Rating: 10|Votes: 1
I read the prayer [of absolution] in absentia over your head, thanking the Lord that He gave you the opportunity to open up, and not be disturbed by the present temptations—this is a redoubled monastery attack. Confess, repent, and be more attentive to yourself and to your thoughts. All the rest has been written to you already: strive to live in the presence of your Guardian Angel, and you will see how wondrously he will arrange everything.
Rating: 7,1|Votes: 8
I am forwarding to you my gratitude for the signs of attention and love which I received from you just after your departure. But sorrow casts a shadow upon my joy over your magnanimity, because I was not able to give you a warm welcome and hospitality. My aged infirmities have become stronger than my hearty spirit, and this is a cause for no little sorrow. I love to be cheered and to cheer, but lately it’s been mostly the former.
Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)
I received your letter and will fulfill your request for prayer. May God give you patience in bearing your heavy life’s cross; but I cannot prompt you on what you should be repenting of. God’s magnificence plunges us monastics into repentance every minute, and not just every day.
Know, that for every child that is unborn due to his mother’s will, each child to which she later gives birth for her own “joy” will take revenge upon her with sorrows, sicknesses and psychological oppression. This is a law. You cannot expect happiness in earthly life after infanticide, and as for life in eternity, well it’s terrible even to think about it. In a word - hell.
God’s strength is made perfect in weakness; I have seen this in actuality all my life, and we are only strong in God’s strength. As Holy Hierarch Benjamim of Petrograd said on the threshold of death, we need to abandon learnedness and mind, and arm ourselves with faith. We need faith!