A Monk Must Not Leave the Monastery in Which He Lives
February 4
(A Discourse on Silence and Humility, and On Not Falling Into Despair)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
February 4
(A Discourse on Silence and Humility, and On Not Falling Into Despair)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Some of the monks, unfortunately, have become accustomed to leaving the monasteries in which they live and moving from place to place. There, they say, the abbot is strict; here, the brethren are quarrelsome; there, the labors are beyond one’s strength; and here, they do not struggle as we would like. And such men run off—partly out of laziness, partly out of pride, partly out of their innate inability to get along—from their own monastery to another, and from that one to a third, and so on. Is this good?
No, it is bad. Bad, first of all, because wandering is forbidden by the Savior Himself, who says: “Do not go from house to house” (Luke 10:7), and “Into whatever town you enter, remain there” (Matt. 10:11). And bad, secondly, because examples sometimes point to the most disastrous consequences for monks who leave the monasteries in which the Lord has ordained them to dwell. For the instruction of such wanderers, we present one such example.
A certain monk, though considered a hermit, nevertheless lived near a monastery, was distinguished by his pious life, and many came to hear him, receiving benefit from his words. But the enemy of the human race did not sleep, and by his schemes nearly destroyed him. He put the following thought into the monk’s mind: “It is not fitting for you to accept services from others, nor is it worthwhile for you to serve others in this way; work for yourself, and therefore leave the monastery, sell your handiwork, buy what you need, and go wandering.” The monk obeyed the devil’s counsel and left the monastery.
What happened then? Soon after leaving the monastery, he fell into a grievous—especially for a monk—mortal sin, and then, having come to despair, he decided to take his own life.
Therefore, monks who are accustomed to running from monastery to monastery, abandon this destructive habit. You see that even the most virtuous among you have barely escaped perishing because of it, and you, surely, may perish altogether. Yes, it does not take long to become a plaything of the devil; he has even led saints astray from the true path, and there is no need to speak of you—for by your wanderings from monastery to monastery you yourselves deliver yourselves into his jaws. And this is entirely true, because in wanderers such as you thoughts are always scattered, patience leaves them, and prayer does not come to their mind; and this works to the enemy’s advantage. Come to your senses, then, from your folly, and live not where you wish, but where God has commanded. And in order to establish yourselves in this, often recall to mind the following wise proverb: “Seek happiness not in a village, but within yourself.” Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
A certain monk, though considered a hermit, nevertheless lived near a monastery, was distinguished by his pious life, and many came to hear him, receiving benefit from his words. But the enemy of the human race did not sleep, and by his schemes nearly destroyed him. He put the following thought into the monk’s mind: “It is not fitting for you to accept services from others, nor is it worthwhile for you to serve others in this way; work for yourself, and therefore leave the monastery, sell your handiwork, buy what you need, and go wandering.” The monk obeyed the devil’s counsel and left the monastery.
What happened then? Soon after leaving the monastery, he fell into a grievous—especially for a monk—mortal sin, and then, having come to despair, he decided to take his own life.
Therefore, monks who are accustomed to running from monastery to monastery, abandon this destructive habit. You see that even the most virtuous among you have barely escaped perishing because of it, and you, surely, may perish altogether. Yes, it does not take long to become a plaything of the devil; he has even led saints astray from the true path, and there is no need to speak of you—for by your wanderings from monastery to monastery you yourselves deliver yourselves into his jaws. And this is entirely true, because in wanderers such as you thoughts are always scattered, patience leaves them, and prayer does not come to their mind; and this works to the enemy’s advantage. Come to your senses, then, from your folly, and live not where you wish, but where God has commanded. And in order to establish yourselves in this, often recall to mind the following wise proverb: “Seek happiness not in a village, but within yourself.” Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
