ascend upwards at the slightest stirring of spiritual thought, and leaving behind what is below and earthly, it will rise to the heavenly and invisible. This is precisely what the Lord's commandment advises us: But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life (Luke 21:34). Therefore, if we want our prayers to reach not only to heaven, but also beyond heaven, let us take care to direct our mind to its natural lightness, cleansing it of all earthly vices and of all the moisture of worldly passions. In this way, unburdened by any extraneous burden, its prayer will easily fly to God.
Pay attention to the causes that weigh down our minds according to the Lord's words. He did not point to adultery, nor to fornication, nor to murder, nor to blasphemy, nor to theft (all of which are considered mortal sins and worthy of condemnation), but to overeating, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, from which no worldly person avoids and which he does not consider shameful. On the contrary, it is shameful to say that even some of those who have renounced the world allow themselves the same indulgences, seeing in them neither harm nor misery for themselves. Besides, these three irregularities that oppress the soul and separate it from God and cling to the earth, are not at all difficult to avoid, especially for us who are so far removed from all connection with the world and who have absolutely no opportunity to get involved in visible cares, drunkenness, and overeating. However, there is another spiritual overeating and drunkenness, which is more difficult to avoid, and there is a certain care and sorrow of this world, which also overwhelm us after our perfect renunciation of all acquisitions, with all our abstinence from wine and all overeating and during our stay in the solitude of the desert. I am thinking of indulgences of the flesh, of attachments and passions. And if we do not cleanse ourselves of them, our heart will be burdened with even more harmful drunkenness and overeating, even without getting drunk with wine and without an abundance of food. For only he whose mind, having freed himself from all passions, is deeply calmed and whose heart clings with the strongest effort to God, as to the highest good, can fully fulfill the commandment of the Apostle Paul: Pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17).
I think that without sincere contrition of heart, purity of soul and enlightenment by the Holy Spirit it is not possible to encompass all forms of prayer. There are as many of them as there can be various states and moods in one soul, or in all souls. The prayer of each person is transformed according to the measure of the progress of the mind in purity and the character of the state into which he is introduced either by chance or by his internal actions. Therefore it is obvious that no one can always offer the same prayers. A person prays differently when he is cheerful, differently when he is burdened with sadness or despair, differently when he is flourishing in spiritual successes, differently when he is oppressed by the multitude of enemy attacks, differently when he prays for the forgiveness of sins, differently when he prays for the increase of grace or the acquisition of some virtue or the extinguishing of some passion, differently when he is overcome by fear at the thought of hell and the future Judgment, differently when he is inflamed with hope and desire for future blessings, differently when he is in troubles and dangers, differently when he delights in security and peace, differently when he devotes himself to the discovery of heavenly secrets, differently when he grieves over the barrenness of virtues and the dryness of feelings.
With regard to the subject, the apostle Paul distinguishes four forms of prayer: Therefore, I urge, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made(1 Tim 2:1). Prayer is a supplication or entreaty for sins. By it a person, having come to repentance for sins committed, whether present or past, asks for forgiveness; prayer is offered when we offer something or promise God, saying: "I will do this and that, only have mercy, Lord"; intercession is made when, being in the warmth of the spirit, we offer prayers for others, for those we love, or for the peace of the whole world; thanksgiving is made when the mind offers gratitude and praise to God, remembering His past good deeds, or seeing His present ones, or knowing those He has prepared for those who love Him in the future.
These four forms of prayer are followed by a most sublime state of prayer, which consists in contemplating the one God, and in ardent love for Him. In it our mind, absorbed and imbued with this love, speaks to God in the most intimate way and with special sincerity. The Lord's Prayer: Our Father (Mt 6:9-13) tells us that we should pray for this state with zeal.
We say: Our Father , confessing God, the ruler of the universe, as our Father. At the same time, we confess that we have been delivered from a state of slavery and adopted by God as adopted children. By adding: Who art in heaven , we declare our readiness to completely turn away from attachment to this present earthly life, which is something foreign, which distances us far from our Father, and to strive with the greatest desire towards the realm in which our Father lives, not allowing ourselves anything that would make us unworthy of the high adoption, and that would deprive us, as illegitimate children, of the inheritance of the Father and subject us to all the severity of the righteous judgment of God.
Having thus reached the high degree of sons of God, we should burn with filial love for God. We no longer seek our own benefit, but with all our hearts we desire the glory of our Father, saying: Hallowed be thy name . We thereby testify that all our desire and all our joy is the glory of our Father, that is, that His glorious name be glorified, devoutly honored and adored.
The second prayer of the purified mind is the petition: That the Kingdom of our Father may come, or the Kingdom in which Christ reigns in the saints. In it, after the devil has taken power over us and after the passions have been cast out of our hearts, God begins to reign through the fragrance of virtue. It is promised at a certain time to all the perfect and children of God, to whom Christ says: Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Mt 25:34).
The third petition is peculiar to the sons: That your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.. This means: let people be like angels. As angels carry out the will of God in heaven, so let all who live on earth do His will, and not their own. This also means: let everything be with us in life according to your will. We entrust our portion to you, believing that you organize everything, both pleasant and unpleasant, for our good, and that you care more about our salvation than we do ourselves.
Then: Give us this day our daily bread . Daily bread is supernatural, above all essences or essences (such as only the bread that came down from heaven can be). When it is said: today, it is emphasized that yesterday's tasting is not enough. It should be given to us now as well. And since there is no day on which the heart of our inner man should not be nourished by receiving and tasting this bread, it is necessary that we pour out prayer for it at all times.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors . The merciful Lord promises us the forgiveness of sins if we ourselves set an example of forgiveness for our brothers: Forgive us our debts as we forgive our brothers. It is obvious that, in the hope of this prayer, only he who has forgiven his debtors can boldly ask for forgiveness of sins for himself. He who has not forgiven his brother who has sinned against him with all his heart will be saying this prayer to his own condemnation, not to mercy. For if his prayer is heard, what else can be expected but, in accordance with his example, merciless wrath and unconditional punishment. For judgment will be without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy (James 2:13).
And lead us not into temptation . Recalling the words of the Apostle James: Blessed is the man who endures temptation (James 1:12), we should not understand the words of prayer in the sense of: "Do not let us ever be tempted," but: "Do not let us be overcome by temptation." Job was also tempted, but he was not led into temptation. For, with God's help, he did not speak foolishly against God (Job 1:22). He did not defile his mouth with blasphemous murmuring, to which his tempter, the devil, wanted to lead him. Abraham was also tempted, Joseph was also tempted, but neither of them was led into temptation. For neither of them fulfilled the will of the tempter.
But deliver us from evil , that is, do not allow us to be tempted by the devil beyond what we can bear, but make an end of temptations, that we may be able to endure them (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Although the above prayer, uttered by the Lord Himself, contains within itself all the fullness of prayerful perfection, yet the Lord leads His intimates even further towards some most sublime state, to that fiery, I would even say, ineffable prayer, which very few have understood and tested. Surpassing all human understanding, it is not indicated by the sound of the voice, nor by the movement of the tongue, nor by the utterance of any words. Illuminated by the outpouring of that heavenly light, the mind does not express it with weak human words, but, gathering its feelings, as from some most abundant source, it pours them out irresistibly, and somehow inexpressibly raises them up to the Lord. In that brief moment of time, it expresses what, having withdrawn into itself, it is unable either to express in words or to comprehend in thought.
This form of the prayerful state is a gift from God. Usually, on the other hand, a gracious prayerful mood is characterized by affection. The mind, touched by its visitation, is moved to pure and fervent prayer. This affection appears in various cases, as experience has shown. Sometimes, during the singing of the Psalms, the words of a verse gave rise to fervent prayer, and sometimes the melodious melody of a brother's voice moved the souls of the amazed to quite serious prayer. We also know that sometimes careful and devout singing instilled much fervor in those who listened, and often the advice of a perfect husband (elder) and spiritual conversation in those present, while they were kneeling, stirred the feelings to an abundant outpouring of prayer. It happened that we were strongly moved to full affection by the death of a brother or some dear person. Also, the memory of our coldness and laziness sometimes prompted us to a saving spiritual fervor. And in general, there are countless cases in which the grace of God awakened our souls from insensibility and drowsiness.
Affection is found in various cases. It is also expressed in various ways. Sometimes it manifests itself in an inexpressible spiritual joy, sometimes it immerses all the forces and movements of the soul in deep silence, sometimes it brings more or less abundant tears. Tears or some kind of tearful mood is its most common expression. They appear either because the heart is wounded by the consciousness of one's own sins, or because of the contemplation of eternal goods, or because of the desire for eternal glory, or because of the knowledge of God's great benefits towards us, when feeling our own worthlessness and unworthiness, or because of the feeling of our painful life on earth.
What is the sign that prayer has been heard? We do not doubt that our prayer has truly been heard when no doubt confuses us, when nothing throws the hope of our petition into despair, when in the very outpouring of prayer we feel that we have received what we pray for. For the supplicant will be worthy of being heard and will receive what he asks for in accordance with his faith that God looks upon him and can fulfill his petition. For the saying of our Lord is unchangeable: All things, whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believe that ye receive them; and ye shall have them.(Mark 11:24). In addition, the Word of God indicates sufficient means that help prayer to be heard. Prayer is heard when two agree in prayer (Matthew 18:19), or when it is accompanied by faith, even if it were as small as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), or when it is constant (Luke 11:8), or when it is united with almsgiving (Sir 29:15), and other works of mercy (Isaiah 58:6-9). See in how many ways the grace of hearing prayer is acquired. Therefore, no one should despair when praying for himself for the goods that save. For, let us suppose that you lack that for which prayer is heard. Yet, can you not be persistent in prayer? It is in the hands of everyone who wants it. For this reason alone the Lord has promised to give everything we pray for. Therefore, we should not stumble in unbelief. Let us be persistent and we will receive what we ask for. Thus the Lord promised: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you (Luke 11:9-10). However, everyone who prays should know that he will certainly not be heard if he doubts the answer.
Above all, in connection with prayer we should fulfill the evangelical commandment, namely, that, having entered our room and closed the door, we pray to the Father in heaven. This should be done both literally and even more spiritually. In our inner room we pray when we completely distance our heart from all thoughts and worries and when we offer our prayers to the Lord in some secret way and with boldness. We pray with the door closed when we pray with our mouths closed and in silence to Him who examines the heart, not words. We pray in a hidden place when we offer our petitions to the one God with only our heart and attentive mind, so that even the opposing forces themselves do not know what we are praying about. Therefore, we should pray in deep silence not only so that we do not distract the brothers present from prayer by our whispering or speaking and disturb their prayerful feelings, but also so that we hide the object of our prayer from our enemies themselves, who attack us especially when we pray.
Our prayer will reach its inherent perfection when what the Lord prayed to his Father happens in us: That the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them (John 17:26), and again: As you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us (John 17:21). This will happen when all our love, all our desires, all our zeal, all our effort, all our thoughts, all we see, all we speak of, all we hope for is God, and when the unity that is in the Father with the Son, and in the Son with the Father, is poured into our hearts and minds. Then we too will be united with Him in pure and undivided love, just as He truly loves us with pure and undivided love. He who has achieved this enters into a state in which constant prayer burns in his heart. Then every movement of his life, and every effort of his heart, will be a constant prayer, a foretaste and pledge of an eternally blessed life.
To attain the ultimate perfection in prayer, it is necessary to establish ourselves in the constant remembrance of God. The best means for this is a short, often repeated prayer. Our Fathers found that he who strives for the constant remembrance of God should acquire the habit of constantly repeating the prayer: O God, come to my aid, O Lord, make haste to help me (Ps 69:2). This verse was not chosen without reason from the whole of Holy Scripture, for it expresses all the dispositions required in prayer, and meets all the needs of the supplicant. It contains a humble confession of one's own helplessness, a confession of God as the only helper who is always ready to help, and faith and hope that He will help us and deliver us from all misery. He who constantly calls upon God with these words, sees with his mind and feels with his heart God present within himself. He addresses Him as a Father with filial love in his heart, and thereby draws upon himself God's covering, protection, and hedge. In this way, this short prayer becomes an unbreakable rock against the attacks of demons, a persecutor of restless thoughts, a banisher of bad thoughts, a tamer of passionate movements, and a teacher of all good movements in the heart. The Fathers commanded us that in the event of an attack of the passion of indulging the stomach in its various manifestations, we pray: God, come to my aid, Lord, hasten to help me ; that in the event of feeling the need for a strict fast for the sake of taming the body and the lack of hope that we will succeed on our own, we pray: God, come to my aid ... etc.; that in the event that we are tormented by the spirit of discouragement or spiritual laziness and are tormented by sadness, separating us from every necessary work, we say: God, come to my aid, Lord, hasten to help me ; that in the event that some spiritual joy visits our soul and we want to preserve and increase it, we also say the words: God, come to my aid, Lord, hasten to help me ; that in case the tickling of the body with its deceptive sweetness rises upon us, and we fear that this fire will scorch the fragrant flower of innocence or chastity, we also pray: God, come to my aid ... etc.; that in case tranquility and freshness have entered our limbs, and we wish that the good state may be prolonged, or that it may always abide in us, we constantly say: God, come to my aid ... etc. So also in every spiritual need, constantly say this short prayer. And, it will be your deliverance from all evil and the guardian of all good. Therefore, let it constantly revolve in your chest. In every work and service, on the road and at the table, when going to bed and after rising from sleep, constantly sing this verse and instruct yourself in it until, through constant practice, you become accustomed to singing it even in your sleep.
The first fruit of this will be the rejection of all the multitude of thoughts and the retention of one verse. You will increasingly acquire the habit of concentrating your mind on the thought of the one Helper. You will notice that He is always present within you, that He sees everything and sustains everything. Starting from this, you will ascend to the most lively communion with God, and you will begin to be saturated with ever more sublime mysteries, immersing yourself in God, dwelling with Him alone, and being fulfilled only with Him. Thus, in the end, you will also reach the aforementioned pure prayer. It no longer takes into account any form, nor does it manifest itself in the sound of the voice, or in the utterance of any words. On the contrary, it bursts forth from the heart with irresistible force. In the inexpressibly rapturous fiery orientation of the mind to God, it pours out in inexplicable sighs and lamentations.
ON GUIDANCE IN SPIRITUAL LIFE
(ON DISCUSSION WITH COUNSEL FROM EXPERIENCED ONES)
Once the elders gathered at the house of Saint Anthony the Great and from evening until morning they discussed various spiritual subjects. In particular, the conversation turned to what is the greatest virtue, that is, what virtue can preserve us from being caught in the snares of the devil's deception, and lead us on the right path to the highest perfection. Various opinions were proposed: some emphasized fasting and vigilance, others non-greed and contempt for all things, some solitude or withdrawal into the desert, others charity. After everyone had declared themselves, Saint Anthony began to speak. "Everything you have said is salutary and necessary for those who seek God and who want to draw near to Him. However, the experience of the fall of those who have advanced in them does not allow them to be given priority. For those who were distinguished by strict fasts and vigils, and those who lived hopelessly in desert solitude, and those who reached the highest degree of non-greed, and those who gave alms abundantly, fell into the traps of the enemy. I think that the reason for this was the lack of judgment (consideration or prudence). For judgment teaches a person to walk the royal road, avoiding dangerous extremes. In relation to fasting, for example, it does not allow either excessive exhaustion of the body, or indulgence of the body. In the Gospel it is called the eye and the lamp of the soul: The lamp of the body is the eye, says the Lord. Therefore, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness (Mt 6:22-23). When light illuminates everything and the eye sees everything. So judgment considers, judges, and explains all the thoughts and actions of a person. It determines what should be done, and how and from what to abstain. "With one who lacks such judgment, actions and thoughts proceed as they are, without strict consideration. Here the enemy succeeds in planting an apparent good in place of the true good. By concealing his trap with it, he throws the man into a ditch and kills him."
The solution of Saint Anthony is confirmed by countless examples. Let us recall the sad fall of the elder Iron. He used extremely strict fasting and deep solitude. And, in order not to disturb them in any way, at the instigation of his enemies, he stopped coming to the usual Eucharistic (liturgical) Saturday and Sunday gatherings of the hermits, after which the various ways and the wilderness of the strict life were clarified in conversation. Deceiving himself with this, supposedly good, advice of the enemy, he gave himself up to even greater deception and received the devil who appeared to him in the form of an angel and at his word jumped into the deepest well. Having broken down, he died on the third day. Here is another example! Intending to go to the deepest desert, two brothers decided to receive only the food that the Lord Himself would send them. Wandering in the desert, they became so exhausted that they could no longer move. At that moment, they were attacked by the Maziki, a wild and cruel people. However, seeing them in such a pitiful state, they took pity on them and offered them bread. One thought about it, and agreed to receive bread as from men sent by the Lord. He was strengthened and remained alive. The other stubbornly stuck to his decision and died of hunger. Here is another example! One of the strict ascetics and hermits thought that he was worthy of communion with the heavenly powers. And the enemy was not late in taking advantage of this. He began to appear to him as an angel, to give him revelations about human deeds and thoughts, to create light in his cell without a lamp. Having thus gained his complete trust, he finally commanded him, like Abraham, to offer his son as a sacrifice to God. This would certainly have happened if the son, seeing the unusual preparations, had not fled. And another example! The devil in Mesopotamia led a hermit and hermit to unquestioningly trust in dreams. He presented to him in a dream two nations: the Christian with the apostles and martyrs in darkness, without honor, sorrow and weeping, and the Jewish with Moses, the patriarchs and prophets in the radiance of light, in glory and joy. And with this he led him to convert to Judaism and receive circumcision. And these examples are enough to convince you that lack of judgment is an open door to fall and perdition.
Discernment (consideration or prudence) is a gift from God that needs to be developed and educated. How to do this? Well, simply by surrendering all your judgment to the most experienced Fathers. This is the wisest school of judgment in which even those who do not have special abilities are taught to reason well about what is proper. Thus the question of how to acquire judgment is resolved. True judgment is acquired through true humility. Its first indicator is to reveal to the fathers not only what we do, but also what we think, without the slightest confidence in our own thoughts. Humility is to follow the teachings of the elders in everything, and to consider good or bad only what they recognize as such. Such action helps us to stay on the right path without danger and protects us from all the devil's snares. He who arranges his life according to the advice of those who have advanced, and not according to his own judgment, cannot fall into the devil's deception. Surrendering his thoughts to the judgment of the fathers replaces his own judgment and teaches true judgment. Enemies do not like light. Therefore, the revelation of evil thoughts immediately drives them away and removes them. Pulled out of a dark hole into the light, the snake takes care to escape and hide. So evil thoughts, being revealed by open recognition and confession, take care to escape from man. This is confirmed by many examples and experiences.
Father Serapion tells about himself: "When I was a novice, I secretly took dried figs from my father and ate them. I did this for a very long time. And passion took possession of me so that I could not control it. My conscience condemned me, but I was ashamed to confess my passion to my father. However, by the providence of the loving God, it happened that some brothers came to the elder, who began to reveal their thoughts to him and to ask for solutions for them. The elder answered them what was necessary. At that time, it was his turn to speak about abstinence from food. Then he added: "Nothing harms monks so much and nothing pleases demons so much as to conceal one's thoughts from the spiritual fathers." These words struck me hard. It seemed to me that God had revealed my sins to the elder. Having come to repentance, I began to cry. Then I took out from under my armpit the bread that I usually stole. Prostrated myself on the ground, I begged him to forgive me for the past and to pray for me to be preserved in the future. Then the elder said: "Your confession has freed you from slavery. By revealing your sin, you have defeated the demon that wounded you in your silence. Up until now you have allowed him to rule you, without contradicting him, and without exposing him. Being taken out of the heart and exposed, he will no longer have a place in you." The elder had not yet finished his words when something that resembled a burning torch came out of my chest and filled the entire cell with a stench, so that those present thought that sulfur was burning. The elder added: "Behold, the Lord has visibly confirmed the truth of my words and your liberation." Thus, through the action of confession, the passion for pleasing the stomach departed from me.Since then, my earlier desire hasn't even crossed my mind.
What do we see in Samuel? Since childhood, dedicated to God and worthy of conversation with Him, he did not trust his own thoughts. Being twice called by God, he rushes to the elder Elijah and receives from him instruction on how to respond to God. In this way, God Himself wanted to guide the one with whom He had been deigned to speak with Him through the elder's instruction, to bring him to humility. Do we not see the same thing in Saint Paul? The Lord Himself called him, but at the same time He sent him to Ananias to be taught the way of truth. And Saint Paul himself, after a great experience of evangelical preaching, goes to Jerusalem to verify his gospel, so that he may not run in vain (Gal 1:13-2:2), although he was noticeably accompanied by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, the Lord reveals the path to perfection only to those who are guided by spiritual Fathers, as He says through the prophets: Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will tell you (Deut 32:7).
