Spiritual Homilies 1 part 32/36

But if she does something contrary to what is right and owed, and does not conduct herself usefully and fittingly in her husband's house, and does not render to her own husband all the love that is owed, then she is cast out with dishonor and insult, laying both her hands upon her head—just as the Law of Moses also hints in a figure concerning the unsubmissive wife who is not useful to her own husband.

then she incurs sorrow and the greatest mourning, reckoning from what wealth she has fallen, and of what glory she has been deprived, having been dishonored because of her folly.

So too the soul, when the heavenly Bridegroom Christ has betrothed her to himself as bride—in order that, coming into his mystical and divine communion, she may be counted worthy to partake of his own Spirit, and be initiated into heavenly riches out of the poverty of her destitution—must, with all sober understanding and much zeal of knowledge, please Christ her betrothed, and fulfill the service of a wife entrusted to her: to please God in everything, to grieve the Spirit in nothing, to despise absolutely nothing in anything, to guard fair chastity and love toward him, and to conduct herself in the house of the heavenly King with all goodwill through the grace given, without lack or deficiency, as is fitting.

And behold, such a soul becomes mistress of all God's good and ineffable treasures, and the very glorious body of his Godhead becomes hers.

But if she does something contrary to what is right, and fails in the spiritual service of pleasing God, and does not do the things pleasing to him, and does not follow his will, nor becomes a fellow worker with the grace of the Spirit dwelling within her, then she is cut off with unseemly insult and stripped of honor from life, as useless and foolish and unfit for the fellowship of the heavenly King.

And thereafter that soul becomes an occasion of great grief and pain and weeping to all the saints and to the intelligent spirits.

Angels, powers, apostles, prophets weep bitterly over her.

For just as there is joy in heaven, as the Lord says, over one sinner who repents, so too there is much grief and great mourning and weeping in heaven over one soul that falls away from eternal life.

And just as in this life, when some rich man dies, there arises for him, from his own brothers and kinsmen and friends, lamentation with dirges and much beating of the breast, so too over that soul all the saints mourn terribly with lamentations.

For just as Israel, whenever it gave thanks and was pleasing to God—although it never gave thanks in the manner it ought—yet whenever it seemed to hold sound faith toward him, behold, a pillar of cloud overshadowed them and a pillar of fire gave them light, the sea was split apart before them, manna rained down from heaven, water came forth from the rock for them—

—moreover they were also guarded from the plots of enemies, and countless other benefits which God provided for them.

But whenever their mind and their will turned away from God and from goodwill toward him, then they were handed over to serpents and given up to their enemies, being led away into captivities and enslaved in bitter servitudes—as the Spirit also says in the prophet Ezekiel, mystically signifying such a soul as concerning Jerusalem:

...in your ears, and a beryl upon your forehead; and you became renowned among all the nations.

You ate fine flour and honey and oil, and afterward you forgot my benefits, and went after your lovers, and played the harlot in your strength; and whenever Israel went astray, then they were handed over to their enemies.

These things the Spirit mystically hints at concerning the soul that has come to knowledge through grace, and has been cleansed beforehand from many defilements, and has been adorned with the ornaments of the Holy Spirit, and has been clothed with a garment of heavenly power, and has partaken of divine and heavenly foods—but has not been minded with much understanding of divine knowledge, and has not conducted herself properly in the spiritual service of pleasing the commandments, nor has fittingly preserved the goodwill and love and chastity owed to her heavenly husband, Christ, and so afterward has been cast away and expelled from the life of which she had become a partaker.

For Satan is able to exalt and lift himself up even against those who have attained to such measures.

For it says: 'casting down reasonings, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.'

You see that even against those who have come to know God in grace and in power—

—wickedness still rises up and strives to cast them down.

We must therefore strive and guard ourselves with every watchfulness of understanding, always working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, as it is written—especially all you who have become partakers of the Spirit of Christ—not to hold anything in contempt, whether small or great, nor to insult the grace of the Spirit, lest you be cut off from the life of which you have already become partakers.

And again, we shall state the same thought under another figure of illustration.

Just as if a servant should enter a palace to serve a king, he receives vessels from the king's own possessions, while he himself enters empty-handed, and serves the king with the king's own vessels—

—and thereafter there is need there of much understanding and knowledge and wisdom, lest he should serve anything contrary to what is right and fitting, or set one thing in place of another at the king's table, but rather serve the first courses first and the last courses last before him, just as is proper.

But if someone should fail in his service through much ignorance and lack of discernment and want of understanding, and does not serve the king fittingly in all things in due order, he is in danger and becomes liable to death, being cast out with all dishonor and excluded from the royal table—as the great apostle Paul also says:

lest, having preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

You see what fear and anxious care the man of God had.

So too, for the soul that serves Christ in grace and in the Spirit, there is need of much understanding and discernment and knowledge, so that, ministering to him with God's own vessels—that is, with his Spirit—she may not fail at all in the service of grace, her own will not agreeing with the grace.

For there is a certain mystical ministry of the Spirit, performed secretly by the inner man unto God:

for God is served by the soul with his own vessels, that is, with his Spirit.

But without his vessels—the grace of the Spirit—it is impossible for anyone to serve God.

And when she is counted worthy of grace, then there is need of much understanding and knowledge and discernment—which he himself also gives, when she seeks them from God—so that one may serve him acceptably by the Spirit which one has been counted worthy to receive from God, and may in nothing be stolen away by wickedness, nor fail through ignorance, nor be turned aside through fearlessness and negligence, and act contrary to what is fitting to the Master's will; since punishment and death and mourning are wrought for such a soul.

You have been counted worthy of the grace of God; do not live together with, and be nourished by, a contemptuous mind, so that thus, having conducted ourselves acceptably to him, and having offered spiritual worship according to his will blamelessly forever, we may inherit together with him eternal life, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever.

He who wishes to please God, and believes he will become a joint heir with Christ, and is eager to be an imitator of the Lord, so that he too may be called a son of God from the Spirit, must, above all, having laid hold of long-suffering and patience, bravely endure whatever various afflictions befall him—whether straits and necessities, whether bodily sicknesses and sufferings, or the reproaches and insults of men, or the various unseen afflictions brought upon the soul by evil spirits wishing to hinder her from going on into the kingdom and to drive her into slackness and faintheartedness and impatience—by the providence of the Lord, who allows every soul to be tested by various afflictions, so that the souls who love the Lord with their whole heart may be made manifest, bravely enduring all that is brought upon them by the evil one, and not falling away from hope in the Lord, but always awaiting the redemption of grace in faith and much patience; wherefore they will also be able to come through every temptation.

And thus, obtaining the promise of the Spirit, they become worthy of the kingdom.

The soul, then, that follows the word of the Lord must take up the cross of the Lord with joy, as it is written, being ready to endure everything for the Lord's sake, whatever temptation comes, whether hidden or manifest, and to hang her hope on the Lord always, because it is his authority both that the soul be afflicted, as he permits, and that she be redeemed from every temptation and affliction through him.

But if she does not act with courage, and does not bravely bear and endure every affliction, but instead grieves, and grows listless, and is burdened and distressed, and grows faint in the struggle, and despairs as though she would no longer be redeemed (which indeed is a device of wickedness, casting the soul into listlessness and faintheartedness), and does not become steadfast in hope, always awaiting the mercy of the Lord in unwavering faith, such a soul does not become a child of life, since she has not become a follower of all the saints, nor has she walked in the footsteps of the Lord.

For consider and see how, from the beginning, the fathers—both patriarchs and prophets, apostles and martyrs—passed through the narrow way of afflictions and temptations, and thus were able to please God, having bravely endured every temptation and affliction, and rejoiced in their hardships and sufferings because of the hoped-for expectation of reward, as the Scripture says:

My child, if you come forward to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation;

deepen your heart and endure steadfastly. And the apostle says:

But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children, and not sons. And elsewhere:

Receive all that is brought upon you as good, knowing that nothing happens apart from God.

Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, on my account.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward is great in the heavens. And this:

by the spirits of wickedness.

For they contend against the soul that seeks God, and cast various afflictions upon her, to hinder her from eternal life, and at the same time also so that, having been tested, it might be made manifest whether she truly loves God in enduring every affliction, and whether she will hold fast her hope to the end, awaiting redemption in unwavering faith—or else, not having endured, but having drawn back before afflictions and grown listless or fainthearted and diminished in hope, is shown not to love God in truth.

For the various afflictions and temptations reveal which souls are unworthy and which are worthy—those that have faith and hope and patience, and those that do not—so that the worthy souls, being shown in all things to be approved and faithful, having endured to the end and firmly held fast their hope, and thus having received redemption through grace, may justly become heirs of the kingdom. Let every soul, then, that wishes to please God hold fast patience and hope above all else, and thus she will be able to pass through every uprising and affliction of the evil one.

For God does not allow a soul that hopes in him and waits patiently for him to be tempted to such a degree that she is utterly at a loss and given over to temptations and afflictions which she cannot bear, as the apostle says:

God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

For the evil one does not tempt and afflict the soul as much as he wishes, but only as much as is permitted him by God; only let the soul bravely hold fast her hope, and in faith await the help and support that comes from him.

And it is impossible for her to be abandoned; for the more she strives, through faith and hope, taking refuge in God and awaiting the help that comes from him, the more swiftly the Lord delivers her from every affliction that besets her.

For he himself knows how much the soul must enter into testing and discipline and temptations, and he permits just that much; only let her hold fast to patience and hope to the end, and she will by no means be put to shame, as it is said:

For affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope;

and hope does not put to shame. And again:

as servants of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, and so on.

He who endures to the end shall be saved. And:

In your patience possess your souls. And elsewhere it says:

Who has trusted in the Lord and been put to shame? Or who has continued in fear of him and been forsaken? Or who has called upon him, and he has overlooked him? For if men, having but a little understanding and mind, know how to test and discern how much weight and burden each of the animals can carry—such as a mule or a donkey or a camel—and load it only according to the animal's strength—

—and the potter, having shaped the vessels, if he does not put them into the kiln so that, being fired, they may become firm, does not make them fit for men's use; yet he knows how long they must be left in the fire, until they become useful, and he neither leaves them in the kiln longer than is fitting, lest they crack and be ruined, nor again does he take them out too soon, lest they remain unfinished and useless—if, then, men possess such discernment and knowledge concerning visible things, how much more does God, who is incomprehensible and ineffable knowledge and understanding, and who is wholly wisdom, know how many trials and afflictions and temptations the souls who wish to please him and long to attain eternal life stand in need of.

And thus, enduring bravely and faithfully in hope every affliction until the end, they then become approved and fit for the kingdom of heaven.

...be pounded, and the more it is tried, the purer and more suitable it becomes; so too the soul that loves God, entering into many trials and temptations and afflictions, and bravely enduring them, becomes purer and more useful for the spiritual work of refinement, and at last is counted worthy to inherit the heavenly place of the kingdom.

For just as a newly-formed vessel that has not been fired is unfit for human use, or just as an infant child is unfit for the works of the world—for it can neither build cities, nor plant, nor sow seed, nor accomplish any other work of the world, since it is an infant—so also souls, even if they have become partakers of divine grace, being borne along in the sweetness and rest of the Spirit because of their infancy, through the goodness of the Lord; yet not having been tested and tried in various tribulations by the evil spirits, through which they are proved, are still infants and (so to speak) are not yet of use to the kingdom, being still untrained, as has been said.

"But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."

So then tribulations and trials are for the benefit of men, and they render the soul tested and firm, if it endures with courage and readiness, in confidence and hope in God, the things brought upon it, awaiting with undoubting faith the redemption from the Lord and his mercy.

And it is impossible for it to fail of the promise of the Spirit and of the redemption from the passions of wickedness, since it has held fast, tested and faithful, the hope in the Lord to the end with much endurance.

For just as the holy martyrs endured many visible torments, and coming even unto death, held fast to the good confession for the sake of their hope in the Lord, and thus, having been proved genuine, were deemed worthy to obtain the crown of righteousness; and those who endured more numerous and more grievous torments acquired greater glory and boldness before God—

But as many as, fearing the tribulations and scourges, drew back and did not hold fast to the good confession to the end, are shown to be without boldness and put to shame both here and in the day of judgment—in the same way souls also, being delivered over to tribulations that they may be tested, and being tormented invisibly and in various ways by the spirits of wickedness, whether secretly, within, by the pains of afflictions or by evil thoughts, or even openly through bodily sufferings, if they endure courageously and hold fast their hope and await in faith the recompense of the Lord, are deemed worthy of that same crown of righteousness, receiving redemption from this, and finding the same boldness of the martyrs before God in the day of judgment.

For they have endured the same testimony of tribulations, and what those martyrs suffered at the hands of men, these suffer at the hands of the spirits of wickedness themselves; and the more tribulations and assaults of the evil one they endure and hold fast their hope to the end, the more glory they obtain before God, and are thereby redeemed according to the expectation of their hope, being deemed worthy of the consolation of the Spirit, and from thence become heirs of the eternal blessings of the kingdom of heaven.

But as many souls as draw back in cowardice and fear, not enduring the tribulations, but fall into negligence and impatience and despair, and turn away from the way of righteousness, and do not await the mercy of the Lord to the end—how will such souls, having been found unproven, be able to obtain the eternal kingdom?

For every soul owes it, for the sake of God who suffered on our behalf, to endure with patience unto death, to the end, and to hold fast its hope in him, and thus to be deemed worthy of the eternal kingdom.

In order to be delivered from the coming Gehenna and to obtain the kingdom, they must suffer and endure here the tribulations that come through the trials brought on by the evil one; and if they endure to the end, awaiting in faith through hope the mercy of the Lord, they are redeemed from the trials and tribulations through grace, and are thereby deemed worthy of the communion of the Holy Spirit, and are delivered thereby from eternal Gehenna, and inherit the eternal kingdom of Christ.

For the Lord has appointed such a way leading to life to be narrow and afflicted, as it is written; and for this reason few are they who travel it.

Since, then, such hope is set before us, and such promises have been promised by the God who cannot lie, let us bear courageously every assault and tribulation of the evil one, for the sake of the hope laid up for us in the heavens.

For however many tribulations we may endure for the Lord's sake, they are nothing worthy to be compared with the eternal life to come that has been promised, or with the consolation of the Holy Spirit that occurs here for the souls that endure, or with the redemption from the darkness of the passions of wickedness, or with the debts of the multitude of our sins; as it has been said:

"But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, that we may not be condemned along with the world." And again:

"For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Let us, then, become courageous soldiers for our King, ready to die.

But why is it that when we lived in the world, we did not suffer these things nor have such tribulations, but now, when we have come to please the Lord, so many assaults and trials and tribulations of the evil one are raised up against us? Do you see that we suffer these things for the Lord's sake, the enemy being envious of us and tempting us so as to turn us aside from the way of life, or bring us into slackness or negligence, so that we might not please him and be saved?

Therefore, however much the evil one rises up against us, if we are found in patience and courage, ready to endure even unto death for the sake of our hope in the Lord, all his devices against us are undone.

For we have Jesus as our defender and champion, who, when we are afflicted and hope in him, grants us endurance; and that one will be put to shame when we carry off the victor's prizes for our labors—that is, the kingdom of the Lord.

Let us become like anvils that are struck yet do not yield, nor take on the marks of slackness or negligence or listlessness from the lashes of the trials; and being struck, let us conquer the adversary through endurance.

For our Lord passed through this age, being scourged, reviled, persecuted, mocked, spat upon, and at last was punished with the dishonorable death of the cross by lawless men.

And he endured all those things for our salvation, leaving us an example of life, so that by the same road of trials and tribulations and death by which he himself traveled, those who truly believe in him and wish to become his fellow-heirs might travel the same road; so that just as he, through many sufferings, and at last dying upon the cross, was victorious, and having been crucified, crucified the enemy, and having died, put death to death, condemning sin through the flesh and rendering powerless the opposing powers, as it has been said:

...to obtain in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion forever.

For in the spiritual contest, victory over the adversary comes through sufferings and death.

By suffering and being put to death for the Lord's sake willingly, then we conquer the adversary.

If, then, we wish not to consider every tribulation and trial as burdensome and harsh, but rather to endure easily every assault of the evil one, let us keep death for the Lord's sake always before our eyes in desire, and, as it has been said by the Lord, taking up the cross daily (which is death), let us follow after him; and thus we will easily endure every tribulation, whether hidden or manifest.

For if we expect death for the Lord's sake with desire, and keep it always longingly before our eyes, how much more shall we, with ease and readiness, endure with joy whatever heavy tribulations may come?

For it is precisely for this reason that we consider tribulations difficult, heavy, and burdensome, being impatient of them: because we do not keep death for the Lord's sake before our eyes, nor does our mind always long after it.

For he who desires to inherit the Lord should, accordingly, also desire his sufferings.

So then, those who love Christ are shown to be so in this: when they endure with courage and readiness all the tribulations that come upon them, for the sake of their hope in him.

Let us, then, entreat God to give us understanding to know his will, and to fulfill it readily with all patience and longsuffering, with joy which he himself will grant us, strengthening us unto every well-pleasing act, so that, being found tested and worthy of him, we may obtain eternal salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion and power forever.

He who wishes to come to the Lord and to be deemed worthy of eternal life, and to become a dwelling place of Christ, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that he may be able to produce the fruits of the Spirit according to all the commandments of the Lord, purely and blamelessly, ought to begin in this way:

First, he must believe firmly in the Lord, and give himself wholly to the words of his commandments, and renounce the world in all respects, so that his mind may not be occupied at all with any of the visible things; and he ought always to persevere in prayer, awaiting always, in faith and expectation of the Lord, his visitation and help, and keeping the purpose of his mind fixed on this continually.

Then he must always compel himself toward every good thing and toward all the commandments of the Lord, even when the heart is unwilling because of the sin dwelling within it. For instance, let him compel himself to be humble-minded before all men, and let him consider himself lesser and worse than all, seeking neither honor nor praise nor glory from anyone, as it is written in the gospel; but let him keep only the Lord and his commandments always before his eyes, desiring to please him alone.

Likewise let him compel himself toward gentleness, even when the heart is unwilling, as the Lord says:

"Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Likewise, as far as it lies within his power, let him accustom himself to being merciful, kind, compassionate, and good, even by force, as the Lord says:

"Be good and kind, as your heavenly Father is." And again:

"Be merciful, just as your Father who is in heaven is merciful." And again he says:

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments." And again:

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate."

Let him always keep before his eyes the humility, manner of life, and conduct of the Lord, as an example, in unforgetting memory always, and let him compel himself with all his strength to imitate it; let him persevere continually in prayers, entreating and believing, that the Lord may come and dwell in him, and complete and strengthen him in all his commandments, and that the Lord himself may become the dwelling place of the soul.

And thus, doing with force the things I have now spoken of, even when the heart is unwilling, and accustoming himself continually toward the good, and always remembering the Lord and expecting him with much love—the Lord, seeing him and such his purpose and good zeal, how he compels himself always to the remembrance of the Lord and to the good, and to humility and gentleness and love, and constrains and drives his unwilling heart with all his strength by force—shows mercy toward him, and redeems him from his enemies and from the sin dwelling within him, filling him with the Holy Spirit.

And so, thereafter, without force and without labor, he truly keeps all the commandments of the Lord—or rather, the Lord himself performs in him his own commandments—and then he bears the fruits of the Spirit purely.