Monastic Wisdom: The Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast by Joseph & Elder Joseph Hesychast

Author:Joseph & Elder Joseph Hesychast [Joseph & Hesychast, Elder Joseph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780966700015
Amazon: 0966700015
Publisher: Saint Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery
Published: 1999-10-01T22:00:00+00:00

118 Mt. 10:37

119 f. Mt. 6:33

120 cf. Mt. 16:26

Thirty-ninth Letter

My beloved sister, rejoice in the Lord.

My beloved sister, rejoice in the Lord. Today I received your letter full of love and piety. I threw up my hands with a fervent soul and ardent love, and I entreated the Lord with hidden shouts of my humble heart.

“Hearken,” I said, “O sweet love, Jesus my Savior, the Light above all light, begotten of the beginningless Father; the knowledge and truth, my hope and solace, my strength and might, my love and illumination; hearken and send the light of Thy divine consolation to my sister, and break the bars and bolts of her darkened and distressed soul; and with the bright light of Thy radiance comfort her heart, that her sorrows and the successive waves of temptations lessen. Yes, my sweet Christ, the Light that illumines reins121 and heart, soul and body, tendons and bones, nous and intellect, and the entire composition of our being; hearken unto me as I pray for my afflicted and suffering sister.”

These and many other things—tokens of my affection towards you—do I cry out to my Master. For I remember and am not unaware of your many and countless sufferings since childhood. Because of them I love you exceedingly, and amongst all of my beloved, I give the most love to you, for the first-fruits of my love belong to you.

I only ask that you do this for me as repayment for my immense love towards you: be a little more patient. And I trust that Jesus, Who has already shown so much love to us, will fulfill all of your requests even more. You will find not only peace and quiet in your soul, but also everything that is beneficial to our wretched souls will the Lord grant you. Just keep seeking with tears that the Lord’s holy will be done—in the way He knows best—and not yours.

As soon as you realize that you have sinned against the Lord, add no more wounds to your bruises. But if as a human you fall again, don’t get despondent, don’t despair. For how will the loving Lord, Who told Peter to forgive seventy times seven in a day, not forgive us?

Let your husband do as he wishes. Tell him that you gave those things to charity. Don’t give to others the alms you were planning on giving them. Don’t do another benefaction to someone else. This one is enough. Give up your own will so that you may find peace of soul. For the will of man is a bronze wall that blocks illumination and peace from God.

Take as an example our sweet Jesus, Who was obedient to His beginningless Father unto death on a cross. He gave His body over to scourges, His cheeks to slaps, and He did not turn His face away from spitting. Do you see, my sister, how much love the compassionate Lord showed to us? So let us give up our will as well; let us forgive those who wrong us.

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