Письмо 43
The Danger of Worldly Distractions
The author warns against the vanity of theater-going and encourages the recipient to remain faithful in small spiritual struggles.
I can't explain this urge of yours for the theater. There's no point in the theater at all. You know that. So why would you want to go? And if thoughts come—never mind them! Drive them away and fight. Others are sent stronger temptations, but yours is a light one—only of the mind. Show your faithfulness to the Lord in this small thing.✦
The Craftiness of the Enemy
The enemy uses subtle, incremental temptations to pull the soul away from prayer and toward worldly vanity.
The Evil One wants to tear the soul away from the Lord somehow—if not by outright evil, then by trifles. Others can do as they like. Everyone will answer to God for themselves.✦ Theaters were invented by the government for those who aren't seeking salvation, so they won't give themselves over to some worse vice; for those who seek salvation, there is the Church, where the Lord, the Angels, and all the saints commune with us—not by mere show, but in very fact!1 And the money you'd have to spend on the theater—wouldn't it be better to give it to those in need? I'm afraid you might give in to the enemy's suggestions. The enemy is crafty. First he demands a small concession, then a larger one, then still more, and so on without end. The deeper into the woods you go, the more firewood there is. If only Father—2 Seraphim gave you a stern warning!3 Who is it that pulls you away from prayer and draws you to the theater? You can see for yourselves who it is. !4 Weeping over sins and sitting in the theater—how can those two go together? And yet, one must weep day and night.
The Breath of Repentance
The author reflects on the necessity of constant prayer and the spirit of repentance as the life-breath of a Christian.
I don't remember what was going on with me or where I was when you served the moleben.5 That was the Lord sending you consolation for your care for your neighbor. Pray more often for my wretchedness, so that the Lord would give me a spirit of repentance.6 How good it is with Him, and how wretched without Him!7 A Christian's breathing should be made of penitent sighs; and when there are none, it means he has suffocated. Lord, have mercy! I wish you every blessing from the Lord.
Read the original Russian
Не умею объяснить, что у вас за позыв в театр. Толку в театре никакого нет. Вы это знаете. За чем же хотеть ехать? А что мысли приходят, пусть их! Гоните их и боритесь! Другим посылаются искушения посильнее, а вам легонькое, мысленное. Покажите верность Господу в этом малом.
Лукавый чем-нибудь да хочет отрывать душу от Господа, – не прямым злом, так пустяками. Другие, как себе хотят. Всякий за себя даст ответ Богу. Театры правительством придуманы для тех, кои не ищут спасения, чтобы они не предались злейшему какому пороку; для ищущих спасения есть Церковь, где не представительно, а самым делом Господь, Ангелы и все святые общаться с нами! Деньги же, которыя надо на театр истратить, не лучше ли отдать нуждающимся. Боюсь, как бы вы не поддались внушениям вражиим. Враг ловок. Сначала маленькую уступочку требует, потом поболее, там еще более, и так без конца.
Чем дальше в лес, тем больше дров. Хоть бы батюшка о. Серафим погрозил вам! Кто же от молитвы оттягивает, а в театр влечет? Сами видите, кто это? ! Плакать о грехах и быть в театре, как это не вяжется? Плакать же надобно денно и ночно.
Не помню, что было со мной и где я был, когда вы служили молебен. Это Господь послал вам утешение за вашу заботу о ближнем. Молитесь почаще о моем окаянстве, чтоб Господь дал мне дух покаяния. Как хорошо с ним и как худо без него! Дыхание Христианина должно состоять из покаянных воздыханий, и, когда нет их, это значит, что он задохнулся. Господи, помилуй!
Всяких вам благословений от Господа желаю.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩«не представительно, а самым делом» contrasts theatrical representation with real presence/communion; rendered as “not by mere show, but in very fact.”
- 2 ↩Source reads as a truncated fragment ending in the clerical abbreviation «о.» (Father). Most plausible intended reading joins the next sentence: «Хоть бы батюшка о. Серафим погрозил вам!» — «If only Father Seraphim had warned you!» / «At least Father Seraphim warned you!»
- 3 ↩«погрозил» is stern pastoral warning/threat (shaking a finger at), not physical violence. Likely continues s2 as «о. Серафим» (Father Seraphim).
- 4 ↩Source is only a bare exclamation mark; no recoverable lexical content.
- 5 ↩молебен: kept as moleben (Orthodox intercessory prayer service); 'prayer service' is a plain-English alternative.
- 6 ↩окаянстве: strong self-abasement term; rendered 'wretchedness' rather than milder 'sinfulness' to keep the force.
- 7 ↩ним/него most naturally points back to the spirit of repentance in the previous sentence.
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