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← Letters on the Christian Life/Book 1 · Письма о христианской жизни
Chapter 57FeofanPisma.1.57

Письмо 57

The Weight of Scandal

The author rebukes the recipient for causing others to stumble in their fasting discipline, emphasizing the gravity of leading others into sin.

You've sinned greatly by leading N. into temptation. N. along the road, on Wednesday, to eat milk.1 After all, you weren't dying of hunger! It would be different if you had reached such a point of need that it was a matter of life and death, and there was nothing to get but milk. Then it would be nothing: eat to your health. But the way you did it is a sin. This sin grows greater because N. N. You were going to Petersburg, where there is an abyss of temptations. Now, on the road, you've shaken their rules and scattered the fear of breaking them under one pretext or another. From this small thing, they can carry the indulgence over to something else, then to a third, and so on, all in increasing order. The full responsibility for all of it rests on you. This isn't an exaggerated judgment—it's the plain truth of the matter. And you yourselves—are you of the Tatar faith, that you ate non-fasting food when you shouldn't have?2 It just makes no sense! . . Did the rule about food come from you somehow, so that you can handle it however you like, while others don't dare? Amazing! And it's even more amazing that you see this as a side issue. . . But I think otherwise—that in this matter you ought to grieve even more for yourself.

The Call to True Repentance

The author addresses the recipient's desire for absolution, urging them to seek formal confession and genuine repentance rather than relying on remote forgiveness.

As for those N.3 N.4 They weren't entrusted to you so that you could teach them to break the fast. They look to you as a good Christian woman who should be imitated, and perhaps they decided to eat for your sake so you wouldn't be alone in the shame of striking your mother—the Church—so mercilessly in the face.5 To strike a mother in the face! Do you see how things really stand? But you took this matter very lightly. You want absolution.6 I forgive and absolve you and everyone from this sin by the authority given to me, even though I myself am a great sinner. But what good does this do you? Is remote absolution really that powerful?7 Go to your confessor, condemn yourself before him, and ask him for a penance.8 For the Lord's sake, don't dismiss this. .9 .10 A millstone around the neck, and into the water — who is that for? For the one who leads others into sin. So grieve, ache over it, make your prostrations, and seek mercy from the all-merciful Lord.11 He is merciful — but to those who repent.

Steadfastness of Mind

The author concludes with a reflection on spiritual stability and the need to recognize the true source of temptation beyond human conflict.

Thank you for the tree and the little stone. All of that is fine, of course, but what's more needed is the little stone in the middle—the one on which the mind's feet ought to stand firm, not tossing this way and that.12 Help, Lord! Why are you so furious? After all, the whole blame doesn't fall on people, but on the Evil One—the tempter of people.13 That is truly the case. Don't commit the sin of thinking or feeling otherwise.

Read the original Russian

Много согрешили вы, соблазнив N. N. дорогою, в среду, есть молоко. Ведь не умирали с голоду! Другое дело, если бы встретили вы такую нужду, что смерть, а нечего достать, кроме молока. Тогда ничего: кушайте на здоровье. А так, как вы сделали, грех. Возрастает сей грех от того, что N.

N. ехали в Петербург, где бездна соблазнов. Теперь вы на дороге пошатнули их правила и рассеяли страх нарушать их под каким-нибудь предлогом. От сего малаго они могут перенесть поблажку и на другое, от другаго на третье, и так далее, все в возрастающем порядке. Ответ за все весь на вас. Это не натяжка суда, а истинное дело. Да и сами-то вы разве татарской веры, что не в должное время ели скоромное? Уж не поймешь, что это такое!

. . Закон-то о пище от вас что ли произошел, что вы можете им располагать, как хотите, а другие не смеют? Диво! И еще больше диво, что это вам кажется делом сторонним. . . А я думаю иначе, – что в этом деле вы о себе-то и скорбеть более должны.

Ведь те N. N. вам поручены были не за тем, чтобы вы научили их нарушать пост. Они смотрят на вас, как на добрую Христианку, которой должно подражать, и, может быть, решились вкусить ради вас, чтобы вам не совестно было одним так немилосердно бить в лицо матерь свою – Церковь. Бить в лицо матерь! видите, как дело-то есть? А вы очень легко рассуждали о сем. Вы хотите разрешения.

Прощаю и разрешаю от сего греха вас и всех властию мне данною, хотя и сам многогрешен есмь. Только, что же вам от сего пользы! заочное разрешение сильно ли? Идите к духовнику своему и пред ним себя осудите и попросите себе епитимии. Господа ради не брезгуйте этим делом. . . Жернов-то на шею, да в воду – кому это?

Тому, кто вводит в соблазн. И так поскорбите, поболите и побейте поклончики, и умилостивите всемилостиваго Господа. Милосерд есть, обаче кающимся.

Благодарю за дерево и камешек. Не худо, конечно, все сие, но нужнее камешек в середке, тот, на коем подобает твердо стоять ножками ума, не влаясь туда и сюда. Помоги, Господи!

За чем это вы рассвирепели? Ведь вся вина не на людей падает, а на лукаваго – соблазнителя людей. Право так. И не грешите, помышляя и чувствуя иначе.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩In Orthodox practice Wednesday is a fast day; milk (dairy) is non-fasting food (скоромное). The charge is that they had N. break the fast while traveling.
  2. 2 ↩«Татарской веры» is Feofan's sarcastic Orthodox idiom for being non-Christian/Muslim and thus unbound by Church fasting; «скоромное» is food forbidden in a fast (meat, dairy, etc.).
  3. 3 ↩Source preserves the redacted name initial 'N.'; the sentence is fragmentary and continues through s2–s3 as one thought.
  4. 4 ↩Second redacted name initial; together with s1–s3 the sense is that those persons were entrusted to the addressee.
  5. 5 ↩Russian 'совестно' is conscience-shame, not mere embarrassment; 'вкусить' is to taste/eat in a fasting context.
  6. 6 ↩Russian 'разрешение' here is confessional absolution (confirmed by the next section's 'прощаю и разрешаю'), not mere permission.
  7. 7 ↩заочное разрешение: absolution granted at a distance / in absence, without the penitent present before the confessor.
  8. 8 ↩епитимия (epitemia): the penance assigned after confession in Orthodox pastoral practice, not mere self-chosen discipline.
  9. 9 ↩Source sentence is only a period; no recoverable Russian wording.
  10. 10 ↩Source sentence is only a period; no recoverable Russian wording.
  11. 11 ↩побейте поклончики is colloquial Orthodox usage for performing bows/prostrations (diminutive поклончики); rendered as 'make your prostrations'.
  12. 12 ↩«камешек в середке» and «ножками ума» keep Feofan's affectionate diminutives; the image is a firm interior footing for the mind, not a literal pebble.
  13. 13 ↩лукаваго is the traditional Russian designation for the devil (the Evil One / crafty one); rendered as 'the Evil One' rather than a merely generic 'crafty person'.

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