If You Want to Triumph

Monk Proclu Nicău

    

If we judge, we lose everything. After all, just look at how it is. First of all we should be in the right state to pronounce the prayer, “Our Father”. There it is said, “And forgive us... as we forgive...” So, someone criticized me and I didn’t forgive him. That means that I am lying when I pray, “Our Father...” Yes, I labored, I prayed, but I don’t want to forgive. Then I’ve labored in vain. Guilelessness draws the Holy Spirit, so that it would abide in our hearts.

When we take revenge on people we are signing a peace treaty with the demons. And when you try to endure offenses from other people, only then are you trying to struggle with the evil spirits. When you try not to grieve people, then the Holy Spirit helps you; it gives you wisdom and enlightens you.

When you begin to pray, do not have anything against anyone, for that is the greatest progress. But when you remember wrongs while praying, it is very hard.

Only those who become rich in humility will receive much. And everything done with humility will not cause contention.

If there will be many monks who will spend their lives in a godly way in monasteries, praying day and night, then everything will get better. If there will be Christians in the world who will repent and guard themselves from judging servants of the Church, then the Good God will bind the devil’s actions—after all, the end of the world is in God’s hands.

It is very important to preserve your mind from everything that is a sin. Whoever is cautious about little sins that you barely account as significant will not end up doing battle with big sins, because God protects him, seeing his struggle and humility.

Conversing with impure thoughts arouses the passions, and even if you don’t consent to them they will torment you for whole days and even weeks. Whenever you conversed with those thoughts, you spoke directly with the devil. Then the Holy Spirit stepped away, because you didn’t want to struggle. So that the Holy Spirit would again help you, you have to place a good beginning of repentance in much humility, and as much as you can, do not judge anyone, desire salvation for everyone, and especially—see everyone as better than you.

The Holy Spirit is very subtle and sensitive. Indulging in just one thought of judgment and consenting to it is enough to make the Holy Spirit depart.

Discernment is acquired through humility. If we do not work on having humility, then we will fall down at every danger.

If you want to triumph, do this: Be stricter with your body and have mercy on your neighbor. Let us make use of mercy in order to correct others, and let’s not reproach anyone, let’s put ourselves in their place.

Sternness is allowable only up until the point that it kills love. There are sensitive souls who cannot endure bad words. They bloom and grow when they are surrounded by beauty, kindness, good words, and meekness.1

1 From the book, Monk Proclu Nicău. Tell Me (Monah Proclu Nicău. Conștiință, spune-mi tu. Sfânta Mănăstire Putna, 2016).

Monk Proclu Nicău
Translation from the Russian version by OrthoChristian.com
Cuvantul Ortodox (Orthodox Word)

3/14/2019

See also
On Struggling with Vanity On Struggling with Vanity
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill On Struggling with Vanity On Struggling with Vanity
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill
Speaking on the subject of vanity, St. John Chrysostom says, with his characteristic hidden irony and clarity of thought, a very simple phrase: There is no point in being vain because God knows everything. Why You Should be a “Religious Fanatic” Why You Should be a “Religious Fanatic”
Amir Azarvan Why You Should be a “Religious Fanatic” Why You Should be a “Religious Fanatic”
Amir Azarvan
In short, to say that all things should be done well is to say that they should be done in a Godly way. How to Overcome Your Sins and Passions? How to Overcome Your Sins and Passions?
A Lenten Interview with the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church How to Overcome Your Sins and Passions? How to Overcome Your Sins and Passions? A Lenten Interview with the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Metropolitan Onuphry (Berezovsky)
The primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church gives practical recommendations for how to defeat the sinful inclinations of the soul.
Comments
Chrysostomos 11/28/2020 1:38 pm
Dear Anthony, You ask: Is it judgment for laity to speak out about hierarchs and their heretical behavior? Yes, of course it is! Are hierarchs not God’s children also? Are we not also commanded to love them? Anyway, Blessed Proclus is saying that prayer supersedes verbal activism of the sort you mention—which is worldly. Are you or the laity you speak of wiser or more knowledgeable than God? “Nein!” You are not. If we refrain from judging and God gives us Grace, we avoid the pitfalls of those heresies and our prayers are heard. If, said hierarchs are in error, God will hear our prayers and, if He deems appropriate, will correct them and bring them to repentance. If not, He will certainly not allow others to perish because of them, as He heard your prayer. Think of the pride you exhibit in believing you are so “woke” to the problems of the hierarchy that you are tasked with exposing them! As St Paisios used to say when people asked him to judge a Patriarch, “Do you know whether he did what he did because he wanted to or because he was forced?” You nor I nor anyone here knows what goes on in the minds or hearts of anyone else—let alone hierarchs. I tell you, as a judgmental and worthless person myself, judging others stinks! It leaves a stench on you and ruins your life and the lives of those of all around you. You bring filth on everyone you touch with it. This is true, even if you judge some remote politician in some foreign country or some historical figure. God did not give us this right and He did not make exemptions to His Commandment. So why do you? Okay, you don’t have to listen, but as the elder said, your life would be better if you did.
Joseph3/15/2019 4:52 pm
Anthony, all heresies aside, I think that Fr. Proclu is talking about judging ordinary faults, and having love for our neighbor.
Anthony3/14/2019 10:32 pm
''If there will be Christians in the world who will repent and guard themselves from judging servants of the Church, then the Good God will bind the devil’s actions''. Dearly beloveds! Most wonderful friends! I think we need to be careful about the term ''judgement''. For example, there are many laity in the world who take note of our clerical leaderships' heretical behaviour in respect of their erroneous and treacherous ekumenist aktions and SPEAK OUT in disapproval. Is this judgement??? NEIN! We the laity need to open our mouths and speak our minds loud and clear, especially to awaken those beloved ones who are asleep with their slippers on, and being led into heresy by said leaders!!!!
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