The Letters of Ammonas: Successor of St Antony by Saint Ammonas Saint

Author:Saint Ammonas Saint [Saint, Saint Ammonas]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Christianity
Publisher: SLG Press
Published: 2017-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

IX

I know that you are in travail of heart, and have entered into great trial. But if you bear it nobly, joy will come to you. For if trial does not come upon you, either openly or secretly, you cannot progress beyond your present measure. For all the saints, when they asked that their faith might be increased, entered into trials. For when a man receives a blessing from God, at once his trial is increased by the enemy, who wants to deprive him of the blessing with which God has blessed him. For the demons, knowing that in being blessed the soul acquires progress, wrestle against it either in secret or in the open. Thus when Jacob was blessed by his father, at once the trial of Esau came upon him: for the evil one moved his heart against Jacob, wanting to efface the blessing. But he has no strength against the righteous, for it is written, ‘The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous’ (Ps. 125:3). As a result, Jacob did not lose the blessing which he had received, but augmented it day by day. You also, therefore, do your best to come out victorious from your trials. For of necessity those who receive blessings are bound also to endure trials. And I, your father, have also endured great trials, both in the open and in secret. I persevered, supplicating in hope, and the Lord delivered me.

So in your case, my beloved, since you have received the blessing of God, be prepared to receive trials until you have passed beyond them; then you will have great progress and increase in all your virtues, and great gladness will be given you from heaven, such as you have not known. And the medicine for passing through the trials is that you should not grow weary, but pray to God from your whole heart, giving thanks and showing patience in all things, then the trial will pass from you. For Abraham was tried thus, and appeared thereby a glorious ‘athlete’. And so it is written, ‘Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all’ (Ps. 34:19). Again James says in his Letter, ‘Is any disheartened among you? Let him pray’ (Jas. 5:13). See how all the saints, when they entered into trials, called upon God. Again, it is written, ‘God is faithful; He will not suffer you to be tried beyond your capability’ (I Cor. 10:13).

Now, because of the uprightness of your heart, God is working in you. For if He did not love you He would not bring trials upon you. ‘Whom the Lord loves He chastens,’ and ‘He chastises the child whom He receives’ (Prov. 3:12; Heb. 12:6). Trials, therefore, are beneficial to the faithful, while those who have no experience of trials are untested; they wear the monastic dress, but deny its meaning. For Abba Antony used to say to us: ‘No man will be able to enter into the kingdom of God without trials.

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