How a Monk Should Conduct Himself
May 13
(Word concerning the character of the good and the evil.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
May 13
(Word concerning the character of the good and the evil.)
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
More than once we have spoken with you, monks, about how you ought to conduct yourselves. But forgive us, for today again we think it necessary to speak to you of the same things from the Holy Fathers. The teaching of the Holy Fathers, even when repeated, is always beneficial and salvific for us. So then, how should a monk conduct himself?
First, says the church teaching, a monk must abandon judgment of others and every other evil deed, and repent of his sins with confession and tears. He must not boast of his self-correction or of his good works, nor become intoxicated with pride, for pride is a great evil, since even the devil fell away from the glory of God because of pride. A monk must flee gluttony and drunkenness, must not frequently wander without necessity through worldly homes, and must not give himself over to excessive sleep, for all these things bring great shame upon a monk. Rather, he ought to obey his spiritual guide, confess sinful thoughts to his spiritual father, keep the fear of God in his heart, and always keep death before his eyes. The conclusion of all this is that if you, monk, see anything with your eyes or hear anything with your ears, keep it to yourself and say: “Why should I judge my brother, when I myself am worse than all?”
What shall we add to this? Let us add something from the beginning of the same discourse: a monk must humble his mind, restrain his tongue, love a poor and simple life, be merciful to all, possess patience, pray to God at every hour, and conquer anger.
Finally, a monk must devote himself to labor, study the word of God daily, have obedience toward all, and practice silence.
Let us conclude our word to you, monks, with the words of Theoleptos, Metropolitan of Philadelphia. “Whoever,” he says, “struggles to fulfill all that has been said, and abides in the paradise of prayer, and remains inseparably with God through continual remembrance, him God frees from the pleasure-loving deeds of the flesh, from all sensual impulses, and from all imagined fantasies; and, having made him dead to passions and sin, He makes him a partaker of the Divine life. For just as one who sleeps is like the dead and yet is alive, so also the one who walks in the spirit dies to the flesh and the world and lives by the power of the spirit.” Amen. (Athonite Paterikon, part 2, p. 346)
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
