Mystagogy 1 part 9/13

For unceasing prayer is to have the mind cleaving to God with much reverence and longing, ever hanging upon hope in Him, and trusting in Him in all things, both in works and in things that befall.

So disposed, the Apostle said:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

shall tribulation, or distress?" and so forth.

"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels..."

"In everything afflicted, yet not distressed;

perplexed, but not despairing;

persecuted, but not forsaken;

cast down, but not destroyed."

"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal flesh."

So disposed, then, the Apostle prayed unceasingly;

for in all his works, as has been said, and in the things that befell him, he hung upon hope in God.

And for this reason the Apostle said:

"Most gladly therefore will I glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

"When I am weak, then am I strong."

But woe to us wretched ones, for we have forsaken the way of the holy Fathers, and for this reason we are bereft of every spiritual work.

Since there is no fear of God before our eyes.

Since we have become a lodging-place of all evils, and for this reason we have despised the dreadful punishment of God as a mere notion.

For who is not pricked to the heart, hearing Moses speaking from the person of God concerning sinners, that 'A fire is kindled out of My wrath;

it shall burn unto the lowest hades."

"It shall devour the earth and its produce;

I will gather evils upon them, and will spend My arrows upon them.' And again:

'I will sharpen My sword like lightning, and My hand shall lay hold on judgement;

and I will render vengeance to My enemies, and will requite those who hate Me.'

'Who shall declare to you that a fire burns? Who shall declare to you the eternal place? Walk in the light of your fire, and in the flame which you have kindled.'

'They shall go forth, and shall look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me.

For their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched;

and they shall be a sight to all flesh.'

And Jeremiah saying:

'Hear now this, O foolish and senseless people;

they have eyes, and see not;

they have ears, and hear not.'

'Will you not fear Me? says the Lord; or will you not be in awe before My face? — who placed the sand as a bound for the sea, an everlasting ordinance, and it shall not pass it.' And again:

'Your own apostasy shall chasten you, and your wickedness shall reprove you.

And know and see that it is a bitter thing for you to have forsaken Me, says the Lord.'

'I planted a fruitful vine, wholly true;

how have you turned into bitterness, you strange vine?' And again:

'I sat not with the assembly of those who make merry;

but I was in awe before the face of Your hand.

I sat alone, because I was filled with bitterness.'

And who does not shudder, hearing Ezekiel saying:

'I will pour out My wrath upon you, and will accomplish My anger upon you;

and I will judge you according to your ways, and will lay upon you all your abominations;

and My eye shall not spare, neither will I have mercy;

and then you shall know that I am the Lord.'

'And the Ancient of Days did sit.

His garment was white as snow;

and the hair of His head as pure wool.

And His throne was a flame of fire;

His wheels were burning fire.

A river of fire flowed forth, issuing from before Him.

Thousand thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.

The judgement was set, and the books were opened [namely, the deeds of each one].'

'I beheld in a vision of the night, and lo, with the clouds of heaven there was one coming as a Son of man;

and He came even to the Ancient of Days;

and He was brought before Him;

and to Him was given the dominion and the honour and the kingdom.

And all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve Him;

and His dominion is an everlasting dominion;

and His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.'

'God has spoken once, these two things have I heard: that power belongs to God, and to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;

for You shall render to each according to his works.'

And again, Ecclesiastes saying:

'The end of the matter, hear the whole;

fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man;

for God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.'

And who, hearing the like things from the Apostle, does not tremble?

Who then will not lament our unbelief, and the blindness of our soul, that hearing all these things we do not repent, and weep bitterly over our so great negligence and slothfulness — which Jeremiah foreseeing said:

'Cursed is he who does the works of the Lord negligently.'

For if we had care for the salvation of our souls, we would tremble at the word of the Lord, and would hasten to fulfil His commandments, by which we should be saved.

But we, hearing the Lord saying:

'Enter in by the narrow gate, which leads to life,' have preferred the broad and spacious way, which leads to destruction.

'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.'

And these things we hear, not as having done evil, but as having neglected good, and as not having loved our neighbour.

How shall we endure that day, being so negligently disposed? For the 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not kill,' and so forth, were said to the ancients through Moses;

but the Lord, knowing that the keeping of these alone does not suffice for the Christian unto perfection, said:

'Truly I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.'

and He gave us Himself as a pattern unto death, and His disciples, as has often been said.

What defence then shall we have in that day, having such an example, and yet being so negligent? Jeremiah, lamenting us who have been deemed worthy of so great grace, and yet are so negligently disposed — or rather, are filled with all wickedness — said:

'Who will give water to my head, and to my eyes a fountain of tears, that I may weep for this people day and night?' Concerning us I hear Moses also saying:

'And Jacob ate, and was filled;

and the beloved kicked;

he grew fat, he grew thick, he became broad, and forsook God who made him, and departed from God his Saviour.'

And Micah lamenting and saying:

'Woe is me, my soul, for the godly man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men.

Each oppresses his neighbour with oppression;

they make ready their hands for evil.'

And the Psalmist likewise saying concerning us:

'Save me, O Lord, for the godly man fails;

for the faithful have diminished from among the sons of men,' and the rest.

Prophetically the Apostle also, lamenting us, said:

'There is none that does good, no, not so much as one.

Their throat is an open sepulchre;

with their tongues they have used deceit.

The poison of asps is under their lips;

whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known;

there is no fear of God before their eyes.'

'But know this, that in the last days perilous times shall come;

for men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong,' and so forth.

For who among us, tell me, is free from the aforesaid evils? Has not the prophecy been fulfilled in us? Are we not all gluttons? Are we not all lovers of pleasure? Are we not all luxuriant in matter and lovers of matter? Are we not all wrathful? Are we not all given to grudges? Are we not all remembering wrongs? Are we not all betrayers of every virtue? Are we not all revilers? Are we not all proud? Are we not all vainglorious? Are we not all hypocrites? Are we not all deceitful? Are we not all envious? Are we not all insubordinate? Are we not all given to despondency? Are we not all unstable? Are we not all slothful? Are we not all negligent of the Saviour's commandments? Are we not all replete with every wickedness? Have we not become, instead of a temple of God, a temple of idols? Are we not, instead of the Holy Spirit, lodging-places of evil spirits? Do we not feignedly call upon God as Father? Have we not become, instead of sons of God, sons of Gehenna? Have we who now bear about the great name of Christ not become worse than the Jews? And let no one be indignant at hearing the truth, since they too, being lawless, said:

'We have one Father, even God;'

but they heard from the Saviour, that:

'You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do.'

How then shall we also, being transgressors of His commandments, not hear the like things from Him? Since the Apostle also said that those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God:

'For as many,' he says, 'as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.'

How then can we also, being led by death, hear ourselves called sons of God? For the mind of the flesh is death.

But those who are led by the Spirit are manifest from the fruits of the Spirit.

Let us see, then, the fruits of the Spirit;

'for the fruit of the Spirit,' it says, 'is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control.'

Do we, then, have these in ourselves? Would that we did not have all the contrary things!

How then can we hear ourselves called sons of God, and not rather the contrary? For that which is born of anything is like the one that begot it.

That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

But we have become flesh, lusting against the Spirit, and for this reason we justly hear from Him:

"My Spirit shall not abide in these men, because they are flesh."

How then can we be called Christians, having anything of Christ within ourselves? (34)

"I have faith, and the faith I have in Him suffices me for salvation."

But James contradicts him, saying:

"Even the demons believe, and tremble."

"Faith without works is dead in itself,"

just as works also are dead apart from faith.

And how do we believe in Him, or believe Him concerning things to come, when we do not believe Him concerning present and temporal things, and for this reason are entangled with material things, living according to the flesh and warring against the Spirit? But those who have truly believed in Christ and have settled Him wholly within themselves through the commandments spoke thus:

"I live, yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me;

and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

"Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being slandered, we entreat"—because they heard Him saying:

"Love your enemies;

do good to those who hate you;

bless those who curse you;

pray for those who mistreat you," and so forth;

and by their words and works Christ, who was working in them, was made manifest;

but we, since we act contrary to all His commandments, for this reason have been filled with all uncleanness.

And for this reason we have become, instead of a temple of God, a house of merchandise; instead of a house of prayer, a den of robbers; instead of a holy nation, a sinful nation; and instead of a people of God, a people full of sins; instead of a holy seed, an evil seed; and instead of sons of God, lawless sons—because we have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and serve the evil spirits through the unclean passions, and have provoked the Holy One of Israel.

"Why should you be stricken any more, adding iniquity? Every head is in pain, and every heart in sorrow;

from the feet to the head there is no soundness in it—

neither wound, nor bruise, nor festering sore;

there is no salve to apply, nor oil, nor bandages."

Then what follows upon this? "The daughter of Zion shall be left as a booth in a vineyard, as a watchman's hut in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city."

This desolation of our soul the Apostle too declared, saying:

"And just as they did not approve of having God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things that are not fitting:

being filled with all unrighteousness, evil, malice, covetousness;

full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity;

slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, senseless, faithless, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful;

who, knowing the righteous decree of God—that those who practice such things are worthy of death—not only do them, but also approve of those who practice them."

And what follows upon this? "The wrath of God," he says, "is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," and so forth.

This desolation of the soul the Lord too indicated, saying:

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to her!

How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is left to you desolate."

And Isaiah again, seeing us who are supposedly monks performing only the bodily services while despising the spiritual ones and therefore being puffed up, said:

"Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom;

give ear to the law of God, you people of Gomorrah.

What to Me is the multitude of your sacrifices? I am full of the whole burnt offerings of rams;

and the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats I do not desire.

For who has required these things at your hands? You shall no more tread My court.

If you bring fine flour, it is vain;

incense is an abomination to Me.

Your new moons and Sabbaths, and the great day, I cannot bear.

Your fasts and idleness and your feasts My soul hates.

You have become a surfeit to Me;

when you stretch out your hands to Me, I will turn My eyes away from you.

And though you multiply your supplication, I will not hearken to you,"

because he who hates his brother is a murderer.

"This people honors Me with their lips,

but their heart is far from Me; and in vain do they worship Me," and so forth.

And the things which our Lord said in pronouncing woe upon the Pharisees, I hear them spoken concerning us—the hypocrites of this present time, who have been counted worthy of so great a grace and yet are in a worse condition than they.

Do not we too bind heavy and unbearable burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, while we ourselves will not move them with our finger? Do not we too do all our works to be seen by men? Do not we too love the chief place at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues, and to be called by men, "Rabbi, Rabbi"?

and do we not war even unto death against those who do not render these things to us very readily? Do not we too take away the key of knowledge and shut up the kingdom of heaven before men, neither entering ourselves nor allowing those who would enter to go in? Do not we too compass sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he is made we make him twofold more a son of hell than ourselves? Are not we too blind guides, straining out the gnat and swallowing the camel? Do not we too cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, while inside we are full of robbery and covetousness, or rather of incontinence? Do not we too tithe the rue and the mint and every herb?

"The good silver has been changed;

those who were whiter than milk have become darker than blackness.

We who were nursed upon scarlet have wrapped ourselves in dung-heaps;

and our iniquity has grown greater than the iniquities of Sodom."

"But do not give us up utterly, for Your name's sake, O Lord, and do not annul Your covenant;

and do not remove Your mercy from us, for Your compassions' sake, O our Father who are in the heavens, and for the sake of the tender mercies of Your only-begotten Son, and for the sake of the mercy of Your Holy Spirit.

Do not remember against us our former iniquities, but let Your tender mercies speedily come to meet us, for we have become exceedingly poor.

Help us, O God our Savior.

For the glory of Your name, O Lord, deliver us, and be merciful toward our sins for Your name's sake, O Lord, remembering the first-fruits of our nature which, taking it from us out of love for mankind, Your only-begotten Son has on our behalf in the heavens, that He might grant us the firm hope of salvation;

and that we may not, through despair, become worse—for the sake of His precious blood, which He poured out for the life of the world;

for the sake of His holy Apostles and Martyrs, who poured out their own blood for His name's sake;

for the sake of the holy Prophets and Fathers and Patriarchs, who strove to be well-pleasing to Your holy name.

Do not despise our supplication, O Lord, neither forsake us utterly.

For it is not in our righteous deeds that we have put our trust, but in Your mercy, through which You preserve our race.

We beseech and entreat Your goodness, that the mystery dispensed to us for salvation by Your only-begotten Son may not become unto us a judgment;

and do not cast us away from Your presence.

Do not abhor our unworthiness, but have mercy on us according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions blot out our sins, that approaching uncondemned before Your holy glory we may be counted worthy of the protection of Your only-begotten Son, and may not, like wicked servants, become reprobate through our sins.

For You are He who works all things in all, and from You we all seek help.

Look down therefore from heaven, O Lord, and behold from the house of Your holy glory.

Where is Your zeal and Your might? Where is the multitude of Your mercy and of Your compassions, that You have borne with our fall? For You are our Father, since Abraham did not know us, and Israel did not acknowledge us;

but You, O Lord, are our Father; deliver us, for from the beginning Your holy name is upon us, and the name of Your only-begotten Son, and of Your Holy Spirit.

[chastise] us with the rod of Your judgments.

Why have You hardened our hearts that we should not fear You? Have You abandoned us to the self-rule of error? Turn, O Lord, Your servants for the sake of Your holy Church, for the sake of all Your saints from of old, that we may inherit a little of Your holy mountain.

Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary;

we have become as we were at the beginning, when You did not rule over us, nor was Your name called upon us.

If You open the heaven, trembling from before You shall seize the mountains, and they shall melt like wax before the face of the fire;

and fire shall consume the adversaries;

and Your name shall be terrible to the adversaries.

When You do glorious things, trembling from before You shall seize the mountains.

From of old we have not heard, neither have our eyes seen a God besides You.

And Your works, which You will do for those who wait for mercy;

for [mercy] shall meet those who do righteousness, and they shall remember Your ways.

Behold, You were angry, and we sinned.

Or rather, we sinned, and You were angry;

all our righteousness is as a menstruous rag;

and we have fallen away like leaves because of our iniquities, and so the wind will carry us off, and there is none who calls upon Your name and remembers to take hold of You.

And You turned Your face away from us, and gave us over because of our sins.

And now, O Lord, You are our Father;

but we are clay, the work of Your hands, all of us.

Do not be exceedingly angry with us, nor remember our sins in the day of recompense.

And now look, for we are all Your people;

the city of Your holy place, Zion, has become a wilderness;

Jerusalem has become a desolation.

The house of our holy one has become a curse, and the glory which our fathers blessed has been burned with fire, and all our glorious things have fallen together.

And in all these things You have borne with us, O Lord, and have kept silent, and have humbled us exceedingly.

These things befell Your ancient people figuratively, but now they have been truly fulfilled in us;

and we have become a reproach to our neighbors the demons, a mockery and a derision to those round about us.

But look down from heaven, and behold, and save us for Your holy name's sake;

and make known to us the schemes of our adversaries;

and deliver us from their devices, and do not withdraw Your help from us, for we are not sufficient to overcome the things that assail us;

but You are mighty to save from all adversaries.

Save us, O Lord, from the hardships of this world, according to Your kindness, that having crossed the sea of this life with a pure conscience, blameless and undefiled, and standing before Your fearful judgment-seat, we may be counted worthy of eternal life."

Hearing all these things, the Brother was deeply pierced to the heart, and with tears said to the Elder:

"From the things I behold, Father, no hope of salvation is left to me.

For my iniquities have risen above my head;

but I beseech you, tell me what I ought to do."

And the Elder answered and said:

"To be saved is, with men, impossible;

but with God all things are possible, as the Lord Himself said.

Let us therefore come before His presence with confession, let us worship and fall down, and let us weep before the Lord who made us, for He is our God;

and let us hear Him saying through the voice of Isaiah, that 'when you return and groan, then you shall be saved.'

'Is the hand of the Lord not strong to save? Or is His ear too heavy to hear? But your sins separate between you and God;

and because of your sins He has turned His face away, not to have mercy.'

'Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;

remove the evils from your souls before My eyes;

cease from your wicked deeds;

learn to do good, seek justice, deliver the one being wronged, give judgment for the orphan and plead for the widow.

And come, let us reason together, says the Lord;

and though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow;

and though they be as crimson, I will make them white as wool.'

And, 'If you are willing and listen to Me, you shall eat the good things of the land.'

'For the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things.'

'Return to Me with all your heart,

with fasting and with weeping and with mourning;

rend your hearts and not your garments.'

'For the Lord is merciful and compassionate, and relents over evils.'

'Son of man, say to the house of Israel:

Thus you have spoken, saying: Our transgressions and our iniquities are upon us;

and how shall we live? Say to them: As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the ungodly, but rather that he should turn from his way and live;

turn, oh turn, from your way;

and why will you die, O house of Israel?' And the Third Book of Kingdoms, manifesting the surpassing greatness of God's kindness, speaks thus:

When Ahab heard, while he was in the vineyard of Naboth which he had inherited by killing him through Jezebel, the words of Elijah saying:

'Thus says the Lord: You have murdered and also taken possession;

and in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, there shall the dogs lick your blood;

and the dogs shall devour Jezebel by the wall of Israel.'

And when Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in the sackcloth.

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying:

'See how Ahab has humbled himself before My face.

I will not bring the evil in his days.'

'I made known my iniquity, and I did not cover my sin.

I said, I will confess against myself my iniquity to the Lord—and You forgave the ungodliness of my heart.'

'For this every devout one shall pray to You in an acceptable time;

and in a flood of many waters they shall not come near to him.'

And in the Gospel the Lord says, 'Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.'

And when Peter inquired, 'How many times a day, if my brother sins against me, shall I forgive him?

Up to seven times?' He who is good by nature and incomparable in kindness answered him:

'I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'

What is equal to this goodness? What can rival this love for mankind? (41)

And why do we perish, brethren? Let us cleanse our hands, we sinners;

let us purify our hearts, we double-minded;

let us be afflicted and mourn and weep for our sins.

Let us cease from our wicked deeds;

let us believe in the tender mercies of the Lord;

let us fear His threats, let us keep His commandments;

let us love one another from the whole heart.

Let us say, even to those who hate us and abhor us, 'You are our brethren,' that the name of the Lord may be glorified and may be seen in His gladness.

Let us resist our [evil] thoughts, calling upon God as our ally;

and let us put the evil and unclean spirits to flight from us.

Let us subject the flesh to the spirit, buffeting it and bringing it into bondage through every hardship;

[cleansing ourselves] from all defilement of flesh and spirit.

Let us not envy one another, nor, being envied, become embittered;

but let us rather have compassion on one another, and through humility heal one another.

Let us not speak against one another, nor mock one another, for we are members of one another.

Let us cast off from us negligence and slothfulness;

and let us stand manfully, contending against the spirits of wickedness;

and we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous, with the Father;

and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins;

and let us beseech Him with a pure heart, out of our whole soul, and He forgives us our sins.

For the Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth.

'Offer to God a sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High.

And call upon Me in the day of your affliction;

and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.'

'Loose every bond of unrighteousness, undo the knots of forced contracts, send away the broken in release, and tear up every unjust bond.

If you see one naked, clothe him;

and from those of your own seed you shall not turn away.

Then your light shall break forth early, and your healings shall speedily spring up.

And your righteousness shall go before you;

and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.'

And what follows upon this? 'Then you shall cry out, and God will hearken to you;

then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as noonday.

And God shall be with you continually;

and you shall be filled according as your soul desires.'