Письмо 41
Treasures of the Soul
The author encourages deep spiritual reading of the Fathers to cultivate compunction and prayer.
What treasures you've acquired for yourselves! In the Lenten Triodion, the entire soul grieves over its sins.1 And Ephrem the Syrian! With him, even the least tearful person will weep. You already know Isaac the Syrian. There, the whole matter is laid out more deeply, and the entire path of God is made as clear as the palm of your hand. He says that short, concise, and even wordless prayer will come of itself once the heart is purified.
The Life-Giving Sacrament
Frequent and well-prepared reception of Holy Communion is presented as the true source of life.
You asked about Holy Communion. It won't hinder you at all to receive Communion often, provided you prepare properly. It would be good to do so during every fast, and even twice during Great Lent and the Nativity Fast.2 Still, follow what the Lord lays on your heart; just make sure you receive Communion well.3 And that is where life is!4
The Scarcity of the Word
The lack of spiritual guidance is identified as a divine chastisement, prompting a prayer for mercy.
There are moments when a word is badly needed. A scarcity of the word is a punishment from God.✦5 Lord, have mercy on us!
The Vanity of the World
Petersburg is described as a reflection of the fallen state of humanity.
What did you meet with in Petersburg, or how did it meet you? What a strange city it is!6 It's a true image of fallen humanity.
Building Jerusalem at Home
The author advises against unnecessary pilgrimages, urging the reader to cultivate the spiritual life within their own home.
N., the woman from Jerusalem—7 N. I remember. Is she thinking of rushing off there again?8 Enough. You have to build your own Jerusalem at home; that one is doomed to be trampled by the nations until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.9
Read the original Russian
Каких вы сокровищ себе накупили! В Триоди постной – вся сетующая о грехах душа! А Ефрем Сирианин! С ним и самый неплаксивый заплачет. Исаака Сирианина уж вы знаете. Там поглубже все дело прописано, и весь путь Божий выяснен как на ладони. Он говорит, что коротенькая, малословная и даже бессловная молитва придет сама, когда очистится сердце.
Вы спрашивали о св. причащении. Нисколько не помешает часто причащаться с приготовлением истинным. Хорошо бы – каждый пост, а в Великий и пред-Рождественский и по-дважды. Впрочем, как Господь по сердцу положит; только хорошо причащаться. Где же и живот!
Бывают минуты, когда очень нужно слово. Скудость слова есть наказание Божие. Господи, помилуй нас!
Что встретили вы в Петербурге, или как он вас встретил? Чудной этот город! истинный образ падшаго человечества!
Иерусалимлянку N. N. помню. Не думает ли опять махнуть туда? Довольно. Надо дома строить свой Иерусалим; а тому обречено быть попираему языки, Дóндеже скончаются времена языков.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Amos.8.11 — Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land — not a famine for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord.
Notes
- 1 ↩Триодь постная = Lenten Triodion (Orthodox liturgical book of Lenten services).
- 2 ↩«Великий» = Great Lent; «пред-Рождественский» = the Nativity (Advent) Fast. «Пост» here means a fasting season, not a single meal abstention.
- 3 ↩«Только хорошо причащаться» can mean either 'the main thing is that Communion is good/beneficial' or 'only receive Communion well/worthily.' Context of true preparation favors the worthiness/manner reading.
- 4 ↩«Живот» is archaic/Church Slavonic for 'life' (жизнь), not 'belly'; in Eucharistic context it points to spiritual/eternal life found in Communion.
- 5 ↩Скудость слова may mean scarcity of speech/counsel or scarcity of the Word; rendered as 'the word' to keep the source's general force without over-specifying.
- 6 ↩Чудной can mean strange/odd or marvelous; with the next sentence on fallen humanity, the critical sense 'strange/odd' is preferred.
- 7 ↩Иерусалимлянка can mean a woman from Jerusalem or a woman pilgrim who went to Jerusalem; context favors a named woman associated with a Jerusalem pilgrimage.
- 8 ↩махнуть туда is colloquial for setting out / bolting off to a place; rendered as 'dashing off' to keep the informal force without slang.
- 9 ↩Дóндеже ... времена языков is Church Slavonic coloring of the Lucan phrase; kept as 'until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.' тому refers to the earthly Jerusalem, not the interior one being built at home.
Letters on the Christian Life companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit