Письмо 78
The Daily Reading
The Church appoints a daily Gospel reading to be studied with prayerful attention to the living voice of God.
In the Gospel, it is appointed that each day one reading be gone through.1 This is a lesson the Holy Church gives her children. It must be studied. . . In the morning, when the soul is free from outside impressions, with a prayer for understanding, lean your attention into this sanctuary of God's judgments and watch what the ever-living Lord speaks through this word that seems dead.✦✦23 . .
Gathering Spiritual Sparks
Recording the insights sparked by God's Word creates a storehouse of spiritual wisdom for times of need.
Some people write down the thoughts that the Word of God strikes from their heart—like a fire-steel striking sparks from flint—believing these are instructions offered by their Guardian Angel. And it truly is that way. In times of need, these thoughts become daily bread for the soul.✦ Anyone who doesn't let them slip away is doing the same as someone who saves a little money for a rainy day.4 One elder had his walls covered in such thoughts. In the monastery of St. Sava near Jerusalem there are many manuscript collections of the Fathers' sayings. All of them, you might say, come from this same origin.
A Rule for Growth
By following the example of the Fathers and making spiritual reflection a consistent rule, anyone can cultivate a deeper interior life.
You're already familiar with them. Look, for example, at Margarita's second article.5 Even without a heading, you could guess that these sayings were born in the soul while reading the writings of the Fathers—sometimes taken word for word, and sometimes put into one's own words. In the eleventh article, by God's priest Leonty, thoughts are gathered that are stirred in the soul primarily by reading the Word of God. After all, anyone can do this. So what more is there to it?6 You just need to make it a rule, and it will go from there.
Read the original Russian
В Евангелии каждый день положено прочитывать одно зачало. Это урок Святой Церкви чадам своим. Надо изучать. . . Утром, когда душа свободна от сторонних впечатлений, с молитвою о вразумлении приникайте вниманием в сию таинницу судов Божиих и смотрите, что речет чрез сие мертвое будто слово выну живый Господь. . .
Есть люди, кои мысли, выбиваемыя Словом Божиим из сердца, как искры выбиваются огнивом из кремня, записывают на память, в той вере, что это суть наставления, предлагаемыя Ангелом Хранителем. И действительно так. В час нужный такия мысли будут насущным хлебом для души. И тот, кто не опускает их, делает тоже, что тот, кто заберегает денежку про черный день. У одного старца были исписаны все стены такими мыслями. В монастыре св. Саввы близ Иерусалима есть много рукописных сборников отеческих изречений. Все они, можно сказать, такого происхождения.
Вы уже знакомы с ними. Посмотрите, напр. , вторую статью Маргариты. Если б и не было надписи, вы могли бы догадаться, что все сии изречения родились в душе при чтении писаний отеческих, откуда взяты иногда слово в слово, иногда выражены своею речью. В статье одиннадцатой, иерея Божия Леонтия, собраны мысли, возбуждаемыя в душе при чтении Слова Божия преимущественно. Так поступать ведь всякому можно. Зачем же дело? Положить только правилом надо, и пойдет.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.85.8 — Show us, LORD, your steadfast love, and grant us your salvation.
- ↩Heb.4.12;2Cor.3.6 — For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 2Cor.3.6 — who also has made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
- ↩Matt.6.11 — Give us today our daily bread.
Notes
- 1 ↩Russian зачало is the liturgical pericope/lection unit in Orthodox lectionary use; rendered here as 'reading' for modern accessibility.
- 2 ↩таинница судов Божиих: 'sanctuary/secret chamber of God's judgments' — the Gospel reading treated as a holy inner place of divine decrees, not a mere text.
- 3 ↩выну is Church Slavonic for 'always/continually'; rendered as 'ever-living' with 'выну живый Господь'.
- 4 ↩Source has тоже (older/vernacular for то же, 'the same'); rendered as 'the same as'.
- 5 ↩«Маргариты» may name a person (Margarita) or a titled collection; rendered as the personal name Margarita pending later identification.
- 6 ↩Colloquial «Зачем же дело?» pressed as 'what more is needed / what's the holdup,' matching the following counsel to make it a rule.
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