To Novice Monks
February 5
(An admonitory discourse of Saint Ephraim on the ascetic struggle of monks.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
February 5
(An admonitory discourse of Saint Ephraim on the ascetic struggle of monks.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Today we intend to offer spiritual assistance to monks, because, as those who wage an unceasing battle with the flesh, the world, and the devil, they especially stand in need of it. But since the more experienced among the monks are less in need of such help, and novices more so, we direct our assistance to the latter and express it in the following discourse to them by our venerable father Ephraim the Syrian.
“While you still have time, brother,” says the Venerable one to the novice monk, “strive as a good soldier of Christ, knowing that you strive not for a perishable crown, but for the cleansing of sins and for eternal life. Therefore, in all your deeds acquire humility of mind, which is the mother of obedience. Cast off double-mindedness from yourself and in all things clothe yourself with faith, so that the Lord, seeing the zeal of your soul, may strengthen you in your work. Nurture within yourself a strong hatred for laziness, for rivalry, for every evil disposition and envy, since for the Lord you have left behind your fleshly parents, friends, and possessions. For if at the beginning your thoughts make you slack, you will endure both weariness and loss. Therefore, if it should happen that for the Lord we grow weary somewhat, or even beyond our strength, let us not complain. For whoever complains clearly shows about himself that he does not labor of his own free will. You, as a wise man, do not compete with the more negligent brethren, and do not envy those who live without fear of God, knowing firmly that he who falls is dashed to pieces, while he who overcomes is crowned.
At least, do not quarrel with your brother; for you do not know whether perhaps some passion unknown to you troubles him, and for this reason he is weak. Such a person we ought rather to pity and console, and not to offend, as those without compassion.
But you, strive in the good struggle, knowing why you have come. Behold, now is for you a favorable time to gather inexhaustible riches by serving the brethren and bearing fruit. Therefore, beloved, if you do not allow filth to accumulate in the courtyard, do not allow fleshly desires to gain strength within you either. And when you sweep the ashes from the kitchen, do so with great humility of mind, remembering what the Prophet says: ‘I ate ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping’ (Ps. 101:10). Reflect, beloved, on the perishable fire, and at the same time lift your mind to the eternal flame that will consume sinners, and weep for your sins.”
Here, then, novice monks, is spiritual assistance for you in your service to the Lord. In what does it consist? As you have just seen, in this: that it reveals to you the truth that, living the monastic life, you must strive to acquire humility of mind, cast off double-mindedness, clothe yourselves with faith, flee evil disposition and envy, do not complain in weariness, avoid the company of negligent brethren, show compassion and consolation to the one who falls rather than offend him, drive fleshly desires from yourselves, remember the eternal torment of sinners, and weep for your sins. Take this help to heart, monks, which the Venerable Father has given you, and apply to your life the counsels set forth in it. Then it will truly become for you real and effective help: for it will lighten for you the burden of your service to the Lord, grant you the most glorious of all victories — the victory over yourselves, raise your mind from the earthly to the heavenly, the eternal and the divine, and thus bring you nearer to God, and in the end, through all this, will of course make you heirs also of His Heavenly Kingdom. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
