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← Epistles of Theodosius of the Caves to Prince Iziaslav/Book 1 · Поучения и молитва преподобного Феодосия Печерского
Chapter 2FeodPech.1.2

В пяток 3 недѢли поста святаго Феодосиа поучение о тръпѢнии и о смирении

The Call to Vigilance

Theodosius exhorts his brothers to labor with patience and love, warning of the judgment awaiting the negligent.

Lord, bless! Keep working, you laborers, so that you may receive the crown of your patience, for Christ is waiting for us to enter.✦ Let's light our lamps with love and obedience, with gentleness and humility, and meet Christ with an unashamed face, as he says to us: "Come, you who have labored for my sake in prayers and vigils and in every kind of service, and share in the good things."✦✦ And again he will say to the lazy and the negligent: "Go away from me, you cursed; I do not know you. Just as you did not hear the voice of my servants, the prophets and the apostles, calling through the holy Gospels into the kingdom of heaven, so I too do not hear you; but the one you followed—with him you will also share endless torments."✦1

The Rule of Prayer and Order

A historical and practical reflection on the Studite rule as the foundation for monastic discipline in the Kiev Caves.

When the bell rings, it isn't right for us to stay in bed; we should rise for prayer, just as the God-bearing Theodore—the abbot of the Studite monastery in Constantinople, whose name is linked to the Studite church and monastic rule—teaches us.2 Here, Theodosius is referring to the guidelines of the Studite rule that directed the Kiev Caves Monastery. The Studite rule was adopted at the Kiev Caves Monastery during its very first years (see : The Tale of Bygone Years.3 Moscow ; Leningrad , 1950. Pt.4 1. p.5 108; Abramovich, D. I.6 The Kyiv Caves Paterikon.7 Kyiv, 1931.8 p.9 39), and from there it spread to all the other Russian monasteries and remained in use in Rus' until the fourteenth century, when the Jerusalem Rule replaced it.10

Reverence in the House of God

Practical instructions on how to conduct oneself in church, from entering with humility to maintaining focus during the liturgy.

and keeping that word of David in mind and saying: "My heart is ready, O God; my heart is ready." So when the second striking is finishing, then we too should ready our feet for going down to church, keeping our thoughts not dull but cheerful, and giving praise to God the Giver of life, who has brought us through the night's course, and having on our lips the psalm of the prophet and king David, in which he says: "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord'" and so on.11 Likewise, as we enter the church and sing "Holy God," then with fitting reverence we bow to Christ three times to the ground, and with great awe and fear we stand silently by the wall, lifting up unceasing voices to the Most High, who has deemed us sinners worthy of entering the church—not leaning on the wall or a pillar for support, things that were made for our honor.12 For when we come even to our brothers, it is fitting for us—having bowed to the ground and folded our hands—to stand before him as a servant of God, imitating Christ in this; for we see Him standing before Pilate, mocked, and saying nothing at all.13 We are commanded to show our brothers this honor for the sake of humility, by which we adorn ourselves with the crowns of virtue. Failing to bow to one's brother or letting the hands hang down is the way of the careless, the lazy, and the proud. This applies even more in church: the pillars and walls are there for our honor, not for our dishonor.14 When the priest is censing the holy altar and we are waiting for the censing to come to us, it is not right to stand lazily, but to hold a great awe. For the holy incense is an image of the Holy Spirit—so let's not be deprived of it, my beloved! So when we receive the grace of the Holy Spirit through that censing visitation, and have gone to our place, it is right for us to stand with complete gentleness, as the rule writes: putting sleep aside, making ourselves as if dead to yawning and coughing, as if we felt nothing, and praying to God with tender compunction, that He may send us help to finish Matins and the canon in good endurance. So when, by God's visitation, the true light dawns in our souls, and after the singing of "God is the Lord" we begin the psalter chant, we must not snatch the verses from one another and throw the singing into no small disorder. Instead, we should look to the senior side, and no one should start without that lead; for that is how good order is kept.15 And when we begin a hymn or “Alleluia” and bow to one another—imitating the angels in this—we ought to look to the senior side, so that when he bows, we bow too, following his lead. The prophets saw the bodiless angels singing, bowing, and offering praise to God as they stood before him.16 What sort of people, then, ought we to be—we who have been counted worthy to serve and stand before the invisible God with the angels, and from him we look for the reward that is due! For he knows our hearts—for whose sake we stand in the holy church.17 So let us not grow lazy, my beloved, regarding the hours and our service before the One who tests all our deeds and all our thoughts. Let us confess our sins here before a humble human being, so that they won't be exposed there before the whole world.18 And let us keep the morning, midday, and evening hours. Whoever wastes these hours out of laziness is like a thief stealing holy things; cursed is the one who does the work of God carelessly.19

A Shepherd's Humble Confession

Theodosius concludes with a deeply personal confession of his own unworthiness, using prophetic scripture to warn against hypocrisy.

So let's not grow lazy, my beloved ones—brothers and fathers, and chosen spiritual children! For with tears I speak these bitter words to you whom I love, because I am saying them to you while I myself fail to do them.20 Today, what the prophet spoke has come true for me: "But God said to the sinner: 'Why do you declare my covenant with your mouth!'"21 "But you hated instruction and cast my words behind you." "If you saw a thief, you ran with him; you took your share with adulterers; you slandered your brother; and you put a stumbling block before your mother's son." "You have done this, and I kept silent." "And you imagined, you lawless one, that I would be like you!" "I will rebuke you and set your sins before your face, so that all who forget God may understand, when he snatches them away and there is no one to deliver."22 And again: "By your own words I judge you, you wicked servant—it would have been better for you if you had returned my silver, so that I could have given it to diligent workers who would have paid me back with profit." So I must speak all of this to your love, so that no one dies in a terrible sin because of my silence.23 In Christ Jesus our Lord.

Read the original Latin

Господи, благослови!

Подвизайтеся, трудници, да приимѣте вѣнець тръпѣниа вашего, Христос бо ждеть входа нашего. И въждезѣмъ свѣтилникы наша любовию и послушаниемъ, кротосьтию и смирениемъ и срящем Христа непостыдномъ лицемъ, глаголюще къ намъ: «Приидѣте, иже мене ради потружавшеся въ молитвах и въ бдѣниих и въ всякых службах, и приобщитеся благых». Паки же речеть лѣнивым и неродивымъ: «Идѣте от мене, проклятии, не знаю вас, якоже вы не слышасте гласа рабъ моих, пророкъ и апостоль, и святыми Евангелии позывающа въ царство небесное, тако и азъ васъ не слышу; но емуже послѣдовасте, тому же и обѣщници будете мукамъ бесконечнымъ».

Билу бо ударѣющу, не лѣпо ны есть лѣжати, но въстати на молитву, якоже ны богоносивый Феодоръ учит, игумен Студийского монастыря в Константинополе, с именем которого связывалось сложение Студийского церковно-монастырского устава. Феодосий имеет здесь в виду правила Студийского устава, которыми руководствовались в Киево-Печерском монастыре. Студийский устав был принят в Киево-Печерском монастыре в первые же годы его существования (см. : Повесть временных лет. М. ; Л. , 1950. Ч.

1. С. 108; Абрамович Д. И. Киево-Печерський патерик. У Киïві, 1931. С. 39) и отсюда распространился по всем другим русским монастырям и оставался в обиходе на Руси вплоть до XIV века, когда его сменил Иерусалимский устав.")

и Давидьское оно слово въ умѣ имѣюще и глаголати: «Готово сердце мое, Боже, готово». Да егда второму клѣпанию кончевающуся, тогда и своя ногы вготовимъ на сшествие церковное, помысла своего не дряхла имуща, но весела, и въздающе хвалу живодавцю Богу, прѣпроводившу нас връсту нощную, и въ устѣх имѣюще пророка Давида и царя псалом, в нѣмже глаголеть: «Възвеселихся о рѣкших мнѣ: в домъ Господень внидемъ» и прочее. Такожде входяще въ церковь и «Святый Боже» поюще, таже с лѣпотою поклонившеся Христу трижды до земля и съ великою боязнию и съ страхом стати безмолвно при стенѣ, гласы немлъчны въспѣвающе к Вышнему, иже насъ грѣшных сподобилъ входа церковнаго, не имѣюще собѣ подъпоры стѣны, ни стлъпа, еже намъ суть на честь створена. Егда бо и къ другомъ приходимъ, то достоить нам, поклонение створше до земля и связавше руцѣ, аки рабу Божию стати прѣд нимъ, Христа о сѣмъ подражающе, видимъ бо его предстояща прѣд Пилатом и поругаема и не глаголюща ничсоже. И повелѣно ны есть другомъ толикы чьсти даяти смирениа ради, имже добродѣтелныа вѣнца украшаемъ; еже бо не поклонитися другу своему и руцѣ долу повѣсити, то неродивых мужь и лѣнивых и въ умѣ гордяшихся. И въ церкви боле того есть, на честь бо намъ стлъпи суть и стѣны церковныа, а не на бе-щестие.

Кадящу прозвитеру святый олтарь и намъ чающимъ присѣщениа кадилнаго, не лѣпо с лѣностию стояти, но страх великый имѣти. Святое бо кадило образъ Святаго Духа есть, да не лишимся того, любимици! Да егда приобрящемся благодати Святаго Духа кадилным присѣщениемъ, и на мѣсто свое шедше и стати ны лѣпо есть съ всякою кротостию, якоже въ уставѣ пишеть, сонъ отложивше и мертва себе сътворити къ копасаниемъ и к кашлю акы нечювствьна, и съ умилениемъ молитися Богу, да послеть намъ помощь скончати намь въ блазѣмъ тръпѣнии заутреню и канонъ.

Да егда присѣщениемъ Божиимъ въсиаеть въ душах нашихъ свѣт истинный и по пѣнии «Богь Господь» егда начнемъ псалтырное пѣние, не лѣт ны есть другъ друга прихватити стиховъ и пѣнию мятежь творити немалъ, но на стрѣйшаго сторону взирающе, и безъ того початиа не лѣпо есть починати никомуже; тако бо доброчиньство бываеть. И егда, починающе пѣснь или «аллилуа», покланяние междю събою творим, подражающе о сѣмъ ангелы, длъжни есмы взирати в томъ на старѣйшиу сторонѣ, да егда онъ поклонится, и мы поклонитися, послѣдующе ему, должни есмы добролѣпне. Ангелы бесплотныа видѣша пророкы поюща и поклоняющася и Богу хвалу въздающе съ прѣстояниемъ. Нам же кацѣмъ быти достоить, сподобившимся съ ангелы Богу невидимому служити и прѣстояти, от негоже мъзды длъжныа чаем! Тъ бо съвѣсть сердца наша, кого дѣля пристоимъ въ святѣй церкви. Да не лѣнимся, любимици мои, о годинах и о службѣ своей Испытающему вся дѣла наша и помышлениа наша. Открыем съгрѣшениа наша сдѣ прѣдъ худымъ человѣкомъ, да тамо не обличена будуть, прѣдо вселенною. И блюдѣмъ годинъ заутрьних, и обѣдѣнных, и павечерних; иже бо погубляеть годины лѣности ради, татбѣ подобно есть украдаа святаа; проклят бо есть иже дело Божие делает со нерадением.

Да не лѣнимся, любимици мои, братиа и отци, и чада духовнаа, избраннаа! Съ слѣзами бо глаголю горкаа словеса къ вашей любви, понеже вамъ глаголю, сам не створя. И на мнѣ днесь сбысться реченое от пророка: «Грѣшнику же рече Богъ: “въскую ты повѣдаеши завѣть мой усты твоими! Ты же наказание възненавидѣ и низъврьже словеса моа въспят. Аще видяше тате, течаше с нимъ, и съ блудникы участие свое полагаше, и на братъ свой клѣвѣташе, и на сына матере своея полагаше съблазнъ. Сие створилъ еси, и умолчах. А вознепщевал еси, безаконниче, яко буду подобенъ тебе! Обличю тя и поставлю прѣд лицемъ твоимъ грѣхы твоя, да разумѣють вси забывающеи Бога, егда къгда похитить и не будеть избавляющаго”».

И пакы: «Усты твоими сужю ти, рабе лукавый, – добрѣе бы ти было, да бы възвратилъ срѣбро мое, да бых тщивымъ дѣлателемъ вдалъ, иже быша ми въздали съ прибыткомъ». Да нужда ми есть глаголати къ вашей любви вся та, да нѣ кьто умреть въ моемъ молчании лютым грѣхомъ. О Христѣ Исусѣ Господѣ нашем.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Jas.1.12;Rev.2.10 — Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him. Rev.2.10 — Do not fear at all the things you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you may be tested, and you will have affliction for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
  2. ↩Matt.25.1-Matt.25.13 — Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Matt.25.2 — Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Matt.25.3 — For the foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them. Matt.25.4 — but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps Matt.25.5 — While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. Matt.25.6 — But at midnight a cry has gone out: 'Look! The bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Matt.25.7 — Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. Matt.25.8 — The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' Matt.25.9 — But the prudent ones answered, saying, 'No — there will not be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' Matt.25.10 — But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and the ready ones went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Matt.25.11 — Afterward the other virgins also come, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' Matt.25.12 — But he answered, 'Truly, I tell you, I do not know you.' Matt.25.13 — Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
  3. ↩Matt.25.34 — Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'
  4. ↩Matt.25.41 — Then he will also say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'

Notes

  1. 1 ↩неродивымъ is rendered 'negligent' (careless/heedless); some contexts allow 'indifferent' or 'neglectful of duty.'
  2. 2 ↩The first clause is Old East Slavic homiletic speech; the identifying phrase about Theodore of Studios and the Studite rule is modern editorial explanation fused into the same printed unit.
  3. 3 ↩Повесть временных лет is the Primary Chronicle, also commonly rendered Tale of Bygone Years.
  4. 4 ↩Ч. expands Russian Часть (part/volume); rendered as English bibliographic Pt.
  5. 5 ↩Russian bibliographic С. = страница (page).
  6. 6 ↩И. is the middle initial of D. I. Abramovich in the citation.
  7. 7 ↩Title surface is Ukrainian/mixed (Киево-Печерський патерик); rendered with the standard English book title.
  8. 8 ↩Source has У Киïві (garbled ï for ї); read as Ukrainian У Київі, 'in Kyiv'.
  9. 9 ↩Russian bibliographic С. = страница (page), here introducing page 39 in the next sentence.
  10. 10 ↩Иерусалимский устав rendered as Jerusalem Rule (the liturgical-monastic typikon that superseded the Studite rule in Rus').
  11. 11 ↩клѣпание is the monastic call (semantron/bell-striking) for the office; rendered here as 'striking' rather than a generic 'bell'.
  12. 12 ↩«Святый Боже» is the Trisagion. подъпора стѣны / стлъпа: the instruction is not to use wall or pillar as a rest, because they exist for the church's dignity, not for the monks' ease.
  13. 13 ↩другъ here is the monastic brother/fellow monk, not a casual friend.
  14. 14 ↩на бе-щестие: leaning on pillars/walls is treated as treating holy furnishings as a prop and so dishonoring them and the office.
  15. 15 ↩«Богь Господь» is the liturgical refrain “God is the Lord” (God the Lord and has appeared to us). «стрѣйшаго сторону» is the senior choir side / the elder’s side that gives the lead in dual-choir monastic practice.
  16. 16 ↩Word order allows either “the prophets saw the bodiless angels…” or a looser apposition; the sense required by context is prophetic vision of angelic worship. «съ прѣстояниемъ» = standing-before / attentive attendance in God’s presence.
  17. 17 ↩«съвѣсть» here is taken as the verbal form “knows” (from вѣдѣти), not the noun “conscience”: “He knows our hearts.” «кого дѣля» = for whose sake / on account of whom—i.e., God knows the motive of our standing in church.
  18. 18 ↩«худымъ человѣкомъ» is “a lowly / humble man,” i.e. a confessor or spiritual father, not a contemptuous dismissal of the person. «сдѣ ... тамо» contrasts confession now with public exposure at the judgment.
  19. 19 ↩«годинъ заутрьних, и обѣдѣнных, и павечерних» = the morning, midday, and evening canonical hours of the office, not merely clock-times or meals.
  20. 20 ↩къ вашей любви is the common honorific address 'to your love' (to the beloved community); rendered as 'to you whom I love' for natural modern English.
  21. 21 ↩Opens a continuous quoted Psalm speech that runs through s8; nested quotation marks follow the source.
  22. 22 ↩похитить has no explicit subject in the source; sense follows the psalm: judgment snatches the forgetful of God, and no deliverer remains.
  23. 23 ↩«къ вашей любви» is a conventional Old Russian monastic form of address to the brethren ("to your love"); rendered literally to preserve the source's register of fraternal address.

Epistles of Theodosius of the Caves to Prince Iziaslav companion

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